Ah, 2020. A year that started with such hope and purpose, then quickly skewed into a year like no other. This devolved into a difficult year, but one not without its bright spots. Beth and I mobilized what resources we had through our jobs to support local businesses where we could. At times it felt like we were having an effect, at other times it felt like we watched helplessly from the sidelines.
One of my strengths is writing, and so write I did. In addition to regular blog posts for Experience Columbus, TourismOhio, and Experience Worthington, I wrote for Ohio Magazine, Columbus Monthly, Columbus Alive, and other travel publications. I’m grateful to have the work, and to use my voice in any way possible to support small businesses!
So let’s look at what happened on BreakfastWithNick.com in 2020!
INTERVIEWS
One of my goals for 2020 was to start an interview series, helping folks get to know the hardworking chefs, restaurateurs, coffee roasters, bakers, brewers who make our culinary scene so great. My goal was one a week for the first three months, and I made it through early March before everything got shut down. If you have the time, listen to these stories from local makers:
- Jimmy Barouxis, owner of Buckeye Donuts
- Eric Bean, owner and brewmaster at Columbus Brewing Company
- Luke and Annie Williams Pierce, owners of Lawbird
- Kevin Crowley, owner of The Lox Bagel Shop
- Matt Heaggans, former co-owner of Ambrose & Eve, owner of Preston’s
- Sangeeta Lakhani, co-owner of the now-shuttered The Table
- Hans and Joelle Hochstedler, owners of Florin Coffee
- Laura Lee, owner of Ajumama food truck
- Brandon Bir, Director of Education and Sustainability at Crimson Cup
ESSAYS
One of my goals for 2020 was to write more essays for the site. I got off to a good start, but then turned my attention to (hopefully) helpful lists highlighting local spots to support:
- In 2020, Eat With Your Hands
- 10 Local Restaurants to Try Right Now
- Black-Owned Brunch, Breakfast, & Coffee
- 12 Pizzas We’ve Tried While Staying Home
- 15 Takeout Meals to Try
- Feed the Family With These Meal Kits
- Baking Those Fox in the Snow Biscuits
BREAKFAST
As usual, breakfast is still the name of the game here. Just look at the morning meals we (re)discovered in 2020!
- The Original Pancake House: highlighting OPH’s holiday favorites, which added a second location in Westerville
- Clifton Mill: giant pancakes at this historic mill in Clifton, Ohio
- Fox in the Snow Cafe: a visit to their third location in New Albany
- Early Birds Breakfast: a surprise hit, a small town gem in St. Louisville, Ohio, with creative breakfast dishes
- Katalina’s, Too: visiting the second location of the beloved breakfast spot
- Heirloom Cafe: great breakfasts to be found at the Wexner Center’s in-house cafe
- Founding Farmers: a lovely morning meal in Washington, D.C.
- Cafe Elena: an international array of breakfasts from this mother/daughter-owned cafe
- Fay’s Crepes: a woman-owned crepe stand inside Polaris Fashion Place
- Winston’s Coffee & Waffles: a terrific food truck in Clintonville serving coffee and creative sweet + savory waffles
- Cap City Fine Diner: this Grandview Cameron Mitchell spot invited us to weekend brunch!
- Basic Biscuits, Kindness, & Coffee: a new family-run shop serving all things biscuit-related
- Emmett’s Cafe: another much-anticipated addition, a full service coffee shop with creative breakfasts to match
- Kolache Republic: I was very sad to lose one of my favorites in February, but overjoyed when they reopened a few doors up
- The Syndicate: a creative brunch in downtown Bellefontaine
- The Almond Sisters Bakery: a favorite discovery of the year, with incredible baked goods and coffee in downtown Hamilton
COFFEE
We certainly kept caffeinated this year with new and updated coffee shops:
- Brioso Coffee: one of the city’s OG roasters opened an updated location at Gay and High downtown
- Florin Coffee: after roasting for a couple years, they added a new retail shop in Linden
- One Line Coffee: a look at One Line’s new Franklinton location
- Crimson: Crimson Cup Coffee opened this modern new concept at Easton
- The Parable Coffee: a thoughtfully run coffee pop-up inside Comune
DONUTS
What more can I say?
- Complete Guide to Columbus Donut Shops: I mean, we needed a definitive guide, right?
- The Original Goodie Shop: we finally made it to this Upper Arlington institution!
- Tupelo Doughnuts: visiting Tupelo’s new carryout storefront near Dublin
- Donald’s Donuts: during a day trip we checked out this much-lauded spot in Zanesville
- Schuler’s Bakery: exploring another long-running institution, this one in Springfield
BEYOND
This year we also cooked up meals at home and checked out lots of non-breakfasty goodness:
- Making the Most of Your Produce with Misfits Market: whipping up meals in this partnership with the delivery service that rescues rejected produce
- Find the Right Seasoning at the Spice & Tea Exchange: a partnership featuring home cooking using spices from this new family-owned franchise at Polaris
- Chocolate Angel Strata: sharing a family-favorite recipe for a rich chocolate and cinnamon meringue pie
- Afra Grill: amazing Somali dishes at this new fast casual spot on Morse Road
TRAVEL
Prior to COVID lockdowns we took some fun trips. Post-COVID we postponed bigger travel plans, but managed smaller, safe trips, especially those highlighting local eats, safe shopping, parks, etc.
- Travel to the Moon in Cincinnati: the first weekend of 2020 had us exploring the Queen City for a day, with markets, museums, coffee, beer
- The Holidays in Pittsburgh: a look back at a lovely big-city Christmas celebration in downtown Pittsburgh
- A Treehouse Stay in the Mohicans: a delightful overnight in, yes, a treehouse in the woods!
- Making Our Way in Washington, D.C.: I explored DC during a conference at the end of February, the last big trip before shutdown!
- Safe Trips & Activities Within Three Hours of Columbus: I worked with some of our previous travel partners to highlight safe activities in their regions
- A Trek to The Wilds + Donuts, Coffee, & Ice Cream: finally making it to a safari at The Wilds, and of course pairing it with old school eats like donuts and ice cream
- A Weekend in Springfield: a fun family time in Springfield, exploring food, markets, bike trails, coffee, donuts, museums, pumpkin patches
- Biking, Beer, & Brunch in Bellefontaine: we turned an invited brunch into a full day trip!
- Dining in Downtown Delaware: a look at local dining options around Delaware
- Holiday Fun in Hamilton: safe local shopping, dining, and holiday fun in the Butler County seat
- A Staycation at the Worthington Courtyard Marriott: a little invited overnight focused on pool-time, games, local eats
Thanks again to everyone who’s followed along, interacted, and supported us during this difficult year! Here’s hoping 2021 features more genuine growth and better times together.
Happy New Year from Nick, Beth, Will, & Owen!
