Cap City Fine Diner is a Columbus-area staple that puts a modern spin on classic comfort food favorites.
It does the same with the space - which pulls from retro diner decor and adds a modern edge. A dimly lit space accented with cool lighting.
This is a Cameron Mitchell restaurant, of which there are many great ones in the area.
"Like the histories of most entrepreneurial companies, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants begins in a very humble place — Cameron Mitchell’s mother’s dining room table. It was here where Cameron mapped out his career goals which would eventually set the course for his restaurant industry career. After hitting the glass ceiling at the now defunct 55 Restaurant Group in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, Cameron was ready to go out on his own and pursue his dream of running his own restaurant company. He went fourteen months without a paycheck while putting together all the essential ingredients for his own restaurant. In 1993, Cameron signed a lease for a small piece of storefront property, tucked in the northwest corner of Columbus. The space would be transformed into his first restaurant, “Cameron’s.” This contemporary American bistro wowed Columbus diners with its diverse flavors selected from across the American culinary landscape as well as its extraordinary attention to service. Cameron’s was a notable success, especially when considering Columbus’ highly competitive restaurant business climate. Among the raving fans were investors and developers, who were hungry for more. While remaining independent and privately held, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants has grown to 48 restaurants across the country from Beverly Hills to New York City, and 20 different concepts in 15 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to Cameron’s, the concepts are: Cap City Fine Diner & Bar, The Guild House, Hudson 29 Kitchen + Drink, Martini Modern Italian, Marcella’s, Ocean Prime, Molly Woo’s Asian Bistro, The Pearl Restaurant, Tavern & Oyster Room, The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek, The Avenue Steak Tavern, SoCal Kitchen, Lincoln Social Rooftop, Prime Social Rooftop, Del Mar Naples, Valentina’s, Cento, with future openings Butcher & Rose, Big Rock Italian Chophouse, and Del Mar at Easton. The company also operates a separate, highly successful catering division, Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, and a dynamic food hall hosting 10 kitchens, 3 bars and a rooftop, Budd Dairy Food Hall," reads the website.
My colleagues and I started with the Blue Cheese Potato Chips because I was told they are a must-try.
"A Cap City original - blue cheese, chives, and Alfredo sauce. Alfredo is served on the side."
These were pretty tasty. I would not hate some garlic or truffle oil to take the richness to the max.
For my main entree, I went with "CAP CITY DINER MEATLOAF - Buttermilk-chive mashed potatoes, wild mushrooms, broccoli, chili onion rings, and BBQ gravy served on buttermilk toast."
This was definitely a new spin on the classic. I do appreciate the creativity here and adding in some crispy elements for texture. But I do miss the tomato based sauce that I have to love on meatloaf. The texture was a little bit more dense; I almost would've preferred the toast on the bottom to be ground up inside the meat mixture to spread that moisture around. These are small critiques; overall, this was a pretty good meal.
Grade: B
