The Year Without a Zeppole


When I’m home, it is a March tradition to get my fill of to last me for the entire year. They are one of my favorite treats, every kind from the traditional to the ones made with Irish Cream leading up to St. Patrick’s Day.

When I found myself in graduate school in Cooperstown, N.Y. (home of the Baseball Hall of Fame), I expected to go zeppole-less. The village is rather tiny. So for two years I went without my March treat, settling instead for a few more Girl Scout cookies, but one really can’t compare the two.

Finding myself in Columbus this year, I felt that surely I would be able to find a zeppole. Columbus is the state capitol, home to Ohio State University, and contains its own Italian Village. There is a nearly-overwhelming variety of food available within a short distance. I can get fresh Polish pierogies down my street as easily as I can get Indian, Greek, or Ethiopian cuisine. McDonald’s is less frequent than Wendy’s (it originated in Columbus in 1969), and there are a healthy mix of coffee shops — however only five Dunkin' Donuts can be found in the entire Columbus area (but I can buy their ground coffee at the grocery store).

I thought I was all set for zeppoles this year. Then there was my first warning sign. When I brought up my zeppole hunt where I do my AmeriCorps service, multiple people in the office asked, "What’s a zeppole?" Uh oh. Ask most Rhode Islanders, and they will know what one is and can probably give a recommendation on where to go to get one.

Internet searching for “Zeppole Columbus, OH” (also using Zeppoles and Zeppola) did not yield much help either. Despite giving a location, my search results told me to go to Cleveland ... 2.5 hours away.

So the search for a substitute began. First, a cream horn from a Whole Foods bakery, tasty, but no comparison. After getting a few recommendations I went to Schmidt’s Sausage Haus in German Village and found what is the closest I will get this year to a zeppole. There in a bakery case sat rows of different flavored cream puffs, but not just ordinary cream puffs. These weigh a half pound and are practically the size of a softball. They are delicious, and the cream was spot on to some zeppoles I have eaten, and unlike zeppoles I will be able to get them until I leave. Still, I wish for the real thing. It doesn't help that my mom posted pictures of the zeppoles she bought at Scrumptions to her Facebook.

So, make that three years without zeppoles. Maybe I can put in a custom order when I come home in August?