Page Text: Columbus, OH 43212
Starving Auctioneers Rating: 6 Gavels out of 5
(Note: This review was submitted by one of the newer members of the Starving Auctioneer team, Rich Kruse)
Gunshot Wound Prompts Dinner Out
At first glance, this might looks like it doesn’t fit into a Starving Auctioneer Blog but looks, as we all know, are deceiving.
The day started as they all do, with a list of people to call and list of things to review. By 10am the phone was ringing and not in a good way. CBS Channel 10 was reporting on a naked man crawling out of an abandoned apartment building with a gunshot wound. As luck would have it, the complex is one this writer is currently managing and double luck, the guy was only shot in the butt. The day began to look up, I guess, as I discovered he was robbed and bleeding but probably going to live to sue me for something.
How, you ask, does any of this have anything to do with being a Starving Auctioneer? It doesn’t. Not at all……Yet.
As the day progresses Melissa, my wife and business partner, decides that we need to go out for a good meal and relax after a very stressful day. Lo and behold she has a gift certificate for 2 free dinners (no booze included) from Third & Hollywood in Grandview Heights (Columbus) Ohio. And where did we get these gift certificates? From participating in a wine tasting and charity auction at the Columbus Zoo, of course!! Forgetting for a minute that the free dinners were part of the 6 pack of wine I accidentally bought for too many hundreds of dollars while paying more attention to my wine glass than the lot number I was bidding on, I agree that dinner out is the way to go.
Pulling up to the restaurant I see something that I absolutely love about going out, but rarely see in Columbus Ohio---the valet guy---and he is standing behind a sign that says “complimentary”. So far, so good. Upon entry at 6:30 on a Wednesday, I see that the place is surprisingly bumpin however getting a table took only a few short minutes even though we didn’t have a reservation. Still goin’ well. Very quickly we were approached by Jennifer who both looked like one of my high school friends little sisters and explained the menu and took our drink order. Still-sill goin’ well!!
For an appetizer we order 3 biscuits that ended up being the best darned biscuits I have ever tasted. Flakey, mixed with shredded cheese and chopped green onion, topped with garlic butter and served right out of the oven.
We quickly moved on to an artichoke that appeared to be steamed, then halved and grilled to give both grill marks and a smoke flavor; served after being lightly seasoned with sea salt and presented with a creamy Creole seasoned dip.
For the main course Melissa had a “hanger steak”, which we know as a skirt steak, cooked to a perfect medium and sided with red and yellow roasted peppers accented by warm goat cheese and black beans. For my main course, the establishment presented the meat special of the day which was absolutely one of the best southwestern (or otherwise flavored) rib eye steak I have ever encountered. The only drawback to the meal so far was the mashed potatoes. These were probably off the hook as well, but I tasted the steak first which made everything else a distant second in flavor.
The cocktail and wine list, while small, was also exceptional. Melissa and I chose a 2006 Powers Meritage from Columbia Valley, Washington. At $45 a bottle, this was an exceptional choice for the meal and was not your every day Meritage. It was more like a cab/shiraz blend from the region and, above all else was excellent. We took the bottle home so we could find a retailer and buy a case or two.
Desert for me was a cold Sambucca while Melissa enjoyed a chocolate and vanilla ice cream surprise with what appeared to be candied walnuts on top.
Without the dinner gift certificates, the bill would have been about $165.00 before tip however the meal and experience would have definitely have been worth paying full freight. From dropping off the car to the smiling wave goodbye as we exited the building, everything was excellent. I would definitely rather go to this local joint than most steakhouses I have experienced in my day, and I have been to quite a few.
I walked in a starving auctioneer in need of a relaxing dinner and walked out an absolutely content auctioneer who was ready for bed.
Gavels? 6 out of 5. No question.