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Insider tips for visiting Ohio's herb capital.
One of the best parts about the changing seasons is seasonal food and drinks. Gahanna restaurants love to celebrate each season by putting their own creative twist on classic menu items. Like the fall color, these features won’t last--so savor the flavors while you can!
101 Beer Kitchen As the reigning champion of seasonal menus, 101 Beer Kitchen Gahanna is all about fall flavors in their menu options. If you’re a butternut squash lover, then you may want to sink your teeth into their Butternut Squash Pierogies made with Pecorino cheese, sage, shallots, brown butter, sherry vinegar and wilted spinach. 101 BK also features a Butternut Squash Soup topped with spicy pumpkin seeds and creme fraiche.
Their seasonal salad is a Fall Apple Chicken Salad with grilled and shaved chicken breast, applesauce, fall greens and chop mix, dried cranberries, bacon, red onion, pecans and blue cheese tossed in bacon dressing.
If comfort food is more up your alley, then try the Fall Grilled Cheese and Soup made with Honey-fig jam, Brie and pears on sourdough bread served with beet chips and butternut squash topped with spicy pumpkin seeds & creme fraiche. Add a side of 101BK’s homemade Mac & Cheese or the amazing Roasted Brussels Sprouts (one of our staff’s obsessions)!
Barrel & Boar The local favorite scratch kitchen is celebrating fall with a Fall Spinach Salad made with baby spinach, pears, cranberries, spiced pecans, goat cheese, tossed in a cranberry maple vinaigrette. If you have room for dessert, then look no further than their Pumpkin Cheesecake New York Style Cheesecake made in house. And we haven’t even mentioned that amazing brisket and BBQ pulled pork, homemade Mac & Cheese and other comfort food favs. (We’re big fans of the “Lunch box” deal -- featuring the best of everything.)
Barrel & Boar also features several fall-inspired craft cocktails including the “Fall Forrester” made with house infused Old Forester Bourbon, apple cider, fresh honey and cinnamon; served on the rocks. The Apricot Eclipse cocktail features Noble Cut Apple Whiskey (local love), agave, lime juice, with fresh apricot preserves and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cap City Fine Diner Nothing says fall foods more than Thanksgiving Day. Luckily, Thanksgiving came early this year and Cap City has a Thanksgiving Day Sandwich made with roasted turkey breast, house made stuffing and cranberry mayo on toasted buttermilk bread. Cap City is known for its comfort food options including Southern Fried Chicken (with skillet beans, pecans, honey, buttermilk mashed potatoes, pan gravy), Pecan Crusted Pork Chops and Meatloaf!
Healthy Day Nutrition If you’re starting early on your health goals for the New Year, then Healthy Day Nutrition may be your go-to stop. Their meal replacement shakes come in a wide variety of flavors which includes a glazed donut shake. Sure, donuts are year-round treats, but isn’t there something about donuts in the fall that make them taste that much better? Bonus: Stop into Healthy Day on Halloween to get your shake for $5! Anyone wearing a costume is eligible for this promotion on October 31st ONLY
* * * For more great dining options in Gahanna, go to VisitGahanna.com. Don’t forget to post pictures using the hashtag #UniquelyGahanna on social media for a chance to be featured on Visit Gahanna’s social media channels and website! ~Post by Braeden Chicase, Visit Gahanna Social Media Assistant
Your sweet tooth will soon be directing you to Gahanna’s newest (and sweetest) shop! Buckeye Candy Company (BCC) opens today at 104 Granville Street, directly between Subway and Gahanna Barbershop. We caught up with Jay & Shana Sokol, the owners of Buckeye Candy Company, to learn about how BCC came to be and the sweet treats the shop will feature.
Tell us about your new venture! Buckeye Candy Company was born from our original company, The Sweet Spot Candy, LLC, which we began in California over 10 years ago. We aim to be the premier boutique candy shop with the largest selection of modern, nostalgic, sweet and spicy candy that we all know and love. We have visited America’s best candy stores from coast-to-coast for inspiration and will have a huge selection of candy and sweet treats from around the world.
How did you pick Gahanna for your location? We searched all over Columbus and were impressed by Gahanna’s strong sense of community and downtown commerce district. With all of the great local events like the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival, Taste of Gahanna and the many great mom-and- pop businesses, it seemed like a perfect fit for our family business.
What will your shop feature? Buckeye Candy Company will carry a huge selection of chocolates, gummies, sours, and much more from around the world. There will be something for every palate in our 100+ bulk bins, extensive Jelly Belly selection, retro classics like Pop Rocks and Abba Zaba, and today’s hottest candy trends like premium dark chocolate sea salt bars and scorpion lollipops (yes, you can eat the scorpion). And of course we will have buckeyes, in milk, dark and white chocolate.
Who is your target market? Anyone looking for a little something sweet.
Will you do special events? Yes, BCC will provide candy for events such as weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, corporate events, etc. With unlimited options, you can do anything from create your own delicious candy buffet to set up at your party or make specialized party favors. We also plan to have a mobile candy service where we can schedule to visit businesses where people need a mid morning or afternoon sugar boost and provide grab-and-go options.
What is unique about your shop? Our shop, (the initials BCC were named for our three children – Beckett, Cooper & Cassidy), will be a place that will bring joy and happiness to all who enter it. We will carry dozens of hard-to-find candy options, so everyone will find something to make them smile at Buckeye Candy Company!
What made you decide to open a business like this? We had a candy buffet at our wedding in 2007 and everyone loved it so much they suggest we turn it into a business – so we did! We were the first company to offer “candy catering” in California and always dreamt of opening our own shop someday. When we relocated to Columbus in 2017 we started looking for retail spaces and when we found this one in Gahanna we knew it was meant to be.
Anything else you would like folks to know about your shop? While we have searched high and low to offer you hundreds of mouth-watering candy options, if we don’t have what you are looking for, let us know and we will see what we can do to make your sweet dreams a reality!
Where can people find you online? Come follow us on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckeyeCandyCompany Instagram: www.instagram.com/BuckeyeCandyCompany Drop us an email at buckeyecandycompany@gmail.com And our website is coming soon www.buckeyecandycompany.com
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Don’t forget to post pictures using the hashtag #UniquelyGahanna on social media for a chance to be featured on Visit Gahanna’s social media channels and website!
Oh autumn, you beautiful season. We want to take a second and thank you for the crisp breezes, the crunch of brittle leaves under our feet and making us bring out our favorite cozy sweaters. Your red, orange and yellow foliage makes us want to buy all things fall-themed and take a stroll in a park to enjoy the scenery. And I think we might just do that.
Nothing is better than decorating your home to fit the season. Whether you think of fall blooms in a vase on your counter, finding the cutest decor for your shelf or sipping tea from your favorite mug, your local shops have all of these basic fall desires covered.
Great Gift & Paper Co. Located in a charming shop with decor, stationery, jewelry and more from floor to ceiling, this place knows how to bring together the delightful finds you’ve been looking for. Stop in and browse around to inspire your inner interior designer or pick up that items you’ve been eyeing for weeks. Start your holiday shopping, while you are there. They are getting new arrivals every day! Expressions Floral Design Studio There’s nothing quite like flowers to make a house feel like a home. Expressions serves every season and event imaginable, so it’s not hard to believe their fall flower assortment is fantastic. They even have an Ohio State collection - perfect for football season! Everything about this shop makes us happy!
Ohio Herb Education Center Celebrate fall with some herbal teas to relax with or to boost your immune system. The Ohio Herb Education offers everything from great classes (like the upcoming Botanical Beauty Bar Workshops) to a Gift Shop filled with locally made honey, bath products, teas, essential oils, books and dried herbs. HALLOWEEN FUN: Creepside! Calling all boys and ghouls ... Gahanna's annual Creepside Festival offers a family friendly festival filled with endless Halloween activities. Wear your costumes and enjoy free music, games, activities, a trick or treat and plenty of candy. 11 am-3 pm Saturday, October 27 at Creekside Plaza. (117 Mill St.)
FALL IN LOVE … OUTSIDE!
One of the best things about living in the heart of Ohio is getting to experience vibrant fall colors. Gahanna is home to several parks that will satisfy your need to put on a hoodie and boots and see the trees of fall transition to red, orange and yellow. Gahanna has no shortage of trails to enjoy. Stroll through Creekside Park, enjoying the colors--then enjoy a Happy Hour or meal at one of the restaurants at Creekside Plaza. Here are a few of our other favorite local parks …
Woodside Green Park This beautiful 32 acre park offers wonderful amenities such as a playground, canoe launch into the Big Walnut Creek, softball and baseball fields, basketball court, catch and release fishing pond, heated restrooms and a rentable shelter with grill and ample parking. Woodside Green Park multipurpose trail connects to the Big Walnut Trail north to Academy Park and South to the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course, providing a scenic nature hike or bike ride.
Gahanna Woods State Nature Preserve This beautiful, secluded nature preserve encompasses a variety of wooded and successional habitats in an urban setting. At 50+ acres, the preserve offers plenty of scenic hiking trails and areas for picnicking. There are two main trails for adventure -- one being dog-friendly if you have a furry friend.
Academy Park Academy Park is the largest in Gahanna with 107 acres including seven baseball diamonds and two basketball courts. Creek fishing, a playground and heated restrooms are just some of the highlights available.
Hannah Park This 34.5 acre park features tennis and basketball courts, a playground, ball diamond and nearly a mile of walking trails. There is also plenty of green space, ponds, catch and release fishing, heated restrooms and a rentable, covered shelter.
Pizzurro Dog Park In addition to Pizzurro’s 23 acres of parkland, it is home to a dog park, which includes a 4 acre fenced area where dogs can run off-leash. The dog park includes a fenced area for small dogs, 25 lbs. or less, and an agility area for all dogs. A paved path runs through the large dog area making it accessible for wheelchairs.
* * * Don’t forget to post pictures using the hashtag #UniquelyGahanna on social media for a chance to be featured on Visit Gahanna’s social media channels and website!
Starbucks may have made the Pumpkin Spice Latte famous, but Gahanna’s local coffee shops, distilleries and breweries have put their own twist on other classic fall drinks. From Fall Mules and Lavender Lattes to Pumpkin Beer, fall in Gahanna, Ohio is the best time to warm up to coffee or unwind with an in-season drink. Let’s raise a glass and enjoy the fallidays and our local gems.
Blank Slate Coffee Holiday Spice is back! Your favorite cold weather drink is returning for its third year at your favorite AirStream coffee shop, located in the heart of Gahanna’s Creekside District. BSC also has a Lavender Latte that gives a nod to our “Herb Capital of Ohio” status, is perfect for sweater weather and hard to pass up!
Pigskin Brewing Co. Making its return for football season, Pigskin’s Punt Return Stout is back in the lineup! The fall beer is a dark sweet stout made with Ohio maple syrup and fresh pumpkin puree. Be sure to pair it with one of their yummy soups/chili! Hello autumn!
Noble Cut Distillery Beer and coffee are not the only drinks you can fall for in Gahanna. Whisky drinkers can savor Noble Cut’s 3 seasonal flavored whiskeys including Pumpkin Spice, Salted Caramel and Maple. Just the scents alone will remind you of the season.
Upper Cup Coffee There’s no better time of year for a great Caramel Latte or Iced Caramel Latte than fall! And the best coffee-based drinks always start with single origin house-roasted coffee--something that our friends at Upper Cup Coffee have mastered. But don’t worry if you are a tea drinker, Upper Cup offers a variety of tea blends that are ideal for the season. (Did we mention the fresh donuts available there, as well?!)
Kindred Brewing Calling all cocktail fans. Kindred has recently introduced a fall cocktail menu that puts a creative twist on classic favorites! Their Mill St. Mule features vodka, cinnamon, apple, and more. Other drinks include a Chai White Russian and Jack & The Devil made with Noble Cut’s Maple Whiskey, Fall Falernum, apple cider and egg whites.
For the past 16 years, Gahanna Bead Studio has been an inspiring place for creatives to express themselves through bead weaving, mixed media classes and more. We recently took a tour of the local gem, and spoke with Helen O’Donnell--owner of Gahanna Bead Studio--to learn more about the shop, their classes and how they inspire others.
How long has your business been located in Gahanna? Gahanna Bead Studio has been located in Gahanna since its opening in 2002. We were first located on Johnstown Rd., until we moved to our current location in Silver Lane Shopping Center about 10 years ago.
What do you like best about Gahanna-and being a business owner in the city? I love the sense of community, Creekside, my landlords and the friendly atmosphere everywhere I go in Gahanna. My daughter and her family live in Gahanna, and I don't think they could have chosen a better place to live. My Gahanna customers are open and friendly, down-to-earth, and we are proud to be a part of our local community. We have wonderful shop owners in our mall. We will never relocate out of Gahanna!
What does your shop feature? In addition to the widest and most unique selection of beads in all of Columbus, we offer classes in beading and art. Many of our beads have stories, are vintage or antique, are handmade, and/or are exclusive to us. From silversmithing to bead-weaving to basic bead stringing, there's something for everyone at Gahanna Bead Studio. We bring in national and international teachers--two of whom are from Ohio--who teach silversmithing, collage and painting. By renting a separate studio space, we are able to offer Open Beading every Monday and Art Therapy First Friday every month. The additional space allows us to host classes for developmentally disabled people in wheelchairs. We can host birthday parties and ladies' nights out, as well.
What makes your business unique? We're not a cookie-cutter bead shop. Some of our samples and classes include fabric, personal photographs, fibers, and personal talismans in the creation of very personal adornments for home and individuals. The bottom line has never been our focus. Rather, our focus has been offering our customers a safe, secure and supportive place in which to create. We hand out hugs on a daily basis, and our mantra has always been to make our corner of the world a little bit kinder.
What kinds of classes do you offer? We offer basic beading classes where people can learn how to string a basic necklace and earrings and turn a perfect wrapped loop for earrings. We offer instructions on bead-weaving with tiny beads, needle and thread. Most of the designs are original and created by me. Twice-a-year we offer metalsmithing classes using sterling silver or copper with Eva Sherman, an international instructor from the Cleveland area; and twice-a-year we offer art classes by Jacqueline Sullivan, an international instructor from the Cincinnati area. Mixed media classes, especially in jewelry, are also offered. Our goal is to inspire our customers with techniques so that they can make something totally unique. We try to be innovative and odd!
Your business's tagline is: Touch. Connect. Create. What inspired this? This was an inspiration after I read a book about millennial shopping habits, and the recognition that people are shopping more and more online than ever before. We battle the Amazon giant every day! The value of shopping local at small independent stores is that it provides the opportunity to touch and feel the items you want to buy. You can feel the cold temperature of real, natural stones; fondle the softness of sari silk cording; balance the weight of your choices when deciding how much you can wear around your neck. You connect with us in face-to-face interactions, so critical to our humanity and so important to maintaining our sense of empathy! Hardly a day goes by that we don't give a hug to someone who needs it. Then I know they leave feeling better than when they came in! There is just no substitute for in-person interactions, and we think that communities are enhanced when people get out and meet face-to-face. Once you touch and feel the beads, once you connect with us and learn how helpful and supportive we are, you can't help but feel creative! Touch. Connect. Create.
Do you do special events? If so, could you describe a few of them? Weekly, we offer free Open Beading. Bring a project, any project, and work in the studio space with other like-minded people. The camaraderie and friendships that develop are worth the investment of time, every Monday, 1 - 4 pm. On Monday holidays, we may open the studio earlier for a special Mixed Media Mania open studio time, since many people are off work on those days. For those who work during the week and are unable to make Open Beading on Mondays, we offer Art Therapy First Friday on every first Friday of the month from 6 - 9 pm. It’s the same kind of event as Open Beading, but usually someone will bring wine!
We also have our annual Halloween Social and Chili Potluck coming up on October 26! We’ll have board games, adult coloring, Chili, and beverages. This is a night for friendship and camaraderie, so come to have fun, meet new people and prepare to have a great time! You can register for our Halloween event here!
Is there anything people should know about your shop? If people don’t support their independently-owned small retail shops, that those shops will soon become dinosaurs--and won’t be around when you need support and assistance. Retail businesses improve their local communities by collecting sales taxes, which help fund community services; they keep local residents employed; they keep landlords' spaces filled; they provide havens for like-minded people to meet and socialize; and they improve the vibrancy and fabric of their communities.
Gahanna Bead Shop 1028 N Hamilton Rd. Gahanna, OH 43230 (614) 933-8948
HOURS: M-F 10 am-6 pm / Sat 10 am-5 pm / Sun 12-5 pm
Copyright © 2014 Gahanna Convention & Visitors Bureau. All rights reserved. 167 Mill St. Gahanna, Ohio 43230. 614/418-9114. 866/424-2662