Yeah, so I have my new blog posted up as of today. Go check it out:

walker.columbusunderground.com

This one will be going away in a month or so, so update your bookmarks or RSS feed please.

Chef Dean James Max guides us through the steps on making his delicious Yellow Tail Snapper with Chickpea Panise and Red Pepper Sauce in the kitchen at Latitude 41 in downtown Columbus, Ohio.

Stoney River Legendary Steaks

First things first

Let me state for the record that I am not a regular visitor of steakhouses. I do enjoy a good steak every now and then, and love grilling them at home. Typically when a special occasion rolls around that warrants dining out at an expensive restaurant though, steakhouses are not the first thing that comes to mind for me.

Furthermore, I’m a bit on the player-hater side when it comes to low-end steak joints as well. The only thing I love more than making fun of places like Lonestar and Outback and Texas Roadhouse is making fun of places like Applebees and TGIFridays and Chilis.

With that out of the way, this past weekend I went out with some friends to celebrate some birthdays, and we decided upon dining at Stoney River Legendary Steaks in Dublin (corner of 161 and Frantz Road). I glanced at their menu online and thought the selections sounded pretty decent. In the week leading up to it, I talked with a few people who had been there and they had nothing but good things to say, so my expectations were running a little high, and as you may know, that can get the best of anyone.

So, as a quick one-sentence summary for those of you who are tired of reading this already… Stoney River was ok taste-wise, but all other aspects of the restaurant were not as good as I had expected. Read on if you want the details.

Off to a bad start

Betsy called ahead to place a reservation for our party of six only to find out they do “priority seating” instead. Due to my lack of experience with steakhouse outings, I don’t know if this is a common business practice, but this was new to me. Basically, you give them your name, show up at the declared time, and then you still have to wait for a table, but not quite as long as everyone else. We were there for dinner at 7PM on a Saturday night, so they had about a 30 minute wait, and we had to wait about 15 minutes. I found this to be nothing but annoying, as if instead of the restaurant trying to accommodate our party, we were trying to accommodate the restaurant on not having open tables in case we were a no-call no-show reservation. Not too classy if you ask me.

The restaurant was decorated as if you were dining in a dimly-lit modern wooden lodge. There was a warm welcoming fireplace upon entering, which was particularly nice on Saturday night since it was a chilly 19 degrees outside. The artwork adorning the wall looked like enlarged Bob Ross prints. Woodland scenes with happy little trees, happy little rivers, and happy little log cabins. Not quite as classy as I expected, and a bit on the faux side of things since I still fully aware of the fact that we were eating in a restaurant chain in the middle of the suburbs. Would have felt more appropriate and authentic if we had to drive out to the middle of Hocking Hills to find this place.

So, we were seated and our waiter gave us the schpeel about the specials and the restaurant’s branding. Standard stuff. Some wine, beer, and cocktails were ordered. Anne made a special request for a fruity non-alcoholic drink from the bar, which our waiter had a hard time comprehending.

Waiter: “So, do you want a frozen drink?”
Anne: “No, nothing frozen.”
Waiter: “So like a daiquiri or something?”
Anne: “No. NOT frozen.”
Waiter: “So, you just want some orange juice or something?”
Anne: (sigh)

She wound up with a mix of orange, pineapple, and grapefruit juices that she said tasted a little sour.

unAppetizers

For starters, Dave, Betsy, Anne & I ordered the New England Lobster Bisque with Sherry Garnish, while Bob & Ann decided to share a Caesar Salad. Our plates came out pretty quick, so I can’t complain about the service being slow. The salad was brought out in one bowl with an extra plate, so Bob had to split it up himself. I guess it was too hard for them to split it back in the kitchen.

The bisque (which I’m a huge fan of, and order it whenever it’s on a menu anywhere) was way too thick. I know it’s supposed to be a thick, creamy soup, but it was more like a bisque reduction. Or a bisque concentrate that they forgot to add more water to. Whenever you eat any kind of soup, and it doesn’t remain level in the bowl (i could see the bottom in spots and the bisque sat piled in other spots) it shouldn’t really be classified as a soup anymore. Lobster custard… maybe. It felt like you could have turned your bowl upside down without spilling any of it out. I managed to finish mine, as the flavor was alright, but Anne was pretty turned off by the almost pudding-like texture and couldn’t eat more than a few bites.

The Legendary Steaks

The menu (and name of the restaurant) says “Legendary Steaks”, and if that’s not enough to set your expectations high, what is? I ordered the twin tenderloin medallions that came with a side of sauteed asparagus and béarnaise sauce (which we all joked was one part bear, one part mayonnaise since no one at the table knew what ingredients went into making it). Everyone else ordered some form of beef in one cut or another.

One thing that really bugged me, and perhaps I’m just nitpicky, but after each person at our tabled declared how they’d like their steak done, the waiter reconfirmed our request with a definition of what we’d be getting. I ordered medium-well and he rattled off something along the lines of “fully browned outer with mild pink center” to which I had to again reconfirm with “ok”. It grated my nerves to hear him make the statement six times in a row after each person ordered as if no one in the world knows what medium well or medium rare means. The only other place I’ve ever encountered anything else like this is, i kid you not, Red Robin. The wait staff at some of those restaurants will force you to say “Pink or No Pink”. I even tried saying Medium-Well once and the waitress just repeated her question of “Pink or No Pink?” with the explanation being that that was the only two options for her to punch the order into their computers. Some of you may be ok with this sort of thing, but to me this unnecessary hand-holding treatment it makes it feel like I’m ordering off the kids menu.

Anyway, when my entree was presented in front of me, I almost laughed out loud. I’m not a high-roller by any means, but I expected a little more presentation than what they were willing to give. Honestly, I felt like I was 8-years-old and my mom had made me a smiley face dinner. Two pieces of meat in the middle of the plate (eyes), two rows of five asparagus at 10 and 2 on my plate (eyebrows), about two tablespoons of béarnaise globbed at the bottom of the plate (mouth) and two small piles (maybe a teaspoon each) of dice red bell peppers on each side of the sauce (rosy cheeks). To make things even more comical, the plates had a black and white checkered border around the edge, which I think are the exact same plates used at Cap City Diner (where they are far more appropriate).

After I snapped out of my daze, and plates had arrived in front of everyone at the table, the waiter immediately requested that we all cut into our steaks to ensure that they were cooked to our orders. Really? Again with the “Kids Menu” treatment? I understand that for their type of business, a miscooked steak is probably the number one reason food gets returned to the kitchen and can cause delays, but I felt like this solution to their problem was more of a convenience for them and an inconvenience for us. What if I don’t want to jump into my steak right away? What if I’m in the middle of a dinner conversation? What if I want to eat my sides first without making my steak cold by exposing the middle to room temperature? Why can’t the waiter just cut it up himself and feed it to me like a baby and make the Stoney River experience complete?

Anyway, enough venting. To Stoney River’s credit, the food actually tasted alright. The steaks were cooked just how I like them (they damn well better be after quadruple-confirmation), and they were nice and tender cuts of meat. Anne & I shared a side of mashed potatoes, which I also thought were good, but she wasn’t too impressed with them.

Anne & I were filled up enough that we opted out of dessert. Bob & Ann shared a slice of chocolate Ganache, while Dave & Betsy shared a cappuccino Creme Brulée. Everyone seemed satisfied with their dessert selections.

Conclusion: Part I

So, for the two of us, entrees, soups, one side, one glass of wine, and one glass of juice, after tip, was $100, which I felt was quite a bit more than it was worth. I would have been happy paying around $70, and according to JimL2’s restaurant calculator (which I carry in my man purse at all time) would be a 70% score, equating to a C+ or D- (depending on your calculator model number). Anne’s fruit juice ended up costing slightly more than my glass of wine since they listed it on our check as “P-Apple Juice $2.75, Orange Juice $2.50, G-Fruit Juice, $2.00″. In hindsight, I guess I should have said something to the waiter about being charged for three juices when they were mixed into one standard serving, but we were just ready to leave by that point.

Bonus: Bathroom Adventures!

The women’s restroom was out of service during our trip to Stoney River, so that meant the ladies had to walk through the kitchen to get to the spare unisex kitchen-crew bathroom in the back. Fun! Plus, being that we were seated a few tables away from the standard bathrooms, we got to watch several on-call Roto Rooter workers walk back and forth by our table for about an hour. Appetizing!

Right before we left, Bob went to the restroom and watched in a daze as one of the other waiters (not ours) came in, used the restroom, and left without washing his hands. Bob was going to mention it to someone, but again, we were beyond ready to get out of there by this point.

Conclusion: Part II

I can’t say I’ll ever go back to Stoney River. It was too much money for too little class. The few times a year I go out somewhere nice should be worth the amount of money I want to spend, and Stoney River was not up to the task. I recommend that they cut their prices by 60% and just compete with Outback and Roadhouse instead, because they’re not even close to the same quality as any of the other steakhouse’s I’ve been to in Columbus or anywhere else for that matter.

If you’re around the same age as me and I asked you to make a list of some of the main staples of your diet growing up, I’d guess that some type of pasta would be one of the first things written down. It’s quick, cheap, easy for parents to make, and with a few weird exceptions (yes, I may be calling you weird) all kids enjoy a plate of spaghetti.

Now, if I asked you to make a list of some of the hardest foods to prepare in a dorm room using the tiny fridge and tiny microwave exclusively, I’d again expect pasta to come to mind pretty quickly. There’s just no easy way to boil noodles correctly in a microwave or heat up sauce without making a mess, so let’s do your roommates a favor and not bother trying out that experiment.

Instead, restaurateur (I hate that word) Lee Shadle has, with what would seem like a dumbfoundingly simple stroke of genius, decided to cook pasta for students. He calls this venture “Pesto Creative Italian Bistro”, and yes you’re allowed to be angry that you didn’t think of it first.

Last week Anne and Matt and Katie and I all went to check out Pesto for the first time. I had been meaning to go for quite awhile now, but I really don’t find myself making my way up to campus too often with the intention of hunting for food (and there’s a good reason for that). The time was finally upon us though, as we recently noticed a buy-one-get-one free entree coupon in our AP Book, so we decided to hump it up there and check this place out.

My first impression upon walking inside: an “Italian version of Chipotle”. The layout was very similar with the waiting-line down one side to the kitchen frontage, and a mix of tables, booths, and bar-style seating scattered throughout other side of the boldly-colored restaurant.

We wandered up to the counter and glanced at the simple instructions on the large-print menu hanging up on the wall. Pick from either three kinds of pasta (Penne, Fettuccini, or Spaghetti) or a pizza, and then choose one of the eight topping combos to go with it. Simple enough for anyone to figure out, no matter what your level of intoxication may be. Extras included soft drinks, a few bottled drinks, side salads, and gelato for dessert.

Anne, Matt & Katie all went with different pastas, while I opted for pizza. I chose the “L’Atomica” (which according to babelfish means “The Atomic One” in Italian) topping combination that includes Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Green Bell Peppers, Onion, Crushed Red Pepper, Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses, and a meat sauce.

Unlike Chipotle, they can’t really make your food in front of you on a pasta assembly line (dang), so instead you just pay, grab your drinks, and sit to wait for your order to be called. We only had to wait roughly five minutes though, so it was still a very quick process.

I’m hardly a pizza snob, so as long as it’s cooked well and doesn’t have flies on it (yes, I have actually eaten pizza with flies on it before, but that’s a whole other story), it’s usually pretty good in my book. The pizza at Pesto was more of a flatbread-type dough that appeared to be oven fired. The toppings blended together pretty well and it was a little on the spicy side, but not quite as “atomic” as I expected. Overall, not a bad personal-size pizza for $6. I was satisfied nicely. If I were hungrier, I probably would have went back up for a gelato for dessert.

I took a bite of Anne’s penne and honestly thought the noodles were a little rubbery. I’m not sure if this was due to the fact that we were eating late at 8:30PM and they were pre-cooked much earlier, or if it was maybe just an off-day for the students manning the kitchen. Either way, I wasn’t impressed with that. I’ll let Anne & Katie & Matt fill in their comments on their dishes if they wish. They all seemed to be pretty pleased with it as far as I could tell.

So… having finally experienced Pesto firsthand, would I recommend it to others? Well, that really just depends on who you are.

If you’re an 18-year-old OSU student living in the dorms with a craving for your favorite type of childhood pasta dish without the means to make it easily in your dorm room, you should be getting up from your computer and running (not walking) towards Pesto right now.

If you’re almost 27-years-old, living in German Village with little desire to hang out on campus anymore, but have a craving for your favorite childhood pasta dish and do have an easy means of making it at home… you should probably just make it at home. Pasta takes like two minutes to make, and will set you back around a dollar for ingredients. Why drive somewhere else and pay more for the exact same product? Or, if you’re really itching to get out of your house for Italian food, why not just spend a few extra bucks and go to Due Amici instead?

When all is said and done, I see nothing but wild amounts of success for Pesto. They’ve got the perfect location for their target demographic, and I’d love nothing more than to see a new Columbus-based chain expand and open restaurants next to college campuses all over the country and beyond.

Pesto Website - http://www.pestobistro.com
Lee Shadle’s Pesto Blog - http://rawpesto.blogspot.com

A ColumbusUnderground podcast featuting the music of local street performer, Steven Swafford aka Steven Streets.

The first Columbus Underground Podcast. ENJOY!

This is a post I made on the Columbus Underground defending video games today. Man, I’m such a dork.

The original poster is here in italics. My post is the long part below it.

pardon my ignorance, but why do people have to constantly upgrade video game systems?? I can’t see how to justify paying $600 for something as mind numbing as PS3, or Wii. We wonder why the US is getting fatter and fatter. Sitting mindless for hours on end playing unrealistic games. Though, i did see a commercial for Wii where you have these nunchuck like thing. Perhaps that would help with some cardio.

I don’t mean to dissrespect you Walker. Just curious as to why people are obsessed with something like this. Are these THAT much better than a PS2?

When you say people are “constantly’ upgrading I guess it depends on your definition of “constantly”. The PS2 came out over six years ago. Video game systems typically have a lifespan of around 5-7 years, which I think it probably less frequently than people’s desire to upgrade their PCs, laptops, and cell phones. Hell, some people feel the need to buy a new TV more frequently than every five years. Plenty of people buy a new car more often than every five years.

Basically, it’s technology. There will always be something better down the road no matter what type of techonology you’re talking about.

Are the new systems better than the old systems? Of course. To the casual observer they may not look that much different but if you take the time to look at side by side comparisons, such as this one you can see the difference. (Keep in mind, this is a pretty low-res video. If you could see it up close the differences would be more drastic.)

For anyone with a gaming hobby, the graphics, physics, and level of detail has greatly improved. If you’re not into gaming though, you probably don’t care, right? Personally, I’m not much of an auto-buff. Someone could tell me that the newest line of Brand-X cars has some new steering technology in the new 2007 model and I’d say “So what. My car works just fine.” It’s all a matter of personal preferences and perspective.

As for the mind-numbing comment, I’d going to let out an audible sigh and disagree. The vast majority of video games require thinking. Even games like Grand Theft Autio that most people want to pass off as “mindless violence” have a complex play mechanic at their core requiring players to solve puzzles, figure out mission objectives, learn the best way to complete those missions by trial-and-error, and contantly monitor multiple factors (health, ammo, enemies) involved with playing. Sure, it’s no substitute for doing homework, but Video Games are a thousand times more stimulating to the brain than just watching TV, which I’m sure is something that every critic of video games does.

As for the obesity epidemic in the US, I think video games may play a small role in that, but it’s pretty far fetched to try to blame it all on games. There are millions of Americans who are overweight who don’t play video games at all. I’d say the increase in stationary activities overall (computer use, tv viewing, white-collar jobs) is a factor but not the only one.

And yes, the Nintendo Wii looks to be a pretty decent workout. You don’t even need the nunchuck. The standard remote is motion sensitive. The sports game that comes bundled with the system (bowling, golf, baseball, boxing) looks like a great workout for all sorts of people.

Here’s a link to a ton of video of people just playing the system. It doesn’t even show the games, just the people playing and their reactions. Tell me this thing doesn’t look like worthwhile home entertainment for $250.

http://us.wii.com/experience_gallery.jsp

And as for the PS3, I agree that it’s too pricey at $600. I’ve played a demo unit. I’ve read reviews and watched clips from every game out for it at the moment, and I couldn’t justify that much money on it right now. It looks fun, but not $600 worth of fun. Hell, I’d have trouble spending $400 on an Xbox360, but now that it’s been out for a year and they have some decent games that appeal to me (Oblivion, Gears of War, Dead Rising, etc) I’m considering one if the price drops to $300 (which it’s been projected to do) in another 6 months.

So yeah, everyone has hobbies. Just because they dont’ appeal to you doesn’t make them evil.

In the past few years there’s been plenty of national news stories covering the recent decline in movie theater attendance and revenue. Most of the entertainment industry corporations have been trying to completely place this blame on internet movie piracy, due to the fact that the spread of high-speed broadband has made it easier for the average person to download full-length films at home illegally. Most people, however, will simply tell you that they just don’t feel like going out to the theaters anymore. Especially when they have to spend $9 per ticket plus additional money on price-gouged concessions, only to see a mediocre hollywood flick that previews have misled them into thinking would be the best movie of their generation.

If you find yourself in this group of dissatisfied local theater patrons, fret no longer! We’ve compiled our complete guide on how you can check out movies here in Columbus without breaking the bank in the process. Really, the key factors in seeing movies at a more affordable price can simply be broken down to three things: time, place, and luck. Read on to find out more:

Many people are unaware of this simple fact: nearly all theaters in Columbus have a discount day. Theaters are always crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, but what about Monday or Tuesday? Theaters of all varieties will try to entice attendees on these slow days by dropping their prices a bit.

Another lull in attendance is during the early hours. Matinee prices have been around forever, but recently AMC has begun an early-bird weekend program which was test marketed in Columbus before being spread to other parts of the country. This allows anyone to grab a cheap movie on the weekend, as long as you’ve been informed about their special prices.

In order to make this section as simple and easy to use as possible, all of the following local theater discount times & days have been compiled into the following list broken down by day. Simply pick what day you want to go see a movie, and be sure to visit the appropriate theater indicated below:

Sunday
- $4 Tix (showtimes starting before noon) @ All AMC locations.

Monday
- $5 Tix (all day) @ The Drexel East & Drexel Grandview Theaters.

Tuesday
- $5 Tix (all day) @ The Arena Grand and Drexel Gateway Theaters.
- 50 cent Tix (all day) @ The Carriage Place Cinemark.

Wednesday
- $4 Tix (all day) @ Studio 35.

Thursday
- None.

Friday
- $4 Tix (showtimes starting before noon) @ All AMC locations.
- $5 Tix (Midnight Movies) @ The Drexel Gateway Theater.

Saturday
- $4 Tix (showtimes starting before noon) @ All AMC locations.
- $5 Tix (Midnight Movies) @ The Drexel Gateway Theater.

So, now you may be wondering what the difference between seeing a movie at the AMC Lennox for $4 on a Sunday morning and seeing a movie at the Drexel Gateway for $5 on a Tuesday night is. Well, that one dollar by itself isn’t going to make much difference in your decision making process, but the theater quality definitely will. Price of popcorn, comfort of seats, and picture & sound quality can make or break the theater-going experience for anyone, no matter what the price of the tickets may be.

Here’s a breakdown of how the Columbus Underground ranks the local theaters listed in our guide:

AMC Easton 30
- Quality of Concessions: Average (Popcorn, Drinks, Candy, Junk Food)
- Price of Concessions: High (Small Soft Drink is around $3)
- Comfort of Seating: Good (Comfy seating. Newer theater.)
- Theater Cleanliness: Good (Easton maintains a very clean environment overall.)
- Picture/Sound Quality: Above Average.

Pros: 30 Screens. Biggest theater in town with a wide selection of films. Beer selection available.
Cons: Lots of teenagers since it’s located in a mall. Crowded on weekends.

AMC Lennox 24
- Quality of Concessions: Average (Popcorn, Drinks, Candy, Junk Food)
- Price of Concessions: High (Small Soft Drink is around $3)
- Comfort of Seating: Slightly above average (Slightly worn, but cushy seating)
- Theater Cleanliness: Average (Worse on busier nights)
- Picture/Sound Quality: Average (One end of the building is close to railroad tracks though, and you can hear trains outside during quiet moments in films on occasion.)

Pros: 24 Screens for wide variety of films. Ample parking.
Cons: Lots of college students with proximity to OSU. No booze.

Arena Grand
- Quality of Concessions: Awesome (Standard movie concessions plus gourmet pizzas, subs, quesadillas, sushi, desserts, coffee, and full service bar)
- Price of Concessions: Good (Weekly specials available)
- Comfort of Seating: Above average (New theater. Leather seats in balcony available for extra charge.)
- Theater Cleanliness: Very good
- Picture/Sound Quality: Very good (The Arena Grand is the only THX Certified Cinema in Central Ohio)

Pros: Only theater downtown. Less crowded than others. $1 parking validation. Wide selection of food. Locally owned & operated.
Cons: Fewer screens, smaller selection of films.

Carriage Place Cinemark
- Quality of Concessions: Average (Popcorn, Drinks, Candy, Junk Food)
- Price of Concessions: Slightly better than average. (Small Soft Drink is around $1.75)
- Comfort of Seating: Below Average (Worn seats, uncomfortable for longer films)
- Theater Cleanliness: Below Average (Older theater, not dirty, but not as clean as others.)
- Picture/Sound Quality: Below Average (Sound is pretty bad in some rooms)

Pros: Cheapest theater in town. $1.50 weeknights, $1.75 weekends, 50 cents on Tuesdays.
Cons: Crowded on Tuesdays & Weekends. A WalMart is currently being installed next door. Expect the parking lot to get 10 times more crowded as soon as that opens. Lots of kids at this suburban theater.

Drexel East
- Quality of Concessions: Awesome (Standard concessions plus Radio Cafe next door with sandwiches, specials, drinks, happy hour)
- Price of Concessions: Good (Specials available)
- Comfort of Seating: Slightly below average (Older theater, uncomfortable for longer films.)
- Theater Cleanliness: Slightly below average (Older theater)
- Picture/Sound Quality: Slightly below average

Pros: Historic Theater in Bexley. Many indie films featured. Locally owned & operated.
Cons: Three screens. Limited selection. Older theater.

Drexel Gateway
- Quality of Concessions: Awesome (Standard concessions plus Gateway Cafe featuring sandwiches, pizzas, subs, paninis, desserts, beer, drinks)
- Price of Concessions: Good (Specials available)
- Comfort of Seating: Above average (Newest theater in town)
- Theater Cleanliness: Above average (Again, newest theater in town)
- Picture/Sound Quality: Above average

Pros: Newest theater. Mix of indie and mainstream films. $1 Parking. Locally owned & operated.
Cons: Many college students in attendance with proximity to OSU.

Drexel Grandview
- Quality of Concessions: Average (Popcorn, soft drinks, candy)
- Price of Concessions: Slightly better than average (A little cheaper than usual)
- Comfort of Seating: Slightly below average (Older theater, uncomfortable for longer films.)
- Theater Cleanliness: Slightly below average (Older theater)
- Picture/Sound Quality: Slightly below average

Pros: Many indie films featured. Locally owned & operated.
Cons: One screen. Limited selection. No booze available.

Studio 35
- Quality of Concessions: Above average (Standard concessions plus pizzas, beer selection, etc. Special events include catered food.)
- Price of Concessions: Good (Pricing cheaper than average theaters.)
- Comfort of Seating: Slightly above average (Some brand new seating recently installed with other older seats waiting to be replaced.)
- Theater Cleanliness: Average (Older theater, but overall clean)
- Picture/Sound Quality: Average for films, with high-def projector for special events.

Pros: Historic Theater in Clintonville. Many special events featured. Locally owned & operated.
Cons: One screen. Limited selection. Older theater.

Every Thursday, new issues of The Other Paper and Columbus Alive hit the newsstands. Many times throughout the year these publications give out pre-screening tickets at various venues throughout town. If you’re fast enough and lucky enough to get your hands on these tickets you can check out new movies for free. Typically, they are shown a few days before they release to the public too, so you can claim bragging rights for seeing a new movie first. The only downside is that these special events give out more tickets than the theater has seats, so you’ll have to arrive early, stand in a long line, and pack yourself into a full-capacity theater to make sure you don’t get turned away at the door.

Be sure you leave your cell phone in the car if you go to one of these screenings. More and more often, the theaters will have extra security to keep patrons from bringing in any sort of recording devices, and even the lowest resolution digital cameras built into many cell phones are not allowed in. Save yourself the hassle and leave it at home.