When You Go to the BMV, Go Hungry
Bethia shares how you, too, can optimize a trip to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, plus a quick reintroduction from the Foodletter team.
First … A Foodletter Reintroduction
As we close in on six months since we launched The Columbus Foodletter, we have a lot of new subscribers! So, we’d like to reintroduce ourselves.
We are Bethia Woolf and Andy Dehus, the founders of Columbus Food Adventures, and Erin Edwards, the former dining editor at Columbus Monthly.
Bethia and Andy started out covering the local dining scene years ago through their blogs tacotruckscolumbus.com, alt.eats.columbus.com and hungrywoolf.com. They also contributed to Columbus Monthly’s dining coverage, which is how they met Erin.
Erin was the city magazine’s dining editor for eight years, managing cover packages such as Columbus Monthly’s 10 Best Restaurants, Best New Restaurants, Tastemakers and others. Erin now works for Columbus Food Adventures on the private events side.
We love bringing you new stories each week. So, a quick reminder that The Columbus Foodletter can only continue with paid support from our readers. If you’re a free subscriber and like what you see, we hope you’ll consider upgrading to a monthly or annual subscription.
It takes money and legwork to explore the vast offering of cuisines in Columbus; to build relationships with business owners and tastemakers; and to write about new discoveries as well as old gems. We think that’s worth the price of a glass of wine or, say, one Club 185 cheeseburger a month. (Great burger, by the way.)
Thanks for reading!
Andy, Bethia and Erin
Lunch Hacks
When You Go to the BMV, Go Hungry
By Bethia Woolf
As an inveterate optimizer, I love combining multiple errands into one trip. I also like to reward myself with a treat or a delicious meal when I have to tackle an errand that isn’t particularly pleasant.
We’ve written before about combining early voting with a meal on Morse Road, but I also enjoy stopping by one of my favorite taco trucks (Tacoriendo Movil on Allegheny Avenue) if I have to drop someone off at the airport. When I used to get allergy shots, I always scheduled my appointments so I could meet a friend for lunch afterward.
One of my least favorite errands is a trip to the BMV, though I’ll admit it’s a bit more tolerable now with online check-in. Despite that, I always like to pair my BMV visits with something delicious—and luckily, you can too! Many BMV offices are conveniently located near great restaurants or food trucks, making the wait a little more bearable.
Need to get your driver’s license renewed? Reward yourself with a visit to one of these spots below.
Morse Road
The most convenient option to the BMV on Morse Road is Ranchero Kitchen, known for its delicious Salvadoran pupusas and hearty soups. If you're willing to venture a bit further along Morse, you could fit in some shopping or Korean food at Saraga International Grocery or visit one of our early voting meal suggestions.
Hilliard – Cemetery Road
Located right next to this BMV in Hilliard Square Shopping Center, Finjani Café is a Yemeni café that offers spiced tea and coffee drinks, pastries and crepes. A little farther down Cemetery Road, you can try Algerian pizza at Daylight Donuts or grab a comforting bowl of pho at Pho Thanh.
Kenny Road
This is my favorite BMV for several reasons, but it’s also the best from a culinary perspective. In the same plaza, you’ll find Japan Marketplace, Xi Xia Chinese Cuisine, Penzeys Spices, Mochi Ring, Pho Chef, ChiliSpot, the Pepperidge Farm outlet, Kung Fu Tea, Sushi Ten and VGet Café. Plus, you can pop across the street to Pacific Eatery for its dry-fried eggplant or head to Dosa Corner on Old Henderson Road for South Indian fare.
Hilliard – Westpointe Plaza
This BMV is just around the corner from Crème de la Crème, where you can enjoy French pastries or Ukrainian specialties like pelmeni, borscht and honey cake.
West Broad
Next door to the BMV on West Broad you’ll find Moka Café & Deli, a modest cafeteria-style restaurant that serves Puerto Rican and Dominican food, and around the corner is Dulce Vida’s original location for some paletas, ice cream or Mexican snacks. The West Broad BMV is also in a prime location for West Side taco trucking and international grocery shopping. It’s just a stone’s throw from Sunrise International Market and La Plaza Tapatia as well as the taco truck cluster at Broad and Phillipi.
Westerville
The Schrock Road BMV will soon be served by Marib Café, a new upscale Yemeni coffee shop owned by Najmeddine Gabbar, the owner of Yemeni Restaurant. The same plaza also houses the highly rated Can't Believe It's Vegan and the Draft Room. Across Cleveland Avenue, you’ll find Kuya Ian's Bistro and Al Aqsa Sweets, one of our go-to spots for Dubai-viral chocolate bars and knafeh.
East & South Side BMVs
The BMVs on the East and South sides have fewer nearby dining options, but there are still some worthwhile detours:
South High BMV → Machete Taqueria
Alum Creek BMV → El Tulipan Grocery for Mexican takeout
East Broad BMV → Tacoriendo Movil—my airport stop!
What a great newsletter topic! Luckily I live just down the road from the Kenny Road BMV.