Every year, special fall-inspired flavors are increasingly entering stores and coffee shops earlier. This fall flavor fest is often dominated by national chains such as Starbucks or Dunkin’, but Main Street offers many local and equally satisfying options.
The closest option for students is Market District, operated by the Ohio and Pennsylvania based grocery store Giant Eagle. Here, customers can find fall staples like locally made apple cider from Patterson’s Fruit Farm, located in Chesterland, Ohio. The cider can be enjoyed cold or warmed to fight off the falling fall temperatures.
Market District also sells the classic seasonal pumpkin cookies with orange frosting, along with a wide variety of other fall-inspired items, such as pumpkin spice and pumpkin caramel coffee mix.
Around the corner from Market District, Cherbourg Bakery presents a fully gluten and nut-free menu featuring seasonal options. The allergen-free assurance is a draw for Cherbourg year-round.
“It’s nice to know that I can always get something good without having to ask about nuts,” said Columbus resident Mark Chapman. “We really like the apple pie [bar].”
Cherbourg’s seasonal offerings this fall include an apple pie bar, apple cider and pumpkin-flavored donuts and a carrot cake bar. .
The carrot cake bar was soft and sweet with a savory cream cheese based frosting, while the apple pie bar had a crunchy bottom, a crumbly top and a soft apple middle with hints of cinnamon.
The donuts (available in small and medium sizes) were both slightly crisp on the outside with an airy and light center. The pumpkin-flavored donut has a sweet pumpkin spice frosting on top, while the apple cider donut had a tart cider-flavored frosting.
The fall treats at Cherbourg are available through Thanksgiving.
A poll conducted on the Chimes’s Instagram this past week found that Kittie’s Cakes, another local coffee shop on Main Street, is by far the most popular location for fall treats.
This fall, Kittie’s is offering multiple fall-inspired drinks, including a snickerdoodle latte and a honey caramel apple cider; both drinks are available hot or iced.
“The community loves the [fall] options. They ask for them all year long,” said Kittie’s employee Chelsea.
As for pastries, the selection is even wider. The Kittie’s fall staples include their caramel apple scone, pumpkin praline scone and sweet potato galette, as well as two fall cupcake flavors: pumpkin and snickers.
The specialty scones are crumbly and topped with either their caramel or pumpkin praline-flavored frosting. The two-bite cupcakes both have a flavored filling: pumpkin and chocolate, respectively.
The staff-favorite sweet potato galette had a sweet frosted garnish, soft sweet potato filling and a crumbly, sugar coated outside.
Kittie’s fall treats can also be enjoyed through Thanksgiving, after which they will switch over to their December seasonal options.
