The Bexley Coffee Shop

In the spirit of the holiday season, here is shout out to another Bexley gem of a place: The Bexley Coffee Shop.



This unassuming café is everything a neighborhood coffee shop is meant to be. Proprietors, Paulette and Sean, make you feel welcome as soon as you enter the door. They will, by order, make you a cup of what might be the best coffee in all of Columbus. I kid you not.



The reason behind this? They roast their own coffee (named Red Bike Coffee Roaster). Few people might know about this because they currently make small quantities just for the café's needs and only replenish when necessary. They do have enough, however, for people like me to take a pound or two home to extend that strong, nutty flavor experience in the comfort of my own home.



Beyond the daily caffeine requirements (they do have teas and other beverages as well), Bexley Coffee shop is a small mecca of local arts and locally produced goods. Sean and Paulette carefully select interesting handmade items to intrigue and inspire their customers.



With a cup of coffee in your hands, you can browse the selections and grab that perfect holiday gift for your loved ones. What could be better? No crowds, no nonsense. And you are supporting the local economy!



I must not forget to tell you about the baked goods they have on the offer as well. Again, local bakers are present here: Pattycake Bakery, Sassafras Bakery, Sweet Thing Gourmet (jams and biscottis), among others. Whoever invented pastry and baked goods must have known that their two best friends are named Coffee and Tea.



I was also happy to see handmade art pieces by my dear neighbor, Abby Feinknopf whose talents I adore. She was one of the first people in Columbus who took me by the arms (literally) and showed me around some of her favorite 'gems' in the city. For that, I do owe her!













So, if you have a minute, or two, and are hungry for that 2pm coffee break (or whenever else that may be), stop by this sweet spot and say hi to Sean, or Paulette, or both. They are always there with big smiles along with that perfect cup of coffee with your name on it.



The Bexley Coffee Shop
492 Cassady Ave.
N. Bexley, OH 43209
614-253-3788

Anthony's Pizzeria

We have found the kind of pizza we know and love: thin crust, chewy yet crusty dough, delicious sauce, and not too much cheese to top it all off.



Bexley is a little city with a lot of pizza places (and banks, and ice cream parlors... not much else really!). We had tried two other places before we landed at Anthony's Pizzeria on Pleasant Ridge Avenue.



Thomas, the proud owner of the pizzeria, pointed out to us a picture of his 5-year old self making pizza dough. Food has been his family business for a long time. Before opening this place 8 months ago, they owned a catering business that included pizzas, calzones and stromboli, among other goodies.

The pizza idea came when his father met a man in Florida who made the best pizza he had ever had. The Floridian, Mario, actually grew up in Connecticut, so there was a bit of the East coast/ Italian blood running through him. Thomas' father acquired the recipe for the dough, and perfected the sauce, and the rest is history.



Coming from California where pizza is prized at about $20 a pie (*gulp*), and usually not a good one, it is a breath of fresh air to enjoy a good slice, at a reasonable price.

Thomas and his family purchased the location from the previous owners at the same location, so they kept the name Anthony's. But the pizza and subs...all their own creations.

I am not sure of other great pies in and around Columbus...I am sure there are a few. I must say, however, that Anthony's is a competition that will be hard to beat.

Anthony's Pizzeria and Subs
602 Pleasant Ridge Ave
Columbus, OH 43209
(614) 231-6628

Cherbourg Bakery

Even though I am not a gluten-free or gluten-intolerant eater, I was very excited when I heard a couple of months ago that a new (gluten-free, nut-free) bakery was opening up in Bexley, just down the road from where I now live!



Now that I have mostly emerged from my foggy world of being jetlagged, I paid the new bakery a visit today. I was lucky to have met Shari there, one of the owners of this new, bright, happy, and very tasty place: Cherbourg Bakery.

I asked about the origin of the name Cherbourg, which I later found out is a port city in France.


"Geri fell in love with this city when she was visiting France," said Shari. "When she came back and told her stories to her family, she found out that there is a lot more family history tied to the city of Cherbourg."

The full story can be found on their blog... I love stories behind names like this!



Cherbourg Bakery has been in existence for a while, actually, just not with its own store-front. Their gluten-free offerings have been available through wholesale, and have been very popular amongst the gluten-free food community. I was instantly confirmed why Cherbourg needed to grow when I took a bite of their lemon bars.



If you a lemon-bar lover like me, you would know a good bar from a bad one. Cherbourg's had the perfect complement of the sweet and the sour custardy top that crunches just enough when you bite from the surface. The crust is moist and buttery, and in no way tells me that there is no gluten in it!

I was sold.

Shari tells me that they are in their 'soft' opening phase right now, with their grand opening day expected on January 26, 2011. Their will be samples and cheer to be had from 5:30-6:30pm on that day.

The decor alone is worth a visit... Something about that bright blue will make you instantly happy, I tell you! Plus a bite of something sweet and a cup of warm coffee... I think I will be back there often.

Cherbourg Bakery
541 S. Drexel Ave.
Bexley, OH 43209
614-725-5460

It's a Wonderful Life

Yesterday was our family  "Christmas Day"(because some of us will be on the other side of the globe, and some on the plane going to that other side of the globe).

How fitting it was that we got to view It's a Wonderful Life on the big screen, right here in our little hometown of Bexley!

I know it's a classic, but yesterday was my first time ever seeing the movie. I don't think there was a dry eye in the theatre.

It was also our first time to the Drexel Theatre", an unassuming movie house on Main St. that tends to feature a lot of independent, interesting films rather than the typical big box ones.

The audience was treated to pre-movie trivia questions complete with prizes. We also got to sing along, the old fashioned way (with the hopping dots), some Christmas songs led by a sweet girl, a volunteer from the audience.

With some food brought in to donate to the mid-Ohio Foodbank, we only paid $2 each for this wonderful experience!

The good news is, it will be showing again today at 4pm, and next Wednesday, December 15th.

It made a great end to our pseudo-Christmas day (albeit, quite emotional from one of the better movies I have ever seen).

Drexel Theatre
2254 East Main Street
Columbus, OH 43209
(614) 231-1050