Black Diamond Steakhouse creates options for the Circleville dining scene
Circleville diners enter under the black awning marked with a “B.” Patrons sit in candlelit booths, enjoying filet mignon and bourbon. To the back, guests gather in a casual taproom. A chef puts a tray of sliders on the windowsill under the scarlet light. General Manager Nicole Pesa pours beer into a glass from the tap beside the kitchen…
Black Diamond Steakhouse, located at 126 Main Street in Circleville, is the newest location in the Black Diamond franchise. Headquartered at Black Diamond Brewery & Distillery in Nelsonville, other satellite taprooms operate in Marietta, Shawnee and Greenfield. Spirits and bourbon are their flagship products, but the taproom locations also offer bar food menus. The Circleville steakhouse is the company’s first location to venture into formal dining.
The Main Street space was previously occupied by a family diner called Gibby’s. The Gibson family retired last year, leaving managerial control vacant until Black Diamond hired Pesa.
“You have fast food, a few mom-and-pop shops, but no steakhouse, so everybody had to drive to Columbus or Chillicothe,” Pesa says.
Black Diamond Steakhouse’s mission is to welcome upscale steakhouse customers and casual bar foodies alike.
The dual menus were created by Head Chef Alfonso Contrisciani, owner of Alfonso’s Bakery in Nelsonville and Alfonso’s Italian Grille in Lancaster.
Two menus, one place
The steakhouse side offers shrimp cocktail, chicken cutlets, bourbon-glazed salmon, pastas and, per its namesake, various cuts of steak. Diners can choose a side to accompany their entree, including baked potatoes, creamed spinach, mushrooms or caramelized onions.
Meanwhile, the taproom offers lighter bar food options. Customers have a choice among entrees including various salads, flatbread pizzas and slider burgers served in trios. Again, entrees come with a side — coleslaw or mixed veggies. Black Diamond’s signature IPA, as well as an expansive selection of craft brews, are available.
Guests are welcome, however, to choose their own dining experience regardless of which half of the establishment they sit. The dessert menus are the same on both sides and include a chocolate pretzel brownie, bourbon molasses pecan pie, classic cheesecake and “Alfonso’s Cannoli,” all sourced from Alfonso’s Bakery.
“If three out of the four people in your party want the steakhouse, then eat in the steakhouse to get that full experience,” Pesa says. “But if the majority of your party wants burgers and sliders and flatbreads, eat in the taproom. … We’re still more than happy to serve them a steak.”
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