Guy Fieri to open first Italian restaurant in Columbus this spring at Scioto Downs
Columbus-born celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who already is planning a two-day food festival in his hometown this June, also will open an Italian restaurant this spring at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
"The first meal I ever had was in Columbus…I was born here!” Fieri said in a news release this morning from Scioto Downs. “So, it’s a true homecoming to bring my latest concept to the area. Being from an Italian family, classic Italian American fare has always been a part of my life.”
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Fieri said in the release that he’s “stoked” to bring his take on classic Italian flavors — meatballs, pasta fagioli, chicken parmigiana and a lasagna he said will have 68 layers — to town.
More: Guy Fieri plans to debut Flavortown Fest, a two-day music and food festival, in Columbus
Specifics on the menu will come later, Scioto Downs said. Although the range of Fieri-branded restaurants includes Mexican, barbecue, burgers and pizza, none focuses solely on Italian. Among Italian dishes at existing places: baked spaghetti and meatballs, Cajun chicken Alfredo, cavatappi pasta with garlic breadcrumbs, Caesar salad and pizza.
The Columbus restaurant that hasn’t been named yet will have an old-school Italian feel with rustic wood finishes, textured-glass screens, and an open pizza-and-pasta prep station. It will be designed by Aria Group Architects from the Chicago area, whose portfolio includes Cooper’s Hawk and True Food restaurants, both of which are located at Easton Town Center.
In November, Fieri announced plans for Flavortown Fest, a food-and-music festival to take place June 1 and 2 on the lawn at CAS, a 54-acre grounds near Ohio State University. Musical acts and celebrity chefs have yet to be announced.
In addition, four ghost kitchens operating under Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen label operated briefly in Columbus during 2021.
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Scioto Downs, at 6000 S. High St., currently has two dining options: The Brew Brothers, which offers craft beers and pub food, and Dash Cafe, which serves pizza and other quick bites from within the gaming area.
Amy Ankerson, senior vice president and general manager at Scioto Downs, said Fieri’s restaurant will offer “an exquisite dining experience” and a menu that will appeal to all customers.
“Chef Fieri is an iconic figure worldwide, and Scioto Downs is honored to welcome him home for his first Italian restaurant this spring,” she said in the news release announcing the venture.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Guy Fieri to open a restaurant in Columbus
