First, let's be clear: Debby Ryan is alive and well.
But if...
The actor and singer, former Disney Channel star and current Columbus resident shares a long list of favorite eats in a new episode of the YouTube and Netflix series "Last Meals," and she wouldn't have to leave town for a few of them.
In a conversation with host Josh Scherer, Ryan shouted out dishes from three Columbus-area restaurants, a latte from a Westerville cafe, a popular local condiment and a classic Ohio dessert as items she'd have on the table for her hypothetical last meal. They were among 22 foods prepared or obtained by the show's chefs for Ryan and Scherer to taste.
"I think it's really important to let you guys know… I just sent a list of a whole bunch of options," Ryan
offered as a disclaimer. She apologized but also confessed, "This is my dream!"
The meal reflected the life Ryan has lived in Alabama (where she was born), Germany (where her father worked as a U.S. military consultant), Texas (where her family relocated) and Ohio (where she now lives with husband Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots and their 9-month-old daughter). The dishes and drinks included buffalo chicken dip, a tomato sandwich with Duke's mayo, her grandmother's lasagna, German currywurst, Sonic's Ocean Water drink, a lobster roll and pavlova.
And here's the Columbus course:
- Comune's Crispy Rice: The South Side restaurant dish includes kimchi, a tahini sauce, green onion, a soft-cooked egg and avocado on a dish of crisped rice.
- Speck's Bone Marrow: "This restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus. I really love good Italian food," Ryan said. The dish from Downtown's Speck is served with a spinach pasta.
- Gene's Crudo: The ceviche-like Italian dish from Gene's in Dublin is made with raw fish, pickled Fresno chili peppers, citrus juice and chive oil.
- The Canadian Latte from Begin Cafe: The hot espresso latte from the Westerville coffee shop is made with maple syrup, brown sugar and butter extract.
- Black Cap Hot Sauce: Ryan popped open a bottle of the Columbus-made fermented hot sauce and poured it on her dish from Comune.
"We actually called every chef and they gave us a lot of tremendous detail about their food," Scherer said of the Columbus dishes recreated for Ryan's appearance on his show. Ryan's appearance on "Last Meals" was to promote her latest film, "The Sun Never Sets," which was released in August.
The two shared buckeyes during their last-meal dessert course. Ryan praised Columbus and also talked about one of the quirks of life in central Ohio.
"What I discovered upon moving there is that they're doing really cool stuff with food," she said. "It's a creative city. It's cool. It's sort of like progressive and on top of things."
Although...
"When I went to Ohio and people started shouting, 'O-H!,' it really feels like something they should let you know before," Ryan said. "They just start screaming it."
Follow Dispatch dining reporter Bob Vitale on Instagram at @dispatchdining. You can reach him directly at rvitale@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Debby Ryan reveals her dream last meal, includes Columbus tastes
