Restaurant Widow

Holy Delicious Patacon!

Today I finally tried the patacon at El Arepazo, something I have been wanting to try forever.  What is a patacon? you might be asking?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  A patacon is a fried plantain, which is flattened in something like a tortilla press and then fried again (we're off to a good start!).  The plantain goes on a plate and is then covered with pork (if you're smart and not kosher) or beef, chicken or veggies, then topped with lettuce, shredded cheese, mojito salsa, avocados, and peppers.  Add some of the fantastic cilantro (yes, El Arepazo is the only place where I will happily consume cilantro) hot sauce and you are in heaven.  The only thing missing was something crunchy - I suggested to Husband a sacrilege of some crunched up bits of tortillas.  If you haven't been to El Arepazo yet, I really don't know what you are waiting for.  It's fabulous.  You might even learn some Spanish from the cute Venezuelan behind the counter.  You can read my original review of El Arepazo here.

We also ordered a side of arepitas, little fried discs of cornmeal:

Info:  El Arepazo Latin Grill  47 North Pearl Street (park on Gay - it's between Gay and Broad streets) Columbus, OH 614.228.4830

Crumbs from the Week

Husband and I celebrated a milestone for him (more on that later) today with some treats from Pistachio.  Husband loves the canelés (a non-too-sweet small French cake made of a very thin, milky batter which is baked for a long time, developing a crusty, caramalized exterior and a chewy heart) at Pistachio so much he could probably eat them by the dozen on a daily basis.  I was going to try to learn to make them, but the molds are around $12 each, so I can either bake them one at a time (1 = 1 1/2 hours, approx.), or plunk down $240 to bake them all at once.  Turns out I'll just let the nice people at Pistachio do the work.  Pictured below are out treats, all of which were (of course) delicious - a mixed fruit tartlette, a yuzu tartlette, and the aforementioned canelés:

Today I ate at Thai Orchid on Sawmill Road - the drive feels like an hour, but it's not that far - it's a restaurant I used to like, but I felt it was pretty disappointing today, and decided not to waste my time driving out and reviewing it again, so here's this one picture of my lunch, the Phad Key Mow, which is beef, shrimp and chicken cooked in curry paste.  Maybe it's better at dinner - if I go back you'll hear about it:

When writing about Sunflower Market yesterday, I failed to mention their personal care section, which is pretty good.  Maybe not quite as big as that of Wild Oats or Whole Foods, but larger than Trader Joe's.  The selection is very good and reasonably priced.  I picked up a giant refill bottle of Thoroughly Clean Face Wash (now everyone knows my secret!) for $9, and this neat Burt's Bees toothepaste, flavored with Lavender:

If you are in the food service/wine industry, you are invited to the pre-tasting event at the Columbus Food & Wine Affair September 29th.  It's nice if you are the sort of person who likes to go to work with a buzz.  That isn't me, but it's a great chance to taste some very fine wines for free, and you might even learn something.  The industry tasting is from 2pm - 4pm; bring $5 and your zero dollar paycheck to prove your industry status.

Local Harvest Dinner

Support your local farmers and chefs by attending the Local Harvest Dinner.  This event will take place on Sunday, September 17th at the Worthington Inn.

Click to enlarge and see the details. 

Day of Birthday Feasting Recap

I love Yellow Springs; one day, I hope to retire there or someplace similar.  If you don't believe a town can give off a good vibe, then you have never been to Yellow Springs (or Berkeley).  It has been one of my favorite places since high school, when the idea of living in a town full of cool earthy-types seemed like the ideal setting for someone like me.  It still does, just a little further down the road.  Maybe when the owners of the Winds decide to retire.  Which brings me to brunch.

Husband and I, who have known each other since Moses was in short pants (okay, we aren't that old yet; let's just say we've known each other as long as The Simpsons has been on television), have been going to the Winds since we were either about to graduate high school or shortly thereafter.  It was at the Winds where I ordered my first Tuscan bread salad, except I asked for a too-sawn bread salad, as in the city in Arizona, versus the tusk-uhn, the region in Italy.  My, how far we've come.  Who knew then that we would grow up eating at the Winds, and that one day, Husband would become friendly rivals with their owner and wine buyer, whose impeccable taste we have learned a great deal from.  The Winds, along with a few other restaurants, helped shape my ideas about eating locally and encouraging other to do so.  It's a sad thing I don't get there more often.

The Winds Cafe has been around since 1977, which is pretty amazing longevity for a small town like Yellow Springs.  They place high value on supporting local purveyors.  One of my favorite events I have been to at the Winds was their yearly garlic dinner.  Yellow Springs is about just about a 45 minute drive from the West side of downtown, for those of you who e-mailed to ask me.  While you are in Yellow Springs, you should take some time to hike along the Clifton Gorge and to visit the Glen Helen Raptor Rescue - you can see some pictures from my trip there last year in my photo album. 

So! On with brunch!!  First of all, we started with the fabulous cinnamon roll - never miss a baked good at the Winds, particularly their cookies and whole wheat bread with the sunflower seeds.  Every time we have dinner there, I selfishly eat all of the wheat bread and hope no one notices.  Unfortunately, Husband and I were so famished we at the whole thing up - about halfway through, I paused long enough to question whether we should photograph the half-eaten bit, but we decided to keep on eating.  The cinnamon roll is lightly spiked with citrus and doesn't rely on a heavy glazing, showcasing the perfect laminated dough execution without being overly sweet.

Then we were on to the main course, and I am very sorry for this unfortunately blurry picture of my breakfast sandwich.  The Wind's breakfast sandwich is a perfect example of the whole being more than the sum of its parts, or maybe it's that the parts are each so perfect in their own way they lead to the greater whole.  Either way, great local organic eggs pair with sharp cheddar, thick slabs of salty Neuske's bacon and house-made mustard slathered on good foccaccia - I actually ate the whole thing, sacrificing only a few bits of bacon to Husband, who also had the breakfast sandwich.  Which is what he always has, and never shares.  We'll have to go again soon so I might try the Papas Locas, a black bean avocado egg dealie which also sounded wonderful. 

 

No trip to the Winds is complete without a bowl of steel-cut oats, which can come with any number of things - yesterday it was fat juicy blueberries, pecans, brown sugar, cream and butter.  It will make you forget why you turned your nose up at oatmeal your entire childhood. 

Suddenly, birthday cake appeared!  This was a surprise, as Husband usually isn't the sort who would call ahead to make birthday arrangements, and he insisted he didn't.  I was mysteriously informed the Winds knew we were coming, knew it was my birthday, and sent us their best (I knew Leos were cool, but I didn't know they were psychic, too).  I even got a Happy Birthday song from their venerable singing bus woman.  I don't know what else to call her, she floats through the dining room cleaning tables, singing, and charming children.  Thanks Winds!!!  The cakes are chocolate nemesis, deep dark and chocolaty with a nice little dab of creme fraiche to cut through the sweetness, and on the right, a German chocolate cheesecake - nicely cheesy, without being too sweet:

As if all of this wasn't enough, while Husband and I were walking down the street after brunch, we walked right past Dave Chappelle!  It was super cool to see him just strolling down the street talking to his wife, who was very animatedly waving her hands about. 

Make the trip to the Winds very soon.  Stroll through Yellow Springs and wander through the shops, marvel at the presence of roaring hoards of Harley-Davidsons ripping - strangely peacefully - through the streets, go look at a Bald Eagle up close, hike around the Gorge, stopping to read about all the local legends - including the time Daniel Boone jumped the gorge in a single bound, then settle down for dinner at the Winds.  Autumn is my favorite time to go there.  Take the time to read Mary Kay Smith's insightful wine notes, and then take her advice and order whatever she's offering. 

Info: The Winds Cafe 215 Xenia Ave in Yellow Springs (click for directions) 937.767.1144

To wind down the day, we ended up at the Rossi bar for one of their yummy pepperoni and giardinara pizzas:

Sweet Corn + Blackberry

Late each summer, Jeni's Ice Creams searches high and low for the best Ohio sweet corn and blackberries.  The result is a mix of sweet/savory, light as a feather ice cream and rich, dark blackberry contrast.  I, and many others in Columbus and beyond, wait for it with longing every summer.  It's one of the last things in summer to look forward to, and it's always worth it.  This year's take was a little different - the blackberry sauce is not frozen with the ice cream, but comes on the side.  This is nice because you can have the frozen ice cream melting into the slightly tart sauce.  And, you can put the sauce on other things, if you like; I can personally attest to the fact that it is very good on pork chops.  Enjoy it while it lasts!

Info: Jeni's Ice Creams in the North Market (59 Spruce St) or in Grandview (1281 Grandview Ave)

A Few Things I've Eaten in the Past Week

*Correction - I originally posted the bistro menu as 2 courses for $21 - it is, of course a much better value than that, at 3 courses for $21.  I regret the error.*

I thought I'd throw in a few pictures of unreviewed food from restaurants I've talked about a lot - there isn't a lot of cooking in our house this week as Husband and I are busy working . . . in addition to my usual job, I will be playing wine goddess this week at a wine tasting, where I will pretend to know something about wines from Austria - should be fun!  What the tasters don't know is, 90% of what I will say I will have learned over the next 24 hours.  Oops - I guess I just let out my secret.

At the Refectory last week for the bistro menu (you should really try it if you never have - 3 courses for $21), Husband and I started of with the chilled lamb loin appetizer from the regular menu.  Rare lamb loin sliced thin and served on a bed of roasted peppers with pepper coulis - you should really try cold lamb sometime, it's wonderful:

From the bistro menu, we chose a seafoud coulibiac, kind of a mixed seafood pate in a pastry shell.  Very tasty.  Sadly, at that point the LCD display on my camera started to go a bit wonky and we had to cease taking pictures.  Nothing serious, thankfully, just a low battery.

Later in the week, we went to Kihachi to celebrate our anniversary.  Yea us!  We had house made pickles of cucmbers and cabbage:

I had my first (and probably last) sea cucumber:

We had this scary-looking loach (I hope that's right):

We had pregnant, caviar-filled fish:

We had a (flower? vegetable?) I've never tried, called mioga, kind of like a floral onion, which chef Kimura grew in his own yard, and then boiled and and lightly pickled in mirin:

And we had this lovely and simple plate of broiled Japanese peppers:

I'll share more eating escapades as they happen - if they happen what with all the work and the like. . .

Info: Kihachi  2667  Federated Blvd  Columbus (Dublin)  614.764.9040
The Refectory 1092 Bethel Road (Arlington Area)  614.451.9774 website

Snacking at Rigsby's

For a freelance article I was working on last week, I had to stop by Rigsby's and try a few of their bar snacks, or "Cicchette," as they are supposedly called in Venice.  I only say supposedly because I have never been to Venice, and can't back that claim up on my own.  Rigsby's has a good idea going with their bar snacks, most of which are priced so low you can hardly imagine sitting at the bar without at least shelling out $3 for the fried olives, or my favorite - the truffled deviled eggs.  I am only documenting the food - this is not meant as a review or anything, although everything was good across the board - and cheap.  We had these snacks, plus 3 drinks (2 glasses of wine and 1 cocktail) and were out the door for around $50.  Mondays can be such a trial to find something to eat - the 100 degree day we had last Monday meant cooking at home was out of the question, so the cool marble bar at Rigsby's was a welcome change. 

We had fried picholine olives and marcona almonds:

We had deviled truffled eggs which melted as we let them sit (I believe I mentioned how hot it was):

We had empanadas ernesto:

Calamari Fritti, made interesting by the addition of zucchini, onions and red peppers:

Meatballs, Greek style with cucumber yogurt dipping sauce (lovely artistic photo courtesy of Husband):

And we had a refreshing tomato salad with tomatoes from Just This Farm:

Info: Rigsby's Kitchen 698 N. High St. Columbus (in the Short North) 614.461.7888

Biddie's Coach House

Located in quaint Old Dublin - or is it Olde Dublin?  Biddie's Coach House is almost too precious for words.  The building, an old house which was built in 1813, is covered with chintz, quilts, doll houses and mismatched china.  It is, after all, one of Columbus' only tea rooms (British Style).  Biddie's is the perfect place for you to take your  mother (er-if you're a woman) or your Anglophile teenage daughter (or was I the only one?)  It would make the perfect place for a proper bridesmaid party (I had mine at a similar venue - Persnickety, which is in an old church and is equally lovely.  Ooh.  Maybe I should have tea week. . .).  There are numerous nooks and crannies (and grannies) located throughout the space, and we were seated in the "Painted Porch," an area which, as the name suggests, has been hand painted with pastoral scenes throughout, and is pictured at left.

The food, as can be expected, is highly focused on salads and crustless sandwiches, and portions are very ladylike (read: small), so you'll certainly have room for a dainty little something for dessert.  I chose the Rainbow lunch, which is rather like a sandwich trio in the disguise of cake.  Pastel-hued, crustless bread is layered with a very fine ham salad (now that's a phrase I never thought I'd utter), pimento spread and good egg salad.  The entire bit is covered in herbed cream cheese "frosting" and sliced to look like a piece of cake, although the gherkin-olive toothpick on top is kind of a giveaway that there's not red velvet hidden within.  The rainbow cake came with a nice little spinach and carrot salad (the egg cup contains crumbled bleu cheese), and various bits of sliced fruits and vegetables.  You're supposed to feel healthy while eating it, even though you know there's half a pound of cream cheese on the plate.

Mum (come on, it's tea) chose the Chef's Whim, which today was a well-composed and tasty salad of ham, pineapple, almond slivers and other bits in a lite, slightly sweet dressing.  The salad was contained in a crepe which had been baked, tuile-style, to form a crispy bowl.  The effect was precious (of course) but well-conceived and executed.  She chose the creamy broccoli to accompany which I did not try.  Lemon bread and fruit slices where also along:

We skipped the tea (Twinnings - to whom, by the way, I am distantly related through Husband, just thought I'd throw that in) but settled on dessert.  I had cheesecake which was definitely of the homemade variety - nothing fancy here, this was cheesecake on a graham cracker crust which was made in a sheet pan (slices were square) and covered with a very good compote of kiwi and mango chunks:

Mom chose the creme caramel, being very nice because I was decided between the two and she thought she'd try the one I didn't try.  It was a very lightly textured custard with an equally light caramel sauce, topped with a few slivered almonds:

Biddie's is charming and fun; it does exactly what it claims to do and does it well.  It's a great place to go to lunch with the girls, although Mum and I were surprised to see two men dining with their wives while we were there.  I tried to imagine Tall Husband sitting there with dainty plateware, laughing at his tiny little sandwich, and decided I would only take him there if he requested to go, which would happen about the same time I ask to have date night at Tee Jaye's.  High tea is served on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and contains a variety of sweets, savories, scones and jam.  A party was to be in for high tea next to us, and here is a picture of the setup - notice the mismatched china and quilts on the table - it's really very charming:

Info:  Biddie's Coach House 76 South High Street (this is South High Street in Dublin, mind you; aka Dublin Road further south and north) Dublin 614.764.9359  Biddie's is about a 25 minute drive northwest of downtown Columbus.  Biddie's is open for lunch only Monday - Saturday, but will serve dinner for large private parties.  Reservations are highly recommended

La Tavola

Here are the basics on La Tavola - Husband and wife team where he is chef and she is pastry chef open a very successful made-from-scratch Italian restaurant next door to a shooting range in Powell, Ohio (near the famed Columbus Zoo, about 35 minutes northwest of downtown Columbus, depending on traffic); lease is renegotiated and they are forced to move to new location, further south in Dublin (home of the Wendy's Corporation and the late Dave Thomas, just to put it in a global light, about 25 minutes from downtown, again, depending on traffic).  The new location is the slightly lodge-like former Riverview Cafe and Gibby's, and is positioned right on the Scioto (pronounce sy-OH-ta) river, complete with patio on lovely wooded ravine.  Add a wood-fired oven, open the place up a bit to lighten it, add some flowing curtains, and voila, a success is improved.  Sort of.

I feel conflicted as I write this review, because I am not sure what angle I should take - as though I'd never read another review? as though my first visit didn't happen?  As though I've never worked in a restaurant?  I have decided to take all things into account, because I have been explained to my readers in previous posts how you should be skeptical about every review you read from major reviewers.  Mainly because, as I've said it before, everyone knows who they are.  No one knows who I am, and no one knows who you are, so we are on equal footing.

I will start by saying that I dined at the Powell location once, years ago, and had fond memories.  Husband and I always meant to go back, but unfortunately we are not want to drive that far for sustenance; therefore, we were happy to learn that La Tavola had relocated to a slightly closer location.  Reading the review in Columbus Monthly (alas, you can only read the recap on their website) literally made me salivate, Mr. Christensen gave it the rare 5 stars (again, alas, you have to pay $2.95 if you'd like to read it in the Columbus Dispatch archive) and I have been dying to visit the reincarnated Dublin version.  Just so you know I was going with the highest of hopes.

I will only say the following about my first visit to La Tavola: they comped our entire check, wine and everything.  I believe I mentioned before that I don't know anyone there - this wasn't out of any sort of bribery, except that I might never discuss the atrocities of that evening again, I suppose.  I would like to mention here that we did not complain about anything on that evening - I didn't throw a fit, I didn't ask where my food was, I never requested to speak with a manager, nothing.  I didn't demand anything.  Husband and I were very nice.

It was a rainy Thursday night, our second venture to La Tavola.  We took advantage of the complimentary valet parking and entered the restaurant, without a reservation (Husband and I usually eat at the bar, where the staff is usually better, except in my restaurant, of course, where I am not a bartender).  The bar was crowded with other guests waiting for tables but there was a small opening where Husband and I could stand and order a glass of wine.  Service was timely enough, considering the crowd.  I would like to digress here and talk about the clientele at La Tavola, but I'm going to do it at the end, so you don't have to read it if you don't want to. 

Okay, let's get on with the food.  We ordered the light, featured anitpasti, which included grilled asparagus, and other more Summery items that I can't remember, but we received the regular menu anitpasti misti instead (pictured above), which featured imported salami (good, naturally cured with a sweet gaminess), good prosciutto appropriately sliced thinly so as not to get inedible chunks of fat, and a nicely-executed house made mortadella - I would have liked an addition of pistachios, but who am I to judge - along with chunks of Asiago, roasted red peppers and capers, and lightly grilled toast points.  It was soundly executed but could have used a few more toast points (we never received bread service, but I know from my first visit it is a soft, white Italian bread served with a dish of olive oil containing under-roasted, slightly bitter cloves of garlic).

The nice thing about La Tavola's menu is most items are available in half portions, so there is a lot of room to try things out and share.  I am a fan of this sort of dining because I get bored eating entire entrees, and therefore rarely make it past the appetizer section of other restaurants.  Husband and I opted for half portions of the tortelloni en brodo, calf's liver, and the featured risotto (allow 20 minutes!)

The pasta at La Tavola is homemade - on a previous occasion, we tried the orecchiete with tomato sauce and mozzarella.  The pasta itself was very tasty.  The tortelloni en brodo features housemade pasta wrapped around a filling of mortadella (which, by the way, is a cured sausage made of very finely ground pork and beef with chunks of fat - it is the original baloney, by the way.  La Tavola's version is cooked rather than cured), pork and prosciutto in a tomato-y broth.  I suppose I should have read the menu better, because it clearly states "rich tomato broth."  When I received the dish, I had been expecting a lighter broth.  I believe a more traditional version of "en brodo" (in broth) would be a lighter, meat stock-based broth, but I have never been to Italy, so I won't stake my cred on that.  This broth was almost a thinned-out tomato sauce, tasting very rich and heavy.  The filling was truly delicious but suffered from being masked by the too-heavy, chewy pasta.  Husband, who has been to Italy, said the tortelloni and angilotti ("pillows" similar to ravioli) made by the grandmothers of the winemakers whose estates he visited was light and transparent, allowing the filling to show through, both literally and figuratively.  I ended up removing the filling and eating it on its own, then eating the chewy pasta shells with the sauce.

The calf's liver was a glorified liver and onions, sliced thinly and sauteed within an inch of its life and smothered with peppers and onions, with a good measure of sage thrown in.  The menu said the liver would be cooked in butter with lemon and sage, and I was - again - expecting a lighter presentation, with the liver being cooked lightly enough to let its natural tenderness show through.  Unfortunately, this liver lacked the delicate nature I associate with true calf's liver and hearkened back to the tough, cooked-blood powderiness of old beef liver which I hated as a child.

The flavors of the featured risotto - smoked shrimp with tomatoes and basil - were the best of the evening.  Again, however, the execution was lacking.  The rice could have used one more spoonful of stock stirred in, and the dish would have benefited from the traditional stirring-in of cream or other fat at the end.  The result was more of a pilaf with no oozing goodness usually found in risotto.  Here, a caveat - I realized some people like risotto swimming in a soup, practically.  I'm not one of those people, but I feel the risotto should not be able to hold its shape when placed in the bowl - it should ooze and relax into the shape of the bowl, letting its steaming creaminess fill every round.  As you can see from the picture, this risotto in a ball, firmly containing its ingredients.  I felt the risotto also suffered from a lack of attention on the stove - while some kernels were fully cooked, others chewed into chalkiness.  Risotto is very hard to prepare in a restaurant - the very nature of the busy-ness and multitasking necessary in the kitchen makes it almost impossible to tend to, which also makes it a good benchmark of the kitchen staff.

For dessert, we chose a nice vanilla panna cotta topped with balsamic macerated mixed fresh and dried berries topped with slivered almonds.  It was good, but seemed a little wintery considering the amount of local strawberries available right now.  Actually, most of the menu seemed on the heavy side.  There was a lack of seasonal consciousness I would expect from a restaurant which changes its menu frequently.

I wanted to sit at a table so that I might be able to experience the service in the dining room, but Husband and I ended up eating at the bar on both occasions.  The bar staff was always friendly and competent.  The mostly very young service staff seemed to have a constant frantic disorganization about it - they didn't exude the ease of confident, experienced servers.  Sitting near the computer and service bar, we received an earful of the shouldn't be but always is standard inappropriate restaurant worker talk, full of witty banter and the occasional obscenity.

So, what is the overall prognosis.  As I sat down and began to write, I had a crisis of conscience - maybe I should give them one more chance.  I think most reviewers try to visit a restaurant at least three times.  Most reviewers have someone paying their tabs, however, so I will have to settle for twice.  I find that I am unable to separate my experience at La Tavola from the reviews I have read.  It is certainly not a 5 star restaurant.  A five star restaurant, such as Kihachi, has flawless execution in the kitchen every time.  Even if I don't care for a flavor in a dish, I can tell it has been crafted by experts.  A five star restaurant has a chef who, if s/he isn't cooking the food personally, checks each dish and constantly tastes what their minions are creating to be sure it is perfect.  A five star restaurant accepts reservations for any amount to ensure they have an even distribution of tables instead of being a chaotic madhouse for an hour or more every evening.  A five star restaurant has expertly trained, confident and competent staff members who don't grumble about poor tips within earshot of the guests.  On both visits, La Tavola seemed almost critically understaffed.  It was hard having a less-than-stellar experience at La Tavola, because I have heard so many great things about it, but it is clear they saved their best for their reviewers, and do not have the ability to maintain that kind of consistency for the rest of us.  That is why I remind you to question all reviews - just because Jon Christensen - who, by the way, is an attorney who has represented many of the restaurants he reviews - has a stellar experience somewhere doesn't mean you will, too.

I am also unable to separate my years in the restaurant business from my writing.  Husband and I were discussing at dinner whether this is a hindrance or a benefit in reviewing - most of our local reviewers are business men whose qualifications are years of being able to afford to eat in the best restaurants.  It is hard to be in a poorly-run restaurant when you have worked in a restaurant for years and years.  It is hard to relax when you can click off the hundred things you'd change to make things run more smoothly.  It's hard not to scoff at the little things you would tell the staff to do at the beginning of their shift so they wouldn't be flustered now - for example, when we asked for menus, they were delivered with last night's special sheet inside - "Oh, those are the wrong specials - wait a minute and I'll get the right one."  Well, it is 8pm - why wouldn't you have thought of that at 4pm, when you were setting up the bar?  It seems that might be one of the first things one would do before service. 

Info: Trattoria La Tavola 6125 Riverside Drive, Dublin (Northwest side) 614.760.8700  Reservations are only accepted for parties of 6 or more and there is a confusing, call ahead to get on the list system.

*Note about the clientele, which is unrelated to the review of the actual restaurant, but might explain the exasperation felt by some of the staff.  I realize I occasionally berate suburbanites, and those of you who read my website who live in the suburbs might take offense from time to time, and I apologize if you aren't one of the types of people I am about to discuss.  As another caveat, I would like to state that I am aware that the owners of La Tavola are in no way responsible for their clientele, and this does not influence my review.  Here are a few scenes I witnessed last night:  I am standing at the bar and three ladies are sitting next to me.  One gets up and I move out of her way so that she can have enough room to get out, I say excuse me and move, and she snaps at me "I'm not leaving so don't you try to sit in my seat!"  I look to see if she is joking but she isn't.  A foursome enters the restaurant and puts their name down for a table - the wait for a table is just over an hour.  They stand in the bar and order drinks.  A table of four gets up and leaves the restaurant, and the foursome decides they do not have to wait with the other riffraff for a table, they will just sit at this dirty table.  And then they will go and complain to the hostess that their table is dirty.  A busboy comes to clean the table, accidentally leaving a napkin behind.  One of the men from the foursome waves the dirty napkin around, trying to attract attention, and then drops it onto the floor with a snort.  He then goes to complain to the hostess again, all while the hostess and manager are kindly trying to explain that there are numerous other groups waiting for this table.  The foursome insists.  They will stay at this table and be served now.  These people are in their mid-40s.  They aren't children, but you wouldn't know by their actions.  Further along, when I try to bogart 2 bar stools after a group leaves, a man appears from nowhere to tell me that he wants these seats, why don't I go down to the end by the service bar?  Because I've been waiting for these seats, I explain, but no, he won't have it.  He literally pulls the bar stool from my hand and triumphantly puts his foot on a rung with a sneer in my direction, claiming it as his own.  So I go sit by the service bar, and he never even sits in the chair, just stands behind it.  I just don't see this sort of behavior in the restaurant where I work in the city.  It's the strangest thing.  It might seem as if I am some sort of rude, poorly dressed street urchin from these stories, but I'm just a polite girl out on a date with her Husband.  My server instincts follow me wherever I go - I'm the first to step aside for an oncoming person (even a server, which sometimes leads to a game of "No, you first, I insist" until I realize I'm the guest, and go ahead).  It's as if these people have to be first, no matter what. 

Dr. Iceberg or How I Learned to Stop Being Such a Snob and Love the Wedge Salad

Oh! Wedge salad.  How I used to despise thee.  How I used to scoff at restaurant guests who were base enough to request a head of iceberg lettuce, drowned in such a lowly thing as ranch dressing; How I used to decry the destruction of modern dining based solely upon your humble, water-filled - yet crisp - shoulders; Oh wedge salad, you were the lowest of the low, the sign that all good restaurants would one day be taken over by the dowdy, embroidered jumper-wearing masses of suburbanites, their tired husbands and their overweight kids, all refusing to pay $5 for valet parking their minivan.How you have converted me, you minx!!  How I ordered you, late one night in a fit of what can only be described as momentary lapse of reason, or sobriety.  How I gobbled up your bacon/bleu cheese/tomato/onion goodness and begged for more - yes!! more!! creamy dressing!!  Subtle vinaigrettes be condemned!  I want a calorie- and fat-laden, nutrition-free combination of cream, buttermilk, mayo, and herbs!  I want you with a big knife to cut through the goodness!!  I will mock you the whole time I'm enjoying the vapid sum of your less-than-stellar parts, the way an acquaintance of mine devours the transfat laden centers of an entire bag of double-stuff Oreos, and I will hate myself for ordering you every time. 

And though I might loathe myself whilst loving you, I will awake, and think of you in the middle of the night, and guiltily suggest to Husband in the morning we take lunch at the patio of Brio at Easton, where, on a Tuesday afternoon, we can listen to a women sing ridiculous children's songs while watching obese suburban children playing in the fountains and screaming with glee.  Ignoring the irony, I will count the lumps of cellulite you will gladly provide me, while contemplating the horror of soda machines in elementary schools, and think that no, I really did not have any fat rolls when I was six.

What a hypocrite you make of me, Wedge Salad!!  How you mock me every time!!  How I am seduced to pay $5 for you, when I would mock your iceberg foundations in a supermarket.  But how you beguile me, time and again.  How I long for you when eating limp, oil-soaked field greens in fancy restaurants.  Why do you do it to me?  You'll understand if I must deny you in public, my paramour, so as long as it remains our little secret . . .

Info:  Brio Tuscan Grille 3993 Easton Station, Columbus (northeast side)  614.416.4745

other wedge salads I have loved:  Press Grill 741 N. High Street, Columbus (Short North) 614.298.1014 - Try it with their $9.95 Sunday strip steak special

Spagio1295 Grandview Ave in Grandview (short west side) 614.486.1114

G. Michael's, where they use bibb lettuce instead of iceberg, so there's only half the guilt 595 S. Third Street, Columbus (German Village) 614.464.0575

Scenes from Asian Festival

(I can't even begin to describe the size of this wok.  I could have taken a bath in it.)  Sunday was hot and sunny.  Really hot.  And really sunny.  I got my first sunburn of the year.  Husband and I had this brief thought that we might ride our bicycles to Franklin Park - it's about 4 miles, not too bad, but I suggested it might be too hot.  Wise choice, as while we were walking around dripping, I told Husband I would still be crying on the side of the road like a cranky cooked lobster if we had decided to ride.  At first, the crowds seemed a little sparse, but then you noticed that there was just no one in the sunny areas of the park, everyone was crammed into the shade. 

But the food!  We tried many tasty bits.  I was a little sad we arrived too late for any of this unlucky pig, because everyone knows roasted whole pig is one of the most delicious things on earth:

We had pork BBQ and pork egg rolls from the Filipino Society:

We had Samosa (potato-filled fried pastry, it's the triangular one) and Vada (lentil dumpling), along with yummy sauces and chutneys from Ruchi Foods, and then Jamum for dessert (second picture); a dessert made from sweetened condensed milk and flour, which is fried and soaked in rosewater and cardamom syrup.  It is intensely floral and completely unfamiliar:

We had Spicy Laotian sausage and a spring roll:

And for second dessert, we had fried bananas and a sesame ball filled with pistachio paste, from Indonesia Ohio:

The next great festival for eating in Columbus (please, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, I know you will) is Festival Latino, which takes place June 16th and 17th.  The food and dancing at Festival Latino is the stuff of legend, and it's where those cute boys from El Arepazo got their start.  Alas, I will be in North Carolina, so someone will have to fill me in on the juicy, Cuban pork-covered details.

Some Notes About Reviewing

Local food critics (not yours truly) will be on Open Line tomorrow morning on 820 AM.  Count the Rigsby references.

It came up recently at work how most of the reviews in Columbus publications are either fine or good; you rarely see a really bad review.  I think it was John Champlin from Columbus Monthly who recently said if he went somewhere that was just really terrible, they would just not review it.  I agree with this to a point (and he might have made the point, but since I can't remember the entire context, I am pretty sure it was on Open Line on 820).

I recently went to a Thai restaurant on the Southeast side.  I grew up just north of Dublin, so I am not that familiar with the East/Southeast side, because it would have meant an hour drive for me growing up.  Nonetheless, I thought I should venture out of my comfort zone and take I70 towards Wheeling for a change.  This restaurant came highly recommended but I didn't really like it.  Certain things about it were good - the coconut curry broth was good, but the beef was just sub-standard beef.  I was dining solo, and there weren't really any small plates to try, and I didn't feel that my one bad dish was enough upon which to base a review, so I just decided not to write about it.

However, I felt no qualms giving Handke's a C last year because they are touted as one of the best restaurants in the city, and Chef Handke is always winning these international chef competitions and everything, and he's Columbus' only certified Master Chef, and all the other critics are busy kissing his derriere, and I would expect more. 

Which brings me to my second point.  There are no objective paid reviews in Columbus, because there are no incognito restaurant reviewers in Columbus.  Believe me because I work at one of the "Top 20" restaurants in Columbus, and we know who they all are.  There is a flurry of activity every time one of them enters the restaurants.  They get free food, they get the best - and largest - cuts of meat, they usually get one server assigned to them; so, if they say the service was bad, then you can count on that at least.  And, no matter what they say in their credos, they usually give the chef a heads up they are coming in.

One local restaurant reviewer even has sample bottles of wine delivered to his house.  This is (I believe, as he does not have a liquor license to sell the wine) illegal and, I shouldn't even have to point out, unethical.  The former reviewer for the Dispatch, Doral Chenoweth, aka the Grumpy Gourmet, had a strict policy against receiving anything free, and I respect him for that.  If you follow the link and read the entire post, you will notice how the Grump recalls calling wine distributors with demands to reclaim cases of wine they had dropped off.  It makes me sad that we now have a reviewer in the city who calls distributors and asks for various wines to be delivered privately. 

There are certain restaurants about which I couldn't be fair enough for a review, such as Alana's.  I used to work for her, and consider her a friend, and because we have been dining there so long, I try to only chronicle my experiences there, versus actually critique anything (in writing, that is). 

There are many restaurants and products which I don't care for, believe me.  However, I don't always see the value in letting everyone know my opinions (listen, and you can hear my coworkers roaring with laughter).  Not that I have the readership of the Columbus Dispatch by any stretch, but I'm not in a position at this time where I feel I can blast someone's hard work, especially if they are a small business or a start-up.

I have no problem deconstructing those who tout themselves as "the best, " and then consistently fail to live up to that.  Rigsby's is a perfect example of a restaurant which is constantly receiving rave reviews from Columbus reviewers (remember - they are all well-known to the chef and staff) yet I have had numerous mediocre-at-best experiences there.  My perceptions might also be tainted by the fact that I am paying for everything I consume, and not a newspaper or magazine.  It is really difficult for me to spend $150 on dinner for two and just think everything is "okay."

I loved Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires, because she put a lot of effort into seeing how restaurants treated her differently when she was Ruth Reichl, compared with how she was treated when she became some ignorant loud woman in New York on vacation.  I feel like I have a good grasp on what the average person gets when they go to any given restaurant.  I'm not cheap, I'm nice, I can (usually) choose a bottle of wine with some intelligence, and above all, I'm average.  Average looking, making the average amount of money, although I can be accused of wearing the same jeans/tee shirt/cardigan ensemble every day (in rotating colors).  That being said, I have been in the restaurant industry since age 15, and have an above-average understanding of its workings.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, no matter how many "legitimate" food magazines try to downplay the importance of food blogs, I think they are quickly becoming the go-to guide for the average person.  Well, I think my readers are above-average.  Not everyone wants to hear how the well-known food critic's experience was, because it isn't real.  It's not the same experience you are going to have, I promise you as an industry insider. 

Here are just a few of my guidelines - whenever possible, I try to visit a restaurant twice and eat as many things as possible.  Sometimes, this just isn't feasible because, remember, I am paying for it.  For example, our dinner at Handke's was somewhere around $400.  I just can't do that twice in a short amount of time.  I am discreet when taking photos and would never tell a server I was reviewing (that's just tacky).  I try not to take notes except if I am somewhere very ethnic and I don't know the language (Jai Yun comes to mind.)  I am completely unknown in most restaurants, so I make the reservations in my name.  Every once in awhile, I do get a free appetizer, drink or bottle of wine, mainly because Husband and I have been working in restaurants in Central Ohio for years and we know a few bartenders, but I would always make that known in the review.  If I ever receive any free wine, it is because Husband is in charge of a wine list, does work in an establishment which holds a liquor license, and might offer some of it to me to get my average person opinion. 

One last point - I would like to thank everyone who donates through "Tip Jar" and buys from Amazon.com through my website (I receive a small percentage of the purchase).  That money goes directly into making this website better and giving more restaurant reviews, something I know everyone wants. 

Thanks for reading and for your continued support; I am always open to suggestions, and you can leave comments or e-mail me through the link provided in the upper left corner of my site. 

Ha Long Bay

  It's too bad that a gem like Ha Long Bay is located in that northernmost suburb of Columbus, a good 20 minute drive from me.  What?  Polaris/Lewis Center isn't the northernmost suburb?  Delaware is?  I stand corrected.  At this rate, we'll eventually reach Toledo.  But I digress, as usual.

Ha Long Bay is tucked away in an unassuming strip mall on Sancus Blvd, just south of Polaris drive.  Back when I was a wee lass, we called this area the "sticks."  Now there's a Sephora across the street.  Progress! 

I have this love of Vietnamese food.  I love the balance and the harmony and the strange, French influence.  I love the wrapping of finger foods with lettuce and basil leaves, I love the plates of condiments and the Sriracha on everything.  Once upon a time, I discovered Vietnamese food at the now-defunct Vietnam Restaurant on Bethel Road, and I have longed for good Vietnamese ever since.  Enter Ha Long Bay, recently opened and sadly a long drive for me, in the opposite direction from work, with gas prices what they are.  It took me 2 weeks to revisit it to conclude my review.  (Okay, I've just mapquested it and it's really only 10 miles from me.  The same distance as Whole Foods.  I will stop whining now.)

The nice thing about Ha Long Bay is their large selection of smaller dishes - each time I went I was able to try three menu items plus hot tea for under $20, with leftovers.  Perfect for someone like me who gets bored eating the same thing over and over.  I tried two varieties of fresh spring rolls (fresh spring rolls are rolled in softened rice wrappers and served cold, whereas egg rolls are wrapped in traditional flour dough and fried); the Ha Long Roll, filled with white fish and shrimp (pictured right), and the deliciously sweet summer roll (pictured at the top of the post), featuring mango and avocado.  Both rolls included the traditional filler of thin rice noodles, carrots, and lettuce, and my favorite, the added crunch of fried bits of wonton skins.  Rolls were served with Nouc Leo, a sweetish/spicy Vietnamese peanut-based dipping sauce.

Hot and Sour Soup was rocket-hot temperature-wise, owing to a large layer of chili oil on top.  This hot and sour soup is completely unrelated to the Chinese version, here containing only enough broth to be called a soup, the rest of the bowl taken up with chunks of white fish, tomatoes, bamboo shoots, okra, mung bean sprouts, onions, basil, and pineapple for sweetness.  At first I wished it would be spicier, but the spice grew as I ate, always kept in check - in the Vietnamese way - by the sweet basil and pineapple bits.  The soup tasted fresh and housemade with care.

Bo La Lot is beef wrapped with wilted betal leaves, something I have never had.  After a little research, it seems that betal is an aromatic - if slightly bitter - leaf which seems to be used to cure all manner of ailments and can be chewed as a breath freshener.  Here it provided a unique flavor profile, slightly bitter and pepper yet aromatically sweet at the same time. Although not spice, the beef benefited from the soothing affect of its bed of slivered, vinegared cucumbers and greens.

Rice crepes - banh, might be one of my new favorite things.  Although I knew I should have tried a steamed variety, I was much more intrigued by the banh xeo (bon see-OW), the pan fried option.  Here, a crepe is made from rice flour, coconut milk and pureed mung beans - it gets its color from turmeric, not from eggs - and panfried on one side.  The result is a crisp outer layer with an almost creamy inner layer, filled with shrimp, pork and vegetables.  The crepe is served with lettuce, basil and cilantro leaves; cut a piece of crepe and wrap it with the leaves.  Add a little of the Nuoc Cham dipping sauce - a slightly sour dipping sauce containing carrots, endlessly interpreted yet essential to the Vietnamese table.  It was heaven hot from the pan.  This is traditional Vietnamese street food.

I tried one of the lunch items, the curry noodles with shrimp.  The shrimp seemed to be an afterthought - there were only two - but the noodles were so good and full of other things I didn't mind.  Wide rice noodles are covered very lightly in mild curry sauce and stir-fried with with carrots, celery, onions, scallions and bean sprouts.  The dish wasn't very spicy, but there is always a nice little pot of garlic chili paste on the table if necessary.

I have heard the housemade lemonade is lovely, but not until my second visit, and my very young (under 21) but nice server (who, by the way, told me my guess was as good as his on pronunciation) offered only pink lemonade, so I stuck to the hot green tea (jasmine and oolong are also offered).  On the first visit, my server was a very knowledgeable and polite woman, happy to help with pronunciations.  Food on both visits came out fast and hot and service was efficient.

Why didn't I try pho?  I don't know.  Next time, I promise, and I'll keep you updated.

I might have mentioned before that I do not like cilantro, which can be a roadblock to eating Vietnamese food, so I was relieved to discover that Ha Long Bay relies heavily on mint and sweet basil to balance their flavors, and less so on cilantro.

Those of you living or working on the North side are lucky to have Ha Long Bay in your neighborhood, so support them.  They seem to do a lively carryout business for the many offices nearby.  Try the pho and let me know how it goes.

Info:  Ha Long Bay Asian Kitchen  8489 Sancus Blvd Polaris/North Columbus  614.436.4087

completely arbitrary grade:  B

To read the Columbus Dispatch review, click here.

To read my review of Lac Viet, complete with bad camera tiny pictures, click here.

Carryout Sushi from Tensuke Market

I took a break from eating local the other day because I needed sushi.  I needed sushi and was in a hurry.  Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of taking part in a Japanese tea ceremony outside of Akai Hana, and was reminded of how tasty the carryout options looked next door at Tensuke (formerly Seafood Japan), and decided to head over and give it a shot.  I was well rewarded, and I would recommend anyone who lives on the Northwest side to make it a habit of picking up their lunch from Tensuke's vast selection of sushi, sashimi and bentos.

First of all, you know that book Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat?  You want to know to know why?  It's because onigiri (large rice ball) is one of the national snacks.  According to Japanese Kitchen, onigiri are available at every convenience store.  If we had these in the vending machine when I was working at my horrid desk job, I probably wouldn't have gotten a Buddha belly, either.  Onigiri are large rice balls (although yes, this one is triangular).  Seasoned sushi rice is formed around a small filling of tuna, shrimp tempura, or, in this case, ume (pickled plum).  The rice ball is then wrapped in nori (toasted seaweed sheet) and eaten with the fingers.  Tensuke's onigiri are packaged with the nori wrapped in cellophane and then wrapped around the rice ball; when you are ready to eat it, you removed the nori from the wrapper and wrap it yourself.  These are the perfect thing to throw in a bag and take to work for a light lunch, and they are a steal at $1.50.

I tried two rolled sushi selections, both cooked - next time I'll try some of the raw selections, I was going to be in the car running errands and didn't want to risk it.  First up, shrimp tempura rolls, which had an entirely different name that I promised myself I would remember but, predictably, have forgotten.  It was a combo (pictured at the top of the post), with half being shrimp tempura topped with spicy mayo, and half shrimp tempura wrapped with flying fish roe, which was my favorite.  I also tried the eel, avocado and cucumber roll, which was also good.  Each box was around $4.50.

Tensuke has a large selection of bentos , the traditional Japanese train box lunch.  In Japan, every region has their own variety of bento.  Here, there were salmon, pork cutlet, tempura, tofu, and then a few "Japan tradition" boxes.  I chose teriyaki salmon, which was terrific even cold.  The rice was perfectly seasoned and the salmon was perfectly cooked; the skin somehow had maintained its crispness which is nice.  The salmon was placed on a bed of mung bean sprouts and had other healthy accompaniments such as edamame (green soy beans) and pickled veggies.  Most bentos were $5.50, although the larger Japan Tradition box was $6.50.  Still a healthy alternative to paying the same or more at a fast food restaurant.

Although they offer a large selection of prepackaged Japanese desserts, I opted for the sweetened omelet, tomago, the strangest cold egg product I have recently become addicted to.  I say this not because the omelet is strange, but when I think of omelets, I usually think of something hot and filled with cheese.

The sushi operation at Tensuke is quite large, and they are constantly replenishing throughout the day.  They do such a brisk business I would never worry about freshness.  They even have a large selection of brown rice sushi for those who are super health-conscious.  In addition to sushi, they have a beautiful selection of packaged sashimi-quality fish, including blue fin tuna so beautiful there's no way you'd think of cooking it.  They even have otoro (the highly-prized fatty tuna), now that it's coming into season.  You can purchased mixed sashimi to go, or any number of larger sashimi-grade fish, uncut and packaged simply with a packet of soy sauce on the side.  Cold drinks are also available for those on the go.  This lunch, which consisted of 3 onigiri, the 2 sushi rolls, tomago and bento, cost $21, which was enough to feed Husband and I for lunch, and then a snack for me later and 2 snacks for Husband later.

In addition to their carryout business, Tensuke offers a complete line of Japanese groceries and frozen goods, as well as what is probably the largest sake selection in town.  The owners, who also own Akai Hana and Hana gifts, are working on a new restaurant next to Tensuke, which will be a fish restaurant, called Tenkai.

Info:  1167 Old Henderson Road, Columbus (in the Kenny Shopping Center) 614.451.6002

Alana's - Eat Local

I would be completely remiss if I spent the entire month of May eating locally and not talking about Alana.  Combined with my background, I owe a lot of my ideas about eating locally to Alana, who is the queen of sourcing fabulous local ingredients and encouraging farmers to produce new things just for her.  When interviewing Alana for an article I wrote a few months ago, she was busy selecting heirloom seeds for a farmer to grow on her behalf.  Alana brought us the hugely successful Harvest Dinner, which I wrote about last October.  Steve Edmonds, of Edmonds St. John wines, has often compared Alana to the early Alice Waters (even down to the, er, spicy personality), and he should know, having lived and produced wine in Berkeley for years.

I even chose my CSA subscription because Elizabeth Telling Farm has supplied Alana with ingredients.  All of this being said, we didn't have an entirely local dinner there last night, but I know if I would have called ahead and asked for a local-only degustation, I would have been happily obliged.

First up, totally un-local, the wine.  We went with the idea of having the very nice Ohio River produced Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne blend, but we seem to be currently awaiting the new vintage.  (Just for the record, Alana's has the Cabernet right now, but we were in a white wine mood.)  So, we decided to go for France (didn't I list wine as one of my Eat Local exemptions?  No?  Well, certainly I meant to. . .).  Here's Husband for the wine redux: Savennières Les Clos Sacrés from Chateau de la Roche aux Moins.  The wines from this estate share the spotlight with their eccentric and outspoken proprietor/winemaker Nicolas Joly.   Joly is a practitioner of the quasi-mystical agricultural system known as biodynamics.  In addition to being strictly organic, biodynamicism aims to build and maintain the "life force" of the vine and the wine. Joly has been quoted as saying that "There is an enormous wisdom in the shape of a barrel...the barrel is in the shape of an egg, and has the shape of life forces." Despite its quirks, the system seems to work, and some of the world's finest estates are using it...but, the wine itself. Savennieres is located at the western end of the central Loire Valley, and the finest vineyards hug steep hills at the edge of the river. Here, Chenin Blanc reigns supreme and the wines ally richness and mouthfeel with great acidity. This richness and acidity combined with a transparent structure makes the wine compatible with a wide variety of foods.

Thanks, Husband, now back to the food . . . The "fabulous amuse du jour" was a Bloody Mary Scallop, happily presented old school style with an olive-topped toothpick:

Next up, classic Angus beef tartare with brioche toast points.  The tartare was very nicely balanced; the richness of the beef tempered with capers and shallots.  Even with the addition of horseradish aioli, Husband and I were impressed that the overall effect was actually very light.  Nicely toasted brioche points were along for dipping, and an ethereally light Parmesan wafer topped off the whole dish.  As far as raw beef goes, Husband and I are usually carpaccio people, but agreed this was definitely a winner.

Any time Alana does dips, we have to order them.  We had some last week and were happy to see they made a reappearance on this week's menu, plus one.  This week's selection, front to back, included fava bean hummus (my favorite, I heart fava beans), baba ganouj (Husband's favorite, and he doesn't typically like it, but loves Alana's), sometime like tzaziki whose name I can never remember, but a yogurt-based dip with cucumbers that ends in "salata," and lastly, a deliciously salty feta and sun-dried tomato, all topped with rocket-hot chile pepper cured olives and toasted pita points.

Next up, beet stack!  Husband and I are both hands-down beet lovers, and can never understand our beet-hating friends.  Beets are one of the few things I think go really well with oranges, and happily these were paired with them, along with a scattering of toasted pistachios and feta cheese.  The menu listed buckwheat sprouts, which made me nervous because I do not really like buckwheat, but with the plate arrived the sprouts were more microgreens, where I had been picturing something like a mung bean sprout.

Lastly, tasty mesclun salad topped with fava beans (truly, I would order anything that included fava beans), speck (shaved bacon), cauliflower, carrot noodles and sweet onions, all in a "provocative herbaceous vinaigrette."  I forgot to wait to take a picture, so you're seeing an already tucked-into plate.  The perfect way to end the meal.  Truth be told, we really ended the meal with rhubarb-filled crepes (I'll also order anything with rhubarb - someone has to make sure people continue to grow it) served with strawberry buttermilk ice cream from Jeni's Ice Cream, all topped with a nice caramel sauce; my perfect dessert, not too sweet or rich.  Alas, it was dark by the time we got around to dessert and, although I had my tripod with me and could have taken a picture, I totally forgot.  I confess.

So, anyone in the Columbus area, if you are interested in eating locally, visit Alana's.  I realize we didn't have the most locally-produced meal on the planet, but as the season progresses, you can look forward to many local meals, including two of my favorites: fried green tomatoes and the study of Ohio tomatoes.

Info:  Alana's Food & Wine 2333 N. High St in Columbus (North Campus) 614.294.6783

Café Istanbul

A few months ago, much to my chagrin, Osman Kivanc, owner of the lovely (and close to my house) Turkish Cuisine, somehow decided to pick up his digs and take over Café Istanbul, at Easton Town Center.  It seems the owner of Café Istanbul wanted to put his focus elsewhere, and was looking for someone competent to take over his operation here in Columbus.

Fie, what a mistake.

For my review of Turkish Cuisine, please click here.  Some of this might sound like a rehash.  It isn't that the food isn't good at Café Istanbul with Kivanc at the helm, it's just that the new place doesn't have the neighborhood charm of Turkish Cuisine.  Located at an outer corner of Easton, Café Istanbul is nice on the inside, in a kind of over-the-top Turkish theme.  It was a cool day outside, but the sun was shining; the inside of the restaurant was empty, and stifling, so we decided to sit outside.  The patio of Café Istanbul sits in the parking lot and has few decoration; it's one of the barest patios I've seen, especially compared to the warm interior.

We started off with Husband's favorite, of course, the pilaki.  A mixture of white beans with potatoes, tomatoes and olive oil, it was not quite as good as I remember from Turkish Cuisine, but still refreshing (my apologies if the picture is a little washed out).  (I copied it once, here):

Next up, my favorite, mucver - fried zucchini patties with yogurt sauce.  These were superior - crisp on the outside and hot and full of zucchini flavor on the inside:

Entrees were shish kebab, lamb on yogurt with bread, which was very good, although they don't fry the bread first anymore:

Husband opted for Iskender kebab, spit-roasted lamb and beef server over the same bread and yogurt, this time augmented with a tart tomato sauce:

All in all, the food was good.  As good as Turkish Cuisine, but about 50% more expensive - lunch for these four items was $48.  At least we had enough left over for dinner.

Info:  Café Istanbul 3983 Worth Avenue at Easton Town Center, northwest corner 614.473.9144

Complete arbitrary grade:  C

Akai Hana

I got a surprise night off this past Friday, and decided to go shopping.  It started raining, and I was hungry.  I started off thinking how good nabeyaki udon from Japanese Oriental sounded, but somehow ended up having sushi at Akai Hana (meaning "red flower"), the restaurant formerly known as Restaurant Japan.  Until now, I had only been for lunch, and I discovered that at 7pm on a Friday night, it's quite busy.  Thank goodness for sushi counters, my seat of choice in any sushi restaurant anyway.  My only complain with the sushi counter at Akai is you cannot see the hands of the sushi chefs; the prep area is too high. 

But on with dinner . . . Occasionally, especially when eating at Kihachi, I feel a little pedestrian ordering BBQ eel.  I know I should have the sea urchin or something else really challenging, but I can't help it.  I love BBQ eel, and I will never apologize or stop loving it.  I even love the little bones (in moderation).  I also tried two things I've never had before - first was tomago (tamagoyaki), a sweetened, rolled Japanese omelet flavored with rice wine and dashi (fish stock).  Chef is always waxing lyrical about tomago, how he always saves it for last, etc., and I couldn't remember ever having it before.  It really is quite tasty.  At first it seems a little strange to be eating a cold, sweet omelet, but it really is delicious.  Second was a plum and shiso roll; truly a different experience.  Shiso is a delicious herb which is traditionally served alongside sushi.  When you get sushi and there is a little piece of grass-like plastic separating the sushi from the fake wasabi paste, it is fake shiso (Kihachi serves real shiso leaves with their sushi).  There are two kinds of shiso - red and green.  Green has a nice sharp and refreshing flavor, and the red has a deeper flavor and is used for making pickled plums.  The roll contained pickled plum and shiso paste, which is a salty, tart and delicious condiment all on its own (it scares Husband.  He accidentally ate a cured plum once and now won't try the pickled plum paste), along with fresh green shiso.  It was a taste difficult to explain - tart, salty and strangely savory, I think I might have found my new favorite vegetarian roll.  Lastly was one piece of nigiri white tuna.

Next up, tempura appetizer.  Here's another thing I will never apologize for being smitten with.  There is no cuisine whose frying capabilities are superior to tempura.  It's so perfect and delicious; Akai Hana's was no exception:

A lot of people think Akai Hana has the best sushi in Columbus.  I certainly find it far better than Haiku, another restaurant purported to have the best.  Their sushi is good - maybe even great for Columbus - but on a few occasions the rice has been horribly overseasoned, to the point where I deconstructed the sushi and ate only the fish.  Rice is very important in a sushi restaurant, so I would only encourage them to make their rice consistent.  I feel I should mention that on this occasion it was perfect.  The one benefit Akai Hana has is they always seem to be busy, so you can rest assured everything is fresh.  The execution might not be as refined as Kihachi, but if you are looking for a good sushi experience without the seriousness, visit Akai Hana.  I only wish it were located closer to downtown.

According to a recent Columbus Dispatch article, Akai Hana owner Takashi "Tony" Takenaka plans to open a seafood restaurant, Tenkai, later this month in the same shopping plaza.  I can't wait!

Info:  Akai Hana (fka Restaurant Japan) 1173 Old Henderson Road (Kenny Square Shopping Center, corner of Kenny Rd and Old Henderson) Columbus 614.451.5411

Totally arbitrary grade:  B+

Finally! A Basi Post with Some Pictures

I like Basi Italia so much I'm ashamed at how long it's been since I've eaten there.  Every time I've eaten an anchovy, all I've thought of was how it wasn't one of Basi's great white anchovies, on one of their perfect Caesar salads . . .

Yesterday might have possibly been the most beautiful spring day on record in Central Ohio.  The dogwoods are just starting to bloom, the sun was out when the weatherpeople said it was going to rain, Husband and I had a rare day to ourselves, before going to work - "We are going to Basi for lunch!"  I declared - "We can eat outside!!"

I should have taken a picture of the patio, and I apologize for not doing so.  It was the first time I've seen the patio during the daytime, and it is really very nice; I can't imagine anyone would want to eat inside on a day like yesterday.  Tiny white petals from flowering trees were floating down on us on the breeze . . . okay, but on with the food.

It was lunch, so a little abbreviated.  Husband violated rule #1, which is do not order what Lisa is ordering, and opted for the Caesar, so I only have 3 dishes.

First, the bread - soft but chewy loaves are served in little buckets and accompanied by olive oil confited cloves of garlic, spiked with crushed red pepper and basil.  It's so good even Husband, an avowed non-bread dipper, devours it.  Every time I eat at Basi, I eat so many cloves of garlic I have to apologize to my coworkers later:

And then we get to the Caesar.  I will never apologize for my undying love of Caesar salad.  It was one of my first culinary epiphanies at age 9, when I saw my friend Jen O making one with her mother - her mother said "Have you ever had a Caesar salad?  Jen makes a mean one."  Well, if Jen O could do anything, I could do it better (this rivalry, by the way, continued through high school, long after we were no longer friends, until we would say each other's names to our friends in the same manner Jerry Seinfeld would say "Newman."  Ahh, immaturity.  How I miss you.)

At any rate, I will always love Caesar salad.  Call me pedestrian, I don't care.  Garlic, anchovies and lemon juice?  What is better?  The Caesar salad at Basi - a classic revisited, as they say - is an interactive, knife-and-fork affair, deconstructed and reconstructed to focus on each individual ingredient.  A romaine heart, those superb white anchovies (hiding under the parm), a sliver of Parmesan, chewy-crisp croutons, a lemon wedge to accent the traditional dressing, and here, a few caper berries and roasted tomatoes:

I chose the special, which is a regular on the dinner menu.  Crab raviolis are dressed in sweet and well-executed carrot butter sauce and topped with a smart salad of shaved green apple, carrots and sweet spring fennel.  A crab claw topped it off:

Husband opted for the much-lauded, sometimes feared ricotta gnocchi.  I had not had gnocchi in this form - almost little pillows, sauteed until browned, they were rich little herbed dumplings.  To contrast, the gnocchi were dressed with a tarragon scented melange of sweet corn, mushrooms and grape tomatoes.  Just a hint of truffle oil, good balsamic and a red wine reduction finished the dish:

People I send to Basi seem to have mixed reactions - although most love it.  Since I've loved almost everything I've eaten there, I always try to figure out things some people didn't like.  I think I have it down to the sort of person.  It's no Cameron Mitchell restaurant.  It doesn't have a vast, wine vault inspired entryway or a peaceful, Japanese-influenced blond wood interior.  It's small and dark at dinner, it can be crowded, and the food is full-flavored.  No one ever takes my advice to have the chicken on your first visit!  If you're threatened by sitting too close to others whilst dining, I recommend getting there while it's nice outside, and you can sit on their breezy patio and have the requisite 3 square feet of personal space.  And if you still don't like it, spare me your soliloquy on how much you love Martini's Italian Bistro, A Cameron Mitchell Restaurant.

Info:  Basi Italia  811 Highland St. reservations are necessary for dinner 614.294.7383

Archive - last year on this day I visited my first Crate & Barrel store!  And made Lemon Custard Cakes to boot.

Request for Freebies

The following plee might be highly unethical, but seeing as Jon Christensen is a judge, that would only be appropriate.

If anyone can provide me with a free ticket (or 2) to the Columbus Celebrity Chef Showdown, I promise to repay you with adoration and a full report on the goings-on.  And maybe a bottle of wine or two.  Working in the restaurant business, I usually find it easy to wrangle tickets from someone about town, but seeing as I don't work for any of the restaurants owned by Bravo or Cameron Mitchell, it's a little more difficult.

The premise, for anyone who doesn't know, is that Phil Yodolino, executive chef for Bravo Development (who own Bravo, Brio, and Bon Vie) competes, Iron Chef style, with Brian Hinshaw, executive chef for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants (Fish Market, Ocean Club, M, Martini, among others).  Judges are local culinary luminaries plus the aforementioned Jon Christensen, food writer for the Dispatch.  Tickets, if you would like to attend, are $150 and include food from the Chef's restaurants and dessert from Pistachio.

Please feel free to email me.

CoCo's Grill - Good Cheap Chinese

It has long been a lament of mine that the Chinese food I have now is nothing like I remember it when I was little.  As a child I was fascinated with Chinese food, probably because my mother used to take us to Mark Pi's China Gate restaurant, where we once saw Mark Pi making noodles - truly an amazing thing to behold.  It was on a tour of Mark Pi's China Gate - I think I was about 9 - where I learned to use chopsticks, where I learned to level them by discreetly pressing the bottoms against my teeth instead of into the rice bowl.  It was also where I learned to drink water with chopsticks - but I'll save that for another day.  I was amazed by Mark Pi's - the gaudy, over-the-top interior with the giant dragons, the waitresses clad in old fashioned Chinese silk dresses, with a scandalous slit going all the way up the thigh, the little carrot flowers which accompanied every dish.  I realize this is American Chinese food, and I probably had sticky orange sweet and sour pork every time I went there, but it was culinary heaven for an adventurous 9 year old.  (By the way, that China Gate - 3641 Fishinger Rd in Hilliard - is now the newly-opened Tropical Bistro, opened by former Kahiki employees, which features the same menu and smoking drinks in skulls.  I'll definitely be there, fear not.  For those new to Columbus or who don't live here, you can read the sad story about the Kahiki here.  The legendary landmark was bulldozed to build a Walgreens.)

But I have, of course, digressed:  lately, I have been craving some good Chinese, and have since become addicted to the strangely-named CoCo's Grill.  While this isn't necessarily gourmet Chinese, per se, it is really good lunch food.  They have all the usual suspects, and some of the best Pad Thai, lightly sauced and full of nice crunchy shrimp, I've had in Columbus - better than both I've tried in the North Market, sorry guys.  Here's a sampler:

Fried dumplings (also available steamed) pork meatball surrounded by dumpling wrapper, accompanied by nice salty soy-based sauce: 

Hot & Sour soup - a classic, not too hot; the perfect thing to chase a rainy-day cold away:

Beef with Broccoli - no scary bits so far with the beef or chicken, covered in nice brown gravy and tossed with fresh broccoli:

General Tso, I will never stop loving you, no matter how much of a cliché you've become:

Info:  CoCo's Grill  845 W. 5th Ave in Columbus (West of Olentangy River Rd, just west and further back from the street than Burger King)  614.429.0790.

From the archives - on this day last year I was experimenting with Snickerdoodles.

Restaurant Life, part 1

I work in a restaurant as a server.  I usually enjoy this job, because for roughly the same amount of money I used to make as a corporate trainer (minus the benefits, 401K, and clothing discount), I can now wake up whenever I want, wear pajamas all day, take a nap, and then finally start doing something around 3pm.  This frees me up to do all sorts of other things, such as intern at a farm, interview local chefs, and start my fabulous writing career.  I still, of course, procrastinate.

I just realized that I am way off course.  What I really wanted to ask my dear and lovely readers are two questions.  I know it's painful to leave comments but please, I am begging you.

1.  There is a guest who comes into the Restaurant about once a week, and the first 4-5 times he came in for dinner, he asked me in what position the duck breast was cooked.  Why, I replied, skin-side down, of course.  He sighed laboriously and proceeded to tell me the proper way to cook duck breast is vertically, so that the fat can drain out.  I have never heard of such a thing.  I asked Chef.  I asked the Chef at Husband's restaurant, I asked every chef I encountered over a period of weeks and no one had ever heard of this either.  Have you?  By the way, this man has still never tried the duck, although it's delicious, and always opts for the beef filet instead.  I have never been able to persuade him to give it a try.

2.  Another guest became incredulous when I asked if he would like olives or a twist in his martini and went on a tirade about how there is no such thing as a martini with a twist, and everyone should know that.  You can't tell me that people actually come into this restaurant and drink a vodka martini with a twist, can you?!! he demanded.  Well, I wanted to point out, I personally think a martini is two parts gin to one part dry vermouth, and that nothing red/creamy/chocolaty/green should be called a martini, but I can't expect everyone to share my purist views.  Can someone please explain to me the reasoning behind the olive-only theory?  I will sleep so much better at night.

I know, based on Monday traffic, that a lot of my readers are sitting in offices and cubicles even as I write this, in my 70s mushroom-patterned pajama pants, holding a sleeping 16 pound cat and serenely sipping coffee, and I don't want to make you jealous with my free-wheeling (some might say juvenile) existence, so here:  I actually had to dress up and leave the house today, in the pouring rain, on my day off, and go do an interview.  See?!  It's not all fun and games.

Kihachi, Revisted

It was my friends Sam and Ryan's birthday recently, and for a month beforehand we could discuss nothing but our celebration thereof - an omakase at Kihachi.  Going to Kihachi with Sam is big fun, because Chef Mike Kimura thinks Sam is great; we even got to hold some of Chef's personal knives, handmade for him in Japan - all foodie types and chef wannabees love holding big, sharp knives, just for your information.  I have previously described Kihachi in greater detail, so this will only be a description of our dinner.  As usual, any terms which might not be familiar will be asterisked and defined at the end of the post.

There were 9 of us, all lined up at the counter, note the army of Sapporos:

   

First up, bamboo shoots and giant squid (I think more of the cuttlefish variety than the used-to-be-folklore sort) with sancho*-spiced miso* sauce:

 

Next came a large plate of small and delicious things.  I have to admit here that some of these flavors are still a little "Japanese" for me; no matter how I try, I haven't been able to truly enjoy sea vegetable (kelp) yet.  Pictured, starting in the lower left with the duck breast and ending with the little basket in the middle of the plate, are:  Sake-braised duck breast; monkfish liver with ponzu* and (at this point, I feel I should mention that I just thought I lost my notes, especially sad because I had Chef Kimura's handwritten menu, and just tore through the house like mini-tornado, only to resign - my favorite searching for lost item tactic - and sit back down to write, when I looked over and under a few books on my desk: viola!  but I digress.) radish and a little Japanese green onion (fun fact - Japanese green onion, unlike their similar-looking cousins scallions, do not form a bulbous head); whole fried freshwater shrimp (still my favorite; I could eat these like fried); kelp roll tied with kanpyo*; sea eel rolled with cucumber topped with wasabi mayo (yum); marinated baby octopus (another one of those things I think are cute and fun to eat, but just not my favorite flavor.  Fortunately, Husband loves them.); marinated herring roe topped with bonito* flakes - a fund texture, which Husband described as "fish flavored pop rocks," I personally love the texture of small roe, the way they pop and disappear.  It's fun eating.  The last item on the plate is the small basket of ginkgo nuts roasted in salt, which Chef Kimura says are great with beer (we all agreed):

 

Egg Custard Soup (Chawanmushi): last time, this was a standout when prepared with soft cod roe.  Here, a more accessible (to American palates) egg custard was a standout for everyone.  The seemingly small bowl of custard revealed shrimp, chicken, spinach, shitake mushrooms, mitsuba* stems, fish cake and ginkgo nuts beneath.  I will have to learn to make this dish, which at first seems strange, being an egg custard in fish stock (dashi), but its soul-soothing savory properties cannot be denied.  It is the perfect winter dish:

Below, Chef peels a root of fresh wasabi:

And grates it:

Next up, Sashimi plate, from left to right, Japanese red snapper, Yellowfin toro, Hamachi (yellowtail), and Uni (sea urchin), along with fresh wasabi.  My first sea urchin experience; although the texture is a little odd, the taste is pleasantly briny.  Of course, all of the other fish is excellent - perfectly fresh and expertly sliced.  I am still amazed by the enzymatic powers of real wasabi - the way it melts the sashimi slices is truly amazing.  Eating sashimi at Kihachi makes you realize why one fell in love with it in the first place, and it puts all other sashimi I have eaten in Columbus to shame.  Truly, Kimura keeps his standards high time after time:

House made tofu was next.  Almost an American pot-roast style dish, featuring the housemade tofu croquette in a ginger broth containing shitake and nameko mushrooms, carrots, green ginkgo nuts and burdock.  If all vegetarian food tasted this good, I might actually be within half a light year of becoming a vegetarian.  More than merely a sum of its parts, this dish provided interest bite after bite, and the housemade tofu was pleasing and mild:

Did you think we were almost finished!  Silly you!  We haven't even had the grilled plate yet!  Starting from left to right, horse mackerel (my favorite), fatty and rich, I think horse mackerel might be my new favorite fish; king crab, which was, I think, basted with a little mirin while grilling, which perfectly matched the natural sweetness of crab (no drawn butter necessary); sea (pike) eel two ways - the first covered with spice powder, and the second had a liquid baste; tasty housemade pickles cleansed and refreshed the palate:

Fried Items are next!  Shrimp and shitake mushrooms are chopped together and fried in Kihachi's perfect tempura batter and served with fried asparagus stalks.  It might be completely American of me, and I might be showing a lack of sophistication here, but I love love love tempura.  I think ever parent in America should learn this method of frying for serving vegetables to their petulant children.  Have you ever seen tempura-battered broccoli?  Who would refuse that?  What makes tempura so special?  The batter is kept ice-cold which increases the viscosity of the batter, ensuring a better adherence to the vegetable; the batter is only lightly mixed to discourage gluten development, keeping the finished batter light and airy:

Sushi Roll:  Tuna otoro with wasabi and scallion; again, this is so much better than any other tuna roll I have ever encountered, and I can't quite explain the difference.  The nori* wrapper was delicious and did not remain in one unpleasant dried piece in the mouth; the tuna was minced; it was just perfect.  I could happily eat this for lunch everyday:

Okay, we're finally finished, gallons of Sapporo and cups of sake later (it's traditional to consume beer or sake with dinner in Japan - not water), with dessert.  Fresh wasabi and sake sorbet with marinated sweet black bean, from Jeni of Jeni's Ice Creams.  Chef Kimura told us he was inspired by the menu at the Burgundy Room Dublin, where he saw and tried some of Jeni's Ice Cream.  "Who's this Jeni?" he demanded, and called her up.  She arrived on the day the Japanese knife makers were in town and left with a bottle of sake and a piece of fresh wasabi.  This would make a refreshing intermezzo in the midst of a rich dinner, and made the perfect ending to our epic feast.  Probably not eveyone's idea of sorbet, as it packed a punch accented with tiny flecks of cayenne, but patient eaters noticed the sake smoothed out the spice.

I continue to think Kihachi is one of the best restaurants in Columbus.  I am at this point, convinced it is the best restaurant.  The only thing which could possibly make it better would be to include some kind of giant chocolate nonsense at the end of the meal.  And that is the Mid Western American inside me I can't deny; strangely, when I eat a rich meal filled with western food (western hemisphere, not cowboy ribeyes), I don't typically crave sweets after.  Something about the austere and clean nature of Japanese food, unencumbered by loads of fat and cream-based sauces makes me want to spoil myself in chocolate.  Alas, I am totally pedestrian after all.

Thanks for the wonderful meal, Chef Kimura.

Info:  Kihachi  2667 Federated Blvd  Dublin, OH (20 minute drive from downtown)  614.764.9040

Glossary of Terms:

Sancho:  the slightly spicy, yet fruity berry husk of the Japanese prickly ash bush.  This plant is related to the bush that also provide Sezchuan peppers.

Miso:  fermented soy bean paste which has a deeply savory quality.

Kanpyo no umani:  dried gourd strips

Ponzu: Sweet citrus (yuzu) flavored sauce with soy and rice vinegar

Bonito:  Dried bonito fish, usually shaved.  Used to flavor stocks

Mitsuba:  A mild and fragrant herb, meaning "3 leaves," because each stem is topped with 2 leaves.  Related to celery and parsley, and similar, but deeper, in flavor.

Nori:  Dried seaweed; traditionally used to wrap sushi rolls.  The idea of the nori being on the inside, and the rice on the outside, was actually invented in the United States and in Japan is referred to - sometimes derogatorily - as an "inside out" or "California" roll.

Of related interest:

Various Bits

First of all, nearly to the day of my last visit to Rigsby's (which became one of my first posts), Husband and I ventured there again.  I am happy to report that the deviled eggs were just how I wished they would have been last year, and a steal at $2.  I am going to visit again next week, this time for lunch, and I will have a full report soon. 

In other local dining news, Zola Dining Lounge (782 N High St. in the Short North) closed last week without warning.  I guess my instinct to not review them was right; and here's a tip for would-be restaurateurs, without meaning to sound too snarky:  Don't waltz around the neighborhood telling everyone you're going to put all the other bars out of business.  It makes it very hard for them to feel sorry for you when you're dark on a Friday night and your phone is disconnected.

Celebrity Chefs Help Save Animals Not as Lucky as Mine

I received this press release from the Capital Area Humane Society - I'll see you there!!

Fourth Annual Celebrity Chef: “Destination Dishes” to benefit CAHS 

(Columbus, OH) – Join the Capital Area Humane Society at the exclusive Huntington Club in the Ohio Stadium on Thursday, March 23, 2006 from 6-9 p.m. to experience the tastiest event of 2006.

The Huntington Club at The Ohio Stadium will be the place to be for the Fourth Annual Celebrity Chef Event, which features some of Columbus’ most honored celebrities dishing out their favorite recipes for you! Television personalities, restaurant owners, influential notables, athletes, government leaders and even those who are well-known for their publicized antics will be present. You will be able to sample our Celebrities culinary masterpieces and participate in a silent auction and raffle for an opportunity to win great prizes, with all the proceeds going to the Humane Society. Live music will also be provided by Blue Level. Marshall McPeek and Beth Dal Ponte from NBC-4 are emcees for the event. 

Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.cahs-pets.org/ for $30 for members and $35 for non-members. Patron tickets are available in advance for $50 and include name listing in the event program, if purchased by March 1.

Corporate Sponsorships are also available for $600 or $1000 and include admission for ten. 

Can’t make it to the event? The Capital Area Humane Society is always accepting donations to ensure the health and safety of neglected, homeless and abused animals from our community. 

Please call (614) 777-7387, ext. 233 for more information.

Capital Area Humane Society, a non-profit animal welfare organization founded in 1883, is dedicated to addressing the needs of animals and people in our community.

Japanese Soup for the Fluish Soul

I know I already wrote once about Japanese Oriental, but I feel compelled to write an update on a dish I had there recently.  It all started Sunday night: I had been feeling perfectly normal all day, and Husband and I were at a party when all of a sudden, still feeling relatively normal, I said "I'm getting sick."  Husband, I believe, laughed at me, but it was true: I awoke Monday with a fever and a feeling like I had been dropped onto something very hard from a very high place.  Being a typically germaphobic sort, I spent the entire day trying to remember the exact moment I had forgotten wash my hands.  I really should have taken up some sore of forensic investigation.  But I digress.

I typically hate it when people write about how sick they are on their websites, so why am I being a hypocrite?  Because I would never want to diminish the restorative powers of Udon, that's why.

"I need udon!"  I demanded, "nothing else can cure me!"  Husband had never been to Japanese Oriental, and it was as good a time as any.  Typically I have the shrimp tempura udon, but this time the nabeyaki udon caught my eye.  This version, which is completely different from the one in my Japanese Kitchen cookbook, is the delight of any soup-loving person who is sometimes disappointed by the lack of variety it offers.  Aside from the requisite fat and chewy udon noodles, the very good broth contains shrimp tempura, cabbage, a tempura-coated omelet, surimi (aka crab stick) tempura (it is the most prominent item in the picture, looking kind of like an octopus), fish cake, carrots, mushrooms, scallions and a poached egg!  20 minutes of slurping later and I felt like a new person.  40 hours of CSI and Law & Order on the sofa, a gallon of orange juice and 10 gallons of water, and I felt even better.  But I'm going to credit the udon.

Therefore I urge you, winter-weary Columbusites (so what if it was 55 degrees today?), sally forth to Japanese Oriental, and fortify your soul with some udon.  You will not be disappointed.

info:  Japanese Oriental Restaurant 2283 N. High St Columbus (north Campus) 614.299.6544

Guilty Pleasures

A few weeks ago, I felt the need for some spatzle, which is really hard to find around here.  Spatzle is a little German dumpling, differing from pasta in that it is kneaded to work some of the glutens, so that it puffs a little when boiled.  Spatzle, depending on who you ask, means "little sparrow," when sometimes spelled spaetzle (Food Lover's Companion, Mirian Webster's, ) but according to Harold McGee (On Food and Cooking), it is definitely not to mean sparrow, but "lump."  I think I'll stick to the little sparrow interpretation. 

At any rate, Spagio offers a nice version, which I've consumed on a few occasiona as of late, covered in Gruyere cheese, topped with fried shallots and left to brown in the wood-fired oven.  It's like the best macaroni and cheese you've ever eaten and the perfect companion to a rainy January day in Columbus.  If you're feeling guilty afterward, you can always get a salad.

Info:  Spagio 1595 Grandview Ave  Columbus (Grandview) 614.486.1114

Lisa's Top 5 - Dinner, Lunch and Late Night

A friend thought I should do some end-of-year lists.  Well, now that the hubbub of the holidays is over, here are my picks for my favorite restaurants in Columbus.  I know everyone else does top 10 lists - maybe next year I'll make enough money to eat out as much as it would take to have 30 favorites.

Here they are, listed in alphabetical order; the links go to my reviews, if applicable, with a link to the restaurant's website at the end.

Dinner:

Alana's Food & Wine 2333 N. High St. Columbus (Campus Area) 614.294.6783 website
Basi Italia 811 Highland Ave  Columbus (Victorian Village/Short North) 614.294.7383 website
G. Michael's Bistro 595 S. 3rd St Columbus (German Village)  614.464.0575 website
Kihachi  2667  Federated Blvd  Columbus (Dublin)  614.764.9040
The Refectory 1092 Bethel Road (Arlington Area)  614.451.9774 website

Lunch:

El Arepazo 47 N. Pearl St Columbus (Downtown) 614.228.4830
Japanese Oriental 2283 N. High St (Campus Area) 614.299.6544
Lac Viet 59 Spruce St (in the North Market) 614.221.0777 website
Nida's Sushi 59 Spruce St (in the North Market) website
Tyfoon 106 Vine St (Short North) 614.224.9219

Late Night:

The Burgundy Room 641 N. High St (Short North) 614.464.WINE (9463) website
The Press Grill 741 N. High St (Short North) 614.29831014
The Rossi Bar 895 N. High St  Columbus Short North) 614.299.2810
Silla 1802 Henderson Rd (Arlington) 614.459.5990
The Thurman Cafe 183 Thurman Ave (German Village) 614.443.1570

Honorable Mentions:

Sunday nights were made for bottles of wine and smoked duck pizza at Spagio Cellars
Monday mornings were made for post-wine ice cream breakfasts at Jeni's Ice Cream

Good News - Head to the Rossi for Lunch

 

I received to following notice from the Rossi:  (You can read my Rossi review here)

The Rossi Bar and Kitchen, located in the short north located at 895 North High Street, opened for lunch beginning November 7.  Proprietors Tina and Randy Corbin have extended their service to accommodate those customers who have not been able to enjoy their fare during the dinner hour.

“Since our restaurant has only 10 tables, many customers have not been able to sample and enjoy our terrific menu,” said Tina Corbin. “Extending our hours with a lunch menu that features some of our more popular items – such as our pizzas – will allow a new crowd of diners to experience what our dinner crowd has been raving about.”

Lunch items include but are not limited to the prime rib sandwich, pork chop entree, specialty salads and Rossi’s famous pizzas.

Kihachi

This post is really long and all on the first page because I am passionate about Kihachi, and I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on the whole experience.

*definitions can be found at the end of the post*

There is something to be said for simple and perfect ingredients - and I just did - they're simple, and perfect.  Chef/owner Ryuji Kimura (nicknamed Mike, but it's hard to imagine it's because his Japanese friends think he's so American) is so passionate about the freshest and most perfect ingredients that he's been known to call his favorite clientele to let them know when he's received something of particular interest.

Although a friend of mine is on that list, and it's usually recommended that you throw a name around or go in with another person "in the know," Husband and I decided to venture to Kihachi alone, with no introduction to the chef. 

Kihachi, located in an unassuming strip mall in Dublin, caters to a primarily Japanese crowd.  A primarily Japanese male businessmen, non-English speaking crowd.  On our first visit, Husband and I asked to sit at the counter and were greeted rather skeptically (I felt).  The server was nice enough to translate the Japanese-only menu of daily specials, and we ordered a nice little array of small dishes, and a bowl of the most delicious duck soba* we had ever had.  That's kind of misleading, as I'd never had duck soba before that day, but consider myself somewhat of a noodle expert (and I mean that strictly in the "I eat 5 packages of real Asian ramen a week and have the occasional tempura udon in an airport" kind of way).

Slowly but surely, Chef Kimura began to trust our tastes.  On our second visit, we noticed chef pulling small fish from an insulated fedex box, and with a little persuasion, discovered that it was the horse mackerel* special, flown in that day.  After receiving our fish, expertly filleted into sashimi*, and presented on a plate to resemble the fish in mid-swim (head and all), we were given a little test: a few minutes after he whisked the empty plate away, chef presented me with the skeleton, fried, salted and wrapped in a little paper envelop "you eat it like a chip," he said.  We passed the test - as it turns out, fried and salted horse mackerel skeleton is delicious.

Finally, this past Thursday, I decided to ask Chef Kimura if I could take pictures.  His food is always so beautiful I wish I had a picture of everything I've eaten there.  He graciously agreed, and we commenced with the eating.

The way to dine at Kihachi is to order from their appetizer menu - forget everything you know about teriyaki and the usual Japanese menu suspects (although I have to admit to having an addiction to their BBQ eel in vinegar sauce).  Forget silly little sushi rolls with cream cheese and the like.  Forget giant piles of fried rice on a hibachi grille-equipped table (although I admit I like the Japanese Steakhouse from time to time, just for nostalgia's sake).  Get ready for sashimi so perfect it will make you remember the first time you ever had great sushi, and the epiphany it gave you.

We started off with some Kirin (surely the Budweiser of Japanese beers), and because we saw someone else eating them and they looked so cool, a little dish of ginkgo nuts.  Half in the shell, pistachio style, the nuts were roasted in hot salt on the stove-top.  Ginkgo nuts are extremely starchy and soft, occasionally bitter, and go great with beer.  Peel the shell back and dip a corner of the nut into the salt.  Repeat.

At this point, Chef sort of took over our ordering.  After we ordered a few dishes, he said quietly, "I have really beautiful blue fin."  Just a beat, and then:  "I have fresh wasabi*."  Surely, we had arrived.  You don't need to twist my arm.  I'd never had fresh wasabi.  But first, sea clam* sashimi, served in a clam shell with miso* sauce and vinegar sauce.  The vinegar begins to cook and tenderize the clam slices, while the miso brings a savory and slightly spicy element:

Lately I've been trying to eat everything I haven't tried before, or have tried and haven't liked.  I can never understand when I am working in the restaurant and grown adults will not try something new - last night it was "Collard greens?  Eew.  Surely I won't eat collard greens!  Don't you have green beans?" see?  this just makes me want to give you a little shake.  Collard greens are delicious.  You're willing to pay nearly $30 a plate to eat here once a week and you don't trust our chef to make collard greens taste delicious?!  But I digress.  While in San Francisco, I tried beef tongue, and re-tried oysters.  Heady with my success, we decided to continue in that vein, and ordered cod soft roe (shira-ko).  Soft roe is the, er, male contribution to the breedng process, while caviar is the female contribution.  A favored winter dish in Japan, cod soft roe was presented in a small soup pot in a soft custard (chawan-mushi), with a little ponzu* sauce on top.  Cod soft roe is similar in texture and flavor to veal sweetbreads*, indeed, after a few bites Chef asked us if we noticed the similarities, telling us that he had recently had sweetbreads and instantly thought of soft roe.  It was interesting to me that the textures here repeated themselves: in French or American cooking, we usually take sweetbreads and press and fry them until they have a nice crisp exterior, and then we might pair them with some tart apples, maybe a little puff pastry crust (I still remember a dish from the Refectory, years ago, in which Chef Richard Blondin placed sweetbreads in puff pastry with green apples in sweet curry sauce.  My.  Heaven), but we would definitely juxtapose the soft, almost creaminess of the sweetbread with something crispy and tart.  Here, the cod soft roe was presented in a soft custard, something even softer than itself, and the ponzu sauce accompaniment provided a little bite to cut through the richness of the dish.  Even though this is a traditional preparation, it was a completely new and unique experience for me and I thought it was lovely:

We decided to have oysters since it's that time of year, presented universal-style, on the half shell with a little lemon on the side:

Monkfish might well be the ugliest fish in the deep blue sea, but it's hands down one of my favorites.  In Japanese cuisine, the liver (ankimo) is particularly prized, and we were lucky enough to be on the receiving end of Chef Kimura's excellent preparation.  Husband and I dubbed this "foie gras of the sea," and indeed, the preparation is very similar (click here to read a very good description of the process, along with helpful pictures); salt the liver and soak it in sake, remove the veins, roll it tightly in plastic and give it a little steam.  It was served alongside fluke* sashimi, a nice and refreshing contrast to the rich liver:

We had a nice and simple broiled little rice ball, just to appease me:

We had one of our favorite guilty pleasures - Husband said he feels very "American" ordering them, although I have never seen these served up at Friday's.  Smallish sweetwater shrimp (kumura ebi), fried with heads and all - you eat the whole thing - they are delicious.  I thought we were going to have to order two:

And finally, the bluefin tuna otoro* with fresh wasabi, along with another belly which chef described as "like a large yellowtail," I think it might have been the belly of a larger horse mackerel, although I can't be certain.  We watched Chef preparing the sashimi, and he cut a little slice of the fresh wasabi and placed it in his mouth.  "It really must be more mild than the fake stuff," Husband was murmuring, when just at that moment, Chef opened his mouth to take in air and looked at us with the confirmation - it's hot.  (A little note on fresh wasabi - it's extremely hard to lay one's hands on, and one will pay dearly for it - up to $100 a pound.) Chef lovingly grated the wasabi on a little ceramic grater, similar to a ginger grater, and brushed the pulp onto the plate with a little wooden brush. This dish made it clear for me why it is that that otoro is so highly prized, although it wasn't the first time I'd had it.  The meat is marbled like a fine beef ribeye - almost pink in color (where the "loin" of the blue fin is dark red to almost purple), and the meat and fat melt into each other.  The fresh wasabi works to melt the fat almost immediately, cutting through the richness and turning the whole thing into one of the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.  No soy sauce is needed here - only these two ingredients, matching each other perfectly and in total harmony.  Thinking about it, I am getting a little teary-eyed, just as I was then.  The "yellowtail belly" was a nice, lighter compliment to the full-bodied otoro, a study in the same cut on a white fish, with a little less fatty and does not possess quite the same mouth-filling body.  Still amazing:

This is why I started off by saying there is something to be said for the most simple and perfect ingredients: not everything needs a lot of fuss.  On my first visit to Kihachi, I received a heavenly plate of broiled matsutaki* mushrooms, presented simply on a bed of pine needles (under which the mushrooms grow, in Japan).  Start with the most perfect whatever, and think of the very few ingredients that will enhance it - maybe it's the best cut of perfect beef - a little salt, maybe, and then go from there.  I get so irritated when chefs think the best thing to do is combine all of their favorite ingredients into one dish, masking the flavor of the main ingredient to showcase their skills in tedious over-flavoring.  But again, I digress.

Lastly came a little dessert from Chef - a chestnut surrounded by sweet potato puree.  Something that is not considered a "sweet" by American standards, it was a nice and simple way to end the evening - not with molten chocolate lava cake three ways like we're used to.

The way to leave Kihachi is never totally full, and I think this is the perfect way - these small bites are perfect, and you never get tired of any one dish.  You don't have 20 bites of mashed potatoes on your plate.  You get a little of each thing and then move on to the next wonderful thing.

Go to Kihachi with an open mind.  If you aren't willing to do so, then don't go - you won't be happy.  Don't go with any Japanese clichés bopping about your head, you'll just ruin it for the rest of us.  It's no mistake that Kihachi is widely held to be one of - if not the best - restaurant in Columbus.  It is certainly one of my favorites, although it's funny, given what I've said about fussy food, that it is tied in my book with the Refectory.  How does the saying go?  "Every genius is filled with contradictions?"

Grade:  Without a doubt, an A every time.

Info:  Kihachi  2667 Federated Blvd  Dublin, OH (20 minute drive from downtown)  614.764.9040

Definitions

Soba: buckwheat noodles, frequently served cold in the summer months

Sashimi:  sliced raw fish (or meat, occasionally)

Horse Mackerel:  not a member of the mackerel family at all, a small and bony fish, sadly, it is becoming overfished.

Wasabi:  the root of a cruciferous (cabbage family) plant.  Wasabi is native to Japan but can be grown in the US.  It is notoriously tricky to grow, hence the price.

Sea Clam: a very large (up to 9 inches) clam

Miso:  fermented soy bean paste, an art form in Japanese cooking; available in many varieties and strengths, it is characterized by being intensely savory and slightly salty.

Ponzu:  soy sauce flavored with bonito and citrus juice, typically yuzu (a sour Japanese citrus fruit)

Sweetbreads:  traditionally the thymus gland of veal; these days, it's more comman to find sweetbreads made from pancreas.  Can also be from lamb.

Fluke:  a flatfish, similar to flounder, found on the East Coast of the US

Otoro:  the premium and fattiest part of the bluefin tuna belly, held under the larger "toro" classification; the lesser - thought also prized and delicious - is jutoro or chutoro.  Toro is considered better in the winter months and can be difficult to find, as the fish are large (up to 600 pounds, although the record is over 1000 pounds)

Matsutaki:  the prized Japanese mushroom which can fetch over $200 a pound in Japan; the US is fortunate to have a thriving population in the Pacific Northwest, although they are still expensive. 

Quick Lunch at Restaurant Japan

I have heard enless things about Restaurant Japan - that it had the best sushi in town, it's the best Japanese, etc.  Husband was there a year ago but as a Restaurant WidowER, as I was working that evening.  I was totally jealous and decided to try it out for lunch by myself.  It wasn't exactly what I was expecting - the long, clean lines and good lighting I associate with Japanese restaurants here translates as a cafeteria.  Sit at the long sushi counter and avoid the strange MCL experience altogether.

There is a nice list of sushi as well as noodle options for lunch.  The back page features the standard Japanese language menu that makes one wonder what one is missing.  On my next visit, I will definately ask for an explanation.  I opted for the sushi/noodle combo.  Pictured is the sushi combo (l-r tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and sweet shrimp, with a "Manhattan" roll below - crab and avocado with tobiko ((flying fish roe)) on the outside).  I also had the tempura udon; fat chewy udon noodles in a nice broth with large pieces of shrimp tempura floating about.

Everything was fine - good, even, and it made a nice quick lunch for one, although not quite as good a value as Japanese Oriental; my tab was $18 (hot tea was included) with tip (albeit there was more food than I could eat).  They do a lot of volume here, so you know their seafood is fresh, and everything is well-executed.  It's just that it's no Kihachi.  I promise to do a Kihachi summary soon.

If you're near Restaurant Japan, stop in across the courtyard at Seafood Japan, their Japanese grocery store.  As the name implies, they have a large selection of seafood, from baby octopi to eel to himachi kama.  They also have a large array of Japanese condiments and noodles, and an extensive selection of bentos (prepackaged lunch boxes) to go as well as a sushi counter.  They have ready-to-go sushi boxes, but you can also place an order to go.

Info:  Restaurant Japan and Seafood Japan 1173 Kenny Centre Mall (corner of Kenny Road and Old Henderson, just south of "new" Henderson)  Columbus (Northwest Side/Arlington)  614.451.5411

Burgundy Room Dublin

The new Burgundy Room opened yesterday in Dublin.  I got a little sneak peek Sunday night, and took a few pictures.  The new location is more restaurant and less bar, offering the same tapas menu as the Short North Location, plus a more extensive lunch and dinner menu.  We sampled the mussels, cheddar soup, butternut squash soup, calamari, bruschetta, chicken ravioli, and the very good porterhouse steak, along with a bottle of René Geoffroy champagne.  Here's a picture of our spread on the bar:

Here's a closeup of the Tomato, Hummus and Cucumber Bruschetta:

and the Smoked Chicken Ravioli with Prosciutto and Caper Cream Sauce:

Info:  Burgundy Room 6725 Avery-Muirfield Drive Dublin  614.798.9463

Japanese Oriental Restaurant

I think I may have found the best lunch value in Columbus.  It should be no surprise that it comes in the form of a bento (don't say bento box.  Bento means box in Japanese, so you're really just saying box box.  Sorry, I'm cold and feeling cranky).  Some people might not find this a value, as I was on a local dining message board the other day and someone was whining about how the sandwiches at a local deli were too expensive at $4.  Haven't they ever been Katzinger's?!  At least I can easily imagine that I'll g et my money's worth for a $4 sandwich, something that can't be necessarily be said for a $14 one.  Okay, the cat - or Kat - is out of the bag, but we'll get to my skepticism of Katzinger's on another day. 

Back to the task at hand.  I live near the perfunctorily-named Japanese Oriental restaurant, and I have been meaning to try it for years but just haven't made it there yet.  My friend Sam recommended it rather highly, and I trust Sam's judgment in everything except movies (seriously, Sam, I Stand Alone?) but again, I digress.

I was expecting something a little different from Japanese Oriental - maybe something a little gritty and divey - it is, after all, pretty close to campus and other divey ethnic joints, but it was clean and spare, with light woods and good lighting, the hallmark of Japanese restaurants.  This is rather a misnomer, as the menu is really more focused on Korean cuisine, and Korean interpretations of Chinese and Japanese dishes. 

I plan to revisit Japanese Oriental, if for nothing else than their large plate pork belly dish, for lo, Husband and I do love us some pork belly.  Unfortunately, it would appear from the picture of the presentation on the menu that this is an entire pork belly, and it would fee many people.  Must remember to find other pork-loving souls for fattening dinner.

The bento was a great deal, far better than Tyfoon's bento for only $1 more.  I chose the tempura box, which included 2 shrimp and slices of onion, zucchini, sweet potato and acorn squash (I ordered a shrimp tempura appetizer at Haiku once for $10, and was served this same portion), a small serving of beef bolgogi, a nice little heap of good steamed white rice topped with a generous scoop of tobiko (flying fish roe), four slices of California roll, and assorted Korean side dishes (kimchee, pickled cabbage and mung beans, and spiced potatoes), and a nice little slice of crab and nori omelet..  A nice hot bowl of miso soup preceded the box, perfect for thawing out my hands.

Some people have complained that the service at Japanese Oriental is slow and unfriendly, but my server was very nice and I was in and out before my abandoned cup of coffee could get cold whilst sitting in the car and waiting for my return.  Total lunch tab: $14.75 with tip, miso soup, lunch box and hot tea.

Info:  Japanese Oriental Restaurant 2283 North High Street Columbus (far North Campus)  614.299.6544

Monday Morning Breakfast

On Monday mornings, Husband and I like to visit Jeni's Ice Cream in the North Market for breakfast.  Here it is, my new favorite flavor: Almond Butter ice cream, here topped with a little Sweet Potato ice cream.  Autumn in a waffle cone:

Better Late than Never - Alana's Harvest Dinner Recap

October 9 was an evening filled with great local food - prepared by great local chefs - and wines from everywhere (one from Ohio) at Alana's, celebrating the harvest season and the farmers who made the evening possible.  Here's the recap - sorry about the pictures, I was still in full camera-related learning curve mode.

First off, with no picture, was a Zephyr Squash Pancake (from Toad Hill Farm) topped with smoked trout (Fresh Water farms) from Alana, which was served with Kinkead Ridge 2004 Viognier/Roussanne, which hails from our fair state.

Next, a spaghetti squash flan with (I believe) a duck stock reduction, also from Alana.

The poultry course, prepared by Thomas Smith from the Worthington Inn, was rather like chicken and dumplings, or as a friend described it, a "deconstructed pot pie."  Thorne River chicken was braised and served with oyster, shitake and trumpet mushrooms from Mushroom Harvest, and topped with a cornmeal dumpling.  Served with Muller-Catoir 2000 Haardter Herrenletten Kabinett Riesling:

Next up, my favorite, the pork course!  Prepared by David Tetzloff from G. Michael's Bistro, King Family Farm pork with grilled apples from the Orchard of Tom and Vicki Smith, served with braised collard greens and spicy bourbon caramel sauce and a little mascarpone mousse (a similar dish can currently be found on their menu).  Paired with 2002 Jean Fournier 2002 Marsannay Clos de Roy.  (sorry about the really terrible picture)

The lamb course, from Blues Creek Farms lamb, was prepared by John Dornback from Basi Italia, and featured a nice little lamb porterhouse with a dried cherry sauce, with a really great Toad Hill Farm squash cannelloni on the side.  This was served with Edmunds St. John 2001 Roxet Vineyard Los Robles Viejo.

All good things must come to an end, and luckily this was a sweet one, with a study of Jeni's Ice cream.  The flavors included Ohio Black Walnut, Apple Cider sorbet, and my favorite, and I suggest you visit her shop directly in search of it, Almond Butter.  Truly one of the most delicious ice creams I have tasted. (and I loved the little square ice cream spoon.)

I thought the event was great, and I look forward to doing it again next year.  It was really nice to meet some of the farmers and put a face to the products.  Thanks Alana!

Harvest Celebration at Alana's

If you would like to taste some great local foods prepared by great local chefs, Alana's Food and Wine will be hosting a Harvest Celebration dinner this Sunday night to benefit the Chef-Growers Network.  The event is $75 per person including wine and will feature multiple courses prepared by Tom Smith of the Worthington Inn, Kent Rigsby of Rigsby's Kitchen, David Tetzloff of G. Michael's, Jeni Britton of Jeni's Ice Cream, and others.

Cocktails start at 6pm.  Reserve your spot by calling 614.294.6783.

Braddock's Restaurant, RIP + Fun Things to do in Columbus this Weekend

Braddock's Restaurant in Grandview (1470 Grandview Ave.) has closed; there had long been speculation about its demise, and it is finally over. 

Here are some things to do in Columbus this weekend:

Columbus Italian Festival will happen this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at St. John's on 4th Street in Italian Village (corner of 4th St. and Warren St.).  Admission is $5; I have never been, but I hear the food is great.

You can be Italian and German this weekend!  It's Oktoberfest this weekend in German Village, for once at least one of the days falls in October.  Located at Grant St. and Livingston Ave, admission is $8.  Don't forget to eat a giant cream puff from Schmidt's on my behalf.  Thanks.

El Arepazo - It's What You Want for Lunch

A few days ago, while visiting the Pearl Street Market, I walked past a small building with a little front porch and a makeshift sign that said "Venezuelan Grill," and I had one thought: AREPA!!  Two summers ago, our restaurant had a Venezuelan line cook - a tall, handsome and willowy guy, albeit endlessly chatty - who forever won my respect for 1. taking a Greyhound to New York and showing up at the back door to work 2 days - unpaid - at NOBU, and 2. making me some arepas, to taste his native food.  I have thought of them frequently since, but never knew where to get any.  Until this past Friday.

What is an arepa?  (ah-RAY-pah) you might ask?  Well, it is a little cake made from Harina de Maiz, lime-soaked white cornmeal, that is mixed with water and then cooked, rather like polenta (or mush).  The cake is grilled or deep fried, and then cut open and stuffed with all manner of things.  At dinner, it is frequently served alongside the main dish, uncut.  Think of it as a roll, that one might eat alone or made into a sandwich.  Arepas at El Arepazo can be stuffed with black beans, beef, chicken or tuna ($4-$5).

Two beef & cheese arepas along with black beans and rice:

Finally, last Friday, I made it to El Arepazo, and returned yesterday.  I'm already thinking about my next visit.  El Arepazo started out as a side project for owners Carlos Gutierrez and Eliezer Molina, who cooked up arepas and other Venezuelan fare at the Festival Latino every summer.  Six weeks ago, they finally opened up their little Arepera (shop in which to purchase arepas) on Pearl Street.

El Arepazo makes everything from scratch, and it shows; I had a similar feeling when I went to Turkish Cuisine - the staff is excited for you to try their products because they know you might never have tasted it before, and they worked hard to bring it to you.

A good place to start here is with the Venezuelan platter ($6.99): black beans and rice with shredded beef, fried plantains, and and arepita (silver-dollar sized version of arepa, with no filling).  The shredded beef is full of dark and sweet spices; the plantains benefit from frying - the sugars caramelize to a soft and chewy sweetness. 

Venezuelan Platter:

If you are less adventurous, you could begin with a standard burrito ($5.00) or Cuban wrap ($5.25), which includes beef, beans & rice, and fried plantains. 

Empanadas ($3.50 - $3.75) are made with the same Harina mixture as the arepas, but here are thinner and deep-fried.  The empanada is cut open after frying and then filled with black beans & cheese, shredded beef or shredded chicken.

Black Bean Empanada:

Very soon I will also try the Tres Leces (a cake soaked in caramelized sweetened cream, $2.50), and Patacon ($4.00 - $6.00), a whole plantain which is flattened and fried, and then topped with shredded meat or cheese.  The problem with plantains is that you eat a few one day, and then you are thinking about them for weeks to come; they're like a mysterious person in a bar that you see only fleetingly, never knowing when they'll be back.  Actually, that isn't entirely true, as I could go to El Arepazo every day and get fried plantains . . . but I digress.

I am about to confess something that my friends all know, but I have never discussed here: I hate cilantro.  I really, really hate it.  I don't know if I have a true allergy to it, but I can always tell when someone is chopping it in the kitchen at work because my throat begins to close.  The fact that I could drink El Arepazo's house hot cilantro sauce is a testament to their balance of flavors, and goes far to confirm my long-held theory that Americans simply do not know how to use cilantro.  And yes, my throat feels a little tight after eating their sauce, but as long as there's no anaphylaxis, I feel like I'm okay. 

I do have one complaint: no pork!  I love any Latin treatment of pork, which usually takes some sort of mediocre cut and reduces it to a succulent and tear-inducing tenderness rivaling the best confit.  Maybe soon:  El Arepazo promises to expand their cuisine to include that of El Salvador and Costa Rica (my sister spent a lot of time in Costa Rica growing up and claimed all they ate were beans and rice.  And bananas.)

My suggestion is this: take a little walk from wherever your office is, or drive over to Gay street and get frustrated that the meters charge you a nickel for every minute, and go to El Arepazo.  It is so worth the divergence from whatever you normally have at the office, I know you'll appreciate it.  The staff is funny and knowledgeable, and very bilingual, although they are happy to help you with your Spanish if you ask!  They are happy to describe each dish in detail if you have never had their cuisine before.  Go tomorrow.  Don't wait. I really think you will want to go at least twice a week.

Info:  El Arepazo Latin Grill  47 North Pearl Street (park on Gay - it's between Gay and Broad streets) Columbus, OH 614.228.4830

Saturday Afternoon 'Que from Weiland's

Even though I love to wonder around the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings and get inspired for all the great things I'm going to eat all week, I don't always feel like cooking when I get home.  Every Saturday, the folks at Weiland's fire up their giant smoker outside and sell BBQ ribs, chickens, wings, pork loin, brisket, and I'm sure something I've missed, until they run out.  I had heard that it is really great, and so this past Saturday I decided to give it a try.  It was a game day (Ohio State football, for those of you fortunate enough to live somewhere where the entire city DOESN'T revolve around college football), so feared they might be low because of people stocking up for their tailgates.  I was pretty early, (10:30am) and so was fine.  I got two smoked half chickens and rounded the meal out with a bottle of Weiland's own honey habenero bbq sauce and a bag of Alexia frozen fries (that's right, not a vegetable to be seen!), and we had a great and nearly effortless lunch for about $14.  Their bbq, by the way, is really, really good.  Next week I will have to try ribs.  I just wanted everyone to know.

info: Weiland's Gourmet Market 3600 Indianola Ave  Columbus 614.267.9878

Dine and Dish #4 $40 a Day

Okay, so I'm 2 days late.  I have missed the past 2 Dine & Dishes, and I was determined to do this one, hosted by Sam over at Becks & Posh.  For some reason, I wrote on my calender that it was today.  Oh well, I did all the eating, I may as well do the writing.

Breakfast:  Jack & Benny's, of course (picture shamelessly borrowed from digitalcity.com).  It has so many pros, I can't believe I don't make it here more often.  Maybe because I'm so rarely up for breakfast. . . Jack & Benny's is a breakfast and lunch only institution in Clintonville (neighborhood about 3 miles north of downtown), and it has the bonus of being easily walkable from home.  There is always a line; you just write your name on the list inside the door and then go stand outside and work up an appetite.  I've never had lunch here, but I can recommend their breakfast whole-heartedly.

2 Eggs & Toast:  $2.50

Hash Browns:  $1.75

Coffee:  $1.25

Breakfast total:  $5.50

Info:  Jack & Benny's 2563 N. High St.  Columbus  614.263.0242

Lunch:  Tyfoon.  The bento box is one of my favorite ways of eating.  It provides a nice variety for a girl who is easily bored.  I chose this one to go, since I only had 2 hours between jobs yesterday, hence my bento is on a plate, and not in the nice divided box in which it usually arrives.  Tyfoon offers beef, chicken, tempura, vegetarian, noodle, and seafood bento options, all for $10, and they include a choice of miso soup or a salad (standard mesclun greens with ginger-miso dressing).  I chose the seafood bento, which today featured a nice piece of glazed and baked salmon, seaweed & calamari salads, white and red rice, and a nice little tempura cake of onions and zucchini.  Usually, there is a hunk of boiled potato with wasabi bread crumbs on top, and a sliced orange, but maybe my to go box didn't have enough room.  (As a side note, it took nearly twice as long as quoted to get my carryout from Tyfoon, which was only about half full.  They quoted 20 minutes, and it took 38.  So, although I can't recommend getting carryout, I really like Tyfoon and can still recommend dining in.)

Lunch total:  $10

Info:  Tyfoon 106 Vine St.  Columbus  224.9219

Of course, while waiting for your carryout, you may as well head right over to the North Market and get a scoop of my favorite, Lemon Yogurt, from Jeni's Ice Creams.

Snack:  $2.50

Total so far, $18.00.  Whew, I have just enough left for what I need for dinner!

Dinner:  The Burgundy Room for their stellar beef carpaccio to start ($10), followed by the nice and rich cheese tortellini with pulled duck leg confit ($8), which I can order with their wine pairing, a small glass of one of my favorites, the Haven's Bourriquot, for $11.50.  Flirt with the bartender, and he just might give me a full glass!

Info:  The Burgundy Room, 641 N. High St.  Columbus  614.464.WINE(9463)

Whew, I did it!  That leaves me with 50 cents, so I guess I'll tip just about as well as Rachel Ray does.  Just kidding.  We didn't have to include tips.  I of course work in the restaurant industry and therefore tip appropriately, even on my carryout from Tyfoon. 

WC Gathers, RIP, and the Impending Autumn

WC Gathers, a resaurant in Worthington that I always meant to go to but never did, has closed. 

I am in between jobs at the moment, but I just had to comment that this morning it was so cool that I actually got hot coffee at the coffee shop for the first time in months, and all of my nephews, my neice, and my brother-in-law are off to school this week (varying from kindergarten to 9th grade).  Good luck, kids!!

Also, this week at the Farmer's market in Worthington, one of the farmers had their first gourds and pumpkins as an Autumnal preamble.  Take some time to enjoy the heat while it lasts!

Network Restaurant, RIP

Network Restaurant has closed.  A call to their number claims they will be moving to another location, in German Village.  No date is specified.

More 30 for $30 Events at the Burgundy Room

So far, the 30 for $30 wine tasting events have been a big success for the Burgundy Room; I have managed to make all of them with the exception of the Italian event (that taking place right before Husband's Italian adventure, I decided to take it out on the Italian wine industry as a whole).  Aside from being an unvelievable value, the events are always educational; those who pour the wine are well-informed about their products, and occasionally, the importer is there to offer further insight into the lives of the winemakers whose wines you are tasting. 

Although it is probably sold out, there is one Thursday, July 28th, at 7pm featuring the wines of Sourth America.  Future events are Thursday, August 25th, at 7pm, featuring another visit to Spain with 30 new wines - all different from the previous Spain event.  On September 15th, at 7pm, the 30 for $30 will feature a tour of the Burgundy Room's favorite wines. 

Info:  The Burgundy Room 641 N. High Street  Columbus  614.464.WINE(9463)  The events fill up really fast, so call early - prepayment is required.  Although they serve light hors d'ouevres, you might want to eat something before you come.  30 tastes of wine do, however, equal more than a bottle, and of course you'll want to revisit your favorites.

Handke's

Since it has become apparent that I will not be getting my pictures anytime soon (the pictures to the left have been shamelessly borrowed from their website), I'll just go ahead and do the write-up and add pictures later.  I am not sure how the pictures turned out anyway. . .

Handke's, a venerable institution in the Brewery District, is always on everyone's "best of" list; Hartmut Handke is, after all, Columbus' only master chef, and he recently had a good showing at the Bocuse d'Or (he won the meat competition).  He also has a reputation, primarily among those of us in the restaurant industry, for being cheap, moody, and impossible to work for.  There are probably more Handke legends going around than all other top chefs in Columbus combined.  Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, Husband and I had a little problem when we tried to go there a few years ago:  it was a Friday night at about 6:30 or 7, and we went in and stood at the hostess stand.  And stood, and stood, for about 10 minutes, but alas, no one came.  We left, and our disappointment has lingered ever since.  This hasn't stopped me from wanting to try it again, and so I did while Husband was eating all manner of pork products in the Piedmont.

Husband du jour was my friend and coworker JOSH (there's your big mention), who performed his duties exceptionally - down to finishing my dinner and carrying all of my money, credit card, license, and yes, even lip gloss, when we went dancing after dinner.  Unlike Husband, however, he didn't object when other boys bought me drinks.  Thanks Josh!  Also along were a few more friends from work.

The big objection I have always had about Handke's is that their menu seems a little boring, filled with a few flair-added German standards, and then all of the basic nice dinner cop-outs - fillet of beef, chicken breast, etc.  I kept hearing so many good things about it, though, that I felt I had to give it a chance, and for the most part, I was pleased, although still a little disappointed, because it could be so much better.

Handke's setting is bar none the most original in Columbus.  Located underground in an old brewery, you feel like you are in a cave, with the stone walls and low ceilings.  The ground floor of the restaurant is used only for catering, which is sad because they have a nice bar up there that is never put to use.  This means that you have to arrive for dinner and go straight to your table and have your pre-dinner cocktails there.  Fortunately, our server did not push us to order and was perfectly understanding that we wanted to have an aperitif and then some champagne before dinner.  (This might explain some lapses in my menu memorization.)  The menus, including the Captain's wine list, are printed on plain, flimsy copier paper.  I just thought I would mention that because it seemd unbelievably tacky.  For some reason, it's okay when Alana does it.  Maybe because she then attaches it to a piece of handmade flower and seed paper? 

I am pleased to announce that Handke's offers Lillet.  Go forth and have aperitifs.  That brings the number of restaurants carrying it to 4, that I know of: Alana's, the Burgundy Room, Handke's, and the Refectory.  After the round of Lillet, it was up to me to choose the champagne.  My first instinct was to opt for the Pol Roger cuvee Winston Churchill, as it is my favorite and I was feeling a little slighted by the knowledge that Husband was being wined and dined, and I did have his credit card, after all (buying a $190 bottle of champagne to irritate him wouldn't have really had the desired impact, since I pay the bills and would actively have to point out how I had offended him).  The next choice was the standard Pol Roger, still a great bottle, and a little more accessible at $70; however, I chose the Schramsburg ($40).  This turned out to be a mistake, as it had a fishy aroma and was sent back (I guess this is a common fault with Pinot Noir based champagnes, Schramsburg in particular).  We ended up going back to the $70 Pol Roger, with the understanding that we would have the $28 Rothschild Chilean Cabernet, which my date ridiculed me for ordering.  The server was extremely gracious when we declined the Schramsburg.  When she returned to the table, she had tasted it and agreed with our assessment.

Amuses were sent to the table (surely standard, as I don't know anyone who works there), a nice little chicken liver terrine on toast points.  Appetizers included pan-seared foie gras, house made smoked salmon, and Country Pate.  The pate was very well executed; full of flavor with a proper fat to meat ratio, and best of all, no scary bits of bone or unchewable fat particles.  I was disappointed only in the absence of pickles, mustard, and onions - I like to have something acidic to cut through the fatty richness of the pate, especially since we had not yet moved on to red wine.  The smoked salmon was incredible, we were all fighting over it.  It was clearly very fresh and high quality salmon, not over smoked, still having a nice moistness and sweet flavor.  The foie gras left a little - okay, a lot, to be desired.  From the proper preparation of the terrine, pate, and smoked salmon, I expected the foie gras to be nicely done as well.  I fear that a non-foie-gras-eating apprentice might have prepared it, though, as it was filled with scary bits of vein and other undesirables.  Alas, I cannot even revisit the Refectory to have their foie gras torchon, as they have taken the cold preparation off their menu! 

Handke's Preview

The major restaurant I have always wanted to revisit (I went with my high school boyfriend when I was 16) is Handke's.  Husband has steadfastly refused to go there after a hostess debacle on my birthday a few years ago, so a few friends happily joined me last week.  As soon as I get the picture disk from my substitute Husband du jour, who was nice enough to bring his smaller camera, I will write the full review. 

Network Restaurant

Update: Network has closed.

Friday found us with loads of plans like the rest of the country has every Friday, but we restaurant folk never get to have.  Husband was positively giddy with the prospect of having a Friday night off; his first since August, by his calculation.  We headed out to meet a few friends, one of whom is responsible for making me a true restaurant widow in July, by nominating Husband to take a tour of Italy with a wine importer.  (Be prepared to hear more whining about that as the day approaches.)

As I wrote yesterday, we were first off to Spice Bar; we decided not to chance the food there, what with our impatiently stomping server and all, and braved the 150 yard walk to Network, the restaurant with the worst name in history.

Network is a vast space.  It is something like 7500 square feet; truly a risk when opened by a restaurant unknown.  Although there is a cute dining room in the storefront, they never appear to seat any diners in there; since the rest of the restaurant is located behind all of the other store fronts in the block, it looks like they are never open.  So here's a note to the restaurant managers: Seat the front dining room first.

Walking into Network is confusing, because you walk down a long hallway and then into a cavernous dining room; there really wasn't a visible host, but we wanted to sit at the bar anyway, so we continued past the sushi bar (we really should have sat there), and started to sit at what looked like a regular bar.  The staff were all exchanging incredulous looks between us and each other until finally someone said "hey you guys, there's really no one working at that bar.  The real bar is around the corner to the right."  Okay, Network really could have used an ergonomic designer when they laid out the restaurant.  And, while it may be common knowledge to their staff that no one works in the first bar at which the guest arrives, they could be a little nicer when they inform their patrons.

The Network space is full of corrugated steel and light colored woods.  It's the kind of dated interior that people spend loads of money to create, and then in 4-5 years it looks very strange.  Again, I wish I would have taken my camera because if you follow the link to their website, their photographer does a good job of making the place look cozy.

The first thing we noticed is that the restaurant was nearly empty at 7pm on a Friday night.  We were the only people at the bar most of the time we were there.  When we left at about 8:30, Network was about 70% full.  That didn't stop them from having 3 bartenders and a barback for a 14-seat bar.  At least we didn't have to wait for drinks.  I just can't help but look at things from the monetary perspective.  Anyway. . .

And on with the food.  We decided to order a load of sushi and graze, and I ordered one entree, just to test things out.  I decided to order the duck, since almost no one in this city has the patience to cook duck properly, and I think it's a good measure of the chef.  There were six of us, so I chose the 2 breast option ($19/1 breast, $25/2 breasts).  First came the bread; a large plate of decent peasant bread with sesame seeds, and something that resembled foccaccia, along with one of the best compound butters I have ever tasted; a blend of roasted garlic and herbs, we demanded more almost immediately (in a nice way).  Seriously, I would have eaten this butter with a spoon if no one was around.  And if I were a little naturally more prone to excessive butter eating and the proper metabolic burning thereof.

My entree included their house salad; the ubiquitous field green blend along with pistachios, chardonnay poached pears and Stilton cheese, bound in a Vidalia onion vanilla vinaigrette.  A decent salad overall; the vanilla aroma was very pronounced if the flavor wasn't; I would have liked a little more bite in the salad or vinaigrette to balance out the sweetness of the vanilla essence.

The sushi arrived, followed closely by the duck.  Let's do the duck first, and get it out of the way.  Allow me to digress a little by saying that I went to Network hoping to like it, but maybe not with the most faith that I would.  Let me just print first how the menu described the duck:

Seared breast of crispy skin-on duck served over sweet potato corn beef hash, accented with peppery fried Arugula, drizzled with a sweet and tangy pink peppercorn caramel-vinegar sauce

The first thing I noticed about this duck is that it was taupe in color.  Now, if I am not mistaken, duck is typically red in color, and I was a little taken aback.  I had ordered it medium rare, and although the centers seemed to still have a little fleshy quality in the consistency, they too were beige in color.  I poked at the pieces with my fork a little, and tried to remember what the menu said.  I couldn't think of any reason (curing, etc.) that would have caused the duck to surrender its ruddy beauty.  "I think it's been microwaved," said Husband.  The second thing about the duck is that the two breasts had been sliced into, count 'em, 8 slices.  (To hear what is glorious about properly prepared duck, see my Refectory review)  This meant that each chunk of duck was about 3 ounces of chewy duck meat and completely unrendered fat.  I was not provided with a steak knife, and gave up after about 3 bites.  There was no evidence of sauce on the plate, although the duck was covered in whole pink peppercorns, which I have to admit weren't completely unpleasant, I just wish they would have been balanced by the delicious-sounding caramel-vinegar sauce.  The skin, as promised on the menu, had not been seared and was not crispy.  Again, I know it takes time and love to properly cook a duck breast, but if you aren't willing to do it, DON'T!!*   Alongside the duck was a corned beef sweet potato hash, which was tongue-blisteringly salty (and I do love salt), and a pile of deep-fried arugula; good as a garnish, but a more healthful option would have been appreciated. 

Fortunately, there was sushi.  Our sushi came out on a giant white platter, looking beautiful.  We had ordered toro, but alas, it never seems to be available and Husband loves it so.  Instead, we chose nigiri (slices of fish on rice) tuna, salmon, hamachi, and BBQ eel, and then for rolls: dragon roll, spicy shrimp tempura, spicy tuna roll, salmon roll, and crispy salmon skin hand roll.  All of the fish was extremely fresh and bright.  The colors were beautiful, the sushi artfully displayed on the platter; there was even a giant turnip rose in the center of the plate.  My only complaint, and it's a small one, is that the fish for the nigiri was simply too large.  At about 4.5" by 2.5", it was a little hard to handle.

So, was the sushi good enough to get me to go back to Network?  It is hard to find consistently good sushi in Columbus, Ohio, a fact which should surprise no one, as it can be difficult to find reliable sources of fresh fish, and I have heard consistently good things about the sushi at Network. I will have to return to Network, to sit at the sushi counter and see if we can make friends with the sushi chef, so that when he leaves to open his own place, we can follow him there.  And I promise to take pictures.

Info:  Network Restaurant & Video Bar  525 Park Street  Columbus  614.586.1888

*Duck should be put in a relatively low-heat pan, about medium.  The skin should have been scored and seasoned, and the breast placed skin-side down in the pan.  It should stay there for at least 10 minutes, if not longer, to render out as much of the fat as possible, while leaving the skin crisp.  The duck can then be finished in an oven.  It should take about 20 minutes to do it properly.  The breast will then be sliced into as many ONE-bite pieces as possible, so that the diner can have a good fat to meat ratio, and not have to pick off large, chewy fat chunks.

Spice Bar

I have to admit that I was dragged to the Spice Bar; while not actually kicking and screaming, I think I might have stomped my foot a little.  Located in the old Tapatio spot on Park street, Spice Bar is the newest creation of the Gallicchio/Corso duo, who brought you such former treats as the Long Street Entertainment Complex.  Columbusites have been media blitzed about this new bar, with newspaper & magazine ads starting in March (the bar opened mid-May), and billboards up around the city.  The ads all feature the type of beautiful people who, I'm very sorry to admit, usually make drinking in their bars a rather irritating experience.

I wish I had taken my camera, but we were walking to PromoWest and I was afraid they would confiscate it.  Of course, that would have finally given me an excuse to buy a new one. . .

Spice Bar seems to be going for an island feel; the large outdoor bar features a set of cabanas, where the privileged (read early arrivals) can view the goings-on from their own private lounges.  Even though we were between thunderstorms, the outdoor bar was the main draw, the indoor bars practically empty.

The happy hour specials included $3 cosmos; everyone else was doing it, and although I usually try to steer clear of this sort of thing, I decided to give it a try.  I politely (I thought) asked the bartender what he put in his cosmo, because I don't really go for the sticky-sweet interpretation I usually find.  "Absolut Citron, Grand Marnier and cranberry juice," he replied in a haughty, don't-challenge-me voice.  "And if you've never tried it that way, then you really should."  See, here's where I wish I were the sort of girl who could just pipe up and say, "that isn't a cosmopolitan, jerk," but I just can't.  I ordered one, even though I hate all Absolut products, pretty much across the board.  Why am I so nice?  I was a little taken aback when my cranberry juice came out of the soda gun, but they are a busy bar and I shouldn't be such a snob.  It's just that cranberry juice concentrate is usually sweetened so much so as not to really resemble cranberry juice.  As predicted, this was not a cosmo.  What I received was a decent red cocktail in a martini glass with a lime thrown in (that I had to fish out and squeeze into the drink, to up its cosmo quotient), and a SIPPY STRAW.  What on earth is a sippy straw doing in a martini glass?!

I know that I might sound like a bit of a hypocrite, as anyone could rightfully demand of me, what is a red cocktail doing in a martini glass?!  And you would, of course, be right. 

It seems to be a requirement that the female staff at the Spice Bar show as much of their er, decolletage, as possible without the enforcement of pasty-wearing where alcohol is being served.  Our server was impossibly impatient with us when we could not make up our minds in her allotment of time, at one point simply walking away from the table while someone was talking to her.  I have to admit that I get frustrated when my guests haven't made up their minds and won't let me leave the table, but I usually have the presence of mind to say (graciously, I hope), "why don't I just give you a few more moments to relax with your drinks while you talk things over." 

The crowd at Spice Bar was older than I expected; I was anticipating throngs of perfectly-clad late twentysomethings, wearing their best Sex in the City inspired stilettos and laughing at those of us with frizzy hair, but instead found a bar full of the after-work crowd.  We were actually about the youngest people there.  This was, of course, at 5pm on a Friday, I am assuming the beautiful people had to stop home to primp after work before being seen at happy hour.  Do I sound bitter?  I have to admit that I would like to have perfect hair - I just don't have the time to try.  To read an article by someone who does have the time, complete with pictures of the clientele, click here.

There is a menu of small plates (non of which the server could/would recommend), but we decided to head over to check out Network, which I will write about tomorrow.  All in all, I would have to say that Spice Bar is decent; the staff, for the most part, is intolerably mean, but maybe that's the feel they're going for.  I probably will never go again, but it isn't really personal; I am just too lazy to dress up for a cocktail.

Info:  Spice Bar 491 N. Park Street  Columbus

Turkish Cuisine

Thursday night found me tasting wine with Husband as he ended his workday with Australian winemakers; it was 6:30 and we had plans to see Mondovino at 7 pm.  We staggered (just kidding) out of the restaurant and both put hands on tummies saying "Oh, I'm so hungry."  Knowing that we could never eat and make it to the movie, we both hedged around the issue until we come to the conclusion that dinner was going to win out.  I guess we'll just have to wait until it comes out on DVD.  (This is why we never buy tickets to anything in advance.)

It might not have the most original name in the city, but Turkish Cuisine has definitely won me over.  The space is spare without seeming harsh, with tall ceilings and brick walls to bring a sense of warmth.  The lighting is perfect - I kept commenting on it, because good lighting is hard to find.  The walls were hung with traditional lanterns holding tea lights, adding to the warmth of the space.  Our server, who I believe is also one of the owners, was a gracious and kind hostess; she had the almost excited air of someone who knows a lot of honest effort was put into the food, and she knows you are going to enjoy it.  She is also working on a PhD in Islamic architecture.  Never underestimate your server!

First of all, the beer and bread.  I like to try whatever beer is being offered in any ethnic restaurant, because, strangely, it's almost always a pilsner-style lager and therefore not threatening, and because I like beer.  Efes was no exception, although it was a richer and more full-bodied lager than most.  The house-made pida bread at Turkish Cuisine is rather like a very puffy flat bread:

For starters, we chose the Coban Salata, or Shepherd's Salad, a nice combination of fresh and cold tomatoes, parsley, cucumber, red onions, scallions and feta in an olive oil and vinegar salad:

Next was the hummus, rich and full of sesame paste; it also had a lovely garlic flavor without being bitter or overwhelming:

We also had the Mucver, zucchini patties with carrots, eggs, parsley, dill, and loads of creamy feta, all fried up and served with yogurt sauce, my favorite; but alas, no picture.  And then Husband's favorite, Pilaki, a cold combination of pinto beans, carrots, green peppers and tomatoes in tomato sauce.  Husband loves anything with beans:

And then it was time for the entrees.  I had the Shish Kebab with Yogurt, sitting on cubes of fried bread to soak up all the wonderful juices and yogurty goodness, which I pictured in the preview, and husband chose the Kashkash, ground lamb and beef patties with secret herbs and tomato sauce:

For dessert, we chose the Baklava - here full of pistachios and walnuts, and not cloyingly sweet like most baklava, just nice and rich.  We also tried the Sulac (Rice pudding) which was served icebox-cold (sorry, you know how I feel about the word icebox), and was so comforting and creamy, I could have snarfed it all down if I weren't so full by this point.  I really wanted to try their coffee, but I had to get up early to bake in the morning and had to resist.

At the end of our meal, our check arrived with a small cup of toothpicks, all capped with a little bead (I'm such a sucker for cuteness, I'll admit), a little dish with sugar-coated coriander seeds, and the check itself, which came in a lovely wooden box with brass inlays.

All in all, Turkish Cuisine provides honest and very well made traditional food.  They make all of their own bread, yogurt, and sauces, and it really shows.  There is quality in everything here.

info:  Turkish Cuisine  2653 N. High Street  Columbus  614.447.9222

Turkish Cuisine Preview

I heart Turkish Cuisine.  Here's a little appetizer while I do the laundry and go to work:

Mmmm . . . Shish Kebab (lamb) on house made yogurt with bits of fried pida bread.

info:  Turkish Cuisine  2653 N. High Street  Columbus  614.447.9222

Mother's Day Brunch at Alana's::Sorry, Mom, I Owe You One

I decided not to torture my dining companions with my incessant picture-taking, which was probably a bad idea, as it was daylight and my pictures probably would have actually turned out.  My apologies. 

Mother's Day was beautiful; sunny and warm, with all of the leaves on the trees finally out and a warm breeze blowing.  Unfortunately, we had reduced the size of our party and therefore lost our table on the patio, and had to sit inside.  Let that be a lesson to you:  when part of your party cancels, call the restaurant!!

We had only Husband's mother with us, as mine lives in Charlotte, and could not be with me.  Mom, I promise a lovely dinner, brunch or lunch when you are here in June!

And so, on with another Alana's brunch:  We opted for the non-alcoholic brunch, choosing the lemon mint fresca, a not too sweet lemon sparkler loaded with fresh mint leaves; nice and refreshing.  The next time I will have to try Alana's Bloody Mary Experience - choices included bloody antipasti with smoked gouda and pickled peppers, classic with fresh horseradish, tiger shrimp and cucumber, and one with fresh mozzarella and baby artichoke. 

Brunch started off with a nice little basket of house-made breads; cheddar bread, herbed biscuits, and brioche, along with homemade honey citrus jelly.  And then came the parade:

Vanilla macerated pineapple and strawberries

chile rellano with fried Indian Runner duck egg

Tasso ham and lump crab cheesecake

smoked salmon

house cured aquavit gravlox

A giant Mediterranean platter that included lam and goat cheese dolmas, grilled haloumi, fava bean hummus, faltoush, tabbouleh, olive and carrot salad, and pita points

truffled farfalle and cheese

pasta primavera with spring veggies and fresh ricotta

skirt steak on watercress with blue cheese sauce

seared scallops with thai curry sauce

oysters "shockafeller"

Indian Runner duck eggs benedict on country ham on sourdough with mustardy hollandaise (quickly becomming a favorite of mine - I wish she'd put it on the appetizer menu every once in awhile)

sauteed black bass with Asian slivered veggies in peanut sauce

and then, to my dismay, as we were finished eating and waiting for dessert, a pizza featuring local ramps and morels.  Two of my favorite things about Spring!  I gazed at it longingly, but we told our server that we could not possibly eat anything else.

I feel like I'm missing something, but you get the picture.  I think some people might be put off by this style - you just sit down and things are brought to you, which you can accept or decline.  I love it, though.  It's fun to eavesdrop on other tables, to see what they are getting - you may or may not get the same thing.  Sometimes you have to be adventurous in life.

If you couldn't make it to Alana's for brunch, you can get a similar experience by calling ahead and asking for a degustation; just set a price limit and you will receive chef's whim dishes with wines to match.  We did this for Husband's birthday last year and it was wonderful.

Pastries consisted of a giant chocolate cupcake, homemade marshmallows, lemon curd tarlets, chocolate tartlets, vegan carrot cake, chocolate filled profiteroles, and maybe a few other things.

Ah, another epic.  Thanks Alana!  I guess we'll probably have to wait until next Easter for another one.

Info:  Alana's Food & Wine  2333 North High St.  Columbus OH 614.294.6783

Dinner at Basi Italia, sans Pictures

My friends will soon be accusing me again of frequenting the same 3 restaurants because I just ate at Basi Italia last week, but I can't help it; the caesar calls me, and last night we could resist it no longer.

Okay, it's hard to find, it can be hard to get a reservation, their water glasses are really small, the restaurant is really small, you can easily converse with the table next to you, etc. etc.  Get over it.  So it isn't a grand, sweeping, open-space Cameron Mitchell restaurant.  C'mon.  Be honest, Columubites; aren't you tired of Cameron Mitchell restaurants?  Not even a little?  Oh well. 

Basi Italia really isn't that difficult to find, if you just accept the fact that it's in an alley, and you should follow the directions you have.  I know it might look like it will be in someone's garage, but it's there.  I promise. 

As for the space issue, Basi has opened a very nice patio behind the restaurant that easily doubles their seating capacity.  Sadly, it has been too cold to eat out there every time I have been there this spring.

Although the Columbus Dispatch (sorry, you won't be able to read the article without paying) recently claimed that Basi no longer serves bread, they do.  Where they used to serve an assortment of flat bread and country-style white bread, they now serve soft, warm herb rolls with little bowls of roasted garlic and red pepper flake confit.  It is lovely, but I always have to warn my coworkers the day after eating it, because I could easily consume a whole head of garlic in this manner, and have a tendency to er, exude garlic from my pores.  Sorry, kitties!

If you go to Basi, there are 2 things you absolutely must have. . .

About Town::Restaurant Happenings

A few weeks ago, I did one of the Burgundy Room's 30 for $30 wine tastings, featuring Spanish wines.  For $30, you get to sample 30 wines (if you can last that long), poured by knowledgeable and helpful wine-industry types.  It was a sold-out hit, and they have scheduled 2 more:  on Thursday, May 12th, they will feature the wines of Southern France, and on Thursday, June 2nd, they will feature Australian wines.  Paid reservations are required, which you can make by calling 614.464.WINE(9463).  It is totally worth it, as you get to try a lot of different wines for hardly any money, but one word to the wise - the focus here is on wine, not food, and although they put out some light hors d’oeuvres, you might want to eat something before you go.  Info:  The Burgundy Room, 641 North High St  Columbus, OH

Alana's is now open on Tuesdays, with a special prix fixe menu of Spanish & Portuguese tapas with wine pairings.  Dinner is $25 a person and reservations are recommended.  She will offer seatings at 6, 7, and 8 pm.  You can make reservations by calling 614.294.6783.  Info:  Alana's Food & Wine 2333 North High St  Columbus, OH

Bar Fly Dining - The Rossi Bar

Thanks to Sarah over at the Delicious Life, and her new Dine & Dish event, I had an excuse to visit the Rossi bar a few times in the past week.  Open for about a month now, the Rossi Bar has taken a formally scary, cramped dive (Roadhouse Annie's) and turned it into a sleek, if small, Art Deco showplace.  The bar itself is quite a piece of art, having been sourced out from somewhere in Brooklyn and painstakingly refinished, featuring pressed glass panels that are echoed in the store front windows - a nice touch that, alas, I don't have in photo form at this time.  The Rossi Bar has to be one of the only places in Columbus where I have never sat at the actual bar - I'm a bar fly, I always sit at the bar - but at the Rossi, I always seem to be there with large groups of people, and their booths are really comfortable, upholstered in crushed brown velvet with glittery acrylic seats.  This might sound a bit tacky, but it works.

The Rossi might be the closest thing to a true "bistro" in Columbus, featuring quality food and drink until the wee hours in the morning.  Late-night dining is very important to anyone in the food service industry, as we are always working until l1 or later, and we need sustenance after work, preferably other than White Castle.  The menu at the Rossi seems a little ambitious - I mean, it's a bar, right?  Well, yes and no.  It is a bar, but it's a bar with a chef.  The menu features appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees and pizzas. 

From the appetizers, I chose the lamb lollipops; 3 lamb chops for $9, which I did find to be a little high, but the lamb was good.  It was paired with a fingerling potato and haricots verts (french green beans) salad, which I thought would be hot for some reason, and was a little put off when it was chilled.  My dining companion thought it was great, which I conceded, I just wished the menu would have said "cold fingerling potato and haricots verts."  Next up for appetizers is the vegan shitake mushroom and walnut tortellinis in hot and sour miso broth.  This dish was great for being a vegan dish; the walnuts really add a nice meatiness and richness to the dish; the broth wasn't very hot (as in "hot and sour")  but was still a well-executed miso with superfluous bits of diced firm tofu floating about.  Lastly for appetizers, the always-delicious Yukon Gold Fries with Lemon Basil Aioli.  Yum.  I think I mentioned in my preview that the aioli was so good I acquired the recipe.  I know these are bad for you but every once in awhile you have to splurge.  Aside from that, all of your friends will steal them off your plate anyway.

Dinner continues...

Dinner at the Refectory, Along with the Worst. Pictures. Ever.

Well, we had been invited to celebrate our friend's birthday at the Refectory Monday night.  I had to work, but at the last minute an alternative came through and I was free!  Free to eat Foie Gras!  I was really excited to go to the Refectory, as it is one of my favorite restaurants, and with a large group of people I was sure to get some great pictures.  Alas, my camera did not come through for me.  The pictures with a flash are washed-out white, and pictures with no flash are a nice orangey hue (which you can see in the picture of creme brulee, on the left).  You will be happy to know that I have almost saved up enough for my new camera!  And, if anyone would like to offer an opinion on the best small digital camera that takes good pictures in low light with no flash, please leave comments.  Okay, here's the thing: the pictures are really so bad that I have decided to place them in my photo album, so that you may choose to see them if you'd like, but they won't be inflicted upon every innocent viewer. (Click to the right for the photo album)

But let's get on with dinner first, shall we?  The Refectory is constantly on everyone's list for Number 1 romantic and/or special occasion restaurant, and it is romantic, but I think people erroneously think it is far out of their price range, when it is on par with most other "nice" restaurants in town, or maybe just a few dollars over (but always worth it).  Of course, their wine list is massive, and you can definitely choose something to shoot your bill way up, but that's your choice.  Our host chose a few reasonable bottles in the $30 - $50 range.

Dinner continues...

Refectory Preview

I had a whole post almost ready to go, and the promptly erased it by accident.  Ah well, these things happen, I suppose.  It's off to work now, but here's a picture of the Refectory dining room, taken by the best camera ever! 

Also, don't forget that tonight Jeni's Ice Cream will be on Roker on the Road on Food Network at 9 pm. EST/PST!

The Rossi Bar - Preview

I will be doing a full review of the Rossi Bar on Thursday for the Bar-themed Dining Out event, but I thought I'd give this little preview, since I am busy planting herbs and flowers today (okay, I'm really supervising Husband doing it) and I have to go to work in a bit.  Oh, and I ran out of sugar and can't do any baking!

  These are the Rossi Bar's fries with lemon aioli on the side.  They are so good that everyone was fighting over them, and couldn't keep their fingers out long enough for me to take the picture!  (This was the second order.)  The lemon aioli is so good that I asked for the recipe; I first had it alongside their ham, gruyere and fried egg sandwich on brioche.  Mmm....cholesterol.

Info:  The Rossi Bar  895 N. High St. Columbus, Oh  614.299.2810

Northstar Revisited, With Pictures

The last time I went to Northstar Cafe, I had the ricotta pancakes.  Oh, how I love ricotta pancakes - appropriately named Cloud 9 Pancakes at Northstar.  Unfortunately, they don't really offer very much in the way of nutritional value, and I really need something savory to go with brunch, so today I had the perfect idea:  only order one pancake! and then also get the healthful Smoked Turkey Sweet Potato Hash.  Alas, it was not to be; they refused to only give me one pancake!  It would seem that all pancake orders are pre-portioned and they are unable to unportion them just for me.  Husband does not like pancakes, and therefore would offer no help in consuming the normal, 3 pancake order.  I was deflated.  And so I ordered the turkey hash (with all of the pizza I've been eating this week, I just can't justify pancakes).  But I did get a biscuit on the side, to share with Husband.  I did sneak this picture of someone else's pancakes, just to try to show how big the portion is; like most of my pictures, it didn't fare too well.

Read on for the rest of brunch . . .

Lunch at Lac Viet

When Lac Viet first opened in the North Market, I heard they had the best pho bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodles) in town.  And I made haste, and headed over, for lo, I do love me some pho.   But I was disappointed.  Very disappointed.  Although the staff was very nice, and they gave me a nice little plate of accoutrement - mint, holy basil, cilantro, regular basil, lime, sriracha, etc. - the broth really didn't have any flavor.  But everyone kept going on and on about how great it was, how good their sandwiches are, etc. and so on Thursday I decided to give it another try. 

First of all, I would like to apologize to any purists that I am not going to accent the Vietnamese words properly.  I am not that savvy, I guess... or I'm just that lazy.

I had heard their sandwiches were wonderful, all on French rolls with pate.  As a side note, I was at a winemaker's dinner with a local well-known Industry Person (by this I mean restaurant industry), and this person was scoffing at the notion of a restaurant offering French/Vietnamese fusion cuisine.  Now, I'm not going to get all preachy here, and I know that in the U.S. we tend to teach our own version of U.S.-centric history, but here's a new flash:  France ruled Vietnam for almost 100 years.  Rather recently, in fact.  Before that, they had colonies nearby. You can read about it here.  Okay.  Now that we've got that squared away, on with lunch. . .

Spring::Finally

Spring is officially here. Last night at Alana’s I ate my first fava bean of the year!! Fresh ricotta-filled tortelloni with spring peas, fava beans, and asparagus tips. Thanks for shucking all those favas, Alana. Or for having someone do it for you.

In the next spring lineup was oven roasted asparagus with a pan-fried Indian Runner Duck egg and parmesan. Hidden in the mix was a little citrus gastrique, adding an interesting sweetness.

Now, we only have a few more weeks until the morels come back, at which time I will probably re-declare the official beginning of Spring. After all, we are supposed to get snow tonight. Oh Central Ohio weather...

Easter Brunch at Alana's

Brunch at Alana’s is truly an experience, unlike anything found elsewhere in Columbus; perhaps that’s why she only does it a few times a year. I must admit that I have a few regrets about my Easter Brunch experience; first of all, I forgot to bring my camera and therefore do not have any visual documentation, and second, Husband did not pace himself, as warned, and we were unable to continue eating as long as I might have wished.

There is no menu for food options; only for cocktails. I opted for the guava champagne cocktail and Husband chose the Page mandarin variety. I had heard that the homemade non-alcoholic raspberry lemonade was very tasty, but I have been brunch-deprived for nearly a year, and really felt that something with champagne was in order.

A Tummy Full of Ricotta Pancakes

Ah, the Northstar Cafe. I used to live right down the street and when they were renovating their space, I would walk past every day to see the progress. Unfortunately, they meticulously taped paper over the windows until about week before they opened, when they cut one little circle at eye level, so curious passers-by could get a little peek. I knew from that moment that I would love Northstar. Of course, they didn’t open until a few weeks AFTER I moved out of the Short North into my very first house of my own, in Clintonville (2.5 miles away).

Northstar is a casual cafe offering all meals, with brunch served on Sunday and Monday. They do have a liquor license although it has never occurred to me to get a drink; mainly because I’m there around lunchtime. They offer a rather limited menu for all sorts of diners, being vegetarian-friendly but also offering good bacon. My favorite for lunch is the sweet basil chicken wrap with brown rice; Husband usually orders the veggie burger, which is charmingly purple thanks to its base of beets! I love that they offer brown rice, since I have been trying to incorporate more whole grains into my diet (grumble grumble). Typically when I dine there for brunch I get the turkey hash, full of red peppers and sweet potatoes, topped with a poached egg.

Late Night Grazing at Silla

For weeks, coworkers and I had been planning to go to Silla (pronounced Shilla), a local Korean (with Japanese influences) restaurant/karaoke lounge after work some Friday, and last night, our dreams finally came true.

Three coworkers ordered sake without consulting any sort of list, and were given jars of warm sake; Husband and I wisely chose large bottles of Kirin. I should note here that I recommend going to Silla in a large group. Everyone should order Kirin or another large bottle of beer and then share, in the Japanese and Korean style. Your table should have at least one bottle per person at all times, and whoever reaches for a bottle first should refill everyone else’s glasses.

First to arrive were the appetizers, gratis, little bowls of kimchi, pickled daikon, sliced fishcake, and marinated cucumber. I missed the dried squid bits, and the sesame mung bean sprouts that I received on other occasions, but satisfied myself with everything else. Oh how I love kimchi. Last year, one of Chef’s friends brought in a jar of her mother’s kimchi, which we nibbled on, week after week, allowing it to ripen and age until it had reached a delicious, yet eye-watering, tongue-scathing spiciness, which we relished and then stood, fanning our tongues, only to repeat every 5 minutes or so.

A Tale of Two Lunches

I was very excited to learn that Basi Italia had decided to open for lunch. Basi Italia is home to the best Caesar that I have ever eaten. I realize that Caesar salads are ubiquitous and overdone, etc, but I can’t help it. I love a good Caesar. Caesar salads are part of the reason I love food. I can remember the first time I saw my best friend's mother pressing garlic and anchovies into a bowl to make one, when I was nine, and I knew that I wanted to learn to make one myself. Unfortunately, I got so sidetracked with garlic that I never really made a Caesar myself. We never had anchovies in the house anyway, growing up. Oh - we’re talking about Basi. . .

Starting with One of My Favorite Restaurants

I am frequently accused of favoring particular restaurants and not giving others a chance. And I have to admit, I am guilty. Guilty as charged. There are a few reasons for this; mostly that I work as a server in a dinner-only restaurant, and that limits my dinner dining possibilities to only 2 nights a week, one being a Sunday. There are very few interesting restaurants open on Sundays, and Thursdays are the night for going to my favorite restaurants. There is something in the comfort of a great restaurant. Last Thursday night Husband and I even had reservations somewhere else; we were going to Try Something New. The night in questions, however, was a cold and rainy February day, dark by 6 pm kind of evening and we were both feeling stressed-out and unadventurous. And so we found ourselves wringing ourselves out at the tiny bar in Alana’s. It’s like a hug. You know exactly what to expect. Everyone will wait on us in turn, one of my best friends works here and she will talk to us in between seating guests and fetching coats. Alana will come out with a sliver of scallop on an endive leaf with shaved truffles and a creamy crab salad. Husband will take 15 minutes to look over the wine list, and we’ll finally decide on something sparkling or Alsatian, we’ll each order a salad and an appetizer or two, maybe some soup, etc. etc. We know just how the evening will be. Alana changes her menu so often that it will never be boring. There are just so many reasons to go there when you only have one evening and you don’t want to risk bad service or mediocre food.

The Newly Rennovated Rigsby's

Rigsby's Kitchen, formerly Rigsby's Cuisine Volatile, was a pioneer for Columbus.  Twenty years ago, they opened their restaurant in a part of town so shady that they made the entrance around back, so that diners could get out of their cars 8 feet from the entrance.  That part of town developed into the Short North Arts District, and years later, going around the back has always seemed like a hassle for me.  That, and their bar seated only 4 people when their restaurant was really quite spacious; I am a bar person and get testy when restaurant owners think so lowly of their bar clientele.  Rigsby's had always had a strange decor, I always called it "Grandma's Florida room in Ft. Myers, circa 1983."  Cool tropical colors and wicker chairs seemed to be their motif.  It was really quite horrible.

Rigsby's has gone through a series of chefs, but now owner Kent Rigsby is back at the helm.  Husband and I have had so many mediocre (or worse) dinners there, accompanied by mediocre service, that we finally decided about a year ago to never go back.  The only thing I really remember about that dinner is that we stopped in before going to see Belle & Sebastian.  Husband at this time only had about one day off a week, and we had to pack our entire evening's entertainment into one night.  I think it was a Tuesday.  We made reservations for something ridiculously early, like 6:30.