An Appetite for Ohio

All right, we plead guilty. It was before lunch when we met to discuss the “bests” to be included in this year’s “Best of Ohio” cover story. That may have something to do with the ample presence of edibles on the list. Come to think of it, the fact that we felt compelled to taste test all the entries may have something to do with ampleness of another sort.

Who could resist? Pastry chef — or, better put, artist — Sue Larson had more than a little to do with the ingredients of this year’s editor’s picks. Owner of le Gateau in Columbus, Sue created the tasty treatment of “Ohio” featured on our cover.

The cover cake is a tiny sampling of what Sue has done to elevate cake creation to an art form. For more, visit her web site at www.legateau.net. Clearly, she has put her master’s degree in art and design to delicious good use.

Once we got started, it was difficult to stop. Hence the following items on our list:

Best Take on the Egg Roll (the Yankee Doodles at Liberty Tavern in Powell).

Best Reason to Wear a Bib (the ribs at Montgomery Inn at The Boathouse in Cincinnati).

Best Reason to Save Room for Dessert (the fudge cake at Bun’s Restaurant in Delaware).

Best Burger (the Tankburger at Tank’s Bar and Grill in Dayton).

Best Party Sandwich (the shredded chicken at Root’s Poultry in Fremont).

Best Reason to Break your Diet (the Parmageddon grilled-cheese sandwich at Melt Bar & Grilled in Lakewood).

After lunch, we considered other categories of Ohio’s best. We found plenty of cool places and things to celebrate and enjoy. Among them:

Best Big-City Skyline View (downtown Cincinnati as seen from northern Kentucky — on your return to the home state, of course — at night).

Best Day in the Park (Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs).

Best Historical Artifact (the Hope Furnace near McArthur).

Best Way to Pretend You’re Tarzan (the Hocking Hills Canopy Tours in Rockbridge).

Best Singular Sensation (the kick-line performed by Radio City Rockettes and fans at Playhouse Square in Cleveland).

While you are on your trip through the “Best of Ohio,” be sure to check out the “Best of the Bests” , highlighting “bests” from Ohio’s 2009 Best Hometowns — Athens, Chagrin Falls, Dublin, Perrysburg and Troy.

Enjoy. And by the way, Happy New Year. Dare we say it?

The best is yet to come.