Restaurant Review: Ghostwriter Public House Offers Comforting, Refined Fare and Décor
Take a trip to Johnstown for a sophisticated yet approachable meal at Ghostwriter, whose owners founded Crow Works interior design and furniture.
Driving northeast out Route 62 from Columbus, it’s evident change is coming to this part of the region. Construction crews are widening the road. “For sale” signs dot the rural landscape.
None of this change is surprising, with Intel’s plans to create a new chip manufacturing mega-site in Licking County next year. But it’s difficult to imagine such rapid transformation was anticipated when Ghostwriter Public House opened in Johnstown, 30 minutes from Downtown Columbus, in 2019.
Johnstown is one of those sleepy Ohio towns with a charming green at its center, in this case at the intersection of routes 62 and 37, where historic storefronts line its Main Street. Where today there are mega-fueling stations with 24-hour convenience stores on two of the corners, you can imagine horse-drawn vehicles from a previous century in this setting. Ghostwriter celebrates this contrast, blending appreciation for Johnstown’s historic elements while also bringing new life to its downtown.
Ghostwriter is a striking restaurant—for Johnstown or anywhere. Its owners, Denise and Dennis Blankemeyer, are the founders of Crow Works, an interior design firm and furniture manufacturer that supplies national chains including Wendy’s and Panera. Ghostwriter, which sits about an hour south of Crow Works’ Holmes County production facility, is custom-built to showcase the firm’s full capabilities.
Occupying two storefronts along Main Street, Ghostwriter is both classic and modern, approachable and sophisticated. Antique lettering on the windows, brass knuckle pulls on the beer taps, and vintage light fixtures recall an earlier era, while backlit rows of custom-made wooden tables and rich leather banquettes bring clean, modern lines to the space.
Both the restaurant’s dining rooms are anchored by prominent hardwood bars, reminding guests they are in a “public house” (the origin of the word “pub”). Each bar is modernized with an oversized, ornately framed screen featuring rotating images of natural landscapes. Happy hour at Ghostwriter runs 4 to 5 p.m., but the bars are a great place to start any visit. I arrived early on one visit to enjoy an In the Kingdom ($14), Ghostwriter’s version of an Old Fashioned. It combines bourbon with vanilla bean syrup and orange and chocolate bitters, with a surprise splash of reposado tequila that adds a welcome brightness to a drink that otherwise could be too sweet. I look forward to future visits this spring to sample a new wine and drink menu offered by Elizabeth Dietrich, Ghostwriter’s new general manager and sommelier.
Similar to its interior, Ghostwriter’s food is both comforting and refined. Chef Bradley Balch delivers a tavern menu with a select if somewhat obvious collection of dishes rooted in “Middle America cooking,” according to its website. Ghostwriter elevates the classics with modern flourishes. The Caesar salad includes kale; there is black garlic in the mayonnaise.
For a restaurant built by people in the business of hospitality design, it’s not surprising that the window into the kitchen showcases the live-fire cooking being done on a wood-fired grill and hearth (also found on the patio outside). The lingering smoke in the dining room complements the smoky flavors on the menu. I enjoyed the wood-grilled cauliflower ($12), a simple and delicious starter that serves the charred vegetable with a side of citrus vinaigrette and rich aioli.
All of Ghostwriter’s small plates are exceptional, and a delicious full meal could easily be made of these offerings. Standouts include the Copia Farm deviled eggs ($10 for four pieces), with bits of crumbled bacon and pickles topping the rich yellow yolks, and the fried cheese curds from Black Radish Creamery ($14), which comes with two sauces—a creamy ranch dip and a sweet hot pepper relish. Both producers are Licking County businesses with farmstands a short drive from the restaurant.
Ghostwriter’s sandwiches offer great value and large portions. I enjoyed both the hot honey chicken sandwich ($18) and the RL Valley smashburger ($19), each served with a generous portion of fries.
More sophisticated menu items were less solidly executed than the pub fare. The braised short rib ($35) was colorful, gorgeous and fork-tender, but the disappointing lack of flavor left me wondering whether any salt was used in the dish. The wood-grilled airline chicken ($28), also colorfully garnished with bright pink roasted beets and lime green sprouts, was too heavily smoked for my palate.
Despite these few misses on the menu, Ghostwriter provides a terrific local tavern experience in an elevated setting. The delicious pub menu and admirable collection of craft beers, wines and cocktails combine for a unique experience in Johnstown. With the recent addition of a new private event space and a few overnight rooms available on Airbnb, Ghostwriter’s expansion seems prescient given the growth coming to the region.
About Ghostwriter Public House
49½ S. Main St., Johnstown; 740-809-1104; ghostwriterph.com
Hours: 4-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. Sunday
If you go: Take a country drive to enjoy a leisurely weekend brunch on Ghostwriter’s stunning back patio in mild weather. Will you choose sweet (challah French toast, $15) or savory (chilaquiles, $15)?
This story is from the April 2024 issue of Columbus Monthly.