Life -- or rather, work, not the same thing -- has brought me to Ohio this week. Not one of the big three C's (Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland), but the small-town area of Newark, Heath, and Hebron, in Licking County, 30 or 40 minutes east of the east side of Columbus, but still 20 miles short of Zanesville. I'll be here all week.
For lunch today I had what I believe is a Cincinnati special: a hot dog smothered in chili, cheese, and onions. I saw on the menu, but decided to wait til tomorrow to order, a grilled bologna sandwich. The other thing I've heard of and thought was Ohioan was chili on a bed of spaghetti. Haven't seen that on a menu yet.
I'm told I'm one county away from some Amish communities, if I'm looking for farm-made jams and cheeses. I am, if I can get away from work long enough.
This evening I went to the Eagle grocery store (open 24 hours, which I found amazing, by downstate Illinois standards, for a town of this size). I was very pleasantly surprised, by, among other things, the range of products available in the Indian, Thai, Mexican, UK, eastern European, and kosher sections of the store. Also pleasantly surprised by the selection of wines -- possibly twice as large a wine section as at Sunset. Towns this size, I usually don't realistically expect to find anything more than a few bottles of Boones Farm and Sutter Home pink zinfandel.
Also found, in the Chinese food section, bottles labelled gyosa - dumpling dipping sauce. In a different thread, I reported on my mostly disappointing search for such a thing. I bought two bottles.
Any LTHers from central / east / southeast Ohio? Anything else I should not miss while I'm here?