Musing about the Midwest

It's easy to get caught up in pondering and exploring the world's more "exotic" cuisines. The food of a place is evocative of its soul, personality, and the reality of its resources and ingenuity of its people.

Often, it's easy to overlook the Midwestern states as having a cuisine, I know I did for a long time. But since beginning my travels, I keep coming back to a notion in my head of just what it may mean to be "from" Ohio.

Perhaps the food's not as well-defined or distinctly recognizable as say, Florribean or Southern cuisine, but there is most assuredly an "Ohioan", more specifically Columbus cuisine, and every time I visit my home state I try to explore and understand the parameters of it a little more.

Okay, Ohio's not exactly renowned for its viticulture, but there are wineries within the state. I recommend skipping some of the dryer varieties and heading straight for the icewine, alas; above is a tasting of Spanish wines from the Burgundy Room on High street. I used to frequent the place when I lived in the city. They have an incredible wine list, surely with something for everyone. I enjoy the multitude of tasting flights they offer as well; each comes with a laminated mat with a picture of the label and tasting/technical notes of the wines offered. They serve tasty, well-prepared food meant to pair with wines, so I fully advise Buckeye state oenophiles to give it a try.

One thing that does, however, scream Ohio to me is the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Central Ohioans simply go crazy for it. I'm sure the cookies above are no stranger to many, they're called "peanut butter blossoms" (I assume because they vaguely resemble brown flowers...) and they're a Columbus staple.

I have a lot of memories wrapped up into these cookies, and they still bring a smile to me around Christmas time. When I was in my teens, I told my grandmother that they were my favorite cookies, and every Christmas she would make a huge batch of them and wrap them in tin boxes as presents for my brother, cousin and I. The three of us decided to get together and bake some up in honor of my grandmother, who died earlier this year. Making these with my family was really a great experience, even though my cohorts' contribution was to sit at the table and drink several bottles of wine.

Another eponymous Columbus treat is the mysterious "Buckeye", of which I should have taken a picture for illustrative purposes. I think the humble Buckeye deserves more than a passing mention... so I'll have to let you hang on the mystery of it until I get around to expounding upon them, perhaps on some future date.

Sandwiches? Yeah, universal. But, a very "Ohio" way to enjoy them is with a large quantity of good beer. Seriously, it seems like micro-brews are cheaper than water in Ohio. I mean, at Bodega on High street, you can get a nice grilled sandwich like the one pictured above and your choice from a monumental beer list for under $15.

The restaurant scene in Columbus seems to be on the verge of something, and I think it will be a good thing, as long as the city sees fit to support its burgeoning culinary creativity. Even in the somewhat desolate (after 5pm) downtown area, new restaurants are popping up. Above is a tasty, hearty potato soup from Barrio, and I heartily advise checking out Dirty Frank's for a hotdog and the mysterious "Tater-totchos", and Tip Top for Ohio-themed meatloaf and more beer.

Also pushing the envelope are several smaller, fine dining venues looking to introduce a new sense of identity to the region's food. Sage served Amish made cheeses with complimentary sauces as an appetizer.

I tend to get offended when people posit that there are no artisan cheeses in the U.S., because there most certainly are. Beyond all the amazing things happening in northern California, Wisconsin, and the north east, there have been people making high quality cheeses all over the states for some time. The Amish cheeses served above may seem simple to some, but they tell a story of the place and the history of the people who live there. Embrace it, eat it!

Then there's the... quirkier aspects of fine dining in the mid west, quirks like barbecue sauce. But hey, if it tastes good, why not? This was a pork loin with cabbage, apricot barbecue sauce, and sweet potato hash. A pretty nice dish, and definitely tastes like "Ohio" to me.

Do I know what defines Ohio's food culture? I'm not 100% on that. But after studying the cuisines of the world, I hate to dismiss it, because it speaks to a place and a people, just as every other cuisine does. Specifically, it speaks to my roots and the memories that influence my own style. It has its merits, and also a ways to go (in my mind at least) to truly stand out on its own, but it seems as though it has taken a turn in a positive direction of self-exploration and definition, and it's exciting to see it happen, even if usually from afar.

So yeah, if you get the chance, eat in Columbus. I think you won't be disappointed in the city.

I left out the best part of eating in Columbus, because I think the place deserves its own entry, and not just because I visited it nearly every day while I was there. But, you'll have to wait until next time to hear about it, because I'm still swooning over the photos too much to write about it...

Adios!