In Praise of the Swag Bag: Brunch with the Columbus Food Bloggers

The swag bags you'd get at pre- and post-race athletic event expos
were the ultimate cat's meow at one time of my life

Back in the day when my body was adapting better to the condition known as "adult onset athlete", I learned about the joys of the swag bag, especially in relation to running or triathlon races. Back in those days, an energy gel that wouldn't make you barf and a running shirt made of wicking material (bonus points for a good fit) were really nice gets. Every now and again, your event fee would get you a really good quality product - one swag bag turned out to be the best swag itself, a snazzily constructed duffel bag that we have taken on numerous trips now for almost a decade now. On occasion, the mystery of what you might get in the bag actually outweighed what you found there.

As the focus of my spare time in recent years has turned toward both blogging and exploring my new city of residence, the swag bag still holds that special intrigue for me, whether it was related to a community event (such as Franklinton's fun holiday Festivus event swag bag, which was available for a small donation) or attendance at a group event. The little coupons and items within have led us to explore some businesses and sampled some products we may have never figured out existed during our normal travels.

Our haul from our most recent swag bag (a natty model produced by Inked and Screened) came at the fun gathering that was the Columbus Food Bloggers potluck brunch. The contents, plus some special guests in attendance, proved to be for my spouse and I both a discovery and rediscovery of a wide swath of locally produced products.

Southern Road Trip: Best of the Rest (Pt. 2)

Yes, there's more! We hit a plethora of noteworthy eateries on our road trip that didn't get previously covered in my previous Southern Travels posts - the second and final part of this mini-series continues below:

San Antonio - B&B Smokehouse

The third item food item that my spouse agreed we had to have while we were in Texas (outside of kolaches and crawfish) was BBQ beef brisket. San Antonio's B&B Smokehouse, located in the Harlandale section of town, proved it had the chops to serve this area staple.

An old-timer in San Antonio's BBQ scene (starting in 1958 as Hal's Drive-in and Bar-B-Que), B&B offers a few twists beyond the traditional BBQ menu in its mains (po-boy sandwiches, burgers and chicken tenders area available) as well as their sides (onion rings and creamed corn). Even the condiments were also diverse: bottles of traditional sriracha and sambal oelek stood right next to their hot sauce and balsamic vinegar counterparts.

The Kouign of Little Rock: Mylo Coffee

The promenade along Allsopp Park provides a serene, nature-laden backdrop to Little Rock's Pulaski Heights (or The Heights, for the locals) neighborhood. This probably was one of the furthest places in my mind to experience a bit of a phenomenon in the Breton pastry that is the kouign amann. Stateside, the phenomenon started up in the San Francisco Bay Area at eateries like Starter Bakery and B. Patisserie just as I was packing up and leaving for the Buckeye State. But as I and probably millions before me have learned through my travels, good food is where you find it.

Beards, Brew and Ballyhoo: The 2015 Columbus Winter Beerfest

The crowds were large and the venue sold out (at least on Saturday)
for the 2015 version of the Columbus Winter Beerfest.

For all the breweries that my spouse and I have visited since we've been together, we had never been to a full-fledged beer festival. That status was changed as we made the pilgrimage to the Columbus Winter Beerfest this weekend.

Now five years old, the biannual Columbus Beerfest (there is a summer edition as well) has grown by leaps and bounds each year, expanding on the number of vendors as well as number of attendees. This year's edition cover two days and featured over 350 beers from 100-plus different brands and breweries combined.

While there is a "Connoisseur" ticket package that allows you such privileges such as early tasting, a special/larger tasting glass, and a food/special beer pairing with local breweries and restaurants (from the research I did prior to the event, it seems to be worth the extra cash generally speaking), we decided the standard admission would be perfectly fine as we were meeting up with some members of my spouse's beer club, Brews and Betties (formerly the Hopyard Honeys) for dinner prior to the event.

As a newcomer to this type of event, I wanted to follow a general game plan and more or less stuck with it. I decided to split up from our group to get a feel of the layout and atmosphere (and grab some pictures in the process). I also made the decision to target porters and stouts (my general leaning and much more of a winter beer anyway). In addition, I had ferreted out some breweries and styles from the beer list posted on the event's website to break up that stout/porter taste profile every two or three samplings.

For my spouse, beer sampling power came in numbers - she and her beer club buddies got to sample multiple beer at various booths. This worked well at gaining maximum tasting of different beers with relatively sane levels of alcohol consumption as well as her strategy of asking for half-pours. Another option for lessening the intoxication factor that many people took advantage of was the various pour buckets or a random stray partially or fully empty cups.

As in past posts, I find images really help tell the tale of these types of experiences, so without further adieu, here are some pictures from our night at the Beerfest:

The folks attending the Anime/MMORPG Convention Ohayocon 2015 provided
a unique contrast to the beer aficionados attending Beerfest. That said, quite a
few Ohayocon attendees double-dipped and also dropped into the Beerfest. 

The tasting glasses and tickets (25 total) for the regular admission
attendees. Your admission ostensibly got you a pour per ticket,
but few if any vendors were actually asking for them and only
those with robo-livers could even think about drinking that
amount of beer (roughly 10 beers) in roughly 4 hours.

Pretzels are a popular choice for giving your palate a break from multiple beer
samplings; hand-fashioned pretzel necklaces like this were commonplace

Beer list handed out of the event; the check-marked beers were those that
were in more limited supply, but even some of the more plentiful beers tapped
out early (such as one of my favorite porters, Great Lakes' Edmund Fitzgerald)

The folks at Zaftig Brewing pouring me a Bam Ba Lam, a breakfast stout made
with Ghirardelli Chocolate and Crimson Cup Coffee Beans. This proved to
a favorite beer for all our group members. This Worthington-based brewery
is due to celebrate its one year anniversary with an event on February 28

Deschutes Brewery, based out of Bend, Oregon, made it easy for folks
to avoid the long lines with this Mirror Pond Pale Ale portable keg/cart

The representatives of San Diego's White Labs, a leader in the development
and supply of yeast for the craft beer agency, were very happy to have folks drop
by and say hi. Unlike most vendors, they had some stickers and other fun
media (such as a beer geeky poster describing their yeasts) for the taking.

Some early action on the "dance floor" in the middle of the event space.
Not surprisingly, more people joined the group as the night wore on as
the liquid courage consumption built up in event-goers.

While portable canopies and table setups were common, several
breweries went for fancier setups. Vehicle-based taps were
sported by Zanesville's Weasel Boy and Columbus' own
Seventh Son and North High Brewing, among others.

One vendor I had pegged for a palate break was Hudson, Ohio's Spindoktor.
I ran into a few people at the event who liked their hard root
beer beverage, but alas I never did get around for a sampling.

One alternate non-beer beverage I did get to was cider from
Griffin Cider Works. Founded by a British ex-pat, this Cleveland-area
company's original cider provided a nicely crisp and not too sweet
break from my mainly porter/stout based quest.

My spouse and I had been questing for the 5 Rabbit Cerveceria (from
Chicago) El Bizarron collaboration with Tampa Florida-based Cigar
City Brewing to no avail. Lucky for us, this Cuban-themed porter
brewed with plantains was available (their rep said it was the
last three kegs available that he knew about) and was easily in
our top three beers tasted that night. 

Columbus-based Zauber Brewing's space was enhanced by hops supplied
by Marysville-based Grandpop's Hops.

Speaking of hops, Jackie O's Brewery's tent was hopping with activity.
This Athens-based brewery has recently returned to Top 100 Brewers in
the world by ratebeer.com, joining 4 other Ohio-based breweries. 

Fancy fonts preceded another palate-cleanser for me; in this case, it was the
Belgian White from Cincinnati-based Fifty West Brewing.

While there were plenty of people at the Beerfest, it never really did
seem too claustrophobic due to the large amount of space in the hall. One
exception was the men's bathrooms, which became more of a mess
as the night went on (this is nothing new, however, from what I've read.)

The chocolate-hints of Eugene Porter from Chicago-based
Revolution Brewing made it a winner in my porter/stout quest.

This teeter-totter from the Shandy-oriented Traveler Beer Company out
of Vermont proved to be a hit with Beerfest goers. Live music bands and a 
karaoke stage were other non-beer activities which attendees could partake.

I ended up on a mini-tangent in sampling two smoked beers:I sampled both the
Buchenrauch, a smoked lager produced by Columbus' Wolf's Ridge Brewing,
and Weasel Boy's smoked porter Rauchbier one after the other. Both were
very tasty, though I preferred the porter's fuller mouth feel a little more.

Overall, this seemed to be generally well-run event that has been helped out by its move to more spacious Columbus Convention Center. While Columbus was well represented, many breweries from around Ohio also had a presence there, making it a great event to explore beer from parts of the state to which they may not regularly travel.  If you don't mind what can be long (but generally quick-moving) lines and gobs of people, this event seems to be a fun way for those who are still new to the scene, those from out of town unfamiliar with Ohio-based beer, and just beer enthusiasts (especially if you're with a group of friends) to spend a night sampling lots of good beer.

My spouse and I both had fun hanging out with our friends this night, and agree this is an event any beer lover from around this area should do at least once. In addition, it also has given us some valuable experience on how to approach similar events in other cities in the future.

Columbus Beerfest (Winter and Summer)
Contact information at the following links
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IWD 500: Mission Table Restaurant, Traverse City, MI

The Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant entrance to the Bowers
Harbor Inn Estate, home of Mission Table

We had delayed our anniversary dinner on our recent Northern Michigan trip a few days, as Sault Ste. Marie was a bit devoid of places we wanted to celebrate a special dinner together. Instead, we figured Traverse City, which we would visit a few days afterward, would be more fertile ground for such an eatery.

My spouse and I had initially targeted The Cooks' House for our anniversary dinner, but alas our lateness in deciding our destination thwarted our attempts to obtain a reservation at this well-regarded eatery. However, they were kind enough to recommend Mission Table for our special dinner, which proved to be a worthy restaurant to celebrate our momentous occasion.

Unbeknownst to us, Mission Table is but one part of the Bowers Harbor Inn Estate. This historic estate was renovated and retooled in 2006 into a multi-purpose facility which included a distillery (Civilized Spirits), an event facility (the Peninsula Room), our recommended Mission Table Restaurant and Tasting Room, and a restaurant that we would more likely normally frequent (Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant and Microbrewery.)

The latter restaurant proved to be a pleasant surprise as we had arrived early for our dinner reservations, so we got to have a nice look around. Aside from the typical bar food options, the restaurant sported bottles and drafts of Jolly Pumpkin's ales as well as selections from Civilized Spirits and their sister brewery North Peak. We decided to grab a glass of a draft pouring of their Biere De Mars and it's tart almost cider-like profile proved to be an excellent pre-dinner starter.

Clockwise from top left: pan-seared Lake Trout, Maytag Blue
Cheese Cheesecake, Lamb Shank, Sunset on Traverse Bay

Mission Table is not really signed as such from the road, as it is essentially a fairly intimate room within the estate set aside for more exquisite dining options. Its interior mixes modern architecture with some rustic touches such as a large stone fireplace and wood plank tables. As we found out, a seat by the west-facing windows will treat you to a pretty tree-shrouded view onto Traverse Bay, which becomes more enhanced if you manage to have your meal timed with the sunset over the horizon.

The restaurant boasts about a menu that relies on local sourcing and seasonal ingredients. The smoked Michigan whitefish appetizer ($9), served with house-made flat bread, fennel, cucumber and a mustard sauce started our meal on the right foot with a cavalcade of flavors worth savoring.

Our main dishes were also well executed and tasty affairs. My spouse's lake trout ($26), a pan seared filet served with kale and potatoes in a smoked ham hock broth, proved to be the winner of the dishes. Not that there was anything wrong with my braised lamb shank with duck confit, white beans, escarole and duck jus. The lamb was cooked tender and fell off the bone and was a very rich dish. That fact, plus its sheer size, made it impossible me to finish as I was saving room for dessert.

My spouse again took the dessert honors as well; her cheese-loving genes were in high heaven with the Maytag blue cheese cheesecake topped by cherry compote, candied almonds and a honey gastrique was simply divine.

On the other hand, my flourless chocolate torte dessert was a bit of an odd duck. The components combined were good, but the individual components (the torte, the raspberry sorbet, chocolate sauce and the shortbread cookie) were outstanding on their own. Nevertheless, I was quite happy that I saved that room for this bit of decadence.

In the end, Mission Table lived up to its recommendation as a special occasion dinner destination and is worthy of seeking out when dining in the Traverse Bay area.

Mission Table
13512 Peninsula Dr (Google Maps)
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 223-4222
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2019: No updates of note needed re: social media links.

Salads Around the Statehouse: Market 65

It seemed only appropriate to include Market 65 in this latest list of eateries around the Ohio Statehouse, but in this case, salads are the specialty, not sandwiches (although you can get any of their creations in wrap form.)

Most around here would liken Market 65 as a Chipotle-style salad/wrap casual eatery. Coming from Bay Area, it reminds me a lot more of Mixt Greens, a San Francisco area lunchtime staple. 

Both places specialize in fresh salads and sandwiches/wraps made with produce from local providers and offering unique options (e.g. tofu) to customize one's salad. In fact, Market 65 was one of the first places I knew about in the Downtown area to tout its connections to local producers. It had been awhile between visits for me, but it was nice to see that local angle hadn't changed. Numerous local produce providers (That's My Farmer and Lucky Penny being two I was familiar with) were referenced on chalkboards, and products from locally-based vendors (Pattycake Bakery and JC's Sweet Tea, among others) were available for purchase.

Similar to Mixt Greens, Market 65 offers some staple creations, or the customer can opt to build their own wrap/salad. Both places offer a selection of house-made dressings to add to your meal.  

Here is where some subtle differences between the two similar concepts emerge. Mixt Greens offers a few select sandwiches and typically includes a piece of bread with your salad order; Market 65 does not have that option. But the downtown area has plenty of places to grab an actual sandwich so this really isn't a negative in my eyes.

Another subtle difference is that Mixt Greens has all their salad ingredients prepared in advance. Market 65 also has most of their stuff prepared in advance, but some of this grunt work is done before the customer's eyes. While this adds some time to an already relatively slower assembly line process compared to, say, a burrito or standard sandwich, there's something reassuring about watching parts of your salad or wrap being sliced freshly from the source and added to your order. However, if you are confined to a shorter time for lunch, Market 65 may not work for you.

The big difference really lies in price and quantity, and this is where the advantage of being in Columbus shines through for me. I find that I can get an order of the same quality and more quantity at Market 65 than I could at Mixt Greens....and pay about a couple bucks less for it than their West Coast compatriot. With that said, their main items are on the higher edge of the low-end price range of downtown eateries overall (basically between $7 and $11.)

A unique aspect of Market 65 is its beer and wine bar, where you can find a select number of bottled wines and beers as well as a couple of beers on tap (the list I spied showed Fat Head's Amber Ale and Columbus Brewing's IPA as their options.)

My latest get, a fish taco salad special with tilapia, black beans, avocado, serrano peppers, roasted corn (sliced right from the cob) and tortilla strips mixed in with romaine lettuce and their recommended dressing, was filling and tasty.

Overall, I've been quite satisfied with the quality and tastiness of the items I've ordered from Market 65, and the servers I've had always have been friendly and amiable. Those looking for a healthier lunch option with locally sourced produce and other products who are not in any kind of rush would be well served to drop by Market 65.

2019 Update: According to their website, Market 65 is working both on a new menu as well a website revamp.

Market 65
65 E State St (Downtown - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 564-6565
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Ice Cream Chronicles (Pt. 10): Everyone Needs Their Toft's

The front of the Fremont parlor location

While my final ice cream post for the summer of 2014 is about the Sandusky-based Toft's, in reality it's about much more than the ice cream from Ohio's oldest dairy. 

Founded in 1900, Toft's was actually one of the first Ohio-based ice cream brands I saw advertised here in the Columbus metro area. A freezer case where one could grab a couple scoops of their ice cream is available to customers of The Andersons General Store in the Sawmill Road area of Northwest Columbus. Ironically, seeing it on every visit to the store was one of the main reasons why I never sampled it since moving here, despite my finding out that this is just about the only place in Central Ohio to sample their products. I figured since it was always there, I could have it anytime I wanted.

In the scope of things, Toft's is a real gem in that it remains locally and family owned. Their parlor at their headquarters in Sandusky is from all I read a truly nice setup and worth a visit (and yes, that is on the docket for me.) However, it may not be the optimal way for a neophyte to their products to sample their ice cream. From various visitors' reviews, it appears that they do not allow traditional sampling (e.g. using little spoons to sample various flavors) like most other ice cream places. This is made up quite a bit by the size of the scoops they serve you: they are HUGE, essentially making a small-size a large and a large-size something closer to ludicrous-size (to borrow a Spaceballs reference.) It seems like visitors would be best served by knowing what they really, really want and bringing a large appetite or a friend (or perhaps both.)

The interior of Toft's Ice Cream Parlor in Fremont

Fortunately, there is a remedy for this: Toft's has two more parlors nearby, and my spouse and I had the pleasant opportunity to make a side trip to the location in Fremont (which does allow sampling) on a jaunt to the supermarket to pick up a few items.

Residing in an aging strip mall in the northwest portion of town, this Toft's parlor doesn't look like much from the outside. The interior also shows the age of the building it resides in, but is otherwise well-kept and roomy. Besides their ice cream and related items such as sundaes and shakes, a variety of lunch items are available, including locally-based products like Ballreich's potato chips, Tony Packo's pickles, and a sandwich featuring Root's shredded chicken.

As lunchtime was just around the corner, we did our fair sampling of their many selections (including the Key Lime Pie, Mackinac Island Fudge and the Black Sweet Cherry) before settling on a single scoop option (scoops are very reasonably priced, from $2.75 for a single scoop to $5 for a quadruple.) Our selections, the Muddy's Sea Salt Slam (released in concert with the Toledo Mud Hens baseball team, this flavor sports salty caramel streaks and chocolate covered peanuts in vanilla ice cream) and my standard butter pecan were very similar to the quality and texture of the ice creams we sampled at Velvet Ice Cream in Utica.

Sunday scoops are hard to beat

What made this visit stick out here was this was the first visit with a youngster in our tow (my spouse's niece.) Her eyes lit up when we asked her if she wanted to join us on our supermarket trip, and even more so when we said we were going to drop by Toft's. And for her, there was no debate: it was Tons of Turtles (a caramel extravaganza featuring chocolate-caramel turtles and caramel slivers inside a french vanilla base) or bust.

I realized as we sat together enjoying our scoops that, despite all the enjoyment that my adult-aged self has received from my visits to all these ice cream shops, it never could match the raw excitement you get as a youngster. Ice cream, whether it be from the iconic ice cream truck and its blaring music, the mom & pop shop on the corner, or the big chain place at the mall, is one of the first things with which one typically identifies and associates as one grows up. This is a place that lets you swirl sweet memories into a base of your own special selection of flavors, and this affiliation often carries through to adulthood, no matter if you have moved on to "better" ice cream.

In other words, everyone who loves this frozen treat inherits and, in a way, needs their version of Toft's. So whatever name your own Toft's goes by, remember it fondly, fly their flag proudly, and keep licking away.

2017 Update: Toft's location in Fremont closed down in 2016.  However, their corporate location in Sandusky continues on business as usual - for more information on them, please consult my blogpost detailing our visit.

Location Visited:
Toft's Dairy Ice Cream Parlor
1306 Oak Harbor Rd
Fremont, OH 43420
(419) 334-7400

Headquarters:
3717 Venice Road
Sandusky, OH 44870
(419) 625-5490