Handke's Cuisine, Columbus Ohio

Perhaps I’ve been eating out too often and perhaps my standards have become too lofty…but dining out in Columbus has been relatively unimpressive recently aside from Kihachi. Don’t get me wrong, I love our local dining scene as a whole, but I do believe recent trips to New York and Vegas have jaded me. That being said, after 18 straight days of gastroenterology service my family was in town and I wanted to get out and relax…having heard great things we settled on Handke’s prior to a trip to the Agora V. Nothing like classic French before indie art.

Reservations were made for 5:30 and our party of three was greeted graciously by the affordable and friendly valet before heading down the first of two staircases to the wine cellar that houses Chef Handke’s kitchen and dining area. On the way down to the dining area one is greeted by beautiful stone work, heavy woods, and the myriad awards won by Handke’s across the globe; an impressive collection to say the least. Arriving downstairs we were greeted by the quiet and elegant dining room and the host who led us to our seats. For the first one hour of our meal we were the only patrons in the house.

Quickly upon seating our waitress Julie stopped by to deliver water and menus and later returned with the specials du jour. While friendly and attentive, it was clear that Julie was relatively new as she fumbled occasionally and had to be reminded for things such as tea refills for my aunt and additional bread servings for the table. Soon after orders were placed we were delivered an amuse bouche of Duck Confit with peppers on toast. Crispy with perfectly cooked and marinated duck and mild peppers this dish definitely gave me great expectations for the meal. Dinner rolls were next served, fresh and individual, a suitably hearty French bread with an airy and buttery texture and ample “soaking” capacity for sauces.

Appetizers were ordered by myself and my mother and we opted for the two soups of the day, a Pumpkin Cinnamon Soup with Chives and Creme Fraiche and the Lobster Bisque Chantilly. Both dishes were served warm, but were clearly dished out of stock pots (the kitchen was visible from our seats) as opposed to individually prepared. The Lobster Bisque was good, but in my opinion a bit oversalted and over-seasoned…certainly not “bad” but not on par with that at Lindey’s or Spagio. Contrary to the Bisque, the Pumpkin Soup was fantastic with a little bit of sweetness and a little bit of spice that contrasted well with the smooth and velvety pumpkin texture…per usual, crème fraiche makes everything better.

Appetizers clear we sat and talked for approximately 15 minutes before the main courses arrived. It was around this time that we really realized how quiet the dining room was…too quiet in fact as we were treated to a relatively unprofessional discourse between two kitchen staff about the (expletive) candidates in the upcoming election. Thankfully our waitress soon stopped by to deliver our meals and when told of the unpleasantness she informed the staff members…no apology was offered, but at least they stopped. Service issues aside, onto the main event…

For mains my aunt selected the Grilled Black Angus Beef Tenderloin Steak, Maitre d' butter, Savory Gorgonzola Bread Pudding, and Parisienne Vegetables while my mom opted for the Roasted Marinated Lightly Smoked Pork Loin Steak with Smokey Haricot Verts & Sweet Potato Mousseline. While I do not eat beef, my aunt’s steak was huge and she loved it. The vegetables were sweet, buttery, and perfectly done…the bread pudding…read on. Mom’s pork was excellent, though perhaps a bit overdone for my taste, while the mousseline was wonderfully decadent with flavors of cinnamon and spice balanced by a salty and buttery smooth potatoes.

For my main I selected the nightly special; Grilled Bison Tenderloin and Foie Gras with Shitake Pinot Noir Demi Glace, Poached Asparagus, and Savory Gorgonzola Bread Pudding. Bison, Foie, Shitakes, and Bread Pudding on the same plate? Bliss. Smokey, thick, and cooked perfectly medium the bison was flawless and without an ounce of fat…except of course for the well seared slice of foie gras gracing its top and the sweet demi glace beneath. Three separate layers, three totally different tastes and textures, yet all melding together to a wonderful whole that was even greater than the sum of its parts. Cooked tender and lightly seasoned, the asparagus was good without being intrusive. The bread pudding, a hearty brioche with hints of cream offsetting a potent and tangy gorgonzola - All I can do is say “wow, why didn’t I think of this before?” It was divine and a reason alone to visit Handke’s.

Per usual, dinner out always necessitates dessert and once again Handke’s food didn’t disappoint. While I wasn’t especially sold on their “Zagat’s #1 Crème Brule in North America” ordered by my mother, the brown sugar flavor was definitely a different angle on a classic dish. Rosendale’s was better. My aunt, always indecisive (and gluttonous) opted for the dessert symphony consisting of petite versions of many of Handke’s classics – the Creme Brule, Chocolate Terrine, Cheesecake, Berries in a Basket, Apple Strudel, and Drunken Pears. While each was delicious, the drunken pears and berries in a basket were most certainly the show stealers from the options I tasted with the pears giving me a whole new appreciation of marinating with wine.

My dessert, once again the nightly special, was a delectable Grand Marnier Soufflé with Raspberry Coulis. Without overstating I can definitely say that this is the best soufflé I’ve ever experienced with strong hints from the cognac and orange shining through the wonderfully airy cake and a potent yet sweet raspberry reduction served warm over top. Large in portion and light enough to leave me satiated without feeling stuffed I was very happy with the selection.

Sure Chef Handke has won awards across the globe, but the fact of the matter is that the master isn’t often in the kitchen and while his chef de cuisine is undoubtedly a talented man, I’d certainly love a chance to eat when the chef himself is in the kitchen and the restaurant in a little more lively. Aside from the small service issues the meal was excellent and definitely amongst the best in Columbus. Without the “hipster” quotient of High Street I’d strongly recommend Handke’s as a great place for a romantic evening or a dinner with family and friends and all would place Handke’s in the ‘hidden gem’ category with Wothington Inn, just not quite as magnificent.

Bouchon Bakery, Las Vegas Nevada

"In the end, a great meal is not about the food and the wine. A great meal is an emotional experience. We try to make it an extraordinary one by creating a beautiful place, one filled with staff who cares about it as they do about their home, and care for you as the most important guest in it...a great meal is not one that fills you up. A great meal is a kind of journey that returns you to sources of pleasure you may have forgotten and takes you to places you haven't been before."

With quotes like that you know his food is not a joke, and I will admit a bias to Thomas Keller's concepts and food. From peanut butter and jelly to quiche to gnocchi to bread and butter to cookies and cakes the man simply does amazing things with food. The best french toast I've ever eaten, the best quiche, the best cookie....and service that never fails to make you feel like the most important guest on earth. With those things in mind my Vegas vacation entailed two visits to Bouchon Bistro and four visits to Bouchon Bakery for mid-day snacks.

On day one, selections after lunch entailed a Red Velvet Cupcake and Keller's seasonal bread pudding. Consumed in the Venezia Gardens/Pool area outside Bouchon Bistro, I can definitely say the cupcake was the best Red Velvet I've ever consumed. Creamy cream cheese and creme fraiche frosting with a hint of cocoa served over (and throughout) a moist and delectable cake with strong hints of cinnamon and chocolate, plus the earthy taste of the beat sugar used for sweetness and color....sublime. Better than Crumbs, Beasley, Yummy, Sprinkles, and even Doughboy's famous version. Even better than Piece of Cake in Columbus, my previous favorite. After the cupcake I shopped Vegas for a bit and then ate the Bread Pudding rewarmed in the hotel microwave. Sweet but savory, dense yet not "wet," and loaded with cranberry, raisin, and white raisin....awesome. Not as good as the french toast version at Bouchon Bistro, but in my top 5 Bread Puddings, for sure.

Day two selections, after breakfast at Bouchon, entailed two beignets and a Macaroon. A flawless Coffee Macaroon was first and was just as flawless as the Caramel one in New York in June. Airy, crisp, sweet, and flavorful. Not as good as the Macaroons at Pistacia Vera, but close, and much larger. The Beignets selected were small filled donuts stuffed with Vanilla Custard and Raspberry jam. Both were light and flavorful, still warm, and the fillings were potent without being overpowering of the buttery beignets. Personally I enjoyed the unfilled Beignets at Bouchon Bistro better, but these certainly best Dunkin, Krispy Kreme, Bob's, or other "donut" shoppes.

Day three, stuffed after dinner before and planning for Alex in the evening, a single Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookie was chosen. As good as the Cupcake and Bread Pudding were, this was the "bar raiser" in terms of wow factor. Having had the TKO and Nutter Butter while in NYC, I really didn't think cookies could get better. WRONG! I like Carrot Cake and I've had some good ones, but this thing was surreal. Smaller than a hockey puck it literally weighed approximately 8oz and was absolutely loaded with the fibrous texture of carrots, yet perfectly balanced and soft like a cake. Hints of cinnamon and vanilla plus the subtle taste of pineapple in the frosting....I wish this recipe were in the Bouchon Cookbook. Actually...why doesn't Keller share the recipes for all three cookies in his next book?

Day four, after brunch at Bouchon with the transcendent French Toast and unfilled beignets, I opted for a single Banana Nut Muffin which I consumed with the coffee at the Palazzo sportsbook while watching Terrell Pryor ascend to king of Columbus back home. After consuming the muffin I only wished Keller would take Bouchon Bakery nationwide so I could consume all of these things back home. Weighing in at likely a pound, the texture was on par with the carrot cake and the flavor equally subtle yet fantastic. Sticky sweet, topped with a cinnamon crumble, and perfectly moist....I was sad that some of it stuck to the paper, despite being overly full.

Between Alex, Le Cirque, MiX, Craftsteak, Bouchon, and so many other highly regarded restaurants in Vegas I definitively had a GREAT culinary trip....my only regret is that I didn't have more room in my stomach. If I had, I'd have certainly filled it with more goods from Bouchon. Impressive goals often lead to impressive results. "Respect for food is a respect for life, for who we are and what we do." -- Thomas Keller

Craftsteak, Las Vegas Nevada

A fan of Chef Colicchio's simple approach to locally grown high end ingredients and a general appreciation of great food and "vegas-y" steakhouses I was very much looking forward to our experience at Craftsteak - so much so that we left the Los Angeles Kings game (my favorite team since age 5 and the reason we came to Vegas in the fist place) with 10 minutes to go in order to arrive for our 9:30 reservation. I must say, in a weekend that included meals featuring the vision of Stratta, Keller, and Ducasse it was only Colicchio who failed to impress.

Dressed in hockey jerseys and jeans, much like 50% of the MGM that evening, my friend and I arrived approximately five minutes early and checked in. While our reservations were clearly listed on the sheet, the hostess gave us an odd look and suggested our table would be ready "in 15-20 minutes." While I realize Craftsteak tries to be "fine dining," I doubt we were under dressed given the multiple persons inside wearing lounge shirts and jeans, but regardless her attitude was less than enthusiastic. Given the wait, I wished I'd have stayed for the end of the game.

After approximately 10 minutes our table was ready and we were led through the surprisingly huge and equally dark restaurant. While there is certainly something to be said about mood lighting, I much prefer "soft" light like Alex or Spago Beverley Hills compared to darkness like Lola or Mastro's. Seating was comfortable and the table was huge. The decor was heavy with lots of dark woods and the noise level was excessive, but certainly not annoyingly so. As we sat,
water was filled and menus were delivered. All was well so far and then things decidedly went down hill. While the food was certainly good and ample in portion, the service, feel, and attitude left A LOT to be desired.

First off, our waiter (Team #6, Cashier JR T) did not introduce himself for 15 minutes, actively avoiding eye contact when it was sought. Thankfully the water and bread servers were on the ball. When the waiter did introduce himself it was as though it was an epic hassle for him to explain the family style menu. Additionally, though the MGM site lists $100 and $110 menus with chefs vs. personal selection, the waiter acted unaware of these entirely. When he finally
did concede that the site had these options, only the chefs choice was offered.....and stuck to.....without question.

While the online menu suggests three mains, three salads, three appetizers, three sides, and three desserts we were only offered the option of two appetizers with all other items to be selected for us. When I attempted to order the scallops and the foie we were informed that both were out of stock. Fair enough, the place was busy and my buddy already ordered his 10oz Filet cooked rare so I opted for the Yellowtail Tuna with olive and tomato cooked as rare as possible. These choices made our waiter disappeared and we were brought the much hyped bread and butter. While the bread was good, it certainly wasn't on par with the similar version
served at Table 10 or Delmonico and the butter was rather cold.

Salads arrived in a matter of minutes and consisted of the Butter Poached Diver Scallops with Fennel (I thought they were out?,) Satur Farm Mixed Lettuces with Olive Oil and Vinegar, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Prosciutto San Daniele. Admittedly all dishes were good with the scallops and Heirloom tomatoes being particularly excellent. The scallops were butter braised and lightly poached with a perfect sashimi-style inside and lightly crisp exterior. The tomatoes were amongst the best I've ever tasted with a mild olive oil and balsamic marinade bringing out the acidic and sweet flavor of each of the 5+ varieties...as my buddy does not like tomatoes I was given the bulk of these lovely items and was grateful to oblige.

Soon after the arrival of salads and appetizers we were brought our mains and sides which consisted of the aforementioned 10oz Fillet and Yellowfin Tuna with Olive and Tomato tapanade, Whipped Yukon gold potatoes, Mixed Mushooms (Lobster, Hen of Woods, Shiitake, Chanterelle) in Garlic, and Sweet White Corn. As was the case last year in Vegas my buddy got me to try a piece of steak which he claimed was better than the Grade 12 A5 Waygu at Alex....it tasted merely like beef to me but he claimed it to be the best steak he'd ever tasted. My tuna was quite excellent and cooked flawlessly with the interesting contrast of sweet tomatoes and bitter/briny olives forming an excellent medley of flavors. Not the best yellowtail I've experienced, but certainly fantastic.

Like the mains and appetizers, the sides were delectable and featured a stockpile of woodsy mushrooms simply presented and delectable in taste - I was particularly thrilled to get such a large lobster mushroom as it lags behind only a morel as my favorite fungi. The corn and potatoes were equally simple yet wonderful with the corn almost 'sugar-sweet' and the potatoes velvety, buttery, and wonderful.

The meal was slightly sabotaged here, once again, by our server who committed multiple mistakes.

Number one: My friend ordered a half bottle of wine for $65. Once again in his avoidance of us the waiter forgot (admitting this and apologizing later) until after appetizers were consumed and mains/sides delivered....and considering we were essentially rushed out the door by 11:15 (we received mains at 10:25) wine consumption was anything but leisurely.
Number two: More bread was promised.....it was never delivered. When sides were given and we were asked "is there anything else you would like?" I stated we'd like to try the Sweet Potatoes.....they were never delivered.
Number three: Well, read on...

Dessert was next and given my love for bread pudding and souffle (and the rave reviews I'd read of each) I specifically explained to my waiter, in great detail, that these were my favorites and that I'd heard good things about the versions at Craftsteak. In response to my accolades the waiter simply noted "we do lots of great things" and proceeded to serve us NO bread pudding or Soufflé. Admittedly the desserts that were served were quite good and consisted of melon and fresh strawberries with grape and raspberry sorbet, Cinnamon Monkey Bread with Pecan
Toffee and Caramel Ice Cream, and Chocolate Lava Cake with Espresso Ice Cream. While the melon and grape sorbet were misses for both of us, the Monkey Bread was sublime and tasted like a more natural and more delicious cinnamon roll while the chocolate cake simply oozed with delicious filling when poked and was quickly devoured by my friend who ate past the point of satiety just to finish the cake. Sure, these were good, but to rub salt in a wound the neighboring table received the souffle which looked amazing and I got a glimpse of the bread pudding being
enjoyed by a diner at the bar on the way out. All told, the food was excellent, though not any better than steakhouses like Nero's and Mastro's where I can get what I ask for.

From a chef that demands perfection, I felt Craftsteak was anything but perfect and in a city with hundreds of hundred-plus-dollar meal options it would be very difficult for me to justify a return visit. While I certainly didn't expect the exquisite service of Le Cirque or Alex, I do expect my server to treat me with respect and do his/her best to make my experience memorable.

While I'm not the sort to complain after a meal, my disappointment and hope that this wouldn't happen to future visitors led me to E-mail the restaurant my opinions. Two days later I was contacted by the General Manager with an apology and an offer to refund our entire meal cost. Feeling uncomfortable with this I politely rejected and simply told him I would very much appreciate if my thoughts could be forwarded to Colicchio himself as not to taint his beautiful concepts and cooking. The manager agreed to this and invited me back for "special" experience
on my next visit to Vegas and promised to make amends...I'll consider it, but honestly with all the options in Vegas and my living in Ohio I don't even know that I'd return for free.

Sensi, Las Vegas Nevada

To be fair, Sensi really didn’t have much of a chance....not that it tried too hard either. A meticulous planner, my dinner reservations going into Vegas were mapped out months in advance and my breakfast details planned out extensively. While my lunches were unscheduled, I generally knew where I wanted to go and generally went there. When my best friend decided at the last minute that Enoteca San Marco wasn’t something he was interested in and suggested “something asian maybe” I remembered hearing good things about Sensi and turned to it as an alternative since my buddy had been so agreeable to places like MiX and Alex which weren’t really his “scene.” Tucked in the back of Bellagio and pretty tough to find, unfortunately Sensi wasn’t tough enough to find.

Seated immediately near the admittedly awesome bread prep station, our ‘waiter’ Jeremy W briefly asked “sparkling or flat” and my friend stated flat. We were brought an already opened bottle of Fiji and two glasses of ice. When I suggested tap water would be fine, the ‘waiter’ stated “Well, the bottle is already opened.” The bottle cost $8 and was not comped despite our not wanting it. Approximately ten minutes later menus were brought and essentially dropped off without explanation. The waiter then returned approximately 10 minutes later with some Naan to go with our empty condiments (every other table was served fresh soy, salt, mustard, and tomato pepper chutney with their Naan…I had to stand up and get my own. Orders were taken and this was the last we’d see of Jeremy until he delivered the bill.

Browsing the restaurant I must admit the décor was beautiful and watching the chef prepare the Naan was interesting. After one basket of the delightful and doughy yet crisp bread topped with spicy chutney a non-descript server arrived and removed our basket, later returning with fresh bread. This was the best service we received at Sensi.

After around 20 minutes our mains arrived, myself ordering Oven Roasted Diver Scallops with Basil Risotto, Zucchini, and Eggplant and my friend opting for the Shrimp and Beef with Duck Fried Rice. All things being equal, the food was decent but certainly no better than I’ve had at far cheaper restaurants with vastly better service. My scallops were a tad overdone but certainly fresh and tasty while the Risotto was soft yet consistent and contrasted well with the vegetables. My friend additionally noted his dish was “pretty good.” Portion sizes were adequate but certainly not excessive considering the $20+ pricetags.

Another 15-20 minutes passed after the meal and thankfully I was seated close to the server’s station where I was capable of filling my own glass with tap water because during that time no on arrived at our table. Eventually Jeremy reappeared and without asking about dessert or anything else he delivered the check and collected our dishes. “Have a great day” he said. To be fair, it wouldn’t have taken much to be a great day after such a disappointing meal with such lousy service. The total bill was $56.03 and our most affordable meal of the trip. No tip was left as no tip was deserved…I’ve had better service at Denny’s.

The only plus of the meal was that on the way back to the sportsbook and gaming floor we had to pass by the beautiful Bellagio gardens and Jean-Philippe where I ordered the best Tiramisu I’ve ever had. Moral of the story? If you’re on your way to Sensi just stop, grab some tiramisu and gelato and watch the chocolate fountain.