Have you Hurd... I Could've Been a Contender...

I know it has been way too long since that line was featured in a movie, but since it recycles itself frequently enough a punch line in other light-hearted comedy, I am fairly certain both young and old will recognize it and be suitably intrigued.  Still working hard to build my base of dedicated readers by (almost) any means necessary. -grin-

If you are a subscriber to the Lynd Fruit Farm Cider Press, you will think this is stale news.  Lynd's opened their produce market for the 2015 season officially on Thursday, July 16.  The offering that generated the greatest amount of excitement in my household was the Contender peaches from South Carolina.  The pints of fresh blueberries from the Blue Frog Farm (also in the Lynd family) were a close second.  Given the volatility of produce supplies and prices, I would suggest checking out their website and/or Facebook page for available products and pricing before you make the trip.  That is what I did before heading to Pataskala.  I also Googled Columbus Best Burgers and quickly found an article from the Columbus Monthly listing their picks for the best burgers around Central Ohio.

Aren't these just peachy?  Had to get corny,
since I didn't get a picture of the dozen ears
of sweet corn we bought.

Look closely for the blueberries.  The clerk
was kind enough to give us a couple bags
so we didn't lose any enroute to home base.
Maple rolls aren't aren't from the Saxonburg
bakery, but they will do.

What on Earth do fresh imported peaches and local blueberries have to do with grilled ground beef patties?  All three are things my wife was hankering for on this particular Friday evening.  Red meat is not something she pines for frequently, so I didn't want to miss the opportunity.  It was our good fortune that a New Albany restaurant was featured in the Columbus Monthly article.  It was less than a mile from our route back home and I was able to secure online reservations before departing.  Although, as it turns out, this was not necessary.  Ella was busy, but not Friday night crazy busy at the time we arrived.  So we would not have waited for a table even without reservations.  I didn't want to take any chances, though.  I was billing it as a way to avoid the really crazy Friday night crowds at another one of my favorite burger joints.  I love it when a plan comes together.  -smile-

Lots of good stuff on the menu.
I am definitely coming back
for the pork chops and maybe
walleye on yet another visit.

The words over the window into the kitchen say it all.  No, those
are not UFO's.  Just really cool heat lamps. 

If I didn't fail to take at least
one picture a little late, would
you wonder if it was really 
the work of your Dining Scout?

Since it was our first visit, the waiter was kind enough to give us some guidance on the menu and other features at ella.  It seems that ella is an abbreviation for "eat local. love art."  There is a small gallery right next to the restaurant and he said we were welcome to browse while waiting for our meals to arrive and he would retrieve us at the appropriate time.  I asked my sweetest if she intended to check out the art work while we perused the menu and she showed only the slightest interest.  We were agonizing about an appetizer and were on the fence between the polenta fries and the Ella-Vated Potato Chips.  He provided savory details on both, but suggested we consider a seasonal feature instead -  buffalo cauliflower.  It was small florets of cauliflower in a light breading flash fried and perfectly tender, served with a generous dollop of Gorgonzola cream, a pleasant drizzle of buffalo cream sauce, and a shaved celery salad.  The Gorgonzola cream and buffalo cream sauce were both house-made.  I loved it, but my sweetest found it just a tad too spicy.  She likes absolutely no heat, but will occasionally tolerate food described as zesty. -smirk-

If you are old enough (Gen-X, at least), I am sure you are recalling a skit from the popular 80's variety show "In Living Color."  The skit was a tongue-in-cheek send-up of how individuals of the paler ethnicity can't tolerate spicy food.  The memorable line from this skit is comedic actress Victoria Jackson exclaiming: "WOW this is SPICY!  What's in this?!?!?  TOMATOES!?!?!"  As I have others in my family besides my bride that can't handle spicy foods, this phrase has been oft repeated over the years and is now part of our collective consciousness.  Love you, Mom.  -smile- 


After enjoying the appetizer, we both ordered an Ella Burger.  Someone at the table ordered it straight up (medium) and someone else ordered it with provolone instead of pepper-jack (medium-well).  Bet you can guess who ordered what... -chortle-  The waiter repeated his suggestion to check out the art work next door, not wanting us to miss out of the full experience at ella.  He was right when he said there was some great stuff next door.  Even though we are not the types to casually drop a few hundred dollars on art work, we did find some affordably priced local art and some stuff that while maybe not really 'art' it was definitely 'artsy.'  Like the 'Tattooed' silver we purchased.  It was old silver utensils etched with cute phrases.  A spoon with 'cereal killer' etched into the bowl or another one etched 'Good morning Beautiful.'  Once again, I am sure you know which of us gravitated to each of these divergent examples.  We intended to only purchase one, but there was a $20 minimum purchase required to use plastic money. Consequently, we picked out a second one.  Our timing was good too, as the waiter came with a two minute warning on the arrival of our entrees just as we completed our purchase.  All things being equal, maybe I should have resisted his earlier en-treatises and stayed at the table. No...  There are worse things to do than support a small local gallery. -big smile-   

Better lean over your plate when you bite into
this baby.  Juicy and flavorful are the watch
words.  Wouldn't want you to stain your shirt.

Gazing upon the ella burgers as they arrived at the table, I could see why they made the list in Columbus Monthly.  A ten ounce patty of locally raised beef, expertly cooked, with a melted slice of pepper jack cheese (or provolone, if you wish), thick-sliced house bacon, a smattering of french-fried onions, dill pickle half, and house-made onion aioli.  This perched atop a grilled bun of excellent character.  This is not the kind of bun you pick up for 99 cents a pack at the local grocery.  Maybe $3.99 a pack at the local grocery, if you are lucky.  If the burger wasn't enough, it was served with a generous portion of seasoned and flash fried potato wedges and ketchup.  Mmmmmmmm.

I don't know when the last time was I ate a burger that inspired me to quickly grab a napkin after each bite.  Yes, that's right...  The juices were running down my chin from start to finish.  OK, so maybe it was only a week or two ago, but still...  This burger ROCKS!  Maybe my top 5 is in need of a re-shuffle.  The potato wedges were magnificent too.  I don't know how they got the outside incredibly crispy, while keeping the inside unbelievably tender and moist.  Perhaps I should inquire with my Food Network favorite, Alton Brown.  I bet he could unwrap the mystery for me.  They tasted great neat and lightly dipped in ketchup.  Yes, I am periodically closing my eyes and daydreaming about it as I type this.

Much like another of my favorite establishments that shall remain nameless, the meal was a a bit more than I typically spend for a quick burger at lunch.  However, this is WAY MORE than a quick lunch burger. I encourage you to ignore your wallet's (or purse's) whining and pony up. -big smile-   Yes, it is much easier for me to ask you to spend your hard earned dollars than it is for me to spend mine. Love you too, Dad. -big laugh-  In this case, I have already spent mine for your benefit.  You should feel good about that.  The atmosphere of quiet and somewhat understated elegance is a fitting complement to the menu.

How do I take my bourbon?
In a chocolate bourbon pecan
pie with vanilla bean ice cream
and a caramel drizzle.

As we were devouring the last bit of our meal, the waiter subtly placed the dessert menus on the table for our consideration.  At the top of the list was the chocolate bourbon pecan pie.  You should know that my sweetest has an aversion to nuts (marriage to me excluded, of course) almost as great as her aversion to spicy.  So it took no small amount of persuasion to secure her agreement to not only order it, but enjoy some of it with me.  The plethora of pecans ensured that I would get the lion's share, but not quite all of it.  Sometimes life just works out that way.  It was a fitting end to a perfect summer evening in Central Ohio.  Time to go back outside and sweat in the ubiquitous heat and humidity.  If you enjoy a good peach or a great burger, head on over to the northeastern frontier (of Columbus), Lynd's and ella will make it worth your while.

Brought these little beauties home with us.
Just like with our dogs, I thought one would
be enough and somehow  we ended up
with two. -smile-

Didn't buy these, but had to take a picture.  Made me take back
bad things I have said about golf clubs (woods, anyway).  There
is ONE good use for them... Repurposed as decorative ducks.

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,

Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike

http://www.lyndfruitfarm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lyndfruitfarm?fref=ts
http://www.ella-restaurant.com/#eat-together
https://www.facebook.com/ellanewalbany?fref=ts


Who says movies are the only ones who hide "Easter eggs" during the credits...

I almost forgot to mention the house
bread.  It was basted with a
buttery garlic spread and then cooked
in some fashion until it was crisp on the crust and
chewy otherwise.  If I were dog, this is the chewy
treat that would cause me to beg.