25 New Restaurants in 2010

[vizzah]

Where is this Pie Pizzeria?  I remember seeing an ad, but I am pretty sure I tossed it.

I know it's on Brown in the UD area, but not sure exactly where.  We've only gotten delivery, but I think you can dine-in late night as well. 

[Butter]

I usually pick up, because I am too cheap to tip... but if it is as good as you say it is, it is worth checking out.  Thanks.

[The Hegemo]

1. Caffe Davinci (Tremont & Zollinger in Upper Arlington)
2. Shish Kebab Mediterranean Grill (Bethel & Godown in NW Columbus)  
3. Shish Kebab Express (So. Campus Gateway)  
4. Spice Market Buffet (inside Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas)  
5. Firefly on Paradise (Las Vegas)
6. Latitude 41 (inside the Renaissance Hotel, downtown Columbus)
7. J. Gumbo's (Gay & Pearl, downtown Columbus)  
8. Bluegrass Kitchen (Charleston, WV)
9. Costelo's (Cleveland Ave. & 270, Columbus)  
10. Olive Tree Cafe (Hilliard-Rome Rd, Hilliard)  
11. Potbelly Sandwich Works (Houston Rd, Florence)  
12. El Toro Bravo (Hyde Park Plaza, Cincinnati)  
13. Late Night Slice (Columbus)  
14. Gresso's Pub (S. High St, Columbus)  
15. Lee Garden (Off Sawmill, Dublin, OH)
16. Marcella's (High St, Short North, C-bus)  
17. Matt the Miller's Tavern (Avery-Muirfield Rd., Dublin, OH)
18. Casa di Pizza (Fifth & McKinley, San Margherita, Cbus)  
19. Da LeVee (High St., Short North, Cbus) --  
20. Green Dog Cafe (Columbia Pkwy, Columbia-Tusculum, Cincy)  
21. Holy Grill (Calgary)
22. The Siding General Store and Cafe (Field, BC)  
23. Country Donair (Drumheller, AB)  
24. Cafe Kabul (Olentangy River Rd & Ackerman, Cbus)  
25. Hal & Al's (Parsons Ave., Merion Village, Cbus)  
26. Guys Pizza (Coventry Village, Cleveland Heights)  
27. Aab India (Grandview Ave., 5xNW, Cbus)  
28. China Buffet (Norwood)
29. Katzinger's (German Village, C-bus)  
30. Bollywood Bistro (Bethel & Sawmill, NW C-bus)
31. Arthur Treacher's (Lancaster) 
32. Ray-Ray's Hog Pit (High & Pacemont, Clintonville, C-bus) 
33. The Clarmont (S. High St., German Village, C-bus) 

34. Otarian (Bleecker St., NYC) -- I was in New York for work. All of my other meals were catered as part of the event, so this was the one meal I had in a restaurant. I was basically aimlessly wandering around Manhattan with a really heavy messenger bag and a badly blistered foot. I had some good restaurant suggestions from my boss, who used to live in NYC, but I was too far from any of them to walk there, given my physical state. I happened across this place and decided to try it. It appears to be a chain, or maybe aspiring to chainhood. All vegetarian fast food; all of the containers and stuff are supposed to be biodegradable. I got this spicy potato flatbread, which wasn't a pizza-type flatbread, but more of a wrap. It was decent. If there were one in Columbus, I would probably go there from time to time to get lunch. But as my only restaurant meal in NYC? Not so much. 3/5

[Butter]

23. The Varsity - Cobb Town Center, Kennesaw, GA - 9

Finally got to try this place, as we'd passed it towering above I-75 several times.  This time through Atlanta, we were actually staying in Marietta, GA at the Hilton (thanks, Hotwire!) as the halfway part of our trip back from Florida instead of punishing ourselves with a straight 17 hour drive back as we've done in the past.  Used Andrea's Droid/GPS to navigate directions to this Varsity which seemed to be the closest.  We both wanted to try the Pimento Grilled Cheese sandwich, and a chili cheese dog.  So we got a chili cheeseburger/chili cheese dog combo meal and a separate Pimento GC sandwich.  We also got one chocolate shake to share around the table.  The shake was terrific, and the chili cheese dog was great, if a bit overpriced.  I mean, I can get a Skyliner for $1.75, but their chili cheese dog was over $2.  The chili cheeseburger was the only thing I didn't really like.

The fries were really good, and the onion rings were probably the best onion rings I've ever had.  Andrea and I liked the grilled pimento cheese sandwich so much that we got a 2nd one to split, along with a Frosted Orange to try.  I figured that since we weren't likely to be back ever, we might as well try everything.  The Frosted Orange tasted pretty much like a Push-Up in a glass.  It was super-thick, so for the first half hour had to be eaten with a spoon.  We let the kids each get a fried pie after they finished their sandwich, so Alex got the Apple and Ethan got a Peach one.  The Apple was fantastic, but I don't like peaches so I can't speak to the other one.

This type of place is one of our favorites to eat at in South Carolina when we are there... but The Varsity is better than all of those in South Carolina that I've had.  If we stay down in the Atlanta area ever again, we'll definitely be back.

[MissKitty]

1. Brothers Bar & Grill - Newport on the Levee
2. Aladdin's Eatery - West Chester
3. J. Gumbo's - downtown Cincinnati
4. It's Just Crepes - downtown Cincinnati
5. Raya's Middle Eastern Restaurant - Court Street, downtown.
6. Paxton's Grill - Loveland Ave., Loveland
7. Bulldog's Roadhouse - Newport, KY.
8. Tokyo Dragon - Alexandria, KY.
9. Daveeds - Hatch Street, Mount Adams
10. Mayberry's - Vine St., Downtown
11. Grecian Delight - Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Middletown.
12. Clinch Mountain Lookout Restaurant - Lookout Mountain Road, Thorn Hill, Tennessee
13. Virgil's Cafe - Bellevue, KY
14. Miyoshi Japanese - Florence, KY.
15. Soho Sushi - 4th St., Downtown.
16. The Blue Gibbon - Bond Hill
17. Sis's Family Affair - Newport, KY.
18. Elephant & Castle - Adams St., Chicago.
19. Heaven on Seven - Rush St., Chicago.
20. Feast - Wabash St., Chicago.
21. Qdoba - Mall Road, Florence.
22. Tom+Chee - Fountain Square, Downtown

23. Apsara - Lake Forest Drive, Blue Ash

In Indian mythology, Apsaras are beautiful, young and elegant supernatural women, similar to the Greek muses or English water nymphs. That this rather posh Asian fusion restaurant takes its name from these celestial maidens is apt; everything about Apsara, from the tables to the menus to the waterfalls behind the sushi bar, are breathtaking. Unfortunately however, the building was originally built as a large brew-pub, and the current incarnation suffers from being a bit too cavernous.

The food is well worth the drive to Blue Ash though. Their vegetarian soup (crisp-tender veggies in a clear vegetable broth) was amazing. Likewise the Jackfruit Curry: a heady concoction of tart jackfruit, caramelized onion and green chilies in a sweet red curry sauce. I'd never had jackfruit before and am amazed at how delicious it is. It has a consistency similar to cooked chicken but has a tart, sweet taste like an unripened banana.

There were a few glitches - the main one being that the jackfruit curry was supposed to be a spice level of 8, but instead the kitchen neglected to put any spice in it whatsoever. The upshot was that I got to know exactly what the jackfruit tastes like, but I have a feeling that if I'd have gotten it as it was supposed to be prepared with the green chilies, it'd be my new favorite dish.

The restaurant looks like it'd be more expensive than it actually is, although it isn't what you'd call cheap. At $12, my curry was one of the cheapest entrées on the menu. Most entrées range from $14-$22, with a few of their specials hitting the $30 mark. I found it to be totally worth the dosh and am already planning a return visit.

[c-lando]

1. El Porton - 01/02/10
2. Curbside Cafe - 02/20/10
3. Nancy G's Cafe - 03/06/10 - LOVED this place.
4. Cuban Diner - 03/19/10 - Loved.
5. Baby Tommy's Taste of New York - 03/20/10 - Chicken Bacon Ranch slice & root beer. YUM!
6. The Red-Eyed Mule - 04/17/10 - Marietta, GA
7. El Taco Veloz - 04/18/10 - Smyrna, GA
8. Thompson Brothers' BBQ - 04/19/10 - Smyrna, GA
9. Hathaway's - 05/01/10 - Carew Tower in Cincinnati, OH
10. JCT Kitchen - 05/19/10 - Westside of Atlanta, GA
11. Gingham's - 06/19/10 - St. Louis, MO
12. Gator's - 06/23/10 - Camdenton, MO
13. Tres Hombres - 06/25/10 - Camdenton, MO
14. RJ's Family Restaurant - 06/26/10 - Camdenton, MO
15. 12 South Tap Room - 06/18/10 - Nashville, TN
16. Pinkberry's - 07/16/10 - Atlanta, GA
17. Ege Sushi - 07/17/10 - Marietta, GA

18. Chef Chen - 08/27/10 - Smyrna, GA - formerly a gnarly Chinese buffet joint. Now, it's a lovely sit-down Chinese spot with run of the mill Chinese dishes that are better than average. A bit too much white pepper in some dishes, but not enough to keep me from going there twice in the span of a week. Good value, friendly service and fresh food.

[Kwyjibo]

That sounds good, Lando.  There are not enough nice sit down Chinese places in Cincinnati and Dayton seems to be completely devoid of them.

I'm not going to hit 25 this year so I'll bypass numbering mine.

Rosati's (Springboro, OH) - The only Ohio franchise of a Chicago deep dish pizza chain.  The place certainly isn't long on ambiance but the food pizza was pretty damn good.  We were advised that the deep dish takes a while so we got some cheese fries as an appetizer which were pretty lousy, to be frank.  The fries themselves were okay but the cheese sauce tasted like a powdered mix to me, I don't think any actual cheese was harmed in it's making.  The pizza though, heaven above was it good.  We got the meat mania and it was fantastic.  The sauce was perfectly sweet and the crust was crisp on the edge and slightly doughy underneath just as it should have been.  I'd go back for sure, but I'd have to order ahead to avoid the wait and skip the fries.

That said we learned yesterday that the place is closing in early September so I guess I need not worry about the fries.

[vizzah]

That sounds good, Lando.  There are not enough nice sit down Chinese places in Cincinnati and Dayton seems to be completely devoid of them.

False!  North China on 48 in Centerville is aces.  A lot of people swear by China Cottage, but I think it's pretty average. 

[cuddlyevil]

1. Izzy's deli - The best part about it was the potato pancakes, I got the reuben and was not blown away. I'm still trying to figure out how the sandwich is worth $7. And I was expecting something more substantial than pickle slices.
2. Jason's Deli - Dublin, Ohio. I had a wrap, it was good. The place reminded me of a more modern panera, but with a more extensive menu. My sister got the pastrami melt, it was huge and I was tempted to get it too but I needed to avoid a food coma.
3. El rancho grande (Kenwood) - Initially, we were going to eat at IHOP, but as we didn't see hide nor hair of the hostess or any waitstaff that was motivated to seat us (a server saw us and ignored us), we went next door to El rancho grande. We were seated right away, even though they were much busier than IHOP. We placed our order, I took the kiddo to the bathroom and our order was on the table when we got back--it was 5 minutes or so between the time we placed our order and when the food got to our table. I had the enchiladas poblanas which were quite good, Steve had the enchiladas supremas--he loved them but raved about the bean enchiladas. We'll definitely go back.
4. The Melting Pot - If we had the money I'd try and go back every week while they have their current special because it was awesome. It was expensive, but totally worth it.

5. City Barbeque (Hyde Park Plaza) - Properly smoked brisket should not need sauce. I was really, really disappointed as I've seen good reviews from others here, but the brisket was really subpar--almost no smoke ring and no smokey flavor at all. That said, the baked beans and the potato salad were pretty good. Steve said his sandwich required sauce as the meat was really, really dry (which is saying something since it had their slaw on it). The next time, we'll stick to BBQ revue or pit to plate.

[The Hegemo]

1. Caffe Davinci (Tremont & Zollinger in Upper Arlington)
2. Shish Kebab Mediterranean Grill (Bethel & Godown in NW Columbus)  
3. Shish Kebab Express (So. Campus Gateway)  
4. Spice Market Buffet (inside Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas)  
5. Firefly on Paradise (Las Vegas)
6. Latitude 41 (inside the Renaissance Hotel, downtown Columbus)
7. J. Gumbo's (Gay & Pearl, downtown Columbus)  
8. Bluegrass Kitchen (Charleston, WV)
9. Costelo's (Cleveland Ave. & 270, Columbus)  
10. Olive Tree Cafe (Hilliard-Rome Rd, Hilliard)  
11. Potbelly Sandwich Works (Houston Rd, Florence)  
12. El Toro Bravo (Hyde Park Plaza, Cincinnati)  
13. Late Night Slice (Columbus)  
14. Gresso's Pub (S. High St, Columbus)  
15. Lee Garden (Off Sawmill, Dublin, OH)
16. Marcella's (High St, Short North, C-bus)  
17. Matt the Miller's Tavern (Avery-Muirfield Rd., Dublin, OH)
18. Casa di Pizza (Fifth & McKinley, San Margherita, Cbus)  
19. Da LeVee (High St., Short North, Cbus) --  
20. Green Dog Cafe (Columbia Pkwy, Columbia-Tusculum, Cincy)  
21. Holy Grill (Calgary)
22. The Siding General Store and Cafe (Field, BC)  
23. Country Donair (Drumheller, AB)  
24. Cafe Kabul (Olentangy River Rd & Ackerman, Cbus)  
25. Hal & Al's (Parsons Ave., Merion Village, Cbus)  
26. Guys Pizza (Coventry Village, Cleveland Heights)  
27. Aab India (Grandview Ave., 5xNW, Cbus)  
28. China Buffet (Norwood)
29. Katzinger's (German Village, C-bus)  
30. Bollywood Bistro (Bethel & Sawmill, NW C-bus)
31. Arthur Treacher's (Lancaster) 
32. Ray-Ray's Hog Pit (High & Pacemont, Clintonville, C-bus) 
33. The Clarmont (S. High St., German Village, C-bus) 
34. Otarian (Bleecker St., NYC)

35. Brazenhead (W. 5th Ave., 5xNW, Cbus) -- Irish-y pub near my house that I've avoided over the years because it appears to attract a douchey crowd. Went on Friday for a co-worker's birthday party. Had three Newcastles and fried oyster nachos. The food tasted fine, but I started feeling really nauseous, and wound up going home early and puking. Don't think I'll go back any time soon. 1/5
36. Jalapeno's Mex-Mex (U.S. 27, Cold Spring, KY) -- Went here on Saturday with my parents, who really loved the Jalapeno's in Kenwood, but hadn't tried the relocated version in KY yet. The food was pretty good, although it was maybe not the best choice for my first big meal after Friday night's illness. I liked the avocado salsa that came with the chips. I would probably go back if I were in Cold Spring, although given that this was I think the first time in 18 years I've been in Cold Spring...4/5

[Butter]

1. Knuckles Bar & Grill - Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA - 6
2. Fior d'Italia - San Francisco, CA - 9
3. Scala's Bistro - San Francisco, CA - 7
4. House of Prime Rib - San Francisco, CA - 8
5. In-n-Out Burger - San Francisco, CA - 5
6. J. Alexander's - Centerville - 9
7. Cadillac Jack's - Beavercreek, OH - 11
8. China Buffet - Wilmington Pike, Kettering, OH - 2
9. Los Reyes - Dorothy Lane and Woodman Dr., Kettering - 8
10. Village Family Restaurant - Waynesville - 6
11. Jimmy John's - Miamisburg - 8
12. EO Burgers - The Greene, Beavercreek - 1 for value, 8 for taste
13. Lulu's Noodles & Rice - Kemper Rd. and Northland Blvd., Springdale - 7
14. Famous Dave's BBQ - Florence, KY y'all - 8
15. Spinoza's - Fairfield Commons Mall, Beavercreek - 5
16. The Pub - The Greene, Beavercreek - 6.5
17. Sake - Across from The Greene, Beavercreek - 7
18. El Toro - Miamisburg - 6
19. Apsara - Corner of Pfeiffer Rd. and Reed Hartman, Blue Ash - Asian/sushi - 7
20. Convivio - Tudor City Place, New York City - Italian - 6
21. Gallagher's Steak House - W. 52nd St., New York City - 3
22. Barleycorn's - Centerville - 6
23. The Varsity - Kennesaw, GA - 9

24. North China Restaurant - SR 48, Centerville - 8

We were the first people here last Friday, as we stopped in after playing a drizzley round of golf.  The staff was SUPER attentive, in a way where they were just a step down from standing right next to us and refilling our glasses after every drink of water.  That's what happens when you are first, I guess.  The value was outstanding, it was less than $6.50 for my lunch of General Tso's chicken, which came with a soup, crab rangoon (or as they called it "crab angle"), and a chicken drummette with heavy sweet sauce.  The sauce was good, the crab rangoon was average, but the hot and sour soup was fantastic.  Again, since we were the first people there, it burned the shit out of my mouth because it was so hot.  Andrea has the good sense to sip it rather than take a big full bite of the soup.  But the soup had plenty of "stuff" in it, unlike the hot and sour soup at some places which has very little "stuff" in it, but is mostly broth.

The entree we got was great.  The menu advertised it as extra spicy, but I found the spice level non-existent, except for the inclusion of 4 whole chiles.  I would prefer the spice to be spread out instead of concentrated in chiles that can be easily picked out.  I don't want to eat a whole chile, but at the same time, I don't want it to be bland.  If they could find a balance, it would be perfect.  The fried rice was really good, and there was an absolute ton of chicken.  Andrea and I agreed that we could nearly have split our meal in half and shared it because there was so much.  We'll be back when we can, which is not often because Ethan and Alex turn into crybabies when we even mention going to virtually any type of ethnic food.

[MissKitty]

1. Brothers Bar & Grill - Newport on the Levee
2. Aladdin's Eatery - West Chester
3. J. Gumbo's - downtown Cincinnati
4. It's Just Crepes - downtown Cincinnati
5. Raya's Middle Eastern Restaurant - Court Street, downtown.
6. Paxton's Grill - Loveland Ave., Loveland
7. Bulldog's Roadhouse - Newport, KY.
8. Tokyo Dragon - Alexandria, KY.
9. Daveeds - Hatch Street, Mount Adams
10. Mayberry's - Vine St., Downtown
11. Grecian Delight - Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Middletown.
12. Clinch Mountain Lookout Restaurant - Lookout Mountain Road, Thorn Hill, Tennessee
13. Virgil's Cafe - Bellevue, KY
14. Miyoshi Japanese - Florence, KY.
15. Soho Sushi - 4th St., Downtown.
16. The Blue Gibbon - Bond Hill
17. Sis's Family Affair - Newport, KY.
18. Elephant & Castle - Adams St., Chicago.
19. Heaven on Seven - Rush St., Chicago.
20. Feast - Wabash St., Chicago.
21. Qdoba - Mall Road, Florence.
22. Tom+Chee - Fountain Square, Downtown
23. Apsara - Lake Forest Drive, Blue Ash

24. 10 West - Marriott RiverCenter Hotel, Covington

Swanky hotel restaurant with stunning skyline views. I was really chuffed this morning to find that my review made it to the front page of CNN this morning!

[clemsonfan]

That's so cool! Congratulations!

[c-lando]

1. El Porton - 01/02/10
2. Curbside Cafe - 02/20/10
3. Nancy G's Cafe - 03/06/10 - LOVED this place.
4. Cuban Diner - 03/19/10 - Loved.
5. Baby Tommy's Taste of New York - 03/20/10 - Chicken Bacon Ranch slice & root beer. YUM!
6. The Red-Eyed Mule - 04/17/10 - Marietta, GA
7. El Taco Veloz - 04/18/10 - Smyrna, GA
8. Thompson Brothers' BBQ - 04/19/10 - Smyrna, GA
9. Hathaway's - 05/01/10 - Carew Tower in Cincinnati, OH
10. JCT Kitchen - 05/19/10 - Westside of Atlanta, GA
11. Gingham's - 06/19/10 - St. Louis, MO
12. Gator's - 06/23/10 - Camdenton, MO
13. Tres Hombres - 06/25/10 - Camdenton, MO
14. RJ's Family Restaurant - 06/26/10 - Camdenton, MO
15. 12 South Tap Room - 06/18/10 - Nashville, TN
16. Pinkberry's - 07/16/10 - Atlanta, GA
17. Ege Sushi - 07/17/10 - Marietta, GA
18. Chef Chen - 08/27/10 - Smyrna, GA

19. Flip Daddy's Burgers and Beers - Cinti, OH - GREAT beer selection and tasty burgers. I discovered and fell in love with the Mt. Carmel Amber Ale. YUM! I think I'd skip the fried mac & cheese and go with the onion rings next time.
20. Half Day Cafe - Cinti, OH - not your standard eggs and toast spot for breakfast. It was very hard to finally settle on a dish but I think I chose poorly. I didn't really care for my item but really enjoyed what The Greg ordered. Prices were a bit high but I think I would go back again.
21. The Bridge House Restaurant - Cinti, OH - the kind of breakfast place I wish we had more of in Atlanta/Marietta. Wood-paneled walls, dingy menu, lots of elderly, single diners, and cheap, yummy food.

[trixi]

20. Half Day Cafe - Cinti, OH - not your standard eggs and toast spot for breakfast. It was very hard to finally settle on a dish but I think I chose poorly. I didn't really care for my item but really enjoyed what The Greg ordered. Prices were a bit high but I think I would go back again.

You were a mile away from my house.