Spice Kitchen + Bar

Take the 3-star rating with a grain of salt and as a reflection of my abbreviated dining experience.

Spice Kitchen was the Fine Dining Group's third installment for 2013. I arrived late, missing out on cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Plus we skipped out on dessert (Sweet Moses was calling our names).

I made it in time for the mushroom beignets and what must have been a spectacular cheese board. Both were wonderful as was the tomato bisque. I will be going back to try the other items on the menu.

The highlight for me was the striped bass which was perfectly seared - crisp on the outside, tender and seasoned on the inside. It was a beautiful piece of fish that was beautifully cooked. The parsnip mash perked up the dish, a gentle reminder that fall was here. Loved everything about this dish!

Properly prepared fish is my benchmark for a great restaurant.

We passed around a risotto dish. It was tasty but not memorable. My fellow diners and I usually share our dishes but the bass was the overwhelming favorite that evening.

Service was efficient, friendly and attentive. Warm ambiance in the main dining hall. We were seated at a large rustic table, reminiscent of vineyards in Tuscany or Napa. Centerpieces were garden flowers and other botanicals along with mason jars of preserved vegetables.

I enjoyed my dining experience. Though I do need to revisit Spice Kitchen again to size up the wine selection and courses -- including the profiteroles.

can't i give it a zero?  probably the worst dining experience ever.  after being seated on a Tuesday night where the restaurant wasn't even half full, it took almost 10 mins or the server to greet us.  started off w cocktails which were good, then put in an order for appetizers while we looked over the menu.  server came back when the cocktails were gone and simply asked if we wanted another, didn't try to get an entree order.  we decided on a bottle of wine.  he came back with it, said our apps should be out any minute...this 15-20 minutes after they were ordered..we joked about going to Minh anh for pho...another 15 minutes went by before I got up to find a manager.  the hostess said she'd get him but we just decided wed cash out and leave. the manager spoke to us and the way out and seemed oblivious and just said "sorry.". thankfully the bartender pulled him aside and clearly suggested at least picking up our cocktails since we'd already spent $65 on drinks between cocktails and wine.  however, still charged full price on what should've been a to go bottle at retail, since we had to walk with it.  horrible horrible experience and me and my gf are both in the industry...hate to trash them but SO bad.  I blame management for not even attempting to make this right.  as a manager in the industry, you could've won us back by picking up the wine, which wholesale is under $20, and assuring us the apps would be right out.  and We probably would've come back.  not anymore.  or probably anyone we know...on the bright side, Minh anh was still open.

Came here recently on a date with my husband! We enjoyed our time here at Spice and thought everything was pretty solid. Spice has a wonderful vision and mission to use as much local goods as possible. Turns out Ohio is a great place to do this with all our amazing local farms!

Our favorite appetizer was a special: fresh halibut chowder with lobster oil. MM. It was good! Please make this a regular menu item! The flavor was really great. 5 for the chowder.

We also had a 3 local-mushroom pesto flatbread with goat cheese. The mushrooms were oyster, chantrelle, and one more I can't remember...the mushrooms were fresh and good tasting. 4 for the flatbread.

I ordered the Spice Acres Polenta with ratatouille and eggplant puree, which I think was a vegan dish. The polenta was fried rather than creamy, a good complement to the puree and ratatouille. The eggplant had a pretty strong flavor, but it was intriguing enough to keep eating.

My husband ordered the special - fresh trout (that day!) with sweet potato puree. This was amazing!!! They gave him the entire fish -- something you don't see very often except in authentic Chinese restaurants (mmm). I loved that they did this because I feel that we were able to enjoy every aspect of the fish, from the regular filet to the cheeks, etc. It was also served like someone had just caught it, fried it up, and served it. So great.

Overall, we enjoyed our time. One thing I noted..they don't give complimentary bread, so be sure to order some appetizers if you are coming in hungry. Other than that, be enjoy the local and fresh dishes!