A Tavola – Dinner with the Kids

A Tavola is a OTR staple. I’m sure you have heard of this amazing wood fired pizza joint right on Vine St. in the heart of OTR. It’s divine. It’s cool. It’s trendy. It’s always packed! Did you know there is a location… OFF the Rhine? Not too far off I-71 and Kenwood Mall is A Tavola’s Madiera location! It’s every bit as delicious but not nearly so packed on a Friday as their downtown location. We took the kids to an early dinner to beat the crowd. Warning, they do not have kids menu’s or anything like that so come prepared with your own paper or bring extra patience.
We played rock, paper, scissors and drew on some paper that I always have in the van for those “just in case” restaurants.

We started off with the meatballs. You MUST get the meatballs. These are wagyu beef with ricotta and garlic bread. I always add the goat cheese because I just think it makes everything even more amazing. You guys, these meatballs are amazeballs. They are honestly one of my favorite things to eat, ever. My husband and I go out of our way to get them every single time we are in Over the Rhine. If we’re on our way to another restaurant we will still stop at A Tavola for some meatballs! The flavor is out of this world! Fennel, who knew!
I don’t think we shared these with the kids, pretty sure we kept them to ourselves and told the kids the meatballs were made out of vegetables 😀

We had pizza too, not very adventurous pizza. We really just came for the meatballs! Kids got a plain cheese, parents got the margherita. Made in their wood fired oven, toasted to perfection. The kids didn’t even turn their nose up at the “burnt” spots.

To make up for not sharing the meatballs we got an ice cream trio to share. A Tavola is always changing their ice cream flavors but I’ve never met an ice cream that I didn’t like. These were devoured in a matter of seconds. I love that we got to try 3 rather than just one, makes things so much more fun.

On our way out we spotted an awesome looking patio that would be perfect for a spring or summer date night out. Obviously it’s not set up here but it’s still cold out! I’d love to come back for some meatballs in the summer, atavola has an awesome cocktail and wine selection as well. I usually get their house red. Some may turn their noses up at getting the “house” wine but they have a house wine for a reason… they think it’s good! It’s usually a safe bet if you’re not a wine connoisseur.

We had a great time at dinner in Madeira! A Tavola is the perfect place to start in Over the Rhine if you are not familiar with the area. It’s a really laid back place with great food. Please get the meatballs. I’ve taken my husband on a few date nights were we restaurant hop and A Tavola has always been the winner for appetizers!

-Off-The-Rhine-

*Thoughts and opinions are my own, I was not paid or compensated in anyway for this review*