CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

(Sorry both of these places are closed)

Flying Dog
99 Watkins Street
(on SR 33)
Nelsonville, OH
740.753.3647 (DOGS)

I have driven by the Flying Dog for at least two years on my various trips to Athens for fun and for work. I figured it was a just a local bar in a spot that has been a string of short lived restaurants. While Nelsonville is small, it is prone to traffic jams at certain points in the day such as evening rush hour heading north out of Athens or when an old junker with a maximum speed of 36 miles per hour decides to lurch along on SR 33. On one of these days I decided to pop in to the Flying Dog to use their restroom. I spied Elevator Beer on tap as I walked in which inspired me to sit myself down on a stool and sniff around to see what this place was about.

I noticed friendly staff that seemed to know their customers well. I also noticed an assortment of hot dogs on the menu including a fried dog, Boston (BBQ sauce and baked beans), Texas (BBQ sauce, Cole Slaw and pickle), West Virginia (chili sauce, cole slaw, mustard and onions) and a Chicago dog.

The fare also includes wings, chicken, sandwiches and an assortment of sides. The eclectic menu borders on the exotic with items including Poutine and a Caprese Panini.

Sitting at the bar I struck up a conversation with a loquacious gentleman. We talked food, travel, traveling for food and the food scene in Nelsonville. As it turned out I was speaking with the owner Steve Holtel (whose business card lists him as an “economic slave”).

I asked him about the menu and the restaurant since both had turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me. Steve has owned the site for years and watched several restaurants fail. He finally decided that he would own and operate the restaurant and offer the things that he liked to eat and hope that others did to. So far his choices are paying off. He is active in his community and the dollar dog days/daze on Tuesdays help build a following for the rest of the week.

It is hard to pull myself away from my Athens choices but the Flying Dog is with a drop in instead of a drive by.

Snowfork Cafe
161 East Canal Street
Nelsonville, OH
740.753.9990

Just a block down on SR 33 a new restaurant opened in August at a site that had been empty for years. The place serves up typical Midwestern diner fare such as Country Fried Steak, a Fishtail sandwich, and Open Faced Roast Beef. What caught my eye was the pie. Some beautiful pies are on display in the pie case. I was told the three generations of women that work in the cafe make pie using old family recipes passed down for years. They make good pie.

Even on the way to my culinary heaven of Athens, I still have to stop and look around..... I never know what I might find.