This Small-Town Ohio Italian Joint Was Opened By A Chef With Serious Culinary Credentials
The meatballs here are made with veal and ricotta. The carbonara gets its richness from guanciale cured right in the kitchen.
That alone tells you someone serious is running the stove.
That someone trained at The Culinary Institute of America. Then he spent years cooking under incredible chefs in New York City.
In 2018, he packed up and came home to Ohio with one big dream.
I love that he chose a small town over a big city spotlight. The pasta is made in house.
The menu follows a simple rule of less is more.
I believe the best restaurants often show up where you least expect them. This one has picked up a stack of local awards and a Michelin Guide mention.
A Hometown Kid Took The Long Way Back
Chef Matthew Phelan grew up in Dublin, Ohio, just a short drive from his future restaurant. He attended Bishop Watterson High School before chasing a much bigger kitchen dream.
That dream led him to The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He earned a bachelor’s degree there, which is no small feat at one of the most respected cooking schools in the country.
After graduation, he didn’t rush home. He spent several years cooking in New York City under chefs he calls incredible.
Think about what that means for your dinner. New York kitchens are famous for speed, pressure, and very high standards.
A cook who survives that training learns precision that sticks for life.
In the summer of 2018, Phelan returned to Ohio to open a place of his own. Novella Osteria opened its doors in Powell in 2020, which was a bold year to launch anything.
I like that his story isn’t about fame. It’s about bringing big-city skills back to the community that raised him.
He’s also a husband and a dad to two kids, Jojo and Alma. He finds inspiration in them, which feels fitting for a family-style Italian kitchen.
Less Is More Is The Whole Game Plan
Three words guide everything here. Less is more, and the kitchen takes that motto seriously.
The idea is simple combinations made with thoughtful, quality ingredients. Instead of piling ten flavors on one plate, the cooks let a few great ones shine.
That takes confidence, because there’s nowhere for a weak ingredient to hide.
Fresh, local purveyors play a big part in the menu. Buying from nearby suppliers helps the food taste bright and seasonal.
It also keeps money moving through the local community, which is a nice bonus.
Here’s a helpful way to think about it. A plain cheese pizza tells you more about a pizzeria than one loaded with toppings.
Simple dishes reveal true skill.
That’s why Italian cooking and this philosophy fit so well together. Many classic Italian recipes use only a handful of ingredients.
The magic comes from technique and timing.
The same thinking carries into the dining room design too. So the whole restaurant feels connected, from the plate to the walls.
When you visit, try ordering something that sounds almost too basic. That’s often where a skilled chef quietly shows off the most.
Simple doesn’t mean boring when the cooking is this careful.
Order The Meatballs Before Anyone Else Claims Them
Veal plus ricotta is a smart pairing. Novella Meatballs use both, and they sit among the restaurant’s signature dishes.
Ricotta is a soft, mild cheese. Cooks often add it to meatballs to keep them tender and light instead of dense.
Veal brings a gentle, delicate flavor that lets the other ingredients come through.
These meatballs carry the restaurant’s name for a reason. When a kitchen puts its own name on a dish, it’s basically saying, this is who we are.
That’s a pretty strong hint about what to order first.
Meatballs also make a great starter for sharing. Splitting a plate gives everyone a taste before the pasta arrives.
It also leaves room for the bigger dishes later in the meal.
A quick tip for groups would be ordering more than one plate. Nobody enjoys the awkward moment when only one meatball is left.
Polite fights over food are still fights.
Italian families have made meatballs for generations, and every household swears by its own version. Chef Phelan’s take shows that classic food can still feel special.
Good luck sticking to just a single bite. These are built to start conversations and finish fast.
Fresh Pasta Is Where The Kitchen Really Shows Off
House-made pasta sits at the heart of Novella Osteria. Fresh pasta has a different bite than the dry boxed kind, and it soaks up sauce beautifully.
The classic Spaghetti Carbonara is a standout. It features guanciale made in house, which is cured pork cheek used in traditional Roman cooking.
Making it from scratch takes time and patience, so that detail says a lot.
Then there’s the Cacio e Pepe. The name means cheese and pepper in Italian.
It sounds plain, but getting it silky without clumps is famously tricky.
Both dishes fit the less is more style perfectly. Few ingredients, lots of technique, zero shortcuts.
The kitchen also runs daily specials that keep things exciting. Lobster ravioli has appeared as a special, which sounds like a very good reason to ask your server.
Pasta lovers should watch for the five-course pasta tasting menu too. It’s a chance to sample a lineup of dishes instead of picking just one.
That solves the classic problem of wanting everything on the menu.
If you’re new to Italian food, carbonara is a friendly place to start. It’s creamy, comforting, and a great test of any Italian kitchen.
Save Room For A Pork Shank And Some Polenta
Not every great Italian meal ends with noodles. The Pork Shank remains one of Novella Osteria’s hearty secondi, and it brings plenty of weight to the table.
The current fall menu pairs it with mushroom polenta and apple.
Polenta is a cornmeal dish with deep roots in northern Italian cooking, and its creamy texture makes a natural match for slow-cooked pork.
Mushrooms add an earthy note, while apple brings a little sweetness and brightness to the plate.
Pork shank comes from the lower portion of the leg and benefits from slow cooking that gives the meat time to become tender.
It is the kind of dish that feels especially right once Ohio evenings start getting colder.
The plate also shows that Novella’s kitchen is not built around pasta alone. There is plenty of room here for rustic, slow-cooked dishes alongside the fresh noodles.
If your table likes to share, pair the pork shank with a pasta or two and let everyone try a little of each.
Plant-Based Diners Still Have Options
Plant-based diners are not completely left out at Novella Osteria, but the current menu is better described as offering select vegan choices rather than a full dedicated vegan menu.
The dinner menu currently marks the Fried Brussels Sprouts with pomegranate seeds and aged balsamic as vegan.
There are also several vegetarian dishes, including Linguine Cacio e Pepe, Cavatelli al Pomodoro, Kabocha Squash Ravioli, Ricotta Ravioli, and seasonal vegetable-driven plates.
Dessert currently adds another vegan choice with the Pumpkin Spice Latte Panna Cotta made with oat milk and pepita crumble.
Because the menu changes seasonally, the exact plant-based options can shift throughout the year.
If someone in your group follows a strict vegan diet, mentioning it when you reserve or checking the current menu before visiting is the safest move.
That way the kitchen can tell you exactly what is available on the night you dine.
Dessert Changes With The Season
Saving room for dessert here means keeping an eye on the season.
Novella’s current dessert menu mixes Italian staples with a few more playful fall choices.
Tiramisu keeps things classic with espresso, lady fingers, and cocoa.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte Panna Cotta goes in a different direction, using oat milk and pepita crumble and currently carrying a vegan designation.
Sweet Potato Pie comes with Italian meringue and pecans, while the Seasonal Torta pairs seasonal fruit with cinnamon mascarpone and crumble.
Chocolate fans can go for the flourless chocolate cake, and the restaurant also offers rotating house-made ice cream.
Lemon sorbetto and affogato round out the current lineup.
The choices change over time, so dessert is another part of Novella where returning a few months later can bring something completely different.
Clean Lines Make The Dining Room Feel Like An Italian Villa
Open ceilings, clean lines, and natural finishes set the mood inside. The design aims to capture the charm of an Italian villa without clutter.
That’s the less is more idea again, this time in wood and light. The room doesn’t scream for attention.
It lets the food and the company take center stage.
Natural materials tend to make a space feel warm and calm. Clean lines keep it modern.
Together, they create a setting that works for date night or a family celebration.
There’s also additional counter seating inside. It offers another way to enjoy the menu in a more casual setting.
On nice days, outdoor seating gives you a chance to dine in the fresh air. Ohio summers can be lovely in the evening, so a patio table is a real treat.
Just remember that weather here loves surprises.
The restaurant is wheelchair accessible too. That includes the entrance, parking, restrooms, and seating, which makes visits easier for many guests.
I like that the look matches the cooking so closely. When the room and the plate share the same philosophy, the whole evening feels thoughtfully put together.
Plan Ahead Because The Awards Keep Stacking Up
Recognition has followed Novella Osteria almost from the beginning.
Columbus Monthly named it a Best New Restaurant in 2021, then readers voted it Best Italian Restaurant in 2023 and again in 2024.
The awards grew from there. In both 2025 and 2026, Novella won Best Italian Restaurant, Best Cocktails, and Best Chef for Matthew Phelan in Columbus Monthly’s Best of Columbus reader poll.
The restaurant also joined Columbus Monthly’s Best Restaurants list in 2026.
You’ll find it at 170 W Olentangy St, Powell, OH 43065, just north of Columbus.
Dinner starts at 5 PM Tuesday through Saturday. Tuesday through Thursday service runs until 8 PM, while Friday and Saturday stretch to 9 PM.
Sunday and Monday are closed.
Reservations are available and make sense for popular nights, especially with the restaurant’s growing local following.
Takeout is available too, and the restaurant hosts private events for larger gatherings.
A hometown chef, a simple cooking philosophy, and a growing stack of genuine local awards have all landed in Powell.