Columbus Dining Guide Feed

Restaurant review: Vittoria Ristorante

G.A. Benton — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:36:11 GMT

Huge and impressive-looking, and with good to very good Italian food, Vittoria Ristorante in Powell certainly deserves its rampant popularity. In fact, don't do what I did one time - lamely show up on a Saturday night without a reservation - because you'll likely be staring up the barrel of an hour's wait.

Brunch season: Luce

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:31:45 GMT

Luce Enoteca is a unique and terrific upscale-casual wine bar/Italianate restaurant out in Powell. Inside, its spacious two rooms are decked out with Chihuly-esque lighting fixtures, local art and a welcoming hearth.

Brunch season: Giorgio

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:31:20 GMT

Inside, this comfy Clintonville Italian restaurant features ochre-painted walls, fragrant potted herbs (which get used), a grapevine mural and a set of illusionistic space-stretching trompe l'oeil mirrors hanging above a burgundy and gold banquette.

Review: Marcella's Polaris

G.A. Benton — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:40:41 GMT

Whenever I mention Marcella's, I get an instant and strong reaction unrelated to the food (which I and most people quite like). In general, the place is considered to be trendy, loud and crowded.

Restaurant review: Antone's

G.A. Benton — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:35:18 GMT

You might not know it, but Columbus owes Youngstown. Like for Jim Tressel, who came from Youngstown State to help deliver the Buckeyes their first national championship in decades; even Tress' "caveman offense" detractors can't deny his program is gloriously successful.

Mactacular: Salvi's Bistro

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:06:18 GMT

Located in Hilliard, Salvi's is a family-friendly Italian American stalwart with a long tradition of pleasing customers. Sprawled across three rooms, the large semi-upscale space contains lots of basic black accents, the obligatory pictures giving props to Italy and assorted visuals that casually say "Good Food Here."

Menu: Vincenzo's

G.A. Benton — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:22:19 GMT

It's a bakery with beautiful loaves of oven-fresh breads sitting out on a counter, some stained with fresh pesto, some packed with cheese and pepperoni. It's a nice little wine shop with lots of fine deals on food-friendly vinos. It's a cheesemonger outlet where I recently bought balls of mozzarella made on premises 15 minutes prior to my arrival.

Menu: Giuseppe and Lola's Trattoria

G.A. Benton — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:45:32 GMT

Valentine hearts dance around a sign announcing "Lola's" outside of a tiny restaurant in Gahanna. That image is not only timely, but fitting, considering the abundant love that clearly goes into the food served inside of Giuseppe and Lola's Trattoria.

In the Mood: Z Cucina di Spirito

G.A. Benton — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:56:09 GMT

She likes ooey and gooey chocolate richness. He prefers something fruiter, with more restraint. Well, Valentine's Day is not the time to choose sides, it's the time to join forces. So head to a place where you can indulge in both, where two shared yin-and-yang desserts will convert his and hers into ours.

In the Mood: Lola's Baci

G.A. Benton — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:55:44 GMT

With a handful of fanciful, red cupidy hearts dancing all around it, the sign outside of Lola's trattoria in Gahanna looks like an oversized Valentine's card. The metaphor seems perfect.

Menu: Cardone's

G.A. Benton — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:18:18 GMT

As I sat at the quaint little bar in Cardone's waiting for my table, a fresh-faced fellow shuffled in from the back area and assumed the role of bartender. He was friendly, chatting with me about sports, his bocce ball league team and such.

Lovely Luce

Shelley Mann — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:30:31 GMT

You can order the salmon, pork or chicken entrees any time of the year at Luce, but that doesn't mean you know what you're going to get.

First Bite: Mia Cucina

G.A. Benton — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:02:16 GMT

Mia Cucina, which is "my kitchen" in Italian, is the name of a safe and sound, newish restaurant in New Albany. But I'm thinking Tua Cucina would've been a better moniker - if tua (which means "your") referred to Brio.

Lunch Money: Cafe del Mondo

Shelley Mann — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:04:18 GMT

You won't find much that's actually Italian in Italian Village. Yes, the neighborhood that got its name from St. John the Baptist Italian Catholic Church boasts some Italianate architecture. And it's a perfectly charming part of town, only you might be disappointed if you're expecting the copious spaghetti-and-cannoli spots found in neighborhoods like NYC's Little Italy (or the sausage hauses and backeries of our own German Village).

Al Fresco: Cafe Bella

G.A. Benton — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:29:29 GMT

Amidst the mournful moans and howls of a Nick Cave song (a favorite performer of mine) I heard Vince Withers unrelatedly say in his little cafe, "I used to make bombs for the man, now I'm giving back."

It's Just Brunch: Luce Enoteca

G.A. Benton — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:20:21 GMT

First you notice the ochre colored, long and low Tuscan villa-like building with the showy wide arches. Then the artfully sculpted fir tree lineup commands your rapt attention.

Al Fresco: Basi Italia

G.A. Benton — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:18:18 GMT

Clad in black T-shirts with Team Basi written on the back, the smiling staff at Basi Italia looked much too happy to be at work than people really should. Undoubtedly a major reason for that is because of their team captain, Chef Dornback, who's just Johnny to his employees.

Top 10 patio picks

Shelley Mann — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:49:51 GMT

It's finally getting warm enough for enjoyably eating outside, so here are our top picks for patio dining in Central Ohio.

Creekside escape: Mezzo

Shelley Mann — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:23:37 GMT

From the Hollywood-style booths and granite-topped bar inside to the white tablecloths outside, this Gahanna gem offers an artistic feel and rich ambiance. Plus, the food is beautifully presented and delicious. And the service is spectacular.

Menu: Caffe DaVinci

G.A. Benton — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:51:17 GMT

The glass-enclosed entryway to a split-down-the-middle building had all the elements of a parable. On the right was a door leading to a popular coffee shop. An identical door on the left opened onto a busy Italian restaurant.

Menu: Bel Lago

G.A. Benton — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:26:19 GMT

Because of its stunning setting smack dab on the dreamy Hoover Reservoir, the Hoover Grille became a destination restaurant. As for the food, well, if you played it smart and stayed with something simple, you could usually find a nosh good enough to justify lingering on that inspiring water a while longer.

It's Just Brunch: Giorgio Italian Restaurant

G.A. Benton — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:47:15 GMT

Isn't Sunday supposed to be a day of rest? That's what I thought, but while I was loving my brunch one Sunday morning, all of the sudden a battalion of vexing questions began assaulting my pampered, calm and comforted mood.

Bar profile: Villa Nova Ristorante

John Ross — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:56:26 GMT

The road diverges early at Villa Nova, a charming Italian joint in Riverlea, at the southern edge of Worthington, and you must choose quickly once inside.

Toque talk: Magellan Moore of Mezzo

G.A. Benton — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:59:14 GMT

Magellan Moore oversees the Mediterranean-leaning menu at one of the neatest-looking restaurants around - Mezzo Italian Kitchen in Gahanna's Creekside development.

Toque talk: John Dornback of Basi Italia

G.A. Benton — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:57:15 GMT

John Dornback, owner and chef at the little, lively and lovely Basi Italia in Victorian Village, displayed such a tidy sense of narrative and a flair for verbal expression in writing me a mini-bio that I decided I couldn't do any better, so here it is in the chef's own words.

Headliners: The Bella bunch

Chris DeVille — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:58:15 GMT

A tiny neighborhood restaurant has spent the past year cultivating an unconventional garden and a unique music community. A charity event Saturday will bring both projects together.

Cheap Issue: Happier hours

By G.A. Benton — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:53:16 GMT

Cheap is good, but free is better. I mention this particularly in light of what's happened to happy hour (and I frequently mention this under the dim lights of a happy hour).

Menu: Luce

G.A. Benton — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:51:15 GMT

I've eaten my way through a seasonal change at Luce. In doing so, I've concluded that menus may alter as our planet indulges in its on-again, off-again courtship of the sun, but some things pretty much stay the same. Like the very fine cooking of Alex Rodriguez. The Columbus A-Rod has brought us great grub from his kitchens at The Rossi, BoMA and the Palette Cafe inside the Columbus Museum of Art. Now he's bringing it from his first self-owned (since May) place out in Powell.

First Bite: Martini Modern Italian

G.A. Benton — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:12:30 GMT

The transformation of the Cameron Mitchell-owned Martini Italian Bistro into Mitchell's newest "concept," Martini Modern Italian, is more pronounced than the samey-sounding names might indicate. In fact, it's dramatic. And the drama comes in steady, hefty doses.

Ultimate Bar Guide: Brio

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:35:22 GMT

Germinating from German Village's landmark Lindey's, Bravo's Brios are another band of hometown-branded achievers. I tend to frequent the Easton Town Center branch, with its sheets of sheer fabric swooping down dramatically from two-story ceilings and a brilliant all-weather patio.

First Bite: Caffe Daniela

G.A. Benton — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:03:01 GMT

Put bluntly, Caffe Daniela is a bright new casual eatery with uncomplicated but solidly good Italian-American food and eye-catching desserts.