PIada! Piada! Piada!

This is the Italian Street Food, but for me,
it was all just Rolled up Pizzas

In a land of fast food and FAST/CASUAL restaurants, those that can marry the familiar with the novel and chic win. As Chipotle is to Mexican and CAVA is to Middle Eastern, so Piada is to Italian. But Columbus, Ohio’s Piada isn’t just any chain lunch joint.

Brushing the Piadas with Olive Oil

Piada

Upper Arlington

1315 W. Lane Ave.,

Columbus, OH 43221

(614) 754-1702 

It’s a place that draws lines out the door, particularly in Upper Arlington, a pretty fine area near the Ohio State University campus. I was really impressed with the set up and the artwork, the details and the “line” of food service folks that make your quick bite experience feel special.

“Piada” means Italian street food at this place and for this place, it makes a rolled thin calzone-like instant cheesey bread with or without pepperoni that everybody seems to order. For my money, it wasn’t all that.

But the larger concept behind the food makes this a must-eat-at for me, whenever I’m in Columbus. I may have already mentioned this in previous blogposts, but Columbus is a place where restauranteurs come to try out their dining concepts.

Italian Soda Machine, Objet d’art, or
Fountain of Tivoli?

If this one doesn’t take off and well, take America by storm, I’ll eat my hat. And well, I’m bald, so my hat is important to me!

The choices are a salad or a pasta bowl with all the toppings you could possibly want for about $7.50 – $10.00. Because this is fastfood, when you order the wine, they just give you an 8 ounce plastic cup and fill it up. There is no propriety there. They do have delicious looking Italian sodas, though, and they are probably better for you.

But the angel hair pasta bowl I had was perfectly al dente, the toppings were seamingly endless and made eating vegetarian here a breeze. And having the option of getting a small bowl and a small salad, rather than just the big bowl of pasta was a godsend on my list of perfect lunch options.

On Saturday nights, it’s jammed with every good looking college student in the area. Said the hot college boy next to me, “Yeah, it’s trendy, so everyone brings their dates here. And the girls are really pretty here.”

I Walk the Line

I would guess all the ugly ones are told to return either during the day or during the work week. One particularly stunning couple became fast friends. The pregnant wife told me “I eat here at least once a week, and the entire time I’ve been pregnant I’ve been eating here.” Her particularly hot husband was so great, seeing me sitting alone and coming up to me after they had finished and asking me my review of the food.

Piada Bowls

Tips for eating at Piada:

• Get the small bowl and the small salad instead of just the big bowl
• Consider NOT getting signature dish–the piada. It’s a greasy, unnecessary extravagance. And it is too filling. But it’s so much fun to watch them make the piadas as you wait in the food line to compose your dinner.
• Look around at the artwork and decor generally–this place creates atmosphere with everything from the napkins to the toilets.
• Get there on Saturday evenings to people watch the hotties.

Seems Like a Bazillion Choices of Fresh Vegetables

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