Knead on High

The YUM Club celebrated it's 50th outing at Knead on High; a new retro diner that brilliantly expands on the notion of farm to table dining. I'm not a big fan of pork but that seemed to be what was in season at Knead's supplying farms. Instead they were very accommodating and were willing to put local organic chicken in anything I requested. I ordered the housemade whole wheat farfalle pasta with roasted butternut squash, smoked bleu cheese cream and they substituted chicken for the homemade sage sausage. I had the half order which was more than enough food and left some room for the oatmeal cream pie. Two giant homemade oatmeal cookies with fresh whipped cream in the middle. I could barely let Rodney take a picture of it before eating the whole thing it was so good.

Other diners had the Hanger Steak Tacos made Indian style with curry and loved them. Rodney also liked his beet and arugula salad and curried butternut squash soup. The Jinkie is Knead's take on a twinkie and was disappointing to the group. The shape and cake were spot on, but there was no cream in the middle. Did they forget? Always a giver, I offered some of my fresh whipped cream from the oatmeal cream pie to the Jinkie complainers. By some I mean a tiny bit. 

Just writing this makes me want to head back. Local comfort food on an icy day sounds perfect!

DeepWood Restaurant

The YUM Club celebrated its 36th anniversary at DeepWood restaurant in the Short North. In the space formerly occupied by Abbracci and several other ill-fated restaurants, DeepWood has set up a space that feels like an upscale lodge complete with a domed ceiling that looks like a giant maple tree.

Our party of ten sat in the "formal" dining room but were given the option of ordering off of the dining room menu OR the tavern menu. The dining room menu looked delicious - for grown ups who eat real food and like fancy things. Lobster, quail, rabbit, filet and halibut rounded out the dining menu. Thankfully the tavern menu included a roasted chicken dinner, two beef dishes and some vegetarian fare.

I ordered the herb dusted roasted chicken with crisped potatoes, fingerling carrots and chicken sausage medallions. I could have done without the chicken sausage but the roasted chicken was cooked to perfection and the potatoes were crispy like a crab cake. Several tried dessert and we all agreed that we would gladly return to DeepWood again. Hopefully the jinx of the space has been lifted since Abracci was such a dismal experience!

Giuseppe's Ritrovo

For YUM Club XXXV we wandered outside of our usual downtown locale and headed to Bexley. Still inside the beltway, thank you. The word ritrovo has many meanings in Italian and my favorites are a place where people come to eat and drink and a gathering of friends, family and colleagues. YUM Club XXXV was canceled in September because of Hurricane Ike's power outage and rescheduled for October.

Our group of 7 had a great round table - I wish all YUM Clubs could be at a round table since it really encourages conversation among the whole group. Several enjoyed the soup and I had a delicious salad to start. Rodney and I shared a bottle of excellent Riesling and I ordered the asparagus ravioli for my main course.

The service was excellent and they were more than happy to split the check. Given the relative ease for most to split our checks, I'm still surprised at how many places give us a hard time! It's no wonder why Giuseppe's has been a successful mainstay in Bexley next to the Drexel movie theater.

Black Olive

The Black Olive is the Short North's newest restaurant in what used to be the Coffee Table - Columbus' preeminant gay cruise joint. I never went into the Coffee Table, but I saw more gay porn on the laptops of the Coffee Table's patrons as I walked by on High Street than anywhere else.

The prices at the Black Olive are surprisingly reasonable, given the swanky feel of the white-table cloth restaurant. Their cocktail menu is eclectic and I recommend the cream soda - vanilla vodka, rootbeer liqeuer and soda water.

The service was great and they were nothing but helpful as our numbers changed right up until dinner. I hope the Black Olive does well and maintains the restaurant anchor on the sad west side of High Street. The powerhouse trio of Betty's, Rigsby's and RJ Snapper's need something to keep them humble!

Dragonfly Neo-v

I'll be darned if I knew what Dragonfly's "renowned jardin potager" was (it's a kitchen garden), but it produces some darn good food. YUM Club XXXIII was at Dragonfly Neo-v, an organic restaurant in Victorian Village that specializes in vegetarian cuisine. Their website claims that they feature fine local produce, luxury imports and heirloom vegetables. As a historian, I'm all about anything that's heirloom.

Excited to try something new and hang out with our fellow diners, I have to admit I wasn't entirely enthused about the food when I looked at the menu beforehand. There was one dish that I thought would be doable and I left it at that. Much to my surprise, the menu changed and I was forced to think outside of the potager and choose something new. We started the meal with drinks and I had a delicious white sangria. The second round he made with Chambord and it was the best sangria I've ever had! Then the kitchen sent out individual samples of a spicy orzo and sea bean dish that was topped with a single blueberry. The entire group agreed that this was delicious. Jennifer and I shared an appetizer - Beans three ways. There were pureed beans on the bottom topped by marinated beans. Then on top of those were beans stuffed in a delicious puff pastry and drizzled with truffle oil. It was our favorite dish of the evening. We also shared an entree which was the pizza of the day. On top of a wheat crust there was a red sauce, ricotta, zucchini, green peppers and tomatoes. It was really good, but I wouldn't order it alone nor would I take the left overs home - I don't think it would reheat well.

Three others had the pizza, Sam and Farrah had the calamari and Sam said it was "to die for." Jeremy had the grilled and tempura tofu and I can't remember what Laurel had. The kitchen also sent a sample of a dessert and they agreed to split the check without difficulty. Add to that a clear kayak hanging from the historic tin ceiling and strung with lights and this is one of the coolest restaurants we've found in the city! We declined dessert at Dragonfly and headed instead to Jeni's in Grandview. I tried the gold-medal winning Cherry Lambic sorbet and my regular favorite Gravel Road. There really isn't ice cream that's better than Jeni's!

Alana's

For the month of June, the YUM Club dined at Alana's Food and Wine on North High Street in Clintonville. With only six in attendance, we enjoyed a quiet dinner on the patio of this funky little house restaurant. It was good to find another house restaurant to help ease the pain of our loss of Taverna Opa on South High Street.

Alana's is self-described as having an ambiance of French brasserie with flare and they serve "Food of Love" with an emphasis on fresh and delicious foods prepared in styles from all over the world. The menu changes frequently and several seasoned Yummers were surprised to find the dishes they chose online were no longer available once we arrived.

The drinks are just as special and fresh as the food, though RJ wasn't too thrilled with his watermelon cocktail made with fresh watermelon juice. Apparently it was too much like real watermelon and not enough like the uber-sweet watermelon liquer he's used to.  I had an unfamiliar white wine that our server described as "an interesting little beast, but pretty good" as well as a pasta and vegetable dish that was delicious.

During our dinner, Alana came around the restaurant twice with samples of new dishes she was trying. Both were excellent and I love the cozy notion of our chef (and the restaurant's namesake) flitting about among her loyal patrons offering samples.

Diaspora

Korean isn't exactly the first cuisine that comes to mind when I think of comfort food, but looking around the restaurant tonight, there were plenty of Koreans who seemed pleased as punch to have found Diaspora. I had to look up Diaspora to see why they chose the name and it basically refers to a group of people that have been displaced outside of their traditional homeland. In Diaspora, we were definitely a diaspora. The rest of the patrons seemingly lost their diaspora status the minute they walked in the door. I know, I know...stereotypes. 

We were a small but mighty group tonight - the tried and true Yummers who join for the benefit of group interaction and to broaden our horizons and try new cuisines. The staff of Diaspora was fantastic. They were eager to help us understand what we were about to order and were patient with our indecisiveness and rapid-fire questions. RJ had a citrus-spiked beef dish served with rice that was pretty good. Jessy had a delectable spicy pork dish served with rice that was amazing - and I don't even like pork! Samadu and I had the dolsot bimbimbop which was steamed rice topped with vegetables and an egg, served in a crazy hot stone bowl that cooked the egg and kept the food warm. Some I recognized but most of the vegetables were new to me - cucumber, zucchini, carrot, white radish, mushrooms (blek), bellflower root (weird tuber type thing), as well as spinach, soybean sprouts, and bracken fern stems (these looked like tiny octopus tentacles). CoCo had a bowl that contained nearly two gallons of spicy red broth with noodles, octopus, squid, oysters (or clams?), shrimp (with the eyes and shell) and half a crab. I threw up a little in my mouth when I saw this dish. But if seafood's your thing - this is the dish to get.

The lemon cocktail was delicious (tasted like Sprite and vodka) and came in a bong-type jar with colorful shotglasses. My pals who lived in Korea were disappointed that it wasn't made with Soju which is apparently illegal to sell in Ohio. Not to be confused with Soulja Boy.  

Sam and I each got a "side" with our meal and we searched all over the menu for the sides we could choose from. As it turns out, they bring you a whole tray of sides that compliment whatever entree is ordered. The potatoes soaked in sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar were delicious. The broccoli salad had crab meat so I declined, but everyone loved it. Coco and Jessy were all over the kimchi and I liked the Italian squash. The fish cake wasn't my favorite either and the egg-wrapped seaweed was, um, interesting. 

Diaspora was cool. The interior reminded me a bit of Pinkberry and while the food isn't my favorite, I'm glad I can say I gave it a shot. Maybe we'll have pizza or something tame for the next YUM Club to reward ourselves for being so open-minded and adventurous!

Thanks to Lisa S. for the interior lights photograph from her review on Yelp.com

Betty's

"What Betty's lacks in fine dining and class they certainly make up for with character and amazing food." This is typically my pre-dinner speech when I take out-of-town guests to Betty's. The 70 year old woman from the west coast loved Betty's, as did my conservative Uncle in his mid-60s. My college friends loved the food and the prices and said they felt like they were seeing a cooler, hidden side to Columbus.

Nevermind that the ceramic statues look like they're coated in nicotene, circa pre-smoking ban; the air filters in the wall sit lifeless and sad; and the seats often wobble dangerously. It doesn't matter, there's always a line out the door and often people at the bar are two or three deep.

My favorite dishes are the surly girl salad and the tortilla soup. I always have those together with a couple of Betty Fords (Pink lemonade and vodka). Steve's Afternoon Delight is a great appetizer to start with and I recently tried their brunch on a Saturday afternoon. Before becoming a Betty's regular, I would rather have died than eat a breakfast dish called Huevos Rancheros. But now, it's my newest favorite dish for brunch. And to be fair, because I was with a conservative Uncle, I even ordered plain lemonade minus the Betty Ford treatment and it was almost just the same. And I could drive home right away!

My only complaint with Betty's right now - they're re-doing the women's bathroom and have removed all of the funny pictures with women from the 50s spouting horribly modern and uncouth things like "I'll have a cafe mocha vodka marijuana latte, to go please."

Rigsby's Kitchen

December 2007 

I have always heard wonderful things about Rigsby's and my expectations were met and exceeded on this outing. Our initial reservation in October wouldn't work because of an event at Rigsby's. They made every effort to help us choose another date and we were excited to go back in December for our holiday outing.

The wine list was great and the prices were reasonable - especially the quartino's they offered (small carafe of wine). Our server was attentive and very helpful with our large and boisterous group. The specials and the regular menu offerings looked as good as I had heard they would be and my entree (beef medallions with pureed squash) were delicious.

It's no wonder Rigsby's is a successful mainstay in the Short North!

Black Creek Bistro

I have eaten at Black Creek Bistro half a dozen times and want so badly for them to make it. I love their premise - a cozy corner bistro with a cool interior, eclectic menu, and lovely "we started as an organic farm that tills the soil with tractors that run on vegetable oil" history. I have liked everything that I've ordered at Black Creek - but when I'm dining there with other people, it seems they usually like it about half the time.

My favorites so far are the chicken club with avocado that's on the lunch menu as well as their lentil soup. I've only been once for dinner and had a salad with grilled chicken to go with my lentil soup. The salad had greens that I really didn't care for - arugula I think (the peppery, spidery greens) but it was saved by the pears and amazing homemade dressing. The other items ordered by the group were their house salad with chicken - fabulous, walnut crusted tofu - not as flavorful as hoped, Calamari - a bit chewy, quesadilla - amazing, and the pork chops - a new favorite. Even the people who didn't care for their meals agreed that the atmosphere and the inexpensive but excellent wine list made up for it entirely.

I will eat there at least once a month if it will help them beat the jinxed corner of Oak and Parsons!!

Basi Italia

For years I've heard about Basi and how tiny it is, but I never quite believed just how small it could be. It's the size of my entire apartment - seating, restroom and kitchen included. We had a reservation a month in advance to accommodate our large group and they were nothing but helpful. They couldn't split the check for us which was odd since there were only about 12 other diners in the whole place, but it worked out. The menu was small and eclectic - so not for picky eaters. I had fennel and artichoke soup and a sauteed zucchini, pecorino and toasted almond appetizer. The soup was okay but the appetizer was to die for. I had some sort of lemon gelato and chocolate dessert that was delicious and the wine offering was decent. Most everyone in our group loved their meals and I agree with every other review out there - the place is so small, it's the perfect date restaurant!

Rosendale's

The YUM Club celebrated its 30th outing at Rosendale's on April 16th. Touted as one of the finest restaurants in this city of restaurants, we had saved our money for a month beforehand and got all gussied up for the evening. Our group of 12 quickly fell to a cozy group of 7 which was nice for conversation, but still too large to eat in the bar. Mind you, eating in the bar simply means you're sort of closer to the bar and you get to order off of two menus instead of one. Presentation and atmosphere rule at Rosendale's, and you get the feeling you're dining out in another, fancier city.

The soup and salads ordered by the group:

The Bourbon Roasted Pear salad with shaved Westphalian Ham, Saga Blue Cheese, and Spiced Pecans. This $12 salad was delicious but tiny.

The Romaine Heart Salad with Creamy Goat Cheese Emulsion, Marinated Grape Tomatoes, and Basil Oil. This $9 salad was delicious and a bit larger than the bourbon roasted pear.

A soup called "Onion Cappuccino" that was made with Crispy Shallot Rings, Frothed Skim Milk and Chives. Personally I wouldn't dream of ordering this concoction - onions aren't my thing. But those who tried the soup thought it was delicious. 

The main entrees ordered by the group:

Vine Ripe Tomato Stuffed with Artichoke Hearts, Crispy Potato Griddle Cake, Fall Vegetables

Soy Soaked Chilean Sea Bass with Shrimp Dumplings, Steamed Vegetables, Kombu Shiitake Broth

Filet of Free Range Chicken with Vegetable “Noodles”, Mushroom, Ricotta Ravioli, Crispy Thigh, Natural Chicken Jus

48 Hour Angus Beef Short Ribs, with Crushed Parmesan Potatoes, RedWine Froth Rosemary Steeped Beef Jus

All in all we agreed that the restaurant is indeed classy and lovely, and certainly worth visiting once for the experience. But we were ready to hit White Castle on the way home. Okay, I wasn't, but the others were.  

BoMA - Bar of Modern Art

March 2007

This was by far the most popular restaurant the YUM Club has visited in our year and a half of dining adventures. The eclectic atmosphere, delicious (and beautiful) food and excellent service made for a fantastic evening. Somewhat pricey, but the experience is well worth the expense. A silent black and white film played while we ate in the upper balcony area of the restaurant. The chef sent out a specially prepared appetizer for the group to try. The wait staff was attentive, quick and helpful with our group of 17. We were then encouraged to wander throughout the galleries and check out the various themed rooms. We also had a chance to watch a dance lesson taking place in one of the bars in the basement. NYC or Las Vegas feel right in Columbus, OH.

Thom's on Grandview

5/2007

Thom's looks almost just like it did when Braddock's occupied the space. The menu was great with items beyond the ordinary. The portions and prices were perfectly matched - not too much and not too little. Our server was attentive and our bar tender before we were seated was great too. They split the check for 16 of us without any trouble.

Latitude 41

July 2007

Once the server gave us a 20 minute 'overview' of the menu, we had a tough time deciding between all of the seemigly delicious dishes that were offered. We were flattered that he spent so much time with us - he seemed to be the host, bartender, water filler AND the server for everyone in the restaurant. Everyone loved their food - seafood, salads, pasta, flatbreads. My only criticism is the lack of subtlety. It was made clear to us from the beginning that Latitude 41 was no longer a hotel restaurant (despite the billing that included room charges:-) and our server used the phrase "as an upscale restaurant" multiple times. We must have seemed fairly country to him...

Marcella's Ristorante

August 2007

Marcella's is so new and so popular, it's really tough to get in - especially with a large group! A direct call to the restaurant and the help of the manager guaranteed our group a reservation for 14. The wine list is extensive and really good, the sangria is great for the budget and the palate!! The 'small plates' notion allowed everyone to order a couple of things and share among the group. A couple people in our group commented that the food at Martini is superior, but overall everyone was pleased. Our server was fantastic and she offered separate checks without hesitation. The atmosphere is strikingly authentic (and very loud) and except for the comfortable air conditioning, I would have thought we were in an actual Italian cafe!

Cotter's

September 2007

The atmosphere was interesting and seemed to have potential - if it were busier. It seems to exist solely to serve the Arena crowd during events. The food was okay, though many in our group were dissatisfied with the quality of food vs. price. It was amusing when we asked for more bread and the kitchen seemed to have run out. Instead of the delicious artisan bread we were served at first, they brought two baskets of what looked like mini hamburger buns opened up and heated flat. They weren't toasted, but slightly warm. They also ran out of several types of wine we started with, so many didn't order a second round of drinks.

Haiku

October 2007

Despite the overwhelmingly strong scent of seafood when you first enter, Haiku is perhaps my new favorite restaurant in the Short North. The restaurant is not new, but it was new to me on this outing and I have been there three more times since.

The service was excellent, the food was fantastic and their prices were reasonable. Twice I have eaten indoors and twice I have eaten on the patio - on a hot day when the fish smell isn't desirable, the patio is the perfect solution.

Z Cucina de Spirito

November 2007 

I have gone to Z Cucina on several different occasions - once on a first date, another time on a 3rd date, once for a birthday and once with our dinner club. Every single time I have been surprised by the menu options and extremely pleased with my meal.
On this outing we were initially given a hard time by the host who was afraid our whole group wouldn't show up and they'd have trouble seating us. We understood his concern, but the restaurant was nowhere near full so it didn't seem to be an issue. Later he apologized profusely and noted that he was grateful for our business.

The food is always wonderful here. Every single person in our group loved their salads, entrees and desserts. The wine list and especially the happy hour prices were a highlight. I could go back to Z Cucina over and over.