columbus – Fervent Foodie

Eating Columbus: Breakfast Edition

May 14, 2018 12 Comments

Greetings friends! I’ve been bouncing around Columbus knocking places off my to-try list, and wanted to share some of my recent favorite breakfast spots! (For even more Columbus restaurant recommendations, check out the first post in this series here.)

Dough Mama is an adorable, cozy cafe in South Clintonville that serves modernized comfort food. Everything they serve is scratch made, even the ketchup. Their avocado biscuit is one of my favorite breakfasts in all of Columbus. It has greens, tomato, pickled onions, avocado, and an egg smashed between a cheddar scallion biscuit. I’d definitely recommend their steak-fry-cut roasted potatoes and the lemon poppy seed muffin, which happens to be gluten free and has the texture of a doughnut. They also have a vegan lentil-loaf sandwich (served on Dan The Baker bread) that I need to try ASAP.

Skillet, another favorite Columbus breakfast spot, is located in a cozy building in Merion Village (near German Village). Their steadfast commitment to local sourcing is reflected in the ever-changing menu. Each morning, the day’s menu is posted to their website for your viewing pleasure. Last summer, I had an incredible tomato salad at Skillet that I still think about. It was so very simple, but the TOMATOES. The tomatoes. Skillet’s food, including the egg scrambles and omelets, are cooked with more care and precision than you’d see at a typical daytime cafe. Recently, I tried the fingerling potatoes with cheese curds. The potatoes were crusty and salty on the outside and the skin sort of popped in your mouth when you bit into it, releasing a tiny explosion of creamy potato. Divine. There is usually a wait to get a table at Skillet, but you can call ahead to put your name on the list. Plus they have free coffee outside while you wait. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 8am to 2pm.

Trism. Continuing this breakfast trend, I found a great weekday deal at Trism in the University area. From 9-11am, you can get a breakfast sandwich on local ciabatta for only $5, plus you can throw in a coffee for $1 more! Pictured below is the Numero Uno, with local eggs, jalapeno-jack cheese, zesty black bean spread, and sriracha aioli.

Ramblings

#OperationLunch.

March 28, 2018 4 Comments

Seven years ago, I wrote a blog post about Ladies Who Lunch, in which I expressed a desire to find a group of ladies to, you guessed it, have lunch with. It was around this time that I adopted my Say Yes to Lunch Policy. The policy stemmed from my first birthday in a new city, on which I didn’t know a dang person in town. I blindly sent an email to a handful of food bloggers that I stalked on Twitter and asked them if they’d join me for a birthday lunch. And guess what? THEY CAME.

After that birthday, I implemented a new mantra: say yes to lunch. If someone asked me to lunch (or coffee or dinner or drinks) I just said YES. Even if I didn’t know the person, or thought we’d have nothing in common, and ESPECIALLY when I really just didn’t want to go, I said yes. Similar to going on a blind date, having lunch with a stranger can be a little… shall we say, scary. The thing that surprised me most about these lunches was that although the other person was often feeling just as awkward about the whole thing as me, they (just like me) were seeking a deeper connection, a friend, a lunchtime tribe. The truth is that in this era of hyper-technology and go-getter syndrome (I just made this term up and subsequently self-diagnosed it), many of us are “busier” than ever and missing having in-real-life friends. It’s not just a matter of loneliness, it’s a matter of real, raw, personal connections.

Over these last two years in Columbus (holy cow how has it been two years?!) I haven’t been proactive on my mission to lunch, and with the semester winding down, I think it’s time to refocus on this ever important goal. This summer, I’m setting a personal goal of inviting one new person to lunch each week. Maybe I’ll even write about it here on the blog. Whatdya say friends? Will you join me in #operationlunch?

THIS COULD BE US:

Restaurants, What I ate

Eating my way through Columbus

July 26, 2017 3 Comments

As a self-proclaimed restaurant-scouter-outer, I’m always on the hunt for new, interesting places to try. As such, I’m constantly asking people for recommendations. Where’s the best Indian? Who has the best tacos? Where can a girl get a decent breakfast sandwich? Here are some of my recent favorites around Columbus, in iPhone-photo dump fashion. Did I miss your top pick? Let me know if the comments below!

Dan the Baker. The first time I stopped into the Toast Bar, I ate approximately 17 pieces of the free sample bread at the cash register. No shame. All the bread is sour dough based, and the country sour is my favorite. I try to grab some each week at the Clintonville Farmers Market! Pictured below is the wonderful mushroom tartine available at the Toast Bar in Grandview.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams! This is, hands down, the best ice cream I’ve ever had. You heard me. So rich, so creamy. My favorites include Brambleberry Crisp, Lemon & Blueberry Buttermilk Yogurt, Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks, and Brown Butter Almond Brittle.

6-1-pho. I wanted to check this place out immediately, solely based on the punny name. I’m happy to report the food keeps me going back. Most of the dishes are based on recipes handed down from the owner’s grandmother. I love that! My favorites include the veggie pho and the cold noodle salad with veggie egg roll and tofu on top!

The Refectory. I had the privilege of enjoying an eleven course tasting menu with the #cbusfoodbloggers last month — get the drool worthy recap here. My favorite dish was the sturgeon and gambas duet with herruga caviar blinis and sun dried tomato beurre blanc.