Inside 43215: Downtown Dish
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011FRESH AND NEW CALLING YOU
FRESH AND NEW CALLING YOU
SERVING UP ZOUP!
Leaves turn; fall breezes blow in cool temperatures. It’s time to pull out the ladle, crackers and eat some Zoup! Find out what the new restaurant, Zoup!, will be serving up to keep you warm and cozy through the chilly months headed our way.
Zoup! will open Thursday, November 10 in the Huntington Center and will offer more than 100 kinds of soup. Twelve varieties will rotate on the menu daily including at least one low-fat, vegetarian, dairy-free and spicy.
“We visited a Zoup! in Cleveland and were instantly impressed,” said franchise owner Denis Barboza. “Our son is a picky eater and he loved the food, too. It was some of the best soup we’d ever had.”
Each order is served with a big hunk of freshly baked bread, and just in case soup is not your style, Zoup! also makes some great salads and sandwiches. Is your stomach rumbling yet?
Keep an eye out because we’ll offer a Blue Plate Special in Right Now Downtown to let you know when they open their doors in just a few weeks. Don’t forget, you’ll find them in the Huntington Center, 41 S. High Street, Monday through Friday 10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Word is Chicken Pot Pie and Lobster Bisque are the crowd faves so keep that in mind when you head over.
RAINY DAY PERK-YOU-UP
There’s a new girl in town who promises to give you the jolt you need to get through the recent rainy days, a long morning meeting, or even a late afternoon stroll through the park. Find out what Java Jan has in store for you.
IN OUR ELEMENT
Lots of cultures feast on some kind of combo of bread dough and sauce, maybe even a little bit of cheese. It’s average, common, perhaps even elemental, but there is nothing ordinary about the new kid in town. Daniel Lunsford opened Element Pizza at 250 North 3rd Street. Take a look at what he’s cookin’ and then make your way over to sample it for yourself. You are in for a treat of monumental proportions.
MO’ THAN JOE
Of course the new Cup O’ Joe/MoJoe Lounge at the corner of Town and High Street has great coffee – the perfect jolt to get you through the longest of meetings or a pick-me-up before you put on your dancin’ shoes.
Not only do they serve up a tasty Cup O’ Joe, they dish up everything from rockin’ food to frou-frou cocktails. How about meeting up after work for Happy Hour, Tuesday through Friday, 4-8 p.m.? This Thursday may be the perfect time since the Reaganomics will be jammin’ in the Commons across the street during Downtown Live.
Make it a date and check out this video of how Cup O’ Joe/MoJoe Lounge transformed the corner of the old Lazarus building. You won’t believe your eyes.
This week’s vendor spotlight shines on Veggielicious, a vegetarian food cart in Columbus, Ohio. They offer wraps, quesadillas and bowls filled with awesome ingredients, prepared with lots of fresh vegetables, eggs, cheese, black beans and vegetarian sausage. Entrepreneur Becky Karppala wanted to find a way to sell vegetarian-friendly meals that non-vegetarians would also enjoy. She came up with the idea for her Veggielicious food cart business, and Pearl Market offerd a perfect location to test the downtown market.
To learn more, check out our vendor spotlight video.
PEARL MARKET TREAT
Spring has been a long time coming, and you deserve a treat. We have a fantastic way for you to celebrate the arrival of warmer temperatures – ice cream, perhaps? Oh and by the by, Pearl Market opens one week from today.
Hmmm… wonder what they two have in common? Here’s a hint:
A LITTLE LEXI’S FOR LUNCH
The folks at Lexi’s on Third have been busy transforming their space into a restaurant to give downtowners just the fuel they need to keep the workflow going. You’ll find them open for business this week, and you’ll want to check them out for breakfast, lunch and happy hour! Just head to the Chase Bank Building at the corner of Broad and Third. And if the rain ever stops, you can savor your meal or happy hour on their beautiful, spacious patio.
The breakfast menu features breakfast sandwiches, omelettes and more – yummy and fast. While lunch items include hot and cold sandwiches, burgers, gyros and tasty signature salads. When the workday ends, head over for happy hour where you can enjoy draft or bottled suds or a glass of vino to help you unwind.
But before you go grab some tasty grub, check out the video that shows just how much elbow grease they used to get the space ready to roll.
The last time the peeps in C-Bus saw this much rain Grover Cleveland had just been inaugurated as President – for the second time; Frank Lloyd Wright had opened an architectural firm; and Thomas Edison was fine tuning his new-fangled phonograph. Needless to say, the Gore-Tex rain slicker was a few years away.
It could be worse; we could live along the Ohio River where they are getting even more rain. All the green stuff on the other side of the window pane loves it; so as you watch the grass grow, we’ve thought of a few more things you can do to make life less soggy.
10. Clean out a desk drawer and spiff things up a bit. Graham’s Office Supply has just what you need. Besides, new Post-Its will help distract you while you’re waiting for that gargantuan file that your boss just emailed you to download.
9. Pick up a few growlers of beer from The Elevator and invite a few friends over to start construction of a mini-ark. Mmm, Dopplebock.
8. Head on over to the Ohio Theatre to see Mary Poppins. The umbrella that Mary uses on stage is big enough to keep your entire office dry.
7. Dream about warm sunny days when you Kick It Up at Columbus Commons for Downtown Kickball. Have you sent your registration yet?
6. Hire a trainer at your favorite gym. It may not lift your attitude, but you’ll be too exhausted to really care.
5. Hit every downtown restaurant for happy hour specials. Cocktails abound downtown; start creating your list here.
4. Stroll down Gay Street and take a whiff of all the spring flowers. Heck, Gay Street is also a good place to begin your Happy Hour Hop.
3. Stop at our very own award-winning Columbus Metropolitan Library for a great read.
2. Take your inner child to the Center for Creativity at the Columbus Museum of Art and recharge your artistic self.
And the number one thing that will help get you through this rainy season… Lunch on us and here’s your chance. Post a comment about how you like to spend your time downtown and you’ll be entered to win lunch from a variety of downtown restaurants, worth more than 30 bucks. Yum.
THIS FLEUR SMELLS SO SWEET
It’s hot and urban and oozes culture. Fleur is the new dessert, champagne and vodka lounge at the corner of Third and Long Streets – right downtown.
When you walk through the doors, the European influence flows, or you might feel like you’ve stepped into a trendy lounge in the Big Apple or Chicago or L.A. with the high-back white leather booths, simply stated, yet so electric.
Fleur has one of the largest selections of champagne in central Ohio, beginning with their super chic Personal Bubbles right up through bottles that will entice even the biggest champagne aficionado. If you aren’t in the mood for a glass of bubbly, Fleur also specializes in cocktails that incorporate vodka and champagne, and whatever you do, don’t forget the dessert.
Whether you want to stop by for happy hour after work to unwind with a Lemon Lix, opt for Bubbles by the Glass or maybe even one of the simply elegant and delicious desserts, there’s something for everyone. Clear your schedule because Fleur is open six days a week – Monday to Wednesday 4-11 p.m. and until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.