350 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614.280.3082
website
The centerpiece restaurant of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Columbus is a huge restaurant called the Market Stand Café. The spacious site offers breakfast and lunch options for visitors to downtown Columbus, be they here on business or pleasure. The major number of conventions and big employers in the immediate vicinity draw people with a lot of different tastes to town. It seems that this restaurant managers to appeal to a mass audience. Still, it faces increasing competition from great local and regional chains, and that adds up.
The place to get started is definitely breakfast. That seems to be the specialty of this restaurant.
- French Toast: Pretty true to form, toast pan-fried in egg and served with plenty of powdered sugar on top. Not bad as French toast goes, some bananas to sweeten the whole thing up and make it a bit heavier add to the dish and keep it from being boring.
- Quiche: The flaky crust is what really makes a quiche work, and this one has a very flaky crust. The mixture of eggs peppers and veggies inside is good, though sometimes the top can be a bit overcooked and to Brown.
- Frittata: Lightly whipped eggs are the key to a good frittata. This one is topped with mushrooms for good measure. It doesn’t really even need anything else, though a bit of sausage on the side at the savory side to mix it up.
- Salad Grilled Chicken: A chicken breast grilled it in herbs, sliced, and serve the top of bed of lettuce. It’s a nice dynamic if you’re looking for something a little bit healthier, but chicken comes cold, but that works out just as well and the end result is a very herbal tasting dish.
- Chocolate mousse: Thick mousse with a layer of chocolate on top, something like a flan. Decadent, more so than you would expect.
- Pumpkin pie tart: While pumpkin is assertive in the tart here, it’s not overwhelming, not a pie in the literal sense of the word but certainly a good sweet finish.
- Seared Herb Chicken: Grilled and topped with a bit of oregano, pepper and a few other spices, this one is served with grilled Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes to add a little character.
The prices here are high. Definitely on par with a nicer restaurant, with many of the dishes running $17 or $18 apiece. While that isn’t astronomical, it certainly is higher than normal. And it should be said, that there are a great number of restaurants in the immediate area that serve breakfast. So does this one match up against them? Well, the food here is good, but there are others that are better. So the prices are a little bit high for what you’re getting.
Restaurant isn’t bad to be sure, the fact of the matter is just that there are so many other good places to eat around it, and you have to wonder if it’s really doing anything to race itself above the rest. Downtown Columbus is home to an increasing surge of really great food. This one offer some familiar favorites and comfort, and you can’t beat the convenience. But you will find some truly special stars if you go out and walk around a bit.
Recommendations:
- Pick this place for convenience, especially if you’re staying in the hotel, and it’s right on the ground floor.
- Breakfast is probably the most popular menu to be tried here.
- There is a buffet if you’re feeling it but it’s $17.75.
Another Food Critic 