Thai Grille

Thai Grille in Uptown Westerville occupies the space of the former Michael's Pizza, which was closed because of a fire. The restaurant brings flavorful fare to Westerville's main thoroughfare, and they up the ante by using locally sourced, organic ingredients with plenty of choices for vegetarians.

The decor at Thai Grille is understated. Service is brisk and attentive.

I was absolutely amazed by the volume of vegetarian options on the menu. With the exception of grilled meat and seafood dishes and the soups, all of the other dishes were vegetarian or could be prepared vegetarian.

Vegetarian appetizers included spring rolls, summer rolls, curry puffs, chive pancakes, tofu satay, the green salad and the papaya salad.

I sampled the curry puffs, which were reminiscent of tiny samosas. The puffs were filled with liberally spiced potatoes and peas that were served with a sweet dipping sauce with chunks of cucumber, red pepper and red onion. It was delightful.

There are a wide variety of vegetarian entrees as well. However, in order to get a feel for the flavor of Thai Grille, I had to order the tofu curry.

The tofu curry was served in a thick coconut milk that exploded with spices. The dish also came with potato, carrot, onion, pea pods, zucchini and squash. Since Thai Grille's focus is on local ingredients, the vegetation in the dish changes with the seasons.

Diners also get rice options, which include jasmine rice (also called Thai hommali rice), brown rice, white sticky rice and black sticky rice. The sticky rice options cost an extra $1.50.

There are a number of dessert options at Thai Grille. There is an extensive list of teas, and a limited selection of beer and wine that is well-suited to the cuisine.

Thai Grille is another great addition to Central Ohio's dining scene. With the multitude of meatless options, it should put Uptown Westerville on the map for vegetarians.

Thai Grill