Scott and I lived in Columbus, Ohio for 7 years and it is such a great city! Most people don’t realize that it has so much to offer, especially in terms of finding local sources for almost everything you can think of.
I’ve put together a list of my favorite places to go and shop while I was there. This isn’t a complete list by any means. This list reflects the places that I have found and enjoyed going to. Please use it as a resource or guide for getting to know Columbus, Ohio!
SHOPPING:
Local Meats:
North Market has Blues Creek Farms which sells pork, beef, lamb, and sometimes goat. There is also North Market Poultry and Game which sells chicken, buffalo, and turkey.
Mosley’s Meat Market located in Hilliard, OH. They have local Ohio beef, pork, and chicken.
Weiland’s, Hills Market, and The Anderson’s all sell local Ohio meats.
When the farmer’s markets are in season, you can also find local farmers selling their meats there.
Veggies:
Hills Market and Greener Grocer both offer up local produce. Greener Grocer focuses on providing as much organic and local produce as they can.
Eggs:
Whole Foods on Sawmill sells local Ohio eggs. You can also find local eggs at North Market Poultry and Game. Cage-free and free range eggs.
Seafood:
While seafood is obviously not native to Ohio, there are some places where you can find great seafood to cook at home. Frank’s Fish and Seafood Market in Hilliard is a great place to purchase fresh seafood. Frank will even come out to talk with you about the seafood, where it came from and when it arrived.
Spirits and Libation Needs:
This isn’t local beer and wine, that’s coming up! This is where I shop for beer and wine, the places that I think have the best selection.
The Anderson’s is my go-to top choice for shopping for beer and wine. They have a great selection. The wine section is massive! The amount of craft beer they carry is the most diverse. I typically can find beer here that I can’t find in other places around town. For the best seasonal selections, this is the place to check.
Weiland’s has a decent beer selection as well.
For liquor and the different items that go with it, (like bitters), Hills Market and Weiland’s are top choices. They have the best selection and best quality of items. Hills has a little bit more variety than Weiland’s.
House Wine has a great selection of wines along with having the best description for each wine.
DINING:
Food:
For a great list of local places to eat please check out Dine Originals. Most places in Columbus focusing on using local ingredients and local providers. This is part of what makes living and eating here so amazing. A few of our local faves are:
G. Michael’s Bistro (our favorite restaurant by far)
Akai Hana (Has the best sushi and ramen in the city, in our opinion!)
Bono has the best pizza.
Figlio’s pizza comes in at a close second.
Ocean Club has great seafood dining. It can get a little loud but the food is great and perfect for sharing.
Columbus also has a huge food truck community. Check out the locations and offerings here.
Local Drinks:
Camelot Wines offers locally crafted wines made from the juice of grapes from several different regions. The best place to go have a relaxing glass of wine. You can also custom create your own blend!
Whiskey and Vodka, by Middlewest Spirits
Gin and Vodka by Watershed Distillery
Mead, by Brothers Drake
Bars to grab a pint:
The majority of bars and restaurants in Columbus offer a great beer list that focuses more on local and craft beers. Yeah some standards will be on there, gotta please everyone! However, if you are a beer lover, you should be very happy with what you find available here.
If you stumble across a link that doesn’t work any longer, please feel free to email me to give me a heads up about it! I’ll fix it as soon as I can.