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11 APR 04: VICTORIAN'S SECRETS
It was a dinner truly "across the tracks." When U.S. 27 is on one side of the railroad and the restaurant parking lot is on the other side, diners really have no choice.
The restaurant which fits this location is one of the most prestigious in the area - Victorian's, near downtown Hamilton. What does it say when this restaurant gets higher ratings from travel guides than anyplace in Columbus? Do people in Harris County really know how to cook better?
I joined a group of friends at Victorian's for dinner the other night -- my first trip there in a couple of years. Some things have not changed about this restaurant. For one thing, there's still a dog on the front porch waiting to greet you - which somehow thinks customers bring "doggie bags" IN this place, not out.
The restaurant is called Victorian's because it's inside a large Victorian-era home. Talk about old-fashioned - the management still hasn't put a giant TV set up in the main dining rooms.
But some things ARE different at Victorian's these days. One of my friends pointed a change out practically before I took my seat - the menu was labeled on each page "Menu 7." These friends were just brazen enough to ask the attendant to see Menus 1-6 instead.
(Before you ask - no, there was NOT a "Corn Dog 7" on "Menu 7." This restaurant is fancier than that....)
The Victorian's menu not only is numbered now - it's significantly smaller, with only two pages of options. We were told the managers decided awhile back to shorten the menu, and change some of the items every few weeks. Someone should
have suggested this approach to the Cottonmouths.
We noticed something else different about Victorian's - the restaurant's name. It used to be called "The Victorian Oak Tree." Now the oak tree isn't in the name - and apparently environmental groups haven't heard about it, because no one was protesting outside.
Rest easy: there still IS an oak tree outside Victorian's Grill, which is now the proper name. The attendant told me a shorter name is easier for people to remember. Are the attention spans of customers growing THAT short?
While our group waited for dinner, all sorts of topics came up for discussion:
+ One man said over the last few days, as many U.S. citizens had been killed in Lee County, Alabama as in Iraq. If the Marines moved into Beauregard with weapons, I wonder if they'd get the same sort of welcome as in Fallujah.
+ One woman said every time she turns on Columbus TV news, all she sees is "somebody getting killed or getting shot." And then people wonder why there's so much emphasis on the weather.
+ A disagreement arose over who should win "Nashville Star," the cable TV country music singing contest. A friend of mine is a cousin of Opelika singer Brad Cotter - but another friend says she votes for Georgia native Matt Lindahl, who wears overalls every week. Maybe if he put an area code on those overalls....
+ A reporter at the table shared the curious story of a recent arrest in Valdosta. A burglary suspect was stopped in a backyard - and a police check of the man revealed a bag of marijuana was in his pocket. But the suspect explained: "These aren't my pants!" For some reason, he was NOT arrested for stealing the clothing.
But back to dinner: Victorian's Grill had three "nightly specials" for our group. I chose the Chicken Marsala, which came covered with thick robust mushrooms. It was very good - but I forgot to ask whether the mushrooms grew near that oak
tree.
(Another special on this night was "Bourbon Salmon." But I had to drive all the way home from Hamilton - and surely there's a better way to catch fish than by getting them drunk.)
Then came dessert time - and several of us dared to have chocolate mousse. I think it was actually enough to declare a mousse stampede....
No dessert menu was shown to our group - and perhaps that's by design. When the check came, the tall parfait glass of chocolate mousse cost $6.50! I could have stopped at Walgreen's on the way home and bought two pints of ice cream for
less than that.
Regular diners probably realize at many restaurants, desserts are the most overpriced items on the menu. It's as if the chefs get even with those of us who avoid the oversized entrees.
With a gratuity thrown in, my dinner at Victorian's Grill cost close to $35. And curiously, the credit card receipt said "Oak Tree Inc." at the top. If a tree falls off the restaurant sign, it still may spring to life somewhere else.
All in all, Victorian's Grill is a nice place for a special occasion -- and great if you want to impress a date with the size of your bank account. Just don't be surprised if that special woman makes you spend a little extra, on an appetizer for the dog on the porch.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Speaking of restaurants, we have another clue to the Brian Sharpe mystery - but not from the man himself:
Richard-
I heard last week that Brian Sharpe is leaving WRBL for a job with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. They've probably announced it on the air by now, but if they haven't, now you know why he won't be passing out the giant forks any more!
Kirsten
If this is true, Sharpe will welcome new businesses to town -- and exchange those golden forks for giant red carpets.
A check of WRBL's web site indicates the "Restaurant Report Card" will continue, but Blaine Stewart will take over the duties. Since he's one of the "Problem Solvers," perhaps Stewart will actually go into a restaurant and put the lids on open food containers himself.
THE BIG BLOG QUESTION: We've posted a new question this weekend, about the pending one-cent city sales tax question in Columbus. It could almost be marketed like soda -- are you ready to make "seven-cents up" yours?
BIG PREDICTION:I'm as left-handed as Phil Mickelson is - but I simply can't see him winning the Masters title Sunday, even though he's tied for the lead. I have this funny feeling a streaker will run across the course and ruin everything for him....
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