Last month, I had the pleasure of visiting Worthington: a quaint suburb just north of Columbus, Ohio. Worthington is perfectly located, just 10 minutes from downtown Columbus and less than a two hour drive from anywhere in the Buckeye State. From Akron, it took my husband and I about 90 minutes to make it to Worthington and it exceeded all my expectations. I’ve laid out a perfect weekend in this charming town, but I will preface everything by saying you really cannot go wrong in Worthington. There is so much to do from adorable shops to great restaurants, but what really stands out is the strong sense of community. Everyone in Worthington has immense pride for their town and wants to see it thrive, and it made the weekend exploring even more special. The best part of this itinerary? Everything is in walking distance of each other!!
FUN FACT: Worthington is named after Thomas Worthington, one of Ohio’s first Senators (and future Governor) for his assistance in locating the tract of land that would soon become Worthington!
Friday Night: Dinner at The Worthington Tavern
The Worthington Tavern is a local favorite and 2023 Diner’s Choice Winner through OpenTable. Start off with the Whipped Eggplant appetizer (trust me, it’s buttery goodness….I usually don’t like eggplant yet this was DIVINE) and a Blacksmith Old Fashioned to drink. For the main, I would recommend their sandwiches. Between the Crispy Chicken and Smashburger, you cannot go wrong. While the weather is still nice, I highly recommend their patio!
Saturday Morning: Breakfast at La Chatelaine & Farmer’s Market
Am I dining in France? Nope, Worthington, but it certainly feels like it! La Chatelaine welcomes you to their adorable cafe with an outdoor fountain surrounded by patio seating and flowers before walking into the immediate sight of parties and breads. La Chatelaine had a lovely Croque Madame (think ham & cheese sandwich with an Alfredo and baked with even more cheese) and gazpacho soup. They also had a delicious almond croissant and benedict.
After enjoying breakfast and a cup of coffee at La Chatelaine, walk out to the Worthington Farmer’s Market; a year-round tradition happening every Saturday Morning with more than 100 vendors! This is really where the pride and strong sense of community shows in Worthington. The sidewalks become flooded with families, furry friends, and visitors as they peruse the different food, beverage, and produce for sale. To walk the entire market, it takes about 90 minutes. After walking the market, wander into the lovely shops that line High street! My personal favorite was Vernacular which offers the latest boutique-fashion, adorable accessories, and some local flare.
Saturday Afternoon: Old Worthington Food Tour & Penn & Beech
One of the coolest experiences Worthington offers is a food tour (because there really are SO MANY places to visit!). Running May through October, this 3-hour walking tour stops at four to five restaurants for a tasting of the towns best food. Columbus Food Adventures (LINK HERE) hosts the tour and they do a great job making sure you fill up, but don’t get overly-stuffed on the tour.
After the tour wraps up, you likely may be entering a bit of a food coma, or at least my husband and I were! What better activity to do after the tour than a relaxing facial, and Oasis Facial Bar is just a couple doors over from where the tour ends! This was my first facial, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Oasis had a relaxing atmosphere and their staff was so helpful in talking me through how I can enhance my skincare routine.
With the winter quickly approaching, that means it is CANDLE SEASON! Penn & Beech Candle Company is right across from Oasis, and you can build your own candle! This was such a cool experience of picking out what scents I loved and working with a candlemaker to pick an aromatic combination. I then could select my vessel (I went with a 3-wick concrete!), stir my wax, and pour my candle! They are soy-based and about the same price of a Yankee or BBW, so it is well worth the experience.
Saturday Evening: Dinner at The Whitney House
After making a candle at Penn & Beech, walk just three short minutes to The Whitney House for a lovely dinner overlooking High Street. The setting is comfortable, warm, and welcome as you enter and the service is very attentive. We started with the Smoked Salmon Dip, although next time I go I will definitely be indulging in the skillet cornbread (don’t get me wrong, the dip was DIVINE, I just wish there was more!). For Dinner, my husband had the wild Salmon Nicoise Salad and I had the Beef Short Rib (pictured below). This Short Rib was fall-off-the-bone decadent and the perfect comfort dinner.
After wrapping up dinner, pick up your finished candle from Penn & Beech and reflect on the amazing day of eating some of Worthington’s best fare.
Sunday Morning: Breakfast at Joya’s and AR Workshop Worthington
Joya’s is truly a gem of Worthington with both Thai and Hispanic influences. To drink, indulge in a Thai Tea (spiced black tea, half and half) or a Cafe de Olla (piloncillo, cinnamon, espresso). For the main, I would go for the Breakfast Sandwich or the Joya’s fried rice. I recommend getting there early because seats fill fast in this small restaurant! If you cannot make it in for a meal, I would at least stop by to get to-go drinks as you explore the shops along Worthington’s High Street.
After eating a FANTASTIC meal at Joya’s, walk just a short two minutes to AR Workshop Worthington to make a fun piece of home decor! Trust me, you do NOT need to be an artist or craftsman to create a piece of art here. The entire time, you are guided by friendly staff on how to make a pre-selected piece of art (make a reservation in advance!). My house is very much an homage to my favorite things in life, and a major one is Ohio. My living room and loft pay tribute to the state through custom maps of where I have lived in the state coupled with photographs of landmarks around the buckeye state. My office pays tribute to both Northeast Ohio and our love of sports, so naturally, we had to make a Cleveland Skyline in Browns colors at AR Workshop as one of our projects. For our second project, I was for some reason really nostalgic for Northeast Ohio winters while it was bright and sunny that day (weird, right?), so I made a “Let it Snow!” Snowman painting that can be hung outside when the weather turns cold. The entire process took about 2.5 hours for Justin and I to create two pieces, and it was so much fun! We LOVED how they turned out and the Cleveland Skyline is already hanging proudly in my office.
BONUS: Sunday Funday in Old Worthington!
Once a month, from June to November, the Worthington Partnership hosts Sunday Fundays in Old Worthington! There is a different theme every month, and when we visited it was a tribute to fair food! Live music, entertainers, food vendors, and local pop-ups lined High Street as hundreds of people enjoyed the event. Sunday Fundays are truly the best of Worthington because nearly every small business is involved. The sense of community and togetherness shine and it made me so happy to see people that love their town so much.
FUN FACT: While the town is named after Thomas Worthington, it was actually founded by the Scioto Company, led by James Kilbourne in 1803
I had decently high expectations when going into my weekend at Worthington, but I was honestly blown away by what the town had to offer. The vibrant, walkable downtown and thriving small businesses were so refreshing to see, and the community really loves supporting Worthington’s culture. Whether a couple’s getaway, girls trip, or family weekend, I HIGHLY recommend putting Worthington at the top of your list of places to visit. The central-Ohio location makes it perfect too, being less than two hours from anywhere in the state! The bar has now been set for small town weekend getaways thanks to Worthington!!
Comments