There’s no doubt about it - Columbus is a foodie destination. If you’ve got a foodie in your life, there are lots of ways to share the Columbus Food Scene this holiday season.

Columbus Food Adventures - These tours are the perfect introduction into all the flavors and behind-the-scenes info on the city’s food scene. Chose among several options, including a tour of Short North restaurants, more adventurous ethnic fare on the Alt Eats tour, and in warmer months, the Taco Truck tour. A gift certificate lets you pick the tour, and allows the recipient to pick a date that works best for them.

Juergen’s Bakery - Juergen’s, a Bavarian bakery located fittingly in German Village, offers the ultimate in sweet treats exclusively this time of year - the Stollen. Stollen is a traditional fruit-studded sweet bread that’s sure to become a tradition on your holiday table. You can also choose among other German pastries like strudel and linzertorte.

Books - This year, some great Columbus food books were published. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home shows home cooks how to create Jeni’s world renowned ice cream in their own kitchen, and how to play with imaginative flavors. Breakfast with Nick is a book written by Columbus’ premier breakfast blogger, Nick Dekker . It’s perfect for the person on your list who loves bacon, eggs, donuts and coffee.

Distillery Tours - Columbus’ spirits scene is taking off and gaining national attention. Treat the cocktail maven on your list to a tour and tasting at Watershed Distillery (outstanding vodka and gin) and Middle West Spirits (flavorful vodka and whiskey.) If you’re really nice, a bottle from each would be the perfect foundation to for a Columbus-based home-bar.

North Market School of Cooking - The North Market is arguably the hub of the Columbus Food Scene, with vendors selling locally grown ingredients and a whole range of prepared foods. The top floor of the market holds a treasure: the Dispatch Kitchen, where cooking classes with the city’s best chefs are offered. It’s dinner, wine and a show for the foodies on your list.

Dine Originals Gift Certificates - If you want to treat someone to a special night out, Dine Originals gift certificates are a perfect choice. Choose from almost 50 locally owned, independent restaurants, ranging from DeepWood between the Short North and Downtown, Alana’s Food and Wine in Clintonville, Black Creek Bistro in Old Town East, and Luce in Powell.

What else would you recommend for folks shopping for foodies? As always, you can keep up with the Columbus Food Scene on Facebook .

This post is written by Jami Goldstein, vice president of marketing, communications & events at the Greater Columbus Arts Council. This week, the focus is on the Columbus Arts Festival, June 3-5 in the Discovery District, behind the Columbus Museum of Art and CCAD.
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The culinary arts will make a splash at this year’s Columbus Arts Festival with Savor the Arts with Dine Originals . This special area at the festival will feature some of Columbus’ finest eating establishments from newer restaurants such as Barrio, offering South American and Spanish inspired street food, to Rigsby’s, an integral part of the Columbus community since 1986, serving a delicious lobster and corn chowder with chive oil.

Dine Originals Columbus is a community of independently owned and operated restaurants in Central Ohio. The mission of Dine Originals Columbus is to celebrate, support and promote locally owned and operated independent restaurants by providing unique dining experiences for its patrons and collaborative services and benefits for it members. The Columbus Arts Festival is excited to be teaming up with Dine Originals to promote the Columbus restaurant scene and the art of local cuisine.

The Savor the Arts tent will feature delectable menus developed by participating local restaurants that will redefine “something for every taste” including: Barcelona, Barrio, Black Creek Bistro, Deepwood, Due Amici, The Elevator, G. Michaels, Katalina’s Corner Cafe, Mozarts, The Refectory, Rigsby’s, Skillet, Tasi’s and The Top.

It’s just one more reason to get to the Columbus Arts Festival this weekend!

Today, we’d like to share a terrific blog post from Bethia Woolf, owner of Columbus Food Adventures, on Columbus Happy Hours for Foodies.

Bethia is intimate with Columbus’ food scene and loves to talk about it. In her post, she uncovers great happy hours that also provide quality dining experiences.

Read all about Columbus Happy Hours for Foodies on Bethia’s blog. And, thanks, Bethia, for sharing your insights.

Photo: Due Amici

Today’s post is written by Katharine Moore, executive director of Dine Originals Columbus, a community of independently owned and operated restaurants. During Dine Originals Week , March 7-13, participating restaurants are offering special menus at price points of $10, $20 or $30.

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Seven Days of Savoring
by Katharine Moore, Dine Originals Columbus

Dine Originals Week March 2011 is upon us. Our supporters love the tradition because it offers diners the opportunity to enjoy more than 50 participating restaurants — including many of the city’s most notable — at a bargain price. One of the lessons we have taken away from this Groupon-era of discounts is that everyone appreciates a bargain, but over the long term the real appeal is for value, and a price fixe lunch at Barcelona for $10, or a three course dinner at Alana’s for $30 certainly fits the bill. (more…)

Today’s post is written by Bethia Woolf , owner of Columbus Food Adventures . A UK native, Bethia has long been a prolific chronicler of the Columbus food scene. She began Columbus Food Adventures with the belief that the quality and diversity of Columbus’s food scene is a story worth sharing.

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Last minute holiday gift ideas for food lovers
by Bethia Woolf, Columbus Food Adventures

If, like me, you are still looking for last minute gift ideas, here are some ideas for the food lovers in your life. These suggestions are Columbus based but might give inspiration to those of you living elsewhere.

Gift certificates

Gift certificates are available for many Columbus restaurants. If you don’t want to pick a restaurant for your giftee- then opt for a Dine Originals gift certificate and your recipient can choose from over 50 restaurants. You can use these at wonderful restaurants such as Tasi Cafe , Rigsby’s and Pistacia Vera .

North Market gift certificates offer similar flexibility as they can be used at any of the 30+ vendors. Jeni’s ice creams gift cards are a fun stocking stuffer, and best of all, of course is a Columbus Food Adventures gift certificate . You can choose a gift certificate for any of our scheduled tours and they are valid for a year. (more…)

Refectory owner Kamal Boulos

When you talk about culinary traditions and fine dining in Columbus, there is one place that comes to my mind as the epitome of both. The Refectory is the most award-winning restaurant in Columbus and has received Zagat, DiRoNa and Wine Spectator Awards. As if that weren’t enough, The Refectory has also received the prestigious Four Diamond Award from AAA for 15 years in a row.

The menu developed by Chef Richard Blondin, a native of Lyon, France, offers contemporary American cuisine and classic French cuisine. Its also complemented by arguably the largest wine cellar in Columbus, which includes over 700 selections. My wife and I went for dinner with high expectations and we were not disappointed.

The dining room menu features a good mix of seafood and shellfish, meat and poultry and even several fantastic vegetarian options. For those of you fin lovers, the salmon duet hors d’oeuvre is fantastic mix of cold and hot smoked salmon and it’s plated beautifully. My favorite, though, has to be the alpaca terrine with pistachio, olives and cranberry pumpkin vinaigrette. So good, I almost ordered two of them. (more…)

One of my favorite times of the year is almost here…Dine Originals Week! November 8-14, over fifty locally owned and operated restaurants will offer a delicious menu for $10, $20 or $30.

I look forward to it every year because it is the perfect opportunity to go out and try something new at a reasonable price. I admit that I grew up eating at the same chain restaurants and always ordering the same food. But as I’ve gotten older, things like Dine Originals Week allow me to be more open to trying new restaurants and their unique dishes. I haven’t been disappointed yet. (more…)

Spinelli’s Deli

When I found out that a second Spinelli’s Deli location was opening downtown (50 N. High St.), their delicious food was reason enough for me to go check out the new location. The menu is the same as the menu at their Victorian Village location : breakfast sandwiches, pastries, bagels, salads, soups, hot and cold sandwiches, pizzas and coffee (all served fresh, and catering is available). Nestled in the hustle and bustle of downtown Columbus, the new location also features free Wi-Fi, bar-style seating, a patio, a large retractable window facing High Street and an online ordering/pickup system with a separate, dedicated register.

Spinelli’s is also offering a reason other than food to visit: Art. The walls of the downtown Spinelli’s restaurant will serve as a gallery space, featuring four local art exhibits a year. The first artist to be featured is Columbus photographer and native, Kojo Kamau . His work is described as "artistic impressions with historical significance." The exhibit will highlight some of Kojo’s signature pieces and will be on display through December 31. Anyone who purchases a photograph will receive a $10 Spinelli’s gift certificate.

Both Kojo’s work and Spinelli’s Deli focus on a strong sense of community, and you can check them both out tomorrow night at a grand opening celebration. Stop in on Wednesday, October 27 from 5-8 p.m for great food, great art, and a dose of Columbus community spirit.

This post is part 2 of a 6 part series featuring Experience Columbus Days , which takes place Oct. 8-11. During that time, Columbus attractions offer 50% off (or in some cases, BOGO or free admission). Plus, the restaurants of Dine Originals Columbus offer 25% off your food bill for two people.

In this post, Sayaka has rounded up a few Dine Originals Columbus restaurant suggestions . Stay tuned for future posts in the series - we’ll be featuring  Experience Columbus Days activities that are great for dates,  perfect for art fans, fun for kids and recommended for history buffs. You’ll find the first post, featuring suggestions for groups, here .

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It’s no secret to those who know me that I love to eat. And every year, I use Experience Columbus Days as my chance to try new restaurants at a discount. Now that there are ten more Dine Originals Columbus restaurants than last year, I am having a hard time deciding where to go!

I asked some of my Experience Columbus peeps where they plan on going next weekend; here are their suggestions: (more…)

Celebrate our favorite city on Columbus day weekend with Experience Columbus Days , Oct. 8-11.

You’ll get up to 50% off at at variety of Columbus entertainment and attractions, plus a can’t-be-beat 25% discount on food at Dine Originals Columbus restaurants. If you’ve been wanting to experience something new, or you just want to hit an old favorite, this is the perfect time to do it.

Attractions and entertainment venues offering great deals include COSI, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Food Adventures, SegAway Tours of Columbus, BalletMet, the Wexner Center for the Arts . . . and the list goes on.

Dine Originals Columbus restaurants include those like Pistacia Vera, Figlio Wood-Fired Pizza (Grandview), Katzinger’s Delicatessen, Due Amici, The Refectory, G. Michael’s Bistro, The Top Steakhouse, Surly Girl Saloon . . . and again, the list goes on.

To see everyone participating, visit ExperienceColumbusDays.com . While you’re there, be sure to download and print the discount flyer . You must show it to receive your discount, and you can use it as often as you like.

Want to share this event on Facebook? Please do. Click here .

And, for other ways to get the word out about Experience Columbus Days to your friends, blog readers, Twitter pals and others, check out the resources here . Let us know if there’s anything else you need to help share the news.