The Refectory, Columbus Ohio

I’ve been to Lola with Symon’s “Iron Chef” ideals, Handke’s with his Bocuse d'or credentials, and Rosendales with his Culinary Olympic feats…none of them can even hold a candle to the tastes and textures produced by Richard Blondin at the Refectory. Additionally, I’ve been to Michelin starred bastions of haute-French such as Alex, Le Cirque, and MiX with their $150+/pp menus and can honestly say that while their Christofle silverware and ability to source incredibly rare and complex ingredients is commendable and impressive the food isn’t THAT much better than the succulent flavors at the Refectory. I had high expectations walking in the door and left with almost every one exceeded…The Refectory is, hands down, the best dining experience I’ve had in Ohio.

Arriving early in a late celebration of my sister’s birthday we were greeted by the owner himself and quickly escorted to our table in the corner of the main dining hall. Set in an old church I was amazed by the brightness of the heavily wooded room and impressed by the vast expanse of multiple different dining areas and settings as we walked through. Patrons, mostly elderly groups of 2-4, were quiet and respectful and classics from Chopin played lightly overhead. Napkins were unfolded and water was quickly poured as our server appeared with the menus plus wine and cocktail list. Declining wine the specials were offered and orders were placed with the server promising to return soon with bread.

In order to not taint my review with negativity, I’ll get my two gripes out of the way first. Number one, the timing of the meal was excessive with my sister waiting nearly an hour between her soup and her main, but part of this was my fault for ordering three appetizers in a “tasting menu” style as opposed to a single appetizer and a main. My second complaint was the pseudo-French accent utilized by many in the restaurant. Yes, I realize this is a French restaurant, but sir and ma’am are just as appropriate as “Monsieur” and “Madame” and the accent is entirely unnecessary. Aside from that, service was flawless and the setting was divine.

Prior to the bread, in wonderful fine dining fashion, a decadent amuse bouche was sent from the kitchen which consisted of a sublime chicken liver pate drizzled with basil infused olive oil and heirloom tomatoes. While I tend to prefer my liver in foie gras form and my sister isn’t generally a fan of “meat flavored jello,” the flavor was excellent and both solo and on bread the texture was exemplary for chicken. Speaking of the bread, warm and fresh country wheat bread with hints of rosemary and thyme was wonderful and consumed excessively with the soft unsalted butter.

For our first course my sister chose the Butternut Squash Veloute with crispy bacon and yukon gold potatoes while I opted for the Shrimp Tian with portabella duxelle, carrot crudite and a truffle vinaigrette. Served excessively hot, my sister’s soup was excellent, but the bold flavors of the squash left little hint of the bacon and potatoes which were undetectable in the creamy puree. While delicious, this dish certainly was the least impressive of the night. My Tian, similarly, was my least impressive choice…and considering its incredible taste that speaks volumes. 4 fresh shrimp, halved and served cold over a bed of chopped portabella’s mixed with a creamy vinaigrette and topped with a whimsical carrot slaw was a wonderful starter and a mere glimpse at what was to come in terms of contrasting tastes and textures.

Approximately 20 minutes passed and I was next brought something I didn’t expect; the best presentation of sweetbreads I’ve ever tasted. Better than dishes 3-4x its price in Vegas and Cleveland, the Veal sweetbread lasagna with celeri root and whole grain mustard Bordelaise was exquisite. Three large pieces of flawlessly pan-seared sweetbread covered with an herb sauce with hints of cinnamon and mustard, plus two flawless noodles and crispy white celery root. The price of the dish said appetizer but the portion said entrée anywhere else. Considering this can be had for half-price at the bar during the week, I’ll be back.

Fully enthralled by the sweetbreads, another 20 minutes passed before we were each served a honey and apricot sorbet palate cleanser. Better than Jeni’s splendid sorbets and a totally unexpected treat this only served to further amaze me with the Refectory…that is, until 20 minutes later when we were wowed once again.

For my sister the trio of veal, rabbit sausage, and lobster ravioli with morel sauce and for myself the Coquille St. Jacques with Scallop Mousseline, leek fondue and 'Bonne Femme' sauce. Having never tasted rabbit before, my sister was very impressed by the flavor and texture and I had to agree that it was a stunning representation. My sister also noted that the veal was delicious and tender while the lobster ravioli was large and tender, but not quite on par with the version at Worthington Inn. The Coquille, essentially a scallop and egg quiche covered with a buttery garlic and leek reduction, was once fantastic and almost a seafood custard in texture. Having never tasted a Coquille before, I must admit it left me wanting more.

Satiated but not “full” in a bad way, dessert was up next and once again came with surprises…in this case a third dessert complementary from the owner in celebration of my sister’s birthday. For myself, the menu left no question – Brioche pumpkin bread pudding with Mascarpone Ice Cream and Butterscotch Sauce and for my sister the Opera Gateau with chocolate covered coffee beansCrème Anglaise and chocolate sauce. From the house? The warm pear tart with pistachio Frangipane and pistachio Ice Cream (as originally made by Paul Bocuse himself.)

Starting with the Opera, all I can do is be impressed. Like Tiramisu without the rum, but with more chocolate the dish was fantastic…fantastic enough that I got a sliver and listened to my sister moan about how amazing it was for the rest of the evening. Next up, the tart…and more ‘wow.’ Beautiful in presentation and better in taste – a light pastry crust was thinly pressed to the plated and then layered with thinly sliced pears that were dusted with cinnamon and sugar and pan fried. This masterpiece was then surrounded with an artistic array of colors with flavors including raspberry and pistachio and topped with a small ball of flawless ice-cream…had the meal ended with dessert I’d have been plenty impressed…however there was something better.

In a city with many subpar bread puddings I only hoped the Refectory could do right and thankfully my hopes were met…met to the standard of the second best bread pudding I’ve ever tasted anywhere. Succulent cinnamon and nutmeg, dense and textural pumpkin brioche, sweet golden raisins, and a caramel sauce to die for all perfectly balanced by the best vanilla ice cream I’ve ever tasted…there was no way to eat this slow enough and yes, I used my finger to get every last drop out of the ramekin. While I call this the second best I’ve ever tasted (better than Keller, Lagasse, or Wynn’s mother,) I imagine that if it were set on a table directly next to Nancy Olson’s from Gramercy Tavern I’d be hard pressed to make a choice.

After dinner I had a wonderful cup of coffee; a rarity in Columbus since most restaurants seem to rely on Stauf’s mediocrity for their beans, and the bill was delivered while we sat and chatted about the amazing quality of the meal we’d experienced. A total with tax and tip of less than $130 was a bargain when compared to similar experiences in bigger cities and the server stopped by to tell us about the weekly bistro menu and half priced appetizers…possibly the best dining bargain in Columbus…even the owner himself stopped by to thank us for coming in.

Sure The Refectory is not on the same plane with Alex or Le Cirque and the multiple canapes, petit fores, and madelines but the price was less than a third and frankly you don't always need 18k gold bathroom fixtures, silverware handcrafted in France, and lobster so rare it can only be caught off the coast of Italy. All told, I went into The Refectory with great expectations and had all of them not only met, but bested. In a city that many deem a "chain restaurant haven," the the tastes, flavors, and presentation were all immaculate and I couldn't have been happier with the experience at The Refectory. I will most certainly be back in the future.

Kihachi, Columbus Ohio

In a city typically considered to be lacking in diversity and dominated by chains, one often must go out of their way to look for a great experience and great food....sometimes one even has to look for a strip mall off of Sawmill where the owner answers his own phones, has to respell your name five times due to his thick accent, and specifically states "if you have never eaten here....is not a sushi bar, is traditional Japanese cooking" on the phone. Welcome to Kihachi, welcome to something you'd NEVER expect in "Cowtown."

Seated at a reserved table for two near the wide-open kitchen manned by chef Ryuji Kimura and one other chef, the menu (all Japanese with short translations of some dishes) was described to us in full detail by one of two wonderful female servers. One menu included a set list of meals from Soba to Udon to Tempura to Rice dishes while the second entailed a list of sushi options and daily inspired appetizers gathered at local markets. Some of the options ranged from ultra-high-end such as Bluefin Oh-toro and brined Berkshire Pork cheeks while others such as eel stuffed
with diced lotus and arrow root simply reminded me of the sorts of dishes described by those who've dined at Masa Or Ursawa. After much debate we made our selections and began a rollercoaster tasting at a perfect pace while marveling at dishes brought to other diners.

Course one consisted of six perfectly poached whole baby octopus in a lemon ginger dressing. While the appearance alone was off-putting to my mother, the flavors were a perfect combination of brine and sweet with a fleshy yet smooth texture that dazzled.

Course two, included with my mother's dinner, was a relatively standard miso soup and sweet salad with creamy miso dressing. While both dishes were relatively 'standard' for a Japanese meal, both were excellent in quality and presentation.

Course three, from the daily inspiration menu was Mirugai muta, or Geoduck clam with sweet pea pods in cream sauce. While pricey, this dish was absolutely sublime in presenting a flawlessly fleshy clam contrast against crisp peapods in a decadent sauce. Having only had Geoduck once prior (and significantly more expensive) I can state that I'd certainly opt for Kihachi's presentation on future visits.

Course four consisted of Ebi Tukariage, an enormous sweet shrimp which was flash fried and meant to be consumed head-to-tail along with tempura lotus root and arrow root and a ginger soy sauce. Crispy yet smooth, sweet yet meaty, this dish was as fun to look at as it was to eat. Certainly not for the faint of heart I must say the head and carapace certainly had a different taste and texture from the body or tail, but like everything else I'd strongly recommend the experience if it were available.

Our mains arrived next. For myself I opted for the warm duck soba which paired thin buckwheat noodles in a salty broth with fatty duck breast and thin scallions. Definitely better than any soba I've experienced in Columbus and on par with the versions at Nobu SoHo or Lily Toronto....knowing the quality of everyting, next visit I'll certainly opt for the mixed Soba with Japanese Eggplant and Hot-Yam.

My mother chose the tempura platter with Shrimp, lotus, sweet potato, onion, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini as her main and for $17 I must say the portion was enormous. While everything was certainly fresh, well done, and good I guess I'm just not that big on tempura and this dish seemed pretty "standard" to me. Certainly not bad and I guess it is good to have a safe option for those not so keen on eating whole crustacean's or cephalopods.

Dessert, like the rest of the meal, was truly unique. Though multiple options from Japanese grapes to green tea icecrea to a peach boiled in red wine were available, we opted for the Azuki Shiratam - Glutinous Rice flour dumplings with anko sweet beans and the Sasadango - sticky red bean filled rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaves. While definitely not YOUR traditional desserts, these options are apparently very traditional in Japan and both were unique and equally pleasing to the eyes and the palate with the Shiratam unlike anything I'd ever experienced....something like the flavor of Boston Baked Beans combined with fluffy jello balls and the Sasadango like a fruit roll-up perfected.

All told, I was extremely impressed by every aspect of Kihachi and absolutely astounded that I'd missed out on going for so long. When the owner states that this is not a sushi restaurant it is the truth....sure they have some stellar looking sushi....but there is so much more and you owe it to yourself to check it out. Blink and you might miss it, the place isn't easy to find, yet from the
moment you enter the door to the moment you leave (for us, 2 hours and 20 minutes) the experience is challening yet simplified, complex yet refined, formal yet fun, and all-in-all wonderful. If this were "a sushi bar," it'd be the best I'd ever been to.....alas, it will just have to settle for best Japanese place that also happens to serve sushi. Fantastic.

Tucci's, Dublin Ohio

Recently named one of Columbus' Top 20 restaurants and bumping Trattoria La Tavola off the list, I went into Tucci's expecting good things. Perhaps my expectations were too high, or perhaps the restaurant isn't that great....regardless, Trattoria was better in terms of taste, quality, value, service, and especially noise level. The last part, honestly, is shocking considering my biggest complaint about Trattoria was the excessively loud bar.

Arriving with an old college friend and her husband at 6:30, the space was relatively unoccupied and quiet. Bread was served promptly and was rich, heartly, crusty, and delicious. The mixture of balsamic and EVOO served along with the bread was equally delectable and quite complex.

For appetizers they selected the calamari which I was told was quite good while I opted for the standout plate of the evening, the incredibly diverse and perfectly delivered octopus salad. The octopus was tender on the inside and crispy but perfect on the outside. For a mere $7 there was more octopus than you'd receive for double the price at a sushi joint and the flavor, texture, and accompaniments were better. The pinenuts fresh, the greens beautiful, and the chili oil spicey yet refined. One of the best salads I've had in some time.

For our mains, two of us selected the Paella Style Risotto with lobster, rock shrimp, chorizo, mussels, mint pesto while the other chose the Spanish pizza. The pizza was spicy, but generally quite tasteless compared to the options ot Trattoria and Spagio....and not even within a breath of the options at Spago. The Risotto, while attractive and well flavored, seemed somewhat overpowered by the chorizo. I'm really not sure why the chef would select to place a spicy pork sausage in with such delicate seafood options, but IMO this is akin to the Simpsons episode where the chef offers to stuff the finest food with the second finest food.....lobster stuffed with tacos. The sauce was heavenly and the seafood well prepared, but in general I was underwhelmed.

It was approximately 1/2 way through the main course that my friend noted "wow, this place got really loud all of a sudden." I'd thought the same earlier and opted not to mention it, but at this point it wasn't just noticable, it was obnoxious. While no specific person or table was loud, the entire place literally had a Buckeye Stadium-like "noise" similar to the moment before kickoff. While I'm certainly not a 'loud talker,' I felt like I was yelling at my dining buddies, something I don't like at all.

While the meal was decently portioned for the prices, I felt the need to endulge and chose to get dessert. An Italian place without Tiramisu? Lame. While the Peanut Butter Cheesecake sounded interesting, I instead opted for the more complex Molten Chocolate Pudding Cake with Warm Cherry Compote and Hazelnut Gelato. While a solid choice and quite delicious, the cherry compote was vastly superior to the cake and the $8 pricetag seemed quite excessive for the small portion. The gelato was okay but certainly not on par with Jeni's, Worthington Inn, or Rosendales. I generally don't feel ripped off by dessert, but for the second time in a row a loud Italian restaurant in Dublin failed to deliver in the sweets category.

The bill was modest, totalling $35 for appetizer, main, and dessert and service was okay (not good, not bad) but I just cannot get past the noise. While the food was good, it lacked the creativity of higher end places and the quality of local produce noted at Trattoria. While I would certainly return for bread and the Octopus salad, I cannot say I'll be rushing back or sending any of my friends to Tucci's anytime soon. If I were to return, it'd certainly be for the beautiful looking patio during the summer......but then again, I'd sooner sit and overlook the river with a better quality pasta at Trattoria. The wine list, from what I'm told, was quite adequate and well priced....which I guess could be responsible for the noise.