Windward Passage remains a timeless seafood tradition
Windward Passage hasn’t changed a bit from its proud old-school tradition — and that’s the way chef Walt Eberst prefers it.
“Don’t try to pretend you’re something you’re not,” said Eberst, who’s been working for 30 years at the Upper Arlington restaurant, which has been around for almost 40.
The fate of Windward Passage was uncertain last year, after the unexpected death of its owner, Pete Gaynor, and the start of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Windward Passage closed in March following a statewide order and then reopened in July by Karen Gaynor, the wife of Pete Gaynor. The elimination of lunches was the only significant change.
Eberst said the restaurant has had coronavirus-related obstacles — apprehensive diners, lack of labor and broken supply chain — but Windward Passage is riding out the storm with calmer waters ahead, hopefully.
Seafood is the name of the game at Windward, and oysters come in many forms, Eberst said.
He said he gets six cases a week — with about 80 per case — and they are shucked in-house.
It’s one of the few places Columbus diners can get oysters Remick ($11 for four, $16 for six. Served in the half shell, they’re topped with a mix of horseradish, mayonnaise and mustard, swiss cheese and get tossed into the oven.
“It’s a pretty good horseradish sauce,” Eberst said. “We put some swiss cheese on it. This is all kind of weirdsounding but it’s pretty good.”
The restaurant serves a number of other classic dishes, such as oysters Rockefeller ($11, $16), topped with spinach, swiss and bacon.
Frog legs ($18) are served fried, sauteed or boiled. Ebest recommends the
sauteed version with garlic, or fried — the latter served with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce on the side.
“We use a big-sized frog leg, six or eight per pound,” he said. “It does taste like chicken. That’s no joke. They’re mild, they’re delicious.”
Clam chowder ($5 a cup, $6 a bowl) is made from scratch, using onions, celery, carrots and potatoes cooked in clam juice and thickened with a roux smoothed out with milk until the consistency is just right.
Eberst prefers chopped sea clams to ocean clams in the soup.
“The sea clams are more expensive but they’re much better,” he said.
Customers often inquire about the availability of Alaskan king crab legs, which are available at Windward Passage in 8- and 16-ounce portions. But they come at a steep market price that continues to rise.
Yet, people are willing to pay for them. Erbst said the restaurant is now paying $47 a pound and expects that to climb north of $50 in less than a month.
Baby back ribs ($18 for a half slab, $24 for a full) is one of Eberst’s specialties. they’re slow-cooked in the oven and covered with a sticky-sweet barbecue sauce.
“This looks fantastic on the plate, first of all,” he said. “They’re always tender and it is one of our staples for sure.” gseman@thisweeknews.com @Thisweekgary