ALa Carte Cafe - Port Clinton

You just never know where or which Columbus Chow-ers will discover a neat restaurant. Today was such a day! The old 'Southsider' was invited to spend the day on board a 38 foot Island Packet sailboat, named Class Act, skippered by local barrister Scott Shaw. Jersey Boy stayed in bed. So at 0-dark-thirty I headed north; to the north coast of America. If you are un-familiar with the harbors and islands of the Ohio, especially around Sandusky Bay then prepare to be impressed; Put-In-Bay, Kelly Island, Lakeside, Sandusky and of course, the iconic Cedar Point Amusement Park. But the real economic engine is Lake Erie fishing. And those early risers need grub and the go-to joint in Port Clinton is ALa Carte Café. My skipper took me to this 23 year institution to enjoy what everybody in this part of the world knows.

When you are THE CAPTAIN you can relax while your SAILORS do the work!

Opening at 4:30 am everyday of the week during fishing season and following the sun the rest of the year this little place serves a powerhouse breakfast. We sauntered in (sailors saunter don't you know) at 8:30 and grabbed the last two seats. This place was packed! Housed in a cinderblock storefront with cabinets and countertops from Home Depot, freshly painted and spotlessly clean the 'Front of the House or FOH' is tightly laided out and everybody sits close  together. What a wonderful feeling when you walk in the door to a new place and find every seat taken. The national chains would kill for this business.

Lisa Black and Ellie Carte...two very nice, and happy, restaurateurs

23 years ago Denny and his bride, Ellie Carte opened for hungry fishermen and last January passed the spatula to Lisa and Bill Black. Lisa, their niece, had spend the last twenty years teaching food service in the Ottawa School System, so she was ready.

Capt. Scott is at a loss for words as our feast is served by Diane.

Was the food good? Let the plates decide.

To the menu You Shout! It's traditional American Grub. Eggs, Bacon, Ham, Sausage...great portions and all at a very moderate price. I had two eggs, corned beef hash and a homemade biscuit...Captain Scot and I split a Quarter Order of Hashbrowns and still had some leftovers. The traditional breakfast that we try to have at all of our stops is Two eggs, meat, and toast. At Ala Carte it was $5.95. Very moderate pricing. For lunch they've got fresh lake perch and other nice entrees. Close at 2pm.

Lisa runs a very competent and skilled staff. While her first love (after Bill) is the griddle she handles the FOH with the skill of a traffic cop. Tight spaces call for tight coordination with FOH and the Back of the House (BOH.) In all my foodservice experience I've never seen a restaurant with two griddles located on opposite walls....I can't begin to tell you how difficult it is coordinate having all the items you need to be ready at the same time....it's hard enough when the grills are located next to each other; it's impossible to do it when you can't see the grill. Lisa and her crew make it look easy...

The North Grill and ten feet away....

The South Grill

The Southsider awards this Port Clinton Gem a rating of 4 Bellies. Good food, good portions, good prices and great people make this a winner...add it to your must visit list.

ALA Carte Café

225 Madison Street

Port Clinton, OH 

419/734-9939

 

4 Bellies!

Voted Best Breakfast in Ottawa County for 2014

Portside Restaurant just south of the Scioto Racino

Portside is just south of the Fox Run Gentleman's Club

Feeling like gambling? Then head across the street to Scioto Racino. Don't want to 'gamble' on your breakfast? Then head for Virginia's Portside Restaurant. First directions: Interstate 270 to High Street South.... keep on going past Scioto Racino (reported to have looser slots than Hollywood Casino,) and keep on going past Fox Run Gentlemen's Club (also known as The House of Flab) at the third traffic light and Virginia's is just ahead on the right. Second Key Observation: This is a typical roadside restaurant that offers the traditional American menu; eggs, pancakes, burgers and blue plate specials. The most important aspect of this operation is that it's a family place run by a family of good looking hash-slingers.

Chief Cook and Boss Virginia with her girls. Check out the food load on the griddle top!

Virginia, in a moment of weakness, purchased the place four years ago and hasn't missed a beat or lost a spatula since. If you are looking for a substantial breakfast, at a fair price, in a clean place served by a real nice group of people then Virginia's Portside Restaurant is a great place to stop. Jersey Boy states, "they almost got my toast right!"

Jersey Boys toast is still edible to normal people... not to him!

Virginia's Portside Restaurant

6515 South High Street

Columbus

 

614/409-9888

 

 

 

We award this 'joynt' 3 Bellies!

Cucos Taqueria and Cassandra's Front Row Sports Bar

It was a cold, dreary Saturday morning in Columbus. Typical February Saturday? No, it was September 13th! Your Columbus Chow 'gumshoes' were on the hunt for a Mexican Restaurant known as Cucos Taqeria. We pulled into the lot off of Henderson Road to a totally dark, closed, not opened joint! Now what? Jersey Boy's eyes shifted a little and landed on The Front Row Sports Bar.

The strawberry blond booze slinger looked us over as we entered. We looked her over back. And she was easy to look over with all the right curves in all the right places. "Wha'ta have boys, a cold one?" That's the last thing we wanted from her; just some information. "What time does Cucos Taqueria Open?" "Not til 8:30," Cassandra Brockman, owner and head cheerleader, said. "I can put on a pot of joe," she offered. "Thanks," I said as I pushed back my fedora and lit up a Lucky Strike. Jersey Boy looked around, soaked up the images of a neighborhood bar at 7:45 in the morning and let his memory take over.

She's a shrewd bartender, good looking, smart, with a great smile and happens to own the joint!

Jersey Boys been my breakfast partner since 1977 and he's taken me down his memory lane many times. I don't mind; it's so much more interesting than mine. The Front Row Bar took him back to a summer job throwing trash into the back of a garbage truck in Laurence Harbor. That was a awesome job. You know what I'm talking about if you where raised in a union environment like New Jersey and Chicago. Good hourly pay and the work is usually not too hard. Well, Jersey Boy was the junior member of his particular team and the team he was on liked to stop at bars.... a lot of them. Seems that they would stop at each of the nine on their route and have a boilermaker. A boilermaker is a shot of whiskey or bourbon chased with the contents of a tall bottle of cold beer. After his first week Jersey Boy stayed in the truck. The Front Row Sports Bar was full of guys that reminded him of that time. Cassandra yelled over "Cucos opened." I laided out a few bucks, stubbed out my Lucky and we left reluctantly.

Rene was our greeter and server...the food was as bright as his smile!

We walked in and were welcomed by Rene into the restaurant at 8:31. Cucos Taqueria is a full service Mexican Restaurant and we mean full service. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bar and outside seating on a patio. They also maintain a very minimally stocked food store. While I've never been to real Mexican restaurant (Cancun doesn't count nor does watching endless reruns of Rick Bayless shows) this place had all the expected décor and music playing. We could have ordered a Modelo Especial, Dos Equis, Corona or a Carta Blancha Beer to go with our scrambled eggs.

Oaxaquena Enchiladas



Huevos Con Chorizo

He ordered Oaxaquena, Three eggs, potatoes wrapped into enchiladas topped with black bean sauce with sour cream and lettuce for just $6.99. It was a lot of food. The Southsider went for the Huevos Con Chorizo. Two eggs scrambled with Mexican sausage. Served with rice and refried beans for just $7.00. Our opinions? While we really don't know this cuisine we do know that the food was good, hot and well presented. The restaurant was clean and our server attentive.

So your Columbus Chow 'Gumshoes' had solved the mystery! We found a pretty good breakfast spot and a great place to quench your thirst; The Front Row Sports Bar! A tip of our fedoras to both of them.

 Cucos Taqueria

2166 West Henderson Road

Columbus

 

We proudly award this restaurant 3 bellies!

Death in the Columbus Chow Restaurant Family - Breakfast Barn

The Breakfast Barn and Skill Games Restaurant was called to it's heavenly home to be with all those other great C-bus restaurants that are no more; Marzetti's, Clarmont, Court of Small Clams, Jai Lai and yes, even Elby's. The Barn passed sometime in the last few months and the building now has begun it's second 'coming' as a Mexican Restaurant...it won't be, can't be, the same.


Note: Masking tape on lower portion of sign.

My high school Spanish helps with the translation; Abierto means Welcome!

For those of us who knew the joys and delights one could find inside The Barn then at least we still have the memories. To those of you who had never visited this very unique and slightly quirky breakfast joint....Oh, well, so sad, too bad. The Barn not only had your basic American Grub BUT it also allowed you to play four (4) different skill games at the same time. What greasy spoon have you been at where you could also play skill games? The Breakfast Barn enjoyed serving anyone and everyone, it loved decorating itself with 'trailer park kirsch' items and Woody Hayes Posters. The Barn is survived by it's owners; Kay Crane and Ruth Mulford. It will be especially missed by it's Mistress of Ceremonies Joell Wilson.

 

This passing is especially hurtful to your Columbus Chow Crew. The Breakfast Barn was our first restaurant we reviewed on May 8th, 2011. Our first, our baby, the one we learned to take baby steps with and now, it's no more. We'll miss the grease! Enjoy your well earned rest. R.I.P.

 

The Breakfast Barn and Skill Game Restaurant

1275 Brown Road

Columbus, OH.

(just south of Greenlawn Cemetary)

 

 





South of Lane Restaurant and Boutique

1927 Guilford in Upper Arlington.

Outside dining with the kitchen's herb garden on the left.
 

It's known by it's acronym, SOL, which the owner, Catherine V. proudly announces stands for South of Lane. But after spending a delightful hour with her today your Columbus Chow Hounds have determined stands for "Story Of my Life!" You see this petite, 'Audrey Hepburn-ish' woman as a really interesting story, but more on that later.

The Staff is friendly and professional.

 

This unique and compact restaurant is located on a quiet street in Upper Arlington. It's features a very tastefully designed interior with a sophisticated color palette and an eclectic array of furnishings. Any woman from Arlington, Bexley, New Albany or German Village would immediately feel at home. This is the type of place where J.K. Rowling could spend a morning conjuring up an interesting character or two. Yet, all she would have to do is interview Catherine.

Poor Meleah Moore got stuck with Jersey Boy.
She can't wait to get back to Scotland!

 

 

This restaurant features a limited breakfast and lunch menu that is packed with wonderful selections. The breakfast is heavy on Omelets and Waffles. Lunch is still a unknown to us but the Rueben is highly touted by the staff. Jersey Boy and I both went for the Omelets. He had the Capri while I dug into the namesake SOL. Both of the omelets where excellent and prepared properly. Cooking an egg is one of the most mundane cooking tasks we all face. Yet, it really is challenge that a lot of professionals cannot master. You want your eggs to be cooked, yet moist. Not watery or cooked into something from the geology lab. These pros got it right. And the ingredients; onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and cheeses where all prepped correctly so that not one of them was stronger than the other but worked together to deliver a great taste profile. The coffee is a good 'wake-up' coffee; flavorful and robust without being too strong. This Southsider doesn't like the fact that there is no Sweet-n-Low provided, just Splenda and natural sugar.

Capril Omelet.....BEFORE

Capri and SOL Omelets ....... AFTER!

 

 

Jersey Boy was intrigued  by another menu item titled 'Hungry Boy Browns' which got his substantial taste buds watering. Hash browns, Chili, Eggs and Cheese...what else could one crave in this life? Next time. And, perhaps next time, they'll get his toast right. Normal people just don't understand why Jersey Boy would want to put a piece of dried up charcoal like toast in his body. But unless it's as black as your-mother-in-laws-heart he's not happy.

 

Our hostess/owner/operator is a very unique woman. Elfin in stature yet with a spirit that makes her a giant amongst her peers Catherine V. is the creative force behind this very unique endeavor. She's conquered an horrendous encounter with a dog, stood tall against the ravages of cancer, and dealt with a failed relationship all to lead her to a point where opening her own creative boutique restaurant was her way of shouting back at the world....I'm still here! And with her inherent taste and sense of style she's really back....in a big way.

 

SOL serves Breakfast and Lunch and is available for Private Parties.

 

South of Lane (SOL)

1927 Guilford

Upper Arlington, OH 43221

614/586-2233

 

Your Columbus Chow proudly awards this Restaurant

3 1/2 Bellies!

 

Note: There is an un-substantiated rumor that Catherine is eyeing a spot in Bexley that will go by the name of SOB (south of Broad!)

Super - Super - Super - Super - Super Chef!

199 E. Broad Street and the old Spook Beckman rocked Columbus from next door! He was the man!

Be careful, restaurateur with what you name your endeavor. Super anything is setting yourself up for rough going. Talk about raising expectations. The Super Chef diner does just that. That's the name and that's what it delivers! This downtown eatery is located next door to Spook Beckman's world famous open studio and man, if you remember it you're old! Bless you. Your Columbus Chow team recently visited this very special restaurant for the second time...this time to show off the culinary delights to The Southsiders daughter, who is  a VERY adventurous eater and her children. We descended on Super Chef one recent Saturday morning and had a great time.

First, the name. The owner was part of the Olympic Culinary games and, due to his energy, skill, creativity and expertise, was nicknamed "Super Chef" and it stuck. He opened his Columbus storefront with that name and brother, whoever came up with that name hit the nail on the head!

Second, the menu offerings. Like nothing you've ever seen. Eggs are actually fighting to get delivered to this place! I've seen bottles of Cream actually elbowing each other to get delivered first to this place.

Barbara, ordered the Pancake Platter. Red Velvet Pancake, Baked Alaskan Banana Pudding Pancake, Reese Cup Pancake, Reese Cup Pancake and the Apple Caramel Pancake. Now if you're mortal, you'll drop whatever you are doing and head out to 199 E. Broad Street. Case closed. Any chef that can put this together on one plate earns attention of your taste buds! Samantha and Sean went crazy over this selection.

 

I had the Smoked Salmon and Cheese Omelet with roasted red peppers sauce and hash browns. Delicious. STOP. Imagine, Columbus Ohio, cow town, Smoked Salmon, get down daddy and screw you Food Network!

 

Jersey Boy went crazy over the Super Chef's Breakfast Platter. Three eggs, hash browns, pretzel croissant, and bacon all for $9.99. Super breakfast.

 

We actually got Mrs. Southsider to accompany us and she was blown away by everything. The menu, the size of the portions and the creativity of the selections. The Super Chef isn't your daily stop-off for a hot cup of joe and a cigarette to shake off the booze of the night before. This is a place for special occasions. Just like you take your out-of-towners to German Village you need to add Super Chef to the itinerary.

 

 

Breakfast Buddy's .... Samantha Smole and Jersey Boy Share the same B'day!

 

Super Chef lives up to it's name. Run, don't walk to this Columbus gem. Hold your breath that it doesn't disappear before you get there. They are planning a second location in Gahanna (Morse Road at Cherry Bottom for all you Columbus Academy alums.)

Mrs. Southsider, Barbara and Jersey Boy lord it over Samatha, Sydney and Sean. Notice bellies protruding.

 

 

Super Chef

199 East Broad Street

Columbus, OH 43215

 

Columbus Chow easily awards this the highest designation possible....

5 bellies