Posts from February 2023

Elevate your grocery shopping by stopping by one of Ohio's specialty food markets, which sell plenty of delicious and interesting foods. You'll be able to try new foods and make your meals more special and tasty.
  
Explore these specialty food markets around Northeast Ohio, Columbus, and Cincinnati the next time you shop.

West Side Market

1979 W. 25th St., Cleveland, OH 44113

Opening in 1912, West Side Market is Cleveland's oldest municipally owned market. Its setting is beautiful, with the building designed by renowned architects who included a 44-foot-high tile vaulted ceiling and a 137-foot-tall clock tower. Its eclectic mix of shops includes Theresa's Bakery, known for more than 30 types of fresh, homemade bread and European pastries, including 17 flavors of cannoli. Rita's is another popular market vendor where you'll find a variety of stuffed olives, fresh horseradish and barrel kraut, and fresh-ground peanut butter.

Mustard Seed Market

3885 Medina Rd., Akron, OH 44333

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With its motto of "Real food is good food," Mustard Seed Market has followed many stringent ingredient standards since 1981. Its products are free of high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavoring, harmful chemicals and preservatives, saccharin and aspartame, antibiotics and hormones in meats, bleached or bromated flour, and irradiation. Fill your cart with produce from local farmers that's organic whenever possible, fresh-baked bread, pastries, and pies, high-quality, responsibly sourced meat and seafood, bulk foods, and more. And in the grocery department, you'll find affordable, high-quality, natural foods from local suppliers.

Bunker Hill Cheese

6005 County Road 77, Millersburg, OH 44654

Bunker Hill Cheese is a third-generation family-owned company that was established in 1935. The company partners with local farmers and makes over 25 types of cheese, averaging 50,000 pounds a week. Whether you'd like cheese for a snack, to use in a recipe, or to help create a delicious charcuterie board, you can find it here. You'll find A2 milk cheese (easier to digest), cheddar, farmers cheese, fiesta jack marble with jalapeno kick, Bermuda onion, feta, raw milk cheese, and more. And to carry the cheese theme even further, the market sells Heini's cheese fudge in flavors including blueberry, chocolate, and rainbow sherbet.

North Market

59 Spruce St., Columbus, OH 43215

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North Market, located in downtown Columbus, has been open for nearly 150 years. The venue houses more than 30 independently owned small businesses where you can pick up a wide variety of fresh produce, meat, poultry, specialty food items, and more. For a delicious snack, stop by American Nut Company, specializing in Bavarian Glazed Roasted Almonds and Pecans with a touch of cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar. For a prepared meal, visit Flavors of India, which serves dishes made with freshly sourced ingredients and healthy herbs and spices.

The Hills Market

7860 Olentangy River Rd., Columbus, OH 43235

The Hills Market is a unique shopping destination where you can shop inside the market or have your groceries delivered. Its departments sell wholesome, fresh foods, including produce from Ohio farmers and family-owned distributors. Its full-service butcher shop features high-quality meat sourced from around Ohio without any growth-promoting hormones or antibiotics. The produce department features hand-selected fruits and veggies from Ohio farmers and family-owned distributors. For added convenience, stop by the Chef's Case for house-made dishes, including the market's popular crab cakes with sherry cayenne dipping sauce.

Carfagna's Market

1440 Gemini Place, Columbus, OH 43240

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Carfagna's Market aims to provide the best quality items at the lowest possible price. The market isn't tied to any particular suppliers, so the owners are free to shop around to find and sell the best products from small and family-owned businesses. Its butcher shop sells meats cut fresh daily and sourced from farmers who implement humane practices. You can also treat yourself to a wide variety of fresh, delicious foods, including treats from Columbus' largest homemade Italian cookie selection, homemade cannoli filled to order, organic homemade pasta sauce, and handmade artisan pasta.

Jungle Jim's International Market Eastgate

4450 Eastgate South Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45245

You'll find a unique mixture of specialty grocery items at Jungle Jim's International Market, including colorfully unique sodas where you can try a new root beer or be adventurous and buy Buffalo Wing Soda. If you love coffee or tea, stop by the Coffee Bar, where you'll find over 50 varieties of coffee from local micro-roaster Seven Hills, as well as over 20 varieties of loose-leaf teas. You'll also find dozens of honey varieties and honey-related products like honey candy, butter, or cream. And make sure to stop by the Candy Castle for nostalgic favorites or trendy new candies.

Findlay Market

1801 Race St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

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Located just blocks from downtown in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Findlay Market attracts more than one million visitors a year. You'll find plenty of farm-fresh, locally sourced specialty foods for sale from more than 50 full-time merchants. If you're craving a ready-made meal, stop by Flavors of the Isle, where you'll find dishes with a blend of Southern soul food and Jamaican cuisine. Try the jerk chicken, made with the owner's homemade jerk seasoning and sauce. Or visit Dean's Mediterranean Imports for nuts roasted onsite, many varieties of Lebanese-style yogurt, pita breads, and more.

Remke Markets

6920 Burlington Pike, Florence, KY 41042

Remke Markets has several locations throughout the area and is known for its excellent customer service. In addition to the usual grocery offerings, you'll find a dedicated soup and salad bar as well as a sushi bar. If you'd like to save time and effort but still get the products you love, try the Mobile Market app, where a trained personal shopper selects items from your order and has it waiting for you when you come to the store.

Don't Settle for Ordinary

What specialty food markets do you visit in Ohio, and what items are your favorites to buy? 

You don't have to live in the mountains to enjoy rock climbing, and you don't need warm weather either! While the state of Ohio offers some amazing outdoor rock climbing destinations for spring, summer, and fall, the colder months force us to look indoors. 

Luckily, there are also some incredible indoor rock gyms all over the Buckeye state! If you're searching for the best indoor rock climbing in Ohio, look no further.

Nosotros Rock Climbing Gym

2020 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115

With two Northeast Ohio locations in Cleveland and Lakewood, Nosotros Rock Climbing Gym offers some of the best climbing facilities in this part of the state. The Cleveland location features 2,000 square feet of climbable space and a Kilterboard with around 8,000 training routes. Beginner, intermediate, and private climbing classes are available, plus a weight room and yoga classes. Affordable day passes and first-timer tours of Nosotros Rock Climbing Gym are available, helping to make it more accessible to those who might be new to climbing.

Cleveland Rocks Climbing

2831 Franklin Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44113

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Offering lead climbing, top rope, and bouldering, Cleveland Rocks is a world-class indoor climbing facility that spans 18,000 square feet. The gym is located inside Cleveland's renovated Ohio City Masonic Temple, a historical structure providing a unique climbing venue. Cleveland Rocks offers three separate climbing areas, with roped walls up to 54 feet, and also hosts a wide range of climbing classes and programs for youths and adults. It's one of the best spots for beginner and advanced climbers in Northeast Ohio.

Rock Mill

677 Carroll Street, Akron, OH 44304

Akron's Rock Mill is a great place to climb, but it's also much more. Yoga classes are taught almost every day of the week, and traditional fitness facilities are also open to members and visitors alike. That includes a weight training area and cardio equipment. Rock Mill also offers a well-stocked coffee bar that serves locally sourced coffee, beer, and food. For those just here to climb, you'll find a 6,000-square-foot bouldering hall with 80-plus bouldering problems that are reset every week to consistently provide new challenges. 

Chambers Purely Boulders

1165 Chambers Road, Columbus, OH 43212

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A cheery indoor bouldering gym near the OSU Campus in Greenview, Chambers Purely Boulders is one of the best places in Columbus for aspiring climbers. With a wide range of weekly programs that teach bouldering and climbing fundamentals, Chambers Purely Boulders makes it easy to get on the wall, even if you've never climbed before. The gym hosts a variety of classes and clinics as well, including weekly yoga classes that are free for members.

Vertical Adventures

6513 Kingsmill Court, Columbus, OH 43229

Open since 1994, Vertical Adventures has been providing an amazing indoor rock climbing experience in Columbus since long before rock gyms became hip or trendy. A staple of the Columbus climbing community, this facility offers over 16,000 feet of terrain that caters to a wide range of climbing styles, including lead, top-roping, and bouldering. Beginner and climbing fundamentals classes are available for anyone who wants to gain some rock climbing experience. 

Bloc Garten

512 Maier Place, Columbus, OH 43215

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With a welcoming environment and supportive community, Bloc Garten is one of the best bouldering gyms in Central Ohio. With new bouldering problems reset every week on Tuesdays, the gym's dynamic bouldering walls constantly provide new challenges to climbers of all skill levels. Free gear rental is available for your first visit, and the gym offers a 90-minute fundamentals class that helps new climbers find their footing. Regular climbing clinics also provide new insight and instruction for experienced climbers to up their game, both physically and mentally. 

Climb Cincy

1708 Blue Rock Street, Cincinnati, OH 45223

Opened in 2020, Climb Cincy is one of the newest indoor rock gyms in the Cincinnati area. The facility is nestled in the beautiful Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati, and the folks who run it make a point of catering to climbers of all experience levels to create an environment where all are welcome. Climb Cincy is a bouldering facility, which means participants climb over padded floors with no ropes or harnesses involved. Walls range from 11 to 14 feet tall, and many routes are beginner-friendly, while others will challenge even the most seasoned climbers. 

Mosaic Climbing

9501 Union Cemetery Road, Loveland, OH 45140

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No matter what your preferred style of climbing may be and how much experience you may have, Mosaic Climbing offers something for you. Located in the small city of Loveland within the Cincinnati metro area, Mosaic Climbing offers one of the most impressive, wide-ranging climbing facilities in Ohio. In addition to bouldering terrain, Mosaic offers top-rope, auto-belay, and lead climbing, plus a variety of climbing-related training equipment and a complete fitness facility with yoga rooms. Private and group instruction is available for youths and adults.

RockQuest Climbing Center

3475 East Kemper Road, Cincinnati, OH 45241

Located in a renovated industrial space in Sharonville, just north of Cincinnati, RockQuest Climbing Center is one of Ohio's longest-running indoor climbing gyms and a staple of the local climbing community in the Cincy area. RockQuest offers around 15,000 square feet of climbing surface, with roped climbing as well as bouldering. Belay classes are available, teaching essential top rope climbing skills, including knots and techniques. 

View From the Top

Where's you're favorite place to climb around Ohio?