CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

There are two Moretti’s Restaurants in Columbus. One is on Sawmill and the other is at the Tremont Center in Upper Arlington. Those that go to either of these locations are usually in one camp – they like one more than the other and tend to be staunch loyalists. I have only been to the Upper Arlington location so I can choose not to pick sides. Well take that back, I did go to the Sawmill location once in 1990, I remember because someone else picked up the tab.

Moretti’s has impressed me on my last three visits. During warm weather, their patio is packed. During all weather their bar seems to be packed by a hardcore group of regulars. There is a lot to like about the place. The service is consistently good. The only complaint I can think of is that the live music is a little too loud, that may mean that I am a little too old.

Tim Moretti is the owner. He lists the philosophy of his family and the restaurant on a page of the menu. The message from Tim takes up three paragraphs. I like that. It sets the stage for the meal.

The meal starts with fresh bread and seasoned butter. Your server will refill bread service gladly. As an appetizer you can order two giant meatballs. I highly suggest trying this out. Meatballs are simple, classic Italian American comfort food. And frequently in restaurants they are mildly disappointing. These balls will not let you down. They come with plenty of sauce. They are tightly packed and seasoned just right.

Moving along, lasagna is another Italian-American classic. Morettis’s does this one right too – the perfect ratio of meat to cheese to sauce to noodles. If this is one your comfort classic list, you will not be disappointed.

Another classic dish they do well is eggplant parmigiana. The eggplant is neither too mushy, too firm or too “eggplanty”. The sauce ratio is also good and as well as the proportion it has to the breading. There is just enough crisp crunch of each bite of the dish to make it perfectly balanced.

For dessert, among your choices is cheesecake. The cheesecake is made fresh and delivered by Jamie. I think she may work there too. She makes a variety of flavors including the classic cherry as well as some seasonal favorite such as pumpkin – pictured below. I declined the cheesecake the first time it was offered because I was too full. But it looked so good, I decided to go looking for it later elsewhere. Save room for a slice to share with someone, it is worth it. Moretti’s is much more than the typical Americanized Italian Comfort food restaurant du jour. It is worth the effort to try them out. If you are a Moretti’s of Sawmill loyalist – let me know what I should try there or if I am tempting choosing the wrong side.