ThisWeek Community Newspapers Reynoldsburg
Page A6
August 4, 2011
Harvest Pizzeria: New spot serves superlative pies On an opening-day visit, I was so blown away by the great pizzas and general sophistication of Harvest Pizzeria I couldn’t believe it had only been in business for a few hours. Ergo, I went back the very next day to confirm what I ate was in fact that sensational. Well, it was, and frankly it’s a good bet I’m perched on a seat there right now, buzzsawing through marvelous Harvest munchies while you’re reading this. Man, the German Village pizza scene has gone from famine to feast at warp speed. So what was formerly an area of town blessed with a wealth of terrific restaurants but cursed with a dearth of pizzerias is now home to the very best place to eat pizzas in Columbus. That’s because not only does Harvest crank out phenomenal ’zas, but from top to bottom, from its cute, Euro-ish patio to its tastefully
MENU by G. A. BENTON understated and hip, openkitchen-equipped dining room, Harvest exhibits extraordinary smarts and style. First of all, the building looks like an — and I never use this adjective — adorable brick cottage. Secondly, the non-pizza portion of the menu includes an engaging and non-cliche wine list; cocktails made with topnotch liquids; and excellently sourced, handmade appetizers and desserts. As a small plate, the WildCaught Galician Sardines ($8, but not on the menu the last time I went) ate like an elegant little salad. I loved its hefty hunks of white-fleshed and salmon-like fish, fresh fennel fronds, tender
By Jodi Miller/ThisWeek
The Ohio Bacon pizza at Harvest Pizzeria in German Village.
lettuces and tongue-tinglingly citric dressing. But I had plenty more love to give when it came to the housemade Warm Ricotta ($8). Drizzled with balsamic vinegar plus lavender honey and brightened by lemon zest, this impressive, fresh-cheesy curd-fest tasted like the kind of Italian-style cheesecake you might eat in a real and real fancy Italian restaurant.
While far from bad, the House Chopped Salad ($9) suffered by comparison. Similarly, this colorful, crunchy and fun-to-munch ensemble had elements — salty and evanescent shaved ricotta salata curls and killer tomatoes from an owner’s Canal Winchester farm — that outclassed others (canned olives and chickpeas and iceberg lettuce). OK, those game-changing piz-
zas. I’ve eaten dozens of pizzas in Italy, where crust is king, and these Harvest pies are excitingly close to the real thing. They’re thin and delicate in the center but sexily puffy, charred and woodsmoke scented on their perfectly chewy edges. Yet whereas crusts and the (crushed-tomatolike) house sauce are classically Italian, toppings are up-to-theminute chic American. Here are a few highly recommended pies I tried. • Ohio Bacon ($14): Slightly sweet and salty, this beauty contained: Canadian-style bacon made with Ohio swine, milky fresh mozzerella, roasted red peppers and a garnish of superfresh marjoram. • Goat Cheese ($15): Thinly sliced sopressata (lusty salami), Ohio goat cheese, caramelized onions and lots of jammy oven-blistered tomatoes make this pizza soar.
Harvest Pizza Address: 495 S. 4th St., German Village Phone: (614) 824-1769 Web: harvestpizza.com
• Yuma ($13): This zesty, Southwestern model’s designed for spice lovers because its smoky chipotle-accented sauce strikes fire with jalapenos and clumps of chorizo; corn, havarti cheese and roasted red peppers tame the flames a bit. • Fennel Sausage ($15): Rich, sharp and bold with local gouda, smoked provolone, excellent sausage, onion and fennel pollen. Homemade desserts can wow too, such as the surprisingly fancy Butterscotch Budino ($6). Kinda like a dense pudding parfait with a lovely — and barely sweet — scorched sugar character, it has tart creme fraiche plus toasted hazelnuts and vanilla-scented Maldon sea salt for extra depth and texture.
Latest Bethel Road restaurant puts emphasis on sushi Yun Hui “Yumi” Wada wouldn’t put her new restaurant in just any area of town. But Northwest Side residents have shown their fondness for sushi and other Asian fare, so she’s comfortable opening her new, sophisticated Japanese restaurant in the busy Bethel Road corridor. “A lot of people here know how to eat sushi,” she said. And Wada will put their appetites to the test with her latest venue, Aoi, which opens Aug. 8 at 876-878 Bethel Road. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the restaurant will offer all-you-can-eat sushi
— maki rolls, nigiri and sashimi — for $29. Aoi, meaning blue in Japanese, is a big-ticket venture that transformed the 5,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by Einstein Bros. Bagels and Boston Market, a move that required Wada had to get a rezoning for the property. The interior features two distinctive dining rooms. One is the bar area, with a granite bar that seats 15 and another 100 or so in a casual space that will offer TV sets, eight beers on draft and deejay-spun music seven days a week. The other room is a more formal dining area, with an extended blue granite sushi bar and also seating for 100. Indeed, the immediate area is flush with sushi options, including Akai Hana, Basho, Yoshi’s and Blue Ginger. Wada said the demand is obvious, so she’s not worried about saturation. She will have four sushi chefs so customers can avoid By Chris Parker/ThisWeek long waits. The bill Yun Hui “Yumi” Wada is opening Aoi, a Japanese restauof fare also will inrant with a focus on sushi, at 876-878 Bethel Road. clude tempura,
teriyaki, katsu and noodle dishes, all competitively priced, she said. However, hibachi will not be offered. The restaurant has made use of a leftover drive-through window, but orders must be placed 30 to 60 minutes in advance. Wada and her family are the operators of three successful restaurants: two Genji Japanese steakhouses and San-Su, a Korean barbecue that Wada opened earlier this year on Bethel Road. Wada said they will soon start construction on Genji Go, a takeout restaurant on Brice Road. Aoi will be open lunch and dinner hours daily. For more information, call (614) 824-2664. Speaking of Bethel Road, Buckeye Pho Asian Restaurant is slated to open next month in the Olentangy Plaza. The owner is Max Tat, a Spagio and Molly Woo alumnus and classically trained chef. It will become one of three restaurants on Bethel that specialize in Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup. The other two are Bamboo Café and Lac Viet. A key difference: Buckeye Pho also will offer a full Chinese menu. The restaurant is just around the corner from the new Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
Belle’s Bread will replace Crescent Bakery in the Kenny Center. Takashi Takenaka, who www.ThisWeekNews.com/foodandwine also owns Akai Hana and Tensuke Market in the center, said Etiquette expert Nora Cline his new Japanese café is slatputs the debate to rest: It is not ed to open in October. He’s also expanded the storefront OK to text at the dinner table. to 4,500 square feet. He said Nuts are a a team of female employees great source named the café, which will be of protein open for breakfast, lunch and and other es- Nora Cline dinner. sential nutrients, Calorie Countess Jennifer Burton Marlin & Ray’s Seafood Bar & Grill is replacing Ruby Jennifer Burton says. Tuesday at 1840 HilliardRecipe of the week Rome Road. The concept, part of the Tennessee-based Ruby Tuesday chain, is expected to open by the end of the year. Marlin & Ray’s is a dinneronly casual restaurant with a host of seafood specialties, pasta, sandwiches and such. Most entrée prices are in the $12 to $17 range. It’s a relatively new concept, as there currently are only two Marlin & Ray’s, one each in Ten- Buckeyes, courtesy of Kathleen Murchison of Kathleen’s Café. nessee and Virginia
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