Joe Petrelli

AGE: 64 RESIDENCE: COLUMBUS OCCUPATION: PRESIDENT, DEMOTECH

How often do you and your wife, Sharon, dine out?

Probably four or five times a week. We like Italian, but we actually enjoy everything.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Sharon likes Nicola (Restaurant & Bar, 4740 Reed Rd.), but one of our mutual loves is Gallo’s Kitchen (2820 Nottingham Rd., Upper Arlington). The atmosphere, the quality of the food, the drinks, . . . it’s got everything you could possibly want in a restaurant.

What are your favorite dishes there?

A: Sharon has had their Ohio grass-fed beef steak many times. Their seafood Creole is exceptional. It’s tasty but not too spicy hot.

They always have an interesting type of chicken wings. The sauces vary from mild and tasty to very spicy with New Orleans Creole spices, if you’re inclined to try it.

Where do you go for lunch?

We tend to eat lunch at our desk, but when we do go out, we like the northern Italian menu of Bravo! Cucina Italiana (3000 Hayden Rd. and two other area locations). Sharon will stick with the penne and meatball dish with a red sauce. For me, it’s the salmon salad with mixed lettuces, onion chips, potato sticks. They’ll grill the salmon any way you want it, with oregano and olive oil.

Q: What restaurant do you enjoy for the food and atmosphere?

A: Spagio (Restaurant, 1295 Grandview Ave., Grandview Heights) is cosmopolitan and upscale with eclectic decorations. I like the variety of European options on the menu. I like the lamb chops there. The sauerbraten has a sweet, vinegary taste.

My mother was an excellent cook who used to cook German, and this reminds me of the kind of meals she cooked. You get a sense that they care about what they put in front of you.

Q: Where do you go Downtown?

You can’t go Downtown without visiting a Cameron Mitchell restaurant: Marcella’s (615 N. High St.). Our favorite is pretty simple: spaghetti and meatballs.