Eleven

September 12, 2013
It's funny I've lived here as long as I have and still have not hit some of the nearby restaurants that have been here for some time. Eleven on The Cap is one such place. I suppose I had avoided it because it looked a bit too swank or hip for my normal taste. And its proximity and affiliation with Hyde Park steak house biased me against it possibly because I assumed it would have few vegetarian options.

While that isn't so far from the truth, I found many tasty options on this comfortable evening. I arrived not long after 7 (Happy Hour until 6:30) and asked for a seat on the patio. The inside is definitely swanky in a loungy way, and I would definitely consider hanging out there in other circumstances. It has a warm wood glow to it.

I pulled up a high round table near the sidewalk, a position that opened me up to two homeless people within 5 minutes begging. They reminded me of the birds that hang out near restaurants because people keep feeding them. No matter, it was a nice venue to people watch on the sidewalk and under the portico.

And who should approach but Ben, the guy who lives upstairs whom I met once and told me he worked here! It was fortuitous, as I snagged a free dessert and he's a nice guy and a good server.

I started with the blueberry mojito, his suggestion and also a $5 Thursday night special. It was very tasty, sweet, blueberry and mint, and fresh. Alcohol was not overpowering, but was enough.

After a wait, my salad came up, fresh spinach and arugula $6 with the creamiest feta cheese, golden raisins, and balsamic vinaigrette. The raisins I could do without, but the dressing was very mellow with a hint of lemon and just right. It would have been better with nuts or almonds in place of the raisins. My only other complaint was that it was almost all spinach with almost no arugula, something I love. But that feta might have been goat cheese it was so smooth, but it had that distinctly salty flavor of feta. Still, 4.5/5

The pizza came next. I ordered the margherita, but the order got mixed up and I got the forest mushroom. As it turned out, this was not a bad thing, since it had all the fixings of the former, with added mushrooms and the spinach arugula salad on top. Well, I got my greens for the day and some, and Ben was apologetic. No harm no foul. (a sports reference?!) (I have no idea what sport it's from though, so don't worry). The mozzarella was house made and really chewy and tasty. The rest of it was plum tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, and a nice dry, chewy crust. Just the right size, though I saved three slices for later so I'd have room for dessert. 4/5

And I'm glad I did! Ben, to make up for the gaffe and just because he's an extra nice guy, brought me not just one piece of chocolate torte on the house, but two! I definitely needed to save the second piece for later. It was delicious! Dense, dark chocolate, smooth, sweet, with peanut butter sauce and raspberry reduction drizzle. Yes! I'm the biggest sweet tooth I know, and the only thing that might have enhanced this would be a scoop of Jeni's honey vanilla ice cream. I'm not complaining. 5/5 and amazing.

Dance music played from the speakers, people lounged on the outdoor couch chairs, and everyone was having a good time. I'll certainly be back.

Overall 4.5/5
(No website; leads you to Hyde Park, but I can't find a menu for Eleven there)

Marcella's

September 11, 2013
Wow, this was a great experience! I dropped into Marcella's, a restaurant I've always enjoyed, but never really hit that sweet spot until tonight. I arrived a bit after 7, was offered a window seat by the pleasant hostess, and began to peruse the menu. My server came up and was very personable, laid-back, had a sense of humor, and offered to double check on the vegetarianness of my options when I mentioned my status. http://shortnorth.marcellasristorante.com/

I started with the Sicilian Sting $9, a twist on a tequila that was very tasty and potent. Ironically, it's the last thing that arrived, so it might have been lost in transit, but soon after I mentioned it, it appeared. Jose Cuervo silver tequila, amaretto, homemade lemon sour, and chipotle honey syrup. It was the perfect drink for a hot evening. The lemon sour really made it. 4.5/5

While I had hoped the window/doors might be open, under the circumstances it's just as well. The atmosphere is great: peppy, noisy in a festive way, wood floors, brick walls with arches, circular marble tables with cast bases, tin ceiling (no doubt partly why it's so noisy), soft white globes of light, backlit bar/wall of alcohol, fans lazily turning overhead, and an oil light my server noticed was out and replaced.

I have to say, another thing the server did right was ask before refilling my water. There's nothing that bugs me more than servers who whisk away your glass and slosh water into it before you've even had a chance to see what's happening. I like to have the feeling I'm making some progress, and having a bottomless glass of water is just exasperating. I know, pet peeve.

Just as I was thinking, "Hm, some bread would be good" my server approached with a small basket of really fresh, chewy, flour-dusted white bread. I proceeded to pour some olive oil from the pitcherette and added some fresh ground pepper and salt for flavor. This was a great start and ended up filling me up nicely with the rest.

A kitchen staff member brought the wrong appetizer, but it looked good. Turned out it was for the next table, after we worked out our confusion. Soon after he brought the calabrese potato small plate and my sunchoke escarole salad. This was the perfect pairing for the night.

The potatoes $5 were really flavorful, lots of garlic, the cheese set it off, and the peppers added just the right edge. It is described: roasted red peppers, lemon, olives, parmesan reggiano. I would make this if I could figure out the right flavors. 5/5

The salad $6.50 is one of my favorites in town: sunchoke, escarole, golden balsamic vinaigrette, toasted almonds, pecorino romano cheese. Freshness! I could almost taste the sun still on the leaves. The dressing was bright and lemony, and the toasted almonds perfectly balanced the other flavors and textures. 5/5

Alternating all the palate pleasers made for a very enjoyable dining experience and I ended up the meal satiated and nicely full. And if you follow my lead, use your bread to sop up the leftover dressing from the salad and the sauce from the potatoes. Delicioso!

Then he asked if I'd like to see the dessert menu. Pretty sure I should stop while I was ahead, I figured it couldn't hurt to take a look. Then I saw the profiteroles and ventured that if it had been this good, a sweet ending might be just the ticket. $6

I was right! Man, those guys are something else: pistachio, chocolate and honey vanilla gelato sandwiched between three round eclairs/cream puffs. They were covered with a gooey rich, thick dark chocolate ganache and dusted with powdered sugar. So, just when I thought it couldn't get better, I was proved deliciously wrong. Run in and get these now! The server said they have their own pastry chef, and it shows. Yum!

Glowing inside, I meandered out the door and decided to take a leisurely walk around Goodale Park to walk off this meal while the hazy yellow crescent moon hung over Columbus this warm September evening.

Cameron Mitchell strikes again! 5/5

The Pearl

September 10, 2013
Working my way further south through the Short North, I found myself at The Pearl, Cameron Mitchell's latest incarnation. It has gotten rave reviews, but my first experience there a few weeks ago for brunch did not meet such enthusiasm. Tonight was much better. http://www.thepearlcolumbus.com/

Arriving soon after 7, I was afraid I was in for a wait, but the friendly hosts showed me to the oyster bar, where I could order anything from the regular menu. The place had a pleasant din and was quite busy.

My server was very pleasant and helpful. After looking over the menu and remembering that much of what appeared to be vegetarian wasn't, I told her I was a veggie and she was quick to offer options and talk to the chef. This proved to be most fortuitous, as what came was very tasty.

Before this I ordered a Palm Belgian Pale Ale, and agreed it was the right drink for this warm evening. At 5.4% and $6, its "light caramel malt with bakery quality" was just the right pairing for my savory bowl of yumminess. Beer 4/5.

She described it as a vegetable medley, and it was a combination of sides pirated from other meat dishes. The receipt describes: arugula salad (not in attendance from what I could tell), black bean stew (also hiding somehow), kimchee fried rice (tasty white rice, but couldn't put my finger on the kimchee), roasted cauliflower (delicious), and broccoli salad (not listed on the receipt). There were also roasted red peppers, capers, and a savory Thousand-Island-esque sauce, which was superior to the standard dressing.

The bowl was just the right size: filling but every bite kept the flavor moving forward instead of fading into the background. The sides put together cost $15, a reasonable price. I give it a 4.5/5.

I give them top marks for being willing to work with me and producing a great custom-made dish.

A word of warning to vegetarians: the brunch fried potatoes are fried in a mixture of seafood and meat oils, so not strictly veggie. Same for the cheese curds, darn it. The dumplings sound vegetarian but are made with vegetable stock. And I think she said the broccoli salad is usually made with something non-veggie, but they made it special for me.

The setting is compelling: tile floors, marble bar, medium lighting and candles, japanese rice-paper-like walls in the back. I had hoped for open windows/walls onto High St., but it was a warm evening, so the AC actually felt pretty good.

And you get a milk bottle of water and a mason jar to drink out of. A nice visit!

Overall a 4/5.

Lemongrass

September 5, 2013

I've been to Lemongrass many times before, but not recently. When I arrived I realized they had redone the inside. Gone is the more intimate feel and now there is a very spacious feeling. It's okay, but I was seated in the middle of the mostly-empty room and so felt a bit agoraphobic. The server was very personable and was training a new worker, so I felt a bit pampered. After looking over the menu I mentioned I was a vegetarian, and he brought me a whole veggie menu! Kudos for that, and it's enough to make me want to frequent them more often. There really were very many veggie options. http://www.lemongrassfusion.com/

Though I was perplexed as to why the Lemongrass soup was not listed on the vegetarian menu, when he insisted there was no meat stock or anything else in it. Well, next time. I ordered the corn soup, a kind of cream soup of sweet potatoes, celery, onions, corn, and carrots. It was good, but not as tasty as I'd hoped. A good dose of garlic would help it and something else...not sure. It came with one of those great fried biscuits that I was craving. It was hot enough heatwise to make my nose run, but the flavor was lacking, so 3.5/5.

 

The vegetable dumplings came next, filled with chives, carrots and ginger soy dressing. They reminded me of a savory mochi, kind of gummy but not necessarily in a bad way. Just not excellent. The sauce was very tasty and it all held together, but I don't think I'd get it again. 3.5/5

The veggie spring rolls were about as I expected: fried, filled with veggies, standard mustard and sweet sauces, shredded carrots. Not overly much, but it is an appetizer. Average. 3.5/5

Overall I'd say 3.5/5, though I know Lemongrass has been more impressive. On retrospect a salad would have been a good substitution for the spring rolls. Well, there's more to explore here.

Fabian's

September 4, 2013
So, Fabian's has a short and humorous story. I went with Candy many years ago to check them out and we were seated, given menus and ordered beers. The server came back, and Candy ordered something from the menu. "Yeah, we're out of that". She ordered something else. "Um, we don't have that either." I ordered something they were also out of and finally settled on the hummus plate. In exasperation, Candy ordered the grilled cheese. The server wasn't sure they could swing that and got the cook. His answer? "Well, I could throw some bread and cheese in the oven, but I can't guarantee how it will turn out"...Wow, really? We would have walked out then if we weren't already quaffing our much-needed beers. The hummus was mediocre. I guess we should have heeded the sign written in black marker on a napkin and taped to the window "Cook wanted" You don't say?

Tonight was a better affair, but not by leagues. The bartender was my server as it was pretty slow. He was nice enough in a detached, "I don't want to cramp your space, man" kind of way. I ordered a Strongbow cider, looked over the menu, and settled on the veggie deep dish pizza, what this place advertises as their specialty. Unfortunately it was after 8 and Happy Hour was over. That would have save me a couple bucks on the beer and $5 on the small ($13) pizza. Twenty five minutes later it came out, hot and heavy. The cheese was cheesy and stretchy, the sauce fine, the veggies finely chopped. It was fine, but not great. Green peppers were fresh, onions almost invisible, mushrooms fresh, black olives canned. The crust was dry and substantial, not deep-fried. I'll give it a 3.5/5.

There was something called Javi's Tortilla which sounds interesting, so I may be back for that, but I don't anticipate coming back anytime soon.

The place is kind of like a Short North college hangout. Wood floors, wood booths and tables, some neon, a couple sports TVs, dimly lit, brick walls. http://www.fabianspizza.com/

Overall 3.5/5

Mac's

August 29, 2013

For stop #2 on the Short North Food Tour, I stopped in to Mac's Cafe http://www.macscafe.com/. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for loud tables full of drunk guys tonight, so this review may be biased by that. On the other hand, that may be the norm here.

I stopped in around 8 on a Thursday, found a small table too close to said noisemakers, and awaited a server. I was approached presently and brought a drink and food menu. While perusing it I had a chance to perceive part of the reason for the ratcheted-up reaction: scantily-clad too obvious women were offering "free" shots of whiskey for some sort of promotion involving a stag's antlers on a hard hat. Yeah, sign me up.

I chose the Old Chub Scotch Ale and greatly enjoyed its dark rich roasted maltiness. I also enjoyed the 8% ABV, and even though I just missed happy hour (until 8) it was still not a bad price. At $5.62, however, it was a perplexing price.

I asked about the fried green beans, which I'd seen on an online menu, but the server said they had discontinued them a year ago and that it's still requested regularly. Why do restaurants do that? Give the people what they want! Oh well...

I selected the black bean burger on grilled focaccia with pepper jack and a side of mashed potatoes. The burger was homemade, large, substantial, didn't fall apart, and tasted fine. It was accompanied by lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles, with a 1000 Island/tartar sauce like dressing (unnecessary). I give it a 4/5, mostly for its homemade-ness. Actual black beans fell out of the bun, which was okay, but not great.

The mashed potatoes were...well, mashed potatoes. Apparently they usually come with gravy, so I guess that's my fault for getting them au naturel. Still, they were definitely natural, with occasional chunks of potato. That added to the charm, but it was still fairly pasty and bland, and I added salt and pepper to make it more palatable. 3/5

The server was friendly enough but not exactly personable. The atmosphere was dark wood, Scottish guy bar, loud, sports TVs, lots of neon beer signs, and a little run-down feeling. Or was that me? Not great for vegetarians, not really my mood, and I will likely not be back for a while. Standard. 3/5 overall

Harvest Pizzeria

August 28, 2013

On this second visit to Harvest Pizzeria http://harvestpizzeriacom/ on the edge of German Village, I'd say that it pretty much lived up to my first impressions. My dining partner in crime accompanied me for a nice mid-week meal right after work. We were seated right away on the patio near the street for a nice view of operations.

Jumping right into the drinks, we ordered cocktails. My Front Porch Tea, a combination of OYO vodka, lemonade and ice tea, was frankly disappointing, especially for the steep $9 charge. It was not very vodka-y, very lemon-y, or very tea-y. Her Hibiscus Margarita was more tasty, pink, salt-rimmed, and sweeter. Still not a knockout with the alcohol, and her orange ended up in my drink for more taste. I guess we won't be getting cocktails at Harvest any more. Perhaps Curio next door mixes a potent cocktail...

I ordered the roasted red pepper hummus and it was not a huge amount of hummus, but what was there was tasty, accompanied by spiced flaxseed crackers. There were also tasty organic carrot slices. It was a good appetizer to get us going.

She ordered the full Butterhead salad and the server graciously offered to bring it on two plates. This gave us likely more than we would have had otherwise, and was a good value. Fresh goat cheese in healthy amounts topped very fresh spinach greens, beets (not many), toasted pistachios, and house buttermilk dressing (too much, really, but tasty).

We then got into the pizza and decided to create our own. They are 10-11 inches in diameter, so a nice size for two to share. We opted for the tomato sauce, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes (ripe green), kalamata olives, bell pepper, and the following freebie toppings: spinach, jalapeno, red onion, sweet corn, and garlic. With that many items, nothing was too overpowering, though the upcharge toppings I would have liked to see more of. The other downside was that the pizza was soggy in the center (perhaps due to our choice of toppings) and made it hard to pick up. Perhaps one is supposed to eat it with a fork? The outer crust was tasty, chewy, and dense.

Following up our meal was admittedly more than half the reason we decided to come back: the Butterscotch Budino (squee!). It's a little pot o' heaven, with dense, sweet butterscotchy pudding topped with creme fraiche, caramel sauce, toasted hazelnuts and sea salt. Yumm! A wonderful way to celebrate the end of the day and the beginning of vacation for one of us. Alas, that was not I. Still, it was too enjoyable not to leave a nice afterglow.

Two Fish Bistro

August 27, 2013

Yes, it has been an unforgivably long time since this food and drink blog targeted at veggie-types interested in Columbus' many great restaurants and bars has hit the virtual press. But I will be attempting a Short North Food Tour of sorts over the next few months. I am working my way south on the west side of High St. from Buttles to downtown and then will work my way back on the east side, up to 5th Ave., and then back down the west side to Buttles, attempting to hit every restaurant and bar along the way. This may take more than a couple months. Chalk it up to a desire to become intimately knowledgeable with my environment. And everyone knows the Short North now is more about restaurants than it is about galleries. Ah well, that's okay with me...

So, first on the list is Two Fish Bistro http://www.twofishbistro.com/. This was a Tuesday night around 6pm, so the place was not exactly hopping...just my speed. I was seated near the windows and enjoyed the open, clean space around me. My server was pleasant and took my drink order.

The Great Lakes Oktoberfest was a nice honey amber, malty and mellow. And the $2 off happy hour drafts from 5-7 was nice. I give it a 4/5.

I ordered the Crispy Tofu Salad, a large, filling salad of fresh greens, just-right crispy outside and tender inside tofu, cucumbers, fried basil, ripe avocado, pimiento, shredded carrots, and a delicious balanced lightly creamy dressing that really pulled it all together. My only complaint? $13 is a bit pricey for a salad, no matter how big it is. And Northstar's is bigger, and I hesitate to pay that much there. I remember when salads were an afterthought and cost about $3. I just gave my age away. Apparently my heyday was sometime in the 1950s. Okay, I'm not that old. I give this salad a 4.5/5.

Because I wanted to take advantage of the 1/2 off sushi M-Th., I also ordered the garden roll. I got six pieces of sticky-rice surrounding seaweed, surrounding morsels of avocado, zucchini, and asparagus, with the requisite wasabi and fresh ginger and a splash of soy sauce. They were tasty and exactly what I expected. 4/5.

The server was helpful in pointing out vegetarian options, pleasant and attentive without hovering, so 4/5 there. And the atmosphere was inviting and light.

Overall, I give Two Fish a 4/5.

Northstar Short North

August 25, 2013

Northstar is just one of those go-to places that I find myself back at every few weeks. Partly that's because it's so close, partly because the food is so good, and partly because it's largely locally-sourced and organic. http://www.thenorthstarcafe.com/

My complaints? The cost, which is roughly double for everything on the menu from 8 years ago when they opened. I don't think the cost of inflation can justify that. And I realize this might be controversial, but more and more places now are putting a tip line on the receipt when you order at the counter. This is particulary maddening at Northstar, where since they opened they have crowed that there is no reason to tip--"there just isn't". So, what's changed? Yes, they bring it to your table and yes, they're always pleasant, even downright friendly. But really? Why has this just started at all the order-at-the-counter locales? I have a bigger beef (yes, ironic since I'm a vegetarian) with the tip thing at Jeni's. Don't get me wrong. I love Jeni's. But come on, the size of the scoops has halved in size in the past five years and the cost has increased by about a dollar a scoop. What am I tipping you for? Doing your job, which is serving ice cream? What gives? Okay back to my complaints about Northstar: the crowds, which are good for business, but bad for the diner looking for a seat. I had hoped to snag a patio table, but arriving after noon on a Sunday, I was pretty assured that was not going to happen.

That said, the food rocks. The fresh-squeezed orange juice is amazing. I was in Florida for a week years ago and never did find fresh-squeezed. Ironic. The simple salad is always tasty and satisfying. It's fresh and just enough. Northstar, while not exactly experimental in their variety, at least does what they do well. And the roasted yukon potatoes with rosemary were tasty and filling; just the right start to a beautiful Sunday off in Columbus.

Seventh Son Brewing Co.

August 25, 2013

Summer, the time to hang out on patios as much as possible and soak up the atmosphere, and maybe some alcohol while you're at it. Thus did I find myself at Seventh Son http://seventhsonbrewing.com/ a few nights ago with my prime drinking buddies. Those of you who know me know I'm not exactly the Iron John kind of guy who goes out with other men and howls in the woods, but I will say this was a high-octane affair. I mean the alcohol, of course.

We met up at the corner of Fourth Ave. and Fourth St., a kind of new hub of hip activity. The converted garage comes complete with roll-up doors, revealing a massive concrete bar and pleasant, cool servers. There was no food on premises, but a food truck sat dutifully nearby.

I started with the Rabbit something (hey, I was drinking and it just says Rabbit on the receipt) Farmhouse Ale and it was a pleasing Belgian-style beer with a nice ruddy amber color. Nice balance of hops and mellow. This was a 5% beer, so nothing too potent, but nice for a beautiful Sunday evening out with the guys.

Next came the Oubliette, which I must say earns its name. For those French-challenged out there, this comes from a word meaning "to forget" which is quite a-propos (yes, that's French too) considering the 10.2% whopping effect of this darker, richer, very tasty quaff. And to make this even more interesting, an oubliette was a medieval dungeon with only an opening in the roof. Get it? Those French connigits (I mean knights) throw you in and forget about you. This was a much more pleasant experience.

We ate on the patio at narrow picnic-type tables and had a fine evening of it. Ah, camaraderie (French) and beer! Bien sur!

Alana's

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Alana's

8/23/13
Ah, Alana's! She is always known for her local, natural, individual approach to fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere. I managed to get a prime porch seat with my date under a fern after the heat of the day had cooled to a comfortable temp with a nice breeze.

We were treated to a vegan amuse bouche that was simple and tasty, but technically required more than one bite. I'm not complaining, though.

I was quite disappointed to learn from our pleasant server that Alana would not under any circumstances alter her famous Tomato Stack to be vegetarian. Taking out the crab meat seems like a no-brainer, but I have unfortunately found in the past that, though Alana's claims to be flexible for vegetarians, the reality is actually quite far from that.

We ordered the savory martinis, apparently all the rage now, but when they came we were underwhelmed with both their weak flavor and weak alcohol. My Tomato Martini with basil was just bland, both flavor-wise and in its potency. Same for my partner's Cucumber Martini. Honestly, Jeni's cucumber water has more cucumber essence than this. And at $9 apiece, they were very disappointing.

Next came the soups. My Tomato Soup was fine...fresh, tomatoey, and tasty enough, but it didn't knock my socks off. It included a few croutons. My partner's Chicken Soup was by all accounts also fine.

When our main dishes came, she enjoyed her Risotto du jour, and I was treated to a very fresh Simple Salad. It was a bit too simple for my taste, however. The greens tasted freshly-picked, so kudos there. But the dressing was nearly nonexistent and consequently lacking in much-desired flavor. There was also some shaved parmesan, so that helped some.

I ordered the bread, something which used to be free, but is now $2. It was tasty and fresh, but nothing to write home about.

None of the desserts appealed, but after-dinner drinks sounded good, so we imbibed. My date's Irish coffee was apparently drinkable, but lacked whipped cream. I believe that is a required ingredient of Irish coffee. And my True Spirit, mixing many liqueurs with coffee, was potent, but surprised me with its coffee, which was not clear from the menu.

Overall, a much more enjoyable evening meal on the patio for the company than the food and drink, but it will not prevent return attempts.
http://alanas.com/