Deepwood=weaksauce

A good friend was in town visiting for the week so we thought we'd take him out for a nice dinner for his birthday after grabbing some apps at Marcella's. Originally we had planned to go to Mitchells but on our walk through the Short North we encountered Deepwood which I had recently read good reviews about from our friends and columbus foodies so we thought we'd try it out. It didn't hurt that it's location was convenient and reduced our walking time had we elected to continue on to Mitchell's. We walked in and the mood of the place was nice and fresh. I noted the menu prices were steep but the food descriptions sounded tasty so our expectations were high for this place which in the end was probably our downfall -- or it's downfall depending. We asked to be seated at a booth and were excited to try a new place with our good friend. (Cue the Jaws music) The bread came out and looked interesting.


3 breads wanted for crimes against gustation...

There were 3 kinds of bread. One was a sweet bread that had nuts and raisins in it; another was a thin wafer pita almost; and the third was a plain bread. It's difficult to mess up bread -- i mean you really have to go out of your way to mess up bread -- but the bread was chilly to the touch -- almost like it had been refrigerated and beyond that was dry -- and on top of that -- I didn't like it. I've never really encountered this experience dining out before -- definitely a first...an unfortunate first that is. (Turn up the Jaws music) Then our meals came out and the plating looked spectacular. I had the filet and Betty had the pork tenderloin.


filet w/ natural jus + herb-roasted taters and bacon-tied haricots verts...

It sure looks good doesn't it? It was also cooked quasi-medium as I had requested but something was strange about it. I think it was the jus that was with it. It gave the meat a smoky taste that overrode the natural taste that one would appreciate in a good steak. I found that the natural jus was a big distractor from the taste and was bummed because I really wanted to enjoy it -- and the fact that it cost $32 didn't make the burn any better. Fortunately our good friend who ordered the same meal enjoyed his steak -- which was the most important aspect of the evening. As we were discussing the meal and my impressions of it -- he agreed with everything i noted above -- but in the end to him -- steak was steak and this steak was pretty good -- so take that into consideration for what it's worth.

Betty's meal on the other hand was pretty tasty.


pork tenderloin w/ white cheddar grits, wilted greens, and a plum sauce

Her meal had a great mesh of flavors. My only complaint was that it was too sweet for my tastes so I would have trouble eating it as a meal.

Overall I was pretty bummed about Deepwood. I even had to text my friends who recommended it to us with the following: "Deepwood=weaksauce". I am fortunate for now that I can afford to take friends and fam out to nice places but when you charge an arm and a leg -- you better deliver on the tastes, service and ambiance -- or at least some combination of the above. Though it's possible that I might attribute the above experience to a slight aberration in the force -- i have no wishes to go back there. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant that got hit with a trifect whammy -- that is until we dined at Deepwood. Didn't like their cocktails which were too sweet...didn't like their bread which was unfresh and downright un-tasty...didn't like my meal with its confusing palette of tastes...and I'm sure not gonna like my credit card bill when it comes later on this month.

I think there's a lesson in all of this...don't take shortcuts. Mitchell's is worth the walk. And Deepwood=weaksauce.

the truth about jekyll and hyde park grill...

Betty and I have been eating out way too much but there always seems to be something to celebrate or some new restaurant to try. This was the case Tuesday when Betty and I celebrated our 2nd Bearniversary. We were debating Thoms on Grandview or Hyde Park Grille and ended up deciding to try Hyde Park up in the Short North. We got there early -- i guess the restaurant does not open until 5PM -- and had a happy hour martini. Good blue cheese olives but something was off with my gin martini. Betty's was very tasty. Their happy hour menu is quasi-interesting in that everything on the left hand side of their menu is half off. We decided to try their scallops. As we waited at the bar -- our seats became available and were were taken to our patio seats which line High Street. I had some usual dining anxiety at first about downtown patio dining and it's proximity to the street and car exhaust along with potential heavy drafts that blow your napkin or menu across the street -- as had happened at Barrio Tapas -- but we were on the inner row of patio seats so all was good. I wanted to try a number of menu items to take in everything Hyde Park had to offer since we had recently been hitting up a number of fine dining steak joints including Eddie Merlots and Fleming's. We also ordered their sashimi tuna and lobster bisque as appetizers. Betty and I both decided to get petite filets and split a side of Gruyere gratin.


bread and butter

Bread was good. You get 2 different kind of bread rolls and a number of "everything" covered crackers.



scallops

Betty and I were so hungry when these came out I forgot to take a picture of the plating. These were very tasty cooked perfectly like butter served with a blue cheese walnut sauce. The serving was small however and I was glad we got the happy hour price on them for $5 rather than $12.95.



lobster bisque

I had to try this lobster bisque after loving Spagios. This soup was pretty good but seemed to have a strong cheese base that overpowered the rest of the flavors. I think pre-Spagios lobster bisque -- I would've enjoyed this more but Spagios has set the bar perhaps too high.

sashimi tuna app with wasabi oil and sriracha

When this came out i wondered where the other half went. I was perhaps a little disappointed with the tuna though nothing was noticeably wrong with it. Again I couldn't help but notice the small portions. This in contrast to other places where servings seemed larger and packed more taste punch. The sauces were boring to me but I love tuna so let's say I quasi-enjoyed this.


petite filet medium

Steak was tasty but was a little over cooked for me. I still enjoyed it though. As Betty and I were discussing the meal I wondered if perhaps I should start ordering my steaks medium rare because I also thought Fleming's also overcooked my steak.


potatoes gruyère gratin

Betty and I split this side and it was very rich and tasty. Complemented our steak perfectly. Again...I have a tendency to compare dining experiences and restaurants with one another...and I was hoping that Hyde Park might have some bold side comparable to say Flemings Chipotle Mac and Cheese. Betty and I really enjoyed our meal and it was fun to hang out in our old stomping ground to celebrate our Anniversary but at the end of the day with a pretty sizable bill we weren't so sure if we'd come back to Hyde Park Grille unless it was for drinks and apps or unless you're buying. ;)

Ian Fleming presents Steakhouse Royale...

On Saturday the fam went out to Fleming's steakhouse after a great day of sight seeing at the Akron Art Museum and Stan Hywet Mansion. I guess this place is a chain but the food was tremendous.



They had two options for butter with the bread -- one plain and the other was a garlic sun-dried tomato option with other veggies in it. Good stuff.

I started off with the New England Clam Chowder.

New England Chowder

It was pretty good but more potato-y than i would want from a clam chowder. Now if it was billed as a potato soup with clams...then i would have truly enjoyed it. I prefer my chowder clammy and creamy.

I also tried their wedge salad. Who knew iceburg lettuce could taste so fantastic? I credit it to the blue cheese dressing obviously but still very delicious.

I also split the seared tuna appetizer with betty.


seared tuna


Great tuna. Way too wasabi-ful sauce set my nose and eyes on fire but man this was shaping up to be one of the best meals ever!

I ordered a straight up filet over medium.


filet, chipotle mac and cheese, sauteed mushrooms

Mine was cooked a little too much but still tasted great. Had sides of sauteed mushrooms and chipotle macaroni and cheese. The mac and cheese was very tasty and original! Sauteed mushrooms weren't bad but nothing's touching Top's Steakhouse. Everyone really enjoyed their food. I would go back for special occasions because the food and dining atmosphere are on point -- but the menu is a bit pricey for my wallet comfort.

ain't no Topping this Steakhouse...

Betty and I decided to end Retaurant week at Top's Steakhouse. This would be our 3rd time dining there and we have enjoyed it thoroughly the previous 2 times. Part of the charm of Top is the historic building and vibe of the place. I always tell our friends "...it's like a place the rat pack would hang out at for happy hour." We started our meal with martinis which have become our drinks of choice since the cruise. I was pleased with my extra dirty gin martini with what appeared to be hand stuffed bleu cheese olives. Still not as good as the Refectory but I still loved it. Betty had the Manhattan up. Can't complain about the drinks.


The restaurant week special was tremendous and we both of course opted in for the specials. I had the French onion soup. Great cheese and crouton at the top but the soup could have been hotter. Good french onion soup ALWAYS burns the roof of your mouth. It was tasty nonetheless.


out of focus french onion soup



escargot

Betty opted for the escargot which was cooked with plenty of butter, pesto, garlic and cheese. This was our first time trying traditional escargot. Ironically the butter was roof-of-your-mouth-burning-hot but so much you couldn't taste the snail. Maybe that's a good thing? Betty really liked the escargot. I thought it was okay. Still really in love with the snail terrine from the Refectory but it was good to try the traditional prepation of escargot.



surf and turf filet wrapped in back with lobster tail and sauteed mushrooms

We both ordered the above dish and the steak was excellent. The lobster was tasty especially with the side of butter sauce they gave us. It was nice our waiter removed the lobster from the tail because I would've had no clue how to eat it. The onion ring did not taste as fresh however. The mushrooms were amazing as always. Not trying to take anything away from the steaks but Top's mushrooms are off the charts. I'm not even a mushroom fan but I salivate over just thinking about them. You must order them if you go. It was great that you could have them as a side for Restaurant week as they are normally considered a specialty side. Dinner was good and there was still dessert to go.



Betty had the chocolate cake which was simply heaven.


I had the out of focus filter adjusted creme brulee which was really delicious. This was served crispity-crunchity-warm compared to G. Michael's and I really enjoyed this dessert.

Overall Top's was our favorite place during restaurant week but we did not get to try as many places as I had hoped for since I was still suffering my cruise vertigo.