Forno in Columbus, Ohio, opened its doors in 2015 and has held its spot in the “heart of the Short North.” Owner Chris Corso told the Columbus Dispatch that they were aiming for a place that is in between full service and a bar. You can sit down and have brunch or dinner (only dinner when they first opened, Brunch came later!) or just grab a drink before you eat somewhere else. They also loved the concept of an open kitchen and designed the space with their large forno (oven in Italian) on display front and center. The hope was to fill a niche and now just shy of 10 years later, the restaurant is still going strong.

The menu at first glance seems to be Italian food, but the owners consider it “an Italian edge but wouldn’t call it Italian.” as they told the Dispatch. Listed as an American bistro you can find foods ranging from pizza, pasta (dinner only) and sharables with American classics like burgers, waffles, and fish tacos as well. A full bar wraps around the center of the space with tables lining the walls with a separate room of more tables and outside spots as well.

My group was lucky on our visit and we were able to get a large corner table that was round and prime seating with views out two large windows to watch the streets of the Short North. We were eating in the afternoon on a Saturday and so had the chance to sample the Brunch menu. I only regret not getting to try the pasta. I’ll happily return for dinner to do that.

For a starter we shared the meatballs appetizers. Only four come with this so make sure you count how many in your party would like some. We did two orders as there were seven of us this day. My friend Bea stated: ‘The meatball appetizer was super tasty and some of the best ones I’ve had in a while” and the rest of the table agreed that the sauce pairing was somehow better than we could have expected and wished for bread to dip in the generous portion of sauce after the meatballs were quickly gone.

My oldest brother James Johann of Boardello fame had tried the eggs purgatory skillet which features eggs in a spicy tomato sauce, red peppers, parsley, and parmesan with a side of grilled bread to lap it all up. He supplied this about the dish:

“my eggs purgatory skillet was as tasty and satisfying as the name was disturbing”

My sister in law Cynthia López-Pérez of the opera world told me “Here for the Nutella french toast, staying for the tuna tacos!”

My other brother Nicholas was too busy eating the french toast, the spicy and tasty cajun shrimp and grits that was creamy grits and spicy shrimp fried in a manner that kept them juicy and not dry; as well as the burrata with arribiata and grilled toast to answer.

I ordered the Garden Pizza which features roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, red onions, asparagus, arugula, mozzarella and san marzano tomatoes. The pizzas are made with fresh hand made dough from that day. They are fired in the impressive stone oven at 750 F (399 C) to get the crust crispy and slightly charged. The pizza did provide the fresh taste in the vegetables and crust and still had a simple air about it. I gave away only one of the slices but still did not feel overly full or heavy afterwards as you can with pizza. The arugula was liberally applied and a bit much for me, but others may enjoy it.

We also had a salad and two more pizzas, a Hawaiian and the midwest at play on the table. The midwest has chicken, bacon, red onions, alfredo, alfredo, ranch, mozzarella, and jalapeños.

Our visit to Forno was a good trip and brought a great memory for friends and family in attendance. Our waitress displayed great hospitality and the hostess was kind and helped me with my reservation with gentle understanding and kindness even during a busy time. A place that is well worth a visit to anyone who makes their way to Columbus and wants a fresh meal and has the extra money to burn. While not the cheapest place, the fresh food that came out in a timely manner, and was easy to share and enjoyed by everyone was worth the cost for us. A niche restaurant on the streets of Columbus that shares their passion in food and fresh tastes with everyone.