1:15 PM - With our Las Maravillas tacos (stop 11) leaving us with a nice spicy feel in our mouths, we figure it was time to find some beverages to cool things off a bit. We head across the Olentangy River to the 5xNW neighborhood and stop at 12) Bonifacio, one of two Filipino restaurants in the area. This eatery from Krizzia Yanga has proven to be a successful trailblazer of sorts, introducing the public to their combo of modern and traditional takes on the cuisine. This includes some very delicious fancy cocktails, so we grab an Oooh Bae! (featuring plenty of Ube/Purple Yam) and a Lychee Martini for some pleasurable sipping.
2:00 PM - Creeping into the Northwest neighborhood, we decided to up the spice level back up again by stopping at one of the numerous Indian restaurants in the South Indian/vegetarian-oriented 13) Dosa Corner. By now, we've actually earned back some space in our stomachs, so we go for a double-appetizer of the Mirchi Bajji (spicy green peppers stuffed with masala) and Dahi Wada, deep fried lentil doughnuts dipped in yogurt & cilantro.
2:30 PM - Just across the street from Dosa Corner, the Japan Marketplace has provided a place for all things Japanese for the Columbus area for numerous years. 14) Belle's Bread provides all sorts of Japanese- and French-styled pastries and other sweet treats, and provides one of the more unique ice cream treats in a very ice cream rich area with their Matcha Swirl Soft Serve.
3:15 PM - Talk about a cookie of a deal: Worthington's 15) Sassafras Bakery offers up the Cookie Happy Hour every weekday from 3 PM - 5 PM, where a purchase of a cookie gets you a free cup of either Cafe Brioso coffee or Snowville Creamery milk. Perhaps the hardest part is actually choosing which one of the many tasty cookies to pick out, but we can't dilly dally here.
4:00 PM - Heading out of Worthington on State Route 161, we meet up with a friend at 16) Jeddo Kebab, the long-time anchor for Persian food in the area. If you couldn't guess, savory kebabs are a specialty here, and we decide to go to town on a couple of Kabab platters supplemented by complimentary hot tea.
6:00 PM - Rush hour and some walking around the Creekside area of Gahanna explains the delay in getting into the town's 17) Arepazo Tapas and Wine. Established originally by Carlos and Carolina Gutierrez in Downtown Columbus, Arepazo specializes in Venezuelan and other Latin American dishes. We decide to grab a glass of Happy Hour-priced Sangrias as well as what are essentially Veneuzuelan Cheese Sticks (otherwise known as Tequeños.)
7:00 PM - Circling back southward, we take Hamilton Road down into Whitehall to the Vietnamese/Laotian-oriented 18) Indochine Cafe. On this early evening, we are all about favorites, and the Goi Thit Bo (a Laotian Laotian-style beef salad) provides the spicy, funky kick to fuel our last push to finish our quest.
7:40 PM - Headed back up Hamilton just a touch, we circle back to 19) King Gyros Greek Restaurant and its over-the-top but incredibly fun exterior. We decided that one of their massive slices of Baklava is a perfect contrast to the heat-laden dish we got from Indochine just minutes prior.
8:15 PM - Heading westward along Main Street, we arrive at 20) Wing's Restaurant of Bexley, which seems like any number of American-Chinese restaurants on the outside. But go inside, and you'll find perhaps one of the most unexpected largest collections of Scotch in the metro as well as the state of Ohio. We take a gander at something that looks intriguing and toast each other on a night that's closing to a finish fast.
8:45 PM - We venture further west into downtown Bexley, where a friend of ours is standing, pie in hand, in front of the iconic sign of 21) Rubino's Pizza, one of the more unique purveyors of the Columbus-style pizza in the area. Still a cash-only affair since its opening days in 1954, Rubino's pie is perfect with its thin crust and housemade sausage and pepperoni (sourced from the kings of pepperoni in local producers Ezzo) is a perfect construct this night and we chow it down enthusiastically.
9:45 PM - The expansion of Nationwide Children's Hospital has encouraged a fair share of development along Parsons Avenue along Schumacher Place and Southern Orchards. Owned by the Hightowers, 22) Buns N Brews offers up an appealing combo of gourmet hot dogs and craft beers, many of which are locally produced. Taking into consideration our final stop, we pass on the latter and instead invest in the former, specifically the spicy Jamaican Me Crazy Hot Dog with a side of Collard Greens.
10:45 PM - Antiques on High, stop number 23) on our itinerary, marks our first visit this night to one of the area's fifty or so craft beer breweries. Sister venture of Italian Village's Seventh Son Brewing, this German Village/Brewery District taproom offers up sour beers and hazy IPAs in a vintage-inspired setting (the space had been an antique store in its previous life.) We manage to squeeze a spot upstairs on what has turned out to be a pleasantly warm night, sipping on our drinks and contemplating how close victory is to our proverbial grasps.
12 midnight - We figured we couldn't possibly end the night without a nod to those who hold down the late nights here in the city, and we couldn't think of a sweeter way to conclude this night than a couple of donuts from the venerable 24) Buckeye Donuts. Owner Jimmy Barouxis has joked that even if he wanted to lock the doors his now fifty-year-old institution, he probably couldn't find the keys to actually do it. A good thing indeed for all of us, and a perfect place to kiss goodbye to the G-word.
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