Page 14 - The Magazine of AAA Ohio – January 2020

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There’s no better way to celebrate ORA’s 100 years than by celebrating the association’s oldest restaurant members around the state that are still thriving and proving always to be young at heart.
THE BUXTON INN, GRANVILLE
Built in 1812, this gem operated as the village’s first post office and had a cellar where stagecoach drivers cooked meals in an open fireplace and slept on straw beds. If you’re in the mood for ghosts, it is believed that some rooms are still haunted by several spirits of its deceased owners, many of which are often seen – or heard. Relax with a signature cocktail in the 1812 Lounge, enjoy a romantic dinner in the Lincoln Room or kick back with a local microbrew in The Tavern.
SPREAD EAGLE TAVERN, HANOVERTON
The building is one of the finest examples of Federal- style architecture and it served as an essential link in the Underground Railroad. Since 1837, this historic location welcomes guests to any of its seven dining rooms, including the formal William McKinley room. Enjoy
cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the Patriot’s Dining Room or the Gaver’s Rathskeller, where 12-foot-high vaulted brick ceilings and hand-chiseled stone walls offer patrons a taste of 19th-century style, entertainment and good cheer.
ARNOLD’S BAR & GRILL, CINCINNATI
The building itself dates back to 1848, but Simon Arnold didn’t open a saloon there until 1861. Legend
has it he left the bathtub on the second floor to be used for bathtub gin during Prohibition. Three generations of the Arnold family lived upstairs and operated the tavern for 98 years. There have been only four other owners, including the current proprietor Ronda Androski, who runs Arnold’s as a family business. Arnold’s is a historical and legendary destination in the Queen City, known
for good food served in friendly surroundings. It stands today as Cincinnati’s oldest tavern.
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The Buxton Inn
Spread Eagle Tavern
BUN’S RESTAURANT, DELAWARE
Since 1864, Bun’s Restaurant has been serving, well, buns, with roots tracing back to Bavarian immigrant George Frederick Hoffman. In 1927 the bakery moved
to a dining room next door. The business was eventually bought by Vasili Konstantinidis, a Greek immigrant serving the community cutout cookies, fudge cake and their signature Bun Burger. An arson in March 2002 destroyed the bakery and restaurant, nearly destroying the future
of the landmark restaurant. But backed by the Delaware community, the restaurant reopened two years later next door. There was no room to keep the bakery.
SCHMIDT’S SAUSAGE HAUS, COLUMBUS
Born near Frankfurt, Germany, J. Fred Schmidt settled in south Columbus in the early 1880s to open a meatpacking house in the heart of German Village, with products now sold in grocery stores around the country. His son, George L. Schmidt, kick-started the family’s first venture into the restaurant business when he opened a food concession stand at the Ohio State Fair in 1914. J. Fred Schmidt’s grandson, George F. Schmidt, is the one responsible for opening the iconic German Village restaurant, complete with its renowned monster cream puffs. The Schmidt’s concession stand at the fair still stands as well, making it the state fair’s second-oldest concession.
BENDER’S TAVERN, CANTON
Established in 1902, the rooms at Bender’s showcase marble, tin ceilings and paneled oak walls that hold memories of the past with satisfying food, drink and hospitality for the nourishment of body and soul. Some of the first meetings for what later became the National Football League were held in a room in the upstairs part of the restaurant that served as a great drinking spot. Football player and Olympic gold medalist Jim Thorpe was known to frequent the bar. Enjoy their prime beef and fresh seafood from Boston, along with wine, craft beer and cocktails.