I've said it before and I'll say it again: Alana's was local long before local was cool. Toss in cheeky art (local, of course), a hipster soundtrack, a nifty patio and stunning wine deals - and serve all that locally sourced, daily-changing, world-beat cuisine with a come-as-you-are, relaxed panache, and you have one of Columbus' top restaurants.
The goods: Tellingly, instead of providing a list of local ingredients, Alana simply sent me that evening's menu. It contained a cornucopia of area-grown vegetables including zucchini, green beans, lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and shiitake mushrooms from: Toad Hill (Knox County), Wishwell (Bellefontaine) and Elizabeth Telling (Belmont County).
The menu also nudgingly mentioned harvesting herbs from "Olentangy Farms" (Alana's backyard), plus cheeses and dairy from Blue Jacket and Oakvale (London).
Eat this: A veggie-packed, nearly wholly local Nicoise salad gilded with an Amish egg, followed by a lean Grilled Shiitake Satay entree (with food this good, who needs meat?), finished with a lively dessert (like a struesel pie, panna cotta or "buttermilk cake") brightened by local berries.
