5 Questions with Bethia Woolf of Columbus Food Adventures in Ohio
Bethia Woolf is the founder and co-owner of Columbus Food Adventures and Columbus Brew Adventures as well as a co-founder of Taco Trucks Columbus, Alt Eats Columbus and Street Eats Columbus.
Bethia is originally from the UK, but has traveled extensively and lived on this side of the Atlantic for over 10 years. Among other things, she has worked as a banker, high school teacher and rowing coach. Bethia writes for Crave Magazine and is a co-host of WCBE Foodcast. She is a board member of Slow Food Columbus and Dine Originals Columbus.
1. What should a foodie know about Columbus?
Columbus is surprisingly diverse, and this is reflected very well in the food scene. It's also an economically robust city, and with that comes a vibrant and always expanding dining scene. As the center of an agricultural state, fresh local and regional produce provides the foundation for a strong farm to table culture.
2. What neighborhoods should a foodie explore when they visit Columbus?
The North Market is a great foodie destination and the historic downtown neighborhoods of German Village and the Short North are packed with great restaurants. For the more authentic ethnic cuisines, foodies will want to explore some of the more off-the-beaten-path parts of town, such as the northeast side and the west side, where immigrant kitchens and taco trucks are plentiful.
3. Tell us about some of the food tours you offer
We offer eight different tour itineraries coving a diverse range of neighborhoods and topics. Our two walking tours focus on the Short North and German Village neighborhoods, and our van tours cover themes such as coffee, dessert and ethnic foods. We also have tours dedicated to both food trucks and taco trucks.
4. Is there a best time of year for a foodie to visit Columbus?
There's always something going on, but in the summer and early fall the local produce is at it's best and there are lots of farmers markets and festivals to enjoy. You can't beat fresh Ohio sweetcorn and peaches.
5. Tell us a bit of foodie trivia about Columbus
- Columbus has a large taco truck scene with over 35 taco trucks.
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Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams was founded in Columbus and is now served at scoop shops in Atlanta, Charleston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, and Nashville with more than 1,000 retail partners nationwide. The most popular flavor is salty caramel.
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The oldest continuously operating peanut butter manufacturer in the United States, Krema Nut Company, is based in Columbus
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Buckeyes are not only the state tree of Ohio and the name of Ohio State's football team, they are also a chocolate and peanut butter confection that's found all around Columbus and used as an inspiration for many desserts and drinks.
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The Schmidt's cream puff (as seen on Man vs Food) weighs a full 1/2 pound.