06/07/09

Never eat at this restaurant.

by JanieJones

I'm friends with someone who worked at this restaurant, and the "chef" sneaks bacon fat into the vegan risotto because she dislikes vegans. Ridiculous. Also, that could make people horribly ill. It's irresponsible and severely disrespectful at best.

• Cons: The chef.

09/04/08

go somewhere else

by lovemesomegrub

This used to be my moms favorite place to eat. After our horrible experience we will never return.

We went there for a nice family dinner ( which is rare). Both my brother and I had finals to study for, but we could spend a few hours away. It wasn't that busy when we got there. Basically we ordered and just waited and waited and waited. After about a half hour our waiter started taking a detour, so that he didn't have to go past our table. We sat there for another half hour. NO ONE CAME AND SAID ANYTHING TO US. finally we flagged him down and said..."ok....we have been waiting an hour for our food, is it coming?" he told us that it would be coming, and did come after a while. So we waited over an hour for our food, and our waiter ignored us the entire time. Nice. Go somewhere where they actually care about their customers. Oh and of course all they did was say "oh sorry". no meals paid for, no free desert nothing. Horrible.

• Pros: different environment
• Cons: horrible staff, long long waits for food

07/28/08

Best meal out this year yet

by missmimimao

I have described my dinner at Alana to others as one in which I fully experienced the effects of dining out -- beautiful and friendly service in a pleasant environment -- and felt like I was eating in -- wholesome ingredients prepared in earnest fashion: what you taste is what went into it. No fillers, coloring, preservatives, or chemical enhancers.

To give you a sense of what you could spend, for two, we ordered a 3-soup sampler, 2 salads, 2 entrees, an iced tea, one local beer and an expresso: the bill came out to under $100. To give you a sense of what we ate and thought of it: the soups were a coconut milk based corn curry (mild and delicate), seafood gazpacho made with korean cucumber (refreshing and full of sea flavor), and vichyssoise (my favorite of the soups: smoothly flavored, milky, potato-ey, with small slices of fish). Salads included shade patch greens in a light sauce with smoked almonds and gruyere (light and lingering on the palate) and Ohio tomatoes with a duck egg/crab meat salad (a bit stronger, but balanced. I'm not a fan of mixing seafood and diary products but enjoyed the salad nonetheless). Main course was, on the boyfriend's side, a light squash and spaghetti heap tossed in a light sauce that tasted like whatever came out of the veggies, oil, and fresh herbs. On my side of the table was a thin beef tournedo atop a circle of mash potatoes (seasoned with bits of charred ham and onions) next to a stash of lightly-sauteed green and white wax beans. I was stuffed, but felt utterly healthy and full of savor after the meal.

• Pros: Earnest cooking and hospitality
• Cons: Can't think of any

07/02/07

Did not meet expectations...at all.

by osuraj

My husband and I decided to try Alana's for our wedding anniversary. The decor was unique compared to other Columbus restaurants (vibrant colors, contemporary artwork, etc). I ordered a salad and seafood risotto and my husband ordered the same salad and sea bass.

The salads were bland as were both of our meals. The tiny fillet of fish was drenched in oil and sitting atop 10 or so green beans ($26) and my meal tasted mainly of white wine (the only flavor I could taste-definitely over done). The seafood in the risotto was sub-par, especially considering the price ($25). The shrimp were tiny and some were just pieces (not even whole shrimp) and some of the lobster was green (tasted odd). My husband ordered a bellini (which was about 1/2 cups worth of alcohol, we expected it to be around $8...no....it was $13!). Crazy prices for what the quality.

We were both disappointed by the blandness of the food, the sub-par quality, and the experience all around. I would not recommend Alana's...save your money and go somewhere else. We should have known....on a Saturday night at 7pm there were only about 5 other tables with diners in entire place. Not a good sign.

• Pros: Nice outdoor dining area
• Cons: Food quality, overpriced, snobby service

11/22/06

Most delicious food on North High Street!

by ohiorockergal

A friend bought my husband and I a gift certificate for our wedding gift. We didn't know what to expect, but were excited to experience a new restaurant. The atmosphere was very warm and inviting with candles lit on all the tables and fun art on the walls. The food was delicious!! We started our meal with the cheese plate from Curds and Whey. YUMMY! The salads were also superb. The main dish was probably the best fish dish I have ever eaten and my husband's prime rib was VERY thick and cooked exactly how he wanted without one ounce of fat. We were too full to eat dessert, but we wanted to try so we took them home to eat later. I had the HOT(spicy) chocolate pecan tarte with cinnamon ice cream. It was TOO DIE FOR! I highly recommend this restaurant if you have the money to spare. We had a $100.00 gift certificate, but still paid about $50.00 out of pocket (that included the tip for the server who was very friendly and not fake at all). It's a great restaurant for special occasions or when you want a romantic night out.

• Pros: THE FOOD!!!!!
• Cons: None that I noticed.

11/30/05

Very Special, Very expensive!

by aprildawn

Went here with friends for our wedding anniversary. It was in October so there were wonderful fall things on the menu. Pumpkin soup, awesome, scallops with vanilla bean that were spicy, to die for. Lamb for main course, just ok, but hubby's fish was out of this world! Dessert was pumpkin brule, nice but not great. We shared two bottles of wine with friends, as well as appetizers. Our meal for 4 was nearly $400 w/o tip. That's right!! So unless it's a VERY special occasion that you have saved for, this place is VERY expensive. Good, but worth the price? No.

• Pros: Wide Menu, Wonderful food, Large Wine selection
• Cons: Very expensive, hard to park, difficult to find

08/21/05

good special occasion spot

by leapop

Overall, my companion and I had a lovely meal at Alana's. The hostess who seated us was vaguely cold, but our server himself was very warm and attentive throughout the meal. He recommended an excellent wine for me that coordinated well with my meal. My dish, a vegetable kebab, was disappointingly bland, but the fish my companion ordered was simply amazing. Fortunately, I began with tomatillo gazpacho, which wasn't as spicy as I'd hoped, but that's my problem, not the restaurant's. The interior was quite nice: the several rooms give the illusion of intimacy, while the artwork is colorful and pleasant to look at during lulls in the conversation without being garish or distracting. For a restaurant that seems to pride itself on being vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, though, it would be nice if there were more vegan desserts other than sorbet, which wasn't even listed on the menu.

• Pros: attractive decor, great wine, pleasant service
• Cons: menu inconsistent, expensive

12/31/04

With a good table: Excellent.

by claireantonia

The food and atmosphere (colorful & ecletic) at Alana's is excellent. We particularly enjoyed the desserts; even a year later we remember how good they were. For a special dinner, Alana's was a great place.

The only drawback was the seating. We had a reservation, yet were seated right next to the noisy and busy kitchen; a vantage point from where we could also see numerous empty tables. A couple that had come in at the same time, without a reservation, was seated in a much nicer table, which was perturbing. When we asked to be reseated, the staff was pleasant though, and the night proceeded as planned.

• Pros: Desserts

04/27/04

Owned by Emeril's protege, this bistro serves excellent fusion cuisine for meat-eaters and vegans alike.

by Contributor

The Scene
Alana Shock opened her own bistro in 1999 after working in some of the finer kitchens in town and across the country, including a stint with Emeril Lagasse. The dining rooms are painted in textured, bright colors and there is ample patio space.

The Food
Alana's creativity and enthusiasm are visible all over the menu, which changes weekly and makes use of fresh, unusual ingredients. There is always a good--and tasty--selection of vegetarian and vegan items; risotto is usually available, and the vegan version is still creamy and rich with flavor.Check out the altruistic antipasti assortment or the fricasseed chicken over artichoke-mashed potatoes smothered in squash noodles, leeks and prosciutto. Daring diners can try degustation--a tasting event in which Shock prepares several small courses, each of which is paired with a wine chosen to complement the dish.

• Pros: changing menu

09/12/03

my favorite dining experience ever

by sonabell

I went to Alana's for my birthday and had a vegetarian degustation with wine pairings. It was incredible. The wine pairings were exquisite. Alana really knows how to bring out the best in both the wine and food. Each course was just enough to stimulate your palette and by the end I was extremely satiated, in regard to taste, quantity and wine. Alana helped to make my birthday perfect. The atmosphere was wonderful as we sat outside while the sun went down. My fiance and I spent three hours enjoying our meal.

I must say, upon looking at the regular menu, one might not find a whole lot of vegetarian options; however, as a vegetarian, it is my favorite place in Columbus. I would highly recommend a degustation for the serious diner.