Trevioli Italian Kitchen brings fine Italian eats to Blackmon Road

There are a few Columbus restaurants that you can mention in any social situation and someone will inevitably nod and intone, sagely, “Oh, yes, I go there all the time.” Remarkably, after first opening in a storage unit on Tower Road, in Oct. 2013, Trevioli quickly rose to that level of recognition. Begun, also remarkably, as a take-out Italian shop featuring homemade pasta, it was loyal regulars who imposed dine-in service by bringing their own chairs and asking that their food be plated on paper tableware.

This original location, even after expanding into two adjacent storage units, was cozy. Its chockablock 30 seats often commanded two hour waits, on Wednesdays, as small air-conditioning units struggled against midsummer heat. The restaurant, which owner and chef Trevor Morris built with start-up proceeds from the sale of an old Jeep and word-of-mouth buzz, had outgrown the storage unit format. But moves can be dangerous for a restaurant, especially when relocating to a place as remote from its original clientele as Blackmon Road.

Trevioli Italian Kitchen, which opened this Spring at 7466 Blackmon Road, boasts 120 indoor seats and 40 covered patio seats. The interior, in a nod to the original location, has dark walls and floors. The Craigslist-sourced seating of the storage unit, though, has been upgraded to wood tables handmade by a Texas craftsman. The space is open, and with dining areas separated by wine bottle walls, which reflect well-placed track lights, the restaurant feels both intimate and alive as the lights glint off the wine bottles and recede into the walls and floors. Almost as soon as the doors opened on a recent Tuesday, both the dining room and patio were lively. No surprise, then, when Trevor says most of the regulars from the previous location make the short trip east to dine.

Whether old customers or new, however inviting the Blackmon Road location, the main attraction, of course, is the food. Beginning at the top of the chef’s note-style menu, handwritten by Trevor, we find a half-dozen classic Italian starters. The caprese, with fresh mozzarella and basil and locally-grown tomatoes, and a comforting minestrone are obvious choices. Mussels in beer and butter is perfect for sharing, while the lobster bisque, spiced with ginger, is an indulgent solo choice.

Of the risotto dishes, the maple cashew duck, served over butternut squash risotto, was particularly fun. The savory smoked duck breast and sweet maple glazed cashews will have your tablemates envious. The portion is generous. Go ahead and share.

Though not all of the pasta is house-made (after all, you can’t get al dente from wet pasta), many are. Again, the classics stand out as generous and comforting, including portobello ravioli, three-cheese tortellini in blush sauce, and a linguini alfredo that can be served with chicken, shrimp or lobster. Lobster appears again in a lobster Mac in chardonnay cream and in a spicy shrimp and lobster Mac that perfectly navigates the line between light and filling while also delivering some welcomed heat.

Under “Specialties” we found some truly special dishes. The 21-day aged, hand cut Black Angus filet mingon is not to be overlooked, nor is the oven-roasted grouper. The lasagna is accurate described by the menu in Trevor’s hand: “My wife makes this lasagna. It’s awesome.” We agree. For the more adventurous, try the sausage-stuffed quail. The quail comes from Greensboro, Ga., and we saw the sausage being made on a pre-dinner kitchen tour—forget the old adage, at least at Trevioli. Finally, there’s the osso bucco stuffed tortelli. The osso we savored, at 5:30 p.m., had been in the oven since 6:30 a.m. Stuffed in a tortelli and served with butternut squash, peas and bacon, this dish will warm anyone on a chilly evening.

The full-service bar eschews over-complexity in favor of smart, pragmatic choices. The cocktails are mostly classics with clever tweaks, such as Autumn’s Old Fashioned, made with peach bitters, maple syrup and bourbon, and named for the head bartender. The wine list offers enough variety to pair well any dish with any thirsty patron, and the selections prioritize quality over price tag, such as the Triano pinot grigio. Bottled beer includes several obligatory domestics, as well as welcomed Italian staples, Peroni and Moretti. On our visit, we were happy to find two Omaha Brewing Company beers on tap.

While Uptown boasts the best quality restaurant density in Columbus, the Blackmon Road area is growing. Trelioli Italian Kitchen is not only a unique gem in north east Columbus, but a welcomed and much-needed addition the Columbus food scene. Trevioli is a destination for quality Italian comfort food and creative culinary delights, with so many excellent and interesting offerings as to make frequent returns mandatory for anyone who appreciates a great meal. If you live in the area, the opening of Trevioli must be exciting. If you don’t live in the area, take it from us: a single trip to Trevioli will have you savoring the ten minute drive on all subsequent returns. We’ll see you there.