A recent trend

Callie and I have been out and about like everyone else this holiday season. Unfortunately for us, we've noticed a bit of a recent trend at the restaurants we've dined at.

The service has just been terrible across the board. We're not talking bad food or the wait staff being rude. We've had trouble just getting refills or to even get or waiter/waitress to come and do their job.

Take today for instance. We're at a local Big Boy for lunch today. There's maybe 7 tables with people and our waitress has to take care of two tables. Two tables! We get there and she's asking us what we want to drink before our coats are even off and before we've even sat down. No, that to me is very rude. I would like to actually open the menu before ordering a drink. So we order our drinks and then our food a short while later. Then she disappears for somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes. Another waiter brought out our food and then Callie's was messed up. No waitress in sight. Finally Callie has had enough and here comes our waitress wandering over. That pretty much sums up our meal. The waitress would disappear for long periods of time and leave us hanging.

Which leads us to a few weeks earlier. We're at Steak and Shake and it takes at least 15 minutes for our waitress to even bother coming over to our table. This meal was also an ordeal because we had to mention my drink at least 3 times to get them to bring it out. And then our waitress has our food but decides she wants to talk to some other table for 5-10 minutes. So here we are, sitting there, watching our food get cold because the waitress is more interested in goofing off than doing her job.

This rant was born from a fairly long streak of bad service. It started at Genji about 3 weeks ago. We ate our meal and our waiter didn't even ask us about a refill till we were leaving. I went the entire meal and show with no drink. And since then I've had a constant problem with refills.

I'm sure it's a crappy job and I wouldn't want to do it. But I feel there is one thing that should be a really easy part of your job and that's drink refills. That seems like a quick and easy fix and the one thing you as a waiter/waitress can control about your customer's dining experience. I hate the fact that I have to walk into a place and then have to ration the entire meal because I don't know if I'll actually be offered a refill again.

Callie and I will be back with reviews again shortly. This was just a rant that had been breeding for a few days. Happy Holidays!

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Boston's The Gourmet Pizza Review

Location: 191 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, OH, 43218


Sports bar specializing in pizza, pasta, and other pub items.

Design:

Brad: It's the Arena District so you know you'll be paying to park. The inside of Boston's is nonsensical. You walk in and there's not really any hostess standing there. So you just kind of stand in the middle of nowhere until the hostess walks up or the bartender gets sick of looking at you. The design is kind of goofy. The bar takes up a lot of room and the entrance is in a really oddball place. I'd say a 4 out of 10.

Callie: Bostons is in the Arena District. So right away you know you will be parking in the street or in a parking garage. There is a hostess stand outside of the restaurants revolving doors. I have been to Bostons 4 times and I have only ever seen a hostess there once. This time, there was no hostess. Once inside you stand awkwardly right in front of the door waiting for someone to notice and seat you. The bar area is right in front with the dining area around the bar and in the back. 5/10

Service:

Brad: The service here is a really mixed bag. The wait staff is kind of friendly but very pushy. You feel like they're trying to rush you through every step of the meal. And the times Callie and I have gone it's been very empty. This place makes a cardinal sin of service though. They are constantly in your face. Two or three people are always asking if your food is okay and you seem to have a staff member hovering every time you turn around. The drinks were kept full which is always a plus. I will state a piece of annoyance with the last waitress we had. I asked her about buffalo wing sauce. I don't eat a lot of wings and I don't want spicy at all. So I asked her and she recommended mild. Mild is spicy and I was really annoyed with her over the bad recommendation. I'd give service a 5 out of 10.

Callie: The hostess was not out front, I think a manager ended up seating us. Our waiter was mediocre. Mediocre is word I use a lot when describing this place. She was strainingly friendly, did quite keep up on the refills and continually asked us how the food was. 6/10

Food:

Brad: The wings were pretty disappointing. I could've gotten the same quality of wing from BW3 for a lot cheaper. I got the pizza and I have to say, it was equally as disappointing to me. It reminded me a lot of Pizza Hut. Now I like Pizza Hut and everything but I consider Pizza Hut to be the McDonald's of pizza. Meaning, I like it for the price. This was Pizza Hut quality pizza for a lot more money. So let's just say, I wasn't happy with it at all. The portion for the price was also kind of pathetic and not filling at all. I'd give the food a 4 out of 10.

Callie: We ordered Buffalo wings with mild sauce as an appetizer. I had chicken Parmesan with a side bow tie alfredo. The best parto f Bostons is that you can have a side of any kind of pasta you want as a side. The chicken Parmesan was okay. Not as good as Olive Garden or anywhere else I have ordered it. The Alfredo sauce was very good and made me wish I had just ordered the Alfredo. 5/10

Other Patrons:

Brad and Callie: The place was fairly empty every time we've eaten there. From what I saw it was people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. No kids that I can remember. It's really hard to say though. I think you could go to this place at any time of day and it would be fairly empty.

Final Thoughts:

Brad and Callie: This place isn't really bad, it's just completely average. And average in the Arena District just doesn't cut it. There are at least a dozen restaurants within walking distance of Boston's and all of them offer better food at the same price. I honestly don't see Boston's staying in business here for very long. They just don't offer anything good enough or unique enough to compete with the superior restaurants surrounding them. Boston's is a 5 out of 10.

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Pete's Place Review

Location: 14211 E Broad Street Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

Pete's Place is an odd mix of your traditional American dishes with Mediterranean dishes.

Design:

Brad: Pete's Place is split off into two sections. A more traditional diner area and a more modern style eating area. The families seemed to eat in the more modern eating area while older people or lone wolfs ate in the diner area. Callie and I decided on the diner area because there were no children on that side. There were televisions in each room and it seemed customers had access to the remotes which is a nice bonus. I would say the design was nothing special. My biggest complaint was that there is no sign about seating arrangements. Callie and I were at a loss. Were we supposed to wait for the hostess to seat us or were we supposed to just grab our own seat. It seems to be a sit yourself restaurant. I'd give the design a 6 out of 10.

Callie: The parking was a little hard to figure out as the lines are worn out. The inside is dark but homey. The table cloths are plastic and the kind you See at the clearance bin at Wal-Mart. It all worked though, and was a very friendly place. The left side had cartoons going and families sitting in it, and the right side had a bar with the football game going. I appreciated the choice and agree with the 6/10 rating.

Service:

Brad: The staff was very friendly throughout the whole meal. Our waitress seemed to know what we wanted too. She stayed out of our way and kept our drinks full. They made sure to ask us how the food was after we were done eating. Pretty much we only interacted with staff when it was an appropriate part of the meal. I really dislike in your face wait staff and management. I want to eat, not talk to you about the food I'm eating. Just leave me alone. Very solid service that I'd give a 7 out of 10.

Callie: They were all very friendly and attentive. They were the kind of people that just made you smile to your self. 7/10

Food:

Brad: Since this was a new place I went with the safe bet hamburger. The burger was cooked more than I like but it was burned to a crisp like it was at Johnny Buccelli's. They spiced the meat very well and it was a nice sized burger. I didn't finish but that was more out of fullness than not enjoying it. It wasn't the best burger, not even top 10, I had ever had in the world. It was a slightly above average entry into my long history of hamburgers. If I went back again I would probably try a few other dishes before finding myself trying a few other dishes first. I have to admit, I was coveting the amazing looking chicken cordon blu Callie had ordered. The steak fries were quite good. A little on the bland side but salt fixed them up really well. They came out piping hot and they were nice and crispy. We also ordered the mozzarella sticks as appetizers. These were definitely the highlight of the meal for me. They were very crispy and the cheese inside was amazing. They were really tasty and I found myself disappointed that they had only given us 5 of them. I'd give the food a 6 out of 10.

Callie: I ordered the Chicken Cordon Blu sandwich, fries and a lemonade. I will tell you though I was torn between that, the Gyro and a quesadilla. They all sounded delicious. Our appetizer was mozzarella sticks and the best part for me was the ranch dressing I ordered with them was cold, thick and delicious. There is nothing worse then runny dressing. The sandwich was VERY good. There was a juicy piece of grilled chicken, topped with a generous piece of ham and swiss cheese. It was a large, meaty, and I was not able to finish it. They have two different fries available: hand cut and steak. I ordered the steak fries. They were cooked well, hot and tasty. The lemonade was a little weak for my tastes but still edible. 7/10

Other Patrons:

Brad & Callie: There was a family in the other room but they made little noise. It seemed like mostly locals in the area and some guy that drove down from Cleveland. The people in there all seemed like regulars. I imagine you'd probably have a good chance of seeing the same people that were in there with us if you went. I would say the typical patrons are families and older people in their 40s or 50s. It struck me as that sort of place.

Final Thoughts:

Brad & Callie: Honestly, Callie and I almost backed out of eating here. From the outside it looks like some slum bar on the wrong side of town. I was pleasantly surprised to walk out feeling like I had eaten a very decent meal. The prices are pretty good and if you pick carefully you can eat for pretty cheap. Now, don't get me wrong, Pete's Place is maybe above average. I think Callie and I would find ourselves here every now and then but not on a regular basis. I would give Pete's Place an overall 7 out of 10.

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Fujiyama Review

Location: 5755 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH 43231

Fujiyama is a Japanese steakhouse. The chef cooks your food in front of you and gives you a little show while he does it. You menus selections are pretty much steak, chicken, fish or shrimp.

Design:

Brad: You walk in and you're immediately interested in the look of Fujiyama. The first thing you see is the hostess standing across this little bridge with a fake pond running underneath it. It was really neat and your first instinct is to stop and look down at the water. The main room dining room is very nice too. There are several fish tanks with very colorful fish. The dining room is very open and quiet. You don't feel cramped at all and you can hear yourself think. The chairs are also very comfortable. Callie and I also walked over to the bar area to see how it looked. We were delighted to find that the tables there were actually fish tanks. It was a great feature and made me want to order a drink and look at the tables some more. The outside is also very stylish as it's designed to look like an old Japanese building. The design to this place was very memorable and on a scale of 10 I'd give it a 10.

Callie: I am very interested in Asian art so I am a little bias when it comes to places like this. I thought it was wonderful. It gave a feeling of being somewhere in Japan instead of just in a restaurant. Other adjectives are open, spacious, calming. It was a truly enjoyable experience. 10/10

Service:

Brad: Our waiter really did it right. He kept the drinks full, he was friendly but didn't hover and he was attentive. It really was a treat. At our usual Japanese steakhouse it seems like we're always fighting with the staff to get my rice out before the meal or we're left for long periods with nothing to drink. My rice was promptly brought out with no mention from Callie or me. Our drinks were always full and Callie switched to Coke after having water and it wasn't a big deal. Our chef was proficient at what he did. You get pretty much the same show at any place and he hit all of the standard tricks well. He cooked the food very well and he was friendly the entire time. The waiter also brought us a $5 coupon for our next visit which was very appreciated. They really went above and beyond for us here and it really stood compared to a lot of our dining experiences. I'd give service a 9 out of 10.

Callie: The waiter was the best one we have had in a long time. Instant refills, steady, non intrusive busing. Everything was perfect and timely. The chef's show was the standard Japanese Steak House show. He was very polite and got our food correct. 9/10

Food:

Brad: I went with the filet mignon and shrimp. I'm not really a salad eater and I don't like onion so I skipped out on my appetizers. The food wasn't quite as good as where we usually go but I still enjoyed it. The meat was well cooked and tasty. He didn't under or over cook my meat. The meat was also very good quality and had a nice texture to it. I hate going to a restaurant and wondering if they actually gave you beef when you bite into your "steak". The shrimp also were cooked to perfection. My only real complaint with my food was it was a little on the bland side. The sauces provided helped with that a little bit but I just prefer it cooked into my meat. The other important part of the Japanese steakhouse meal for me is the rice. I don't like fried rice so I always go for the steamed rice. At our usual place it's always a huge ordeal. We have to complain to the staff or the chef gets so fed up he yells at the waitress to get my rice. And after all that it's usually been underdone. The fact I got my rice early and it was cooked just right was a huge plus here. It wasn't too crunchy and it wasn't soggy. It was just right. I'd give the food a 7.5 out of 10.

Callie: The meal started off with onion soup and salad with house dressing. I ordered the less expensive House steak and the fried rice. The onion soup was good, not the best I've ever had but it was good. The house dressing was really strong. Kind of Italian based and over all not pleasant. The fried rice, again, was not the best I've ever had. The rice consistency was perfect but there was something wanting in the flavor. The steak was cooked perfectly. I order my steak medium rare and this steak was melt in your mouth delicious. There could have been more seasoning, but the darker sauce the provided was perfect for steak dipping. I also had some of the grilled vegetables that made everything a little tastier as well. I would give the food a 6/10 .

Other Patrons:

Brad & Callie: It was really slow when Callie and I ate there. Most people seemed to be in there late 20s and early 30s. There were a few children there but their parents seemed to have them under wraps pretty well. No one really did anything to detract from our dining experience. If you do have young and or hyperactive children I would recommend avoiding this place. As I stated in the design section there are tables near the bar that are fish tanks. I imagine these are pretty sturdy but just be warned. Children will be attracted to it and you probably don't want to subject yourself to the horror if one of these were to potentially break.

Final Thoughts:

Brad & Callie: An excellent overall experience. I was amazed when I got in my car afterwards and saw that an hour had passed. The price was a little more than what Callie and I typically spend at a place but I didn't really feel cheated in any way. I was thrilled with the great service and the unique interior design of the place. The unfortunate part for us is that it's really out of the way for us so we probably won't find ourselves back there for awhile. If you're looking to try a Japanese steakhouse, you won't go wrong giving Fujiyama a try. Our final score for them is an 8 out of 10.

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Johnny Buccelli's Review

Location: 5091 N. Hamilton Road, Columbus, OH 43230

Johnny Buccelli's is a sub place that has a little more. You can also find pizza, soup, ice cream and hamburgers on the menu. Pretty basic menu that tries to provide something for everyone.

Design:

Brad: I'm not going to hold the punches on this place. The interior is terrible. Callie and I walked in and we were immediately confused. They appear at first to be a sit down restaurant but you really bus yourself. The sign wasn't readily apparent so we stood there in confusion for a few minutes before Callie noticed the sign. It's kind of off to the corner in the back. This seems like a very poor design. You should have your order desk in the front and if not, please, put signs where they are easily visible for everyone. The design of the place in general is kind of weird. They have a sit down counter for people just in the middle of nowhere. Booths that snake around into nothingness in a corner and another half booth, half chair deal that just sits in the middle of the place. It's a very unconventional and inefficient design for a restaurant. My other big complaint is that there was only a single soda fountain so you spent the entire night battling other customers just to refill your drink. The music here is also very loud and you tend to feel like you're being assaulted by the noise. Very poorly designed and if I was giving it a score out of 10 I would probably say it was a 3.



Callie: As a new customer Johnny Buccelli's is extremely confusing. You walk into what LOOKS like a restaurant where a hostess will be seating you. So you wait, and peer around, until you happen to see the Custard sign. You walk towards it looking for answers and see there is a line to order, like Subway. I saw at least two other sets of Newbies go through this ritual. We sat down and waited for our names to be called. Between 2 trips to the drink fountain and one trip to get the food I was very frustrated with the layout. To get back to my table I either had to go by the crowd at the drinking fountain or walk by the door, where people were standing not sure what to do. I did not realize how loud the music was until after w3e left and I was immediately grateful for the silence. I also give the design a 3.

Service:

Brad: This is a hard one for me to rank. The way this place operates, you go up to the counter, order and then they call your name when it's ready. The guy calling out the orders on the P.A. system mumbled pretty badly so it felt like a fluke more than anything when we heard our names called. You also have to bus your dishes at the end of the night. Now understand; this place is charging the prices for a sit down restaurant here. I want a waitress and service when I pay these prices. If I want to bus myself then charge me fast food prices or set things up more like a deli.



Callie: When I ordered my Philly Cheese steak, I said " No mushrooms, please." As they did not have a sign up listing what they put on a Philly Cheese steak. She said " There are no mushrooms, do you want the peppers and onions?" I said yes please. When I received my Philly it had Lettuce Mayonnaise and tomato on it. If she took the time to ask me if I wanted onions and peppers I think she should have mentioned the cold veggies as well. You could barely hear your name when it was called, and everything else you had to get yourself. You also had to bus your own table according to their directions. I give the service a 2.


Food:

Brad: The main event. Since this was a new place I decided to go safe and order a hamburger with french fries. I went with some bacon, mayo and provolone cheese on my hamburger. Our names were called and I headed up to the counter and I could immediately see there were going to be problems. It was a pretty pathetic looking burger. So I started off by trying my french fries. Nothing special but not bad either. They were crispy and not seasoned to death like some restaurants tend to do. I was pleased with this part of the meal. I tend to be very picky about my french fries. They need to be crispy but not hard. Too much seasoning and I get annoyed but I also don't want bland fries either. So I would classify these as acceptable. They were a little bland but a little salt did them some justice.

Now the burger. Oh, this sickly black slab they tried to tell me was a hamburger patty. For starters. I can do well done and not mind it. I tend to prefer medium but I'm pretty flexible as far as having a charred outer layer. I kid you not, there was more charred outer layer than there was edible beef on this thing. What little beef left was so overcooked that it was a pretty dry affair. The bacon, which cost me an extra dollar by the way, was really smokey and unfit for a burger. It had a very strong taste and distracted away from the hamburger. It really felt like a chore to finish this thing. I was really hungry and it cost me $8.50. So I finished the hamburger and really felt like I had had to work to do it. To add insult to injury, I offered a piece to Callie and she took one bite and was done with it. One a scale of 10 I'd give the food a 3.5.



Callie: I ordered a lemonade, philly cheese steak and french fries. I do not recommend the lemonade. They hand make it, like fair shake ups, which I was excited about until I tasted it. It barely had any lemon taste. The cheese steak was not impressive. There was more bread then anything else. I did not want the lettuce, tomato or mayo that was on the sandwich that I did not ask for nor was I asked about. It was better then Brad's burger though, which was disgusting. The fries were good, probably the best part of the meal. Vinegar being available was a plus. Based on my meal I would give the food a 4. Based on Brad's meal I would give the meal a 1 .

Other Patrons:

Brad & Callie: This place was crawling with kids. Very loud kids. Callie and I usually try and sit away from children but it was unavoidable here. They were just everywhere and bouncing off the walls. I'd say it detracted from the meal but my burger accomplished that solo. Now please, understand, Callie and I don't hate kids, we just get annoyed when our dining experiences are ruined by ill behaved children. This isn't the fault of the restaurant but I have noticed having the same issue over and over again at the same place. It's why Callie and I will mention it in our reviews. It was really hard to tell. Everyone seemed to be packing a coupon, Callie and myself as well, so we couldn't really gauge the type of people it brings in. I would say probably families with small children judging by the menu and the service level.

Final Thoughts:

Brad & Callie: We were not impressed with Johnny Buccelli's on any level. The food was bad, the place was loud and the price wasn't right. I believe Callie summed it up best "I could've gotten a better version of this sub at Jersey Mike's for $5." We had a coupon that made the final check something like $10. So we ate for pretty cheap. We would have been pretty upset if I had paid full price for what they gave me. Our final score for Johnny Buccelli's is a 3 out of 10.

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I am

Callie, one of the co writers of Adventures in Columbus Dinning. The focus of this blog will be more for the middle class. You will not see ritzy restaurants on here very often. What you will get is an idea of where you can get dinner tonight, enjoy yourself, and afford it. We will focus on taste, service, design and customers.

I like a little bit of everything. I love Indian food, medium rare steaks and any kind of potato. When I receive food in a restaurant I expect a certain temperature, texture and taste.

Service starts with the hostess. I believe the host/hostess sets the tone for the meal. I like the wait staff to provide helpful information about the menu, keep my glass full, and leave me to my dinner and conversation

Design starts as soon as you pull in. Does the restaurant look like they are capable of making edible food? Is the parking lot logical? Does the lay out of the restaurant confuse you?

Who likes to eat at this restaurant? We will be looking at the child level primarily. We prefer more child free environment but if you are looking for kid friendly we go to those places as well.

My favorite restaurants are Texas Road House, Brown Derby Road House, Lac Viet Market and Ted's Montana Grill.

I hope you find out opinions helpful and that you have as much fun with your dining experiences as we have with ours.

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Allow me...

to introduce myself. My name is Brad and I'll be one of the two writers of this blog along with Callie. We are a couple that lives in Columbus, Ohio. One of the things we enjoy is experiencing the vast array of dining options that exist in this city and the surrounding areas. Callie and I will each be introducing ourselves and giving a brief description of what we look for in our dining experience.

I tend to be more simple in my tastes. Burgers and pizza are just fine by me. With a new restaurant I tend to go for a hamburger first. My philosophy is that a hamburger is pretty hard to mess up. So if they can give me a decent one I'll consider coming back and expanding my horizons a little bit. If they can't even get me a good hamburger then I'm done with them.

Service is always something I keep a close eye on. Bad service can ruin just about any meal if you ask me. It seems anymore that all you encounter nothing but apathetic wait staff that spend the night ignoring you and then have the gall to act like you owe them a good type. Good service really jumps out to me and I'm willing to leave generous tips for wait staff that really goes above and beyond their job description.

Now I don't really demand much from a wait staff. Just keep my drinks full and keep the meal moving at a pretty steady pace. I don't want or like wait staff that's in your face. Some places it seems like someone working there is asking you about your meal every 5 minutes. Please, just leave us alone. If we have a problem we'll let you know. I also don't like comments or jokes about what I'm ordering. Frankly I don't care unless I ask. I have asked about dishes before and that never seems to end in anything but tragedy.

Some of my favorite places to eat in the Columbus area are Hounddog's Pizza, Genji Japanese Steak House, Sonic, Red Robin and Angie's Pizza. Like I said earlier, I have pretty simple tastes. I'm easy to please. I will warn everyone now. I'm not a fan of Mexican. So you won't see me doing many Mexican restaurants on here. I'll leave those to Callie.

Welcome to the blog. Stay tuned for some great reviews.

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