Marcella's Italian Kitchen
 Columbus, Ohio      Date of Visit  05/23/15         http://polaris.marcellasitaliankitchen.com

Attended what was just a gorgeous wedding at the Columbus Museum or Art, yes there is more than football in the Bus, but couldn’t stay for the reception as our spanking new bathroom is leaking. No way we were missing the whole thing so down we went and headed back we stopped to eat for the first time (lots of rushing) and ended up finding a Cameron Mitchell restaurant at Polaris on our way home. We shared a fun and fabulous meal with the newly minted husband and wife at another Cameron Mitchell outpost, so we stopped before heading home to man the bilge.
 

Functional Bread With Beautiful Oil
 

In a strange twist, our server looked so much like Lauren we were wondering if she had sent her twin to tell us to turn around. Hope everyone had a great night.

Like other CM locations, Marcella’s Italian Kitchen is well put together. It leans to the less formal (more like Cap City Diner than The Pearl) which fits the menu. Our Lauren clone seemed genuinely excited to have us in and even more so when we enjoyed something. We enjoyed quite a bit.

The menu is very Italian even if some of the ingredients or combinations are pulled from far outside of the traditional Italian canon. Essentially, what I have come to expect from the Mitchell empire. We started with a pizza (ordered half and got a whole) and a meatball (ordered and delivered with enormous promise). Not really Lauren had recommended both to us. We were delivered bread and oil and while the bread was denser than my beloved hometown version, the oil was spectacularly fruity and green. The basket emptied quickly.
 

The pizza was a roasted chicken with Gorgonzola cheese, Parmesan onions, chili flakes, and apricots. The crust is really nice with a crisp bite. The toppings resulted in a wide range of deliciousness but I would have liked a little more of the funk and spice from the cheese and chili to boost the flavor. Steph really liked it.
 

Oooops, A Whole Pizza...
 

...With Interesting Flavors, I Would Have Preferred A Little More Gorg & Pepper
 

The menu describes the braised veal meatball as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. Bold. So is the meatball. I don’t know about world wonder exactly but I I’m certain Cheops, Zeus and Artemis would straight up crush this orb of awesome. Served in an iron crock and covered with a splash of marinara, the croquet-ball-sized loaf maintains structural integrity when you slice it and transport it to your gaping maw…but once it arrives it seems no longer a solid but more a ethereal cloud of glorious meatiness. It just disappears, melts away, leaving only delectable. Maybe the 14th wonder of the world.
 

Steph ordered the ravioli mezzaluna which were stuffed with goat cheese and topped with cabbage, Italian bacon, and mushrooms. Twas a good dish but I think both of us expected something different, not a bad thing at all, but it seemed the dish needed something to brighten it up a tad. Good but not as good as the chicken parmesan.

Like the pizza, the chicken parm reminded me of what I understand to be the difference between American Italian and just Italian. I am of American excess, loads of pizza toppings and reservoirs of sauce, that makes me happy. Even though I would have preferred a little more spice and funk in the pizza, the crust and chicken were excellent and it didn’t need a pile of other toppings. The chicken was an enormous breast and was topped with just a spread of sauce and cheese but the intensity of the tomato and spices played their part without overwhelming the crispity and juicy chicken. There was also a light note of citrus coming from somewhere which was nearly undetectable but still offered the brightness I wanted more of in the ravioli. The same was true of the strands of pasta, coated but not covered with Alfredo sauce. Usually when I make Alfredo, I add a great deal of cream before the cheese. Way less cream meant way more parmesan sticking to the noodle…and you could still taste the noodle itself. Bravo.
 

While they packed our big bag of leftovers we tried the cannoli. The plate was covered with three huge logs. Instead of a sweetened ricotta mix the fried cookie tubes were filled with a thick vanilla pastry cream. Crunchy, creamy, studded with candied orange and pistachio and served with macerated berries and a dark chocolate ganache, all three disappeared, diet be damned.

I may prefer some Mitchell spaces over some others but have yet to be disappointed in the space, service or sustenance. Quite an accomplishment. More to try.

Looking forward to them, hopefully some with the newlyweds. Congrats you two, it was beautiful. Wishes for all the best and for strength when it can't be the best.