When Toledo restaurateur Elias Hajjar was approached about opening an eatery at Glass City Metropark, he knew he needed to come up with a new concept to suit the unique location on the east bank of the Maumee River.
The result is The Garden by Poco Piatti, a fast casual twist on the Mediterranean flavors of the popular Poco Piatti restaurants that Hajjar owns with his wife, Joy. The restaurant opened in June 2023 inside Market Hall next to The Ribbon, the park’s year-round skating trail.
The menu features pizzas, salads, bowls and wraps, including a build-your-own option that gives customers the opportunity to mix and match proteins and veggies with other toppings and sauces. “It lends itself to some really great flavors and gives the guests an opportunity to pick and choose the items that they like and want and to put it all together in either a bowl or a wrap,” Hajjar said.
Pizzas are cooked in a brick stone oven with the crust made in house using what Hajjar describes as a reverse fermentation process. In addition to the expected toppings, the menu offers some specialty pizzas that play with more unique flavors and combinations such as chicken tawook tips, lamb and pesto and a garden veggie pie topped with harissa sauce, cheese, veggies and green goddess sauce.
Upscale flavors in a casual atmosphere
If you have not yet visited Glass City Metropark, know that you will most likely work up an appetite exploring all there is to see and do. Between two amazing playgrounds, the Mini Maumee water play area, a skating trail, climbing wall and the Adventure Boardwalk, it is easy to spend hours taking in the fun and the views. If you want to extend your outing, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is also within walking distance.
What a relief to find an eatery with a menu that includes fresh, healthy offerings to please grownup palettes as well as gourmet pizzas and kid-approved favorites from the grill.
My family of five stopped in for lunch on a weekday afternoon and ordered a meal that included cheesy bread ($12), pepperoni pizza ($14) and the braised lamb pizza ($17). The pizzas feed 2-3 people depending on how hungry you are. I also ordered a fattoush salad ($6) for my veggie-loving daughter. For myself, I opted to build my own bowl ($12) and chose a combination of mixed greens, brown rice, chicken tawook, hummus, fattoush and feta.
The pizzas are top-notch and my husband appreciated the unique and delicious combination of lamb and mushroom on his pizza. The bowl I ordered came heaped with a generous amount of fresh ingredients.
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If your kids don’t care for pizza or the ingredients of the bowls and wraps, The Garden offers a limited grill menu with hot dogs and hamburgers. It also has a coffee bar, serving fair-trade organic coffee from BrickHouse Roastery in Perrysburg, and a full liquor license with an assortment of beers, wines and mixed drinks on the menu.
Introducing new flavors to kids
Hajjar’s family has a long history in the local restaurant scene serving Lebanese and other Mediterranean cuisine. His parents own Byblos and The Beirut, the latter of which is celebrating 50 years of business. He and his wife, Joy, opened the first of two Poco Piatti locations in 2006. The couple also owns Koala Berry and recently opened a new spot in west Toledo called Stone Cut Bistro.
Hajjar said none of his restaurants have kids’ menus, but he often hears guests at Poco Piatti say that their kids enjoy the restaurant. “It’s almost intentional, in a way, so that we can try and introduce new flavors and foods to people,” he explains. “It’s a safe way to try something new and different.”
The Garden is partly inspired by the Hajjars’ three teenage daughters, who are all named after flowers. One daughter loves meat, another prefers lamb and one is vegetarian, and three of the main menu items take their names from the girls: the Dahlia Bowl, the Jasmine Wrap and the Rose Garden Salad.
Bottom line
The Garden by Poco Piatti features fresh, healthy food in a beautiful Metropark setting. It’s a great place to take a break and enjoy a meal or relax with a snack or a drink. There is plenty of outdoor seating, or you can warm up or cool off inside Market Hall and watch through the floor to ceiling windows as skaters go by. Six cabanas that border the skating trail and a patio on the side of the restaurant are also available to rent for private events, with food and drink provided by The Garden.
The Garden by Poco Piatti. 1521 Front St., Toledo (Located in Market Hall at Glass City Metropark). 419-341-9642.
Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 11am-4pm
Friday to Saturday: 11am-8pm
Sunday: 11am-6pm
The Short Course
Online ordering? Yes
Carryout? Yes
Delivery? No
Outdoor Dining? Yes
Kids Menu? No
Changing Table? Yes
Booster Seat/High Chair? Yes
Reviews:
4.2 of 5 on Google with 42 reviews
