Food Stop #31 : Columbus #1

Right after the game, I drove about 15 minutes south of the arena in Columbus's German Village on Thurman Ave. to this spot called The Thurman Cafe.  After about 10 minutes finding a parking spot in a not-so-tourist-friendly side street parking, I finally made my way to the restaurant.  There was about a 45 minute wait but it was so well worth it.  This was probably the best burger I've ever had!
I ordered The Johnny Burger which is a burger topped with horseradish cheese, and bacon with a 3/4lb patty infused with a bleu cheese and a splash of tequila.  On the side I had their ThurmaGoldiGarlaLina (isn't that a mouthful?  I just pointed to it on the menu) Fries which are fries topped with garlic wing sauce and bleu cheese.

Let's start with the fries since it was the appetizer after all.  I loved that it was super saucy to a point where you could barely find the bleu cheese in it.  The garlic sauce was great and its a shame I couldn't try them on their wings, but I did come for the burgers.

Now to the main part of the meal: that burger was super juicy, and ENORMOUS.  There's just something about a burger where whenever you bite into it, the meat crumbles and falls onto the plate.  The horseradish cheese was drenched all over the patty and the bacon was thick and plentiful.  By the time I was done with the burger, I still had a bunch of the meat to finish off at the end.  It's like it forces you to save the best for last, which I won't complain about.  This is a must eat if you're ever in Columbus!

Other Sporting Venues #10 : Nationwide Arena

I spent Friday from 8am to 5pm on the road heading from Toronto to Columbus and soon after checking into my hotel I had a hockey game to attend.  This was my first NHL game in about 4 years which coincidentally also involved my Buffalo Sabres.

The first thing I noticed about downtown Columbus was that it felt very modern and clean (at least in the Arena District).  There were several parking garages very near the arena at affordable prices (mine was directly across the arena and for $10), and a bunch of bars and restaurants within walking distance.  I kind of wished I had more time to wander around the area.

Nationwide Arena is also very modern.  Inside was very clean, well lit, a lot of concessions, merchandise stands, a lot of activities for the fans, and what helped me stay sane at the game, free wifi.  The people inside were great as well.  The ushers were really nice, and the fans were super loud and you can tell they care about their team.  Overall, a great experience especially since its a fraction of the cost of a Leaf game at the Air Canada Centre.

 

Local Spot #25 : Poutineville

Shortly after a concert one night, a friend and I headed over to Poutineville by Spadina and Brunswick.  I was surprised about how nice it looked inside.  I was expecting something a little smaller like Smoke's or one of the many burger spots downtown but this place was a legit restaurant.  The main part of their menu is quite interesting as they allow you to create you own poutine (you may also choose one of the ones they concocted) and you have your choice of potato (highly recommend trying their Crushed Potatoes, cheeses, veggies, meats (try them with Pogos!) and gravy.  This is by far the best poutine spot in town (sorry Smoke's).  The portions were great, they came out from the kitchen quick, and most importantly, the poutine was fantastic as everything was cooked just right.

Local Food Spot #24 : Real Sports Bar

This is a hard bar to get into most of the time since it's located right outside the Air Canada Centre so it draws a lot of the higher class crowd but when the game is on, they get drowned out by the die hard fans.  Once in a while you'll bump into a pro athlete or coach (I have a few times).  Also, they have a good sports bar menu but it's a little on the pricey side.  I went for lunch there one time and ordered a Footlong Chili Cheese Dog.  It was good, but wasn't great but this place is good enough to catch a game and have a drink.

Local Food Spot #23 : Rock Lobster

On Queen St., there's a casual seafood restaurant that serves a wide range of seafood such as lobster tacos, calimari, huge fish n' chips, etc. But they also something that I needed to try: a Lobster Poutine.  It was understandably pricey but how often are you going to find lobster in a poutine?

Food Stop #30 : Chicago #2

There's a little restaurant called bopNGrill in Chicago that has a pretty unique menu as they do a Korean fusion with their food which is mostly concentrated on burgers.  Their menu contain things that have a Korean flair to American food and vice versa from Kim Chi Fries to Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls.  It's worth a visit.

Food Stop #29 : Milwaukee #3

My uncle took me to this little spot called Solly's Grille which had something I didn't even know existed which is apparently a Wisconsin thing: butter burgers.  Essentially, the bottom of the burgers are drenched with butter.  I of course ordered that and it was fantastic despite being a small burger, this butter really adds to it.  A simple yet effective idea.

Other Sporting Venues #9 : BMO Harris Bradley Center

I had some time to kill in Milwaukee so I decided to go to a Milwaukee Bucks preseason game.  It helped that the tickets were only $11.  The arena felt a little small inside compared to the Air Canada Centre as the hallways didn't have much action going on, and the crowd was really empty.  Sure it was preseason but the arena felt more like it houses a minor league team.

Food Stop #28 : Milwaukee #2

In my first trip to Milwaukee, I discovered this little bar downtown called Upper 90 Sports Pub that served Alligator Bites since I felt like trying something "exotic".  With my luck, a group earlier that day bought all of them out so I was left that night super disappointed since I had driven about half a day and I had no idea if I'd have a chance to try them.  Luckily, I had my chance a year and a half later.  This time we ordered beer battered cheese curds(I had to try some cheese from a state known for it) and the Alligator Bites.   The cheese curds were a bit salty but they were cheesy which is what counted.  The Alligator Bites had a chickeny texture with a bit of spice which I'm assuming came from the breading, and not the alligator meat.  It was an interesting appetizer so if you're daring enough to try a different type of meat,

Alligator Bites

Deep Fried Beer Battered Cheese Curds

Local Food Spot #12 : The Musket

Since it was October, I felt it would be fitting to get some German food.  My friend took me to The Musket in Etobicoke.  I decided to order Wiener Schnitzel, an apple strudel with ice cream, and a pint of beer of course.  I was told this was the best German restaurant around and after eating the schnitzel, I wouldn't doubt that.  It was crunchy yet tender but the underrated hero of the dish was the potatoes which were cooked just right.  The strudel was the perfect compliment for the schnitzel since it was sweet to offset the slightly salty entree.  This place is recommended.