Food Tasting

December is time for celebration, closing one year and setting intentions for the next. We're continuing to support sustainability and our talented musicians, but this special edition welcomes **artisans** \- talented jewelry\, accessory\, and clothing designers whose work embodies sustainability and upcycling\. You'll find unique pieces with meaningful background stories - perfect gifts for yourself or your loved ones. **Join us for:** ✨ Live music & open mic performances ✨ Art & sustainable marketplace ✨ Style tips & deep conversations ✨ Community vibes As you set intentions for the New year, let one of them be **conscious consumption and supporting local small designers&artists**. FREE ENTRY! Bring your friends and family for this lovely community event! Everyone is welcome! See you there! 💚

\*\*\*\* Practice Foreign Languages with Native Speakers \*\*\*\*\* === \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* at the Language Conversation Table \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* === \*\*\*\* Practice Foreign Languages with Native Speakers \*\*\*\*\* === \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* at the Language Conversation Table \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ================================================ The caffe Cukeraj provides us with a back-room reserved just for this event, where we get to practice Croatian and other languages three hours for free. The entrance is free, but to be sure that Domenico will continue to host us, please have at least one drink when you're coming. at Cukeraj, Petrinjska 61 See you soon! P.S. IF U HAVE ANY PROBLEMS FINDING THE PLACE BE FREE TO CONTACT THE ORGANIZER: +385958865552 \*\*\*\*\* Vježbajte Strane Jezike sa Izvornim Govornicima \*\*\*\*\* =============================================== Za organizaciju događaja se ne mora nista platiti. Radi korištenja prostora u kafiću (koji se nalazi u dvorišnoj zgradi) , bilo bi poželjno kad bi svatko naručio barem jedno piće. Nedjelja 18:00 - 21:00 sati Cukeraj Petrinjska 61

December is time for celebration, closing one year and setting intentions for the next. We're continuing to support sustainability and our talented musicians, but this special edition welcomes **artisans** \- talented jewelry\, accessory\, and clothing designers whose work embodies sustainability and upcycling\. You'll find unique pieces with meaningful background stories - perfect gifts for yourself or your loved ones. **Join us for:** ✨ Live music & open mic performances ✨ Art & sustainable marketplace ✨ Style tips & deep conversations ✨ Community vibes As you set intentions for the New year, let one of them be **conscious consumption and supporting local small designers&artists**. FREE ENTRY! Bring your friends and family for this lovely community event! Everyone is welcome! See you there! 💚

I've supported this local popcorn business for 30 years. It is my pleasure to introduce you to this family-owned, made in house, gourmet popcorn! (note: the official nat'l popcorn day is the 19th but this store is bombarded that day, lol) **TASTING:** The staff can answer every question you have about popcorn. They have a tremendous assortment of 65 sweet and savory flavors, including their classic Columbus Mix (white cheddar/vanilla butternut mix), Pizza, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Buckeye, Buffalo Ranch, and Green Apple. I challenge kids to not try to blow a bubble when they taste the Bubble Gum flavor! ***The owner knows we're coming by and offers complimentary taste testing! BRING YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS!*** **AFTERNOON SNACK**: Bring along $**5.00** cash for a variety of pizza slices to munch on next door at Grandads Pizza. While we wait on our pizzas, we can share Popcorn we purchased at Al's. ## HISTORY OF NATIONAL POPCORN DAY Did you know that the corn we eat and the corn we pop are two different varieties of maize? In fact, the corn you’d find on your dinner table is most likely unable to pop at all! Only one variety of corn is able to become popcorn: Zea mays everta. This particular corn variety has small ears, and the kernels burst when exposed to dry heat. **[Al’s Delicious Popcorn](https://alspopcorn.com)** is a family owned and operated business located in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1985, we have over 30 years of popping experience! During the past 3 decades, we’ve worked hard to perfect our popping techniques and recipes. Our dedication has paid off and today we are proud to offer popcorn lovers over 65 varieties of delectable gourmet popcorn! Being a small, family run operation, we put our heart and soul into what we do. Each and every order is hand prepared, right in our own store, not in some remote processing facility.

# Save the date! FUTURE MEETINGS! [](https://www.meetup.com/funandfood/events/299189211//attendees/) [Hosted By](https://www.meetup.com/funandfood/events/299189211//attendees/) [Dara T.](https://www.meetup.com/funandfood/events/299189211//attendees/) This listing is information only. Each event will be scheduled individually. ## DO NOT TRY TO SIGN UP ON THIS LIST! January 12 , 2025 - Greek epiphany: Blessing of the Waters, Mad Greek Restaurant February 9, 2025 - Valentine's Day in Germany, Hillgarten Beer Garden, Hilliard March 15, 2025, Indian Holi Festival, Aab India Restaurant April 6, 2025 - Chinese: Hanchi / Qingming Festival May 4, 2025 - Japanese Golden Week, Akai Hana Japanese Restaurant June 8, 2025- Hawaiian King Kamehameha Day, Ohana Grill Hawaiian Restaurant July 5, 2025, 60's Nostalgia: Dance to the Moonbats, JT's Restaurant (Fabulous pub food and great beer, as well as dancing music). They play British Invasion music. Dining Out Fun Times Make New Friends ## Photos (1) [See all](https://www.meetup.com/funandfood/photos/34336422) Add photos

Join us for pizza, drinks and conversation! Gatto’s Pizza began in a small shop on North High Street in the neighborhood of Clintonville, Columbus, Ohio. It was 1952 and the brothers, Joe and Jimmy Gatto, opened the pizzeria to serve their community, using family recipes to make fresh dough, sauces, meatballs, and Italian sausage.

This is "***New Members Night***." If you are one of the many folks on the fence about coming to your first wine tasting with the *Hilliard Wine Club*, this is the night to come. There will be many other new people, so you won't be alone. And the regulars will be there to help make you feel welcome. We're a relaxed and warm group. We hope to see you. **SIDE NOTE:** New members are welcome to ALL our Friday night wine tastings, but this night is a special overture to those who don't want to feel that they are the only new person in the room. Don't worry. You won't be. And don't hesitate to RSVP to other events. **OLD MEMBERS NOTE**: Hey Old Members! You're not excluded from this event. We expect to see you there to help make the new members feel welcome. **Sample 4 different wines** this Friday for $15 (*Cash or Venmo only please*). Glasses are provided. Bring a snack to share. Bring a bottle to share if you care to. See all the details below for the Hilliard Wine Club Wine Tasting. In Person. In Real Life. Actual Wine from glass bottles with corks and everything. **Wine**: Tastings will be $15 for four samples as always. And you are welcome to bring a bottle of your favorite wine to share with others. Participation in the wine tastings is optional. But since you’re going, I will buy enough wine to cover you. If you bring your own wine and do not participate in the tasting you will only pay $10 to cover the door charge. **Parking**: There are several public parking lots near the Alive614 hall. Please be careful to NOT park in private parking lots. They do tow. Check Google maps to scope out your space. Anyone who is early could easily find a parking space on the street nearby. **Glasses**: …will be provided. Please note that after the wine tasting, the glasses need to be returned to the boxes at the service table. Please be gentle, our glasses are fragile. Uh, they are made of glass! **Food**: You are welcome to bring a snack to share. It is not required. Most people do though. If no one brings anything, there will be nothing. **Code of Conduct**: Though mostly understood, it’s still worth mentioning. We don’t have rules per se, but we highly discourage the following topics of discussion because they are likely to incite anti-social responses - Sex, Politics, Religion. Please don’t mistake this as an attempt to limit your free speech rights but rather a guide to a place and time for appropriate discussions. **Extra Wine**: After everyone has had their samples, we remove the pouring spouts and any remaining wine is poured freely to whomever wants it. I hate having leftover wine. **Queen of Hearts**: The Queen of Hearts raffle is a fundraiser for the club and a Barnum and Bailey type extravaganza - minus the dancing ponies, clowns, and actual circus. Bring your ***cash*** as the Queen does not accept American Express or other plastic. **After the lights go out**: After the last sip of wine, when we clean up and turn the lights out, if you still haven’t had enough of us, it is typical for a group to get together and go to a local eatery for food and/or drinks or coffee. Again, We look forward to meeting new members and reuniting with old friends. Sincerely, ***Paul Uttermohlen***, **Red 1 Realty** *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host* **DISCLAIMERS**: The Hilliard Wine Club is just that, a club. It is not a commercial venture nor a non-profit organization [501(c)(3)] and as such does not provide commercial services such as accepting credit cards or retailing wine or other products. The weekly Queen of Hearts Raffle is a fund-raising event for the club to cover special events, entertainment and frequent cost shortfalls such as when more people RSVP than show up after wine is purchased to accommodate a larger group or when people show up on freestyle night without any wine to share (please don’t do that). Personal responsibility is the minimum we expect from our members who are encouraged to limit their alcohol intake as needed to allow for an enjoyable evening for everyone. Wine is the primary focus and choice beverage of the wine club. Hard liquor consumption is highly discouraged. On occasions when someone has consumed more alcohol than is allowed by law to operate a motor vehicle, members are encouraged to use a ride-share service, a taxi, a sober friend or a designated driver. Your safety and well being are of great concern to the leadership of the club, but are ultimately the responsibility of the individuals. Photographs and videos taken at the club by individuals and/or leadership of the club are the property of their creators and may be used as desired as long as their use is compliant with the law. In photographic privacy terms, you have the same rights as you do walking down a public street (near zero). Please do not attend any of our events if you are not aware of and in agreement with our disclaimers and policies. Members who behave in an anti-social manner can and will be banned from the club and barred from entry if needed (don’t test me on this), though admittedly it is a rare instance in which someone’s behavior necessitates being banned for life. Since 2017, there have only been a few. [Last updated on April 2, 2025]

Monday December 29th at 6PM we'll be meeting up dinner at the Pies & Pints at Easton. Feel free to bring guests. Sandwiches run about $15 and large pizzas run $20-30.

**White Elephant Gift Exchange** (WEGE): This may be your only chance to re-gift that “undesirable” bobble or whats-it that you got for Christmas. Every year for Christmas my evil ex in-laws would give me the exact same gift that properly symbolized how well they knew me and how much they cared. For 24 years I received a bushel-basket sized bag of white tube socks from Gabe’s, a local discount/factory seconds store based in Morgantown, WV. If I were still married, that’s what I would re-gift in this gift exchange. No worries. I have since recovered emotionally and all my socks match and are all the same length. Goodwill was the lucky recipient of my 24-bushel sock collection quite some time ago. Things are better now. If you have nothing that merits being re-gifted, please try to keep the price limit to around $15. Remember, no one is required to participate in the gift exchange. You can watch and still have fun. The way this works: Each person bringing a gift will get a pretty yellow ticket (just like the ones we use for the Queen of Hearts). When the gift exchange starts I will draw a ticket and read the number. The person with that ticket may select a gift from the table. Being first is not a true victory in this instance. The next person whose number is drawn will chose a gift AND if they don't like it, they can exchange it for (steal?) the one the previous person selected. It goes on and on as mayhem ensues. Only one exchange. Exchange for any previously selected gift. Got it? Good. **On Freestyle night** \- just bring a bottle to share\. There is NO formal wine tasting like on other weeks\. Door charge is $10 \(cash or Venmo only please\)\. We may have some left over wines to clear out\! Glasses are provided\. Take Care\. See you there\. **Parking**: There are several public parking lots near the Alive614 hall. Please be careful to NOT park in private parking lots. They do tow. Check Google maps to scope out your space. Anyone who is early could easily find a parking space on the street nearby. I am told that the Chase parking lot is safe after hours. **Glasses**: …will be provided. Please note that after the wine tasting, the EMPTY glasses need to be returned to the boxes at the service table. Please do not make me hunt down your empty glass. Please be gentle, our glasses are fragile. Uh, they are made of glass! **Food**: You are welcome to bring a snack to share. It is not required. Most people do though. If no one brings anything, there will be nothing. **Code of Conduct**: Though mostly understood, it’s still worth mentioning. We don’t have rules per se, but we highly discourage the following topics of discussion because they are likely to incite anti-social responses - Sex, Politics, Religion. Please don’t mistake this as an attempt to limit your free speech rights but rather a guide to a place and time for appropriate discussions. **After the lights go out**: After the last sip of wine, when we clean up and turn the lights out, if you still haven’t had enough of us, it is typical for a group to get together and go to a local eatery for food and/or drinks or coffee. Again, We look forward to meeting new members and reuniting with old friends. Sincerely, ***Paul Uttermohlen***, **Red 1 Realty** *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host*

Take a break from the craziness of the holiday season and relax at The Lion with us. This is an new (to me) place in Bexley that serves cocktails, beer and wine, coffee, tea, pastries, snacks, caviar--a little bit of everything. The cocktail they made for The Drexel to sell for screenings of "Wicked For Good" was one of the best cocktails I've ever had. Their tea list is also impressive. Take special note of the Emperor's Private Reserve Pu-erh! https://www.thelionbexley.com/menu I don't know how large the place is, so it's possible we might find places to sit, or we might need to stand. This is an informal event to explore this interesting location.