Neighbor's Deli Update!

I've been going to Neighbor's Deli since they were a Jersey Mike's franchise. Super awesome owner, super awesome food, and just when I think it can't get any better (unless they moved closer to my house) - French Onion Soup.

OMG.

The best non-sit-down-restaurant French Onion Soup that I've had in a long time. Make sure you go get some as soon as possible. Also, join their Facebook page for great deals.

And now, the photos (do not judge too harshly, this soup sat in the car for 25 minutes while I was stuck in traffic. I popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds and it was perfect):

The Golden Goose... Er, Rangoon?

Location: 

Golden China Express

453 E Wilson Bridge Road Worthington, OH 43085

(614) 848-4600

Just wanted to throw a quick review in about this tiny Chinese take-out place that we go to every once in awhile. Honestly, we should go there more, but they're kind of on the pricey side. (Well, compared to my favorite Chinese pig-out, The Buffet!) I always get the crab rangoon and combination #17, General Tso's with fried rice and an egg roll. It's perfect every time! The crab rangoon are the best best best of any Chinese take out I've ever had. They are huge, about the size of a playing card, hot, crispy, and totally stuffed with crab-cream cheese filling. Oh my god, I literally just started drooling just typing about them! Anyway  the General Tso's is the stickier kind, but they keep their chicken pieces to about the size of half a matchbox car, so they don't get chewy. They don't include any peppers (sad face) but they do include 4-5 pieces of steamed broccoli.  What I really like is their fried rice.  It doesn't have a ton of vegetables in it, or those weird pieces of teriaki pork or whatever that red, hard, tasteless pork is that you often find in fried rice. Blargh. I hate those things. It's just rice, fried, no additions. I don't mind the occasional pea or carrot, but when you get more vegetables than rice, it's like why not order vegetable fried rice instead? I just want some tasty fried rice to put my tasty General Tso's chicken into.

Check out the Golden China Express  on East Wilson Bridge Road, at the intersection of Huntley and Worthington Galena. You will not be disappointed. Poke always gets the house fried rice, and it actually fills him up! He eats a lot. Here's a photo of the combination #17, without the egg roll or crab rangoon - I kinda scarfed those down before I thought to take a picture!

Yum!

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

Cleanliness: 4

Value: 4

Accessibility: 3 (you either have to know the back way in, or wait to turn left for 117 hours)

Friendliness: 5

Menu: 5

My Big Fat Greek Meh

Menu

Location: 

George's Beechwold Diner

4408 Indianola Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43214

(614) 447-0944

About a year ago, Poke and I tried to go to the Beechwold Diner on a Sunday in between church services, hoping they wouldn't be very busy and we would miss the rushes. We walked in with our infant son, and stood there for about three minutes just waiting to be greeted. There were plenty of waitresses running around, and the front door can be seen from every single spot in the restaurant. The place was packed, with no available tables, and since we weren't acknowledged at all, we ended up walking out.

Hey lady, where's the eats? A guy can't live on crackers!

A few weeks ago, a friend and I wanted to get together for lunch and try someplace new. I figured I would give the diner another chance, since a few of my friends are constantly raving about it on Facebook. We met around 11am, and it wasn't packed, but there were only two free tables. I had my son with me, so luckily I was able to get a spot where we could put the high chair.

I LOVE FOOD!

I ordered a Reuben, which came with chips. I asked if I could substitute fries for chips, and she said no, I could only order a side of fries and then I wouldn't get my chips. That pissed me off. If I'm paying for chips and fries, I want to get chips and fries. I told her to please give me the chips as well. I didn't get any chips. I got my son an ala carte pancake and one scrambled egg, which he wolfed down before I could even try a bite, so I'm going to assume they were good... but he's a toddler now, so basically all food is good to him. The Reuben was pretty good, lots of meat and sauerkraut and just the right amount of dressing. I prefer my rye bread to be more toasted, but at least it was only raw on the edges. The fries were fine, but there was nothing special about them. Just fries. I like Wendy's or Penn Station's fries better. I really missed the chips.

Reuben

My friend got a grilled ham and cheese with chips and coleslaw. She said the coleslaw was good, crisp and creamy and not too soupy. It looked like Steak'n'Shake's coleslaw to me, which is one of very few coleslaws that I like. She said her ham and cheese was tasty. We decided to get some dessert, and I got the apple pie and she got bread pudding. After she took the first bite, I could tell the bread pudding wasn't good, and she confirmed it. Blech. My pie, however, was delicious - although I highly doubt it was homemade, unless they have a 5-star patisserie in the back.

'Slaw

Grilled ham & cheese and chips

Now let's discuss the drink situation. I ordered a Diet, as always, and a water for the kid. I had to flag her down several times to get a refill, and eventually she just started ignoring me. For the last half of my meal, I ended up drinking my son's water because I couldn't get the waitress to give me any more pop! My friend ordered hot tea, and was charged three times, once for each cup of tea that she had. Seriously? $1.59 for hot water? Wow.

Our tab was pretty steep, considering the lackluster experience. I really don't think a meal at a diner for a kid and two women should cost more than $20, but it does at George's Beechwold Diner. Totally unacceptable.

Yes, that says $33.14!

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

Cleanliness: 3 (it's a really old place that is in need of major upgrades)

Value: 1

Accessibility: 1 (only 4 parking spots, easy to miss from the road)

Friendliness: 1

Menu: 3

By the end of our meal, the place had cleared out.

 You can visit their website here.

Mi piace il cibo italiano!

Location: 

Petti's Pizza & Restaurant  

29303 Euclid Avenue

Wickliffe, OH 44092

(440) 944-1028 ‎

When I was young, my father worked just down the street from Petti's, and we would often make the drive there to meet him for lunch. Any time we were out, especially for doctor/dentist appointments, my mom would take me over there to see my dad and get some awesome Italian food for lunch. I always made sure to behave extra good so that I'd be guaranteed this trip!

It's been two years since I've been there, but the last time I went was with my mom after we visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's pretty close by (about 10 minute drive) so I knew we had to go. It looked different inside than I remembered, much smaller and brighter, but I suppose when your head is at table level, everything seems gigantic!

Once again, it's been so long since I took these photos/ate here that I don't specifically recall the entire meal. I remember scarfing down everything on my plate, including a salad and several rolls, and I was still hungry - never fear, however, there was a lot of food - I just happened to be pregnant at the time and didn't know it! Hahaha!

I do remember that we were there on a Friday and it was packed. They had a few good specials going on, and our waitress was hilarious and awesome. Petti's has been run by the same family for generations, and probably 80% of the staff is family/related.

All in all, I'd say that if you're in the Cleveland/Wickliffe area, check it out! If you are from Columbus and have ever been to Villa Nova, it's a similar atmosphere, room size, menu, etc.

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

Cleanliness: 5

Value: 5

Accessibility: 3

Friendliness: 5

Menu: 5

Is this what Italy looks like?

 

Like being at your Italian Gramma's house

Big plate of ravioli!

Good photo of one meatball and one piece of Italian sausage.

My mom got the Lake Perch and some roasted redskin potatoes.

She puts ketchup on lots of things...

Economico e deliziosa!

Location:

Morone's Italian Villa

1490 Bethel Rd, Columbus, Ohio 43235

(614) 457-7444 ‎

Where do I begin to sing the praises of Morone’s?  I guess I’ll just dive right in and start describing everything that is wonderful about this random Italian restaurant.

Dining Room

Located in the Bethel Centre at Godown & Bethel Roads, Morone’s is truly a hidden treasure.  In the same centre there is a Cosi, BW3, a couple bars, and a Panda Inn.  Way in the back nestled between a hockey store and another bar is this delicious treat.  There are three areas at the end of a long foyer, the dining room, another dining room (which I believe is reserved for parties) and the back area for picking up pizzas (where the bar is also located).  The whole place smells delectable, and as the server takes you to the table your brain is already contemplating what kind of Italian meal you’ll be feasting upon today.

Giant Lasagna

The menu is simple, featuring pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads, and dinners.  There are a few appetizers, desserts, and drinks.  Very easy to read, very easy to choose from.  They even have an a la carte section for people like my mother who like to order chicken fingers, two meatballs, and a side salad.  My favorite dish, if I had to pick, would be the lasagna.  I am a HUGE lasagna fan, so I am very picky, and I could literally eat Morone’s lasagna three times a week.  It is tall, filled with cheese and meat sauce, but not too saucy and runny – it stays in “loaf” form and that is what I love.

Complementary Bread

Mom's Chicken Fingers (note bowl of meatballs on right)

The one thing I dislike about Morone’s is the service.  Most of the servers are teenagers, and while I was a teenager working in foodservice once, I can only excuse so much.  They tend to only check on you once or twice, and if you ask for something, such as more butter or bread or whatever, more often than not you have to flag down someone else to remind your server of the request.  The most annoying thing to me, having also been a server, is an empty cup.  This is a problem at Morone’s as well.  On a trip to the restroom I think I figured out the cause of this neglect – in the back, where the bar is, I came across four servers just hanging out, talking, waiting around for who knows what.  One of them was my server, and I had been out of pop for at least ten minutes.  Perhaps they should hang out in the server station adjacent to the dining room, where at least they can keep an eye on the tables… Just a thought!

All in all, Morone’s is a great place to go any night of the week if you are hungry for good, comforting, stick-to-your-ribs Italian fare.  It’s good for families, dates, business lunch (they have a buffet during the week), or any other reason to go out!

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

Cleanliness: 5

Value: 5

Accessibility: 5

Friendliness: 3

Menu: 5

There are two kinds of people - Greeks, and everyone else who wish they was Greek.

Location:

The Gyro Shoppe

2061 Henderson Rd

Columbus, OH 43220

(614) 442-1200‎

Located on Henderson Road in Upper Arlington, just down the street from Neighbor’s Deli, is a sweet little gem of a place located in an old Taco Bell.  The Gyro Shoppe has been on this corner for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been getting their amazing gyros and fries for at least ten years.  Finally, I decided to give them a shout-out on the blog.

 

To be generic, everything they serve is delicious… I’ve had the gyros, the Greek salads, the baklava, stuffed grape leaves (see photo above), you name it.  But my favorite meal is a super gyro and fries (and pop).  The gyro meat (lamb, traditionally) is tender and peppery, and cooked on a vertical spit to ensure maximum deliciousness.  A nice amount of meat is stuffed into a pita and topped with onion, lettuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce.  Oh, the tzatziki sauce – a yogurt based cream sauce involving cucumber, dill, garlic, and lemon juice (among other ingredients) – is to die for.  I’m not sure what they do to make it so tasty but the creamy zing of the tzatziki cuts through the density of the lamb-pita combo perfectly.

The fries, which I believe are fried in peanut oil, are breathtaking.  They come in a little wax bag, always overflowing and leaving those renegade fries at the bottom of your brown paper bag.  I love those renegade fries.  But I digress… the Gyro Shoppe’s fries are thick cut, but not steak fries, giving them a super-crispy outside and perfectly potatoey inside.  They offer “Greek seasoning” to shake on them, but I don’t think it’s necessary, and besides I’m pretty sure the “Greek seasoning” is really just Lawry’s seasoning salt.

All in all, a spectacular place for Greek food.  The service is fast, the prices are cheap, and now you can even find another Gyro Shoppe in Dublin on Woerner Temple Road!  The only downside to the Gyro Shoppe is that they close kinda early, so if you get a late-night craving for lamb, you’re s.o.l… at least if you want good lamb!  I used to be a big Yanni’s fan, and then I moved on to loving Gyro Express.  Now that I’m a grown-up, I love the Gyro Shoppe and that is where my devotion will remain!

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

Cleanliness: 4

Value: 5

Accessibility: 4

Friendliness: 5

Menu: 5

iMe encanta este lugar!

Location:

La Michoacana Market & Restaurant

Corner of Bethel & Sawmill Roads, next to J. Lindsay’s

Columbus, OH 43235

Being a chef, I am very interested in trying new cuisines from different cultures.  If you couldn’t already tell from previous posts on this blog, Mexican/Hispanic food happens to be my favorite.  One day I decided to go into La Michoacana and check out their grocery selections, and I was pleasantly surprised by what awaited me inside.

When you walk into La Michoacana, you are instantly transported to a different space, a different time, a different world.  There are piles of fresh produce to the right, and aisles upon aisles of Hispanic foodstuffs to the left.  I had to walk through twice just to look at everything before I even started to consider what I might buy.  They have spices, candles, statues, cheeses, a meat counter complete with pig and chicken feet, funky pops and candies… simply amazing.  In the corner near the front is the jewel of La Michoacana – the restaurant or “taqueria”.  I didn’t try it that day, but I took my boyfriend back later that week to see what it was all about.

 

We were clearly the minority here, even though there was only one other couple in the tiny restaurant.  There was one waitress to serve the 15 tables, and I’m pretty sure she only spoke enough English to get by.  I ordered a chimicanga, of course, and he ordered the quesadilla.  Oh my god, were we in for a treat!  The food was ever so marvelous, and for once I was at a loss for words.  They served us chips and salsa, but not salsa like you would think of – it was actual salsa (most restaurants serve “salsa” that is actually a juicier form of pico de gallo).  There was a green flavor and an orange flavor, and honestly, despite my super tasting powers, I could not decipher the main ingredients in either sauce.  Either way, they were freakin’ delicious.  My chimichanga was covered in green chile sauce, grated queso blanco, and sour cream and served with a side of rice and beans.  The quesadilla, which was enormous, was served plain, also with a side of rice and beans.  As you can see from the pictures, my poor boyfriend struggled to get the last bite of his quesadilla down the hatch… but he triumphed finally and we asked for our check.

All this deliciousness only cost $15, and along with the bill came two Mexican suckers!  Awesome!  Overall, I would say that if you are looking for a truly authentic Hispanic meal, La Michoacana is the place to go.  Obviously I feel that other restaurants offer a bona fide experience, but La Michoacana is run by Hispanics for Hispanics and that means they don’t change anything up for the gringos!  Go here as soon as possible.

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

Cleanliness: 3

Value: 5

Accessibility: 5

Friendliness: 5

Menu: 5

High on the Hog

Location:

Hoggy’s (Grandview)

1416 West 5th Avenue

Columbus, OH 43212

(614) 485-4647

Last Sunday I met up with a friend from culinary school, Rich.  He had been raving for a few weeks about Hoggy’s in Grandview, specifically their gigantic mountain of onion rings that I just had to try.  We met around noon on a hot and humid afternoon, so of course the first action was to get some cold beer in our systems.  Blue Moon draught, one of my top favorites, was the choice for both of us.

After sipping the suds and catching up, we finally took a glance at the menu.  One legal-sized back and front menu held a plethora of options, from ribs to wings to brisket and chickens – yes, chickenS, for the Hoggy’s challenge involved a half chicken (and other goodies) and there is also a half chicken meal available.  We opted for a sort of sampler, with Mt. Onion Ring as our starter and Rich getting the brisket dinner and myself getting a ribs/wing combo.

Let me tell you, Rich was not kidding when he described the onion ring starter.  This beast cast a shadow over the bar as it was being carried out, and people turned in awe as it was placed in front of us.  I believe there were some tumbleweeds involved as well as the whistling of an old prairie song… or maybe I just imagined that part… either way, this thing was huge.  The onion rings were piled almost a foot high, and each ring looked like a donut.  A donut!  Made of battered onion!  It was like heaven.

I’ve been on a mission to find a tasty super hot wing here in Columbus, and Hoggy’s presented me with an opportunity to try their “hottest”.  Unfortunately, the “Texas Pete Hot” and Cajun sauces left much to be desired in the fire category; however, they were awesome in the flavor category. My combo came with five wings and babyback ribs (in original Hoggy’s BBQ sauce) and a side of celery & bleu cheese.  For $10.99 I would have liked at least one more wing, but it was filling.  As I said earlier, Rich got the brisket dinner, which was a half pound of sliced brisket and two sides – he chose tomato cucumber salad and coleslaw.  The brisket was absolutely butter!  He literally cut it was a spoon.  The coleslaw was fine, we were both a little “meh” about it because it just seemed to be lacking something, whether it was salt & pepper or some red cabbage, we just couldn’t decide.  I didn’t try the tomato salad, but Rich said it was crisp and refreshing and a good contrast to the heaviness of the brisket.  Oh! There was cornbread too.  I ate mine for dessert.

All in all, even though Hoggy’s is a chain restaurant (which I normally wouldn’t cover, but I’ve got a soft spot for franchises), it has the neighborhood feel to it.  Our barmaid/server (for she performed both duties with ease) was very friendly, prompt, and attentive and the management was helpful as well, running food out to us when the barmaid was busy so that we didn’t have to wait.  The value at Hoggy’s is fair, but in my opinion they could offer a little more food for the cost.

To learn more about Hoggy’s, click here to visit their website.

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

Cleanliness: 5

Value: 4

Accessibility: 4

Friendliness: 5

Menu: 3

Summer Series #4 - Grapes of Mirth

In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage. ~The Grapes of Wrath

 
Location:

Grapes of Mirth

59 West Spruce Street

Columbus, Ohio 43015

614-221-9463

Located on the east wall of the North Market, Grapes of Mirth is your one-stop-shop for all exotic beer and wine needs.  They feature over 600 wines and 200 beers, all crammed into a teeny tiny area comprised mostly of eight to ten foot high shelves and small wooden skids with the occasional haphazard stack of cardboard crates.

David Bihn has owned Grapes of Mirth since 2003 and, according to the website, has been with the company for over fourteen years.  He’s a friendly fellow,  always ready to lead you to your favorite bottle or suggest something new if they don’t have what you’re looking for; however, if they don’t have what you want, he will gladly order it on the spot.
 

Grapes of Mirth features artisan wines as well as “commercial” wines, and they carry a plethora of Ohio wines as well.  From what I could tell, many of the Ohio wines available are not readily available in your everyday local wine shop or grocery store.  Yay, Locavores!  They have the largest selection of Belgian beers in the central Ohio area, possibly in all of Ohio, and the best part of the beer selection (and the wine selection) is that if you ask David a question, odds are he knows the answer.  Not only does Grapes of Mirth have the physical inventory, they also have the mental inventory.

When I stopped by Grapes of Mirth, I was on a mission: find Vinho Verde, my number one most favorite wine of all time.  It’s a sweeter wine, which I normally don’t care for, but the fermentation and bottling processes cause the wine to have a slightly carbonated feel about it – not as fizzy as beer or pop but definitely more tickly to your tongue than a normal white wine.  I was in luck – big time – because David had just gotten in a large shipment of Vinho Verde!  There were four inexpensive choices ranging from $5.99 to $7.99.  At the time I thought I was just getting lucky on the price, for in the past I had paid up to $15.99 per bottle at another wine shop near Dublin.  Apparently Grapes of Mirth always sells their Vinho Verde for these low-low prices!  Having worked in yet another wine shop since that day, I can tell you 100% that you will NOT find a lower price on this delicious wine.

Official tasting parties or events are not regularly scheduled, but you can arrange a “private” tasting with the owner.  Obviously Ohio laws call for a charge, but this is typical of all alcohol tasting venues and events.  Also for sale at Grapes of Mirth are different accessories, such as gift bags, wine keys, corkscrews and so forth.

For more information, visit their website here.

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

Cleanliness: 3 (everything has that dusty wine-cellar feel to it)

Value: 5

Accessibility: 3 (the North Market is easy to get to, the shop is easy to get to, the bottle are definitely not easy to get to!)

Friendliness: 5

Menu: n/a but the selection is mind-boggling!