LFM: Frezno Bar and Grille, Brewery District

Well time for another Local Foodie Moment on WWSV!  Chris and I had a Miami alumni event in the Brewery District and found ourselves needing a late dinner afterwards.  We asked a friend who lives in the area what he'd suggest, he said Frezno and conveniently it was right next to where we were.

Understandably so it was a little dead given it was later on a Thursday night and the weather was far too chilly to enjoy their patios.  We took a seat at their copper bar and started perusing the menu.  One of the owners, Kevin Ames, was there.  He helped us choose beers, offered tastes before deciding and had a nice chat with us.  We learned that he and his wife had just opened the restaurant a couple weeks ago but they are seasoned restauranteurs having owned other Columbus hot spots such as The Press Grille and Dagwoodz before selling them in the early 2000s.  The original Frezno restaurant was in the Short North where the Union Cafe is currently.  He said he does most of the management while his wife runs the kitchen.  

Given that it was late and they had recently opened I wasn't expecting much but I was beyond pleasantly surprised!  We ordered the Short Rib Tacos and the Parma Prosciutto Pizza.  These are not really a likely pair but our friend who suggested the restaurant said he loves the short rib tacos and the Parma Prosciutto sounded good to us.  We'd have to go back to test the speed of service when they are more busy but that night the food came out very fast.

The tacos were pretty good, a very tiny bit on the dry side but we attributed that to the meat probably being cooked earlier in the day.  Great flavor and texture with the shredded and marinated veggies on top.  I'm pretty sure there was some jicama in the mix which gave it a fabulous crunch.  Typically I don't like tacos without heaps of cheese and salsa but the slight crunch of the veggies and the flavor of the meat made me not miss it at all!

Short Rib Tacos

The pizza, oh the pizza!  This was fabulous!  I love pizzas with greens on top (and I've been a little obsessed with arugula lately) so the fresh arugula with balsamic drizzle and shredded parmesan cheese was great.  The crust was just right, not too crunchy not too soft with a good fluff factor (I sound like the Goldilocks of pizzas over here).  Ample cheese and pieces of prosciutto plus asparagus and you've got yourself a gem.  I LOVED the added crunch of the asparagus with the saltiness of the prosciutto!  (Can you tell I want this pizza again?  Like right now preferably.)  As you can see from the pictures its a little dark around the crust but it doesn't have the charred taste that comes with pizzas made in wood or coal fired ovens.  This makes me even more of a fan because I strongly dislike the taste of carcinogens on my food (if you've ever grilled a hot dog for me you'd understand).

Parma Prosciutto Pizza 

Kevin shared with us that they were starting to offer Sunday Brunch and gave us a peek at their upcoming brunch menu.  Just the mention of Gingerbread Pancakes and Foccacia French Toast we told him we'd be back!  Unfortunately our weekend schedules have us rather busy and not in town most Sundays but its definitely on the foodie wishlist!

Overall, friendly and speedy service plus delicious food left me one happy foodie.  Everything seemed very fresh and the menu has a lot of creative muscle behind it.  I can't wait to go back!  If you are in the area, give it a try!

Cheers!
Steph