The Leptologists Eat at Rishi

Candice: Sushi.
Paul: I take it you have a hankering for some raw fish.
Candice: Sushi.  Rishi Sushi Kitchen and Bar. I stopped by for dinner not too long ago. I thought we should try it for lunch.
Paul: You eat without me?!?
Candice: Just enough to survive until our next meal.  No need to fret.  I really like this place.
Paul: It does smell fresh, unlike other sushi places we've dined.
Candice: I love the decor.  Simple, elegant and easy on the eyes.

Indoor Decor

Paul: As appetizer, we order the Seven Seas Edamame.
Candice: I'll have the Lunch Sushi and the It's Going to be Amazing Ramen.
Paul: Lets hope it is aptly named. I'll have the Back in the Day Ramen.
Candice: There are goldfish on the shelf overlooking the sushi prepartion area.
Paul: That's torture for those fish!
Candice: Uncle Hamachi! No!
Paul: That's funny. Sick, but funny. We've been seated by the doors leading to the patio. The wait staff going in and out has gotten annoying.
Candice: You have a big spatial footprint what with the largeness of you, I can see how that could disturb  you.  Luckily our appetizers have arrived and might take your mind off the annoyance.

Edamame

Paul: The Seven Seas Edamame is served with lime juice and two salts, one a traditional sea salt and the second a garlic and blood orange sea salt.
Candice: The edamame is fresh. I love the garlic and blood orange salt.
Paul: That's a wonderful combination of flavors. I don't believe we've been served edamame with anything but normal sea salt.
Candice: No. The presentation and flavor are fantastic.
Paul: Best soy beans ever?
Candice: In the running. Here's my sushi.
Paul: What did you get?

Sushi

Candice: Tuna, octopus, white fish, shrimp, and yellow tail as well as tuna rolls.
Paul: It's pretty.
Candice: The tuna is as expected. Salmon is good, and the yellow tail is on par.
Paul: You don't sound excited.
Candice: It tastes suited for a midwestern palate. The sushi flavor seems... sanitized.
Paul: Too bad. Our ramen has arrived.

It's Going to Be Amazing Ramen

Candice: Mine is the It's Going to Be Amazing Ramen, and it's a seafood broth with noodles, scallops, shrimp, calamari, and fish cake, plus veggies including bean sprouts, kimchi, and scallions. I love that it's served with a wooden spoon.
Paul: Stylish.
Candice: Easier to slurp with, ho! The seafood is delicious, though I chose this particular ramen specifically because the menu did not have corn listed as an ingredient. Nothing against corn or corn in ramen, I just didn't want corn in MY ramen.  Despite this misstep, I am enjoying it as the scallops are especially good.
Paul: My Back in the Day Ramen seems to be a chicken broth with ramen noodles. In it is a chicken patty, hard-boiled egg, fish cake, bean sprouts, and... corn.

Back in the Day Ramen

Candice: Makes more sense for corn to be in yours than mine.  You know, because it's not mine.
Paul:  Right, no corn in Candice's ramen, ever.  Never ever.  My dish is piping hot, though and the chicken is fresh and tender. The flavor is unique, strongly tasting of cinnamon. It's overpowering, really.
Candice: Trying it...It seems like it's in the noodles.
Paul: Wow. It's strong. But the ramen is good. Or I'm so hungry, I'll eat it no matter what.
Candice: I say we get dessert.
Paul: You've talked me into it.
Candice: That was easier on the page than it was in the restaurant.
Paul: Candice convinces me after a long argument to get a slice of Spicy Chocolate Tort.
Candice: There we go - truth in reality! Oh My! Dude, they get their desserts from the Angry Baker. We HAVE to try it.

Spicy Chocolate Tort

Paul: It's beautiful, that's for sure.
Candice: And delicious.
Paul: This whipped cream is amazing, and the chocolate very rich.
Candice: Do you taste the spice?
Paul: Oh, yes, it builds slowly. That's a wonderful chocolate tort.
Candice: Yep. What do you think?
Paul: Wonderful edamame. Wonderful chocolate tort.
Candice: The sushi was pretty and well made, but not to my preferred taste.
Paul: The ramen was decent.
Candice: Agreed. Worth the wait? Worth coming back? Worth the price?
Paul: Yes to all three. We were served quickly. The price was decent. And there are things on the menu I'd like to try.
Candice: Agreed.  This place is great.  I hope it stays and continues to challenge Columbus palates.  I have high hopes that David Kim will push more envelopes.  I will be back.

	Candice	Paul
Worth the Price?
Worth the Wait?
Worth Coming Back?

The Leptologists Eat at Oliver's

Candice: Where are we going again?
Paul: A place called Fin here on South High Street.
Candice: This looks like the same address as Chez du Bon.
Paul: We reviewed them back in April. And yes, it is the same place.
Candice: And it's closed.
Paul: What? How is that possible? We ate there in April.
Candice: We ate at Chez du Bon not Fin. And loved the Cassoulet.
Paul: Well, Chez du Bon didn't last long.
Candice: Longer than Fin, apparently. They've closed too.
Paul: A note on the door suggests sister restaurants Manifesto, De-Novo, or Oliver's.
Candice: We've eaten at the first two. I guess we could try out Oliver's.
Paul: It's back the way we came, in an alley off High Street. Found it.
Candice: It smells like horses in here.
Paul: More like a barn.
Candice: I don't want to know what the specials are.
Paul: Forget the specials. For our appetizer, we'll go with the Steak and Gorgonzola Flatbread.
Candice: I'll order the Ribeye. All this walking up and down High Street has made me hungry.
Paul: I'll get the Southern Fried Chicken.
Candice: The 80s songs playing remind me of my youth.
Paul: Whitesnake? You rolled around a lot on car hoods.
Candice: Nope, but I sure wanted to be Tawny Kitaen. What girl didn't? Ah, look - Here is our appetizer!

Steak and Gorgonzola Flatbread

Paul: There's a good contrast with the sweet onion and gorgonzola.
Candice: Hmmm. The steak is overcooked, a little chewy.
Paul: The flatbread is fresh and precisely cut.
Candice: It needs more parsley, but overall it's not too bad.
Paul: We finish the flatbread and await the food.
Candice: It's taking long enough.
Paul: Finally the entrees arrive.

Ribeye

Candice: This ribeye is bland.
Paul: That's horrible.
Candice: It is. It hasn't been aged or seasoned. It's tasteless.
Paul: How are the potatoes?
Candice: Better. They are a little cold, but mashed well and good.
Paul: My fried chicken tastes like fair food.

Southern Fried Chicken

Candice: Battered and deep-fried.
Paul: Exactly. The chicken itself is moist but tasteless.
Candice: I'm sensing a theme in the food here.
Paul: The Mac and Cheese at the bottom of the bowl is tasty and rich.
Candice: I think it's bland as well.
Paul: The spinach is fresh and full of iron. It feels like the leaves are sticking to my teeth.
Candice: It's comfort food: ample and bland.
Paul: David the general manager stops by and we explain the blandness.
Candice: He offers restitution in the form of corn pudding.

Corn Pudding

Paul: Wow. That's some tasty corn pudding.
Candice: It's lovely. It's the highlight of the meal and we didn't even order it.
Paul: Well, what do you think?
Candice: The staff treated us right, that's for sure. The food was a bit bland, but there was enough of it for four.
Paul: Yep. The flatbread was decent, the corn pudding awesome, and the entrees so-so.
Candice: Worth the price? Yes, with the amount served.
Paul: Worth the wait? The food was a long time coming, but ultimately yes.
Candice: Worth coming back? I think so. I like what the owner of these three restaurants is trying to do.
Paul: Let's hope the restaurant is still here the next time we want to stop in!

	Candice	Paul
Worth the Price?
Worth the Wait?
Worth Coming Back?