Hullo Tip Top. It’s been a long time.
This restaurant was one of the pioneers of Gay Street. Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails hit the strip back in 2007, before the stretch was clotted with eating options and when Gay only went in one direction.
The restaurant opened to a popular reception six years ago, and it’s safe to say that it’s still going strong.
Part of the pleasant experience stems from the staff. One of the nicest host welcomes ever came from a man with a giant beard. It was a remarkable, competition-worthy, Crystal Gayle-ish beard. Seeing beard-guy with a big grin rush up to the front of the restaurant to greet guests; it sure does make a visitor feel wanted. Earnestly so.
The kitchen has always had an interesting way with fried foods. The Eggplant Fries ($7) were there when the joint opened: still divine. Fried Green Beans ($7) made their menu debut a few years ago, and the beans might just be the best fried thing in the universe, ever.
It seems like it would be tricky to deep fry green beans. So often, the vegetable turns out mushy or chewy. And an undercooked green bean inside a little breaded sweater just sounds gross.
But these are perfect beyond imagination. Not mushy, not chewy – the vegetables even seem to carry a little briny accent. Heck, the Fried Green Beans were even good cold, after the rest of the meal was done. Those who want to guild the lily can dip the beans in the house Bloody Mary sauce or ranch dressing, but then it’s harder to appreciate the beans’ perfection, as is.
There’s also Ohio Nachos ($9). An order yields house-cut rippled potato chips topped with a runny cheese sauce and tomatoes, fresh cut peppers, olives and sour cream. It’s not bad, but it’s not scream-worthy like those beans.
Salads would probably be the antithesis of the fried foods. Still, the Caesar ($8) is a sturdy thing, with a rich garlic-y dressing coating a garden of chopped romaine lettuce.
There’s something special about the Grilled Cheese and Tomato ($6) sandwich (even beyond the summer tomatoes). It’s layered with American, provolone and Swiss, and some of the cheese inside was caramelized — perhaps placed directly on the grill to melt faster. Whatever the process, it yielded optimal melting, and a little thrill for those who like caramelized cheese.
The Cheese Steak ($8) is a shockingly tidy combination: the sandwich halves are easily gripped in the hand, and the inside is packed with lean beef, peppers, onions and provolone.
For more formal entrĂ©e options, Tip Top does its own thing with Mac ‘n Cheese ($10). It’s rotini with poblanos and corn. They’re good additions — the dish is less monotonous than other macs, but still comforting.
And speaking of comforting, there’s the Blue Ribbon Pot Roast ($11). It’s been on the menu since the beginning, and it’s still great with its beef cooked soft with onions, carrots and celery.
Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails can be found at 73 E. Gay Street. It’s open 11am until 2am seven days a week.
More information can be found online at www.tiptopcolumbus.com.
Photos by Mollie Lyman of www.fornixphotography.com.