Columbus Eats- Part 1

Szechuan pickled turnip with shrimp at Fortune

Earlier this week I came back from my hometown of Columbus, Ohio where I spent nearly two weeks seeing friends and family and eating, virtually, nonstop. I really do love my hometown. I know what you’re thinking, “You miss Columbus? Really!?!?” but Columbus has moved away from its image of being a ‘cow town’ (although the OSU College of Agriculture does still have fields of cattle). It’s no New York City but Columbus has its own quirks and areas of interest without the hustle and bustle of big city life.



Tater tots and 'Beano' a vegeterian hotdog with refried beans,
diced tomatoes, mustard, and cheddar from Dirty Frank's

Columbus has a diverse and growing food scene. I’ve lived there for most of my life (minus the past 6+ years I’ve lived in Baltimore) and have traveled, relatively, extensively in and out of the United States, and I can tell you, from experience, that Columbus has more restaurants (and fast food joints) than any city I have ever been to. Naturally, this makes it hard to pick a restaurant to go to, but it’s wonderful that there are so many choices and the variety of different types of cuisine, in equally diverse and interesting neighborhoods, is outstanding. So for the next two posts, I will be doing mini reviews of several of my favorite restaurants in Columbus, Ohio. If you’re ever there, give them a try for some local flare!



Clay Pot with tofu from Fortune



Dirty Frank’s Hotdog Palace

Dirty Frank’s is not your average hotdog joint. Located in downtown Columbus, Frank’s serves up unique hotdogs. Now, the hotdogs themselves are just your average hotdogs, but the toppings are fun and different. Have you ever had a hotdog topped with crushed potato chips? What about cream cheese? Coleslaw or Sriracha mustard? Well, you can at Frank’s. For you vegeterians out there, Frank's will substitute a veggie dog for the all beef hotdog. Also, their tater tots and funnel fries are well worth a try. Avoid karaoke night at all costs- the place is small and they crank up the volume...

http://dirtyfrankscolumbus.com/



'Funnel Fries' a fry version of funnel cakes complete
with cinnamon and powdered sugar
from Dirty Frank's



Fortune Chinese Restaurant

Fortune is easy to overlook. It has an unassuming façade and is located in a strip mall near the OSU campus. They recently underwent new ownership and the current dishes (many are Szechuan), I must say, are remarkably tasty (although slightly greasy). If you are one that gets irritated, like I do, when you go to a restaurant and order something medium or hot and you get Americanized heat, then you will not have a problem here- the spicy dishes are spicy. My friend, Katie, ordered the dan dan noodles, without pork, so I could try them- simply amazing. Fortune surpasses your common strip mall Chinese restaurant in flavor and quality. And you leave happy and full without breaking the bank.