Sophie's Gourmet Pierogi

Pierogi's. Is there any food more perfect than a pocket of pasta filled with mashed potato and sour cream? Then to saute it in butter and add caramelized onions? I will answer that question for you my friends - no, no, no!

To this carbohydrate lover, that is the sum of all things good in life. But wait! There's more! This combination of awesomeness is then topped with delights such as local Italian sausage cooked with onions & peppers (oh, just like at the fair!) sprinkled with asiago cheese and a dollop of lemon basil butter. Or better yet, top it with Yuengling braised pork belly (a deconstructed golabki, ie cabbage roll) finished with a grain mustard & tarragon compound butter. I'm pretty sure I swooned. To a pierogi lover, it seemed we might just have reached nirvana!

Who creates these gastronomic powerhouses? That would be Steve Redzinak, better known as "Sophie's Gourmet Pierogi". Steve and his wife Angie can be found in their food truck that bears the name of his beloved grandmother, Sophie. And just like his grandmother, Steve makes his pierogi by hand. He begins with mounds of flour, makes a well and pours in the ingredients that make the pasta perfection. He then mixes the dough by pulling in the flour from the sides of the well and mixing it all til he has created pasta dough just like he watched Sophie do. This is the basis for his pierogi. How could these not be incredible?

We found Sophie's at The Campus Pitt Stop at Kenny and Lane. This is their most consistent location. However they are also at Columbus Commons on Thursdays, and other locations as arranged.

I love the menu board at Sophie's. Steve said he searched for something authentic to post his menu on. When he saw this door, he knew he'd found his vision. The menu presentation is just downright cool. Steve's pretty proud of it, too.

So back to the main attraction. The tender pasta dough is filled with fluffy mashed potatoes with just the right amount of sour cream added to give it the rich, silky mouth feel that literally makes you groan as you eat it. You think you like pierogi because you can whip up a batch of Mrs. T's? Well I tell you, I speet on Mrs. T's! (okay, I don't really. I like them. On a good day I could probably polish off half a box myself!) But Sophie's are gourmet...as in Gastrogi. And as Steve will tell you:
Gastronomy is the art or science of good eating.
Pierogi is Polish for filled dumpling-a small dough envelope filled with "gastronomy".

Meet the "Vintage". This is for the pierogi purist. It is "classic, crispy pierogi filled with potatoes and sour cream; caramelized onions, side of sour cream and compound butter". I will comment briefly on this version...OH.MY. This is the beginning of all things wonderful.

This is the "Italian". This one happens to be Angie's favorite. With good reason why! Steve starts with his pierogi, then adds local Italian sausage, peppers & onions, confit of tomato, asiago cheese and lemon basil compound butter. Oh yeah. It is every bit as good as it looks. The sausage has the right amount of spice and the onions & peppers are sauteed just the way they should be. The sprinkle of asiago perks it all up and brings it to a whole new level. I thought I had found my favorite.

But then the heavens opened and I swear I heard angels singing as the "Soph" was set down before me. Let me first say that cabbage rolls are one of my all time favorite foods. And I love to serve them alongside, what else but pierogi? The "Soph" is a deconstructed golabki, or Polish stuffed cabbage. I lost all power of speech. Steve was talking and I couldn't stop eating! The Yuengling braised pork belly was low on the fat pockets that I usually find unappetizing about pork belly. The meat was flavorful and succulent. The cabbage was sauced and cooked until tender. I tell you, my mouth is salivating even as i write this three days later! The "Soph" had won my heart for all time :-)

The one other offering from Sophie's is once again from Grandma Sophie's recipe box. Listen closely here...whatever flavor Italian Ice that is being offered...SNATCH IT UP!!! This is Italian Ice as it should be; authentic. We had watermelon lemon, on a day that was 90 degrees in the shade. Sheer perfection.

Call me crazy, because we all know that I am but that's beside the point. I tell you true that Sophie's is a MUST for anyone who is a pierogi lover. And even for those that aren't! I guarantee it. If you don't like it ... well, bring me your leftovers and I'll eat them! Deal?

Sophie's Gourmet Pierogi
Stephen Redzinak
Chef/Owner
614-600-8530
info@sophiesgourmetfoods.com
twitter@sophsgastrogi

p.s.

Bogey couldn't take it anymore. All this talk about Sophie's and there was none for him. He threw himself across the keyboard, demanding a "Soph" of his own!

BLT Summer Rolls

Summer is here…with a vengeance! With the temperature into the 90’s, I was looking for a light and cool dinner. I remembered seeing an email from ZipList News that had a recipe that I wanted to try. I said to myself, “Self, this would be just the perfect night to try these!” And so I did.

ZipList led me to the "Inspired Taste" blog (http://www.inspiredtaste.net/ ) where I found the BLT Summer Rolls. 

Bob and I absolutely love Vietnamese Summer Rolls. You might remember I have posted about them. http://dishingitup-columbus.blogspot.com/2010/06/vietnamese-spring-rolls.html.  And we love BLT’s! So how could we not love the insane combination of the two?

I’m not going to yammer on and on about them. It’s too stinkin’ hot for even me to talk. (If I had a pool to jump into and cool off I could talk on and on…but oh, I digress.) Let me show you how to make these simple and scrumptious babies :-)

These are rice paper wrappers. They are generally available in the Asian food section. They are totally different from eggroll wrappers and the two cannot be interchanged. Working with these will be a new experience! They are incredibly delicate and sticky (in that they stick to themselves)! But you easily get the hang of it quickly.

This is the cast of characters. We have bacon (totally essential), lettuce (again, essential) and tomatoes, thus giving us the "BLT" part of the summer rolls! In addition there is a mound of vermicelli rice noodles, and a wonderful mayo based sauce that has lime juice and Sriracha sauce. The noodles were not in the original recipe, but Bob and I thought they needed to be included to maintain the integrity of the summer rolls. Actually, we included them because we like them!!! I will also admit to playing around with the lime mayo. I wanted a little more flavor but not more heat. So I added additional lime juice, a tablespoon mayo, lime zest and I grated a garlic clove. Bob proclaimed it "awesome". Being the weenie that I am, I just dabbled a bit on mine. Next time I'll probably go for plain mayo...or maybe pull some of the lime mayo aside before I add the Sriracha. That should do it!

Please excuse my messy counters...and my well used & stained cutting board! Okay. So to begin you need to put some warm water into a dish and slide a wrapper into the water. It only takes a quick few seconds and you will feel the texture of the wrapper relax and become pliable. Slide it out of the water and put it on the cutting board. The wrapper is thin and will easily stick to itself!

When you have it on the board, pat it dry a bit with a paper towel.

Now the fun begins! Start filling it with whatever you want your BLT Summer Roll to be.

Of course I like lots of noodles on mine ...

... and just a drizzle of the Sriracha lime mayo! I know I'm a sissy. Let's just move on.

Once you get everything you want stacked up, you tuck the bottom edge up over the filling and fold in the ends, and then roll it up. The wrapper will adhere as you roll so there is no worry about sealing it.

And there you have the perfect BLT Summer Roll! You can serve it with a dipping sauce according to Inspired Taste, but I have to admit that Bob and I were so darn hungry for these that we just dug in and forgot to make the sauce!

I really do hope you enjoy these as much as we did. They are just delicious and so simple to make and even simpler to eat. Plan on several per person...and maybe more!

BLT Summer Rolls

Author: Adam and Joanne Gallagher http://www.inspiredtaste.net/12679/blt-summer-rolls-recipe/

Prep time: 10 mins  Total time: 10 mins  Serves: 4

You can make these up to 3 hours ahead of time. Cover rolls with a damp paper towel or clean dishcloth.

Ingredients

• 4 8-inch rice paper (spring roll) wrappers
• 2 cups packed shredded or baby lettuce leaves
• 1 large tomato, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 4 strips cooked thick-cut bacon
• For the Lime Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce
• salt to taste

Method

1. If making your own lime mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise, lime juice and 1 teaspoon of chili sauce. Taste for spiciness then add more chili sauce if needed. Season with salt. Store covered in refrigerator and keep up to a week.
2. Dip a rice paper into a plate of warm water for 5-10 seconds; shake off excess water and place on a clean kitchen towel or cutting board. Stack shredded or baby lettuce leaves on the lower third of the rice paper. Add tomatoes then a strip of bacon. Spread about 2 teaspoons of lime mayonnaise then top with some more lettuce

The Perfect Sunday Afternoon Snack

We had eaten a light breakfast, and dinner was a long way off. So Bob and I decided a snack was in order. When it was all put together, I knew I had to take a picture to share with you! Not to make you jealous...but I totally understand if it does :-)

Our friend Dianne, who is my culinary mentor, recently went to a three day bread making class in Chicago. She came back with all kinds of things up her chef jacket sleeves. Yesterday she dropped off a gorgeous loaf of walnut bread. This is not a sweet bread. No, it is made with a mixture of flour that includes rye. It has a country, earthy taste that is complimented by the toasted walnuts. Oh my. She also "happened to have" a wheel of Saga Blue Brie. This is a "soft ripened blue-veined triple creme cheese:". Translated...O.M.G! Spread on the walnut bread, well I don't believe I can even describe it. (And yet, you know I'm gonna try.)  The creamy blue brie cheese meets the rustic warm earthy walnut bread; what results is a flavor event in your mouth of such epic proportions that I am still a tad breathless. Ah, but not so breathless that I can't continue to expound upon the experience ;-)

Along with the gastronomical delight of the walnut bread with the Saga blue brie, we had chunks of ripe cantaloupe and thin slices of salami. That was our riff on the prosciutto-wrapped melon. I thought what was needed to complete this assortment was some kind of a pickled dish. Ironically enough, I had just finished preparing Shanghai Cucumbers*.  I planned to have them with dinner later, but they screamed to join the fun. So I put some of those in a small bowl and added it to the array on the board.

To bring all of the wonderful tastes together, I suggested to Bob that we have a glass of one of my most favorite wines. If you are lucky enough to have a Trader Joe's near you; run..do not walk!!!  Demand to be shown where the Villa Alena Moscato D'Asti is displayed! As you can see in the picture, it is in an incredibly fun bottle. And if you like a sweet wine as most moscato's are, you need to make sure to purchase multiple bottles of this wine. One sip and you will understand why I am so adamant! It is sweet sunshine that dances over your tongue and tickles your teeth. It leaves you smacking your lips and wanting more. It transports you to a hot summer day, sitting out on an incredible deck that your husband and dear friends built for you in the hottest part of the summer, holding cold honey colored sunshine in a glass. Whoa! Sorry about that. I believe I just had an out of body experience!

*Let me tell you about the Shanghai Cucumbers. They are so delicious! If you are watching your carbs and want a yummy snack or if you're just a pickled vegetable fiend, these are the ticket! The cucumbers are cool and fresh and have that Asian flare of both salty and a tad sweet. Even if you're not fortunate enough to have a friend that brings you fresh baked walnut bread with Saga blue brie cheese, you ought to try these. They are insanely simple to make and I'll warn you, they are addicting!!!

Shanghai Cucumbers
(from Barefoot Foodie)

1 large English Cucumber
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar (White or Apple Cider will work also)
1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Seeds

1.  Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil together.

2.  Slice up the cucumbers and add them to the bowl; toss to mix.

3.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds right before serving.

4.  Eat them all!

I am so happy to have been able to share this snack with you. It feels good to be back to my blog. Thank you to those of you that have stuck with me during my recuperation. Hopefully, I am back!

Please note the lovely cala lilies. I am happy to share those with you, as well. :-)

614 Restaurant Week - Cameron's American Bistro

Birthday week continues! For Thursday's birthday dinner I chose Cameron's American Bistro because I have always wanted to go to Mitchell's flagship restaurant. I'm a fairly regular visitor of some of his other places, but for some reason I've never been to this one.

I quote the website:" Cameron's American Bistro, the original Cameron Mitchell Restaurant located in Worthington, presents a dining experience that blends genuine hospitality and uniquely innovative food in an upscale-casual, intimate atmosphere. An American road trip for your palate, Cameron's American Bistro brings home to Columbus delicious dishes familiar and unfamiliar, from places coastal and landlocked." This was a place I definitely wanted to visit.

 The posted menu for Cameron's for Restaurant Week looked wonderful. So Cameron's it was! There were eight of us and we were seated smack dab in the middle of the dining room at a round table that allowed us to easily talk to everyone in our party. Our server was a young man named AJ, and he was beyond wonderful! He totally took care of us all night.

Six of the eight of us chose to go with the Restaurant Week menus. Lucky me! In the interest of my blog readers, it really was my civic duty to try everything that I could. Darn Patrick, though. He was clear across the table and I didn’t get to taste his. How did he escape my fork???

By far the most popular appetizer was the Goat Cheese Arancini, and with good reason. The balls of risotto were made with goat cheese and then fried to a golden crisp and were served on a tomato coulis with a sprig of arugula. Let me explain it to you like this; a slice of heaven on a plate. *sigh*

Another choice was the Chop Chop. This was a lovely salad made up of “Wier’s Farm mixed greens, asparagus, sweet corn, hardboiled egg, smoked bacon, gorgonzola, red onions, grape tomatoes and golden balsamic vinaigrette". It was very good.

The third appetizer choice was Shrimp Bisque. As you can see, it was lovely. It was garnished with Lemon cream, chives and crostini. I would like to tell you how incredible it was, however this was one of the dishes that escaped me. Dang-it! Now I’m thinking I need to go back soon and complete my “education”.

Moving on to the entrées, these were an absolute delight! I decided upon the Hoisin Glazed Salmon. This was served with “grilled pineapple rice, ginger glazed carrots, sugar snap peas and sriracha butter sauce”. I am telling you, this salmon was absolutely exquisite. I was totally smitten with the pineapple rice. Oh my goodness! The salmon was wonderfully moist and had sweet and savory notes from the hoisin sauce. The carrots and snap peas were crunch and the sauce…oh the sauce. I was a bit concerned that the sriracha sauce might be a tad too much for me. Much to my delight it was spot on. What a winner!

This is the shrimp and grits. You’re right. It wasn’t on the Restaurant Week menu, but two of my fellow diners ordered this. What rebels! I tried to slip my fork onto Dianne’s plate when she wasn’t looking but I was busted J  The grits were made with goat cheese. Yum! I didn’t try the shrimp because both she and Donald warned me that they were pretty spicy. And we all know what a wuss I am. I did go back for seconds on the grits, though.

Bob and Homer got the Crispy Moscovy Duck Breast with “five vegetable fried rice, baby bok choy, glazed peanuts and orange ginger reduction”. While I not a huge fan of duck, this was very nicely done. Bob was certainly happy with it. And I don’t think we heard a peep out of Homer until his plate was empty! I’m thinkin’ he enjoyed itJ

Isn’t this a lovely photo? Isn’t that a lovely pork chop? Don’t you wonder if it tasted lovely? Well, can’t help ya there. This is the other dish I was talking about that I couldn’t reach. I’m thinking next time with a group this size, I’m going to bring along one of those forks that have an extending handle. Yep, that’s exactly what I need.

Everyone but Kathy and I got the Vanilla Crème Brulee with fresh berries. It was some of the best I have ever had. Or, at least Bob’s portion was some of the best! There was a plethora of vanilla beans and it was reflected in the taste. Beautiful.

Now for the big finish! What is a birthday celebration without cake? How right you are! Cake is what gives mankind sustenance; or something like that anyway. No question I was going with the Warm Carrot Cake. Kathy joined me in ordering the warm carrot cake with cream cheese icing and vanilla rum sauce. Oh dear me, I am so happy I did. It was absolutely, totally insane! The cake was light but incredibly flavorful. The cream cheese icing was sort of sliding off the top of the hot cake and the rum sauce was pooling around the base of the cake just waiting for me to take that first taste. When I did, I do believe the heavens opened and angels sang. Yes. That is what makes a birthday so spectacular. Cake is truly God’s gift of comfort and pleasure.

What a truly wonderful birthday this has been!

Another fine Restaurant Week under the belt…or should I say on the hips? Wherever it lands, it was well worth it. The chefs in Columbus are so very talented. Hats off to them! And thank you to 614 Magazine and all of the sponsors, especially Makers Mark!

p.s. Did I mention that because it was my birthday I was given a gorgeous white rosebud? Wow; Cameron's knows how to treat a lady!

Cameron’s American Bistro
2185 W. Dublin-Granville Road
Worthington, OH
(614) 885-3663
Hours:
Monday- Thursday: 5pm- 10pm
Friday & Saturday: 5pm- 11pm

614 Magazine Restaurant Week - Moretti's of Arlington

I love Restaurant Week, I love Moretti's and I LOVE birthdays!!! And I adore my godsons :-)  So how could it not be a fun birthday, I ask you?

Blake drew this while he was waiting for his dinner. Obviously I am the pink lady. (Yikes! Is that really what my hair looks like to him???) Blake is orange and Bryce is green. (all of our favorite colors!) Unfortunately Bob, Clint & Virna didn't make the grade. But it was my birthday after all.

Moretti's is offering a great menu for this week, and it is only $20. Yes, that's right, twenty dollars! For a three course dinner that will leave you moaning because you are so full, yet you have leftovers for lunch the next day! I know!

So let me show you a little of what we had last night.

This is the bread plate presented after we were seated. The bread was still hot from the oven, with flavored butter and the house marinara sauce. It was deeeeeeeliscious!!!!! I admit I may have hogged the butter...just a little...well, maybe a lot. Okay, I admit it! Let's just please move on.

These were the Four Cheese Risotto Balls with lemon aioli. They were not part of the Restaurant Week menu, however I must include them. I totally could make a meal of these! I kid you not. They are delectable deep fried balls of risotto, with cheese in the middle that oozes out when the balls are cut into. These are commonly called arancini. By whatever name, they are to die for. I simply cannot go to Moretti's without indulging in these.

This was the Mediterranean Chop Salad. It consisted of organic greens, cucumber, tomato, kalamata olive, red onion, feta, and pepperoncini dressed with a house vinaigrette. Wonderful.

The Wedding Soup was my appetizer choice. I do believe that Moretti's has some of the best wedding soup I have ever tasted. The broth is so flavorful and the spinach and carrots are yummy. The meatballs are plentiful and so tasty. Just perfect!

The last appetizer choice was the tomato bisque. Rich tomato flavor; deeply satisfying. We probably could have stopped there. But oh no! We soldiered on.

Bob, Clint and Virna all got this entee for dinner. Allow me to introduce you to Moretti's Truffle Mac 'N Cheese with Shrimp. Oh Lordy was it ever good! The shrimp were perfectly cooked and had that wonderful flavor that shrimp have when they are "just right". You know what I'm talking about. When you buy shrimp and they are just so succulent that you never want to stop eating them. Huh? You don't know what I'm talking about?  It's just me? Oh dude, if that's true I feel so sorry for you. Put those perfect shrimp on top of homemade mac 'n cheese, add a little truffle (butter or oil, I'm not sure which) and your knees get week and your hands start shaking and your breath is taken away. And no, I do not have a seafood allergy. I just (as my good friend Tom Prosek says) "became one with my food". Or in this case, Bob's food.

My dear friends, meet my dinner Scallop Carbanara with Fuscili Pasta. It is so easy to screw up carbanara. And if you do, you end up with a gloppy mess and who wants to eat that? This carbanara was done quite well. It was abundant with scallops, bacon, onion. peas, and a delicately creamy cheese sauce. It was really good.

Moving on to dessert, Virna and I chose the Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake. Bingo! I darn near cried, it was so good. Rich, creamy, cheesey, deep flavor; everything a cheesecake should be. And the espresso was there in all its glory. Not overpowering, not artificial. No, just wonderful. Add a cup of coffee and I was in heaven.

The guys got the Cannoli. The menu listed this as Chocolate Chip Cannoli. While we didn't see any chocolate chips, the cannoli did not disappoint!

What a dinner! What a birthday! All this and Bryce's first place win in the spelling bee, too!

What more could I possibly have asked for????

Moretti's of Arlington

2124 Tremont Center
Columbus, OH
(614) 486.2333

Monday-Thursday: 4:30pm-9:30 pm, Friday & Saturday: 4:30pm-10pm

614 Restaurant Week January 16-21, 2012

Yes, we're well into 614 Magazine's Restaurant Week. I haven't been out to dinner yet, but the games are about to begin!

Today is my birthday! Happy birthday to me!!!  Okay, enough about that.

We are celebrating with our godsons. Oh we let their parents come along, too. And tonight we have a dual celebration! Bryce won his school spelling bee this afternoon! I am soooo proud of him! So we are really going to have a ball.

When asked where I wanted to go for dinner, I chose Moretti's of Arlington. I just love that place.  The pasta is homemade and the sauces are incredible. I figured it was a good choice for the boys, and I'm pretty darn sure that Clint and Virna will like it, too.

http://restaurantweekcolumbus.com/ Check out the menus! It will be mighty difficult to choose.

We also have plans for more of Restaurant Week.

Stay tuned!!!

Baked Ziti

Bob attended Columbia University in 1963-1965. I think it is fair to say that during that time, he was not flush with money. He has often reminisced about a place that he and his buddies used to go to eat the "best" baked ziti for $2.50! It was absolutely delicious and the price was right. The restaurant was V&T Pizzeria Restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue, between 110th and 111th Street in New York City. I looked it up and they are still there! (http://www.vtpizzeriarestaurant.com/#/home) The Baked Ziti is still on the menu, however the price has gone up to $8.00 - which isn't too bad for 47 years!

So in view of Bob's love memories of V&T's Baked Ziti, I set out to see if I could find something approaching it. This, my friends, was no easy task. Bob's memory is very discerning!

The other day I was reading my blog roll and I saw a recipe that Mocha Me had posted. Well I figured I may have hit pay dirt because I quote: "I think this should be renamed "The Best Baked Ziti I Ever Had."  Okay, I'll make it and we'll see how it stacks up to the V&T's memory.

The verdict? Pretty darn good. Woohoo! Thank you Debbie! (and Allrecipes.com for the original recipe)

Baked Ziti

http://debbiesmochame.blogspot.com/2012/01/baked-ziti-1.html

1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 onion, finely chopped

1 pound lean ground beef
2 ( 26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated (I use freshly shredded) Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta and cook according to package directions; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Drain excess fat. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter (I used olive oil cooking spray) a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. I also add a little of the sauce mixture to the bottom of the dish to prevent sticking. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 of sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven on top of baking sheet. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

This tastes much better the second day so if you decide to heat this up the next day after it's been in the fridge than bake approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour covered and 10 minutes more uncovered.

Dine Originals Week November 2011 - Chile Verde

Last night was the end of Dine Originals Week. Bob and I poured over the list, reading the menus and trying to decide where we would have dinner.

Eventually we decided on Chile Verde. We really, really like their food (and their margaritas ain't bad either). The menu sounded wonderful. First course was Butternut Squash Soup, second course was a stuffed avocado and the entree was steak fajitas. While I can't remember the descriptions off the top of my head, let me just say I had to wipe my chin after reading them. Bob and I looked at each other and exclaimed, "What's not to like?" And off we went, with tummies growling and hearts full of anticipation.

As we pulled into the parking lot I said, "Uh, Bob. There isn't much of a crowd here." He nodded and commented, "Yeah, I see. Not a single car is here."  We pulled up to the door.

"Closed Sundays"

Guess next time we'll check hours before we drive cross town. *Sigh*

... Hunan Lion was good ...

Dine Originals Week - Surly Girl Saloon

Meet Brooke & Andy. Yesterday was Andy's birthday, so we went out tonight to celebrate. Andy picked Surly Girl Saloon. Good choice, my friend!!! We had a great time with great friends and great food :-)
Okay, so maybe a few great drinks were consumed, too. It was all just so ... well, great!

Brooke ordered off the menu (she always has to be different, our Brooke) and Andy, Bob and I went for the Dine Originals menu. What a deal! For Andy who was "flying solo" (as the menu put it) his dinner was 3 courses for $20! Even better, For Bob & me it was 3 courses for 2 for $30!!! We were totally psyched. And then we looked at the menu. Oh lordy this was gonna be fun.

Andy began his meal with the "Wasabi Cream Cheese Ball". This was served with sesame crackers and slices of fresh cucumber. It was really good! I say this with surprise because we all know I am a total wimp when it comes to hot food. And wasabi is hot, is it not? So you can understand my hesitation. But in the interest of reporting fairly and not trusting someone else's opinion, I dove right in. I took a cracker and slathered a spoonful of the cheeseball on it. Then I topped it with a cucumber slice. Wow! This was good stuff! The cheese ball had just the right amount of wasabi; not too hot but it had a nice horseradishy quality. The cucumber was the perfect foil; cool & crisp. I have to say I wholeheartedly approved!

Bob and I chose the "Skillet Nachos". These were reliably delicious. The chips were topped with warm black bean & corn salsa and melted cheese. Okay, so what's not to like? They were just flat out yummy.

I chose the "Butternut Squash Ravioli" in a chile-pumpkin cream sauce with house-made focaccia. The picture does not do it justice. This dish was absolutely divine. I kid you not, this is the stuff that food porn is made of. Uh, I mean, dreams are made of. The pasta of the ravioli was perfect. The butternut squash filling was subtle yet substantial enough to stand up to the sauce. And the sauce? Well, excuse me while I swoon. It was one of the most incredible things I have tasted in a very long time. I have to admit that I didn't taste the chile part in it. What I did taste was pumpkin, so creamy and lucious that it should have been served with some kind of fanfare. I simply cannot get it out of my mind! Alongside was the promised focaccia. This was also delicious. And, it was essential to sop up every teensy bit of sauce that might otherwise have been left behind. I will unabashedly tell you that I scraped my plate clean ... something just short of licking it. I didn't want to embarrass my dining companions. Although I'm pretty sure Brooke would have just laughed!

Bob had "Cowgirl Carmen's Cherry Cola Ribs". These were served with creamy coleslaw and poblano mashed potatoes. Excellent. Just excellent. The ribs were falling off the bone tender, with a sweet cherry cola bbq sauce that left you wanting to lick your fingers. The slaw was just right and the potatoes .... well, we know how I adore potatoes. And these were no exception. Three words to say about this dish - yum, yum, yum!

Now for Andy's dinner. He ordered the "Spicy Thai Pizza". This was a pizza made with peanut sauce, broccoli, carrots, cheddar, peanuts and sweet chili sauce. I just need to say that his choice of this pizza following the "Wasabi Cream Cheese Ball" was dead on. The two made for an awesome combination! This pizza however, is not for the faint of heart. Andy advised me to wait until my drink refill came before I chowed down on it. Andy was oh-so-right. This baby packed some heat! But it was so incredible! The crust was thin and crisp and the toppings all worked in such harmony that there was truly a symphony of tastes playing out on my tongue. This was deemed an uber success by all of us!!!

Now on to dessert! Yippee!!! Cupcakes!!! Oh happy day! Andy and I both got the "Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting". Awesome, awesome, and just totally delicious! The crumb was so soft, yet there was just the tiniest bit of crunch at the edge. The cream cheese frosting was not too sweet and the cherry on top was a like little red kiss.

Bob went with the "East" selection, which was a "Cherry Blossom Cupcake". I'm sorry the picture doesn't show it to full advantage. It was a delicate pink color with bits of cherry in the mix. It also had a soft crumb and Bob fully enjoyed it.

So happy birthday to Andy! What a fun and delicious way to celebrate our dear friend turning thirtysomething!

Surly Girl Saloon
1126 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43201-2440
http://surlygirlsaloon.com/
 (614) 294-4900

Dine Originals Restaurant Week - November 7-13, 2011

It is that wonderful time of the year when the restaurants in Dine Originals participate in their restaurant week! Oh boy, we sure are the lucky ones on this deal :-)  It is the perfect time to try out a restaurant that has been on your list to visit, or to go back to a favorite one. Check out the info from Dine Originals! You can browse the menus from each restaurant. I am here to tell you that the deals are awesome and you'll find amazing menus. Bob and I already have our plans made!

Happy Eating!!!

   Dine Originals Week STARTS NOVEMBER 7

 twice-annual EVENT OFFERS chance to sample bold flavors of independence

47 restaurants, 7 days of original menus

Monday, november 7–sunday, november 13, 2011

The next Dine Originals Week will be held November 7–13, 2011, featuring creative, three-course fixed-price lunch and/or dinner menus for $10, $20, or $30 (not including tax, gratuity, or alcohol) from all 47 Dine Originals Columbus restaurants. Besides offering diners extraordinary menus at reasonable rates, this popular event, held twice a year, also serves as a celebration of the high-quality local dining scene. Restaurateurs see an uptick in sales at the restaurants, new faces, and visitors coming from out of town to take advantage of the special menus.

In keeping with Dine Originals’ mission to give back to the community, a portion of the proceeds from Dine Originals Week will be contributed to Local Matters, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting access to local food, advocating for fair food policies, and other related causes (www.local-matters.org).

Notes Tim Lessner, president of Dine Originals Columbus and owner of Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails, “We’re excited for the next installment of this very popular week, which has turned into something of a citywide festival celebrating Dine Originals Columbus restaurants. With some new members added since last March, we encourage people to try a new restaurant—or, as always, to revisit a favorite during this special week.”

Menus for Dine Originals Week are at http://www.dineoriginalscolumbus.com/dine-originals-columbus-week/

Dine Originals Columbus has 47 member restaurants, all locally owned and operated. The list follows on the next page.

·         Alana's Food and Wine

·         Barcelona Restaurant and Bar

·         Barrio Tapas

·         Basi Italia

·         Basil Thai Restaurant

·         Bel-Lago Waterfront Bistro

·         Black Creek Bistro

·         The Black Olive

·         Bodega Cafe

·         Chile Verde Cafe

·         The Clarmont Restaurant

·         Columbus Brewing Company

·         DeepWood Restaurant

·         Due Amici

·         Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus

·         Figlio Wood-Fired Pizza Grandview

·         G. Michael's Bistro

·         The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls

·         Katalina's Cafe Corner

·         Katzinger's Delicatessen

·         LaScala Italian Bistro

·         Local Roots American Cuisine & Spirits

·         Luce Enoteca

·         Mezzo Italian Kitchen and Wine

·         Milo's Deli and Cafe

·         Milo’s The Capitol Café

·         Mozart’s Bakery

·         The Oak Room at The Granville Inn

·         Old Mohawk Restaurant

·         Pistacia Vera

·         The Refectory Restaurant  & Bistro

·         Rigsby's Kitchen

·         Shaw's Restaurant and Inn

·         Shoku

·         Skillet

·         Spinelli’s Deli

·         Surly Girl Saloon

·         Tasi Cafe

·         Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails

·         Tony’s Italian Ristorante

·         The Top Steakhouse

·         Trattoria Roma

·         Vienna Ice Café & Tea House

·         Vino Vino Restaurant & Wine Bar

·         Wildflower Cafe

·         The Worthington Inn

·         Z Cucina Ristorante & Bar