Right Now Downtown

GET IT HERE – BUY LOCAL

What, no Nordstrom’s downtown?  Big deal, most of us can’t afford it anyway.

Sure, we have some vacancy issues downtown, but there are a lot of people working on that.  Given the fact the economy took a nose dive a while back, it’s impressive that people are opening up shop anywhere, so it’s great to see independent entrepreneurs making a go at it downtown.  Before anyone grouches about the stuff we don’t have, check out the diverse mix all within a short walk.

Start with bagels and pastries.  Check and check.  There’s plenty to go around from Broad Street Bagels to Dunkin Donuts to Einstein Brothers, and now local businessmen Joe Spinelli and Bill Ward are preparing to dish out some great deli fare at a second Spinelli’s location soon to open on High Street.

Fill your weekly grocery bag at Pearl Market on Tuesday and Fridays and support the toasty business incubator as folks test the downtown market.  Food is always a favorite, and have you tried the crepes yet at Leslie’s Creperie?  Forget the moon, the savory French pancakes will send you to Toulouse.  The Market also hosts vendors who craft handmade soaps and moisturizers and unique casual clothing that will keep you sporting through the day.  Cleaned and coiffed, cash in on the organic cheese, meat and meatless products, bread and fresh produce that all make shopping fun and save you loads of time.

Need to compare prices in the Market, but your arms aren’t long enough to bring the price tags in focus?  Rinkov Eye Center has walls of trendy frames.  Once you can see beyond the nose on your face, walk on over to Chet’s Jewelers, Flowers on Orchard Lane or the Peanut Shoppe, which ante up ample gift choices, and the Peanut Shoppe even provides a nice afternoon tide-me-over snack to boot.  For the record collectors out there, buzz on over to Spoonful for a vintage good time as your peruse through the vinyl offerings or play a quick game of pinball.

You’ve got groceries, snacks and gifts covered, but did you know downtown is the place to be for hardware and office supplies?  Zettler Hardware has been family owned and operated since 1844, and around the corner the folks at Graham’s Office Supply will help you find everything you need to keep your business running smoothly.  Don’t forget to ask them about their price-matching policy.

Has your kid nearly depleted your checking account with all the texting fees he’s accumulated, but you don’t have the energy or time to deal with the automated customer service line?  Talk to a real person at the downtown Sprint and Verizon stores.

Put your cell phone down when you go to talk to the guys at B1 Bicycles on Long Street and they will hook you up with a rockin’ new set of wheels that will make all your friends drool in envy as you whiz by.  And, just think of the money you’ll save if you opt for this green mode of transportation – surely enough to buy a round at the Elevator.

Shop here, buy here.  Keep it local.  Let us know your favorite stores to frequent and what you would like to see in the future.

TAKE A TOUR AND ENJOY A COCKTAIL

It’s hot and humid, and while Columbus may not offer up salty ocean breezes to lower the mercury on the thermometer, downtown antes up plenty of ways to cool off with frosty mugs and chilled cocktails all over town, all times of day.  Besides, it’s gotta be 5 p.m. somewhere in the world, right?  So, take a tour via one of these local hang outs.  But it’s not all-inclusive so let us know your favorite get-away.

Bartenders at Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails get the party started within minutes of arrival, and if you have any doubts, try one of their signature drinks like Commit to be Lit.  After a little bit of this concoction made with orange, vanilla and raspberry vodkas mixed with cranberry juice and a splash of 7-Up, you may never need to sit seaside again.

Sans the Manolo Blahnik’s and the four sassy chicks of Sex in the City, the Caucus Cosmo at the Double Tree Caucus Room provides a perfect way to relax after a long day at the office.

Travel on down to Barrio and pitchers of house-made white and red sangria, half off during happy hour from 4 – 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Grab a few tapas to share and you have created a vacation celebration without leaving the city.

Take the Elevator to kick the party into full swing with their $2.50 handcrafted pints from 3 – 7 p.m. every Monday through Friday, but don’t watch your clock in this historical building – their menu of beer and cocktails will make you forget the time, which is the point of resting seaside.

If you are still in need of a history lesson while you toss back a cold one, visit the Jury Room.  This neighborhood tavern has been serving up food and spirits since 1831.  You don’t even need to crack open a book to take advantage of the free appetizer buffet on Wednesdays and Fridays during happy hour, but you might want to grab a napkin.

Get Uncorked with half-price bottles and champagne at Due Amici on Monday nights and be-bop to live jazz beginning at 6 p.m.

Michael O’Toole’s continues the family tradition of the first O’Toole immigrant who settled in Southeastern Ohio serving up frothy cold ones to the miners who labored long days in the foothills of the Appalachians.  But you just need to head down to Nationwide Boulevard to take advantage of this Irish-style pub, or walk on ever to The Flatiron for a Chocolate Martini.  Heck, the night is young so check ‘em all out.

Wrap up your summer cocktail tour with the high-spirited Drunken Chunky Blonde from Sugardaddy’s, but don’t worry – you can even drive home after munching on this one.  The dense, chewy blonde is like a chocolate chip cookie on steroids with its premium chocolate chunks and toasted pecans.  A splash of bourbon essence mixed into the batter will have you jonesing for more.

Let us know your favorite place to kick back, take a break and cool off.  Cheers!

IT’S ALL GOOD, ALL FRESH

If you haven’t made dinner yet this summer using only fresh-from-the-farm treasures found in Pearl Market, you are missing out.  But the good news is you still have time.

Grab some tomatoes, melons, peaches, corn, zucchini and meander on down Pearl Alley where you will discover savory meat and bread before heading home tonight.  If that isn’t enough to fill you to the brim, stop by and pick up one of the yummo dessert options found in the Market.  It’s all here, all fresh and all GOOD.

Here is a great video of last week’s Tasty Tuesday.  When you’re done watching and your mouth is watering, click here for the recipes for the delicious goodies that were sampled.  Let us know what you think.

DOES A SUB BY ANY OTHER NAME TASTE AS SAVORY?

Gimme a hoagie and fries, po’boy and dirty rice, sub and kettle chips, burrito and salsa or a sandwich with a side salad.  Does it really matter what you call it?  Aren’t you just cravin’ to fill the hungry spot deep down in your gut so you can get on with your day?

Call them what you want, Downtown Columbus has some tasty sandwich options for the lunchtime crowd.  Perhaps you are searching for a gut buster in an effort to erase the mood from that three-hour meeting that you managed to escape without cramming your pen through your co-worker’s ear.  OK, that may be drastic, and you probably work in a fabulous office and simply need to refuel to keep going the rest of the day.  Regardless, a myriad of two-fisted sandwiches wait right around the corner for you, and here are just a few that bring a smile around the noon-time crowd.

Hop on down to W.G. Grinders in the basement of 250 E. Broad Street and rustle up some buffalo chicken on a bun.  No need to mess with the bones here, ’cause you’re just gonna skip right to the good stuff, rounded out with spicy wing sauce, mozzarella, gorgonzola, red onion, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing.

Try Cafe’ Brioso’s fresh mozzarella sandwich with garden-ripe tomatoes, Brioso’s own lettuce mix, house basil aioli on their made-from-scratch foccacia.  It is kick-you-in-the-head good, but carnivores don’t despair because there are plenty of meaty options to choose from too.  Round it out with an iced coffee, and you will fly through the rest of your day. 

Just down the street J. Gumbo’s spices things up with some Cajun fare.  Their mouth-pleasing stick-to-your-ribs Voodoo Chicken Po’Boy will scare away the hunger and keep the 3 p.m. vending machine call at bay while you bang through the rest of your to-do list.

Plan on a feast if you want to head to Tip Top Kitchen and Cocktails for their specialty slow-roasted beef and Swiss cheese sandwich on a toasted pretzel roll, and make room for the sweet-potato fries.  They’re totally worth the extra half-hour on the elliptical machine once you get home.

Yum is what is on the menu at Plantain Cafe’, and did you know that they are now open seven days a week?  Try their classic Cuban sandwich – it’s loaded with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese and pickles – enough to share if you are so inclined.  And the plantain chips might just send you to the moon. 

Three locally-owned restaurants anchor down Pearl Alley and offer up great sandwich options.  Ringside Cafe’ puts forward heavyweight Oscar De La Hoya – a half-pound patty with roasted red peppers, provolone and roasted garlic aioli.  The sub takes on a Latin flare at El Arepazo with the fish burrito.  Baked tilapia, rice, black beans and more fill up this 12-inch wrap, and don’t forget the famous cilantro sauce.  Just walk into Cafe’ Napolitana and your nose will lead you to all kinds of delectable Italian possibilities.  Depending on the day and your mood, the chicken parmesan or meatball sub will hit the bull’s eye.

Got a hankerin’ for a New York-style deli?  Broad Street Bagels and Deli makes it easy for busy schedules and takes orders online.  Lots of options abound so you can get something made to order, pick it up and still make that 12:30 p.m. meeting.

Get the Skinny at Potbelly Sandwich Shop where you can find a lighter sampling of ham, turkey or portabella mushrooms or maybe you want to head right to the Wreck that will load you up with salami, roast beef, turkey and ham with Swiss cheese.

The more restaurants offering great sandwich options listed, the more that come to mind.  So don’t let this roll hold you back.  If we tried to list them all, you’d be here reading until the next edition of Right Now Downtown appeared in your inbox.  So, venture out, try a few and let us know your favorite.

IT’S A WICKED GOOD TIME

Summer often brings temperatures hot as Hades, but CAPA and Broadway Across America have a WICKED good way to cool off.

The last time WICKED came to C-bus in 2007, the smash-hit musical broke box office records and sold out in record time.  This year the show is here through August 29 and seats are still available, but flying fast.

“We are thrilled to have WICKED returning to Columbus,” stated CAPA CEO Bill Conner.  “The positive economic impact it has on Columbus and the extraordinary quality of the production make it a win-win for this community.”

If you wanna chance letting a little of your very own Wicked Witch cackle her way out, you can throw your name in the cauldron for the day-of-performance lottery.  Winners will land $25 orchestra seats, which will make your friends green with envy.  But if you don’t want to take the risk, ante up the cash and reserve your seats now while you still have time.

Dorothy and her little dog Toto may have stolen the show in OZ, but WICKED tells the story of two girls in the Land of Oz well before those ruby reds entered the picture.  Find out how these two unlikely friends grew up to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

And, if Glinda the Good is on your side, you might just win the set of free tickets that CAPA is giving away to a Right Now Downtown subscriber.  Aren’t a subscriber?  Sign up now to be entered to win.

WHO’S YOUR BUDDY…

… Who’s your pal?  Pearl Market has the perfect friendship all lined up and it won’t even be a drain on your social calendar.

Friends of Pearl Market was launched to support programming, like Kids’ Day (July 27), Ohio Proud Mobile Kitchen, Tasty Tuesdays and live weekly entertainment.  Unlike those snooty girls in seventh grade or the alpha dogs of high school, Pearl Market promises to be your friend forever.

For a $25 contribution, $20 of which is tax-deductible, a Friend of the Market gets a groovy canvas shopping bag with original artwork designed just for Pearl Market.  The tote holds an easy half-dozen ears of corn, fixin’s for a perfect salad or a couple cantaloupes.

Friends also get sneak peeks at the weekly Market videos and email updates, as well as cool Pearl Market postcards.  And Friends support Pearl Market’s efforts to provide superior local products to everyone which in turn helps heat up the incubator for small business entrepreneurs as they test the downtown market.

The first five people to identify six of the 12 downtown spots featuring the Friends of the Market bag in this video will receive 50% off a Friends’ Membership.  Email aeschroeder@sidservices.com  with your answers.

THERE’S A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

For years European cities have utilized urban alleys as an extension of city living, but Yankees stateside were slow to learn until recent urban revitalization efforts.  We’re on the ball now and boast our own jewel right in the center of downtown in Pearl and Lynn alleys.

It’s no secret that shoppers find lots of great deals and treasures in the alley during the twice weekly Pearl Market, but these alleys are home to some great eats all week long.

We’ve got a Mecca of restaurants that pull hungry stomachs in for ethnic treats and home-style favorites in Lynn and Pearl alleys.  There’s Ringside Café that makes a burger that will stave off the hungriest construction worker; Café Napolitana tempts the Italian in all of us with their freshly made pizza pie; Pickles Deli on the corner of Lynn and Third makes a mean hoagie; Jack’s has old-time diner written all over it – grab the grits and eggs if you have any doubts; J. Gumbo’s spices things up with their Cajun fare; and don’t forget the cilantro sauce at El Arepazo (Did you know you can buy the stuff by the bottle?).

Tempting as it all is, the alleys welcome a new kid on the block – Lynnally’s.  Man, are you in for a treat.  Their goal is to use high quality, local ingredients to make the best meals possible – fast.

“Just because your time is limited doesn’t mean you have to sacrafice taste and wholsomeness,” say co-owners Matt Nickel and Shawn Korn, who also own Barrel 44 in the Short North.

They stand behind their mantra with made-to-order salads with more than 40 toppings to choose from and loaded baked potatoes the size of your head!  Everyday customers also enjoy freshly roasted pork, beef, chicken and turkey on sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes.  Top it off with made-from-scratch dressings and sauces and you are in for a feast.

Is your stomach rumblin’ yet?  Stop in and see for yourself.  They are even offering a little enticement for you in this week’s Blue Plate Special in our weekly newsletter Right Now Downtown, so read on and don’t wait.  (And if you aren’t a Right Now Downtown subscriber, sign up now!)

Lynn and Pearl alleys bring a lot to the city, but there’s plenty more to come.  What kind of business would you like to see pop up here next?  Tell us what you think.

WHAT’S ON THE MENU TONIGHT?

The Menus served up a feast of entertainment during Downtown LIVE last week on the patio at Darbys, but not before Francisco Roja whet the appetite of all the people ready to kick off the weekend early at the annual concert series.

In between appetizers and frosty beverages, players from the Capitol Square Kickball League sauntered over from the “People’s Lawn” to kick back before they kicked butt on the field.  By the way, there’s still time to get a team together for the second course of kickball (registration closes on July 23).

Check out the video below to see for yourself what Capitol Square looks like on Thursday nights during the summer, and thanks go out to The Hyatt and WCBE 90.5 for their generous support.

Untitled from Downtown Columbus on Vimeo.

CELEBRATE THE BIG 4-0

Put on your party duds and celebrate with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Whoopi Goldberg and Bugs Bunny.  So, where’s this gonna happen?

No worries and no need to summons the Ghost.  This year marks the 40th anniversary of the CAPA Summer Movie Series at the Ohio Theatre and have they got a show for you!

“This is the longest running classic film series in America,” says CAPA Director of Programming Rich Corsi.  “It’s more than just a movie; it’s like attending an actual theatre performance as ushers greet you at the door and you hear the Mighty Morton organ playing.”

As you munch on your JuJu Fruits and Junior Mints enjoy the Mighty Morton organ before the show, during intermission and after the movie.  There are only a few of these babies left in the country, and we have one right here in Columbus.

This week you can take in All About Eve, How Stella Got Her Groove Back or The Music Man.  Heck, the movies are so affordable you can take the family to see all three.

The historic Ohio Theatre is a perfect place to see a film, and that is exactly what Scottish-born architect Thomas W. Lamb envisioned when he designed it back in the Roaring Twenties.  The theatre opened in 1928 and was intended to be a place for the average man.

Movies run through July 25, but buy your tickets now because this is the last week that you can get a strip of 10 for $25.  So, don’t wait; soon it will be, “Hasta la vista, baby!”

ADVENTURE IN THE CUPOLA

Move over Indiana Jones.  Adventure awaits during The Cornerstone to Cupola Tour at the Ohio Statehouse.

But you have to hurry, the tickets go on sale July 1 and they sell out quickly.  This is not some run of the mill visit through a dusty government building.  Come dressed for exploration as you navigate places in the “People’s House” rarely seen by the general public.

Visitors will discover the “lost” cornerstone and prisoner graffiti in the Crypt.  Did you know that Ohio’s Capitol was built entirely from prisoner labor and it took 22 years to complete?

Early Ohioans wanted their capitol building to serve as a symbol of the state’s democratic form of government.  They looked for inspiration in the architecture of ancient Greek cities and based the Ohio Statehouse on the design of these classic temples.

One of the highlights of the tour will include climbing more than 70 stairs through the narrow spiral staircase to the top of the Cupola.

These special behind-the-scenes tours are scheduled for Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18.  There are three tour times each day:  10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.  Space is limited; tours are restricted to 20 individuals per tour start time.  For more information go to www.statehouseshop.com and click on “Statehouse Exclusive” or visit the Ohio Statehouse Museum Shop located on the ground level of the Capitol building.  The Museum Shop is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; closed Sundays and holidays.

Ticket prices for the special The Cornerstone to Cupola Tour are $10 per adult and $4 per child under the age of 16.  A $2 handling and shipping charge will be assessed to each online and phone order.

If you aren’t up for the behind-the-scenes expedition, come for a free guided tour offered Monday through Friday on the hour from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 3 p.m.  Get inspired by the architecture, fine art, interpretive exhibits and the working offices and chambers that have been the site of Ohio government since 1861.

See you at the People’s House!