Tastecasters was invited to join in for the first ever Taste of Bexley, and boy were we glad to be there.

26 Bexley restaurants were scheduled to attend, but unfortunately, not all of them showed. Too bad for them. There were lots of hungry visitors, and we enjoyed the heck out of everything we tried.

The venue was a delight and the display of Chihuly Glass only added to its charm. By the size of the crowd I would think this was a huge crowd pleaser and did a lot for Mid Ohio Food Bank.

Since there were so many restaurants, I’m going to try to break the reviews up by type – just for some semblance of order. I didn’t manage to get pictures of everything, which is a shame because it was all delightful!

Casual Eateries

Entering, the first booth we came to was Bruegger’s Bagels. They offered herby turkey sandwiches, chicken salad, chicken spaetzel soup and roasted tomato soup. I tried the chicken salad and it was as good as my home-made, which – since I’m truly a chicken salad snob – is quite the compliment. I know where I’ll go next time I crave chicken salad, that’s for sure. I also tried the chicken spaetzel soup, which would be perfect with a bagel on a cold day.

Panera bakery was also there. If you like REAL bread (not the crap we Americans use for sandwiches on a regular basis – no, I mean the stuff that’s got crust and some heft to it!) you can’t go wrong at Panera. They provided samples of many of their breads and some spinach dip. Yum.

The next booth we stopped at was Katzinger’s Deli. Katzinger’s is located in German Village, but a proud supporter of all things Bexley. Anyone who’s ever eaten there knows there’s not a bad thing on the menu. I tried the smoked salmon and the veggie sandwich with roasted red peppers. There was also turkey and corned beef, but I wanted to leave some for other people to try. Yum.

At the Cosi stand I tried the Chicken pesto, and my husband tried the buffalo chicken sandwich. There were pepper chips on the side. They also had cream cheese on bagels, but we didn’t try them. When we picked up the sandwiches, I said, “Hey, we’ll each pick a different one and share!” But once we started, we couldn’t stop. We each ate our whole sandwich, and when we went back to try to get more, the line was so long. We thought we’d come back later, but everything was gone by the time we got there again. Sigh.

Old Bag of Nails was a treat. I’m originally from Detroit, and I’m kind of a fried fish snob – there’s some GREAT fish places in Detroit, let me tell you. The fish that Old Bag of Nails brought was right on par with what I’m used to eating. I can’t tell you how happy that made me. I know where I’ll go for my next fish and chips craving! There was also a pumpkin roll, with a super cream cheese filling.

We then made our way over to the Rusty Bucket. They didn’t bring their fried pickles – it would have been difficult to have them hot and fresh, I imagine, since there was no onsite cooking available there at Franklin Conservatory. And while that is the one thing I always order when I’m there, I have to say that the chicken & corn quesodillas are now also likely to become a staple for me. They were perfectly spiced and the guacamole matched it perfectly.

Flavor’s Eatery is a restaurant I had never heard about before, but definitely want to go back to. On display were some lightly breaded chicken bites that served as a vehicle for some amazing home-made dipping sauces. The Thai sauce was a favorite. Just a hint of spice, sweet, and peanut, and it really delivered. Also nicely done was the barbecue sauce, that was a slight bit runny but had a great tang to it. The white chicken chili was a wonderful soup though. The consistency was more like soup – I typically view chili as a bit thicker – but the broth was wonderfully seasoned and had big chunks of vegetables in it.

At Aladdin’s Eatery, we sampled some Mediterranean fare. As always, it was delicious. Aladdin’s really knows how to create a vegetarian meal that makes you not miss the meat at all. I tried a lentil & rice dish called Mujadara – absolutely delicious – where just the lentils & rice themselves would have been flavorful enough, but they topped it with fresh vegetables (a Lebanese salad) that just brought the whole thing to life. I also recommend, when you eat there, to try their hummus and anything they serve with feta.

Up near the very front, we found Bexley Natural market. Organic vegetables. Carrots, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese. It was all fabulous. And best of all, hormone free. I seriously have to start shopping there.

Dessert Fare

Right next to the Rusty Bucket was Jeni’s ice cream. Okay, could there be any more of my Columbus favorites under one roof? Jeni’s ice cream is a unique treat. Their salty caramel is something you won’t taste anywhere else. The dark chocolate is actually dark – a must for those who prefer a higher cacao content (although, I find their cocoa-zin – which they didn’t bring to the event to be even darker). The heirloom pumpkin 5-spice was like pumpkin pie in a cup. I didn’t get to try their apple cider sorbet, to my chagrin. But luckily, they brought samples of the Seattle-based natural soda they sell at their stores. It was a lavender soda, and it was delightful. The lavender wasn’t overpowering, there was a lemony undertone. It cleansed the palette beautifully.

Johnson’s Ice Cream, which was on the other end of the Taste, is a more traditional, and just as delicious, ice cream provider. They offered their own pumpkin spice ice cream and the spices in it were perfectly blended – even as full as I was by the time I got there, I couldn’t stop eating it.The French Butter Fudge was also amazing. Rich, creamy, buttery ice cream with a thick river of fudge running through it. It was a sundae in and of itself – the only thing missing was whipped cream and nuts, and I didn’t really miss it.

Oh, then there was the Cherbourg Bakery. Everything they brought was gluten free. Now *THAT* is a feat. For those who aren’t bakers, gluten is found in flour made from wheat. You know, the white flour that is used in almost EVERY SINGLE baked good most Americans think of as populating a bakery. But you’d never know they were gluten-free from the taste. YUM. The lemon cookies were delicious. And there was a cookie made with rice flour. I love everything Japanese, so I was kind of expecting it to be mochi-like. Nope. Tasted like a sugar cookie to me. Very good.

Beverages

At Starbucks, I tried the Pumpkin Spice Latte. This is a seasonal drink – you can only get it in the fall, and I, for one, look forward to it all year. The spices are perfectly blended and it’s not overly sweet, which I really like. They also had samples of their new instant, Via, which they handed out for people to try at home. Haven’t tried it yet, but I’m really curious, I’ll have to admit. And giving away samples at this event was pretty smart.

Mona Vie was a surprise for me. This is a bottled health drink that uses a blend of fruits to create a premium health kick. And it tastes delicious! Plus, they offer an “energy drink” version – it comes in a can that is somewhat Red Bull-esque, but instead of giving you a bad lift that leads to a bad crash, this stuff energizes you naturally. And the carbonation just adds a little something to the flavor. I could so see me drinking this regularly.

Fine Dining

One of the most highly regarded restaurants in Bexley, The Bexley Monk, brought a duck confit with truffle oil. Not too delicate, not too hearty – just right. And their macaroons with blood orange buttercream – heavenly. I’ve never eaten at the Monk before, but it was obvious that they’re at least 4 stars.

We looked everywhere for Giuseppe’s Ritrovo. They were nowhere to be found. I asked around and found out that they hadn’t been able to attend. I was seriously bummed. I’ve had this restaurant recommended to me repeatedly and was really looking forward to it. Giuseppe’s Ritrovo, if you’re listening, be sure to come next year, okay?

Caryn’s Cuisine provided a truly complete offering. A large, fully stuffed mushroom that had a nice bit of spice to it started things off. The star of the show was a merlot-braised tenderloin that was amazing. Served on a bit of crostini with an amazing herbed horseradish sauce, this bite was a little bit of heaven. Caryn’s finished with a pair of desert offerings. First up was a cheesecake bite with a little strawberry on top. The cheesecake was wonderfully creamy and the graham cracker crust was spot on. Topping that though was a peanut butter and chocolate ganache brownie. It was exactly what you hope for when you hear the phrase “peanut butter and chocolate ganache brownie.”

The fare at The Top was the tops. It won best of show – both Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice. It’s no wonder they were one of the first providers to run out of food. In fact, by the time I made it back to the top, they had run out of their potatoes. However, the jumbo shrimp and pan-seared filet more than made up for it. Just one shrimp could easily feed a family of four. They don’t mess around when they say jumbo. The taste was clean and fresh, with a satisfying cocktail sauce. And the filet was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever had a more tender piece of filet. You could have almost spread it with a knife, which you absolutely would not need to cut it.

Capital University’s Parkhurst Dining was a surprise. From the name, you can’t help but think cafeteria food – but that mental picture couldn’t be farther from the truth. They offered little spoonfuls of salad that were perfect – feta cheese mixed with the vegetables and spices wonderfully. The Sirloin Beef wrapped around enoki mushrooms with a creamy sauce was a treat. And their desserts! Oh, man the desserts. The buckeye peanut butter parfait and the fudge brownie were great and the carmel apple pie parfait was even better. This isn’t campus eating – this is fine cuisine.

Catering by Scott was also amazing. I was expecting them to be part of the Casual Dining category, but with what they brought, I have to put them under Fine Dining. Chefs proudly offered a delightfully tasty salmon mousse tartlet with creamy pesto. The light mousse was served on toast points with the pesto to the side. It was a great appetizer selection with a mouthwatering mixture of savory flavors. They also offered a unique buffalo chicken tartlet with spicy aili: the flavor of buffalo wings taken to a new level with elegant presentation and a mix of tastes (buffalo & aioli). Both items would be very popular at a party.

Entertainment

Along the way, we tried to take the time to enjoy the provided entertainment. There was a jazz trio, a guitarist and singer… actually, I think I might have missed a lot of it. But we made sure to see the Pizza Acrobat. My only complaint was that there were so many people watching, and he wasn’t on a high enough platform for us all to see everything over their heads. It was so FREAKIN’ COOL! My husband caught one of the crusts that he threw into the audience like a frisbee. We carried it around like a trophy the rest of the night.

One of our Tastecasters made a video of the night. Take a look and you’ll see the acrobat in action!

Pizza

And speaking of pizza, there were three pizza providers there.

Bexley Pizza Plus’ pizza brought many of their specialty pizzas. I don’t know if you’ve read my review of them that I posted earlier this year, but their crust is amazing. It’s perfect for households that are split between liking thin crust and a thicker crust – it combines the best of both worlds. I highly recommend their Ultimate pizza.

Anthony’s was also there – another of my favorite pizza joints. Anthony’s has a wonderfully crispy thin crust, and they use some of the tastiest mozzarella I’ve ever had on a pizza. If you visit their restaurant, they also serve stromboli – and I recommend their vegetarian stromboli, I think it’s called meatless magic. MMm. Just writing about it is making me hungry.

Rubino’s, which is right next to Bexley Pizza Plus in Bexley, decided to shake things up by not bringing their pizza. Instead, they offered up samples of their spaghetti for everyone, so that people could get to know them for more than just pizza. They also served salads, which was a nice touch.

Asian Cuisine

Moshi Sushi was a delight. There was a very unique, somewhat crunchy spicy tuna roll. So delicious and unlike any other tuna roll I’ve ever tried. Oh, and words cannot encompass the bliss of their ginseng braised short ribs. HEAVEN! Nice and sweet with a little spicy flavor. And I don’t think the meat could have been any more tender.

Peking Dynasty is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. They didn’t bring it with them, but I highly recommend their hot and sour soup – some of the best I’ve ever had. Everything I’ve ever had there has been phenomenal. (Hint: General Tso’s chicken is some of the BEST EVER.) What they did bring was a yummy chicken lo mein, and their flavorful eggrolls. They also have a sushi chef on staff and brought some of that to the Taste. Some of what they brought: the tiger roll, spicy tuna roll, and an eel roll. All were great. The tiger roll was good “beginner’s sushi,” and the eel was also great. Both had great sauces that let the natural flavors come through as well.

Finally, there was also Wing’s Restaurant, who served salmon cakes with mayo on a corn & edamame salad. The salmon cakes were an unexpected delight, and the corn and edamame had a light citrus-y thing going on. I couldn’t stop eating it. They also served us ruby (and port) glazed corned beef over stir-fried cabbage, with mustard. I’ve never even seen corned beef at a Chinese restaurant, but this was delicious. And my husband, who won’t ever willingly eat cabbage tried it (grudgingly) and said, “That’s good! It doesn’t even taste like cabbage!” It was flavorful, but not overpowering.

All in all, we had a great time. I like trying new restaurants, but usually am stuck with the conundrum of what to try. Usually, you pick one item and hope you made the right choice. Sometimes it’s just what you wanted, and sometimes you leave thinking, “Man, I wish I would have tried that OTHER dish.” That’s the great thing about the Taste. Where else can you sample so many different foods and leave pleasantly, but not overly, full. It was perfect.