Articles & Awards

Hyde Park, N.Y. - Cameron Mitchell, president and founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, has been elected the 15th chairman of the board oftrustees for The Culinary Institute of America here.

A 1986 graduate of the CIA, Mitchell is the first alumnus to become chairman.  Mitchell grew his business from one steakhouse in Columbus, Ohio, in 1993 to a 33-unit company located in nine states.  He sold ehis 19-unit Mitchell's Fish Market and three-unti Cameron's Steakhouse chains to Ruth's Hospitality Group for $92 million earlier this year.  He now operates 14 restaurants under seven brand names in Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and Arizona, as well as a catering company.

Mitchell succeeds William Anton, founder and chairman of Anton Airfood, Inc.

Cameron Mitchell’s recipes start by treating his staff with respect.

Don’t even think about eating at one of Cameron Mitchell’s restaurants on New Year’s Day. No one will be there to prepare your surf and turf.

“I don’t want to work on the holidays so I don’t expect anybody else to. I wouldn’t ask people to do something that I wouldn’t want to do,” Mitchell says. “We also give people personal days, and in the restaurant business, that’s very rare.”

The founder, owner and president of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants says the hospitality industry may focus on the customer, but his business — which features seven concepts with 15 restaurants, plus the Cameron Mitchell Catering Co. —takes a different approach.

“Our associates come first in our company,” he says. “We take care of our people, our people take care of our guests, and our guests take care of our company. We look at it as more of a triangular relationship.”

So how does Mitchell, whose company brought in $118 million in 2007 revenue, employ such great people at his company?

“We get the same people everybody else gets, we just treat them great,” he says. “That’s what separates us a little bit from some other folks.”

Mitchell follows a theory of two-way-street management: If it’s not good for his 1,200 associates, it’s not good for the company, and if it’s not good for the company, it’s not good for his associates. The goal, he says, is for everybody to work harmoniously with each other — but that’s not to say Mitchell avoids conflict. An employee once described Mitchell as the most demanding and best boss the employee had ever worked for.

“That was the ultimate compliment,” he says. “That says I’m demanding and hard-driving, but I’m caring and want to have fun at the same time. To me, that’s the best of both worlds. I have the innate ability to push someone to the edge of the cliff, and they have a choice: They can jump and fail, or they can turn around and face me, and then we’ll walk back from the edge of the cliff together.”

Mitchell says demanding excellence is inherent in the nature of successful leaders.
“I don’t think you can get to the championship game if you’re not demanding, ”he says. “Good coaches push people to better themselves more than they ever thought they could do, and that’s what I hope to be able to do.”

The ability to create an entrepreneurial vision for his company is another strength that sets Mitchell apart from his peers.

“I try to paint the vision for everybody I can,” he says. “I’m extremely goal-oriented, and the more I can talk to employees about our goals — where we’re going and how we’re going to get there — the more people start to believe in that, including myself. One of my skills is being able to look at what I want the end picture to be and determining the steps we need to take to make that picture happen. A visionary is able to put all those pieces together.”

Corporate decision-makers often find themselves working in their business rather than on it. In this scenario, Mitchell compares himself to the commander of an aircraft carrier.

“I don’t allow myself to be down in the engine room or the radio room,” he says. “That’s not to say that I don’t step foot in those areas, but I spend the majority of my time on the bridge because that’s where I can see where we’re going and chart our course.

“In the beginning, I had to focus a tremendous amount of my time on the details. As the business has grown over the years, I’ve handed that ball off to someone else.”

Mitchell learned to be comfortable in delegating the details to his leadership team, due, in part, to some advice his mother heard in a speech given by the late Dave Thomas [founder of Wendy’s International Inc.]: Surround yourself with great people.

“I’ve studied some of the great companies out there, like Southwest Airlines, and I try to create that atmosphere and energy for our own people,” he says. “With Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, I just happen to have my name on the front door, but this business and its success has been built on the hard work of thousands of people over the years. I’d be a fool to think it’s all about me; I’m just one cog in the wheel.”

Restaurateur Cameron Mitchell, a 1986 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, has taken on the duties of chairman of the renowned school's 25-member board of trustees. He's the first graduate to lead the board and also its youngest chairman, at 45.

"It's probably the pinnacle of my career so far," said Mitchell, founder and president of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants in Columbus.

Mitchell has been on the board of trustees for nine years. His two-year term as president started with his election on Oct. 25.

The institute, long known as the CIA, was founded in 1946 and has 2,700 students on the main campus at Hyde Park, N.Y.

There should be some kind of warning about these things. Cameron Mitchell’s new Martini Modern Italian (the renovated version of the old Martini Italian Bistro) markets itself as several things.

The joint is more modern now? Fine. The food is Italian? Lovely.

But no place in that new moniker does it warn you about the guests—and they’re really something.

These days, most of Cameron Mitchell’s places seem designed for the everyman. That’s why the eateries are so darn popular.

But, for some reason, this project has attracted a crowd of guests that the average restaurateur would kill for: It’s the beautiful people. Perfectly groomed, with perfectly tailored suits and perfect Italian shoes, they’re well-heeled in every sense of the word.

Apparently, they even have enough money left after shopping to swamp the bar and form a shoulder-to-shoulder barricade of beauty that’s breathtaking when you first enter.

Once you get around the bar-side barricade, however, the dining area is less crowded (and less overwhelming).

The starters seem pretty standard: Beef Carpaccio, Tuna Tartar, Calamari. But one classic combination, asparagus and prosciutto, takes on new life in the Bruschetta offering ($9). It has the appeal of all things that combine the elements of cured meat, cheese (a not-too-aggressive Taleggio) and bread.

The salad department feels a little more interesting. First off, the Heirloom Beet Salad ($8) highlights all that is likable about beets: a bright palate (to which pistachios contribute) and a mild sweetness. More reasons to rejoice: The beet flavor trumps any barnyard accents contributed by the goat-cheese dressing.

Salads with sweet elements were popular for a while, but the Martini Salad ($7) might be signaling the demise of that trend. The team of greens, pine nuts, tomatoes and gorgonzola dressing is undeniably savory, and undeniably delicious.

There’s also something really good about Martini’s pasta. If the Gnocchi Bolognese ($14) isn’t particularly potato-y, it is particularly tender. The tuber taste was missed, but achieving tenderness in the gnocchi department is quite a feat—at most places, the little nubs make for tough chewing. The flavor in this version comes mostly from the meat sauce, a soft, homogenous combination of ground beef, veal and wild boar. Something about it feels vaguely like the famous three-meat CMR meatloaf.

The biggest source of dining fun so far has been the Chicken Carbonara ($15). The menu lists the pasta as “cresti,” and according to Google, that’s a real genre—it refers to curved tubes with big, rooster-style crests. Sure enough, that’s what’s on the plate along with shards of chicken and asparagus and bacon. It doesn’t look like there’s much sauce there, but there’s enough creamy stuff to make every blessed tube worth consuming.

The menu also makes a significant commitment to more formal meat dishes.

In the classic department would be the Osso Bucco ($27), with long-cooked meat and wintery root vegetables. With polenta, it feels like comfort cooking for the slightly ritzy eater.

On the edgier side of the meat department would be the Veal Martini ($24), which is not as odd as it sounds. It’s almost junk food, with flattened fried veal paired up with prosciutto and a little sauce/gravy.

The Martini Modern Italian is decidedly upscale in a market that’s been rewarding downscale eateries for about a year, but it seems to be catching on. Maybe Cameron knows something we don’t.

Cameron Mitchell never seems to stop smiling. I noticed this one night while polishing off a spicy, rich and deeply flavored bowl of gumbo in the room where it all began.

You see, 15 years ago to that day (Oct. 6), Mitchell opened his first and namesake restaurant out in Linworth, and the man was celebrating his anniversary by mingling with fans and regulars and (throughout the month) offering part of his original menu at original prices.

Moving through the crowd and working the room like a pope, Mitchell was laughing and shaking hands - and heck, wouldn't you be, too? Last year, in a still-pre-economy-meltdown climate, he presciently sold off his Fish Markets and Steakhouses for a very cool $92 million.

That evening, as my massive double-cut pork chop was being delivered, I eyeballed Mitchell gliding toward my table. Suddenly, over the house speakers, I heard - I swear - Tony Bennett crooning, "Out of the tree of life I just picked me a plum," and realized in the movie version, this is where we'd sepia-tone our way back to a daydreaming boy leaning over a restaurant kitchen sink. Later that night, the boy would (as Mitchell's website bio reads) race home to scribble down his lofty goals of graduating from the best cooking school in the country, parlaying that into a head cheffing stint and, by his mid-30s, becoming the president of a super-successful and prestigious company.

If that drive and ambition seem to separate him from most of the rest of us, I found out through meeting him and the following e-mail interview that Cameron Mitchell is a surprisingly modest and down-to-earth guy with a great sense of humor. And a very big smile.

This week is Alive's Bar Guide issue, so I have to ask if you prefer beer, wine or cocktails - or are you an equal opportunist? Which specific labels do you favor?

It really depends on my mood, but I guess you'd say I'm an equal opportunist. My favorites would be Tanqueray gin, Far Niente Chardonnay or Bud Select.

What are some of your favorite food and drink pairings?

I don't really like to pair. When I'm drinking, I'm drinking. When I'm eating, I'm eating!

You seem to be very busy on the business end of things lately. How much cooking do you do these days - whether professionally, creating dishes for restaurants, or while at home?

Not much. I am surrounded by a terrific team of executive chefs who are extraordinary. And at home, my wife Molly really does the lion's share of cooking.

What did you have for dinner after you sealed the deal to sell your fish and steakhouses?

After the deal was signed, my executive team and I went to Press Grill for some cheeseburgers and beer, and then we went bowling!

What are some of your favorite dishes from your various restaurants?

The Veal Chop at the new Martini Modern Italian. The [small plate] Grilled Zucchini at Marcella's. The Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli at Mitchell's Ocean Club. The Thai Curry Chicken at Molly Woo's. Honey Glazed Duck at Cameron's. Halibut and the wild mushroom pot stickers at M. Romano Crusted Chicken at Cap City Diner.

What misconceptions might the Columbus public have about you?

That I'm a good cook.

What are your non-food-related hobbies?

Golf, travel, and spending time with my wife and my three children.

Are there any restaurant concepts you started cooking up that you later discarded or allowed yourself to be talked out of?

Yes, I wanted to do a Mexican rock 'n' roll restaurant ...

Besides your own, what are your favorite restaurants in town? In the country?

Rigsby's. Morton's for steak. The Rossi. Press Grill for cheeseburgers. Marshall's for breakfast. My favorite cities outside of Columbus to dine: New York, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Chicago, Las Vegas and L.A.

What's your favorite food movie?

I particularly like the prison scene [in Goodfellas] where Paul Sorvino's character is slicing the garlic with a razor blade so it "liquefies" in the pan.

What are some of your guilty food pleasures?

Too much of a good thing: I love my dairy! Cheese, ice cream ...

What restaurant trends do you dislike?

I hated the "no carb" fad, and forecasted that it would leave before it ever really got started. And I didn't like the "healthy low fat" cooking trend. Fat is flavor!

Cameron Mitchell's new take on Italian uses classics touched up with modern flair

Martini Modern Italian, Cameron Mitchell's latest concept, is replacing Martini Italian Bistro at 445 N. High St., at Vine Street.

"I want you to step into a dining experience like I've seen in Milan," Mitchell said as he prepared for its opening on Wednesday night. "For two hours, our customers can leave Columbus behind and have an experience like they can nowhere else."

The original Martini's opened in the mid-1990s and was more of the traditional rendering of Italian food in America. The space was decorated with an eye toward the eclectic.

It also represents the last of Mitchell's older concepts to undergo a makeover. Cameron's American Bistro and the Cap City Diner were given new menus this summer, also serving to mark the 15th anniversary of Mitchell's entry onto the dining scene.

With Martini Modern Italian's opening, the company has 12 restaurants representing nine concepts. Nine of the restaurants are in central Ohio.

The Martini's Italian Bistro in Louisville, Ky., will remain under the old concept and might soon be sold to the general manager, Mitchell said. Ocean Club's sisters, known outside this area as Ocean Prime, will soon give Mitchell 15 restaurants, with new spaces opening in Orlando, Fla., and Scottsdale, Ariz., in November and Tampa, Fla., after the first of the year.

The new Martini concept moves upscale and modern, with dark woods, white leather and special lighting.

The straightforward menu, which Mitchell calls "timeless Italian cookery and techniques presented in a modern style," features such classics as Osso Bucco, Vitello Milanese, Chicken Marsala and Gnocchi Bolognese, but with a lighter flair.

The menu also offers specialty cocktails and enough salads and small plates that diners can move in that direction if they choose.

Entrees run from $14 to $42, with salads and soups in the $7-to-$9 range and antipasti priced from $9 to $17. Specialty drinks are $9 and $10.

The restaurant, which seats 174 in the dining room and 46 in the bar, will be open for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and until 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The restaurant, Mitchell said, also works as a counterpoint to Marcella's Ristorante, at 615 N. High St.

"We cover both ends of the spectrum, from high-end to casual trattoria, just 500 yards from each other. Where Marcella's is an expression of Tuscany, this is an expression of big-city Italy," he said.

Employees learn the drink menu at Martini Modern Italian, which replaces Martini's Italian Bistro at 445 N. High St. It was the last of Cameron Mitchell's older concepts to undergo a makeover.

Dark woods, white leather and special lighting were chosen to help bring to mind big-city Italy. Entree prices will range from $14 to $42 when the restaurant opens Wednesday.

Urban Columbus is about to get a taste of urban Italy.

Martini Modern Italian, Cameron Mitchell's latest concept, is replacing Martini Italian Bistro at 445 N. High St., at Vine Street.

"I want you to step into a dining experience like I've seen in Milan," Mitchell said as he prepared for its opening on Wednesday night. "For two hours, our customers can leave Columbus behind and have an experience like they can nowhere else."

The original Martini's opened in the mid-1990s and was more of the traditional rendering of Italian food in America. The space was decorated with an eye toward the eclectic.

It also represents the last of Mitchell's older concepts to undergo a makeover. Cameron's American Bistro and the Cap City Diner were given new menus this summer, also serving to mark the 15th anniversary of Mitchell's entry onto the dining scene.

With Martini Modern Italian's opening, the company has 12 restaurants representing nine concepts. Nine of the restaurants are in central Ohio.

The Martini's Italian Bistro in Louisville, Ky., will remain under the old concept and might soon be sold to the general manager, Mitchell said. Ocean Club's sisters, known outside this area as Ocean Prime, will soon give Mitchell 15 restaurants, with new spaces opening in Orlando, Fla., and Scottsdale, Ariz., in November and Tampa, Fla., after the first of the year.

The new Martini concept moves upscale and modern, with dark woods, white leather and special lighting.

The straightforward menu, which Mitchell calls "timeless Italian cookery and techniques presented in a modern style," features such classics as Osso Bucco, Vitello Milanese, Chicken Marsala and Gnocchi Bolognese, but with a lighter flair.

The menu also offers specialty cocktails and enough salads and small plates that diners can move in that direction if they choose.

Entrees run from $14 to $42, with salads and soups in the $7-to-$9 range and antipasti priced from $9 to $17. Specialty drinks are $9 and $10.

The restaurant, which seats 174 in the dining room and 46 in the bar, will be open for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and until 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The restaurant, Mitchell said, also works as a counterpoint to Marcella's Ristorante, at 615 N. High St.

"We cover both ends of the spectrum, from high-end to casual trattoria, just 500 yards from each other. Where Marcella's is an expression of Tuscany, this is an expression of big-city Italy," he said.

Martini Italian Bistro, 445 N. High St., will close after dinner Saturday and reopen Oct. 15 as Martini Modern Italian, according to Cameron Mitchell Restaurants.

The restaurant will serve Italian dishes and handcrafted cocktails in a newly redecorated space that will feature dark woods, white leather and candlelight.

The company operates 12 restaurants under seven concepts.

One of Cameron Mitchell’s first restaurants is getting a makeover.

Martini Italian Bistro in Columbus’ Short North, will be idled Sept. 28 after 12 years of operations so it can reopen Oct. 15 as Martini Modern Italian.

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants LLC spokeswoman Carolyn Delp said although the name is familiar, the menu and look will be “100 percent different.”

“Sales have been flat,” she said. “Given all the new restaurants to the area, we felt that eventually we’d begin to have sales declines if we didn’t stay ahead of the curve.”

Columbus restaurant owner Cameron Mitchell received an unexpected tribute this year. Friends on the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants Executive Board, which runs nine local Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, surprised him by committing a gift of $25,000 in his honor to support the Hospitality Management program in the college's Department of Consumer Sciences.

The gift recognizes Mitchell's 15 years in the restaurant business and his support of the hospitality industry by establishing the Cameron Mitchell Scholarship Fund.

"This scholarship gift from the executive team to Cameron Mitchell is a token of our appreciation for his leadership and vision," said David Miller, executive vice president of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and a member of the college's Hospitality Management Program Advisory Board. "We have all worked together as a team for a number of years, and we knew that this would have great meaning to Cameron, who takes seriously the mentorship of young people in the hospitality industry."

The scholarship will award $5,000 a year over the next five years to students in the Hospitality Management program. Heather Grieshop, a junior in the program, received the first Cameron Mitchell Scholarship in May.

A native of Fort Recovery, a small town in West Central Ohio, Grieshop said, "I was thrilled to receive the Cameron Mitchell Scholarship, not only because it assists me greatly in meeting my educational goals, but also because it comes from such a smart business with a fun work environment. Cameron Mitchell Restaurants really knows what it takes to go above and beyond at meeting guests' expectations and creating a memorable dining experience. The internship with them, provided along with the scholarship, will be a wonderful learning opportunity!"

Cheryl Achterberg, the new dean of the college, said, "We have high hopes of building the Hospitality Management program in our college. This gift signals a vote of confidence for our future. We're very grateful to Cameron Mitchell Restaurants."

After developing nearly a dozen brands since 1993, Cameron Mitchell, president and founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants in Columbus, Ohio, sold four of those brands late last year to the parent company of Ruth’s Chris Steak House for $92 million in cash. Fonder of creating concepts than opening hundreds of identical units, Mitchell believed his largest chain, the 19-unit Mitchell’s Fish Market, along with the other sold brands, would meet their growth potentials under the guidance of a company with more financial muscle and expansion expertise.

Would you call your company well capitalized at this point?

That really depends on how you look at it. The development of restaurants requires tremendous amounts of capital, and so you’re always in the capital acquisition mode.

Explain your thinking behind the Mitchell’s Fish Market sale.

We had too many restaurants [that] we were trying to grow and develop at one time, and it wasn’t fair to our people, our associates, to ask them to grow all those brands…[and] to the standard we wanted. It also was time to reward our partners and pay down our bank debt. We also wanted to get some growth capital [and] I wanted to be in the creation and development of new brands again.

Would you sell additional brands to fund further development?

My goal has always been to build an extraordinary restaurant company, and things become problematic if your prime motivation is to build it and sell it. To say I would or wouldn’t sell one of our brands would be pure speculation at this point.

How do you balance being a creative restaurateur and a businessman?

I guess I’m left and right brained. I love running restaurant businesses, but I love the creativity of it, the creation of new menus, new concepts—that’s the fun part of the business. I’d probably go crazy if all I was doing was building restaurant number one to 100. I admire those who do that, but I need the creativity of developing new ones.

A sky-blue Rolls Royce Phantom, a red Ferrari F430, a shiny black Maybach, a dark-blue Viper SRT10 and a classic Bentley Continental. These are some of the rides that roll into Ocean Prime nightly. I know this because my son races to Troy’s new hotspot nearly every evening around 7 or 8 p.m. to watch Metro

Detroit’s sweetest cars pull into the restaurant’s valet area. With camera in hand, my 11-year-old car lover stands off to the side, waiting for the automobiles’ owners to enter before he clicks away at their head-turning steel beauties.

He has been watching the restaurant/supper club go up since the very first nail was hammered into its structure a few months ago. Each day we would pass the under-construction facility and he would say, “It’s going up fast!”

It sure did go up fast, this nod to fine dining in an elegant, contemporary environment. On June 4, dozens of hot wheels and their see-and-be-seen drivers and passengers veered into the lot for the grand opening.

The Cameron Mitchell restaurant, with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, is the talk of the town, and is hailed as the modern American supper club, harkening back to a day when nothing could beat an evening out at a prime supper club. Speaking of prime, the restaurant’s name refers to its offerings — ocean indicates fish and prime refers to the best cuts of beef. Whether you’re a surf or turf lover, the menu entices all.

We reserved a table on a recent Saturday night, thinking by now the crowds surely have died down.

Wrong. It was, and still is, abuzz with excitement. And the food? There aren’t enough stars to rate our dining experience. The service was impeccable and so was the fare. I’m not going to include prices, here, because, well, you only need to know that for two, you’ll likely spend about $100. We had a martini and a glass of wine each (if you opt not to drink alcohol, you can easily keep the bill under $100), and salads and sides are a la carte, so each option racks up the bill. Most main dishes vary in price, and everything is fresh — the fish is flown in daily.

I opted for halibut with a mustardy sauce, which was cooked just right, while my husband enjoyed succulent scallops (four was definitely not enough). Our sides included green beans almandine and mashed potatoes with hints of bleu cheese (both were big enough to feed at least four). The mashed potatoes were one of several potato options, from au gratin to baked.

We started the meal with salads. Mine was a Caesar concoction, but ever so different than the usual, with a more creamy-style dressing and a lovely crouton wafer, atop ultra-crisp, chilly Romaine. My husband savored a salad whose centerpiece was pear. Those nearby raved about their greens with apples. Hot, fresh bread made a hearty accompaniment.

Dinner selections typically include eight fresh fish choices as well as orchestrations such as pecan-crusted trout and crab cakes. Steaks range from a seven ounce filet to a 22-ounce porterhouse.

Incidentally, as soon as you sit down, the waitstaff provides you with pre-dinner appetizers, like little dishes of almonds, pimentocheese spread with crackers, and carrots — nibbles that evoke a supper club-ish appeal.

That supper club ambiance drifts throughout the place, from the chic linen-draped tables and shiny wood and steel chairs to the high ceilings. Gals dress snappy here, while men look generally spiffy. White-jacketed waitstaff glide amid the patrons, who sip on inspiring drinks and sample perfectly prepared dinners. Live piano music from the bar area filters through the eatery.

Outside, a patio with tables lends a modern appeal. Tucked within part of the outdoor area is a fire pit surrounded by low seating, tiki torches, lush evergreens and candlelight.

On the Saturday night I visited, it happened to be my wedding anniversary. When I made reservations,the woman on the phone asked if I was celebrating anything special. Of course, I told her, knowing my husband would get a kick out of a little extra attention. Attention? Well, let’s just say that upon our arrival, our waiter,

Craig, inquired about the anniversary as well. Meanwhile, Dave Barton, the on-duty service manager who will even perform magic tricks if you ask him, shared with us information on all the celebratory desserts and even gave us an anniversary card, signed by all of the staff. How’s that for personal attention?

As the evening wore on, a 20- and 30-something crowd entered, many in denim and heading for the bar area or outdoor fire pit.

Our meal was nothing less than outstanding. Every single morsel of food — overseen by executive chef Jeff Lindemeyer — that we bit into was perfection. Everything is served hot and nothing was over-seasoned or too fussy.

As for the staff, service was impeccable and personable. As we sat on the patio, we watched as curious passersby turned their heads, curiously watching the lively patio scene. Ocean Prime is a throwback to a time of sophisticated supper clubs, where the vibe is hip and the food and cocktails are amazing.

**4 STARS**

Excerpt from Article from June 22, 2008

We have to applaud a restaurant company willing to take a chance on Michigan while the economy is teetering.

Ocean Prime opened its doors this month during a time when we need a place like this - a place where we can forget our woes and choose a meal in an atmosphere that's luxurious.
The restaurant, in Troy, is owned by Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Mitchell opens concept restaurants with a high-end, supper club feel reminiscent of times past….

Mitchell began his restaurant career almost 30 years ago - starting from the bottom as a dishwasher and working his way up to open his own restaurants in an industry that he loves.

…The tan finishes and rich woods are combined with contemporary styled sheer drapery and granite bar tops. In addition to Troy, Mitchell is expanding into Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Scottsdale.

"There will be an energy in every Ocean Prime restaurant that our guests will appreciate. Ocean Prime will be the place to see and be seen," said Mitchell. "Our commitment is to deliver unsurpassed service, food and cocktails in surroundings that will make Ocean Prime a dining destination for couples and groups, young and old."

Menu items at the Troy location include appetizers such as French Onion soup; a raw bar of oysters, shellfish and crab; aged cheddar fondue; calamari; and classic oysters rockefeller.
Salads include a crisp wedge of iceberg with red onion, smoked bacon, grape tomatoes, Bleu Cheese and a Cabernet buttermilk dressing.

Or try the hearts of Romaine Knife & Fork Caesar with Parmesan garlic dressing and sourdough crostini. The signature salad is the House with Romaine, spinach, Granny Smith apples, goat cheese, walnuts and a sherry mustard vinaigrette.

Popular entrees are the chef's compositions of pecan crusted mountain trout with skillet beans and brown butter; and the Chilean Sea Bass with glazed carrots and champagne truffle sauce.
Items are 'A la Carte.' For example, the large potato selection … include potato latkes; mashed potatoes; sea salt and vinegar fries; Maytag Blue Cheese whipped; jalapeno au gratin; butter & sour cream; scallion twice baked with cheddar cheese & bacon, and candied yams with marshmallow brulee.

There are also vegetables like creamed spinach, jumbo asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, French bean; forest mushrooms, crispy onion straws with creamy horseradish, glazed carrots with brown sugar butter and sesame stir-fried snap peas.

Location, location, location. It's just as important in the restaurant business as it is in real estate.
And there couldn't be a better location for an ambitious restaurant than the golden corner in Troy where Ocean Prime debuted two weeks ago.

As the name suggests, it combines a fish/steak approach, with the menu just about evenly divided between the two, with perhaps a bit of an edge to the fins and shells.

It also has a lively bar scene to attract those who prefer to nibble an appetizer or two with a drink rather than sit down for a full dinner.

Ocean Prime is something of a tourist attraction in the early going, as the denizens of the nearby office complexes stopped by to see what it's all about.

The space is done up handsomely, its rather imposing entranceway backed with a vertical wine "cellar" that stretches from floor to ceiling.

The main dining room -- completely separate from the spacious cocktail lounge, but with its own small bar as a backdrop -- is set with white linen-covered tables under a high ceiling.

A wall of windows looks out on the street scene. The interior wall of slick, polished wood is punctuated with outsized porthole-style windows.

The parent company likens Ocean Prime to "a retro supper club," but I did not get that feeling in a recent visit. The place is much too contemporary for the designation, although there are some retro dishes on the menu.

When was the last time you saw deviled eggs on an appetizer list -- albeit eggs helped along by white truffle trimmings -- or, for that matter, baked Alaska on a dessert menu?

Maybe the brilliant white stewards' jackets on the good-looking staff evoke days gone by, but this is very much an up-to-the-minute spot that offers people something just a little different from its steakhouse neighbors on Big Beaver Road.

Executive chef Jeff Lindemeyer moved over from Cameron's Steak House in Birmingham, as did general manager Steve Singleton. (The company sold Cameron's and Mitchell's Fish Markets to Ruth's Chris Steak House a few months ago, leaving Ocean Prime the only Cameron Mitchell restaurant in town.)

Fish eaters may choose from completely garnished compositions, including pecan-crusted trout with skillet beans and brown butter -- the least expensive fish dish in the house ($15 at lunch, $18 at dinner) or perhaps jumbo lump crab cakes with asparagus and sweet corn cream, or simply go with plain broiled halibut, mahi-mahi or scallops, and then add self-chosen trimmings.

Steamed broccoli, creamed spinach, glazed carrots with brown sugar butter and asparagus with Hollandaise are among what the menu calls "accessories."

Prime steaks are available in sizes from 7-ounce filet mignon to the 22-ounce porterhouse. A la carte add-ons include bearnaise sauce, black truffle butter and green peppercorn and cognac sauce, as well as no less than eight potato treatments (try the jalapeno au gratin for something a little different).

Hearts of romaine with Parmesan garlic dressing and sourdough crostini is an especially appealing salad, but there are several on the list that catch the eye.

Interestingly enough, the other Ocean Prime restaurants on the company's drawing board are all in resort cities, including Scottsdale, Ariz., Miami, Tampa and Orlando, Fla. But we got ours first.

Excerpt from Nation's Restaurant News (June  5, 2008)

Four months after selling its 19-unit seafood group to the parent of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants is starting a new chain called Ocean Prime that's based on one of its eateries here.

The Columbus-based multiconcept operator said it plans to develop four stores in Florida and Arizona by the end of the year after opening a unit this week in suburban Detroit. The “modern American dinner clubs,” as CMR describes them, are patterned after the company’s Mitchell’s Ocean Club restaurant here. CMR said it decided to change the concept’s name to avoid confusion with the Mitchell’s Fish Market and Columbus Fish Market restaurants that were sold in February to Ruth’s Chris’ parent, now known as Ruth’s Hospitality Group Inc., as part of a $92 million deal.

Excerpt from article by Steve Kowalski, Detroit Free Press:

Outdoor seating is becoming a popular pastime for dining along Big Beaver Road in Troy, whether the occasion calls for high-end or casual meetings.

Ocean Prime, a "reinvented" American supper club which debuted June 4. Ocean Prime's interior decor scored high marks Thursday evening from guests who had seats at the bar after work. The new Cameron Mitchell restaurant at the corner of Big Beaver and Coolidge features seafood and steak dishes, according to general manager Steve Singleton.

Cathy Lusader, who works in Troy and lives in Oakland Township, welcomed the outdoor patio as an option.

"One of the main attractions is the outside because a lot of other (restaurants) don't have it," Lusader said. "We'd be out there now but because of the humidity we're in here..."

Singleton said the "Prime" in Ocean Prime stands for the cuts of seafood ...and the cocktail and wine selections.

But prime may also describe the restaurant's location, across the street from the future site of the Pavilions, a $300 million development of office, retail and residential space. Somerset North and South, and scores of office buildings, are also within walking distance.

With piano and vocal entertainment seven nights a week, Singleton describes the restaurant experience as "sexy, sophisticated and sensual."

"Back in the day, supper clubs were the place to be," Singleton said. "Cameron has reinvented that."

Excerpt from the Troy-Somerset Gazette:

New Cameron Mitchell Restaurant at the Corner of Big Beaver and Coolidge Highway Set to Open June 4.

Cameron Mitchell has done it again. The famed restaurateur is giving Metro Detroiters a new place to step into the high life Wednesday, June 4, as Ocean Prime, the modern American supper club, makes its debut in Troy. Dubbed by its creator as “sexy, sophisticated and fun,” this new Cameron Mitchell restaurant will be a prime attraction.

“Back in the day, a supper club was the place to be. The vibe was hip, the food amazing and everyone had the tie of their lives. At Ocean Prime, we’ve redefined this great dining tradition,” said Ocean Prime General Manager Steve Singleton, Florida native turned Birmingham resident.

It is the big time, and the place to see and be seen. With live piano music, the moment guests enter they’ll feel the electric vibe. Ocean Prime will become everyone’s new favorite place,” Singleton added. Seated in the main dining room with a sophisticated black and white décor, you’ll know this is a world-class restaurant.

Like all good supper clubs of the past, Ocean Prime has a luxurious piano bar, which will be in operation every evening. Live entertainment is a staple at Ocean Prime.

Featuring the culinary expertise of Executive Chef Jeff Lindemeyer, Ocean Prime, located at the corner of Big Beaver & Coolidge Highway in Troy, will showcase the finest in fresh seafood... and handcrafted cocktails. And “prime” says it all. From the world class wine list to sumptuous chef compositions such as Braised Short Rib Osso Buco with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, everything at Ocean Prime is of the highest quality.

“...Our menu offers a delicate balance between traditional and inventive new classics,” Lindemeyer said. “We understand what our guests want and are passionate about preparing it for them.”

The chef-driven menu was designed to bring modern twists to retro “supper club” favorites. Diners will be able to enjoy classics such as Aged Wisconsin Cheddar Fondue, White Truffle Caviar Deviled Eggs and Classic Oysters Rockefeller as well as modern dishes like the Asian-French inspired Salt N Pepper Tuna with Forest Mushrooms and Green Peppercorn Sauce. On the dessert menu, the supper club staple, Baked Alaska, takes its place alongside a rustic Georgia Peaches and Cream, and a rich Peanut Butter Pie dipped in a decadent bittersweet chocolate ganache.

This will all be served, Singleton says with a smile, accompanied by Ocean Prime’s handcrafted cocktails and world-class wine.

Ocean Prime was designed to make a sophisticated yet fun impression on guest, whether inside or out. In addition to three private dining rooms with seating for up to 60 guests, Ocean Prime features a beautiful outdoor patio terrace and bar, complete with a fireplace.

The retro elements of a supper club, reflected in the warn tan finished and rich woods – all combined with contemporary styled sheer drapery, state-of-the-art lighting and granite bar tops – were designed to add to the warm energy of the restaurant.

Guests may enjoy lunch at the restaurant Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  Ocean Prime will serve dinner Monday through Thursday from 4:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. and Sunday from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Reservations may be made online at www.cameronmitchell.com, or by calling the restaurant at 248-458-0500.

Billed as a "modern American supper club" and "a place to see and be seen," the chic new Ocean Prime seafood and steak restaurant in Troy opens to the public at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. It's the first of five Ocean Primes to be built this year by Columbus, Ohio-based Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, creator of metro Detroit's Mitchell's Fish Market and Cameron's Steakhouse.

Featuring warm, contemporary décor and an outdoor terrace and bar with fireplace, the restaurant at Big Beaver and Coolidge will serve lunch weekdays and dinner nightly. Reservations: 248-458-0500 or www.cameronmitchell.com.

In November, Cameron Mitchell reached a deal to sell two-thirds of the multi-concept restaurant company he’d spent 14 years building to Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Inc. Such a windfall might send another person in search of R&R someplace tropical. But Mitchell, 44, was back at work the next day, jazzed about being debt-free and flush enough to plow money into three new concepts he’s confident will take his down-sized Cameron Mitchell Restaurants even farther, faster.

“We have three newer brands that we’re very excited about building. We own Marcella’s and Mitchell’s Ocean Club and we own a piece of the Rusty Bucket Corner Tavern. We want to build four to six Rusty Buckets, four Marcella’s and three to four Ocean Clubs a year,” Mitchell said.

“The day after the closing, I went back to work free of my bank debt, with my partners rewarded, my personal risk gone, my financial security in tact and my company’s infrastructure established. This is just another chapter in what hopefully becomes a very long story.”

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants will no longer be able to count 17-unit Mitchell’s Fish Market, two Columbus Fish Markets, two Mitchell’s Steakhouses and a Cameron’s Steakhouse as part of its portfolio of upscale and casual-dining concepts. In a deal announced in November and expected to close in the first quarter, the Columbus, Ohio-based multiconcept company sold the brands to Ruth’s Chris Steak House Inc.

“We’re building our Ocean Club restaurant concept, our Marcella’s and Rusty Bucket Corner Tavern. We just decided to build 20 some restaurants in a year to build out all those brands at their potential right now,” said Mitchell. “We love to build and create restaurant concepts. And we will continue to do that. At the same time, we will develop the brands we currently have in our stable.”

Columbus-based entrepreneur, Cameron Mitchell, president and founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants LLC, last November orchestrated the sale of 22 restaurants under the Mitchell’s Fish Market, Columbus Fish Market, Cameron’s Steakhouse and Mitchell’s Steakhouse brands to Ruth’s Chris Steak House. The sale was one of the higher multiples among foodservice industry deals in 2007.

Mitchell says the deal will allow his company to further develop its growth concepts such as Marcella’s and Rusty Bucket Corner Tavern.

Cameron Mitchell, the Columbus restaurateur whose empire has grown to 33 restaurants, is reinventing his company.

Mitchell said he will sell 19 Mitchell’s Fish Market restaurants and three steakhouses to Ruth’s Chris Steak House Inc.

“We’re a $120 million company this year. We expect to be a $120 million company again in 2010, 24 months after (the close of the sale). I’m not selling our growth potential. We are building no less restaurants next year than we would if we didn’t sell. In fact, we’re probably building more,” Mitchell said.

Cameron Mitchell put his Fish Market chain on the acquisition menu earlier this year, but in closing a deal, he added a side of steak.

The restaurateur’s Cameron Mitchell Restaurants LLC announced the sale of its 19 Fish Markets, two Mitchell’s Steakhouses and one Cameron’s Steakhouse to Heathrow, Fla.-based Ruth’s Chris Steak House Inc.

“This sale paves the way to achieve our goals innovation and expansion,” he said.

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants also manages the Rusty Bucket Corner Tavern, which is scheduled for four new locations in 2008 as well.

Walking down High Street, you may suddenly be drawn in by Marcella's open-air seating. Unlike the usual patio, at Marcella's the huge windows just open up to let the restaurant and the sidewalk seemingly become one. Someone passing by might just be able to reach in and steel a glass of wine right off your table.

Inside is a fun, casual, comfortable atmosphere, enhanced by exposed brick on one wall coupled with wood on the back bar. Then there's the Italian flavor in the decor. The fresh fruit hanging in baskets at the bar provides more than just an excellent ingredient for cocktails; it helps give Marcella's an Italian mercato feel.

In front of the kitchen is the salumeria, where the Berkel fly wheel slicer provides patrons with paper-thin slices of Italian meats. A large party table is situated right in front so guests can feel like part of the action. One final touch is the cappuccino machine, a must-have for any Italian-style bar.
"Our bartenders are not just mixologists, they are baristas," assistant general manager Jenn Rossi said.

The booze

Marcella's all-Italian wine list has around 50 labels, organized by body. Everything is available in three carafe sizes: Quartino, a little more than a glass; mezzolitro, a half bottle; or litro, a full bottle. Purists, no worries; all the wines are still presented. Many regions are represented and several of the quartini are only $5. Some of the country's finest wines also make the list, including Barbaresco, Bolgheri, Barolo and Brunelo di Montalcino. In true Italian countryside style, all wines are served in a tumbler.

For the cocktail lover, Marcella's has many unique concoctions, as well as a few standards. The most popular drink is the citrus white sangria ($5/glass, $20/litro), but they also offer a Primitivo red variety.

Fun twists on classic cocktails are another option, such as the bittersweet Grapefruit Negroni ($9) made with Bombay gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, fresh grapefruit juice and tonic. If you are in the mood for something a little more contemporary, the Kiwi Crush ($9) should do the trick, with Belvedere Cytrus vodka, Cointreau, Midori and fresh kiwi puree.

The Food

Marcella's offers a few larger items, but its menu is heavier with small plates, pizzas and pastas, which are great for sharing as a meal or a bar snack. The Sicilian pizza ($9) with capacola, salami, meatballs and Asiago is, as Rossi described it, "a meat eater's delight. The veal meatball with ricotta cheese melts in your mouth."

The meatball is also available by itself ($7) or served with fettucine ($10). Another popular dish is the pesto shrimp pizza ($10), made with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese.

A large selection of olives ($3), formaggi (3 for $10, 5 for $14) and salumi ($4) is a good place to start your small-plate adventure (the last two are cheese and deli meat, if you don't speak Italian). Several cold and hot small plates ($4 to $7) are also offered. The fritto misto with calamari, roasted garlic aioli and lemon is quite popular and the melted pecorino cheese is shipped in from Italy just for Marcella's.

Tucson, Ariz. – The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers will honor Cameron Mitchell, president and founder of Columbus, Ohio-based Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, as the 2007 recipient of the Commitment to People Award. The presentation will be made during CHART’s 74th semi-annual conference, to be held Aug. 4-7 at the Lowes Ventana Canyon Resort here.

CHART presents the award every year to a leader of a restaurant or hospitality business who demonstrates a commitment to developing employees.

Several business consultants and industry professionals also will address conference attendees. Among the keynote speakers are Hyrum Smith, creator of FranklinCovey, a productivity training and products company, and Harry Paul, co-author of the best-selling book “Fish!,” who will discuss the guiding principles of Seattle’s landmark Pike Place Market. The conference will include several workshops on training practices for hourly workers, managers and executives.

Want someplace fun to grab some good Italian food anytime of night? Try Marcella’s, the newest member of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants family. Reminiscent of an Italian café, the restaurant opened its doors this spring in the Short North. Floor-to-ceiling windows adjacent to the bar area are removed in fair weather for an open-air feel. A brick accent wall, aged wood floors, clean white tile, and an orange pressed tin ceiling add to the Old World feel. The dining room is separated from the kitchen by a mock salumeria – with meats and cheeses displayed in deli cases.

Complementing the décor, the mood at Marcella’s is relaxed and convivial – perfect for the Short North. Dish towels serve as napkins and maps of Italy are printed on the paper place-settings. Selections from Marcella’s all-Italian wine list are served either by the glass-size (quartino), half-bottle (mezzalitro), or bottle-size (litro) carafes. Rather than stemware, the wine is then poured into quaint tumblers, sending the message that atmosphere is more familial than formal.

The focus at Marcella’s is on sharing and service. Small plates are stacked in the center of each table so that patrons can share appetizers, pizzas, and entrees as well. Assistant General Manager Jenn Rossi tells me that she’s even seen guests passing plates between tables, making new friends as they enjoy dinner. Dining Room Manager Chrissy Pannunzio and the wait staff provide service that is just the right mix of attentive and fun. For appetizers, Marcella’s offers cold and hot small plates. Start with the Shaved Prosciutto and Ripe Melon ($4), or the Calamari ($7), which comes with both marinara and a wonderful creamy roasted garlic aioli. The pizzas feature tasty toppings and some of the freshest-tasting crust I’ve ever had. Try the classic Four Cheese, or the lovely Margherita, with tomato, mozzarella, and basil ($9 each). Even better yet is the fantastic Pesto Shrimp Pizza, with roasted tomato and tangy goat cheese ($10).

Marcella’s offers half a dozen Pasta dishes in manageable servings ($10 each). The traditional Capellini al Pomodoro, with fruity blistered tomatoes, basil, and garlic, is delicious, and even better when you add chicken or shrimp. There’s also a spicy Penne alla Arrabiata, and the Ravioli Mezzaluna, stuffed with rich goat cheese and topped with smoky Italian bacon. Or, you can select a nice entree, like Seared Salmon ($15) with glazed carrots and arugula vinaigrette, or the Skirt Steak ($17) with sea salt potatoes and gremolata butter. The Chicken Giardiniera ($12) is also quite flavorful – crispy pan-seared chicken in a lemony broth, topped with pickled carrots, cauliflower, red pepper, and celery. You really can’t make a bad choice for dessert ($5). The Profiteroles is a lot of fun to share – pistachio, chocolate, and honey vanilla gelato, each sandwiched in a miniature puff pastry and doused

with warm chocolate ganache. The thoroughly excellent Cherry Crustada is a must-try, with a buttery almond crumble and honey vanilla gelato. And the Double Chocolate Torte, topped with chopped pistachios, is so deliciously rich, it just might make you swear out loud. Marcella’s certainly makes its point: a restaurant doesn’t have to be rigid or stuffy

to serve good food. What’s also great about Mr. Mitchell’s latest venture is that you can drop in for a thoroughly enjoyable appetizer, dinner, and a dessert, yet not be so

stuffed that you’ll have to be wheel-barrowed out to the valet.

Cameron Mitchell has been the reigning Master of the Meatloaf since his Cap City Diner first came on the scene. Now, it’s time to give the meatloaf maven a new title: King of the Meatball.

Yes, indeed, the meatballs at Mitchell’s newest project, Marcella’s (615 N. High St.) are good—sinfully good. But the Short North stop aims to be more than a meatball joint. It’s a Ristorante Pizzeria Wine Bar, and that makes Marcella’s the pinnacle of appropriateness for the restaurateur’s empire.

Mitchell’s joints, even the upscale ones, have a reputation for loud ambient cacophony. Love it or hate it, it’s his unapologetic signature. But thankfully, mayhem happens to be perfectly suited for Marcella’s.

It’s a big, hip, tight-seated stop, where the vino and vittles practically pour from the kitchen. Here, however, there’s less of an element of performance in the attentive service as the team of bustling servers drops off an endless parade of eats.

It’s entirely possible to dine conventionally—with an appetizer, than a salad, then an entrée—but the right way to dine at Marcella’s involves ordering a thoughtless mass of concoctions and sharing whatever the kitchen brings.

With this guiding credo, enter the Meatball ($10). It’s achingly tender, with a warm wonderfulness that literally dissolves in your mouth. The masterpiece sits atop a worthy plate of fettucine, drenched in alfredo, surrounded by a tidy ring of sweet marinara and something the menu calls “torn bread crumb” which are chunks of oily bread to sop up residual sauce.

The saffron-tinged Rissoto ($11) is another are of competence. There’s a rich decadence in texture and flavor that teams nicely with simple (and comparatively austere) shrimp.

On the greener side of things, Marcella’s makes a handful of salads, including a particularly interesting offering called Tre Colore ($6). Bitter wisps of greens are set off with golden beets, radicchio and a few crumbles of gorgonzola. For those weary of the trend of sugary fruits in salad, this one’s for you. Even the dressing is without a hint of sweetness.

The Formaggi ($14) plate seems to be a big seller—and what’s not to like about a giant plate of cheese? It’s a flavor tour of the range fermented milk, from a familiar buffalo mozzarella to an aggressive aged goat cheese. This one’s built for sharing and for conversation.

If sharing appetizers doesn’t appeal to you and if an entrée is an absolute must have in your dining experience, Marcella’s is equipped to meet your needs. The Skirt Steak ($17) is abut as meat-and-potatoes—literally—as it gets, and the steak is suitably savory and tender.

So Marcella’s certainly makes the cut as a Ristorante and a Pizzeria. As for its qualifications as Wine Bar: Yep, there’s wine, and it’s sold by the cutesy-named quartino, mezzolitro and litro.

The wine menu categorizes its beverages according to descriptors, so the “fruity whites” are separated from the “rich whites” (pun duly noted and deferred). Wine fans accustomed to quiet, thoughtful beverage debates are ill-suited as Marcella’s customers since the place is too loud and too crazy for any profoundly academic discussions. On the other hand, decadent souls who enjoy the raw sensory experience of eating and drinking will do just fine.

This isn't your typical Cameron Mitchell restaurant.

The stacks of plates at the center of each table vary in design. Only a few chairs at the table match.

Heck, even the tables are different sizes.

The maestro of upscale metro Columbus dining has gone way casual with his newest restaurant, Marcella's, scheduled to open a week from today in the Short North's Yukon Building.

"It's going to be boisterous, it's going to be crowded, and, we hope, it's going to be a fun place where people will get together to try lots of different types of great Italian food," Mitchell said.

The new restaurant represents a U-turn for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, which runs 30 others under eight nameplates.

Marcella's, 615 N. High St., is two blocks north of the Greater Columbus Convention Center and just below the first arch at the Short North's entrance. It was designed to emulate an Italian enoteca.

These traditional wine bars typically are casual places where you can eat a home-style meal, sip some wine and kick back.

The atmosphere reflects that, from the wood floor and distressed mirrors to the menu items and variety of Italian wines served in different-size carafes.

The magazine rack located just past the restaurant's front door holds Italian magazines and newspapers. The servers are receiving lessons in Italian pronunciation.

Meanwhile, the windows along High Street will fold, accordion-style, to link the restaurant to the sidewalk. Tables are placed close to one another.

"This is all about sharing," Mitchell said. "Sharing the food with one another, sharing friendships. Being part of the community. This is something we really wanted to do."

Sharing is the reason for all the small plates on the tables. The idea is to let everyone at the table sample the cheeses, cold cuts and appetizers, as well as the main dishes

The wine glasses are small - juice-size. And although Marcella's has the typically high Mitchell wine markup, the prices are consistent: A quarter bottle is a quarter of the price of a full bottle.

The restaurant (pronounced mar-CHELL-uz) takes its name from the woman who prepares meals for Mitchell and his family when in Tuscany during summer vacation.

Marcella's carries the tag "ristorante, pizzeria and wine bar."

Another of the authentic touches is the four-sided salumeria, or delicatessen, in front of the open kitchen.

That's where the meats and cheeses are sliced and the almonds and olives are stored.

The antipastos join the pastas, pizzas, salads and some special entrees on the menu. Most of the pastas cost $10. The most expensive dish is the Veal Milanese at $19.

Marcella's will make its own sangria and lemoncello.

The new restaurant cost $1.2 million, about half what it usually costs the company to open a store. The price is just one indicator of the approachable nature of Marcella's.

"This is something we're doing for fun," Mitchell said.

The restaurant will seat 120, including at the bar, located along the north side of the building. It will be open seven days a week from 4 p.m. "until late." Reservations are recommended.

Mitchell's other recent venture, Mitchell's Ocean Club, was created with its expansion into a chain in mind. A second Ocean Club is set for Troy, Mich., with a third in Scottsdale, Ariz., and possibly another in New York.

But there are no such expectations for Marcella's. Still, he said, if the reception is overwhelming, "Who knows? We would never say never to anything."

Columbus, Ohio, is home to Ohio State University and its fabled Buckeyes. It’s also headquarters for more than its fair share of chains: Wendy’s, Bob Evans, White Castle, Max & Erma’s, Steak Escape, Damon’s, Donatos Pizza, Bravo Cucina Italia and its sister concept, Brio Tuscan Grill.

“That’s $10 billion in chain-restaurant sales a year,” says Cameron Mitchell, president and founder of another Columbus-based company, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, a multiconcept operation with 29 restaurants in eight states.

Mitchell agreed to take us on a culinary tour of Columbus, a market he describes as not unsophisticated, but not totally grown-up, either.

Columbus, population 800,000 and the capital of Ohio, lacks the national presence of its bigger siblings, Cleveland and Cincinnati. But Ohio State University and a handful of Fortune 500 companies lend a certain cachet, not to mention economic stability, to the city.

“Between New York and Chicago, we’re the most upscale restaurant community in the Midwest,” says Gail Baker, executive director of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association. Baker mentions Handke’s Cuisine, owned by culinary Olympian Hartmut Handke; and Michael Reams, owner of the upscale Burgundy Room and G. Michaels restaurants, and The Refectory, a fine-dining establishment with a nationally known wine list.

A lease-negotiation meeting for a new restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz., kept Mitchell occupied for some of the morning, so Carolyn Delp, operating partner and vice president of marketing at Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, serves as tour guide for the first part of our Road Trip.

Under the Arches

Around 11 a.m., we begin driving north on High Street, the road that bisects Columbus. CMR is headquartered in a low, industrial building on the south end of Short North, a warehouse district packed with art galleries, cafes and specialty retailers.

One of Short North’s landmarks is North Market, the city’s only remaining public market and a busy maze of restaurants, ethnic food shops and cookware stores.

Driving north, we notice a dozen or so iron arches over High Street. Similar arches spanned the area at the turn of the 20th century, giving Columbus the nickname Arch City. The new arches, erected in 2002, mark the city’s growing arts district.

As we drive, Delp explains that Columbus is growing mostly to the north and east; notable sites include Polaris, a 3-million-square-foot shopping mall on the north side that houses 100 restaurants.

One popular destination is the Arena District, home to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the city’s professional hockey team. Gordon Biersch Brewery, BD’s Mongolian Grill and Ted’s Montana Grill all have locations there.

Our first stop is Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, which has three units in Columbus. “They talk about this steakhouse and ours,” Delp says, referring to four-unit Mitchell’s Steakhouse. An expansive patio with two-story-high black drapes and granite tables looks like something you’d see on the West Coast, not in the nation’s midsection.

Our next stop is the space that, come late May, will be CMR’s newest concept: Marcella’s. Inspired by Quartino in Chicago and Pastis in New York, the small-plates concept will offer salumi, antipasti and stone-oven pizzas, with no entree priced more than $15. “See the tin ceiling? And there will be booths over there,” Delp says excitedly as we tour the half-built restaurant.

College Town

Further north on High Street, the Gateway, a retail-restaurant development, marks the beginning of the OSU campus. We see Eddie George’s Grill, named after the famed OSU running back. Chains abound including Potbelly Sandwich Works, Panera Bread and Caribou Coffee.

On our way to Polaris, we stop at Rusty Bucket, a casual bar and grill at Lane Avenue Shopping Center, an upscale strip mall. CMR handles back-office work for the fledgling chain and takes a management fee in return.

“It’s a neighborhood bar—fun, friendly and fast,” Delp says as we survey the dining room and prominent bar. The decor is limited to neon signs and sports photos and memorabilia. “The economic model is great,” Delp says; the bars cost $900,000 to build and average $2 million in annual sales. By the end of this year, there will be 12 Rusty Buckets in operation, all in Ohio.

Soon we arrive at Polaris. CMR has two restaurants there: Molly Woo’s, a full-service Asian concept named after Mitchell’s wife, and Martini Italian Bistro. The decor at Molly Woo’s, which is 7,800 square feet and has 250 seats, is Chinatown-worthy, with red paint, black lacquer and Chinese lanterns.

It’s almost 1 p.m., and Delp orders spring rolls to go. While we’re waiting we check out Lindey’s, Bravo Development Inc.’s casual-upscale bistro. BDI’s founders, brothers Chris and Rick Doody, went to high school with Mitchell; the three remain friends.

Still Vanilla

1:30: Lunch at last, at Columbus Fish Market, Mitchell’s first seafood concept. Lunch is a Shang Hai Seafood Sampler, a Harpoon Shrimp Salad, Asian salmon, and penne pasta with roasted vegetables and marinara. Mitchell, who joins us at the restaurant, begins lunch with a cup of gumbo.

During lunch, he talks about OSU’s influence on the city. “All the sports teams, recruiting, entertaining, general business,” Mitchell says. “The school keeps the economy stable, as does city government.” And the students “make a nice youthful work-force base,” he adds.

Until the mid-’ 90s, Columbus “was a boring meat-and-potatoes town,” Mitchell says. Several factors helped change that, including an influx of executives from New York to work at companies such as Limited Brands. “Those people wanted style,” he says.

Despite the efforts of Mitchell, the Doody brothers and other entrepreneurs, Columbus remains “vanilla,” Mitchell says. “It doesn’t have any kind of ethnicity.” Figures from the 2000 Census back him up. Columbus’ demographic makeup is roughly 68 percent white, 24 percent African-American and 3.55 percent Asian. Cleveland, for its part, is 41.4 percent white, and Cincinnati, 53 percent.

“We don’t dumb down our food, but we are cognizant of the taste profile of our locations,” Mitchell says.

May 1, 2007

He’s built nine well-known brands in the past 13 years.

His empire, worth more than $100 million, spans eight — soon to be nine — states. What’s even more impressive is that he’s done all that in a highly competitive — some might even say cutthroat — industry notorious for chewing up and spitting out wannabes by the dozens every year.

Clearly, Cameron Mitchell knows how to build a brand.

“It’s amazing the power of the concept,” says Mitchell, president of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. “We have multiple concepts, and some are better than others. Some outperform others. If you can get that concept to be just right, you can build a hell of a brand. But it takes a lot of work.”

Here’s how Mitchell has successfully built his collection of diverse brands, from retro diners to Pan-Asian bistros, from supper clubs to sophisticated steakhouses. It’s a formula that’s proven to drive growth and is based on some universal concepts.

Define yourself
Mitchell says the foundation for any brand must be built upon a company’s core values and philosophies.

“I think any business venture has to ask themselves, ‘What do they want to be?’” he says. “We want to be an extraordinary restaurant company.

“Any organization also needs to define itself and say, ‘Who are we?’ You need to be able to answer that basic question. We answer that by saying we’re great people delivering genuine hospitality.

“Our third plank of our philosophy is, even though we have 2,500 associates and we all have different job descriptions, we all have the same role in the company. And that is to make raving fans of the five groups of people we do business with: our fellow associates, our guests, our purveyors, our partners and our community. If we make raving fans out of those five groups of people, we will succeed in making raving fans of anyone we come into contact with.”

Those three core philosophies go a long way in driving the brands that Mitchell creates.

And although he acknowledges that each restaurant concept he’s created has become a brand of sorts, the underlying, unifying brand behind all of them remains Cameron Mitchell Restaurants itself. Every restaurant concept has to adhere to that brand.

“What is our brand? Our brand is quality food, quality ambiance and, hopefully, great service to go with it,” he says. “We want our guests to be able to count on that.”

So no matter if that guest is dining at the Columbus Fish Market or the swanky M, customer expectations should be exceeded on all fronts.

“We try to be consistent with that throughout,” Mitchell says.

He makes it sound so easy, but the introspection required to start building a brand can’t be taken lightly. It’s the identity of your business. It’s your calling card. Your signature.

“What do you want your brand to be known for?” Mitchell says. “You have to develop that brand promise. The brand promise is what you want to deliver to people.”

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…Cameron Mitchell Restaurants of Columbus, Ohio, which has 28 restaurants in eight states, is primarily expanding its Mitchell’s Fish Market, with 13 branches now open in seven states.  The company also has been opening one of its complementary secondary concepts in some of the same markets.

A Cameron’s Steakhouse opened in December in the revitalized Bayshore Mall in Glendale, Wis., and a Mitchell’s Fish Market will open soon in another mall in the same Milwaukee metro area.  The Summit in Louisville, Ky., has both a Mitchell’s Fish Market and a Martini Italian Bistro.

As he prepares to open the eighth location of Mitchell’s Fish Market, Columbus, Ohio-based multiconcept restaurant leader Cameron Mitchell talks about why the upscale-casual seafood concept has what it takes to succeed on a broad scale.

Q: What are the criteria a concept needs to be successful as a multi-unit operation?
A: You have to look at three circles and where they interconnect: No.1, what do you have a passion for? No.2, it has to have a great economic engine. It’s got to work financially. And No. 3, we have to be the best in the market and have wide market acceptance.  Any concept that fits in those areas [can work].

Q: How does Mitchell’s Fish Market match these qualities?
A: When you look at the Fish Market, we’re passionate about it.  We love seafood.  We think we do a great job at it. It’s got a great economic model.  We’re averaging about $4.6 million in volume.  It’s got labor numbers that work, economics that work.  And we think we’re the best in the market.
 From a freshness perspective, no one does it like we do, with a refridgerated fish kitchen where it’s butchered right there… Some of our competitors have a commissary, and they cut their own fish, pre-portion it, wrap it and send it out to their restaurants.  We buy only top-of-the-trip fish.  It comes into our kitchen and is butchered right there.  From the time it’s out of the ocean to on out guests’ plates is only a couple of days.

Q: What kind of growth potential do you see for this “upscale seafood” niche?
A: We’re looking at the marketplace for opportunites like our [planned] development in Tampa.  They’re not going to put three steakhouses in these big developments.  In the Tampa development we have P.F. Chang’s, Maggiano’s, The Palm and Mitchell’s Fish Market.  You’ve got Asian, Italian, steak and seafood.  We’re really trying to position ourselves as the marquee player in that high-end, upscale-casual seafood segment, so those are the kind of neighbors we want.

Q: Did you make any changes to the concept to make it more amenable to multimarket success?
A: We’ve done a new [design].  Our décor used to have a lot of blue and really leaned toward a Northeastern look.  This is much more coastal.  The color scheme is much more female-directed.  We didn’t appeal as much to women before.  Now we have a stronger bar presence, and we use reds, creams, and burgundies [in our color scheme].  The first one we did in this new décor package is in Birmingham, Mich., which is a highly affluent market.  It’s our No. 1 store.  It did just under $6 million last year.  We want to be in affluent, high-density, suburban or urban locations.  Our real estate selection process is all geared that way.

Q: By the end of this year Mitchell’s Fish Market will have 11 units in six states.  What are your expansion plans looking ahead?
A: We want to build four to six units a year, and we want to be highly selective.  We’re searching for the best possible real estate out there, and we can afford that luxury.  We’re not a public company that’s compelled to build 10 or 12 restaurants [per year] and has to start making exceptions for real estate sites.  Do I want to say national expansion? Let’s just say growth is the exhaust of running a great company.

 I’ve seen too many guys who say they’re going to build X number of restaurants and be nation by [a certain date] and [today] they’re out of business.  That’s where we’d like to be, but we’ve got a long way to go.  It’s a long span of time to get there from here and it takes a lot of skill, a lot of hard work, and a lot of effort.  In the meantime, we’ll focus on what we’re doing here today and take it one step at a time.

Restaurants cook up equity programs to keep management turnover rate low

When an industry soars at the exact same time its labor pool nosedives, the experience creates lasting memories for those who rode, and survived, the wild ride.

Seasoned restaurateurs asked to reminisce about the late 1980s and early 1990s keenly remember hiring "anyone with a pulse" just to keep up with the explosive business from customers who began eating out with unprecedented frequency at a time when the demographic for entry-level workers reached an all-time low.

Perhaps one of the biggest lessons that emerged from that period was the importance of retaining good workers.

Although the labor picture is much improved, the proportion of young people who are willing to work has dipped and shows no sign of rebounding to previous levels, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Yet the restaurant industry continues to expand and is expected to remain strong, based on research by several industry trend watchers, including the Rosemont, Ill.-based NPD Foodworld, a publication for the foodservice industry.

So the ongoing reality of a booming industry with a limited worker base has led to some innovative approaches for hanging onto good employees. While many of these efforts have focused on entry-level staffers, a growing number of restaurant companies are upping the ante to keep management-level employees from moving to a competitor's payroll.

Equity incentive programs are just one of the carrots being dangled to engender loyalty and long-term service from management personnel, particularly in multi-unit restaurant chains.
 
"There's definitely a trend toward giving managers a piece of the action," said Bob Welcher, president of Columbus-based Restaurant Consultants, Inc.

Sense of ownership
Max & Erma's Restaurants Inc. has taken the equity concept a step beyond the usual offering of stock options. The Columbus-based chain with over 90 corporate and franchised stores has a managing partner program"that was created to foster a deep level of ownership among its management staff.  General managers who own at least 500 shares of Max & Erma's stock are eligible to participate.

It works like this: The employee agrees to let the company hold 500 shares for five years. In exchange, they become a managing partner and are guaranteed to stay in one location for the contract period with a predetermined net profit requirement. This compares to general managers who are often shuttled from location to location and have to meet net profit goals on a quarterly basis.

Max & Erma's program isn't peerless. The Outback Steakhouse chain has long been known for its managing partner program where a general manager invests $25,000 in his own restaurant location. In return, he pockets 10 percent of the store's bottom line.

Locally, another restaurant company known for being active in wanting management-level employees to feel a sense of corporate ownership is Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, operator of brands such as Columbus Fish Market, Martini Italian Bistro and Mitchell's Steakhouse.

Some members of Mitchell's executive team, including corporate chefs, also are known as operating partners. They receive a small percentage of company profit, said Carolyn Delp, a company spokeswoman.

"After two years of exemplary performance as a general manager or executive chef, key associates are eligible to become an operating partner," Delp said. "The partnership interest fully vests after 10 years of employment."

At Max & Erma's, 25 percent of anything generated above the established profit quota goes to the managing partner, in addition to annual performance raises based on mystery shopper scores.

It's an arrangement that has worked well for Keith Johnson. His five years as the managing partner of the company's Hilliard store ends on Oct. 31. He'll most likely have an opportunity to sign on for another five years, or be promoted. If the latter happens, Johnson is convinced that managing partner program has been a good training ground.

Cameron Mitchell's educational philanthropy began a few years ago with $500 scholarships for students at Columbus State Community College. In addition, about 20 CSCC students intern each year with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, a company the Ohio restaurateur founded with a single bistro 11 years ago. The business now boasts a multiconcept chain of 22 restaurants in three states with projected gross sales of $83 million for 2004.

As the company has increased in size, so has Mitchell's giving. He established a scholarship four years ago at his alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., to memorialize a young employee killed in an auto accident, and he has funded other scholarships at the school. As a member of the school's alumni committee, he recently decided to up the ante. Mitchell pledged to match every dollar his fellow alumni give to support the CIA during the next five years, up to $250,000.
Why have you been so generous in offering scholarships?

When I went to culinary school, I didn't have a dime to my name. I struggled to pay for gas for my car. I worked all the way through school. I made many trips to the financial-aid office.

The restaurant industry has been very good to me, and the CIA had a lot to do with my success in this business. I think most people want to give back and help people coming up behind them.

I also think the industry is starting to realize there is such a huge shortage of people in our business. If we want qualified young people to make [the restaurant industry] a career, we have to do our part to help them.

Tell about the Ian Van Hyde Memorial Scholarship. Who was Ian?
Ian was a high-school kid who worked at the Martini [Italian Bistro in downtown Columbus]. He was very effervescent. When you met him, he made you feel good. He was a bright ray of sunshine, a great kid. His whole dream was to go to the CIA.

What happened?

He was driving to school one day; it was his senior year. He was in a car wreck. I was sitting in an annual meeting at the CIA when I heard the news. I thought "What can I do?" We wanted to do something for the family, something lasting. We said we would do a $1,000 scholarship every year for 18 years, one for each year of his life. Each student who is awarded the scholarship must write a letter to [Ian's] parents and tell them about himself, what he's doing, his aspirations. We wanted it to be a way for the family to keep Ian's dream alive.

Columbus Bachelors and Bachelorettes Weigh in on What Makes For a Romantic Dinner Date
 
Many believe that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  And so, it appears, is romance, or at least romantic dining.  our CityScene survey revealed significant differences between bachelor's and bachelorette's choices for the most romantic Columbus restaurants.
 
She Said...
 
M, 2 Miranova Place 629.0000
M, Cameron Mitchell's high-style marquee restaurant, may have one of the most beautiful rooms in Columbus, if not in Ohio.  The decor is swank, contemporary and upscale, from the remarkable lighting that changes colors during the evening to the flowing drapes separating tables and providing an air of intimacy.  One male "reviewer" put it this way - "the room has an air of fantasy to it; you always get credit for going all out when you choose this venue."
 
He Said...
 
Mitchell's Steakhouse
45 N. Third Street, 621.BEEF
7619 Huntington Park Drive  888.CHOP                                 
 
Mitchell's downtown, located in an old bank building, with high ceilings and a luxurious ambiance, including dark wood and burnished metals, has the look and feel of a New York City steakhouse.  Mitchell's Crosswoods has more of a supper club atmosphere with live music.  Booths allow for privacy, and moving over to the lounge is a great way to end the night.  And the fireplace in the bar area adds a special feeling.