Our favorite tastes, sights and adventures for 2022

Without a doubt, 2022 has been a year of adventures for us! BreakfastWithNick.com got a complete makeover thanks to the Wonderly crew, we reported on lots of new foods and drinks, we ventured across the state from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, we took TWO train rides. So I rounded up some of our favorite openings, coffee and cocktails, breakfasts and bakeries, travel fun and more. Enjoy!

We’ve been fans of Avishar’s for a while and were selfishly excited when he opened his first restaurant near us in Old Worthington. Since opening in the fall, we’ve eaten pretty much everything on the menu and have yet to find a weak link.

In my opinion, the East Market is one of the biggest culinary developments in the city in 2022. I love the restoration of the old streetcar buildings, the lineup of vendors, the event spaces and the bars And coming soon: Columbus Brewing Company Brewery!

The new Hilton Tower is an interesting addition to the city center, especially for its ground floor restaurant FYR, run by Argentinian chef Sebastian La Rocca. Our dinner included interesting cocktails and wines, and a thoughtful menu of creative dishes large and small.

This new Linworth outpost from the Alqueria Farmhouse Kitchen team was a welcome addition to the neighborhood. They breathed new life into the former Crafty Pint/Hoggy space with a great whiskey menu, great cocktails, and a Southern-inspired comfort food menu.

After lying dormant during the pandemic, the Crest on Parsons Avenue received new life as the Mercury Diner, a space-themed greasy spoon with creative breakfasts, solid coffee and cocktails.

We loved it when Worthington Tavern opened, bringing a new option for cocktails, beers, burgers and more to Old Worthington. And we loved their weekend brunch even more.

Other notable openings:

On my way back from a conference in Sandusky, I stopped at G & R Tavern in Waldo, a cash-only joint known for its thick-cut bologna sandwich. And don’t miss the homemade cakes!

All we have to do is breathe a whisper of this Korean fried chicken chain, which opened its first location at Henderson and Kenny, and we’re pretty much guaranteed a trip there; this is what we long for!

We’re lucky to have a lot of great Indian food in Columbus, but New India has quickly become one of our favorites. We love everything the family-run restaurant has to offer, but we can’t miss the deliciously sweet and savory Afghani naan.

In 2020, CBC finally got its own taproom on the west side. We’ve loved every visit there, from the 20+ beers on tap to the Detroit-style pizzas to the bar snacks like wings and mozzarella sticks.

Rooh is a rarity among the Columbus dining scene, an upscale restaurant that offers familiar Indian flavors with contemporary interpretations. The quality of the food is matched by the complex and fun-to-drink cocktails.

In a city rich in tacos, Los Agavez stands out. The Clintonville truck helped introduce Columbus to birria, a slow-cooked beef served with a rich consumé for dipping. Their signature tacos are a constant craving for us. But don’t miss their shepherd too!

Joseph and Annie from Braised & Broiled invited us to experience one of their classes at their home. Under her friendly guidance we learned how to make ravioli from scratch, which we then enjoyed with an amazing Italian feast! We recommend one of his classes.

Other favorite bites:

Emmett has already had success with his Brewery District cafe, with its coffee and breakfast sandwiches and burritos. But then they expanded with a beautiful new location inside the historic outdoor building in Old North.

The new Granville station is located in the old railway station. Owned by the Harvest Pizzeria team, the beautifully refurbished cafe serves good coffee, pastries and breakfasts.

Isabella Bonello’s Three Bites Bakery, which started as a home operation, grew to its own storefront on King-Lincoln this year. Their line of expertly crafted products are some of the most unique and desirable in town.

Croissants at North South Baking

During our January trip to Covington, Kentucky, a friend directed us to North South Baking, which operates Bircus Brewing. There we found a spectacular lineup of croissants, stuffed treats, mini kouign-aman.

A longtime favorite, DK Diner is a beloved neighborhood diner with great breakfasts (try the chorizo ​​hash!) that also makes some of the best donuts in town (get the old-fashioned sour cream!).

Speaking of donuts, it was time to revisit our favorite donut shop! Buckeye Donuts has been going strong since 1969, producing fresh donuts 24 hours a day by hand. Even though my breakfast tours are on hiatus, I’ve missed visiting this crew on a regular basis.

This fall I appeared on an episode of WOSU’s Broad & High, talking about the arts and showing host Kate Quickel how to make Dutch pancakes!

More favorite breakfasts:

The Analog Coffee Bar at Carabello Coffee

Another highlight from our trip to Northern Kentucky last winter! One of our favorite moments was a stop at Carabello Coffee in Newport. The indoor Analog Coffee Bar offers a seasonal specialty menu. After a sub-zero tour of the neighborhood, sitting in the cafe, interacting with the barista, was the perfect warm-up.

One of the city’s biggest coffee shops moved from Parsons Avenue to a beautiful corner space in the old Lazarus building downtown.

On our last trip to Cincinnati we stopped by Camp Washington to visit this cafe and wine bar. The Ferrari Bros shop, named after his mother, was ranked as the best coffee shop in Ohio Food and wine.

More Favorite Coffee Adventures:

Echo Spirits produces a unique list of spirits, and its relatively new bar is a cozy and secluded spot for dynamic cocktails. Just let beverage manager Derek Reno and his crew guide you. (Bonus: Echo Spirits now has Rabbit Ramen parked on site!)

Beers in a beautiful setting at Twin Oast Brewing

During our weekend in Lake Erie, we stopped for dinner at Twin Oast on Catawba Island. It’s clear why it’s become a destination: great food, an expert beer list, and unparalleled views of orchards, fields, fire pits, custom oast towers, even a small music venue.

One of the most exciting new additions this year is Ginger Rabbit, an underground jazz venue from the owners of Chapman’s. It’s the perfect place for local music, interesting bar snacks and cocktails.

This year we discovered more and more reasons to visit Granville. Seek-No-Further Cidery makes its home in a renovated barn downtown and offers some of the best ciders I’ve ever tasted.

This spring, to celebrate our father’s 70th birthday, my three brothers and I took him on a trip on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief from Chicago to Flagstaff. We are all train enthusiasts, so it was a memorable experience to be able to see the changing scenery, enjoy good meals and great company.

For Father’s Day, Beth and the kids took me on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad where we enjoyed breakfast on the train as it passed through the national park. It was great fun and served to start a day exploring the park.

We love Cincy, and this year-end night saw us visit Music Hall for the first time while trying new and familiar eats. Also: get on the tram.

One of my favorite trips of the year was a late January jaunt to and around Covington, Kentucky. Covington, Newport, Ludlow and nearby towns are rich in cocktail bars, distilleries, historic buildings and top-notch dining.

Our family had an amazing spring break trip to Washington, DC, exploring monuments and historic sites, checking out great food, seeing a space shuttle!

Our Amtrak trip ended in Flagstaff, an excellent high desert home base for exploring nearby Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, not to mention the Lowell Observatory, local breweries, great breakfasts , train watching and much more.

We spent a day exploring Miami County, from visiting a Mustang museum to a charcuterie board for breakfast, a visit to a chocolate factory to a canal boat ride, beers in an old church and more .

This summer we returned to Lake Erie for a weekend that saw us explore wineries and breweries, spend a day at Kellys Island, kayak the Portage River, swim at Lakeside.

We’ve loved every visit we’ve made to The Mohicans. Their incredible cabins and treehouses are the best escapes we can imagine: quiet, hidden in the woods, surrounded by beautiful scenery.

I love writing helpful guides and have shared several this year. Hope they are useful

Thanks again to everyone who follows along! We appreciate all the support throughout the year and wish you a Happy New Year 2023!

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