Galena’s restaurant row consists of four buildings on Columbus Street.
Gary Budzak | The Gazette
Miller Park in Galena has a railroad theme.
Gary Budzak | The Gazette
GALENA — Driving through this scenic village, the first thing one notices is that Galena has its own four-building “restaurant row.”
From the north facing south on the left side of Columbus Street is the Coffee Vault. Open for breakfast and lunch, there’s bagels, bakery items and sandwiches for sale alongside hot and cold coffee drinks.
The next-door Galena Diner is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is now serving beer and wine.
The newest eatery is Toni’s Trattoria, which opened this spring.
“Son Of Thurman Galena would like to welcome our new neighbor, Toni’s Trattoria!” read a Facebook post. “While we had to Google ‘Trattoria,’ we could’ve guessed it meant ‘Awesome Italian Food.’ We’ve been in, and The Son Of Thurman himself is a huge fan.”
Of course, on the right end is The Son Of Thurman, Galena’s version of the popular Delaware dining destination. Now marking two years in Galena, the venue is touting expanded hours.
And around the corner, there’s Talulas for shabby chic shopping.
Unfortunately, the 1,500-foot boardwalk at Hoover Reservoir next to the restaurants remains closed because it’s unsafe. The City of Columbus posts that it will seek input from residents on redesigning it to be more accessible, and possibly reopen it in 2024.
In other news, the village hired a new administrator, Jean Sylvester, earlier this year. She has lived in Westerville since 1977 and is a graduate of Westerville North High School and Otterbein University.
“I am beyond excited,” said Mayor Jill Love on Facebook. “She is looking forward to learning more about Galena village life, and the challenges of government administration.”
Also, the village has been awarded a Capital Improvement Grant for a new playground at Miller Park.
Miller Park currently has a railroad theme, as befits its past.
“Galena is a popular way point for trekkers following the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET),” said the village’s website. “The one-and-a-half miles of OTET that goes through Galena is on a former railroad line and passes by Miller Park and on a bridge over Little Walnut Creek.”
The $350,000 grant was administered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for “Community Parks, Recreation, & Conservation Projects.” The grant will provide the playground with Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant equipment. Mayor Love said last month on Facebook that the fully inclusive playground could be built “within the next 6-8 months if not sooner.”
Galena’s Playground Committee consists of Gillian Doucette-Banten, Sarah Dickman, Jon Goodman, Jessica Marquez and Ashley Ryder. They next meet on June 28.
Miller Park is at 254-288 N. Walnut St., Galena. For more information, visit www.galenaohio.gov.
Assistant Editor Gary Budzak covers the eastern half of Delaware County and surrounding areas. He may be reached at [email protected].
