Bridge Park North Market in Dublin, OH

I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day weekend 💗

    This post has been a long time in the making. We covered the Bridge Park-Dublin North Market as best we could before I called it quits. It took months for us to try to hit all the food offerings they have and I believe we missed three of them overall. The restaurants are constantly changing and one of the ones we planned on talking about (Fromagerie Bread Bakery) has left. We'll just talk about the ones that are still there. While turnover is always sad, especially when it's a favorite, there's so many food options for there to be something for everyone. 

    I don't mind the upscale cafeteria-style layout because it feels like a community gathering place. Many of the restaurants have their own style of getting the food to where you are. Some hand out numbers and will come deliver your food to the table when it's ready. Others give you a buzzer that goes off when your food is ready for you to pick it up. Then there's the good old-fashioned just waiting at the pick-up window. They do have a full bar featuring local beers and cocktails, but unfortunately the bar was always packed each time we went (Saturdays or Sundays) so we never got a chance to try anything. 

    My favorite place is Bake Me Happy, a gluten-free bakery that makes it hard to believe there isn't flour in their treats. They always have a nice variety of muffins, cookies, and other specialty items. Their staff are always super nice and efficient with long lines. I know that gluten-free is more expensive overall, but people who have Celiac Disease or other gluten intolerances have no choice but to pay more wherever they go. It just sucks for them. (Don't get me started on coffee shop upcharges for non-dairy milk swaps for vegans or people with dairy intolerances.) 

    We got a Blueberry Basil Goat Cheese scone. It was dense, but not as dense as other scones we've tried at other places. There was a nice crunch on the top and bottom. The flavors were super subtle, which was good because basil and goat cheese by themselves can easily be overpowering. There wasn't any sweetness to the scone other than the blueberries. We would definitely get it again, but we wish it cost less. It was $4.50 and a fairly small size. 

    My favorite thing they have are Zebra Cakes. Yes, gluten-free Little Debbie-like Zebra Cakes. The flavor is spot-on, without that layer of hydrogenated oil from the packaged stuff. Again, the price is $4 for one cake. If they were $2 each, I'd've bought a lot more. However, that didn't stop me from buying one every time we were there. 

    My second favorite item they have is their Coffee Cake Muffin. Again, this is expensive as well, about $3.50, but we felt this one was worth the money. The muffin itself is big and can easily be shared. The muffin itself is slightly on the dry side, but it works for having it with coffee. The cinnamon spice flavor is throughout the muffin, but it isn't overly sweet. The crunch on top is the perfect streusel-type crunch you're looking for in a coffee cake. 

    Next up, we tried The Pit BBQ Grille. It was created in 2016 by four friends who met at Ohio State University. It was $6 for a sandwich with a drink and a side, which we felt with the portion sizes was definitely worth it. We are not ones to go out of our way for BBQ, but this is the best I've had to date. My mom usually avoids BBQ because a lot of places use a lot of grease and oil, but she was won over and wanted to have it again. 

    I love greens, so I had to try Cece's Greens. There was a slight spiciness to them. They were super tender and not oily like many other places I've had them. I wished I had a double order.

    Mildred's Mac & Cheese wasn't the best I've ever had, but definitely the best mac & cheese I've had at a BBQ place. There was no greasy or oily cheese. It had flavor in every bite and was an enjoyable side for sure. 

    Beef Brisket Sandwich. I love brisket and this one takes the cake for the best one I personally have ever had. The toasted brioche bun wasn't greasy or heavy and brought the whole sandwich together. The BBQ sauce was super good with just a touch of sweetness, and it didn't drown the flavor of the meat. The brisket was tender and there was a lot on the sandwich. 

    Gallo's Pizzeria is one of the places you can smell immediately when you get within 7 feet of their vicinity inside or outside. It was $4.25 for each large slice. We opted to try three slices of their pizzas: Margherita, Garden Veggie, and the Sistine Chapel. 

    The Margherita we felt needed more cheese. It was mostly tomatoes with a hint of basil. We wished there was more of a flavor punch and we wouldn't get that one again. 

    The Garden Veggie had raw veggies on the pizza. A couple of people in our party are not mushroom people, so the raw mushrooms really turned them off. We wished they would've baked the veggies prior to putting them on the pizza, it made it a bit strange. 2/4 of us said we'd get that one again. 

    The Sistine Chapel was the clear best of the three. The flavor was great-ricotta is an understated cheese to put on things while pepperoni just makes everything better. We all agreed we would get that one again, and even buy a whole pie of it. 

    Dos Hermanos was suggested to me by fans of their food truck. I had high hopes, but hate to say we felt it was very basic for the money and didn't have the flavors we were hoping for. 

    The Barbacoa tacos had two corn tortillas to keep it from falling apart. We understood and appreciated the concept, but it made the taco more dry. The barbacoa itself had good flavor and was tender. There weren't many toppings and it felt very plain. Only 1/4 people in our group would order them again. 

    Enchiladas are one of my favorite things and we ordered the chicken ones. The chicken was tender, but had no flavor or seasoning. It came with a green sauce and I wished it had red sauce because flavor all around was lacking. None of us would order those again. 

    Pablo's Havana Cafe was a surprising hit with us. We love Cuban sandwiches, but were worried it was the type of thing that you feel you could just make at home. We liked the variety of options of the sandwiches and the fact that you could order half a sandwich. We definitely felt this place was worth the price. 

    The Cubanito was a bit underwhelming. We loved the crunch of the Cuban bread. The swiss cheese was a good, rich quality. However, we felt maybe we should've gotten another sandwich that had more than just ham, or one of the veggie ones for more flavor. 

    The Tostones with garlic oil were the love of my life. They had a nice crunchy texture, and were savory when dipped into the oil. I could eat them all day and highly considered ordering more to-go. My mouth is watering as I type this. 

    Lan Viet Market serves Vietnamese favorites. I saved this one for last because they always have a long line and are very popular for a good reason. Their food is delicious and comforting and leaves you wanting more. 

    The Chicken Bahn Mi had good flavor with all the pickled veggies. The sandwich was large with plenty of chicken. There was a hint of heat from the jalapeno, but not an overpowering heat. I love Bahn Mi in general, so it's hard to get one that I wouldn't have again. 

    The Chicken Pho was delightful and comforting. The bowl was large and had plenty of noodles and a good amount of vegetables. My mom is not one for a lot of heat, so she ate most of it without any sriracha or jalapenos. I nudged her to try at least one of the two, and she opted for the sriracha. She said it wasn't too spicy and had more of a pleasant "back of the throat" heat. I love Pho bowls for the fact that I think they're a flavor adventure and would absolutely order it again. 

    I wanted to give an honorable mention to Pasta Ditoni's where you can buy fresh pastas and other Italian necessities to make at home. Even though the pastas can be a bit pricey, I found them to be worth it. I am in love with the Veal Truffle ravioli and had to get some every time I went. 

    I love the variety and the community atmosphere of the market. I admit, I like it better than the North Market in downtown Columbus. This one feels more homey. I'm sad about the turnover of some of the places, but there's still plenty more. It's definitely good for groups with different eaters. I also like the mini grocery shops they have as well. You can find these locations and other vendors here. Do you have a favorite place at Bridge Park? Let me know in the comments!