Ohio

My first mistake at a Cincinnati buffet is usually grabbing a plate too soon. By the time I reach the end of the line, I have already spotted three things…

I knew I had underestimated lunch when the pierogies landed on the table. They were thick, generously filled, and much bigger than I expected. One bite of warm potato and…

The first bite usually tells me whether a deli deserves a second visit. When the bread is still warm, the meat is piled high, and melted cheese starts escaping down…

I expected Sunday lunch. I did not expect to eat it inside a 1906 gristmill with the river roaring just outside the windows. The drive through southeastern Ohio already felt…

I knew it had officially turned into an Ohio October afternoon when I started warming my hands around a bowl of soup instead of my coffee cup. The wind outside…

I came to this corner of Ohio thinking about waterfalls. I left wondering what retirement would look like here. The shift happened faster than I expected. Hocking Hills sits close…

The wind had picked up by the time I stepped inside, and my hands were still cold from the walk across the parking lot. A few minutes later, I was…

I pulled up to this Ohio restaurant and had to check twice that I was in the right place. From the street, the old stone house looked more like somewhere…

I have learned that some of Dayton’s best sandwiches come from places I would never have picked out as delis from the sidewalk. One lunch stop sent me past a…

I did not expect the ribeye to arrive looking like the kind of steak I usually save for a special dinner. It filled most of the plate, had a proper…

I have lost count of how many times an Iowa fall drive has made me pull over for a view I was not expecting. Give October a few cool nights,…

You know how a fabric stop can turn into three before lunch? That is basically how this Ohio road trip came together. One shop leads to another, and pretty soon…

I did not expect one small Ohio town to give me this many reasons to keep the car parked. I started with a walk downtown and somehow ended up by…

I had not planned on ordering pie. Then I walked into this little Ohio diner and saw the dessert lineup. A warm slice of apple pie ended up on my…

I can be completely full and still change my mind the second someone mentions homemade pie. Ohio diners are especially dangerous that way. You go in thinking about breakfast or…

I knew this Ohio road trip was going to take longer than planned when the first overlook made me shut off the car instead of snapping a quick photo and…

By 7 a.m., State Route 664 is still quiet enough to feel like you have the Hocking Hills mostly to yourself. That is also when this little Ohio diner starts…

Going to an orchard for apples sounds simple enough. In Ohio, that plan tends to fall apart the moment you smell something warm coming from the market. The bakery counter…

Most historic mansions ask kids not to touch anything. This one practically dares them to touch everything. Behind the stately brick exterior, three floors are packed with places to climb,…

I am usually pretty happy to leave the main highway behind once the leaves start changing. In Ohio, the quieter roads often end up being the ones I remember most….

The best thrift-store find is usually the thing I almost walked past. That has happened to me more than once around Dayton. I will stop for a quick look, spot…

The first cold Ohio morning of October usually changes my plans before breakfast even starts. Suddenly, coffee tastes better, a warm booth sounds much more appealing, and taking the long…

The ferry dock looked almost too quiet for a Lake Erie island. No long line of cars. No crowd pressing toward the boat. Just cool September air and plenty of…

You know that moment on an Ohio road trip when you are hungry enough to want steak, but not quite hungry enough to love steakhouse prices? That is where these…

A flight of stairs off a downtown Cincinnati sidewalk does not exactly scream destination restaurant. That is part of what makes finding this place so much fun. Down below, the…

From the street, this Ohio restaurant looks more like someone’s old house than one of the toughest dinner reservations around Columbus. That makes finally getting a table even more fun….

I have a soft spot for restaurants that seem to get busier the longer they stay open. In Ohio, a few buffets have been proving that point for decades. Some…

You can usually tell pretty quickly when a breakfast place has regulars. Someone walks in, gets a nod from behind the counter, and somehow the coffee is already on its…

I know I have found a good diner when the bill makes me look at it twice, for the right reason. Ohio still has plenty of places where breakfast does…

I only meant to stop for one planter. By the time I walked back to the car, I was figuring out how to fit several pots and a stoneware crock…

There is something oddly satisfying about driving through Ohio before the day has properly started and spotting a donut shop already glowing ahead. In October, that detour gets even harder…

There is a point every fall when Ohio suddenly decides a light jacket is no longer enough. That is usually about the same time I start craving something hot enough…

I never know what to do when a menu gives me a good steak and a serious plate of barbecue at the same time. Pick one, order both, or start…

Sometimes the best craft projects start with something I was not looking for at all. That is the fun of Ohio’s creative reuse stores. I might walk in needing fabric…

I have learned that feeding a whole family on an Ohio road trip gets complicated fast. One person wants chicken, another wants noodles, and somebody is already asking what is…

I had already mapped out my first plate when one bite of steak completely ruined the plan. Buffet steak is usually something I approach with reasonable caution, but this one…

I was driving through northeast Ohio when a small cafe near Tallmadge Circle gave me a very good reason to pull over. I almost passed it, which would have been…

I have learned that five dollars can still go surprisingly far at the right Ohio bakery. Sometimes it even leaves enough change to make ordering a second pastry feel completely…

I have eaten enough tacos to know that the tortilla can quietly make or ruin the whole thing. Most of the time, I barely think about it. Then I found…

I usually know a tailgate is getting serious when someone says, “We should probably stop at the butcher first.” That one decision can change the whole Saturday. Instead of settling…

I was halfway through lunch before it really sank in that this elegant little Ohio tea room occupies a building that started life as a livery stable more than a…

Somewhere along the Lake Erie shoreline, I realized this had stopped being a casual seafood hunt. I was comparing perch from one town with walleye from the next and mentally…

I knew these pumpkin pancakes had a following when I heard the question before anyone even sat down. “Are they back yet?” Every fall, that question starts making the rounds…

I have learned that walking into a European market for one specific thing is usually optimistic. Somewhere between the deli counter and the bakery case, the shopping list tends to…

I only meant to grab a few groceries. Then I found out there was a restaurant downstairs, and that plan pretty much fell apart. This little Ohio country store has…

I have learned not to rush an order at a good Ohio deli. Half the fun is standing at the counter for a minute, watching familiar faces walk in and…

I knew this Ohio road trip was getting slightly ridiculous when I started measuring morning drives by how many apple fritters I could reasonably fit in before lunch. Fall makes…

I knew I had underestimated this Dayton buffet about five minutes after walking in. I was still deciding where to start when another fresh tray came out and completely changed…

I can only drive Ohio back roads for so long before the scenery starts making me hungry. After a morning of leaf-covered hills and too many unplanned photo stops, a…

Before I even sat down for lunch, I had already spent a few minutes watching ducks circle the pond outside. That was my first clue this was not going to…