Polo Grille
Pony up for pleasing, ethnic-infused dishes at new Deerfield Township eatery
JULIE FITZGERALD | CIN WEEKLY CORRESPONDENT
GRILL GRATIFICATION
Built on the former site of the Cincinnati Polo Club, the restaurant has a menu featuring dishes adapted from countries such as India, Spain and England - nations where the game of polo remains a popular sport.
Traditional ethnic foods, such as tandoori chicken (India), are given an American twist. The result is dishes with foreign names but familiar flavor, like tandoori pizza and hamburguesa (Spanish for hamburger).
Owned by Tavern Restaurant Group (deSha's, Nicholson's Tavern & Pub), the restaurant has "Americanized" selections that aim to please. For adventurous eaters, there's Spanglish chicken and curry ketchup. For ethnic-food-phobes, there are plenty of french fries, (regular) hamburgers, pizza and steaks.
SUBTLE AND SPORTS-FRIENDLY
Ask for one of the light green leather (or pleather?) booths. Well worth the wait - if there happens to be one - these soothing spots are comfy, private places for enjoying your meal.
As a bonus, most tables have a view of the flat-screen televisions suspended above the bar - convenient, if you're dining at game time and don't want to miss a single pass.
STARTERS
Take in the subtle atmosphere - the minimal decor, the neutral colors - over an appetizer, such as oven baked goat cheese served in roasted tomato sauce ($9).
Though my co-foodie and I love goat cheese, we decided to warm up with the soup/salad combo ($9). Perfect for sharing, the soup, a creamy tomato bisque, was more impressive than the candied-walnut salad. However, that bisque - warming, with subtle flavors of basil - was delicious enough to deserve a return trip to Polo.
POLO PIZZA
A highlight of the meal was the stone-cooked pizza. We ordered the wild mushroom and goat cheese ($9) and were pleasantly surprised at the abundance of toppings. It was served fully loaded with mushrooms, goat cheese, spinach and olives.
Large enough for leftovers, Polo's pizzas make for satisfying veggie-eater entrees. Another vegetarian option is a full salad, such as the $6 Polo citrus with apples and avocado, with a soup du jour.
SAUCY SPECIALTIES
Aside from pizza and salad, Polo's menu is made for meat eaters. And the most interesting choices are accompanied by "exotic" sauces, such as pork loin with fig sauce ($16) or the blackened chicken sandwich with green chili aioli ($10).
Opting for blackened chicken over beef (my original intention), I was urged by our friendly server to try the yucca fries as a side. These thick, potatoe-y fries, made from the yucca root, were a highlight. Dip them in Polo's "special" curry ketchup for the most exciting condiment experience of your life. (It certainly was for mine.)
