The Leptologists Eat at The Taj Palace

Candice: We're heading to Hilliard today, to the Taj Palace.
Paul: Indian food sounds good. Let's go!
Candice: It smells great. There seems to be a good lunch crowd today, maybe fifteen people eating at the buffet.
Paul: We are seated, order drinks, and proceed to the buffet.
Candice: This looks like normal buffalo chicken wings and an American-style salad bar.
Paul: There's soup, Madras Soup, which is tomato with some grated coconut in it.
Candice: The naan is gone and they've only been open 30 minutes. That's annoying.

Paul's Plate #1

Paul: The soup... tastes like Campbell's Tomato Soup from a can. I can barely taste the coconut.
Candice: They were out of naan, but the waiter brought us fresh to the table. That was good of him. And this is very good naan: light, fresh, and tasty.
Paul: This chicken wing is... just a chicken wing. It seems out of place on an Indian buffet.
Candice: The Saag Paneer is bland. I expect more spice in my creamed spinach. The cheese is solid though.

Candice's Plate #1

Paul: The chickpeas, the Dah Rajrani, is bland as well. There's no flavor, no spice here, and worse yet, it's not heated through.
Candice: Did they not expect a lunch crowd?
Paul: The Beef Korma is spicy, however. And the beef isn't dry.
Candice: I'm not sure I am comfortable with an Indian restaurant that serves beef.
Paul: The Tandoori Chicken however is dry and not flavorful at all.
Candice: This pickled onion is interesting. Try it.
Paul: Um....
Candice: Your face just scrunched up like a five-year-old eating Brussels sprouts.

Paul's Plate #2

Paul: Pickled onions are not my thing.
Candice: I like the mint chutney. It's fresh and with the right consistency. The Tamarind Paste is tartly sweet. The hot sauce is chili sauce and strong.
Paul: It is.
Candice: Yet I'm not happy with anything here, except the naan. Why do you let me pick?
Paul: We have that in writing now.
Candice: It's official. I am not allowed to pick for a while.
Paul: I head to the buffet a third time for the mango custard.
Candice: How is it? On par with the rest of this ghastly lunch?

Candice's Plate #2

Paul: It is cleansing my palate with its bland, slightly mango-ish taste. It's smooth and seems like a basic, bland, institutional custard. Nothing special.
Candice: Bland about sums this lunch up. Nothing provided the zip of what I expect from Indian food. Where is the subtle layering of flavors I expect?
Paul: Americanized Indian food is a bad idea. I want something that excites my mouth when I eat Indian.
Candice: The Eggplant is inedible. The Chicken and Mushroom is uninteresting.
Paul: But it smelled good. Too bad it ended up so badly.
Candice: I don't ever want to come back.
Paul: Let's pay and get out of here.
Candice: It better be cheap.

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

The Leptologists Ear at Min-Ga

Candice: Oh, it smells wonderful in here.
Paul: Here is Min Ga, a Korean restaurant here in Columbus on Bethel Road.
Candice: What? No website.
Paul: Not as far as I can tell. They should get one, just so I can know how to spell whatever it is we order.
Candice: The smell is great, but it's freezing.
Paul: You need the blanket again, don't you?
Candice: I'll enjoy lunch so much more if you get it.
Paul: Let me get the blanket.
Candice: Thank you. Now what to order?
Paul: Lunch comes with an array of appetizers, but I think we should get the dumplings as well.
Candice: Good idea.  Dumplings + Us = Necessity. I want to try the Yuk He Beef.
Paul: Unfortunate name. What is it?
Candice: Raw beef with pears and fresh egg over top it.
Paul: Okkkaayyy.

Appetizers

Candice: Oh, hush and try something new for a change.
Paul: For my entree I get the Dukmandu Kuk, a dumpling soup.
Candice: I get the Mina Spicy Ramen Soup.
Paul: The appetizers arrive and I fear we have over-ordered.
Candice: Unfounded fear, move on.  Besides, look at this selection of food!
Paul: There is kimchi, potatoes, egg cakes, and turnips.
Candice: The Yuk He is interesting, a great combination of flavors. But the meat is actually frozen.
Paul: Like little beef popsicles.

Candice's Plate O' Food

Candice: I think it needed to rest a bit before we ate it.
Paul: The dumplings are especially good, not like the Thai or Chinese ones we have had in the past.
Candice: The flavor is unique. Have you tried the kimchi?
Paul: Um.
Candice: Go on, you scaredy cat.
Paul: Uh. I like the flavor, but the texture isn't for me.
Candice: At least you tried it. I love these egg cakes. The range of flavors in the appetizers is amazing. This is an excellent start to the meal.

Spicy Ramen Soup

Paul: There's more?
Candice: Yep, here come our soups.
Paul: This is a lot of food.
Candice: Dude, we review lunches as a hobby - we're bound to order a lot of food from time to time.  Let it happen.  And also, this ramen in my soup is delicious.  It has a sweet earthiness to it. I taste the white pepper. The soup is... calm.
Paul: That's a different adjective.  Now, my soup is fabulous! Seriously, it's filled with dumplings and pleasant little disks of pasta. The taste is wonderful.
Candice: Try mine and I'll try yours. You're right. Your soup is very good.

Dukmamdu Kuk

Paul: As is yours. This is just a wonderful lunch. Worth coming back, for sure.
Candice: Not just worth coming back. It's worth eating past full, and it's worth telling all your friends, relatives, and colleagues.
Paul: I agree completely, a win in every category, with hardly a misstep.
Candice:  Except for my photography skills...doesn't that look like a spider in your soup at first glance?

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

The Leptologists Eat at the Food Truck Festival

Candice: We're doing the food trucks today.
Paul: Food trucks? I'm in!
Candice: The trucks descend on the Columbus Commons every Thursday, but this weekend is something special: The Food Truck Festival!
Paul: Even more food trucks than usual, plus music! Let's go.
Candice: They're building condos around the Commons, blocking the view of them from High Street.
Paul: We almost walk past the park entrance!
Candice: Now there's going to be dog crap on the grass all the time!
Paul: Now there'll be dogs to play with all the time!
Candice: Harumph.
Paul: First things first, we walk past all the trucks.

Festival Crowd

Candice: I want ribs.
Paul: We spot several trucks serving bar-b-que, but none have ribs.
Candice: No ribs? What kind of bar-b-que trucks are these?
Paul: No ribs - brisket and pork.
Candice: No ribs?
Paul: No ribs - brisket and pork.
Candice: No ribs?
Paul: You are taxing.
Candice: No ribs?
Paul: Yes. No.  Ribs.  I'm going to find me something to eat.  I settle on an interesting truck called Blu Olive.

Blu Olive

Candice: I choose the pizza place: Mikey's Late Night Slice.
Paul: I order the Italian Sausage Sandwich with Cheese and Marinara. The sandwich is pretty tasty, like a slice of sausage pizza in sandwich form. I eat it so fast that I forget to take a picture. Oddly, they say they can't serve me any water. How weird is that?
Candice: That is weird.  Wonder why? My slice is gone pretty fast too. Spicy Pepperoni with a dollop of Slut Sauce atop it.  Delicious, as always, but I'm still hungry.
Paul: Of course you are, empty pit.  I'll fetch us some water while you go in search of more food.
Candice: Meet you right back here.
Paul: I'll be right here on this line painted in the grass.
Candice:  Right.  Where else would you be?
Paul: My search for water leads me to a tent where drink tickets are being sold for $3 a piece. I get two, enough for 2 waters. Unfortunately, when I go to the directed spot for water, no one knows what I'm talking about. I head back to the tent and they admit there is no water. "5 minutes!" they claim, but not for another twenty minutes does the water arrive.
Candice: It's enough time for me to return with this crappy sandwich.

Shit Sandwich from That Food Truck

Paul: Is that popcorn?
Candice: Yes! From That Food Truck.
Paul: There's nothing on that thing. And it's served on popcorn!
Candice: This is disgusting. I am not eating it.
Paul: Well, we've got water at least.
Candice: Let's keep looking.
Paul: There's more trucks over there on the East Lawn.
Candice: Island Noodles looks great.
Paul: But the lines are too long.
Candice: They are cooking some awesome looking noodle dishes in ginormous woks.
Paul: How about that Mexican place?
Candice: It looks promising.
Paul: It's called El Taco Peton.
Candice: I order the Chorizo Quesadillas.

Chorizo Quesadilla

Paul: It smells good.
Candice: And it tastes good. This is very good food. And that's not even mentioning this lovely lemonade that fell from the sky.
Paul: Finally! wait, wha?  Oh, yes - liquid manna.
Candice: Yes - Yay! Let's find some shade and enjoy the band.
Paul: It's the The Yeah Babies.
Candice: Let's end this trip with something sweet.
Paul: Cupcakes!
Candice: The place we choose is Go Cupcake from Dayton.
Paul: The cupcakes are laid out at the window.  I decide on the peanut butter cupcake.
Candice: And I get the lemon one.
Paul: Not bad. What do you think?

Cupcakes

Candice: Same - not bad. It's a simple yellow cupcake with a bit of icing and a lemon drop.
Paul: Mine has the same yellow cupcake and is topped with a dollop of icing and a single mini peanut butter cup.
Candice: Meh.
Paul: Agreed. Thoughts?
Candice: I managed to get some decent food today but it wasn't easy.
Paul: My sausage sandwich from Blu Olive was pretty good. This cupcake was so-so.
Candice: My pizza was awesome as was the chorizo quesadillas. But the sandwich from That Food Truck was a rip off at 8 bucks and disgusting. The cupcake was...just a cupcake, but I've never been much on sweets.
Paul: That's because you're sweet enough as it is.
Candice: You've got those cues down pat.
Paul: We've known each other long enough.  My quest for water here was the most horrific event. How can they not serve beverages at a food truck fest? It's dangerous.
Candice: Um, I always understood horror to be something you see and terror to be something you experience.  Horrific?  Did the idea of water not within comfort's reach cause an out of body experience?
Paul: Might as well have.  Harumph!....So, yeah - some good, some bad, and some stupid.
Candice: Yeah, let's get out of here before there's more stupid.  That'd be...
Paul:  Don't you dare...

The Leptologists Eat at The Crest Gastropub

Candice: I've driven by here a dozen times, but never stopped in.
Paul: Today's the day for The Crest Gastropub.
Candice: They've remodeled this place. It used to be a dive bar.
Paul: Now it's a gastropub. I'm not sure if I like that word.
Candice: Maybe it just sounds better than "dive bar."
Paul: We choose the outside dining area on this beautiful July day. The weather is very unlike summer in Columbus.
Candice: We'll take advantage of it and sit under the huge umbrellas outside.
Paul: They've broken the outdoor patio into two areas. There's maybe ten tables out here.
Candice: And ample seating inside too.
Paul: Julia is our waitress and she has to duck down under the umbrella to get our order.
Candice: She says she hits her head on the umbrellas at least once a day. A conundrum she experiences each shift - if she stands back so as not to hit her head on the umbrella, she appears aloof to her customers; if she ducks under and steps in, she feels like she's smothering her customers.  She found a perfect middle with us engaging us in light-hearted conversation.
Paul: Light-hearted and light-stomached!  I'm famished...and thirsty so I order the fresh-squeezed lemonade.
Candice: And I the iced tea. For an appetizer, we go with the Lamb Lollipops. My entree is the Crest Burger.
Paul: For me, the Pastrami Melt.
Candice: Julia returns quickly to let us know there are no Lamb Lollipops.
Paul: Luckily, we had second and third choices ready for appetizers.
Candice: Who does that?
Paul: We do.  The weirdos do.And so we go with the Cheese Balls instead. This lemonade makes me pucker.
Candice: You don't like it?
Paul: I never said that!
Candice: Let me try. That's a good, refreshing drink.
Paul: Agreed! Julia arrives with our appetizer.

Cheese Balls

Candice: Wow. These are wonderful. They are rich and sweet. The texture of the toast and almonds is fabulous on the tongue.
Paul: The sweetness of the honey is a strong contrast with the tart cheese. Very good.
Candice: Julia says they are their most popular choice.
Paul: Here are the entrees. The sandwich is dagwoodesque in size.
Candice: I'm sure you can get your mouth around it.
Paul: The meat is fresh. The sweet onions are a great flavor opposite the rye bread. I'm not going to be able to eat it all. Have a bite.

The Pastrami Melt

Candice: Oh, that is a good sandwich. The pastrami is bubbly and fresh.
Paul: How's yours?
Candice: Hmmm. Salty. I'm having a hard time eating it.
Paul: Uh oh.
Candice: Yes, this is ultimately inedible for me. The amount of salt is overwhelming.
Paul: Here, have half of my sandwich. There's enough to go around.

The Crest Burger

Candice: This is a really tasty sandwich. As disappointing as my burger was, all in all, the Crest does seem to have good, fresh food.
Paul: I'm happy with mine.
Candice: The fries are great and I love the house hot sauce that's on every table.
Paul: We didn't get our Lamb Lollipops, but our second choice was excellent. I don't know if the lollipops would have been better than the Cheese Balls.
Candice: Trying the Lamb Lollipops is just one reason to come back.
Paul: So it's worth coming back. Worth the price?
Candice: Yes, the prices weren't bad. And there was no wait at all. Service from Julia was excellent. Though she did forget the malt vinegar I asked for.
Paul: She brought it fast enough when we reminded her. But I agree, a very good lunch experience. Thumbs up all around!
Candice: One last note as we walk out: The planter boxes around the outdoor patio are filled with herbs and spices. I love that they take sustainability that serious.

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

The Leptologists Eat at Wild Ginger

Paul: Today's restaurant is Wild Ginger in Hilliard.
Candice: We got here fast!  I'm enjoying the dark wood interior and the muted dark colors are lovely, but it's too cold for me in here.
Paul: Well, it is hot outside.
Candice: Uh huh.  And it's cold inside. The menus are well-designed.
Paul: They have gyoza, so we must order those.
Candice: Yes, of course, it's a rule at this point. My questions for the waitress has sent her looking for the owner.
Paul: She has only been on the job for 3 days.  And, here's the owner now.
Candice: The owner counters my suggestion of Tom Yum soup with the Coconut Curry soup. He thinks the Coconut Curry will have a better flavor for me than the sour Tom Yum. He says I can get it with scallops.
Paul: I think you just ordered something not even on the menu.
Candice: I think you're right.
Paul: I get the lunch special, the Sambal Samba Chicken. It comes with Miso Soup and a Spring Roll.

Gyoza

Candice: I like the presentation of the Gyoza.
Paul: They smell wonderful.
Candice: And the taste.... Dare we say it?
Paul: Yes, we must.
Candice: We may have finally found a dumpling to rival our favorite dumpling at Nida's Thai on High.
Paul: This is a damn good dumping.
Candice: It's crunchy and smooth where it needs to be. The sauce is light. We'll need to do a side-by-side compare to be sure.
Paul: Dumpling taste test!
Candice: One day.

Spring Roll

Paul: My Miso Soup, which we failed to take a picture of, is very bland and tasteless.
Candice: You're right. It's flat. Disappointing. Maybe that's why we didn't even bother to photograph it.
Paul: The Spring Roll however is yummy.
Candice: It is, and I love the sauce. Good stuff.
Paul: And your soup?
Candice: The scallops are thick and meaty. No skimping here. The flavor of the curry is just about perfect.

Coconut Curry Scallop Soup

Paul: My chicken, as well, is excellent. The Sambal Samba spice is an Indonesian spice made from chilis.
Candice: Is it spicy?
Paul: Not overly. It's strong and striking. It's rich with the spices and very flavorful.
Candice: There's a smoky flavor here. Very good.
Paul: I like it a lot.

Chicken Sambal Samba

Candice: That was a good lunch!
Paul: Apart from the forgettable Miso Soup, it was from start to finish excellent.
Candice: And, we've found a Gyoza to rival Nida's.
Paul: And the price was decent.
Candice: Definitely worth the wait, worth the price...
Paul: ... and worth coming back!
Candice: For the dumpling taste test!

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

The Leptologists Eat at Portia's Cafe

Candice: Are you going vegan on me?
Paul: You know better than that! But Portia's Cafe looks interesting, don't you think?
Candice: I'll give you that. I like a restaurant with a mission and owner Portia Yiamouyiannis has one.
Paul: No animal products, save for the honey for the tea. Local ingredients when possible. Highly organic. Raw food for maximum nutrition. No genetically engineered foods. And clean, filtered water.
Candice: That is a healthy agenda.
Paul: I don't know about the anti-genetic engineering stance. Seems a little Luddite to me.
Candice: Luddite. You don't even own a smart phone.
Paul: The cafe is in Clintonville on Indianola, a short drive from downtown.
Candice: Parking is tight, but we find a spot.
Paul: They don't need much parking. I doubt they could seat more than 30 people in here.
Candice: They also do some take-out from their fridges. I love the orange walls. It makes the place bright and inviting.
Paul: It smells wonderful as well.
Candice: We're seated quickly and peruse the menus.
Paul: We've never done a vegan restaurant before, but the selection and diversity on the menu is wide.
Candice: We're getting the dipper sampler.
Paul: No question. And the spanako rice wraps. I'll get the lentil soup.
Candice: I'll take the coconut curry soup and the lettuce breakfast patty.
Paul: I'll have the beans and rice.

Dipper Sampler

Candice: The sampler comes with our choice of veggies, rice chips, or tortilla chips as scoopers.
Paul: We go with veggies and rice chips. The sampler comes with four dips.
Candice: A walnut pate, which is very subtle in flavor. It needs something to smoke out the flavor. But it's good.
Paul: The hummus is delicious, light in the mouth, and...
Candice: ...soulful. The spinach and artichoke dip is all chunky goodness.
Paul: The guacamole is deep and fresh.
Candice: All of the dips are fresh, and I love these rice chips that came with the dips. This is a great platter.

Rice Wraps

Paul: These wraps are excellent. The pesto in the middle is shocking with flavor.
Candice: Yes, it centers the wrap. And the assortment of colors and textures makes this am amazing wrap. I love the alfalfa.
Paul: Spinach, greens, artichoke, and onion mix with the alfalfa and the sauce. Good stuff.
Candice: My soup is not a soup.

Coconut Curry Soup

Paul: What?
Candice: It's a stew, not a soup. It should be advertised as such.
Paul: But the taste?
Candice: It's sweet, but when I salt it, the curry becomes smokier. It's a good stew, but overwhelming in flavor and texture.
Paul: My soup is thick and hearty.

Lentil Soup

Candice: That's not a soup either.
Paul: It looks like a soup to me.
Candice: Look at my spoon. I've taken a spoonful and turned the spoon upside down.
Paul: I see your point. The soup is sticking to the spoon.
Candice: This is a mush, not a soup, which is perfectly acceptable. Just don't call it soup!
Paul: In any case, it's a good soup, I mean, mush.
Candice: The waitress has given me instructions on folding my breakfast patty lettuce wrap.

Lettuce Wrap

Paul: Seems complicated. How does it taste?
Candice: It is utterly delicious. I love it. What a great combination of flavors. Want to try it?
Paul: There's just too much green in it.
Candice: Some vegan you turned out to be.
Paul: My beans and rice are just that. Beans and rice.

Beans and Rice

Candice: The menu literally says "Just Beans 'n' Rice."
Paul: No false advertising there. It seems a bit bland.
Candice: There's salt.
Paul: Good point. Adding a splash of salt kicks up the flavor. It's very pleasant. Nice texture to the rice. Firm beans. I end up finishing all of it.
Candice: So, what do you think of our vegan lunch?
Paul: I thought it was great. All of my food was flavorful. I'd come back, especially for the dipper sampler.
Candice: I agree. My breakfast patty lettuce wrap was wonderful and I'd come back for that as well.
Paul: Decent prices, no wait, and we'd come back. Sounds like a win.
Candice: If it wasn't for the misnamed soups, it would have been perfect.
Paul: Stews and mushes are not soups. I get it.
Candice: It's best to be clear on a menu. So no one is disappointed.
Paul: Agreed.
Candice: Otherwise, I was satisfied all around.
Paul: Next time, we should get steaks.
Candice: Also agreed.

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