Former Granville Inn chef launches three virtual kitchen concepts

Chad Lavely left the Granville Inn in mid November, but he’s still sharing his culinary know-how with the Columbus area. 

Partnering with fellow chef and sushi expert Shabrina Thomas, Lavely has launched Chef Salad, Picket Fence Gastrodiner, and Shai Sushi as virtual kitchens operating out of the CloudKitchens space at 1282 Essex Ave.

“We all know this is not the climate to try to open a full service restaurant,” Lavely said. “Moving into the cloud kitchen seemed like a good compromise.”

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Each concept has its own page on delivery platforms though they operate from the same kitchen, Lavely said. Customers can also order dishes from each concept in one delivery through picketfencediner.com. 

“We wanted to bring fresh, chef-driven dishes to this market, so we landed on fresh-cut, build-your-own salads and signature salads,” Lavely said. 

Chef Salad offers starters including Sriracha Shrimp Sliders, Cheesy Garlic Buns, and Crab Cake. Signature Salads include a build-your-own option. The menu also includes several kids’ meals, as well as scratch-made desserts such as individual Glazed Chocolate Cake, Crème Brulee, and a dog-friendly Pup Cake.

“The Picket Fence Gastrodiner currently features familiar diner dishes with [a] slight upscale bend, but this will be the more creative and fun outlet,” Lavely said. 

Picket Fence Gastrodiner’s menu features seasonal comfort food entrees such as Beef Pot Roast, Fried Chicken, Langostino Mac & Cheese, Chicken-n-Noodles, and daily specials.

Lavely said he partnered with fellow chef Thomas, who served as a sushi chef at multiple restaurants and launched the Granville Inn’s sushi program, to offer unique sushi delivery. 

Shai Sushi’s menu includes starters such as the Avocado Roll, Shrimp Roll, and Seaweed Salad. Maki Sushi varieties include Veggie, Salmon, Kicking Tuna, Classic California, and Twisted Scallop Rolls, along with the Sushi Sandwich, Shrimp Tempura, and Sushi Sampler. Bowls include Tuna or Salmon Poke, Tuna Namasu Salad, Hibachi Chicken, and Hibachi Steak.

Lavely said he and Thomas wanted to choose their concepts to offer greater variety in the virtual kitchen market. 

“We saw an abundance of sandwiches, pizza, and bowls, which are all great but typical delivery type items,” he said. 

BROUGHT TO YOU BY