10 Ohio Fall Foods and Brews

Resch’s Bakery’s Pumpkin Doughnuts | Columbus
When the chill of fall starts to nip the air in Columbus, the bakers at Resch’s Bakery begin preparations for creating their signature autumn treat. There is a simple yet mighty process to creating the pumpkin spice-flavored doughnut. Pie spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are added to a classic cake doughnut batter. Each batch produces approximately 300 doughnuts, which are fried then glazed. The doughnut was originally only available for a few weeks around Halloween, but after nearly 20 years of enjoyment from fans, it is now available for almost three months starting in mid-September. 4061 E. Livingston Ave., Columbus 43227, 614/237-7421, reschbakery.com

Fall Brews 
Try these beers featuring pumpkin, spices and even the pawpaw.

Hoppin’ Frog Brewery • Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale
The earthy sweetness of fresh pumpkin and the rich caramel taste of roasted pumpkin are what give this beer its name and reputation. A rich aroma created by a combination of eight different spices alongside honeyed malt flavors make for a drink with all the cozy familiarity of homemade pumpkin pie. hoppinfrog.com

MadTree Brewing • Pumpcan Spiced Ale
This aptly named pumpkin ale in a can is perfect for the crisp autumn months. Made with a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, molasses and ginger and brewed with Centennial and Fuggle hops, this spiced ale has a malt-forward taste with a warm and robust finish. madtree.com

Jackie O’s Brewery • Paw Paw Wheat
The fruit of choice for this fall beer certainly isn’t traditional, but the pawpaw, a native Ohio fruit, tinges this wheat ale with notes of banana and mango to create a delicious, deceptively tropical brew. It is available on tap starting in September at Jackie O’s locations in Athens and Columbus. jackieos.com

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The Haunted House Restaurant | Cleveland Heights
Step through the doors of this themed restaurant in Cleveland Heights, and be prepared to encounter characters of horror movie infamy immortalized on the mural-covered walls and wreaking mayhem on one of the many television screens. While you peruse menu items with names like The Poultrygeist and Children of the Street Corn, keep an eye out for Michael Myers stalking the dining room with his rubber knife. 13463 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights 44118, 216/862-5584, thehauntedhouserestaurant.com

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Oktoberfest in Ohio 
Beer and authentic cuisine are the stars at these celebrations across our state. 

Minster Oktoberfest | Sept. 29–Oct. 1
This small town does Oktoberfest in a big way with authentic food, music and lots of beer that draws in an estimated 80,000 people. Take part in games like the beer-tray relay, jug hoist or homebrew competition. Top off the weekend’s festivities with the Oktoberfest parade and classic car show. minsteroktoberfest.com

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati | Sept. 14–17
Each year, upwards of 700,000 people visit Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest celebration, making it the largest gathering of its kind in the United States. Enjoy hundreds of beer options, participate in the world’s largest chicken dance and don your dirndls or lederhosen for a chance to win the best-dressed contest. oktoberfestzinzinnati.com

Cleveland Oktoberfest | Sept. 1–4, 8–9
Celebrate German culture and heritage with local and international beer, live music, wiener dog races and authentic cuisine at this festival spanning two weekends in early September. Gather at the Bavarian chalet to mark each hour with dancers and tunes from the country’s largest glockenspiel. clevelandoktoberfest.com

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Maggie’s Doughnuts’ Apple Fritters | Geauga County
The apple fritters from Maggie’s Doughnuts, which have seasonally graced the shelves of Patterson’s Fruit Farm for several years, are a fall favorite. Bakers at this Geauga County shop that opened in 1959 work hard to ensure that 300 to 350 dozen fritters are available to sell each weekend, and making these crinkly, sweet fried pastries is no easy feat. The three-hour process begins with manually chopping apples to create a cinnamon-spiced filling. The dough is rolled and folded with the filling and then each fritter is individually cut and fried. Finished with a glaze, these pillowy, pull-apart delights are best eaten warm. maggiesdonutshop.com, pattersonfarm.com

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Eat up!
Visit one of these food festivals this fall. 

• Apple Butter Fest: Oct. 8, Grand Rapids, applebutterfest.org
• Apple Butter Stirrin’ Festival: Oct. 20–22, Coshoctonroscoevillage.com
• Cleveland Pickle Festival: Sept. 23, Cleveland, clevelandpicklefest.com
• Columbus Coffee Festival: Sept. 23–24, Columbus, columbuscoffeefest.com
• Columbus Mac and Cheese Festival: Oct. 6, Columbus, cancer.osu.edu
• Germantown Pretzel Festival: Sept. 23–24, Germantown, germantownpretzelfestival.com 
• Jackson Apple Festival: Sept. 19–23, Jackson, jacksonapplefestival.org
• Ohio Mushroom Festival: Sept. 21–24, Garrettsville, ohiomushroomfestival.com 
• Ohio Sauerkraut Festival: Oct. 14–15, Waynesville, sauerkrautfestival.waynesvilleohio.com 
• Spring Valley Potato Festival: Oct. 7–9, Spring Valley, springvalleyoh.com/events

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