Pastry chef keeps it seasonal
(from The Columbus Dispatch 6/11/09)

By Jon Christensen

With so many restaurants outsourcing desserts, it's notable that a small operation such as Black Creek Bistro has a pastry chef.

Like the rest of the cooking staff, Michelle Garland has to work from the compact kitchen. Still, she updates the dessert menu with the same frequency at which the regular menu changes.

Which is often: Because of its emphasis on local provisioning, as with produce grown on the owners' farm, Black Creek Bistro is tied to the seasons more than most other restaurants.

Garland's latest dessert lineup has several notable items. A mousselike whip of cream and coconut is sprinkled with lightly toasted coconut and almonds after being placed on a house-baked almond shortbread cookie (deconstructed coconut cream pie, $9).

The decoration is more than just pretty: It's caramel made with ancho chili, drizzled along with mango coulis. The flavors are exotic yet comforting and well-balanced.

The new key-lime cannoli custard ($9) features a consistency between cheesecake and panna cotta. The key-lime flavor is subtle and complemented by crumbles of cannoli and candied almonds.

The chocolate poundcake ($8) is carried over onto the new dessert list. Lighter than a regular poundcake, the dessert is moist, with a clean chocolate flavor.

Additional flavor comes from oven-toasting the cake, which is topped with a generous scoop of whipped creme fraiche -- much more interesting (and substantial) than whipped cream.

-- Jon Christensen jac@iwaynet.net

Columbus dining: The Top 20 restaurants
(from The Columbus Dispatch 9/26/08)

By Jon Christensen

Difficult economic conditions have taken their toll on the dining industry. According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurants are reporting lower sales for the seventh time in the past nine months -- citing the sluggish economy as their No. 1 challenge.

Despite these trying times, the Columbus culinary scene remains competitive...

Black Creek Bistro

Owner Kent Peters grows and raises an increasingly large percentage of the produce and meats served at this funky, near-Downtown establishment with its Shakerlike decor.

Geoff Atkinson is in charge of the kitchen, which can produce attractions such as gnocchi and shredded duck with a smoky cream, buttermilk-marinated chicken, and fresh oysters deep-fried and served over Irish bread with a malty reduction of Guinness.

Keep in mind that, as with all restaurants that emphasize local sourcing, the food selections can change frequently.

The wine list is small but covers several types of wines and offers reasonably priced selections.

Serving lunch Monday through Friday, dinner Monday through Saturday; on-street and valet parking...

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In the Black (from Columbus Alive 3/27/08)

By G.A. Benton

WILL SHILLING PHOTO

The good times are always flowing at Black Creek Bistro. It frequently holds beer and wine dinners and tastings, as well as art gallery openings. So if you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for?

In case you've totally missed the bistro buzz, Black Creek is a creative restaurant that's as green as it gets, going so far as raising as many ingredients on its own farm as is possible. The restaurant even recycles used cooking oil to operate its modified tractors.

But Black Creek also has a Monday-through-Friday feature that might encourage you to go green, too. By going green, I mean saving some green. Because weekly, from 4 p.m. until they're gone (which I've found to be usually around 7 or 8 p.m.) Black Creek offers a special bistro dinner, which it sells for — are you ready for this? — $10.

Yes, you read that right, a $10 dinner from one of Columbus' best new restaurants. Not one to pass up on a deal, I've cashed in on several of those bistro meals.

I've dined on a nice bowl of al dente penne pasta tossed with strips of chicken breast dusted in a racy Cajun seasoning, sauteed with onions and peppers, then given a rich unifying splash of cream. On another evening I had a zesty chicken stir fry, with mandarin oranges and a bold sesame oil and soy-based sauce. Served with rice, it was a big feedbag that outdid a lot of greasy downscale takeout for the same price.

... It was an all-around terrific and homey value meal, and it got me wondering what tomorrow's special would be. I mean, I've got $10.

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