I’m somewhat proud of myself this year following the holidays. I gained a little less than my normal 5 pounds while visiting the in-laws for a week and a half. This time I gained a little over 3 pounds.

I was hoping to keep the holiday weight gain to zero this year but it proved to be wishful thinking. Am I worried about shedding the excess weight? No, but it will make my Arnold Pump and Run training a little tougher than it should have been. Two months to go until race day and I’m in better running and bench pressing shape than I’ve ever been. I’ll save the details for my Arnold Pump and Run training blog.

If you put on more weight over the holidays than you intended, here are some small changes to battle the bulge. Drastic changes to your diet usually only result in short term results.

1. Replace your Coke/soft drink habit with water. My sixth grade science teacher, Mr. Lehman, told us that one years ago. There are 155 calories in a 12 ounce can of coke. Some of us down a half dozen Cokes without batting an eye. That’s 900+ calories you can avoid right there.
…click here to read more →

Popularity: 2% [?]

Who would have thought you could find good but reasonably priced food in Old Worthington. Certainly not finerepast, et al., especially given our string of disappointments with the ol’ Bag of Nails. Our recent discovery of House Wine led us to Caffe Daniela - just next door and Daniela didn’t disappoint. You can have a nice two course meal for about $10 a person there. Finerepast, et al., has been there twice already.

On the first visit, we fell in love with their garden salad - simple yet delicious and $2 for a small one. I tried the lasagna which was very agreeable but perhaps a little on the cheesy side for my palate. On my next visit, I ventured into the make-your-own pasta dish. My general complaint with Italian restaurants is that their sauce is too sweet. Not Daniela. I found there marinara sauce divine. The meatball was a bit salty but very well done.

Fine Flatbread at Caffe Daniela

Check out this fine onion flatbread chez Caffe Daniela. Damn tasty and purty too!

The beauty of Caffe Daniela is its close proximity to House Wine. Write up to follow shortly on House Wine but it has opened my palate to an enomatic world of possibilities.

We’ll be back time and time again as we still need to try their gelato. Yeah, baby!

Cafe Daniela’s menu

Caffe Daniela
652 North High Street
436-0139
Open 11 am - 9 pm
Closed Sunday

Popularity: 7% [?]

Los Galapagos

More to come, but I thought I’d share some photos from this little gem hidden out on the West Side of Columbus. In the same vein, as La Michoacana but better food and South American.

Seco de Gallina

This was my chicken dish with plantains, rice, and avocados. It looks good here and it tasted even better.

Resurrection Soup

This is Pablo’s favorite - Resurrection Soup. This is a seafood soup that is apparently renowned for its ability to fight hangovers. In the background, you can see the Morocho which is a hot drink made with milk, rice, corn, cinnamon and other ingredients. We also tried another drink called Avena. It was a cold, sweet drink made from oatmeal, molasses, and fruit juices. Both were very tasty. The Morocho was especially filling so watch out if you plan on eating a big meal after drinking one.

Plantain chips

Instead of potatoes, some cultures fry up the plantains to go with meals.

378 S Grener Ave
Columbus, OH 43228
(614) 878-7770

Popularity: 10% [?]

View Larger Map
Andy’s Carryout - 2480 N. High St. (614) 268-6298

View Larger Map
Pace-Hi Beer and Wine Shop - 3179 N High St, Columbus, OH? - (614) 267-1918
…click here to read more →

Popularity: 15% [?]

Despite my new favorite Indian cuisine lunchtime haunt, aka Taj Mahal, a friend insisted that we revisit the New India Restaurant off of Bethel Road for our weekly buffet binge. The food is really outstanding at the New India Cuisine. It’s just a challenge to get chai as documented in earlier reviews.

Anyhow, my friend happened to recognize a local Columbus celebrity without the makeup. No, it wasn’t Gene Simmons or Paul Stanley. Neither of whom harkens from Columbus. This individual’s goal is to “to shatter the phalanx of mundanity suffocating the natural evolution of the human race.” He also proclaims that “The primary weapon of the mind is its ability to project and visualize at the same time.”

Still guessing whom it might be? It was none other than that late night television star of Community 21 fame, Damon Zex. I considered going up and asking the man for his autograph but figured that he probably received too many of those requests from his admiring hoards. So I let him eat his bloody chicken tikka masala in peace.

TV definitely ads some height to even our local celebs as Mr. Zex seemed shorter in real life. He also walked with a bit of a limp and seemed rather reserved for a man given to such televised flamboyance.

“HA, HA, HA, HA , HA!”

Rumor has it he may reside within the bounds of Clintonville. I guess you never know whom you’ll run into at an Indian Buffet.

Popularity: 14% [?]

from a commenter on this site:

Per the nice young woman who answered Taboo’s phone* on 10/29/2008, they “closed their kitchen permanently a couple of months ago.” I made that phone call to verify what I had been told (”They don’t serve food.”) by someone in-person at Taboo just earlier that day (I had to physically stop by [before they opened but while someone was there cleaning] because I couldn’t reach anyone on the phone).

Popularity: 24% [?]

Breakfast with Nick visits and reviews Lindsey’s Bakery in Circleville, Ohio.

CMH Gourmand tells us what’s new at Northstar Cafe - Beechwold - including Poached Green Field Farm Eggs - yum, yum.

weber_cam has a video on his baking technique of “rounding” - nice.

Columbus Foodie shares a recipe for Cornish Game Hen with Butternut Squash Risotto - mmm, yeah.

Popularity: 23% [?]

I was recently at Easton for a seminar held at the Hilton. At lunch, finerepast and the gang decided to head over to Fado Irish Pub for lunch. We went with fish and chips because, after all, you can’t go wrong with fish and chips at an Irish pub (or, is that an English pub). Having been to London for fish and chips, I’d like to think that I know my fish and chips.

Fado served up some fish and chips and some slaw for $8.95. The emphasis would be on “some”.

Fish and Chips in London-town - NOT AT FADO

Above is my picture of fish and chips in London. Fado served up less than half of this for $8.95. I complained to the server, and she said that I could get their dinner portion of four ounces more for another four bucks. C’mon, this is whitefish and potatoes, you cheap bastards. As I was starving, I ordered up another four ounce portion (8 ounces total) which was still considerably smaller than what you see pictured above. Total bill = $15.96 which includes tax and drink but not tip.

Here’s a tip - serve up a healthy portion of fish and chips, Fado. I left hungry and nearly destitute. If you want a decent portion of fish and chips - go to the Old Bag of Nails and not Fado.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Artichoke Appetizer at Northstar Cafe

I captured the Artichoke Appetizer on film - or at least on the camera phone. The Northstar Cafe definitely does this right. One of my favorite dishes there.

Popularity: 27% [?]

If you blink, you’ll miss it - Jerusalem Garden in Ann Arbor

Tucked into the side of South Fifth Avenue is where you’ll find the best damn falafel and hummous sandwiches in the midwest. I’ve been going there for years and still can’t get enough. And it’s usually the only place that isn’t packed after a football game. That all has changed now as word got out and it was packed after a football game. DAMN! Oh well, the wait was only about 15 minutes and would’ve been quicker if we could’ve shuffled the drunk revelers out of the carry-out line a bit quicker. Of course, the carry out and the seating lines are one in the same at The Garden. By the way, seating is limited to about two dozen and when we arrived all two dozen were occupied.
…click here to read more →

Popularity: 27% [?]