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    Restaurant Review: The Whitney House

    The Whitney House has enjoyed a very warm, Worthington welcome. Bustling even on weeknights, a modestly sized party of two or three will probably want reservations to avoid a thirty minute seating wait.

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    Even as he delivers bad news about the wait-time, the host at the door is horrifyingly likable. It’s worth watching him to marvel at his eternal interest in each guest who walks through the doors. For each entering visitor, the host (perhaps the owner) has an engaging greeting and some sort of welcoming small talk. There’s a connection; the guy’s got game galore.

    And it’s easy to watch the host, from most of the seats in the restaurant. The bar and the front dining area are all efficiently laid out in one snug rectangle with brick walls and big windows with long teal curtains.

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    Table-side, the menu options fall under the genre of upscale comfort fare. The starter selection ranges from salads to meatballs or tostados. The Kung Pao Shrimp ($12) is a fun starting place. A pile of tail-on, plump shrimp glistens with a spiky, hot hoisin and chili glaze, and it’s teamed with bean sprouts and cashews as foils.

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    Alternately, you could hit something more casual such as the House Fries ($5). They are remarkable most especially for their girth – each has almost an inch of width in all its fried, peel-on potato glory. The heavy aioli, with which the fries are served, makes it easy to finish off the big potato strips in record time.

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    Moving on to the entrée section, it’s hard to resist the opportunity to order Chicken Pot Pie ($14). Underneath a tender, nicely crushable crust lies a wonderland of chicken shards, a few carrot cubes and lots of roasted potato chunks in a savory sauce. It’s served with long strands of broccolini on the side.

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    The kitchen also does an achingly perfect Faroe Island Salmon ($18). The fish is dressed with some sort of mustard glaze that gives an appealing zing to the rich salmon flesh.

    There are also daily specials. If it’s Wednesday, it’s Meatloaf day. Sure, the meatloaf will set you back $18, but it’s a generous serving of two thick slices that are a cut above your regular loaf. It’s an uncommonly smooth meatloaf with a lightness in texture that is almost mysterious.

    The Whitney House serves lunch and brunch too. The lunch menu features sandwiches (including grilled cheese and pulled chicken options), salads and a matzah ball soup. During brunch, The Whitney House adds more options to its mix with a menu that includes a diverse collection of offerings including Ramen, French (Ohio) Toast, and a Fried Bologna sandwich. There is also a kids menu.

    The Whitney House can be found at 666 High Street (interesting street number) in Worthington. It’s closed Mondays, but open for lunch on Tuesdays through Fridays from 11am until 3pm. Dinner hours start at 3pm and run until closing on weeknights. It closes at 10pm Mondays through Thursdays; 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 9pm on Sundays. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am until 3pm.

    For more information, visit www.thewhitneyhouserestaurant.com.

    Photos by Mollie Lyman of www.fornixphotography.com. 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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