Market 65
65 East State Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614/564-6565
http://www.marketsixtyfive.com/
I made my second trip to Market 65 after spending my morning at the Statehouse testifying against a bad piece of legislation and waiting for one of my expert witnesses to be given the opportunity to testify. Alas, the committee recessed (never to re-convene...arrgghh!), so my witness, an Ohio State law professor, and I opted to have lunch at one of Capital Square's newest eateries.
Market 65 occupies the space adjacent to the Hyatt on Capital Square that was formerly held by the San Francisco Oven and long before that, the Hokey Pokey.
On my first visit, a few weeks prior to this one, I was met with a locked entrance, a particularly long wait, and only a few ice cubes left in the fountain drink ice maker. The Blackened Cobb salad, however, was outstanding and I knew I would return.
Whereas the line was even longer this day, the experience was much improved. The menu consists of freshly made, salads, soups, and wraps. You place your order with a friendly staffer who starts the process by measuring out the appropriate lettuce into a large mixing bowl and placing it in queue for the "assembly line" creation of your salad. You follow your salad as the toppings are cut and placed in the mixing bowl. When it gets to the final stop, the bowl is dumped unto a cutting board where it is all chopped before your eyes with a double-handled mezzaluna knife like the one below.
I broke one of my "new restaurant rules" by not ordering something different on my return visit and, instead, ordered the Blackened Cobb salad again. But it was so good the first time! The salad consists of romaine lettuce to which blackened chicken is added as well as a hard boiled egg, chopped red onion and tomato, avocado, and feta cheese. On this visit, I added bacon and had it topped off with chipotle ranch dressing.
The salad is definitely meal size and quite tasty. I wasn't planning to have lunch out this day, so I didn't bring my camera. Alas, no photos of the salad during its creation or consumption!
As I filled my soft drink glass, I was once again met with an icemaker that was very low on ice. I wonder if the heavy lunch crowd might warrant a larger ice machine to accompany the soft drinks...
Market 65 has a nice patio from which I enjoyed my lunch. It was definitely a nice, cool alternative to the stuffy, uncomfortable Statehouse hearing room that occupied the previous four hours of my morning! The restaurant is staffed with very friendly people who make the creation of your lunch a completely transparent and fun process. Visit their website and Facebook page for more information about their breakfast and lunch offerings.
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