The future is coming and it smells like dinner. Zhu Jinxuan a twenty year old design student out of China has seemingly produced a real step towards smell-o-vision. Jinzuan has created a postcard maker that captures the scent of the meal at hand. Follow the link to see more. 
Photo credit: villagevoice.com

Olive, an urban dive bar in Dayton, OH

Half way through the leaks.

French press coffee, fried leaks, and beef meatballs on top of pesto mashed potatoes that kind of meal kind only be had at a place that cares about food. Olive does exactly that. With a local menu put together by hard work they deliver a dining experience that is different from any other dive in Dayton. The menu is small but the flavors are strong. The tender beef paired with the lemon sauce and balsamic glaze nicely, and the potatoes were a good match with the whole dish. 

 It was comfort food on a cold day, but with a twist of sophistication.  

Not only was the entre delicious so was the often over looked side salad. The unwillingness to compromise and serve up a plate of iceberg in the middle of winter should indicate how hard working this group really is. Over all it looks simple enough, a plate of greens with a light dressing and a crouton. It is far more than that. The mix of greens is coated in a wonderful sweet, acidic house sauce. Not to look over the greens themselves which were as fresh as they just picked them out of their garden in late spring. Delicately, peppery, crisp, and refreshing it lightened the home-style lunch into something that allows you to finish the rest of your day and still feel full.

Olive’s doesn’t just promote good eating, they promote a better state. Taking profits from daily specials and donating five percent to environmental watch groups. They deliver on the promise of great food without sacrifice. The only thing you might have to sacrifice is ten minutes of your time to wait on a table, or you can call in a reservation and let the crew at Olive make your afternoon that much better.

Strip District - Pittsburgh

Nomming on olives and dried sausage from the Strip District while rockin' Makers Mark and Pacifico right now a.k.a. living the good life.

I'm checking out Pittsburgh right now. There's history in this town and you can get a good sense of it in the Strip District. Driving into the district your surrounded by shops ,eateries, and tradition. Once you're on the street the legitimacy hits you and the smell from Primanti Bros. gets you mouth wet. Pro-tip: When you get your pound of meat, slaw, cheese, tomato, and bread douse that brick house with Red Devil Hot Sauce. It's all over Pittsburgh and without being too hot it gives a good acidity to the sandwich.

       Now if you don't fee like testing your colon head to the Wholey's Fish Market and as soon as you walk in the door get in line for Andy's Sushi. When we walked in (12:45pm) there was a short line and my man was looking good decked out with and Express sweater and Louis V belt (FLY) in the middle of a fish market. Not only does that mean that he is the best dressed but it means he makes the best sushi in Pittsburgh. Now you can order a very reasonably priced roll off the menu but when you tell him to just make what he wants he goes H.A.M.. Pairing his own sauces with the best fresh fish you can get in P-Burgh. You will learn very quickly why Andy has the swag that he does.

Once your done pitching your tent over Andy's handy work it's time for you to think of all the people you still haven't bought holiday presents for. Head north to Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. This is a holy place in my mind. Hit the entrance and head left. Forgive me Father for I have sinful thoughts when I enter this room. A tangled mess of sweet, briny, nutty, and savory flavors fill up your nose holes tempting you do jump the counter and do dirty things to the big wheels of Parmesan. We grabbed a few tubs of olives and a link of hot dried sausage. After you fill somebody's wish list in the deli room check out the rest of the store where you can find tons of olive oil, high quality caned tomatoes, and plenty of other prime components of an authentic Italian meal.
The strip district is and experience I've been longing for, full of tradition and a lack of reckless consumerism. Understandable prices and brilliant tastes make this place quite special and worth a trip to the Keystone State.

The Anti Tourist

A huge inspiration behind Ohio Street Food, the Anti Tourist has been gathering stories from around the world since 2009. Lead by all around artist and business woman Elizabeth Seward, her team consist of a myriad of writers from all over the world who share there stories while encouraging others to make their own. Not following the path beaten by so many others their stories have inspired me to tramp around my neck of the woods looking for the biggest tastes I can find. Visit The Anti Tourist and see what it's like living off the trail.

PNC Second Street Market - Dayton

Every time I go to the PNC Second Street market I find exactly what I’m looking for. Nice people, good food, and a sense of a community that encourages everyone to have a good time. The amount of happiness that exudes from that place is completely wonderful.

The market is comprised of over forty vendors including farmers selling their produce, eateries, breads, arts, clothes, and many other locally owned and operated businesses.

you can grab a seat inside or out. (Eating the stuffed meatballs out on the concrete patio in the back on a cool day while the train strolled by was one of the nicest small experiences I had had in a while.) The stuffed meatball is a perfect analogy for the market. Taking something outstandingly traditional as a market, then stuffing with this new-again idea of fresh local food, crafts-people, and local vendors all combing in one place to better their community. Then topping it with Alfredo sauce… I mean topping it off with the culture mix of Dayton found in the music that plays in the hall and the street art that is speckled around the surrounding area.Since 2001 when the Second Street market opened the doors to its present location in an old Baltimore and Ohio freight warehouse built in 1911 they have been delivering fresh produce and good food. Open Thursday-Friday 11-3pm and Saturday 8-3pm if you live in the Dayton

I’ve been using the market as my primary produce supplier more and more. All of the goods from the local farms are picked only days before they hit market and are full of real flavor- the kind you cannot find at a Meijer. And, oh yeah, they are beautiful.But if you aren't looking to plan your next meal the market has you covered. Covered like spinach, mushroom alfredo over a couple of slices of “stuffed meatballs”. Covered like a fresh made whipped cream on a fresh made crepe. Covered like sauerkraut on a stuffed cabbage roll. Once you pick from your long list of vendors

area and are looking for an opportunity to eat well and meet friendly people head to the PNC Second Street Market.

Main Squeeze Juice Bar - Yellow Springs

Amidst a slew of other street food stops on my first trip to Yellow Springs, Ohio, Main Squeeze Juice Bar shined brightest and captured my taste buds. Just off of Xenia Avenue, in what seemed to be the cooler part of town I followed a sign into the bar and found a fun, colorful shop. The bar and juicing station take up most of the store area, but there are two other distinctive areas that sell a multitude of home-brewing and winemaking supplies.

The menu stressed that the juice and smoothies were all juice, all the time. No ice, concentrates or fillers. That matched a recurring theme I’d noticed from Main Squeeze in simplistic and natural confidence. The menu itself is beautiful and very user-friendly. I immediately managed to narrow my choices down and decided on the Blue Moon, a creamy blend of Apple Juice, Blueberries and Vanilla Yogurt. It was delicious, exactly what I wanted out of the smoothie and it definitely made me feel good to know that it was 100% the real thing. I’m sure next time I’ll have a tougher time choosing what to try, but to get a look at the menu for yourself, click here.

I wish I knew more about home-brewing and winemaking because the selection of supplies looked extraordinary and from the information I’ve learned about the owners since visiting, I’m positive Main Squeeze is one of the premier locations in the area for supplies and information. Both owners, Donna Lynn and Brian Johnson are nationally renowned brewers and winemakers. Most notably from their time as co-owners and founders of Fermentation Frenzy a home-brewing shop in Los Altos, California. I’m sure after I get more of an education on the art of home-brewing and winemaking I’ll make another trip into Main Squeeze with a better understanding of the other parts of the shop and I suggest to all home-brewers and winemakers to stop by and check out what Main Squeeze has to offer.

Tensuke Market - Columbus

Calm yet stimulating, a sense of mystery followed by a feeling of satisfaction. Small markets always seem to convey a sense of self preserved seclusion that makes them intimidating to enter, do not let any unfounded trepidation stop you from going to Tensuke Market in Columbus, Ohio. When the doors open into the brightly lit store an isle of vibrant sushi, bento boxes, and other ready to eat items welcomes you into the store. There are three main rooms to the market the first has a mix of imported snack foods, dry goods, house hold items, really nice looking fresh fish, produce and frozen goods (bok choy, small frozen fish, octopus…)

The second room is stocked with noodles, cooking supplies, frozen meats, a cold chest for tofu and other chilled items. Also in this room is a sushi window where all of the prepared sushi items in the front are made. I haven’t tried any of their work yet but based on the presentation of the prepared items and the lack of fish smell I trust them to deliver a satisfactory product.

The final room is the Tensuke Express where you can eat what you just bought upfront or order from a large menu of soup bowls, noodle dishes, curries, or ala carte items, there are about thirty items in all. We ordered a bowl of BBQ eel and rice. They gave us a Red Lobster style buzzer and we grabbed a booth in the lounge. This room is a bit of a departure from the store appearance you see in the rest of the market. Wooden floors, a large exotic fish tank and nice furnishings fill the space while two flat screens play loops of Japanese T.V. shows and picture menu. It only took about four minutes for our buzzer to go off; I grabbed the food and some Japanese black pepper from the stash of condiments on the counter. Don’t compare this eel to the little slivers of fish jerky you get on sushi at a normal Chinese buffet. This version of eel is spoon tender fish with a teriyaki style glaze on top. The taste of the eel seemed slightly over come by the sauce but it wasn’t that big of a deal. The bowl came with a better than average cup of miso soup and was well worth the $7.25.

As we left I pondered getting one of the small imported energy drinks but chose a bottle of milk coffee which by my pallet was better than Starbucks. I like this shop a lot, the atmosphere is just nice the food is really good and the cool items in the store are a big plus.