Littleton’s Market, Upper Arlington

Littleton’s Market had a lot to live up to when it opened in summer 2023. It took over the long-standing Huffman’s Market, an institution in Upper Arlington’s Tremont Center, transforming the space by expanding it, adding a skylight and building a restaurant and cafe along with an outdoor pavilion.

The restaurant area inhabits a brightly lit corner at the front of the market. Customers entering through the main doors can’t miss the tables, oblong bar and cases filled with pastries.

“Up until opening, we spent a lot of time building relationships with vendors and trying to provide the best products possible,” says Littleton’s Market co-founder Rob Littleton. “The idea behind the restaurant and cafe is to highlight those products and what can be done with them.”

He explains that the idea came about during the pandemic, when everyone was missing the ability to gather and connect with others. 

“We provide high-quality food, making it easy for people to be healthy,” he adds. “The other part of health is the social [and] emotional part, so we made [the market] a community gathering place.”

The restaurant and cafe at Littleton’s Market opens at 8 a.m. daily for breakfast and coffee, with a menu that includes pastries from chef Aaron Clouse, a full espresso bar and items like avocado toast and French toast with berries. Littleton recommends the Breakfast Sandwich, featuring house-made maple sage sausage, eggs, cheddar cheese and chipotle creme on a brioche croissant or a lox bagel.

Lunch and dinner feature dishes like the bestselling LM Burger (a smash burger with cheddar cheese, black garlic special sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and house-made pickles on a brioche bun) and the nearly as popular Chicken Katsu Sandwich, which layers a panko-crusted fried chicken cutlet with slaw, pickles, katsu sauce and Kewpie mayo on Japanese milk bread. The latter pairs nicely with the shaved kale and Brussels sprouts Caesar salad — a generous mound with Parmesan, brioche croutons, chili flakes and pine nuts. Littleton’s also has a raw bar with seafood towers, oysters, crab salad and other items sourced with the help of Columbus’ CoLo Market & Oyster Bar.

Meals are complemented by a full bar with cocktails, wines and draft beers. While the indoor cafe has proven popular, the outdoor pavilion is a favorite gathering place too.

“We’re designed to come and have fun with friends and fam,” Littleton says.

2140 Tremont Center, Upper Arlington 43221, 614/826-1432, littletonsmarket.com

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