Worth the Visit: Hyper-Local in Athens, Ohio
Spend a weekend eating your way through the Appalachian town of Athens, where nearly everything is homegrown.
“In 2009, we realized there were almost 140 growers, butchers, and purveyors within a 30-mile radius,” says Paige Alost, executive director of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau. To formalize the county’s farm-friendly identity, the visitors bureau launched the 30-Mile Meal campaign, which gives back via an annual charity dinner, prepared by local chefs. This past August’s Bounty on the Bricks event included perch fritters, peppered Ohio Angus tenderloin, and strawberry-rhubarb croustade, and sold out in hours.
What to Do
Athens’s 43-year-old farmers market operates every Saturday, year-round, though it doesn’t open until 9 a.m. to give the 100-plus vendors time to pluck fruits and veggies that morning. You can also bid on apples or squash by the case at the Chesterhill Produce Auction, held Mondays and Thursdays through October. Know that the competition (grocers and restaurateurs) is friendly but fierce.
Where to Eat
In the morning, Village Bakery & Café serves locally sourced granola, quiche, and coffee. On Friday nights, however, the proprietors host a pizza party named Della Zona, or “from the region.” West End Ciderhouse makes its own ciders, wines, and meads; nibble on summer sausage and ramp crackers for sustenance. And don’t miss Sunday brunch at the employee-owned Casa Nueva, where area produce goes into dishes like roasted green-chile enchiladas. Every few weeks, the restaurant puts out a Bloody Mary bar with garnishes like pickled okra and smoked oysters.
Where to Stay
Slightly outside that 30-mile mark, the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls, which sits on the edge of Hocking Hills State Park, serves as an ideal home base for enjoying the region’s fantastic hiking, canoeing, and rock climbing. (Take an easy stroll into the forest and you’ll find the 50-foot waterfall that gave the inn its name.) Rent a room in the main building, or go for a more secluded stay in one of the property’s cabins, like Hickory Hollow, with full kitchens, perfect for cooking up that greenmarket haul. (Cabins from $269 per night.)
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