India Oak

India Oak Grill is hidden on Oakland Park Avenue. The unassuming neighborhood pub makes delicious grilled submarine sandwiches declared, "The best in Clintonville."

For more than 40 years, India Oak has been located in the neighborhood in some form. It was originally called Hollies and found in the Huntington Bank spot on Indianola, Its current building used to be a car wash, and the take-out window is a relic from those days - it is not a drive-through.

The subs are made on toasted Auddino's sesame seed buns. They have a cheese sub and a veggie burger in addition to starters like the hummus platter.

The Cheesy Veggie Sub is topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, banana peppers, melted provolone and American cheese. The simple ingredients are simply perfect. It's a steal at $6.25.

The bar has a small selection of beer and liquor with some pretty reasonable happy hour rates. During happy hour, a beer and a sandwich cost about $10 or so, tip included. 

Natalie's Coal Fired Pizza

Natalie's Coal Fired Pizza is another in a long line of gourmet pizza shops catering to upper crust clientele in central Ohio. It offers a new American spin on New York style pizza with fresh ingredients sometimes combined into interesting pies.

While Natalie's whips up great looking pizza made from high quality ingredients in a fun setting, the service was slow and ineffective. The front of house was disconnected from the rest of the operation, misjudging seating time by more than an hour. Natalie's seems to suffer from a lack of identity, namely the confusion between being a restaurant and a concert venue.

The Clintonville/Worthington area pizzeria does have a great selection of beer and cocktails. I enjoyed a Great Lakes Alchemy Hour Double IPA. The bar has a great view of the oven, which turns out pizza quickly.

The hummus appetizer was wholly average. The chickpea dip had a smooth consistency that lacked flavor. The clumsy crudites are little more than a poorly executed garnish that belongs on a table at a graduation party.

The cheese plate had nice options, including a flavorful Quiejo Toledo, a Portuguese farmhouse cheese with a bright, creamy finish. While the cheeses and accoutrements were pleasant, the sliced orange garnish belongs on a cocktail or main course in an old-fashioned Chinese restaurant rather than on a cheese plate.

The pizza crust is thin and crispy with a tender chew, a little more so than the traditional New York pie. There are a number of meatless pizzas with an array of toppings. The whole tomato brought little to the classic Margherita pie.

Overall, Natalie's makes good pizza and great drinks, but uneven service makes dinner and late-night dining a challenge. It doesn't stand out well with all of the recent haute pizza joints that have opened in the past few years. Natalie's is a change of pace option that lags behind the best of the best spots.

Merlion Noodle and Rice

Merlion Noodle and Rice is a restaurant that specializes in the cuisine of Malaysia and Singapore. Since I am a vegetarian who has never eaten the food from these countries, I decided to head up Clintonville to see what they serve to those who like to eat food without a face.

The cuisine of Singapore and Malaysia is an interesting hodge podge that combines influences from the cultures that surround them. There are Chinese, Indonesian and Indian elements to dishes, and they can be rooted in some or all of these cuisines.  

There are not a tremendous amount of vegetarian dishes at Merlion. There are five vegetarian appetizers, which include vegetable spring rolls, tofu nuggets, sesame tofu, edamame and fried eggplant. There is one vegetarian entree on the dinner menu. The hot plate tofu is prepared with pork. There are a number of traditional Chinese tofu dishes on the lunch menu.

The fried eggplant is prepared with a delightful breading that is thick and soft yet delightfully crunchy. The thick pieces of eggplant soak up the sweet and sour dipping sauce. 

The clay pot tofu is a traditional preparation of tofu and Chinese vegetables in a mild brown sauce. The triangles of tofu are tossed with onions, carrots, baby corn, water chestnuts and bok choy. The dish is slow cooked in an oven in an adorable Hello, Kitty clay pot. 

The slow cooking gives the tofu a crisp exterior with a soft interior. The vegetables are steamed during the cooking process. The bok choy in particular has a great texture that walks a fine line between supple and crunchy. The sauce has a nice flavor, but it could benefit from a little more seasoning or a greater reduction. 

The restaurant is small. It seats about 20. The staff is friendly. They speak English as a second language, so obtaining information about ingredients in dishes requires persistence.

The house-made beverages at Merlion are excellent. The soy milk has a round, clean flavor. The ginger tea is bright and herbaceous. 

While there isn't a tremendous amount of vegetarian food at Merlion, the fresh ingredients combined with exotic flavors make it definitely worth a second look.

Dog of the Dead

I post incessantly about the Rad Dog cart. I don't eat here as often as I did when they were Downtown five days a week and also stationed at a bar in my neighborhood. Nonetheless, I have eaten Rad Dog more times than I can quantify.

Earlier this summer, though, I sampled the Dog of the Dead, a monstrosity so destructively delicious that I had to try and photograph it in its native habitat (which I did for lunch today). It is a worthwhile addition to the compendium.

A giant Bretzel pretzel hot dog bun is stuffed with a butterflied Tofurkey Italian sausage that is drowned in textured vegetable protein Sloppy Joe, Vegenaise and shredded Dariya cheese. It is a delightful mess that is well worth wearing.

Radhuni Indian Cuisine

Radhuni Indian Cuisine is the sibling of Downtown Columbus' heralded Indian Oven. The younger brother lacks the formality of Indian Oven, but delivers just as much character as its pricier sibling.

As with most Indian restaurants, Radhuni features many options for vegetarians. The buffet is a good value with pakoras and naan accompanying three vegetarian entrees.

The navratan korma is explosively flavorful, with cashew adding a savory note to the bright tomato base. Potatoes, peas and onions add texture to this Indian classic.

The cabbage and potato curry was fresh and crunchy. While its flavor was clean, the dish was somewhat bland.

The palak aloo (spinach and potatoes) was creamy and mild. It had a rich flavor with turmeric and garlic combining with ginger to create gustatory harmony.

The naan was also excellent. The veggie pakoras and tandoori bread made great tools to enjoy fantastic condiments like the coriander chutney and raita.

The fruit custard is made with mango and orange cubes. In addition to being delicious, it is also an excellent fire extinguisher for spicy food.

Babushka's Kitchen

Babushka's Kitchen is a small Ohio chain. Clintonville is home to the Central Ohio location of the kitschy Polish fast-casual eatery.

Polish food is notoriously vegetarian unfriendly. Pierogi and placki give meatless diners at least a couple of options at Babushka's.

The potato and cheddar pierogi were perfectly pan fried with sweet onions. The filling was rich and flavorful. The onions might have benefitted from a finer chop.

The potato pancakes (placki ziemniaczane for Polish purists) are served with sour cream and applesauce as condiments. The sour cream was served in a small portion that seemed almost rationed. The applesauce added a sweet, spicy element to the Polish staple.

The cucumber salad had a bright, fresh flavor. Although most traditional Polish cucumber salads are made with sour cream, the sweetened vinegar dressing nonetheless had an authentic flavor. The rye bread, however, was nearly free of character.

The kolachky are a soft and sweet conclusion to a meal. The raspberry was a sweet, jammy treat, and the cream cheese cookies tasted like a contained cheesecake bite.

The dining area is split into rooms dedicated to Warsaw and Krakow. Colors are red and white like the Polish flag, and the coat of arms is painted large on the wall.

Babushka's Kitchen

Global Gallery

Global Gallery Coffee Shop currently houses Earth's Crust and the Krazy Monkey Juice Bar. Earth's Crust also makes appearances as a food cart during the warmer months, but for now, you have to go to Clintonville to enjoy the organic whole grain pizzas and smoothies.

Earth's Crust offers vegan and vegetarian pizzas, and Krazy Monkey whips up fresh fruit smoothies in a variety of flavor combinations with your choice of juice bar add-ons. The smoothies are thick and loaded with great ingredients.

The vegan pesto pizza had toasted pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes. There were layers of flavor in the crust. There are pizza specials available on Friday nights.

Earth's Crust and the Krazy Monkey were written up recently at CMH Gourmand and in Columbus Alive. Vegetarians, vegans and environmentally conscious foodies should definitely check these operations out.

Earth's Crust and Krazy Monkey Juice Bar

Cafe Bella

Cafe Bella is an intimate, locally focused eatery on the border of Clintonville and North Campus. It features sandwiches, salads, and pasta dishes that cater to vegetarian and vegan diners.

The menu changes regularly. As a result, it is transmitted orally rather than in a written format.

Prices are $5 for sandwiches and $9 for pasta dishes. My pasta came with a salad and a brownie. With a drink, my bill was $10.

The salad was made with spinach, arugula, red peppers, red onions, bean sprouts, white cheese and sesame oil. It was fresh, clean and delicately constructed with hints of citrus, pepper and earthiness.

The eggplant parmesan pasta was thinly sliced eggplant delicately battered and served on thick spaghetti noodles in a house-made, chunky marinara with basil and garlic notes. The plating was great, and it added visual appeal to a dish that was already a satisfying explosion of flavor.

The brownie bite was a cool conclusion to the meal. The salad and pasta were filling, so I wasn't certain that I needed anything else. However, after some consideration, two bites of warm, dark chocolate cake provided a perfect finale to a fantastic lunch.

While the main focus of Cafe Bella is Italian dishes and breakfast items like frittata and French toast, international fare also is a staple. While this place is very accommodating for dietary restrictions, calling a day ahead allows diners to custom craft their meal for the next day (a cool perk for regulars and picky eaters).

Cafe Bella

Rad Dog again goes brick-and-mortar

According to a post on Columbus Underground, Tawd Bell is hanging up his Rad Dog chef's hat and passing the baton to the fine folks at Pattycake vegan bakery. This will be the second winter that Rad Dog will be located indoors--last year, it set up residence in the Hal & Al's kitchen.

Plans are for the cart to be retired for the cold months. The best idea is probably to pick up a vegan sticky bun and ask the staff yourself about the coming changes.

Whole World update

If, like me, you've been patiently awaiting the reopening of Whole World Natural Restaurant and Bakery, the wait is now over. Columbus' original vegetarian restaurant reopened June 29 after being closed nine months because of a kitchen fire. Luckily, the place hasn't lost a step during its short vacation from active duty.

Whole World was previously reviewed here, and the first time around, I greatly enjoyed their vegetarian and vegan takes on classic dishes. The fire did little damage to the dining room, and insurance payments the owners to make substantial upgrades to the kitchen.

The old favorites are all back, and as usual, there are specials based on seasonal ingredients that can change daily. I sampled the broccoli burger at ComFest before the official reopening, and the seemingly incompatible ingredients fuse into a delicious harmony that works out way better than it appears on paper. Whole World's most famous item is still a grand slam.

The daily selections were excellent. I sampled the gazpacho. The cold summer soup exploded with seasonal produce. It was a refreshing dish on the last few hot days of summer.

The seasonal quesadilla was stuffed with cheese, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, black olives and garbanzo beans. It was perfectly portioned and delicious.

I didn't realize how much I missed Whole World until it was gone. Luckily for me, it rose like a phoenix from the ashes both literally and figuratively. The place is a Columbus treasure.

Whole World open again

Whole World is reopening

It's official: following months of delays after a fire damaged its kitchen, Columbus' original vegetarian restaurant is reopening. The Whole World Restaurant and Bakery appeared at Comfest, and a sign proclaimed the grand reopening to be Tuesday June 29. This is great news for a great organization.

Pizza Grand Prix V

I stopped by the Wild Goose Creative for the Pizza Grand Prix version 5.0. The event featured the best in Columbus commercial and homemade pizzas in a fun and convivial atmosphere.

Admission cost was a medium pizza. For this low cost, you could sample anything brought by anybody else. Although a few pies disappeared quickly, there was plenty of pizza to go around (including an entire table of veggie pizzas).

My contribution to the cause was a Margherita pizza from the Press Grill in the Short North. The crust was thin and crispy. The roasted tomatoes had a bright flavor that paired well with the finely cut fresh basil.

Some of the other vegetarian pizza options included Hound Dog's Smokin' Joe, a veggie pizza from the Hyatt on Capital Square that had a delicious thin crust (who would've known?) and Hungry Howie's. Many of the homemade pizzas were also vegetarian, including the Margherita pies churned out on the Weber Grill by Dave (who won best homemade pizza and the giant tin of tomatoes that came with it).

There was a vote on best pizza of the night by the people in attendance, and there was also a pizza judging panel that consisted of food blogger Bethia Woolf, Roland Kopecky, Peggy Yerkes of Bono Pizza (who was dressed as a slice of pizza) and Jeff Aufdencamp of Mama Mimi's Take and Bake Pizza. I didn't get to sample it, but Clever Crow was one of the winners of the crowd vote.

The Pizza Grands Prix (the plural of grand prix) are a regular event, and there are a number of other food-related events at Wild Goose. PGP is definitely worth checking out next time around.

Pizza Grand Prix V

Pattycake Bakery

It seems impossible for a Columbus vegetarian blog that has been in operation for three years not to have reviewed Clintonville's Pattycake Vegan Bakery. Christmas gave me an opportunity to make up for this egregious wrongdoing.

Pattycake's wares are found in a number of restaurants throughout the city. Proprietor Jennie Scheinbach is one of the most famous names connected to vegan dining in the Capital City, and she does a great job getting the word out about her delicious baked goods.

Pattycake was also open on Christmas (and will still be open until 6 pm Christmas night). They featured cookies, cupcakes, candies, pies and the holiday favorite, sticky buns.

The baked goods at Pattycake are so delicious so that ovo-, lacto- and not-even-close-to-vegetarians will not miss the animal products in their sweets. Pattycake also makes a number of low sugar, no sugar and gluten-free baked goods for diabetics and those with celiac disease.

Some items in the cases that looked particularly delicious include chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, holiday sugar cookies, carrot cupcakes, whoopie pies, brownies and granola.

The sticky buns were delightful. Served piping hot from the oven, the soft rolls melt in your mouth with a spicy cinnamon kick. The icing adds another layer of flavor to the enormous pastry.

Baked goods can be picked up on location, on the Web, and at restaurants like Rad Dog, Cup O' Joe and many of the local farmer's markets. Those looking for guilt-free sweets should definitely head to Clintonville and reap the bounty from Pattycake.

Pattycake Vegan Bakery

Whole World fire

A fire has torn through Clintonville vegetarian outpost Whole World. The restaurant hopes to re-open by December 1 of this year. (Whole World was also written about on my blog back in its infancy). Click here to read more about the fire.

Cornerstone Deli

The Cornerstone Deli and Cafe in Clintonville is a restaurant masquerading as a chimera. Bagels are Cornerstone's bread and butter; however, it also features a salad bar and sushi. Despite the somewhat disparate offerings on the menu, the place has tons of options for vegetarians.

The bagels are big and soft, and they serve as the base for a number of vegetarian sandwiches. Choices of bagels include plain bagels, eight grain bagels, salt bagels, Asiago bagels, honey wheat bagels, sun-dried tomato bagels and three cheese bagels. They can also be ordered to-go with cream cheese.

Veggie sandwiches include the Veggie Delight, the Portabella melt, the Mediterranean veggie, the herbivore wrap, and a couple of pizza bagels. I sampled the Mediterranean veggie on an eight grain bagel. The sandwich consisted of mixed greens, sunflower seeds, sprouts, tomato and hummus on a steamed bagel. The flavor of the hummus was very herbaceous, and the seeds provided a great textural addition.

Sandwiches are available with chips and other sides, including potato salad, macaroni salad, build-your-own side salad, edamame and miso soup.

I didn't get a chance to try the sushi, but there are many vegetarian options. There is a marinated tofu and cucumber roll, an avocado and cucumber roll, a mixed vegetable roll, a vegetable dragon roll and a mixed vegetable sushi platter. There are also vegetarian rice bowl dishes on the menu.

Cornerstone Deli is set up like Panera Bread. You order at the counter, and a few minutes later the order is ready. There is seating for about 30 inside the restaurant. The interior of the restaurant screams greasy spoon--it's somewhat dingy looking. Some people might prefer eating off premises.

Corner Stone Deli

Lavash Cafe

I was beaten to the punch by every print publication from Columbus in reviewing Lavash Café. Alive beat me. The Dispatch beat me. ThisWeek beat me. Even other Web sites like MetroMix beat me. I admit defeat. I'll still eat vegetarian amidst the ashes.

Lavash Café is the new Mediterranean venture from the old proprietor of Firdous. It is located in the same plaza as Hungry Howies in Clintonville. As with most other restaurants of this type, there are tons of options for vegetarians on the menu.

You place your order at the counter at Lavash, and they call your name when your order is ready. The name of the establishment comes from the fluffy Turkish bread in which many of the sandwiches can be rolled. The decor is colorful and modern.

Vegetarian starters include hummus (in both chickpea and black bean varieties), baba ghanoush, grape leaves, falafel, various fatayer preparations, lentil soup and assorted salads. The baba (pictured above) was rich, smoky and delicious.

The falafel sandwich was quite good. The falafel was nicely spiced. I ordered it wrapped in lavash bread, although it could also be stuffed in pita bread.

There are also a number of vegetarian entrees, including mojadara, which is rice and lentils cooked with special herbs and spices topped with carmelized onions. Prices on all items come in south of $10. There is no alcohol on the menu, but there are plenty of coffees, teas, smoothies and Pepsi products to quench your thirst.

The neighbors will have to decide for themselves whether Lavash is better or worse than Aladdin's. I like both well enough that my stomach wins the battle.

Lavash Cafe

Pita Hut -n- Grille

I love Middle Eastern food about as much as Middle eastern food loves vegetarians. The sandwiches, sides, salads and spreads make for a healthy, delicious way of dining.

The reason why I stopped in the

Pita Hut on the way home from work is because they actually open at 10 am. I got off work a little after 10 am and I was driving around Columbus looking for somewhere to eat an early lunch since I had already eaten an early (4 am) breakfast. Sure enough, the Pita Hut answered my prayers.

One of the keys to healthy and delicious dining is the root of Mediterranean cuisine, olive oil. Pita Hut applies olive oil liberally to dishes, including my starter, baba ganoush. Baba ganoush is a roasted eggplant spread scooped up with warm pita bread. Anybody can make hummus; it takes a true artist to make good baba. The faint smokiness offsets the rich quality of the dip, making it a great starter.

The other key to the Middle Eastern dining experience is the falafel sandwich. While falafel by itself makes for a tasty treat, it reaches its zenith when it is combined with a pita, tahini sauce, vegetables and a cornucopia of other items. Some people like hummus, some like hot sauce; whatever your flavor, falafel sandwiches are the street cart fare of the stars.

Pita Hut's falafel sandwich starts with a whole pita opened at the top. The pita is coated in hummus before a pile of lettuce, tomato and pickle are added. The falafel is crammed inside while the tahini sauce is drizzled on the top. It is hot, delicious and filling.

It's difficult to spend a ton of money at Pita Hut. The online coupons make it even more difficult. The restaurant is designed more for take out than dining in, but there are enough spots to seat about 25. It is located next to Bob's Bar if you are familiar with the area.

Check out the pictures below, and if you have a hankering for a quality falafel sandwich, Pita Hut might be right up your alley.

Pita Hut