What makes our favorite foods become our favorites? Is it the flavor and texture of those foods that lead us to claim we love them? What brings us back to the same meals time and time again? It is the familiarity of a food, and the comfort that comes along with it, that makes us want to enjoy the same dish regularly.
Although comfort foods are a frequent love of mine, I find the foods with new and exotic fragrances and tastes to be the most intriguing. Luckily for me, there was an easy way to give my taste buds the adventure they sought after.
This is something that the founders of Columbus Food Adventures understand well and have geared their services towards.
On Fridays at 6pm, a tour guide with Columbus Food Adventures leads a small group of bold eaters on an outlandish exploration to some of Columbus’ best ethnic eateries and hidden-gems. This is the Alt Eats Tour.
The tour’s name derived from a blog called alt.eats.columbus started by Bethia Wolf, the owner of Columbus Food Adventures, along with her husband, Andy Dehus. The inspiration behind the blog was to shed light on several Columbus restaurants that are typically ignored or forgotten, but contain some of the best foods in town.
The Alt Eats Tour is equipped with transportation in a 14-passenger van, an itinerary, and a knowledgeable tour guide. The tour consists of five stops and lasts about three and a half hours (which sounds like a long time, but it all goes by too quickly).
The tour includes several restaurants that focus on foods from all over the world. The five stops in my tour combined foods from India, Mexico, Nigeria, Vietnam, and Somalia. All of which were delicious and noteworthy.
With every restaurant we stopped at came with it a unique aroma that was distinctive to that particular culture. This made it easy to forget that we were still within the boundaries of Columbus, and added to the adventurous feel of the trip.
The Mexican bakery we stopped at by the name of, Panaderia Guadalupana, had a more enticing aroma then any bakery I had ever been to before. Not only could you smell the sugars and sweets, but you could also feel the warmth of the oven as soon as you walked in, assuring you that everything was fresh. The same goes for the atmosphere I experienced at Solay Bistro, the Somali restaurant we made our last stop. The family-style meals made it feel homey, although all of the food was new to me, which was something I really enjoyed.
Arguably, the best part of the whole tour was being able to learn about the countries these foods all come from and the cultures and customs that go along with them. It’s not often that you are given the opportunity to enjoy traditional staples of foreign countries while staying within city limits.
If you’re looking for an adventure and want to take your taste buds for a unique thrill-ride, you will not be disappointed with the experience you gain from the Alt Eats Tour through Columbus Food Adventures.
For more information, visit www.columbusfoodadventures.com.
All photos by Briana Ekanem.
Columbus Underground is kicking off the summer with Explore Columbus Week! From June 2nd to June 8th, we’ll be sharing unique places to visit and experiences to have all throughout the region, sponsored by our friends at the Gallerie Bar & Bistro. Gallerie Bar & Bistro proudly embraces Ohio’s rich agricultural heritage and remarkable craftsmanship by featuring items from local farmers and artisans who maintain sustainable practices in the creation their products. Starting July 10, on the second Thursday of each month we are offering a monthly Supper Club for our city to experience creative coursed dinners from the kitchen of Chef Bill Glover and his team matched with unique pairings of wine, spirits, and beer. For more information, or to make a reservation, visit www.galleriebarandbistro.com.
