Larger second location offers comforting dishes of original
The welcome new Katalina’s in Clintonville — aka “Katalina’s, Too!” — has a menu much like the original Katalina’s in Victorian Village. But while both places offer similar crowd-pleasing “homemade food with attitude” that’s “Latin-leaning and Southern slanted,” there’s a striking difference between the establishments. Unlike the older Katalina’s — where limited seating can translate into long waits, especially on weekends — the new Katalina’s, the subject of this review, offers ample perching spots.
Some are periodically sun-splashed on the popular patio that faces High Street. Inside, wooden banquettes and tables are available alongside lengthy communal tables and counters. The roomy, lively and trendy fast-casual eatery also features a sloped ceiling strung with Edison bulbs; gray bricks; a wealth of Katalina’s-branded merchandise; paperboard food trays; amusing large collages alluding to a preference for Ohio-sourced ingredients; and a graffitilike rendering of the operation’s counterculture-appropriating tagline: “Peace, love and pancake balls.”
Katalina’s signature pancake balls — pick the Nutella-filled option — are pancake batter’s answer to doughnut holes. With crisp exteriors leading to soft interiors — and served with sweet-and-spicy, house-seasoned bacon plus high-quality local maple syrup — the deep-fried tidbits are easy to like. I’d like them even more if they were less oily. (Eight small orbs are $12.50.) Their perfect match is a good-and-potent, locally roasted Thunderkiss Iced Coffee ($4.45).
If price compromises the joy of ripping into the splendid, though modestly sized, Chile Relleno Casserole A-GO-GO ($13.95),
console yourself that it comes with a very nice little salad — albeit one that’s hard to eat in its small container. The inhalable casserole conceals a roasted poblano stuffed with pimento cheese beneath simpatico partners: corn-studded and coarse-crumbed cornbread, ranchero sauce, Snowville Creamery crema, cilantro and spiced pepitas.
The highly recommended Holy Tomole Soup ($5.95) is another zippy and delicious comfort-food dish. A thick, brick-red puree with a spicy kick, it tastes like a hybrid of red mole sauce, roasted tomato bisque and tortilla soup.
Sweet-and-spicy mole notes liven the massive Mazatlan slow-roasted-pork and egg sandwich ($12.95, with a bag of Shagbark tortilla chips). Perhaps the best value here, this killer assembly stars tender and juicy pulled meat offset by melted local Amish provolone, avocado, aioli, a fried egg and toasted, goodquality white bread.
The playful menu’s jokey language is on full The Chile Relleno Casserole a Go-go and a side salad at Katalina’s in Clintonville
display in the description of the “Everything But the Chicken Sink Sammy” ($14.95). A riff on chicken and waffles, this showcases a fried, buttermilkbrined breast of Amish Gerber chicken crusted in Shagbark chips and dusted in a hot sauceminicking melange from North Market Spices. Rich Amish cheddar and cinnamonforward “brioche French toast” — mine wasn’t as eggy as good French toast — complete the package.
Seeking something less indulgent? Katalina’s Prego steak sandwich ($13.25), made with lean but flavorful bavette sirloin from The Butcher & Grocer, fills that bill. The construction includes about a salad’s worth of local greens, house piri-piri sauce and a glossy, high-quality, locally produced roll from Matija Bakery. For an extra $3.95, the
standard-issue side of Shagbark chips can be upgraded to Katalina’s spicy and irresistible “Especial creamed corn" that resembles esquites, a Mexican corn salad.
The vegan Shagbark black bean tacos (three for $12.50) — local Koki’s soft corn tortillas with beans, corn, avocado, greens, house pico and grassy sprouts (the tacos taste better without the sprouts) — are likely the leanest item here. They’re pretty flavorful, too, but would benefit from a touch of pureed beans or another element to lend richness.
Alcohol isn’t offered, but a great drink to pair with the tacos — or any of the sandwiches here — is Katalina’s watermelon-mint lemonade ($5). The lovely beverage is so refreshing and seasonally apt that enjoying it is like sipping summer from a plastic glass.