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?

The Leptologists Eat at Manifesto

Paul: Today's destination is a short walk-
Candice: We're not walking anywhere in this weather! It's below zero with the wind chill.
Paul: It's only eight blocks.
Candice: Forget it. Bring the car around.
Paul: Fine. Today, we're driving the short distance to Manifesto Tuscan Grato & Scotch Bar.
Candice: It's located across from the State House in downtown Columbus.
Paul: It's right off an office building atrium and as we enter through the revolving door, we are hit with a wonderful smell.
Candice: The restaurant is decorated in quotes, including Ron Burgundy's famous quote about scotch.
Paul: It is a scotch bar. Also present on the walls are quotes from presidents and TV commercials alike.
Candice: The room is brightly light with its plate glass windows looking out at the State House. The dark wood is beautiful. Anthony, our server is right with us. I order tea.

Tea Selection

Paul: The menu is dense. There's lots to choose from.
Candice: For appetizers, I order the Tuscan Hummus Dip, the Antipasto for Two, and Chicken Saltimbocca.
Paul: Sounds good! I order the Spicy Tomato Bisque and the Baked Short Rib Cannelloni.
Candice: Anthony is excellent with his service. Water, both hot and cold, is right on time. The hummus and antipasto arrive quickly.
Paul: The hummus is a white cannellini bean puree, surrounded with flatbread crackers.

Tuscan Hummus

Candice: I've never had a white bean hummus before, but this is very fresh. The crackers have been sprinkled with balsamic vinegar.
Paul: The flavor of the hummus is slightly sweet and ends in a tangy spark. It's quite good.
Candice: On the platter, there are three cheeses, peppers, and Italian meats.

Antipasto for Two

Paul: We'll call them the cheeses blob cheese, square cheese, and purple cheese.
Candice: We'll ask Anthony when he comes back, you cheese connoisseur, you.
Paul: The blob cheese is pretty bland. But the rectangular cheese is very tasty. The purple cheese is fruity and also very good.
Candice: The salami is spicy, yet mellow. I love the peppers.
Paul: Anthony informs us that the cheeses are Mozzarella (blob), Provolone (rectangle), and a Port Derby (purple).
Candice: Anthony also informs us that Manifesto has been open just two months.
Paul: I think they have a good thing going for them. They have a nice location, nice decor, and so far a nice menu.
Candice: Don't jinx it!
Paul: Sorry! Here's my soup.

Spicy Tomato Bisque

Candice: Well?
Paul: This soup is very spicy. It has a deep, strong burn that seems a bit too strong.
Candice: Let me try. Yes, you're right. Not a good flavor.
Paul: The orzo on the bottom does counter the spice a little. Not a bad soup, but not great.
Candice: I tried the Black Vanilla tea first. It was very good. Anthony brought me more hot water and I tried the Berry tea next. It's milder than the first, but very good too. Ah, they've seated a couple too close to us, in an otherwise open restaurant. I don't care for that.
Paul: Here's the food.

Chicken Saltimbocco

Candice: Um...
Paul: What's wrong?
Candice: Smell this.
Paul: It smells a little funny. How does it taste?
Candice: You try it.
Paul: It's all right, but not great.
Candice: It smells like feet to me.
Paul: That's not good.
Candice: It is not. It is just not for me.
Paul: The Cannelloni is pretty good. I've never had beef in a cannelloni before. Here. Try it.

Beef Rib Cannelloni

Candice: You're right, it is good.
Paul: The sauce and cheese are well-proportioned and the beef is flavorful and not overcooked as I might have expected. The only issue is that the pasta is a little chewy.
Candice: Anthony is sufficiently contrite and asked if I want to return the chicken. I decide not to have another entree.
Paul: Have another bite of mine.
Candice: I will.
Paul: Anthony arrives with the bill and the chicken has been removed from the total.
Candice: Then he offers us a free dessert. Classy move.
Paul: We pick the Tiramisu.

Tiramisu

Candice: and, it's excellent.
Paul: They used real whipped cream.
Candice: It's light and creamy. The hint of coffee is perfectly balanced with the sweetness.
Paul: This made the meal.
Candice: Indeed. An otherwise excellent lunch except for the chicken.
Paul: How do you feel about that?... and the overall experience?
Candice: I think the dish was not to my taste.  I have limits, apparently. You didn't have the same adverse reaction to the smell as I did.
Paul: No, it didn't stop me from eating it, but it was no spectacular piece of chicken either.
Candice: How they handled it says a lot about their professionalism. I'm willing to give them a pass on that.
Paul: So, worth it?
Candice: Yes, the menu is broad enough that it's worth coming back again.
Paul: The price was on par with what we've seen elsewhere for this caliber of restaurant.
Candice: And the wait was nonexistent.
Paul: Anthony did a great job serving us.
Candice: Overall it was a good lunch.
Paul: Back into the cold!
Candice: Bring the car around, will you?
Paul: Uh, no. It's around the block.
Candice: Fine! But I'm complaining the whole way.
Paul:  With your gloved hands cupping your ears like a weirdo.
Candice:  Oh shush, kettle.  Walk in front of me, you big oaf, block the wind!

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