Bone-in Ribeye, Eddie Potatoes, and Tempura Greens before I picked up my fork. (toby boyce)
Saturday is a great night to take the significant other out on the town, and for our second stop in the DelawareOH 365 we head to Delaware County’s premiere fine dining location – Eddie Merlot’s on Polaris Parkway in southern Delaware County.
Being that neither the wife nor I are used to this type of dining, a key part of the experience is the server and being able to place our trust in their hands. From the first interaction with Jason, I had that feeling and used his recommendations to make the evening amazing.
While we were waiting and taking in the location it was very entertaining to watch the front manager handle the wait staff and diners. After watching Gordon Ramsay’s Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, I was always curious how the front should properly be ran and I think Gordon would have smiled this night.
Eddie Merlot's French Onion Soup is a tasty way to start the meal. (toby boyce)
Gretchen elected to begin the meal with the French Onion Soup ($7.95) and I chose the “soup de jour” ($7.95) which was essentially a beef and vegetable soup on steroids. Both were very good, and I don’t even like French Onion Soup and I finished off Gretchen’s bowl.
For the meal, Gretchen chose the eight-ounce Prime Filet Mignon ($29.95) with a side of Bearnaise ($3), while I chose the 22-ounce Bone-in Prime Ribeye Steak ($42.95), and we split a side of Eddie Potatoes ($7.95) and Tempura Beans ($7.95). Jason’s explanation of the meat choices were spot on as the meat was amazing.
A wide collection of vegetables, meat, and pasta made Eddie Merlot's Soup de Jour an amazing addition. (toby boyce)
Filet Mignon that melts in your mouth is totally amazing — though you’d have to ask Gretchen I only got a single bite. The additional flavor added to the ribeye by leaving the bone in during cooking took it to the next level. Eddie Potatoes — a blend of cubed potatoes, diced jalepenos, and Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese — were the perfect compliment to the steak’s unadulturated beef flavor. The tempura beans were a classic side with a very light tempura batter adding to the crunch of the green beans and dipped in a wasabi sauce.
We closed the meal off splitting a Cheesecake ($7.95) and in Gretchen’s words “this is even better than Cheesecake Factory.”
The meal was expensive, no bones about that. However, as a special occassion meal it really hits the mark — and I’d honestly put it as the second-best restaurant (only beind Emeril’s in Orlando) I’ve ever at at.
Reservations are encouraged and can be made online at OpenTable.com or by calling (614) 433-7307.
Eddie Merlot’s is located at 1570 Polaris Parkway in Columbus, Ohio in southern Delaware County.
Toby Boyce, nor Ohio Home Team, received any compensation for this review by Eddie Merlot’s or any other organization. Gretchen’s cheesecake was comped for it being her “birthday month” but not for this review.
What is DelawareOH365.com?
DelawareOH365.com is a continuing series that will continue for one-year — beginning on March 4, 2011 — and highlighting the busineesses, people, history, and events that make Delaware County the jewel of not only Ohio but the Midwest for living. Follow along with the journey on the Google Map, and if you have ideas – by all means leave a comment or drop an e-mail (toby@tobysellshomes.com) and we’ll gladly check it out.
