Columbus Foodie

The life of a restaurant reviewer isn’t all about fine dining and ginormous checks at the end of the evening. Even those of us who make eating out our livelihood have our cache of places that we go to regularly on the cheap, to buy comfort food that isn’t fancy, but is just *good*.

Village Coney is one of those places for me. I have an unnatural affinity for hot dogs, those little packages of mystery meat mixed with spices that have sustained me since childhood. The fact that there’s a restaurant that’s centered around hot dogs? All kinds of awesome.

Their “signature” dog is the Village Coney ($2 with cheese), a nice spicy dog smothered in mustard, onions, chili and lots of cheddar cheese. These are among the best coneys I’ve had locally, and are my “go to” place for coneys (don’t get me wrong - Johnnie’s are probably my favorite in town - but are only available for about 2 hours a week - you don’t have to deal with that kind of limitation here).

If dogs aren’t your thing, you can also opt to have some of their flavorful chili all by itself, in the form of a bowl or cup. We opted for a large ($3.50 with cheese and onions).

My personal favorite item on their menu is the Cleveland Dog ($3.25), which is a Polish sausage topped with French fries, BBQ sauce and cole slaw. I know, sounds absolutely disgusting. I thought so too until I tried it. The flavors just work together, really they do. Now it’s something that I order every time I go.

And speaking of their fries - just typical fries ($2 for a large), but cooked perfectly and absolutely just the right thing to pair with a dog or two (I prefer my fries sprinkled with seasoned salt, thus the spices on them).

My husband opted for a double cheeseburger ($5), which I thought was just OK, because I wasn’t so hot about the soggy veggies, the overabundance of condiments, and the bun that didn’t have a prayer of holding up to all of the above. It’s probably much better fresh than it is for takeout.

His favorite sandwich, by far, is the Italian Sausage ($3.25), which is a unbelievably tender piece of sausage split, and then topped with marinara, grilled onions, and lots of melted mozzarella. Delicious, and so filling for the price.

Needless to say, it’s a friendly little neighborhood joint in German Village (right next to Banana Bean on Whittier) with fairly easy to find parking, great service, and excellent prices (we got all of the above for under $20). The only drawback is their short hours - they’re closed on Sundays, and are only open from 11am until 6pm the rest of the week. But if you can find your way there on your way home from work, I can’t think of a better way to fill yourself up while not breaking the budget. Keep an eye out for daily specials that will offer additional savings.

If you’d like to go: Village Coney, 418 E. Whittier St (Between High Street and Parsons Ave), Columbus, 614.445.9633.

There are few things that are necessary for survival in any town - knowing the location of a good bagel shop/deli should be among them. Having moved here over a decade ago from New Jersey, it wasn’t until a few months ago that I discovered, in the predominately Jewish enclave of Bexley, some of the best bagels I’ve had this side of New York City. Block’s has been my shop of choice, mostly out of necessity (it’s the only one open on Saturdays), with their authentic water bagels that have a density and texture that imposters like Panera don’t.

We finally were able to hit the “other” Jewish deli in town while running errands this afternoon - every time we had tried to go to Sammy’s before, they were closed for Sabbath. When we saw them open today, we made a point to stop. Even after typical lunch hours, the place was packed, with regular customers picking up Challah and Honey Cakes and other baked goods (I just realized that today is the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, so that explains it!)

We were greeted by the owner himself, an outgoing sort who seems to be genuinely friendly rather than as a facade, and his postive attitude was absolutely infectious. Because Sammy’s is completely kosher, there is no meat on the menu - but trust me, you don’t miss it. Eggs and lox can go a long way toward making me happy happy. We took a while to decide, and he encouraged us to try a couple of different salads, which was a nice touch.

Paul got an Lox, Onion and Egg sandwich on a garlic bagel ($4.59), which was piping hot scrambled eggs redolent with large chunks of very fresh lox and sauteed onions served on a toasted bagel. They definitely don’t skimp on the good stuff!

Paired with his sandwich, he had a side of Sammy’s very good deli-style potato salad - creamy and not sweet, potatoes with the just right amount of bite - we loved this simple salad so much that we got a pound of it to take home with us.

I went with Egg Salad Sandwich on an everything bagel ($4.59). I’m very particular about egg salad that I don’t make, but this was at least as good if not better than my own. The red onion and tomato did beautiful things for it - and the side of the bagel that had the everything toppings? ::swoon:: A perfect combination of flavors and texture.

By the way, I am SO not a pickle fan. I mean, I usually *tolerate* pickles if they’re on a sandwich I’m eating or in some type of salad, but I don’t actively go and seek them out. I don’t crave them. Sammy’s pickles are absolutely crave-worthy.

With my sandwich, I ordered a bowl of matzoh ball soup ($3.50), which was the best I’ve ever had outside of New Jersey. VERY flavorful broth with a good amount of schmaltz, nice tender matzoh balls which weren’t too salty. *This* is the Jewish penicillin of my childhood memories.

We ended up going back to the counter to get a couple of cakes, some bagels, and some salads for takeout. I think we spent more for take home stuff than we did for a sit down lunch. Now that we’ve discovered Sammy’s, I think we’re going to relegate Block’s to a backup place, if for nothing else than the awesome flagels (more about that this weekend!). There are places that you realize that you’ll be a regular at the second you step in - the combination of excellent food and very friendly service paired with reasonable prices guarantees that this will be a regular stop. Highly recommended!

If you’d like to go: Sammy’s New York Bagels, 40 N. James Rd, Columbus, OH. 614.246.0426. Closed Saturdays.

Our first experience with Alana’s was at the Slow Food Columbus United Estates Wine Dinner back in April. We were so blown away by the food after that dinner that we meant to go back to Alana’s right away for dinner; but you all know how life gets in the way sometimes, and it wasn’t until tonight that I got to go back.

We wanted someplace a little more “fancy” than normal, as Paul wanted to take me out to celebrate my birthday, but not someplace so fancy that we would feel the need to dress to the nines. In other words, we wanted good food in an unpretentious atmosphere, and from what I remembered from my experience in April, Alana’s fit the bill. We made reservations last week, early enough so that we could be seated on the patio.

I was feeling in the mood for a cocktail, so I ordered a Watermelon Lemonade w/ Vodka ($9) - a bit pricey, but very refreshing and went down smoothly because of the top shelf Grey Goose.

While we were waiting for that evening’s menu to be printed, we decided to split a cheese plate ($15), which included three different cheeses - a Cypress Grove Purple Haze goat cheese, which was incredibly creamy and tangy with just a bit of sweetness; a nice aged gouda, and my personal favorite, a marbled, brandy-washed and cured with grape must Rossini, which I plan on picking up at Curds and Whey at the earliest opportunity. Lovely selection of cheese, and all three complimented and contrasted with each other at the same time.

While we were waiting for our starters, our server brought out a basket of bread and some garlic and rosemary infused olive oil. I especially enjoyed the honey wheat bread, which was soft and hearty and sweet all at the same time.

Paul and I shared a couple of starters. Our first was probably the best risotto I’ve ever had, a Creamy Petit Herb and Goat Cheese Risotto ($8) with Brandywine tomatoes that made this dish stand out. Perfectly cooked, extremely filling, and it almost made me wish I had gone with the risotto as my entree rather than the lamb.

The other starter, Fried Green Tomatoes with Queso Fresco, Chorizo and Corn Vinaigrette ($8) was a celebration of all things seasonal right now - the spicy chorizo, crisp sweet corn, and slight vinegar tang of the vinaigrette offset the fried outer surface of the tomato nicely.

Paul ordered a bowl of Hot Yellow Jubilee Tomato Soup with Smoked Chicken, Queso Fresco and Tortilla Chips ($7), which I tried. This was my least favorite of the dishes. While it was a very credible chicken tortilla soup, the mildness and sweetness of the tomatoes got obliterated by the spice - it was good but didn’t stand out as any different from normal tortilla soup - certainly not enough to justify the high price for a smallish bowl. I guess we just expected something a little more…tomatoey.

For my entree, I chose the Peppercorn Smitten Rack of Lamb with Wilted Spinach, Roasted Baby Redskin Potatoes and Blackberry Demi-Glace ($22). While it was cooked well, and it tasted as it should, neither the portion size nor the dish itself knocked my socks off, as I had hoped it would. There had originally been a typo on the menu (it said $32 instead of the $22 it really was) - if the price had been the former rather than the latter, I would have felt a bit ripped off. At $22, however, it stung a lot less. I tend to eat protein heavy, and a rack of lamb consists of about 4 bites, tops. I was still a bit hungry after eating my main, unfortunately.

So I started digging into Paul’s, as he was finishing off the potatoes on my plate. He went with the Capellini with Crushed Tomatoes and Lump Crab ($20), which was perfectly cooked angel hair in a nice tomato broth - the menu indicated that the broth was truffled, but if it was, it was so subtle that I didn’t detect it at all. The angel hair was topped by nice chunks of lump crab meat, which we both enjoyed greatly.

For dessert, we shared one - he says it’s a Violet Orange Creme Brulee, I say it’s a Lavender Orange Creme Brulee ($8), which was so rich and creamy that it was almost ganache-like in texture. The flavorings were subtle, and worked very well in this particular dessert. It was paired with some of Jeni’s Strawberry Buttermilk ice cream, which was absolutely delicious.

While our budget couldn’t endure regular trips to Alana’s, it’s a nice place to go for a special occassion. Her attention to detail, and use of seasonal local ingredients is to be commended. Her strong area is appetizers, which we loved everything about. Overall, we enjoyed our experience, and eating on her beautiful patio which is one of my favorites in this city. We’ll certainly return again, at least once a season, to see what she’s doing next. Next time around, we’ll even consider opting for the degustation menu.

If you’d like to go: Alana’s Food and Wine, 2333 N. High Street, Columbus, OH, 614.294.6783

Well, more like a mini-review (since we have yet to actually go in to sit down and order off the menu, as you’ll see). I was introduced to Smackies by this awesome review on Rosie’s blog. After reading that, I had put Smackies on my short list of “got to try” places and went about my day. It wasn’t until it was suggested as a locale for one of the Columbus Food Lovers meetups that I actually made my way over there to do a scouting mission by ordering takeout. They had been running a coupon special at that time for 2 takeout racks of ribs for $23.99, and we were all over that puppy. The ribs were awesome, so we knew it would pass muster for the rest of the group.

Fast forward a week or two later. Smackies offers a Sunday brunch - starting at noon (and you want to get there *at* noon, as the church crowds start showing up around 1pm, and the place gets real crowded, real fast), and going on until 5pm, they offer a buffet for $13 that blows me away. Pulled pork and brisket, sausage gravy and some of the most tender biscuits you’ll ever eat, black eyed peas, fried chicken and waffles, collard greens and green beans, macaroni and cheese and scallopped potatoes, omelettes to order, killer desserts, and more… Basically, the kind of barbeque and soul food that comforts you down to the core. Food made with love, if you will. We’ve been to the buffet a couple of times since, and it’s one hell of a bargain for the selection and amount of food you get.

But more often than not, we get takeout. And after watching Anthony Bourdain chow down on ‘cue with Uncle Ted last night…well, I had hoped going to sleep would ease the craving. Instead, I woke up with an overwhelming urge to drive across town for the good stuff (yeah, City Barbecue is closer, but it’s not the same, cap’n). It’s basically located in the Mecca of all good foodstuffs, that little island in the sea of mediocrity, Columbus Square - the same place that houses such gems as MiMi Cafe, Nazareth Deli, and Hawa Russia (as an aside: did you lot know that MiMi Cafe now has Vietnamese Beef Stew? I didn’t either…until I stopped in today for some Vietnamese coffee…I’ll try it soon and let you know what I think).

The one drawback to Smackies is that they only make as much as they think they will need in a particular day. Understandable, since the joint is family-owned and operated (and thus lacks the corporate atmosphere of some of the other joints in town). Once they’re out, they’re out. When I got there at 3pm today, they were already out of brisket, cole slaw, and a couple of other items. As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. And this not so early bird didn’t get there early enough to get brisket.

I did, however, get there early enough to get the rest of the stuff on my list - a rack of ribs slathered in Whiskey Dip sauce plus two sides for $16.99 with a coupon (pretty good deal considering that a rack of ribs is normally $17.99, and the sides are normally $1.49 each), plus a couple of pounds of pulled pork (extra bark, natch) with some of their new Carolina Red sauce (red vinegar sauce fans, rejoice! This is the real thing - smoky, sweet, puckery with vinegar.) But if Carolina Red is not your thing, fret not - they have about a half dozen different types of sauce - something for everyone!). I chose my two favorite sides - mac and cheese that’s among the best in town, and collard greens that even non-collard green fans would love - the perfect balance of meat, vinegar and heat without a hint of bitterness in the greens.

Fat and happy, our ‘cue craving is sated for another couple of weeks. Or maybe at least until the weekend, when we’re tempted once again by their buffet.

If you’d like to go: Smackies Barbeque, 5730 Cleveland Avenue, Columbus (North Side), 614.794.1600.

We have been buying gift certificates from the Dine Originals web site like crazy, and had a lot that were about to expire. One of the ones we had a certificate for was the Bexley Monk Restaurant & Bar in Bexley, OH - a place that I have heard about but have not had the opportunity to go to previously even though I had passed by it hundreds of times over the years. This visit actually took place in May, when it was still a bit nippy outside - unfortunately, with a bunch of other things to do, I’m just getting around to posting about our visit now, so I’m going by my notes rather than memory now.

We got there during lunch, and decided to sit on the newly opened patio even though it was a very windy day. They brought us some nicely soft bread while we checked out the menu.

For an appetizer, we decided on the Sesame Seared Tuna ($12), which is beautifully cooked piece of sesame-crusted tuna atop a sushi rice cake, which is served with mixed greens and dressed with a wasabi vinaigrette, sriracha and sweet soy sauce. The different flavors worked well together, although the combination of wasabi and sriracha really lit my ass on fire and obscured the freshness of the tuna a bit. Overall, a very nice dish but just a little too spicy for my tastes. Your mileage may vary, though.

Their chili ($3) was soupy, lacked depth and texture, and doesn’t normally get served with cheese, but on request, they added white cheddar and green onions (because they didn’t have regular chopped onions). Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed.

The 55 on the Boulevard Salad (garden mix, red onion, bleu cheese, bacon, tomato, crostini, 55 dressing) ($4 for a side salad, $7 for a full sized salad) was a really solid salad, and we especially liked the tangy 55 Dressing that paired very well.

My husband got the featured item of the day, Mexican Pizza, but was disappointed because it lacked flavor, got very soggy very quickly, and was not especially enjoyable.

I had been craving a Cobb Salad for a while, so naturally I got the Cobb Salad - (mixed greens, diced chicken, avocado, tomato, egg, bacon, white cheddar, blue cheese, chive ranch dressing - $12), and it just wasn’t what I was looking for although for the most part, it was made very traditionally. The one change they made to the dish ruined it for me, as the creamy dressing made an already heavy dish even heavier (Cobb salad is normally served with a vinaigrette), the portion size was outrageously huge, and worst of all, the ingredients weren’t particularly fresh. 

One thing we did notice when we were there is that they seem to cater to an older clientele - both my husband and I are middle-aged, and felt downright youthful comparatively. Maybe because of that, the dishes on the menu seem a bit dated and the ones that aren’t dated seem a bit forced. Overall, the prices are fairly reasonable. So to sum it up? Good but not great - would go there again, but only if someone else was picking up the tab.

If you’d like to go: Bexley Monk, Bexley Square, 2232 E. Main Street, Bexley. 614.239.6665.

bonoTOGO is a little startup pizza joint that occupies the Eleni Christina bakery space on Russell in the Short North after hours, and the buzz has been really strong since it opened not too long ago. After listening to people on Columbus Underground rave about this place for weeks, we finally got around to ordering takeout from there the other night.

First things first. Can we just say that they have the best customer service EVER? You guys already know how I feel about trying to find parking downtown/in the urban areas, especially on weekends, because of all the meter bagging they do for valet parking. They eliminated that problem for us completely, as we just let them know what time we’d be there to pick up the pizza, and they just brought it out the car for us. Too cool!

Since they have a deal for 3 pies for $20 (they are usually $8 each), naturally, we went for the 3 pie deal. One each and one to share, although that theory ended up going out the window as soon as we dug in. So what did we get and what did we think?

First up - our shared choice - the Bianca (#18). Loved the crust on this one, and the flavors meld together beautifully. Just the right amount of gorgonzola. We both enjoyed this one very, very much. Paul bogarted all of the leftovers, so I only got like 2 pieces of this.

Next, was my choice - the Capricossa (#15). I figured that this would be an interesting choice - I’ve never had pizza with hard boiled eggs on it before. Liked it, but not a big olive fan so it got a bit cloying. While good, it was the least favorite (among both of us) of the three pizzas we ordered.

Third pizza was Paul’s choice, the Cippolini (#13). We opted to add garlic to it, which brought a great pizza up to the level of mindblowingly awesome. Love the sweetness of this one. My favorite, Paul’s second favorite. This is one I’d order regularly.

I think I’m in love. This is the kind of pizza I like to make myself here at home, just done better - quality ingredients, with a lot of love put into the preparation. I can’t wait to go back and try some of the other pizzas (maybe a meat one next time, and the Hulk and the Funghi have my name on them). BonoTOGO gets a big thumbs up from us.

If you’d like to go: bonoTOGO, Russell Street (just west of High St, in the Eleni Christina bakery space), Short North, 614.906.8646; Wed-Sun 5p-midnight

If you remember my last trip to Creole Kitchen, you’ll recall that I said that one of these days I’d have to get there early enough to avail myself of breakfast (they stop making it at 10am). Well, it took a few months, but we skipped one of usual Saturday morning farmer’s markets so we could get there in time.

As you can see, they have quite the interesting breakfast selection. What I was really craving was beignets, but they had none this weekend. Chef Henry said that he’d be making some next weekend, though.

Just an FYI - their prices are increasing in a couple of days, so this price list won’t be accurate after the 14th, I believe.

Still, even with the lack of beignets, I still found something to order that quite hit the spot for me - the Creole Eggs Benedict, which is two poached eggs and tasso ham, served a top one of the most tender biscuits I’ve ever had the pleasure to eat, and then topped with Bearnaise sauce (it seemed and tasted more like Hollandaise than Bearnaise to me, due to the lack of tarragon, but it was made a la minute and was flawlessly emulsified). You could choose grits or home fries as a side, I went with home fries - these were good but not great as they had been made earlier in the morning and had been sitting around for a while.

My husband went with the Mushroom Omelette, which while chock full of mushrooms, was a bit underseasoned and on the dry side. He chose cheese grits, which were little mounds of buttery cheesy evil - tasty but definite gut bombs.

The place is definitely popular for breakfast - with all of the orders in front of us, we waited a good half hour for our food, but it was definitely worth the wait and definitely worth hitting on another morning.

If you’d like to go: Creole Kitchen, 1052 Mt. Vernon Plaza (corner of 20th & Mt. Vernon), Columbus, 614.372.3333.

We’ve tried to go to Hoover Grille before during dinner time, but have always been faced with an impossibly long wait, so when we were able to go recently for lunch (and a very late lunch at that), we were surpised that even then there was an almost hour wait for an outside table. There’s a stunning view from this restaurant - it sits right on the Hoover Reservoir (off Sunbury Rd), and is one of the few waterfront restaurants in Columbus. So we were curious whether all of the long waits were for the scenery, or if the food itself is worthy of the crowds that this restaurant obviously gets. Instead of waiting for an outdoor table, we decided on one by the window, where we could still see the water, just without the cool breeze of outside.

The menu (at least at lunch time) is rather run-of-the-mill - we didn’t see any items on there that couldn’t be found at a number of other restaurants in town. The question is, how do their versions compare to others?

We started with an appetizer of Baked Stuffed Brie ($9.95), a smallish wheel of a rather mild brie that was topped with a balsamic dried fruit compote and served with sliced fruit and baguette. Because the brie was so mild, the strong flavors of the compote (very cinnamony) overwhelmed it a bit, so we ended up scraping a bit of it off. The baguette was completely unnecessary, and the brie was nice just scooped up with the apples and pears.

For an entree, I chose the Beer-Battered Fish and Chips ($15.95), a honkin’ huge slab of battered cod served with fries, tartar sauce and cole slaw. The fish tasted nice, was perfectly golden, but I found it a bit on the greasy side. The fries were great, and were sprinkled with a nice coarse sea salt. The rest of the platter was unexceptional.

I also got a side garden salad ($2.95 additional) with my entree, and was happily surprised to see that it was more topping than greens, the complete opposite of what one usually sees with a side salad. The veggies were fresh and it was a nice complement to my entree.

My husband chose the Glazed Salmon ($17.95), which was grilled and glazed thickly with a ginger miso/teriyaki glaze, and served with basmati rice and veggies. The salmon was great, cooked correctly and still moist and juicy, but the dry rice took away from the dish and he ended up leaving most of it. The squash was well seasoned.

He chose a Caesar side salad ($3.95 additional), which was well-dressed, but rather unremarkable. For the cost of the upcharge, we expected something a little less pedestrian.

Overall, I guess we just don’t get it. The food is good, not spectacular. The view is great, but you can get the same view for free at a picnic table a couple hundred feet away in the park. The food is definitely not a good value - our bill was over $50 for just a single appetizer and two entrees - at lunch time. Service was average at best. So where’s the appeal? Maybe if we had an expense account, we’d give it another try - but truth is, Hoover Grille is just a little too rich for our blood and we don’t feel the view is worth the cost of admission.

If you’d like to go: Hoover Grille, 170 N Sunbury Rd, Westerville, OH. 614.891.0200

In light of the planned CU Dinner Meetups at Hawa Russia (pronounced “Nasha Rossiyah”), a new Russian restaurant that opened two weeks ago at the Columbus Square shopping center on the Northeast side of town, Paul and I decided to drop in tonight for a little scouting mission, to try out the food and to get a copy of the menu.

The place was rather empty when we stopped in, probably due to the newness of the enterprise, and the decor was homey and a bit on the formal side (white tablecloths, seat covers and linen napkins, yellow walls with various traditional Russian decorations, etc). Shades of the building’s former life as an Asian restaurant were evident, but looked kitschy rather than out of place.

Their menu is almost exclusively traditional Russian comfort food (think borscht and pirozkhi), and we decided quickly on what we wanted. Unfortunately for us, however, the normal chef was not there tonight (aparently there was some medical emergency), so roughly half of the menu items weren’t available because the person filling in didn’t know the recipes.

We decided on a shared appetizer of 3 Meat Pirozhki ($5), which were not at all what we expected. There wasn’t much meat in these, with the filling being mainly bread crumbs with the slight flavor of meat and a very occasional little chunk amongst all the filler. While not great on their own, these were quite tasty acting as a breadstick for the borscht.

Ah, the borscht. How do we love thee? Let me count the ways… I’m not a fan of beets, but their Vegetarian Borscht ($4 for a honkin’ huge bowl) rocked my socks off. Nicely tomatoey and chock full of lots of veggies (beets, potatoes, carrots, green peppers, onions, etc), it had a wonderful flavor that only improved with the addition of the sour cream that was served with it. If all borscht is this good, count me in.

As a precursor to his entree, my husband also ordered the Salad “Hawa Russia” ($7), a very large plate of radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes and scallions tossed in a creamy and refreshing sour cream/dill dressing. This would be extremely soothing on a hot summer night.

He had the Siberian Pelmeni ($10) for his entree, which were meat filled dumplings that kind of reminded me of Chinese Soup Dumplings that have the broth inside of them. The meat flavor shined though on these (a mixture of pork and beef, but during lunch, they also have veal and chicken), and while delicious all on their own with a bit of sour cream, they were magnificent when added to the borscht.

Since they weren’t able to make the dish I originally wanted, the Chicken Kiev, the waitress instead suggested that I try the Chicken “Tabaca” ($11), which she said would be similar. It was served with mashed potatoes and what tasted to me like a really spicy cold garlic salsa (seemed a bit out of place, although tasty). I didn’t really get a chance to enjoy it, however, because my poultry was underdone. I chalk it up to ”new restaurant hiccups” and they handled it with the utmost of professionalism, which is a really good sign. They quickly took it off my bill and I ordered the borscht/pelmeni combo myself.

The space is fairly large, and a good choice for large groups or parties - just be sure to call ahead and let them know you’re coming. On Saturday evenings, they have a banquet with live music. Although it’s going through a few growing pains (that normally happen within the first 6 months of a restaurant’s existence), Hawa Russia shows great promise and fills a void that’s existed in Columbus for a while. I’m eager to go back when the whole menu is available - there are many dishes on there I’d still love to try.

In the meantime, take a look at their lunch menu and their dinner menu. Even if you’re not familiar with Russian food, there’s something on there for everyone.

If you’d like to go: Hawa Russia, 2680 E. Dublin Granville Rd (161), Columbus, 614.899.7020.

My husband and I are always looking for breakfast spots, because if there’s one thing we enjoy on the weekends after going to the farmer’s markets, it’s sitting down with each other for a nice hearty breakfast. A big plus is if it’s on our side of town. Ari’s opened over a year ago, and we pass it almost every day, but had never gotten around to going in to eat - mostly because until recently, they had very abbreviated hours and were closed in the evenings. One day, on a whim, we decided to stop in and give it a try.

The ambiance, if there is any, is truly austere. Mostly just white walls everywhere you look. It has a very utilitarian feel about the place, almost like a cafeteria. The place was dead, but we figured that was normal, given it was in between lunch and dinner. Our waitress directed us to sit anywhere, so we picked a nice four top in the middle of the room and settled in.

They have a fairly extensive menu, with all types of breakfast combinations, soups and salads, gyros, and burgers and other sandwiches. We were both feeling a bit brunchy, so decided to go for a mix of breakfast/lunch items.

My husband started with a cup of the broccoli-cheese soup ($1.75), which tasted as if it were right out of a food service bag. To add insult to injury, they poured olive oil and dill on top of an already greasy soup, which made it darn near inedible.

I went with a side salad ($1.99), to which I had them add a bit of feta cheese. It was fairly decent but nothing outstanding - mostly iceberg with huge chunks of veggies that I had to cut into smaller pieces, with a standard oil-based Greek dressing.

For my entree, I went with the Greek Breakfast Gyro (served alone for $3.99, or with home fries for $4.99), which was 2 scrambled eggs, gyro meat, feta cheese, cucumber sauce, lettuce, red onion and tomato served on pita. The best way to describe it is messy as hell, because it didn’t want to stay together long enough for me to eat it. After taking a couple of bites, I turned to my husband and asked “are they using rye pita or something?” - it wasn’t until much later that we figured out that they use caraway seeds in their tzatziki sauce, which gives every dish that includes tzatziki the overwhelming flavor of rye bread. Especially so, since they didn’t season a single thing on either of our plates in any discernable manner. The gyro meat seemed to be pre-cut instead of freshly cut when the sandwich was made, because it was a bit crusty like it had sit out in the air for a while. The home fries were barely cooked (they were done, but didn’t seem to have spent any time on the grill frying, as I would expect with something called “home FRIES”; but then again, I like my home fries brown and crispy so it may be a subjective thing.

My husband fared a little better with his selection - the House Breakfast ($6.99), which includes 2 eggs, marinated chicken, gyro meat, home fries and a pita. The chicken was pretty tasty, but his gyro meat had met the same fate as mine - it was a bit dried out. Although the eggs were cooked to his specifications, they and the home fries were definitely underseasoned and not as crispy as he would have liked.

The best I can say about the place is that the food is mostly edible - nothing I had was anywhere in the realm of “good”, but the food is dirt cheap. If you’re on a really tight budget and not too picky, you do get a lot of food for the cost. However, given that there are plenty of other breakfast choices in Columbus that are just as cheap, but with much better food, I don’t think we’ll be back for a second visit.

If you’d like to go: Ari’s Diner, 1425 Frank Road, Columbus, OH 43223, 614.274.7747, M-F 7a-7p; S&S 7a-2p.