The Short Story Brasserie - Granville

The short story Brasserie in Granville, Ohio can best be described as gemstone. The experience was carefully played by the soft lights, simply classic decor, smooth jazz music and quietly wait staff. The atmosphere was sociable without being rough. And the food was served with the same care and attention it was prepared with. The menu offered some interesting and eclectic options. I started with an Havana Mojito and smoked salmon and crostini followed by a spicy chicken and rice noodle salad, which was a wonderful melange of sweet and spicy contrast to the noodles. Then I had the Chevre cheese and tomato tar with basil oil. It was excellent and differs from my own recipe only in the selection of cheese. My entrée was Choucroute garni with smoked pigs, with sausage and herbal potatoes. It was disgusting. The sauerkraut added a beautiful touch of the Piquant. Excellent. Then I finished my meal with chocolate cake with caramel purple and sauce anglaise, which I had with the recommended Blandys 10yr Malmsey Madeira. That was a perfect combination. Subtle and balanced nuances of sharp, sweet, nutty and salty, cool and smooth. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a meal, a culinary experience so much. I recommend this restaurant and hope to return for unforgettable experiences.

We made a reservation and I made sure to ask the host if the cook can prepare gluten-free meals. She reacted... no problem, just works with your server. We show up, drink and the menu... I ask the server what food selection I could eat or what the cook was ready to prepare, or even together from the existing articles on the menu. (You learn to be very flexible with your gluten-free options when you have Celiac). The server came back and said the cook prepares 'plain fish', and he won't let me change sides from different dishes to go with my 'plain fish'. Meals shouldn't be split up... the server looked at me like I was crazy and everything I'm trying is a nice meal in this new little restaurant in the city. The wine cache (which is below this restaurant) was formerly one of my favorite places (we would visit there once a week) and where I bought several cases of wine over the holiday. We were so troubled with the server and this experience, we decided to skip dinner. On leaving we saw the owner sitting on the sidebar; we told him we were going because I had a food allergy and the cook wouldn't allow me to choose pages from the menu and he wouldn't prepare any gluten-free pages... the owner just stared at us how we left the restaurant. It is very sad if you want to support local businesses and disappoint them. I understand that I pose a challenge for many chefs and restaurants regarding my gluten free diets; but that's why I choose carefully restaurants and call ahead to make sure they are ready to accommodate.