Even if most of us don’t get three months of freedom each June, July and August, it’s still fun to recapture the indulgence of childhood summer vacation as an adult. Treat yourself this month with a seasonal dessert at one of the city’s independent restaurants.
Acre
2700 N. High St.; 1717 Northwest Blvd.
Acre may be famous for its sweet corn cookies, but two new seasonal desserts are well worth ordering while they last. The Blackberry Pie Bar and Brown Butter Peach Pie Bar are both made with fresh local fruit and an indulgent brown butter crumble.
Barcelona
263 E. Whittier St.
Peaches and blackberries are two of those fruits that just don’t taste right any time but summer, when they’re perfectly ripe and flavorful. Don’t miss Barcelona’s Torta de Duraznos, a mid-summer dream of a dessert featuring peach-blackberry upside down cake topped with vanilla ice cream and a cinnamon caramel sauce.
CBC Restaurant
525 Short St.
Summer just isn’t complete without Strawberry Shortcake, and CBC has a fantastic version. It’s made with house-made shortcake, fresh strawberries, triple bean vanilla ice cream and freshly whipped cream.
G. Michael’s
595 S. Third St.
Chef David Tetzloff unveiled a new dessert offering on the summer seasonal menu. Try his Cornbread Trifle topped with a fresh fruit compote and maple-amaretto pastry cream.
Nicola
4740 Reed Rd.
Limoncello is the ultimate summer pick-me-up cocktail, and Nicola does a dessert version of the Italian drink. For the Crostata al Limoncello, chef Nicola Bedalli soaks classic Italian lemon cake and a lemon custard with the restaurant’s house Limoncello.
Rockmill Tavern
503 S. Front St.
A chilled peanut butter pie never fails to hit the spot on a hot summer day. You’ll want to order a slice of Rockmill’s Peanut Butter Pie—made with Valrhona chocolate, olive oil and maldon salt— with the brewery’s Cask Aged Noir.
The Wine Bistro
Multiple locations
Didn’t get a chance to go on an island getaway this summer? Pretend you’re in the Florida Keys while savoring The Wine Bistro’s Rustic Key Lime Pie. Their version on the classic summer slice is served in a Mason jar with fresh whipped cream and lime zest.
Wolf’s Ridge
215 N. Fourth St.
Ohio is well known for its fields of sweet corn. Enjoy the summer harvest with Wolf’s Ridge’s Sweet Corn Panna Cotta. It’s topped with blackberry sorbet, fresh blackberries, candied oranges and a pastry tuile.
The Worthington Inn
649 High St.
The smell of fire-toasted marshmallows is synonymous with summertime. The Worthington Inn captures the essence of roasting marshmallows with the Campfire S’more Brulee, incorporating rich chocolate custard, toasted marshmallow and house-made graham cracker.
Z Cucina
1368 Grandview Ave.
Who didn’t love grabbing an ice cream sandwich from the ice cream truck as a child? Try a grown-up take on that classic childhood treat at Z Cucina this summer. Order their ice cream sandwiches, and you’ll get your choice of house-made gelato flavors (such as sea salt caramel or crushed cannoli) sandwiched between two fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.
Dine Originals Columbus celebrates, supports and promotes the culinary diversity that locally owned and operated member restaurants contribute to the identity and culture of our city. The nonprofit group is committed to strengthening the local economy and enriching the community through education and charitable partnerships.
A limited quantity of Dine Originals restaurant gift certificates are sold at 30 percent off face value each quarter. A new round of gift certificates were released on August 2! They can be purchased at doc.instagift.com/discount-sale.
For more information, visit dineoriginalscolumbus.com.