This past Sunday, I had the opportunity, along with eight other bloggers and social media influencers, to attend the most insane rooftop brunch of all time, co-hosted by Here to Disrupt and Kaufman Development. We gathered around a Pinterest-worthy table and enjoyed boozy drinks, sweet treats and savory dishes. It was an experience I will remember for a very long time. Seriously, I didn’t feel cool enough. I still don’t. But, I do have the photos to prove I was there, so maybe that will up my blog cred by a few points.
If you haven’t heard of Here to Disrupt, I can guarantee you’ll be seeing a lot from them in the near future. They are a group of passionate, creative individuals who are changing the culinary scene in Columbus, one pop-up event at a time. The events are held at restaurants and nontraditional locations and venues, with the goal to showcase sous chefs from across Ohio. And let me tell you, these people are talented.
This particular event celebrated the pastry, and as a girl who loves her sweets, I was fully on board. Dishes were prepared by pastry chefs, Aaron Clouse (pastry chef for LBRANDS/owner of Cakes by Aaron), Andrew Worth (owner of WORTH) and Amanda Erckert (owner of Tablspoon). The sweet treats ranged from a German berlinger filled with lingonberry jam, to sweet corn fritters and Greek loukoumades with toasted walnuts and honey. The savory menu option was a quiche stuffed with shitake mushrooms and emmental cheese, with a side of asparagus.
And to top everything off, we had the opportunity to try a more savory dessert, Bloody Mary sorbet with orange sponge cake, vodka soda and grilled shrimp. The flavors were so unexpected, but worked so well together. The way I think about dessert forever changed the moment I took a bite of that salty and savory sorbet. It was UNREAL.
Derek Reno of The Reno Reserve kept the drinks coming. Because everyone knows a good brunch usually involves alcohol. Extra props to the bartender when your glasses look like this.
I was so honored to be a part of this event. The food was sweet, and the company was sweeter. I can’t wait to see what these guys do next.
