Knead

Location:  Short North, Columbus, Ohio
Date:  September 25, 2010

I was planning on going to North Market's Microbrew Festival, however, hubby was not in the mood for beer tasting.   And so I suggested to walk by Short North and dine out to whatever we fancy.  I was actually thinking of Knead already since it's pretty close and we haven't tried there yet.

We walked up to the place and it was almost full.  There were still a few empty tables but we opted to be seated on a bar-like seating just off the bar where we can also watch tv.   Our bartender approached us noticed we were first-timers.  He seemed very nice.  He gave us a few background about the restaurant.  He said their dishes are made from local ingredients,  they're seasonal and thus their menu keeps on changing.  I'm always proud and impressed of restaurants which utilize local ingredients.   Since then, I got a feeling that I already like this restaurant.

Since I was kinda craving for beers, hubby and I tried their drafts.  Their beers are also proudly brewed here in Ohio.  Hubby had the Summerteeth lager ($5), the one on the left, which is brewed here in Columbus.    And I had the Buckeye beer ($3), which is brewed in Toledo.   Both are very good, not complicated but I like mine better which has a light and sweet taste.  It surely quenched my thirst!  Their beer list is vast, each will be able to find one that will suit their mood and taste.  But next time, I'll try the Buckeye martini.  I heard it's good.

As I've mentioned, the place is pretty packed at that time, probably because the Microbrew festival just ended and people are starving.   I guess that's the reason why our food didn't arrive as soon as we expected.  I think the wait was 30 minutes.  But, when it arrived, we scarfed down our food fast!  I just ordered one of their small plate menu which is the pan-roasted scallops  ($12).  Oh, they're soo good!  It's a case of sweet and salty, salty and sweet, you can't stop.  The apple carrot ginger sauce with the vegetable pancake like sweet potatoes had a sweet taste, it worked perfectly with the saltiness of the scallops. The serving is just right for ladies like me who's trying to limit their food intake lol!  Plus, the beer already helped in making my stomach feel full.

Hubby ordered steak tagliata ($20) from the large plates section of the dinner menu.  It's a seared Bison flatiron steak, sliced in 5 pieces, rubbed in ancho coffee.  Again, with an urban twist of delicious blue cheese quesadilla with arugula greens and balsamic dressing.  Tasted good!!!   I'm always a fan of blue cheese so this quesadilla joined with arugula balsamic vinaigrette is definitely a hit for me.

We didn't have seconds on our drinks but opted in ordering tiramisu ($6) instead.  Their desserts are being displayed seductively inside this pie case and been calling us to eat them the moment we took our seats.  Anyways, our server said their tiramisu is the best in the city and he didn't lie!  It is uniquely prepared, served with ladyfinger, with a smooth balance of coffee, liqueur, spongecake and mascarpone. Y-U-M-M-O!

Though, their prices are quite high, it is justified by the quality of food that they'll give.   I'm looking forward in exploring the rest of their menu.  Maybe, I'll try lunch.  It may not be too busy by then.