Buckeye candies were invented in 1951 when Woody Hayes accidentally sat on a Reese’s Cup. Not one to waste a snack, Hayes peeled back the wrapper and fashioned the mass into a ball mimicking our state tree’s famous nut, then popped that blob into his maw and declared the result “Buckeye-tastic!” This quickly became the great coach’s favorite after-practice pick-me-up.
I might’ve made that up, but enjoying the happy collision of chocolate with peanut butter is the most delicious way I know of to say, “Go Bucks!” Here are a few tasty ways to get your Ohio State patriotism beyond just swallowing candy.
Buckeye Cheesecake
Milo’s Deli and Café
980 W. Broad St., Franklinton
614-224-0104
Capitol Café by Milo’s
1 Capitol Square, Downtown
614-728-9231
O-H — MI-LO! You’ll rabidly scream that cheer when you tackle this fullback-sized wedge of outrageousness. Atop a thick graham cracker crust are layers of great dark chocolate ganache, an inspired peanut butter cheesecake filling and milk chocolate ganache. Chocolate sprinkles decorate the edge of the marvelous monster.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Bon Vie Bistro
4089 The Strand East, Easton
614-416-0463
Much more parfait than pie (Comment le francais!), this little ditty served in a cute sorta cordial glass begins with crushed toasted peanuts, goes through a standard chocolate sauce, then peaks out in a fluffy, airy and captivating peanut butter mousse.
The Buckeye State ice cream
Jeni’s Splendid Ice creams, multiple locations
A rush of rich peanut butter ice cream — seductively smooth in texture and intense in flavor — detours into palate-refreshing crinkles of semi-bitter, irregular dark chocolate chips in this super-premium confection.
Buckeye Brownie
Elevator Brewing Company
161 N. High St., Downtown
614-228-0500
This top-notch texture-fest begins with a dense, peanut-studded warm brownie managing a happy balance between cakey and fudgy. Crowning it is a bit of genius from Johnson’s Real Ice Cream — a Trojan horse of a frozen buckeye whose crackly chocolate shell releases a “sauce” of peanut butter ice cream.
American Beauty Brownie
Sugardaddy’s, multiple locations
A hockey-puck-shaped, nut-encrusted, insanely superior brownie explodes in bursts of authentically deep dark chocolate. A hidden swirl of peanut butter merges with the nuts to produce the beautiful finish of this standout confection.
Buckeye Martini
Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill, 900 Goodale Blvd., Grandview Heights
614-299-6639
This chocolate-milky cocktail (shaken with vodka, Godiva white-chocolate liqueur, cream and peanut butter and chocolate syrups) reminds me of a Buckeye post-game celebration: it starts off light, frothy and sweet (but not cloyingly so) and winds up being nutty — and having more alcohol than you probably planned.
