La Tavola

La Tavola resurrects an old name run by area favorite Rick Lopez. Lopez had a hand in Columbus' original haute Mexican outpost Tapatio, the old Polynesian-themed Kahiki and the fast-casual and (temporarily) closed Knead. La Tavola was open from 1999 to the late 2000s in Powell and Dublin. The new restaurant is on 1st Avenue in Grandview.

House made and seasonal items make up the backbone of the menu. There are not a tremendous number of vegetarian items on the menu. There is a vegan pizza. The server checked with the kitchen on specific vegetarian concerns. 

The space is open, and the decor is warm and inviting. The ironic wall paper also doubles as the background on the restaurant website. 

The pasta was magnificent. The strozzapretti, a loose, eggless pasta twirled into a tight, lengthy s-shape, was bathed in kale pesto, mushroom, green beans, yellow pepper and shallots.

The bar had a small but well chosen selection of draft beer. There are also sodas from Boylan's and Grown Up, as well as Brioso coffee.

Desserts are prepared by Krista Lopez. There is bound to be something to like on the list of Italian sweets which go from tiramisu to gelato and semifreddo.

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.

Raisin Rack

The Raisin Rack is Westerville's locally owned organic market/grocery store. The offerings include fresh, frozen and prepared foods with a heavy emphasis on vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dining options.

In addition to fresh veggies, frozen and boxed meals, there is a salad bar with dieatry restriction information included on each item. The vegan samosas, hummus, stuffed grape leaves and gluten free Thai peanut noodles on the hot bar looked fantastic.

The cafe makes soups, sandwiches and burritos. Orders can be eaten on site or taken to go.

The three bean veggie chili was full of beans - kidney, black and cannellini - as well as tomatoes, onions and peppers. It was rich, a little spicy and deeply satisfying.

The cheese sandwich comes with a choice of cheese - the deli has about 10 different options - as well as organic lettuce, organic tomato, organic red onion, sprouts, mayo, mustard and choice of bread. The nine grain loaf was hearty and gave the sandwich a layered base with a subtle sweetness. 

The avocado sandwich is hot with toasted bread slathered in organic avocado, melted cheddar, mozzarella and provolone and ranch dressing. 

Desserts are from local gluten free operations Cherbourg and Eban's, as well as vegan favorite Pattycake.  

Halwani Cuisine

Halwani Cuisine is a pizza shop along the Grandview strip. Shawn Halwani's restaurant makes thin crust and hand tossed pizzas, and the menu is pork-free for kosher/halal diners.

The restaurant has pizza, stromboli, sandwiches and standard pizza kitchen sides. The hand tossed crust is still relatively thin with hints of garlic in the dough. The thin crust is cut tavern style and is cracker thin.

Meatless specialty pizzas include the Margarita, Napoletana, vegetarian, Greek and white pizza. Topping are fresh and plentiful.

The Margarita pizza had classic toppings including fresh tomato and basil. The basil was slightly overdone, and it would have been improved if it were added later in the process. Despite the minor flaw, the pizza was excellent.

Halwani Cuisine is reasonably priced. The majority of business is delivery and take out. It is a good change-of-pace pizza option in an increasingly more competitive marketplace in the Grandview/Upper Arlington area.

Wolf's Ridge Brewing

Wolf's Ridge Brewing is one of many brew pubs to open up in Columbus over the last year. Guided by Chef Seth Lassak, the operation is on the radar of most if not all the foodies in central Ohio.

The restaurant offers a printed vegetarian menu upon request. It indicates gluten-free options with an asterisk.

There are meatless salads, appetizers, soups and entrees. The kitchen's course is determined by seasonal ingredients, meaning specials and some items change regularly.

The kitchen makes haute cuisine that pairs well with the house brews. The staff handles dietary restrictions well, although the menu overall seemed to lack multiple options for vegan diners.

The kale salad is a perfect synergy of ingredients playing off each other in a delightful harmony. The dressing and goat cheese have acidity, the fruit and candied pine nuts have a great sweetness and the kale gives the dish an understated bitterness. Flavors can be combined by the diner to highlight a variety of characteristics from each individual ingredient.

The selections on the cheese plate came from different classes of cheese. The fruit, house made crackers and bread accompany the cheeses.

The saffron risotto was creamy, piled high with assorted mushrooms, candied red onions and smoked paprika oil. Its appearance was surpassed only by the layered, unctuous taste.

The brewery produces a number of beers in a variety of styles from the traditional (pale ales and cream ales) to a few less common options like Zane's Trace, a roggenbier (German-style rye ale) named after a famed frontier road that ran through central and southern Ohio. The sampler is a great way to try six different brews. Cocktails look delicious, but might be tough to justify ordering since the beer is so good.

Angry Wiener

The Angry Wiener is a Columbus food truck that specializes in hot dogs. It shares ownership with The Cheesy Truck, another food truck that makes appearances all around central Ohio.

The veggie dogs at The Angry Wiener are made by The Good Frank, a local company. They are served in a split New England roll, giving the dogs a unique bun that differs from many other local carts and shops.

Diners can build their own dog or choose from a number of off-the-menu options. Side dishes include beer battered fries and mac & cheese.

The Cheesy Wiener is topped with fried jalepeño peppers and elbow mac & cheese. It is a bit of a mess, and it goes down like a deeply satisfying heart attack.

The Greek is topped with  tomato, black olives, feta cheese, red onion and tzatziki sauce. The Mediterranean elements play together nicely.

The Angry Wiener makes regular appearances Downtown at the Columbus Commons Food Truck Food Court. Other appearances can be tracked on Facebook and Twitter, as well as other mobile food social media.

Phatt Taco

Phatt Taco is a fast-casual lunch option in Downtown Columbus. It is located in the building that formerly housed Fresh 50 and Otero's Food Bar. It shares an owner with Phat Wraps on campus.

The dining room seats about 60. The menu features tacos and build-your-own tostadas. While vegetarian options are not plentiful, the counter service allows diners to customize dishes to order.

Topping options include vegetables like lettuce, tomato, onion, radish, stewed carrots, potato and hot peppers, rice, beans, salsas, sour cream, cilantro and sauces. 

There are also desserts available like cookies. They also eschew high-fructose corn syrup in beverages.

Border Grill

Border Grill is the project of celebrity chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. The restaurant has locations in California and Las Vegas, and features fun, fresh, modern takes on Mexican fare. The chefs also focus on vegetarian diners, including their excellent meatless Monday special - three courses for $29. It makes it easier to justify buying a couple of the margaritas to wash down dinner.

The chefs are well known from the Food Network show Two Hot Tamales as well as their appearances on Bravo's Top Chef: Masters. Their personality comes across in the food and the fun atmosphere.

Three salsas come out with the chips. The green tomatillo salsa has an explosive flavor. The chipotle salsa had a great smoky base. The tomato salsa tasted fresh, bright and clean. The guacamole (which is not free) displays its essence of jalepeño, bright lime and fresh cilantro.

The green corn tamale just melted in my mouth. It was sweet and rich with a hint of spice. The spinach and mushroom empanada had an earthy base within its soft pastry exterior. Both were outstanding.

The mushroom mulitas is a giant portobello cap grilled and stuffed with pickled red onion, roasted peppers, guacamole and cream. It is served on a pile of black beans. It is a vegetarian dish where the savory mushroom flavors and textures almost mimic those of meat.  

The chocolate cake dessert was uninspiring. Maybe I was spoiled by a week of great desserts, but it seemed forgettable.

Lotus of Siam

Lotus of Siam is Las Vegas' most talked about Thai eatery. It could be the most heralded Thai restaurant in the country. Every food personality visiting Sin City stops in Saipin Chutima's restaurant. The kitchen specializes in cuisine from the Northern and Eastern regions of the country, and they deal well with vegetarian diners.

Some dishes on the menu that might not be recognized by less adventurous diners, but most of the usual suspects can also be found here. The restaurant features a world class wine list full of carefully selected choices that pair excellently with the spicy cuisine.

All of this amazing fare would seem easy to miss in this unassuming location on the East Side. The restaurant shares a strip mall with Vegas' premiere swingers club and a number of seedy looking massage parlors and spas that may or may not specialize in happy endings. Though not exactly dangerous, a drive around the lot is good for a few laughs.

Sauces at Lotus of Siam are more nuanced than the Americanized Thai restaurants that fill most of the country. The peanut sauce that accompanies the fried tofu at Lotus of Siam, for example, uses crushed peanuts in oil to convey a subtle spice, unlike the sweet, peanut butter-filled goop that is common labeled peanut sauce at most places.

The panang curry is also built on layers of flavor. Coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, chili pepper, cumin and coriander coat each piece of tofu, carrot and pepper. The $2 sticky rice upgrade is a good call.

The staff is capable of putting together more adventurous Thai vegetarian dishes upon request, like the spicy mushroom dip. Of course, safer options like veggie egg rolls and curries also fill the menu. Like most Thai restaurants, it is good to inform the staff of dietary guidelines when ordering.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is the workshop of the Chef of the Century Joel Robuchon in the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The open kitchen allows diners to see artful modern French cuisine made right before their eyes. It is located next to Joel Robuchon, the chef's top-of-the-line restaurant.

While French restaurants often offer limited options for vegetarian diners, there is a complete vegetarian menu and degustation available nightly at L'Atelier. Vegan diners were out of luck on the menu - dishes were almost always made with cheese and/or eggs - but the talented kitchen is capable of turning out great items for just anybody with advance notice.

The open kitchen concept has been utilized by other chefs to great success - visit The Catbird Seat in Nashville to see the approach absolutely shine. The dining room itself is a show with chefs performing acts of culinary precision in a way that puts every diner at the kitchen table.

The beverage program at L'Atelier shows the same rigorous care as the kitchen. The cocktails were divine, and the wine list was filled with gems. The second wine of Chateau Musar (Jeune), a Lebanese red blend, was a steal by the glass.

The amuse bouche was a vegetable fondant topped with avocado cream. Sweet tomato was fattened up by the whipped avocado, and it displayed a rich palate of green herbs.

The soft boiled egg in a vegetarian spinach veloute with a parmesan tuile makes great use of texture. The sauce is thick, the egg is soft, almost hidden in the dish, and the cheese crisp adds a nice crunch that unifies the dish.

The basil tomato spaghetti is rooted in Italy, but the olives give the dish a slight Mediterranean spin. While the pasta was excellent, it paled in comparison to the similar dish at Scarpetta. 

The gelato was artfully presented. It was a fitting conclusion to a great meal. 

L'Atelier isn't cheap, but it is a great introduction to one of the world's luminary chefs. The Michelin-starred restaurant is a destination worth finding in the Las Vegas desert.