Strongwater Food and
Courtesy of Strongwater Food and Spirits
Spirits welcomes two new chefs to its culinary team that are both familiar to the Columbus restaurant scene. Executive chef Catie Randazzo and sous chef Gareth Fullerton are already making changes to the menu, inserting their unique culinary creativity into their work.
Randazzo, a graduate of the Columbus Culinary Institute, has been part of the culinary community since the age of 16 and is returning after a hiatus brought on by the pandemic. Randazzo is the former owner and head chef of Ambrose and Eve and brings experience from positions at notable restaurants such as Nostrana, out of Portland, Oregon, and Allswell in Brooklyn, New York. They credit that experience as formative for their culinary abilities.
“That’s really where I earned my chops and figured out my stuff and figured out my style and how I wanted to move forward,” Randazzo says. “When you get your hands dirty and you’re seeing all this new product come in and you’re learning the timing of getting your food to go up with other people on the line, you learn so much more about yourself as a human being as well.”
Though Randazzo brings much experience to the table, they credit Fullerton, who previously was the executive chef at Whitney House, as a huge asset to have on the team.
“It’s been really great working with him while we’ve been going through this transition,” they said. “He’s so talented and smart, we flow very well with bouncing ideas off of each other.”
Restaurants in Columbus struggled to keep up with challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Randazzo’s Ambrose and Eve closed its doors in November of 2020 due to financial strain. Now, Randazzo sees their new position with Strongwater as a chance to return the support that customers gave to their business in its final days.
“Because of everything that happened,” they said, “this was my opportunity to really give back the support the city gave to me and help Strongwater reinvent themselves in a way.”
At Strongwater, Randazzo says they’re looking to create a lively and light-hearted attitude through updates to the menu.
“My goal is to make the food fun again,” they said. “(To make an) atmosphere or place where people want to come and celebrate and spend their special moments.”
Sophia Englehart is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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