Columbus Monthly / April 2012 / Sidebar 122

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Sidebar 122

A noteworthy addition to the downtown dining scene.

I  recently experienced something at Sidebar 122 I’d only read about. When our excellent waitress arrived with my Negroni, she performed a bit of magic on the drink. She held a chunk of orange rind to a flame adjacent to the glass. The result was a flash of burnt orange flavoring that swept across the top. I was familiar with the technique, but never had seen it. I’m now a believer; it was the best Negroni I’ve tasted.

Sidebar, found downtown near the intersection of East Main and South Fourth streets, does a good job with other cocktails, too. I recommend the martini and Pimm’s Cup.

Now for the food. 

The meal began with a lively (and complimentary!) dish of hummus flavored with cilantro and accompanied by savory pastry-ish triangles for dipping. Curiously, Sidebar 122’s menu included no appetizers, although some of the entrees could pass as such. So my dining companion and I ordered the fried calamari dinner as a starter. It was heavily battered and a bit oily, but the flavor was OK and the aïoli decent. (The other sauce, “Spicy Rocoto,” was bland.)

Salads were generously sized and served on impressively large white plates that resembled platters. The Caprese surprised me by including tomatoes that were quite decent, despite the fact it was winter; I also liked the mozzarella and tasty balsamic reduction. The Tuscan salad featured a Caesar-like base of romaine with red onions, diced tomatoes, olives and some grilled chicken breast in a somewhat-too-sweet balsamic dressing. The house was a mix of greens, roasted peppers, toasted pecans and what tasted like canned artichokes (too bad) in a creamy pecan dressing that looked mustardy, but wasn’t particularly full-flavored. The prettiest of the bunch was the one with three wedges with cherry tomatoes, good blue cheese and crisp crumbled bacon.

Entrees, as a class, were not up to the cocktails or the salads, although some were pretty good. Surprisingly, the vegetarian fettuccine was among the best, with nicely cooked pasta, good sautéed portobello mushrooms, spinach, artichokes, roasted red peppers (shredded) and a fine wild mushroom sauce. The other vegetarian entree, eggplant marinara, was quite acceptable as well.

The lobster in lobster ravioli seemed a little tired, although the reddish crabmeat (which I couldn’t detect) cream sauce was tasty. Seafood Opera was a mix of shrimp, mussels, clams, squid and scallops simmered in a cilantro tomato sauce over pasta; it was just slightly brackish. But I really enjoyed the shrimp and garlic dish, which might have made for a good appetizer substitute. The creamy and tasty pan-seared Atlantic salmon came with satisfactory mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. Chicken and shrimp skewers were OK, although a bit overcooked.

Dessert swung back to the right side of good. Lucuma cheesecake was sweet and rich, although the dairy flavor could have been more pronounced. Chocolate crème brûlée was dense and eggy. Our favorite was bruselina, which somewhat resembled tiramisu; there were layers of mousse cake, butterscotch and Chantilly cream with toasted almonds. It was complex, well-flavored, moist and just plain interesting.

I also was impressed with Sidebar 122’s handling of coffee. It arrived in a steel carafe to be plunged when it had brewed long enough, resulting in a cup of rich goodness. And that cup came piping hot even before the coffee was poured. Bravo! Even the decaf was excellent.

 

Sidebar 122

122 E. Main St.

228-9041

sidebar122.com

Atmosphere: Busily festive, with a certain downtown bustle.

Recommended dishes: Hummus, Caprese salad, wedge salad, vegetarian fettuccine, shrimp and garlic and bruselina.

Price range: Salads $7-$12; entrees $12-$20; featured weekend entrees $20-$30; desserts $4-$8.

Hours: Monday through Thursday 5 to 10 pm (bar 4 pm to midnight), Friday and Saturday till 11 pm (bar 4 pm to 2 am); closed Sunday.

Service: Good and personable, but occasionally food comes out slow.

Reservations: Accepted.

Rating: ***