Chef Josh Dalton and his team have been on a winning streak with Veritas and Speck downtown, plus the beloved Rosebud’s in Delaware, and they’ve continuing that strong performance with Amara, a new Mediterranean spot that makes great use of the former Milestone 229 space on The Scioto Mile!
I say Mediterranean, and the sign out front says “Mediterranean at heart,” but the culinary and beverage teams are working in flavors from around the sea, including the Middle East and North Africa.
In a way, it’s a relief to see the space occupied again. It’s has been given a beautiful revamp, with lots of light colors and natural wood accents, a variety of lighting fixtures, and a wood-fired oven as a centerpiece to the kitchen. The curving dining room includes floor-to-ceiling windows, and it’s hard to beat the views from the patio as well.
When arriving for dinner, we got there a little earlier than the rest of our party, so we found seats at the bar to enjoy a couple drinks. Beth described her Tomato Leaf cocktail as smelling and tasting like your hands after you’ve harvested tomatoes from the garden. It blends dill-infused Roku gin, tomato vermouth, elderflower, and basil.
And next to it is the Honey & Cardamom, a carbonated drink with Whistlepig 6-Year, Earl Grey, green cardamon, and wildflower honey.
At our table, we started with an assortment of hummus, spreads, and bread.
The classic hummus is very expertly done.
And the lamb version makes it even better, with tender braised lamb neck meat and zhoug.
The agora is a rotating hummus flavor; on our visit it featured corn and feta.
And the ikra spread is a winning combination of whipped yogurt and smoked trout roe.
Quick pause for another round of drinks: starting with the Hong Kong-inspired Leone Old Fashioned. I always gravitate towards Old Fashioneds, and I loved this version. Whistlepig 6-Year, Boulard VSOP Calvados apple brandy, honey, date, Ancho Reyes Verde (a green poblano liqueur), cocoa, and orange. A rich and refreshing combination.
Fans of the gin and tonic will love the Fig Leaf G&T with Middle West Spirits’ Vim & Petal gin, fig leaf cordial, tonic, and spices.
We sampled a few different entrees around our table. The roasted half chicken is wonderfully tender. It’s served with freekeh (a wheat grain), olive, pickled onion, and herbs.
The smoked cauliflower was excellent, too. It’s served on a bed of labheh and mujaddara, spiced with vadouvan, and topped with crispy kataifi.
Not to miss is the wagyu skewer. Super tender, flavored with berbere, roasted red pepper, and black garlic tahini.
We were convinced to try all three desserts, including a rich soft serve ice cream flavored with cardamom and honey, and topped with kataifi.
We loved the rice pudding as well, flavored with crushed pistachio, cherries, and rose.
Not pictured is the also-amazing Basque cheesecake.
The whole experience – food, drinks, service, atmosphere – was a real delight. It’s always a good sign when you make you picks from the menu and immediately start planning a return visit to try more. That was our visit to Amara.
Amara is open Tuesday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
Amara
229 S. Civic Center Dr.
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 665-5021
Web: eatamara.com
FB: Amara Restaurant
IG: @amaramediterranean