By Amanda Cahoon
Piada Italian Street Food opened its doors in August, bringing casual, authentic Italian cuisine to Lane Avenue.
The concept of Italian street food is modeled after the street fare popular along the east coast of Italy. So what exactly is Italian street food? At Piada, the menu centers on the word “piada”, a word that points to the thin-crust dough made of organic flours and olive oil. That's the vehicle for the filling inside (that varies from region to region and sometimes from vendor to vendor).
What is special about this Italian eatery is that Piada has a speedy delivery system, beginning at a stone grill where you have the choice of a piada, pasta bowl or chopped salad. Once the customer chooses bread, pasta or salad, they can add a selection of simmering meats that have been sautéed in combinations of rosemary, lemon and garlic. To top it all off - fresh, Italian inspired sauces and vegetables.
Piada was created by Restaurateur Chris Doody, who refined his work with Italian food after founding Columbusite staples Brio and Bravo, and decided to start a new style of Italian eating. Doody, who has always had a passion for Italian food, decided to take his passion to the next level and appeal to on-the-go, health conscious consumers. Piada intends to offer gourmet food, prepared fresh and fast, at a reasonable price.
It was during a trip to Italy when Doody discovered what he considers true Italian street food. He describes it as delicious, inexpensive, and easy to eat on-the-go. “As I traveled, I noticed that people wanted good food, convenience and value. We are all busy and we all share a common desire to eat better.” The eatery’s Lane Avenue location makes grabbing a piada convenient during the work day and easy for nearly anyone who makes the east/west commute.
At Piada, the consumer is in charge of exactly which ingredients go into their dish. With the average check ranging from $8 to $9, the ordering and delivery system is similar to that of Chipotle or Subway. Unique to Italian food, this ordering method allows consumers to select from a wide variety of ingredients including five sauce types and an array of fresh vegetables from olives to avocado.
The interior of Piada is reminiscent of Italy, with exposed white-brick walls and dark-wood paneling. To accompany a perfect Italian dinner, consumers have a selection of white and red wines which are available in a bottle for two. For dessert, in traditional Italian-style, cannoli chips with chocolate chip cream are available. The menu also features soups, calamari, and breadsticks.
Piada Italian Street Food is located at 1315 W. Lane Avenue. Hours of operation are Monday- Sunday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. On-line ordering is available.
For more information, visit piadaitalianstreetfood.com