Dine Originals Week starts on Monday and runs until Sunday November 18th. Dine Originals is a group of 50 Columbus locally and independently owned and operated restaurants and the biannual Dine Originals Weeks are always a great excuse to try new restaurants or revisit old favorites. I enjoyed this note from Scott Heimlich, owner of one of our partner restaurants, Barcelona:
Hearing about all of the different strategies and traditions (restaurant-goers) used for managing Dine Originals Week is one of my favorite aspects of the event. We have heard from supporters who choose 8 favorite menus, put them in a hat and draw 4 out and schedule the week around them, others have rituals about going to a restaurant they have never tried, and I have a friend who picks our two most expensive member restaurants and uses the opportunity to experience the magic of kitchens she cannot usually afford while she completes graduate school.
We’ve had a look through all of the 50 plus menus and here are a few of the dishes that caught our eye:
Pork Belly corn dogs at Black Creek Bistro.
Blackened grouper cheeks with lemon havarti grits at Bodega (lunch menu)
Quince five spice steamed bun at Deepwood (Lunch menu)
Orange Julius dessert at Deepwood with vanilla Bundt Cake and tangerine glaze, candied kumquat and orange Julius Smoothie Sip ($20 dinner menu)
The Bill Murray vs Kathy Bates celebrity death match menu at Surly Girl, with Life Aquatic crab dip and not-so-fried green tomatoes.
Roasted Onion, Brown Ale and Aged Cheddar Soup at the Worthington Inn.
The warm housemade ricotta with Fennel Seed Grissini, Kale Chips & Fresh Figs at Z Cucina.
Bourbon ice cream made with the new Watershed bourbon at the Vienna Ice Cafe.
But of course there are lots of other great dishes and menus and there’s something for every taste. In addition to the published menus, both Alana’s and Skillet will be offering daily surprises. As well as dinner options there are some fantastic lunch deals at restaurants including Rigsby’s and Barcelona and the highly recommended brunch at Pistacia Vera.
There are also some new places to check out. Babushka’s Kitchen have just reopened at their new Sinclair Road location. Barrel 44 is a new Dine Originals member with two locations in the Short North and Bexley.
Vegetarians are well catered for, especially those who love seasonal squash and pumpkin dishes. Check out the vegetarian menus at Deepwood and Black Creek Bistro.
We have a great giveaway for you! Comment on this post and tell us which of the Dine Originals week menus most appeals to you by 5pm on Tuesday November 13th and you could win a $50 gift certificate to use at your Dine Originals restaurant of choice!
View all of the menus online here or pick up a copy of this week’s Columbus Alive to see them all in one place.
