Nicholas Dekker is a Columbus food and travel writer who has made numerous TV appearances from a PBS documentary to local TV spots to Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
"I love getting to tell the stories of hardworking restaurant owners, and to help serve as a guide for people looking for interesting food, travel ideas and family fun." Nick says. "I've always enjoyed exploring restaurants, especially breakfast joints," which explains the name of his platform, Breakfast With Nick.
Here, Nick provides his top picks for which breweries and barbecues to check out this summer.
CL: What are your top brewery go-tos and why?
Nick: I love how Columbus Brewing Company's Beer Hall makes use of the historic Trolley District. It's a beautiful space with brick walls and patios, a huge selection of Columbus Brewing Company beers and an excellent food menu. It's a great spot to taste a number of their signature IPAs and pair them with Belgian frites, poutine, pizza and burgers.
[In contrast], Nocterra Brewing in Powell has become this great community space. On top of their excellent beer, they host plenty of interesting events and live music, have their own food truck, and—my particular favorite—have a giant beer garden with picnic tables, fire pits and other spaces to relax.
Speaking of patio spaces, the beer garden at Gemüt Biergarten is another favorite. The German-style brewery hammers out authentic European brews in a restored historic fire station in Olde Towne East. You can hang out in the beer hall with its stained glass windows, or you can camp out on the spacious patios. I like their schnitzel and späetzle.
CL: What are your recommendations for BBQ spots?
Nick: Ray Ray's Hog Pit is my go-to. They recently opened a truck in front of Aardvark Wine & Beer in Linworth. I especially love their brisket and jerk chicken sandwiches. Ray Ray's has a number of locations that lets you hang out with BBQ and drinks. I love their truck parked at Land-Grant Brewing in Franklinton, where you can also grab a slice of Mikey's pizza. And they have a newer truck with a funky menu called Ray Ray's Reload that's parked at the Bottle Shop in Victorian Village.
Martiny's BBQ in Lewis Center is an under-the-radar, family-run spot up on Route 23. The building is pretty low profile, but sometimes that makes for the best finds. Their brisket, ribs and pork belly burnt ends are killer, but I especially love their side dishes. The mac and cheese and baked beans are some of my favorites in town.
Another favorite family-owned spot is Hank's Texas BBQ in Clintonville. They do creative bar food really, really well. So while you can savor tender brisket, pulled pork and smoked chicken, they have a lot of fun with their full menu. You'll find fried pickle chips, brisket nachos, poutine and cheese curds, birria brisket tacos and loaded corn cakes. I especially dig their sauces.
CL: What makes Columbus a standout destination as a food and drink scene?
Nick: I think Columbus still flies under the radar a bit, so it's still a surprise to first-time visitors. They're stunned to find world-class restaurants, nearly 75 breweries, great cocktail bars, a range of international restaurants and hidden gems all around the city. I think Columbus benefits from having multiple neighborhoods and suburbs that each have their own identity, so you can spend multiple weekends exploring different parts of town and find amazing food and drink in every corner.
Find Nick at breakfastwithnick.com and on Instagram @breakfastwithnick where he shares restaurant news and features, travel guides and more.
"I've always enjoyed exploring restaurants, especially breakfast joints."