Urbana Spoon...

The front entrance to Fusion 40.83

Any restaurant that requires driving 45 miles through sleet and snow on ice covered roads better be worth it.  And that's exactly what happened last Friday night when our small group from Russia braved a winter storm and took a road trip to Urbana for dinner.  The real reason for our trip was to celebrate a birthday with some good friends from West Liberty, so after we surprised them at their home with our arrival, we headed south down State Route 68 to one of their favorite eateries.  Fusion 40.83 was where our reservations were at and if you need directions look no further than their name.  As it was explained to me entering Urbana, 40.83 are the GPS coordinates of the city.  The other part of their name, Fusion, describes the global menu they offer.  I have to admit I'm not really a restaurant critic or a food connoisseur, but I know the difference between a good and bad atmosphere, and I also know a great meal from an average one.  So here's my review of the experience:

The entrance to Fusion was a wall of windows and unlike something I would expect in downtown Urbana.  It seemed contemporary at first appearance and more like something I would see in downtown Columbus.  The restaurant is basically a single room with high ceilings, a cool bar, and a corner fireplace that gives the place a cozy feel on a winter's night.  Our reservations for eight were at the Chef's Table in the front window.  Unlike rectangular tables that can make talking with everyone difficult, this square table with high chairs was perfect for our group.  The restaurant was busy, but not crowded, and our service was excellent.  When we ordered our meals the waitress didn't ask anyone for their choice of salad dressing and I found this odd.  After tasting the salad we understood why...it was absolutely delicious and any other dressing would have only lessened the experience.  Our orders of entrees included asiago chicken, pad thai, steak, and my order of crab cakes.  I've eaten crab cakes many times before at some very nice restaurants and these were easily the best I've ever had.  Everyone else in our party seemed to enjoy their entrees as well.  The only unfortunate part of the dinner was that we were all so full that everyone passed on desert.  By the way, the prices were pleasantly reasonable and what you would expect for a nice meal in this part of Ohio.

If I was a restaurant critic or a food connoisseur I'd give Fusion 40.83 two thumbs up, four stars, whatever...simply put, it was great.