A Bite Out of the Buckeye

An Autumn Weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains

2011-08-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

The Cheese Cupboard and Hofbrauhaus Restaurant
The Village Shops
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Fall 2011

Unfortunately, at the end of summer/beginning of fall my husband and I had quite the disappointment in life. The exact nature of the disappointment doesn't need to be discussed online, but just know we suddenly felt the need to accomplish something positive and get away for a bit. To help us brush off our sadness and appreciate the gifts we do have, we decided to attack the 14 mile round trip hike to Mt. Leconte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We had previously spent a few mini vacations hiking around the Smokies during spring breaks and had always talked about doing this hike. We decided now was the time.

I had grown up going to Gatlinburg and spending time in the mountains during the summer with my family, but I had never before had the privilege of seeing the mountains in all their fall glory. What a treat it was and how lucky was I to have the perfect weekend to spend on a mountain top!

We arrived in Gatlinburg early afternoon. Too early to check in to our cabin; but late enough that we were ravished for lunch. I had spent many of fun filled afternoons wandering the Village Shops with my parents when I was little, and there was an old fashioned ice cream shop I was especially fond of visiting. But we had never eaten at the Hofbrauhaus Restaurant. I had read how many people love this place and consider it a must stop when in Gatlinburg, so we decided to give it a try. As we parked I was amazed at the beauty of the fall foliage in the mountains surrounding us, and was excited it was still warm enough to shrug out of my jacket and put on shorts. It was much colder when we left Ohio early in the morning! I was also shocked to see how busy Gatlinburg was in the fall. However, considering the gorgeous fall views, I really shouldn't have been.

This was the traffic we had to contend with just to get into the Smoky Mountains!

A view of the Village Shops and all the people. At the bottom of the mountains the trees were still mainly green, but they were changing up top.

The Hofbrauhous Restaurant is actually on the second floor of the Cheese Cupboard, which would also be a great place to pick up some picnic snacks to take along with you on a hike.

To get to the restaurant you walk through the cheese store and and then up the back stairs (see, for those that are confused, there is a sign saying 'Restaurant' with an arrow pointing up in the picture). At the top you are greeted by a friendly waitress in a small and dark room with tables, booths, and a bar all smooshed in where they can fit. The place was busy and cramped, but I loved the feeling of being transported by a flight of stairs into an old common pub in Germany. You kind of felt like you were hidden away from the rest of the world and definitely away from the "cheese" of Gatlinburg (those who have been there will know what I mean).

The Cheese Cupboard has been open since 1969 and I got the feeling that their fixtures and recipes had been too. But I love when good things don't change.

The restaurant is known for their super reubens and since Erik and I both love reubens this is what we went with. This one was pretty classic with corned beef, sauerkraut, sauce, and Swiss chesse on a Pumpernickel roll. It was served with potato chips and a dill pickle spear.

The bread was good, soft, and fresh. The corn beef and sauerkraut were also decent. I probably would have liked more sauce, but I like my reubens fairly wet. All in all this was a typical, good reuben. But I wouldn't drive out of my way for it like many others do. I did, however, love the condiment tray that was brought out with our lunch. We were brought out dishes of a spicy mustard, a pickle relish, and horseradish to doctor up our sandwiches as we wished. Being a condiment queen and all, I loved this addition.

On the negative side, the chips and pickle could be improved. I know they're not the main attraction, but sides can either add to or detract from your dining experience. The chips were your typical low budget ones out of box from a place like Sam's or Costco. They get the job done, but they're nothing special. The pickle was limp and lacking a fresh crunch.

Overall, would I go back? Sure. Will it be a must stop whenever I'm in the area? No.

Bill Total: 2 Reubens, a soft drink, a German draft beer, tax, and tip = about $27

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes

And just for fun, we took the tram up to Ober Gatlinburg after lunch. We decided to take the easy way up into the mountains, because the next day we were definitely going to be working for our views!

Burgers in Gahanna

2011-08-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Gahanna Grill
Gahanna (duh)
July 26, 2010
4:30ish pm

I interned for a year in Gahanna and drove by this place every day, and sometimes multiple times a day. I was always curious about it. It looked like an old restaurant institution that would definitely have its regulars, but could either serve amazingly good food or amazingly bad. Unfortunately, I was busy enough that year that I never got the opportunity to try it out. However, I tucked it away in my head as a place I'd like to try someday (along with approximately 5 million other places).

But the day for Gahanna Grill came last July, approximately 5 years after I had first wondered about the place. Some places I tuck away on my "to try" list are out of business 5 years later. But since the Gahanna Grill has been around since 1939, I was glad that was not the case this time around.

On that summer day I was craving a burger and I wanted a really good, classic burger. Thurman's was definitely an option, but I was also in the mood to give something new a try. Gahanna Grill was it.

As we drove up I quickly realized the front facing the main street had been updated since I had interned. It now had a bit more of an inviting look, and not so much a place that the waitresses would yell at ya if you weren't a regular. I kind of missed the original look, but understand how this might be better for business overall.

However, I was comforted to see the alley side entrance and the inside didn't look like it had changed much in 20 or so years.

As we entered the restaurant we noticed it was very casual and laid back. We were warmly welcomed. You got the feeling this was a place families grew up going to over the years and always remembered. Since we were earlyish for dinner there were only a few other tables occupied. However, the restaurant filled up the longer we were there.

This restaurant's claim to fame is the Beanie Burger, so naturally that was what I had to try.

This was a big burger that definitely didn't skimp on the beef component. The patty was juicy and chunky. The 1/2 pound burger was topped with American cheese, bacon, sauteed onion, lettuce, tomato, and coleslaw. The addition of the slaw was what defined it as the "Beanie burger". I loved how melty and gooey the cheese was on the bacon, beef, and onions. In my world you can't go wrong with melted cheese and meat! However, I could have done without the slaw. It was mainly shredded cabbage without much flavor. Overall, I'd give this burger an 8, and a 9 without the slaw!

Erik went with the Academy Burger which was the 1/2 pound burger topped with Swiss cheese, bacon, and grilled onions. This burger was also very good, but my carnivore husband would have preferred more bacon (of course).

Burgers come with fries and I upgraded my order for a $1.49 more for onion rings. For the extra price I wished I would have gotten more rings. However, the ones I got were thickly battered, perfectly fried, and crispy. As seen above, Erik went with the fries and they were also battered and perfectly fried. Yum on both accounts!

Overall, the service was fast and friendly, the burgers were big and juicy, and the sides were perfectly fried. What more could you want?

Bill Total: For a Beanie burger with rings, an Academy burger with fries, 2 Pepsis, tax and tip; we were at about $28.

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 buckeyes

Restaurant Week July 2010- Luce

2011-07-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Luce Enoteca
Powell
July 17, 2010
8ish pm

Oh my, how I do love Restaurant Week. I love the opportunity to try out new restaurants with interesting menus items that chefs are often trying out for the first time, and at a great price to boot. I also love how dessert is usually part of the menu, a treat I rarely indulge in when dining a la carte. And luckily our choice for this summer's Restaurant Week did not disappoint. After pouring through the menus of our choices, debating locations, and Erik wanting the discussion to end approximately 2 hours earlier than it actually did; we picked Luce. We were intrigued by the menu options of lamb lollipops and watermelon capresse.

We called ahead for reservations and had no problem getting them for later on a Saturday evening. When we drove up I didn't expect the restaurant to be quite as large as it was. At first I was afraid it would have too much of a big chain restaurant feel, but my worries were quickly assuaged. The building and indoor decor gave a Tuscan feel with warm colors and woods. It was really quite welcoming on the inside, despite the grandeur on the outside. We sat at a higher table close to the bar area and I was soon ready to relax and indulge.

Our drink and appetizer orders were taken and then bread was brought out. The bread tasted light and airy on the inside with a crusty and chewy crust. The oil for dipping was olive oil based with a puree of tomato in the middle. The tomato flavor was a nice, fresh accent to the oil.

(I must apologize for my pictures for this restaurant. The lighting was just not great for food pictures, so they're a bit blurry. But you'll still get the general idea.)

Our drinks came out next and I immensely enjoyed my glass of 2007 Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo's are, by far, one of my favorite wines. Erik went with a draft beer. They were out of his first choice and we can't recall what he ended up with.

For our first course I went with the grilled romaine salad wrapped in prosciutto. Wow, this was a good salad (and huge)! I had never tried a grilled salad before because I always thought the greens would take on a bitter or too wilted of a flavor on the outside, but I was wrong! And this is another reason I love restaurant week. I will often try things I wouldn't if I had the whole menu to choose from.

The grilling of the greens was slight, but just enough to give a slightly caramelized to smoky taste to parts of the lettuce, while other parts of the lettuce still retained its crispness. Then the salty prosciutto paired with this smoky, caramelized taste beautifully. The different varieties of cherry tomatoes, rich Gorgonzola cheese, figs, and champagne Gorgonzola dressing combined to elevate this salad to an even higher level (or as Emeril might say, they kicked it up a notch)! The salad tasted indulgent, a verb not often used to describe salad. I loved every bite and the portion was large enough that with the bread, this could have served as my meal. However, I bravely ate on.

Erik went with the watermelon caprese salad which was composed of fresh watermelon, yellow tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and capicola topped with microgreens, sea salt, and balsamic vinegar. I would have never expected watermelon to work so wonderfully with tomato, but it did. This salad was so fresh tasting and a great balance of sweet and salty flavors and crunchy and smooth textures. Yum!

Next up were our entrees. I went with the guava barbecued beef short ribs that were paired with black bean ravioli, roasted corn cabbage, and a salsa verde. I have to admit when I read the menu options for both this entree and the lamb (listed below) I wondered if there would be too many different flavors going on that would take away from the dishes as a whole, but I was wrong. Luce's chef definitely knows what he's doing with flavor combinations. The black bean ravioli had a wonderful spiciness that melded perfectly with the fall off the bone tender short ribs. Then the guava BBQ sauce added just the right amount of sweetness while the fresh corn, carrots, and salsa verde added a bit of crunch, freshness, and salt. Bravo! The presentation was a little busy, but taste will always trump presentation one hundredth fold.

Erik had the lamb lollipops that were paired with purple chevre mashed potatoes, a fennel mustard seed saute, and a dolcetto (wine) blackberry demi sauce. The lamb was so flavorful and cooked expertly. There was no greasiness to it at all. The purple mashed potatoes added a great color to the plate, but tasted a little bland. I would have preferred more chevre to add more creaminess and flavor. The blackberry sauce was okay when paired with the lamb. Then the mustard seed saute gave a nice bite of sour to the dish. Again, I wouldn't have put all these different flavors together, but they worked well and were balanced. Admittedly, my cooking is much more simplistic and I could learn a lot in the world of flavor pairings!

Onto dessert! I picked the s'mores bread pudding. Who doesn't love the idea of a homey campfire dessert that screams of lazy summer evenings repurposed as a rich bread pudding? I thought the idea was brilliant. This dessert was composed of warm, thick, and heavy bread topped with a light and almost fluffy marshmallow ice cream. It was then drizzled with a dark chocolate sauce and sprinkled with crushed graham crackers. The marshmallow ice cream made this dish. The marshmallow added a great sweetness and lightness to the ice cream that was just wonderful. When it was served it was just melting on the edges due to the warmth of the bread pudding. I have always loved the contrast of a warm dessert topped with cold ice cream. Then crunch of the crushed graham crackers were a nice accent! I loved this dessert.

Erik went with the lavender honey cheesecake topped with a strawberry rhubarb compote. This was made individually in a ramekin rather than a slice of a cheesecake and was an interesting change. The cheesecake was creamy and rich and the strawberry rhubarb compote tasted fresh and had great flavor. The lavender and honey flavors were hard to pick up on individually. Overall, though, this was a great tasting dessert.

Overall, this was an excellent meal and we would not hesitate to come back. The chef was masterful at putting unusual flavors together to create a harmoniess and balanced dish. I will say service was on the slow side, but for us that just added to an authentic Tuscan feel and helped us make our meal more of an event to savor. However, I could see that if you were just stopping in to eat and wanted to go elsewhere afterwards this could be a turn off.

Price: 2 restaurant week specials, 2 beers, 1 glass of wine, and tip: $72

Overall Rating: 4 1/2 buckeyes

P.S. This summer's restaurant week starts today and Luce is part of it. Click here to see this week's menu. Notice the s'mores bread pudding is still included!

Deli Dinner and Rainy Shakespeare

2011-07-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Brown Bag Deli
July 9, 2011
7ish pm

The Brown Bag Deli had been on my list of places to try for quite a few years. However, German Village isn't very close to where we live and the visit just hadn't happened yet. However, when they had a Groupon deal I decided I had to give them a try.

Since German Village isn't a hop, skip, and a jump away for us we wanted to tie dinner into doing something else fun downtown. We had also always wanted to see a Shakespeare in the Park production at Schiller Park, so we decided to put these two together for a summer evening out and I highly suggest you do the same!

Brown Bag is super close to Schiller Park so we were able to park for dinner and then grab our blankets and walk over to the park after we were finished eating. How convenient. You could also get Brown Bag to go and have a picnic while you enjoyed the play. However, I was too hungry to wait so we opted to eat in.

The Brown Bag is the neighborhood deli everyone wishes they had down the street from their home. Their menu hosts a slew of deli sandwiches, salads, and soups. But the chef also creates daily specials that are fresh and generally sound out of his world. Just a few of the most current specials have included mini turkey meatloaves with garlic Parmesan smashed potatoes, shrimp and crab lasagna with homemade sauce, and watermelon cucumber gazpacho. Yum!

The place is casual and seating is communal.

When we were in we were in the mood for typical sandwiches and chips. I selected the #1 on Ten which was composed of 7 (yes 7) layers of turkey, Russian dressing, and coleslaw on 9-grain bread. The Russian dressing dripping down through the coleslaw and mingling the Russian and slaw dressing flavors together were what made the sandwich.

Erik went with the classic Brown Bag Sub which was composed of pastrami, ham, salami, cappacola, Swiss cheese, hot pepper cheese, hot peppers, onion, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and Italian dressing. Whoo that's a lot of ingredients! He reported that it was what you would expect out of a sub flavor wise and the meats and bread were of very high quality. He was pleased.

We also got the Route 11 sweet potato chips and the pesto and parmesan Dirty Potao chips to share. The sweet potato chips were great and reminded me of the Terra brand. Unfortunately, the Dirty chips were not as good. You could taste the pesto flavor, which was unique, but it had a bit of an artificial flavor that I didn't care for.

We washed all this down with Dr. Brown's black cherry soda and then headed over to relax on the lawn at Schiller Park and enjoy some theatre. Much Ado About Nothing was the production of the day. Unfortunately, a summer storm kicked up almost halfway through the show and we had to abandon ship. However, that didn't stop us from having an enjoyable and memorable evening that I would love to turn into a yearly summer tradition (minus the storm, of course)!

Bill Total: $13 with a $5 off Groupon
Overall Rating: 4 buckeyes

Romantic Puerto Vallarta

2011-07-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Cafe Bohemio
Puerto Vallerta
Mexico
June 25, 2010
9ish pm

I had read about this place on the tripadvisor.com forum for Puerto Vallarta. Quite a few of the Puerto Vallarta frequenters highly recommended it and went on and on about how good the cherry cola ribs and meatloaf were. Both of those entrees definitely weren't typically Mexican, but they sounded especially delicious to us and so we decided to give Cafe Bohemio a whirl.

We walked to dinner just after sunset and because it was a weekday during the low season the streets were relatively quiet. Cafe Bohemio was tucked away off the main street and particularly sleepy. However, they were ready to serve us expertly when we arrived.

We loved how quaint everything looked. It was just what we had expected from Puerto Vallarta's old town
.

Seating is al fresco and we were surrounded by the soft sounds of American Sinatra classics. The ambiance was wonderful. We were glad we had waited to eat until the sun went down because July in Mexico is hot!

We were warmly welcomed as we were seated, and chips and salsa were immediately brought out. The tomatillo salsa was wonderful, but the tomato salsa was not flavorful enough for me. It reminded me more of a tomato puree rather than a salsa. But that's okay, I just stuck with the tomatillo.

As we looked over the menu the owner (I think) really wanted us to try the pea soup, as he had just made it that day and seemed really excited about it. Of course, we obliged. Fresh bread was also brought out and the butter tasted homemade. The pea soup was wonderfully fresh and seemed to be a puree of peas and celery flavors. It was a good start.

True to our recommendations I ordered the cherry cola ribs and Erik went with the meatloaf.

The ribs were good and the cherry cola sauce was delish. There was just the right amount of tanginess and sweetness to compliment the meat. This was served with a boiled potato and typical iceberg salad. The sides were fine, but nothing special to write about.

Erik went for the meatloaf. Now this was a good meatloaf! It was perfectly moist, flavorful, and smothered in a tangy sauce. On the restaurant's facebook page the owner has a video of how he makes his meatloaf. One of these days I'm am going to watch and then try to replicate! Our server told us the meatloaf was especially good the evening we were there because it was the slow season and therefore, they do not make the meatloaf ahead of time. So Erik's was made fresh and especially for him. Boy did the taste show it! This was served with the same iceberg salad as above and steak fries. The fries were thick, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside; just the way they should be.

We were stuffed and happy at the end of this meal. Then to top it off, I fell in love with the old word style of a handwritten bill. Perfect.

Bill total: That's 303 pesos, folks, not dollars :) It was roughly $26 before tip. Mexico is quite the food bargain!

Overall Rating: The great ambiance and hospitable service make this a 4 1/2 buckeye place.

The Best Pizza is in Mexico? Say What?

2011-07-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

Cafe Roma
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
July 23, 2010
3ish pm

Words will not be able to express the love I have for this place. If I could fly into Mexico just to hang out here, I would. These types of unexpected surprises is what traveling is all about. Now, I had read about this place on my trusty tripadvisor sight, but I have to say my expectations weren't too high. At the time of our trip this place was ranked as the number one restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. However, I had my doubts that it would live up to those expectations. I'll admit I snobbishly thought a bunch of Americans who didn't know what good food in Mexico was like ranked this place so high because it catered to the American way of life. "I," I reasoned, "am more refined than that, and surely a pizza place that also doubles as a year round spring break hot spot will not be my favorite place in Puerto Vallarta."

Well, I can readily admit to having some snobby foodie thoughts now and again, but I will also easily admit when I'm wrong. Dead wrong.

Erik and I had been out exploring Puerto Vallarta and were getting really hungry. It was about 3 pm and we had yet to eat anything for lunch. We saw that we were close enough to Cafe Roma and decided to walk over. Since it was late afternoon the place was dead, but we were happy to see it was open. We climbed the steps to the second floor restaurant and laughed at seeing this:

Unfortunately, the camera couldn't catch all the fun phrases but they say things like, "Seriously folks, we're not serious." And, "If you like our food tell others, if you don't like our food go parasailing." Then at the top of the stairs you are greeted by this:

From the 50's and 60's classic rock and roll that was playing in the background and nods here and there to the United States, you can quickly infer this is where the ex-pats hang out, and rightly they should. We were warmly welcomed and the owner seemed genuinely happy to talk with us. As we looked over the menu he asked where we were from and when replying Ohio he immediately then asked, "Browns or Bengals?" But before we could even think to answer he replied, "Cowboys, of course!" Quite the character.

He then let us know that since it was our first time there we could have Pacifico (the local beer) for five pesos each. Erik thought he had gone to restaurant heaven. We ordered pizza with ham and pineapple and as our order was put in the owner came back to discuss what languages we spoke. I tried to pass off some rusty French, but I was quickly shown up. He then encouraged Erik to practice his Spanish with him as we waited for our pizza.

When our pizza arrived we were impressed by how good it looked, but even more by how good it tasted. The pineapple was fresh and just slightly warmed to bring out its flavor. The crust was thin and done in true Italian style, slightly blackened while cooked at very high temperatures. It reminded me so much of the pizza I had had in Italy I asked if the cook was originally from Italy or had studied in Italy (he was not and did not).

As we finished our pizza the owner pointed out we had a visitor sitting across from us. This big orange guy is their neighbor.

The location of this place is just great. The Rio Cuale is across the street and the Sierra Madre mountains are in the background. I just loved it here. Then, for the icing on the cake, as we were getting ready to pay our bill the owner brought us shots of tequila. He said that was the only way to go in Mexico, especially when it's your first time visiting.

As we left we decided to get a fun picture with the mural on the wall and the owner insisted on moving the lights so our picture would be just right. Here it is:

Apparently that iguana neighbor can get pretty angry!

We left Cafe Roma with a full and satisfied stomach, maybe a little too much to drink, and a happy heart. What more can you ask for on vacation?

Bill Total: Not sure, but definitely on the inexpensive side.

Overall Rating: 5 buckeyes

And just for fun, here's a picture from a Mexican candy store and the sunset that evening.

Mexican Mole

2011-02-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

Red Cabbage
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
July 22, 2010
7ish pm

When asked where one could get the best traditional Mexican food in Puerto Vallarta, I heard Red Cabbage as the answer many times. Therefore, we had to try it.

When I saw the turns and backstreets our cab driver took to get to the restaurant I was very thankful we didn't try to find this place ourselves or try to navigate the bus system! We ended up in a neighborhood and I'm sure I wouldn't have recognized this place as a great restaurant if I was walking by, and on another note, I know that without my trusty tripadvisor.com reviews I would have never even had the opportunity to walk by, given the local! But we were immediately warmly greeted by (what I assume to be) the owner's son opening our cab door to great us. This was soon followed by the owner welcoming us at the front door.

We were immediately seated and enjoyed looking at the tables decorated in different monetary bills from the different countries patrons visited from. We realized we didn't need to add one from the US. The ambiance seemed to exude family and friend centeredness. Since it was a weeknight during the low season, the restaurant had a few tables of patrons, but was not busy and we put our orders in quickly.

This restaurant is known for its mole sauce and so I had to try it. Erik went with the chilles rellenos. Now I have to admit I took a risk with the chicken mole. Honestly, mole, with its chocolate and chili nuances, is generally not one of my favorite sauces. However, I've also heard that it takes skill to make a good mole. It is best slow cooked and generally a mixture of up to 40 ingredients. I reasoned that possibly it wasn't that I didn't like mole, but it was more that I hadn't had the right mole. So many people swear by a good mole, it couldn't possibly be that I didn't like it. I figured I was in this dish's home country at a place known for the dish, so if I was going to like it at all I would like it here. So I went for it.

Unfortunately, I found out that evening that mole is just not a dish I'm overly fond of having. I could tell that this mole was a great one, it was by far the best one I had ever tasted, and it had a rich, complex flavor. So this is by no way a critique of this restaurant's dish. I have recognized that this is a case of my faulty taste buds, and nothing more. The chicken filling was tender, slow cooked, and very flavorful. The rice was good and I loved the added carrots and peas. I will also admit that the mole grew on me the more I had it, but I found myself wanting more of Erik's chille rellenos.

Now, in my opinion, the chille rellenos were a different story. These were really good and batter dipped, just the way I like them (and Rick Bayless says they should be)!

For dessert we decided to share the flan. This flan was lighter and less custardy than the flan we usually have in the United States. It had a strong nutmeg flavor, but overall was delightful.

Overall, we really enjoyed the family style friendliness of this place, and the food was pretty good too!

Bill Total: ?? Absolutely no clue. It was one of our pricier dinners in Mexico, but still reasonable compared to American restaurants.

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes

The Best Breakfast Deal in the Marina!

2011-01-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

Sea-Fare at the Marina
Marina, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

9ish am

July 21, 2010

Since we had a big adventure day planned of a high speed boat ride, riding a donkey up a mountain, waterfall rapelling, and all of this topped off with a tequila tasting; we decided we needed to start the day with a hearty breakfast. We needed to be downtown by 10:30 and so wanted a convenient place near our hotel, but on the way.

We took the bus most places which generally resulted in us taking a nice walk from our hotel to the other side of the marina where the bus stop was located. The walk was always beautiful, but we soon learned it was also like "running the gauntlet". The marina has a series of really nice shops, restaurants, and tour booths along the way with someone at each place trying to "entice" you to spend some time with them. We had walked through this area probably half a dozen times already and perfected our polite, yet curt no's. However, this time we were glad we'd actually get to say yes to someone!

The Sea-Fare at the Marina won out with their daily breakfast special that couldn't be beat for only $3.99. We both got the same thing which consisted of scrambled eggs with ham, chilaquiles, refried beans topped with queso fresco, fresh tortillas, and freshly squeezed orange juice! I still can not believe we got this quality and quantity of food for $4 each.

The orange juice was so refreshing, and I had forgotten how much of a stronger orange flavor you get when the juice is freshly squeezed! The eggs with ham were flavorful and perfectly cooked and the refried beans were great. But the stand out was the chilaquiles.

This is such a simple dish, but was oh so good! It is composed of cut squares of tortillas lightly fried, topped with a slightly spicy red sauce, and then topped with sour cream. The red sauce slightly softens a bit of the tortilla and you get a soft bite, with crispier edges. Then the sour cream cools off the warmth of the dish and spice of the red sauce. As I write this, I'm wishing I had a bowl of them right now!

Erik and I had never heard of this dish before, but upon doing some research it apparently is a typical breakfast/brunch staple in Mexico and is thought to be a great hangover cure! Maybe I should have gotten some more after our tequila tasting ;) Upon doing even more research, for my local readers, apparently you can get a version of chilaquiles at Cabo Cocina and Cuco's. We already have dinner plans for tonight, but I just might be making a trip to one of these establishments next weekend!

Bill Total: around $10

Overall Rating: 4 buckeyes

And just for fun here are some shots from the rest of our day...

Nothing's Better than Tacos Al Pastor

2011-01-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

Pepe's Tacos
Puerto Vallarta
Mexico
July 20, 2010
9ish pm

After our large lunch at Cafe de Ollo it took us awhile to become hungry for dinner. After walking around town and enjoying the sights we decided we needed tacos for dinner. Now tacos from the taco trucks around town are one of my all time favorite meals and I even rented one for my 30th birthday party! I couldn't wait to try them in Mexico.

You could smell the freshly cooked meat and spices as you walked up to the stand. We grabbed a table and a friendly server was quickly over to help us out. Service was fast and the tacos were cheap ($1 each). Within just a few minutes we had a delightful plate of tacos al pastor. The pork is wonderfully spiced and cut from a spit comparable to the spit gyro meat is made from. The cook shaves the meat off the spit and catches it in 2 corn tortillas.

The tacos are then topped with pineapple, cilantro, and onion. Fresh limes are brought out to squeeze over the tacos. The cilantro and onion are fresh, but the pineapple is what makes the tacos! The pineapple is roasted at the top of the spit and then a few slices are chopped off when the meat is cut for the tacos. The sweet roasted pineapple pairs wonderfully with the cilantro, onion, and fresh lime juice.

There are then a series of sauces you can add to the tacos such as a creamy advocado sauce (more liquidy than a typical guacamole), a tomato based salsa, a smoky chipotle sauce, and a tomatillo sauce. I liked the tomato salsa or tomatillo sauce on the tacos best, but all flavor combinations were good.

Yum! I started out with a plate of 3 tacos, but after those were done I kept going and ordered 2 more! This is definitely one of my fondest dinner memories from Mexico.

Bill Total: Tacos were around $1 each

Overal Rating: 5 buckeyes!

The Buckeye goes to Puerto Vallarta

2010-11-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

Cafe d'Ollo
Puerto Vallarta
Mexico
July 20, 2010
2ish pm

For our summer vacation this year we decided to sample some more authentic versions of our favorite foods and head south of the border to Puerto Vallarta. We had heard this was a Mexican foodie destination and with the bonus of a great beach and our dollar stretching far, we felt we couldn't go wrong.

We arrived in Mexico in the afternoon of July 19th and immediately headed to our pool bar (we were staying at the Westin Resort and Spa-Puerto Vallarta) to relax from our flight and try some amazing margaritas, chips, and guacamole! The bartender was happy to oblige.

The colorful chips were great and the guacamole was flavorful. However, I wasn't a big fan of the Cohita cheese (similar to a Parmesan) on top. However, the star of this snack was definitely the margaritas! The tequila is of higher quality than many made here and fresh lime juice is the norm. A special bonus was that we arrived during happy hour where the special was buy one get one free. However, this bonus quickly became a negative as I didn't quite realize how much stronger a Mexican margarita would be as compared to the usual at home. I soon needed a nap!

After vegging out the first evening in town we headed off to explore the next day. We walked around and explored the vendors along the Rio Quale and then stopped for lunch at Cafe de Olla. We had heard this was a must stop restaurant for many people. The restaurant was quaint and the owner greeted us as if he knew us.

We loved how many restaurants had outdoor grills in an effort to minimize the heat of a kitchen in a very HOT locale. We also loved the tree growing up through the roof on the inside!

As we sat down we were immediately brought bread and fresh salsas. The chopped salsa was fresh with cilantro, cucumber, tomato, and onion. It was my favorite due to the freshness.

The darker one was a smoky sauce of chipotle, tomato, and some heat. This one was great over rice and beans.

We ordered 2 chicken tamales and the Mexican plate to share.

The tamales were wrapped in banana leaves. The chicken was plentiful and fall off the bone tender. Overall, the dish was good, but I would have preferred some more spice.

The Mexican plate came with a chile relleno, a chicken enchilada, a strip steak, and rice and beans. We definitely weren't hungry after this lunch! The chile relleno was a-ma-zing! By far, the best one I've ever had. The pepper was roasted, stuffed with masa, and then topped with melted cheese. I don't think there was any one thing that made it better than chile rellenos here, but a combination of the ingredients available being fresher, more traditional, and higher quality ingredients than are typically available here. It was exactly the way a chile relleno should be.

I also liked the addition of peas and carrots to the rice and may try that at home. The refried beans were great and somehow had a more "beany" flavor (like the sophisticated descriptor?) flavor than refried beans I'm used to. Unfortunately, the strip steak and chicken enchilada were totally average.

Overall, this was quite a filling lunch! We'd definitely come back here for the hospitality and chile rellenos, but I'd want to try some other dishes before I'd feel the food was all it was cracked up to be. The prices seemed to be more in the "tourist" range and I felt we could get similar food at places a little more off the beaten path for a better price.

Total Price: 1 Coke, 1 beer, Mexican plate, 2 chicken tamales, and tip = somewhere between $20-25

Sweet Granville

2010-10-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

Victoria's Parlour
134 Broadway E
Granville, Ohio 43023
June 12, 2010
2ish pm

On a fresh and warm Saturday in June we decided to go for a drive and explore a little outside our familiar city. I had read an article not too long ago in Ohio Magazine about Granville and we decided to check it out. As we drove through town we were struck by the quaintness of the houses in the village and the great shops and restaurants along the main street. We went a little farther and loved the rolling green hills and beauty of Denison's campus. It was the picture of a great small American town.

We spent a bit meandering down and around East Broadway enjoying the shops, admiring the houses, and trying to decide where we wanted to stop for a bite to eat. There were many great choices, but finally we picked a cute old-fashioned ice cream parlor. When you walk in you feel like you're walking back in time, complete with servers dressed in Victorian era garb! We loved the classic black and white checkered floor and heart shaped, white iron soda fountain chairs. We could just imagine a high school couple from long ago sitting, talking, and sharing a Coke with 2 straws! There could not be a better picture of Americana.

As we looked over the menu we saw classic soda fountain drinks with the flavor added in store. I decided I had to try a blackberry Coke. Alas, it was a bit too sweet for my preference; but Erik's cherry Coke was great!

For lunch Erik went with a grilled cheese with roasted red pepper. The bread was nicely grilled and had a great butter flavor. The cheese and red pepper were a great combination! This was a great sandwich.

I went with a classic Caesar chicken salad. It was exactly what you would expect with expertly grilled chicken, fresh romaine, a sprinkling of cheese, and a good flavored Caesar dressing.

After lunch we were stuffed, but figured we couldn't leave without actually trying the ice cream. We decided to share a pistachio gelato and walk a little more around Granville (in a vain attempt to walk off some of those extra calories)! The ice cream had a great flavor with nice chunks of pistachio in it, but it definitely had the texture of an ice cream rather than a gelato. However, we're not complaining.

What a sweet ending to a quaint village stroll and a sweet time!

Bill total: 2 flavored Cokes, a grilled cheese, a chicken Caesar salad, gelato, and a tip = $21

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 buckeyes

Giorgio's for Mother's Day

2010-10-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Giorgio Italian Restaurant
Clintonville
May 8, 2010
7ish pm

We had heard a few murmurrings of a good Italian restaurant in Clintonville and decided to give it a shot for our small family combination celebration dinner of Mother's Day and my birthday. Italian was sounding like it would hit the spot!

We arrived to a softly lit and intimately quiet restaurant. The owner, I presume, warmly greated us and insisted we take the only open table (large enough for 6 or more, even though there were only 3 of us) rather than saving it for a potentially larger group. We were thankful we didn't have to wait.

The decor of the restaurant was Tuscan simplicity and I loved the solid wood furniture pieces used for service.

For an appetizer we decided to share the caprese salad which was standardly prepared with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozarella, a drizzle of sweet balsamic vinegar, and a chiffonade of fresh basil. I was surprised with how high the quality the tomatoes were with it being so early in the spring. It made me look forward to what my garden would have to offer later in the summer.

Bread was brought out that had a crusty and flaky outside, but light and warm in the center. This was served with a great herbed butter.

Service was quick and just as we finished our salad our entrees were ready. Erik went with the chicken parmesan. Overall, this was a very good dish. The breading was not too heavy, but not too light. It was well browned and nicely coated with cheese. The red sauce was light and not overpowering or sweet, but gave just enough bite to temper the heaviness of the chicken.

My mother ordered the baked penne, which was a very good dish. There were chunks of mushroom that added meaty flavor and chunks of fennel that gave the dish a different, but very good spin. And of course you can never go wrong with an ooey, gooey cheese topping of mozarella, provolone, and romano.

I ordered the pesto penne and I wish I would have gone with a more traditional baked pasta dish. I ordered the penne without chicken (trying to save a few calories), but it came out with chicken anyway. Our waitress quickly caught the mistake and brought me another penne fairly quickly. The penne was cooked to a wonderful al dente and overall the sauce and pasta toss was nice. I really enjoyed the roasted red peppers and spinach leaves in with the pasta, but the pesto was heavy on the olive oil and light on the basil. I would have preferred the opposite for a lighter and more herby flavor.

Overall, we loved the atmosphere and friendliness of the staff. The majority of our dishes were wonderful.

Total Price: 1 martini, 1 glass of wine, 1 Coke, 3 entrees, and tip = $60

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 buckeyes

Our Last Cuban Bite out of Miami

2010-08-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

David's Cafe (If you click this link be prepared to be blasted with some loud Latin music. Don't say I didn't warn you)
South Beach, Florida
April 7, 2010
10ish pm

Well, I definitely couldn't leave Miami without having a Cubano sandwich! We heard David's had a great one as well as some other classic home style Cuban foods. Also on the positive, it was open 24 hours! So on our last evening in Miami we took our final leisurely walk down Ocean Drive stopping to people watch and having the occasional drink before deciding it was time for a later dinner. Here's a quick shot of me after a drink at the famous Clevelander.

As we walked over to David's we immediately noted the traditional South Beach decor. Since it was later in the evening, but not yet time for the clubbers to be piling in, the restaurant was fairly deserted. But we were warmly welcomed and took a seat at the counter.

I already knew what I wanted, but Erik took some time to decide which Cuban delicacy to try. While he poured over the menu we were served some Cuban bread to nibble on. It was lusciously buttered.

Erik decided on the albondigas catalana (meatballs) with yuca frita (cassava) and frijoles negros (black beans). This dish was simply amazing! The meatballs were light and tender and the sauce had an interesting mildly spiced flavor. There was just a hint of cinnamon and possibly cayenne that made for an interesting spin on what we are used to as the typical meatball dish. We had never had fried yuca before and were pleasantly surprised by the tender, warm center and crispy fried outside. This could easily be a great alternative to the french fry. The black beans and rice were also nicely spiced and flavorful.

I, as was aforementioned, ordered the sandwich cubano. I must say I was a little underwhelmed. It was not a bad sandwich by any stretch, but it also wasn't much more than a ham sandwich I might make myself for lunch when trying to conserve some calories by not adding too many fillings. To me, the sandwich was heavy on the bread and light on the fillings. The Cuban bread was fresh and good. The ham and pork were also good, and the traditional additions of pickles and yellow mustard make for a good ham sandwich. I just wanted more of it all! I also was not a huge fan of David's style of fries. They were julienned and very crispy, almost to the point of being more of a potato chip's texture than a french fry. I missed the tender inside of a thicker cut fry.

But honestly the highlight of the place, was the cook of the evening. I have never been able to watch a cook who seemed so simply happy to be doing his job. He took such care in assembling each dish, was truly interested in what we thought of things, and almost seemed to be whistling and dancing as he worked! He just seemed to have a contagious positive zest for life that made dinner at David's that much more enjoyable. And this was how he was at 10 o'clock at night! Here's a glimpse as he puts another sandwich together (too bad I didn't get a shot from the front).

Overall, we enjoyed David's. The meatballs were fantastic, but the Cubano was just so so for me. We'd definitely go back, but probably stay with the home style dishes and fried yuca!

Total Price: Not sure again, but things were very reasonable. The albondigas were about $10 and the Cubano was about $9.

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 buckeyes

A Miami Institution

2010-07-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

Joe's Stone Crab
South Beach, Florida
April 6, 2010
5:30ish pm

Le Sigh. I've been avoiding writing this review; because I hate writing negative reviews and I'm so disappointed about how this restaurant experience turned out. I really wanted to love this place. I really wanted this to be my favorite meal in Miami, as it is a classic after all.

Joe's Stone Crab is even celebrating their 97th season, for goodness sake. People wait for hours and tip the maitre d' over $40 just to get seated. How could I not love it? However, I have to admit my experience was just ho hum. Maybe it was the day, maybe it was what we ordered; but I just wasn't that impressed with the food. The place was beautiful and full of history, the service was superb; but the food was just okay.

According to Joe's website, Joe's Stone Crab is one of the oldest restaurant in South Beach and opened in 1913 as a lunch counter serving fresh fish. They didn't start serving stone crabs until 1921 when they discovered they were edible, and quite tasty! This is now the dish they are famous for. Al Capone, Amelia Earhart, Will Rogers, etc. etc all frequented Joe's. It's the kind of story Americans love, and with this kind of history how could expectations not be high and be fulfilled?

Joe's is only opened during stone crab season, mid-October through the end of July, so after reading so much about this restaurant we were pleased our visit would fall during the open window. We had also heard the wait was always horrendous, at least 1-2 hours. Because of this it was best to go early or be prepared to slip the maitre'd $40 ($20 tips were rumored to be rebuked and it is also rumored the maitre'd makes over 6 figures due to all these high tips). With this in mind we arrived just after opening at 5:30ish and to our astonishment were able to be seated right away. This was definitely a great start to our evening. However, we wouldn't have minded to wait a little while and enjoy a drink in their beautiful courtyard.

As we were seated I looked around at the enormity of the restaurant which can server over 400. It was bustling, but not overly crowded and everyone seemed to have that ease of dining out while on vacation. The dining room does not have your typical South Beach feel, but I didn't mind because it seemed to exude Old World elegance and have stories to tell. The ceilings were high and airy, the floors were black and white tiled, white table cloths were everwhere, and I loved the dark wood accents and furniture. I loved the feeling of the place and the people watching! People from all socio-economic backgrounds seem to want to dine at Joe's.

But before I could ponder my surrounds too long bread service came which was a mix of all kinds of different breads. My favorite was the white roll in the foreground of the picture, topped with cooked chopped onions! But they were all good. The bread was served with a luscious and airy butter. This was one of the better bread services I have had. Another promising start to our meal. Unfortunately the greatness stopped here.

Next, we decided to try the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer. In Ohio we don't often run into this dish on a menu and we both love it. Also, knowing that are own garden tomatoes were many months away from being able to be fried we really wanted a bite of Ohio's season to come. The serving was very generous and overall the fried tomatoes were good, but not great. They were too greasy and heavy for my preference and I hate to say it, but I liked the ones from the old chain restaurant Cooker with their amazing spicy "tiger" sauce much better. Ugh, why did that chain have to close, if there is such a thing as good chains, this was one of them!

But back to Joe's. There was no dipping sauce for these (definitely a dining foul in my condiment loving world). I would have thought some type of sauce would have cut through the greasiness of the dish a bit better and made it more palatable.

For our entrees we probably made a mistake by not going with the classic stone crabs, but we had read where a stone crab is a stone crab and Joe's were exceedingly expensive. Additionally, while I like crab in general, I do have a slight aversion to cracking the claws to get the meat out. Because of this I decided to go with the crab cakes. Now crab cakes are one of my favorite meals and I was excited to see what Joe would do with the famous dish. However, perhaps my expectations were set a bit too high. I like my crab cakes meaty and lightly breaded on the outside to allow the delicate flavors of the crab and fillings to come through. However, these would have been more aptly named fried crab balls. While again the portions were generous and there was a good bit of crab meat in the balls, the coating was very greasy and heavy. Similar to the tomato dish, the greasy and fried outside became the focus of the dish and overshadowed the crab flavor rather than accentuating it with a crisp crunch. Since these fried balls followed the fried tomatoes I could only stomach half of a cake before my stomach was revolting from too much grease (possibly an ordering mistake on my part, but I didn't think either dish would be as heavy as it was).

Erik opted for the sea scallops which were well cooked, but served in a very heavy buttery cream sauce. Again, while the scallops were cooked well the heavy sauce's flavor seemed to take precedence and a few bites were quite filling. The toasts dipped in the sauce gave a nice flavor and contrast in textures. However, for our preference, the sauce was just too heavy for the light flavor of scallops.

Alas, due to the heaviness of dinner we were too full to sample some of the Key Lime pie we have heard Joe's is famous for. However, maybe that's not so bad after all since so far our expectations had been too high.

Overall, the food was not bad, but just too heavy for my preferences. There was a time in my life that I would have thought all the fried food and butter sauces were great. However, over time I have come to appreciate lighter seasonings that allow the flavors of the main event to shine through rather than being covered up with the flavor of fats (Not that flavor from fat is all bad, mind you. I would definitely never say that!).

But on a positive note, the service throughout the evening was outstanding and we truly felt taken care of. Additionally, I ended up leaving my camera at the restaurant that evening and didn't end up noticing until the next day. When we returned to the restaurant the maitre'd personally took me in the back to recover it and it was good as new and even with the $20 bill we keep inside for emergencies still in place. However, I guess from what we've heard $20 is chump change when you work at Joe's. ;)

Total Price: 1 beer, 1 ice tea, 1 order of fried green tomatoes, 1 order of scallops, 1 order of crab cakes and tip= $75

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes

Latin American Bakery Love

2010-07-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Bakery
South Beach, Florida
April 6, 2010
9ish am

I hate to say it again, but research pays off. Part of my vacation planning always involves spending some time researching what the locals eat and jotting down some possibilities in different areas of town to help guide us when we're out sightseeing and begin to get a bit hungry. I know some of you will say that finding that hidden gem on your own is part of the vacation experience. However, from my experience, you don't often find that gem; and in more cases than not you find a dirty rock.

Charlotte Bakery is definitely a case of research helping me to find somewhere I would have never gotten to on my own. Charlotte Bakery was quite aways away from our hotel and took some dedication to locate. It happens to be on a more "adult" South Beach street with a few liquor stores and adult clothing stores. I'm pretty sure my typical travels and sightseeing would not have brought me by it and even if they did I doubt my curiosity would have been piqued enough to actually enter and try it. But I'm so glad tripadvisor.com and urbanspoon.com (my two go to vacation restaurant advice sites) did not steer me wrong. So on one beautiful Miami morning Erik and I decided to allow our morning run to end sweetly. We decided to take advantage of the distance Charlotte Bakery was from our hotel by incorporating the trip into our run, enjoying some breakfast pastries, and then walking back while exploring various South Beach neighborhoods.

When we finally stumbled up to their doorstep panting, sweaty, and out of breath (I'm sure they wondered if they actually wanted to serve us); we were immediately impressed with the bounty of interesting and new (to us) baked goods that were before us. Charlotte Bakery focuses on Latin American baked goods and we had heard it was reminiscent of bakeries in Buenos Aires. We were politely asked if we could be helped, but I told them it would take some time for us to decide which delicacies to try (and to catch our breath). After many minutes of indecision I decided to go with this light and airy pastry that was filled with a smooth and velvety vanilla cream, fried, and rolled in sugar. It was similar to a doughnut, but much lighter and fluffier on the inside. It was heaven.

Erik went with a palmera or palmier, which is a drier pastry that is almost cookie like. It is made out of puff pastry, rolled so the ends meet, baked, and then rolled in sugar. It was flaky, but on the drier side. However, it was still pretty good.

We had also heard the empanadas and arepas (corn cakes) were to die for, so even though it was barely 8 in the morning we felt we had to try at least one. We went with a shredded beef arepa and had it bagged up to share later for lunch. We had a feeling it was going to be good as we noticed grease starting to soak through the paper bag as we walked back to the hotel! And the grease did not tell a lie. The arepa was thick, buttery, and heavy. The filling was a wonderfully spiced beef slow cooked with peppers. It was so good I could have easily eaten a whole one, but I would have been stuffed. My bathing suit body was thankful I only brought one back to share.

On Charlotte Bakery's website they state that they hope that the experience of their bakery is so special that you have to tell a friend, "In South Beach, you have to go to Charlotte Bakery."

Well there wish has been fulfilled, I have no qualms about telling you all this. "If you're in South Beach, Charlotte Bakery is a must!"

Total price: Ummm, are you beginning to pick up on a trend? I have no idea what the price was, but it was reasonable for bakery pastries.

Overall Rating: 4 buckeyes

Our First Cuban Bite of Miami

2010-07-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

Puerto Sagua
700 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, Florida
April 5, 2010
7ish pm

Now I know many Miami-ites will argue that you can't get good Cuban in South Beach. For that you need to venture to Little Havana, and believe me I would have loved to make the trip and judged for myself. But the fact of the matter was that our trip time was short and we chose not to rent a car. Therefore, we had to localize our eating adventures to places quickly accessible from our hotel, which centered us around South Beach food. We had also heard that if you want traditional Cuban in South Beach, Puerto Sagua was the place to go.

Puerto Sagua ended up being one of these lovely mom and pop restaurants that have so much character because haven't changed there decor since they opened and they know there popularity isn't based on a restaurant "concept" as we call it now, but is simply based on comfort and good food. I'm also fairly sure some patriarch in the family (likely the guy who nodded us to our seats) also has the mantra "if it aint' broke don't fix it". This place is definitely not one of the uber-trendy, see and be seen restaurants that generally gets featured when writing about South Beach. In fact, it's just the opposite. As you walk up to the restaurant it looks a little dingy on the outside and the lower wall is covered in these "colorful" tiles reminiscent of the 1960's. If I hadn't done my research, I'm pretty sure I would have missed this great experience.

From my research, I found out that this place has been open since 1968 and was one of the first Cuban restaurants to open in the Miami area. Currently, this place is popular with locals and tourists alike and is generally pretty busy when entering. It would best be described as a Cuban diner. Locals tend to sit at the counter and talk over a great cup of Cuban coffee, while tourists tend to come in groups and gravitate more towards the tables. Spanish is the first language spoken, but there is always enough English to get an order in or get your point across.

Now that I reflect back, I think this language piece was one of my favorite things about Miami. Throughout our stay I definitely heard more Spanish than English, which gave a feel of being in another country and often in another culture without the international vacation price tag!

Anyway, back to Puerto Sagua. As we entered we saw the place was packed and wondered if we'd get a spot anytime soon. As we were looking around the man behind the corner (who looked like he was likely in charge of the place) gave us a curt nod towards two spots at the counter. His mannerisms reminded us very much of the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. Because of this we quickly and obediently sat down and took a no nonsense approach to looking over the menu.

Because of our counter seats we got a good view of how the kitchen worked around us. The sandwich press was right in front of us and it seemed to have a non-stop 1-2 Cuban sandwiches crisping up in it. I would love to know how much Cuban bread they go through in a day. They keep long loves of the bread in a trash can beside the press and just pull it out as they need it. It was funny to see this because, at first glance, we thought they were taking bread out of the trash for the sandwich! But just in the short time it took us to order and eat our dinner the bread can needed to be refilled. I would have taken a picture of this process, but I was slightly afraid (likely an unfounded fear, but a fear nonetheless) that the man behind the counter might take my camera. :)

Another lady came around to serve us and she seemed to speak more English and was a bit more hospitable. She likely had spent many years at Puerto Sagua and was no stranger to the non-Spanish speaking tourist. For once, Erik and I ordered the same thing. We shared a tamale and both went with the roasted half chicken, rice and beans, and sweet fried plantains.

Honestly, I could have done without the tamale. It was okay, but nothing spectacular. It was a little dry in the center and the flavors a little bland for my taste. It did look pretty good though. But in this case, unfortunately, looks were deceiving.

However, the chicken dish was very good. Now I must say that this chicken is not unique in any way; but it is your classic moist, fall of the bone, roast chicken that is surprisingly hard to find done well. And oh was this one done well! The rice and beans were also flavorful and perfectly spiced with garlic and other traditional Cuban ingredients. The plantains were buttery sweet with a wonderful caramelized coating.

Overall, I loved the familiar diner feel of the place, but at the same time feeling a bit like I was in another country. The food was heartily good.

Bill Total: Again, so sorry. We paid cash and I can't find the receipt. I definitely need to get better organized for this blog! For South Beach, the prices were very reasonable. I'm thinking it was around $10 for the chicken, but that's only a guess.

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 buckeyes

Welcome to Miami

2010-07-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

Eleventh Street Diner
South Beach, Florida
April 4, 2010
8ish pm

For spring break this year my husband and I debated a number of places, but ended up picking the one with great food, a great beach, and the cheapest airfare from Columbus! Miami, South Beach, in particular was the winner. I had been reading for years about the wonderful food scene in South Beach, but really Miami's Cuban vibe (in addition to a great beach, of course) was what really sold me on the spot.

We landed late in the afternoon and after checking into our hotel we immediately ran out to the beach to allow our pasty white, Ohio winter ridden and chapped skin to feel the early evening sun. After we were sure we had exposed ourselves to the last ray of the day we headed back to our hotel to enjoy a happy hour drink and debate where we should head for dinner. I ordered a mojito from the Mariott South Beach's outside bar, Deco Blue, and while it was expensive at $11 a drink, it was the best mojito I have ever had! The mint was freshly muddled and there was lots of it. It had just the right mix of rum to simple syrup. But the best part was the raw sugar cane swizzle stick garnish (like this). After I had finished my drink I loved chewing on this and getting an extra bite of sweetness.

I wish I would have thought to take a good picture of this drink, but my description will just have to do. If it's any indication of how much I enjoyed this drink, despite it's price, I made this drink a daily addition to my vacation menu.

After a brief happy hour we decided to head to the Eleventh Street Diner for dinner. At first I was going to try and make this trip exclusively Cuban since we don't have many opportunities in Columbus to have authentic Cuban food and our stay in Miami was relatively short. But then I read so much about how good this place was, it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and Erik and I had always wanted to eat in an authentic old-school dining car. So how could we pass it up?

We arrived in South Beach on Easter and were missing our home style family Easter dinner. Because of this we opted for diner fair for our dinner this evening instead of running straight to a Cuban joint.

Now this diner is definitely hip and happening with some history. As was mentioned on the restaurant's web site, the dining car was originally built in 1948 in New Jersey in the typical art deco style of its time. After the construction in New Jersey it then served diners for 44 years in Pennsylvania before being dismantled and brought to South Beach in the early 1990's. Its this art deco style allows it to now blend seamlessly into the current South Beach architecture. It then opened for business in South Beach in 1992 and has been serving South beach late night partiers and early risers alike since. Their menu is extensive, features your typical American fare, and has a full bar to boot (my guess is that the bar set up was not a part of the original design)!

Inside, the car has retained its classic look with chrome and red vinyl seats. You can sit at the counter, but the place also opens up to the sides with booths.

Since I was missing my family's traditional Honeybaked Ham I opted for the ham with a sweet cherry-pineapple glaze served with a vegetable medley of yellow squash and green beans and mashed potatoes. This was a very good and filling dish (and definitely did not help me fit into my bathing suit the next day). The ham was sweet and flavorful, the veggies were well cooked, and the mashed potatoes had homemade lumps and flavor. I ate every single bite!

Erik went with the French Dip Sub and French fries. The roast beef was shaved thin, just like Erik likes it. There was also lots of gooey Swiss cheese and the au jus was flavorful. Erik was also happy he could enjoy his sub with a Yuengling, his favorite beer that is unable to be had in Ohio.

The serving of fries was generous and they were cooked perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Overall, we were pleased with the diner and its food!

Bill Total: Not sure. We paid cash and I can't find the receipt. However, most sandwiches are in the $8-9 range and home style dinners are in the $13-15 range.

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes

Dine Originals Week Fail

2010-07-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

Tutto Vino
Dublin, Ohio
March 12, 2010
8:30ish

Some of my most favorite eating out experiences have been through Dine Original's version of Restaurant Week (or Dine Originals Week, as they call it). Dine Originals is a wonderful group of independently owned and operated (i.e. non-chain) Columbus area restaurants. They're all about celebrating what is local and what makes Columbus unique. This is a group I can definitely get behind.

Each time this week comes up throughout the year I eagerly anticipate the menus the different restaurants will offer and spend quite some time perusing through them and debating with my husband which one sounds like the best fit for what we're after. This week was no different and we finally decided on trying out Tutto Vino. This was not a restaurant that we'd heard a lot about, but the menu looked great and the place is featured as a wine bar. How could we go wrong?

As we drove over to the restaurant we debated what the cheese plate would be like and which one of us would get the pork tenderloin and which one would get the scallops (see Tutto Vino's Dine Originals Week menu here). We often try to order different things and then share so we can experience more flavors. We both had had a long day at work and were very hungry. By the time we got to Dublin we were salivating!

When we entered the restaurant we saw that there was a small wine store set up to the right and then a small restaurant and bar area to the left. It looked very cute. The hostess immediately gave us a warm welcome and quickly seated us. We noticed that the ambiance was much louder and rowdier than what we had expected. It kind of had more of a neighborhood bar feel rather than your typical low key and relaxing wine bar experience. Some guy was playing terrible 80's music on his electric keyboard and it was so loud that I had a hard time having a conversation with Erik (No joke and no exaggeration. I even like 80's music; but this is the type of 80's music that should die). Then I also couldn't keep from staring at this diner sitting at the table in front of me. He was on the burly side and was curiously wearing a heavy leather jacket a la James Dean and had 70's style side burns. Definitely not your typical wine bar patron. And oh how I wish I had the nerve to take a picture of him to share with you all, because he became much more important later in the evening!

Service was on the slow side, which gave us some time to contemplate what we wanted to do about dinner. Given the fact that we had both had long and exhausting days at work, this was not turning out to be the relaxing fine dining evening we had envisioned. We debated going to another restaurant, but ultimately decided we were too hungry to take the time to go elsewhere. However, the music was so loud we also couldn't fathom staying there for a 3 course dinner. We decided a pizza would be the quickest way we could get out of there with a full stomach.

Since our dining objective had changed from leisurely dinner with wine to fast food we opted not to try any wine flights. But the neighboring tables did and they looked like good and generous pours. I went for a glass of a 2007 South Australian Shiraz called Snake Charmer and have to say that this was a very good glass of wine (and almost made me forget the synthesized music around me, but only almost)! It was smooth, sultry, and elegant with dark berry flavors and cherry with some spice. Had the atmosphere been different, I surely would have gotten another glass. But instead I bought a bottle to take home and enjoy later!

Erik was impressed with the "beer cooler" which allowed him to easily peruse his options and then serve himself. To go with our drinks we ordered the "Diavalo" pizza which came topped with banana peppers, red pepper, red onion, green pepper, and capicola ham. This was truly a great pizza made up of good, fresh toppings and a crispy crust. Delish.

About mid-way through the pizza the electronic 80's music had stopped, the mood quieted down, and I actually started to enjoy my meal. However, just about five minutes after this I saw my neighbor with the side burns and leather jacket get up and move towards the "stage". With closer inspection we realized he was an Elvis impersonator! We couldn't believe our luck. Check please!!

Overall, the wine and food were great. However, the service was slow and the atmosphere was much too like an experience from Night at the Roxbury for me to enjoy a nice, relaxing glass of wine. Because of this I don't expect to go back, which saddens me because I was really impressed with the food and wine selections.

Here's to a better Dine Originals Week experience next time around.

Bill Total: 1 beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 pizza, and tip: $22

Overall Rating: 2 1/2 buckeyes (bumped up from a 2 due to the good food and wine).

Stella 12 Beech Revisited for Dinner

2010-07-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Stella 12 Beech
Oxford, Ohio
February 20, 2010

This year for my mother's birthday I asked her if she knew where she wanted to go for dinner. After pausing to think for a few seconds she replied, "How about we try out that restaurant that Stella's family owns?" Knowing that I had wanted to try more than their alcoholic beverages for awhile now, I thought that was a fabulous idea.

So in the spirit of full disclosure, I am acquainted with the family of the owners of this restaurant. However, I'm also sure they didn't recognize me as we dined and therefore we received no partial service or treatment.

As I've mentioned before (see An Oxford Night Out) the restaurant has a cosmopolitan feel, especially for the quaint Oxford, Ohio. However, the welcome is always warm when you arrive. The restaurant is on the small side and therefore reservations are recommended. As we were seated I was impressed by the fresh and bright magenta flower on the table. Such fresh color is a rarity in late February and had me thinking of the upcoming spring.

We immediately started with drinks and my mother ordered a white wine (not sure exactly which one), Erik opted to try a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, and I went with a vodka martini. The majority of our drinks were what you would expect, but the Kentucky Bourbon Ale does deserve some special attention.

I am not a big fan of darker beers and I was sure I would not like this one. However, once it was brought out in its own special snifter glass it just looked impressive and gave off this warm spicy bourbon aroma. I knew I had to at least give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised, and Erik absolutely loved it. It was the perfect drink to accompany a cold winter's dinner. The bourbon aroma gave it a good start and then the beer had a very smooth finish. Erik liked this beer so much he looked up the website when we got home and was disappointed to discover it was not distributed to any store around us (However, we later were pleasantly surprised to find it in May at the Grandview Carryout. But I warn you, the drink is really not a warm weather drink and tastes much better out of the tap. At first Erik was ecstatic to find it so close to home, but a few bottles still sit in our fridge. From the bottle the sweet bourbon aroma was lost, but I'm hoping that maybe in October it will taste good again and we'll have to try it in a snifter glass and hope to replicate the restaurant effect).

Bread service came out next and was composed of a few pieces of white and wheat that came out warmed. The bread had a nice softness and just a slight chew to the crust. This was served with a wonderful fresh herbed butter. I know there were chives added into the butter, but I couldn't pull out the exact other herbs and our server wasn't sure either. However, whatever herbs they chose the result was a wonderful herbaceous and buttery blend.

For our entrees both my mother and Erik ordered the spinach and artichoke stuffed ravioli topped with a marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. The ravioli pasta was well cooked and the fillings had a nice texture. However, I would have preferred more artichoke flavor. The marinara sauce was very good with traditional Italian spices and nice chunks of tomato.

I went with the Stella mixed salad and a seared crab cake. The salad was very fresh and crisp with spring mixed greens and generous toppings of red onion, green and yellow pepper, and spiced pecans. I chose a balsamic vinaigrette dressing which was lightly mixed in and allowed the fresh green flavors to shine through.

The crab cake was huge and contained plenty of crab flavor. It was nicely seared and served over a cold mix of a cucumber and carrot salad which added a nice crunch to the dish. I especially enjoyed the spiciness of the chipotle remoulade that was presented on the plate for dipping. This was definitely a solid dish.

I had brought my mother a cake from the Suisse Shop for dessert, so we didn't get to sample Stella 12's delicacies. Perhaps another time. The cake from the Suisse Shop, however, was delicious!

Bill Total: 1 Kentucky Bourbon Ale, 1 glass of white wine, 1 vodka martini, 2 spinach and artichoke ravioli, 1 Stella mixed salad, 1 crab cake, and tip= $86

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 buckeyes

The Classic Clarmont

2010-07-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Clarmont
684 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio
February 12, 2010

For Valentine's Day this year we decided we wanted the classic steakhouse experience and quite frankly, in Columbus, you can't get more classic than the Clarmont. To some it may be outdated, but in my mind it's the epitome of retro cool. I have been to this place a few times before and I always love the feeling of stepping back in time. There are still phone jacks at each table from the days they would bring a phone to your table if an important call needed to be taken or made. I always think about all the business and political deals that were likely made at those tables. As we walked in a piano player was playing in a salmon jacket. He had probably worn that same jacket and played the same songs every Friday night there since 1980. However, that's just part of the ambiance and made us smile. Who doesn't enjoy dining to the piano version of "Wind Beneath My Wings"?

Most of the servers have been around the block or two, which at this place, is no knock and only means they know what they're doing. The last time we ate there I'm pretty sure our server had grown up waiting tables here and this time I'm sure our server was Drew Cary's brother. Now, I'm not sure he's totally up on the current food fads as he caught me taking a picture of my salad and asked if I was really taking a picture of my salad. Our exchange went some thing like this: "Of course not", I covered, "that would be silly. I was just reviewing some pictures of my husband and I"

"Ahhh, that's good. For a minute I thought you were taking a picture of the salad and that would be weird," he countered back. Yep, weird is right. Yep, that's what I was doing :)

Anyway, even though he was obviously not up on the ways of restaurant blogging, that didn't stop him from offereing up wonderful service. For a drink I ordered a classic vodka martini, dirty. I inquired about whether or not they had blue cheese stuffed olives (my favorite) and he quickly replied they didn't, but he could make some up for me. I about fell over in love. The idea that these didn't have to be pre-bought or even pre-made, but that he would do something extra to help give me the experience that I wanted. This is why I love this place and it's an old way of doing business. I wish there was more of that in the current restaurant business.

I received my drink and I have sampled many martinis from various upscale to non-upscale restaurants all over and I must say that the Clarmont's is my favorite. I think it goes with the throwback era. A classic martini (i.e. not an appletini, or a tankini, or a double chocolatta rum martini with whip cream or any of those other fad imposters) is another throwback to another time and the Clarmont knows how to do them right.

Bread service had a portion of a typical white loaf that was crusty on the outside and light and doughy on the inside. However, I was partial to the pretzel sticks with sesame seeds that was also in the bread basket. They reminded me of a snack my grandmother usually had at her house. The butter was whipped, light, creamy, and airy.

Next up were our salads. Erik ordered a house salad with their house vinagrette. It was your typical house salad with greens, tomato, and carrot. It was what you'd expect. There was nothing wrong with it, but there was nothing spectacular about it either.

I ordered the Clarmont wedge which was a huge hunk of iceberg lettuce slathered in bleu cheese dressing with piles of chopped tomato and egg around it (sorry for the poor quality picture, lighting was "romantic"). I was much more satisfied with this salad and loved the chunky bleu cheese dressing.

For dinner Erik ordered the fried perch, which was a special of the evening. It was a comforting dish that reminded me of Friday night fish fries with my parents or the fried fish my father would order on vacation in Gatlinburg. However, overall it wasn't an entirely memorable dish, only comforting. Erik paired this with whipped potatoes and I really felt they were lacking in flavor. They were whipped nicely, but I would have added some sour cream or whipping cream.

I ordered the the 10 ounce New York Strip done medium well with a baked potato. The steak was grilled perfectly and was of very good quality. My baked potato was also perfectly fluffy on the inside and I loved the fact that your server brings a service of butter and sour cream to you and then fixes your potato to your specs tableside. Another throwback to what good restaurants used to do. Boy I'm starting to sound old with all the talk of "what used to be"!

Overall, we love the retro feel of this restuarant and will likely be back. The steaks and pork chops (from another visit) are great. But I doubt we'd go with the perch again.

Bill Total: 1 martini, 2 gimlets, house salad, wedge salad, 10 oz strip steak, perch, whipped potatoes, and a baked potato, and tip (minus a buy one get one free from the Prestige Dining Card)= $57

Overall Rating: 4 buckeyes

When You Need to Get Away From the Cold (Which ironically was a great title when I started this post in January. However, now that I'm completing it in June, not so much.)

2010-06-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

Banana Bean Cafe

340 Greenlawn Avenue

Columbus, Ohio
January 19, 2010
7:30ish pm

I had been reading wonderful things about this place for quite some time. However, it wasn't until this last wave of bitter cold had me craving the Florida sun that we finally decided to give it a try. The restaurant features "Floribean" cuisine. What kind of food could possibly sound more vacationy? That fact plus I learned Banana Bean serves plantains practically had me running there. When my husband and I were in Key West awhile ago we had one of the best meals of our lives at a homey Cuban restaurant called El Siboney. That was where I first had plantains and since then I order them whenever I get the chance! I just love their sweet and sticky goodness. Actually, we even picked our spring break destination of South Beach almost soley for the reason that we would be able to eat more authentic Cuban food and plantains!

But I digress...back to Banana Bean. The restaurant has semi-recently moved from their Geman Village location to outside the German Village on Greenlawn. It looks like their new building is possibly a converted gas station due to the overhang outside. The local is definitely not as charming as German Village, but inside the place still gives you a warm vacation feel. We especially loved the palm tree decorated with Christmas lights and roping! The restaurant is a pretty good size with a bar area that has a large amount of seating to your left and then a dining room up some stairs to the right. Overall, the atmosphere is laid back and fun.

We sat down in a comfy booth and immediately began to puruse the drink menu. Considering we were pretending to be in Florida on vacation I considered it a necessity to have a drink with rum in it. The only problem was that I loved the idea of the non-alcoholic fancy sodas they described on their menu. To solve this dilema I politely asked our server if a shot of rum could be added to the Key Lime Cream Soda (cream soda with key lime juice, if I remember correctly). The bartender and server acted like this was the best idea they had ever heard of and they said they wanted to try one when they got off work! I really hope they did because this was one of the better drinks I've had in a long time. It had the frou frou of a vacation drink all wrapped up.

Overall, our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. I got the feeling that he loved good food just as much as we do.

We, of course, ordered the appetizer of flash fried sweet plantains. The plantains were served with a ya-ya dipping sauce which was very spicy with red pepper flakes and possibly made of Sriracha sauce. The plantains were cooked to sweet, yummy perfection. They were carmelized on the outside and tender on the inside. The sauce was very spicy and on its own I liked it. I would probably love it as a chicken marinade or with a host of various other foods. However, I didn't care for it paired with the plantains. The extreme sweetness of the plantains and the extreme hotness of the sauce seemed to be competing flavors rather than complimentary. However, the plantains were so good on their own I didn't feel like they needed a dipping sauce and I was just as happy to eat them plain.

For dinner I ordered the Calle Ocho which was a wonderfully rich sandwich composed of Cuban roast pork tenderloin, an olive and caper spread, and melted Manchago cheese all pressed on herbed Cuban bread that had been heavily buttered. The sandwich was sensational. The pork had a wonderful roasted and salty flavor. I loved the accent flavors the olives and capers gave the sandwich, and due to the butter, I definitely didn't need chapstick later that evening! I got the sandwich with sweet potato fries, not because I needed any more food, but simply because I couldn't pass them up. And boy were they were good!

Erik attempted to order the Keys Poacher, which was smoked salmon over poached eggs over biscuits with goat cheese grits; but was informed that the kitchen was out of biscuits. They offered that they could serve the meal over toast as a substitute. However, toast just didn't sound as appetizing so he went with Kacoo's Yahoo Junction (reuben). We thought it was odd that the kitchen would be out of biscuits, since the ingredients are common and the recipe is quick to make; but whatever. We tend to roll with the punches and were saddened by not trying the goat cheese grits, but the reuben definitely did not disappoint.

The reuben was very good and many have said this is among one of the best ruebens in Columbus (Columbus Monthly, July 2007). I would have to agree. The bread was a good marbled loaf, and also nicely buttered. Then there was plenty of layers of in house cured corned beef, saurkraut, and swiss cheese!

Because our server felt badly that we missed out on the Keys Poacher, he brought us a complementary tres leches cake to share. It was rich and delicious Tres leches (three milks in Spanish) is a light sponge cake made with regular milk and then soaked in a mixture of cream, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. This results in a very moist, almost custardy cake. This one had a wonderful vanilla flavor and even though we were in the middle of winter in the midwest, the strawberries that topped it tasted in season! We were beyond stuffed from the bounty we had already eaten, yet we managed to get half of this cake down and then save the rest for later (but not much later because I ended up finishing it before I even put it in the fridge) :)

Overall, we were really pleased with the restaurant's hospitality and food. In fact I was so pleased, that I suggested this restaurant as part of a Christmas gift for a friend who had recently gotten back from Key West and was in the mood to extend her vacation feeling for a bit longer.

During this second visit I had to order the Key Lime Soda with rum in it again. However, this time the server looked at me like I was crazy (her loss, for sure), but obliged. She didn't see how the whipped cream on top could possibly go with rum. Hello, have you ever had a strawberry daquirri?? But whatever, again. My friend got the margarita that was on special for the night. It was a typical good margarita.

For dinner we repeated the plantains for an appetizer and my friend got the Calle Ocho for dinner, upon my recommendation. Both were as good as the first time around However, this time I was feeeling the pinch of too much holiday fare and opted to go vegetarian with the sandwich (even though from the ingredient list I was well aware that this sandwich wasn't light) :)

I went with the Duval Street Vegatarian Monte Cristo which was composed of roasted vegetables, goat cheese, and potato pancake on egg battered sourdough bread. This was served with tomato-chile jam for dipping. The tomato-chili jam paired with goat chesse on the sandwich was what really interested me in this sandwich, but I must say I was supremely disappointed. I had envisioned the potato pancake having a nice fried and battered crisp to it on the sandwich, which would contrast to the velvety goat chesse spread and then the tomato jam and roasted vegetables would add extra flavor and zip to the dish. But there was none of that. The potato pancake was limp and bairly had a crust. There was too much bread in relationship to the fillings. The roasted vegetables were good, but there was barely a goat cheese layer on the sandwich. Also, the tomato-chile jam was also lacking in flavor in my opinion. This is where I could have used the ya-ya sauce to kick it up a notch!

Overall, I felt the sandwich was pretty bland and I was wishing I had gone for a repeat of the reuben or the calle ocho. The sandwich I had in my head was a good one, perhaps I'll use this one for inspiration and try to make the sandwich in my head at home.

Bill Total: (for the first time) 1 Key Lime soda with rum, 2 beers, plantain appetizer, calle ocho with sweet potato fries, reuben sandwich, complimentary tres leches cake, and a good tip for the great service: $43 (with a buy one get one free coupon from Prestige Dining Club)

Overall Rating: Hmmm....based on the first visit I'd give them 4 buckeyes, but only 3 buckeyes on the second visit. I guess I'll split the difference and end with 3 1/2.

A Piece of Italy in a Westerville Strip Mall

2010-06-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

Cardone's Restaurant and Bar

377 West Main Street

Westerville, Ohio

January 11, 2010

8is pm

Let's start out by saying I drive by this restaurant on an almost daily basis. It had always piqued my curiosity, but I just wasn't sure if I was up to another gamble on a strip mall Italian restaurant. However, sometime last summer I happened to notice Cardone's had added some outdoor seating and that moved it up a notch on my mental "to try" lineup.

On a certain summery Friday night my husband and I decided to give it a shot and drove on over. We were shocked when we saw the amount of cars outside (I generally drive by in the early morning) and as we entered the place the hostess pleasantly inquired if we had a reservation. We shook our heads no and she looked on at us with pity and she explained that they were generally booked on the weekends and a table generally required a reservation. So much for your typical strip mall Italian restaurant! We left with our tail between our legs and went on to try something else out that evening, but this encounter definitely moved the restaurant to a priority placement on the "to try" list. However, things happen and it wasn't until a very cold and wintry night in January that we actually made it in for dinner (this time we made reservations, but due to weather I don't think they would have been required).

From the outside the restaurant doesn't look like much, but as they often say looks can be deceiving. As soon as you walk in you are pleasantly surprised by your surroundings. The welcome is warm, the place is quaint (probably about 10 tables total in the front), with dim romantic lighting, and a charming black and white checkered floor paired with various tasteful Italian pictures on the walls. This is the epitome of the "great little Italian place just around the corner" that you've always wanted to know.

We were immediately seated and our server was friendly and efficient throughout the dinner. We perused the wine list which was small, but contained many good Italian wines. We went with a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from 2006 Masciarelli, Abruzzi. This came out quickly and was a very good glass of wine to go with rich, hearty, Italian foods. However, I am almost always partial to a Montepulciano. Warm bread that was doughy on the inside, crusted on the outside, and had a little bit of cheese and pepper baked on top was also quickly brought out. It came along with rosemary infused oil for dipping that was great. Definitely a good start to our meal.

Next up were house salads which were a nice spring mix style of greens, red onion, kalamata olives, chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, and topped with freshly grated Parmesan. The dressing was homemade Italian with a fruity olive oil base and lots of herbs and spices. This was a very well made Italian salad.

For entrees Erik ordered the Cinghiale Bologonese which was tagliatelle pasta topped with a rich and meaty tomato based sauce made with wild boar and pancetta. The noodles were perfectly ad dente. The sauce was rich and comforting with bigger hunks of boar rather than all ground meat. However, I wasn't able to differentiate the pancetta taste from the other melody of flavors, but this is in no way a knock on the dish. In my mind this is exactly what a bologonese sauce should be.

I ordered the Osso Buco D'Cardone, which was a huge lamb shank braised in a Chianti and tomato based sauce served with slow roasted carrots and celery over a cream risotto. This dish was meaty heaven! The lamb shank had this great outer crust and then tender slow roasted flavor inside. This went wonderfully with the big, rustic hunks of carrots and celery. Then this was all over a creamy, luscious risotto with just a hint of crisp white wine flavor. The crispness of the white wine flavor in the risotto contrasted nicely with the heavy flavors of the stew. The risotto was equally great to taste by itself or with a little lamb shank gravy mixed in. I liked all the tastes so much that I alternated between a bite of risotto, a bite of lamb and vegetables, a bite of risotto mixed with lamb and then repeated numerous times. Each bite a true joy, I am salivating now as I write this and remember the meal!

Both dishes had this homey quality, while still retaining some modern and wonderful flavors. They were just perfect on this cold night. And to top it all off the server was kind enough to inquire if we wanted to bring the lamb shank bone home for our dogs! I don't have a single complaint.

Bill Total: $40. 96 (2 glasses of wine, 2 house salads, and 2 entrees and a buy one get one free entree coupon from the Prestige Dining Club)

Overall Rating: 4 1/2 buckeyes

Bob's to End 2009

2010-06-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

Bob's Bar
4961 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio
December 31, 2009
10:30ish

Because we obviously hadn't yet had enough fun after our wonderful dinner at Lemongrass (and it wasn't yet midnight), we decided to head over to a favorite haunt. Bob's bar is within walking distance of our friend's house and is their favorite neighborhood bar. I only wish everyone could have a neighborhood bar as good as this one!

The place looks just like any other bar in a strip mall. But, what sets this one apart is the outstanding beer selection paired with friendly guys behind the bar who know what they're doing and know their beer.

I'm not going to bore you guys with the different beers we sampled throughout the evening. Just know that if you want a good selection in a laid back, casual atmosphere; this is the place for you. Bob's features 200 beers with 27 on draft. Nuff said.

They also have a really fun bathroom sign.

If this looks like your kind of place and you feel like becoming a regular here, have fun partatking in Bob's Bar World Tour which consists of getting a fun sheet with 88 different beers listed that get punched as you drink each one. Luckily there is no time frame, but at completion you become the owner of a handy dandy Bob's Bar World Tour t-shirt and eligible for the next leg of the journey. The second challenge is 44 more beers; which when completed means you have drunk your way through the entire front glass cooler. After this accomplishment, in addition to a larger beer belly, you earn a Bob's Bar World Tour glass mug!

I know our friends have been working on this tour for quite some time...I'll have to check in on their progress. Unfortunately, I won't be taking this challenge. Beer isn't totally my thing (not that I don't enjoy a good one every once awhile) and Bob's isn't exactly in my backyard. Now if only there was a Mexican restaurant tour...

Overall rating: 4 Buckeyes

An Asian Style New Year's Eve

2010-06-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Lemongrass Fushion Bistro
641 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio
December 31, 2009

Good friends of ours invited us out for "something Thai like" for New Year's Eve. We then had a few other friends give us a call looking for something to do, and soon enough our dinner group grew to 6. We tossed around a few resaurant ideas and Lemongrass ended up being our choice for the evening.

When walking into Lemongrass you get hit with an amazing smell of Asian food immediately. I next noticed that the place looked trendy and fun. It was a little loud, but in a fun rather than obnoxious way. We had reservations and our table was immediately ready (or so we thought). There was also a live piano player playing close to the front, which definitely added to the ambience. We were originally seated close by the piano. We started to settle in when we realized a hostess kept looking at us nervously. Eventually she came over and very timidly and apologetically explained that she had seated us in the wrong spot, and wondered if we could move. We had no problem with that at all and felt badly that she was so worried we would be upset. We moved to a more private corner in the back that suited us just fine and was a lot less noisy.

With this being New Years, I was definitely in the mood to try some fun cocktails and Lemongrass's cocktail menu definitely did not disappoint. Some of the choices that piqued my curiosity were the sake with cucumber, a Pom Pom (sake with pomegranate liqueur), and a classic Mai Tai. Since champagne was the official drink of the night I went with the Sparkling Pomegranate, (a mix of champagne and pomegranite liquer). It was definitely a fun spin on a mimosa. Some of the others in our group tried a Key Lime Martini (great initial coconut flavor and then a refreshing lime finish), Great Lakes Christmas Ale (you already know my take on this one), Sapporo beer, and a 2006 Austrailian Chardonnay (I wish I had more details on this one, because I really enjoyed it. It was not as oaky as many Chardonnays due to being fermented in steel, rather than oak, barrels.).

We then put in a few orders of appetizers. First up was the sampler which consisted of seafood rangoon, chicken sate, and spring rolls. The seafood rangoon was perfectly fried, but there was a great deal more filler rather than seafood. The sweet and sour sauce for dipping was really great. The chicken sate was served with a peanut sauce and it was very average. The spring rolls had a great crisp on the outside, and the flavors inside were very typical of a spring roll with typical Asian vegetables. It was very much what was expected.

We also tried the pan-seared veggie dumplings which were good, but a bit bland tasting for my preference.

Last up was the Lemongrass soup. This soup was truly wonderful with a great mix of Thai vegetables and chili paste that added a wonderful spiciness to the dish. The soup was also served with a biscuit that was very good. Whenever we make it back to Lemongrass, this soup is a must!

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective), I was too involved in conversation to get any pictures of the appetizers. You'll just have to use your imagination!

Onto the entrees! Our friends are great sushi lovers, but I must admit that sushi is just not one of my favorite foods. I have tried it many times (and even tried it again this evening multiple times) and I really want to love it, but for some reason I just haven't been able to get into it. I know that part of it is that fish is generally not a favorite of mine, but I really don't love the veggie sushi either. That being said, this sushi was by far the best I have ever tried. I still didn't love the sushi, but I truly liked and enjoyed each and every bite I had.

Our friends ordered the catepillar roll, which is avocado over a bbq eel roll. I was very leery to try this especially knowing my slight aversion to fish, but in the name of blogging I decided to give it a try. And I'm very glad that I did! Yes, keep that in mind you readers who are stuck in your food ways! The sweetness of the BBQ eel went well together with the avocado and just melted in my mouth. Then I got a nice wasabi kick at the end of the bite. Really very good (for sushi, that is) :) Our friends also ordered the spicy almond sushi and spicy shrimp tempura with cucumber. Overall, I couldn't get over how good the sticky rice was in each and every bite! The spicy almond was good because of the nice crunch and spice the almonds gave the bite. The fried shrimp tempura was equally good. Also, look how great the presentation is! Totally loved it!

Our other friends went with the vegetable sampler which included avocado, cucumber, spicy almond, and a mixed veggie roll. Again, I loved the sticky rice! The avocado, cucumber, and mixed veggie roll were all very good.

My husband and I went with less interesting entrees. I went with the spicy zucchini chicken over rice (rather than the angel hair pasta suggested on the menu). This dish was composed of steamed chicken pieces sauteed with zucchini, Thai basil, green chili paste, and cocnut milk. Overall, I loved the flavor the Thai basil gave to the dish, but I was really hoping for more spice and flavor. This dish was good, but not great.

My husband went with the Phad Thai and it was excellent! The peanut flavors were perfect, the vegetables of carrots and peas were tender crisp, the spices were not too overpowering or too bland, and the noodles cooked with the right amount of bite. This was definitely one of the best Phad Thais I had ever tried (and was even better as leftovers the next day).

The service was a little slow overall, but due to the holiday we were in no hurry. They also more than made up for this with friendliness and attentiveness. The server also did a great job at answering questions and giving good menu suggestions.

Bill Total: Truly I have no idea since each couple paid separately, but our portion of the bill was $95.70. I know that included 2 entrees, probably an appetizer or two, and a host of drinks. I'm just not exactly sure of the specifics. The bill was so high mainly due to drink purchases. For the quality, I felt the food was a good value and hey, it was New Years!

Overall Rating: 4 buckeyes

Fresh Roasted Coffee in Salem?

2010-06-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

Friends Roastery
474 East State Street
Salem, Ohio
December 27, 2010
8ish am

As I was explaining my Christmas plans to a coworker I happened to mention that my husband was from Salem, Ohio. She remarked that she had just moved to Columbus from Youngstown and had frequented Salem while on her last job. She shared that there was a lovely coffee house downtown that fresh roasted their own beans. I'm sure I had a puzzled look on my face, but I tried to hide it. I thought she surely had to be mistaken on the location. Downtown Salem just didn't seem to be a likely spot for gourmet coffee. I mentioned this chat to to my husband and he gave me the same questioning look. Surely, she must have gotten the wrong town. We both had visions of Salem's mostly empty downtown strip in our head.

However, after mentioning this in passing to Erik's mother, the shop was confirmed. We were very surprised. Maybe this is a hint of a downtown revitalization? I sure hope so! Salem has a host of lovely and quaint old homes and it would be great to see a little more life in the downtown area.

On a blustery December morning, soon after Christmas, but before heading back to Columbus, we decided we needed to see what all the talk was about. We loved the quaintness of the building and the character of the inside that left memories of the building's past purposes. The building originally served as a bank and then served as the community newsstand and tobacco store for quite a long time, but under various names, before being turned into a coffee shop in 2007. The current owners have kept some of the wood display cases along the side and display a collection of memorabilia. I also enjoyed the old theatre seats in front of the current coffee bar.

The shop had a great selection of roasted coffees, specialty drinks, and teas. I especially loved the selection of sodas in glass bottles located in a wooden antique display case. There was an equally nice selection of homemade pastries.

We both chose a house blend coffee. I had mine with milk and Erik took his black. We shared a cinnamon roll and a ham and cheese pastry. The coffee was good. It was your typical gourmet blend from a locally owned and operated coffee house (and much preferable to Starbucks, in my opinion).

The pastries were also good and homemade, but nothing spectacular. I was left wanting more filling in my hame and cheese pastry and more cinnamon and glaze in my cinnamon roll.

Overall, I think this is a great addition to the Salem community and will welcome another stop on our next visit to town. I loved the cozy and warm atmosphere, especially after wandering in from the cold.

This place isn't quite on par with the coffee at Stauf's in Grandview or the pastries at French Loaf, but for Salem it's a wonderful step away from the chains, a nod to the past, and definitely a step in the right direction.

Cost: Unfortunately, since I'm so behind in my writing I've lost my notes and am doing this entirely from memory. Therefore, no receipt and no idea how much we paid. However, it was your typical coffee house prices.

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes

Christmas Diner

2010-06-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Mike's Penn Ave Grille
599 East State Street
Salem, Ohio 44460
December 26, 2009
7ish pm

Since Erik and I have been together we always have a whirlwind Christmas week of traveling from Columbus, to Cincinnati, back to Columbus for a quick pit stop of picking up gifts, and then on to the small town of Salem, Ohio. While this results in a fairly boring trek across the great state of Ohio, it's so wonderful to get to see each family and have some different experiences in small town America.

Once the whole crew made it to Salem we decided we needed a place to relax and catch up. Mike's Penn Ave Grille is a long time favorite of my parents-in law, so that's where it was decided to go!

This place definitely has a home town feel. You feel like everyone should know one another and greet each other as they walk in the door. You definitely get the feeling you are walking back in time a bit; but I loved the character and familiar feel of the place. You also get the impression that this place has a few stories to tell. I can just imagine families and various sports teams spilling into the place to celebrate a big Salem win. We all fit into one very large booth and the family was pleased with the personal TV that allowed them to keep at least one eye on the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Our server was very friendly and shared that she loved the food here so much she just decided to work here! High praise indeed.

We were hungry from our drive and immediately put in and order for drinks and appetizers. We opted for the sauerkraut balls. A number of family members had never heard of such things, and being a favorite of ours at Barley's, we just had to show everyone what they were missing. These balls came with a generous 8 to an order, were perfectly fried, and had a very nice spicy kick to them and to the dipping sauce they were served with. Always enjoying a good spiciness to my food, I was pleased.

I paired this with a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat for myself. I enjoyed the strong cherry smell, but then there was just a hint of the cherry flavor in the background of the beer. I must say I really enjoyed this beer! The majority of the crew shared pitchers of Great Lakes Christmas Ale, which was a bit too dark and strong for my liking. However, the family didn't seem to mind (but this could have been partly due to the high 7.5% alcohol content)!

As for the entrees, most came with a side salad. For the salad I chose to go with their homemade dressing of a Gorgonzola vinaigrette, which was outstanding. This was a very good salad with big croutons that seemed to be homemade, real bacon bits, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and chopped eggs. Definitely my kind of salad. I liked the dressing so much that I may have to attempt a version myself at home.

As for my entree choice I opted for chicken and fettuccine in a Gorgonzola cream sauce with asparagus and mushrooms. The dish sounded quite divine, and overall it was okay, but not great. The chicken was cooked nicely, but the asparagus was overcooked and bordered on mushy. The sauce was good in small a doses and the Gorgonzola gave the sauce a nice bit of flavor, but it was just too heavy for my preference overall.

My mother-in-law has always talked about the good quality of the restaurant's red meats and I'm thinking I should have listened to her! She chose the 8 oz strip steak with shrimp. I sampled a bit and I would agree that this was very good (and made me a bit sad about my entree choice). The seasoning was flavorful, but not overdone and the meat was cooked to medium rare perfection. She told me they use Chef Paul Prudhohomme's Magic Seasoning Blends which I had never heard of, but now recognize after going to the website! I just might have to buy some to try out myself.

My husband chose the sole with caramelized onions and garlic. It had a nice mild flavor, and was not overly fishy.

My nephew chose 12 hot wings and in his opinion they were definitely not hot enough. However, he did inform us that he has had the second hottest sauce at a various wing joint where he had to sign a waiver before trying them! He thought that may interfere with his preferences :) However, I would have to agree that the wings were not very hot and were definitely overcooked and I have yet to try anything that required me to sign a waiver! These were definitely not a favorite for my nephew, the wing connoisseur, or me!

My father-in-law and brother-in-law both opted for a small steak salad. They both felt the steak was very good and tender. They loved the addition of steak fries on top and egg throughout. It was topped with a great vinaigrette that was also made from scratch.

And last, but definitely not least, my sister-in-law ordered Mike's mixed greens salad. This looked like a spring mix of various greens topped with black olives, Swiss cheese, and Gorgonzola. The dressing seemed to be similar to a mix between a traditional balsamic vinaigrette with touches of Caesar salad flavors . Overall, my sister-in-law said she wasn't sure that all the flavors were going to work together, but they did end up blending together in a fun and interesting way.

Bill total: $144.86 (2 pitchers of Great Lakes, 1 Cherry Wheat, 2 appetizers, and 6 entrees)

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes (I'd say a lot of the food is good, but some of it is definitely hit or miss. Definitely go with the steaks and salads, but other options seem to be more of a gamble).

I'm Back!

2010-06-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I am still alive and eating, but I needed to take some time to dig out from under a mound of paperwork! Late winter and spring are my busy times at work. While eating out has not gone on a back burner, writing about restaurants unfortunately has. However, I'm back and hope to work hard at getting my posts up to date!

I still have lots of fun to write about including great Columbus haunts and a trip to South Beach!

Stay tuned...

Annabelle

Who Needs Fazoli's?

2010-01-10T10:44:00.000-08:00

Carfagna's Kitchen

Polaris Area

December 12, 2009
1:30ish

As per a usual Saturday in December, my husband and I were out and about trying to wrap up some Christmas shopping (pun so intended, so just stop your groaning) :). We had a Christmas party to get to later in the evening and thought we should try and grab a larger lunch to tide us over since small bites and dessert would only be served later. We wanted to get away from the craziness of the Polaris mall and decided to go down the street a little to a much quieter strip mall. We happened to remember we had a coupon for Carfagna's and decided it was the perfect time to use it.

Now, I drive past Carfagna's Kitchen just about daily, and had wanted to try it; but had seen nothing that was making me rush to get there. I knew Carfagna's was famous for meat and had loved their store on 161. However, I was afraid that this place was just going to be another fast food Italian place that would be good, but I could also live without. The strip mall locale and neon sign outside reminded me just a little too much of a chain. When I want Italian I want coziness and hidden, hole in the wall mom and pop places.

But boy, am I so thankful that we finally did decide to try it! Granted this is fast food, but only in the sense that it is ready to go fast and you eat off plastic. The taste is all homemade, cooked with care and all the loveliness that you would expect from a mom and pop Italian kitchen.

The menu was extensive and it took me a few to decide between pizzas, pastas, traditional chicken and veal dishes, soups, or sandwiches (including subs and paninis). They really have it all. Also, many of the menu options were by no means your typical Italian fast food fare. They had pasta al vodka, gorgonzola fettuccine, shrimp fra diavola, and chicken creamy pesto...just to name a few stand out options. I finally decided that I was feeling pretty traditional and ordered handmade spaghetti with red sauce and 2 meatballs. Erik was also feeling traditional and went with the baked meat and cheese lasagna. Each entree also came with a house salad and breadstick.

The salad was pretty typical with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, croutons, and cucumber. The Italian dressing was homemade with an olive oil base. It was a little bit sweeter than many Italian dressings, but I found the sweetness nice. There were lots of herbs in the dressing to give it flavor, but I really found a fennel flavor to stand out unexpectedly. Overall, pretty good!

The breadsticks were also your typical fare. They had a light garlic flavor and were cooked through. However, I would have preferred a more browned outside crust.

The lasagna, however, was out of this world! It was a huge serving of around 5 layers that held together expertly. The texture was dense, and because of this all the flavors just seemed to meld seamlessly together. But even though the lasagna was dense, it wasn't overly heavy (as far as lasagna goes, that is). The Carfagna high qualify meat flavor definitely shined through. Well done!

My spaghetti and meatballs were also great and hit the spot. You could tell the noodles were homemade with their irregular shape and texture. They were just a little overdone, for my taste, but not a major complaint. The sauce had a warm, basilly sweetness, and the meatballs were just what you'd want. The meat was ground a little more finely than what is typical, but this seemed to help everything bind together.

For lunch, the serving sizes were pretty big so I ended up only eating half and bringing the rest home for lunch the next day. I also couldn't pass up trying a chocolate chip cannoli, but had absolutely no room for it. I had it boxed up for enjoyment later.

And oh was it good later! Creamy filling, cinnamon sugar crispy shell, and plenty of chocolate chips to satisfy your need for a bit of bite.

The only thing I wondered after enjoying all this bounty was that if this quality of Italian food can be ready to go so fast, what in the world are Fazoli's and Sbarro doing? And why are we eating there? Next time you need a quick Italian fix please support homemade and local, and go with Carfagna's. I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.

Bill total: 2 soft drinks, 1 lasagne, 1 handmade spaghetti and meatballs, 1 cannoli (with a buy one get one free Entertainment book coupon): $16.08

Overall Rating: 4 buckeyes

An Oxford Night Out

2010-01-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

Stella 12 Beech
Oxford, Ohio
November 28, 2009

I have to give a quick shout out to this fun and hip restaurant in Oxford, Ohio. It is owned by the family of my dear friend Stella (it was named after her great-grandmother) and so my view may be slightly tainted....so consider yourself forewarned.

However, I have been there now 2 times (once last year for appetizers) and now once this year for a quick nightcap, and have enjoyed my experience every time. I remember the appetizers from last year were fun, inventive, and beautifully plated. And for extra bonus points the restaurant uses organic and locally sourced products when possible. They also have quite a few vegetarian options.

The atmosphere has a cosmopolitan and smooth vibe; but you're given a warm, familiar welcome by the hostess that helps you feel like you belong there.

This night, they were trying something new and had a DJ for late night, so the vibe was a bit more clubby; but still comfortable.

The cocktail menu from this year was fun with options such a champagne martini with mango puree or a ginger spiced rum martini.

Our drinks included (from left to right) a Great Lakes Nosferatu, a classic dirty martini with Ketel One vodka, a cherry martini (we think....we couldn't specifically remember), and a Guinness.

Fun times :)

Unfortunately, I have no idea what the price was. We each paid individually in cash and I didn't write anything down!

Cocktail Rating: For the creativity of choices and execution- 4 buckeyes

I can't wait until I can try dinner here! The flank steak with a chipotle demi glace looked especially tempting.

A Bit of Respite from Black Friday

2010-01-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

The BonBonerie
Cincinnati, Ohio
November 27, 2009
2ish pm

Ever since Erik and I started dating seriously enough that he would come home with me for Thanksgiving we have made Black Friday an event that includes a little shopping and a large dose of Cincinnati culture. Each Friday we scour the ads and come up with a list of places we want to attempt to score deals from, and then we also come up with a list of fun Cincinnati landmarks to try and weave into our day. Of course we also have to plan which wonderful restaurants we'll try to give us a small break from all the hustle and bustle of the start of beginning the holiday season. Past years have included seeing the poinsettia display at the Krohn Conservatory, sampling one of the original 3-way creations at Camp Washington Chili, visiting the CG&E (err...I mean Cinergy....er I mean Duke Energy) train display, walking around Fountain Square, etc. etc. I think I look forward to this day just about as much as I look forward to Thanksgiving itself. It's fun to relive some of my childhood Christmas memories with Erik, but it's also nice to explore what new things Cincinnati has to offer.

This year we focused a little more on the shopping and a little less on the Cincinnati landmarks (my list of children to buy for seems to be growing and I must say by the time we made it to Toys R Us it looked like a DMZ zone)! My mom had been raving about the BonBonerie for years and we decided today was the perfect opportunity to give it a try. I had already sampled some of their expertly iced Christmas cookies that mom had brought home to share (and they were delish), but I was anxious to see what this quaint little tea room she talked of was truly all about.

As we walked up to this hidden gem, the outside of the building looked like nothing special; but as soon as I entered I knew it was going to be good. First off, it was around 2 in the afternoon; which is usually more of a downtime for an eating establishment; but the counter was packed. Additionally, standing in line was a mix of ladies dressed in the season's finest to a group of firemen. When a place has such wide range appeal, it's got to be good.

Okay, maybe in this picture you don't see ladies in their finest or any fireman, for that matter; but I promise you they were there! What was also there was a wonderful display case of cookies, tarts, tortes, cakes, pastries, etc. etc. I had a very difficult time determining which sweet I wanted to try most.

I opted to go with a chocolate mousse, with the idea I would share it with my husband (and when I say share I really mean he gets a max of 2 bites). My mother went with more sugar cookies (she loves those things)! We took our goodies to the tea room and were lucky that they had one small table available by the window. I thought perhaps I'd save my mousse until after lunch; like a good little girl; but gosh darn it, it just looked too good (and it was too late in the afternoon for me to have enough will power to wait). I dug right in.

The mousse had a rich, deep chocolate flavor; but managed to keep its lightness in spite of the deep flavor. The topping was a homemade sweetened cream. Overall, this was a perfect mousse and I couldn't have asked for more for $3.75.

As I enjoyed the mousse I started to go over the drink menu. The tea list was quite extensive (which makes sense given this is a tea room), and I really wanted to give a less common one a try; but ultimately iced tea sounded best with the tuna sandwich I had decided on. But, Erik decided to go with the orange spice tea, so I was glad I was going to be able to sample at least one of the hot tea choices. Cherry vanilla, China rose petal, and mango tea were other interesting options.

As we waited for our drinks and lunches to come out I had an opportunity to really take in the space. Given the sophistication of the BonBonerie logo I had seen on my mom's cookie boxes and the typical connotations "afternoon tea" has, I was actually expecting something more formal. I was pleasantly surprised by the casual coziness of this tearoom. With the mismatched china, whimsical collection of tea pots (including one of Whinnie the Poo), and black and white checkered flooring I felt I was enjoying lunch at an eccentric and favorite aunt's house. If I lived closer I imagined myself coming here on a rainy day to sit with a good book and enjoy a sweet treat with a hot pot of tea. Maybe it's better on my waistline that I don't live so close :)

Everything came out pretty quickly and we loved the extra touches of doilies under our plates, gherkins to nibble on, cookies paired with sandwiches. All this extra attention to detail, along with the fresh and homemade foods; extended the cozy feeling of the place and made you feel like you were truly being taken care of here. This is a feeling that, unfortunately, most restaurants in our fast paced "move 'em on through" society don't have.

Erik really enjoyed his orange spice tea. The aroma of citrus hits you and the spice warms you before you even take a sip. The ice tea was also fresh brewed and excellent.

For lunch Erik went with the ham and swiss sandwich paired with tomato soup. The sandwich was good with fresh wheat bread, high quality ham, good cheese, piled high with tomato and greens, and then topped with a dill mayo so good even Erik ate it (he is known to prefer his sandwiches dry). However, the highlight of the meal was the tomato soup. It appeared to be homemade with chunks of tomato floating in it, which gave it a fresher taste. It also had a nice mix of herbs and spices that complemented the fresh tomato flavor. This was definitely not Campbell's (not that there's anything wrong with Campbell's, of course).

My mother chose the tuna salad plate. This came with a nice scoop of albacore tuna salad, with a mixed green salad topped with apple slices and raisins, and served with a balsamic vinaigrette. No complaints here!

I chose to go with the tuna salad sandwich (at least my mother and I didn't order exactly the same thing this time), which was fresh tuna salad on wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, and a smathering of dill mayo. This was the best tuna salad sandwich I had had in a long time. The sweet tea cookies ended the meal perfectly (and let's just forget I had already had my dessert of mousse)!

Ahhh....what a great break from holiday craziness! I'm already working on planning when I can come back for an afternoon tea with friends.

Bill Total: Ham and swiss with a cup of soup, albacore tuna salad plate, tuna salad sandwich, pot of tea, Coke, hot tea, and tip: $36

Extra chocolate mousse: $3.75, my mom's cutout cookies ??? (she paid)

Overall Rating: 5 buckeyes

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-30T19:22:00.000-08:00

The Golden Lamb
Lebanon, Ohio
November 26, 2009

I don't know where our family tradition of going out to lunch for Thanksgiving prior to gorging ourselves for dinner at our family farm began, but it's happened since before I can remember. When I was very small we ate with my father's side of the family and they have always loved convenience, so possibly it was their family way, and then the family dinner on the farm was my mother's family tradition? I'm just not sure. However, we have long ceased to celebrate with my dad's side of the family and yet we continue lunch out with our immediate family followed up by a large dinner on the farm with our extended family a mere few hours later. Can't say I'm complaining, gorging yourself all day is part of what Thanksgiving is all about! I'm just merely trying to determine this dining out tradition's roots (mental post it now written to myself to discuss this with my mother next phone conversation).

Anyway, long ago we ate yearly at a restaurant called The Hickory Lane which was in Metamora, Indiana. It was buffet style, which the child in me loved because of all the different options and not having to wait for your food to be brought out! Also, at a buffet mom didn't care if I wanted mashed potatoes, French fries, and potato salad; but just see if she'd let me order those options together at a typical restaurant... But, the true draw of this place, to my child sized mind, was eating in the screened in porch back dining room. The restaurant backed up to a wooded area and the porch was all glass and windows. I loved watching the bright cardinals, sparrows, and chickadees flit about on the brown background fly about while the squirrels scurried up and down the trees. I thought this was great entertainment as I sampled my chosen dishes and morphed into a carbohydrate stupor that surely ended in a nap on the way home. Actually, maybe this was why my mother didn't object too much to those French fries and mashed potatoes! However, sometime around the age of 10 or so the Hickory Lane I knew became no more due to a fire. Apparently, the restaurant was rebuilt in another location, but the charm of the old restaurant was lost and my parents decided to try another restaurant for our yearly feast. A current internet search doesn't turn up much on the Hickory Lane, so I tend to think it must no longer exist in any capacity. An unfortunate loss.

But this allowed for The Golden Lamb to enter our lives. We have now been eating our Thanksgiving lunch here since I was at least in junior high (that's going on more than 15 years!) and the restaurant has seen my change in long term boyfriends, the addition of my husband, and unfortunate loss of my father due to cancer. While I (and my family) have changed a lot in the last 15 years, the restaurant has stayed relatively stable (with some minor changes, peaks, and valleys). But I guess that is to be expected given the fact that this restaurant has been around, in some capacity, since 1803; and is known as the oldest continually operating business in the state of Ohio.

Since we have been dining here some traditions have stayed the same. Apparently apple butter has been served since at least 1805, and continues today. And we can always trust we'll get a curt welcome when we check in with our reservation. Now, we know getting through a never ending sea of large parties on a holiday known for its food is daunting for a restaurant host staff, but it seems an area of improvement could be not letting your guests see how much it actually stresses you. But we have experienced it for so long we now just laugh as we are quickly and curtly moved to our seats like cattle. For awhile we were slightly offended and considered it fairly rude, but now it's just become part of the experience...Kind of like spending a holiday with the crazy uncle. Now once we have gotten to our table, we have never had a problem with the service.

However, one of the unfortunate changes is the complimentary relish tray that used to be included with every meal. There was a festive cranberry relish; a sweet and savory corn relish, thick cut bread and butter pickles; and our absolute favorite...pickled watermelon rinds. I know they sound scary, but if you can ever find them, try them! They're syrupy sweet and have this luscious mouth feel. This is the only restaurant that I know of that served them and I looked forward to sampling them every November. My mouth is actually salivating just remembering it all now. However, about 3 or so years ago the relish tray was moved to one of the salad or appetizer options, but beginning last year (or possibly the year before, things start to run together after so many Thanksgivings spent there) it was completely removed from the Thanksgiving menu. We mourned then and continue to mourn now. This fact, coupled with what seemed a decline in the quality of food over multiple years, and a decline in the upkeep of the restaurant's interior, even had us looking for a new restaurant to try out for Thanksgiving. However, at least this year, I'm glad we stayed.

I'm hoping we've just moved through one of the restaurant's valleys and are headed towards an upswing in the restaurant's caliber, because this Thanksgiving meal pleasantly surprised. If only the watermelon rinds would come back, I'd know we were on an upswing!

This year, The Golden Lamb, added a new spin to the dining experience and had a very personable "historian" coming around the tables to share delightful stories about the restaurant's history. He was respectful of those that were not interested in hearing about the history, but he made our lunch more enjoyable by telling us the tale of how the restaurant was started for $4 as a "house of public entertainment" and showing us where the original building stood and what had been added on when. I wish we would have heard more stories about the 12 presidents and other various personalities who have visited the Lamb over the years, but maybe another time!

After chatting with the historian for awhile our drinks were brought, a nice white wine for my mother (can't remember which one), and Cokes for Erik and me. We had enjoyed a long traditional night out with old friends on Thanksgiving Eve (a bit of High School Reunion) and therefore were not up for wine.

Thanksgiving meals at The Golden Lamb come with a choice of salad, entree with 2 sides, and dessert for one price. There are appetizers on the menu, but they are at extra cost. We opted out on the appetizers, knowing we would be completely full (and then some) by the end of the meal. So we started with the salad. Erik and my mother both got the hot slaw and I went with the house salad because their house dressing is a favorite of mine. Keep in mind, this restaurant is about history and tradition. You're not going to find the latest fad on the menu such as a lychee martini or herb infused oil for dipping bread; but you will find some long lost favorites. Hot slaw is one of those. (Pickled watermelon rinds were another, but I guess I've already gone over that ad nauseum!)

The cabbage was freshly shredded and then topped with a vinegar based hot bacon dressing. The dressing and slaw were combined just before serving so the cabbage was only slightly wilted upon arrival to the table. It gradually wilts more and more as you enjoy the dish. I know some prefer it served completely wilted, but I enjoyed the gradual change in texture. I had never tried this salad option from the Golden Lamb because of my love for their salad dressing. However, next year I'm really going to have a real debate on my hands!

My salad was fairly typical with iceberg based greens, shredded red cabbage, red onions, tomatoes, cucumber, and cheese. But the salad dressing is what made it. The dressing is a garlic herb ranch which seems common enough. However, there is a fresh herbaceous flavor that is not often found in other ranch dressings. Additionally, the garlic flavor was very subtle and blended in well with the other herbs. Had the waitress not told me it was garlic, I'm not sure I could have pulled it out from the other herbs. Additionally, the consistency of the dressing was not heavy like your typical ranches and coated the greens just enough to flavor, but not overpower. The fresh herbs paired with the lighter consistency reminded me a bit of spring, which is nice when you're dining during a cold and biting late November day.

Soft, light and buttery rolls were also brought out with the salad. However, our server forgot to offer us some apple butter, but we decided we had enough other things and didn't ask for it. From past experience I can tell you the sweet, but not too sweet, apple butter is a nice accompaniment when you're in the mood for something different paired with your rolls.

After our salads were finished our entrees came out quickly. Erik went with the duck and mom and I both decided to go with traditional Butler County turkey.

Erik and I had not tried the duck before and we both were pleasantly surprised. The duck meat had a finer texture than your typical chicken breast and was not as dense. The chef had done a nice job with the preparation and there was not the fatty/greasy layer that duck sometimes contains when not rendered correctly. The sauce was Grand Marnier flavored and added a nice sweetness. Duck and orange are a wonderful and traditional flavor pairing. The duck was served over wild rice with nice seasonings that were stronger in flavor than your typical wild rice mix. However, we couldn't exactly place what those seasonings were. Erik chose green beans with bacon and mashed potatoes as his sides. The green beans had a strong bacon flavor, which reminded me of how my grandmother used to make them (high praise, indeed). The potatoes were whipped, light, and buttery. A nice change of pace from the smashed potatoes that are currently more popular. Again, this is how both my mother and grandmother made them. However, I'm pretty sure these had more butter than my relatives typically used, making them all the more yummy.

Like mother, like daughter; we both chose yams and mashed potatoes to go with our turkey. The turkey also came with stuffing and a small side of cranberries.

The turkey included 2 large pieces of white meat and a few bits of dark (choosing all white meat is an option for a few dollars more). The meat was flavorful and moist. The yams were candied and sweet. They were not overcooked to the point they would fall apart, but a fork went through them easily. The sage stuffing was dense, moist, and on the heavy side. A gravy boat was also brought to share, but I felt there was enough on my plate as it was.

I cleaned my plate, no problem, but that left little room for the apple cobbler I had chosen for dessert. I opted to have our server box it up and I'm sure I enjoyed it more then next day than if I woud have forced room for it. Erik and my mom were troopers, though, and ate it there. Mom went with peppermint ice cream which she enjoyed because of the cool and refreshing notes that are always nice after a heavy meal. Erik and I can't remember what he had, but he enjoyed it! At this point in the meal I was more interested in sharing conversation with my family than I was in taking notes. And given that this is what Thanksgiving should be about, I have no problem with it!

From my family to yours, keep enjoying those Thanksgiving traditions whatever and wherever they may be (and wherever they came from)!

Bill total: 3 Thanksgiving dinners (including salad, entree, 2 sides, and dessert), 2 Cokes, 1 glass of white wine, and tip= $108

Overall Rating: 4 buckeyes

As a side note, I'd love to try out some of their specialty dinners someday. From their website it looks like they host a "Frohe Weihnahchten", a traditional "Mt. Vernon" Christmas dinner, and a traditional afternoon tea in May. I love that they seem to have found their niche with capitalizing on history. Historic rooms are also available for $107-133 a night, which could make for a fun weekend away.

Ribs and Football

2009-12-19T06:57:00.000-08:00

Food for Thought, Food for the Soul
(tailgate on Lane Ave)

*they have a restaurant
location at 4400 N High St
Columbus 43214

November 14, 2009

As we were walking back to our cars after a very enjoyable tailgaiting experience we passed a BBQ rib stand. Not recalling seeing this place in previous tailgait adventures we figured we had to give them a try (not to mention the smell was divine)!

We knew we had dinner plans later, so we only wanted a quick bite. Because of this we just shared a rib sampler which came with 3 large, meaty ribs dripping in a sweet (but not too sweet) and spicy sauce. These were served on top of a piece of white bread toast that we used to help mop up that sauce. The ribs were fall off the bone tender and they just hit the spot perfectly.

The ladies running the show were super friendly and we can't wait to visit them again at their restaurant on the corner of High and Henderson (lower level of the 5/3rd building)!

We'll try to hit it on a Wednesday for an early dinner (they're only open to 5) when buttermilk fried chicken is the special! Other options include soups and salads, typical deli sandwiches such as reubens and grilled cheese, and down home treats such as sweet potato pie and peach cobbler. Breakfast also sounds good (opens at 9) with breakfast quesadillas and biscuits and gravy.

Price: 3 ribs for $4
Overall Rating for the Tailgate: 3 buckeyes

The Fun Way to Solve Your "Where to Eat" Questions

2009-12-12T06:34:00.000-08:00

I just found a fun widget to play around with at Urbanspoon.com!

It's a slot machine that allows you to select the area of Columbus you'd like to eat, the type of food you'd like to eat, and your price point. Once you put in your settings, you take a spin and the widget comes up with where to try.

What a fun way to try places you never even new existed and the adventurous way to solve the "Where do you want to go?" question.

Looks like we're going to try Carfagna's for lunch today...

Hot Dogs and Slushies, What Could Be Better?

2009-12-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace

Downtown C-bus
November 14, 2009
7ish

We had heard plenty of good things about this place, and have yet to see a bad restaurant idea come out of a Liz Lessner, so we were just about salivating at the prospect of trying her latest one out.

But, I have to admit I did have my doubts about the location. As we drove to the restaurant we passed many empty buildings and the palace borders downtown in a, let's just say less happening (or more happening, I guess, depending on what you're looking for) part of town. We parked and then passed 2 sets of cops and one ambulance just as we walked a short block to the place. I somewhat worried that I might see a drive by, but I just pushed those worries away as I dreamt of the different hot dog possibilities!

We saw a hipster type crowd hanging outside and figured that was a good sign. As I looked inside I saw an equal number of 20 to 30 somethings enjoying time out and parents with young children enjoying a more adult friendly hot dog scene. It was 7ish on a Saturday night so there was a short wait, mainly due to the cozy size of the space. We put our names on the list and remarked that we were glad it was an unseasonably warm evening for mid-November as we settled into standing around outside. There was not a spare inch to force ourselves into inside! Keep this in mind if you're planning on stopping by on a busy, cold winter night.

We waited probably no more than 15 minutes before we were seated. The decor, in true Lessner style, was kitschy retro fun. We especially loved the Masters of the Universe specials menu. There were retro kitchen tables that were made famous in the 50's and 60's paired with the common wood kitchen chair from the 80's. A mix of baseball and rock n roll decor covered the walls.

The drink menu was just way too much fun with classic sodas such as RC, Frostop Rootbeer, and Red Pop; liquor spiked cherry and lime slushes; floats made with Jeni's ice cream, and cult beers such as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Blatz, and Schlitz. I couldn't dream of better accompaniments for gourmet hot dogs.

I opted for the Two Tickets to Paradise which was a cherry slush (should have also had lime slush in it, but they were out), Monin Chipotle Pineapple syrup, pineapple Malibu Rum, and citrus rum. It quickly took me back to a Sandals resort and fun in the sun.

Erik loved the reference on the menu to drinking in the 80s and had to go with the Alabama Slammer made with Amaretto, Southern Comfort, Slo Gin Sour, 7 Up, and a splash of OJ. Neither of us were drinking in the 80s, so no walk down memory lane, but we can appreciate what made this drink so popular!

Next up was wading through the extensive hot dog menu. We had a really hard time deciding on which hot dogs to try and I enlisted the help of our friendly server. With her help I decided on the T Dog. Erik went with the Ohioana, and we got an order of tater tots to share.

Overall, all the dogs we ordered were Vienna Beef, which made for a nice snap when you bit down. However, there were other options of jumbo beef, Tofurkey veggie dog, Polish sausage, and brats. Each dog was served on a poppy seed bun, which was a nice change of pace.

The T-Dog was topped with Sriracha mustard, roasted red peppers, bacon bits, and cheddar. This was really wonderful. The roasted red pepers really made the dog, but all the flavors blended well together, and the Sriracha gave it just an extra kick of flavor that made the finish perfect. Great recommendation from the server!

The Ohioana was topped with a spicy corn relish and celery salt. It was also good, but a little bland tasting when compared to the awesomeness of the T-Dog.

As for the tater tots, these were close enough to the school lunchroom classic to make you nostalgic, but gourmet-afied enough that you could enjoy them with adult taste buds. Forget the somewhat soggy, undercooked, possibly cold tater tots of the lunchroom. These were served hot and had a perfect crunch on the outside. They were topped with a large grain (possibly pretzel?) salt that upped the flavor factor.

After this bounty I was full, but Erik was up for one more dog. He decided on the Nicola this time.

The Nicola was topped with typical gyro toppings such as a Tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, etc. It mainly tasted like a gyro on a hot dog bun, which was okay, but not our favorite. I know gyro toppings are generally cold and that's likely what the restaurant was going for, but I didn't like the cold toppings on the hot dog. I would have preferred everything to be warmed.

Erik ordered one more drink to go with his Greek dog, a Yars Revenge. This was made of Jim Beam, So Co, blood orange juice, and ginger ale. However, a small mistake was made and the Rick Astley was brought to us instead. The server nicely let us keep it :) The Rick Astley was composed of Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea, vodka, and lemonade. We were glad for the mistake because the Yars Revenge had too much Jim Beam flavor in it for my preference. However, the Rick Astley was fabulous. It was smooth and sweet, but not too sweet. There was no taste of alcohol, which could lead to you quickly getting into trouble with these!

After this we were tempted by funnel fries, but ultimately decided we had had enough. As we walked out we were glad that we arrived when we did because quite a line was forming outside. While we were glad we didn't have to wait for long, we could certainly understand why others would.

I, for one, can't wait to go back. There are about 20 other hot dog styles that I'd love to try!

Bill Total: 3 hot dogs, tater tots, 3 cocktails, and tip=$29.74 (awesome experience for the price!)

Overall Rating: 5 buckeyes~ This is based on wonderful atmosphere, great value, great food, and a restaurant concept that is just too much fun!

Wine! (and some food)

2009-11-29T17:53:00.000-08:00

The Wine Guy
Creekside at Gahanna

October 25, 2009

7:30ish pm

What a week it had been! Work for both of us had been crazy and overwhelming and to top it all off we found out we needed to replace our entire heating and cooling system! We were looking for a place to escape, relax into some good conversation, and enjoy some wine. We had heard The Wine Guy just might be able to help.

As we walked in we immediately felt warm and comfortable, especially coming in from the cool fall air. The place had a fun and relaxed vibe with the bustle of friends laughing and enjoying themselves. But the back of the restaurant was still quiet or intimate enough for a fun date. Immediately looking around I enjoyed the light flickering off the wine bottles on the side and the warm wood bar. The place was full, but not overly crowded and there were a mix of couples, women enjoying girl's night out, and older groups of friends. It seemed to be an any occasion type of place. The hostess was friendly and explained all the tables were full, but we were welcome to sit at the bar for the evening or put our name in for a table and start at the bar. We decided to start at the bar and move to a table later. As we waited, we were glad we had gotten there at 7:30, by 8 the place was packed with no room to wait at the bar and little room to stand inside!

We quickly found a seat and the bartender was jovial, knowledgeable, and helpful in a friendly rather than a "I know all there is to know about wine" way. He was just what you'd think the "wine guy" would be. We settled on sharing the Italian wine flight which was comprised of 4 reds.

Number 1 was the Michele Chiarlo Barbera D'Asti was not exceptionally dry, and definitely not quite sweet; but tasted of grape and cherry jam with a perfumey bouquet and acidic finish.

Number 2 was the Memo Montepulciano D'Abruzzo which had a deep dark fruit aroma, a muted thicker sweet flavor, almost syrupy, and contained a smooth beginning, but was more acidic in the finish. I would have preferred more brightness in the flavor, rather than thickness of texture. However, the flavor seemed to change with each sip. It would be interesting to see what this one would be like if decanted.

The third was a Renato Ratti Nebbiolo which had a deep fruity aroma and a taste of cherry with an earthiness.

The last was a Borgo Pretale Chianti Classico Riserva which was friendly and homey. It was exactly what you would expect out of a warm Chianti and if I closed my eyes I could almost feel the warmth of the Italian sun bottled up with grapes.

Overall, these were satisfying wines, but the Chianti is the only one I liked enough to try and buy on my own. Before we finished our first fight our table was ready and we quickly moved. Before we had even decided what to try next we were brought an amuse bouche of pita wedges with a spread of cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and basil. This was heavenly! I loved the silkiness of the spread, the gentle herb flavor, and freshness of the pita.
We then decided to try the Cabernet flight and put in our food order. We decided to order a few small plates to get a better sampling of the food. We ordered the hummus and olive tapenade, the Greek chicken, and the steak and asparagus with a mushroom risotto. We also mentioned to our waiter that we really enjoyed the pita and cheese spread and so he brought us more! Gotta love that.

The hummus and olive tapenade was also wonderful. The pita was charred, the olive tapenade has a strong salty flavor, which paired nicely when topped with the creamy hummus made of black beans, roasted garlic, and sun dried tomatoes. I tried the tapenade and the hummus both on a pita piece independently, but this was a case of the sum being better than the parts. The hummus independently was too bland and the olive tapenade too salty, but together they were just right. A piece of lettuce added in just the right amount of crunch.

I was not as impressed with the entree selections. The Greek chicken was pan fried and served with feta, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach in a thin sauce. It was okay, but reminded me of something I'd be served at a banquet or conference. The dish sure was pretty though!

The steak and asparagus with mushroom risotto was an "interesting" dish. The steak was done nicely, the asparagus was tender crisp, and the mushroom risotto was creamy. However, the steak was topped with a chipotle sauce that just didn't meld with the rest of the dish. If the dish was just chipotle steak, that would have worked. Or if the dish had been a mushroom risotto with asparagus, that would have worked. But the chipotle with the mushroom risotto did not taste well together. In this case each part was greater than the sum.

The Cabernet flight was composed of a Robert Hall Cabernet which was light with berry notes; a Napa Cuvee 12 Cabernet, which I honestly can't remember (as the dinner went on and the more relaxed I became the less time I took to take notes!); a J Lohr Hilltop Cabernet which had a deep dark fruit flavor, most notably of plum; and a Faust Napa Valley Cabernet, which I also don't remember! :) I can, however, say I enjoyed them all!

Overall, this place has a great relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, with great service. This is a great place to meet up with friends, kick back and relax with a glass and a loved one, or have a fun girl's night out. However, I'd save this place for happy hour or drinks and appetizers before a night out or late dinner. Save your main dishes for another place.

Bill Total: 1 Italian wine flight, 1 Cabernet wine flight, hummus and olive tapenade, Greek chicken (tapas portion), steak with mushroom risotto (tapas portion), and tip= $50.40 (we used the Entertainment Card to get one tapas dish free)

Overall Rating: This is a hard one. I enjoyed my time spent here, the wine, the pita and cheese spread, and the hummus so much I'd give it 4 buckeyes. However, I really was not impressed with the entrees, so I'd give them 3 buckeyes. I guess I'll split the difference and go with 3 1/2.

Las Margaritas

2009-11-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

Las Margaritas

706 North State Street

Westerville, Ohio 43082

October 15, 2009

8ish pm

This was not my first time at Las Margaritas as it's fairly close to my neighborhood and is a fallback for us when we've had a busy night and just want to go somewhere close; or when we're craving Mexican and just have to have it NOW. This was both of those occasions. I got home from work fairly late and just didn't have it in me to make dinner. I try not to let this happen too frequently, but it happens. Also, Erik had been craving Mexican for awhile. I figured 2 birds, one stone.

The people at the Westerville Las Margaritas have always been super friendly and this occasion was just the same. We were warmly welcomed and given a booth right away. Chips and salsa were on our table in nanoseconds and we immediately ordered 2 classic margaritas on the rocks, with salt. Long days at work can sometimes only be soothed by classic margaritas in the evening! To me, their margaritas have a nice mix of sweet and sour and are of a good size. I couldn't ask for more.

We also hungrily dug into their chips and salsa. The chips are your typical Mexican restaurant chips, but I really do enjoy the salsa here. It has some kick, but not over the top hot. The tomatoes are crushed and there is always an abundance of fresh cilantro, which is one of my all time favorite herbs. Just the smell of it reminds me of Mexican goodness, street cart tacos, and warm al fresco dining in Mexico by the beach. I enjoy cilantro so much I bet I'd even like it with chocolate! That being said, in any salsa I approve fresh cilantro is a must.

As I looked over the menu and around the restaurant I noticed a few changes had been made since the last time I was there. It looked like the menu was revamped a bit, or at least reorganized, and with this came an increase in price. Entrees that had been around the $8 range were now in the $9 range. A sign of the times, I guess.

But the more peculiar change was in the decor. Around the seats in the middle of the restaurant there used to be a line up of Jarritos bottles (Mexican sodas in various flavors and colors). I didn't love the Mexican soda decor before, but at least it was fitting with the restaurant and it was fun to examine the unique flavors such as tamarind and guava. However, these bottles had been replaced with cans of orange and grape Crush. There were also some Crush posters on the wall. Puzzling? I think yes. This change is lost on me. Possibly Crush is the new sponsor of Las Margaritas? :) I don't know, but if I were them I'd bring those Mexican bottles back.

I didn't have too long to contemplate this before our food was brought out. I simply love how quick and efficient this Mexican restaurants is. I ordered 1 chicken enchilada and one chicken taco a la carte while Erik ordered 1 pork tamale and 1 chicken burrito a la carte. I really enjoyed my enchilada. The interior was a shredded chicken slow cooked with tomatoes and peppers. This was wrapped in a corn tortilla, topped with a red sauce which was flavorful with just a hint of cinnamon, and queso blanco melted on top. The taco was filled with the same chicken filling and then topped with fresh tomato and cheese. I would have preferred the taco to also have a sprinkling of fresh cilantro like is traditionally done in Mexico, but you also know me and cilantro! I would also probably enjoy a side of cilantro to top most everything I eat in a Mexican restaurant. However, the soft flour tortilla that the taco was served in was odd. The size seemed too big for a regular taco. It seemed they took a burrito sized tortilla and just put taco filling in it. Perhaps they were out of the smaller size...

Erik enjoyed his pork tamale, but he wished it was a little bigger. The outer masa mixture was good with a nice texture that was not too soggy nor too dry. The inner pork mixture was equally well cooked. Erik also enjoyed his chicken burrito and was happy they utilized shredded chicken. Overall, this is your typical Mexican restaurant in a strip mall. By far not the worst you could have, but it's worlds above Mexican Bar and Grill in Michigan! It's along the same lines of El Vaquero, but I've never seen a wait here like I have at El Vaq. When Mexican is what you're craving, this spot will work just fine.

Bill Total: 1 chicken enchilada, 1 chicken burrito, 1 chicken taco, 1 pork tamale, 2 classic margaritas on the rocks, and tip= $27.50

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes

A Steeler Lunch

2009-11-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Bella Notte Italian Eatery

1914 Penn Ave

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222

October 11, 2009

2pm ish

To finish up our afternoon on The Strip we decided to share a pizza while we rested up for our drive home (well actually Erik needed to rest up, I actually planned on napping during the drive home).

The day before we had seen a group of friends sharing a pizza from here along the road and we decided it had just looked too good to pass up.

This place had the air of your traditional pizzeria and looked like it had served many pies to fans during home Steeler games. This Saturday the clientele seemed more subdued due to the away game. However, the restaurant was still fairly busy with families, a few fans watching the game, and shoppers like us stopping by during a day of sightseeing.

We could sit anywhere and we decided on a booth where we had an equal view of the TVs to keep an eye on the game and the cook getting orders ready and tossing pizza crust high into the air.
The service was good and our waitress quickly got our drinks (Coke for both of us) while we decided on pizza toppings. This time we went for a peperroni with tomato slices.

Since each pie is hand tossed and made to order, it did take awhile for our pizza to come out, but we didn't mind. It gave us a chance to put our feet up and talk about the wedding.

When the pizza came out is looked like yummy, cheesy goodness! However, we wondered where the peperoni was hidden. We soon found out that they use chopped peperoni pieces (think Totino's party pizza style) instead of slices! I must admit while the rest of the pizza was fabulous with good sauce, nice seasonings, and a great crust; I was really missing the more powerful taste of slices of peperroni.

Overall though, great atmosphere and service. Good crust, spices, and cheese. However, due to the pepperoni, I can't call this the best pizza in Pittsburgh.

Cost: 2 Cokes, 1 large pizza with peperonni and tomato, and tip: $17.63

Rating: 3 buckeyes

However, as we walked back to our car we found just one more place we just couldn't pass up. Fudgie Wudgie Fudge and Chocolate Factory.

Now this place was great! Unfortunately, since we'd just gorged ourselves on pizza and a host of other samples from the strip we felt fudge would be pushing it. But, we couldn't leave empty handed either. We decided to take chocolate dipped marshmallows as a small dessert to enjoy later in the car! While Mon Aimee impressed me, I (and my wallet) felt more at home in this candy store ;)

Ahhh.....after a food filled weekend we were finally ready to head home to the Buckeye state.

Day 2 of Steeler Country

2009-10-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

Pittsburg's Strip District

October 11, 2009

12ish

We woke up Sunday to a simply beautiful, quintessential, Midwestern fall day. The air was crisp and cool, but you still felt comfortable in just a light jacket. This is my type of day! The trees had turned and the hills looked so warm with their oranges, yellows, and reds in contrast to the cool water of the Allegheny river.

We were definitely happy to be in Pittsburgh on such a day! We quickly got dressed for an after the wedding brunch at the Omni William-Penn and met our family. We leisurely ate pastries and yogurt, drank enough coffee to compensate for our late night, and then offered congratulations and good-byes to everyone before checking out and taking off the explore the Strip District for a few hours before heading back to Ohio.

We got to the strip district around 12 pm and parking was a little more difficult to find than the previous day, but still not a problem. The Steelers were playing away in Detroit, but there were still plenty of people selling Steeler gear and plenty of people wearing Steeler gear as they worked on finding the perfect place to watch the game. These are people just as serious about their NFL football team as we are about OSU!

As we walked around what I noticed most was how eclectic this district is. There are the sports fans trying to find a bar, there were teenagers hanging out in line for a concert to be held later that night, there were people doing some grocery shopping, and there were families out just exploring. The mix of people around also spoke to the mix of businesses that call The Strip home. The warehouse and train track background speak to the working class roots of the District and some of these merchants are still around. You can see the history in places like Stan's Market that still features fresh produce, the Italian American roots of the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, and a classic breakfast diner in DeLuca's. However, interspersed with these classics are some signs of change. In between the history is a mingling with the future. There are Asian markets, gourmet spice stores, gourmet kitchen supplies, dried flower shops, homemade pottery stores, coffee shops, and upscale chocolatiers.

I really appreciated this diversity, especially given that I can be as happy attacking a burger from Thurman's as I can dining at The Refectory. It's a mingling of 2 very fine worlds.

The upcoming descriptions of places are by no means an extensive list of great places on the strip, but it is a sampling of the things that were open (it was Sunday so some places were closed) and that impressed me. First, Stan's Market had a ton of fresh produce ready to go and I noticed the prices were great (at least much less than I'm used to spending in Columbus)! We also noticed there were some people selling fresh flowers on the street that were beautiful and also priced less than I'm used to seeing at farmer's markets around here. If I didn't have to worry about fresh flowers getting squashed by all the luggage I HAD to bring with us, I definitely would have bought a few bunches to spruce up our house with some fall color.

The first place we ducked into was In The Kitchen, a gourmet kitchen supply store. We loved browsing through all the specialty cookware items and ended up buying some Steeler colored chocolate covered sunflower seeds and fall shaped cookie cutters for our friend who was house sitting and watching our dogs. We were definitely tempted to buy more by the samples of pumpkin whoopie pies and pumpkin butter. One friendly staff member even gave me a tip on how to get the whoopie pies to have extra flavor!

From there we explored Penzey's spices and ducked into Mancini's bread to get a closer look at the pepperoni rolls we saw so many people enjoying. Granted the roll looked very good and was tempting, but ultimately we decided we'd prefer somewhere we could sit down and relax for a bit before driving home.

We loved the expressions on the clay pumpkins at Penn Ave Pottery, but were unwilling to spend around $40 to take one home. Maybe we'll reconsider when economy turns back around. :)

DeLuca's Restaurant looked amazing and had a line out the door! We figured it had to be good diner fair, but considering we had already eaten breakfast we were looking more for a lunch spot.

We ducked in Roxanne's Dried Flowers and were immediately enchanted with the fun displays of flowers mingled with antique looking Halloween decor. We bought a whimsical butterfly ornament for our Christmas tree that reminded me of some antique ornaments my great grandmother had.

We were impressed and enticed by the rich chocolately smell of Mon Aimee Chocolat. However, looking was about all we could afford to do here. I was in awe of the decadent display cases, chocolate bars from around the word, and different mixes of cocoa powder. They even had the chocolate covered bacon I had heard so much about a few months ago! However, the prices were hard for me to swallow. The chocolate covered bacon, I think, was around $8 and we found a regular sized candy bar for $24! Suddenly the $40 pottery pumpkin was looking like a steal.

But eventually the heady chocolate smell of the store did get the better of us and we ended up buying 2 small truffles, one peanut butter flavored and one pumpkin flavored. The peanut butter one was divine and reminded me of a very soft and velvety cross between a buckeye and a Reese's cup. The chocolate in the pumpkin flavored one was had a equally soft, velvety mouth feel. However, the flavor of the pumpkin was just not as good as the peanut butter.

We then explored the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company. Now this is an Italian grocery! The cheeses, the pastas, the meats, the oils, the olives... I could go on and on about this place of beauty. If I lived in Pittsburgh this would be a favorite stop of mine and I'm sure my Italian dishes would never be the same! Since actually traveling in Italy this is the closest I've seen to a true grocery like in the "old country".

With seeing everyone eat the pepperoni rolls and then seeing all the Italian food staples, we decided we needed Italian food for lunch. The day before, as we sauntered around trying to find Primanti Brothers, we drooled over a table enjoying a pizza. We ended up trying our own for lunch at Bella Notte. Stay tuned for my next to hear how that went!

Bill Total (for food): $1.20 for the 2 chocolates, samples at In the Kitchen were free, and for the rest of the places we just looked!

Overall Strip Rating: 5 buckeyes~This place is a food paradise!

The Buckeye Goes to Steeler Country

2009-10-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Primanti Brothers
Strip District

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

October 10, 2009

This past weekend we attended a beautiful wedding at the Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh. It was truly an elegant affair and it was great catching up with family and friends. We had a great time, but while all of this was going on, we were also itching to explore some of the city. For me food is the heart of all travel, so we attempted to take a whirlwind bite out of Pittsburgh! Since we only had a few open hours we focused our attention on Pittsburgh's famous Strip District.

While doing some pre-travel internet searching I came across the famous Primanti Brothers sandwiches. I think I first had heard of this place on the Travel Channel show, Man V Food. Seeing the segment about them on TV made me laugh, because the sandwiches reminded me so much of the famous overstuffed sandwiches from Panini's that my friends and I would share after a fun night of dancing (and of course I only mean dancing :) ) during our college days. This, of course, was when Panini's was still located on South campus. It has since moved more north on High Street to the location of a past bank and past Counterfeit Heist restaurant. But I digress, I LOVED these sandwiches in college and nothing tasted better at 1 or 2 in the morning. Well actually, maybe TJ's, Cluck-U-Chicken, or Catfish Biffs were more often top choices; but Panini's was definitely in my top 5!

I also thought Panini sandwiches were so unique. However, this TV special showed me that they're not so unique after all. It turns out that Primanti Brothers have been over stuffing their sandwiches with fries and coleslaw since around the time of the Great Depression. The Primanti Brothers opened their restaurant to feed the workers in the produce and warehouse strip of Pittsburgh late at night or in the early morning. Because of their jobs they needed something filling, fast, and easy to eat. There's not as much warehouse and produce work going on in the strip as there once was, but Primanti Brothers has kept their late hours and now also have an after clubbing following. They also have a lunch following, after work following, food to eat during the games following, have to eat here if you're only going to be in Pittsburgh for a few hours before a wedding following etc. etc. This just makes me wonder if the founders of Panini's were from around the Pittsburgh area and trying to bring a bit of their memories to Ohio? Or did they just try the sandwich while on a trip and figured this was something Ohio just had to have? My research on this, thus far, has turned up nada. If anybody out there has the answer, please enlighten me!

Primanti Brothers is such a Pittsburgh institution that is has expanded to include 15 Pittsburgh area restaurants, including Heinz Field and the airport, and 2 locations in Florida! However, I feel like you generally get the best understanding about what a restaurant is all about from the origininal, so that's immediately where we went upon arrival in Pittsburgh. The wedding didn't start until 7:00 pm so when we arrived in Pittsburgh around 4, we figured we could fit in a "snack", especially since we'd be eating dinner much later.

I had heard mixed reviews about The Strip. Some complain that it's just a street filled with cheesy Steeler paraphernalia, while others rave about the classic Pittsburgh institutions. With such mixed reviews, I didn't know exactly what to expect. We quickly found parking behind an old warehouse and I admit that the area looked a bit sketchy from the get go. I also quickly understood where the complaints about the tons of Steeler gear came from since the Steeler vendors line the street with quality products such as yellow and black Mardi Gras beads and slippers. But then again, I also feel those nay-sayers didn't take the time to look past a little grit and appreciate the true spirit of the place. But more on that later. Sunday afternoon Erik and I spent the afternoon exploring The Strip and I'll write about that in my next post.

For now I'll get back to Primanti Brothers.

First off the restaurant is just off the main strip. You look down a side street and this sign welcomes you from the side of the building. You get a little closer and you see beautiful old wood doors just welcoming you to grab a bite to eat!

You immediately know it's going to be good when you see people pushing to get in and a police officer managing the door.

We lucked out with a great seat at the counter. However, the cook was super busy and it took about 20 minutes to get our order in. This is no complaint though! The servers and cook NEVER stopped moving. They just were that busy.

Since this was supposed to be just a "snack" before a wedding we opted to share the Pitts-burgher Cheese Steak, which they call their number 2 bestseller. (Their number 1 bestseller is the beer!) I ate my half with a refreshing Coke, but Erik couldn't pass up an opportunity to have a Yuengling, which is another Pennsylvania tradition. Unfortunately, Yuengling is not sold in Ohio. How happy we would be if it were! But instead, it gives us something to forward to when we travel.

Once our order was in drinks came fast and the sandwich was ready in just about 5 minutes. I will say this sandwich is a thing of beauty. The layers of flavor, the sides dishes placed on the sandwich; simply genius
The breakdown is a sirloin beef patty, provolone cheese, french fries similar to fair fries, a vinegary sweet and sour coleslaw, and tomato slices. This is all sandwiched between white Italian bread and served in classic wax paper. Yum! The acidic bite of the coleslaw and tomato nicely balances the fat and juiciness from the rest of the sandwich. And the thick Italian bread does a nice job of holding everything together and soaking up the excess.

And to top it all off our server liked the fact we ran in just to have a sandwich before the wedding so much, he gave us one more to take to another lucky guest! Apparently someone ordered a sandwich, but didn't have cash to pay for it (the restaurant is cash only). Lucky for us, but we did feel baldly about the person missing out on his/her sandwich.

Erik and I were extremely happy with our sandwich and would have loved to sample some more items. We left really wishing we had tried the corn beef or at least one of their other "shaved meat" sandwiches. We were interested in how that type of texture would work with the rest of the sandwich. I have to say the patty on the Cheese Steak was good, but it wasn't amazing. I'm thinking the corn beef or ham could be amazing. I guess there's always next time!

Bill total: $12 (1 Cheese Steak, 1 Yuengling, 1 Coke, tip)

Overall Rating: 4 buckeyes

I really wrestled with this one, but I think it comes down to personal taste and the fact that this is my blog! I know I gave Skyline 5 buckeyes and Primanti Brothers has an equal fan following. But it isn't my history, and I don't crave it. I'd drive out of my way many miles to get a Skyline fix, but I wouldn't make a trip to Pittsburgh just for this sandwich. I'll let the Pittsburg restaurant bloggers give this one a 5 and critique Skyline ;)

Pizza, Fire, and Art!

2009-10-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

Enrico's Pizza and Restaurant

5788 Frantz Road

Dublin, Ohio 43016

September 19, 2009

6ish pm

My husband and I were looking for more of a low key dining out experience before going downtown to see Waterfire and explore the Riverfront Arts Festival. We thought a mom and pop pizza place would be just the ticket and had heard Enrico's just might fit the bill. A friend of ours had insisted we put it on our evergrowing list of restaurants to try and as I looked up reviews online I noticed, by far, the majority were favorable; with one even stating the pizza was the best they've ever had, even when comparing it to pizza from Sicily! If this is pizza better than how the Sicilian's do it, then I need to try it :)

As you walk in the restaurant the first thing I noticed was the wonderful smell of a true pizzeria. This is the smell of a blend of homemade crust baking, family dining, and Italian spices. While those big named chains can crank out a decent pizza, the places just don't have the same smell. It took me back to this pizza place my parents would take me to on Friday nights, named Chester's. I remember standing in line to order our pizza, my head just reaching the top of the counter, and smelling this same smell. Then we'd walk back to dark wooden tables to patiently (actually impatiently and complaining was probably more the case since I was 5-7 years old, but that's beside the point) wait for the pizza to be brought out. I also remember how awesome I thought it was that this restaurant actually had TVs in it. Can you imagine now being impressed by TVs in a restaurant? How things have changed, and how old does saying things like this make me feel! But I digress, back to Enrico's.

The server told us to sit wherever and then another server quickly came over to take our drink orders. She was possibly the mother of the family because she was definitely professional, friendly, and seemed invested in the place. She knew her job and did it well.

A weird quirk of mine is absolutely having to have some sort of soft drink with pizza and Coke is definitely my preference. I just can't drink anything else with it; so that's what I ordered. The husband is much more flexible and thought an Italian beer would be fitting, so he ordered a Peroni. We took a minute to look around the place and noticed that the place was busy, but not overly crowded. There were about 8 couples, mainly people in their 30's and up enjoying what seemed to be "date night". There was one family with kids. The restuarant definitely had a family friendly vibe, but this night it was mostly couples. It seemed like many people were regulars and knew the family. You could see the grandmother (at least I assume it was the grandmother) cooking in the back, while the mother chatted up a few of the guests and ensured they were having an enjoyable time. If you're looking for a mom and pop classic pizzeria, this is definitely your place!

We then went over the menu and the typical Italian entrees of spaghetti and lasagna definitely tempted us, but overall we decided we came here for the pizza and that's what we were going to try! We both got side salads, mine with ranch and Erik's with house made Italian. We couldn't agree on pizza toppings so I decided to go vegetarian on my half with onions, green peppers, and black olives; while Erik went with capicola on his half. I was happy to see such authentically Italian topping choices.

Our salads came out quickly and we immediately dug in. The salad was very basic with iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, and a tomato. My ranch was a packet of Marzetti's. I'm never fond of restaurants presenting dressing this way. I realize most restaurants don't make all of their dressings homemade, but is it really too difficult to either put the dressing on the salad or serve it in a ramekin on the side? To me, this extra minute of prep work helps presentation and the overall vibe of the restaurant. Getting a packet of dressing in a restaurant just reminds me too much of a fast food chain. But while this is a negative to me I do realize I'm being pretty picky, and it's definitely not something that makes or breaks my experience either :)

Erik's homemade Italian dressing was served on his salad and we both sampled it. It had a surprisingly sweeter taste than most Italian dressings. However, the sweetness coupled with the oil were really the only flavors that came through for me. Overall, the taste was fairly bland. I would have preferred more Italian spices. Erik agreed.

My ranch was classic (Thanks Marzetti's!) and overall my salad was a typical side salad. Not bad, not great.

We finished our salads and our pizza was out momentarily. The pizza looked great and as you picked up your slice there were those great strings of melted cheese hanging on. I couldn't wait to try it. Of course I tried my veggie side first and I really hate to say it, but I was disappointed. The crust was great with a nice crunch, not too thick and not too thin. The cheese was perfectly ooey and gooey. The veggies were well cooked and not too heavily or skimpily topped. However, everything together just did not make me feel like this was the best pizza ever, or really anything close. It definitely wasn't bad, but I've had many better (including those in Italy)! I tried to think about what was missing, what was wrong, why I didn't love this pizza and I just couldn't place it right away. I decided to try a piece of my husband's side while I contemplated...

Now this is what pizza is all about. Erik's side obviously had the same nice crust and ooey gooey cheese. However, his was topped with the capicola which added a wonderful spiciness to the pizza. This was what was missing on my side! Not the meat (even though it was definitely high quality and I'd love to know who the supplier is), but the extra spice in the capicola added the flavor punch that my side didn't have. Enrico's seems to use basic, good quality crust, sauce, and cheese as a blank canvas for the spiced meat toppings (or maybe they were just out of Italian seasonings this day given the same problem with the dressing :) ). But this strategy works out wonderfully when you order a pizza with meat, but not as fabulously on a veggie pizza. If they asked me, and I'm not sure they would really care about my opinion since, based on the reviews, so many people love their pizza. But if they did, I would tell them to leave their meat topped pizza alone. It's done completely right. But if someone orders cheese only or veggie toppings, take a couple more seconds to shake on some Italian spices! We need flavor. This could help elevate their vegetarian pizzas to the same satisfaction level of their meat pizzas.

We downed the majority of our large pizza, paid, and took off in just enough time to make it downtown, park and run to the river to see the lighting of waterfire. Sorry about the picture quality, Waterfire did look more impressive than this in person.

I had heard about Waterfire sometime last summer, but missed it every time. I was happy we finally were able to make it to one this season. But I must say it wasn't what I had expected. Somehow I had anticipated a bigger fire display or maybe it organized more artfully. However, it still was very nice and something different to experience in Columbus. It kind of reminded me of a city version of the bonfires people have when they're camping or just hanging out in someone's backyard. Groups of friends, families, and couples all sat on the riverbank, talked, and watched the fire. Erik and I took a moment to first stand on the bridge and take the display in and then we moved down to the riverbank to sit for awhile and enjoy the warm glow close up. On a cool evening, sitting close to a fire is so comforting, homey, and relaxing! After we had our fill of the fire (and before the food coma from the pizza could sit in) we walked back up the riverbank to walk through the arts festival. I must say this is definitely one of Columbus's more classier festivals and for a minute I thought that surely I was in a different city. The opera was putting on a free performance which we enjoyed for a few minutes before progressing on. There was a wine booth and a mixed drinks vendor. We ordered 2 glasses of their white wine and it was so nice to sip as we strolled through the art booths and heard opera singing in the background. Now this reminded me of being in Italy. A perfect end to an evening out!

Bill total (for Enrico's only): 2 Peroni's, Coke, 2 side salads, large pizza, and tip: $37

Bill total (for Arts Festival): 2 glasses of white wine: $8

Overall Rating for Enrico's: 3 buckeyes

Overall Rating for and evening in Columbus: 4 buckeyes

Restaurant Week

2009-09-21T18:06:00.000-07:00

The Refectory
September 11, 2009
8ish pm

Dine originals puts together one of the best events in Columbus. For one week many locally owned and operated Columbus restaurants (read between the lines and this means non-chain and excellent) have special 3 course prix fixe menus for $20.09 or $30.09 (depending on the restaurant). This gives people a chance to try out restaurants they may have considered, but were never willing to take the plunge on because of potential price or perhaps one bad comment they have heard that has kept them away. It also gives chefs an opportunity to showcase some of their specialties. Win win for everyone.

Love for me!

In the business of beginning the school year I almost missed this week until a friend happened to mention it around Wednesday of the week. Once alerted I ran (and yes I literally mean ran) to the computer to see what our options were. I was immediately struck and ecstatic that The Refectory was a part of this deal. I knew that this would be a strong contender, but I had no idea how so many of the menus would tempt me. Checking out and comparing each menu was definitely part of the fun of this week. If only I had known this was restaurant week earlier! I for sure would have broken my deal of going out to eat more than one time a week. However, groceries for the week were already bought and I didn't want things to go to waste. But some of the tempters included pan fried chicken breast with black truffles at Bexley's Monk, heirloom tomato salad and strip steak at the Burgundy Room, and prime rib and a funnel cake at The Top Steakhouse . However, all in all we decided we couldn't pass up an opportunity to experience 3 courses at The Refectory for $30 a person.

I had Erik call and make reservations immediately and Erik was struck by how polite and welcoming the man making the reservation was on the phone (my guess is that it was the owner). Erik actually remarked that it was the nicest anyone had ever been on the phone while making a reservation. We only hoped this was a good omen for our dining experience.

And I can definitely say that it was. As you walk into the restaurant you feel a little as if you are going back in time to a period of more refined elegance. The owner is at the reception welcoming you in and the restaurant has a feel of an old club, but in a comfortable way, not too stuffy. It's always welcoming its members back, but is just as gracious to meet someone new. Erik and I had a seat on a soft love seat to await our table. We waited less than 5 minutes, which I didn't mind at all since it gave me a chance to get a feel for the restaurant and take the experience in.

We were then seated in a portion of the dining room that I believe was the old church. Wood beams were exposed in the ceiling which gave a feeling of warmth and contrasted nicely with the overall more elegant feel of the restaurant service. Drink orders were taken and I opted for a dirty vodka martini made with Kettle One. I was pleasantly surprised when I was offered the option of bleu cheese stuffed olives (my favorite)! Erik went with a gimlet.

After drink orders were taken we had a few moments to look around the restaurant. Erik remarked that the restaurant seemed to have a quiet hum of a bee hive or an orchestra working together. As you look around you see couples enjoying an evening out and friends celebrating a special occasion. However, if you look at things on a deeper level, all around the diners is a quiet buzz of the servers doing there job and doing it superbly. Everyone looks like they know exactly what they are doing and always look busy, but there is no confusion or no one getting in anyone else's way. At the same time, no one is overbearing and you never feel like the servers are intruding on your experience. This is what serving as a profession, rather than an extra job is all about.

Soon after our drinks arrived we were given an amuse bouche that was similar to a bruschetta, only with much finer ingredients than your typical tomatoes and basil. However, unfortunately I don't recall what those ingredients were. I only remember it was yummy and all the flavors on the plate melded together seamlessly. You will have to forgive my explanations of the food as blogging is fairly new to me and I forgot to immediately write down the specific names of the different dishes (and for this one we didn't even take a picture). As you can see, I'm writing this a couple of weeks after my experience and the memories are starting to fade! I promise only to get better! However, this has made me learn that as the exact ingredients, textures, and thoughts about a dish fade quickly after the eating. The feelings of the moment stay with you and that is what truly makes a dining experience memorable.

On that note, our appetizers came next and Erik and I both got the same thing. Again, I cannot remember exactly what dish was named (but at least I remembered to take a picture this time)! It was a cold soup with a red pepper base, a pesto swirled into it, and a bit of shrimp in the middle. The soup was good, with strong flavor but nothing too memorable to me. No complaints, but no raves either.

Next up were our entrees. I ordered a strip steak done medium rare and Erik went with the salmon. My steak was perfection! The presentation was beautiful and showed the steak perfectly medium rare. The steak was very tender and obviously of high quality. It gave new meaning to the phrase "It melts in your mouth". The sauce had a velvety texture that reminded me of a very refined, yet comforting reduction of a pot roast gravy with possibly the addition of red wine and butter. Each vegetable was done tender crisp and offered a nice crunch in contrast to the softness and tenderness of the steak. The whipped potatoes were done well and added to the comforting feel of a very upscale pot roast.

I am not a salmon lover, but gosh I wish I was since it's so good for you and Erik's looked divine. But since I'm not I have nothing to add about this dish, but a picture and a few words from my husband. Erik noted that the fish had a nice flaky texture and the sauce was a tomato white whine sauce that was not overpowering. The asparagus was tender crisp and the pasta had a tomato flavor. The other piece was a stuffed tomato topped with anchovy. Overall, Erik enjoyed the dish very much, but felt it was not unlike other salmon dishes he had tried. He said that he was much more impressed with the service of the restaurant than the food. Nevertheless, he still enjoyed the food very much.

I must say that my personal dining experience just got better and better as we went (possibly because of the effects of 2 martinis, but I do think the quality of the dishes had something to do with it also) :) and my dessert might be the best I've ever had.

I ordered a chocolate charlotte bombe that made my heart skip a beat as I tasted it. The centerpiece of the dessert was chocolate mousse like, but lighter than any other mousse I had ever eaten before. However, at the same time as achieving lightness there was still a strong, rich chocolate flavor. Sometimes it seems that the extra air that is incorporated into a dessert to achieve lightness results in less flavor coming through. But luckily, this was not the case in this dessert. The mousse was on top of a crisp chocolate cookie/biscotti base and topped with a chocolate wafer. Covering the plate was a raspberry sauce. Raspberry and chocolate is a favorite flavor combination of mine, but the Refectory has elevated this to new levels. The velvety texture and sugary sweetness of the sauce, combined with the light airiness of the mousse, and then the crunch of the thicker cookie base created pure joy in my mouth. It was a perfect melding of flavors and textures, but with a strong pure chocolate flavor always shining through. I think a tear of joy may have rolled down my cheek after my first bite.

Erik ordered a dessert that is hard to name (when you don't write down what was written on the menu), but I'll do my best to describe it. It was plum based with a moist dense filling similar to a custard, but with a slightly more cake like/granular texture than a pure custard. This was topped with a vanilla bean ice cream and a creme anglaise on the plate. This dessert was equally high quality, but I kept getting the feeling that I made the better choice of dishes during this meal! But, when you're a chocolate lover it's very difficult to beat a chocolate mousse. With this dessert, instead of every flavor melding together, each flavor stood out. The vanilla ice cream had a strong flavor of vanilla, likely due to real vanilla bean. The creme anglaise also had a pure velvety vanilla flavor and then there was the sweet/sour flavor of the plum custardy dessert. (I know you are all astounded by my creative foodie vocabulary such as "plum custardy dessert".) But in this dessert, instead of a melding of flavors each flavor had its own distinct note.

Ahhh.....what a great ending to a satisfying evening out. There is just nothing that compares to a dining experience in a dining institution that so obviously has an old world style that never needs to be changed, but still can lead in food quality and creation. Overall, I think it's the contrasts in the restaurant that makes it so appealing. Elegant decor is contrasted with rustic exposed beams in the ceiling of the dining room and a mismatch of fine china. The building has a history and the food stays true to its roots, but with contemporary takes on classic dishes. There is an air of relaxation, comfort, and being truly taken care of as you dine; yet there is still a constant buzz of organized business from the waitstaff going on in the background. Even the dishes speak to the harmony that comes with contrast. Velvety steak contrasts with tender crisp vegetables. Tart plums contrast with sweet sauces.

On top of all this, someone even called us on Monday just to ensure we had a good experience. That was definitely a first for me and just showed how top notch the place and the service truly is. If you ever get the opportunity, this is a restaurant not to miss.

Another thing not to miss is restaurant week. I know I definitely don't want to make such a close call again! I've already highlighted March 7-13, 2010 (the next C-bus RW) in my calendar and think you should do the same.

Bill total: 2 3-course dinners through Restaurant Week ($30.09 each), 2 Ketle One martini's, 2 gimlets, and tip:$120 (yes, alcohol really ups the bill)

Overall Rating: 5 buckeyes

On the Way Home from Michigan

2009-09-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

Dad's

Route 33 (near Indian Lake)

New Hampshire, Ohio

September 7, 2009

4:30ish pm

As mentioned before, we make the drive to Michigan and back quite often. Because of this the drive has become quite boring and tedious. This happened, say around the 350th time we've done it (not the 349th, that one was still okay :) ). Because of this we've tried many alternate routes in what we say is to try and find a quicker route, but in reality it helps break up the monotony.

Earlier this summer we attempted a route that takes us out Route 33 for a longer period of time and around the western part of Indian Lake rather that taking route 174 which took us around the eastern part of Indian Lake. While I truly doubt this little change saved us any time, it did allow us to stumble upon another piece of Americana called Dad's.

This is the classic roadside stop that Route 66 was invented for ;) Big classic sign outside, walk up window, family run, you sit outside on picnic tables, everyone knows your name (cue Cheers theme song) etc. etc. These are the kind of places I miss by living in a bigger city. These are the places you imagine your son's baseball team congregating at after a big win and stopping at to help prolong a successful first date. You can almost here John Mellencamp's Small Town or Jack and Diane playing as you walk up. This one is primarily an ice cream stand, but has ventured into some dinner fair such as hamburgers, funnel fries, french fries, fried cauliflower, fried jalapenos, fried broccoli etc. Just kidding with the fried broccoli, but I thought it'd help get the point across! Basically, you're not coming here for health food, but you are coming here for small town comfort, hospitality, and a brush with the past.

Earlier in the day we had filled up on an excellent Labor Day lunch, but we thought ice cream would hit the spot and sustain us for the rest of our drive home. We had a hard time deciding which flavor to try or to go with soft serve or hand dipped. There were lots of hand written suggestions from various high school workers (e.g. The Julie is chocolate ice cream with marshmallows on top. The Rocco is chocolate peanut butter with whipped cream and sprinkles). We both opted for hand dipped ice cream on a cone. The ice cream was Ruggle's and I had the Black Cherry while my husband had Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. A cake cone was our only option. This slightly saddened us because we both prefer a sugar cone, but we've found more and more places only offer a cake cone or a choice between cake or waffle cone. To me the cake cone just doesn't have much flavor and a waffle cone is just to0 big for the one dip I usually strive for. But oh well, it's truly not that big of a deal.

My Black Cherry was great! Lovely flavor with tons of big chunks of cherry. However, I was not so fond of my husband's Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. I think maybe there were too many flavors going on. The chocolate tasted of pretty poor quality and there was an artificial flavoring taste that I didn't care for. But that's just my opinion. My husband was happy enough with his selection, even though he did state next time he'd try something else. All in all it was ice cream at a place with more character than most. I was pretty happy with it.

Next time I'd love to try some of their regular food such as the fried cauliflower or really fried just about anything!

We may keep changing our route to Michigan in other ways, but I have a feeling we'll be headed into New Hampshire many more times.

Bill total: 2 ice cream cones, 1 dip each $4

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes

The Buckeye Goes to Enemy Territory

2009-09-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

Mexican Bar and Grill
9740 Cherry Valley Ave SE
Caledonia, Michigan 49316
September 6, 2009
8ish pm

Yep, I'm a part of a blended family. That is, part of us support and are alumni of OSU and the other (blech) support and are alumni of Michican. This also means that we have a family cottage on a very small lake in western Michigan to which we make frequent visits in the summer. So this venture into enemy territory is nothing new to me (and I hate to have to admit it, but I really rather enjoy it).

Since we make the trip so frequently I also attempt to find new places to try out there, but it is quite a bit harder there than it is in Columbus due to us being located very close to the middle of nowhere. However, on my last drive through Hastings I became interested in a cute little microbrewery named Walldorff Brew Pub and Bistro. I inquired about this place to our neighbors and everyone had good things to say. So Sunday evening during Labor Day weekend my husband and I decided we'd give it a try. Now those of you who are perceptive will have noticed that Walldorff's is not the restaurant tag line for this post and that is where the story comes from.

Sunday was a beautiful day and looked like it would be a perfect evening on the lake. For a little while we did debate about whether or not to just stay at the cottage and enjoy the weather, but the thought of a burger and trying a new beer lured us out. Around 5 I stopped throwing the stick for our dog Gracie, and started to get ready for dinner.

(I couldn't resist an opportunity to add a pic of my Gracie. She's jumping off the dock in a quest for her stick in this one!)

We got in the car and as the evening sun was beginning to set we drove through quintessential Midwestern farmland. We passed dairy cows, old barns, cornfields, and the occasional bonfire around rusted out cars by the trailer park (no joke, wish I had a picture of that one)! Ahhh....sweet Michigan. How similar you really are to OH-IO.

As we approached town I noted how peaceful the town seemed. So sleepy, so quiet. But then I realized this also meant my restaurant also seemed sleepy and quiet. No, no, no, no, no! Apparently we've lived with city conveniences for too long. It had completely slipped our minds that a part of small town life is still closing on Sundays. Personally, I really can't imagine this anymore, but I know it is how people lived for centuries. But seriously, what do these people do when they want a relaxing Sunday evening with no cooking? Obviously, they don't come into Hastings :) We sullenly pulled into the empty parking lot and discussed what to do about dinner.

It was getting too late for me to want to cook, but it seemed like the only option around was fast food. Then I happened to remember a funny Mexican place we had passed numerous times on our way to the grocery store. It had previously been a down home, log cabin inspired restaurant named Big-O-Fish. (Yes. Really, Big-O-Fish.) However, the fish fry didn't make it and a Mexican place had taken over...and from the looks of the outside they hadn't gotten around to changing the hunting/fishing decor yet. I was intrigued. Sometimes these places end up being great, almost as if they have such a need to get their awesome food out there they have no time to worry about silly things like decor. But we also knew it was just as likely to be a big fail. However, we (and our growling stomachs) decided we were up for the gamble. I'm not generally one to turn down the chance for Mexican and a margarita. However, I must admit it didn't have its usual draw due to me spending most of my day dreaming about a burger and beer, but I was willing to make the sacrifice.

We drove up to the previous Big-O-Fish (I just love typing that name) and were in luck; it was open! I was exactly right about them not changing the cabin decor. Big wood bar stools greeted us through the door and a back room still had murals of mountains, streams, and furry animals. However, the mural in the main dining room had been changed to a more typical Mexican scene. I'm sure changing the hunting scene is right up there on their to do list :)

We laugh about the decor as we take out seats. We see the drink special of the day is a Sangarita (a combination of sangria and a margarita) for $2 and figure we'll give it a shot. Unfortunately we figured dead wrong. The wine they used was obviously cheap and of very poor quality. I guess this is a case of you get what you pay for, but I wouldn't even bother putting this on the menu if this is the quality I had to use. Its metallic/minerally taste overshadowed everything and I couldn't appreciate the sour of the margarita in contrast to the sweetness of sangria that made trying a sangarita appealing. My husband decided to take one for the team and he finished both drinks while I ordered a regular margarita on the rocks. This was much better and exactly as expected. It was obviously from a mix rather than from a lime juice base, but at this type of restaurant that's what I would expect. It served its purpose and quenched my desire for a margarita, and rid the taste of the sangarita from my mouth!

Our server was very friendly and brought us chips and salsa immediately. The chips were good and the salsa was tolerable, but bland for my taste. The tomatoes were from a can, but they could have worked had they had some fresh ingredients added in such as cilantro to kick up the flavor. But without fresh herbs it ended up tasting similar to a prepared salsa you'd get at the store.

Our server promptly took our order and our food was served quickly. My husband ordered chiraquiries (sp??) Mexicano (pretty please ignore spelling, we forgot to write down entree names before the menus were taken) which were corn tortilla chips smothered in chicken, tomatillo salsa, and queso blanco. They were served with rice, lettuce, guacamole, and sour cream on the side. This was actually very good and definitely the highlight of our visit. The tomatillo salsa had a wonderful flavor and an additional kick of spice that was unexpected. The tortilla chips when mixed with the other ingredients had a stronger flavor than I had noted when eating them with salsa and actually reminded me a little of Fritos flavoring, but in a good way (as weird and unbelievable as that sounds). Here is a shot of this dish.

I ordered 2 chicken enchiladas and a beef tamale. The tamale was excellent. It had a very thick corn mix outside and a ground beef filling with lots of flavor. Everything was covered in a red sauce that I just wasn't a fan of. It was too bitter. Probably there was too much cinnamon added for my taste, but on a positive note the heat of the sauce was just right. The filling in the enchiladas was good with shredded chicken, green peppers, and black pepper flavors shining through. However, the tortillas were a little too soggy. Here is a pic of my dish (with that lovely Sangarita).

I ordered my food a la carte, so that's why there isn't rice, beans, guacamole, etc.

Overall, this restaurant had some spots of brightness with their service, tamales, and chiraquries (sp???). However, there is lots more that could be improved. The decor would definitely be forgivable and maybe even kitschy if the food was fantastic. But with off decor and more misses that hits with the food I wouldn't suggest stopping here if you're driving through western Michigan. Instead, just make sure you pass through Monday through Saturday and try out Walldorff's for me. I know that will be my next plan! Or you can continue into Grand Rapids and try Rose's on Reeds Lake, my personal western Michigan favorite.

Bill total: 2 sangaritas, 1 margarita, 1 tamale, 2 chicken enchiladas, and 1 chiraqueries Mexicano entree, plus tip= $35

Overall Rating: 2 buckeyes

Skyline Fix

2009-09-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Skyline
September 2, 2009
6ish pm

I was weak.

I try to be healthy and fit throughout the week. I really do. I try to splurge only on the weekends. But alas, this becomes exceedingly more difficult as the school year marches on.

However, it's probably not a good sign that this is only the second week of school and it's happening already.

All through the summer I worked out out at the gym, swam at the pool, and made fabulously healthy (and yummy) dinners. I was the epitome of health conscious. I had will power. I had stamina.

Eight days into the new school year and it's gone. Today the health deck was stacked against me. I left work later than usual and checking up on emails at home resulted in me missing my favorite Zumba class. I reasoned with myself that I would just take a later spin class and then run home and fix a quick salad for myself for dinner. I knew I was on my own for the evening due to the husband's fantasy football draft. I knew there were already 2 strikes against me (1 being missing my preferred class, 2 being I knew the husband would not be around to cook or eat dinner with), but that was okay. Health would prevail because I had a plan!

So, dutifully, on I went to the gym. I checked in and ran up to my class. I was on my way! But, "Nooo!" Stopped in my tracks by the teacher. Now I admit I am quite picky about my spin classes. I desperately need a peppy teacher with rockin' music to get me through, or after about 10 minutes into things I feel like the bike is moving in mud and I'm about to fall over the handlebars flat on my face. I want to stop hearing the sappy music and give up with every peddle I push and deep, haggard breath I take. Unfortunately, from past experience I knew this class, with this teacher, was not going to be worth it for me. Double drat! I turned on my heal and convinced myself that it was okay, I would just get some lifting in instead. However, when I lift, I record my weights and exercises in a book that I had left in the car. No problemo, I'd just run right out, get my book and my workout would begin.

But then I got to my car, and all of a sudden I felt so tired. I didn't really want to lift and I was HUNGRY. Gosh darn it, I had had a hard day! Before I knew it there was a flash of yellow and blue checks in my mind and the old commercial tag line, "Whenever you're feeling good and hungry.....", starts playing in my head. At this point I was powerless and my mind was turning. It thought all on its own, "That's right, Skyline is just a few minutes from my gym." Strike 3 and I was out of the workout game. Why oh why do so many restuarants have to be within a mile radius of my gym?

Before I knew it my car was in the takeout line and my order of a classic 3-way was placed. As I waited I did have a moment of doubt. I still had time to make a healthy decision..... But then that spicy smell that can only mean Skyline wafted into my car as the cashier opened the window to the car before me and, Mmmmm. I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.

I quickly drove home with eager anticipation of my dinner. I got out a refreshing Coke (Side note: It was a Mexican Coke, thus explaining the glass bottle). Regardless of the debate of whether or not high fructose corn syrup is any better or worse for you than cane sugar, Coke made with cane sugar just tastes better. Seriously. Try it. It's a revelation and the taste you've been missing for years. I especially enjoy it with dinners like this that remind me of home and my childhood. I grew up near Cincinnati where Skyline and Coke were family traditions, especially on busy activity filled nights after school. Similar, in many ways, to the night I just had. What a comforting thought....

Anyway back to the food. Part of enjoying Skyline is prepping it just how you like it. Of course, there's debate between the 3, 4, and 5-way (a debate about adding onions, beans, or both to the mix). Oyster crackers mixed in or on the side. Hot sauce in the mix, on the crackers as an oyster bomb, or left out completely. But that's just the beauty of the food. Everyone has their way. Ha Ha, get it? 3-way, 4-way, their way :) I'm sure you're amazed by my sophisticated humor.

I like mine with 3/4 of the cheese piled on the spaghetti/meat mixture and 1/4 of my cheese left over for snacking plain. There's just something special about the texture of the finely grated Skyline cheese that I love to taste all on its own, in a big handful. On top of the spaghetti, meat, and cheese mix I use 2-3 packets of hot sauce. Just enough to feel it in your sinuses, but not enough to burn. Then the oyster crackers are left, by themselves, for a last finishing crunch after everything else is done.

Ahhh....."Whenever you're feeling good and hungry, at last...it's Skyline time."

Bill total: Regular 3-way $4.99

Overall Rating: 5 buckeyes (based on value and how much I want to return someday)

Tapas at Barrio

2009-08-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Barrio
Spanish Tapas
August 29, 2009
10 ish pm

After watching an amazing movie, Julie & Julia, I have been inspired to do what already 99.9% of the American population has already done…….wait for it……..start a blog.

Ahhh, yes I think I can actually hear people clicking this page closed and internally groaning “not another one”. Yet, that does not stop me nor 99.8% of other bloggers. We have something to say, and who cares if only my husband is reading it (thanks honey!), we’re going to write it.

But unfortunately Julie & Julia did not inspire me to do something amazing like work through a cookbook, blog about 100 restaurants in 100 days, or travel to 30 destinations in 30 days (and yes, my heart did soar when hearing about the Jet Blue pass for about one nanosecond before I remembered that I have a full time job that I do depend on for sustenance. The curse of not being independently wealthy forever follows me).

What I’ve decided to do is chronicle my rare evenings out to dinner. Not much brings me more joy than getting to dress up, driving around town, and trying out a new place to eat. However, I’m also pretty health and money conscious so I attempt to limit my habit to one time per week and if I happen to go to an event or house gathering with friends that often counts as my “night out”. This results in my habit being fed just a few times a month. But I almost think this makes it better. This makes me prioritize the dozens of restaurants I’ve yet to try and dream about what the experience will be like. This makes the picking of the restaurant become almost as fun as the actual experience. On the other hand this also makes the heartbreak of a bad dinner out all the more painful, but luckily I don’t have a ton of those experiences.

But enough about what this is all about, let’s get on to the food!

My husband and I arrived at Bario around 10 pm. I was immediately impressed with the airy feeling the open windows gave the place as we drove around the block to park. It is definitely reminiscent of a Mediteranean style bar. The parking was close and the attendant nicely asked if we were going to Bario and then gave us a 10% off coupon when we said yes. However, we promptly forgot to use the coupon when paying our bill and thus my love/hate relationship with the coupon continues, but that story is for another time (and I hear you hoping it’s not going to be a blog story). Regardless, it was a nice gesture on the part of the parking attendant.

The place is busy, but not overly crowded and we are promptly seated with no reservation. It is a mostly 20 to 30 something aged crowd, which probably has something to do with being out to dinner at 10 pm more than anything else. There are groups of friends enjoying food and drinks and quiet couples enjoying each other. The restaurant is on the darker side, which seemed to encourage intimacy. There is an evening chill in the restaurant due to the open windows, but I have a jacket and I wouldn’t want to give up the fresh, airy feeling in place of a few degrees of warmth. There are too many months in Ohio when the windows HAVE to be closed, I’m not for giving up any time when they don’t.

We quickly get started looking over the menu and try to decide on a drink. I’ve been craving a sultry red wine and begin to look over the list. Now, I have drunk my fair share of wine, but I am by no means an aficionado. I try to learn more with each bottle I buy and glass I order, but pairing food with wine is something I am a novice at. So at this point, I pick what sounds good and then evaluate my choice with my meal later.

The wine list was not extensive, but seemed to have a great sampling of Spanish and South American wines. I tried a glass of the Veleta Nolados from Spain. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Tempranillo. I must say this is now one of my favorite wines. When the glass was placed in front of me you could already smell the bouquet. The smell was heady and luscious and I couldn’t wait to taste it. The taste did not disappoint! Smooth and velvety texture, but not too thick. Fruit flavors, but not overwhelmingly fruity. Elegant, with a touch of acid in the finish that slightly cleansed the mouth. Pure heaven for me and everything I look for in a red wine. Now I just have to figure out who sells this locally! I am already imagining myself popping open a bottle as I start to braise meet for a stew.

We immediately order the Spanish olives to start. We were truly trying to relive the bar scene in Italy, where we spent 10 days this past summer. I imagine Spain has a similar style, but so far it's still on my travel to do list. There were a good number of olives with a mix of green and brown, large and small. They were topped with some shaved queso fresco. Overall, they did their job. I felt I was back in Italy enjoying a drink after a long and blissful day of sightseeing. I will say the olives didn’t taste quite as fresh as they do when you get them in Italy, but I don’t think there is any way to help that given the length they need to travel!

Next up, we tried small plates of the beef tacos, crab and goat cheese empanadas, and papas fritas (French fries).

The beef tacos were wonderful. Three soft tortillas served with chopped beef and a pickled cabbage and jalepeno slaw. Yum, yum, yum! You assemble the tacos yourself and there is enough beef to make 3 very generous tacos. I must say I was impressed with the quality of the beef. I had expected something ground, and the chopped texture was a nice surprise. The pickled cabbage added a hint of sweetness and the jalapeno added a bit of flavor pop, but not too much heat. Just excellent, overall.

The crab and goat cheese empanadas were also good (3 to an order), but I wouldn’t call them excellent. The pastry dough was done to perfection. Light, flaky layers with just the right amount of chew and fried just right. However, it was the filling that didn’t make me jump up and down. You could definitely taste the crab in the filling and the goat cheese made the texture wonderfully creamy, but I couldn’t pick out any more flavors and overall I felt it tasted a little bland. Some extra flavor in the mix would have bumped it up a notch.

Our third plate was papas fritas, explained as fried potatoes on the menu. Now technically they are fried potatoes. However, when I think of fried potatoes I think of potatoes cubed and fried with various seasonings. When I think of long strips of potatoes fried, I call them French fries. Now maybe I’m being nitpicky, but I was expecting fried cubes of potatoes with Spanish seasonings. What I got was a big plate of French fries. Had I known I was ordering French fries, I think I would have tried something else. I’ve eaten a lot of French fries, I haven’t eaten a lot of traditional Spanish food.

That being said, none of this stopped us from eating every single fry they gave us. The fries were fabulous. Skin on and slender, they reminded me of a less thickly cut fair fry, but not nearly as greasy as most fair fries. The outside had a nice crunch, while the inside was creamier. The fries were served with a sherry vinegar aioli and topped with chopped garlic and herbs. The garlic added a nice bite of flavor to the fries and I was so impressed by the taste of the aioli. The sherry added an unexpected sweetness and the consistency was so light and airy. I would love this on a turkey sandwich or various other foods. I may want to drink it straight! However, I did not love it on my fries. I tried it on a few fries, but it did not make me want to go back for more. The aioli was so delicate and light that I felt the garlicky fries overpowered it too much. I needed a sauce with a little more acid to cut through the strong taste of the fries. I know serious chefs everywhere will be cursing me, but I would have preferred ketchup.

Bill total (2 glasses of wine, husband’s gimlet, olives, 3 tacos, 3 empanadas, and fries, including tip): $65

And that’s it for Barrio. Would I go back? Definitely. Will it be soon? Probably not, unless some friends invite me. I have a long list of restaurants to try out and precious little time for dinners out.
Overall Rating: 4 Buckeyes