Dine Originals week starts today! This is a great opportunity to support locally owned and operated restaurants, celebrate the independent restaurant scene in Columbus or to try somewhere that’s been on your ‘keep meaning to try’ list. By participating you’ll also be supporting Local Matters and their education programs.
If you picked up a copy of this week’s Columbus Alive you may have already browsed through some of the menus and started making plans, but with over 50 restaurants it can be a little overwhelming. Here are some of my picks of menus that I think look interesting.
Black Creek Bistro – has a fall inspired menu which is good value with four courses for $30. The pancetta pear crisps and the creole beef grillades with cheese grits caught my eye. There are also some good options for vegetarians.
Deepwood – have both $20 and $30 dinner menus. I like the sound of the pastrami cured salmon and the BLT ravioli. Their lobster sausage is also intriguing as is the apple pie baked in a brown paper bag.
G. Michael’s – As an offal lover, I’m very curious about the duck liver gratin with smoked gouda, redskin potatoes and sage cream sauce. This is a great low country inspired comfort food menu and G. Michael’s also has a good vegetarian menu available.
Local Roots – Another autumnal menu with different squash options for every course. They had me at walnut and maple stuffed quail.
Oak Room at Granville Inn – An enticing menu whose options include a charcuterie plate, catfish shrimp and grits and a carrot, apple and beet cake.
Rigsby’s – I’ve been lucky enough to taste the Artic char with sage and pine nut crust and Brussels sprout petals with bacon and hazelnuts on one of our Short North tours and it’s one of the best fish dishes around. That said, the chicken Cacciatore sounds really good too.
Skillet – Chef Kevin Caskey always pushes the boat out for Dine Originals week. I would be hard pressed to pick from this menu. Maybe the pear cider braised pork cheeks.
Alana’s – has an all vegan menu for Dine Originals week that includes 4 different varieties of squash and pumpkins. If that isn’t your thing – she is also offering a drink your dinner option with three specialty cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for $30.
Overall it’s good to see more and more vegetarian options available on the set menus and quite a few vegan ones too.
There are also some great lunch menus for Dine Originals week. Check out: Barcelona, Bodega, Katzinger’s, Tasi, Katalina’s and Deepwood. Could anyone make a sloppy Joe sound more appealing?
For something a little different – Pistacia Vera are offering a brunch special all week highlighting their fabulous quiches. Vienna Ice Cafe are offering 4 pints of their signature fall flavors for $20 including roasted chestnut with Grand Marnier and pumpkin spice gelato. You can also visit Mozart’s for afternoon tea for two for $20.
Debra who leads some of our walking tours has also written a Dine Originals week preview. I encourage you to browse the menus online or in Columbus Alive. I’m sure that whatever your taste you will find plenty that appeals. If you are worrying that you can’t fit all of these great menus in to one week, the Refectory has you covered. They are offering an encore week so you have until the 19th to enjoy their $30 Dine Originals menu.
Enjoy Dine Originals week and please let us know in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook which menus you enjoy.
To learn more about Dine Originals listen to this WCBE Foodcast interview with Dine Originals Columbus president Tim Lessner.
