Durangos

Durangos seemed to take forever to open. The inconvenient sign announcing the restaurant preceded its opening by 8 months. The business concept mirrors Chipotle with a Tex Mex spin, and the added bonus of delivery to Grandview, Upper Arlington and the Short North should help keep the place on people's radar.

There are plenty of vegetarian options on the menu. All of the beans are vegetarian, as is the cilantro lime rice. There are burritos, tacos, salads, enchiladas, salads, rice dishes and the requisite chips and dips.

A burrito is good, sure. It is a fine delivery device to carry rice, jicama, nopales, red pepper, beans, lettuce, tomato onion and guacamole to your mouth. But the delivery becomes better when the burrito is deep fried. It achieves perfection when it is drowned in red enchilada sauce.

Guacamole has a nice essence of citrus. It's a great add-on with tortilla chips for $2.45.

The laid back crew grows their own cilantro at the restaurant. The vibe is friendly.

Prices with delivery included match or are slightly lower than Chipotle. It's a fun carry out or delivery option if you can't stand the line at Chipotle.

Cambridge Tea House

*Cambridge Tea House is an adorable spot to grab a spot of tea in Marble Cliff, alongside all the accompaniments that go well with the classic beverage of China/India/the U.K. The menu is replete with teas of all types, as well as soups, salads, sandwiches and baked goods.

As one would expect at a tea house, the age demographic skews on the old side. Service was relaxed and a little uneven due to a busy lunch crowd.

The decor is tastefully restrained. The colors, table cloths and curtains call back to yesterday. The exposed brick adds a nice touch to the interior.

The tomato bisque lived under a thin layer of Parmesan shavings. The flavor was bright with layers of basil and time showing through.

The veggie sandwich was served on a thinly sliced, eggy white bread. The bread was spread with lemon hummus, and then stacked with sliced carrots, cucumbers, sprouts, cucumbers and avocados. The variety of textures work well together, and fresh vegetables marry well with the citrus in the hummus.

The scones come in many flavors, and they look like the perfect accompaniment to a pot of tea. 

Hudson 29

Hudson 29 is the latest Cameron Mitchell concept, and the first one opened this year in Upper Arlington on Lane Avenue. The kitchen produces classic steakhouse fare and sandwiches paired with sushi and flatbread pizza.

The menu has a couple of vegetarian options, and the staff dealt well with questions about dietary restrictions. Service at the restaurant, however, was uneven beyond that. 

While one lunch visit in a nearly empty restaurant saw attentive service and great attention to detail, a second night visit was severely overbooked on reservations. My reservation seating was 90 minutes late, and while the front of house offered free cocktails because of the delay, it did not make up for the continued service issues in the dining room. The server never brought water to the table despite numerous requests. Other orders were delivered incorrectly. It would be kind to say the experience was a disappointment.

The food was from chef Jonathan Basch was very good despite the hemorrhaging service flaws. The veggie burger, in particular, was a standout. The house made black bean patty was topped with pepper jack, avocado, lettuce, tomato, red onion and sweet pickle mayo. It was served on a toasted bun.

The cheesy bread rolls are a worthwhile expense. The arugula salad was forgettable.

The vegetable flatbread was piled with arugula pesto, shiitake mushrooms, kalamata olives, pickled red onions and fresh arugula. The flavor is a nice blend of savory, salty and fresh vegetable notes that play together nicely with  subtle garlic.

The wine list is heavy on New World labels with some fun choices. There are limited brews with Rockmill carrying the local banner. Cocktails were a nice mix of classics with a few more modern spins.

The dining room and sushi bar are sleek and modern with a nice organic warmth. The couches in the waiting area by the fireplace create an inviting place to relax while waiting for a table.

An inviting space and a few tasty morsels from the kitchen, however, will not be enough to save the place if the front of house is unable to control its reservations book. Improvements in execution will be needed if the restaurant concept is to be duplicated successfully.

Nong's Hunan Express

Nong's Hunan Express is a Chinese/Thai spot that serves dishes that are much more exciting than its utilitarian setting. There is seating for about 12 inside the restaurant, which shares a plaza with a medical practice. The majority of business seems to be take-out, though there is typically a small but regular crowd eating in the restaurant.

The menu has a huge cache of Chinese and Thai vegetarian dishes made with a nice variety of fresh vegetables. Both cuisines are prepared in an authentic manner.

The vegatable egg roll, spring roll and fried tofu are meatless starters. The eggroll is stuffed with cabbage, carrots and mushrooms, and green onions, and it had a nice peppery essence. 

The Thai vegetarian dishes are all made without fish sauce. There are a variety of curries and different noodle entrees. Chinese items include the typical Sichuan, garlic and kung pao tofu preparations, as well as other stir fried vegetable classics.

There was a panoply of veggies in the phad pedt tofu. Fried cubes of tofu sit in a coconut hot yellow curry with basil, water chestnuts, carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, green and white onions, carrots, celery and green peppers. It is a collection of crunchy texture and spicy citrus flavors that marry perfectly on the plate.

With so many vegetarian options, diners could mix it up at Nong's and never order the same thing twice. It's a nice option that neighbors shouldn't just drive past. 

Houlihan's

Houlihan's in Upper Arlington is a relaunched version of the old TGI Friday's-esque chain. They replaced the old menu's cookie-cutter Americana with fresh food that more than makes the grade for the gourmet set.

The menu offers a fair amount of choices for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diners. The menu has symbols that represent vegetarian and gluten-free items, while many items can be prepared vegan upon request.

There are a few vegetarian apps, salads, soup, veggie sliders, flatbreads and sandwiches. All of the side dishes are vegetarian but the baked potato.

Veggie sliders can be ordered individually or in a three pack. It is a soft black bean and chickpea patty topped with aged cheddar and ranch-dressed greens. It's a great happy hour snack.

The bar offers an array of flights from craft beer to wines and even sugary martinis. The decor is cool, and the restaurant is kid-friendly.

Rancho Alegre

Rancho Alegre is a small Tex Mex chain near Columbus. What it lacks in authenticity it makes up for with ample portions and larger margaritas. It's a step up in quality from its run-of-the-mill competitors (El Vaquero and Las Margaritas come readily to mind).

The main attraction at Rancho Alegre is the whole section of vegetarian combination platters as well as vegetarian fajitas and other entrees. Both the rice and beans are vegetarian items.

The guacamole appetizer is average but fairly priced. Other meatless appetizers include avocado salad, queso dip and stuffed jalepeños.

Many items, including enchiladas and tostadas, are served in a mild red sauce covered with cheese, lettuce and tomato. The tostada and the chile rellenos were well made. 

Margaritas definitely contain plenty of tequila. They are made with a sour mix/lime juice base with triple sec and served in a variety of sizes including pitchers.

Service is brisk and personable. The manager was extremely friendly, stopping by each table to check on customer satisfaction. Staff eventually was able to answer vegetarian dining concerns, although some staff speak better English than others.

Rancho Alegre is a restaurant that won't blow you away yet is still fun enough to keep you interested. Prices are reasonable, and the restaurant makes better use of the space than the Las Margaritas did before it.

Savelli's

The Arlington/Grandview/Campus corridor has become quite the place for pizza over the last few years. Old standbys like Adriatico's, Tommy's and Hound Dog's have welcomed newcomers like Bono, Dewey's and Meister's to the neighborhood. Add Savelli's New York Style Pizza to the list of great places to grab a slice.

The place is tucked next to an apartment complex office and the neighborhood pub 14 Twenty Bar and Grill. The quality of the pizza belies the modest exterior and the off-the-beaten-path location.

The star attraction is the floppy New York thin crust pizza, available as a full pizza or by the slice. Prices are inexpensive: a slice of cheese is $2.25, and a whole eight-slice large pie starts at $14.

The pizza is an old family recipe, although the shop has been open in its location for about a year. The crust is soft and buttery, and the sauce is bright and refreshing. The dried herbs dusting the cheese add a punch of flavor. The toppings are high quality. While the pizza is somewhat underwhelming in terms of overall appearance, the flavor more than overcomes these limitations. 

The veggie pizza is topped with thinly sliced green peppers, excellent canned mushrooms and white onions. It is superior to the Margarita pizza, which lacked delicacy because of overcooked basil that should have been added when the pizza came out of the oven. It overpowered everything else on an otherwise well-made pie.  

One or two slices is a reasonable portion, although two people can put quite a dent into one 16-inch pie. 

The side salad is fairly average, a rudimentary iceberg, tomato and onion number with croutons and cheese.

There is a small, dark dining room in the restaurant with a take-out counter. Savelli's also delivers.

Pizza from Meister's Bar

Hidden in the pizza paradise that is the Grandview/Upper Arlington/Columbus area, the pizza from Meister's Bar is an admirable take on Chicago style deep dish pie. The 16-inch deep dish is big enough to feed four people, some most likely entering a coma upon finishing a third slice.

The thin-crust pie is not particularly authentic to the Windy City area. It lacks the liberal cornmeal dusting that is common in Chicago thin pizza. It is a more traditional tavern cut pizza that is common in much of Ohio.  It's worth a try if somebody is too delicate for the deep dish. However, deep dish pizza is the star attraction.

The deep dish pies were served with variable levels of toasted crust. The first visit had golden edges, while subsequent pizzas were served with well-done edges. The overall difference was mostly cosmetic, although the texture of the browned crust made it a little tough to chew.

The bar has a decent selection of beers and is a sports bar humming with activity during Ohio State games. It sometimes gets hectic, especially during big football games.

Overall, Meister's offers a solid version of Chicago deep dish pizza. If I were ranking non-chain deep dish pizza in central Ohio, I would rank Wholly Joe's near Polaris best, Meister's (a.k.a. Pi Pizza) second, Tristano's third and Fabian's dead last. B.J.'s brewhouse, a chain out of California, offers a close take on Chicago thin crust pizza, but B.J.'s deep dish has more in common with Pizza Hut than Lou Malnati's. While the Meister's deep dish doesn't claim the local Chi-Town Crown, it is almost as good as what you'd get in the City of Big Shoulders.

Market District Foodie Truck

The Market District Foodie Truck was my first experience with a mobile food vendor with big-time corporate backing. The menu is Asian influenced, and they operate most days during the week.

The menu at Foodie Truck has stayed consistently the same. Their most common location is the Giant Eagle Market District in Upper Arlington, but the truck can be found around central Ohio.

The vegetarian items on the menu are Indian and Chinese. The truck also makes dishes from Vietnam and Singapore.

The samosa is stuffed with potatoes, peas and onions. The shell was perfectly crisp, but the samosa's flavor might benefit from mint chutney rather than the mango chutney that was served with it.

The vegetable jalfrezi is prepared with carrots, peas, green peppers and cauliflower in a tomato sauce with garam masala and ginger. It is served with naan, Basmati rice and mango chutney. The dish does not taste particularly authentic. The curry flavor needed additional cooking, and the tomato was flat and unappealing.

The truck has potential, but the menu could use a revamp. It's hard to recommend the place when there are so many excellent Indian restaurants in central Ohio.

The Wine Bistro

The Wine Bistro is, of course, a bistro with wine. There are locations in Upper Arlington and Worthington.

The menu at the Wine Bistro consists of sandwiches, soups, salads, flatbread pizzas and a variety of other items that pair well with wine. There are a substantial number of meatless entrees and appetizers at the Wine Bistro.

The dining room at the Upper Arlington location is tastefully appointed with wood. There is a decent amount of patio seating in addition to a small bar.

Vegetarian first courses include hummus and pita, seasoned olives, toasted mixed nuts, fondue, cheese plates, tomato basil soup and a few salads. It would be fairly simple to create a meal out of vegetarian tapas at the Wine Bistro.

The seasonal soup was a watermelon gazpacho. The bright fruit flavor added a sweet punch to an explosively flavorful summer classic.

Vegetarian main courses include a veggie wrap, pomodoro spaghetti and a couple of flatbread pizzas. The Juliette flatbread is topped with brie, pears, onions, garlic cream sauce and parmesan cheese. The thin, crispy crust adds a delightful crunch to the perfect pairing of double-cream cheese and tree fruit.

The veggie wrap is stuffed with green olives, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and greens with a garlic hummus. The flavor is bright and fresh.

The wine list has some nice by-the-glass selections. There are options from the new and old world, and prices are marked up fairly.

Service at the Wine Bistro is friendly and capable. The staff was easily able to address vegetarian dining concerns.

Wine Bistro

Royal Ginger Asian Fusion Bistro

Royal Ginger is a sushi-centric Asian fusion spot located in the old Wolfgang Puck's in Upper Arlington. It is a similar concept to its relative Blue Ginger, another place I enjoyed on separate visits.

The restaurant interior is stylish with modern accents and a lot of dark wood. Service was efficient, and the server was able to address any and all vegetarian concerns.

The menu at Royal Ginger features numerous vegetarian options. There are multiple sushi choices and stir fried dishes without seafood and meat. Vegetarian spring rolls, edamame, peanut noodles and a few salads are available as starters.

There is a lunch special with a choice of vegetarian soup or salad and an entree for about $9. The salad was made with multicolored greens, onions and daikon in a fruity vinaigrette. It had soft and crispy textural accents that made the salad delightful to eat.

The vegetarian sushi at Royal Ginger is excellent. The vegetarian sushi combo is very similar to the one at Blue Ginger. The artful nigiri are topped with carrots, squash, asparagus and various other ingredients (vegan or ovo-vegetarian warning: the platter also has tomago, a nigiri egg roll. It may be omitted on request). The combo also comes with a few maki rolls containing avocado, asparagus and Japanese squash.

I ordered the veggie roll, which also is available with special lunch pricing. The uramaki veggie rolls were the aforementioned ones with the squash, asparagus and avocado. The menu at Royal Ginger features many other vegetarian options, including interesting options like peanut avocado and fried bean curd skin.

The black bean tofu was stir fried with long beans, red onions and shiitake mushrooms in a spicy Szechuan base. The earthy, spicy dish has a great flavor, and the serving size is fair. It comes with a choice of white or brown rice.

Royal Ginger has a decent list of beer, wine, sake and designer faux-tinis. The parking lot is small and poorly designed, so parking can sometimes be an issue.

Royal Ginger

Bahn Thai Bistro

Bahn Thai Bistro is a small restaurant hidden in an Upper Arlington strip mall. Despite its low-key appearance and its Siamese provenance, the place churns out tons of delicious vegetarian fare.

While most Thai restaurants find sneaky ways of feeding diners animal parts (hello, fish sauce), Bahn Thai is able to prepare almost every dish on the menu in a vegetarian fashion. The staff was also fully knowledgeable about vegan dining concerns, and although vegan options are less plentiful than their vegetarian counterparts, vegan diners can easily be accommodated.

The majority of Bahn's business appears to be take-out. The decor is colorful, and there is a substantial amount of patio seating (for summer diners) and about 12 seats inside.

Vegetarian appetizers include veggie spring rolls, edamame, and deep fried tofu served with either sweet and sour peanut sauce or cucumber sauce and a peanut/coconut milk sauce. The spring rolls, which are prepared with egg, are crispy rounds stuffed with cabbage, carrots and mushrooms. It is served with house-made sour sauce and chile puree.

The fried tofu is perfectly breaded. The presentation is simple yet refined.

Meatless entrees include a variety of classic Thai dishes, including Pad Thai, drunken noodles and the rainbow of curry dishes. The red curry was a spicy preparation of bamboo shoots, bell pepper, eggplant and sauteed tofu garnished with Thai basil. It had layers of intense flavor.

One of the other interesting options is the wrap sandwiches. Vegetarian choices are basil and garlic.

Bahn Thai Bistro

Akai Hana

Akai Hana is a vegan-friendly Japanese restaurant in the Kenny Centre shopping center, located in the overlapping portions of Columbus and Upper Arlington. Sushi is the main attraction, but there are plenty of other soups, appetizers and entrees available for vegetarians.

The restaurant is tucked back into an unassuming plaza with an international flavor. There is an Asian market, an Indian restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a Middle Eastern bakery and a Japanese bakery within the plaza. Akai Hana is accessible from either of the two parking lots.

Vegetarian starters include edamame, an Asian cabbage salad, miso soup and tofu preparations including agedashi. The miso soup is traditionally understated, and the fresh scallions add a delightful crunch to the satisfying, salty soy broth (Special note: request a vegetarian miso soup; the normal version contains bonito flakes).

The agedashi tofu consists of large tempura-battered tofu cubes served in a seaweed/soy sauce base. The crispy skin and soft, almost molten tofu soak up the savory sauce upon which the cubes rest.

There are a number of different vegetable sushi rolls at Akai Hana. I sampled the garden roll, cucumber roll and avocado roll. The cucumber roll had a nice crunch. The avocado roll was rich and soft. The garden roll is a temaki roll filled with cucumber, carrot, lettuce and radish. It was aesthetically and gustatorily pleasant. The plating of the sushi rolls was very nice.

Lunch specials include miso soup and two rolls for $9 or three rolls for $12.50. Dinner prices are somewhat expensive compared to other sushi joints.

The decor is classic with modern accents. Service is prompt and efficient.

Akai Hana

Loops

Loops is a new casual faux-Greek restaurant in Upper Arlington. The menu is small and gyro-focused, but the limited vegetarian choices are well made and delicious.

The concept of Loops is loosely based on Chicago's subway system. There are a veggie wrap, spanakopita, hummus, baba ghannoush, feta dip, tzatziki, fries and a couple of salads on the menu.

I'm always vaguely suspicious of a place that only has one vegetarian sandwich. It almost seems to me like these places throw veggie options on the menu as an afterthought. This is not the case at Loops.

The veggie wrap consists of a warm pita stuffed with griddled peppers, onions, mushroom, tomato, cucumber, cabbage, carrots and lettuce with a choice of sauces that include tzatziki, hotziki (spicy cucumber dip), baba, hummus or feta dip. The veggies were perfectly cooked, and the wrap turned out perfectly.

The hummus had hints of garlic and citrus. It was served with warm pita bread. Overall, the hummus was somewhat pedestrian and unspectacular.

The fries, on the other hand, were great. They were fried crispy and sprinkled with a blend of herbs and cheeses. The fries were fried to a perfect consistency and burst with flavor.

Loops offers fast-casual service. The inside of the restaurant is accented with metal and decorated with televisions. There is ample outdoor patio seating.

Prices at Loops are inexpensive. While there aren't scores of options for vegetarian diners, the few choices are surprisingly successful.

Loops

Piada Italian Street Food

Piada is a new Italian concept in Upper Arlington featuring assembly-line wraps, pasta dishes and salads. Piada is the latest project from Chris Doody, who launched Bravo, Brio and Bon Vie restaurants.

Much like Chipotle, diners can build their own personalized wraps, pastas or salads from an array of toppings and sauces. The decor is fun, with images of Vespa scooters on the walls.

Piada the word actually refers to a whole wheat Italian flatbread, or a sandwich made out of this bread. The grilled vegetable piada is made with a zucchini, corn and bean mixture, a pepper and onions mixture, or both. Sauce choices include pomodoro sauce, red or green pesto, spicy diavolo, or creamy parmesan, and all sauces are meatless. Veggies and other toppings include mozzarella, parmesan and feta cheese, angel hair pasta, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, arugula, mixed greens, mushrooms, sprouts, avocados, black olives and roasted red peppers.

The green pesto had a great flavor, and the pasta adds a nice touch to the fresh veggies and cheeses. My advice to diners would be to unwrap one end of the foil from the piada, and unroll it as you eat it. This should help keep the piada in one piece.

The side salad is also built to your order at the front counter. The same veggie and cheese options are available for the side salad. Dressings include Italian and balsamic vinaigrette.

All pasta dishes are prepared with angel hair, and they come with a choice of sauces, cheese and grilled vegetables. Other vegetarian items on the menu include spinach and artichoke dip, tomato basil soup, breadsticks and cannoli chips. Piada also serves a limited menu of beer and inexpensive wine.

Prices at Piada are very fair. An entree and side with a drink costs about $10. It seems like this location may be a test subject to see if the place can be expanded. Based upon my initial experience, I wish them nothing but success.

Piada

Greek Corner

Greek Corner is a tastefully appointed Greek restaurant in Upper Arlington. The UA location is the second Greek Corner; the first is located on Dublin Granville Road in Dublin. As with most Greek restaurants, Greek Corner features a wide variety of appetizers and entrees for vegetarian diners.

Having never been to the Dublin location of Greek Corner, it is difficult for me to compare the two locations. The Upper Arlington location is intimate. The interior showcases wood accents, and there is ample bar seating.

Greek Corner utilizes one of my favorite vegetarian helpers: all vegetarian dishes are marked with a double asterisk. Vegetarian starters include spanakopita, saganaki, Italian eggplant, falafel, hummus, skordalia and a Greek salad. Vegetarian entrees include many sandwiches, such as a falafel pita, a veggie pita and a veggie panini, as well as entrees like stuffed peppers and vegetarian Greek pasta.

I tried a few different starters. The skordalia showcased deep garlic flavors and a light, whipped potato character. It paired well with the warm pita triangles. The only complaint I had was that the potatoes were whipped a little too heavily, making the dip somewhat airy. The flavor, however, was excellent.

The saganaki, a classic dish, was very good. The cheese was hot, and the lemon juice used to quell the flames added a subtle citrus note to the flavor profile.

The Greek salad was typical of the style. It was made with feta cheese and kalamata olives in the classic Greek style.

The vegetarian stuffed pepper, while it is not the most traditional Greek dish, was prepared with enough Greek accents to give it a Hellenic flair. The pepper was stuffed with tomato, red pepper, rice and feta cheese, and it was served with a side of steamed, mixed vegetables. The dish was fresh, flavorful and delicious.

Greek Corner has a full bar, and they offer a wide variety of Greek wines and beers. Business seems to be busier at lunchtime than at dinner.

Greek Corner

Taj Palace

Taj Palace is a delicious Indian restaurant hidden in the hinterlands between Hilliard and Upper Arlington. Like most Indian eateries, Taj Palace is heavy on vegetarian options, providing plenty of choices for those looking to reduce or avoid meat consumption without sacrificing flavor.

The menu features vegetarian starters like samosas, vegetable pakoras and vegetarian kebobs. There are also 18 vegetarian entrees on the menu as well as a few scattered biryani dishes and a vegetarian combo platter. There are also many bread choices.

The menu runs the gamut through North and South Indian cuisine. Also of note for vegetarians is Tuesday night's vegetarian buffet, featuring 25 different hippie-approved items for a grand total of $11.99.

A la carte diners start off with papadums and chutneys. The mint chutney is exceptionally flavorful, possessing a bright, clean finish that brings out the taste of the flatbread.

The chutney also pairs well with the samosas (but in reality, a better question would be what doesn't pair well with samosas?). The order of three samosas was very filling, and easily could be split between two people.

My entree was paneer kadai. Paneer, a mild, cubed Indian cheese, is prepared with curried tomatoes, green peppers and onions. The dish is mildly seasoned, and it provides a great introduction to paneer, a staple of the Indian vegetarian diet.

The breads were also great. The bread basket comes with naan, onion kulcha and aloo paratha, a potato- and pea-stuffed bread.

Prices at Taj Palace are slightly higher than average for an Indian restaurant. When the quality of the fare is considered, Taj Palace is very much worth the price of admission.

Taj Palace