Knead

Knead is a fun new eatery in the Short North that prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner with the finest local ingredients. Almost everything is made with Ohio ingredients, and as a result, everything made is fresh and fantastic.

I've been excited about Knead for some time now. Owners Rick and Krista Lopez previously ran Trattoria la Tavola, and Rick also worked at Tapatio, which in my humble opinion is the finest restaurant in the history of Columbus. The menu that the Lopez's have created is akin to the menu at Skillet, another of my favorite places in Columbus.

Interestingly, Knead has a different menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is available through the afternoon. There are many options for all three meals that are acceptable for vegetarians and vegans alike. There are vegetarian pizzas, pasta dishes, burritos, vegan sloppy joes and breakfast items including French toast and yogurt, fruit and granola.

The Slop V Joe (a clever pun on sloppy joe) is a vegan sandwich that uses chopped vegetables in place of soy crumbles. You can see beans, corn, peppers and grains suspended in the sauce. It is served on a house made roll with a pickle. The sandwich is so good you'll probably never want a soy crumble sloppy joe ever again.

Fries are thinly sliced and lightly crispy, served with a house fennel ketchup. They are tasty and well portioned.

The brioche French toast is prepared with seasonal fruit and Ohio maple syrup. It is lightly dusted with powdered sugar, and the fresh bread adds great flavor to the dish.

The house made biscuits with blackberry compote were also great. The biscuits are so large that they actually look more like a bun than a biscuit. The texture, however, is the flaky one that has made buttermilk biscuits famous.

The mixed green salad is prepared with an Ohio feta cheese that adds a mild, creamy flavor to the vinaigrette. The mixture of seasonal greens works beautifully together.

I really want to sample the burrito and some of the pizzas on the dinner menu. I'll definitely be back to check it out soon.

Knead offers a large selection of Ohio beers, with fine selections from Columbus Brewing and the Thirsty Dog, as well as working man's options like Hudy Delight and Burger Beer. There are delicious dessert choices available too.

Service at Knead is working out some of the kinks. Since the place has just opened, I will give them an opportunity to iron out the rougher edges.

Knead