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Agni

Columbus' star-worthy dining destinations

Make it Michelin

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Since its 1926 inception, the Michelin Star has become a landmark award for fine dining restaurants around the world.

Though Michelin has never published a guide for central Ohio, local chefs have revolutionized the cuisine scene, building restaurants that can compete with the best.

From groundbreaking flavors to innovative atmospheres, these are a few spots with culinary feats worthy of the hallowed star.

Agni

German Village’s award-winning Agni is driven by Chef Avishar Barua’s vision, fusing his Bangladeshi heritage with global techniques and a distinctly Midwestern spirit. The spot opened in 2023 and, in just two years, it has become one of the highest-rated dining destinations in Columbus.

Inspired by Barua’s travels and his team’s cultural backgrounds, Agni’s multi-course tasting menu is a global expedition. Each dish tells a story, from Bengali flavors originating from Barua’s childhood kitchen to a crème brûlée born in Türkiye, and takes the palate around the world in one sitting.

“The Midwest is really adaptable and hospitable, so I just wanted to share some of that back in the city,” Barua says. “I’ve traveled so much, I’ve gotten to experience these things. … It’s so cool that you can learn about somebody’s culture or somebody’s story with a tasting menu.”

Agni approaches its dishes with two competing principles: to honor a recipe’s original intent or to reimagine it through the lens of place and culture.

“We want to give it the tribute that it deserves, but if it’s something awesome, can we make it the Agni way?” Barua says. “And the Agni way is to dial up the flavors a lot, because the bites are smaller.”

Collaboration with the kitchen team is vital, as team members directly contribute ideas to help improve dishes, and the menu is continuously evolving.

“Every time we do a new menu, we try to add more complexity so it becomes more challenging for us and it becomes a little bit bolder,” Barua says.

Although the team samples flavors from around the globe, each dish is made with the spirit of Midwest nostalgia in mind – capturing the joy of sharing good food in the company of others. Dishes are plated individually, but they are presented and portioned communally, encouraging guests to share and experience the food together.

Agni tailors each experience to the individual guest, Barua says.

“We make most decisions for you so you don’t have to,” he says. “We want to get to know you along the way, so a lot of it is based on dialogue with the servers and our staff.”

Veritas

In 2012, Veritas, a passion project of Chef Josh Dalton, opened its doors in historic downtown Delaware.  

“It was kind of his outlet to do a lot of his creative expression … and then it became a smash in Delaware, like a hidden gem,” says Mitch Coale, the front of house lead and administrative assistant to Dalton.

The restaurant made the move to the historic Citizens Trust building in downtown Columbus in 2018.

The glass-walled kitchen and ornate mid-century furniture immediately set the tone for the dining experience. You might spot herbs or dehydrated fruits hanging from the ceiling, as each new menu is accompanied by a new thematic hanging decoration.

After moving, Veritas shifted to a tasting menu-only format, one of the first of its kind in Columbus at that time.

“Coming from the pandemic, (Dalton) wanted to intertwine his two passions of traveling and food, so we started doing like a supper club series, which comes from him taking trips across the world,” Coale says.

Inspiration for Veritas’ menus spans the entire world, from Nordic to Italian to Mediterranean.

“We’ve found that our guests really enjoy that we try to create a full immersive experience from an entire tasting menu, highlighting native and seasonal ingredients to the region that we’re investigating and cocktails to match,” Coale says.

An example: this past July’s A Journey through Mexico, a supper club multi-course menu born from a collaboration with Rosalita, the downtown Columbus Mexican restaurant that’s Dalton’s newest concept.

The menu featured dishes such as pan-roasted golden tilefish rubbed with Mayan recado rojo and finished with sour orange aioli and habanero-pickled onions. For dessert, a warm canela-dusted churro with caramelized banana, canela ice cream and brown butter-cocoa nib crumb.

In October, Veritas introduced its Japanese supper club, which lasts through Nov. 29. Back by popular demand, the experience takes guests on a journey through Japan through culinary customs, a curated beverage program and an immersive dining experience.

The dining experience features a whiskey highball cart, and the menu features variations on Dalton’s favorite street food from Osaka, along with upscale dishes from his time in Kyoto and Tokyo.

Comune

In late 2018, a plant-based restaurant popped up on Parsons Avenue and immediately made headlines. Since its opening, Schumacher Place restaurant Comune has earned all kinds of accolades for its plant-based menu.

Comune reimagines the idea of vegetarian cuisine, moving beyond the expected tofu and black bean burgers to offer something more memorable.

“We just take vegetables and try to highlight them in the best way that we can through familiar cooking techniques, flavor profiles, textures: things that feel familiar to a more traditional omnivore,” says co-owner Joe Galati.

Comune overhauls its menu roughly three times a year, though Galati and his staff make sure a few fan favorites stick around.

The signature bread and spread has been on the menu since day one. The pillowy flatbread, falling somewhere between pita and naan, is enhanced with koji and served with three rotating, seasonal spreads.

Another longtime favorite is the crispy rice, inspired by global rice traditions and originally served with kimchi, a soft egg, tahini sauce, sesame and scallions – with an avocado option for vegans. After years of seasonal variations, the original version returned this summer and quickly became a staple again.

Comune’s aim isn’t to convert guests to vegetarianism, Galati says, but to spark a deeper appreciation for ingredients and inspire fresh, creative ways to enjoy them.

“I think what we hope that everyone takes away from coming in is a new appreciation for how you can enjoy a meal and enjoy an experience without necessarily relying on a traditional animal protein,” he says.

Megan Brokamp is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mbrokamp@cityscenemediagroup.com.