Happy New Year! While 2018 was a big year of transition for us (moving to a new house, new jobs, new school), 2019 was another year of new adventures. Beth and I traveled abroad for the first time in years, trekking around central Scotland for our 40th birthdays. And our whole crew packed into an RV to explore Yellowstone National Park. (I’ll write about those soon, I promise!) We also managed to squeeze in smaller trips to Cincinnati, Toledo, Yellow Springs, and other locales.
As we finish one year and lean into the next, I think it’s good for all of us to be proud of our accomplishments, and to boldly lay plans for 2020. I’m proud that I make my way as a writer, and so I have to share what I accomplished in 2019:
- 106 blog posts on Breakfast With Nick
- 47 blog posts for Experience Columbus
- 32 tours for Columbus Food Adventures
- 20 articles for Columbus Monthly
- 18 articles for assorted travel publications
- 16 blog posts for Experience Worthington
- 15 articles for Columbus Alive
- 12 articles for the Columbus Dispatch
- 3 articles for Ohio Magazine
And I’ve got more exciting projects in the works for 2020! But let’s take a look at what we discovered this year in breakfast, coffee, travel, and more:
BREAKFAST
As usual, breakfast is first and foremost on our minds. A few highlights from our 2019 discoveries:
- Cosecha Cocina: we’ve always loved this contemporary Mexican spot, but love their brunch even more
- BrewDog Franklinton: BrewDog’s Franklinton outpost features an interesting weekend brunch, which includes a Scottish breakfast!
- George’s Linworth Diner: we’ve long been fans of Beechwold Diner, and their second location in Linworth brings all our favorites closer to home
- Nancy’s Home Cooking: we revisited Nancy’s this year to ensure that, yes, not much has changed at this Clintonville institution
- The Lox Bagel Shop: one of the breakout stars of 2019, the Lox serves ridiculously craveable house-made bagels and fillings
- The Goat: we were impressed with the coffee and breakfast offerings at the LC’s in-house dining at RiverSouth
- Short & Stout Kitchen: this little pop-up inside the Brewery District Daily Growler serves hearty and crave-able breakfasts
- Geordie’s Restaurant: Columbus can always use more English breakfasts, and we found one at the new Geordie’s
- Tula Taqueria: we’ve been fans of Tula since they opened, but loved them even more for their weekend breakfast
- Baba’s: re-visiting to see their new diner counter and for a chorizo breakfast sandwich
- And YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT that donuts have still been the name of the game. This year we discovered delectables like Mrs. Renison’s Donuts in Marysville, Donna’s Delicious Dozen in Gahanna, Panaderia Mi Pueblo inside Saraga Grocery, and The Stack on Lane near campus.
COFFEE
We love coffee and coffee shops. This year saw the expansion or renovation of many beloved Columbus roasters!
- Outside Coffee Co.: enjoy great coffee in a geodesic dome in Grand Rapids, Michigan!
- Roosevelt Coffeehouse: Roosevelt’s newest location in the Franklinton Gravity development
- Crimson Cup: a look at the renovated Clintonville shop
- Stauf’s Coffee Roasters: Stauf’s is on a roll! This year they opened in a renovated Victorian Village church
BEYOND
I didn’t document as many of our Beyond Breakfast wanderings this year, but I did highlight some significant stops and recipes:
- Veritas and The Citizens Trust: this dynamic duo of innovative restaurant and creative cocktail bar land as some of the city’s best offerings, heightened by their location in an old bank building
- Legacy Smokehouse: terrific smoked meats, sides, and sauces, served in a renovated house in downtown Hilliard
- Bulk Cooking: A Simple How-To: Beth documented her process for bulk cooking. A great way to stock up on meals for yourself or to share with others
TRAVEL
We were very fortunate to stretch our wings a bit this year, traveling internationally for the first time in years, and testing out an RV adventure. I haven’t written up our Scotland and Yellowstone trips yet, but we discovered plenty more both near and far in 2019:
- Catching up: read about our itineraries in Seattle and Portland from late 2018
- Seeing Cincinnati: another wonderful trip to the Queen City, including breakfast discoveries at Cheapside Cafe and Maplewood
- At the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls, Yurt is the Word: we’ve stayed at the Inn before, but had an absolutely delightful visit to one of their yurts
- Outer Banks Adventures: our annual trek to OBX included fishing trips, beaches, and plenty of good food
- Young’s Jersey Dairy & Yellow Springs: we love YS and Young’s, and look forward to any opportunity to get to know its brewery, biking trails, and shops better
- Let’s Go to Licking County!: our neighboring county to the east invited us to check out parks and breweries, restaurants and farmer’s markets. Highlights included the discovery of the charming Snapshots Lounge and its companion Snapshots Coffee & Kitchen
- On the Mansfield Wine & Ale Trail: we were invited to explore wineries, breweries, coffee shops, and good eats around Richland County
- Two Days in Toledo: finally getting to know our northwest Ohio brethren, discovering comfort foods, museums, and parks, including breakfast at Black Kite Coffee & Pies
- Breakfast at the Lucky Steer in Wapakoneta, followed by a visit to the Armstrong Air & Space Museum
- A Stay at Timbrook Guesthouse: a lush and cozy getaway tucked in Columbus’ northwest side
- A Stay at the DogHouse Hotel at BrewDog: BrewDog does everything big, including their hotel in Canal Winchester that looks into the brewery itself
We are very grateful for everyone that follows along on our adventures, both here on the blog and online via Facebook and Instagram. We’ve got some fun ideas in store for 2020.
We wish you a very happy and successful and adventurous New Year!
Love,
Nick, Beth, Will, and Owen (and Maeby our cranky 14-year-old Lab)
