My mother-in-law is wild about quilting and, luckily for us, she shares what she makes. When she emails me about a neat quilt store she's found, I know it's great. Here is her tip for anyone looking for a place that will give you some inspiration and goods if you're in the mood to buy. She also really likes the owner. Since Thymbles is located in Smithville at the edge of Amish country, this would be a fun jaunt for a day trip.
Thymble's website is still being added to but there are class offerings and special events. Last weekend, for example, there was a quilting retreat. If you're looking for what else there is to do in Smithville and the surrounding area, it's in Wayne County with plenty of places to poke around. Be sure to eat at The Barn Restaurant in Smithville. This was one of the restaurants that a lot of Ohio Magazine readers wrote in about as one of the best destination restaurants. It's no wonder. There's an electric train that goes around the lobby (you can hear it on the website). You can also feed ducks, smash a penny, play checkers and more. On the restaurant's website you can also hear bees and the tractor that kids can pretend to ride.
The quilt in the photo was made by Jane Hardy Miller and was used as the design for the quilt retreat. The pattern in called French Braid.
It's always interesting to find out what captures Ohioans' interests, particularly when they are Ohio transplants and originally hailed from elsewhere. When I gave Rachel Shaw, a writer's group friend of mine, the Ohio 5 questions, she described the scenery from the window of the 100 year-old farmhouse between Dublin and Plain City that she shares with her husband. "Every sunrise, every sunset was a new masterpiece that my suburban eyes were unused to. I have lots of pictures of the same scene – right between the barns – of a different more beautiful sky dotted with purple and blue and pink clouds."
The scene became her muse for her poetry . When it comes to fantasy fiction aimed for teens, she writes like a fiend. One book, The Necromancer's Scroll has been published under her pen name Sierra Torrin. Besides writing, (check out her blog) , Rachel gets around. If you're ever wondering what to do in Ohio here are her suggestions:
If it's August: "The Miami Valley Steam and Thresher Show at Pasttime Park, admission $10 (I think). The sounds of steam tractors clicking and grinding away like tiny old locomotives. . . You can find anything here. Antiques are as plentiful as old tools and crafts and Happy Meal toys. Popcorn, fried bologna, homemade ice cream in fresh waffle cones, and sausage fried up by the VFW boys are some of the smells that tempt you."
Place to Eat: "I drive my visitors to the Dutch Kitchen. Owned by the same proprieters as the Der Dutchman, it is a smaller establishment, and there is more to enjoy in a less hectic atmosphere. Here, one can enjoy the hospitality of the Amish, a large portion of the Plain City population, and enjoy the food and crafts.
Favorite Event and Place: Ohio Renaissance Fesitval and Ravenwood Castle, "a bed and breakfast just south of Hocking Hills on the edge of Vinton County. This wonderful place has been designed to look like a castle with small keeps surrounding it. Our honeymoon was spent in the King Arthur Suite, a splendid three-room apartment with a Jacuzzi bath, a sitting room upstairs, and a balcony.
And where she sees Ohio's wonder the most: "I've found pockets of beauty by the Scioto River and in its tributaries. I've discovered southeastern Ohio, the foothills of the Appalachians and the limestone caves."
Valentine's Day? You're asking the wrong person. That's for sure! I'm happily single and past that stage. But I'll gladly offer an opinion on just about anything, so here we go.
We'll start with restaurants. If you want an in-depth discussion, you could look at Toledo Restaurant Reviews, a local blog. It hasn't been updated in a while but it's useful.
For world-class continental cuisine you couldn't go wrong with Fifi's. It's even listed in Ochsner's Pocket Guide to the Finest Restaurants in the World. If your taste runs to Italian food, like mine Carrabba's and Ciao are good choices. Steak? You'll find that, and just about anything else you want, at one of the four Mancy's Restaurants.
How about a romantic atmosphere with good food, as well? No question there. Any of the restaurants at The Docks, in International Park will provide both. You can find seafood, Mexican dishes, Italian, Cajun, and who knows what else. While eating, you can watch the lights of Downtown Toledo reflect off the Maumee River. It's an impressive sight.
I could go on all night here, but that's enough to get you started. Oh, wait a minute. Maybe you're a gourmet cook and want to make your own romantic dinner. Don't go overboard and wear yourself out. Pick up dessert at Wixey's Bakery, on Glendale. They're the best in town. The only thing they lack is a website. The same can be said about my last suggestion, Superior Chocolate. Believe me, it is superior. How do chocolate covered strawberries sound?
Because we've grown so close over the years, I have no problem in admitting to you, Blogging Ohio, that this will be the first time in almost nine years that I've been single on Valentine's Day. Quite honestly, I'm a-ok with it. I think I'm going to buy myself a plant, maybe one of those tiny rose bushes, and buy myself a burrito. Maybe I'll make some guacamole - anyway, it'll be a decent time, without all the trappings and over-expense of the couple's version of Valentine's Day.
But! If you are a hopeless romantic, or you happen to be dating someone, and you want to go out, now is the time to start planning! It's only a little more than two weeks, and this is something that you really need to be on time with. I remember one time, my significant other and I had completely not prepared for Valentine's Day, so we went out to a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant, and strawberry daiquiris in honor of the day. But, really, you should plan better than I do. So I will be giving you several suggestions for three kinds of Valentine's Day restaurants in Cleveland.
The traditional, fancy route: If you would ask me what defines a fancy meal for me, it usually involves Italian food. So, I will first suggest Maggiano's Little Italy in Beachwood, OH. Very tasty, very classy. Also, there's a high quotient of delicious food that doesn't necessarily involve pasta, which means you won't feel too heavy! So, for a new review, let's talk about Parker's New American Bistro, in Ohio City. Their menu varies from season to season, as well as what's available from various local farmers and growers - that just sounds so tasty to me. Their menu does seem slightly vaguely French, with American touches, so very classy. Perfect for impressing a young lady with your taste.
Buying chocolate, flowers, or those little message heart candies are fine if there's no time to plan ahead for Valentine's Day, but consider some other options. If you use your senses to lead the way, you might come up with some interesting ways to celebrate love. Or a deep like. Or an "I kind of like you." Here are some starting places:
Sense of smell- With Ohio's botanical gardens' conservatories creating a haven against the freshly arrived winter's chill, head to one of them. Breathe in the fragrances of the jungles, orchid gardens and mountainous regions of the world. So, what if you can't go to a tropical island with your honey this year? At Krohn Conservatory, Franklin Park Conservatory, and Cleveland Botanical Garden you can pretend.
If eating is a way to your loved one's heart, head to a cooking school where you can spend time together--plus taste your efforts. Dorothy Lane Market Cooking School in Dayton has wonderful options. Many restaurants, like Handkes in Columbus also have classes. Here is a Shaw Guides website with links to several of them.
For the soothing sense of touch, get a couple's massage. The Marengo Institute, a mind body spa that originated in California but now has Cleveland and Columbus locations, has a Couples Delight Package.
Another option for the sense of sight is an art museum. Here is the botanical garden and art museums page of Ohio Travelers.com to find one you may not have thought of before.
Pity the poor schmuck (me) who usually waits until the last minute to make Valentine's Day reservations at a nice restaurant. Are you aware that they don't accept reservations at Waffle House? It's true.
If you really want to score some major points this year, take your honey to an upscale place. I'm talking cloth napkins, waiters who don't wear aprons, call you 'Sugar', or sit down at the table with you. I've put together a list of ten great places in Columbus for wonderful meals. So don't put it off!
Scali's Restaurant -- The best Italian food in town in an unpretentious but elegant room. I recommend the penne ariabiata.
The European Taverna Opa -- Greek cuisine in an old S. High mansion, a great place for quiet conversation. Closed. Too bad.
SpainBarcelona-- Wonderful Spanish food in German Village. We truly are multi-ethnic.
The Refectory -- the Columbus standard for simple luxury, the converted church has been serving fine French dishes for over 25 years. Great wine cellar, low markup.
My Big Fat Greek Cuisina -- terrible name, wonderful food. Of this list, probably the lowest-cost option. The appetizer is to die for.
Rigsby's Cuisine Volatile -- in the Short North. Italian influences balanced with other ethnic foods to create exciting new tastes.
M -- the most upscale of the local Cameron Mitchell restaurants overlooks downtown Columbus. They serve American food with a world cuisine flare. Hunan Lion -- a modestly priced north side restaurant that serves consistently delicious Chinese and Thai food in a comfortable setting with great service, and all at market prices. One of my personal favorites.
Handke's Cuisine -- in the Brewery District, the home of local celebrity chef Hartmut Handke. His mouth-watering V.D. menu is already posted on the web site, $58.50 per person.
L'antibes -- a tiny place in the French style, known for elegant creative food.
In one of my favorite Simpson's episodes, Homer coats his mouth with candle wax so that he can tolerate eating the world's hottest pepper. I don't suggest this tactic, but you might start thinking about your strategy in preparing for the upcoming Fiery Food Festival in Columbus.
In its fourth year, the festival will again bring together chili devotees and other capsicum fans to the North Market near downtown Columbus on February 17th for a day of feasts and firey farts. On the schedule is a salsa (the food) competition, a chili cook-off, a Chef Chili Challenge and the old standby chili pepper eating contest.
Also on tap is music (accordion, Latino and Caribbean) and entertainment for the kids.
Dublin, Ohio company Aquaice is attempting to build a business offering the millions of devoted bottled-water consumers the same purifed product in ice cube form.
Aquaice's product is the epitome of convenience. The water comes in trays individually wrapped into cubes. The customer need merely chill and serve. (Seems like the perfect use for an anti-microwave that would cool food quickly. Remember that you read this concept here first.)
The company is marketing this ice to restaurants, and recently got an infusion of venture capital to allow it to expand their marketing to retail. Aquaice can also be purchased online, $8.99 for 100 cubes.
The company is not without competitors, however. Icerocks, a similar product using spring water, is sold by the Water Bank of America (what an odd name!).
If you would rather spend a buck or two for bottled water than drink from the tap, you might want to check out Aquaice, because you know what ice cubes made with tap water convert to when exposed to heat?
Bob Evans Restaurants show up a winner every time Ohio Magazine asks people to list their favorite best value restaurant. At least that happened when I was there. Once there was a rule that chains weren't to be nominated-just to give some other restaurants a chance to shine. No matter. People in Ohio are wild about Bob Evans. At least the folks who enter restaurant contests are.
As one reader stated, "You said no chains, but we go there all the time. The food is always good, as are the service and the prices."
I like Bob Evans myself, especially for breakfast--and recognizing that breakfast is one of its hallmarks, the chain has cooked up a different kind of contest itself. This one is on Ebay. People are bidding on a 3-day vacation and breakfast with Bob Evans himself. The neat thing about this, is that proceeds are gong to Habitat for Humanity.
What's the impetus for all this? With its roots firmly in Ohio, even though it's reaches are far outside the state's borders, Bob Evans Restaurants have a new item on the menu and their own blog, "One Stack at a Time." The blog is basically devoted to Stacked and Stuffed pancakes. Readers can add their favorite choices. There is also a video that shows how to make Stacked and Stuffed pancakes yourself. The listed favorite from the blog is roasted apple carmel cream. Here's a link to the press release about the contest and Bob Evans's new endeavors. Also, if you want to join in the auction, hurry. You only have two days left. This is a great opportunity to have an Ohio vacation and help charity as well.
Some things I don't want to know too much about, including (in Twain's words) the making of law and sausages. However, if you are curious about the sanitation in your favorite dining establishment, the Columbus Board of Health inspection reports can give you the down and dirty.
The department is about start a new program in which restaurants will be required to color-coded signs indicating the findings of the most recent inspection. Green will indicate a clean slate, yellow for corrections needed, white for probation and red for restaurants shut down for violations. A blue sign indicates a place that has had no problems for at least a year.
I checked a few local restaurants at random, to get a sense of what the inspectors look for and how strictly they inspect. I was impressed by the detail of their work, and pleased with the results of their inspections.
For an example, I looked at a few recent inspections, (and understand these are not worse-cases; they are simply random choices, and all of the have satisfied these Health Department's concerns). Their reports:
The Cheesecake Factory: mid-priced casual dining at Easton Mall. Soda guns soiled with mold inside. Cook used bare hands to put cheese on pasta. Garlic and oil at 65F, should be 41F or below. Waffle House, Dublin-Granville Road: You know Waffle House! Cook changed gloves without washing hands. Raw beef stored above sliced ham and cream in fridge. Can opener and prep sink dirty.
Pizza House, E. Lincoln Ave. Both carryout and in-house dining. Raw eggs stored above soda in fridge, cheese stored too warm, lack of date-marking of sliced ham, food surfaces dirty, employees drinking from unlidded containers in kitchen, cook did not know proper way to cool foods, raw chicken and beef stored above bread, food prep with bare hands, salad stored in garbage can, dirty can opener, ice machine drainage improperly air gapped.
M- Perhaps the most upscale restaurant in town. Partially eaten apple on cold prep table. Chef assembled mini-burger with bare hands. Mashed potatoes held for hours were not time-dated. Waiter didn't properly warn patron of the danger of under-cooked meat. Ice machine was soiled.
I am reassured both by the detailed inspection and the fairly mundane violations found.
For as much time as I end up spending in coffee shops, I really feel that I ought to drink coffee. But that's ok, since the hot chocolate and on-the-spot-made bakery at Gypsy Beans & Baking Company more than compensates for my not knowing how their coffee tastes (according to Sidekick Girl, it's awesome).
Today the coffee shop, restaurant and bakery will have been opened for exactly two weeks, and it's been a packed two weeks! As owner Niki Gillota says, "I didn't expect the place to be packed every day!" And it has been - I've been in twice during these two weeks, and there have always been people in there. And they are wildly flattering. In a quick survey of the larger room this past Saturday, I received these quotes about Gypsy Beans:
"I was here the other day and the whole neighborhood came through here!"
"I love it here."
"This is the second time this week that I've been here."
"Better than the commercialized coffee shop - it's your own little place."
"Loving it - I'll never go to Starbucks again."
"The neighborhood needs something like this - there's no other little cafe here."
I thought I had written about all I had to say about donuts, but here's one more. There's a new bit of news about Franklin County's penal system popping up across the U.S. There will be no more donuts. Not jelly, not custard, not a powdered or plain. Not even the donut holes. Too bad for Whitehall-based Jolly Pirate Donuts since they would have had the contract to provide Franklin County prisoners with sweet eats according to one article I came across. I started looking for more info and found same article or a slight variation in several locations ranging from ABC News to WTOP, a Washington, D.C. based radio station to North County Gazette based out of New York State. There are more.
Trans fats are to blame for the donut cuts. The aim is for healthier prisoners. Here's some more about this donut piece of news. Franklin County folks who pay taxes were coughing up $55,000 a year to keep inmates in crullers , glazed and jelly donuts. It's not clear though if some donuts were eaten by people who worked at the prison or just prisoners. No matter, if you want to eat a donut, you'll have to do it off county prison grounds. The Jolly Pirate Donuts in Grove City earned 5 stars from a very satisfied customer. You could head there.
I'm a little behind on this assignment. I blame my terrible cold and the fact that I may have broken a bone in my foot - more on that exciting news tomorrow! But since the end of the year has come and gone, I want to join the ranks of my fellow bloggers and talk about what I think were some of my better posts from 2006.
Most recently, my review of the Bazaar Bizarre craft fair. Start saving up for the December 2007 version! In October, I talked about two things that I thought were pretty interesting, and completely unrelated: Toni Morrison and her anniversary of getting the Novel Prize, and being filmed in November on Election Day. I really like to review restaurants, local fairs of any kind and books. So, in a quick sampling, my review of Sullivan's restaurant in Lakewood, Ohio; a review of my annual pilgrimage to the St. Rocco's Festival; and a review of Cleveland native Les Roberts' memoir, We'll Always Have Cleveland! Obviously, I love Ohio - you may have gathered that piece of information from my working for a website wholly devoted to Ohio! But I like when our great Buckeye state makes it into the news in weird ways: like when I found an mention of our major cities in Forbes' discussion of best cities for singles. I really have become involved in the wholly stand-up comic scene here in Cleveland, for which you may totally blame my dear good friend, Sidekick Girl! But I like helping her and her fellow comics out with a little bit of free publicity, like when I reviewed the first Rockstar Comedy event.
I also love getting to take pictures for you, Blogging Ohio! Enjoy an old Ohiopic of the Day! Let's go to '07!
The Columbus newspaper is full of ads for gator meat, in preparation for Ohio State's national championship game against the Florida Gators next Monday. I saw these and wondered, much as I did when in a Shreve, OH restaurant I read on the menu "Chicken dinner $8.95, children under 10 free" -- how is that prepared?
Apparently, according to the Florida Dept. of Agriculture, alligator is a mild white meat similar in flavor to (wait for it.....) chicken. A four-ounce piece has 110 calories, 20 from fat.
Sauteed Alligator medallions in Dijon Mustard Sauce
Pickled Gator (I'll bet there are few of those in the stands on Monday night!)
Gator on a stick
Stewed Gator (see above)
If your local grocer doesn't stock gator, don't give up home. ExoticMeats.com can ship it directly to your house. While ordering, why not add some snapping turtle, rattlesnake, kangaroo or poussin to your shipment? They all taste a lot like chicken.
Eating gator may not seem all that appetizing, but imagine the poor Florida fans, trying to choke down buckeyes!
Now that we've officially passed the beginning of the year mark, but 2007 still stretches out before us, it's good to remember that it's a long time before the "season of giving" rolls around again. That doesn't mean folks' needs are gone just because the holiday spirit is waning. I was listening to WOSU's radio program Open Line on Wednesday ,the 3rd, when the subject was food banks-- specifically the needs of people who have the economic short end of the stick.
Here are some needs that don't get thought about much. Baby supplies. Diapers and baby food are in high demand and are often overlooked as items to give. Also, cleaning supplies and toiletry items. These things are needed for a healthful life but are not covered by subsidies like food stamps which are not in stamp form anymore but are similar in look to a debit card.
Also, food banks are very careful about what types of foods they give out so if you have canned goods that you can't quite remember buying because it was that long ago, don't donate it. Only donate food that's good quality and not past its expiration date.
Here are some interesting points that one of the guests mentioned. She said that Ohio's corporations are generous (they were talking in terms of businesses that produce food) but that the businesses are in business to make money so that to heavily rely on them is not realistic. She was quite complimentary of businesses, though. A lot of donated goods come from farmers themselves through a program that offers food at a very reduced price.
A comment was also made that half of the people in Ohio in dire economic situations consistently have to make the decision between buying food or keeping the utilities on. Also, sometimes people don't know where to go for available help.
Here is the guest list from WOSU's website. Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks Executive Director Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, Lutheran Social Services Director of Food Pantry Services Barb Packer and Westerville W.A.R. I tuned in late and had to quit listening because I arrived where I was going before the program was over so I'm not sure who said what.
My mother-in-law is wild about quilting and, luckily for us, she shares what she makes. When she emails me about a neat quilt store she's found, I know it's great. Here is her tip for anyone looking for a place that will give you some inspiration and goods if you're in the mood to buy. She also really likes the owner. Since Thymbles is located in Smithville at the edge of Amish country, this would be a fun jaunt for a day trip. 
It's always interesting to find out what captures Ohioans' interests, particularly when they are Ohio transplants and originally hailed from elsewhere. When I gave Rachel Shaw, a writer's group friend of mine, the Ohio 5 questions, she described the scenery from the window of the 100 year-old farmhouse between Dublin and Plain City that she shares with her husband. "Every sunrise, every sunset was a new masterpiece that my suburban eyes were unused to. I have lots of pictures of the same scene – right between the barns – of a different more beautiful sky dotted with purple and blue and pink clouds." 
gladly offer an opinion on just about anything, so here we go. 
Because we've grown so close over the years, I have no problem in admitting to you, Blogging Ohio, that this will be the first time in almost nine years that I've been single on Valentine's Day. Quite honestly, I'm a-ok with it. I think I'm going to buy myself a plant, maybe one of those tiny rose bushes, and buy myself a burrito. Maybe I'll make some guacamole - anyway, it'll be a decent time, without all the trappings and over-expense of the couple's version of Valentine's Day.
Buying chocolate, flowers, or those little message heart candies are fine if there's no time to plan ahead for Valentine's Day, but consider some other options. If you use your senses to lead the way, you might come up with some interesting ways to celebrate love. Or a deep like. Or an "I kind of like you." Here are some starting places:.jpg)
Pity the poor schmuck (me) who usually waits until the last minute to make Valentine's Day reservations at a nice restaurant. Are you aware that they don't accept reservations at Waffle House? It's true.
In one of my favorite Simpson's episodes, Homer coats his mouth with candle wax so that he can tolerate eating the world's hottest pepper. I don't suggest this tactic, but you might start thinking about your strategy in preparing for the upcoming 
Dublin, Ohio company 
Bob Evans Restaurants
Some things I don't want to know too much about, including (in Twain's words) the making of law and sausages. However, if you are curious about the sanitation in your favorite dining establishment, the 
For as much time as I end up spending in coffee shops, I really feel that I ought to drink coffee. But that's ok, since the hot chocolate and on-the-spot-made bakery at 
I thought I had written about all I had to say about donuts, but here's one more. There's a new bit of news about Franklin County's penal system popping up across the U.S. There will be no more donuts. Not jelly, not custard, not a powdered or plain. Not even the donut holes. Too bad for Whitehall-based Jolly Pirate Donuts since they would have had the contract to provide Franklin County prisoners with sweet eats according to one article I came across. I started looking for more info and found same article or a slight variation in several locations ranging from 
I'm a little behind on this assignment. I blame my terrible cold and the fact that I may have broken a bone in my foot - more on that exciting news tomorrow! But since the end of the year has come and gone, I want to join the ranks of my fellow bloggers and talk about what I think were some of my better posts from 2006.
The Columbus newspaper is full of ads for gator meat, in preparation for Ohio State's national championship game against the Florida Gators next Monday. I saw these and wondered, much as I did when in a Shreve, OH restaurant I read on the menu "Chicken dinner $8.95, children under 10 free" -- how is that prepared?
Now that we've officially passed the beginning of the year mark, but 2007 still stretches out before us, it's good to remember that it's a long time before the "season of giving" rolls around again. That doesn't mean folks' needs are gone just because the holiday spirit is waning. I was listening to WOSU's radio program 
