Katalina’s Cafe – Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series

What can we say about Katalina’s other than it’s one of the best spots in the city for breakfast or brunch sandwiches.

We first made it to Katalina’s in 2012 when we first moved to the area and the line was out the door and down the road. The eatery, opened in 2009 by Kathleen “Katalina” Day boasts a solid menu with options for all diets including vegetarian and vegan.

Don’t sleep on the pancake balls, especially the Nutella or Dulce de Leche. Our typical order is pancake balls and the Mazatlan Slow-Roasted Pork & Egg Sandwich, which is gigantic and big enough for two people to share.

Just look at it, “Katalina’s most award-winning sandwich with slow-roasted Beeler’s pork in Katalina’s secret sauce, plus fried eggs, local Amish provolone, avocado, roasted red peppers & aioli on two HUGE pieces of toasted Old World loaf. No joke!” It’s probably one of my favorite sandwiches of all time, and made even better with hot sauce.

But, even with a sprawling menu, a few dishes stand out as needing to be tried for spicy purposes and that was the plan this time around.

Katalina’s Southern Fried Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich is Katalina’s foray into the Nashville Hot chicken world. Rocking a “chicken breast buttermilk-brined, dredged in flour and ground local Shagbark corn-chips with North Market Spices Nashville Hot Chicken Spice, then fried before it sits tight on ciabatta with local heirloom tomato, Cooper’s Mill Peach-Habanero jam & fresh corn cabbage slaw.”

A familiar cayenne-heavy hit from the Nashville Hot Chicken Spices forms a friendly bond with the Peach-Habanero jam that brings a full-mouth heat to the sandwich. The cayenne hits quick and early, but gives way to the sweet, citrusy heat of the peaches and habaneros.

A slight linger from the habs, but it’s a sandwich that The Lady of the Farm could comfortably eat. And she tried to. A couple handslaps later she relinquished the second half of the sandwich to its rightful owner so I could continue my spicy investigation.

Combo’d with their sweet ‘n’ spicy bacon, Katalina’s brings a lot of mild heat dishes to the menu and is potentially one of my favorite spots for a, “I want some heat, but not looking to drain my nose” meal. Just about all of their dishes have some level of heat to it but their spiciest comes in on the lower half of our list. That said, we’re placing Katalina’s Cafe at #98 on our list, bumping Borgata’s Pineapple-Habanero BBQ wings down a spot.

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