Littleton's Market will offer gourmet groceries, wine, coffee, pastry and prepared foods
With items like truffle crema pasta sauce on its shelves, Caramel Miso Lattes at its coffee bar and red wine-braised short ribs on its menu, the long-awaited Littleton's Market will open its doors to customers Saturday in Upper Arlington.
"We have incredible things that you won’t find at a grocery store: a wide variety of charcuterie, unique cheeses, wild mushrooms and other produce, caviar, Japanese Wagyu beef, Langoustines and other specialized seafood," General Manager Sam Harris said by email.
Littleton's will serve as a gourmet grocery, all-day restaurant and café. It's at 2140 Tremont Center in a renovated, expanded 15,000-square-foot grocery store space previously occupied by the UA Food Market, Huffman's Market, Tremont Cardinal and Tom Tarpy's Market.
When Littleton's Market was announced in March 2022, owners Rob Littleton and Alan Scantland said they hoped to open by December of that year. Construction supply-chain issues and materials going to other projects in central Ohio delayed work, however.
The owners brought in Harris from New York, where he held a senior role at The Tin Building by Jean-Georges. He, in turn, brought in Executive Chef and Culinary Director Alexia Orsburn, who worked not only for Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten but chefs such as Daniel Boulud and Jose Andres.
Orsburn's menu, developed from items available on Littleton's shelves, produce bins, cheese counters and butchery, will include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Seating is available in several spots throughout the market.
Others on the team include Pastry Chef Aaron Clouse, who previously led pastry programs at The Refectory, Hilton Columbus Downtown and Parable Coffee; sommelier Chris Dillman, previously of the Refectory; and butcher James Williams, who has worked for 34 years at the Tremont Center's markets.
Grocery offerings include 11 brands of pasta, as well as pasta made in-house. Local brands available include Black Radish cheeses, North Country Charcuterie and Prospect Jam.
Wines range from $12 bottles of Chartron La Fleur Bordeaux to $160 bottles of Cyrprian-Arlaud Vosne-Romanée.
"We want to stay true to our goal of showcasing incredible ingredients, sourced responsibly, that people can feel good about sharing with their families," Littleton said by email. "Our product is better than we imagined we could source, our team is more talented than any we could have dreamed of, and the concept has grown into something that we believe is truly unique."
Littleton's Market opens at 9 a.m. Saturday but plans on hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. after its opening. Plans include cooking classes and other events.