I feel like Columbus owes Delaware an apology. First one of the region’s best restaurants, Veritas, starts in Delaware before migrating to downtown Columbus. That frees up the space for Speck Italian Eatery to come along… and now that’s moved to Columbus as well. Can we assume that we might eventually get Cove, A Seafood Joint as well?
Columbus has been the beneficiary of some great restaurants started by chef and owner Josh Dalton. Dalton owns the excellent 1808 American Bistro up in Delaware, as well as the space just down Winter Street, where Veritas, Speck, and now Cove have incubated.
In partnership with Edwards Communities, Dalton has been able to move the restaurants to downtown Columbus around Gay and High streets, which have been welcome additions to the city’s core. Speck is the latest entry, an excellent modern Italian spot with great cocktails and wine list.
Speck’s space on High Street is nicely appointed, with a front bar and open kitchen.
It’s currently open for both lunch and dinner.
The cocktail menu is created by Genevieve Johnson, who most recently wowed Columbus audiences with her work at Rooh in the Short North.
Speck is currently taking reservations for dinner only; lunch is available first come, first serve.
We can’t think of a single misstep from our whole dinner. Here are the highlights!
Starters included the house-made focaccia and the namesake speck and burrata. For those who don’t know, speck is a lightly cured ham. Delightful on crusty bread with soft house-made burrata.
The confit wings were a stand-out from the starters menu. Crispy, wonderfully seasoned, tender meat.
As you can imagine, pasta takes center stage, comprising a majority of the main dishes on the menu.
The scallops on risotto with pancetta and chili.
Pillowy soft gnudi in the cacio e pepe.
Beautiful king crab over linguini.
And the rich pomodoro over bucatini with ricotta and herbs.
Don’t pass up the dessert menu, with hits like the bitter tiramisu with mascarpone gelato and whipped espresso.
Or the pistachio cannolo with house ricotta and pistachio gelato.
We’re certainly sorry that downtown Delaware lost Speck, but we are selfishly happy to have it in Columbus. It’s a standout eatery with great service and a focused and expertly executed menu that should quickly prove to be a favorite.
Speck is currently open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.
Speck Italian Eatery
89 N. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 754-8544
IG: speckrestaurant.com
FB: SpeckItalian
IG: @speck_italian
