Photo: G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar

Restaurant Week Columbus was last week, and I was presented with the difficult decision of selecting a restaurant from the list of enticing three-course deals. There was one restaurant on the list that I’ve always heard great things about, but hadn’t yet tried: G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar . I made my decision and quickly made my reservation. And I was not disappointed.

When I walked into the restaurant located in historic German Village , I thought the décor could be described as classic and contemporary, but the exposed brick walls gave it a comfortable and homey feel. It was early Friday evening, and the restaurant and bar were considerably busy and buzzing with conversations and laughter. We were immediately seated and greeted by our server.

I made my dinner selections from the Restaurant Week menu, but I browsed the regular menu and was impressed. It was much like their décor: contemporary in terms of their sophisticated seafood and unique pairings, but comfortable in regards to items like as grits and southern-fried chicken.

My first course from the Restaurant Week menu was their house salad made with poached pears, spiced pecans and gorgonzola vinaigrette, which was sweet and extremely fresh. My main course was seared scallops with braised short ribs, which I thought was the perfect example of a more refined food item (the scallops) paired with, in my opinion, the ultimate comfort meal (meat, potatoes and green beans). For dessert, I selected a delicious trio of one of Columbus’ favorite desserts: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams . The entire meal and experience was incredibly satisfying.

If you’d like to experience a similar three-course meal for $30, check out G. Michael’s on Monday nights (menu selections change each week).

To sum it all up: my expectations for G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar were high, but they were definitely met. Great environment, great service and great food. If you’re looking for a place where elegance meets comfort, I highly recommend it.