WHERE I EAT
Q: What are your standbys?
A: My wife and I love brunch. We swap out Sassafras (Bakery, 657 High St., Worthington) and Dough Mama (3335 N. High St.).
What do you get there?
(At Dough Mama) I tend to have the sweet tooth, so I’ll tend to go with whatever their latest French toast thing is. My wife tends to go a little more savory, so she’ll go with the salmon biscuit. At Sassafras, we tend to go with the artisanal quiche there. I tend to go with the doughnut muffin.
Q: You're an icecream fan. What are some of your favorite spots?
A: If you’re looking to expand your ice-cream horizons, Mardi Gras (Homemade Ice Cream, 1947 Hard Road) is a great choice. It’s unique, tropical Indian flavors.
Q: How about formal occasions?
A: We had a couple of nice dinners at Service Bar (1230 Courtland
Ave.). We went with (chef) Avishar Barua's play on fast food. The last time we were there we had their take on Filet-o-fish, but obviously the fillet was upgraded. The fries that came with it were amazing. They did this triple-brining process that made it really crispy on the outside and really fluffy on the inside. You combine that with the cocktails they have there, and it's amazing. There should be no question why they’ve been in the top 10 since they opened.
Q: Where would you go for a quick lunch?
A: Columbus has a great food-truck scene. ... A new one I’m excited about is Hisham’s (for location, check Twitter for @Hishamsfood). ... South African is not something that you’d expect to be here . ... You’ve got the curries and some of those Malay and Indian flavors that became, over time, a street food there. They have a really good samoosa there. They have something called a koeksister. It’s a South African doughnut.
Q: Any hidden gems you'd recommend?
A: Helen’s Asian Kitchen (1070 E. Dublin Granville Road), Helen just came back and her spicy cauliflower is divine, and her dumplings. It’s kind of hidden behind the Waffle House. They’ve been getting out there on the social media a little more. I saw someone posted a spicy fish dish there that looked tremendously awesome.
Northeast Chinese (Restaurant, 2620 N. High St.) — those cumin potatoes. It sounds like such a simple dish, but it’s one of the most delicious potato dishes we’ve ever had.