Nomad – Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series

Combine the best charcoal-fired ovens ever created along with Ohio-based meats and you’ve got a winning combo in Nomad (Hot Kitchen + Cool Spirits).

Owned by Patrick Daly, who also owns the spicier establishment Atlas Tavern, Nomad opened up on the East side of I-71 in Polaris in the former location of Columbus favorite Sweet Carrot. Sporting two charcoal-fired Josper ovens, Daly sources as many ingredients from Ohio producers as possible. With pork from Winchester, and beef and bacon from our favorite Columbus butcher, “Butcher and Grocer,” ingredients are fresh and support our awesome communities. Solid concept opened up at a scary time (mid-2020) and we’re hoping to see them continue to thrive.  I mean come on, look at the biscuits they’ve got at brunch. Massive. We’re also a sucker for any form of gravy covered fries, so we’ll definitely be back to snag the Breakfast Poutine with chorizo gravy, breakfast potatoes, 2 eggs, lime crema, and curds.

Taken from their Facebook page.

For what it’s worth, the Crispy Chicken outlined below is not the go-to for Nomad. With two hefty Josper ovens, you should look for some of their steak or Josper-fired items, like the Josper Fired BLT, the Steak Frites, or their Classic Burger, made with Butcher and Grocer ground beef and Cincinnati-based 16 Brick Bakery sesame roll. We’d also try out the Lomo Saltado Peruvian Stir Fry the next time we head there to taste their aji chimichurri steak fries with thin charcoal-fired beef and garlic. Now, onto the spiciness!

For a while there in 2019, we were finding spicy chicken sandwiches all over the place, but it seemed to die down a bit in 2020. We’ve already found many more for 2021, so prep you eyeballs for mas poultry!

Bursting into 2021 is this hefty chicken boi on a King’s Hawaiian quad-roll. Four buns hide the mass of breaded cluckery in the Crispy Chicken sandwich. With arugula, lime vinaigrette, habanero aoili, all on the King’s Hawaiian buns, it’s a simple and slightly spicy sammich. Uncovering the aoili on the sandwich was a bit tough, but it’s there, we and Nomad’s menu swear it (it’s on the other half of the buns).

JJ Abrams blur. Totally intentional. Totally.

The pairing of lime and habanero is a classic citrusy heat combo, but with all the breading of the chicken and buns, it turns into a bit more of the spicy lad that hangs out in the corner of the freshman prom. If you’re looking for it you’ll notice it, otherwise it blends in. Bite to bite, there’s a slight habanero tingle, but no linger and no lasting effects. That’s really it. Not much else to say about the heat of this chicken sandwich other than that.

Giving our TRPV-1 receptors a slight break from the spicy onslaught we endured at the end of 2020, Nomad’s Crispy Chicken sandwich lands at #84, just above Firdous Express Tunisian chicken and just below Flip Side’s Chili Pepper Burger. Lowest on our list of chicken sandwiches, but holds a special place in our carby heart since it sits on those King Hawaiian rolls (so good).

You can find Nomad at 2050 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240. They are currently open from 4:00 – 9:00pm daily with socially distanced seating inside or curbside pickup available. They’re also on Facebook and Instagram.

Look below for more in our spiciest dish in Columbus series and hit us up if you have any suggestions that are not already on our list!

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Featured image taken from Columbus Dispatch article with more of a feature on Patrick Daly and the opening of Nomad.

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