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Bitching about Cameron Mitchell can be like a sport amongst a certain sort of local "food world" folk. I suppose a wildly successful, middle-class-targeting, genuinely affable CIA graduate (the great cooking school, not the dicey spy agency) laughing all the way to the bank can easily rankle locally sourced-embracing people's hearts.
Thus it's perfectly understandable to me that with this pool of careful eaters, the word "mundane" might well crop up in connection with Cameron Mitchell.
But the truth is, Mitchell took real risks opening high-profile restaurants in largely good-eatery-deprived areas of town during the last century. And back in that day, he was a major player in igniting this city's now-burning passion for a cuisine that transcended simple meat and potatoes. Besides, these days, Mitchell's restaurants serve the kind of food most Americans actually like to eat.
Anyway, when I read that Cap City diner was doing brunches on Saturdays and Sundays, I figured I had twice as many opportunities to trek down and check out the popular Mitchell mini-chain again. Well, after munching my way around its smallish brunch menu, I can say this: It's certainly not earth-shaking grub, but if this is what a mundane breakfast tastes like, hell, I'll take it.
If you haven't been to Cap City in a while, the place is quite accommodating. Sure it's a semi-glitzy, semi-ironic take on a naturally occurring diner, but it's a comfy restaurant with a good-timing bar, nifty patio and distinctly delineated spaces.
Apart from its busy tavern areas (the patio has a bar too), there's a little front room that riffs heavily on traditional diners. In other words, it's got retro red chairs and that old-school, chrome-y look. The more lively main dining room features playful neon lights and a sliced-up geometry rendered in a sort of aqua and peach Miami Beach palette. Throughout, an always-courteous staff delivers full-flavored brunch favorites made with a noticeable measure of panache.
Take, for instance, the comforting Eggs and Hash ($9.25). That hearty (not really "hashy") platter starred a tender beef short rib pot roast married to long-cooked green pepper bits. The juicy meat was embellished with melty Vermont white cheddar, two correctly fried eggs, caramelized onions and big chunks of skin-on spuds given a last-minute partial crisping.
Thickly sliced, rosemary-scented real ham elevated the Classic Eggs Benedict ($9) from the general, deli-meat standard. Also raising up the dish were proper poachers, a tangy hollandaise and more of those a.m. potatoes.
The house-cured salmon gravlax (Lox & Bagels, $11) had a bit of spiced nuance and wasn't an overwhelming salt bomb. It came on a huge DIY plate with a so-so bagel, whipped cream cheese, capers, red onions, tomatoes, a nice salad and a much-appreciated lagniappe, pickly deviled egg. I'd call that a can't-miss combo.
Breakfast burrito fans will definitely be happy with Cap City's behemoth ($9). Slathered with a zesty and slightly creamy ranchero sauce, its surprisingly spicy innards featured chorizo, poblanos, cheese, eggs, red peppers, cilantro and more. Sides of sour cream and a mostly avocado guac helped extinguish the mild, addictive heat.
Thick rounds of challah-like bread drenched in an irresistible nut-sugar-butter-cinnamon-nutmeg mixture were the basis of the All-American Baked French Toast ($9). Eating like crusty sticky buns, those babies were paired with more pecans, fresh fruit, whipped cream and warm syrup. "Mundane" rarely tasted so sweet.
Cap City diners offer traditional specials and so much more.
Columbus’ Cameron Mitchell restaurant group decided to keep the core diner experience but bring the menu up a notch. Sure, you can still get a blue plate special or meatloaf. But with Cap City’s $15.95 version, the mushrooms are wild and the mashed potatoes are whipped with buttermilk and chives.
You can order an all-American cheeseburger for $8.95, or rev up the order for less than $5 more and dine on the blue cheese Kobe burger, topped with blue cheese and caramelized onion, tomato and blue cheese dressing atop a rosemary focaccia bun.
The $7.95 knife and fork chili dog comes with cheddar, onions and scallions. The diner’s buckeye version of the nawlins’ po’ boy is made with blackened tilapia, sweet pickle remoulade, lettuce, tomato and onion on a focaccia hoagie, for $9.95.
True to its diner roots, Cap City offers the traditional daily blue plate. Monday is chicken and apple meatloaf melt for $10.95, Tuesday is chicken pot pie for $14.95 and Wednesday is liver and onions for $14.95. It’s TGIF with Maryland crab cakes for $19.95.
Cap City has some signatures items that never leave the menu including some popular starters: Maytag blue cheese potato chips, $8.50, tamarind glazed chicken wings, $8.95, and a bowl of steamed Prince Edward Island mussels in Chardonnay broth, $9.50.
And there probably would be unhappy diners if Cap City ever dropped its gargantuan desserts including the seriously big chocolate cake – a wedge soaring to three full layers, or the 24K carrot cake, with pineapple, golden raisins, walnut and white chocolate cream cheese icing. Both, at $6.50, are made for two, three or even four forks to dig in.
Of course, there are salads, including the retro wedge of iceberg at $5.95, and a vegetable plate with a pasta cake, mushroom spring roll, asparagus, broccoli, goat cheese and marinara sauce, for $13.95. The Old Bay peel and eat shrimp, and a cup of roasted creole tomato soup, combine for a light lunch.
The dinner menu features some large plates including the $16.95 Romano-crusted chicken and the $17.95 balsamic chicken. The $18.95 pecan-crusted pork chops is another dinner-only entrée, which could be paired with Columbus’ own microbrew, CBC Apricot Ale.
Address
1299 Olentangy River Road, Grandview.
StoneRidge Plaza, 1301 StoneRidge Drive, Gahanna.
Telephone
(614) 291-3663, Grandview.
(614) 478-9999, Gahanna.
Reservations
Accepted at both locations. First come in the bar.
Hours
Both Cap City Diners: lunch, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays; Sunday brunch, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner, 4 to 10 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, 4 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 to 9 p.m., Sundays.
Prices
Dinner menu: from $4.50 (cup of soup) to $22.95 (New York strip steak). Desserts: $6.50 or less.
Other
• Seating for 190 in the dining room and 15 in the bar at Grandview, plus 60 on the patio.
• Seating for 200 in the dining room and 20 in the bar at Gahanna.
• Party room for 12 to 14 at Cap City Diner, Gahanna.
• The menu changes twice yearly; daily Blue Plate features.
• Gluten-free menu available.
• Handicapped accessible.
• Web site: www.capcityfinediner.com.
• AAA TourBook rating: 2-Diamond.
Cap City diners offer traditional specials and so much more.
Columbus’ Cameron Mitchell restaurant group decided to keep the core diner experience but bring the menu up a notch. Sure, you can still get a blue plate special or meatloaf. But with Cap City’s $15.95 version, the mushrooms are wild and the mashed potatoes are whipped with buttermilk and chives.
You can order an all-American cheeseburger for $8.95, or rev up the order for less than $5 more and dine on the blue cheese Kobe burger, topped with blue cheese and caramelized onion, tomato and blue cheese dressing atop a rosemary focaccia bun.
The $7.95 knife and fork chili dog comes with cheddar, onions and scallions. The diner’s buckeye version of the nawlins’ po’ boy is made with blackened tilapia, sweet pickle remoulade, lettuce, tomato and onion on a focaccia hoagie, for $9.95.
True to its diner roots, Cap City offers the traditional daily blue plate. Monday is chicken and apple meatloaf melt for $10.95, Tuesday is chicken pot pie for $14.95 and Wednesday is liver and onions for $14.95. It’s TGIF with Maryland crab cakes for $19.95.
Cap City has some signatures items that never leave the menu including some popular starters: Maytag blue cheese potato chips, $8.50, tamarind glazed chicken wings, $8.95, and a bowl of steamed Prince Edward Island mussels in Chardonnay broth, $9.50.
And there probably would be unhappy diners if Cap City ever dropped its gargantuan desserts including the seriously big chocolate cake – a wedge soaring to three full layers, or the 24K carrot cake, with pineapple, golden raisins, walnut and white chocolate cream cheese icing. Both, at $6.50, are made for two, three or even four forks to dig in.
Of course, there are salads, including the retro wedge of iceberg at $5.95, and a vegetable plate with a pasta cake, mushroom spring roll, asparagus, broccoli, goat cheese and marinara sauce, for $13.95. The Old Bay peel and eat shrimp, and a cup of roasted creole tomato soup, combine for a light lunch.
The dinner menu features some large plates including the $16.95 Romano-crusted chicken and the $17.95 balsamic chicken. The $18.95 pecan-crusted pork chops is another dinner-only entrée, which could be paired with Columbus’ own microbrew, CBC Apricot Ale.
While Cap City's chocolate cake is by far the popular favorite, what would a great diner be without pie? Whether it's cherry, pecan, or apple, Cap City's baker makes each and every pie, including its crust, in house daily. The result? Pure satisfaction you can count on in each and every bite.
Wouldn't it be nice to reach the age of 40 and realize your life dream? Cameron Mitchell, the creator of Cap City Diner, owns 18 other restaurants in three states that cover nine different concepts in dining. Between the two of us, we've had the pleasure of experiencing the majority of these culinary endeavors.
As the old expression goes, we were trying to "kill two birds with one stone." Mindy and her friend, Michelle, needed new running shoes and Mindy and Randy needed to get a review together. The athletic shoe store just happened to be in the same complex as Cap City Diner in Gahanna off Hamilton Road, so the dilemma was solved. We arrived a little past noon, with rumbling stomachs, and were pleased to be seated quickly even though the place was bustling with the work crowd.
When we saw the impressive dessert offerings in the display case we knew we better save room, so we skipped appetizers this visit. We hope to return to try wh! at the readers of Columbus Monthly Magazine consider the city's best potato chips: Maytag bleu cheese potato chips ($6.50) -- an odd combination of crunchy chips, tasty Alfredo sauce and tangy bleu cheese with scallions.
Cap City offers an extensive menu, plus daily specials. All of us were interested in one of the specials for the day -- the crab cake sandwich ($8.95), but we let our guest have first pick. Michelle graciously gave each of us a bite of the generous crab cake which was served on a toasted English muffin, topped with smoked cheddar cheese with a side of spicy horseradish sauce. Mindy wavered between the smoked turkey Reuben ($7.95) with Swiss cheese, coleslaw, red onion and mayo on rye and the Tuscan grilled chicken salad ($9.95) -- penne pasta, garlic cheese bread, Romaine lettuce, Roma tomatoes and roasted portabella mushrooms, tossed with tomato basil vinaigrette. She enjoyed her selection of the large salad but wished she had ordered her dressing! on the side. When Randy noticed multiple orders of Cap City Diner mea tloaf ($8.95) coming out of the open kitchen she looked no further. This stack of buttermilk-chive mashed potatoes, meatloaf, wild mushrooms and chili onion rings, covered with BBQ gravy and surrounded by broccoli appeased Randy's heartier appetite. The only disappointment was the broccoli which was not as fresh as it should have been.
Most items are available for lunch as well as dinner. A few of the more unusual caught our attention: pecan crusted pork chop ($8.95/16.95) served on cheddar-chipotle mashed potatoes, candied pecans, spinach, and shallots all covered with an apple cider glaze; salmon saltimbocca ($9.95/16.95) -- pancetta wrapped pan seared salmon served on wild mushroom risotto with artichoke relish and a sage and chive butter sauce; and Diner vegetable plate ($8.50/10.95) -- an angel hair pasta cake with goat cheese, portabella spring roll, grilled asparagus, sauteed spinach and vegetables covered with sweet basil marinara sauce.
Cap City Diner! has a nice kid's menu ($4.95/lunch or dinner). Children will certainly be as tempted, as we were, by the house made pies and desserts. It was a tough decision, but we all voted for orange dreamsicle cake ($5.50) -- our childhood treat recreated. This seven layer confection with an orange cream cheese icing is awesome.
We hope to come back to find out if Cameron Mitchell's stated goal is true: "To be better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today." This time was three and one-half forks; next time, who knows?
Copyright (c) News Journal. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, Inc.
August 2004
Though this Cameron Mitchell hotspot is traditionally packed, there is always a warm buzz floating through the air that never turns noisy and imposing. The bar on weekdays during happy hour is full of smiling people enjoying appetizers at half off.
Cap City’s tasty food and mannered staff are respectable and dependable. The restaurant runs like clockwork, a result of everyone subscribing to the same simple concept: No matter the request, the answer is yes.
Manager Brian Scheren’s calm and collect demeanor is impressive. Both he and the entire staff sincerely want you to have a good time and feel at home while you enjoy a great meal; that can only lead to a success story at every table.
Because there are so many poor meatloaf imposters out there, we chose to feature Cap City’s version ($8.95) as a reminder of how this ultra American dish, when made seriously, can make you smile all over. Even your mother will shake the hand of this dish…right after it smacks the smile off her face.
Cap City Fine Diner & Bar, located in Grandview closed for a complete remodel and the new design was recently unveiled.
Cap City, which first opened its doors in October 1995, was Cameron Mitchell Restaurants’ third restaurant and second concept. After nine successful years, the restaurant features an entirely new color scheme, new paint, carpet, light fixtures, woodwork and booths. The bar has been updated with a new bar top and the raw bar has been outfitted with mosaic tile.
Located near Ohio State University in the Grandview neighborhood, Cap City offers the taste of diner favorites with an upscale twist: The meatloaf is sliced extra thick with buttermilk chive mashed potatoes and french-fried onion rings finished with barbecue gravy. Several new selections have been added to the menu.
Salad lovers will enjoy the new fresh and tasty Greek salad with romaine lettuce, field greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, kalamata olives, feta cheese and creamy garlic dressing. A new Monday Blue Plate special is the Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti, marinara, broccoli, and Alfredo sauce.
Cap City Gahanna Executive Chef Brian Wilson has developed two mouthwatering additions to the Famous Large Plates. Horseradish Crusted Salmon with sweet potato and Yukon gold hash, spaghetti squash, carmelized fennel and applejack reduction and “Chips on Fish” featuring Yukon gold potato crusted Boston Cod, coleslaw, tartar sauce, capers and malt vinegar beurre blanc.
Everyone knows to keep your fork at Cap City since dinner isn’t complete without a slice of one of the homemade diner pies. A new heavenly dessert selection has been added to the menu. The Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pie is made with Oreo Crust, peanut butter mousse and chocolate ganache. For more information, please call (614) 291-FOOD (3663). Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, LLC, operates nine different concepts encompassing 24 restaurants and a catering di-vision in Columbus; Cleveland; Cincinnati; Pittsburgh; and Lansing and Birmingham, Michigan: Chicago; and Indiana-polis. A second Mitchell’s Fish Market is set to open in Livonia, MI, in January 2005.
Concepts include Cameron’s American Bistro, Cap City Fine Diner & Bar, Columbus Brewing Company, M, Martini Italian Bistro, Mitchell’s Fish Market (a.k.a. Columbus Fish Market), Mitchell’s Steakhouse (a.k.a. Cameron’s Steakhouse), Molly Woo’s Asian Bistro, The Ocean Club and Cameron Mitchell Catering Company.
Cameron Mitchell’s Cap City Fine Diner and Bar in Gahanna received a makeover in December. The updated space features warmer colors, lots of wood tones and a more upscale feel, says general manager Tom Markgraff. “We put more ‘fine’ in ‘fine diner,’” he says.
Cap City’s bar top now is made of vivid red stone, but the fundamental change at the bar is the diner’s use of fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices. Even the bloody mary mix is made fresh. “The quality is far better than it’s ever been,” Markgraff says.
Another Mitchell venture, Columbus Fish Market in Grandview, also was updated recently with a new color scheme and design. Fresh fruit-infused drinks can be found at the Fish Market, as well as all other Cameron Mitchell Restaurants except Columbus Brewing Company, which will adopt the practice in the spring.
