Wildweed 1301 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine With a penchant for non-traditional pastas and sauces and some cool and funky artwork, Wildweed is worth checking out in its new, permanent home on Walnut Street. Chef David Jackman and his wife, chef Lydia Jackman, started Wildweed as the Sunday Sauce pop-up in Oakley in 2019, and it’s gone through a few iterations since. The duo decided to plant roots in OTR and opened their own brick-and-mortar space this July, with Bon Appetit naming it one of its must-visit restaurants for the summer of 2024. While the menu is pasta-centric, don’t call Wildweed an Italian restaurant. Instead of traditional Italian pastas, the menu highlights the best cultivated and wild-harvested products our region has to offer, like the Urbanstead Quark Mezzaluna, featuring wild mushroom, crispy garlic, chili oil, parmesan and mushroom XO sauce, or the Doppio Ravioli, with bean and cheese, braised lobster mushroom, basil and preserved lemon. You can dine in the main dining room, or book the chef’s counter for a unique experience that blends Wildweed’s culinary creations into a story of food and place. While you’re there, be sure to take time to appreciate the murals, including one of a variety of mushrooms, created by local artists. Photo: Jon Medina

Pop-up-turned-restaurant Wildweed is getting ready to open its doors in its permanent location in Over-the-Rhine this July.

Wildweed got its start as Sunday Sauce, a pop-up in Oakley, in 2019 and has gone through a few different iterations since, including most recently serving dinner from the former Pleasantry restaurant on 15th Street. It’s now set to open at 1301 Walnut St. in the Columbia Flats project on Thursday, July 25 and is currently taking reservations.

The restaurant, from chefs David and Lydia Jackman, was also named a “must-visit restaurant” to try this summer by food magazine Bon Appetit. While the menu is pasta-centric, don’t call Wildweed an Italian restaurant, says David Jackman. Instead of traditional Italian pastas, the menu highlights the best cultivated and wild-harvested products our region has to offer.

Wildweed guests will be able to choose between two different dining experiences, including an à la carte menu that showcases wildcrafted ingredients, freshly milled grains and farm ingredients. It has a heavy emphasis on fresh pastas with non-traditional sauces and garnishes, playful snacks and creative desserts, says the Jackmans.

The other option, the chef’s counter, offers a curved, 11-seat counter with a view into the kitchen and each menu offers a story of seven ingredients over about 12 dishes, painting a picture of time and place. The chefs will interact with guests and talk more about the dishes. And while the menu is designed to feel extensive, the time commitment is not.

While the Jackmans handle the food menu, Lia Heinze headlines Wildweed’s beverage program — a curation of wines “of place” that showcase outstanding farming and quality and that pair well with the food. And Valerie Diehl has crafted a cocktail program that emphasizes technique and seasonal ingredients.

As for the space, Wildweed’s dining room was designed in vibrant shades of blue and almond, with guests first being greeted by a colorful mural by local artist Blake Lipper at the entryway. Visual highlights include a cylindrical, tiled wine station in teal, the bright turquoise Hestan suite in the open kitchen, a wall-encompassing painting of mushrooms by local artist Maxwell Redder and custom millwork featuring oak finishes and leather inlays for the bar.

After it opens, Wildweed will be open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m. You can make a reservation here.

Wildweed, 1301 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine. More info: wildweed-restaurant.com.

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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 9, 2024.

Katherine Barrier is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism program and has nearly 10 years of experience reporting local and national news as a digital journalist. At CityBeat, she...