Opening Volley

July 2010 was the second issue ever for yours truly, and was the last proper time (614) took stock of the food & drink scene from a birds-eye lens. And boy, has a lot changed in those six years and one month—which led me to jot down a quick list of all the ways our tastes have changed in that time. Here goes:

– Consumed more mead than any state in the union.

– Now home to the World’s Largest Meatball.

– Bill Glover, then cover boy, took over at the new Hilton, and won praise from the James Beard house.

– Launched one of the country’s largest food truck festivals.

– Became home to first American facility for Scotland’s BrewDog.

– Budweiser was renamed America.

– CBC’s Bodhi became one of the America’s best craft beers.

– A radio station built a bar.

– Chris Corso went from Park Street prince to Short North royalty.

– A woman named Jeni became the face of Columbus small-business.

– Roughly 187 new patios were installed.

– “Gastropub” became the new “bistro.”

– We lost Surly Girl.

– Liz Lessner moved.

– There was, briefly, a restaurant called Balls.

– Little Brothers finally got a new tenant.

– We saw Johnny Manziel booze at Bodega; Jack White cruise Katalina.

– Pretty sure now you can get a taco from your doctor.

– Added 22 new craft breweries.

– Brewery/distillery cats are local celebs now.

– You can drink (local) beer at the Horseshoe now.

– Soon, you’ll be able to drink on the street (in specific areas)

– You can drink on the pedal wagon now.

– You can drink/make really strong beers now.

– We have a Toast Bar.

– Even our vape shops are artisanal.

– They paved paradise (campus Taco Bell/Pizza Hut) and put up a parking lot.

– Some people’s chief hobby is photographing their food.

– Filled ourselves (and the Mid-Ohio Foodbank) with 15 Restaurant Weeks.

– We eat pokē the way we used to eat Subway.

– Grew from one man in a captain’s hat making bagels to a flourishing pop-up scene.

– Watched a dude named Danger made $55,492 worth of potato salad.

– Got really no-bullshit about our coffee.

– Started and stopped using the word “mixologist.”

– A joint that only serves fried chicken took over Yelp’s top spot.

– Ray Ray bought a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

– A young underdog from Shelby County, Ohio paid tribute to his roots by capturing the crown of Ohio Bacon Eating Champion.

His name is Travis.

He wrote this.

And now he’s hungry.

Cheers,

Travis Hoewischer, Editor-in-Chief

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