Piada | May 21, 2011

1315 W. Lane Ave., 


Columbus, OH 43221

http://www.mypiada.com

Miller-Stein Ranking

Our food experience | 4.4 Buckeyes

Quality | 5.0 Buckeyes

Cost | 4.5 Buckeyes

Character | 4.5 Buckeyes

Beverages | 4.5 Buckeyes

Service | 3.5 Buckeyes

PIADA
VEGETARIAN w/ PARMESAN ALFREDO | 5.95

Thin crust dough made from natural organic flour, grill item, fresh vegetables & sauce (with or without pasta)

PIADA
VEGETARIAN w/ POMODORO | 5.95

Thin crust dough made from natural organic flour, grill item, fresh vegetables & sauce (with or without pasta)

Piada Italian Street Food is centrally located close to campus on Lane Avenue in Columbus. Piada has been described to us as the Italian version of Chipotle with its made to order buffet line style of dish decorating. When we entered the restaurant it felt exactly like a Chipotle in terms of style; modern, metal and a fun atmosphere. Stein was graciously armed with a gift card for a free Piada from a fellow MBA student who opened another Piada location in Bexely and wanted a Miller-Stein review of the restaurant.

Stein and I entered the line and both selected the Piada option. The chef places a tortilla on a small flat grill, spreads oil overtop of it to crisp it up and lets it get hot enough to develop some bubbles. The chef removes it and you slide on down to the tough part, the food selection.

Stein went with a vegetarian Piada, and decided to add the angle hair pasta to his dish. Stein also added peppers and onions, asparagus and chose an parmesan alfredo for his sauce. The toppings were next in line and Stein chose various toppings. The servers wrapped it up like a burrito and covered it in foil to keep it warm.

I too, went with the Piada option and chose to go meatless. I was intrigued by the pasta in a tortilla and went with that also. I chose just the peppers and onions and a sweet tomato sauce for my Piada and quickly moved on to the toppings. For my toppings I selected tomatoes, spinach, cheese, mushroom, artichoke and romaine. The server then wrapped my Piada and we found our seat.

We both unwrapped our Piadas, Stein smartly just unwrapped half of his so the foil could support the lower half of the giant wrapped piada. Without thinking I unwrapped the whole thing and it immediately started falling apart. The crispiness that the warming of the tortilla causes mixed with the moisture of the sauce is a deadly combination. Upon biting into our Piadas we both really liked what we tasted. The fresh vegetables with the sweetness of the sauces were very tasty. Stein and I both traded bites with each other and were shocked at how different they were from each other. The sauce made a huge difference; Stein’s was heartier while mine was sweeter and lighter. The assortment of fresh vegetables was refreshing, so rarely do restaurants have such a wide variety of great tasting vegetables for the customer.

We were both very excited about the style of the restaurant and the ability to create your own dish and feel like you really had a hand in making the dish great. The ability to decorate your dish with only things you enjoy and avoid things you don’t is fantastic! One thing Stein and I wished we had tried was the unique looking Italian soda station, we vowed that next time we would try it for sure. And also the Piada stick which comes in pepperoni and artichoke

We were both very satisfied and full by the time we were done and even though I had to resort to eating my Piada with a fork toward the end, it was still just as delicious! This could be a Miller-Stein favorite for quick, fun and fresh Italian.