SHAQUILLE O'NEAL - C Magazine / columbusmag.com

Photos: Eric WagnEr
the Fare
kitchen’s open Mia Cucina
5525 New Albany Rd. New Albany, OH 43054 (614) 775-0181
WHO
After accumulating six decades
of experience in the restaurant
industry between them, business
partners and friends Vern Blazek,
Jack Illig and Mike Unnone decided
that it was time to open up their
own venue. All three hail from
established, successful Easton
restaurants, but having reached a
crossroads in their careers, they
realized that they wanted to and
were capable of founding and
operating their own independent
restaurant chain.
Mia Cucina, which translates to
the very appropriate “my kitchen”
in Italian, is a family affair for the
QUICK LOOK
Everything you need to know
about Mia Cucina in a single
glance, from menus to hours.
38 C The Columbus magazine HOLIDAY Columbusmag.com
trio. Blazek and Illig’s wives work at
the restaurant, and executive chef
Unnone’s dishes are inspired by his
Italian grandmother’s recipes.
WHAT
Mia Cucina is what New Albany
desperately needed: an upscale
casual restaurant that is extremely
family-friendly. It’s convenient and
quality, homey and classy. Two
New Albany women, Julie Butler
and Susie Puleri, undertook the
interior design for free, a kind of
J.Crew/Crate and Barrel hybrid,
and it works. Dark browns, creams,
yellows and hints of green abound.
And the food—it’s Italian, but lacks
the kind of heaviness and density
Breakfast/Lunch Lunch
Private Dining Yes
Outdoor Seating Yes
Hours M-Th:11-10, F&Sa:11-11, Su:11-9
The shrimp scampi with sauteed shrimp, fresh garlic, tomatoes and green onions, served with angel hair pasta
that most associate with pasta and
pizza. Chef Mike Unnone uses
fresh, local ingredients and carefully
calibrates each dish to perfection.
WHEN
The restaurant is open for lunch
and dinner every day of the week
except Sunday. Early on a Thursday
night, when the restaurant had been
open for only several weeks, the
parking lot was already packed—a
good indication that New Albany
residents are fans of the new
eatery. Don’t be afraid to linger
in the restaurant, they won’t shoo
you out. Mia stays open until the
last customer leaves. And if your
dinner does become drawn out, the
TAKE NOTE:
sauces hold up to the test of time.
As our party became distracted by
conversation, the plates of food in
front of us looked just as fresh as
when they had been served to us, an
hour before.
WHERE
Mia Cucina is in the Giant Eagle
Shopping Center off of New Albany
Road. Oddly, it’s one of only a
handful of restaurants in New
Albany. The three co-owners have
expansion on the mind to other
parts of Columbus soon, with a
Dublin or Powell location on their
radars. There’s nothing else like it
in the area, with Easton the closest
locale for upscale-casual dining.
Wonderful Wine Selection
With wallet-friendly prices
Children’s Menu Available
Plus, small portions are available