Oodles

Say the name of this restaurant 3 times, and your Monday has just gotten a little happier!

A friend and I checked out this little spot on E. Main St. the other day, knowing nothing about it. But the name is sweet, and the idea of noodles for lunch is always appealing to me.



We each ordered a different kind of noodle dish. I was recommended the Pad Thai and my friend got the Singaporian noodles. The service is quick, and the price is low. I was not prepared for the disposable dishes and silverware, but I guess it makes sense for this pseudo-Asian-fast-food place.



It made a good enough impression on me that I returned one more time to try one of their rice bowls. I was there during a busy lunch hour, and it was clear the place has a following.

They gave me an option of brown rice if I wanted, and the topping of vegetables and chicken was tasty. A little sprinkle of Sriracha sauce made it complete. The portion was big enough to feed two people, so I left with a take-home box.

I have not tried their dumplings (should be good since it's in their name!), so I have something to try next time.

Mumbling their silly name to myself as I exited the door, I was happy to have visited another new establishment in my Columbus food repertoire.

Oodles has two locations:

765 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43215-1611
(614) 222-8831

443 E. Main St.
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 228-6755

Pho Asian Noodle House and Grill

I had my first bowl of Pho in Columbus at this restaurant, almost a year ago. It was a request of sorts, for the realtor who was kind enough to show me around different neighborhoods (for 8 hours!) to assuage me that there is good Asian food in this city.

That bowl of pho was good enough. And that was when I was introduced to this place, but had not been back until today.

I don't get up 'north' much, you see. But work had me moving about this morning. By the time lunch time rolled around, I was only a mile away from this little noodle house, and I was famished.

Instead of ordering another bowl of pho, I opted to try something different and ordered Dan Dan noodles. The Dan Dan I have had in the past had been nooldes with spicy peanut sauce. Not this one, it turned out. It was a good plate of noodles, but I would not have called it Dan Dan noodles.

This experience won't prevent me from going back to Pho Asian Noodle House, however. They have a lot more to offer there, including a perfect glass of Thai ice tea to remind me a little bit of home.

Pho Asian Noodle House and Grill
1288 West Lane Ave
Columbus, OH
614-488-8886
Open 7 days a week
11am - 10pm

The Angry Baker

Last week, through Columbus Underground, I found out that there is a new bakery about to open in my neck of the woods.



After being iced in for a couple of days with little children running around the house putting me on the verge of insanity, it was time to venture out into the world, and say hello to the new bakery: The Angry Baker.



First, you've got to like the name, right? Or be curious, at least? Vicki, the owner, and baker, is far from being angry when I visited the bakery today. She was busy behind the counter making lunches and taking croissants out of the oven. But she was not angry. If anything, she seemed rather serene. (There is a story behind the name in the ColumbusUnderground article).


An unfinished Menu Board, looking pretty against the brick wall

The bakery is on Oak St, right across from Yellow Brick Pizza (a place I have yet been to), in the Olde Town East area of town. Being new here, I can only say that these two eateries and a few other businesses on Parsons St, seem to be giving Olde Town East a bit of a come-back. A great reason to rejoice!



The Angry Baker offers a variety of baked goods as well as breakfast and lunch items. I left with two scrumptious looking things: an oversized eclaire and a vegan brownie. I am kindly saving the latter for my children for their post-school snack, but the eclaire? In my tummy. It was one of the better eclaires I have had in a long time.  Maybe ever, actually.

The Angry Baker
891 Oak Street
Columbus, OH 43205
(614) 946-0583

Maid-Rite

On our daytrip to western Ohio, Bethia insisted that I have to try a "Maid-Rite" burger in Greenville. You have to, she said. And it won't take more than 10 minutes!

Though I did not grow up eating burgers, beef or otherwise, I have been exposed to them living in the US. I must admit that I don't love burgers, of any kind, enough to order it at a restaurant. Give me a bowl of Pho any day, or a rice bowl with anything on it. I am a loyal rice fan.

So when I found out a little about what I was about to experience at Maid-Rite, I was a tad dubious. Loose beef burger? I was willing to give it a try once!

Now that I am on the other side of it, I can say that, in fact, I did enjoy the loose-beef burger. I enjoyed it quite a bit that I can say I would go back there tomorrow, if I was given the opportunity. Just don't offer me a bowl of Pho.

I was also intrigued by the chewed gum decorating along the outside walls of the Maid-Rite building. Intriguing is all I will say about it for now, because you know, I will probably have more to say after my next trip there for another loose-beef burger!

Peanuts

I was downtown the other day when I saw the Planters Peanuts guy standing proud on the side of a building.

Could this be the headquarter of these ubiquitous peanuts? I wondered to myself.

So I had to walk in there and find out, and get some peanuts...naturally.

It turns out that, no, it's not the headquarter, but this particular store (a franchise, I learned) has been here for 75 years! Several Planters Peanuts memorabilia decorate the store, along with several kinds of peanuts and other nuts and other treats alike! It's like stepping back in time, really. Not quite like a museum, but almost.

My favorite was Mr. Peanut with his bright red lips sitting on some kind of machine inside the store. You should go in just to say hi to the guy, and he might tell you the best kind of peanuts in the store.

The Cambridge Tea House

If you want to treat yourself a little, or transport yourself into a European-like place, you should go to The Cambridge Tea House in Marble Cliff neighborhood (just beyond Grandview Heights).

This elegant (yet casual) place is right on W. 5th Ave. They specialize in tea, as the name suggests, yet there is so much more!

For instance, you can have an oatmeal breakfast like I did this morning, with a cup of perfectly brewed Rooibos tea on the side. You could also go for some eggs and bacon, if that is what you are hungry for. Or you can go the traditional English route, and order their homemade scone with butter or cream. Any which way, you can't really go wrong.

Lunch time there is supposed to be quite busy, but probably because it's so good and convenient! Soups, salads, quiches, you name it. You might feel so pampered that you won't want to go back to work...

It's also a great place to just come with a book, sip some warm tea on a cold day, and watch the world go by. There is nothing wrong with that, is there?

Brothers Drake Meadery

I had my first tasting of mead today at Brothers Drake Meadery.

I am surprised that I had not had this before. It's honey! Turned into wine! I love both things... How bad can it be?

The Drake brothers, with their partners, held a special tour for some food bloggers at their tasting room and refinery. We were given samples of their products right away and it only took one whiff of the mead to confirm that it is a honey product: that sweet scent is hard to miss!

The brothers gave us a brief history of mead (oldest form of alcohol, and used to be for the royals only!). They then took us through the whole process of mead-making (a bit like a chemistry lab!). It sounds simple, really. You need three ingredients: water, yeast, honey. The key thing about making good mead, though, they stressed, is that you want the best quality of all these ingredients you can find. This is not always a simple thing to do. Also, oxygen is not mead's friend. Once mixed and covered, the mixture needs to stay out of sunlight and air for a few months for best results.

I was happy to hear that they have a local source for their honey. They are also trying to strategize how best to find more locally made bottles. One thing is for sure, these people are passionate about making the best quality mead possible. I think their products will tell you that as well. Try their 'Apple Pie'! Very seasonally appropriate... it's like sipping apple pie from a glass...

Olde Towne East

When I was researching possible neighborhoods for our family to land in Columbus while still in California, I came across many names that meant nothing to me: Dublin, New Albany, Gahanna, Bexley, Upper Arlington, Grandview. These are, naturally, more family-friendly neighborhoods with good schools, sidewalks and the like. After a few months here, these names are very familiar to me. I think I might have even been to them all, for one reason or another.

The neighborhood of Olde Towne East (OTE) came up occasionally during my research. It was not on my radar screen as much, but I sure know that name, and that it is somewhere between Bexley and downtown Columbus. I had been by it a few times, and even had lunch at the Black Creek Bistro. Still, I was a bit puzzled about the neighborhood.

I was determined to find out more about it today, on this beautiful fall day when everyone seems joyous and carefree like the leaves that are falling off the trees. I went down a few streets in this so called 'Olde Towne East' section of town, snapped a few photos, and walked onto Parsons street, into Voda Emporium.

Two gentlemen, co-owners of the shop, greeted me warmly. They shared with me a little history of OTE, how it used to be home to important people of the city, with their grand mansions that still stand today. In the 70s, apparently, things went south and it became an unsafe place to be. Just more recently, there is an effort to revitalize and bring more people to the area.

Voda Emporioum has two sections, one with mostly locally made goods: cards, art, candles, kitchenware, dog treats and more! The other section is a hair salon, well tucked away, but roomy enough to be part of the whole place. In the mornings, they also serve coffee and pastries for those on the run! How cool is that?

The owners tell me that a cafe is about to open next door to them, any day now! And a few doors down the street is the aforementioned Black Creek Bistro as well as a (so I am told) a popular bar called Carabar. Across the street, I see signs for galleries, too. Is this a mini-version of the Short North?

Downtown is just down the road from OTE.

If you are interested, Olde Towne East is holding a Fall Festival this Saturday from noon to 10pm. Here is where you find more information.

I am sure I am not the only one to be excited about the revitalization of this little neighborhood!

Leslie's Creperie

I had planned on finding the Foodie Cart for lunch after seeing their tweeted location (close to where I was going be at lunch time), but got side tracked when I saw another crepe cart at the Pearl Market.

Paul, the crepe master, was very warm and personable (very much appreciated on a cold blustery day). He told me a bit of the history of Leslie's Creperie; the hard work that he and his wife had put into perfecting their European-inspired savory and sweet crepes. He also made sure that I knew that they are not competitors of the more Japanese-inspired counterpart. They are good friends, he said, and they are happy to be co-existing, making crepes for us to enjoy side by side!

I ordered a Spinach-Feta-Chicken crepe which Paul quickly made for me. He handed me the warm and perfectly wrapped crepe within minutes.

Who said fast food has to be unhealthy food? I am so pleased that Columbus seems to embrace the food-cart culture that provides fast, healthy treats with local business owners who are fulfilling their dreams.

Cheryl's Cookies

I got to be a fly on the wall at Cheryl's Cookies photo shoot the other day. This is because I am a lucky girl with a neighbor as a talented photographer. Although he himself does not shoot the cookies, he lets Cheryl's Cookies crew use his studio space. And what a beautiful space it is!

I could not get over how calm and peaceful the environment was. Everybody seemed so content, happy, at ease with the process... even with hundreds of cookies surrounding them.

Those cookies were well taken care of, too. They were dusted, precisely placed, angled and shot in the most professional way. I was impressed.