Six Columbus restaurants honored in Wine Spectator’s 2023 Restaurant Awards
In a world where staying in is as easy, and sometimes enticing, as ever, Columbus restaurants continue to defy the odds and demonstrate that dining out isn’t dead.
Wine Spectator, a print & digital publication known for being one of the world’s leading authority on wine and restaurants, released their 2023 Restaurant Awards a couple of days ago, and six exceptional Columbus restaurants earned a place on their Award of Excellence and Best of Award of Excellence lists.
This year’s Award of Excellence recipients were rated on their meticulous wine programs and curated lists that offer diners a unique opportunity to choose wines that one wouldn’t easily find at a local wine store. These awards were also given to restaurants that skillfully match their wine selections with their culinary offerings, and the restaurants had to have an array of 90 or more wines to choose from.
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Barcelona Restaurant & Bar, Eddie Merlot’s, Tucci’s, and Veritas all received the Award of Excellence. Barcelona’s thoughtfully selected wine list encapsulates the Spanish tapas experience, and Eddie Merlot’s California wines perfectly compliment their contemporary American steak and seafood cuisine. Tucci’s has garnered recognition for their California blends that expertly pair with their steak and pasta dishes, and Veritas’ assortment of French wines were considered the strengths of their wine selection, flawlessly harmonizing with their rotating, seasonal menus.
Moving beyond just excellence, two other Columbus restaurants “took their efforts a step further,” according to Wine Spectator, and received The Best of Award of Excellence. Along with the criteria mentioned above, the restaurants that qualified for this prestigious award provide their patrons with 350 wine selections or more, including hand-picked vintage varieties, as well as “vertical collections of notable wines.” Wine Spectator also carefully chose restaurants that commit to training and educational opportunities for the staff.
None other than The Refectory and Jeff Ruby’s both took home the Best of Award of Excellence. The Refectory, renowned for their French inspired cuisine and predominantly French featured wines, was previously a Wine Spectator’s Grand Award winner from 1991-2003, and they’ve been one of the Award of Excellence winners for almost three decades. Jeff Ruby’s has over 650 California, French, and Italian wines to pair with their award-winning steaks. Their vault collection features “an extremely rare collection of fine wines. Each selection has been carefully curated and cellared until the very peak of its maturity,” says their website.
A heartfelt congratulations to these remarkable restaurants that consistently prove dining out with a glass of wine is a timeless pleasure.
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