10 Best Restaurants in Columbus 2012: Till
It was a brave thing for Magdiale Wolmark to reinvent Dragonfly—his landmark, highly praised vegan fine-dining concept—as the more casual, omnivorous Till. And yet, looking back after getting to know Till, it was a no-brainer. It’s as if Chef Wolmark and his wife, Cristin Austin, cataloged every single complaint that’d ever been waged against Dragonfly and fixed them one by one.
The crux of the anti-Dragonfly sentiment was this: the restaurant was too fancy for everyday dining, and the vegan menu was too limited to work as a go-to splurge spot.
Well, at Till, the menu has been expanded to include meat—but each dish is still meticulously prepared, and there are still plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Prices have been lowered, and hours have been extended to provide for lunch and happy hour service.
And it worked. Even though the decor hasn’t changed much, the vibe is completely different. This is a comfy neighborhood spot, not an extravagant destination restaurant.
It’s also Columbus’ answer to Brooklyn-style dining, an option for the kinds of adventurous eaters who prefer being trusted and challenged to being coddled.
The menu changes constantly, but it’s all centered on biodynamic cuisine, a hyper-sustainable, hyper-organic approach to growing food. Don’t miss the custardy house-made silken tofu; lamb burgers with Bluescreek meat, creamy chevre and roasted bell peppers on soft buns; sweet-and-sour beet-brined Mimosa Eggs; and clam-topped personal pizzas.
Photos by Tim Johnson
Till Dynamic Fare
247 King Ave., Victorian Village
614-298-9986
Hours: 11 a.m.-12 a.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-12 a.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
