General Steak & Seafood, located on Quarrier Street, is like an expanded version of Joe's Fish Market.



The once-fish market now has a meat counter, as well, and the famous Yugoslavian Fish Stew is still a staple.



So, walking in, you have a fresh seafood counter to the right. A meat counter - all sourced from Buzz - to the left. And a few cooler items straight ahead. 

Folks here are super attentive and willing to help. I had no idea what I wanted to get, really, so I looked up and down the coolers a bit. I have to give a shoutout to Becca for being the absolute best. She immediately welcomed me as soon as I walked in (so I wasn't standing there awkwardly trying to figure things out), she let me have some time to browse, she was right there when I had questions and helped me pick out the best filets. Plus, I think there's something to be said for seeing another woman there - it's comforting when I was the only other woman there.



I ultimately went with the filet mignon (how can you say no when seeing these beauties??), plus some crab cakes, then crab dip and tartar sauce. Becca gave me a tip for the crab dip - while you CAN enjoy it cold, try it warmed up with some hot bubbly cheese on top. Yum. Everything was delish.



Grade: A

Markets are my happy place. My dream is going from stall to stall, getting a bite at each place to create a full meal. That's why, when Dawn and I heard about Center Street Market juuuust opening, we headed that way STAT.



Center Street Market, located in Hilliard, Ohio, is home to a handful of restaurants, as well as Crooked Can Brewery. 



Ready? Let's go check it out. 

The Cheesecake Girl 











The Cheesecake Girl has a bunch of different kinds of cheesecake, including little mini bites like cookie dough, buckeye and brie & fig. I loveee the mini option so I can try a few flavors - and they were all fantastic. The cookie dough had a brownie crust, the buckeye is Ohio's best dessert, and the brie & fig is a perfect flavor combo. Also while here, they had a little stand of Uncle Giant's Tokels, which apparently are Filipino in origin. They're like buttery shortbread cookies that are crumbly. 

Bakes By Lo







Bakes By Lo had these giant homemade cookies staring at me. There were really only a handful of flavors, but they all sounded so good. The dried cranberry and macadamia nut was speaking to me. Just slightly tart paired with sugary cookie and buttery nutty. So good. 

Dumplings of Fury







Dumplings! Dumplings of Fury has a location in Seattle and Hilliard... odd mashup? BUT, one of the stops I was most excited for. I ordered the "Shrimp and Chive" dumplings, which were perfectly pan-fried and plump and tasty. And, I also went for the pork belly bao, because there are so few places to get bao buns in West Virginia, and this included the pork belly, cucumber salad, peanuts and green onion. Mmmm. 

Rime Time







Are artisan popsicles the new trendy thing? If you're Rime Time, that answer is yes. They have a really cool list of flavors like blueberry lemonade, avocado, and my choice: peanut butter and jelly. I was shocked at how good this really was. I'm not a peanut butter superfan, but this creamy popsicle with pops of sweet fruity jelly was perfect. 

Coffee Connections







Apparently I'm really into lemonade lately, because even at Coffee Connections, I went with a blueberry pomegranate lemonade. So refreshing for a warm day. 

Al's Delicious Popcorn









OK I said earlier that popsicles might be trendy, but gourmet popcorn may be even more so. Al's Delicious Popcorn has over 65 flavors. I chose the s'mores, because of course. It was pretty sweet - I would've liked some more salt, but very tasty nonetheless. 

Meatball Mafia







W?HO? doesn't love a good meatball?! I could've taken the easy way out at Meatball Mafia and had just a single taste of a meatball. But, let's be real, I had to go with a full Uncle Junior, which is a meatball sub with provolone/mozzarella. This just hits the spot.



There are a couple places that I'll need to check out on the next visit, like the Crooked Can Brewery, Pita bilities and Two Step Tacos.

North Market is one of my favorite places to visit in Columbus. Not only do I love markets in general, but this one does it right. There are tons of different stalls, all offering something unique. So, here's a quick look at some stops I didn't hit during my first trip.



American Nut Company has all kinds of popcorn flavors - from jelly bean to dill pickle. I took some parmesan home with me.



Oh my gosh, Hubert's Polish Kitchen! 



I have very little to no experience with Polish food, so this one was really exciting for me.



I went for a whole plate with a very dense pierogi, this giant fried ball of sauerkraut and sausage, and some flatbread. So good and hearty.



Then, I had to go walk some of it off.



We came upon Destination Donut. 



SO many good-looking donuts. 



I loved the fruitier ones - like shortbread streusel with lemon curd and, the one I ordered, lemon blueberry.



Look at that guy! Big, light, and very summery sweet.



Omega Artisan Baking was up next because they had -- wait for it -- a pepperoni roll! 



It had all the right pieces, but was a bit more bready than I prefer. I like the perfect balance of pepperoni rolled with cheese and dough. When there's bread, and an air pocket and a mound of pepperoni, it doesn't get that delicious blend. 



They have plenty of other options - all of which looked delicious.



Finally, I completed my gastronomic tour with a stop at Block's Bagels, which was new to the market. 



It was a no-brainer. I needed that lox bagel. This one had added tomato, which is good, too. Mmmmm so good.