columbusfoodie's Profile
Columbus -- something casual in the Polaris area
BJ's is OK - another chain, decent food but not good enough to bring us back there a second time.
If we eat Polaris, we tend to go for ethnic eats - Bayleaf India Bistro is a winner, as is Ha Long Bay for Vietnamese food. Wholly Joe's isn't bad for dogs. There's a Five Guys Burgers that seems to be popular, although it's not my cup of tea. Avoid the Marcella's up there like the plague, as it's not unusual to be waiting there for a table up to an hour past your reservation time.
As for breakfast, it's a chain but lots of choices for breakfast - Mimi's Cafe at the corner of Polaris and Lyra. http://www.mimiscafe.com/
Columbus -- something casual in the Polaris area
Carfagna's Kitchen has great pasta, it's right on Polaris a few blocks east of I-71. http://www.carfagnaskitchen.com/
The bad thing about Polaris is that there really isn't much up there that isn't a chain. Are you definitely wanting to stay in the Polaris area to eat or are you open to something closer to the OSU campus area too?
Need special Chinese restaurant in Columbus, Ohio
I don't know about independent restaurants, but I know for sure that PF Chang's offers brown rice as an option, or at least they did the last time I was there.
Columbus, OH is a Great Food Town! - REPORT
There isn't smoking in Betty's, and hasn't been as far back as I can remember (I started going there in 2006). You're responding to a review from 2003. I'd hate for you to avoid a great restaurant/bar based on incorrect information.
Brunch in Columbus, OH
I haven't had the opportunity to go yet myself, but local foodies swear by the Sunday brunch at Sage American Bistro. Here's the menu: http://www.sageamericanbistro.com/brunch.php
It's also conveniently located on High Street a couple of miles north of campus. It's on the part of High Street that has a lot of construction going on but there's parking around back.
Columbus - Craving Poutine!
Hey there, fellow Columbus poutine-lover. Nowhere around town that serves poutine, unfortunately. However, I've had tons of luck making my own.
You can get cheddar curds at Whole Foods or the Worthington Winter Farmers Market (Blue Jacket Creamery), Curds and Whey at the North Market, or if all else fails, Trader Joe's (although they aren't as fresh as Blue Jacket Creamery).
I use this recipe, and it comes out beautifully every time:
http://www.columbusfoodie.com/2008/06/28/mmm-canada-poutine/
Hope this helps!!
Hot sauce sellers, Columbus OH?
CaJohn's in the North Market, which is just a short bus ride (or mile walk) away from the OSU campus. They've got something for everyone there - from sauces with almost no bite to ones that will set your mouth on fire. Also, salsas, seasonings and other stuff as well.
OMG! Where will I be able to buy kosher hot dogs & salami? (Central Ohio)
Diane, my husband and I are both fairly sure that Giant Eagle carries those (the kosher hot dogs). We usually shop at the one at Sawmill and Bethel if that helps.
CMH - ONE good Mexican Resto?
I like La Casita on Bethel - their food is consistently good and their fish tacos are excellent.
Dining in Columbus - Sushi, Middle Eastern and Fine dining
For sushi, my favorite is Sushi-Ko up at the Crosswoods (Rte 23 on the north side of town, just north of 270). Never ever had bad sushi there, and is always super fresh.
For Middle Eastern, Cafe Istanbul http://www.cafeistanbul.com/ (Easton) or Cafe Shish Kebab (Bethel Rd), or Nazareth Deli http://www.nazarethdeli.com/ at Columbus Square (161 @ Cleveland Ave.) - if you go to Nazareth, don't miss out on the lentil rice - it rocks.
The Refectory is my favorite restaurant in town, especially their bistro menu http://www.therefectoryrestaurant.com/page/17hgr/Menus/Bistro.html (served Monday to Thursday nights), which for $22 for 3 courses, is what I think is the best dining bargain in Columbus for the quality of the food. If you want to see what the food looks like, I reviewed my first visit there: http://www.columbusfoodie.com/2007/10/11/review-the-refectory-bistro/
My birthday is tomorrow, and hubs is taking me out to Alana's: http://www.alanas.com/
As for African, it's not really a cuisine I'm familiar with, but I hear that The Blue Nile has excellent Ethiopian: http://bluenilecolumbus.com/ and Darbo Restaurant is the place to go for Somalian: http://www.darborestaurant.com/
Hope this helps...
Best Dinner in Columbus - $25 pp or less
Hands down, the bistro menu at The Refectory. $22 per person for 3 wonderful courses. IMHO, the best dining deal in Columbus. Here's the menu: http://www.therefectoryrestaurant.com/page/17hgr/Menus/Bistro.html
Please help! Lunch in Columbus, OH
ZenCha Tea Salon on High Street in the Short North has an awesome brunch going on from 10am-2pm. I highly recommend the okonomiyaki. If a buffet is more your style, Anna's on Sawmill Rd has an awesome Greek brunch buffet on Sundays - $15 per person - one of the local food bloggers did a review of it at http://rosieskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/01/thats-what-moose-told-me.html . And Smackie's Smokehouse at the Columbus Square Shopping Center also has a killer Sunday brunch - pulled pork and brisket, fried chicken, mac and cheese, omelets to order, and more than that - their web site is http://www.smackies.com/home.html, look under Sunday Buffet. That's also around $15. There's a new place near Smackies called Hawa Russia that has authentic Russian food that also has a Sunday brunch, not sure of the prices on that but it may be worth looking into.
Cheese Blintz - Columbus
Katzinger's on Third and Livingston has a pretty good cheese blintz.
New York Style Pizza in Columbus
Believe it or not, Whole Foods has the closest thing I've been able to find to NY style pizza in Columbus.
Lunch near Columbus Ohio Airport?
If you're driving from the Columbus airport, it probably means you're either taking 670 to 71N, or taking 270 around to 71N. If you overshoot 71N a little bit on 670, you'll get to the 3rd/4th Street exits which will bring you to the Short North. Lots of independent places to eat there. If you want to bypass downtown Columbus altogether, take the Polaris exit off of 71N, there are tons of choices in both directions. If you go right, Carfagna's Kitchen has great casual Italian - pastas, subs, pizzas, etc. To the left, there's a bunch of chain places (Olive Garden, TGIFridays, etc, Claddaugh Irish Pub, Red Robin, etc) plus a few independents like Marcella's, Ha Long Bay (Vietnamese). We never have a problem finding somewhere to eat at Polaris - something always just ends up calling out to us, so to speak.
Stone Pots for Making Bi Bim Bap in Columbus, OH?
Thank you thank you thank you. The place on High and Morse had exactly what I was looking for. :)
Stone Pots for Making Bi Bim Bap in Columbus, OH?
Does anyone here in the Columbus metro area know where I can buy a stone pot (suitable for making bi bim bap at home) locally? Here's a picture of what I'm talking about: http://www.koamart.com/shop/48-1172-asian_cookware-stone_bowl__large.asp
I've already tried CAM and New Asian Supermarket with no luck - does anyone know of any Asian supermarkets in town that carry cookware and have a good selection of Korean products? Any help is appreciated - if worse comes to worse I can order online, but the shipping costs are unreal!
Columbus/Dayton Asian grocery question
I would have said Trader Joe's myself, as I've seen it there. I'm not sure if any of the Asian markets carry pre-made bulgogi, it's fairly easy to make (just sliced sirloin and a handful of ingredients (I found a recipe at http://www.slashfood.com/2007/01/21/make-your-own-bulgogi-at-home/ after a quick search), and there are several Asian markets in town where to get the ingredients. My favorites are Columbus Asian Market (CAM) in Olentangy Center (Bethel Road, near Olentangy River Road) and Tensuke Market (Old Henderson, right off of Kenny Rd). Or if you don't want to mess with cooking, Coco's on West Fifth Avenue in Grandview has a really good takeout version.
Columbus vs Cleveland, a stomach's point of view
Sadly, the Burgundy Room in Dublin closed its doors a couple of weeks ago. A shame, too - because I really liked the place.
While it is not technically in Dublin (it's on the Northwest side, down Bethel Rd a decent ways), I would heartily recommend the Bistro Menu over at The Refectory - three wonderful courses for $22 per person - excellent service, and definitely a celebration place. Here's the link to their bistro menu:
http://www.therefectoryrestaurant.com/page/17hgr/Menus/Bistro.html
I'm sure you'll enjoy Columbus. As a city, we have a great food scene that hasn't let me down yet. :) Welcome!
Indian food in Columbus?
I like Sher E Punjab for their great buffet, and Curry and Kebab (North Campus, High just north of Lane Ave) for takeout.
I've been to Dosa Corner once, and didn't enjoy it - far too spicy for my tastes, but if hot is your thing, go for it. Have never been to Banana Leaf.
La Casita -- Columbus
One thing I love at La Casita (and heartily recommend) is their birria (spicy stew - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birria ). Friggin' fantastic stuff.
Italian food (Columbus, OH)
Got a few good suggestions for you (I'm an old school red sauce kind of girl myself, being a South Jersey native, so I know exactly what you're looking for).
For super duper casual (as in, get your food, seat yourself, etc.) there's Carfagna's Kitchen (http://www.carfagnaskitchen.com/) up at Polaris. They've hands down got the best sauce in town, in my opinion. I especially recommend their Meat Heaven Spaghetti or their Traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs. The salads are uninspired, but the pizzas are excellent.
A little more formal, but still definitely casual, is Florentine Restaurant (http://www.florentinerestaurant.com/) in the Hilltop section of town. Very old school. Kind of reminds me of the food back in South Jersey. I haven't had anything bad there yet.
One of my new favorites is Robin's Italian Cafe (formerly Butch's) on Main Street near/in Bexley (http://www.robinsitaliancafe.com/). Very casual, great service, great food. I especially recommend the create-your-own pasta dish. I've come up with some really tasty combinations that way.
Hope this helps. :)
columbus ohio cafe corner
Starliner Diner in Hilliard has a pretty good Cuban sandwich - not as good as in Florida, but definitely better than the Cafe Corner version.
Columbus vs Cleveland, a stomach's point of view
Oh, I agree completely with you - both the WSM and the North Market each have a lot to offer their respective areas (which is why I hit the WSM any time that I have the opportunity to drive up to Cleveland), but I have had problems with parking in that area, on every day but the optional vendor days late in the afternoon - I've never had that problem at the North Market, even on peak Saturday hours. I don't mind paying for parking - it's affordable and a bit more convenient since there's not as long a walk from the parking lot/meters to the actual market. As far as accessibility, I meant from a handicapped perspective, with the availability of handicapped parking spaces/ways to get in the building. The last time I went to the WSM, I ended up parking far enough away that it was a bit of a hike to get there, which is murder on my knees. I'm not saying that the lack of parking in the downtown area isn't a problem in Columbus too (especially now, when half the meters aren't even available to be used), just that it seems to be a constant issue whenever I head to downtown Cleveland. On the other hand, I've never had a single problem parking in Lakewood - same as I've never had problems parking here in Columbus anywhere other than the downtown/campus/Easton areas.
There are tons of things to love about Cleveland - I love that you can get just about any ethnic food there - and I love the character of the houses in the urban areas, especially Lakewood and the areas west of 117th St. I love that there is more than one place that I can find bridies and Cornish pasties. I love that there are restaurants that appeal to both the blue-collar crowd and those that like fine dining. I was just pointing out that Columbus has these things too, and isn't the chain hell that people make it out to be. Just as you wouldn't want people to judge Cleveland by North Royalton, I don't want people to judge Columbus based on Easton or Polaris.
Columbus vs Cleveland, a stomach's point of view
While Columbus certainly has its share of chains (so does Cleveland, BTW), it's definitely a haven for foodies. As someone mentioned, we have the North Market, which has a bit of everything: artisan baked goods, chocolates, fresh produce, meat, poultry and fish, the best ice cream anywhere (Jeni's) and much more. I love the West Side Market in Cleveland too, but the North Market is much more accessible and easy to find parking for. We have every kind of food you could ask for, with the one exception that Cleveland is famous for - Polish and/or Slavic food. But you want Indian, Puerto Rican, German, Vietnamese, Ethiopian or any other kind of cuisine? We have it. There are several independent restaurants that really rock - you can see a partial list at http://www.dineoriginalscolumbus.com/.
And I don't know if this is something you're taking into consideration, but Columbus is a thriving city with plenty of employment available, where as Cleveland is experiencing a lot of people moving away after graduating, a "brain drain" if you will. And I think it just got named as 10th most dangerous city or something like that. Columbus is fairly safe (there are only a few real "bad" areas), and definitely pretty clean for the size city it is.
We considered moving to Cleveland, but decided against it because of the reasons I mentioned above. Just about every reason people have given for Cleveland being better - we have an equivalent option here. I say you spend some time in both cities, as they both have an entirely different "feel" to them, and go with the one you're most comfortable in.
Surviving Columbus after Manhattan
All of the places you mentioned, for sure. Add in Pure Imagination for chocolate, and both Omega and Eleni Christina for baked goods. One of the fortunate things we have going on in Columbus is a plethora of really good ethnic joints, with quality and authenticity to rival those in Manhattan. Mi Mi Cafe has the best banh mi and pho this side of the Mississipi. Sher e Punjab for really good Indian food. You can get virtually anything in this town. Starliner Diner is a place with nice funky diner appeal. The only thing we're lacking (I think) is really good Puerto Rican and Slavic (Hungarian, Polish, etc) food.
The other thing that differs Columbus from Manhattan is that in Manhattan you can get virtually anything delivered from anywhere, almost any time day or night. Columbus? Restaurants (for the most part, with a few notable exceptions like Betty's, etc.) roll up the sidewalks at 10 or 11pm.
Restaurants Offering Thanksgiving Dinner - Columbus, OH?
Since it's just my husband and I, this year we're not into the whole cook a big meal and have a ton of leftovers thing, and we're looking to eat Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant in or around Columbus, OH.
Does anyone know which restaurants this year are offering a special Thanksgiving menu? Any info you have is appreciated.
Columbus loses Talita's Mex-Italia
Ditto - and I tend to not trust places that do a fusion of two totally unrelated cuisines; it's rarely executed successfully. I heard so many bad things about this place that I've avoided it at all costs, despite having had Entertainment coupons for them for years now. I don't think it's that big of a loss for Columbus, honestly.
New(er) Chicago Dog joint in Columbus...
How does it compare to Wholly Joe's up at Polaris? I love their Chicago dogs...And Best of the Wurst at the North Market does a pretty tasty Chicago dog as well.
Thinking Ahead: Locally-raised turkey in Columbus
In case he's not offering them this year, just an FYI - you can also get local turkeys at North Market Poultry and Game, or through Speckled Hen Farms (they usually sell at Worthington, and are doing signups for turkeys now, if I remember correctly).
