Barrio finally opens

New Latin eatery brings more flavor downtown

By Dwayne Steward

Metromix

In an effort to send a positive shockwave through Columbus' economy, Mayor Michael Coleman has begun some initiatives to revive the downtown area, starting with replacing the City Center shopping mall with a green space much like New York's Central Park.

That revival is officially under way.

Jeff Mathes, co-owner of Due Amici (an Italian eatery nearby on Gay Street), is set to open Barrio, a tapas restaurant with Latin and Spanish influences. The bistro on the corner of Spring and High streets (where Wendy's once stood) welcomed its first guests March 4 with a private opening.

The menu features a full list of hot and cold tapas, from marinated olives and octopus salad to calamari and lamp rib chops. The new tapas eatery is going for that small plate look that's all the rave in new restaurants popping up across the country, with the tapas plates ranging from $5 to $12. The lunch entrees are between $8 and $17, while the dinner entrees are going for $12 to $32. There's also a full weekend brunch menu.

Preliminary reports describe the two-floored, 5,000-square-foot interior as a high-end yet casual New York-style lounge. A full bar is stocked with a host of authentic wines from Chile and Argentina.

Also, for all you artists out there, Barrio's owners are looking for an artist to paint a mural on the restaurant's vacant wall that faces High Street. E-mail the Barrio crew for more information.

Check out the full menu or visit Barrio's Web site for more information.

Check back at Metromix.com later this week for a detailed look inside Barrio.