Kitchens We Love: A Chef’s Palette

Columbus chef Marcus Meacham likes to think of his home kitchen as his “lab”—a creative space in which he can experiment with a variety of ingredients and invent fresh, exciting recipes. When comparing cooking in a restaurant to cooking at home, Marcus explains that while work tends to become rote after making the same dish over and over, cooking at home provides plenty of room for creativity in the kitchen.

“When I get home, it’s more about cooking for the discovery of new flavors and just fun items,” he says. Along with his fiancée, Jenna, Marcus loves having their friends over to test out new recipes.

Even Marcus’ dog Kool Heef the Rescue Dog Meacham (whose name reflects the chef ’s love of hip-hop), benefits from Marcus’ creativity. “I cook for my dog,” he says, laughing. “I play up his food— he thinks I’m crazy.”

Surrounded by cookbooks collected throughout his culinary career, Marcus describes his kitchen as a combination of commercial kitchen and art studio. Featuring artwork by local artists, including Clint Davidson, who designed logos for Marcus’ former steam bun restaurant called Steam, the kitchen also provides a graffiti wall where guests can contribute their artistic abilities.

“When people come over they can just paint and stuff while I’m making food,” says Marcus. An exposed brick wall, two large windows, several speakers and wood floors also add to the artistic vibe of the kitchen.

“I moved from Weinland Park to Bronzeville/OTE with Jenna to stop and smell the roses a bit and cook with a lot more precision and grace in a professionally equipped kitchen,” Marcus says. For Marcus and Jenna, their home kitchen is an escape from the daily grind, “a hideaway from partying too hard and working too much.”