Understory
New School Fancy ... in an Old School!
It isn’t often that The Dads are speechless… we write food reviews, after all… But today, the right words are hard to find.
Understory is just freaking cool. It is hip. It has a vibe. It IS a vibe. It is all those cool catch phrases that kids use today but they’re for sure rizz… or however that word is supposed to be used.
Situated inside the old Open Air School, it's so unique! The kitchen is the old school kitchen. There are lockers on the wall in the hallway. The restrooms are extremely clean, but old style porcelain. But that is where the "old" ends.
New School Fancy ... in an Old School!
It isn’t often that The Dads are speechless… we write food reviews, after all… But today, the right words are hard to find.
Understory is just freaking cool. It is hip. It has a vibe. It IS a vibe. It is all those cool catch phrases that kids use today but they’re for sure rizz… or however that word is supposed to be used.
Situated inside the old Open Air School, it's so unique! The kitchen is the old school kitchen. There are lockers on the wall in the hallway. The restrooms are extremely clean, but old style porcelain. But that is where the "old" ends.
All other parts of this setting exudes class rather than classroom. You can choose your environment based on your mood by choosing the the Commons, Lounge, or Patio. From the brilliant view of the Olentangy Trail to the upscale and very welcoming furnishings, Understory screams class. But then you see the menu and, though the food is beautifully crafted, it isn’t ridiculously expensive. It ain’t cheap, but everything we tasted was completely worth the money.
We started with their Bread and Spread
The hummus has the perfect balance of traditional, smooth chickpeas, but you can taste the olive oil and you can certainly taste the red pepper. It is exquisite. This also comes with goat cheese, but not the grainy stuff you get at the grocery store… This must be whipped and it has the slightest hint of orange rind throughout. At one point, when we didn’t want to fill up on naan, we started eating this with our fingers. It’s that good.
The shining star, however, was the olive tapenade. It is smoky, and oniony, and olivey, and absolutely fantastic. Do you remember Level Dining Lounge way back in the day? Picture THAT tapenade, only possibly better.
For our first cocktail, Craig ordered their modern take on a Perfect Manhattan
It consisted of Japanese Whisky, osmanthus, amaro, umeshu, and pear eau di vie. Basically, it has a bunch of fancy things in it that we all have to Google. No need, though. Trust the magicians behind the bar. It's totally worth it. This cocktail had that perfect balance of booze bite with just a hint of sweetness. It's a real treat of a drink from initial sip to tasty finish.
Mike started with their House Martini
Japanese gin, blanc + dry vermouth, yuzu, vetiver, & kinome. It was the perfect blend of herby, though you could definitely still taste the strong presence of juniper from the gin. It was floral and balanced and everything one could want from a starter drink.
We started with their Bread and Spread
The hummus has the perfect balance of traditional, smooth chickpeas, but you can taste the olive oil and you can certainly taste the red pepper. It is exquisite. This also comes with goat cheese, but not the grainy stuff you get at the grocery store… This must be whipped and it has the slightest hint of orange rind throughout. At one point, when we didn’t want to fill up on naan, we started eating this with our fingers. It’s that good.
The shining star, however, was the olive tapenade. It is smoky, and oniony, and olivey, and absolutely fantastic. Do you remember Level Dining Lounge way back in the day? Picture THAT tapenade, only possibly better.
For our first cocktail, Craig ordered their modern take on a Perfect Manhattan
It consisted of Japanese Whisky, osmanthus, amaro, umeshu, and pear eau di vie. Basically, it has a bunch of fancy things in it that we all have to Google. No need, though. Trust the magicians behind the bar. It's totally worth it. This cocktail had that perfect balance of booze bite with just a hint of sweetness. It's a real treat of a drink from initial sip to tasty finish.
Mike started with their House Martini
Japanese gin, blanc + dry vermouth, yuzu, vetiver, & kinome. It was the perfect blend of herby, though you could definitely still taste the strong presence of juniper from the gin. It was floral and balanced and everything one could want from a starter drink.
Next up, The Mains
Mike ordered the Mixed Poached Apple Salad. We feel like we don’t even have to describe this. The name does so perfectly. It was stupendous. Go. Get it. Add the grilled chicken. Enough said.
Craig got the Shagbark Grits. A beautiful combination of mushrooms, white cheddar, sage, squash, zucchini, caramelized onions, herbs, kohlrabi, onion ash, and hot sauce. Unlike the generic white grits at many northern restaurants, reminiscing to a specific place that's open 24 hours and is famous for pancake-like creations with a grid pattern across them, these grits were from yellow corn. At first bite, it seemed there was no need for the hot sauce: they were flawless!
But remember back to the early days of Mikey's Late Night Slice and that magical squeeze bottle of Slut Sauce? Did you need sauce on your folded over slice of Spicy Ass Pepperoni? No. No one does. But why did you try it? Because it was there. And from the first "with hot sauce" bite, every bite from then on included the hot sauce. It truly added a sweet but spicy zip. We didn't know we needed it, but we are danged happy we tried it!
Mixed Poached Apple Salad
Shagbark Grits
Dessert? Or Dessert Cocktail? Is that even a Question?
We decided to get a dessert cocktail because we simply weren’t ready to leave,
Craig ordered the Boulevardier that blended in seasonal vermouth, suze, and palo santo. Yes, more things we could have Googled, but did it matter? No. This was a delicious drink.
Mike decided on the Paper Plane because it is similar in recipe to another cocktail he makes at home and loves. Bourbon, Aperol, fernet, lemon, and bitters round out a wonderfully crafted taste experience.
Boulevardier
Paper Plane
A Great Place -- A Great Space
We can see hanging out here on the patio around a fire pit, having cocktails with our besties, unwinding from the week that passed. We would happily go for lunch, just the two of us. They have multiple dining experiences, from an order-at-the-bar café, to their full-service dining space and even an additional experience facing the Trail.
We are so happy to have found Understory and hope that you give it a try. You don’t have to dress fancily, but you will definitely feel fancy after this experience.
Understory Columbus
2571 Neil Ave
Columbus, OH 43202
(614) 972-6006
info@understorycbus.com