Review By: John Marshall, Columbus Monthly

Cameron Mitchell’s newest offering- Marcella’s, in the Short North- feels like a brasserie in Paris with its dark wood and white tiles. Its well-executed dishes, however, are strictly Italian, representing most of the country’s regions. Mix in a good wine list and excellent service, and the Columbus-based chain may have its biggest hit yet. Marcella’s deserves four stars.

According to the restaurant’s website, this is a place “where plates are passed and flavors shared.” True indeed. It encourages sharing, not just with the folks at your table, but perhaps even with those squeezed in around you. On all of my visits, the restaurant was bustling (in one case, four deep at the bar on a Tuesday night). Mitchell and his team have knack for figuring out how to attract crowds.

This menu is designed for sampling, with food served in small to modest portions. You might begin with a plate of assorted olives and/or a cheese plate. The salty aged provolone was particularly nice and would pair well with one of the four sparkling wines offered (all of which had some sweetness). This “salumi” offerings included bresaola, which was salty, a bit gamy and delicious, and, of course, prosciutto di Parma, which was sliced thin.

Cold small plates included a tasty carpaccio, with slices of raw beef tenderloin served atop shaved celery and arugula dressed with a touch of oil and vinegar; the two accompanying ricotta pancakes- small, warm- were a nice touch. Prosciutto and melon also was worthy of attention, especially now since good ripe melon is available. I wasn’t thrilled with the insalata caprese because the grape tomatoes had been chilled, which significantly detracted from both the taste and the texture.
 
My favorite of the small cold plates, though, was Giardiniera Romana, a mix of pickled celery, carrots, cauliflower and red pepper. On two samplings, this pickle was spot on, with the vegetables maintaining all of their raw flavor.
 
Hot small plates included a good-sized platter of fried calamari topped with shaved Parmesan and served with two sauces (roasted garlic mayonnaise and a plain tomato). The calamari were practically greaseless, a sign of expert frying. The roasted Parmesan crusted onions were tasty. Of the four salads on the menu, I tried the arugula, which was simply dressed (not too vinegary) and delicious.
 
There is an extensive pizza menu. Although the thin, but slightly chewy crust was a touch too salty, I highly recommend the Margherita pizza, which is prepared here as well as anywhere- at least in the U.S.- with fresh tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and bits of green basil. I also sampled the tasty sausage pizza, which was served gratis at the bar while I was waiting on a table; it was topped with crumbled sausage and flavored with fennel, banana peppers, onions and tomatoes.
 
As for the pasta offerings, I thought the lasagna Bolognese, served in a hefty rectangle, was a bit on the heavy side, but found two others that I enjoyed. One was the spaghetti ala carbonara; a coddled but basically raw egg was stirred into the hot noodles to cook it, creating a sticky and rich mixture. The other was linguine and clams, which was brothy rather than creamy.
 
Among the more substantial plates, that same vegetable pickle served as a fine accompaniment to the flattened chicken breast that was coated with bread crumbs, sautéed and served with a buttery lemon sauce in a nice dish called Chicken Giardiniera. Braised lamb shank came on stewed white beans, which were firm and delicious. But the lamb (a bit dry) seemed to have been cooked at too high a temperature.
 
The wine list is all Italian- one of the few in town. High-quality Italian wines generally are less expensive than their French or U.S. counterparts, and Marcella’s has 50 well-chosen and excellent selections available by the bottle, half bottle or quartino (a quarter of a liter).
 
If you want something sweet, I suggest the combination of gelato and coolies. The chocolate gelato was good, and the pine nut coolie- paired with chocolate and pistachio biscotti- was delicious. Also worthy of attention was Cherry Crustada, featuring cherries on a thing pastry crusty and served with vanilla gelato. I was happy, though, with cheese and a good wine for dessert.
 Speaking of happy, it’s hard not to be happy after eating at Marcella’s.