CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

We now have two different sponsored restaurant weeks for a total of four times in the year. This is a good thing for our culinary community and a great excuse for more timid eaters to try something new. My alliance is with The Dine Originals Restaurant Weeks – the (currently) fifty-one restaurants to choose from include most of my favorites. During Restaurant Week, I review the menus, looking for something innovative or different or exciting from places I know and from the few I have not tried before. Points go to a chef that stretches their comfort zone to try something out of their normal menu offerings. Going off the menu is a big risk and a big deal – because this often is the “first date” with a Dine Originals Restaurant and the owners want customers new and old to come back.

While I use this week to try new things, I do have one exception. I always opt for the Pistacia Vera Dine Originals Week sampler for $10. This is a quick and easy way to try our a great gourmet dessert shop.

Here is what they have this time around and this is what I ate in my car while driving to Skillet to pick up my dinner.

Collection includes each of the following (stolen from the Pistacia Vera listing on the Dine Originals Web site):

CHOCOLATE BOMBE
Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Semisweet Chocolate Tawny Port Mousse
Glazed with a Chocolate Ganache. Nut Free. (weighed about 1 pound in my hand)

PISTACHIO HONEY NOUGAT
Handmade Nougat with Orange Blossom and Honey. Gluten free.

PISTACIA VERA
541 South Third Street
German Village
614.220.9070