The muse for the Tyrolean-inspired cuisine and décor of Restaurant Trentina is wife of chef Jonathon Sawyer, Amelia Sawyer, whose roots lie in the mountainous Trentino region of Italy. Using Italian techniques, but utilizing local purveyors and Ohio famers to ensure quality of ingredients, the restaurant delivers authentic Italian cuisine with a Midwestern twist.
In the traditional Italian style, the menu features several courses from primo to entrée, as well as a twelve course-tasting menu showcasing the best of northern Italian gastronomy and Ohio produce. Devised in the on-site ‘food lab’, dishes are the result of careful experimentation and marrying of flavors, such as Osso Bucco style Ohio beef on top of Sardinian noodles, in a charred herb cream with dehydrated olive.
Also staying true to its northern Italian origins is the wine program, which journeys through the regions of Trentino Alto-Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, and Valle d’Aosta, inspiring visions of the mountainous slopes and rolling vineyards of the north. The list also offers a scattering of samples from Germany and Austria, paying homage to the history of the Trentino region, which became part of Italy during the past century. The narrow geographic focus of the list does not diminish its versatility, and it displays great diversity amongst its producers and varietals. Big names such as Cantina Terlano, Tomasso Bussola and Dal Forno Romano are featured, alongside carefully chosen, lesser-known, boutique producers.