Stopped in on a Thursday for a date night after a friend recommended it! The wait staff was very…read morefriendly and helpful without being overbearing or pushy. I got the house wine and my fiancé got the beer and an espresso martini! All great! We got the crostini (mushrooms and ricotta) as an app - very delicious though the flavor profile wasn't exactly what we expected. The complimentary focaccia that came out was also delicious! For dinner we split the rigatoni (very popular per our waitress and we can see why - delicious and the short rib was tender and plentiful) and lasagna (special for the night and also quite good)! The restaurant was cute, smaller but not too small they couldn't do larger groups. Overall, delicious and would recommend!

We had a very nice dinner at Novella. The food was excellent. We started with the shrimp appetizer…read moreand the meatballs and both were excellent. My wife and daughter shared the Caesar salad and it was very good. I had the Fra Diovlo lobster special and it was excellent although it wasn't remotely spicy which was disappointing. My daughter had the sweet potato ravioli and it was excellent. My wife had the salmon and she really liked it but my daughter and I didn't loved it. It was very citrus forward . The service was fine but nothing more. We did not like our table as we felt like we were at the kiddie table between the bathroom and kitchen with no lighting and lots of traffic. You could tell it was an afterthought for added seating at a popular restaurant. I was also unimpressed with the wine options and I didn't love the one I ordered. We will go back for sure.

This is such a cute, little place! Can be casual and relaxed, but also dressy and intimate. Every…read moremember of the staff we interacted with were super friendly. I ordered the build your own pasta bowl with penne, diavola sauce, & meatballs and my girlfriend got the chicken Parmesan. Not gonna lie, the celery on top of my dish surprised me and I didn't eat it but the dish was very very good. She loved her meal too. The prices felt reasonable and I will definitely go back.

Absolutely amazing service, my Scallops were cooked to perfection. I did try my friends Saltimbocca…read moreShrimp and it was ridiculous! Low key kinda wish I got that. Best appetizer was Fritto Misto but we all shared ours. Butterscotch Crème Brûlée was amazing but Tiramisu is also a very good dessert. Can't wait to come back and try more.

There are meals that satisfy, and then there are meals that define an evening. My recent birthday…read moredinner at Sidebar Columbus fell squarely -- and triumphantly -- into the latter category. From the moment we arrived, the service set the tone for what would become an unforgettable dining experience. Our server, Lacey delivered hospitality with the kind of effortless grace that can't be taught. She anticipated needs before they were spoken, guided us through the menu with confidence, and maintained a warmth that made our table feel like the only one in the room. Wine & Cocktails: A Study in Balance and Craft The wine selection was superb -- thoughtfully curated, expressive, and perfectly paired with the richness of the evening's dishes. The cocktails were equally impressive, crafted with precision and a clear respect for balance. Each sip felt intentional, layered, and celebratory. The Paella: A Showstopper But the true star of the night was the paella -- a dish so masterfully executed it deserves its own ovation. The rice was tender yet structured, infused with deep saffron warmth and kissed with just enough socarrat to make any purist smile. The seafood was impeccably fresh, each component cooked to its ideal texture. It was the kind of paella that silences a table, not out of politeness, but out of reverence. When the chef personally came out to greet us, it only reinforced what the dish had already made clear: this is a kitchen led by someone who cooks with both technique and heart. A Birthday Elevated My husband orchestrated the evening beautifully, and Sidebar rose to meet the moment with finesse. Our guests were genuinely impressed -- not just by the food, but by the seamless choreography of service, ambiance, and attention to detail. It felt less like a dinner and more like a curated celebration Final Thoughts Sidebar Columbus delivers the rare combination of exceptional cuisine, polished service, and heartfelt hospitality. The paella alone is worth crossing the city for, but the entire experience -- from Laceys attentive care to the chef's personal touch -- transforms a simple night out into something memorable. For anyone seeking a dining experience that feels both elevated and warmly personal, Sidebar stands confidently at the top.

I had been wanting to try this place for a while and I finally got to stop in after Latino Fest…read more There were so many things on the menu that looked good so it was really hard to choose. I ended up ordering the mussels and my friend got the ceviche. I was really impressed. They were both so delicious, the service was great, and the inside of the restaurant was very moody and nice. We ended the night with the tres leches which was really good as well. I am excited to come back and try the lamb and the lomo saltado. The people next to us ordered the lamb and would not stop raving about how great it was.

I love the decor and I actually had my 54th bday there. Every one enjoyed the food but 1 didn't. I…read morelove the food and more should visit this place. I go before the club crowd comes.

we went in during Happy Hour which is for sure the thing to do. The shareable are all discounted…read moreand let me say you could make a great meal off these. The favorite shareable was the Chicken and Manchego cheese dip. This was outstanding, and at a reduce price Yes please. For the main course we both opted for the special Strip steak which came with fries for I believe $19.99 it was perfectly cook to medium rare and had good flavor. Overall a great spot for a earlier meal, and they have several other shareable I need to try.

My boyfriend and I came here on a whim and were pleasantly surprised! The ambiance inside is…read moreupscale yet still felt modern and casual. The service was very good with frequent check-ins and explanations by the staff. The full menu is available but they also have a very reasonable four course tasting menu. We went with this. For $38, you get a savory cannoli, a bread of your choice, a salad of your choice, an entree of your choice, and finally a dessert. Each was a very unique mix of both Italian and other flavors like East Asian and Indian. It was all very good and we would like to return.

The restaurant is set up nicely and unique. We came in during restaurant week and I suggest no one…read moredo that! We knew it would be busy, but was not ready to be waiting more than an hour between first course and second course! Several things did not go well. We had to wait an extra 10-15 minutes post our reservation time for the table to be ready. I found the portion sizes to be on the small side. I ordered the butter chicken pasta, which was really saucy so it was a shame to waste the remaining sauce once the pasta was finished. They give no complimentary bread, which would have been a nice addition to the pasta. The flavor of the butter chicken pasta and the hot chipotle chicken dip were good, but portion could have been larger for the price. Since the wait was extremely long between courses, I was offered a free refill for my mocktail, but when I got the check I was charged for it. I did not bring it up because after more than two hours of dining in, I was ready for it to be over. The mango creme brulee was not cool enough and so it did not set properly. The tiramisu tres leches was just okay, and they had ran out of the brownie dessert completely. I don't see myself coming back with so many nice Italian restaurants available in the city.

Marcella's was a pleasant surprise. We were both big fans of the food and the service from our guy…read more EB was incredible. None of the appetizers sounded great. Well, the meatball sounded good, but I knew that I was going to get one with my spaghetti and meatballs, so I elected to just go with the bread. The bread was phenomenal. We were given some olive oil and some pecorino Romano. We loved the bread. Let me tell you, it is a great place to eat, but it is loud and it was filled with people. Now I know why. I really enjoyed the spaghetti and one huge veal, meatball the meatball was incredibly tender and fell apart with one touch from the fork. Sauce was solid. My friend got the fettuccine with meatball. The meatball has some of the spaghetti sauce on it and he said that it mixes well to almost taste like a vodka sauce or a creamy spaghetti sauce. Overall, a really great experience. I will definitely be back.

Long ago Marcella's was one of my faves (specifically the SN location). Creative drinks, basic but…read moregood Italian fare and a great happy hour. Those days are long gone. The Polaris location is large and has a decent patio. The bar/lounge area is pretty big too, that's where we were sat when we came in for a weekend meal. Started with drinks and some apps. The cocktails were small and kind of meh. They only had 2 drafts, Stella & Peroni. I like both but it was strange that they had no other selections. The worst part was by far the food. Arancini - 6/10, nice crispy texture but the taste was a bit unexpected, like the added a bit too much Gorgonzola. Calamari - 7/10, a bit chewy but with a nice crisp, missing something fresh. Beef carpaccio - 2/10, Marcella's used to have an absolutely delicious carpaccio... this was a bit of an abomination. Beef slices too thick, crispy flatbread that broke up when I looked at it wrong, a white sauce on top that made the whole dish worse. Absolutely do not recommend. Dinner was a few pizzas 2/10 (read: precooked flatbreads with subpar toppings). The crispy potato "pizza" needs to be taken off the menu. Garlic sauce, cheese and these awful, overcooked potato chips. It was inedible - all 5 people at the table tried it but put their slice down after the first or second bite. Pizza Margherita DOC was a very salty, tomatoey thing. I think the grocery store version would be a better choice. We also shared the Pepperoni Sausage with mushrooms which was better, but it was undercooked and watery. Our friends got the Carbonara Pasta and said it was ok, but did not want to take their leftovers home. I don't get the hype or appeal of Marcella's whatsoever. Our server was fine, the food was terrible, ambiance is meh. Will not return.

Cardone is an easy 5 star. The chef is also the owner! Amazing food, amazing service! You can not…read morego wrong here! Sooo many great choices on the menu! To be honest, I made reservations without knowing west to expect. It was my girlfriend's birthday and I proposed right before we're got there. I was hoping this place was private and romantic. Because unfortunately there are no pictures of the restaurant from the inside. But it was beautiful! Exactly what I had hoped for to make our celebration even more special. Cordones delivering! Thank you sooo much for making our celebration even more special! Thank you! We have plans to return.

Came back in after coming here in the past with family. Just like last time, the service was great,…read moreand our food came out pretty quickly. My food, however, was just not that good. I had the chicken carbonara, which was very under seasoned and lacking flavor. Additionally, the chicken was way overcooked. My girlfriend had the gnocchi which was also lacking in flavor. Overall, just like last time, I did like the intimate setting, but I just do not think the quality was quite as good this time around. Especially for the price, I think I may try somewhere else in the future.

I was totally in love with this space and the food served inside. We ate around 6 PM and it was…read moregolden hour so the lighting was gorgeous. The space is very bright and airy: loved the floral and plant vibes. Our server was kind but maybe a bit apprehensive because we brought our two daughters. Sometimes I feel bad bringing kids but honestly we deserve to have good food even if there are little mouths involved. We had the focaccia starter and it was as pillowy and sumptuous as it looked. Next was broccolini which our 8 month old devoured. I tried the funghi pasta and my husband had the sausage ragu. Both had generous portions. The kitchen made butter noodles for our daughter and she LOVED them. I was pleased they didn't try to doll them up because she really did just want noodles and butter. Finally, the octopus was sooo tasty. The sauce was super flavorful and I love a good bean addition. Delicious meal all around.

YE Gurl Says: Speck Had the Scene, But Did It Feed the Girl?…read more Place: Speck Italian Eatery Date: June 30 You know a restaurant is popular when you've been trying to get a reservation and keep losing the battle. So when a girlfriend chose Speck Italian Eatery for girls' dinner, I was ready. Italian food is one of my first loves. I was expecting good food, a good atmosphere, and frankly, a little "this is where everybody is trying to be seen" energy. And on that front? Speck delivered. The space is airy and attractive, the atmosphere was lively, and despite the seating being a little tight, our table toward the back had plenty of room. My girlfriend had been raving about the focaccia, so obviously we had to test the theory. Housemade focaccia with olive oil and sea salt? Yes, ma'am. We shared a few things, including the Crudo--hamachi, blood orange, Castelvetrano olives, fennel, and basil--and the Gem, a crunchy vegetable salad with pistachio, Parmesan crumb, and vinaigrette. Our waiter deserves a shoutout because when it came time to settle up, he was gracious enough to split the shared dishes down the middle for both the portions and the bill. That's good service. For my entrée, I ordered the Cacio e Pepe--except this version uses gnudi, peppercorn, and pecorino. It was good enough that I immediately thought about the beau, who loves cacio e pepe, so half went home with me. I also ordered another focaccia to go. And naturally, I had my Peroni while I was there. So here's where my Italian grandmother's spirit entered the chat. The food wasn't bad. The value is what lost me. For a pescatarian dinner, I felt like the portion sizes and prices didn't quite meet in the middle. Maybe I'm spoiled. I've eaten Italian food made by grandmothers and grandfathers in Little Italy, New Orleans, and Italy itself. I'm accustomed to Italian food being generous, comforting, unfussy, and--most importantly--filling. Speck feels more like consumerism Italian to me. Beautiful room. Beautiful plating. Trendy ingredients. Great atmosphere. But I'm still sitting there wondering when dinner is coming. And the bill didn't help. There's a 3% charge toward team member healthcare, and my portion of the dinner came to about $57. My girlfriend also had a basic Pomodoro pasta, around $17, which means the two of us were already north of $100 before drinks on her side, dessert, and my 20% tip. For two people. And we weren't exactly leaving with the kind of leftovers that could feed us tomorrow. That math gave me pause. YE Gurl Insight: There's a difference between expensive food and expensive dining. I'm perfectly willing to pay for an exceptional meal. But when the experience is carrying as much of the price as the food itself, I need the food to make me forget what I paid. Speck didn't quite get me there. And that's unfortunate because the restaurant absolutely has the atmosphere and popularity to become a regular destination. Final Take: Atmosphere: 1/2 Service: Food: 1/2 Portions/value: 1/2 Pescatarian Experience: 1/2 Would I return? Maybe--but the bar is now considerably higher. YE Gurl Says: Speck is a great place to be seen. I'm just not convinced it's the place to get fed--at least not if you're a vegetarian watching your dollars. I was generous with that 20% tip because the service deserved it. Consider that my chef's kiss goodbye... at least for now.