Morton’s, The Steakhouse

Anne & I stopped in Morton’s to have dinner last Friday night. Our most recent previous visit was during the great Valentine’s Day blizzard of 2007. Needless to say, the weather was better in June. When we arrived at 7pm the restaurant wasn’t too busy, but things picked up considerably and was bustling within the hour. We were seated in a nice oversized booth against the wall with a view overlooking the whole restaurant. A great spot for people watching.

Before I go any further, allow me to address the fact that yes Morton’s is a chain. They’ve got 70 locations around the world, mostly in the US, but some as far away as Singapore. Actually, according to Wikipedia, “Morton’s Restaurant Group is the world’s largest owner and operator of company-owned upscale restaurants”. This downtown location is the only one in Central Ohio, so even though it’s a chain, I’d feel a little embarrassed if Columbus didn’t have a Morton’s.

Anyway, if you’ve never been, Morton’s is located inside the old Nationwide Two plaza. There’s not much of a street presence other than a simple awning over a small door, and the valet parking sign out front. We would love for this restaurant to have windows to view the street, but it is decorated nicely and has a very upscale/boardroom feel to it. It’s pretty much the first thing you’d think of when you try to picture a classic, traditional steakhouse. You know… the kind you’d see in old black and white movies.

The bread you’re started off with is a whole loaf of round onion bread that is served warm and delicious. A bit crumbly once you start slicing it up, but it’s no problem since the crumbs are swept up before your dinners are brought out.

After your drinks are taken care of, a menu cart is rolled out to display their current menu; this evening’s included a live lobster sitting on a plate alongside their prime-aged beef and vegetables. Everything is shown to you, all questions are answered, and it is all a wonderfully memorized presentation that really adds class to the dining experience.

I decided to order an appetizer of Tuna Tartare and the Filet Oskar entree. Anne chose an appetizer of Broiled Sea Scallops Wrapped in Bacon with Apricot Chutney and the Filet Diane as her entree. We shared a side of Mashed Potatoes as the side portions are enough to feed two or three people easily. Anne also ordered the Hot Upside-Down Apple Cake for her dessert. All hot desserts must be ordered with your meal so they are ready in time to eat.

When the appetizers arrived we dove straight in. The scallops were cooked beautifully. Anne said they were very tender with a bit of crisp on the sides and they melted in her mouth. She thought the bacon and apricot flavors were delicious accompaniments. My tuna tartar was layered with tomato and avocado and served with a spicy sauce drizzled around the plate. The tuna was very high quality and melted in my mouth just as it should. I’ve had my share lately of good tartar and bad tartar, and I’d say that Morton’s ranks up there as one of the best I’ve had in Columbus.

After finishing off our appetizers we were given a bit of time between courses for conversation and digestion, which is always great for a meal such as this. The last thing you should want to feel is rushed when you’re enjoying high quality food.

The filets came out next, and are one of their smaller cuts of beef on the menu. If you’re interested in ordering an appetizer, salad, and dessert, the filet is probably about all the meat you can eat without feeling uncomfortably stuffed at the end of the night.

Ordering it “oskar” style includes lump crab meat on top, a biscuit underneath, a béarnaise sauce, and asparagus on the side. The filet was cooked perfectly to order, and the extras were a great mix of flavors. The asparagus were some of the biggest I’ve seen. Probably nearly an inch in diameter. The one thing I could have done without was the biscuit. It was a bit hard, and didn’t have much flavor. I would have been fine eating the remainder of the starter onion bread with my meal, which was much better in my opinion. Otherwise, a great entree.

Anne’s Filet Diane was served with a very delicious demi glace mustard sauce with sautéed mushrooms and it also sat on top of a biscuit. She ordered it well-done, with no charring and it was absolutely delicious. The addition of mashed potatoes drizzled with a dollop of butter made the dish perfect. She said that every element of the dish went very well together.

After our table was cleared, the dessert menu was brought around again to showcase their cold dessert options. After initially opting to share Anne’s cake, I decided to go ahead and order the Creme Brulee for myself. I was glad that I did. The ramikens used were slightly deeper than what I’m used to, so it was actually a slightly larger portion than I expected, which is nice because I can never get enough creme brulee.

The upside down apple cake Anne had was pretty good as well. It was a bit heavy on the raisins for her liking, but she said the cake was delicious. It was served with Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream.

As expected with a restaurant as classy as Morton’s, all of the wait staff were very pleasant and very professional. Our waiter was very knowledgeable concerning the questions we had, and the maitre’d was seen checking in on tables throughout the night to make sure everyone was pleased with their dining experience.

For birthdays, anniversaries, other special occasions and all VIPs, a selection of after dinner drinks is offered. Very nice touch.  We did get a look into the private boardroom for special events and it looks very nice. There was a wedding party there during Valentine’s Day and it would be a wonderful space to celebrate in.

Overall, Morton’s is a classic dining experience. While many newer upscale restaurants are trying to create new experiences, innovate with their menus, and provide modern dining room environments, Morton’s seem perfectly content with keeping things traditional. And honestly, when it comes to serving a great steak, there’s really no need to try to reinvent the wheel.

For more information on locations, the menu, and to make reservations online, check out www.mortons.com.