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(Photo by ColumbusFoodie)
Food may be most often discussed topic day in and day out on Columbus Underground, so the “Best Restaurant” award is one that always weighs heavier than many others. For the second year in a row, Alana’s Food & Wine has topped our reader’s poll as the absolutely best Columbus restaurant of the year. Chef and owner Alana Shock has lived on the cutting edge of accessible gourmet dining and manages to maintain her popularity as the go-to spot for foodies through her focus on local, seasonal, and specialty ingredients.
The Top 10 Restaurants of 2009:
I can’t complain about that choice. Alana’s is great. Actually, I love all the places on that list (although Hyde Park has no vegetarian items that I know of.)
I continue to be amazed that Deepwood never makes these lists.
+1 for Deepwood, its easily my #1 pick.
Alana is #1 in everything. I can’t say enough about how great she is, and how much I admire and enjoy the restaurant. Congratulations to Alana and Kevin and the entire Alana’s Team!
DeepWood is a great place, and the owner is always attentive to the needs of the guest and always brings out something a little extra…:)
Yay, Alana’s! Congrats to all the winners and yes, where’s Deepwood?
What, no Sushi Rock? lol
This is a great list, though I wish two places could find their way on there in addition to Deepwood, Z Cucina is a wonderful place for Italian, and M strikes me as more worthy than Hyde Park.
I do miss the days when the Bexley Monk was worthy of rankings such as these.
Good list. Not sure about Hyde Park, I’d like to see Deepwood there instead.
Yay Alana’s!! And yay Kevin and Jon Mason xoxoxox (sous chef)!!! And James and Courtney and of course Tofu!! And everyone else.
I am also disappointed not to see Deepwood on the list. It really is a great restaurant with some amazingly talented people and I would definitely bump Lindey’s to see them on the list. I have nothing against Lindey’s, but I think they are more for their vibe and bar scene. The food is perfectly fine, but not to the level of Deepwood.
And I would also put Sage on that list. BUT! It’s not my poll!
Mmmm…Sage, you’re right! We can start the campaign for next year! ; )
@Rick,
Last time I was at the Monk, it was better than I remember it in a long time. I just had pizza and I’m not sure it it’s back to being Gifford and Cory good, but I am going to give it another shot.
Sounds like everyone needs to take a friend out to Deepwood every month throughout 2010. Spread the word and influence the public opinion for voting next year! :D
Does anyone know if Alana’s minds carry out orders?
Happy to see Alana up top, agree that it’s a shame that Deepwood didn’t make the cut, and IMHO it’s positively a crime that Kihachi isn’t on there as well.
I was surprised that Kihachi didn’t make the list.
For anyone who hasn’t tried Deepwood and wants to but is watching their budget they have a special set menu this saturday $25. They usually have it for gallery hop but its a week late this month. They are also open for lunch and I would recommend their happy hour menu.
http://www.deepwoodrestaurant.com/events.htm
Alana’s winning is great news; it’s very well deserved. Props also to the other Top 10 winners. DeepWood and Kihachi not making the list is Bad. I’m with Walker — spread the news, people. DeepWood’s Tavern side menu is a less expensive way to get to know them.
I’m thrilled Alana’s won, but like others, I would have liked to see Sage and Kihachi on the list.
(I’m one of those people who really needs to get to Deepwood)
I am one of those people who continues to be amazed that Rigsby’s is on these lists. I have had some pretty terrible experiences there. Am I the only one in Columbus who thinks that Rigsby’s is vastly overrated?
I am lucky to have Alana’s at the end of my street. I only wish I was lucky enough to be able to eat there every day. The food is so good. Olde North Columbus has so many great restaurants, but I do have to say this one is the best.
I do have to say, Deepwood is a close second for a really great dinner, and their vegetarian menu bests the standard menu in my opinion.
I wonder if a voting system where we ask for people’s top 10 restaurants and give out weighted scores might yield different (more accurate?) results.
For example, if you vote for Alana’s, but Deepwood is your #2, the result is you casting your +1 for Alana’s and assigning Deepwood the same score as everything else… a zero. So what you’re left with is more of a list of people Top 10 “#1 Restaurants” and not necessarily the overall top 10 restaurants in order of collective preference.
I think you still get a pretty accurate result with the way we did it this year, but perhaps trying it the other way may be in order for next year. Thoughts?