I had many preconceived notions about the culinary scene in Columbus. None of them were good. I imagined that I would be becoming an expert on the fast food options in the Midwest.When we visited Columbus to scope out neighborhoods, we had a wonderful meal at Lindey's. I got a sense that I was underestimating the dining opportunities.
A few weeks after our real move, we discovered the North Market, and I fell in love. It's a large indoor market in downtown Columbus with a wide variety of stalls. We walked around with huge smiles just gawking at all the delicious food.
It was just so hard to choose! I ran from stall to stall, admiring the organic poultry, the gleaming vegetables, the fiery salsas, the colorful pastas, and the caramelized waffles before finally settling on a feast of crepes.
We went back last weekend on Saturday morning to take advantage of the outdoor farmer's market. They must keep the fees low because there were some really small producers which was so nice because they were really happy to chat with the kids. I love for them to get a sense of how food is produced, that it doesn't just magically materialize in the supermarket display.Our most fascinating encounter was with the beekeeper of Honeyrun Farm. We spent some time with him, hearing about his 80 hives and marveling at the different tastes of spring and summer honey. He invited us down to check out the farm and I plan to take him up on it. I'm hoping that seeing all those bees in action might cure us of our irrational fear. At the very least, it will make a good blog post!
Now that I've been disabused of my notion of Columbus as a culinary wasteland, I've decided to make it my mission in life to spread the word about what a great city this is for foodies. But if I don't watch out, I won't even have to open my mouth to tell people about the foodie scene, the Columbus ten that I'm busy putting on my butt and thighs will speak for itself.
5 comments:
We do the same thing when we move to a new area - eat our way through it. We're still eating out way too much exploring our options a year after our last move.
I miss having a good farmer's market. At our last house you could find one in the area every day of the week except 2.
We have long thought that Columbus needed a family food blogger. There's a big foodie blog scene here but nothing particularly directed to those of us with kids.
And if you haven't found Lisa the Waitress yet:
http://restaurantwidow.com/
You remind me of myself after we first moved (and still, two years later!) with your last couple of blog posts. It's a roller coaster ride, with unutterable sadness over something you miss from your old home one minute, and then unsuppressible excitement over something you discover in your new home the next. You wonder, how can I live without the things I miss, and then how did I live before without this new wonder? And all you can do on that roller coaster is hold on and feel the ride.
I felt the same way about Columbus when I moved here. Especially since I remember all of the little mom and pop ethnic restaurants when I lived in Miami. I was so surpised at all of the ethnic grocery stores and markets that Columbus has to offer!
What a great way to involve your children in understanding the origin of food before it (in many cases) travels hundreds or thousands of miles. I am now reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- woah, that's a life changing book! Have you gotten your hands on that book yet?
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