Have you Hurd... Double Comfort is in the Short North, but they are long on Southern Charm

While it's true I was born and have spent more than a few years living north of the Mason-Dixon line, I also spent more than a handful of my formative years south of it.  More than long enough to develop an appreciation for what I consider to be the finer points of southern cooking.  I don't profess to know about all of it or even like every single thing I have tried, but I am a big fan of several staples - fried chicken, bacon (or sausage or ham or any combination thereof) gravy, country ham, buttermilk biscuits, grits, corn bread, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and the list goes on...  It is one of the reasons I am thankful to work for a company with an office in Nashville, Tennessee.  If I am lucky, every once in awhile I get to travel there and eat my way across that town and back again.

Which means I am more than a little embarrassed to admit that Double Comfort has been in operations here in the Columbus area for over 8 months and today was my first visit.  Since they position themselves as a purveyor of all the great southern comforts - both food and drink...  I should have been camped out for opening day.  The good news is that they were willing to hang around this long and wait for me.  As usual, I took a few friends along for the ride.  And one of them didn't have to go back to work, so he was willing to sample a cocktail for the record.  Well, one cocktail for the record and one purely for his enjoyment.  -smile-

We expected the poutine
appetizer to be dressed with
fresh cheese curds too.  It was
decided that it was just fine
without them.

We worked the menu from top to bottom and side to side.  We tried the poutine appetizer, both white and dark meat chicken, the chicken and dumplings blue plate special, the jalapeno skillet corn bread, macaroni and cheese, country-style green beans, mashed potatoes, and (of course) the bacon gravy.  We were mildly surprised when we were handed our menus, as they differed substantially from what we had seen on their website.  I am not sure if that was because the menu had changed recently or if the dinner menu is online and we went for lunch?  Didn't slow us down too much, just a little hiccup.   I am not a connoisseur of Canadian cuisine (beyond the ubiquitous Canadian-style bacon).  Consequently, when my friend asked me whether it should include fresh cheese curds, I suggested asking our waitress.  She was kind enough to confirm that it did.  The poutine hit the table not long after the drinks and was generous enough share.   What came out from the kitchen was shoestring cut fried potatoes covered lovingly with the house-made bacon gravy and some minced green onions.  It tasted great, so our disappointment in the lack of cheese curds lasted for just a short while.  We had enough to keep us busy while we awaited our entrees.

I kept my order simple and opted for two fried chicken thighs and country style green beans with a side of gravy.  The fried chicken was perfectly seasoned and crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside.  The breading had a pleasant kick to it.  Double Comfort calls it Memphis-style.  I find that most southern-style fried chicken has that same bit of spiciness in the breading.  Usually from black pepper or cayenne.  It doesn't even rise to what I would call medium heat, but if someone is sensitive to spicy food they may have issues with it.  The same could be said for the bacon gravy and country-style green beans.  Both had a spiciness/heat level similar to the chicken.  I loved it, but I am pretty sure my wife would be less enthused.  She is not a fan of any kind of pepper.  For me, this meal was a home run.  I regret having waited so long to try this place.  I may have found a new favorite comfort food restaurant.

Can't you just taste that crispy
fried goodness in your mind?

Can you call it southern style
without a side of cream gravy? 

Can't go wrong with country
style green beans.  Even they
had just a little kick.

Based on the adjectives being tossed about the table while we joyfully consumed the feast they set before us, I believe the feedback was universally positive.  While all likewise noted the common thread of spiciness in many of the offerings, all agreed it was pleasing to their palate and they looked forward to the next visit.  One member of our group even asked for some beignets to take back to the office, but then decided he didn't want them to get cold driving back to work... So we consumed them too...  Smaller than the ones I tried in NOLA, but every bit as good.  Double Comfort offers them with a caramel sauce (I skipped that) which my friends indicated had a faint bourbon flavor to it.  So maybe a bourbon flavored caramel sauce?  Whatever it was, I think they were considering drinking it straight out of the container rather than dipping the beignets in it.  That is how much they liked it.  I should mention that the Rusty Tractor cocktails were also a hit.

Southern-style jalapeno skillet corn bread.  This
should not be confused with Yankee corn bread
(aka Jiffy corn bread).  It is not the least bit sweet
or fluffy.  

The chicken and dumplings and side salad.  This
was the Wednesday blue plate special.

The crowd today was surprisingly light for lunch time, but the manager stopped by and let us know that she expected that trend to change once the weather warmed up.  Apparently the folks that work at the nearby insurance company (that shall remain nameless) can't handle a short walk in the cold.  Too bad for them.  If I worked within walking distance of Double Comfort, they would have a table with a brass plate engraved with my name on it, permanently reserved for me and whomever I drag to lunch on that day.  That is how often I would be there.  In order to maintain my stunning physique I would then have to leave my car at the office and run all the way home and all the way back to the office the next morning. -smile-  The decor inside felt like the inside of an old barn.  Accents of rough planks along with some interesting old photographs and other agrarian curiosities.  Just felt comfortable to the entire group.  Not a total shock, given their name.  The pace of the meal was not nearly quick enough for a normal lunch hour, but since this was our first visit I don't expect it will keep us from coming back.  Hopefully, it was just an isolated occurrence and things will move along more quickly next time.  I would like to keep them on my list for lunch or dinner. Perhaps even lunch and dinner someday...  mmmmmm.....  Now you're talking... -smile-

Loved this picture.  Reminds me of a tractor my
Dad owned when I was a little kid.  In fact, I
think my Uncle may still have it.  

www.doublecomfortrestaurant.com

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike

Have you Hurd... Son of Thurman... Not Far from the Original...

It was a long hard slog, but I just about worked through all my birthday specials.  OK.. So maybe it wasn't really all that hard or long... Maybe it was more of a pleasurable saunter throw the section of the Yellow Pages entitled "My Favorite Restaurants."  A tough life, but someone has to lead it, right?  -sly grin-  One lingering coupon for Quaker Steak and Lube.  On the fence about hitting All-You-Can-Eat wing night before it expires.  The wings are still  good and the beer is still ice cold, but breaking even on AYCE feels more like a chore these days than a treat.  Perhaps I will visit another day later in the week and avoid the pressure of trying to eat more than half my age in wings.  Not sure what they are feeding the chickens these days, but I do recall a time when I could exceed my age in wings at The Lube.  Those days are long gone for me.  Hopefully, my readership doesn't think any less of me for it.

Even though I was done with my coupons, I still hadn't experienced my 'birthday meal' yet.  My wife told me I could pick whatever location I wanted.  Had to think for a good long time.  Finally settled on Son of Thurman in Delaware.  Phoned some friends to round out the group and set an early meal time on Sunday to avoid the crowds.  Fortunately, we found on street parking a little more than a block away from the restaurant.  Spring started on Friday, but the weather was feeling like winter hadn't quite let go yet.  We arrived at the front door at 11:30 am to mixed messages.  The hours of operation posted on the door indicated we needed to wait a half hour for opening, but the neon OPEN sign was lit.  As we stood on the street, jaws agape and wondering what to do... The hostess opened the door and informed us they were in fact already open and they just needed to update their hours on the sign.  She ushered us immediately to a table.  

Should have brought a good
knife.  I could've paid for our
dinner with a little bit of
peeled wall covering.   

Who would've thought there was so much
pent up desire to deface US Legal Tender.
Son of Thurman has tapped into a
local groundswell.  Upping the ante on those
souvenir penny presses for sure.

The dining room is considerably larger than the original Thurman Cafe, but has much the same feel.  I am sure that was intentional.  The menu felt very familiar too.  As we both recalled how ridiculously huge the burgers were, we skipped breakfast and didn't plan to have supper either.  The interior was papered with dollar bills that had been personalized by either patrons or employees and laminated over with scotch tape.  Good thing the Secretary of the Treasury never comes here for lunch.  The amount of defaced currency in the place might cause him to launch some sort of Federal investigation.  It would be a shame to put the brakes on this burgeoning culinary enterprise over a few signed George Washington's.  -smile-  

Did I mention that the onion
rings were breaded instead of
battered.  BIG PLUS with
the Dining Scout.

A plethora of pretzel bites with
plenty of honey mustard sauce
for dipping.  BIG PLUS with
young and old alike.

The waitress quickly introduced herself and took our drink orders and we also ordered an appetizer while we waited on the rest of our party to arrive.  The dining room had yet to fill up, but gauging by the number of staff buzzing about a crowd was definitely expected.  Rather than try to rattle off the list of rotating seasonal beers on tap, the waitress showed me the handwritten list.  Only one hard cider and it was Angry Orchard with hops.  The hops made it sound too much like beer and I opted for a bottle of McKenzie's Black Cherry hard cider instead.  EXCELLENT!  The basket of fries and onion rings arrived at the same time as my hard cider.  Both were perfectly crisp and golden brown.  The fries also had a light coating of season salt.  Impressive for being thick fresh cut fries.  Not sure what they do to get them so crisp.  Our friends filtered in and joined us and added some pretzel bites to the mix.  Salty and slightly crispy on the outside... Soft and chewy on the inside... and with a sweet honey mustard sauce.  A hit with the adults and their young daughter.  Chops to the kitchen crew on the starters.

The namesake burger.
Picture taken before I even
thought about taking the first
bite.  

The Son of a Bacon Burger.
I am not sure which is more
impressive, the burger or the
quantity of bacon.  

We moved quickly to the main event.  As big as the burgers are, it felt like were featured in a title bout.  Twelve ounces of ground beef covered with any manner of toppings.  I opted for the original Thurman Burger topped with ham, sauteed onions, mushrooms, provolone, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayonnaise.  I skipped the bun, but did enjoy the chips - a nice crunchy kettle-style potato chip.  Not house-made, but still good.  The burger was cooked perfectly, but the large number of toppings all stacked on top of each other needed some help.  I don't think the ham ever touched the grill.  I think that would have made a world of difference in the cheese layer - which was just melted enough to be somewhat rubbery.  Not quite the ooey gooey goodness I love on a burger.  And this burger deserves no less.  Maybe I threw off the concoction by skipping the bun.  A hot grilled bun might have helped melt the cheese too. Either way, a moderate disappointment for me.  My wife thoroughly enjoyed the Son of a Bacon burger she ordered.  She brought half of it home, due to the sheer size of it.  I am betting that is a fairly common occurrence.  

Yes, even pepperoni pizza.
Isn't that what they call a
win, win, win?  Or
something like that.

Our friends split the ticket and tried both a burger and a pepperoni pizza.  I sneaked a slice of the pepperoni pizza - solely for the benefit of my readership, of course.  It was delicious.  It was a crispy thin crust with a respectable sauce, solid blend of cheeses, and plenty of pepperoni baked to a nice light brown.  Yum!  Almost good enough to make me skip the burger next time.  -wink-   The burgers are a mixed bag as far as sides, so you have to pay attention to the waitress when she asks if you are OK with your side.  She pointed out to us what side came with each burger we ordered.  If you weren't listening, you might be surprised to find chips on your plate instead of fries or vice-versa.  I am sure you have already figured out none of us had room for dessert.  The waitress brought us some carry out boxes and the bill promptly.  I am not sure if she could tell we were first-time customers for this location, but she took great care of us from start to finish.  

Getting an early start was a good call, as the dining room was full by the time we departed.  Another good meal with good friends.  A recurring theme with the Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef.  I just needed them to help roll me out the door to the car.  -groan-  Look forward to coming back again soon.  Maybe next time we'll split a burger.  And we'll see about dessert. -big smile-

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike


Son of Thurman, 5 N Sandusky Street
Delaware, OH  43015
http://sonofthurman.com/

I Even Had on my Barn Coat...

Since I am a recovering former auditor, I will begin with an IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE.  The restaurant I visited tonight for the first time is one of the latest to be opened by one of my personal heroes, Cameron Mitchell.  I was fortunate enough to meet him in person once after a promotional event and, like any star stuck teenager, all I could say to him was "I bet you have a Superman suit on under the rest of your clothes."  Judging by the strange look on his face, I needed to explain to him that I said that only because he was one of my personal heroes and not because I was thinking about what base layer he prefers when attending public events.  Since he sold his steakhouses to Ruth's Chris many moons ago, I rarely find myself going out for high end USDA prime beef.  I considered tonight to be perhaps the start of a comeback tour (however brief) and to say expectations were running high would be a monumental understatement.

The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek was exceptional on every level.  It is billed as a casual steakhouse and BBQ restaurant and you can definitely smell the hardwood smoke in the air.  Although I wonder if it is from the oak-aged bourbons they serve or the meat they are smoking in the kitchen. -wink, wink- 

My wife and I decided to kick things off with the BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp from the appetizer menu (served with a side of slaw).  Between the tangy house made BBQ sauce and smoky bacon wrap, I totally forgot I don't really like shrimp. They were gone so fast, I didn't even get a picture.  The slaw was a nice complement.  I like that the dressing was pretty straightforward with a colorful mix of shredded cabbages.  I don't why so many places feel the need to get cheeky with the dressing and put an obscene amount of spicy mustard or Tabasco or who knows what else in there.  Sometimes you don't have to be edgy to be good.

My wife surprised me and ordered a Bourbon Apple Punch.  Only fitting, since bourbon and rye whiskeys are a central feature at The Barn.  I wasn't sure I could handle that much character and instead ordered the Mary Pickford.  She shared a sip.  I shared a sip.  May have to have the Bourbon Apple Punch next time.  Woodford Reserve Double Oak is soooooo smooth.  She said I could keep the tequila.  Something to talk about as we eagerly anticipated the main course.  

The menu had good variety, but since this was our first visit, we decided to pay homage to some Black Falls Angus beef . Chateaubriand sounds a bit pretentious, but once I discovered it was just a generous cut of beef filet cooked for two...  We were all over it...  Well, once I agreed to let them cook it to medium...  She doesn't like it to still be mooing when it hits the table.  Even at medium, it was magnificent.  A lightly salty charred crust on the edges and melt in your mouth tenderness beyond that.  I tried a bite or two with the house made Bearnaise and steak sauce. Certainly didn't need any help, but had to try them.  They were outstanding.  I thought about pouring the steak sauce into my coat pocket to take it home with me, but realized I checked my coat with the hostess.  Better planning next time.   

One minor modification (standard offering is 16 ounce filet carved table-side, plus roasted vegetables, and roasted baby redskin potatoes) was to sub loaded baked potatoes for the roasted baby reds.  Vegetables were grilled until just tender with a nice char and seasoning on them. Loaded baked potatoes were fluffy with crispy skin on the outside.  Plenty of butter, sour cream, cheese, etc.  When the waiter asked if he could take my plate, I told him if he didn't I might lick it clean in front of the other guests.   

Still getting used to the cell phone and phone cam...Cake is half gone.

Thankfully, we managed not to go too crazy and saved room for a shared dessert.  We took the option at the top of the dessert menu - caramel soaked chocolate cake.  WOW!  The chocolate cake was so dark, my iPhone cam turned on the flash for the picture.  Unbelievably moist with a light chocolate frosting and rich caramel sauce for a great finish. It was the caramel sauce the really caught my eye in the first place.  So when it is this good, is it heavenly or sinful?                   

The atmosphere was laid back.  The dining room showed some enhancements, but I was thankful they preserved at least some of the feel of the barn's original occupant (another bbq restaurant who shall remain nameless).  The waiters and waitresses were decked out in denim and gingham with old school dark ties and apron.  Our waitress and the rest of the team were always nearby and exceptionally attentive.   

OK.. So for those who know me well... My birthday is coming up next month.. If you are wondering what to get me.. Cameron Mitchell gift card...  (just kidding).  Although I can't wait to get back to The Barn...  I'll be sure to wear my barn coat next time too.... If I get some good feedback on this post, I may share a funny story from my childhood about my barn boots, barn coat...  the talking tree at the old downtown Lazarus... and a calf my family tried to trick me into believing was a dog...