Max & Erma's brunch

Dandy ventured out to Max & Erma's on Henderson Rd. on Sunday to partake of the brunch.





He says: We were promptly seated in a dimly lit area decorated with vintage posters and paraphernalia and then climbed the steps to the food area. Arrayed before us was a wide variety of choices, only some of which were veggie options. This was not targeted at vegetarians. I started with the flavored fried potato sticks, cheesy potatoes, self-made croissant sandwich with cheese (watch the slices of meat adjoining!), lettuce and tomato, creamy coleslaw, tomato cucumber salad with thick Italianate dressing, and creamy mildly chocolate hot chocolate (free refills, but drinks not included in the brunch price). I continued with baked ziti, waffles topped with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, chocolate chips and strawberry sauce, ending with a layered chocolate mousse in a champagne flute. In general the food was fine but lukewarm. From a veggie standpoint, there was enough to eat, but not a whole lot of variety and what was there was fine but not hot enough. From a value standpoint, it was pretty pricey compared with other buffets I've been to.

She says: Folks, buffets of this nature are all about quantity, not quality. With that in mind, Max and Erma's puts on a decent spread. There are plenty of options, especially for carnivores, and it's all-you-can-eat. If that's what you're looking for, then that's what you'll get. What you'll give up, unfortunately, is flavorful food served at an appropriate temperature.

There were a few bright spots. The fruit I selected (canteloupe and pineapple) was relatively fresh for mid-winter Columbus. Max's potatoes offered an upgrade on the ubiquitous hash browns by including a cheesy sauce flavored with onion; the benefits were offset, however, by the lukewarm temperature. The best dish by far? The previously mentioned chocolate mousse, with a crunchy wafer layer in the middle. Attractively presented and gratefully enjoyed by this diner.