Marcella's Ristorante Apartments For Rent - Arena District, Columbus, Ohio

Posted by Sara Lodi on March 01, 2009 02:49

There's something about finding a great restaurant with food you'll want to order extra of, just so you can take it back to your apartment (and probably eat for breakfast the next day). Marcella's Ristorante offers food just like this. Located on N High St in the busy Short North neighborhood, this eatery serves up Italian tapas in a relaxed but elegant atmosphere. It's been consistently voted one of the

best restaurants in Columbus, and it's easy to see why: there are a heck of a lot of choices packed into the menu here.

Aside from cheese and olive plates, many of the appetizers are quite creative, such as the parmesan-crusted onions, or the braised veal meatballs. For entrees, try the crispy potato pizza or the linguine and clams. In terms of drinks, there's an extensive wine list, some great sangria and a creative cocktail menu (try the Strawberry-Balsamic Martini). If you have room for dessert, there's the always-trustworthy tiramisu, but also profiteroles, gelato or ricotta cheesecake, or you can wind down with a specialty coffee (try the Caffe Calabrese, which features Frangelico hazelnut liquor).

The novel idea of Marcella's is that it's a restaurant that encourages sharing, making it a perfect pre-clubbing light meal, a way to sample most of the menu if you're having a big family dinner, or a sweet way to break the ice on a first date. Their weeknightly happy hour offers half-price on most food and drinks, which might be the best time to stock up on those leftovers you're taking back to your apartment.