Farewell, the Burgundy Room

Today's Dispatch briefly mentions that the Burgundy Room, a downtown Columbus restaurant, is closed for renovations and its phone line is disconnected, indicating that the closure may be permanent. A quick search of customer-review websites suggests the same. For the eight years I've come to Columbus, the Burgundy Room has been one of favorite places to visit, so this is certainly disappointing news. Any restaurant that opened in 2003 as a reasonably priced wine bar serving small-plates-style dinners (the description "tapas" seems inappropriate because the menu was eclectic American, not Spanish) in a cool but unassuming setting -- in Columbus, Ohio, no less! -- deserves respect.

One of my friends and I debate whether something cool is inherently cooler in a second-tier market like Columbus (or Kansas City, Pittsburgh, etc) than it would be in New York (or Boston, D.C., etc) because it's found in an out-of-the-way locale. I say, Yes, because it creates varied urban beachheads that aren't going to swallow a whole place through gentrification -- create your own scene. He says, No, because you're still among the same people you'd find in Boston, not mingling with the people who gave the city its original identity. He's probably right, but I still always liked the Burgundy Room very much.