Come chow with me

It's Only Brunch

Come chow with me

By G.A. Benton

JOE MAIORANA PHOTO

In these maddening days of turbulent airline service, when jets rarely run on time and luggage-mishandling operations practically charge a fee for each in-air peanut eaten, it seems incongruous to use the words "airport," "fun" and "good value" in the same sentence. But of course that's exactly what I'm going to do. So buckle up, return your tray to its upright position, and please observe the no-irony sign until I reach my cruising altitude.

Alright, I'm there, so here it comes: One of the more fun Sunday brunches in town — and also a good value — can be had at the 94th Aero Squadron, a restaurant that literally sits between runways of the Columbus International Airport.

Considering its location and the fact that plane-spotting is a major attraction, the character of the 94th is inextricably linked with the airport. But this "hanger-on" (get it?) eatery — which was once quite the hot spot during the '80s — also indulges in some very kitschy ambience.

Which leads me to play the "what's in a name?" game. Prior to existing as a restaurant in Columbus (and elsewhere — there's a few scattered throughout the country), the 94th Aero Squadron was famous as the first line of Americans fighting in France during WWI. Its star dogfighting pilot was the "Ace of Aces," Eddie Rickenbacker — yes, that Rickenbacker —?a Columbus native and the USA's answer to the Red Baron.

After flying and fighting with great distinction in the war that didn't even begin to end all wars, the 94th was redeployed when Pearl Harbor was attacked and once again fought heroically.

JOE MAIORANA PHOTO

OK, so what's all this got to do with roast beef? Well, 94th Aero Squadron, the restaurant, has been built to mimic a vintage French farmhouse overtaken by liberating Yankees, and it employs a movie set's attention to detail to achieve this. So there's old Jeeps, ambulances, cannons and planes dotting the parking lot.

Inside, an army of wartime memorabilia hangs. In a series of carefully decorated rooms (which includes a dance floor), old music plays, restrooms are labeled "latrines" (for "Guys" and "Dolls"), French slogans are strewn about, and the museumy place is replete with bivouacking necessities, old photos, "Buy Bonds" posters and era-correct Franco-furnishings. If it's all a little goofy, it is so by design, and personally I think it's an entertaining hoot.

And the food? Well, the huge multi-room selection of Sunday buffet vittles (yes, in the Mess Hall) is good, too. It's nothing fancy, just a bunch of Middle-American favorites, like that aforementioned carved-to-order roast beef.

For $19, you get that, plus serve-yourself drinks like fruit juices (though skip the crappy cappuccino), plus battalions of hunger-fighting warriors ready to attack your grumbling stomach.

Among the myriad steam-table options, a couple of cooks stand guard over omelet and waffle stations and freshly made fajita and pasta outposts. And there's an entire division of serviceable desserts sectioned off from the savory things.

94th Aero Squadron

5030 Sawyer Rd., East Side

614-237-8887

Web: 94thaero.com

Along with that commendable roast beef, here's a few other highlights: a spilling-over throng of king crab legs among individual nutcrackers (worth the price of admission alone); whole salmon two ways, smoked with all the expected accoutrements and delicately cooked and covered in a creamy red pepper sauce; bratwurst-like (in flavor and size) breakfast sausages; tender beef tips in a merlot gravy; smoky, meaty riblets; an interesting Asian-inflected chicken salad; and to help soak up the juices, a tangy mac and cheese and rich and creamy, cheddar-cheesed mashed potatoes.

Warning: After lapping up all that payload, potential airline passengers will likely be assessed a "heavy baggage" fee.

June 26, 2008