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This afternoon Bob and I decided to have lunch on the way home from my post op appointment. We took a look at some of the offerings from the Restaurant Week’s menu and zeroed in on DeepWood. I’ve read several very good reviews and have been anxious to try it.
Well let me tell you it did not disappoint in any way. We fell in love the minute we walked through the door. DeepWood is located on North High Street, just north of the North Market. (That’s a whole lotta norths!) We were immediately greeted upon entering the dining area and taken to one of the high, almost private booths. (Great ambiance for sweethearts.) The furnishings are fun. There are the aforementioned booths, round tables, square tables, seats at the bar and booths at the front window with pillows. The wood on the floor and bar is absolutely beautiful. It is such a warm and inviting atmosphere.
John, our server, was exceptional. His attention to detail was truly appreciated; he even anticipated our wants/needs before we did! He was absolutely charming.
We began with drinks while we looked at the menu. I chose the house made lemonade, and it was perfect! It was tart, but not overly so. Obviously fresh, and ice cold just the way I like it! Bob was going to go with a glass of wine, but when he saw the Black Bicycle Beer he changed course. This beer is smooth, dark, full of flavor, has a creamy head and is not too sweet. According to Bob, it is what Guinness aspires to be.
For my starter I went with the Chef's soup. Today it was tomato bisque. Mmm...it was the essence of summer. This soup was smooth and creamy with such a lovely bouquet. Each spoonful was pure bliss.
Bob went for the Pork Rillette. Usually this would be pork, slow cooked and mixed with enough fat to form a paste. In general most rillettes are served cold, as a spread with toast points, much like a pate. DW's rillette was more like shredded or pulled pork. Alongside the small bowl of rillette, there were indeed 3 toast points, a small mound of whole grain mustard and mache dressed in a light vinaigrette. This was divine. What a delightful appetizer!
John brought us a basket of bread in between the first and second courses. The lavash was light and airy with a wonderful assortment of seeds. The walnut bread was a dark brown bread which may have had molasses in it. Served with butter sprinkled with maroon sea salt, both of the breads were delicious. But to my palate, the walnut bread rocked! I do believe I could have eaten an entire loaf. Good thing he didn't offer it!
My entree was a no brainer. Bob even took one look at the offerings and stated the obvious. No contest, I was having the Country Fried Chicken. I adore all manor of fried chicken. I even love the Colonel. That is how loose and easy I am when it comes to fried chicken. I simply cannot say no. And this was so way ahead of the Colonel that I may never look back after today. DeepWood's chef has a way with chicken. It was moist, juicy, and so flavorful that I swooned. Right there in my seat I swear I swooned. And to put earrings on the elephant, it was served with a dish of homemade gravy. I know...I know...it was the stuff dreams are made of. Along with that was a haricot vert potato salad. The dressing was made with the same whole grain mustard that was served with the rillette. This was incredible!
Bob's choice was the Steak Sandwich. This was perfectly cooked, tender skirt steak on a house made baguette with smoked cheddar, arugula, and served with pomme frittes (french fries) and house made ketchup. This was excellent also, but I think he was secretly jealous of my chicken! Seriously, the skirt steak melted in your mouth. The ketchup was quite the star, and every single crumb was gone. So I ask you, how bad could it have possibly been?
The dessert offering was just the perfect way to end this feast. We were presented with ice cream and cookies. The cookies were baked to order and were still warm. The scoop of vanilla ice cream between the two cookies was just beginning to melt. Heaven, I tell you.
What a delightful meal! Our first visit will most definitely not be our last. As we sat enjoying our meal and listening to the cool jazz playing in the background, we could think of so many people we needed to tell about this place. How could we not have been here before? And why was it not packed?
On our way out we stopped to chat with another couple that was just beginning their meal. As I suspected, it turned out to be none other than Hungrywoolf. What a pleasure to meet her! We had a brief, but lovely conversation and then we were off to our next stop...Pistacia Vera...more about that later! Take a moment to visit Hungrywoolf's blog at http://hungrywoolf.com/about/.
And do yourselves a huge favor and visit DeepWood. Look for us! I know we'll be back, and soon!
DeepWood: an American Tavern
511 North High Street
Columbus OH 43215
614-221-5602
Perfectly stated. And that beer almost looked like a root beer float! Will have to get Tom down there. Jason and April love that place!
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