Taste Profile: @thespiffycookie

In Columbus, it’s not just the chefs and cocktail artists and writers pushing our palates forward, it’s the everyday folks who via social media are leaving a trail of crumbs for the rest of us to follow. Taste Profile, a new monthly feature in (614) will introduce you to the local handles and give you the low-down on what’s good in the capital city.

What’s the last great dish you had?

Does dessert count? Half the time when I go out to eat I know what I’m ordering for dessert before I even glance at the entrées. Last time, I ordered the tres leches cake with macerated berries and fresh whipped cream at Black Creek Bistro.

What’s the last great dish you cooked?

I have a mild root beer obsession. And by mild I mean I have a collection of over 200 different brands. So it should come as no surprise that it finds its way into my cooking as well. Most recently I made a root beer reduction which was drizzled over a burger topped with blue cheese and crispy onion straws. It was epic! And yes the recipe is on my blog ;-).

What drives you to be a tastemaker in Columbus?

I think it’s difficult to not find yourself completely immersed in the food of this town. There’s so much to offer and not nearly enough meals per day to conquer them all. But believe me, I do try and as a result my palate has expanded. Funny story, my family is constantly baffled by my palate because as a child I was the pickiest eater. Guess I’m making up for lost time!

Put together your perfect night on the town, from pre-meal cocktail, to dinner, to nightcap:

I’d start out with cocktail indecision at Denmark because I want them all. For dinner I would venture out to the land of Gahanna to Lola and Giuseppe’s for homemade gnocchi with sausage, peppers, onions and a large order of Lola’s quirky hospitality. Then my nightcap would come in the form of dessert from Pattycake Bakery by staying open late just for me because they saved the last slice of whatever was their featured cake of the day. I may not be vegan but damn they know how to bake!

Least favorite style of Instagram food photo:

Obviously styled photos where a hand is perched on a glass or mug as if it’s ready to wave at the Queen of England and there’s a book or magazine title that just happens to make it into the frame. I don’t shun anyone for it, but it does look a bit forced.

One Columbus celebrity you want to

break bread with?

I’m going with Nick Dekker of Breakfast with Nick. I find myself drooling over his Instagram profile constantly. Clearly, at the very least I need to get on board for one of his Brunch tours.

Describe Columbus’s taste in a six-word sentence:

Blend of old favorites with innovation. •

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