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    Restaurant Review: Flatiron’s New Menu

    To be honest, Flatiron Bar & Diner didn’t need to change a thing. It has a loyal following; lots of regulars, with familiar greetings and banter in the air. Its kitchen has always been known for gumbo and Cajun influenced food that’s just this side of fancy. If it’s not a dressy joint, it is at least a classy one.

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    The building that houses the stop has a long, proud history. Per the Flatiron website, it’s the 1914 work of Myrt Higgins, a Columbus builder. The structure is four stories tall, and only eight feet wide at its skinny end; it spans 25 feet at the wide end.

    So, Myrt Higgins designed the building, and the chef who designed the updated menu options is a phonetic doppleganger: Matt (Matthew) Heaggans of Swoop! Food Truck fame. It must be meant to be.

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    Kick things off with the new House Funyun ($6), green onion (blessedly mild) is crispy coated and fried, then served with a spiked ranch that adds a creamy foil, with an attention getting little burn that makes it difficult to use any self-restraint when it comes to finishing off the appetizer.

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    Then, it might be curry-based, but the new Seafood Laksa ($16) has a hearty, reddish hue that makes it seem shockingly harmonious in a traditionally Cajun-leaning joint. Lots of flat noodles bury treasures of white fish and scallops in a warm, red broth that’s foggy with cream. The noodles and creaminess make it comforting, the fish and lightness make it work for warm weather days.

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    There’s another newbie called the Lunch Bucket ($16). It’s built on a foundation of something called “pickle-brined fried chicken”. Of the many things that happen to chicken, pickling sounds a little unconventional. At the get-go, it’s worth noting that a table companion, oblivious of the menu description, grabbed a piece, took one bite and said, “This is good, but sort of unusual. It tastes like a pickle.”

    There you have it.

    That’s a stronger reaction than the personal one: the chicken flesh does indeed have a distinct briny accent. It’s served on-the-bone, breaded and fried to a darker taupe than a typical bird. That gives it an intriguing hue and flavor, and the review on both is officially positive. It comes with real pickles (crisp) and skinny fries.

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    For those who hate change, there is solace. You’ll find your favorite Gumbo ($7) remains a menu option. It’s still a perfect savory merging of chicken, sausage (house-made) and shrimp. And the Muffuletta ($13), packed with salami, mortadella and ham, didn’t go anywhere.

    The bar is a big comfort zone for lots of guests. There, you can score half-off on lots of appetizers from 3pm to 7pm on weekdays during happy hour. You can wash it all down with something like one of the house designer Martinis or an Ohio craft beer.

    You can find Flatiron at 129 E. Nationwide Blvd. The kitchen is open Mondays through Wednesdays from 11am until 10pm. On Thursdays, it’s open from 11am until 11pm. Friday hours are 11am until midnight, and Saturday’s are 5pm until midnight.

    For more information, visit www.flatironcolumbus.com.

    Photos by Walker Evans. Photos are taken at a different time than review, so discrepancies between photos and review may occur.

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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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