Help me eat like a local. Where should I go for the best food in Columbus?

Before I moved to Columbus for my internship at the Ledger-Enquirer, I never had heard of fried okra.

The first time someone coaxed it onto my plate, I thought, “My God, why are we frying everything?”

I’m from Denver, Colorado, land of quinoa burgers and kombucha and avocado toast. The only form of grits we eat is known as polenta, and we don’t eat it for breakfast. The term “meatless Monday” is a legitimate and practiced concept in my house. Restaurants are squashed into the same buildings as Pilates studios and Orangetheorys.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a proud quinoa lover. But the time I’ve spent in Columbus so far has opened my eyes — and my stomach — to a completely different food scene.

My experience with the South is limited to the University of Florida, where I go to school (sorry, Dawgs!) and a day trip I took to Savannah, Georgia, where the only meal I ordered was, yes, a quinoa salad.

But let’s be honest. Culturally, Florida isn’t really “The South,” at least not the kind with casseroles and cornbread. And Savannah is an art town. But Columbus? Columbus is a food town. It has the real deal: fried chicken and collard greens and macaroni salad and barbecue and a surprising amount of hot dogs. But it also dips into global cuisine — Greek, Thai, Italian, Mediterranean, Cuban, Japanese, Mexican, you name it.

I have only a month left of my internship, which means I have only a few more weeks to get properly acquainted with Columbus’ foodie culture. But I need your help.

I’m taking your best food recommendations. What are the places I absolutely must try? Where are the restaurant gems unique to the Chattahoochee Valley? Funkiest hole-in-the-walls? Coolest cafes? If you have a food spot you love, let me know with this form, or fill it out below!

Hit me with your favorites. If I want to eat like a local, where should I go next?