Tasty Travels

Living in Ohio is really a treat because we have so much great food! The Buckeye State knows good food. We have birthed celebrity chefs like Michael Symon, Guy Fieri and Susan Feniger.  We are the birthplace of some of the best ice cream in the world with Jeni's and Graeters. Ohio is a state that offers so much variety in culinary experiences. I have experienced fine dining at white tablecloth establishments in both the big cities and in the smaller towns. I have had some of the best meals at greasy spoon eateries, like diners and country style restaurants. Don't let me get started on our Amish Country buffets! Ohio has established an impressive food truck culture, so much so that a festival was started in Columbus a few years ago, to celebrate the diverse food truck offerings in the city. My favorite thing though, is the growing number of Food Tours being offered in Ohio. You can visit several cities in Ohio, big or small and taste your way through their best restaurants and local delicacies with tour companies like Columbus Food Adventures, Cincinnati Food Tours, Canton Food Tours and Wooster Food Tours. I have been taking tours with Columbus Food Adventures for years now and I got to check out Findlay Market (one of the first markets in the US)  with Cincinnati Food Tours last year. The food scene in Ohio is so strong, I believe that is why I have never had a bad experience on a food tour. Ohio is also one of the states that hosts the most festivals. More than half of the festivals are food festivals using a particular subject matter in interesting ways like: The Pawpaw Festival, Dandelion May Fest, and the many festivals whose subject matter are the produce we grow locally like corn, berries and grapes.

 Because of all of the reasons I offered above I wanted to start a new series. This series will feature places in Ohio, in Columbus and away, that are worth the drive. I will travel for good food or an interesting dining experience. If you call yourself a foodie or love a road trip with a side of food, these posts are for you! I hope you enjoy reading Tasty Travels as much as I enjoy doing the delicious research for it.

 Five of My Favorite Ohio Restaurants

For my series premier I thought it would be cool to start with a handful of my favorite places to eat in Ohio. Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Maybe instead of taking your love to the dimly lit romantic cliche places you frequent every February, you may want to spice things up with a road trip to a place you have never been. You can take a day trip and drive up to these places in a few hours or less or make a weekend of it by staying at a local Bed & Breakfast. These places have good food and or offer great Ohio history. Some of them even have gorgeous scenery.

1. Malabar Farm Restaurant

 3645 Pleasant Valley Rd

Lucas, Ohio 44843

Malabar Farm Restaurant is a white tablecloth establishment with lots of history. It is even connected to the romantic Hollywood story of Lauren Becall and Humphrey Bogart who were married at Malabar Farm, the historic landmark and state park where some of the restaurant's produce is grown. If you are looking for fine dining, this is your place. The restaurant celebrates farm to table culture. Everything they serve is produced locally. Even the exceptional cuts of meat are delivered from a butcher in the area.  They are my number one pick because there I had one of the best meals I have ever had, but also because they have impeccable service. I showed up without a reservation on a busy weekend one warm fall day and requested to sit on the patio like so many other people who had indeed made reservations and they made it possible. They also treated me like Hollywood royalty.

A lamb steak with carrots and red skin potatoes from my meal.

2. The Golden Lamb Inn & Restaurant 
27  S. Broadway
Lebanon, Ohio 45036

I have mentioned the Golden Lamb before. It made my list of #101CoolPlacesAndThingsInOhio on the blog and under @krisofohio on instagram. The hotel is the longest running business in Ohio, so the history is extensive. The establishment has hosted 12 presidents and literary greats such as Charles Dickens and Mark Twain. The hotel restaurant also happens to be a place I have had one of my better dining experiences. I enjoyed brunch one Saturday some time ago then explored the hotel to check out the rooms that former presidents slept in. The hotel is set up like a museum, so if the rooms are vacant they are open for viewers. This place would make a great weekend getaway next month. The place is cozy and charming. The restaurant has planned a prix fixe three course menu for Valentine's Day weekend with wine pairings or you can just order off the regular dinner menu which includes: prime rib, a lamb shank and fried chicken among other offerings.

Part of my brunch included smoked salmon with capers, fresh greens and potato salad.

3. Rhapsody Music & Dining
18 Public Square
Nelsonville, Ohio

Rhapsody is a farm to table restaurant that is run by Certified Master Chef  and Executive Director of Culinary Operations of Hocking College,  Alfonso Contrisciani. With the help of the culinary students of Hocking College they prepare what they describe as "cutting edge comfort food". Don't be alarmed, these students  are well trained and create dishes that taste like they certainly know what they are doing. My meal looked and tasted "cutting edge" and I was ever so "comfortable" eating it. Lol!  I went before the fire that temporarily shut the place down and I had the Chicken Coq au Vin.  I still see the meal sometimes in my dreams. They only just reopened fall of last year and the menu concept has changed since I ate there last. This is probably the most romantic place on my list.  It's fine dining, the ambiance is perfect for a date and on weekends they have live music.

Fresh golden beets and greens grown in Athens County.

4. Red Brick Tavern 

1700 Cumberland Rd (Route 40)

Lafayette, Ohio

The building is deceiving because it's been standing for well over a hundred years. It has quite the history as Ohio's second oldest stagecoach stop. The place has also hosted six presidents. The food speaks for itself though. It is in my top five places for prime rib and they offer some delicious country fare like chicken livers. The menu is the most diverse in food offerings and price. You can order hot sandwiches and salads as low as $4.99 to beef selections like New York Strip and Prime Rib at $18.99 to $22.99. Other menu items include pasta, fish and chicken dishes. The dining room ambiance is country charm.

A appetizer of chicken livers with onions from my last visit.

5. Hussey's 

8760 West Broad St.

Port Jefferson, Ohio 

My final feature is more of a greasy spoon but they have a variety of  items on the menu. I haven't been to Hussey's in quite some time but it is on my to do list for the near future. Even though it's been a while, I am still hearing great things about the restaurant. I don't have any food photos from Hussey's since it has been a few years but they make my list because they prepared the best prime rib I have ever eaten in my lifetime. I did not even know I liked prime rib until I ate Hussey's. Even though this may not be the best date food, I must also mention they have a delicious blooming onion. In addition to the food, the restaurant rests along some old locks of the Little Miami River. The scenery includes a pond that is beautifully equipped with koi fish, ducks and geese all year long.  The restaurant has recently been remodeled but the atmosphere is still country casual.  The photo above is the place today. My second photo is the back of the property before it changed hands, was painted and remodeled. 

Watching the ducks and geese swim around the pond.

If you are interested in any of these establishments, the live links to their menus and contact information for reservations are attached to their names above. These places would make great locations for your Valentine's Day weekend. Unintentionally, I also managed to get a couple cool Presidents Day sites in as well.  I hope you enjoyed this 'Tasty Travels' introduction. I promise future posts will not be as long. Have a great week!

Kris,

photos courtesy of: Hussey's facebook Page, Malabar Farm Website & Flicker