Reviews

Just around the corner from Due Amici, on North Third Street, is the bar at Mitchell’s Steakhouse.  If you’re a Downtown exec-or if you just want to observe them in their natural habitat-this is the place.
Depending on whether you’re the former or the latter, you can cozy up at the shiny copper bar with a tumbler of Rémy Louis XIII Cognac ($125 per ounce) or a Courvoisier ($7.75) for those who want to pretend to be a big shot but, sadly, don’t have the credit limit to match.

If the bar itself isn’t private enough for your conference, there are plush booths or elegant tables dressed in crisp white linen.  The lilting notes of classic jazz and the clink of fine china will occasionally lend a causal feel to any boardroom talk.  But when the deal is struck, a wall of silver champagne buckets stand ready along the wall near the kitchen.

Just past the champagne buckets is Mitchell’s wall-or, rather, walls-of fame.  The black and white photos read like who’s who of Columbus big shots.  But it’s not just local celebs tacked up along the walls leading to the bathrooms.  Dave Matthews posed for a shot near the bar.  So did Mr. Power Bar himself, the inspiration for the column: Michael Douglas.

January 2007

For Americans everywhere – and to the delight of the beef industry – steak really is what’s for dinner.  That may be especially true in Columbus, where it seems every restaurant has its own take on the perfect preparation of a good piece of meat.

“I guess you can thank Dr. Atkins,” jokes Mike Denton, executive chef at Mitchell’s Steakhouse downtown.  Of course, steak was popular well before the noted physician’s trendy high-protein diet came into vogue a few years ago.  “Seriously,” Denton says, “everyone knows the importance of protein in their diet, and steak not only takes care of that basic part of the diet, but has a very primal quality to it that makes you mouth water just thinking about it.  You can’t beat the flavor of a good steak.”

With that in mind, many Columbus chefs say steak is best when it’s at its most basic, devoid of any fancy accomplishments.  For chefs who want to use a little ingenuity, however, steak also works well as a juicy blank canvas that can stand up to a bit of creativity.

Denton, for one, leans toward a more basic preparation at Mitchell’s.  His favorite is the granddaddy of steaks – the porterhouse.  It’s both a filet mignon and a strip steak separated by a T-shaped bone (not to be confused with the T-bone, which is the same cut from the smaller end of the loin).

“Any time you’re cooking a piece of meat on the bone, it’s going to have a lot more flavor as that marrow seeps in,” Denton says.  “With the porterhouse, you don’t have to choose between the very lean, low-fat but very tender filet and the richer-flavored, well marbled strip.  It makes for a very satisfying eating experience.” 

Denton seasons the beef with Mitchell’s Steak Dust, a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, then sears it under a 1,200-degree broiler to hold in the juices.  After it cooks to the diner’s taste (Denton prefers medium-rare), it’s served with a bit of clarified butter “to make it glisten,” he says, and whatever side dishes the diner prefers.  Denton recommends people keep the meal simple with a baked potato and grilled asparagus.

“If you have a good prime cut of beef to start with, all you do is ruin it the more you do to it,” he says.  “A lot of our features, we’ll serve with some type of sauce – which, don’t get me wrong, are all delicious and complement the steak well – but when you have a great piece of meat, you should just enjoy how it is.” 

January 3, 2007
"Best Steak.  Filet Mignon Oscar, Mitchell's Columbus, OH.  A high, chunky filet topped with crabmeat and covered in béarnaise sauce.  The condiments don't drown the flavor of the lean, savory steak, one of the many fine traits of this underrated city."

“Best Steak in Town”
Columbus Dispatch
2006

Award of Excellence
Wine Spectator
2006

August 8, 2002

“Mitchell’s Crosswoods has the trappings customers expect from a high-end steakhouse-dark wood paneling, booths with leatherette seats, nice separation between tables, private spaces off the dining room, an active but not-too-loud sound level, cigar smoke at the front of the house and friendly and knowledgeable servers. They all add up to the kind of place where people can talk business or pleasure, not feel rushed and not feel crowded.”

Thursday, April 8, 2004

When the General Assembly is in session, Cameron Mitchell said, the happy hour at his Downtown steakhouse "is just jammed at the bar with lobbyists.''

Northwest of town, his Columbus Fish Market and Cap City Diner are ideally situated on Olentangy River Road to cater to medical professionals from the nearby sprawl of the Ohio State University Medical Center. "Drug reps, salespeople, doctors -- it's unbelievable the lunches and the dinners.''

Some thought Mitchell foolish to open his steakhouse in the heart of the city -- a graveyard to more than one such venture.

But he saw the potential: "You've got National City Bank and Fifth Third Bank within 500 yards of the restaurant,'' he said.

Also within walking distance are the Statehouse as well as the law firms Bricker & Eckler; Porter Wright Morris & Arthur; and Vorys Sater Seymour & Pease.
"That right there is a huge generator of power lunches and business deals.''

The economic downturn and years of tax-tightening laws that have changed business-expense accounting, however, have put a dent in deal-making meals, Mitchell noted.

"The days of the three-martini lunch are gone. But in the later Friday afternoon lunches, you're apt to see cocktails or wine at the table.''

Eric Schottenstein, founder of Joshua Homes and son of the late Mel Schottenstein and nephew of Irving Schottenstein, praises Mitchell's culinary chutzpah.

"Mitchell's Downtown has become a big hangout,'' he said. "It has that high-back-seat ambience that makes a niche restaurant feel like an enclave. There is a lot of political arbitrage that goes on.''

For lobbyist Neil S. Clark, convenience takes precedence when dining with legislators.
"My first preference is Mitchell's,'' said Clark, owner of State Street Consultants, "because I can walk over there.''

Runners-up include Lindey's, Tony's and G. Michael's, he added, noting that a certain atmosphere isn't required.

"It doesn't need to have private rooms or small little niches.''

He has never felt hurried at Mitchell's, he said.
"Mitchell's treats me as part of the family. They've always been gracious.''

Next time you're in Columbus (football, anyone?) you'll want a table at Mitchell's.  The lush, dramatic decor, relaxed pace and high-quality ingredients all contribute to a mea that suggests you stretch out and enjoy yourself.  From the bread on, appetizers, salads and side dishes exceed expectations, portions are big, and steaks are tender and juicy.  "They have a great and simple service philosophy," reports one fan.  "The answer is yes, what's the question?"