The weather is getting nice, so let’s take a little trip up to Powell. The particular destination? Novella Osteria. Or, as it more often refers to itself, just Novella. Taken literally, the full name is plainspoken – it’s Italian for “new restaurant.” The project is the brainchild of Ohio’s own Mathew Phelan, a chef who grew up in these parts (Dublin, Ohio). Following high school, he ventured out to New York and attended the CIA, that’s the legendary Culinary Institute of America, the institution that gave the world Anthony Bourdain, Jerome Bocuse and Charlie Palmer. After graduating, Phelan returned victoriously to the heartland to open Novella Osteria in 2020.
The Powell project equips a lively space built with open ceilings and clean lines teamed with hard surfaces and natural finishes. It’s a simple, tasteful look, and one that matches the approach to dining: simple combinations executed with thoughtful, quality ingredients. And in a day where fillers reign supreme in the food marketplace, its attention to quality sets it apart.
Begin, then with Novella Meatballs ($17). Made from a blend of veal and ricotta, the meatballs have a peculiarly wonderful lightness to them, something makes each velvety, fork-tender bite melt in the mouth like butter. They’re topped with a thick, robust pomodoro sauce, and it all rests under a gentle blanket of parmesan that provides its signature punch to the mix.
Despite their featherweight texture, meatballs tend to make a substantial start to a meal. Alternatively, the menu also features a modest selection of salads for diners who are more vegetable-inclined. For example, the Caesar ($15) delivers all the likable elements of the classic. Substantial leaf segments are dressed in a zesty garlic dressing and populated with croutons and a reprise of that blanket of parmesan.
A dish such as Spaghetti Carbonara ($27) is a classic worth revisitng at Novella, in part because it offers a reference point of what it should be. Done right, a carbonara leverages its egg element to help swaddle the pasta with a light sweater of richness. Novella Osteria celebrates this approach with tender spaghetti, each stand nicely coated, the dish is bedazzled with house-made guanciale that delivers bites charged with savory-flavor.
The Pork Shank ($30) might well be overshadowed by the polenta on which it’s served. Infused with sun-dried tomato, the fancy cousin of cornmeal mush imparts a creamy quality that gives one pause. That’s not to say that the pork is shoddy. Quite the opposite, it’s fork-tender and finished with a tangy agrodolce, a combo that compliments the meats mild flavor.
To finish things off? Something different: Perhaps the Polenta Snickerdoodle Sandwich ($10), with filling braced with crunchy popped corn. The sweet sandwich scores on the foundational strength of remarkably good snickerdoodle cookies: they make soft and pillowing braces bespecked with cinnamon sugar.
The vibe at Novella Osteria suggests something of a regular destination in the neighborhood, and menu programming provides bonuses to keep things fresh for regulars. Depending on the day of the week, guests might find something on the lines of lobster ravioli or a five-course pasta tasting menu in addition to the regular dining options.
Its bar also hosts not only expected cocktails and wine, but also an extensive bourbon scene that boasts close to 20 makers.
Open Tuesday through Saturday evenings, it can be found at 170 W. Olentangy St.
For more information, visit novellaosteria.com.
All photos by Susan Post