A Tavola

Fig, prosciutto and arugula pizza

Adding to the already hot Gateway Quarter scene in OTR, A Tavola opened in early summer with a simple but effective concept. They do thin-crust pizza from a wood-fired oven, and not much else. They do it very well, however. Along with the fairly short list of pizzas, the menu adds a few salads -- I had a good cauliflower salad with lemon vinaigrette, and my husband tried the grilled asparagus salad (pictured). The signature pizza starts with a base of fig jam, then adds fontina cheese, prosciutto and arugula -- we ate that (also pictured).
The overall effect was no-big-deal but good, if that makes sense. I didn't feel it was a true destination eatery, but if you're in downtown Cincinnati looking for the best pizza in the neighborhood, this would be the place to go.
A Tavola also has an inviting bar with a few bar tables and a short but interesting cocktail list. Most if not all of their drinks seem to use house-made mixers, which is always a good sign.