Columbus Monthly – May 2025

PIVOTAL CREW CAPTAIN DARLINGTON NAGBE

PARENT: BUILDING EARLY LITERACY SKILLS

THE TOP STEAK HOUSE TURNS 70

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Inspiring Women Meet 23 trailblazers making Columbus a better community for everyone.

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MAY 2025

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MAY 2025

contents

PHOTO BY ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Columbus Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe

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FEATURES 27

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Meet 23 leaders making a difference in local business, politics, nonprofits and more. Plus, learn their wishes for 2025.

Born in a war-torn Liberia, Darlington Nagbe is now a midfield warrior and precision passer for the Columbus Crew, multiple time MLS cup-winner, father of three and a dedicated husband. Read more about his journey, and what soccer had to teach him about community and connectivity.

INSPIRING WOMEN

MR. RELIABLE

ON THE COVER: Lourdes Barroso de Padilla Photo by Tim Johnson

MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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MAY 2025

contents VOLUME 50 | NUMBER 5

10 PRELUDE 96 CREATIVE SPACE

84

Front & Center 14 GRIEF CLUB Healing is a community affair for this Columbus group, which comes together regularly to process loss.

Yemeni Restaurant

16 THE KAHIKI INCIDENT A new documentary tells the story of how a 1975 police brutality case shaped a family and the community.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING

23 DATEBOOK Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival, Columbus Taco Fest and Ohio Black Expo

19 JUST LOVE Tim Ahrens on why the state legislature should act now to uphold LGBTQ+ rights.

24 PEOPLE Power of Opportunity supporting Families Flourish and Columbus Monthly’s Best New Restaurants event

22 EVERYDAY KINDNESS HEROES John Collins is a volunteer for CASA of Franklin County, using his experience growing up in foster care to make life better for local kids.

Columbus Parent 68 EARLY LITERACY EFFORTS How United Way of Central Ohio is working with six local school districts to build early reading skills.

72 THE GO-TO GUIDE: OUTDOOR PLAYGROUNDS Fourteen spots around town for climbing,

swinging and making new friends.

Home & Style 76 FEATURE HOME The first certified passive house in Central Ohio saves on energy without skimping on style.

80 BUILDING BETTER Bellepoint homes are constructed to fit their clients’ lifestyles.

Food & Drink 84 SPICES TO SAVOR A review of Yemeni Restaurant on Columbus’ North Side.

86 SHORT ORDER The Jerk Spot in the Hatch space at Budd Dairy Food Hall offers a taste of Jamaica.

A Columbus Monthly Suburban

Section

Special Ad Section 45 HILLIARD The suburb brimming with new ideas and a neighborly spirit.

88 TASTING THE TOP A newcomer visits the singular steakhouse as it celebrates 70 years of service this spring.

90 LET’S EAT Our monthly directory of where to dine

Columbus Monthly (ISSN 2333-4150) is published monthly by Gannett. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted © Gannett Co., Inc. 2025, all rights reserved.

Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials. Known office of publication is 605 S. Front St., Ste. 300, Columbus, OH 43215. Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, Ohio, and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Columbus Monthly, PO Box 521, Williamsport, PA 17703.

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SECTION

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

18 THE CONVO How are federal budget cuts affecting Columbus nonprofits? A look at an embattled sector.

20 HEALTH AND WELLNESS Known for causing cancer in women, HPV affects men, too. Learn more about risk and prevention.

HILLIARD

COLUMBUS MONTHLY MAY 2025

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Advice from a relationship counselor, self-help author, pastor, executive coach and living a fulfilled, connected and physician on peaceful life.

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Chris DeVille The longtime journalist profiles Columbus Crew star Darlington Nagbe, who overcame long odds to make a big impact, Page 62.

Tim Ahrens One of the city’s foremost voices on social justice calls for the state legislature to recognize the equal rights of LGBTQ Ohioans, Page 19.

Michael Corey The leader of the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County sounds the alarm on Trump’s threatened funding cuts for nonprofits, Page 18.

PHOTOS BY TIM JOHNSON

CONTRIBUTORS

COLUMBUS MONTHLY MAY 2025

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Send letters to: Editor, Columbus Monthly, 605 S. Front St., Ste. 300, Columbus, OH 43215. Or email: letters@columbus monthly.com. A letter must include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. Letters will be edited for length and clarity. All letters sent to Columbus Monthly are considered for publication, either in print or online.

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triots Education Fund and etting to meet and Columbus Youth Foundahopefully form relation tionships with inspiring “We need to fight our people is one of the most fulfights but also keep ... the filling parts of our jobs as jourlight ahead of all the darknalists. That’s why our annual ness.” -Sangeeta Lakhani, Inspiring Women program co-founder, Service! Relief is one of my favorite endeavKaty Smith for Hospitality Workers ors during the year. The 2025 “I want people to have class of 23 women is a standout katy@columbusmonthly.com someone over for dinner group including trailblazing they wouldn’t ordinarily.” –Ukeme Awakesentrepreneurs, artists, elected officials, comsien Jeter, mayor of Upper Arlington munity advocates and more.

“The world feels really heavy right now for New to the program this year, we have many of us. I am putting my trust in a wider partnered with sister publication Columbus human connection and consciousness that CEO, with plans for a joint celebration event will realign us for our greater purpose.” –Miin June. You’ll find profiles of 15 of our Inchelle Brandt, founder, Brandt Gallery spiring Women in this issue of Columbus “I don’t do wishes because they often don’t Monthly, with another eight in the May issue come true. It’s hard work that makes things of CEO. happen.” –Nadine Muzerall, Ohio State UniAllow me to share some of my favorite versity women’s ice hockey coach thoughts from these women, which they sent us in response to the question, “What is your greatest wish for 2025?”

“I keep coming back to values—who are we, who do we want to be, and what do we want to stand for?” -Cathy Lyttle, chair of Editor, Columbus Monthly the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation, Ma-

Columbus Monthly @ColumbusMonthly @ColumbusMonthly Web: ColumbusMonthly.com Email: letters@ columbusmonthly.com

COMMENTS Our April issue received a lot of feedback from featured organizations and the communities that love them. Here are some of the April issue comments from our Instagram @columbusmonthly: The guys @coastallocalseafood serve great food and are even better people.

-the.sweetghost, commenting on our story about pop-up chef dinners LOVE THIS. And big shout out to the team at @colo_burgerbar and @coastallocalseafood @andnowthisjustin @ fannyfillips @therealsong and so many more! -northmarket, about the pop-up dinners story Thanks for stopping by to learn about this new program we are so excited to share with the community! -columbushumane, about our Everyday Kindness Heroes feature profiling the new 10

mobile pet care program Thank you for sharing our story!

We are blessed to be a blessing to the community. -lifecycledpc, on our feature about culturally competent health care We need a WhitWhit in every city, and the real 1 in LA -r.r0be. l3ss, commenting on Life Cycle Direct Primary Care’s Dr. Whitney Christian Love the furniture setup in family room! Whole house is stunning.

-kimmillsgroup, who enjoyed the home feature of Jessica Buss’ New Albany renovations Lauren is a true inspiration. -shopatpivot, responding to our profile of Columbus Metropolitan Library CEO Lauren Hagan

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front & center

Lifting Each Other Up Grieving is hard, but it doesn’t have to be lonely. The Grief Club, co-founded by Kyle “Atlas” Flemings, finds community in difficult times.

Story, Page 14.

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

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Front & Center | Community

The Grief Club Meet the Columbus group embracing healing through yoga, poetry and community.

By Donna Marbury

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The Grief Club founders aren’t licensed therapists, and they often partner with specialists and organizations to offer enhanced resources to attendees. The group focuses on peer counseling techniques, along with activities including sound therapy, somatic movement and a ‘heal your inner child’ recreation day planned annually for Labor Day weekend. Most of The Grief Club’s participants have heard about them via word of mouth or on Instagram @wearethegriefclub.

“One, let’s identify that we’re all grieving, and two, it’s okay for us to have the conversation,” says Flemings. “Once we identify what we’re grieving, what is the root, then we can move towards solutions and the path of healing.”

The group also holds some sessions just for men or for women. Flemings says it is important to create a space where everyone feels welcome to express themselves.

“I think that anytime men are willing to show up to a space like this, it’s special and important. It goes against this narrative that men aren’t vulnerable and are afraid to share their feelings. I think we need more spaces that are intentionally designed for that,” Flemings says.

The group held a grief circle in December to celebrate Ernest Levert Jr.’s birthday, a community leader and founder of local mentoring nonprofit The Royal Oak Initiative who suffered from a sudden brain aneurysm and traumatic brain injury earlier that April. The grief circle was held in

Kyle “Atlas” Flemings reads a poem he wrote about his mother during a recent meeting of the Grief Club.

PHOTOS BY TIM JOHNSON

“You don’t have to be cool in this space,” Kyle “Atlas” Flemings tells people attending The Grief Club’s open mic night in February. He’s not only the host and co-founder of The Grief Club. This night, he is remembering the anniversary of his mother’s death.

“How does the strongest muscle in the body get tired?” he asks in a spoken word poem, accompanied by a chorus of affirming finger snaps and head nods from the audience.

Public displays of grieving are not common, as many people are taught to pick up the pieces of heartbreak, death or any other loss and just move on. The Grief Club encourages people of all ages who are experiencing any type of grief to come together to laugh, cry, move—and learn to live with their losses.

When Courtland Mullins lost her mother in December 2023, she realized she didn’t have long-term support to deal with the rollercoaster of emotions. Her family wasn’t open to discussing the pain of grief, and she felt alone despite knowing everyone deals with loss in some form. After hanging out at Coles Plants shop in the Short North and feeling better from being around the foliage and a few friends, she decided to have a gathering of her own.

“I needed this space. I made a flyer.

It literally said ‘Courtland Presents The Grief Club.’ I just needed healing,” Mullins says. At the first event, people showed up to share their stories and pot plants, grieving and connecting in a safe space.

Those meetups continued, expanding to yoga sessions, poetry nights and outdoor recreations all centered on giving people space to grieve.

“We’re seeing the world change, and I am grateful that grief is getting normalized. It’s not as taboo as it used to be, and people are starting to have these conversations about it,” Mullins says.

Founders of the Grief Club, from left, Shelbie Briggs, Kyle “Atlas” Flemings and Courtland Mullins.

COLUMBUS MONTHLY MAY 2025

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Start your

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

Shelbie Briggs at an open mic poetry event

December to celebrate Levert’s birthday.

Levert died in January.

“The private grieving ceremony is for people who need space to honor their loved one. It is conversation-based facilitation with questions, and people are invited to bring pictures of their loved one,” Mullins says. “It’s a space where people can release and talk about that person, cry about that person, laugh about that person.”

The Grief Club recognizes that there are other types of mourning besides death. “I have to learn to grieve people who are still alive,” muses poet Brandon Allen during during a recent poetry night hosted by The Grief Club.

Shelbie Briggs, executive assistant for The Grief Club, says gatherings are helping people to redefine what grief looks like. After losing a dream job several years ago, she said the sadness felt worse than a heartbreak.

“We’re not just grieving people, we’re grieving things, experiences, jobs, dreams, all of that. I think that is a powerful thing in this generation, identifying feelings that we have when we lose both people and things,” Briggs says.

In December, The Grief Club received a $4,025 grant from the Maroon Arts Group Pitch Black competition. With the dollars and the validation, they plan to start a podcast to further talk about different forms of grief, offer trainings and private events, and to expand the brand to other cities.

“We definitely are trying to build out what grief sessions can look like for youth and children, and possibly get into the prison systems,” Briggs says. “Grief is not a monolithic thing. The way you process it, it’s not the same. Everyone needs something different and we’re really trying to cater to everyone.” ◆

COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION TODAY at columbusceo.com.

MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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Front & Center | Film

Documenting the Kahiki Incident A 1975 Columbus police brutality case at the famed restaurant is seared into the memories of the city’s Black elders. The youngest member of the family involved is telling the story with a new documentary.

By Aaron Marshall

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 Samuel Bryant and Jo Anne Johnson filed brutality charges against Columbus police after they were beaten during an incident at the Kahiki restaurant in 1975.

of it—it just wasn’t something that was talked about a lot when I was growing up.”

In the aftermath of the incident, the U.S. Justice Department would launch an investigation, two Columbus police officers would temporarily lose their jobs, the course of a Columbus mayoral election would shift and a popular Black radio DJ would have his life changed forever. But the incident’s deepest impact would be felt by the Johnson family.

Growing up alongside her younger brother as the children of a single mother after her parents split up when she was still a toddler, Johnson-Alfano could see a mark on her mother’s head that remained from the brutal police beating.

Harder to see was how the incident had fractured her inside, as Jo Anne Johnson turned to substances to escape her pain.

“You gave me a huge part of a puzzle in my life that’s really hard to share,” John-

son-Alfano says of the 2021 article. “It made sense to me about the kind of decisions my mom made afterward, falling into alcoholism and drug use, and some of our distance there.”

Johnson-Alfano says the incident broke apart her family, leaving her mother spiraling into addiction and the family homeless for several years. She eventually was raised by her maternal grandmother in public housing.

Despite her difficult upbringing, Johnson-Alfano would rise, graduating from Temple Law School. In Philadelphia, Johnson first worked in the city tax solicitor’s office before building a tax law practice and becoming a motivational speaker, advocate for homeless youth and beauty pageant champion.

Her ascent from the ashes of the infamous Kahiki Incident is the focus of the documentary named after her

PHOTO BY FRED SQUILLANTE

Nearly 50 years ago, Nikki Johnson-Alfano was that baby.

On May 30, 1975, Johnson-Alfano was a nine-month-old infant and the fifth member of a birthday dinner, alongside her parents, Samuel Bryant and Jo Anne Johnson, her uncle, Jerome Johnson, and his then-girlfriend, having dinner at the famed Kahiki Supper Club on East Broad Street.

After a dispute over the bill escalated, Johnson-Alfano’s parents and uncle would be arrested and jailed on a variety of charges. All three would suffer severe facial injuries as a result of being brutally beaten by police, while as many as eight Columbus police officers would claim injuries in the melee that followed. It became known as the Kahiki Incident, and it was a violent confrontation that still reverberates in Columbus’ Black community today among the older generation who vividly recall it.

Now, nearly five decades later— spurred by a May 2021 Columbus Monthly article written by me that detailed the incident and the fallout from it—and that baby Nikki is close to finishing a feature-length documentary on the Kahiki Incident and how it shattered her family and shaped her life.

A prominent tax attorney, activist for homeless youth and beauty queen in Philadelphia, Johnson-Alfano said the Columbus Monthly article about the incident revealed a searing moment in her family’s history that she knew little about.

“I knew something had happened when I was a baby, but I had no idea that I was there,” says the 50-year-old during a recent interview. “I had no idea the extent COLUMBUS MONTHLY MAY 2025

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PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT: DISPATCH FILE PHOTO; COURTESY NIKKI JOHNSON-ALFANO

The Kahiki

family members—The Kahiki Three and Me. “We see these kinds of stories, but we rarely hear about what happens to the families after the cheering and the marching are over,” Johnson-Alfano says.

“I’m an example of what happened to a family 50 years in, and I don’t think we’ve ever seen that before.”

The documentary features an emotional meeting between Johnson and Les Brown, the radio DJ who lost his job as a result of political activism around the Kahiki Incident. After being elected to two terms as a state representative, Brown eventually moved to Florida, becoming a nationally known motivational speaker and TV show host (and husband for two years to singer Gladys Knight).

The documentary’s director, Amber Monet, says she was drawn to the project because of the elements of community, police brutality and homelessness, but also the redemption and hope intertwined in the story. “The incident was a very small part of their lives, but it triggered so much after that,” Monet says. “To this day, there are still wounds there. It was one night of their lives, but it impacted generations to follow, unfortunately.”

After a year of work on the film, Monet says it is in post-production with a screener’s cut expected to be ready in May. At that point, it will be marketed to film festivals and distributors.

Johnson-Alfano, who self-financed the

Les Brown and Nikki Johnson-Alfano project, says she plans to host a screening in Columbus this year with a panel discussion among Brown and perhaps others featured in the film, a list of names that includes mine. “I want to start in Columbus,” she says. “You gave me a piece and part of myself that I didn’t even know was missing.” ◆

SECOND TO NONE WITNESS IT MAY 26–JUNE 1

M E M O R I A LT I C K E T S . C O M MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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17 4/8/25 1:52 PM

Front & Center | The Convo School lunches are one of many programs that could lose significant revenue if Trump funding cuts come to pass.

Community in Crisis Nonprofits are navigating a wave of challenges from the Trump Administration. Here’s how it could affect us all.

With every executive transition in government comes a shift in priorities and challenges that requires nonprofits to adjust. But we’ve never seen anything quite like this.

We’ve long wanted to move mountains to make our systems better. With the precision of a stick of dynamite, the Trump Administration has preferred dismantling systems to ameliorating them.

The enormity of the changes it is pursuing cannot be understated: The administration is making extraordinary changes, extraordinarily fast. From funding cuts to false rhetoric accusing nonprofits of fraud, the administration is disrupting decades of bipartisan collaboration that nonprofits have enjoyed with Republicans and Democrats. This balance has allowed them to deliver services to Republicans and Democrats in big cities, our rural villages and everywhere in between.

Here are four ways the administration is creating unique challenges for nonprofits in Columbus and across the country: 1. The administration is trying to terminate many federal grants to nonprofits.

Fortunately, federal courts have slowed or blocked the most significant attempt so far. But the administration has persist18

ed, targeting things like America’s refugee resettlement program, fair housing grants and $1 billion in school meals for children. It’s still difficult to quantify how much federal grant money is in jeopardy for area nonprofits given the lack of specificity from the administration, but it ranges from dozens of millions of dollars to hundreds of millions.

2. The Trump Administration is pushing partisan majorities in Congress to pass a spending bill that could result in over a trillion dollars of cuts to programs essential for nonprofits and the people they serve: Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps) and school meals. The ripple effect in Ohio could be enormous, as the federal Medicaid cuts could trigger a proposed provision that would end Medicaid expansion in our state, taking away health care for 115,000 Franklin County residents.

3. Federal agencies have already begun removing or ending longstanding grant opportunities. For now, it is impossible to anticipate how much lost money this might represent.

4. Federal agencies are being aggressively downsized, particularly ones crucial to the health and human services sector, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Depart-

ment of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Education.

As these agencies shrink or are functionally shuttered, the impact on nonprofit operations and funding streams will be incalculable.

Two things are clear. First, it seems likely a substantial amount of federal money could stop flowing to communities across the U.S. over the next 12-18 months. With some now forecasting a recession in the year ahead, the rapid depletion of federal dollars flowing to our social safety net would create a perfect storm of hardship, driving even more demand for the services that health and human services nonprofits provide. This would further strain a sector of our economy that has been overburdened with high demand and insufficient resources since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

And second: It is imperative for every community across the country to start finding funds to stabilize the sector in anticipation of a change in how our federal government functions. We must do this to ensure every member of our community has the opportunity to reach their human potential. ◆ Michael Corey is executive director of the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County.

PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES

By Michael Corey

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Front & Center | Just Love

Tim Ahrens at the Washington Gladden Social Justice Park

Fairness in Ohio It’s past time for the state’s legislature to give LGBTQ+ citizens equal rights under the law.

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

By Tim Ahrens Recently, I visited my favorite professor from Yale Divinity School, Margaret Farley. Margaret is one the most brilliant people I have ever known. She is 90 now, in a nursing home in northern Ohio and struggling with aphasia, a condition brought on by dementia and a stroke which has left her struggling for words.

Farley always has seen the world through the lens of justice and peace.

Early in her career, she wrote about women’s reproductive rights and called for the Roman Catholic Church to ordain women. In 2006, Farley published the book “Just Love,” which drew censure from the Vatican.

Farley argued six principles for evaluating the quality of a relationship that apply to couples across the sexuality spectrum: 1. Do no unjust harm to your partner.

2. Free consent between partners with truth-telling and promise-keeping guides couples as opposed to deception and betrayal.

3. Mutuality, which calls for giving and receiving freely.

4. Equality, which depends on appreci-

ating and supporting the uniqueness and differences between one another.

5. Commitment, which offers the potential for knowing and being known, loving and being loved.

6.

Social justice, which calls on everyone in a community or society to affirm, recognize and honor the legitimacy of others, never harming them.

Just love is true love. These moral and ethical principles for healthy and happy interpersonal relationships are universal, applicable not only to interpersonal relationships, but also to our families, our neighborhoods, our greater Columbus community, Ohio, our nation and the world.

I believe love and justice always should be inextricably linked if we are to have a healthy and compassionate society. Ask yourself if the current policies, procedures or laws in your workplace, your school, your family, your faith community, your neighborhood, your city, your state, and our nation are doing no unjust harm. Are they grounded in social justice for all?

I, for one, must say no—they are not.

In Ohio, gay people can be fired and denied housing on the basis of their sexual orientation, even after years of bill introductions in the Ohio General Assembly to protect their rights. Despite widespread support among business groups and individual Ohioans, these bills to give LGBTQ+ people equal rights have failed to pass. This is unjust. Let’s see the Ohio Fairness Act passed once and for all.

Across the broader public policy spectrum, I see too many harmful, unequal, nonconsensual actions against people.

The threats to legal refugees and immigrants and the exclusion of people based on gender or racial prejudice harms people and sends us backwards in time to an unhealthy place.

We are better than this.

In the time ahead, I will offer regular reflections in my column called Just Love. In the honor of Margaret Farley and all who call us to higher ground, I will explore love and justice in greater Columbus. May you be blessed in your life with Just Love. ◆ MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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Front & Center | Health Care

The HPV-Cancer Connection A Worthington case shows the prevalence of human papilloma virus in male cancers.

By Samantha Hendrickson Glenn Moog didn’t know much about HPV cancer—until he was diagnosed with it.

The 59-year-old husband, father and realtor from Worthington had a swollen lymph node on his neck that kept getting bigger. Just 24 hours after seeing a doctor for it, Moog was diagnosed with stage 4 base of tongue and neck cancer from the human papilloma virus, or HPV. Moog isn’t alone on several fronts. A survey conducted by the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center shows the limited knowledge many have around HPV and HPV-related cancers, despite them being some of the fastest rising cancers in the United States.

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Glenn Moog, second from left, and family

“Roughly 80 percent of sexually active persons will have been affected with one type of HPV in their lifetime. That’s men and women,” says Dr. Electra Paskett, OSU professor and cancer control researcher at the OSUCCC. “Women, you know, you can test for it. Men, you can’t as easily. But the science has shown that men can be the reservoir of an HPV infection because they don’t know that they have it, and they could unwittingly spread it to their partners.”

While that’s concerning, the good news is that there’s now a vaccine for both men and women long before they could most likely be infected, Paskett notes.

The vaccine, however, has been hit

with controversy and misinformation since it was introduced in 2006, frustrating health experts over what they say is a highly effective prevention measure going unused.

‘Sex is a part of life’ In 2009, Diane Crawford was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the age of 43.

Now in her 50s, Crawford is a staunch advocate for cervical cancer awareness and HPV vaccine education through her group The Crawford Crew, especially for parents like herself.

“Susie Q and Billy Bob are not having sex right now. They’re 8 years old. However, sex is just a part of life,” Crawford

PHOTO COURTESY CRAWFORD FAMILY

What is HPV, and how is it related to cancer?

Nearly every American has been exposed in some form to HPV, and not all have the potential to form cancer.

The virus is transmitted through sexual contact, and if a pregnant person is infected, it can be spread through childbirth. In many cases, the immune system kills the virus, but if it doesn’t, it can lie dormant in the body and the cells can become cancerous.

Cervical cancer in women has long been the cancer primarily associated with HPV, and that shows in the survey results from OSUCCC. Nearly half of respondents believe that HPV is more common in women and only linked to cervical cancer. The virus is actually more common in men, and is linked to neck, tongue, tonsil, penile, anal and head cancers, among others.

HPV is usually asymptomatic, and the majority of men and women don’t know they’re infected until they’re diagnosed with cancer. While there’s an HPV screening for women, there isn’t one for men yet.

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PHOTO COURTESY MOOG FAMILY

says. “Everybody on the planet at some point in their life is most likely going to have a sexual interaction with somebody.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates HPV vaccination between ages 9 and 12 could prevent 90 percent of cervical cancers alone. However, only a little over half of children who qualify for the vaccine have received it. Among them, more girls and women are being vaccinated than boys and men, likely contributing to higher rates of HPV in men.

The cervical cancer survivor, whose children are vaccinated, encourages parents to speak to their doctors about the vaccine and any concerns they have. “[The vaccine] is going to allow them protection, but it’s also going to allow you as a parent to have a peace of mind knowing that you have done everything in your power to protect your child from cancers that can be and are caused by HPV,” Crawford says.

If you weren’t vaccinated as a child for HPV, you can talk to your doctor about receiving the vaccine if you’re under age 45. ◆

Diane Crawford, center, and family

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MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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Front & Center | Everyday Kindness Heroes

John Collins

Advocate with Empathy John Collins grew up in the foster care system.

Now, he helps other foster kids by serving with CASA of Franklin County.

By Sophia Veneziano

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He didn’t immediately pick up a case. Five years later, Collins would go through additional training and begin serving with CASA of Franklin County.

Collins says he’s grateful to be “fulfilling that itch to give back.”

As a CASA, Collins focuses on youth who are aging out of the system.

“I just try to be a constant voice of understanding, but also a voice of experience to let them know that light at the end of the tunnel really starts to get bright when they’re staring down the inevitability of their independence,” Collins says. “I try to let them know, ‘You have a support system, and there are resources out here available. You’re not alone. You’re going to be okay.’ ” Beyond these cases, which include connecting with the children around their sophomore year of high school, Collins coaches basketball. He also mentors students through Capital City Young Aviators, which helps at-risk youth through aviation-based experiences. Collins also is on the board of the Friends of CASA

of Franklin County.

In all he does, Collins’ empathy as an advocate sets him apart.

Because of the trauma experienced by the kids CASA serves, many would not choose to return as an advocate, says Kevin Greenwood, program director of CASA of Franklin County. “It gives [Collins] a deeper understanding of what our children may be going through,” he says.

Those interesting in volunteering with CASA can visit casa.franklincounty ohio.gov. ◆ This article was made possible by support from the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation, which has partnered with Columbus Monthly to profile those making our community a better place.

Help us inspire kindness by suggesting people, initiatives, or organizations for Reporter Sophia Veneziano to profile.

She can be reached at sveneziano@ dispatch.com. Learn more at Dispatch. com/Kindness.

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

Growing up experiencing the difficulties and isolation children can feel in the foster care system in Southern California, John Collins knew he wanted to give back in some way to kids experiencing the same hardship.

He and his older sister, Renata Murdock, were repeatedly separated and reunited as they faced new foster families and living situations. Eventually, Murdock became his legal guardian to help get her younger brother through high school.

Years later as an adult, despite his desire to be involved, Collins also wanted to shield his own children from the world of the child welfare system that he knew personally.

Unexpectedly, while sharing his story with a fellow parent, he learned about the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, or CASA. Soon after, his job moved Collins and his family to Ohio, and he went through the volunteer training to become an advocate to the court, known as a guardian ad litem.

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MAY 2025

datebook A CURATED LIST OF THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN COLUMBUS

Columbus Taco Fest

PHOTO COURTESY COLUMBUS TACO FEST

MAY 2-4 | “Sleeping Beauty” BalletMet will perform the classic ballet, accompanied by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s original score.

There are matinee and evening performances daily, including a discounted dress rehearsal. balletmet.org/ performances MAY 3-4 | It’s All About the Music Columbus Women’s Choir is celebrating its 35th year with two concerts at the First Unitarian Universalist Church. Chorus member Bobbie Brooks and assistant director Sheena Phillips will also debut their original composition “Dance the Wind.” colswomenschorus.org MAY 8-11 | Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival Fans of rock and metal legends like Metallica, Linkin Park and Alice in Chains can enjoy them live at this festival. Over

100 musicians will perform during the weekend at the Historic Crew Stadium. Between acts, be sure to check out the Sonic Temple Art Festival, which features rock-inspired murals and live art exhibits. sonictemplefestival.com MAY 17 | Columbus Crew vs. FC Cincinnati The rivalry continues at the first of two Hell is Real matches this year—and the only one played in Columbus at Lower.com Field. Get ready to defend your home team on their turf as they carry on the eight year long tradition. ticketmaster.com MAY 22 | Talk on Appalachian Poetry Ohio Poet Laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour, hosted by the Aldus Society, will be at the Thurber Center this month to speak about Appalachian literature and poetry. Gunter-Seymour is also an Appalachian poet

and the curator and editor of “I Thought I Heard A Cardinal Sing: Ohio’s Appalachian Voices.” aldussociety.com MAY 24-25 | Columbus Asian Festival Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the 31st annual Columbus Asian Festival.

Held at Franklin Park, this two-day event includes the popular Dragon Boat Race, a table tennis tournament, cultural performances and exhibitions, galleries, food and retail vendors, and more. asian-festival.org MAY 24-25 | Columbus Taco Fest Calling all taco lovers: Be sure to head over to the free Columbus Taco Fest at Goodale Park, which will feature not only multiple taco and food vendors, but drinks, local craft makers, live music and a puppy dress-up contest. columbustacofest.com

GIVE BACK MAY 16 Handbag Hullabaloo Support Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio while competing to win luxury handbags from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Tory Burnch and more at Crown Mercedes Benz of Dublin. Aside from participating in the main competition, attendees can also enter silent raffles and an auction, all while enjoying an open bar and appetizers. rmhccentralohio.org/events MAY 17 Community Crochet and Knit Group Whether you’ve mastered the fiber arts or you’re just starting out, craft for a cause at the Columbus Metropolitan Library New Albany branch. Knitters and crocheters will gather in the afternoon and donate their finished projects to those in need. events. columbuslibrary.org MAY 24-25 Ohio Black Expo Enjoy Memorial Day weekend at the Scioto riverfront while supporting Ohio Black Expo’s community initiatives, including scholarships, fundraisers, events and year-round resources. The expo will feature musical performances, food, workshops, networking opportunities and more. ohioblackexpo.com MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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Front & Center | People

Power of Opportunity On Dec. 4, Families Flourish hosted its annual Power of Opportunity event at The Stack at Municipal Light Plant.

The theme was “driven to succeed”—emphasizing the drive of the families served by the organization. Keynote speaker Ella Williams, founder of Posh Tea Time, addressed the crowd at the event, which raised $242,000 to support the needs of Columbus families.

PHOTOS COURTESY STEVEN J. ROSE

1 Alan Weiler, Steve Heiser, Amy Klaben and Bobbie Weiler 2 Amy Klaben, Steve Weiler and Lori Maier Wishne 3 Clemy and Bob Keidan 4 Brady McCurdy, Shiloh Todorov, Bob Long and Brad Kitchen 5 Bessie Sturgis, Ella Williams, Maura Sullivan and Charlene Bridges 6 Howard Levitin, James Wilson and Kim Rice Wilson 7 Steve Heiser, Elizabeth Martinez and Amy Klaben

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Front & Center | People

Best New Restaurants Columbus Monthly welcomed 300 guests to The Stack at Municipal Light Plant for its 2025 Best New Restaurants event on March 25. Nine recently opened restaurants selected by the magazine’s food team as representing the best the city has to offer shared samples and mingled with guests at this annual event, sponsored this year by Noble Cut Distillery.

1 Lori Kappes, Sarah Carnes, Juli Lindenmayer and Jarod White 2 Mike and Tara Lapper with Anita and Paresh Patel 3 Gregg Dodd and Jenny James 4 Derek Carter and Candice Boelter 5 Carlee Clemons and Sejal Crouser 6 Brittany Smith and Katya Philmore 7 Samantha Avendaño and Jennifer Yang 8 Deryll and Noreen Rohda with Julie and Mike Scott 9 Danielle Spatz, Megan Randolph, Laura

PHOTOS BY TIM JOHNSON

Castillo and Erin Flynn

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Written by staff and contributors Photography by Tim Johnson

Meet 23 trailblazers making Columbus a better community for everyone.

Women Cathy Lyttle • Maggie Smith • Lourdes Barroso de Padilla • Michelle Brandt Jessica Krauser • Ukeme Awakessien Jeter • Nadine Muzerall • Jeni Britton Dr. Amy Acton • Angela Pace Sophia Fifner • Lindy Noel • Letha Pugh and Sangeeta Lakhani • Teckie Shackelford Angela Plummer • Karen Morrison Amy Klaben • Lisa Hinson • Barb Smoot • Debbie Penzone • Lisa Berger and Ilaria Rawlins

A joint effort with Columbus CEO. In its May issue, find profiles of the women listed in black at left.

MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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FA C I N G T O U G H C H A L L E N G E S H E A D - O N

Dr. Amy Acton The former director of the Ohio Department of Health emphasizes collective problem solving and refusing to look the other way in her bid for governor.

BY LUCY CLARK

“I

’m not a politician,” says Dr. Amy Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health and a Democratic Party candidate for Ohio’s 2026 gubernatorial race. “I’ve always been a public servant and a problem solver. My job is putting the truth on the table and gathering people from different systems to solve tough problems that affect all our well-being and prosperity.

I’m running for governor because I refuse to look the other way.”

Many Ohioans remember Acton for the pivotal role she played during the COVID-19 pandemic. “11.7 million people felt like they were my patient and my responsibility to keep safe,” she says. Beyond that, Acton has worked with the Columbus Foundation, as a physician specializing in public health and preventative medicine, and taught at Ohio State University. “The people of Ohio inspire me very much. During COVID especially, it was the honor of a lifetime seeing Ohioans ... try to help one another get through.”

Her experiences make her sympathetic to the struggles Ohioans are still facing. “I often say that people don’t live in ideologies, we live in families. We live in neighborhoods.

We live in workplaces and schools, and we are hardwired to connect ... We must co-create the world we want to live in generation after generation. We don’t get to rest.”

Acton had a difficult childhood, including dealing with abuse and neglect. “I remember people who would see things, but it was too uncomfortable for them. But the thing I remember most are the people who didn’t look the other way.” “[Acton] has a quiet manner. She’s a lovely woman, but she’s tough, she’s smart, she’s capable,” says Barbara Brandt, a local philanthropist and a longtime colleague of Acton.

“This woman has seen so much over her lifetime and has responded to everything in a positive way. I knew from the day I met her many years ago that she would be a leader in something.”

As Brandt says, those who meet Acton are struck by her serene manner and gentle mode of speech—but don’t let it fool you into thinking she’s meek or docile. “I’m a pretty scrappy person,” Acton says. “My calm demeanor can belie the fighter that I am. I’ve pumped a man’s heart with my hands,” she says with a laugh.

It’s something she recognizes not just in herself, but her colleagues as well. “Too often, I think, kindness is mistaken for weakness. What I see in many women is a fierce deter-

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INVOLVEMENT: Former director of the Ohio Department of Health, 2026 Democratic Party candidate for Ohio governor GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “To help create a movement of the Ohioans who believe in what is possible for our state, and to inspire them with a public servant that puts the well-being of Ohioans above self-interest and empowers us to row together towards common purpose, with common sense, and for the common good.” mination toward social justice and keeping the people we love safe and thriving.”

Acton remains hopeful in uncertain times. “We used to say during COVID: Act on love, not hate. Act on kindness, not fear. Because fear and uncertainty are very contagious ...

We talked so much about hate, but the love was so much greater. I saw the heroism of people in hard times, reaching out to help save one another. I know we’re capable of that again.” ◆

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Women SHOWING UP TO GET THE WORK DONE TOGETHER

Cathy Lyttle

The woman at the center of so many transformational community projects says she’s grateful for the chance to do her part.

BY AARON MARSHALL

C

athy Lyttle had always been a “doer,” as she puts it.

A longtime communications and human resources executive with stops at WBNS-TV, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Worthington Industries, Lyttle has been at the center of important civic projects in Central Ohio for more than four decades.

An Ironton native, Lyttle says she learned about the importance of growing a community from parents who were actively engaged in civic and social clubs. “They didn’t sit us down and tell us, they showed us,” she says.

Since heading north up Route 23 to Columbus in 1982, Lyttle has been involved in a dizzying list of community-enhancing projects, from “stitching together” the Arena District to turning around the fortunes of the Franklin Park Conservatory to helping establish the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington.

“The beautiful thing is that it’s so easy to get involved here,” Lyttle says of Columbus. “I might have been in the right places at the right time, but nobody ever said, ‘I don’t want you to jump in and help on this.’ ” Lyttle says her time spent working on community projects has sharpened her professional skills. “If you can get outside of the world you’re living in and problem-solve with someone else, I guarantee it’s adding to your skill set,” she says.

While Lyttle has put her stamp on so much in Central Ohio, the centerpiece of her advocacy is the Blue Jackets Foundation, where she’s played a pivotal role from its inception in 2000 through today. “Everything I’ve been involved in has a piece of my heart, but I would say that my enduring

INVOLVEMENT: Chair of the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation, Columbus Youth Foundation, and Matriots Education Fund; board member for Kimball Midwest and Polaris Automation GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “That all of us find a way to value and respect each other. I think that crosses a lot of plains there. I keep coming back to values—who are we, who do we want to be, and what do we want to stand for?”

role with the Blue Jackets is really special,” says Lyttle, the foundation’s current board chair who was part of the team that lured the NHL to town. “I feel like a touchstone to the past and also a part of the future. This team and this foundation have found a unique way to be joined with the fans and the community at large.”

Kathryn Dobbs, a senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the Blue Jackets, says Lyttle has been a mentor and an inspiration for her. “She’s the best board chair I’ve ever had. She has a great understanding of the role of leading a board while allowing for the professional development of the staff while still guiding them forward,” Dobbs says. “Her business experience and knowledge of the community is so deep that she really has a good feel for how a pro sports franchise can work to address community-wide issues.” ◆ MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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GIVING VOICE TO THE COMMUNITY

Angela Pace The iconic Columbus broadcaster has told countless stories and opened doors for many other journalists.

BY DONNA MARBURY

A

ngela Pace’s storied career in journalism and community engagement spans more than 40 years, including covering the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998, Princess Diana’s funeral, the Titanic’s connection to Ohio in Greenland, and comforting the community during 9/11.

“If it didn’t do anything else, it opened my eyes to the fact that there is so much outside of the 614. And we should all take some time to explore and experience. That will always, always stay in my mind,” says Pace, whose familiar voice and face graced televisions in Central Ohio for decades.

Her commitment to Columbus started in Poindexter Village in King Lincoln-Bronzeville, where she was born 30

and raised. A graduate of South High School, she attended Capital University and was introduced to broadcasting after taking an “easy class” with a friend. When the professor encouraged her to stick with it, she landed her first journalism job at WCLT Radio in Newark.

Pace counts an internship with celebrated journalist and radio personality Ann B. Walker and working alongside Leon Bibb, the first Black primetime news anchor in Ohio, as training grounds on the importance of being a journalist for the community. She easily recalls the meaningful stories of college professors, managers, colleagues and other community leaders whose wisdom and grace helped guide her career.

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Women

Bexley

INVOLVEMENT: Broadcast journalist, former director of community affairs for WBNSTV, board member for Lincoln Theatre Association and Columbus Association for the Performing Arts GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “My big goal this year is to go back to someplace in the Caribbean and just lay on a beach.”

“There were so many people who gave me my first shots,” says Pace. “These were all people who saw something in me that I didn’t know at that time that I had.”

She started at WCMH-TV in 1977, transitioning to anchor the highly coveted 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts at WBNS-TV in 1993. In 2006, she moved into the community affairs director role at the station. She was part of a nationwide downsize eliminating her position in January 2025.

“There was no way that I could not still be a little Angie Pace from Poindexter Village. I had to make sure that our stories were being told,” says Pace.

As she counts support from the community as a foundation to her success, she also has poured into countless journalists to help them navigate the often tumultuous career. “I don’t want news broadcasters to ever, ever forget that they have a responsibility to their community,” Pace says.

She was honored by the Columbus Association of Black Journalists in February, and Kerry Charles, weeknight anchor for WCMH-TV and president of the chapter, says Pace was instrumental in inspiring his career. “Angela represents the best of Columbus. Many of us are in this business because she showed us we belong in those spaces,” Charles says. “I am going to make sure we continue to honor her and keep her in the fold.”

Pace isn’t bookending her career just yet. Her schedule is filling with speaking engagements and consulting, as retirement isn’t a word she’s accepted.

“I’ve worked all my life, and I really want to take more time for me, but I do want to stay connected,” Pace says. “I don’t want to just disappear. I still want to make a difference.” ◆

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Tickets available online:

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R E I N V E N T I N G H O W W E C A R E F O R O U R S E LV E S

Jeni Britton Columbus’ ice cream virtuoso is evangelizing health and wellness through her new company—fortunately for those of us who want to live better.

Jeni Britton

B Y K AT Y S M I T H

J

eni Britton’s kitchen at home in Columbus is as creative and intriguing as she is, the hub of the new-build she bought just a few years ago. Along one wall is her coffee and tea station, where she’s been experimenting with a Gaggia espresso machine, making cappuccinos as refined and delicious as the ice cream she’s known for.

Nearby, a colorful box holds samples of Britton’s latest venture—high-fiber bars made from fruit trimmings. With names like Brambleberry Lavender and Blueberry Matcha, they are unmistakably Jeni: Bursting with flavor and managing to taste like a memory and a new idea all at the same time. The brand is called Floura, and it’s the future—her future, and maybe ours, too.

For decades, Jeni’s name has been synonymous with gourmet ice cream. Her company, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, transformed the way America thought about dessert, infusing it with scent memories and a reverence for the honesty of farmers markets. She built a business with Midwest roots and national impact, then stepped away from it 2020 after more than two decades as its creative leader.

“I didn’t know anything about myself outside of Jeni’s, because I started that when I was 22,” she says, reflecting on that moment of exit, a time in her life that coincided with a divorce. “I’d been pushing myself too much for too long, and I just didn’t know anything about what it felt like to be healthy.”

Jeni, Gut Health Guide Jeni didn’t disappear, though she did vanish—for a while— into Ohio’s forests. Clifton Gorge. Chestnut Ridge. She walked and ran and listened to the trees, shedding the pressure of being a brand and rediscovering the joy of being a person.

During this personal renaissance, she dove into microbiome science and rediscovered food in its rawest, least romantic form—produce waste. Watermelon rind. Apple cores. The parts we toss. In them, she saw potential, especially once she learned about the fiber gap plaguing most Americans. She connected the dots between fiber, the gut microbiome and something the Greeks called eudaimonia—human flourishing.

Thus, Floura was born—a company rooted in nutritional science and creative rebellion. The bars are full of micro32

INVOLVEMENT: Founder, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, and co-founder, Floura

nutrients, and they’re deliciously sweet and tangy. Beyond being a snack, they represent a conversation about waste, health and what it means to thrive.

Mark Edwards, her co-founder and spiritual co-pilot in this journey, describes her business style like this: “I really appreciate the fact that Jeni approaches things in a non-linear fashion. It’s very provoking—in a good way.”

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Women Cappuccino and conversation at Jeni’s dining table

Columbus City Auditor Megan Kilgore, who has known Britton through many incarnations, describes her as “one of the most powerful creative minds in the city. She’s not just good at building products, but building cultures. She ultimately taught an entire generation to care about where their ingredients come from.”

Jeni still exerts a subtle gravitational pull at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, even as it moves forward under CEO Stacy Peterson. Jeni, who is a 10 percent owner of the company, consults from the periphery now, populating a living document with ideas (she says the team is fantastic and probably doesn’t even need her ideas). “There is no end to the ice cream flavors we can make and the trends that are going on,” she says. “So what I want is for them to remain close to our customers, close to what people want.”

‘It’s About How We Live’ At Floura, Jeni has done more than build a startup, which in its early stages in March was selling hundreds of thousands of bars a month even before launching on Amazon. In the venture, she’s cultivated a movement. The bars, developed with a nutritionist’s precision and a chef ’s joy, are made in partnership with F&S Fresh Foods in Vineland, New Jersey—a massive facility where produce byproducts are typically composted or trashed. Now, those watermelon rinds and apple cores are washed meticulously and transformed into flavorful, fiber-rich snacks.

“She is a force of nature. If she wants to do something, she is going to make it happen. She has that persistence and resilience to get things done. And she also knows how to see a problem and kind of attack it in unique and different ways,” says Charly Bauer, Britton’s ex-husband and co-parent to their children, who has been with her since the beginning of Jeni’s.

The packaging is bright and modern, and it carries deeper meaning. The name Floura comes from the Roman goddess of living plants, Flora, and the founders added the “u” to evoke the word “flourish.” Each bar contains 12 different plants—enough to cover nearly half your weekly fiber diversity.

Floura officially launched in February, with an early boost from a Kickstarter campaign that pulled in $60,000 from more than 1,000 supporters. Investors also backed the company with a few million dollars, Edwards says. The company is small—just six employees scattered between Columbus and Vineland—but mighty. National press has been generous. A robust social media campaign is rolling.

The buzz is real.

So is the intention. Like Jeni herself found when she began eating a high-fiber, fruit-filled diet during the pandemic, Floura is about reimagining health and helping people feel well in ways that last.

For her, it’s about more than business. It’s about a return to instinct. “When you’re 95 years old, and you look back, you’re like, did I have a life that was flourishing?

That’s the idea.”

And if there’s anyone who knows how to bloom in unexpected places, it’s Jeni Britton. ◆ MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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REIMAGINING THE SERVICE INDUSTRY

Sangeeta Lakhani and Letha Pugh The co-founders of Service! are investing in the industry as they prepare the next generation of hospitality leaders.

BY LINDA LEE BAIRD

T

he city feels different from 16 stories up. Here at Café Overlook—a massive cafeteria occupying a middle floor of the Franklin County Courthouse—there’s a sense of calm and quiet, despite the metal detectors on the first floor all are required to pass through to visit. This is a public cafeteria with a heavy emphasis on the public. The food is sold at a discount, premium Columbus brands are represented on the menu, and the staff are receiving job training skills, some after involvement in the court system themselves. All of this is possible due to the work of Sangeeta Lakhani, Letha Pugh and their business partner Matthew Heaggans.

Running a cafeteria inside a courthouse wasn’t something Lakhani and Pugh expected to be doing. But after the women met under unexpected circumstances during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, their partnership has played out in ways that neither could have predicted before the virus hit. Both were working in the service industry in 2020, Pugh as the co-founder of Bake Me Happy, and Lakhani as co-owner of The Table (which has since closed).

“Right when restaurants shut down, all of us [were] brooding on Facebook,” Lakhani says. “Our other partner Matt [Heaggans] posted something about, ‘Somebody should do something.’ … We were like, ‘Well, somebody could do something, or we could do a thing.’ ” “We’re the doers,” Pugh adds.

What they did was found Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers, a nonprofit that provided boxed meals and other support to laid off hospitality staff. Pugh explains how critical this was since many in the industry were paid under the table and thus ineligible for unemployment. “People were out of food and people were out of money,” Pugh says.

“You shut down this industry that is already financially strained, and then there’s a health scare, and this is group of people that don’t have benefits,” Lakhani says.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What would a service industry look like if workers’ immediate needs were met and they could fully focus on their craft?

Industry workers Sherry and Rezi Bayegan demonstrated this potential. With restaurants closed, Lakhani let them use The Table to prepare takeout orders. It ended up serving as an incubation space to launch their Persian food business.

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INVOLVEMENT: Lakhani: Executive director and co-founder, Service!

Relief for Hospitality Workers; chef and founder of The Table Pugh: Co-founder, Service!; co-founder Bake Me Happy; co-owner Preston’s: A Burger Joint; secretary of the board for The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio; Freedom Equity board member GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: Pugh: “We need to find our inner peace. Find your inner peace, and work from there.”

Lakhani: “We need to fight our fights but also keep the silver linings at the forefront, keep the light ahead of all the darkness.”

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Women “Renting Sangeeta’s place helped us realize we wanted to do this … as our main job and our main income,” Sherry says. “If it wasn’t [for] COVID, I might still be working for someone else.” Today, the Bayegans own Charmy’s Market Downtown, which is also home to their restaurant, Charmy’s Persian Taste.

As the pandemic emergency waned, Lakhani was approached by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners about a collaboration to run Café Overlook.

The Service! team saw a chance to build on the work they’d started in a more intentional, long-term setting that would allow them to offer a living wage, healthcare, child care, transportation and job coaching.

And now, three years into running Overlook, the team is planning yet another new chapter. They just signed a lease to operate what they are calling the Service! Innovation Kitchen on Grant Avenue. “[It’s] in essence a workforce development program, but for existing service industry members to upskill,” Lakhani says. “You’ve been a bartender for 10 years, you want to become a sommelier … here, you’ll just be able to go to school and get paid for it and learn those skills.”

While there are other culinary training programs in the city, there remains a disconnect between the area’s hospitality workforce and access to advanced skills that can lead to higher paying restaurant work. “Right now, we have so many people reaching to New York or Chicago to bring in chefs,” Lakhani says, “because most independent restaurants can’t afford to train people.”

Lakhani and Pugh also recognize it’s difficult for industry workers to advance in their careers if they have unmet personal needs. That’s why they support their employees holistically; case managers are available to workers at Café Overlook, and the Service! team plans to continue this model in the innovation kitchen. “We want them to be able to bring their whole selves to work, [which] means we have to help them sort through some barriers,” Pugh says.

It’s a means—and a roadmap—to heal an industry that Pugh calls “broken” by first healing its workers. “It doesn’t have to stay broken,” she says. ◆

Jessica Krauser Patient + Co-Founder, Changing Parkinson’s Founder and Host, Secret Life of Parkinson’s  Co-Founder and Co-Host, Patient Rx  Marketing Advisor for the Commercial Office of Envision Pharma Group and Two Labs  

Congratulations!

Thank you to Columbus CEO and Columbus Monthly for acknowledging what we’ve all known for years.

Jessica, you are not only one of the most inspiring women in Columbus; you are one of the most inspiring people in the world.

The work you’ve done – and the example you live – for people living with Parkinson’s Disease is simply incredible.

Two Labs greatly appreciates the work Jessica does around Parkinson’s Disease, as well as the key role she plays in growing our partnerships with pharmaceutical manufacturers, helping them bring their vital products to market.

All of us at PRISM are so proud to collaborate with Jessica on all she does for the Parkinson’s community.

MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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MAKING ROOM FOR EVERYONE

Ukeme Awakessien Jeter The Upper Arlington mayor’s experience as an immigrant gave her the skills to succeed and lead.

BY LINDA LEE BAIRD

T

o say Ukeme Awakessien Jeter wears many hats is an understatement. To name a few: immigrant, engineer, lawyer, mayor and city council member, author and mom. She added another in April as a new assistant dean at Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Awakessien Jeter couldn’t predict the future that awaited her when she moved to the U.S. in 2000 to attend the University of Maine. There, as a Nigerian international student, she was one of just a handful of Black students in her classes—the first time she felt like “the only” in many situations, she says. This didn’t stop her from graduating with a degree in engineering and pursuing an MBA. When her professional interests shifted a few years later, she moved to Ohio to attend law school, eventually accepting a job at Nationwide Insurance.

By the time she was moving to Columbus in 2018, Awakessien Jeter was a single mom of two, and she knew what she wanted: A walkable community not far from her office with great schools for her kids. But when she told people she’d found what she was looking for in Upper Arlington, they often appeared surprised. When her daughter came home from kindergarten asking to get her hair straightened so she would fit in, Awakessien Jeter understood their unspoken skepticism.

She recalled her own experience in Maine and considered how her daughter must feel as the only Black child in her class. But instead of moving, she “decided to just buckle down” and “make the place I had chosen a better situation for my daughter.” Soon after she made this decision, the topics of belonging and community that were on her mind were amplified nationally by George Floyd’s murder and its aftermath.

That’s when she decided to run for city council. Though inspired by her children, the campaign became something larger as she met other people who “didn’t see themselves reflected in leadership.” She didn’t know then that she was the first Black person to run for city council in Upper Arlington. “To be blazing that trail, holding that baton to hand over to someone else is quite remarkable,” she says.

Upon her election and appointment to serve as city council president and mayor, she brought fresh eyes to municipal business, asking questions and offering creative solutions from the perspective of a newcomer to the community.

Upper Arlington city manager Steve Schoeny observes this in his work with Awakessien Jeter. “Ukeme does a great job of identifying the viewpoint that might have been missed and making sure that we take that view into consideration,” he says.

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INVOLVEMENT: Assistant dean for global perspectives, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law; Upper Arlington mayor and city council president; secretary, board of directors, Ohio Legal Help; board of trustees, Community Shelter Board; author: “Immigrit: How Immigrant Leadership Drives Business Solutions” GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “I want people to have someone over for dinner they wouldn’t ordinarily.”

Awakessien Jeter says the skills she developed as an immigrant—“adaptability, resilience, grit [and] perseverance”—prepared her for the myriad roles she holds today.

“Those skill sets make the best leaders,” she says. ◆

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Women L E A D I N G C H A N G E E V E R Y D AY

Lourdes Barroso de Padilla The Columbus City Council member once knocked on doors. Now she’s opening them.

BY JILL MOORHEAD

L

ourdes Barroso de Padilla didn’t grow up dreaming of city council. Born on the East Side of Columbus to Cuban political refugees, she graduated high school, as she puts it, “by the skin of my chinny chin chin.”

Traditional academics weren’t her thing. But community?

That clicked.

She found her footing through service with City Year, where she spent her days knocking on doors on the South Side, trying to convince neighbors to come to the after-school program she helped organize. “Proximity changes you,” she says of the experience.

Today, she’s the first Latina ever elected to Columbus City Council. And proximity still guides her. Whether she’s working to expand pay equity, supporting immigrant and refugee families or representing overlooked neighborhoods, her approach is personal, accessible and justice-driven.

“I wanted to see change every day,” she says. “And I wanted to be part of that change—not just talk about it.”

She still works for City Year in a national role, advocating for the service that shaped her own trajectory. But the pandemic made her think differently. She watched the system’s flaws in real time.

“I’d spent so much of my life doing hearts-and-minds work,” she says. “But I realized that if we want change at scale, it has to be legislated. We have to change the rules.”

She ran for office out of urgency. Columbus is changing fast. Immigrants, migrants and refugees have become the leading factor in the city’s population growth, yet no one at the decision-making table represented that lived experience.

As a first-generation Cuban American, Barroso de Padilla grew up bilingual—moving between cultures, codes and expectations. “When you’re a first-gen kid, language can’t be your primary tool,” she says. “You learn to communicate in other ways. I speak in analogies because they paint pictures. They help people feel what I mean.”

Her belief in art as a civic force is earned. “Art heals. Art challenges. It brings people together. And it gives people access when words don’t always do the job,” she says.

That philosophy now informs her policy. With the 614 Beautiful program offered by the city, she’s made it easier for neighbors to create beauty on their own terms. “No one knows your block like you do,” she says. “Our job is to remove the barriers—not prescribe the vision.”

In office, she’s championed a pay equity agenda and helped establish Columbus’s first-ever Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Commission—ensuring that people who’ve often been left out of civic decision-making are not only included but empowered.

INVOLVEMENT: Chair on Empowering Latina Leaders Academy and MORPC Policy Roundtable, board member for MORPC Executive Committee and GCAC and member of Women’s Commission GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “My wish for 2025 is for people to be intentional in building community, that they are intentional in being a good neighbor, that they become passionate about what they believe in, and that ultimately we are all inspired to act on our beliefs.”

“To know Lourdes is to love her,” says Lillian Morales-Laster, executive director of the Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy, who met Barroso de Padilla as a mentee in the program the city council member once led. “She opened doors for me—and for so many others—because she saw our potential. She’s authentic, she’s fun and she leads in a way that fills your cup.”

She’s not just changing policy—she’s changing what leadership looks like and who it’s for. And for the next generation of Columbus residents, that could change everything. ◆ MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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GIVING HERSELF TO HELP OTHERS LIVE

Lindy Noel The Columbus Blue Jackets communications specialist donated a kidney to help save a sports writer’s life.

BY AARON MARSHALL

L

indy Noel was more than ready to give back.

More than five years had come and gone from the day her father, 64-year-old Charles Michael Noel, left this world fighting esophageal cancer all the way.

On Friday mornings, Noel had driven her father to his cancer treatments and done her best to find things he could eat as she saw the disease reduce him to a mere wisp. “I was doing what I could, but you still feel very helpless as towards the end he had withered away,” she says.

In the aftermath of her father’s death, Noel signed up to be a blood marrow donor. Then, in the spring of 2024, the Blue Jackets corporate communications specialist stepped forward and decided to donate her kidney to a man she didn’t know very well. That man was Aaron Portzline, a veteran Blue Jackets reporter with The Athletic and The Columbus Dispatch, who had been a mere acquaintance before fate brought them together.

“I have always had the mindset that if you’re able to give back, then you should,” says Noel, a Taylorville, Illinois, native. “I have a bleeding heart in that way. It’s always been in my nature to give back.”

In an emotional scene, Noel revealed herself as the donor to Portzline as they talked on camera about the importance of organ donation. The conversation was arranged under the guise of discussing how Blue Jackets fans known as the Fifth Line had rallied to support him. “After that conversation, I went home and told my fiance I want to help spread awareness,” she says. “I want to inspire other people to donate their organs, whether that’s living or in their wills.”

While Noel’s loving act was far from unique—roughly 6,000 Americans a year are living kidney donors—the story of the NHL staffer and the hockey reporter has taken on a life of its own. At the 2024 NHL Awards, Noel was honored by the league, and she was chosen for a 2024 Musial Award, a national award honoring extraordinary sportsmanship.

For Portzline, whose mother and brother also have needed kidney transplants due to a genetic condition, Noel’s selfless donation was a game-changer. “She saved my life is the simplest way to say it. This is the kind of person we should be celebrating more of these days,” he says. “They want to do an incredible deed for the sake of doing an incredible deed.”

When Noel gets married this June to her fiance, Chris Blakely, both of her kidneys will be there. Portzline and his wife, Kate, are eager to join in the celebration, even if the wedding gift seems a bit daunting. What do you get some38

INVOLVEMENT: Corporate communications specialist for the Columbus Blue Jackets and volunteer for Alzheimer’s Association GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “For more people to sign up to be organ donors.”

one who gave you your life back? Candlestick holders just aren’t going to cut it.

“My wife and I have been kind of laughing about it—what do you get that person?” asks Portzline. “There just really isn’t a sufficient way to say thank you or express gratitude for this properly.” ◆

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Women B U I L D I N G T H I N G S T H AT M AT T E R

Michelle Brandt The art gallerist is transforming Columbus one deeply personal story and vision at a time.

BY JILL MOORHEAD

A

fter 20 years in the art world, Michelle Brandt could have played it safe. Instead, she doubled down—on her instincts, her values, and a bold vision for Downtown Columbus.When instability threatened her longtime gallery space in the Short North, Brandt didn’t just find a new location—she helped shape an entirely new vision, one that reimagines Gay Street as an arts corridor that centers on culture, not just commerce. Today, her gallery is a cornerstone of that effort.

For Brandt, art isn’t just what hangs on the wall—it’s who makes it and what they’re trying to say. She builds real relationships with her artists, visiting studios and listening carefully. And she brings not just their work, but their stories, into her space.

“I’m fascinated by how they think,” she says. “When you get to know someone’s work and their inner world, it changes how you see everything. A remarkable piece doesn’t just show you something,” she says. “It makes you think differently.”

That mindset is what led to Pecha Projects—a new project space adjacent to her gallery. The idea had been percolating for years, but it clicked after a visit to Michoacán, Mexico, the birthplace of her maternal grandmother and the heart of the Indigenous Purépecha people.

“It was this overwhelming visual and auditory feast— ribbons, music, dancing, color. I realized that what I experienced there, that sense of intersectional culture and expression, was exactly what I wanted to create with Pecha,” she says.

Pecha Projects is devoted to immersive, culturally specific exhibitions and underrepresented voices. Its debut show, Botánica Apocalíptica by Chicago-based artist Elsa Muñoz, explores healing through the metaphor of controlled burns.

“Pecha is incredibly bold,” says Nannette Maciejunes, executive director emerita of the Columbus Museum of Art, who has collaborated with Brandt for years on public art projects and arts corridor planning. “It’s not about selling— it’s about giving artists a space to explore what they want to say. Michelle sees the full role a gallerist can play in supporting both artists and community.”

In 2018, Brandt was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer—a moment that could have ended everything. Instead, it reshaped how she moved through the world. “I used to be afraid of failing,” she says. “Now I just want to build things that matter. I want to create space and make the most of what time I have.”

Brandt’s influence stretches far. She mentors emerging

INVOLVEMENT: Founder, Brandt Gallery and art consultant GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “The world feels really heavy right now for many of us. I am putting my trust in a wider human connection and consciousness that will realign us for our greater purpose.”

artists, consults on public art projects, collaborates with nonprofits and helps shape the broader conversation about what art in Columbus can be.

“I’ve stopped trying to predict what people will like,” she says. “I trust what I find meaningful—and I trust that there are others out there who will feel the same.”

In a city still finding its cultural footing, Brandt offers something rare: quiet certainty paired with vision. She’s not chasing trends. She’s laying tracks. Her name may be on the door, but her work is all about other people’s stories. And in amplifying them, she’s finally stepping into her own. ◆ MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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F E E L I N G C O N N E C T E D T H R O U G H L I T E R AT U R E

Maggie Smith

The award-winning poet and essayist on finding empowerment through the arts and inspiration in community.

BY LUCY CLARK

A

New York Times best-selling writer, teacher, Columbus-area native and single mother, Maggie Smith is well known for her awardwinning books, collections and works including “Good Bones” and “You Could Make This Place Beautiful.” She’s currently editing an anthology series with Saeed Jones, “The People’s Project.” Her newest book, “Dear Writer,” which came out in April, breaks down 10 creative elements and incorporates related writing prompts, inspired by the likes of Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird.” “ ‘Dear Writer’ is really meant to democratize, make accessible and demystify the creative process,” Smith says.

“Yeah, I’ve gotten stuck. I’ve had a terrible first draft. I’ve had a terrible fifth draft. I’ve revised something and made it worse. I’ve been rejected many, many times and I’ve had to figure out how to move forward through that. Here’s how I did it.”

Smith is inspired by writers like Lamott, as well as the women in her life. “I think about my teacher and mentor Kathy Fagan. I think about Connie Schultz. I think about my mom and my sisters. I think about the young writers coming up behind me and the ways that we can lift as we climb and help them maybe have an easier way. It feels incredibly powerful to be part of that community in a city that clearly pays attention to what women are doing.”

Fagan is a fellow poet and a co-founder of Ohio State University’s MFA in creative writing program, of which Smith is an alumna. “I knew Maggie was a gifted poet among the many in our MFA program at Ohio State.

What I couldn’t know was how wide her reach would eventually be,” Fagan says. “Maggie’s fluency and charm transform the commonplace into an energizing rallying 40

INVOLVEMENT: New York Times best-selling poet and essayist, recipient of six Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, two Academy of American Poets prizes and several endowments.

GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “That collectively we’ll find new ways to protect one another—and our fragile democracy—through this hard season in our country.”

cry for survival and, better than that, joy.” As Fagan attests, Smith’s writing especially connects to those trying to make sense of the current, contentious moment.

Smith’s answer? To face these problems with the same fortitude as her artistic predecessors.

“I don’t think the role of the poet right now is any different than the role of the poet in any other era in history,” Smith says. “I think what we do is metabolize experience and try to distill big things into beautiful little packages that mean something different to different people. Part of what is helpful is not feeling alone, so if literature helps us feel connected to other human beings, that leaves us feeling more empowered and less isolated,” she says.

“Times have always been like these. We are up against a lot right now. But we were up against a different lot four years ago, and 10 years ago and 100 years ago. Times have never not been hard. Life has never not been harrowing.

The world has never not been a dangerous place. We have never not needed beauty.” ◆

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Women S TA N D I N G U P F O R E D U C AT I O N A L A C C E S S

Teckie Shackelford The co-founder of a program that has helped thousands of kids go to college says higher education is a right everyone should have.

BY AARON MARSHALL

B

y all means, please don’t make the mistake of calling Teckie Shackelford a philanthropist. The co-founder of the I Know I Can college scholarship program will set you straight quickly—her commitment to higher education access goes far beyond any commitment of cash.

“I’m not a philanthropist, I’m an activist,” she says. “I’m not on the streets boycotting much, but I do it quietly, and I do it because I think it’s right.

“I know what’s good, and I try to be good and I try to drop people around me who have the same feelings.”

Sharp as brass tacks at age 91, Shackelford has spent most of her life helping students reach for their educational dreams as a classroom teacher, educational activist and firm believer in the power of higher education. Shackelford says her empathy for others was influenced by what she saw in her home growing up as the privileged daughter of a prominent Newark banker. “My parents always included us in what they did charitably and educationally,” she says. “So it was born in me, but exacerbated by the upbringing that I had.”

Shackelford’s drive to expand higher education access kicked into high gear in 1988 when she helped launch I Know I Can alongside other civic and community leaders.

Spearheading a fundraising campaign to raise a multimillion dollar endowment, Shackelford and others built a program that has given scholarships and other college assistance to tens of thousands of graduates of Columbus City Schools over the past 37 years. “I believe in longevity, and I believe in making promises to everybody, whoever they are, as long as they’re willing to work hard,” Shackelford says.

A health and gym teacher in a South Side middle school in Columbus for a year in 1968, Shackelford says she loved her students, but found her eyes quickly opened to the inequities entrenched in the urban public school system.

“It was my favorite year in the whole world, I loved those kids—I’m still in touch with some of them today,” she says.

“It was life-changing for me.”

Tanny Crane, a longtime friend of Shackelford and I Know I Can board member, says her passion is infectious.

“The grit and passion, conviction and willpower she has is unsurpassed,” Crane says. “I don’t know anyone who has single-handedly been able to lift up so many students.

She just has a magic touch—you can’t say no to Teckie.

There are literally thousands of students who had a chance to get to college who otherwise wouldn’t have because of her commitment.”

INVOLVEMENT: Co-founder of I Know I Can college access program GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “My wish is that we could come together as a nation. All of us who want to be citizens in a country who believe in democracy could come together and be a force for good in this world. It’s not even a wish—it’s a demand for our country to pull together to do the right things, and the right things have to be rational, reasonable and within our power to do so.”

While the I Know I Can program long has been her baby, Shackelford and her husband, Don, also created a $21 million scholarship endowment in 2022 at Denison University, where the pair met and graduated, to bring Columbus City Schools students to study in Granville. Shackelford says all her efforts to see that future generations have the opportunity to go to college stem from an inherent obligation she sees. “Kids who want to go further in education ought to have that right in our country,” she says.

“That’s democracy.” ◆ MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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LEADING HER TEAM TO GLORY

Nadine Muzerall The Ohio State University women’s hockey coach has transformed the team into a winning machine by creating a culture of trust.

BY AMY BODIKER BASKES

N

adine Muzerall isn’t afraid of hard work.

As a kid, she and her brother transformed their “nice backyard” into their own outdoor ice hockey rink each winter with just a snow shovel and a garden hose. It took days to build up the ice and then create the snowbank perimeter. “And then we would just play out there for hours and hours,” she explains, until “well after the porch lights were turned on.”

In the small town outside Toronto where she grew up, playing ice hockey is “part of the culture. It was everywhere,” she says. Muzerall’s dad and uncles played. And so did her brother, Darren. But not girls or women—“I certainly didn’t know of any.” But that didn’t stop her. “Whatever Darren did, I did.”

Eventually, she joined a formal team. But as the only girl in the whole league, her mom had to go before a board of men to get their permission first.

That early exclusion drove Muzerall even harder to excel.

She became a standout player on her high school ice hockey team in the U.S. and was then recruited by a number of East Cost universities with powerhouse programs.

Instead, she opted to join a brand new team being built at the University of Minnesota. “I loved the idea that the head coach was a woman,” Muzerall says. “And I loved the idea that it was the inaugural season where I could help build things from scratch instead of just being another number.”

Her instincts paid off. In her first season at Minnesota, Muzerall’s team made it to the Frozen Four. And as a junior, they won the 2000 National Championship, the first in the program’s history, with Muzerall scoring the winning goal.

Muzerall brought her signature can-do energy to Ohio State when she joined as head coach of the women’s ice hockey program in 2016. She looked right past the team’s lackluster record and the fact she would be their third coach in three years and set her sights on their possibilities.

Coach Muzzy, as she’s affectionately called, quickly developed a new culture playbook that connected players’ beliefs and behaviors to outcomes. A new mom, she mimicked the best parts of parenting—part empathy and part accountability—to create deep and trusting relationships with every player.

Muzerall “is a strong woman. She has high standards and high expectations for those in her program. But it’s her compassion for each player that sets her apart,” says Laura Halldorson, Muzerall’s former head coach at Minnesota.

“As a coach, I loved my players, but I never really said it to them. Muzzy says it. And it shows.”

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INVOLVEMENT: Head coach, women’s ice hockey, Ohio State University GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “I don’t do wishes because they often don’t come true. It’s hard work that makes things happen.”

The result has been transformational. In short order, the OSU women’s hockey program has become a national powerhouse, competing in the last four championship games, winning it all in both 2022 and 2024. “I don’t ever want to lose sight to who we are,” Muzerall muses. “Because if we can still possess that relentless attitude combined with incredible talent, I think it’s a pretty indestructible product.” ◆

COLUMBUS MONTHLY MAY 2025

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Women A D V O C AT I N G F O R P E O P L E W I T H PA R K I N S O N ’ S

Jessica Krauser Living with the disease since age 37, the founder of 5K for JK wants others to know they aren’t alone.

BY DONNA MARBURY

W

hen Jessica Krauser was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s disease at age 37, she was relieved. “I know myself and my body. I knew something was wrong. That diagnosis was like, ‘Thank God I’m not going crazy,’ ” Krauser says.

It didn’t take long for Krauser to share her experience.

With a background in marketing, she says being open is part of her personality. “I just wanted it out there because so many people knew about my issues for that past year. They would see my tremor and ask questions,” she says.

Most people with Parkinson’s are diagnosed around the age of 60, but Krauser, of Powell, has created a community of younger people across the globe who are living with the illness. Krauser co-hosts “The Secret Life of Parkinson’s” podcast with Brian Baker, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 40. The podcast has nearly 10,000 YouTube subscribers and gets 17,000 views per month. Topics range from medical advancements to family, friends and sex life.

Comments on the videos come from people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones, happy to hear about these experiences from a younger person.

“I have my ups and downs, but I’ve always been open about it because I want other people to not feel like they were isolated,” Krauser says. “Before I was diagnosed, I just felt like, ‘What is wrong with me? And why am I the only one feeling like this? Why don’t I know anybody who has Parkinson’s?’ Now I know everybody.”

When Krauser discovered that exercise was an important part of managing Parkinson’s symptoms, she made fitness a priority. What started in 2021 as a 5K walk/run for Parkinson’s awareness turned into a nonprofit organization, 5K for JK. The annual 5K takes place in Columbus in September, with hundreds of participants. Krauser was recognized by the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2022, after raising more than $200,000 in her efforts. She’s also sent more than 600 First Step kits, with water bottles, electric toothbrushes and wellness tips, to newly diagnosed people to encourage them to connect to the community.

“Jessica is a true trailblazer in the Parkinson’s community, leading the charge to change the stigma surrounding this often-misunderstood condition,” says Melissa Carlson, owner and founder of PDNextSteps, a gym Krauser frequents that helps people with Parkinson’s with fitness and wellness.

Carlson is also a board member to 5K for JK. “Her work is not only transforming lives but also creating a more compassionate and informed understanding of Parkinson’s.”

As she continues to advocate for people with Parkinson’s,

INVOLVEMENT: Co-founder of 5K for JK, co-host of “The Secret Life of Parkinson’s” podcast GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “Getting our own building to make a Parkinson’s fitness area for us.”

she shares information that can help them navigate their diagnosis. “I am all for research, that’s how we get to a cure,” Krauser says. “But in the meantime, how can we live better right now? That’s my focus and mission.” ◆ MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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BUILDING A MORE CONNECTED COLUMBUS

Sophia Fifner Through conversation and by embracing varying perspectives, the civic leader is always engaging people.

BY JILL MOORHEAD

S

ophia Fifner is a walking resource. And she’s a busy one, at that. She takes meetings from her car, toggling between civic strategy sessions and her daughters’ dance rehearsals, and always follows up with a signature email. It’s warm, direct, and full of links: her LinkedIn, the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s event calendar, and an open invitation to keep the conversation going.

“People need to know who to call,” she says. “I want to help them build their own ecosystem.”

That mindset runs through everything she does. As president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC), she’s leading a reinvention of one of the city’s most established civic forums. She’s also the former board president of the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, a board member for the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center, and teaches a course at Ohio State University called Nonprofit Organizing and Social Justice.

Her days are full of conversations—across sectors, across perspectives, across the region. And when she gets home at night, she writes. Because she still has more connecting to do.

Her Substack newsletter, The Advocate Next Door, is written for community-minded women who want to make a difference. With warmth and clarity, she explores what it means to lead without burning out, to ask for help without shame, and to take meaningful action without losing yourself in the process.

“She has a way of taking hard topics and making them relatable,” says Paula Haines, CEO of Freedom a la Cart, a nonprofit Fifner has emceed and volunteered with. “She doesn’t shy away, but she doesn’t address them from an angry approach—she adds humanity to it. As a leader, I admire how she’s taken something really good and made it great.”

Fifner’s civic work is powered by a deep belief in social capital. “We’re going to need a level of connectedness we’ve never had before,” she says. She sees CMC as a space where government, business and nonprofit leaders come together to build trust, share knowledge and move ideas forward.

That drive comes from personal experience. Fifner is a sexual assault survivor and longtime advocate for victims’ rights. “Every person’s experience with trauma is like a thumbprint,” she says. “For me, justice looks like doing the work I’m doing in my community.”

At home, she’s raising two daughters deeply involved in competitive dance—practices, performances and all. “I don’t want them to be carbon copies of me,” she says. “I 44

INVOLVEMENT: Chair for Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center, past chair for Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, volunteer for Freedom a la Cart and Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence GREATEST WISH FOR 2025: “That we rediscover the power of connection—not just as a principle, but as a daily practice. In this era of division and disinformation, I believe Central Ohio can lead by example. Courageous conversations, civil discourse, and engaged communities aren’t relics—they’re how democracy flourishes.” want them to be critical thinkers and follow their own sense of justice.”

Looking ahead, she’s focused on growth—intentional, inclusive and most importantly, connected. “We’re building the kind of community where everyone knows they belong,” she says. And in building her network, she’s strengthening ours. ◆

COLUMBUS MONTHLY MAY 2025

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HILLIARD SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section

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& you come first!

At S&T Bank, we serve our community. We’re on a first name basis.

We invest in and give back to our neighbors. And we take every opportunity to go above and beyond for our customers and communities.

Our shared future begins with you.

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Hilliard’s Bright Outlook The City of Hilliard continues to head into a promising and sustainable future.

Our business community demonstrates innovation, progress and significant economic growth, led by the public-private successes of the Hilliard City Lab initiative.

Major public and private projects are in the works that are enhancing our residents’ already-great quality of life. For example, you can read about The Well and the Hilliard Recreational and Wellness Campus on the following pages.

And Hilliard is frequently recognized as a leading player in Central Ohio, the state, this nation, and around the world.

In each of the past two years, Hilliard was named the Best Suburb to Do Business In by Columbus CEO magazine.

It also was one of the Intelligent Community Forum’s Top 7 Intelligent Communities in 2023 and 2024—and is

INSIDE

Michelle Crandall

in the running for this same honor from ICF later in 2025!

And Fast Company recently named Hilliard one of the most innovative companies in economic development

for 2025.

Our shared progress and successes are not mere coincidence. The City of Hilliard collaborates with its residents, businesses and non-profit organizations to co-create a worldclass community recognized for its forward-thinking mindset.

This momentum is the result of significant thought and coordinated planning by our residents, businesses, elected officials and the dedicated public service professionals on city staff. The result of this planning and teamwork is exceptional quality of life for Hilliard residents—a safe, beautiful, welcoming community where people are proud to live, work, learn, play and raise their families.

All of this is also possible thanks to the City of Hilliard’s solid financial foundation and fiscal management.

In the following pages, you’ll see there is a lot to be proud of in Hilliard, and we know the best is yet to come!

Michelle Crandall City Manager

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Hilliard is rich with opportunities for a well-rounded life.

The city’s new recreational complex combines the best of exercise, fun and medical care.

With creative entrepreneurs and one-of-a-kind restaurants and places to enjoy a sip, Downtown Hilliard is a destination.

A top-rated school district focused on the future.

LIVE • WORK • CREATE • PLAY

THE WELL

DOWNTOWN ENERGY

SCHOOLS WORTH MOVING FOR

ON THE COVER: Hilliard’s annual Freedom Fest is the community’s crown jewel event, drawing more than 40,000 people for fireworks, concerts and family fun. PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

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CITY OF HILLIARD

From new homes and restaurants, to gymnasiums and indoor golf lounges, Westwood Collective delivers more than just a roof over your head: Westwood builds vibrant communities to live, work, and play.

A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section

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Katy Smith

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Bringing History to Life in Downtown Hilliard

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Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials.

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Fun at Hilliard’s Station Park

LIVE • WORK • CREATE • PLAY

PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

City of Hilliard

Hilliard is rich with opportunities for families, entrepreneurs and businesses to find a home, launch an idea and build a fun, well-rounded life in a city dedicated to growing strategically.

By Peter Tonguette

F

or a lifelong Hilliard resident like Samantha Brill, it’s hard to miss the ways in which the city has grown, diversified and broadened its horizons over the last several decades.

“When I was in high school, the most exciting thing was to go to Bill’s Food Mart, which is the Circle K now,” says Brill, now the executive director of Destination Hilliard. “It has just changed, so much, so fast, and yet in a responsible way. It [is] a great space for people to come, whether they’re coming from a neighboring city or from several hours away.”

Between city support for business entrepreneurs and innovators, a concerted effort to expand its housing stock and a rich mix of things to do and places to go, Hilliard is primed to

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set itself apart from other Central Ohio suburbs. “It’s certainly a very exciting time to be a part of Hilliard,” says assistant city manager Dan Ralley.

“It’s easy for me to see these projects starting to build upon each other and getting to a critical mass where there’s energy that is going on that helps facilitate future projects.”

We recently spoke with a variety of Hilliard officials and leaders about the myriad ways in which the city has become an ideal place to live, work, create and play.

Housing Bounty Ralley remembers growing up in Central Ohio and watching Hilliard transform from a small community 30

years ago to a city of 38,000 today.

Asked to account for the city’s growth, Ralley points to several factors, including a quality school district that remains appealing for families and the ability to develop westward in an intentional, thoughtful manner. The city’s accessibility to leading employers also weighs heavily in its appeal.

“We regularly talk to people at Ohio State [University], and Hilliard is apparently the second-largest area of staff and faculty on the Ohio State health insurance plan,” he says. “That definitely is one of the draws: its proximity to [employers] like Ohio State.”

Three decades ago, the city’s housing supply consisted in large part of post-World War II starter homes that were modest in size and affordable,

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TruePointe development, which boasts the headquarters of Advanced Drainage Systems as well as several hundred apartments.

Business Boom Several years ago, Hilliard leaders realized they needed to distinguish their city from the pack. “Central Ohio is a great region, but really how do we differentiate ourselves across our peer communities?” says David Meadows, the city’s director of economic development. This led to the commissioning of a five-year strategic plan, which

reaffirmed the city’s commitment to working collaboratively with entrepreneurs in advanced technology and advanced manufacturing.

Through the Hilliard City Lab, startups are invited to team with the city to put their ideas and technologies to the test with the goal of growing their burgeoning businesses. “Just by sitting with [business leaders] and meeting with them, you’re hearing their business plan, they’re identifying who their customers are, they’re identifying pitfalls and the things that keep them up at night,” Meadows says. “Our job

The splash pad at Hilliard’s Station Park

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PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

Ralley says. In the subsequent decades, the focus shifted to higher-end housing. Upon the completion of Hilliard’s Comprehensive Plan Update in 2023, leaders identified the need to introduce “missing middle” housing into the community, including affordably priced duplexes or even fourplexes. The city is in the midst of updating zoning codes to permit such housing to spring up in areas previously designated for different uses. “We are looking to allow housing, for example, in some of the parcels along I-270 that historically would have been exclusively suburban office,” Ralley says. “We’re looking at ways to allow housing with a little bit more density in some places where we already have single-family housing, along arterial roadways like Cemetery Road.”

The need for more (and more affordable) housing is not just a matter of growing the residential base of Hilliard but also satisfying the needs of businesses, especially those in the technology sector. “In order for them to attract employees, …there needs to be obtainable housing for employees that allows them to live either in the same community where they’re working or in close proximity to where they’re working,” Ralley says.

All plans for the future are made with an eye toward the past. When changes are made to zoning codes, Ralley says, the city seeks to establish buffer areas between existing residential spaces and the proposed new developments. “In areas where you have a little bit more density, it might be stepping down the scale of that development as it gets closer to existing housing,” he says.

Other current developments include Epcon Communities’ Courtyards at Carr Farms, on Leppert Road, with an inventory aimed at empty-nesters. “The housing may not actually be smaller than what people move out of, … but there is a lot less care that [homeowners] have to take of the property as a whole,” Ralley says. “The lots are much smaller; there are some common amenities that they’re able to enjoy.” There is also robust growth at the mixed-use

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City of Hilliard

A Destination Once More Once upon a time, Hilliard was a destination because it was on the Piqua and Indiana Railroad. “Hilliard was a trainstop town—John Hilliard purchased this space because he anticipated it would become a train stop,” Brill, of Destination Hilliard, says. These days, the city has become a destination in an altogether different way.

From unique shops to exciting dining to one-of-a-kind attractions, Hilliard offers plenty of reasons for Central Ohioans—and Ohioans more broadly— to pay a visit. “It’s a great place to make your home for a couple of days if you have some things you want to see,” Brill says.

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Norwich Township firefighters

Downtown Tree Lighting

As Brill sees it, the city wins over visitors with its authenticity. “The places in Hilliard that you come to visit are unexpected, but they work,” she says. “They are just a little bit different than what you might find other places.”

For example, the popular restaurant Bears Bagels is housed in a gas station complex. “It’s getting a lot of national attention, being named one of USA Today’s best new restaurants,” she says. “There’s such an eclectic vibe in Hilliard.” Other hidden gems include Packrat Comics and Brewing Intuition, a so-called “modern apothecary” that sells organic herbs.

Transformational in the city’s evolution was the 2015 opening of Hilliard’s Station Park, which has become the hub of the community around which a

PHOTOS COURTESY RICK HARRISON

is to help throw fuel on the fire and try to get it to a point where they can pass [or] fail. Some ideas are going to be great; some of them require a pivot.”

Further contributing to Hilliard’s emergence as a high-tech hub was the addition of a 30-mile municipal fiber optic network. Such initiatives have helped brand Hilliard as an ideal place to do business, especially that of the cutting-edge kind. “This isn’t just a normal city government—there’s a culture here that we truly want to help,” Meadows says.

Meadows says that the city expects further growth in the automotive technology and information technology sectors as well as in healthcare and applied science. “We don’t have sites that are a thousand acres, so getting a big plant like that probably isn’t in our cards,” he says, but companies in the supply chain of such plants are very much in their plans. “I think what we’re going to see here is the smaller facilities, the midsize manufacturers that kind of looks an office building on the outside but really supports scientists and engineering within the walls.”

Combined with its eagerness to work with entrepreneurs, Hilliard’s unique blend of attributes is hard for businesses to pass up. “Great school district, great residents—and we can have a lot of economic success within that,” Meadows says.

retail sector has sprung up. “Hilliard’s Station Park is right in the center of Downtown Hilliard,” Brill says. Crooked Can Brewing, the Center Street Market food hall, and Otie’s Tavern and Grill are adjacent to the park.

“Downtown Hilliard has also added some retail, which is something that was really needed,” she says, pointing to the Shops by Westwood, which includes Birch Tree Home, MAK Home Furnishings and the Urban Market.

“Hilliard is a place that doesn’t make snap judgments,” Brill says. “People are willing to try things. … I think Hilliard is such an accepting community that even the business owners can take those risks, and they’re finding success with that.”

In keeping with the city’s offbeat

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Thursday night concert series

spirit is the Early Television Museum on Franklin Street. “On the outside, it is not flashy at all,” Brill says. “But you walk in and the stuff they have in there is so cool.” Among the notable objects on display are a vintage news truck and a gigantic RCA dog. Plus, a multitude of examples of early televisions are scattered across the museum’s various rooms.

The city takes rightful pride in Downtown Hilliard’s First Responders Park, which was built in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“It has artifacts from the World Trade Center [and] some of the steel,” Brill says. “It has some very meaningful sculptures with a lot of symbolism throughout, [including] fire hoses with the nozzles having a number of

significance.” The park, which opened on the nine-year anniversary of the attacks, is scheduled to close for renovations with reopening anticipated by the late summer for its 15-year anniversary, Brill says.

A Parks and Rec Paradise Whether you want to take a walk, a hike or simply a stroll, Hilliard has ample space to set out on foot.

“We have a ton of parks around the community,” says Ed Merritt, director of recreation and parks. “We have roughly 24 parks, a little over 500 acres.”

In a nod to the history of Hilliard, its Heritage Trail was formed on an unused rail bed. The city hopes to extend the success of the existing trail by

expanding it. “We were able to partner with many other agencies throughout Central Ohio: the Metro Parks, City of Columbus, as well as some other municipal agencies to make that a reality.”

Described as “the backbone of our system,” Merritt says that the trail presently connects Hilliard northward with plans to make a southward connection that will link the city to Columbus. “It’s just utilized by tons of different families, not only to get through and get down into the Downtown area, but for exercise and enjoyment,” Merritt says.

The city is also lined with baseball and softball diamonds, rectangular field spaces, basketball, pickleball and tennis courts, and more.

Active families soon will be able to avail themselves of The Well, a medically integrated 111,000-square-foot community center created in tandem with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. In addition to offering Ohio State’s comprehensive medical services—including, among the 25,000 square feet to be occupied by OSU, rehabilitation and geriatric services—the complex will include two indoor pools, a walk-run track, a gymnasium space, fitness studios and multi-use classrooms, among other features.

As for community events, the annual Freedom Fest on Independence Day gets revelers in a festive spirit with a Downtown parade before culminating with a concert and a fireworks display at Municipal Park. On most Thursdays all summer long, Celebration at the Station concerts, in Hilliard’s Station Park, brings out music lovers from around the region. “Each week we’ll pull around three to five thousand individuals for that party,” Merritt says. “It’s in a DORA area so people congregate down there, listening to the music.”

Whether one lives, works or merely stops by Hilliard, such features make the community one of Central Ohio’s most vibrant.

“The ability to offer different activities, parks, amenities, special events continues to draw our community together,” Merritt says.

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The Well is set to open in fall 2025.

PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

City of Hilliard

LIVE WELL, BE WELL When it opens in mid-2025, Hilliard’s new health and recreation complex, The Well, will combine modern exercise facilities with medical care, creating one of the top parks and rec centers in Central Ohio.

By Laura Newpoff

P

icture a pole barn with a full-court gymnasium with bright blue floors. Attached to it is office, classroom and multi-purpose space, and attached to that is a senior center.

These structures make up the Hilliard Community Center, which has served as a gathering place for residents for nearly 50 years.

Following a change from a strong mayor-council form of government to a council-manager form of government, city leaders started formulating plans to hold focus groups and survey residents about what they’d like to see from their Recreation and Parks Department, including the future of the center. In 2021, City Council established a recreation and parks advisory committee to commission and evaluate studies. This included a regional

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market assessment that examined the types of recreational facilities, programs and services that were needed.

When the committee received feedback that same year about what the community would like to see, it got the usual ask for more walking paths, trails and connectivity—and also a large number of requests for a brand new building.

When the community center opened in 1977, the city had a population of about 8,000 people. Its population today is nearly 40,000.

“Residents wanted a facility that would serve all the needs of the community,” says Ed Merritt, Recreation and Parks director. “We wanted to make it as multi-purpose as possible.”

Set to open in fall 2025, The Well Hilliard Recreation & Wellness Center will be a 111,000-square-foot campus

at Scioto Darby and Alton Darby Creek roads. It will include a gymnasium, indoor running track, fitness and weight room, aerobic dance and fitness studios, classrooms, a 240-person community events room, commercial kitchen, child watch area, outdoor patio and aquatic facility that includes a lap pool, recreation activity pool, water slide and spa.

The campus will include 20 grass athletic fields and two synthetic turf fields.

Nearly 25,000 square feet of space inside the Well will be dedicated to an integrated medical health and wellness center managed by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. It will offer rehabilitation and physical therapy, urgent care and mental and behavioral health services. “We realized we needed to meet people where they are and we want to be a part of

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people’s everyday life to help them live a healthier life,” says Jodi Kuri, ambulatory director of wellness and outreach.

It’s hoped that offering greater access to high-quality care closer to home will help Hilliard residents with disease prevention, she says.

Brendan Greisberger, OSU Wexner’s program director of health and wellbeing for The Well, says that includes its “Exercise is Medicine” programming.

OSU Wexner is an ardent supporter and active participant in the global initiative to make physical activity and exercise a standard part of disease prevention and treatment. The program will help members of The Well with the initial motivation and longterm support they need to succeed with their exercise routines.

The Well was designed to foster a community-centered approach to wellness. Through a combination of modern facilities, supportive community programs and a commitment to

accessibility, the center is intended to be a vital resource for the community.

That includes serving the area’s large Muslim population by including a room where people can wash their hands, faces, arms and feet before prayer.

“We want to be accommodating for all populations,” says Erin Duffee, deputy director at Recreation and Parks.

Construction was financed in part by a 2021 voter-approved 0.5% income tax increase and debt financing. Operating costs will be covered by membership fees. Hilliard residents will start at $30 per month, or $288 per year, with each individual family member or senior being $20 per month or $192 per year.

People who work within the city’s corporate boundaries will enjoy the same rate. Non-resident rates start at $60 per month or $576 per year. Additional family members and seniors will be $40 per month or $384 per year.

The city is looking into options for the current community center before making

an informed decision about its future.

Merritt says The Well will be transformational for the city and change the face of Recreation and Parks forever.

Both he and Duffee have worked at facilities like this in other cities and have seen first-hand how residents benefit.

“There’s a reason it is named The Well. It’s a gathering space, a place people are going to be able to come together and recreate and participate in a lot of different activities and programs,” he says. “Each person will have a different reason why [they go there].

And then, having a partner like the OSU Wexner Medical Center to offer a medically integrated facility—you can really see that being a part of the future wave of how to do these types of facilities.

We want to make our constituents healthier and give them tools to be active and healthy from a preventative standpoint. Having so many different facets of that in what this facility can do is super exciting.”

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City of Hilliard

PHOTO BY FRED SQUILLANTE/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Main Street in Old Hilliard

DOWNTOWN ENERGY Hilliard’s city center has emerged as a gathering place for the community, which shows up every day to enjoy creative food and drink establishments launched and grown by neighbors with a lively vision for the city.

By Nicholas Dekker

T

hanks to public and private investment over the past decade, downtown Hilliard has grown from a sleepy center lined with antiques stores and banks to a bustling main street with parks and bike trails, a market hall with a brewery, coffee shops, bakeries and beer gardens.

Angela Zody, Hilliard’s downtown manager, has helped usher in those changes. “My family has lived in Hilliard for 28 years; we raised all four of our kids here,” she says. “We absolutely love this community. Like most families in our generation, we came here for the schools. Now people are attracted to our city for our downtown.”

Zody credits Economic Development Director David Meadows and Planning Director John Talentino for the work.

The upswing started about 10 years ago, when the city created Hilliard’s Station

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Park with a music stage, splash pad, bike racks and more. “Once we had the park intact, that’s when we saw businesses that were interested,” Zody says. From there, the city attracted Crooked Can Brewing to serve as the anchor tenant of the new Center Street Market, which immediately began drawing crowds.

“What we were noticing when [the market] opened is people wanted to have space and be outside,” Zody says. “Our team lined that space with tables and closed Center Street. It’s this wonderful flow from our park— concerts, kids events, rentals. Now we’ve seen business after business investing in our downtown.” To that end, the city launched a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, that allows guests to take adult beverages in marked areas along Main and Center streets.

Meanwhile, the city center has welcomed everything from The Junction coworking space and Sexton’s Pizza, to Firefly Winery, HillGarten and the One9 Golf Lounge. Tortilla Street Food is building a food truck park, while Bears Bagels went from a farmers market favorite to a brick and mortar. “These are all homegrown, Hilliard people who have always had a dream to start a business, and they want to do it in our downtown,” Zody adds.

Bringing Bagels Downtown Bears Bagels owners Charis and Lo Yost moved to Hilliard in 2020 after starting a family, attracted by the city’s schools and housing. They quickly took to the local offerings, bringing their daughter to the splash pad, visiting the market and riding the bike trails.

During the pandemic, they started

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experimenting with making bagels at home, and thanks to Hilliard, they grew it into a business.

“Bears started in our community and our neighborhood,” Charis says.

“Coffee Connections was our first wholesale account. They took a chance on us and remembered us from bringing our daughter in. That really sparked the interest in the Hilliard area for us.”

The shop has been successful enough that they sell out regularly, drawing visitors from beyond the city’s borders. But the heart of the shop, still, is the dedicated locals. “We have a guy who comes in so much,” says Charis, “that we put a button in our point of sale called The Rob so we don’t have to type in all the things he orders.”

A Beer Garden for Hilliard In summer 2022, Marty and Sandy Nowak opened HillGarten, a Germanstyle beer garden with ample outdoor space serving German food, beer

and cocktails. The walkable and family-friendly spot on Main Street seemed a perfect fit for the concept.

“I didn’t really pick Hilliard, it picked me,” Marty says.

Marty built more than 80 percent of the business himself, starting early in the morning before heading to his day job and returning in the evenings. “It was just a labor of love, a lot of blood and tears,” he says. “But I kept sitting on a bucket and visualizing people swigging back a beer and enjoying their families and dogs.”

And how has the community reacted to it? “It’s been nothing short of phenomenal,” Marty says.

Making Connections Through Coffee Perhaps one of the best examples of a Hilliard business becoming a centerpiece of the community is Coffee Connections. Sharon and Nate Grenier first got into the coffee business with a cart serving visitors to the splash

pad. “We wanted to create a community space that people could come to connect,” Sharon Greiner says.

The Greniers struck up a connection with Tom Herlihy, owner of Solar Café in Hillard, who offered to sell them the business. They decided to take it over in 2016.

“Hilliard is a special community,” she says. “It has all the big town amenities with a small town feel. It’s safe, the community will reach out and help each other.” The coffee shop and the community have supported each other in turn. Coffee Connections regularly raises funds for local causes, the community returned the favor during the pandemic, when the shop asked for support to stay open.

“Hilliard just showed up,” Sharon says. “The next day we sold out.

People were willing to buy stickers, offer donations, saying, ‘You belong in our community.’ That doesn’t happen everywhere.”

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HEAD OF THE CLASS

By Virginia Brown

F

rom consecutive top state rankings to innovative workforce partnerships and a recent $142 million community investment in infrastructure, there’s no question that Hilliard City Schools are on the rise.

Located roughly 15 miles northwest of Downtown Columbus, Hilliard City Schools serves just over 16,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, in three high schools, three middle schools, two sixth-grade schools and 14 elementary schools. The district also operates a transportation center, an administration building and a maintenance and resource center.

The district is focused on nurturing well-adjusted citizens of the future.

“We prepare every student, without exception, to be ready for their own tomorrow,” says Stacie Raterman, the district’s director of communications.

“Every step at every stage is different, so we focus on finding ways to get every student ready.”

For one, the school’s Innovation

Teachers at Darby Creek Elementary

Campus offers programs to enhance in-school opportunities for students.

Programs fall into five categories, including college jumpstart, imagination, personal success, global and young professionals. “Families are choosing Hilliard City Schools because we are focused on and committed to high standards, and we have such great opportunities,” she says.

Some creative projects include Academy VIBE, an arts and science credit in which students focus on sound recording/engineering, original composition and other critical elements of the business behind the arts. Courses include rock band and media communications.

Academy EDU allows high school students to explore the ins and outs of the teaching profession. Students observe elementary, middle and special

Kindergarten classroom at Alton Darby Elementary

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PHOTOS COURTESY HILLIARD CITY SCHOOLS

City of Hilliard

education classrooms while contributing to lesson plans, community service, tutoring and more. “Career exploration is embedded in just about everything we do,” says Raterman.

Each fall, the district also hosts an annual Skilled Trades and Safety Career Expo for 11th and 12th graders at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.

Through partnerships across the state, including the Ohio Contractors Association, the Associated General Contractors of America, and the Building Trades Council, plus contractors, trade organizations, fire and police departments, students get to learn about in-demand career options that bypass college after graduation.

“Some of our students know they want to go to college, some want to go to the military, and others are on the fence about whether they want to go to college or not,” Raterman says. “The students get hands-on experiences, like operating in a digger, learning how to weld or do masonry, and lots more.”

Hilliard City Schools consistently see high marks on the state of Ohio success metrics, earning a 4.5 out of 5 in the state’s School Report Card ratings. The overall rating comprises five components, including academic achievement, progress, graduation rates and early literacy.

For the last two years, Hilliard City Schools also earned the top state ranking for value-added measures.

“Regardless of where students start, value-added measures look at how our district teachers have grown students over

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the course of a year,” says Raterman.

To ready their students for the future, school leadership, with the help of a collective including students, staff, families and community members, created the district’s Portrait of a Learner, outlined five elements that make up a successful citizen of the future: critical thinking, self-advocacy, resiliency, empathy through global awareness and respect and purposeful communication.

Resilient learners, for example, respond productively in an ever-changing world. They are agile and eager to learn, unlearn, and relearn to grow.

Critical thinkers are taught to gather, analyze and evaluate information and ideas and to think deeply to develop innovative solutions.

In today’s increasingly global and often polarized environment, fostering empathy is critical. Empathetic citizens demonstrate global awareness and respect and act with compassion for others. Students are also taught to be their own self advocates, to understand the importance of a healthy, well-rounded life, including physical, mental, social-emotional and digital wellness.

Finally, they communicate clearly, listen actively and collaborate effectively with others.

Investing in the future of every student of course takes an investment from the community. In November 2024, the community passed a levy to issue $142 million in bonds to address the district’s growing needs and future plans.

The district is currently in the first phase of its Master Facilities Plan, which focuses on creating new elementary spaces, a third 6th grade center and converting existing spaces into 6th grade spaces. It plans to replace and rebuild three new elementary schools, add a preschool center, renovate playgrounds, weight rooms, athletic fields and performing arts spaces. The updates also will include district-wide safety upgrades. ““It’s just another way that the community shows they want to work with us and grow with us,” says Raterman.

“It’s really exciting.”

To learn more, visit hilliardschools.org.

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What puts the “Hi” in Hilliard?

From our lifelong residents to our newest neighbors, Hilliard is celebrated as a welcoming community that offers an exceptional quality of life!

It’s no coincidence 1,200plus businesses call Hilliard home. Our focus on innovation, partnership, and support for our corporate neighbors is attracting the attention of

employers from across the region – and around the globe!

We share a Heart For Service, a Drive for Excellence, and a belief that there is Strength In Teamwork – all of which results in a community where living, working and playing is an exceptional experience!

We are Hilliard. Come say “Hi!”

Follow us at @HilliardGov

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Mr. Reliable

Section header

Story by Chris DeVille Photos by Tim Johnson

PHOTO:

Darlington Nagbe overcame tumultuous origins to become a rock of stability for the Columbus Crew. How long can he keep it up—and what might come next?

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ssa Tall was stunned. The good kind of stunned.

It was late 2019, and Tall—now the Columbus Crew’s general manager, then a newly hired assistant to previous GM Tim Bezbatchenko—had just learned Darlington Nagbe was available to be acquired from Atlanta United.

“We initially couldn’t believe that this could be true,” Tall recalls, as if still mystified by his good fortune.

Nagbe, who’d won MLS Cups with the Portland Timbers and Atlanta, was one of the most respected players in Major League Soccer, a slim but sturdy 5’9” holding midfielder known for his precision passing and contagious serenity on the pitch. Before his pro career, he’d starred at the University of Akron, leading the Zips to their first national championship in 2010 and winning the Hermann Trophy as the best player in men’s college soccer.

Now he and his wife, Felicia Nagbe, wanted to come home to the Buckeye State to raise their three young children around their relatives, most of whom are still based in Northeast Ohio. It didn’t hurt that Caleb Porter, who’d been a father figure to Nagbe in Akron and Portland, was the Crew’s head coach.

Nagbe told Atlanta he’d jump at any chance to get back to Ohio, and after the 2019 season, the team obliged by trading him to Columbus. For Nagbe, it was a long anticipated return to his roots. For the Crew, it was a jumpstart for the future of a franchise that had been rescued from relocation but was coming off a losing season.

“It immediately accelerated our ambitions of winning the league,” Tall remembers, calling Nagbe a “centerpiece” and “the best foundation that we could have wished for.”

That’s not hyperbole. Now in his sixth season with Columbus, Nagbe has become one of the most important players in Crew history.

True to Tall’s prediction, the team won the MLS Cup in Nagbe’s first season here, the pandemic-altered 2020 campaign.

Nagbe played a pivotal role on that squad but missed the final after testing positive for COVID-19. Three years later, he was on the pitch when a revamped Crew claimed the 2023 championship, making Nagbe one of only 10 players in league history to win MLS Cup four times.

“That was my favorite trophy that I’ve won,” he says, reflecting on his career one

Darlington Nagbe with his wife Felicia and children Zeke, 6, Kingston, 9, and Mila, 11.

recent afternoon at the Crew’s training facility. “The biggest part was I had all my friends and family there, the most people I’ve had at a championship game. Biggest of all was my kids are getting old enough to remember it.”

Nagbe, 34, has become the cornerstone Tall envisioned. Every other player (and coach) who was on the Crew when he joined the team has moved on, but Nagbe remains, fulfilling his role as captain by setting a tone in the locker room and controlling the flow of play on the pitch.

More than 400 games into his MLS career, he’s still getting better, still elevating those around him, still bolstering his leg-

acy, all in the presence of his loved ones.

“It’s been perfect,” Nagbe says. “Everything I thought it would be.”

He doesn’t take this storybook existence for granted—especially not when he remembers he almost wasn’t born at all.

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ast fall, Nagbe told his life story in The Players Tribune, a website founded by Derek Jeter that publishes articles by athletes. In the gripping introduction, he recounted the precarious circumstances of his own birth: His pregnant mother, wandering the streets of war-torn Liberia after going into labor, MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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Darlington Nagbe with his children

was ushered by rebel soldiers to a midwife who helped baby Darlington into the world.

“I wrestle with that story to this day,” Nagbe wrote. “Those rebels easily could have killed my mother. But for whatever reason, there was a kindness in their hearts, and they decided to help her. They spared her life and gifted me the opportunity to have mine. I still wonder why.”

A few months into Nagbe’s life, he fled the West African nation with his mother and brother to join his father, pro soccer player Joe Nagbe, in France. The family spent a decade following his dad around Europe as he bounced from club to club. As a Black African child growing up in predominantly white regions, he discovered the unifying power of soccer across cultures.

When he was 11, his parents split up, and his mom moved the kids to East Cleveland. There, Nagbe no longer stood out due to his skin color, but he fit in even less than he had in Europe due to his wildly different cultural background.

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An era of deep loneliness followed, one that only resolved when Nagbe joined a travel soccer club and started to feel at home for the first time ever.

The narrative Nagbe unfurled was powerful—and surprising, considering how close to the vest he usually plays things. When The Players Tribune reached out, Nagbe initially balked, only going through with it at his wife’s urging.

“I’m actually glad I did it,” Nagbe says.

“That story really helped give people perspective on why I am the way that I am.”

The way he is, according to those closest to him: Calm. Steady. Selfless. A great player and an even greater person.

“He’s the first person I ever met who everyone loves him,” says Steven Moreira, one of Nagbe’s closest friends on the team.

Moreira recalls spending hours with Nagbe on team road trips goofing off and cracking jokes. Others corroborate the playful warmth. Yet you don’t get elected captain just for being friendly.

“Given his background and circumstances of his childhood, he was always

a more mature type of guy,” says Crew goalkeeper Evan Bush, who was Nagbe’s teammate at Akron and reunited with him in Columbus.

“He’s full of laughter, full of joy, never seemingly has a bad day,” Bush continues. “And that’s kind of been him since day one. He’s got a unique way of being able to have that joy and that fun with the guys, but then when it comes time to flip a switch and work, he flips it like that.

There’s a lot of guys that can’t do that.”

Sean Zawadski, a fellow holding midfielder a decade younger than Nagbe, has learned a lot from him both strategically and philosophically.

“The one message he’s told me all the time is just to be myself,” Zawadski says. “That goes a long way, especially as a young player trying to make a huge impression.” He praises Nagbe as a stabilizing force: “When things do get difficult, he’s someone you can turn to, and you know that if he’s being like this, it’s nothing to worry about.”

Those close to Nagbe note that his

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confidence never tips over into cockiness. When Nancy was hired to lead the Crew, he was replacing Porter, the most important coach of Nagbe’s life.

So he was impressed when Nagbe was willing to listen to his advice. Nagbe is a precision passer, a rock of stability who dictates the tempo of play and rarely loses possession for his team. But Nancy thought he was playing too fast, doling out one-touch passes rather than holding onto the ball to draw defenders away from his teammates.

“He could have been an old guy: ‘I have my way of playing,’ ” Nancy says. Instead, Nagbe adapted. He and his coach agree he has reached a new tier of excellence because of it.

Nancy’s instruction dovetailed with Nagbe’s carefully studied approach to soccer. Early in his career, some onlookers hoped he’d emerge as a dynamic attacker, but he gravitated toward a playing style that mirrors his personal affect.

“The more I learned about the game, the more I understood how much possession matters,” Nagbe says. “How much your teammates matter.”

Per Tall, that care for his teammates is a pillar of Nagbe’s game.

“There are many things he does on the field that you don’t notice, but when you ask him why, he will tell you that he is covering for his teammates because he doesn’t want them to look bad,” Tall says.

“This isn’t shown in any data, any stats.

He doesn’t talk about it. It’s not seen …

And that’s just who he is.”

foremost: “If I could spend every second with her, I would.” They’ve since added Mila, 11; Kingston, 9; and Isaiah a.k.a.

Zeke, 6.

Darlington Nagbe says he doesn’t have hobbies like video games or playing music, and when asked about her husband’s pastimes beyond soccer, the main thing his wife mentions is research: “If he’s looking into buying something, he will go down a rabbit hole.” He leaves work at work, she says, and focuses on parenting, whether that’s helping with math homework—“He’s very detailed, like how he is playing soccer”—or hustling the kids to their various activities.

The family often gets together with Darlington’s mom, Felicia’s parents, and the range of siblings, nieces and nephews within a couple hours’ drive from their Dublin home. Proximity to his relatives is one reason Nagbe, who once was connected to the legendary Glasgow club Celtic F.C., never made much effort to play in Europe as many players of his caliber do.

Bush sees that choice as one more way Nagbe has bucked expectations to be true to himself. “I’ve seen a lot of guys that become professional players, have success, and lose sight of who they are,” Bush says. “Darlington’s done the exact opposite of that. Every decision that he’s made through his professional life has been with his family in mind.”

One pursuit Nagbe does carve out time for is mentoring kids at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Ohio. He’s been volunteering with Boys and Girls

Clubs since his days in Portland, when his schedule was wide open. It takes more effort to keep up his investment in the organization these days, but Nagbe stays connected because he wants to be for others what strangers in Liberia once were for his mom.

Last year, Nagbe’s work with the Boys and Girls Clubs earned him the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, given to MLS players “who are dedicated to fostering equity and inclusion, enriching lives and improving communities.” Those are goals Nagbe hopes to keep striving for when his playing days come to an end.

As for when that endpoint will come, he’s taking it one year at a time. Tall thinks Nagbe is performing at such a high level that he could probably last another five years; Nancy notes, “He’s 34 years old, but he trains like he’s 20 years old.”

There’s also the question of what might come next for Nagbe after he retires as a player—besides more time with Felicia and the kids, of course.

“I’ve been trying to think about it, but I can never come to something exactly that I want,” Nagbe says. “I just want to give back. Obviously, most of my knowledge has been within the game, so if I can give back to the game however way possible, whether it’s here or somewhere else.”

He quickly adds a disclaimer: “But I plan on remaining in Columbus. The kids have established roots here, their friends, and we’ve met great people here. And we enjoy being here—being in Ohio.” ◆

A

t Akron, Nagbe mostly kept to himself. When not in class or busy with soccer, he was usually at home, being an introvert. But when his roommate invited him to lunch at Barley House restaurant one afternoon, he tagged along. His roomie, a soccer teammate, was dating a woman on Akron’s softball team. She brought along Felicia, a fellow softball player who Nagbe knew casually from class.

“When he walked in, it was weird, like our eyes just locked,” Felicia Nagbe remembers. “And then we just sat next to each other and played cornhole at the restaurant and hung out that night. And we just continued to hang out every day until he got drafted.”

That trajectory has continued for a decade and a half. Family is everything to Nagbe, and since their wedding in 2012, family has meant Felicia first and

Darlington Nagbe watches his children play at the Crew field.

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FREE TWO-DAY BOOK FEST IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS MAIN LIBRARY & TOPIARY PARK / 96 S. GRANT AVE. Meet 200+ National & Local Authors Shop New & Used Books Find Lit Gifts for Readers Entertainment Local Food & Drink Activities for Kids PRESENTED BY

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A special quarterly section of Columbus Monthly EDITED BY JULANNE HOHBACH

ENCOURAGING EARLY LITERACY Schools, nonprofits and libraries are working to boost reading skills to help the region’s youngest students succeed.

Page 68

THE GO-TO GUIDE: OUTDOOR PLAYGROUNDS 14 kid-tested spots for active family fun Page 72

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Children get ready for photos with book characters Elephant and Piggie during a March 28 story time at the Westerville Public Library.

Leaning in to Literacy Children’s ability to read by third grade is a proven predictor of future success.

Local schools, nonprofits and libraries are working to help close the gaps.

By Kathy Lynn Gray | Photos by Tim Johnson

A

s excited toddlers plop down in front of a smiling librarian and wriggle as she reads “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” at the Westerville Public Library, excitement fills the room.

Will Peter escape Mr. McGregor’s garden or be snatched up and made into rabbit stew?

The classic tale gives the children more than a lesson in right and wrong; it’s one more step on the road to literacy.

But for many children in Franklin County, reading is a struggle. And without mastering it, experts say, their academic success and future career prospects are in jeopardy.

To improve outcomes for these students, a cornucopia of local organizations, including libraries, schools and nonprofits, are working to boost children’s reading skills.

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Expanding Early Literacy Studies have shown that 90 percent of the human brain is developed by the age of 5, so it’s critical that reading skills are introduced long before children enter school, says Mario Basora, CEO of the nonprofit Future Ready Five. His organization’s goal is to make sure every child in Franklin County is prepared for kindergarten.

It’s a huge task.

According to Ohio’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, which children take before starting school, only about 35 percent of Franklin County youngsters are prepared for kindergarten. “If we don’t catch kids up before kindergarten, it’s highly unlikely they’ll be successful,” says Basora. “It’s absolutely critical that we focus on those first five years if we’re going to make a difference.”

With that in mind, Future Ready Five

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A ready-for-kindergarten class at Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Dublin Branch PHOTO COURTESY COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY

is working with preschools and day care centers to provide curriculum, train teachers and parents, and measure progress three times a year to track the program’s impact on learning. Since the effort began in 2020, 95 teachers and 500 children ages 3 to 5 have participated, and the organization has a goal of reaching 2,000 children by this fall.

As of January, assessments showed a 77 percent increase in literacy skills among these 500 children, Basora says. “We believe that’s because of the programmatic work we’re doing with parents and teachers,” he says. The next step is to expand the program to more centers and to track participating children in kindergarten and beyond.

Future Ready Five also helps administer the Franklin County Rise early learning initiative, which provides child care scholarships to children and gives financial awards to early childhood educators who obtain credentials and degrees.

‘‘

It’s absolutely critical that we focus on those first five years if we’re going to make a difference.”

— MARIO BASORA, CEO OF FUTURE READY FIVE

PHOTO COURTESY OHIO GOV. MIKE DEWINE’S OFFICE

Pushing for Proficiency Children’s reading skills have been a concern among educators for decades, but Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee, established in 2012, focused the public’s eye. Spurred by a 2010 national report that said children who don’t read proficiently by fourth grade are more likely to remain behind, drop out of school and enter the criminal justice system, the guarantee required children who didn’t pass a statewide reading test to repeat third grade. That requirement was eliminated in 2023; now, parents choose whether

their child will be held back, and schools must provide 90 minutes of daily reading instruction to students who fail the test.

Columbus-area school districts have worked diligently to increase the number of students passing the test, but progress in many schools has been slow.

That spurred the formation of Success

by Third Grade, a United Way of Central Ohio effort that coordinates multiple partners to attack the problem.

According to the United Way, “Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in third grade literacy, as white students have fully recovered from pandemicrelated declines, while BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) students are improving but still lag behind pre-pandemic levels.” Its data shows that 77 percent of white, non-Hispanic third graders in Franklin County could read proficiently in the 2023-24 school year, compared with 49 percent of those who identified with other racial or ethnic groups.

Cheryl Wyatt, vice president of Success

by Third Grade, says the program works with six school districts—Columbus City, Groveport Madison, Reynoldsburg, South-Western, Westerville and White-

hall—to improve reading skills in grades K-3. In those districts, 47 percent of third graders were reading proficiently in the effort’s base school year of 2021-22, compared with 77 percent in nonparticipating districts. The goal is to close that gap to 23 points by the 2026-27 school year and cut it in half by 2035.

For each participating district, United Way provides a network director whose job is to identify specific ways literacy could be improved and to take action, Wyatt says. “Our work is around what system changes can be made,” she says.

“What are the issues that may hinder advancement for children, and what can we do to assist with that? We are an organizer and a convener.”

In Reynoldsburg schools, for example, Success by Third Grade found partners who would pay for computer tablets so all third graders had access to technology.

For Columbus schools, the network director identified community summer programs on the Near East and South sides where the district could incorporate literacy programs. In one case, 33 children at risk of failing the third grade test got access to paid summer programs

 First Lady Fran DeWine hosted a book reading at the Greene County Public Library in Beavercreek on March 20 in honor of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio. The program has distributed more than 20 million books in the Buckeye State.

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can’t get children in their seats at school, that’s a problem.”

Kids dance and sing with children’s librarian Alexx Burris at a Westerville Public Library story time.

to boost their reading skills.

Wyatt’s group also is concerned about kindergarten readiness. They’ve asked the six districts they work with to note whether incoming kindergartners have been in preschools or child care centers and to share kindergarten readiness results with those providers. “If we can close that gap and ensure kids are coming to kindergarten ready, then kindergarten teachers can teach what they’re supposed to,” she says.

As part of its work, Success by Third Grade also spotlights external barriers 70

that affect children’s literacy, including high housing costs that force families to move frequently and often result in missed school days.

Michael Wilkos, vice president of community engagement for United Way of Central Ohio, says rents in Franklin County rose by nearly 9 percent last year and it took four months, on average, for an evicted family to find housing again. “Think of what that does to a child’s education,” Wilkos says. “School attendance is important, and it’s often connected to housing and stability. If we

Building Skills Through Books Local libraries are another group actively focusing on improving children’s reading skills.

Katie Ross, youth services supervisor for the Westerville Public Library, says story times are one of its key efforts.

“We want to show how fun books can be, and we model early literacy behaviors that adults can do outside of story time,” says Ross, who’s been with the library for 12 years.

Using music, flannel boards, finger play and picture books, librarians might encourage children to identify colors, count with their fingers, or learn and sing songs. Counting is more than just a fun activity; it helps children develop the fine motor skills needed to hold a pencil, Ross says. “Maybe we’ll be counting down in a story that talks about five little hot dogs frying in a pan, and one got eaten, and how many are left?”

The Westerville library also has several story trails, where a book’s pages are posted so that parents can read the story aloud as children walk along, or older children can read it themselves.

The facility also sponsors a handful of Little Free Libraries, which are outdoor boxes filled with books that are free for the taking. “The most important thing is for children to be exposed to books, and the idea here is to have books to take and not worry about returning them to the library,” Ross says.

Miya Reyes, public services director for Columbus Metropolitan Library, says literacy has long been at the core of the system’s mission. Besides story times, CML branches host ready-for-kindergarten classes where children learn to sit quietly, raise their hands, practice using scissors and share items with other kids, Reyes says. They also offer “reading buddies” practice and help with homework, as well as summer and winter reading challenges where participants get prizes for reading a certain number of books.

“We try to bake literacy into our programs in a way that’s fun, without being preachy,” Reyes says. “When kids are not at school, libraries have the ability to be one piece of the community efforts to make change.”

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‘‘

If we can close that gap and ensure kids are coming to kindergarten ready, then kindergarten teachers can teach what they’re supposed to.”

—CHERYL WYATT, VICE PRESIDENT OF SUCCESS BY THIRD GRADE

A different kind of library also can help: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio. Created by the singer in her home state of Tennessee in 1995, the library has expanded nationally and became statewide in Ohio in 2019.

Catherine Sulecki, Ohio’s state director, says the Imagination Library sends a book a month to participating children from birth through age 4, free of charge.

Spearheaded by Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine, half of the program’s funding comes from the state and the other half from local partners.

“It’s another tool in the toolkit,” Sulecki says. “The books are mailed directly to the child’s home, and they age with the children, so they help kids develop different skills at different ages.”

At more than 410,000, Ohio has more children enrolled in its Imagination Library than any other state and is second

only to Tennessee in the percentage of children signed up, Sulecki says—62 percent compared with Tennessee’s 72 percent.

In Franklin County, about 45,000 children are enrolled, which is just over 50 percent of those eligible. “We know a lot of parents are nervous about reading to their kids, but if they are reading to their kids, they’re headed in the right direction,” Sulecki says.

That’s one reason that Future Ready Five works with parents as well as children, offering in-person and online workshops that help caregivers learn the importance of having conversations with children, reading to them and incorporating learning into everyday life at home.

“We’re trying to inject ourselves because otherwise the cycle of poverty repeats itself over and over again,” Basora says. “It’s a huge, huge crisis.” ◆

READING RESOURCES While some parents, grandparents and caregivers find reading to children comes naturally, others are hindered by a lack of education, time and role models.

Organizations that promote literacy know this and offer numerous ways to help.

Library websites, in particular, are a literary goldmine. Here’s a sampling of what the organizations in this story offer.

Columbus Metropolitan Library columbuslibrary.org A “Kids & Teens” drop-down menu on the home page offers at-home literacy-building activities and other resources.

State Library of Ohio library.ohio.gov/residents/ literacy-resources Offers an extensive list of literacy links, including a Day by Day Family Literacy Calendar, Reading Tips for Families, Reading ’Round the Clock and PBS Parents: Literacy Westerville Public Library westervillelibrary.org Online story time videos, as well as literacy kits that adults can check out to have story times at home Future Ready Five futurereadyfive.org Multiple videos to help parents teach their children letter sounds, vocabulary, dialoguing and phonetics

PHOTO COURTESY FUTURE READY FIVE

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio ohioimaginationlibrary.org Offers reading tips, book lists and bilingual books, plus a link to sign up for the program

 A Franklin County Rise workshop on kindergarten readiness at the Whitehall Community Park YMCA MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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Whetstone Park Community Center playground

THE GO-TO GUIDE

Outdoor Playgrounds to Explore Pay a visit to these 14 parks, which offer activities and amenities for kids of all ages and abilities.

By Heather Lofy

Amberleigh Community Park 4715 Vista Ridge Drive, Dublin; 614-4104946; dublinohiousa.gov This sprawling park located off Riverside Drive in Dublin has river access (for kay72

aking and fishing), walking trails and a large shelter house available to rent featuring a grill and a kitchen space. The playground boasts a play village made up of miniature homes and buildings.

Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park 1775 Darby Creek Drive, Galloway; 614370-6254; metroparks.net Battelle Darby Creek has multiple playgrounds and a natural play area, but the main attraction is the more than 7,000 acres of prairies, wetlands and scenic trails, which are perfect for hiking and exploring nature.

The nature center includes interactive exhibits and a chance to learn about the park’s ecosystem. A highlight for many visitors is the bison viewing area, where you can see these majestic animals roaming in pastures.

Every Kid’s Playground at Liberty Park 2845 Home Road, Powell; 740-881-5432; libertytwp.org

Liberty Park has three playgrounds among its 118 acres, but Every Kid’s Playground is notable for being fully accessible to all children. The playground has wheelchair ramps, accessible swings and more. The shelter house and restrooms are also ADA compliant. Other park features include soccer and baseball fields, tennis courts and a fishing pond.

Fancyburg Park 3375 Kioka Ave., Upper Arlington; 614-5835340; upperarlingtonoh.gov/city-parks The playground is fun for kids of all ages, while sports facilities including tennis and shuffleboard courts add excitement for older children and adults. Picnic areas and the shelter house are perfect for outdoor meals or gatherings. Visitors can also explore the nature area and multiuse paths for walking, jogging or biking together. Fancyburg Park is home to seasonal events, including the popular annual Fall Fest.

PHOTO BY LINDA LEE BAIRD

O

utdoor playgrounds offer children and families an opportunity to connect with nature while engaging in active, creative play. From towering slides and climbing structures to nature-inspired areas, there are plenty of options in and around Central Ohio.

We’ve highlighted some of the most exciting and family-friendly playgrounds and parks, with options that cater to all ages and abilities.

Go online to columbusmonthly.com/ columbus-parent for a longer version of The Go-To Guide featuring 26 playgrounds around the region.

To suggest a destination that we should consider adding to our list, send an email to contact@columbusparent.com.

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Fryer Park 3899 Orders Road, Grove City; 614-2773050; grovecityohio.gov Fryer Park’s Discovery Frontier features a space-themed, ADA-accessible playground with climbing structures, slides and swings, perfect for kids of all ages and abilities. During the summer, families can enjoy the splash pad with fountains and water slides. The park also includes Century Village, a historic area that hosts special events and offers a glimpse into the past. With plenty of green space and a fishing pond, Fryer Park is ideal for picnics and outdoor fun.

Glacier Ridge Metro Park 9801 Hyland-Croy Road, Plain City; 614216-8859; metroparks.net There’s no shortage of offerings at this 1,037-acre metro park. A natural play area designed by architectural students has ramps, ropes and a zip line, and an obstacle course has a dozen different stations. Explore the Honda Wetland Education Area, where a boardwalk and observation tower provide a chance to spot wildlife. Bring your furry friends, too— two different trails plus a dog park provide fun opportunities for pets. A shelter and restrooms are also available.

PHOTO BY JULANNE HOHBACH

Homestead Metro Park 4675 Cosgray Road, Hilliard; 614-216-8859; metroparks.net This destination park in Hilliard has a large play area with multiple playsets and swings, an accessible playground, a fitness course, a replica train station and a covered bridge. Two pavilions are available, along with picnic and grill areas.

Families can try catch-and-release fishing at the 2.5-acre pond or take a stroll through the prairie garden or along the paved, multiuse trail. With 43 acres to explore, there’s something for everyone.

Huber Village Park 362 Huber Village Blvd., Westerville; 614901-6500; parks.westerville.org The large playground with slides, swings and climbing structures at Huber Village Park is a perfect place for kids to burn off extra energy. There’s a paved trail around the park, a reservable shelter house and multiple baseball fields. Restrooms are open seasonally.

Jeffrey Park 165 N. Parkview Ave., Bexley; 614-559-

One of the play areas at Homestead Metro Park

4300; bexley.org/parks Jeffrey Park in Bexley has a variety of family-friendly activities and amenities.

Enjoy walking trails through natural woodlands, picnic areas with grills and a playground for children. Shelter houses and tennis courts are also available. Adjacent to the park are the historic Jeffrey Mansion and the Bexley Community Pool. The park has restrooms that are open seasonally. Dogs are not permitted.

McCord Park 333 E. Wilson Bridge Road, Worthington; 614-436-2743; worthington.org This 25-acre park is situated next to the Worthington Community Center and has multiple playgrounds (along with a zip line and obstacle course), multipurpose walking paths, a community garden and a train observation station. Recent renovations included the addition of baseball diamonds and updated restrooms.

Warner Woods Park 4790 Warner Road, Columbus; 614-6453300; columbusrecparks.com/parks/warnerwoods-park Newly opened in 2024, Warner Woods Park occupies nearly 40 acres in the Rocky Fork-Blacklick area, including a 14-acre wetland preserve. Find pickleball and futsal courts, soccer fields and a bicycle skills track. The playground is built for all abilities—it even has a wheelchair-accessible carousel—and there are ADA-accessible tables and benches, too.

Whetstone Park 3923 N. High St., Columbus; 614-645-3217; columbusrecparks.com/parks/whetstonepark-and-columbus-park-of-roses

With nearly 150 acres, Whetstone Park is a family-friendly destination with trails connecting to the larger Olentangy Trail and two playgrounds, including an accessible one. Find athletic fields (pickleball, baseball, tennis), a community garden, a fishing pond and picnic areas. Also nearby are the Whetstone Community Center and the Whetstone Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. The 13-acre Columbus Park of Roses (3901 N. High St.; parkofroses.org), showcasing more than 11,000 roses and seasonal blooms, is located within Whetstone Park.

Woodside Green Park 213 Camrose Court, Gahanna; 614-3424250; gahanna.gov/parks Woodside Green Park offers a natural play area with creative structures made from organic materials that are perfect for imaginative play. The park also features a traditional playground with climbing equipment, swings and slides, as well as paved trails for hiking and biking. Enjoy catch-and-release fishing in the pond or launch canoes and kayaks into Big Walnut Creek for a fun water adventure.

Wyman Woods 1520 Goodale Blvd., Grandview Heights; 614-488-3111; grandviewheights.org Combine a child’s love for reading and the outdoors at Grandview’s largest park. Wyman Woods collaborates with the Grandview Heights Public Library to present a StoryWalk, where visitors can read a story at different stops as they explore the 14-acre park. There’s also a large playground with multiple slides and climbing opportunities. Dogs are permitted on the perimeter path only.

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home & style

Climate-Conscious Construction The first passive house in Central Ohio was built with energy efficiency in mind.

See it, Page 76.

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

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Building Central Ohio’s first certified with more than

Steven and Becca Rhodes’ passive home in Clintonville

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passive house— a little help from friends

By Laura Newpoff | Photos by Tim Johnson

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W

hen Steven Rhodes was in his senior year studying mechanical engineering at West Virginia University in 2011, he was introduced to the book “Sustainable Energy–Without the Hot Air” by David J. C. MacKay. The common-sense approach to a more energy efficient future detailed in the book left an impression on him. So much so that seven years later, when he started thinking about building his own home, he dug deeper into the topic of energy efficiency and sustainability and discovered the Passive House Institute United States, or Phius.

The nonprofit is dedicated to supporting comfortable living for all and protecting the well-being of the planet by driving down carbon emissions, working toward a net zero future.

Rhodes was intrigued and took vacation time from his job at Honda of America Manufacturing to become a certified passive house consultant in 2019. It qualifies him as a design professional with expertise in applied building science.

That same year, he and his wife, Becca Rhodes, decided they wanted to move from Marysville to Columbus to be closer to friends. Their search for land found a rare vacant lot nestled in a neighborhood of century-old homes in Clintonville.

They bought it in the summer of 2020, and Rhodes applied what he learned from Phius to design his new home.

“They teach you about building science and how it all works from a technical standpoint,” Rhodes says of the certification. “Once I got that, I felt minimally qualified to start doing some designs.”

He also researched the building process by searching the internet, watching YouTube videos, and reading books, articles in homebuilding magazines and manufacturer specification sheets.

After getting city building permits in March 2022, he started building the home on West North Broadway with his own hands.

In December that year, Phius formally recognized his passive house project as “design certified.” The process to get there was rigorous. Rhodes carefully detailed the construction drawings with precise diagrams of the air barrier, water barrier, vapor control layer and thermal boundary. He specified high-performance windows, insulation, wall and roof assemblies and modeled it all with sophisticated energy simulation software to make 78

sure he could meet the Phius targets.

He worked on the project some days on his own, but he also had plenty of help from his family and friends. “When I was framing … I would call up some friends and say, ‘Hey, do you have time after work to help?’ They always said yes. It took maybe six of us to stand up a wall.”

During different phases of the project, you could find Becca waterproofing the home’s precast foundation. Andreas and Jane Boehm, close friends from the neighborhood, spent many days on the job site, especially during the framing phase.

Jane Boehm even learned to use a nail gun. Friends Kishen and Trisha Das also helped and loaned tools for the project. A man named John He stopped by the site one day when it was only a foundation.

He unselfishly began helping with labor, framing and lending his moral support.

Meanwhile, Rhodes’ parents-inlaw Mark and Joyce Czaja spent three

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Clockwise: Exterior of Steven and Becca Rhodes’ passive home in Clintonville; wood slates open up the staircase; kitchen; certified passive home sign; second floor patio

separate weeks visiting the site. Mark worked as though he was a paid builder, helping with framing and roofing; both helped with painting. Steven’s father, John Rhodes, and brother Benjamin Rhodes came into town for a day to help lift a 26-foot, 750-pound beam into place.

One of the hardest parts of the home’s construction Rhodes did alone, however.

In two of the three bedrooms, there are 2-by-6-foot clerestory windows that had to be lifted 12 feet from the floor. From the roof, Rhodes hauled the windows up hand-over-hand with a rope via an improvised ramp he designed for them to slide along. “Just a little nerve-wracking,” he says.

He also sourced materials, installed trim, woodwork and flooring frames, cut and laid the bathroom tile and put finishes on doors.

He and Becca moved into the home in May 2024. In December 2024, the home became the first certified passive house in Central Ohio, including achieving the Phius ZERO 2021 standard. That means the project meets all requirements of a Passive House—and is a net zero energy home, too.

“A personal triumph,” Rhodes says.

Because of its passive design elements and because the house is all electric, it’s projected to use less than half the energy of a similarly sized, newly code-built home. The small amount of energy the house does consume is offset by renewable energy produced on site via solar panels. Rhodes designed the roof to have a large surface area facing south to maximize solar energy collection.

Aesthetically, a wood slat wall and open-riser stairs are his favorite feature.

“Sentimentally, and most importantly, it’s that our house was already filled with memories from friends and family having built it with us long before the day we moved in,” he says.

Rhodes now works as a building designer and construction consultant on passive house projects. He’s currently working on one in Olde Towne East in collaboration with local designer Jeremy Miller and Blake Compton of Compton Construction. Learn more about his work at clintonvillepassivehouse.com.

“We’ll need to build a lot more in the future,” Rhodes says. “I want to help people build better. High performance methods achieve more durable, comfortable, safer and efficient buildings.” ◆ MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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Home & Style | What’s Hot

Functional, Fashionable Homes Bellepoint Company helps design dream homes that marry style and functionality for daily life.

By Lucy Clark

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Jenn Teitt

how they want the house to function,” she says. “It provides a great opportunity for [furnishings] to fit perfectly with the way the house itself was designed.”

In an increasingly competitive and pricey market, building a custom home can feel like a difficult task. But the effort is worth it, the Bellepoint team affirms.

“Sam says it in such a good way, that being able to enjoy the abundance that you’ve been able to achieve is one of the greatest rewards,” says Teitt.

“I think a home can tell a story when it doesn’t get in the way of life, but it facilitates life, and that’s exactly what a custom home should do,” she says. “There’s enough difficulty in life that when you come home you should be able to just experience ease and serenity.” ◆

SHORTHAND

Bellepoint Company 720 Lakeview Plaza Blvd., Suite A, Worthington 614-867-5959 thebellepointcompany.com Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday Business: Building custom homes prioritizing functionality for daily life and featuring classic, timeless designs

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

For those who live in a Bellepoint Company custom build, home is more than the place you live—it’s designed to not only reflect you and your family, but also to aid you through your daily life.

Bellepoint was founded by brothers and homebuilders Sam and Andrew Teitt in 2012. Sam’s wife, Jenn Teitt, works as Bellepoint’s lead designer and head of operations.

The name comes from the Teitt’s family farm, owned by Sam and Andrew’s parents.

“Sam always says that he feels like the word Bellepoint is synonymous with home,” says Jenn Teitt. “His parents have been very intentional for many years for their home to be a sanctuary to anyone and everyone ... and that’s what a home should be.”

Typical Bellepoint clients are, like the Teitts, families looking to make their houses work for them. When they contact the Bellepoint team, they’re usually in the idea stages and may not even have an architect or building plans yet.

Clients contact the Bellepoint team and describe not just their dream house, but dream lifestyle. Then, Bellepoint connects them with the best people needed to realize that dream. “We always like to say that every beautiful picture that you see in a magazine or online is the result of a great architect, a great builder, a great designer and a great landscaper. Our approach is to focus on building the right team for that family right off the bat,” says Teitt.

Trademarks of a Bellepoint home include a highly functional design, classic and timeless features, and “stylistic longevity,” explains Teitt.

Bellepoint also offers interior design services. “By the time the house has even started, we’ve already spent months getting to know the clients and asking all those questions about how they live and COLUMBUS MONTHLY MAY 2025

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Top 25 Home Sales March 1-31, 2025 PRICE

ADDRESS

BUYER/SELLER

$2,257,500

1961 Concord Rd., Upper Arlington

Jason T. and Elizabeth A. Jankowski, trustees, from RJ Developers LLC

$2,100,000

6917 Clivdon Mews, Columbus

Jacquelyn Bennett Murray from James Tyler Rogers

$2,000,000

4872 Stonehaven Dr., Upper Arlington

Alyson and Anthony Kelly from Elizabeth A. Barthelmas

$1,800,000

7699 Roxton Ct., New Albany

Reid and Laura Chambers from James and Heather Nau

$1,700,000

2521 Bexley Park Rd., Bexley

Nathaniel and Elizabeth Hagey from Andrew A. and Deanna R. Flora Trust

$1,472,500

703 Zanesville Ave., Thornville

Eric and Shannon Moore from GHRF LLC

$1,450,000

4535 Neiswander Sq., New Albany

Kimberly and Jared Hochradel from Jeffrey and Heather Klingler

$1,450,000

7517 Phelps Close, New Albany

Thomas H. Mallory Jr., trustee, from Yeunhee Jong C. Huhl Trust

$1,350,000

7595 Steeplechase Ln., New Albany

Christian M. Moran and Christina D. Derryberry Moran from Bob Webb Woodhaven LLC

$1,300,000

1653 Arlington Ave., Upper Arlington

Jason Parks from Wesley A. Strickling

$1,300,000

2840 Doncaster Rd., Upper Arlington

Mockingbird Capital LLC from Roland A. Nesslinger

$1,295,000

2056 Scioto Pointe Ln., Columbus

Lisa Cunningham and Nicola Marchi from Scioto Pointe Drive LLC

$1,275,000

764 S. Third St., Columbus

Earl K. Fernandes, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, from German Village Holdings

$1,250,000

1806 Edgemont Rd., Upper Arlington

Jessica D. and Steven M. Loborec from Corey Wray and Jaime McMillan

$1,235,000

2766 S. Dorchester Rd., Upper Arlington

Big Eds Properties LLC from Jeffrey and Meredith A. Smith

$1,200,000

1359 Old Henderson Rd., Columbus

Columbia Gas of Ohio Inc. from Nicholas T. Fekete and Sarah E. Morgan

$1,200,000

6088 Deer Bluff Pl., Perry Township

Phillip E. and Carol A. Bronsdon from David and Mae Chin Williams, trustees

$1,200,000

7847 Jonell Sq., New Albany

Andrej and Lena Maria Mueller from Reid C. and Laura J. Chambers

$1,180,000

4610 Stockport Cr., Dublin

Lindsay and Matthew Finneran from Patrick M. and Brittney L. Cogan

$1,160,000

2490 Dauer Ct., Powell

Yixuan Liu from Shalendra K. & Rashmi Porwal, trustees

$1,150,000

6058 E. Quin Abbey Ct., Dublin

Joshua and Alyson Ruth Weir from Yongbo Wan and Yi Shao

$1,111,000

4677 Cranleigh Ct., Dublin

Una And Finlay Morrison from Dennis R. Jr. and Kristi M. Oltorik

$1,100,000

320 Westland Ave., Bexley

Micah Young and Sara Poorfarahani Myers from Austin D. Schenk and Meredith Allison Arensman

$1,070,000

5265 Brighton Pl., Powell

Christopher Ayers and Allison Cavalieri from Timothy R. and Victoria L. Foley

$1,000,000

5583 Hickory Dr., Lewis Center

Sumit Chatterjee and Poornima Oruganti from Kenric Construction Inc.

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Columbus Monthly gathers home sales data from county auditor offices in Franklin County and its six contiguous counties.

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food & drink Cheers to 70 Years The Top Steak House celebrates a milestone birthday while staying true to its roots. We toast its success with a Classy Chassis cocktail and the story of a first-timers’ visit, Page 88

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

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Food & Drink | Review

Spices to Savor

Lamb leads at Yemeni Restaurant, which has been serving authentic cuisine on the city’s North Side for nearly a decade.

By Amy Bodiker Baskes Photos by Tim Johnson I love to discover delicious food in unexpected locations—quiet and plain storefronts that are bustling with warm conviviality inside. For nearly the last decade, in a modest shopping center near the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Morse Road, Chef Najameddine Gabbar has been reliably turning out the dishes from his home country in the appropriately named Yemeni Restaurant, which has quietly earned a reputation for its wonderfully comforting fare.

In fact, Columbus Monthly named chef Gabbar a “Tastemaker” in 2022 for his pleasantly spiced and melting lamb dishes, and for bringing three Qamaria Yemeni Coffee shops to town. These paved the way a flurry of new Yemeni cafés around town in recent years, including Marib, chef Gabbar’s newest coffee house, which is set to open on Schrock Road this spring.

At Yemeni Restaurant, welcoming kindness is as important to the dining experience as the restaurant’s spiceblends and hearty dishes. On one chilly night, the staff insisted on helping us schlep our carry-out bags to the car, plying us with to-go cups of warm, sweet tea for our drive home. On another trip on a humming Sunday night, we were greeted with a “welcome back,” by our host, who in the same breath said, “see you next week,” to some exiting regulars.

For the unfamiliar, Yemeni cuisine finds commonality with Middle Eastern and South Asian traditions, with offerings like biryani, tandoori and hummus peppering Yemeni’s menu. But there are also plenty of dishes that you won’t see at many other area restaurants. Because the translations are often vague, it’s useful to call on the aforementioned friendly servers to help you navigate all the dishes and flavors. Ordering a combo tray with 84

Counterclockwise from top: Saltah (veggie stew), lamb fahsa and lamb haneeth

some of Yemeni’s more popular entreés takes out some of the guesswork (but doesn’t have any cost benefit to ordering a la carte).

Guests are welcomed to Yemeni with a small cup of complementary lamb consomme infused with cloves, cinnamon and cardamom—the flavorful broth is made from the meat’s long, slow braise. While lamb is clearly dominant here, there are just as many chicken entrees and even a few vegetarian and fish options too.

I start every visit to Yemeni Restaurant with the hummus with lamb appetizer ($13.99), a traditional puree of garbanzo beans and tahini topped with spiced bits of sauteed lamb. I love its contrasts: smooth and textured, vegetal and meaty, earthy and smoky. I especially love scooping the dip with torn pieces of Yemeni’s warm, pillowy and charred house-made flatbread. Truly, this dish is the driving reason I eat at this restaurant and is one of my all-time favorites in Columbus. It’s a terrific lunch

paired with the special house salad ($5.99), which features chilled strips of romaine lettuce, chopped cucumber and tomatoes dressed in a zesty vinaigrette that’s loaded with dark maroon flecks of tart sumac.

Leading Yemeni’s entrée section is the much-celebrated lamb haneeth ($24.99), pieces of slow-roasted, bone-in lamb richly spiced with cinnamon, clove, cumin, turmeric and saffron, served over a colorful pilaf of some of the longest grains of rice around. For an additional $2 charge, you can upgrade to flavored rice that’s studded with pieces of smoky meat and vegetables. If lamb is not to your liking, Yemeni also offers a chicken haneeth ($14.99) prepared in the same way. In fact, most of Yemeni’s entrées can be made with either chicken or lamb.

Another star entrée at Yemeni is the fahsa (chicken $13.99 or lamb $24.99), a piping-hot stew of shredded meat in a warmly-spiced tomato sauce thickened by pureed potatoes. It dramatically arrives at the table in a dark clay pot that

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keeps the stew bubbling throughout the meal. It’s hard to wait for the fahsa to cool to a reasonable temperature before digging in with pieces of khubz Arabi, Yemeni’s tandoori-cooked flatbread.

Also appealing is chicken biryani ($14.99) with its fall-off-the-bone pieces of red tandoori-cooked chicken, so tender that no knives are needed. Chicken kabsa ($14.99) uses similar spices and the same tandoori pieces but adds tomato sauce for a slight twist.

SHORTHAND

Yemeni Restaurant 5426 Cleveland Avenue Minerva Park 614-426-4000 yemenirestaurant.us Hours: Open for lunch and dinner daily If you go: Consider finishing your meal with a sweet Yemeni tea ($1.99), an aromatic blend of black and green teas steeped with rich spices like clove, cinnamon and cardamom, as well as a decadent amount of sugar.

Vegetarian options such as foul stew ($11.99), a rustic puree of fava beans, or shakshouka ($11.99), eggs scrambled with tomatoes and onions, curiously appear on the breakfast menu, though the restaurant only opens at lunch time.

There is no alcohol on Yemeni’s menu, but there are a variety of teas, sodas and yogurt drinks to explore. I enjoyed the lemon mint beverage ($5.99), a bright green concoction served in a Mason jar, which was both incredibly puckery and sweet. Akin to a Mexican agua fresca, this drink provided a great contrast to the richly spiced meat dishes.

Yemeni Restaurant delivers rich comfort in its dishes that are generously spiced, but not spicy. (Heat at Yemeni comes in the form of a house-made hot sauce—a herby blend reminiscent of a thin Mexican pico de gallo where the tomato water carries the heat of chiles.) With welcoming staff and cozy fabric-laden decor, Yemeni Restaurant is a warm and unexpected treat for all who visit. ◆

Hummus with lamb and tea Lamb fahsa with lemon mint beverage

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Food & Drink | Short Order

Caribbean Bliss The flavors at The Jerk Spot took us straight to Jamaica — pineapple, plantains, tostones, jerk sauce and callaloo greens.

By Linda Lee Baird

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Loaded Jammin’ Jerk Fries and pineapple spears

Plantains

One member of our group took home a full dinner, and the review the next day was glowing: smoky jerk chicken served on the bone with tender, fluffy saffron rice ($17.99); savory callaloo greens ($5.99); and a lovely, light cornbread ($5.99).

Next time, we’ll be sure to try an impressive-looking meal we saw many other diners ordering—the pineapple bowl ($17.99). It’s a combination of shrimp or chicken, rice, pineapple, peppers and onions served in a hollowed-out piece of pineapple.

Vendors occupy the Hatch space at Budd Dairy for a limited time, with The Jerk Spot slated to be there through June. It’s worth the visit as the weather warms up for sweet, spicy and savory bites of the islands. ◆

SHORTHAND

The Jerk Spot Budd Dairy Food Hall 1086 N. 4th St. instagram.com/the.jerk.spot.2025 Open for dinner Tuesday—Wednesday and lunch and dinner Thursday —Sunday.

If you go: Budd Dairy’s rooftop has great views of the city and would be a perfect place to enjoy your meal. Pair your food with a refreshing cocktail to feel like you’re in Jamaica.

PHOTOS BY TIM JOHNSON

While I missed taking a spring break getaway this year, a recent visit to The Jerk Spot—located in the Hatch incubator space inside the Budd Dairy Food Hall—took me pretty close the Caribbean, thanks to the skill of the restaurant’s executive chef Troy Wheat.

The Columbus Monthly team sampled several appetizers and a full dinner during our visit, which was in early February on the second day the restaurant was open.

The Jerk Spot’s staff, undoubtedly excited to be up and running, served our food with a Jamaican flag, and proceeded to photograph it before they gave it to us.

Now that’s a sign of pride in your work.

From the first bite, I could tell that pride was well-earned. The plantains ($5.99) came in two varieties: crisp tostones fried into savory patties and super ripe, sweet plantains cooked until they were soft and tenderly caramelized. The restaurant’s vinegary hot sauce packets elevated the flavor of the tostones, while I enjoyed the plantains exactly as they were served (which we suspect may have involved a little maple syrup).

Our order of pineapple spears ($5.99) added to the juicy sweetness. A kiss of coconut enhanced the flavor and made us feel like we were consuming piña coladas by the forkful.

But the loaded jammin’ jerk fries ($7.99) were the highlight of our tasting. A generous serving of jerk chicken wings came atop French fries seasoned with red peppers, chives, jerk sauce and a chipotle aioli.

The jerk seasoning’s signature heat came through in this dish, though the spice was mild enough for all in our group to enjoy (and some kicked it up further with hot sauce). The wings were served wet but maintained a crisp char. Crucially for an appetizer, they were tender enough to pull apart for sharing. They also were a great value as a $2 addition to the regular jammin’ jerk fries sold for $5.99.

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Food & Drink | Industry Ribeye with whipped potato and squash served with an Old Fashioned

Superb Steaks for 70 Years A newcomer visits The Top Steak House on the cusp of its milestone birthday and channels the spirit of the supper club.

By Linda Lee Baird | Photos by Tim Johnson Visiting The Top Steak House—an iconic restaurant on East Main Street just outside of Bexley—is a tradition for many in Columbus when they celebrate a milestone birthday. This year, it’s celebrating its own as it turns 70. Founded in April 1955, The Top is more than reminiscent of the era in which it was founded: It’s a testament to that time.

“In the 1950s, a lot of people weren’t dining out,” says Matt Schoedinger, who co-owns The Top with his wife Emily and her mother and stepfather Joyce and Craig Hoover. Going to The Top in its early days “was a total disconnect. It was an oasis to get away,” he explains. The Schoedingers wanted to preserve that experience when they became The Top’s third owners in 2006. (Emily’s sister and her husband were previously involved in the restaurant but have since moved on 88

to other things.)

Originally owned and operated by Lee Henry and Bill Sapp—and established six years before they would open the legendary Kahiki Supper Club—the supper club concept has always been part of what The Top offers.

“It originated as a place where people would know your name, you’re comfortable to hang out for the evening, you aren’t there to eat and run,” Emily says. “It’s an event.”

Making dinner into an event can mean all kinds of things in 2025—from dining in igloos to attending an after-hours popup to indulging in a multi-course tasting menu. But the version that The Top offers—one with a live piano, a bustling bar that pours generously and tables close enough together to encourage conversation with neighbors—has held steady for

Charred asparagus with potato pave and scallop terrine

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Executive chef Antonio Perez

seven decades. I figured, as a local food writer, it was time I finally gave it a try.

Dinner at The Top The decor is dark and the doorways are low enough that my 6-foot-five husband has to duck through them, as we make our way from the host’s stand past the piano and to our table by the bar. I settle into a booth with pots of convincing fake plants behind me—probably the best thing for them, as the room feels like it rarely sees the sun. Our waitress seems truly delighted to hear it’s our first visit and, though she doesn’t say it outright, seems dedicated to ensuring it’s not our last.

We know we’re here for steak—when the sign out front reads “your house of steaks,” you follow house rules. (We also took careful note of the warning inside the menu: “The Top is not responsible for well-done steaks.”) Still, we’re left with plenty of choices: Strip or filet? Ribeye or porterhouse? What about the ribeye Wagyu special offered that evening?

We soon realize, with the convivial atmosphere around us and a round of cocktails on the table, that these are the type of decisions where it’s hard to go wrong. (I order the ribeye, my husband the ribeye Wagyu—both outstanding and served with two included sides.)

Our little corner of the restaurant quickly fills. One couple is in town from South Dakota and is celebrating a birthday that evening—much to the surprise of the birthday boy. Next to us is a couple that frequents the restaurant, squeezing in a visit before their daughter returns home from spring break. By the end of the night, we’re all admiring each other’s

orders as they are served and wishing the gentleman at the corner table a “happy birthday” on our way out.

I thought back on that moment when I spoke with the Schoedingers, as Emily explained the community supper club atmosphere they aim to cultivate. “Ah,” I thought, “that was it.”

The Top Today Waiter Kevin Greene has worked at The Top for 21 years—roughly 18 of them as a server—and has no doubt seen many such “supper club” moments in his time there.

With new steakhouses opening up around town, Greene admires the authenticity of his employer. “We’re the original,” he says.

“There’s sort of the character [and] history of The Top that sets it aside.”

Staying true to its roots doesn’t keep the restaurant from evolving, but it does mean the owners are very thoughtful about making changes. For example,

Matt says the patio expansion completed in 2021, which added significant seating, incorporated the black and white decor and design elements from inside the building.

Other adaptations are more subtle.

“What we have tried to do is increase the quality,” Matt says. You can see this in The Top’s menu features, including that ribeye Wagyu special (which, I can confirm, is a cut of beef that melts like butter in your mouth). The restaurant is giving customers higher-end options without taking away the classics that have defined the menu for decades.

Greene also credits the Schoedingers with raising the public profile of the restaurant. “They’ve really done a good job getting the word out to people who didn’t grow up in the area,” he says.

“We’re near the airport, so people come for a unique dinner.”

Greene is someone who likes to travel and eat in family-owned places across the country, so he knows the real thing when he sees it—and he says The Top is it. When he first started, he worked with staff who had been at the restaurant for 30 years, and their expertise influences his own work to this day. Between the consistent staff lineage and thoughtful leadership, The Top remains true to its original vision.

That’s something the Schoedingers intend to preserve as they teach their own children the ins and outs of restaurant ownership, paving the way should the next generation decide to pick up the reins. Matt says that he feels like a “steward” of The Top—his job is to maintain it for the future. His wife agrees: “It’s been an honor and we’re proud to do it,” she says. ◆

Server Kevin Greene

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let’s eat

Visit columbus monthly.com to read about the latest restaurant openings.

WHERE TO DINE THIS MONTH

Editor’s Note: Please call restaurants to check hours and menu availability. $$$$ $$$ $$ $

Lindey’s

Very expensive, $30 and higher Spendy, $21–$29 Moderate, $13–$20 Affordable, $12 and under

NEW Restaurant has opened within the last few months.

B BR L D

Breakfast Brunch Lunch Dinner

1 Outdoor Seating 2025 Best New Restaurants 1 Let’s Eat is Columbus Monthly’s guide to area restaurants. The list is updated monthly with picks from our editors.

Send updates and suggestions to letters@columbusmonthly.com.

AMERICAN Lindey’s

Owner Megan Ada offers teatime and suppertime in a bibliophile’s dream atmosphere. Craft cocktails are served at a handsome bar, while the eclectic menu ranges from fancy grilled cheese to lamb chops. 14 N. State St., Westerville, 614-7764633. LD $$

A Columbus institution, this upscale German Village restaurant with Upper East Side New York flair is a diner favorite, no doubt due to its classic and consistently good fine-dining fare and lush patio. 169 E. Beck St., German Village, 614-228-4343. BRLD $$$$

Cap City Fine Diner & Bar

A downtown Powell restaurant with an eclectic menu that utilizes locally sourced ingredients and focuses on farm-to-fork dining. The menu offers salads, scallops, pizzas, calzones, steaks and a solid selection of Ohio beers. 15 E. Olentangy St., Powell, 614-602-8060. LD $$$

Cameron Mitchell’s popular, stylish diner serves retro fare with an upscale twist.

Think American cuisine like meatloaf, chili dogs, pork chops and homemade desserts. 6644 Riverside Dr., Dublin, 614889-7865; 1299 Olentangy River Rd., Fifth by Northwest, 614-291-3663; 1301 Stoneridge Dr., Gahanna, 614-478-9999.

BRLD $$$

Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace A hip hot dog joint with retro decor and oneof-a-kind wieners that can be topped with condiments such as sauerkraut, baked beans and Fritos. 248 S. Fourth St., Downtown, 614-824-4673. LD $

Hellas Carryout A popular spot for breakfasts in large portions, Hellas specializes in omelets, egg pita wraps, burgers and gyros. 9346 Dublin Rd., Powell, 614-792-5494. BL $

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Local Roots

Northstar Café Northstar’s menu has a healthful emphasis on organic ingredients served in a casual, order-at-the-counter café setting. At peak times, it’s common to see diners lined up for the beet-laden veggie burger, pizzas, salads, rice-and-veggie bowls and oversized cookies.

4241 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-784-2233; 4015 Townsfair Way, Easton, 614-532-5444; 951 N. High St., Short North, 614-298-9999; 109 S. State St., Westerville, 614-394-8992.

BBRLD $$

Press Pub on 5th A neighborhood bar and grill serving solid bar

food that we’ve come to know through sister restaurant Press Grill in the Short North, with daily specials, wings, pizzas, burgers and meatloaf. 1505 W. Fifth Ave., Grandview, 614817-1198. LD $$

SOW Plated With a “food is medicine” mantra, this handsomely designed restaurant in The Shops on Lane Avenue features a health-conscious menu and cold-pressed cocktails. 1625 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington, 614-826-0028.

BRLD $$$

The Walrus Kitchen & Public House Play ping pong or watch a game on one of 24 TVs at this casual Downtown bar serving comfort foods like deep-fried deviled eggs and lobster rolls, plus weekend brunch. Enjoy live music Friday and Saturday with no cover. 143 E. Main St., Downtown, 614-817-1710. BRLD $$

BAKERY Bake Me Happy This 100-percent gluten-free coffee shop and retail bakery is an extension of Bake Me Happy’s growing wholesale business.

Offerings include scones, nostalgic treats, brownies, cakes and more. 6750 Longshore St., Dublin, 614-683-8787; 500 E. Whittier St., Schumacher Place, 1614-477-3642. BL $

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

Asterisk Supper Club

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Basic Biscuits, Kindness, Coffee

very good cocktails, sushi and shared plates.

The spot turns into a Vegas-style club at night, featuring a DJ booth and bottle service. 810 N. High St., Short North, 614-793- 1500. D $$$

This all-biscuits bakery offers flavored buttermilk biscuits by the dozen, grab-andgo breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, quiche and fresh coffee. 1160 Goodale Blvd., Grandview, 614-549-5955. B $

Natalie’s Grandview

Annie Dickson’s bakery celebrates goth culture as much as it does her innovative baked creations. A 12-foot tall skeleton greets visitors who stop in to this take-out shop for cakes, brownies and Dickson’s famous savory Bagel Bombs. 3009 N. High St., Clintonville. BL $

Amplify your dining experience with live music hosted nightly on two stages featuring local and national acts. The wood-fired pizzas and craft cocktails are worth buying tickets in advance for, but for a lower-key night, try visiting during the free happy hour show or dining on the seasonal outdoor patio. 945 King Ave., Fifth by Northwest, D $$ 614-436-2625.

Dan the Baker

Service Bar

Bite This

Local distiller Middle West showcases its fine spirits at this on-site restaurant and bar led by executive chef Chris Connolly.

Expect New American fare ranging from a Wagyu beef burger to halibut with Kashmiri curry. 1230 Courtland Ave., Short North, 614-947-1231. D $$$

Dan Risenberger, a 2025 James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Bakery, is turning out breads, croissants, pastries and more at his takeout bakery just outside of Grandview.

If you want to splurge on a carb load, this is the place to do it. 1028 Ridge St., Grandview, 614-928-9035. BL $

Kolache Republic Inside The Daily Growler, this Czech-inspired bakery offers sweet and savory kolache for breakfast as well as varieties like kielbasa and cheese that pair well with beer. 730 S. High St., German Village. BLD $ NEW Paris Baguette “Paris” may be part of the name, but this Korean bakery chain serves so much more than your traditional French fare. Yes, you’ll find croissants and quiche, but the menu also includes mochi, milk buns and other sweet and savory options, served all day.

3969 Merchants Row, Easton, 614-914-5133; 8839 Lyra Dr., Polaris, 614-368-2007; 1325 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington, 201-5074805. BLD $

Pistacia Vera The crème de la crème of Columbus pastry shops, with macarons, croissants, éclairs, tarts, quiches and a small selection of sandwiches. 541 S. Third St., German Village, 614-220-9070. BL $

Schneider’s Bakery A Westerville favorite since the 1950s, Jeff Hamler’s bakery is known for its traditional doughnuts, pastries, cookies, pies, cakes and breads. Opens at 1:30 a.m. 6 S. State St., Westerville, 614-882-6611. BL $

CONTEMPORARY

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

Alqueria This rustic yet refined neighborhood restaurant is the work of two veteran chefs. Expect fine cheeses and charcuterie to start, plus entrées like buttermilk fried chicken and pan-roasted walleye with risotto. The bar offers several cocktails and takes care in selecting its craft beers and wines. 247 King Ave., Campus, 614-8245579.

LD $$$$

Gene’s

Agni At his fine-dining restaurant, chef Avishar Barua (Top Chef Season 18) entertains guests with multicourse tasting menus that showcase Barua’s Bengali roots, penchant for creative hijinks and live-fire cooking chops. Reservations are a must, or try snagging a bar seat. 716 S. High St., Brewery D $$$$ District, 614-674-6600.

Flour Modern Pasta Bar The prix fixe menu at Flour is one of the best deals in town. For $28, you’ll get bread and salad with an innovative pasta dish that may draw from different cultures, such as Butter Chicken Alla Vodka or Ramen Carbonara. Cocktails and dessert here are well worth the additional cost.

1540 Polaris Parkway, Polaris, 614-3969100. BRD $$$

Fyr Dinnertime starters at this live-fire restaurant range from empanadas to grilled bone marrow, while the mains include embercooked shrimp, grilled filet, wood-fired pizzas and roasted salmon. Breakfast is served daily. 404 N. High St., Short North, 614-4845286. BD $$$$

Gene’s This newcomer to Old Dublin’s High Street is a cozy space in an old house and a sister restaurant to the Coast Wine House down the block. The menu changes regularly to incorporate seasonal ingredients, while the accessible wine and creative cocktail lists invite guests to linger into the evening. 91 S. High St., Dublin, 614-553-7050. D $$$

Mandrake At this venue above the Moxy hotel, outstanding city views are complemented by

Soul at The Joseph Located inside the art-covered hotel lobby of Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph, Soul is a coffee and craft cocktail bar with a contemporary menu. 620 N. High St., Short North, 614-227-0100. BLD $$$$

Veritas Chef Josh Dalton’s modern, tasting-menustyle restaurant celebrates the art and science of cooking while offering one of the finest dining experiences in town. Located in the Citizens Trust building, Veritas prides itself on excellent service and exhilarating cocktail and wine lists.

The menu’s theme changes often. 11 W. Gay St., Downtown, 614-745-3864. D $$$$

FRENCH Chouette Occupying a stately space on the corner of Gay and High Streets is Chouette, a French restaurant embracing bistro culture. The French wine list and authentic menu from Maitre Cuisinier Jaques Sorci will have you saying “oui.”

Save room for the chocolate mousse. 66 N. High St., Downtown, 614-705-2665. LD $$$$

La Chatelaine French Bakery & Bistro Handcrafted woodwork and a crackling fireplace lend the feeling of a French castle to this bakery, bistro and wine bar with equally inspired dishes that range from beef bourguignon to croissants. 65 W. Bridge St., Dublin, 614-763-7151; 1550 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington, 614-488-1911; 627 High St., Worthington, 614-848-6711. BL $$

The Refectory Restaurant & Wine Shop At this Columbus icon, chef Richard Blondin puts more effort into a single plate than an ordinary restaurant does into an entire menu.

Inside this church-turned-fine-dining spot, expect impeccable service and a world-class wine cellar to pair with your meal. 1092 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-451-9774. D $$$$ MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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NEW Food Street Columbus is the first outpost for this New Jersey-based restaurant specializing in street food from Lahore, Pakistan. The menu is full of Pakastani and American-fusion dishes including paratha rolls, chaat, burgers and unique handhelds. House-made traditional drinks round out the menu. 3373 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-670-4061. LD $

New Taj Mahal This restaurant offers flavorful Indian food and a huge menu, with a high-value lunchtime buffet. 2361 N. High St., Old North, 614-421-2323. LD $$

Taj on Fifth Taj on Fifth stands out among Indian restaurants for its small, well executed menu and full bar with cocktails incorporating Indian spices and flavors. If you’re new to Indian cuisine, the chicken tikka masala and chicken makhani are sure to make you a fast fan. 1021 W. Fifth Ave., Fifth by Northwest, 614-696-4844. D $$$

Taj on Fifth

Taj Palace

101 Craft Kitchen At this expertly executed gastropub (its owners could school others in the art of developing a restaurant), craft brews are paired with madefrom-scratch, seasonal dishes. 7509 Sawmill Rd., Dublin, 614-210-1010; 397 Stoneridge Ln., Gahanna, 614-934-5501; 817 Polaris Pkwy., Westerville, 614-776-4775. BRLD $$

Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus In the historic Bott Brothers building Downtown, this brewpub’s stunning stained glass is contrasted by modern touches like a bar equipped with flat-screen TVs. Similarly, on the menu, it’s fish and chips and wings alongside vegetable lasagna and steaks. 161 N. High St., Downtown, 614-228-0500. LD $$$

Forbidden Root This Chicago-based brewpub offers elevated bar fare to go along with craft brews featuring unique flavor profiles. 4080 Worth Ave., Easton, 614-414-6127. BRLD $$

High Bank Distillery Co. High Bank’s dining room offers plenty of games, TVs and space for large groups.

The cocktail menu puts the distillery’s own offerings to good use, while the food menu offers grown-up pub fare such pizzas, locally sourced beef burgers and seared salmon.

28 S. State St., Westerville, 614-380-3130; 1379 E. Johnstown Rd., Gahanna, 614-6567343; 1051 Goodale Blvd., Grandview, 614BRLD $$ 826-5347.

The Pearl Gastropub meets oyster bar at this Cameron Mitchell restaurant with a throwback vibe, craft beer and barrel-aged cocktails. 88 N. High St., Dublin, 614-695-6255; 641 N. High St., Short North, 614-227-0151. BRLD $$$$

Shawnee Station Taproom and Kitchen This family-friendly restaurant located near the zoo pairs excellent beers from Maumee Bay Brewing Co. with cuisine that takes the brewpub to the next level. The burger and beer combination is a classic here, but you’ll find fish, pasta and salads that are sure to satisfy your whole party.

6058 Glick Rd., Shawnee Hills, 614-3760754. BRLD $$$

INDIAN/PAKISTANI Aab India Aab India boasts a large menu of authentic Northern Indian-style curry offerings, plus papadi chaat, chicken tandoori and shrimp bhuna. 1470 Grandview Ave., Grandview, 614-486-2800. LD $$

Awadh India Restaurant Chef Anand Kumar provides authentic Luckno­wi cuisine with fresh ingredients. The ample menu includes kebabs, Awadhi-style biryani, a large variety of curries and Indian breads. 2584 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-914-8884; 8736 Moreland St., Powell, 740-917-5306; 3011 Olentangy River Rd., Campus, 614-670-4730. LD $$

Kraft House No. 5

Cumin & Curry Indian Kitchen

This handsome spot in historic Powell serves rustic and refined bar food along with craft beer and cocktails. 5 S. Liberty St., Powell, 614-396-9091. BRLD $$$

This Indian kitchen features food for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, including a weekend lunch buffet. 4155 Morse Crossing, Easton, 614-470-6975. LD $$

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An Indian restaurant offering a full menu and buffet of soups, salads, meats, vegetables, breads and desserts. 3794 Fishinger Blvd., Hilliard, 614-771-3870. LD $$

JAPANESE Akai Hana This entertaining Japanese bento shop boasts some of the city’s best sushi and a wide range of Japanese and Korean entrées.

1173 Old Henderson Rd., Northwest Side, 614-451-5411. LD $$$

Fukuryu Ramen Jeff Tsao, whose family owned the Kahiki Supper Club, brings his Melbourne, Australia, ramen shop stateside. It’s quick, modern, bustling and adds a little rock ’n’ roll to traditional Japanese fare.

The Signature Tonkotsu and Red Dragon ramens are standouts. 4540 Bridge Park Ave., Dublin, 614-553-7392; 748 Harmon Ave., Franklinton, 614-696-6947; 1600 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington, 614-9295910; 2027 Polaris Pkwy., Polaris, 614 696-9682. LD $$

Kirin Noodle Bar What started as a ramen shop now offers a wider menu, including sushi and a variety of appetizers such as karaage, chashu pork buns and hand rolls, with a selection of Japanese whiskys. 4227 N. High St., Clintonville, 614867-5356. LD $$

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar At this interactive sushi restaurant, diners grab maki rolls, nigiri, sashimi and other items directly from a conveyor belt snaking around the restaurant. Other menu items include tempura, ramen, udon and desserts.

Helpful robots deliver the drinks. 8833 Lyra Dr., Polaris, 614-835-7474. LD $$

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

GASTROPUB

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Red Rabbit Ramen Located outside Echo Spirits Distillery Co., this Japanese yatai cart serves yakitori and bowls of scratch-made Japanese ramen. 985 W. Sixth Ave., Fifth by Northwest, 614-2331822. D $$

Sushi Factory At this shopping center spot, customers can expect an extensive menu of Japanese fare, from udon and hibachi entrées to creative sushi rolls and nigiri. A long sake and wine list completes the package. 8715 Sancus Blvd., Polaris, 614-505-6060. LD $$

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Tensuke Express A modern and authentic noodle shop located next to Tensuke Market and Sushi Ten in Kenny Centre’s Japan Marketplace, with udon, soba, ramen and curry rice. 1155 Old Henderson Rd., Northwest Side, 614-451-4010. LD $$

MEXICAN Condado This locally owned, Day-of-the-Deadthemed taco chain slings healthy helpings of fresh queso, guacamole and build-yourown tacos from a sushi-style ordering menu.

Here, the tequila options and margaritas are plentiful. 2977 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-230-2786; 132 S. High St., Downtown, 614-456-7444; 102 N. High St., Dublin, 614-389-0097; 4077 Fenlon St., Easton, 614-532-5956; 8958 Lyra Dr., Polaris, 614896-8047; 1227 N. High St., Short North, 614-928-3909. LD $

Junior’s Tacos Your choice of tacos, burritos, quesadillas or tortas and an array of sides from rice and beans to grilled jalapeños. 184 W. Fifth Ave., Campus, 614-743-7603. LD $$

Martha’s Fusion Kitchen This hidden gem gleans praise for its delicious birria tacos, but don’t miss the pozole, enchiladas and other authentic Mexican dishes. 3331 Maize Rd., North Linden, 614914-8833. LD $$

Nada Sure, we love our taco trucks and taquerias.

But we’re quite happy to have this lively (sometimes too loud) Cincinnati transplant for upscale Mexican fare—like braised chicken enchiladas and Baja fish—and signature cocktails on tap. 220 W. Nationwide Blvd., Arena District, 614-715-8260. BRLD $$

Spicy Cup Bakery & Café An authentic Mexican bakery serving coffee, tea and freshly made baked goods and desserts such as conchas, churros and tres leches. On the savory side, Spicy Cup offers tamales, empanadas and chilaquiles. 1977 E. DublinGranville Rd., North Side, 614-547-7117. BLD $

Taco Nice

MORE CARE FOR ALL OF YOU. New Hospital & Medical Campus, Now Open Mount Carmel is committed to offering comprehensive care close to home: 4105 Emerald Parkway, Dublin. To help you get better and to keep you well. With a new state-of-the-art 240,000-square-foot hospital and medical campus, we’re better equipped to offer total care, for all of you.

EXPERT CARE FOR ALL OF YOU.

mountcarmelhealth.com/dublin ©2025 Mount Carmel Health System Columbus, Ohio

A newcomer to the West Side, this Mexican restaurant and bar from the owners of La MAY 2025 COLUMBUS MONTHLY

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Plaza Tapatia serves street tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, stuffed baked potatoes and more. 4832 W. Broad St., West Side, 614996-8096. LD $

Try out the Original Dave’s Cosmic Sub or Dave’s Best Meatball Ever Sub and wash them down with a flavored soda. 1766 N. High St., Campus, 614-824-5494. LD $

Zapatas Mexican Kitchen

Goood Friends

This Mexican eatery boasts 15 TVs and serves tacos, fajitas, seafood and other specialties.

1284 Hill Rd. N, Pickerington, 614-751-6467.

LD $$

Jackie O’s on Fourth is home to this takeout window featuring seriously goood Midwestern sandwiches. Highlights include the Ol Faithful (fried chicken with Le Delice de Bourgogne) and Warby’s Melt featuring Wario’s Wiz. 171 N. Fourth St., Downtown.

D $$

SANDWICHES Bears Bagels After gaining a following at local farmers markets, Bears Bagels opened a Hilliard shop in 2024. The family-owned business serves up handmade bagels, schmears and sandwiches and offers bagel-making classes that sell out quickly. 4142 Main St., Hilliard, 614-319-3561. BL $

Saddleberk

Brown Bag Deli

Wario’s Beef and Pork

The longtime German Village deli keeps it simple yet tasty with crave-worthy sandwiches like the turkey-and-cranberry-mayo-topped Village Addiction, plus daily soups, salads and seasonal sides on display under the counter.

898 Mohawk St., German Village, 614-4434214. LD $

This no-frills, East Coast-style sandwich carryout from chef Stephan Madias saves the fireworks for the food. Try the steak sub done Wario’s Way or the killer chicken cutlet sandwich. Don’t skip the spuds. 4219 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-674-6200; 111 W. Nationwide Blvd., Arena District, 614-9148338. LD $$

Buck City Sammies The East Market vendor specializes in hefty deli sandwiches, like the Yo Adrian! with two types of salami, capicola, house pesto, mozzarella, mayo and arugula on sourdough.

Buck City also sells deli meats by the pound.

212 Kelton Ave., Franklin Park. LD $$

Dave’s Cosmic Subs At this Northeast Ohio-based submarine sandwich chain, rock ’n’ roll meets Italian, vegan, gluten-free and whole wheat sub rolls.

This Dublin North Market butcher shop boasts a prepared food kitchen, with milkshakes, burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, Italian sausage subs, beef cheek poutine and more.

6750 Longshore St., Dublin, 614-683-8800.

LD $

SOMALI Afra Grill At this fast-casual spot specializing in East African cuisine, you build your own meal by choosing a base, protein, hot topping, cold toppings and a sauce. Don’t miss the chicken suqaar, malawah (sweet crepes) and spiced tea. 1635 Morse Rd., North Side, 614-5913816; 3922 Townsfair Way, Easton, 614-5913399. LD $$

African Paradise An authentic African restaurant catering to the city’s Somali population, with spaghetti saldato, zigni (beef stew), muufo (flatbread) and curry rice. 2263 Morse Rd., North Side, 614-476-2163. BLD $$

Hoyo’s Kitchen This family-run restaurant started serving fast-casual Somali cuisine in the historic North Market in 2019. Order a bowl of flavorful spicy rice (or salad), top with proteins such as chicken suuqar or hilibari (goat) and then choose from a variety of veggies and sauces.

Don’t skip the house chai. 6750 Longshore St., Dublin, 614-683-8798; 59 Spruce St., Short North, 614-745-3943. LD $

SPANISH Barcelona Restaurant & Bar Longstanding Barcelona is a classic for approachable Spanish tapas and other palateexpanding fare with an American influence.

The patio is one of the most charming in the city. 263 E. Whittier St., German Village, 614443-3699. BRLD $$$$

Lupo on Arlington From La Tavola’s Rick and Krista Lopez, this tapas spot offers a menu of seasonal small plates combining Spanish and Italian influences. The full bar focuses on aperitivoinspired cocktails and a curated list featuring Spanish and Portuguese wines. 2124 Arlington Ave., Upper Arlington, 614-914-5455. D $$$

Vaso Located on the rooftop of the AC Hotel in Dublin, Vaso offers small plates and a large bar selection, with beautiful views of the Scioto River and historic downtown Dublin. 6540 Riverside Dr., Dublin, 614-698-2525. D $$$

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

Wario’s Beef and Pork

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WHO’S MOVING AND SHAKING IN CENTRAL OHIO?

Bangkok Grocery & Restaurant

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GREATER

THAI Bamboo Thai Kitchen This bright spot in a drab strip mall offers well-executed Thai staples like som tum (green papaya salad), flavorful green and red curries and pad thai, plus some Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese dishes. 774 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-326-1950. LD $$

Bangkok Grocery & Restaurant A family-owned, carryout-only eatery specializing in authentic Thai fare for more than 30 years. Go for some of the city’s best pad thai, tom yum soup, nam tok and Thai curries. 3277 Refugee Rd., East Side, 614-231-8787. LD $

Memories ARE ALWAYS CELEBRATED IN GREATER PARKERSBURG

Don’t miss one of the best food festivals in the country! Taste of Parkersburg happens May 17th from 6-11pm in downtown Parkersburg, WV. Just a short drive from Columbus, try a variety of dishes from the region’s best eateries, and choose from a large selection of wine and beer.

Live music plays all night long!

Erawan Thai Restaurant Classic Thai and Vietnamese dishes highlight a large menu with many Southeast Asian favorites at this modest, family-owned restaurant in a strip mall. 3589 Refugee Rd., East Side, 614-237-9310. LD $$

Siam Orchid Thai Restaurant Authentic Thai dishes served in an ornate setting, with tom yum gai, Panang curry, pad thai and pad prig. 7654 Sawmill Rd., Dublin, 614-792-1112. LD $$

Thai Grille

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

This modest spot serves Thai classics like pad see ew, tom kha gai, massaman curry and pad thai. 15 E. College Ave., Westerville, 614-8654515. LD $$

Thai Orchid Restaurant Authentic Thai dishes are served in an ornate setting along with Chinese staples in this longstanding restaurant that relocated from Powell. The menu includes pad thai, pad see ew, moo shu pork, Happy Family and steamed curry fish. 7654 Sawmill Rd., Dublin, 614-792-1112. LD $$

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate.

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Creative Space

Joanna Frankel practicing in her music room

Joanna Frankel The Columbus Symphony’s concertmaster makes much of her music in the heart of her home— the family room, which doubles as her music room.

Amid her children’s toys, drawings and the other flotsam and jetsam of family life, Columbus Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Joanna Frankel finds space to make her music.

“I just practice wherever no one is in the house, more or less,” Frankel says.

Yet, in the Franklin Park neighborhood home she shares with her husband, orchestra chief operating officer and interim executive director Daniel Walshaw, and their two sons, Elliott and Julian, Frankel has carved out a portion of the family room to practice and give lessons to students.

Designated as the music room, the space sits just beyond a family-centric gathering 96

space with fireplace, television set and, on one wall, a gallery of Elliott’s artwork.

“My parents were here on their spring break doing stuff with [the kids], and they made galleries of their art,” Frankel says.

Because her children float freely into and out of the space, and she wants to spend time with them when they’re home, Frankel confesses that she mainly uses her music room during certain times of the day. “I would say 95 percent of my practicing I do when they’re at school,” she says.

The 42-year-old, Juilliard-trained Philadelphia native plays on a Gaetano Vinaccia violin she acquired when she was still a teenager.

“It’s an Italian instrument made in Naples in 1819,” she says. “I have a very heavy way of playing, and a darker instrument suits my playing better than a more brilliant instrument.”

Depending on the complexity of a piece, Frankel may practice for as many as 6 hours a day, but when she is in between concert cycles, she isn’t afraid to take a break.

Meanwhile, with her sons’ burgeoning interest in music, the music room itself might soon be growing.

“Julian really wants to play the piano, so we’re looking to maybe get a piano,” she says. “We’re trying to figure out where to put it.” ◆

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

By Peter Tonguette

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Tell Us About Your

Everyday Kindness Heroes Kindness

is all around us.

Sometimes the beneficiary is a stranger. Sometimes it’s a friend, acquaintance or colleague.

We look to honor those who perform extraordinary selfless acts to improve, heal and unite our community.

Consider lifting up the volunteer quietly aiding their neighbors or the community member tirelessly advocating for change. We need your help to recognize the kind, selfless heroes among us.

LOOK FOR MONTHLY STORIES IN COLUMBUS MONTHLY CELEBRATING KINDNESS IN CENTRAL OHIO.

The Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation has partnered with The Columbus Dispatch to highlight those making our community a better place. Help us inspire kindness by suggesting people, initiatives, or organizations for Reporter Sophia Veneziano to profile. She can be reached at sveneziano@dispatch.com.

Learn more at ColumbusMonthly.com/Kindness.

Sophia Veneziano Human Kindness Reporter The Dispatch/Columbus Monthly/Columbus CEO

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Nominate your heroes:

4/7/25 12:42 PM

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