Restaurant Review: Khyber Halal

     Located across Georgesville Road from the sprawling Hollywood Casino complex, tucked unobtrusively behind a Sunoco station, in a broken down three store shopping plaza, lies what might be the finest Middle-Eastern restaurant in Columbus. The small staff is friendly and attentive, and emphasize explaining what goes into their food and how it's made. The premises in front aren't the cleanest I've ever encountered, but their kitchen is spotless, and their equipment is well maintained. As of last Wednesday I've had almost everything on their menu and it has all been fantastic, fresh, well seasoned, and with delicious accompanying sauces. I feel it's important to mention that they have a real honest to goodness Tandoor on premises to make their Chicken Tandoori and their Naan. Not to mention, they have an attached store that sells a lot of what you need to delve into the exotic and wonderful world of Middle-Eastern cuisine in your own home.

Final Ranking:  A+ (Make a special trip to try this place, or take a few minutes out of your casino trip to go, either way you're in for something wonderful.)

Restaurant Review: Tai's Asian Bistro

    So, it's finally happened. I got sick somewhere, like, I went to the Half Price Books about thirty seconds down the street and within five minutes I was setting up a colony in their restroom. It ruined my night, and despite beautiful presentation, the food wasn't that good to begin with, it was probably a 7/10.

Final Ranking: F- (Sorry Tai, but I can't let food born illness slide.)

Restaurant Review: Da Levee

     I've never been to Bourbon Street, hell, I've never been further South than Pittsburgh. I've cruised all around the North Eastern United States, and even dipped my toe into Canada (it took me forever to get the Maple Syrup off.) But, like everyone else who has had much to do with (watching) television or movies in their life, I have an idea of what a visit to New Orleans should be. Dark cramped spaces alive with the colors of Mardi Gras and Jazz, a rich spicy air should be blowing around, and you could almost picture Old Scratch himself leaving off of his dealings to grab a bit of gumbo.
     While I've never managed to go to the REAL New Orleans, Da Levee on High Street is certainly a portal to a little locals only joint just past the camera's reach in Interview with the Vampire. The environment of the place is... seductive I guess, you can imagine looking up from your B&B only to lock eyes with an attractive stranger (this sort of happened to me, only I knew Mary before hand, and we were there for our anniversary, but you get the point.)
     The menu doesn't contain any main courses, just side dishes, desserts, drinks, and plate pricing. Main courses are done as daily specials written on a black board and posted on Facebook and Twitter where hungry fans impatiently await a day when one of their favorites rises to the surface of it's owner, Justin Boehme's, mind and explodes into his kitchen.
     Normally I set a two visit minimum before a review, but most places have a large set menu and a two visit minimum ensures I try at least four dishes, between what Mary and I ordered. That wasn't an issue at Da Levee, where for just $8 you can get a Half and Half plate and try two different dinner options over rice. What we ended up having doesn't even matter, except to say we each got a meat option and a vegetarian option, and everything was delicious. Better than just delicious, it was delicious AND inexpensive. Two Half and Half Plates, soft drinks, and a piece of 'Purple Love'(Blueberry Cream with White Chocolate)pie to split only totaled $24.

Final Grade: A+ (Great Food, Great Prices, Great Atmosphere, and service that went above and beyond. I accidentally committed one of the great restaurant taboo's by accident by going in right as they were closing and nobody put glass in my food. Seriously, don't go into a closing restaurant, it is a total dick move and I hope I bring Da Levee some extra business with this review to make up for it.)

Trigger Fingers

Pictured with Our Black as Midnight BBQ Sauce

     So... remember in my Interview with Ben from North Market Spices how he was talking about their 'Gunslinger Rub,'? Well, I can't pass up good spice recommendations and I picked up a bag. And it was delicious, so, one evening in a mood for one of the comfort foods from my youth I decided to make up a batch of Chicken Tenders, and lo, the birth of something wonderful.

Here's What You'll Need:

1 Pound of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

4 Cups of Flour

1 1/2 Tablespoons of North Market Spices Gunslinger Rub

Here's What You'll Do:

1. Cut your chicken into thin strips lengthwise, about 1/8 of an inch thick.

2. Toss the Chicken Strips into a zip top storage bag with the Gunslinger Rub, make sure they are evenly coated, and squeeze the air out of the bag.

3. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

4. Put your Flour into a large shallow container, like an 8x8 cake pan, and a few at a time place the Chicken Strips in the pan, bury with flour and press down lightly to make sure the flour adheres.

5. Lay each strip in a single layer on a plate and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. This will give the flour time to form a little Gluten, which will help it hold together in the fryer, as well as giving the chicken time to get a little closer to room temperature. You don't want to hold raw meats between 40 degrees and 140 degrees (known professionally as 'The Danger Zone') because it gives bacteria time to breed, but a few minutes shouldn't hurt anything, and the closer your Tenders are to room temperature when they enter the fryer the less cool down you will experience from your oil, the faster and easier each piece will leave 'The Danger Zone' and the crispier the end product will become.

6. One at a time drop your Tenders into a deep fryer heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 6-8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. (I know, this can be tricky to determine with fried foods, but that's why you sliced them so thin Chief. Also, get a digital probe thermometer, you can get one for like, $20 and it might save someones life.)

7. Using Tongs or a 'Fryer Spider' extract your Trigger Fingers and place them on either a wire cooling rack on a sheet pan, or a couple of paper towels on a plate for a minute to wick away excess grease.

8. Enjoy with our Black as Midnight BBQ Sauce as pictured above, or with Sour Cream, or maybe even ranch dressing (I personally hate the stuff and feel like it is for people who don't want to taste food, they just want to taste ranch. I will be disappointed in you if you go for the Ranch, but unless you're one of a very small number of people I'm probably not peeking through your window to watch you eat, so I'll likely never know.)

Restaurant Review: Park Street Cantina

     Nestled behind the North Market (a place I still have yet to really explore) lies The Park Street Cantina, a place oozing with it's own distinctive charm. Enormous portions, reasonable prices, and a plethora of house made sauces make The Park Street Cantina a notable addition to our beloved city. Mary and I both had a great time on both of our Park Street visits, the first being during Origins Game Fair when we once again failed to make it to the North Market before it closed.  The place is just plain cool, the decorations are neat, there is a weird ass claw game where you catch live lobsters, you can sit on a swing at the bar (which I hated while eating, but started to enjoy after the first pitcher of Margaritas), and the servers are super friendly in a way that suggests they are genuinely nice and not putting on an act(after a decade in the food industry I can spot the 'server act' and it makes me want to slowly choke the life from someone). That being said, besides the house made salsa and the 'Ultimate Mac and Cheese' which were fantastic, the food was kind of bland. I tried burgers and wraps, beef and chicken fajitas and tacos between the two visits and it was all very very okay. Maybe it was very authentic and I'm too used to jazzed up over spiced U.S. style Mexican food? I don't know, I just wasn't impressed.


Final Ranking
C+ (The food isn't bad for the price and at the quantity. They have great happy hour specials, a great staff, and all in all the place is just a great time waiting to be had. I expected more wow factor from the food than I got.)






Find them online at: http://www.parkstreetcantina.com/

Restaurant Review- Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace

     The first time you hear the name, Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace you'll probably laugh, then you'll ask if that is a real place. Well, it is, and despite it's name it's really a very clean establishment. Set right in the heart of down town on 4th Street, Franks still feels like a hidden treasure tucked away in 'The Discovery District'.

   
     Upon entering you'll first notice the decor, off beat hand painted posters for musical legends and sports greats, using just enough clutter to evoke the feeling of a filthy dive without any of the dirt, stains, or spills and their immaculately clean kitchen is open and visible not thirty feet away.
     Since I'm newer at this blogging business I don't usually carry photographer release forms on me, so I didn't catch any photo's of the crowd but it was an eclectic mix from middle aged men talking sports to hipsters probably trying to eat a new item before any of their friends so they can become disgusted with it when it catches on, from soccer moms to a guy who looked so stoned the painting of The Rolling Stones kept looking at him like it was worried.
     Matt, our server, was friendly and talkative without being disruptive to our meal. He was very knowledgeable about the restaurants expansive selection without giving unsolicited advice or opinions.

     

    Now on to the single most important aspect of any restaurant, the food. I always try to make at least 2 forays to an establishment before I review it, preferably with a few friends in tow so I can nibble off thier plates and get a broader view of what the kitchen is capable of doing. At this point I've had about six of Franks hot dog offerings, and they have all been excellent. Pictured above clockwise are: Onion Rings (big, juicy, Onion Rings, the kind that actually have a big ring of onion inside, not the more common onion powder flavored corn chip tasting mother fuckers you see everywhere. These are onion rings worth hopping on a bus  to down town for...), The Seoul Dog (topped with deliciously spicy 'why won't you kiss me' Korean Kim Chee), and The Slappy Pappy's Super Sloppy ( my arteries may never be the same, but they will ALWAYS look back at this heaping mess of a hot dog with fond memories and hopes for many happy returns.) The price for everything shown above: about ten bucks, well worth it for the quality ingredients, creative flair, and amazing flavors.

Final Ranking

A+ (Great food at great prices, unique decor, great service, and a ton of culinary creativity, Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace turn Hot Dogs from what you eat when the burgers run out into a show stopping flavor powerhouse.)

Plus I saw this on the way in... how sweet is that?!

Dirty Franks Online

Restaurant Review- Flyers Pizza

     The first local only place I tried, Flyers was one of the initial kicks I needed to get me so interested in local food culture. I was new to the area, unemployed, and nearing the very last of my savings when I got a call back for a management position at Flyers. After a half dozen e-mails back and forth I finally got scheduled for an interview and made my way to their corporate headquarters in Dublin. The interview was going pretty well I thought, since I met 3/4 of the companies executives. They liked my passion for food, they liked my drive, they even seemed to accept that I hadn't had training in a lot of the paper work that managers needed to know how to do.
     But then came the question that ended my chances of stepping into that job. "Which of our pizza's is your favorite?"  I had to answer honestly,  I was new to the area and hadn't actually had Flyers Pizza yet. And it was over, thanks for your time, so long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight. I was given a coupon for a free pizza, any size or toppings, and ushered out the door.
     Now, I'll admit it, I was heart broken. That had been my best possible job prospect at the time and I was desperate for work, but despite that I couldn't help but approve of their decision and respect them for it. My passion for food was excellent, practically a job requirement, but I wasn't passionate about THEIR food. I wasn't in love with THEIR product yet, so I wasn't right for the position.
     It is a glorious thing for a business to care so much about what they make that you can't work there if you don't genuinely love it as much as they do.
     So, later that same day, sad and dejected, Mary (my fiance) and I made our way to our local Flyers to console ourselves with a nice slice. The interior of the place was spotlessly clean, and done up in much the same way that an old diner would be, though that diner would have to have a strong aeronautical theme to it. Classy.
     So we placed our order, the staff was friendly and helpful, and seemed genuinely excited when they heard that it was our first time there. We were seated quickly, drinks were brought immediately and kept full the entire time, and eventually we were brought our pizza. The "Ultimate" BBQ Chicken Pizza.
      I was slightly disappointed to find that unless you ask for it specifically, and are willing to to pay a little extra for it, you're not getting a thick doughy crust. Their standard is a flat crisp crust that, as it turned out, was still really good. It managed to be just the right mixture of crisp and flaky, and went extra well with the BBQ Chicken, leaving the overall dish  feeling like really high class nachos. The cheese was gooey and delicious, the vegetables (though sparse on this particular pizza, as opposed to their Country Garden Pizza which is heaped with all kind of fresh goodness) were well chosen as an accompaniment, and the sauce was tasty. They use Sweet Baby Rays which is the only big commercial Barbecue sauce that I will actually pay for, thoguh I still prefer my own Black as Midnight BBQ.
     Despite the crippling blow to my finances that, that day represented, I still took away a love for the product that would have stood me in good stead 12 hours earlier. So now many months, and many pies later, I finally get to tell everyone about it.

Final Ranking: A+ (Take note, this is an A+ DESPITE the places way higher than average prices. I'm even willing to pay for their 'Thick Dough,' more often than not. Flyers is a totally worthwhile buy, and I'm happy it's a part of my Columbus Experience.)

Restaurant Review- Lotus Leaf

     The Lotus Leaf is a small family owned restaurant located in an unassuming storefront at 1595 Georgesville Square Drive Columbus Ohio 43228. It's decor is simple, more reminiscent of a miniature hospital cafeteria than the sometimes over the top flair of many eat in Asian Restaurants, but it's staff is prompt and courteous, it's menu is an almost eccentric blend of Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, and in one instance even French styles.  And it is quite a menu, sporting a hefty fifty six items, quite a lot to work through in the interest of trying it all. I've so far managed to make my way through six dishes, in addition to sampling off the plates of friends and I've seen enough to know it's worth the trouble to make my way through the other fifty. Their dishes are alive with subtle layers of flavor with EVERYTHING (or so the server says, and I have no reason to doubt,) produced fresh and in house. Their prices would be considered middle of the road for local Asian Cuisine, except that their portion sizes are massive to the point  where I usually have to take about half home for a second meal, all in all making their prices exceptional for the quantity.

Final Ranking
A- (I'm not a huge stickler for atmosphere, I don't even mind the cafeteria-like setting, but the Lime Green, Yellow, and Red color scheme is far more than a little eye gouging and I have to dock them a few points for that...)


Picture courtesy of: Columbus Pho Search