Columbus Monthly’s 10 Best Restaurants | Editor’s Picks: Small Plates & Family-Style Dining

Columbus Monthly’s 2022 “10 Best Restaurants” package also highlights our “Hot 40”: a selection of 40 other establishments that contribute substantially to Central Ohio’s food and drink scene. This installment features Small Plates and Big Spreads.

Sometimes the most memorable meals come about when you order a ton of food and share. Fill up your table at the following spots.

Sharing is the order of business at Hamilton Road’s Lalibela, named for a World Heritage site in northern Ethiopia. Here, friends and family gather around a large platter of injera topped with tibs, sega wat, shiro, gomen and more for an authentic Ethiopian meal. Order: kitfo, doro wat

The casual, Campus-area standout N.E. Chinese—a contender for best Chinese food in the city—specializes in Northeastern Chinese cuisine. The house specialty, stewed pork ribs, comes with a large pancake to soak up all the flavor. Return visits are a must. Order: cumin potatoes, fern root noodles, twice-cooked spicy fish

For a totally different Chinese dining experience, head to Ty Ginger Asian Bistro in Dublin. Skip the very average Pan-Asian menu and go all-in on the bistro’s excellent Hong Kong dim sum, served daily. Order: scallion pancakes, shrimp dumplings, custard buns

For the best of traditional Korean fare, head to Min Ga on Bethel Road, where modest tables barely fit a variety of banchan plus huge portions of jjigae, kalbi, japchae and much more. Order: gamjatang, kimchi pancakes

Good luck eating your way through Yoshi’s 10-page menu. The primary order at this unassuming Japanese spot in Dublin is excellent sushi, but don’t skip the large variety of small plates and noodle dishes. Call ahead to reserve one of Yoshi’s private dining rooms. Order: Yoshi’s sashimi set, agedashi tofu, okonomiyaki

Grandview’s La Tavola, run by chef-owner Rick Lopez, remains a warm, welcoming neighborhood Italian spot that sticks to its values: house-made pastas complemented by fresh, local ingredients. An interesting Italian wine list and scratch desserts complete the package. Order: burrata, gnocchi pomodoro, fig pizza

At Lopez’s other neighborhood restaurant, Lupo in Upper Arlington, executive chef Todd Elder treats diners to a Spanish-influenced menu of pintxos and tapas, such as serrano and manchego fritters and gambas al ajillo. Large entrées range from a family-friendly burger to paella. Lupo’s cocktails are a must. Order: octopus a la plancha

This story is from the “10 Best Restaurants” package in the November 2022 issue of Columbus Monthly.