Victor's Winter To-Do List - post 7

As 2009 draws to a close, I've been searching for things to do in the 1st quarter of 2010.

These are in no particular order and I put relevant links where I could.

First up, the annual MetroParks Winter Hike Series. Taking place weekly from 02 Jan - 27 Feb (some weekends have 2 hikes, one Saturday and one Sunday), this annual series features 13 hikes, post hike refreshments, and a natural and interpretive history discussion by trained MetroPark naturalists and volunteers. Those who complete 7 of the 13 hikes will receive an embroidered patch. Start times are either 10:00a or 2:00p depending on location and lengths vary from 1mile to 7miles depending on the trail system at each park.
Links:

• Central Ohio MetroParks
• .pdf format schedule

Next, is one particular Columbus Blue Jackets game - CBJ vs. The Buffalo Sabres, Saturday 06 Feb @ 7:00pm @ Nationwide Arena. Being from the greater Buffalo region, I maintain myself as a Sabres fan (as well as a Jackets fan).
CBJ homepage:

• Blue Jackets

Switching gears to a bit of culture, BalletMet is putting on a production of Carmina Burana. Based on the 13th century collection of Latin poetry turned into the classic 1937 Opus by Carl Orff, this production will run from 05 - 13 Mar.
From the BalletMet website:

"The Cleveland Plain Dealer said of Carmina's world premiere, "Fiery ensemble dances develop into a violent orgy that ultimately resolves into a joyous celebration.""

BalletMet Link:

• Carmina Burana
  

Finally on this abbreviated Winter preview - what would Columbus Reviews Et Cetera be without food? Leo and I have been contemplating a rekindling of our 'bromance' and have a long list of fine eateries in the Greater Columbus Metro Region that we'd like to sample. Of course, I can't divulge the full list, but one high on the list is the Cowtown staple Thurman's.

Stay tuned for some reviews and suggestions of events for this coming quarter.

Regards,
victor

Victor's Review: BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse - Post 6

Sorry it's been a while, but life has been insane.

Generally, I will not review national chain restaurants, but to get things moving along again - I will do so here.

The first thing that struck me about BJ's was a feeling of similarity to Cheesecake Factory. I felt the environment was very similar, the menus had a similar design and layout, and the entryway and basic layout was reminiscent of visits to Cheesecake Factory.

I went on a Wednesday around 6:00pm and it was sufficiently busy, but there was no wait. There was an efficiency to the service that bordered on being rushed. Virtually as soon as we ordered appetizers or our meal from our waiter there was another server arriving with our food.

The food was satisfactory and reasonably priced for this type of restaurant. For two splitting an appetizer, each with an entree, splitting desert, and beverages (including two "tasters" of their house brews) came to approximately $45 + tip.

For an appetizer, we had the Santa Fe Spring Rolls made with chicken and a variety of vegetables. To complement this southwestern fare were two dipping sauces including an avocado cream and their Santa Fe dressing. The avocado was creamy and flavourful with green onion bits and red peppers in it. A light spicy after taste would best describe the Santa Fe dressing - both complemented the Spring Rolls wonderfully.

I chose the Knife & Fork Pot Roast sandwich. A respectable slice of bread served as the base which was piled with mashed potatoes, tender pot roasted beef, and a beef gravy. An array of cooked vegetables surrounded the sandwich, including carrots and onions. This sandwich was filling and as indicated, a respectable size.

For desert we split the Cookies 'n Cream Pizookie. A warm chocolate cookie in a round pan topped w/ 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream and an Oreo whipped cream topping proved to be a delightful way to end the meal. The cookie was definately the best part of this dish. The ice cream went well with the hot cookie, but I felt that the Oreo whipped cream topping was unmemorable.

For my two "tasters" - 5oz samples of BJ's House Brews - I tried the Wild Berry Cider and the PM Porter. The Cider was refreshing and enjoyable to drink, and if not there to sample, I would have ordered a pint. The variety of berries provided a comforting, refreshing complexity that was smooth and easy to drink. As for the PM Porter, this was a beautifully dark beer with a creamy head (hold in mind that I am NOT the beer drinker here, and rarely partake in the beverage). There was a delightful hint of chocolate and a more noticible taste of caramel. This beer was somewhat dry, but the first half of the glass was very enjoyable for me. I do not know if it was the fact that it had warmed up a bit or if it was because I tried to finish it following the chocolate desert, but I did not enjoy the remainder of it. I would be willing to try it again and drink it all before eating to see if this was the case.

Aside from a rushed feeling, the service was adequate and the atmosphere is what one would expect at a medium priced, casual, chain dining establishment.

Basic info:
Website - http://www.bjsrestaurants.com/index.html
Location - Polaris (1414 Polaris Pkwy. North side of SR 750, West of I-71)
Phone - 614.885.1800
Victor's Rating = 3.5 (0-5 scale)

Leo & Victor's Review: Ringside Cafe - Post 5

Leo:

This was Victor’s pick for the night, and if I hadn’t arrived with him I would have walked right past one of Columbus’ most historic cafés. I will leave the history and intimate details to Victor (he does his homework), but still give you my general review.

First, I must tell you that this is one of the smallest establishments I have ever been in. Humorously enough, as Victor and I were discussing the lighting being a bit bright – the bartender on the complete opposite side of the room dimmed the lights and asked if that was better. On the bartender: this gentleman served the bar, waited all tables, and even cooked our food along with one other staff member. I would think this would make for a “hurried” staff, but our guy carried on a good conversation and paid attention to our table.

The scenery is great if you dig the classic pub look, because that’s exactly what it is. I was impressed by the hand-carved woodwork throughout the upstairs, and the stained glass certainly added to the effect. Be warned that Ringside can get extremely warm in temperature due to its small size and default proximity to the kitchen.

The drink specials: 4pm to 7pm on weekdays
$2 domestics
$3 imports
$2 wells

We didn’t make it in time for “happy hour”, so I quenched my thirst with a Shock Top draught for 4 bucks. I don’t see this on tap all too often, and if you haven’t tried it – it’s a wonderful summer time draught.

The food is where Victor and I let you down a little… neither of us could resist the “Smokin Joe” BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger. I would say that the burger was average, but was still quite tasty. The homemade kettle chips on the other hand are something to speak of – they were fresh out of the kitchen and although a little on the greasy side, were absolutely delicious.

Overall, if you happen to be near the statehouse or Rhodes building, Ringside is a must for a quick bite and a brew. Otherwise, if you and a buddy want to experience one of the most unique cafés in downtown Columbus, I definitely recommend.

Victor:

This was actually my 2nd time at Ringside Café – both were within the past week. If you didn’t know where it is or have some to tell you about it, the odds of you stumbling across it are pretty remote. If you go to the Pearl Street Market with any frequency, you’ve probably seen it.

Located at 19 N Pearl Street, Ringside Café rests in the middle of the block East of High Street and between Gay and Broad Streets. The Ringside was founded in 1897 and is the oldest bar in the City. The name “Ringside” alludes to the proximity of prize fights held at the Palace Theatre a few block south on Broad Street. In the old days – the lower level had a dirt floor and bare-knuckle fights were held there (according to our bar-tender). Their website states that new management took over operations in late 2008.

I like the offset entrance from the South East corner of the building – not coming in through one of the sides. The South facing wall has 3 stained glass windows, from when the building was originally built, imported from Eastern Europe. The stained glass window facing East is a replacement as a brick was thrown through the original years ago. The motif on that window is political in honor of the Statehouse, which sits roughly 200 yards away, and contains an image of a Donkey & Elephant.

The wood, as Leo mentioned is beautiful and hand carved – all original. The booths are comfortable for 2, but you would be hard pressed to fit any more on the benches, and the tables are small – all results of the limited space inside. The bar itself has roughly 7 stools and can be very crowded when busy. Outside, there is a roped off portion of N Pearl that serves as a patio – which seems as though it would be shaded through most of the day, owing to the taller buildings surrounding it.

I was disappointed because their liquor stock was fairly limited because of a large party over the weekend and they had not yet restocked. The burger was excellent on a large Kaiser roll, served with crisp lettuce, well-cooked bacon, a tomato slice and a pleasantly spiced BBQ sauce. As Leo mentioned – the kettle chips were still a little greasy, but that let them hold the salt they needed to season them, and more importantly – they were still hot out of the fryer.

Splitting a mozzarella stick appetizer, we each had 1 drink, and the burgers yielded a total of roughly $17 each.

Basic info:
Website - http://www.ringsidecolumbus.com/
Location – downtown, near the Statehouse
Phone – 614.228.7464
Leo’s Rating = 3.75 (0-5 scale)
Victor's Rating = 3.75 (0-5 scale)

Leo’s review: “Press Grill” – Post 4

My former roommate “Miller” used to enjoy going on dates here, and after passing it during a jog through the short north I cleaned myself up and headed over.

Spatially, Press Grill is much like other Short North establishments in respect to being narrow but with plenty of depth to fit its patrons. It looks as though you’ll be cramped, but on a Monday evening there was a good crowd yet enough elbow room for a guy like myself. The décor is very simple with deep dark red walls (which aren’t crowded with decorations), a jukebox near the door, low lighting, and a few small flat screens behind the bar. The kitchen is visible as it is situated at the far end of the bar, and looked lively and clean. By mentioning flat screens, I don’t want to portray to you that this is the spot to watch your favorite sports team. I had the vibe that this is your place for good conversation with someone (at least on a weeknight).

I’ll likely be your beer guy throughout these posts, and the special at Press Grill was $2 Labatt Blue or Canadian Molson. I personally enjoy any place that does little themes like Canadian and whatnot. So while kicking back a Labatt, I also enjoyed the Monday night special of “Nathan’s 2 Famous Hotdogs” for 3 bucks. This was the highlight of my day. I’ve only had Nathan’s one time before, but from what I can remember, it was as authentic as it gets. I had them Coney-Dog style which came with a toasted bun, excellent chili dog sauce, cheese, and onions. I highly recommend this meal and at 3 dollars you can’t go wrong.

Press Grill had a good American style menu and added their own touch to some things like having “fried egg” on more than one of their sandwiches (I can assure you this will be my next selection). On Thursdays, they have a “thanksgiving dinner” for $9.99 which sounds hearty and I trust it to be good as well.

Overall Press Grill was a cool little place for a weekday dinner conversation. I appreciated how many patrons there were, without it being impossible to have a chat with the person sitting across from you. I recommend the Nathan’s Famous hot dogs on experience, and the rest of the menu I have high hopes for.

Until next time…

Basic Info:

Website: http://pressgrill.net/
Menu: http://pressgrill.net/menu.html
Location: 741 N. High St. Columbus, Ohio 43215 (South of Hubbard & High, on the west side of High St.)
Phone: 614-298-1014
Leo’s Rating: 3.5 (0-5 scale)

Victor's Review: - Wolfgang Puck Express - Post 3

***Update 31 July 2010***
I've been meaning to mention this for a couple of months now, but Wolfgang Puck Express has closed its Upper Arlington location.
***End Update***

This was a "cold visit" for me. I have not read any reviews prior to going and did not even look for a website or menu. On entering, there is seating to the left, a counter to order straight ahead, more seating behind the counter (behind a dividing wall), and the food prep / kitchen to the far left back corner.

As I understand the information from Puck's website, this is a franchise establishment using his name. The "express" portion of the name is pretty accurate. Sandwiches, pizzas, and salads are the main fare.

I had the lunch combo - the "Daily Duo". For $7.95 this consisted of 1/2 of a pocket sandwich (chef's choice each day) and soup or salad. The sandwich of the day was the Chicken Aioli and for salad, I chose the Caesar. The salad was on the smallish side, but this was easily counteracted by the fullness of the pocket. Homemade chips accompanied the meal, and honestly - I did not care for them as they were very greasy.

Aioli is a traditional French sauce made w/ garlic and olive oil, this version was made with cilantro as well. The sandwich had chicken, lettuce, red onion, tomato and the cilantro aioli. Sun-dried tomatos were cooked to the top of the pocket bread and added another flavour to the meal. Again, same complaint as the chips - the top of the bread was also fairly greasy, though I think it was predominantly from the sun-dried tomatos.

Overall, the sandwich and salad were not bad. Salad size was a little small, but the 1/2 sandwich was perfectly adequate as a full meal. The price for the lunch special was average considering a full sandwich lists at $6.75. The beverages were a little pricy. A bottle of "Republic of Tea" iced tea ran $2.75.

I would be willing to return to try the butternut squash soup, as it is one of my favourite soups...

Basic info:
Website (Wolfgang Puck) - http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/
Website (Menu - from Cafe Courier) - http://ohio.cafecourier.com/menu_show.asp?ID=104
Location - Shops on Lane, Upper Arlington (south side of street)
Phone - 614.481.9675
Victor's Rating = 3 (0-5 scale)

Victor's Review: - Surly Girl Saloon Post 2

Surly Girl Saloon is one of the brain-children of Elizabeth Lessner (who also owns Betty's, Tip-Top, and Dirty Franks) decorated with a certain pin-up / cowgirl feel to it. Lately, I find Surly Girl to be my number one destination to the Short North and has been my "go-to" first dinner-date locale while dating.

Inside the decor includes dark wood, dark paint, old pictures of cow-girls and pin-ups, old chandeliers with beads hanging from them and swatches of fabric hung from the walls and draping from the ceiling. The lighting is low. One large window facing west, overlooking High Street, lets in what limited natural light can be found inside - creating a pleasant low-light environment perfect for intimate conversations.

The bar is well stocked with roughly 2 dozen beers on tap. Last week I went following a concert @ Skully's and ordered "The Captain's Doctor" and was told that they had "cherry infused Captain Morgan" - this was UNREAL!!! Unique house specialties like this are reason enough to stop back - just to see if they have it this week.

The food is almost always of the highest quality. I hate the term, but "comfort food" is the rule here. My stand by is the Cajun Meatloaf w/ spicy mashed potatoes and (wait for it) cornbread stuffing... I HATE stuffing - but I <3 this stuff. There's spice, it's not dry, the gravy complements it nicely, and it just goes w/ the meatloaf. (Though in full disclosure, the last time I was there two days ago the meatloaf had a sweet taste to it. It was still a little spicy, but the sweetness was something I don't ever recall from previous visits.) Betty's Spinach and Artichoke Dip makes for an excellent appetizer with it's smooth consistency and stellar taste.

I have heard great things about the BLT&A (Bacon Lettuce Tomato and Avocado Sandwich) and the Southwest Mac & Cheese - and am looking forward to trying both.

Cost is very reasonable with most entrees costing ~ $10. Drinks are reasonably priced as 2 Captain's Doctors cost $11 w/ tip and the kitchen is open during all hours of operation.

Basic info:
Website (Menu, Map, Parking Info, & Schedule) - http://surlygirlsaloon.com/index.php
Location - High Street south of 5th in the Short North (east side of street)
Hours - 1100 - 0200 Daily
Victor's Rating = 4 (0-5 scale)

Leo's Intro:

Hello all, Leo here...

I've lived in Columbus since 2004, and have enjoyed it to the fullest. I attended THE Ohio State University as well, and am currently a "yo-pro", working in the southern end of downtown . As Victor mentioned, our intention is to give you our best and brightest opinions on various things here in the city.

Victor and I usually have quite interesting "takes" on just about everything, and although we don't always agree with one another, it makes for good conversation.

Personally, I'll make a conscious effort to include all kinds of things, and am always up for a suggestion on what I should make one of my writings on.

Welcome aboard Columbus Reviews Et Cetera!

Leo

victor's introduction - post 1

this blog is intended to be a collaboration between two friends here in the greater columbus metro region. i will be writing under the pen name "victor" and will indicate any posts by me w/ my name in the title. since it is a collaboration - i will allow my co-author the pleasure of introducing himself.

i have lived in columbus since summer of 2003 and am not planning on leaving anytime soon. i attended THE ohio state university as a non-traditional student for undergrad and am currently attending TOSU as a grad student.

my vision is that this blog will be a forum for us to write about things in columbus we enjoy - reviews of bands, restaurants, local attractions, special events, and talking points of interest for the region.

i hope our posts entertain you and are informative.

warm regards - victor