Consuming in Columbus is like experiencing a microcosm of the U.S., a mid-size land of milk, honey, and Buckeyes. In a single day you possibly can expertise a full vary of traditions and innovations, from a nice eating legend holding court docket among the many cobblestone streets of German Village to a meals truck meting out birria tacos on hustling, bustling Excessive Avenue, from flakey char siu at a boisterous dim sum parlor straight out of Hong Kong to nitro chai at an area culinary star’s counter spot.
Many of those companies discover houses among the many metropolis’s spectacular, historic structure, however a lot extra have withstood the check of time in much less auspicious houses. Have a look by the home windows of a rusted hundred-year-old fuel station to see crowds Instagramming pancake balls powdered with sugar and drizzled with candy sauces. Observe the voices of gossiping aunties and uncles to a Ghanaian gem tucked in a strip mall. Or hunt down the small, brick, Prohibition-era relic off the freeway, which has turn out to be a go-to dive for individuals getting off work in any respect hours. Then test beneath the neon signal across the nook for a bedrock of Buckeye tradition the place alumni and new children on the block meet over recent, old-school doughnuts.
You’ll pattern a little bit of historical past and lots of world flavors as you eat your means across the metropolis’s important eating places, however each meal additionally displays the quintessential character of Columbus. So seize a menu (or load up a QR code), gear up for a feast, and tip generously.
Angela Lee is a author and photographer all the time trying to find her subsequent culinary journey. Her work has been featured in Edible Columbus, Bon Appétit, and 614 Journal.