Neighbor's Deli - Visit #2

This time, I took pictures.  Don't slobber on your keyboard...!  Check out my original post here.

The menu board

The slicer

The Cookie Stand

The Sandwich next to a yardstick... Note the 15 inch goodness of this cheesesteak!

Sheeba's head is so small next to this delectable beast.

The Restaurant that Always Fails

Location:

Chef Rick's Westerville Grill

59 S. State St.

Westerville, OH 43081

I walked in expecting something kinda dingy because the outside led me to believe that's what the inside would look like.  The building is old and there's something about knowing how many restaurants have failed at this location that makes me less than hopeful about what I'm going to experience.  I was pleased to see two servers behind the counter, two business men sitting at the counter, two chefs in the kitchen and two middle-aged female customers at a table.  I really thought the place would be deserted, but in a way, it was almost a cliché.

 

My waitress was a name tag-less African-American woman in her 40's.  She was pleasant enough, although after delivering my food she never came back until she heard me ask another waitress (who had just clocked on) if I could have a to-go box for my fries.  Ah, the fries.  DELICIOUS.  They were flat and fat, the kind I love, and I don't know what kind of oil they were fried in (dang!  should've asked!) but I have to assume it was peanut oil because there is no other oil that gives fries that level of crispness.  Absolutely wonderful.  If I lived across the street I'd gain so much weight just from devouring those beautiful french fries on a daily basis.

Now, back to the beginning.  I love a good Rueben.  What I love even more than that is a big, fat, leaky pile of corned beef slathered with Russian dressing, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut sandwiched between two thick slices of toasted rye bread.  The first I can get anywhere.  The second I can only get at Chef Rick's Westerville Grill.  On the whole I'd say that this place should be visited again, but I don’t know if I’d make the trip up there, and I honestly can't say that I'd recommend it to anyone.  It was all right, good portions for a lunch, although not quite enough for the $10.00 bill (which did include tip).  I do hope they are luckier than the last guys who owned the place!

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)
Cleanliness: 5
Value: 3.5
Accessibility: 2 *parking here sucks!!
Friendliness: 5
Menu: 4

jiā yóu

Location:

Hong Kong Buffet

1831 W. Henderson Rd.

Columbus, OH 43220

Well, I can't say anything other than "try harder" - pronounced "jiā yóu" in Mandarin - because the Hong Kong Buffet used  to be one of my favorite places to eat.  Perhaps it's a lunch-buffet-only problem, but the day we went it was packed and yet the food still had that hours-old feel to it.  We went on a Sunday afternoon, feeling hung-over and knowing that a Chinese buffet would be the perfect remedy.  We had both been there in the past, and I'm not sure when he was there (lunch or dinner) but I had only experienced their dinner service.

This lunch was incredibly disappointing.  The crab rangoon was fair, not crispy enough and definitely not hot.  The egg rolls were passable - meaning I should have passed on them - and the only winner on the fried food bar was the spring roll.  I found this almost amusing since usually their spring rolls are pretty gross, but this time they were perfectly cooked with just the right amount of filling.  I have no idea if they make them in-house or order them out but either way something changed & it was for the better.  I didn't even bother to get my favorite flower-style steamed bun because it looked half dead lying there in the basket.  My friend opted to get practically everything on the bars, including General Tso's (chewy), Peanut Chicken (gristly), and some kind of beef ("just not good" he said).  Nothing was hot, which as a Chef who is ServSafe certified I know that food must be held at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  This stuff was definitely in the danger zone, which I realized immediately.  As I've mentioned before, I've survived e. coli and salmonella so there isn't much I won't eat... but then I ate some Singapore Noodles off the bar.

So, I LOVE Singapore Noodles.  They involve some of my favorite ingredients: super fine noodles, curry, vegetables, and msg (monosodium glutamate).  This day was a sad day for Singapore Noodles.  They were practically cold, there were no vegetables except a random scrap of something green in every fifth bite, and the flavor was just lacking.  Within ten minutes of consuming these noodles I knew that something had gone very wrong in my stomach because I instantly felt nauseous.  I'm sure if I hadn't been hung-over the feeling probably wouldn't have been so bad, but this was just yucky.  I gulped down two more glasses of lemon water, picked at some broccoli on my plate, and watched my friend eat the rest of his food.  At the end of the meal we both agreed that we would probably never come back there again.

I will give the Hong Kong Buffet one more try for dinner.  They always have crab legs in mounds and mounds at dinnertime, and they are always fresh because, well, for $11.00/person, everyone there takes at least one or two full-sized plates back to the table with them.

Check out the Hong Kong Buffet website here.

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)
Cleanliness: 4
Value: 2
Accessibility: 5
Friendliness: 5
Menu: 2

A sign on the door at Hong Kong Buffet...  Makes me nervous to work there.

Summer Series #1 - North Market

Location:
North Market
59 Spruce Street
Columbus, OH 43215-1622
(614) 463-9664

This Summer will be one of adventure and investigation.  Instead of spending mass amounts of time warming up the couch cushions, I’m going to head out and stoke my brain fires with a culinary prod.  First in the series is the North Market, located on the edge of the Short North and Area Districts in Downtown Columbus.  This first article will be an overview of the entire place and each week or so I will choose individual vendors to focus on.

From the North Market Website, a short description and history:

“Launched in 1876 and located at 29 Spruce Street at the city’s public cemetery, “The North Graveyard,” the North End Market (as it was then known) was the second of four public markets in Columbus.  From a fire that completely destroyed it in 1948 to being housed in a Quonset hut purchased with funds pooled by the merchants to temporary closings and threat of demolition, the North Market endured its share of hardships.  Then, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Market emerged as one of the finest public markets in the country — thanks to the creation of the North Market Development Authority (NMDA). This not-for-profit group comprised of shoppers and merchants was established to "preserve and promote the traditional and cultural aspects of the historic North Market."  The NMDA led the Market's recovery, including negotiating the 1992 purchase by the city of the former Advanced Thresher warehouse at 59 Spruce Street. The turn-of-the-century farm implements warehouse was ideal for redeveloping the Market; and the NMDA spearheaded a capital campaign to finance building renovations.  All the hard work paid off with the re-opening of the North Market at its current location in November 1995.” About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2010, from http://www.northmarket.com/about-us.

When you arrive in the parking lot of the North Market, it feels a little intimidating, but without true reason.  The 44,000 square foot, two-story building is surrounded by a few trees and lots of buildings, with a smattering of lunch-goers dotting the steps leading up to innocent double doors.  Perhaps it’s the history you can feel radiating from the area, or maybe it’s the thought that beyond those innocent doors lie a surplus of goodness and plenty of places to blow your paycheck.  Upon entry, there’s usually a sign for you to read, listing that month or season’s events – there are cooking classes, wine tastings, live music, and so forth – and beyond the sign, a virtual wall of people meandering through the isles.

The North Market is not for the faint-of-heart.  It is an intense place, reminiscent of old-timey outdoor markets missing only the yell of vendors and fish in newspaper flying through the air.  The ceiling is open to reveal steel beams and a sort-of catwalk that goes around the perimeter of the building.  This “catwalk” is actually the second floor dining and offices area, a quiet place to sit and talk while you slurp your Vietnamese Soup.  The first floor is where all the vendors are located, and if you’re not careful you can lose yourself in the first few steps.

From CaJohn’s Flavor & Fire, a hot-sauce vendor who makes everything from scratch right here in Ohio, to Pam’s Market Popcorn, turning left upon arriving will awaken the senses immediately.  Most vendors have samples readily available or are willing to have you try whatever it is you’re interested in.  Around the bend on the south wall is Omega Artisan Baking, and you can find fresh crusty bread samples ready with olive oil on any given day.  Keep going and there’s more to be seen and smelled – Best of the Wurst, Nidia’s Sushi, and Flavors of India.  The best plan of action when visiting the North Market is to walk around the perimeter once, hit up the middle isles next, then go back to the beginning and do it all over again.  I’ve found that if you try to tackle this place without exploring it first you will be lost and overwhelmed.  There are 35 different vendors in the North Market and each one deserves a few moments of your time to really shine.

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)
Cleanliness: 4
Value: *varies*
Accessibility: 3
Friendliness: *varies*
Menu: *varies*

Best Cheesesteak EVER

Location: 

Neighbor's Deli ($$)

2142 West Henderson Road

Columbus, OH 43220

Formerly Jersey Mike's, Neighbor's Deli has taken the sub-sandwich/deli concept and catapulted it to new heights.  Their menu consists of scrolls (wraps), monsters (deli sandwiches) and hoagies as well as grilled cheese sandwiches, bologna sandwiches, and soups.  There are also cookies ready at the counter!  Our experience involved one Monster Club and one whole Philly Cheesesteak Hoagie.

The Monster Club was composed of classic club ingredients - turkey, ham, bacon, mayo/tomato/onion, etc.  The method of delivery was thick-sliced crusty-on-the-outside-airy-on-the-inside white bread that may have been made and delivered that morning.  The meats were sliced fresh right in front of us while we waited and piled high.  I would venture to say that this sandwich was at least 4 inches thick, if not 5 inches.  Absolutely amazing... so amazing in fact that my friend scarfed the whole thing down before I could even try one bite!  It came with a spicy kosher dill spear too, the happy usual that always makes my day.

My order for that day was my "usual" - Philly Cheesesteak.  I've never been to Philadelphia, honestly, but I do consider myself an expert on the sandwich.  I don't care about Pat's or Geno's (although someday I'm sure I will!), I just care about a delicious, cheesy, steaky sandwich.  Neighbor's delivered!  The hoagie was, like the deli bread, crusty and airy, but cut by hand right down the middle.  My friend suggested I get a whole one, which was more than a foot long, and since he was paying I went ahead and ordered up.  The man behind the counter said "with everything?" which meant mushrooms, onions, and red/green peppers.  Yum!  Unlike some other sub shops that shall remain nameless, Neighbor's sautéed all the veggies together and then added them to the cooked meat.  I get very nervous around raw meat and veggies ever since I survived having e. coli and then salmonella both in one summer.  The deli man slathered the mayo onto the hoagie perfectly - for the first time in my life I didn't have to ask for more.  He placed tomato and lettuce on top of the mayo and then put the cooked meat/veggies inside and carried the small bundle to the wrapping area where he tightly swaddled the sandwich in deli paper and swiftly slid it into a long paper bag.  By the time we got home the smell had permeated my car and the heat from the meat had warmed my lap.  It was so hard to not dig in immediately!  Once spread out on the floor picnic style, my friend's deli sandwich in its white Styrofoam box looked almost puny in comparison to the beast in front of me.  I picked up the first half and literally dove in teeth first.  The first two bites were messy... the third was worse... I was in heaven.  I didn't speak for almost five minutes and then, finally, the words came: "BEST.  CHEESESTEAK.  EVER."

I will go back to Neighbor's and try their roast beef hoagie and sandwich as soon as Lent is over, and from then on I plan on trying most, if not all, of their menu items.  I'm really interested to see how their fried bologna sandwich compares to my mom's!

Bill:

   $9.00 hoagie

 +$6.50 monster

   $15.50 total

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)

Cleanliness: 4

Value: 4

Accessibility: 5

Friendliness: 5

Menu: 4

Welcome!

Hello Foodies, Chef Kelly here. I've decided to go ahead and make a real blog for reviewing restaurants/products/etc. instead of just constantly talking about it! Hopefully this blog will become your go-to-guide for all thing culinary in Columbus (and wherever I happen to travel to). I won't be reviewing just 5-star restaurants or Pampered Chef hardwares, I'll be reviewing practically everything I come across in everyday life.

Til the next post, buen apetito!