Now’s your chance to try Columbus’ highest-rated restaurant — for only $15
Those in Columbus curious about what it’s like to dine at Epic now have a chance to try the nationally-rated restaurant for lunch or dinner at a highly discounted rate.
The restaurant, located at 1201 Front Ave., is one of 21 local eateries taking part in Restaurant Week. The event is now in its third year and gives residents a chance to try out some local cuisine without breaking the bank.
This year, Epic is offering a lunch and dinner menu at $15 and $35, respectively.
Epic has held a four-star diamond rating with the AAAA Diamond list of top restaurants in the United States since 2015. The ratings, which use undercover inspectors, grant diamonds from one through five, with the latter the most elite recognition that a restaurant can hope to have. There was only one five-diamond eatery in Georgia among the 69 nationwide and that was The Georgian Room in Sea Island.
The Ledger-Enquirer visited Epic for lunch Tuesday and spoke with Chef Jamie Keating about Restaurant Week while he prepared the lunch menu, which includes five choices for an entree: Adam’s Burger, Spicy Chicken Panini, Grilled Pecan Chicken Salad, Fish & Chips or Vegetable Lasagna. The lunch menu also includes your choice of dessert: Chocolate Torte, Peach Pie or Rhubarb Cobbler.
Q: Do you see a lot of new faces here during Restaurant Week?
“We do see a lot of new faces and that’s what’s exciting and that’s also a major challenge. It really doesn’t matter, the price point. What we do here, we’re gonna put the best quality on the plate and it’s really a great introduction for those (who haven’t visited before). We talk about you don’t ever fill up the bathtub and just jump in, you gotta test the water. It helps create a culture — fill the bathtub up a little bit, let folks touch the water and figure out if this is really what they want to do.”
Q: Were there any ingredients you really wanted to feature or directions you wanted to go with the lunch and dinner menus?
“The direction we wanted to go was definitely having a variety so that whoever does come to dine, they have a choice to make. We still take dietary restrictions, allergies, so we have a vegan Restaurant Week menu, a vegetarian Restaurant Week menu so we can accommodate just about anybody.
We’re seasonal, we’re thinking about rhubarb, summer, July, something with strawberry for a nice coolness there. Peach pie, that comfort. One diner yesterday had the peach pie and they had to go ahead and order a whole peach pie to-go so that’s really great, great, great things when that happens because you really know you’ve touched somebody and that’s what we’re here for.”
Q: Is there a dish you’re most excited for diners to try?
“Absolutely not — it’s all of them. I get that question all the time even with our dinner menu, ‘what should I get?’ Well there’s 12 entrees on the menu on average so come back the next 12 nights and try one of each.”
Q: Did you put the menus together as a team or was it mostly you?
“Oh I don’t ever want it to be me. I would rather them do it and then me look at it, kinda edit it ... They’ll feel more proud about what they’re producing.”
Epic is serving lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. until July 27. Reservations are highly suggested, but walk-ins will be accommodated.
This story was originally published July 26, 2018 at 12:30 PM.