D.L. Stewart web exclusive: Dayton absent from best lists

Contact this writer at dlstew_2000@yahoo.com.

At a dinner party the other night, the conversation turned to pizza. As a Cleveland native, I insisted that the only decent pizza in the state could be found in that city’s Little Italy section. Dayton natives countered that Marion’s and Cassano’s were better, with one vote going to LaRosa’s of Cincinnati.

So the next morning I did some online research and apparently we all were wrong. Because according to "The Best Pizzerias in Every State in America" Ohio's best is in Columbus.

Declared THRILLIST.com: "The most popular pizza style in Ohio is without a doubt the Chicago cracker-thin crust, and, though many try, no one can quite touch Rubino's on East Main Street in Columbus. The crispy, crunchy pizza is best with sausage or pepperoni, and it has been since 1954. Go there. Eat a lot."

That, of course, its just one website’s opinion. But it was enough to whet my appetite about what other things were considered “the best” in Ohio. And, as it turned out, Dayton got slammed.

Best restaurant in Ohio?

I thought maybe it might be Rue Dumaine, with it's award-winning chef Anne Kearney. Or maybe the Pine Club, included by The New York Times on its "10 of the world's greatest old dining institutions" list. But according to MSN.com's "Best Restaurant in Every State" Ohio's best restaurant is Boca in Cincinnati.

OK, but at least the Pine Club, also selected as one of the country's "five best steakhouses" by the Food Network, should be Ohio's best in that category, right? Wrong. According to Business Insider Jeff Ruby's in Cincinnati has a stake to that claim.

And so it went.

Most popular bar in Ohio? Not Tank's. Not Elsa's. Not the Century Bar, recognized as one of the top bourbon bars in America. The glass is lifted to the Winking Lizard Tavern in the Cleveland suburb of independence.

Best Sports Bar in Ohio? In what can only be termed a fumble, CNN Travel picked Harpo's Sports Cafe in the Cleveland suburb of Brook Park, which since has closed its doors. So the game ball goes to its second choice, the Varsity Club in Columbus, which also boasts America's largest tailgate parties.

Best Chinese Restaurant in Ohio? Sichuan Bistro in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason.

Best donut? Schneider's Bakery in Westerville, a suburb of Columbus.

Best hotel? 21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati.

Best burger? Terry's Turf Club, Cincinnati.

Best beer? Thirsty Dog Brewing Company's Siberian Night Imperial Stout, Akron.

It all was very depressing. So I decided to start my own category:

“Best pair of deceased brothers in every state who invented an airplane.”

In your face Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Akron.

In Other News

Program gives kids a place to feel ‘loved, accepted’

Winner of best Dayton-area brunch selected at ‘Let’s Get Brunched’...

Dancing with the Dayton Stars fundraiser returns for encore performance