Seasonal communal tasting menus
Andrew Smith
Chef and co-owner of Isla, a 34-seat Merion Village restaurant where guests share tables and the tasting menu changes with the season.
Start here Reserve a seat at IslaTopic
Food & Drink
Local food writers, dining guides, restaurants, and bars.
Guides
4Columbus fall events: September 27 and Italian Fest 2026
Apple Fest, Oyster Fest, neighborhood markets, the Crew and lanterns on September 27, plus October 9–11 Italian Festival hours and admission.
Columbus food creators to follow
Three local voices for your next restaurant, weeknight dinner, or a closer look at Columbus food.
The Columbus Chef Index: seven chefs to know
Seven Columbus chefs, the kitchens where they work now, and the stories worth reading before you book a table.
What to do in Columbus: Sunday, September 27
Start with Apple Fest, wander Worthington or grab oysters downtown, then choose dinner or a night under the lanterns. Your September 27, 2026 day plan.
Places
11Avishar Barua’s Brewery District tasting-menu restaurant, combining live-fire cooking, Bengali American influences, and Midwest nostalgia.
Josh Dalton’s riverfront Columbus restaurant, drawing from Mediterranean flavors with shareable dishes, wine, cocktails, and Scioto Mile views.
A Short North jazz lounge from BJ Lieberman with live music, cocktails, and a food menu designed for an evening performance.
Andrew Smith and Devoney Mills’s intimate Merion Village restaurant, serving rotating tasting menus at communal tables and a chef’s counter.
Avishar Barua’s Worthington daytime café, serving Bengali American dishes, sandwiches, coffee, and playful street-food adaptations.
BJ Lieberman’s Short North restaurant built around wood-fired Italian cooking, an open hearth, and several distinct dining rooms.
Phuntso and Pramod Lama’s North Market counter for handmade Tibetan and Nepali momos and homestyle cooking.
Matthew Heaggans’s Columbus burger restaurant, known for locally sourced ingredients, smashburgers, chicken, fries, and shakes.
A modern Italian restaurant from Josh Dalton in downtown Columbus, centered on fresh pasta and familiar dishes with a twist.
A long-running Columbus fine-dining restaurant led by executive chef Richard Blondin, combining French technique and contemporary American cuisine.
Josh Dalton’s downtown fine-dining restaurant, offering an evolving, experimental menu in the historic Citizens building.
People
11Experience Columbus 
Nation’s Restaurant News Bengali American cooking & tasting menus
Avishar Barua
Chef and owner of Joya’s in Worthington and Agni in the Brewery District, two restaurants rooted in Bengali food and Barua’s Ohio upbringing.
Start here Meet Avishar Barua
Experience Columbus Wood-fired Italian cooking & hospitality
BJ Lieberman
Chef and owner of Metsi’s and Ginger Rabbit, two Short North restaurants built around an open hearth and live jazz.
Start here Plan dinner at Metsi’s
Photo: Columbus Food Adventures Local dishes & food history
Columbus Food Adventures
@cbusadventuresColumbus culinary-tour company founded by Bethia Woolf and Andy Dehus, with neighborhood tours and reporting on the local food scene.
Start here Iconic Columbus Foods
Speck Italian Eatery Fine dining, pasta & Mediterranean cooking
Josh Dalton
Chef and restaurateur behind Veritas, Speck, and Amara, three downtown restaurants with tasting menus, fresh pasta, and Mediterranean cooking.
Start here Read the Veritas story
The Little Grand Market Midwest smashburgers & local sourcing
Matthew Heaggans
Chef and co-owner of Preston’s: A Burger Joint, a short-menu burger shop built on locally sourced meat and scratch-made sauces.
Start here Find Preston’s
Photo: What Molly Made Weeknight dinners & home cooking
What Molly Made
@what_mollymadeColumbus recipe developer Molly Thompson shares weeknight dinners, baking recipes, and ingredient guides for home cooks.
Start here Guide to Different Cuts of Beef
Photo: Breakfast With Nick Breakfast, coffee & restaurant news
Breakfast With Nick
@breakfastwithnickCentral Ohio food and travel writer behind Breakfast With Nick, covering restaurants, breakfast, coffee, local openings, recipes, and travel.
Start here Nick’s Guide to Columbus
Momo Ghar via 614NOW Tibetan & Nepali dumplings
Phuntso Lama
Founder and chef of Momo Ghar, the North Market counter where Tibetan and Nepali momos are still folded by hand.
Start here Discover Momo Ghar
Robb McCormick Photography / The Refectory Classical French technique & fine dining
Richard Blondin
Lyon-born executive chef of The Refectory, the Northwest Columbus restaurant whose kitchen he has led since 1992.
Start here The Refectory storyFood & family outings
The Beard and The Baker
@thebeardandthebakerHannah Lewis shares Columbus food, family outings, and travel on The Beard and The Baker’s social profiles.