This post is written by Bethia Woolf, blogger at AltEatsColumbus , StreetEatsColumbus and TacoTrucksColumbus and owner of Columbus Food Adventures . You can reach Bethia on Twitter @CbusAdventures .

Coffee has long been a vibrant part of the Columbus culinary scene, with Stauf’s, Cup’o'Joe , and Cafe Brioso providing top quality local alternatives to national chains. And, with a recent explosion of new roasters and purveyors, it’s getting even better:

1. Thunderkiss Coffee - Jason Valentine, owner of Thunderkiss, is the McGyver of caffeine. His minimalist garage operation puts out meticulously roasted, top quality single-origin beans from Peru, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Rwanda. Look for his beans (including in giftable antique mason jars) at Fresh Street.

2. Upper Cup Coffee - For brothers Micael and Samson Habte, coffee is in their blood. Their mother, an Eritrean immigrant, roasted for home-use and prepared her home-brewed coffee for guests as a matter of custom. In their new Old Town East location, they roast and brew for the general public, and provide exceptional Ethiopian and South American single-origin beans for purchase or for consumption in their comfortable Parsons Ave. shop.

3. Impero - Impero’s Short North location has become a fast favorite in the neighborhood. Serving coffee from beans roasted in their Grove City operation, its easy to see how their espresso and coffee offerings keep ‘em coming back.

4. Luck Brothers - Nobody in town has his finger on the pulse of what’s what in coffee more than Andy Luck. Thought not a roaster himself, Andy works extensively with roasters to get the exact flavor profiles he wants to serve in his shop in Grandview. Visit him to taste the fruits of his drive for perfection.

5. Yeah Me Too - No phone, no website, no credit cards accepted - Yeah Me Too does things the old-fashioned way. This small Clintonville roaster has developed a devoted cult following on the north side, and its small selection of quality single-origin beans are often considered to be among the best in town.

6. Back Room Coffee Roasters - The back room’s coffee, and the front room is the Lane Ave. Trek store. Put them together and you have a roaster who turns out high-end arabica beans and delivers them to retailers all over the city via bike.

7.) There is a new artisan small-batch roasting company opening on Price Avenue in the Short North this weekend, look out for them at the Holiday Hop.

When it comes to coffee, it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed by all there is to know. Columbus Food Adventures aims to demystify the subject with its new Coffee Tour , which explores the world of Columbus coffee. It’s a tour in 3 acts: 1) visit a roaster (Stauf’s) to learn about what goes into turning raw coffee beans into something exquisite, 2) stop at a top espresso bar (Cafe Brioso) to discuss turning those beans into top quality espresso drinks, 3) finish at a premier coffee shop (Luck Bros.) to learn about how to get the best from your beans at home. At each stop there will be coffee and snacks, and – most importantly – plenty of information on how to get the best out of home coffee preparation! The first tour is this Saturday, December 3rd and tickets are available online.

OK, you’re probably really sick of turkey by now. I promise, this article isn’t about turkey. It’s about Turkey, and all the great Turkish experiences you can find in Columbus. In this great melting pot, this city has a strong tradition of Turkish immigration, and some of the best shops and restaurants around to offer the next best thing to a trip to Istanbul.

Karavan , in the Short North Arts District, offers authentic homegoods from Turkey, in a cozy, welcoming setting. Whether it’s kilim rugs, scarves, beautiful painted porcelain, or a keychain that wards off the evil eye, Karavan has you covered.

My real affiliation with Turkish culture is the food - it’s my favorite cuisine out there, and the perfect, healthy, flavorful thing to help you recover from the excess of Thanksgiving.

My favorite Turkish restaurant in the city (actually my favorite RESTAURANT in the city) is Shish Kebab Mediterranean Grill , on Bethel Road (its sister restaurant, Cafe Istanbul , has locations at Easton and on Main Street Bexley.) Tucked into a suburban strip mall like so many other outstanding restaurants here, you really feel welcomed when you walk in.  The richly paneled walls and comfy booths make you feel right at home, and shortly after you sit down, a server brings over a basket fully of still-warm pide (an oval-shaped bread that’s studded with sesame and onion seeds and bridges the distance between crisp and doughy.) Alongside, you can dip bits of the pide in tomato-paste-and-herb-spiked olive oil.

I can never make my mind up on just one appetizer, so as a shared entree, I usually go for the meze platter. Meze are the Turkish version of tapas or antipasta - little bits of appetizer that are flavorful, colorful, and downright good for you. My favorite is ezme, a mix of chopped hot pepper, tomato, walnuts and mint. The dolma - grape leaves stuffed with an intriguingly sweet spice mixture - are also a standout.

There are lots of kebabs and seafood dishes on offer as well, but I usually go for the calamari. It’s breaded very lightly and fried until it’s just tender. Served alongside is a tarator dipping sauce, made of bread, garlic and nuts. I could eat this all day!

If you’re sick of turkey and ready for Turkey, you can also try out Cafe Ephesus in Dublin. What do you crave when the turkey is gone?

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! If you don’t have your bird yet, there are plenty in stock at North Market Poultry and Game . If you’re lucky, you might even be able to snag a turducken . Even if you’ve got your turkey already, the market is definitely worth a stop for seasonal flowers from Market Blooms or local herbs, veggies and mushrooms from The Greener Grocer .

It always happens to even the most-prepared among us - the big day comes, and at the last minute, you realize you’ve forgotten an integral part of Thanksgiving dinner. Or maybe you’re a grateful guest who has been asked to bring a dish to share - and you want to make sure it’s got that special CBUS touch. Well then, this is the guide for you! While you can find wine, ice cream, pumpkin pie and rolls pretty much anywhere that sells food this week, here are some standout spots to ensure your Thanksgiving celebrates local Columbus flavors:

Wine: Very few hosts will turn down a guest coming to the table with a bottle of vino. If you want to make your host/hostess gift even more special, look no further than Via Vecchia in the Brewery District. Via Vecchia makes wine the old way, using traditional Italian methods, and the result is something unlike the mass market bottles you can find in the grocery store. The wines are all made in the historic building from hand-selected blends of California grapes. The Adamo is a standout.

Dessert: Jeni’s Ice Creams Sweet Potato/Torched Marshmallows is a standout Thanksgiving flavor - lightly orange from the sweet potato and flecked with cinnamon and bits of toasted house-made marshmallows, you might even call this a vegetable and serve it with dinner. If you’re traveling a long distance with this, make sure to bring a cooler - otherwise you might have to pull over and eat this along the roadside before it melts (not the worst thing that’s ever happened…) And if you’re sick of the same-old pumpkin pie, Mozart’s Bakery’s in Clintonville sells a satisfyingly rich pumpkin cheesecake that takes just the right amount of variation on the standard.

If bread is the staff of life, you have no idea how much living you’ve missed if you haven’t tried a loaf from Omega Bakery in the North Market. You’ll be a hit for sure if you get Omega’s pretzel rolls on the table - and the blue cheese walnut pan turbante is an original creation that creates cravings from 1,000 miles away.

What Columbus food do you set on your Thanksgiving table?

Roscoe Village , located in Coshocton, is a living history center that’s actually quite full of life! A public-private partnership, the village preserves beautiful red-brick Classical Revival buildings from Ohio’s canal boat era. Visitors can park in one spot, then wander around to museums, restaurants, boutiques, a general store, and even a wine bar! Currently, the amazing collection of antique tin toys is a must-see. During the summer months, you can catch a ride on the Monticello III, a restored canal boat, for a slow yet peacefully quiet experience of mid 19th century travel.

Roscoe Village takes full advantage of the fall season with its popular Apple Butter Stirrin’ Festival this weekend (Oct. 14-16.) If you make to Roscoe for the festival, you’ll hear live bluegrass, country and gospel music, experience spooky spirit tours, and, of course, smell the sweet aroma of apple butter simmering in a copper kettle over an open campfire. Could there be a better way to celebrate autumn?

The All American Quarter Horse Congress is the world’s largest single-breed horse show - and gosh is it HUGE! Spanning most of the Ohio Expo Center, the Congress attracts more than 650,000  visitors every year, along with 8,500 registered Quarter Horses. You can watch competitions and demos, eat great fair food, and shop for any horse-related product imaginable. The Congress started last Friday, and spans until Oct. 30. If yo’ve been - what’s your favorite thing about the All American Quarter Horse Congress?

Since 1919, Lynd’s Fruit Farm in has drawn people from miles away for a day of fall fun in their fields and orchards. Located in the rolling hills east of Columbus in Pataskala, Lynd’s is a beautiful sight on a crisp fall day. This past weekend, my wife and I embarked on our annual pilgrimage to stock on on some amazing Suncrisp apples (I think we can get through 20 pounds…) and I indulged in my weird addiction to pumpkins and squash for Halloween carving.

On beautiful day like last Saturday, there were hundreds of people picking apples, taking hay rides, enjoying apple fritters and shopping for farm-fresh produce. But on such a vast expanse of land studded with apple-laden trees, we were enveloped in our own world.

Beside all the delicious apples, Lynd’s has lots to see and do - hay rides, pumpkin patches, a corn maze, a farmers market, bouncy houses for kids, great prepared food and more. In all, a tremendously great way to spend a weekend day in Central Ohio - taking in the bounty of the land around us. Do you have an apple-picking tradition?

Fall in Columbus – it’s the perfect time of year! With the beautiful leaves, beautiful weather and great produce coming to market, it’s no wonder we made National Geographic’s Top 10 Fall Travel Destinations list! But if Nat Geo’s endorsement isn’t enough to entice you to visit, we’ve got another great reason to explore Columbus in October: Experience Columbus Days !

Experience Columbus Days is a city-wide partnership that runs Oct. 7-10, offering amazing deals and discounts to fun attractions , and 25% off your food bill at any Columbus Dine Originals restaurant !

If you’re a local, it’s a great time to explore the parts of Columbus you may have been missing –17 marquee attractions around the city like the Columbus Zoo, COSI, Franklin Park Conservatory and the Columbus Museum of Art offering half-price admission or buy-one-get-one tickets. If you’ve still never stopped a rhino at the Wilds or indulged in a tour with Columbus Food Adventures – they’re offering half-price tickets, too!

If you’re from out of town – what better time is there to visit? You can experience twice the number of attractions for your dollar, and get some great deals on Columbus’ independent and crave-worthy restaurants while you’re at it! It’s a great chance to turn a day-trip into an overnight stay to double the fun in another way!

To take advantage of these great deals, all you have to do is print out and show the Experience Columbus Days flier or simply visit it on your mobile device and show the screen to the particpating attraction’s ticket taker or restaurant’s server.

I hope you have a great time discovering the city! And make sure to share your experiences with us on Facebook and Twitter !

This post is written by Sandi Combs, Marketing Coordinator for Experience Columbus. You can follow Sandi on Twitter @Sandi_ExpCols .

We’re proud that Columbus was just nominated by TripOutTravel, LogoTV and Orbitz for best NewNowNext (up-and-coming) LGBT travel destination!  (Help us win - vote here !)

Over the past year or so, our city has had increasing recognition of being a hidden gem of LGBT tourism. Gay Travel named Columbus its “Most Underrated Gay City” and Gay Cities named Columbus as the “Up-and-Coming Gay City of 2011.”

So, what is it about Columbus that makes the city so Gay-friendly?

The first step I took in answering that question was talking to our media relations manager, Scott Peacock. Scott said:

Experience Columbus has been hosting LGBT travel journalists for over a decade now and their reaction to the city remains the same. Over the last few years more often than not journalists coming into town have heard that Columbus was a great LGBT friendly destination, but don’t know why that is. Whether it’s the openness of the city, feeling safe holding hands walking up and down any street; support for the LGBT community from civic leaders; the amount of LGBT-owned business in town or just the friendly, inviting nature of our residents, they always leave saying, “WOW, now I get it.” Almost every journalist has mentioned they would or are planning to come back with their partner, friends or family on a vacation and many have."

Then, I read through what writers are saying. Here are the points that keep coming up:

• Columbus is open minded – “This classic American city surprises with its modern attitudes, and the city has been rated as one of the best places in the country for gays and lesbians to live.” GuideMag.com

• Superb Culinary and Gay Nightlife Scenes – “As gay nightlife goes, Columbus stands out not simply for having so many bars, but for having so many attractive ones - smartly decorated places with clear-glass windows, smart decor, and popularity with both gays and straights. … The city, and particularly the gay community, supports a superb culinary scene as well, with a number of stellar restaurants in the gay-popular Short North district. GayTravel.com

• Annual Pride Festival – “[Columbus has] one of the most popular and successful Gay Pride festivals in the country, Columbus Pride. [The festival] set records last year, drawing roughly 210,000 participants and spectators.” GayTravel.com

• Third highest per-capita LGBT population – “The queer population spent three decades quietly building Columbus’ neighborhoods and embedding themselves citywide. Now Columbus has a widespread LGBT population with $7.5 billion in purchasing power that has helped establish the queer community as an integral part of the culture.” Queerty.com

It boils down to Columbus being an open-minded and welcoming city with a flourishing LGBT population. When a group of travel writers were in town last month, the Short North welcomed them by changing the lights on their arches to be rainbow-colored. Perhaps (614) Magazine said it best: "The chorus of support for our GLBT residents is increasingly encouraged – not simply tolerated – by a community working together to make Columbus a more progressive city as a whole."

Never been to Columbus, but thinking about visiting? Fall is a wonderful time of the year to visit. Come in late October and experience HighBall Halloween – a Halloween extravaganza like no other. The famous Nina West is back as this year’s emcee.

Been to Columbus? Why do YOU think the city is a great LGBT destination? If you want to keep in touch, Experience Columbus puts out a quarterly e-newsletter for LGBT travelers - you can sign up here .

This post is written by Melanie McIntyre, blogger at Thoroughly Modern Melly and editorial director of The Metropreneur . You can follow her on Twitter at @Mel_McIntyre .

Women’s clothing stores in Columbus get a lot of press− and rightfully so. We have some wonderful options in the capital city. However, I think it’s about time a few retailers that cater to the gentlemen get their turn in the spotlight.

Herewith, my list of the best local shops for men’s clothing. I’m confident that between the three there’s something for every man, no matter their age, profession, or style.

HOMAGE
The minute you step inside its doors, it’s easy to see how a guy could fall hard for HOMAGE. An NBA Jam: Tournament Edition console sits in one corner, framed photos of world-famous athletes line the walls, and the softest, vintage-style T-shirts, tank tops and hoodies you’ll ever find are piled high on tables, or hanging neatly on circular racks, throughout. The brand prides itself on “paying homage” to eclectic moments and personalities in sports, music, politics, and pop culture. And, boy, does it ever. This week alone, HOMAGE released new Ts reppin’ more than 30 colleges and universities− and they all have a backstory. Bonus: the merchandise can be worn by either sex. Ladies, no need to steal his comfy shirts; you can buy your own.

Brigade
If Brigade were a kid who went to high school with you, he’d definitely have been named “Best Dressed” in your class. He’d have swaggered through the halls looking natty but nonchalant, a copy of the latest Esquire atop his history and chemistry books. Brigade (the store) sells womenswear and menswear, but the latter is its strong suit, in my opinion. Expect a well-edited selection of high-end denim, slim-fit button downs, casual jackets, and unique accessories, such as a leather card case with a nickel chain or a raw-edged pocket square. Also, this store is ground zero for “big city” designer labels, such as Shipley & Halmos and Nicholas K. Oh, and the staff is quite knowledgeable, friendly, and always turned out. Of course.

Astor & Black Custom Clothiers
I’ll admit: Astor & Black is not for the faint of heart. Well-known athletes, celebrities, politicians, and CEOs frequently don the retailer’s handmade, custom suits featuring a full canvas layer between the fabric and Bemberg silk lining (which allows the suit fabric to drape naturally), working buttonholes, and picked stitching. Those kinds of design details are not standard in off-the-rack suits, so it should come as no surprise that Astor & Black’s prices are steeper than most shops’. Fittingly, its showroom is also unlike many others. Founder David Schottenstein once described it as a “high-end man cave” where customers can expect regular visits from a barber for an old school cut and shave, and (I’m imagining) martinis that are shaken, not stirred.