Chef BJ Lieberman is set to open his newest eatery this week in the Short North: Metsi’s Italian! Metsi’s takes the place of his former restaurant Hiraeth on East Lincoln, a couple blocks off High Street.
Metsi’s is a two-level restaurant. The street level is bright and airy, with a bar and a dining room, and big windows that open onto the street.
We started our visit with a couple of cocktails: a Classico Negroni and Il Sogne Spritz with grapefruit.
While the upstairs space is beautiful, I’d highly recommend getting a seat in the downstairs dining room.
Most seats offer you a view of the kitchen, where you can watch the culinary team at work.
You can book seats at the chef’s counter with a special view as well.
We started with the sourdough focaccia served with whipped ricotta.
The fried calamari comes with grilled lemon and a pomodoro sauce.
The marinated peppers are dowsed in balsamic and shallots.
The wood-fired artichokes come with a garlic aioli. Truth be told, we loved the artichokes but wanted more of the aioli!
One of my favorite bites of the meal was the radiatori alla roma. Wonderfully cooked pasta with a rich amatriciana sauce, guanciale, tomato, chile flake, ricotta, and a hefty topping of fiore sardo.
A little espresso to finish the meal!
And – I’m not even kidding – perhaps the best tiramisu we’ve ever tried. Just so wonderfully rich without getting soggy.
They were running a limited menu on our visit, but there’s so much more we’d gladly return to try: mushroom arancini, grilled Caesar, cacio e pepe, smoked mushroom risotto.
Metsi’s is open Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
Metsi’s
36 E. Lincoln St.
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 824-4516
Web: metsisitalian.com
IG: @eatmetsis
