A great brunch at Toast officially started the day... loved the Banana (no "s") Foster French Toast... and the roasted potato home fries??? I am so jealous that mine don't taste like that!!! A little crisp on the outside, so tender on the inside, each golden cube evenly cooked... I guess you can tell that I will be going back soon. Next time?? Maybe the Filet Mignon Eggs "Benny", as they call it... (I know, I know... I'm working on the red meat thing...)
So back to my easy day...
I spent a lot of time remembering the great destinations we traveled to over the last few weeks... One place that really stands out for me is Columbus, Ohio. I think it's because I didn't really know what to expect... and had never even thought about visiting until literally 36 hours before the flight out!
Maybe I was being a bit of a snob... I mean, the "Big Apple" is in my backyard... DC is just an Acela ride away... two hours flat to Miami and only 30 minutes more to Nassau... LA, Phoenix or Vegas... just an in-flight movie's time away. Heck, I can even get to Zurich in about the same amount of time as it takes for a drive to Nana's house. So why would I (nose in the air, speaking through lemon-puckered lips... think: Mrs. Slocumbe on "Are You Being Served?") take a voyage to Columbus? Little did I know....
On our second day in Columbus, I think we packed in more than most first-time visitors would take on during a week-long stay!
After breakfast at Max and Erma's, off to a p0wer walk in Goodale Park, where volunteers from the Friends of Goodale Park were out pruning and picking a summer's harvest from their hybrid vegetable/flower gardens. Then, a stroll back through the streets of the Short North section of downtown brought me to wonderful cafes, boutiques and a very inviting church, Ekklesia, where the diverse flock exited the sanctuary, practically joined arm-in-arm in fellowship.
Gone to the Dogs
To my surprise, one of the eateries that really caught my attention didn't even serve food for humans!!! Three Dog Bakery featured canine culinary treats that, although I knew that I was looking at dog food, made my mouth water. (Trust me... I know it sounds weird, but until you see those bakery cases lined with fresh "cookies", "pastries" and "fruit tarts", with your own two eyes... don't judge me.) On the day we were in, they were crafting "happy hour cocktails" for pooches in anticipation of happy hour at the cafe across the street. How cool?!
The North Market
Our visit to the North Market was inspired by a invitation to witness artisans creating and sharing their crafts, live music and an indoor market filled with diverse offerings at each stop.
In the sea of creativity, I was drawn immediately to Blaze and Jessica and their "melted" bottles. Everything about their stand and their story drew me in. Their creative take on being Earth-friendly via baking recycled bottles stole my heart... love at first sight for me. I picked up a wonderful "slumped" (as they call them) Mason jar. I'm so ready to showcase my homemade apple butter pats on it to accompany "from-scratch" cinnamon pancakes at my next brunch. Best of all, they are a steal of a deal... with prices from $5 (and they ship for only $7!) , you can't walk away from the table without grabbing one of these pieces (I left with four), which will surely be a conversation starter at any table.
A Market Insider
Although I tried to savor all the market had to offer, these spots earned a special place in my travel log...
- Jeni's Ice Cream - native to Columbus, but I heard that they may make their way to Brooklyn. (this is me chanting... We want Jeni's!! We want Jeni's!!) Jeni uses organic, local dairy to craft my new favorite frozen flavors: Riesling Poached Pear, Goat Cheese (no, I'm not kidding) with Roasted Red Cherries and Salty Caramel!!!
- Taste of Belgium - Jean-François Flechet's team creates waffles cooked with imported Belgian beet sugar that caramelizes on the outside to protect the melt-in-your-mouth lightness of the waffle, and handmade crepes that burst with the goodness of fresh ingredients (loved, loved, loved the savory veggie with Gruyère)
- The Greener Grocer - loved the fact that they offer picture perfect local produce at pocket-friendly prices... and was so excited to hear about their Veggie Van that takes these fresh gems into under-served communities that have limited access to these "foundations" of a heart-healthy meal
At the end of the night... in fact we dashed in just before they closed the kitchen... it was dinner at Marcella's, one of the Ohio-based Cameron Mitchell restaurants. The Melted Pecorino with crostini, apples and truffle honey... let's just say it was practically time for bed, but after that teaser, my mouth was wide awake... just in time to welcome Roasted Chicken Risotto and a sampling of my sweetie's Sicilian, which was bursting with the flavor of fresh ripe tomatoes and asiago cheese.
Thank goodness we had to walk back to the hotel... well, at least then I could trick myself into feeling a little less guilty about that bite of Ricotta Cheesecake sitting atop a biscotti crust drizzled with blueberry sauce!
(Stay tuned to HAFH for the details of our final day in Columbus...)
No comments:
Post a Comment