There’s a hint of freshly baked dough in the air, and it’s wafting directly from the wood-fired stove at Pickerington’s newest pizzeria, Gratzi á Tutti.
The up-and-coming hometown eatery sits tucked on the corner of state routes 256 and 204. The upscale-casual restaurant opened in June.
All of Executive Chef Todd Wallace’s authentic Italian recipes, he says, come from the heart – and from 20 years of culinary experience, including stints at Due Amici and Cameron Mitchell restaurants.
“At 15 years old, I worked for a small mom-and-pop restaurant in Mansfield, Ohio,” says Wallace. “It was hard work, but it was also there where I learned the true meaning of family dinner. The owners taught me how to cook real Italian food, and that every Sunday meal was served with tomato, pasta and gravy.”
This childhood job provided him with inspired creativity for the Italian menu items at Gratzi á Tutti. Another source of inspiration is his family’s history of cooking; some of the recipes have been passed down from generation to generation.
“The upcoming lasagna special was a family friend’s great-grandmother’s recipe; (she) guarded it with her life,” Wallace says. “The salad dressings, such as the mustard vinaigrette, were handed down to me from my past family members, and I’m glad I was able to preserve their authenticity for others to appreciate.”
Wallace emphasizes the quality of the products that go into Gratzi á Tutti’s dishes, including 100 percent certified Angus beef for burgers and hand-spun, made-to-order dough for pizzas.
“At Gratzi, we don't just serve bar food, we provide our customers with upscale cuisine in a casual dining atmosphere,” he says.
The barbecue chicken pizza, Gratzi Italian hero sandwich, spinach salad and meatball sub are already customer favorites. The pizza arugula is a signature pie that the staff takes pride in claiming as a Gratzi creation. The dish is expertly layered with fresh mozzarella, Romano cheese, thinly sliced prosciutto and basil, topped with garden-grown arugula.
But perhaps the most sought-after item on the menu is the Gratzi Italian sausage stromboli. This mouth-watering selection is made from scratch daily and brought to the customer still steaming from the oven. The hearty turnover is stuffed with crumbled Italian sausage, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and mozzarella cheese.
Though they can be baked at warp speed – the restaurant’s 600-degree, wood-fired oven turns dough into crisp crust in less than three minutes – pizzas can be customized significantly. Of course, guests have their choice of toppings, ranging from pepperoni and mushrooms to pecans and baby shrimp. But they also can choose between thin and bubbly crust; between red and bianca white sauce; and among standard, whole wheat and gluten-free dough.
Appetizers, salads, soups, hero sandwiches, burgers, stromboli, wings and desserts are also available if pizza isn’t on your mind. One of the ways Gratzi á Tutti works to differentiate itself from its competitors is through its weeknight meal promotion, which offers a personal pie with a side of potato, chili or corn chowder for $5.95.
Though its pizzas are a big selling point for the restaurant, there’s more to Gratzi á Tutti, a fact perhaps best spelled out by the slogan on its website: “Where there is nothing better than beer, pizza and sports.”
The bar offers 16 draft beer selections and a variety of wine, and it seats as many as 50 guests. Its 25 high-definition TVs, plus a 10-foot-wide screen, are intended to appeal to the game-time crowd.
The dining room at Gratzi á Tutti seats more than 150 guests, so parties and big families are welcome, and the walls are lined with photos of sports legends. A heated outdoor patio, outfitted with a stone fire pit, provides a cozy, relaxing atmosphere.
“You won’t see any neon bar signs here,” says Wallace.
Gratzi á Tutti is already seeing much commercial and franchise success, with additional locations opening in Reynoldsburg and the Polaris area.
Gratzi á Tutti is open for lunch and dinner daily at 10705 Blacklick Eastern Rd.
Olivia Tharp is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
