Hattemer of Milestone 229 joins Food & Wine as contributor

Milestone 229 draws from a wide range of customers, so naturally the menu is varied enough to appeal to most tastes.

Christian Hattemer, founding chef of the restaurant, 229 Civic Center Drive, said he had to keep the menu approachable and simple, but also upscale, to satisfy families, businessmen from nearby corporations and those seeking a more sophisticated dining experience.

“We have all of those different constituencies so we’re trying to have something in each of those categories,” said Hattemer, who is now a contributor to Food & Wine.

It also had to satisfy the fine-dining background of Hattemer, who counts the Refectory, Rigsby’s and former Bexley’s Monk among his former employers.

The chef-driven menu also culls as many ingredients it can from farms across Ohio, including chicken, beef, produce and herbs.

Choices range from skillet mac ’n’ cheese to braised short ribs with housemade gnocchi to pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust.

Hattemer left central Ohio a few years ago to open a barbecue restaurant in Cincinnati. When it didn’t meet sales expectations, he closed it and went on to Halyards on St. Simons Island, Ga.

He returned to central Ohio be on the ground floor of Milestone, which was opened by the current owners of Columbus Brewing Co. in the nearby Brewery District.

Read more from Hattemer’s blog at milestone229.blogspot.com.