They’re Back!!! Mr. T’s and G.D. Ritzy’s Reviews
In recent years we’ve seen the reemergence of Denny’s, IHOP and Hardee’s back in the city. I did a post a while back showing restaurants and fast food spots that have come and gone in central Ohio. You can check it out here: Columbus History: Restaurants. I know for sure that one of those restaurants in that post was G.D. Ritzy’s. For those who don’t know, G.D. Ritzy’s was a popular fast food restaurant that closed about 20 years ago. G.D. Ritzy’s speciality was their food and ice cream; including milkshakes was made the old-fashioned way. At one point they had multiple locations around the city. I remember loving their peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and hot dogs. When we were kids, getting to eat a fast food meal was a special treat. It wasn’t something that we had multiple times a week. I heard about a couple of years ago that G.D. Ritzy’s was re-opening in Clintonville. We didn’t hear anything for a while, then around June I saw on 614 Columbus’ website that they were finishing up the building and hiring employees. They were now scheduled to open by late June. Another spot that re-opened just last week is one of my favorite places ever and huge staple for all of us northsiders. That place is Mr. T’s Pizza which I had absolutely no idea they were coming back. I didn’t know until a friend posted on Facebook last week that they had re-opened Mr. T’s and it’s just around the corner from where they used to be. I about lost my mind. I honestly don’t remember what their pizza and wings taste like, but I remember those damn Italian subs that no other sub place could ever duplicate. I tried to compare Terita’s, Frankie’s and Susie’s Italian subs to a Mr. T’s Italian sub and even thought they were close…nothing ever compared to a Mr. T’s sub. I remember being away at college and coming back in town one weekend and all I wanted was a Mr T’s sub…that was it. As soon as I drove back in town I headed towards Agler Rd before I even went to my mom’s house. I pull up ready to go in and order and it was gone!!! I was not impressed. Last I heard was that someone who worked at the original Mr. T’s took it over and just couldn’t keep the business going. That was in the early 2000’s. So of course…I had to hit up both G.D. Ritzy’s and Mr. T’s for old times sake.
I was off last Monday for a holiday named after a murderer and thief (which was the same day that I heard about Mr. T’s opening) so I decided that day to treat myself to something a little outside of my current diet. As soon as I heard Mr. T’s was opened, I immediately wanted to go there, but I figured that they would be packed. And yes they were. My step-dad went to get some subs for him and my mom and they ran out of sausage and a couple other things. They wouldn’t restock until 2pm. After hearing that I decided to go get met haircut and then head over to G.D. Ritzy’s, now just known simply as Ritzy’s. I could hit up Mr. T’s anytime because it isn’t far from where I live. Ritzy’s which is now located on North High Street in Clintonville; between Morse and Henderson Roads, still has that old 1950’s diner feel to it. Very vintage and old-fashioned. You can either sit down inside or order inside and take it to go. There’s a walk-up window, but I heard someone say that’s just to order ice cream and milkshakes. Not 100% sure about that detail quite yet. I went with a good friend of mine who remembered Ritzy’s too. She bought a cheeseburger, an order of fries and a milkshake. I ordered a hotdog and a chili. I don’t remember ever having their chili before, so since I can’t eat just anything anymore, I decided to go with that. I wanted to order a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to go, but decided against it. That will just give me an excuse to come back…very soon. Of course we had to share some of our food with each other. I took a piece of her cheeseburger and some fries; and she had some of the chili and hot dog. I mean…how else were we able to taste test everything? 😉 People have said that we have Steak & Shake so why do we need Ritzy’s back? Yes…they’re very similar restaurants with the same concept, but they’re the same. Of course in recent times, I can remember exactly what a Steak & Shake cheeseburger taste like, even though I haven’t had one in over a year. Yes…they’re good, but they would always end up making my stomach hurt. I don’t know what it is, but they did. Yet…I would still go back. From what I had tasted at Ritzy’s it was just something different about it. Maybe it wasn’t as greasy or something. Maybe their beef is fresh. I can’t pin-point exactly what the difference was. I’ll have to go a couple more times to probably be able to tell. 😉 This difference that I speak of isn’t a bad thing at all. Truthfully…it’s not much of a difference, but I will say that it’s good to have two very similar places (Ritzy’s and Steak & Shake) but there’s a slight difference that can be detected. That’s just my opinion. With Ritzy’s back will I still go to Steak & Shake? Of course I will. I don’t eat fast food that much anyway, but when I do want a burger…I’d rather go somewhere like Ritzy’s or Steak & Shake to get that fix. The chili was delicious. It reminded me more on the order of Wendy’s Chili, just thicker. And I don’t care what anyone says…I love Wendy’s Chili. Anyway…the fries weren’t anything spectacular…just normal shoestring fries. They were definitely served hot and fresh, so yes that’s definitely a plus. The hot dog was honestly just as I remember. It’s something about the casing on it that always stuck out in my mind. It’s like the hot dogs that you get at the meat market or butcher shop. I just had ketchup and mustard on it, but you can get pretty much anything on it, including the chili.
Now onto Mr. T’s. It’s still located in Gahanna, but now it’s on Johnstown Rd in front of the Gahanna Bowling Alley. When I first walked in there I was like…this place has way too much light to be Mr. T’s. Remember how dark the old Mr. T’s was LOL. However, it smelled like Mr. T’s though. I went right after worked and since I get off pretty early it wasn’t that crowded, but the people were still there hunny. The wait wasn’t long at all…I guess about average time, but I was satisfied with the wait time for ordering there. Of course I got an Italian sub (minus the onions) and yes it was everything that I remembered it was. As soon as I got home…I cut one half of the sub in half (I know…that’s all I can eat at once…judge yourself) and that first bite seriously took me back. It was the same exact taste. I was more than pleasantly pleased. I was also pleased about THOSE BURNED EDGES THO!!! Can we talk about that for just one second? They burn those edges on those subs just perfectly. It’s always been like that. That has to be a trademark of theirs. Won’t he do it? Even other subs that I’ve had that have burned edges…the edges are either burned too much or not enough. Listen…yes…I can tell. Even though I was only able to eat half of one-half at first (I ate the other half…of the half later on that evening); I still got the full effect of it and it was amazing. I don’t know what it is about a Mr. T’s sub, but it makes no sense for it to be that perfect. I want another one and may have to order one this week. I’ve never been this excited about a restaurant coming back. Not only is the food great, but it definitely takes me right back to my childhood. Going in that hot ass Mr. T’s building on Stelzer and Agler Rd, grabbing that brown bag full of subs. Once we got home I would go into my room, watch music videos and eat off of that sub all night! I mentioned earlier that I don’t remember what the pizza taste like, so of course I will have to get one of those pretty soon.
So…what’s next to come back? Sister’s Chicken & Biscuits? Rax? Zantego’s? Probably not, but the way things are going with these reboots of TV Shows, movies, clothes and now restaurants, I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m all about history and nostalgia so this is right up my alley. To be honest…my opinion is that we really don’t need any more fast food restaurants. I will say that I’m very content with Ritzy’s and Mr. T’s being back in business. If you haven’t checked them out…I highly recommend both restaurants. If you’re in the mood for burgers and fries…you know where to go. If you’re in the mood for pizza and subs…you know where to go.
The Chef’s Table with Chef Darryl Review
Sorry for the late review. I wanted to have this out a few days ago, but my internet provider had other plans, mainly not wanting me to be great! Dear Spectrum Cable…Anyway, I want to do a quick review of this amazing six course showcase I attended by my great friend Chef Darryl. The Chef’s Table with Chef Darryl was held his past Saturday, August 4, 2018 at Sí Seńor Peruvian Sandwiches and More which is a quaint restaurant located across from the Scioto Mile in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The venue was perfect and intimate for this “six course showcase of passion and talent through food and wine!” I attended the first of two event sittings that day. Everything was perfectly organized and ready to serve. The temperature of the food was as perfect as the taste of it. Everything meal and dish that I’ve had that Chef Darryl has prepared has been amazing. I’ve never tried any meal or dish of his that I didn’t like. I’m a very picky eater and under normal circumstances, not too adventurous when it comes to food. Not to mention that my taste buds and appetite have changed since my surgery. I was nervous going in just because I didn’t know how much I would be able to consume and enjoy because I get full so quickly. However, I was willing to make the sacrifice because I knew that I wouldn’t be disappointed. Now this is my first time doing a review like this…so bare with me.
As we arrived there was fruit infused water along with the sounds of a live band, The David Swank Trio; which by the way were so great! They played a wide array of music throughout the showcase that definitely put everyone in a great mood. It was a diverse crowd, but we all had the same interest which was to support Chef Darryl as well as a bonus of tasting some of his wonderful meals and drinks. The first course was a Summer Bounty Salad which was mixed with: Mixed greens, roasted corn, salted melon, cherry tomato, shallot, ricotta salsa w/herb vinaigrette. This combination was simply amazing. I don’t eat fruit in my salads (just something I’ve never got in to), but the melon was a perfect match. I was trying to pace myself, because I knew the second course was coming right up, but next thing I knew the salad was gone. Ooooops! The second course was Braised beef and kale ramen. Fresh noodles, white miso, carrot, radish, mushroom and ginger. This course was paired with plum black berry sangria; which yes, Chef Darryl gave us his version of sangria. The first taste that I took of this ramen was just the broth and I promise you…I wish that I had this when I was on my liquid diet. Everything was fresh, fused to perfection and served hot. I said that I was only going to eat a couple of bites of the fresh noodles, but I couldn’t stop. It was so good. The 3rd course was Spicy shrimp and grits. Shrimp and grits is a favorite meal of mine and I haven’t had it in a long time so I was ready for this one. The spicy shrimp and grits was made with: crispy cheddar polenta, chicken sausage and spicy tomato Ragu. Let me tell you something…after the first bite, I just looked across the table at my best friend and our eyes said it all. Didn’t even need to speak a word. At this point we also realized that we had broken into a sweat during the second and third course. The food temperature was perfectly hot as to where you still could enjoy it. The drink he paired with this course was a mango melon Pinot Gris spritzer. Each drink selection went perfectly with the meal it was paired with.
Around this time I was getting full, but we still had three more courses to go including the main course and desert. So I wasn’t about to bow out quite yet. All I kept thinking about was that I was going to sleep good tonight and it was only around 5:30pm…if that. The 4th course intrigued me because when I saw it on the invitation, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Chef Darryl came out and explained that it was a pallet cleanser called a Cucumber Lime Shooter which was mixed with pineapple juice, mint and basil. I had never had a pallet cleanser before and it really worked. It was placed as the 4th course to prepare our taste buds for the 5th course which would be the main course and the 6th course which was desert. After a while he was ready to serve the main course (5th course) which was Jerk Chicken (a favorite of mine), plantains, roasted sweet potato puree (another favorite), rainbow chard, and pickled onion relish. This course was served with Hibiscus red wine punch. At one point during this course, I took a piece of everything and at it at once. Did I mention that he used his own seasonings? I’m just like…ummmmm…when are you going to be selling these? The 5th course…also the main course was so fulfilling. Jerk chicken is one of my favorite meals. It had just enough kick to it and spice blends were perfect. I’ve only had plantains once before and they weren’t cooked. Whatever he marinated these with gave it a sweet yet subtleness to them. The other side dishes paired with this such as the roasted sweet potatoes and the rainbow chard were great additions to this meal. The hibiscus red wine punch was sooooooo good. It was so good and sweet that it’s one of those drinks that will sneak up on you. As a matter of fact, all of these drinks would sneak up on you. It was a great main dish. Now it was time for the 6th and final course which was desert. This course consisted of a flourless chocolate cake with mixed berries and lavender cream. This course was paired with one of my favorite drinks…a peach Bellini. The flourless chocolate cake was rich and chocolatey (not sure if that’s a real word, but you know what I mean). The berries added to the side were blueberries and strawberry’s which were sweet and juicy and fresh.
When it was over I was extremely full and overly satisfied. If you’re ever able to attend one of The Chef’s Table with Chef Darryl’s showcases; I highly recommend it. I promise that you won’t be disappointed. I know that I will be attending many more of these. If you want to attend the next one, you’re in luck! The next showcase will be held September 8, 2018 at 7:00 pm. Details are listed on the flyer below. Come out and support one of the most talented chef’s around. I know that the food will be delicious as always. Congratulations and great job Darryl!
