Right Now Downtown

CHEERS TO THE SUNSHINE

It’s amazing what a little sunshine can do to the attitude. It’s time to crawl out of the dark cave, rub winter away and find some fun.

We’ve even had a few rain-free days sprinkled here and there to make us believe that we can sit out on a patio and soak in some fresh air. Happy Hour seems like a good a place to start, and you’ll be able to fill your dance card downtown pretty quickly.

OK, we won’t pretend to have an all-encompassing list, but a few places around downtown gave us the scoop of what’s on tap and what’s coming out of the kitchen for the after-work crowd. You might even want to knock off a little early to take full advantage.

Start by sampling a handcrafted pint from The Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus Monday – Friday for just 2.50 from 3-7 p.m., but if a frosty one isn’t your cup of tea, sip on 2.50 well cocktails and house wines and don’t forget to saddle up to the bar for 5.00 appetizers.

The Flat Iron is sporting a newly remodeled patio with 5.00 martinis and 2.00 well drinks and domestic beers from 4-7 p.m.

Special drink pricing and buy-one-get-one-free appetizers give you a lot of leeway at Latitude 41, Monday – Thursday, 5-6:30 p.m. It’s a perfect place to cool off on the shady patio in the toasty summer temps.

When you head out to our little oasis of Gay Street, check out Plantain Café for their 2.00 tacos from 3-6 p.m. And while you’re strolling around, make sure to hit Tip Top Kitchen and Cocktails, Due Amici and J. Gumbo’s as you kick back and enjoy some time with friends after work. 

Lexi’s on Third has a happy hour menu that includes drinks and eats that will keep you coming back for more. You might just find a new home on their spacious patio. Go ahead… Eat, Drink and Be Social.

And don’t forget to stop in and say hi to the other new kid on the block at Quarthouse. Fill your gut with 25 cent jumbo wings and wash them down with a cool one. You’ll find 2.00 domestics, 3.00 imports and 3.00 well drinks. Or try out Quarthouse’s sister location; Ringside Cafe will mix it up a bit with the same drink specials.

That’s a lot of places to hit. Probably makes you hot and tired just thinking about it. You might even need to cool off with a drink. So, here are a few more places you might want to check out…

Barrio
Darby’s Outdoor Café
Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace
Fleur
The Jury Room
Little Palace

LAUNCH INTO DOWNTOWN

Have you seen all the big heavy duty trucks and bulldozers moving dirt around the site where the new Bishop’s Walk condos will soon be?  It’s enough to put five-year-old boys with their Tonka trucks into a deep trance, but soon it will be dreamy for those who want to make downtown a lifestyle.

Phase Two of Neighborhood Launch is officially underway and 14 additional residential units will be available before long.  In case you were teetering on that beautiful wrought iron fence out front of the first phase, we wanted to give you the Top Ten Reasons to Consider Making the Plunge with Bishop’s Walk.

10.  You can grab your witches brew and head to the Neighborhood’s very own Halloween Party and solve the Clue Mystery Murder.

9.  Plan your own grand celebration next to the fountain in the courtyard… or toss your significant other in if he/she is getting on your nerves.

8.  Rumor has it that you might even find Sugardaddy’s connections close by, and who couldn’t manage with a little more of those scrumptious pieces of heaven?

7.  Live and play and maybe even work downtown.  You’ll be one of the cool kids now.

6.  You are a mere 53 seconds away from the best cup of coffee in the Midwest, maybe the world.  Repeat after us… Café Brioso.

5.  When you want to unwind Monday after work, Due Amici fills Gay Street with live jazz music and the wine is nothing to sneeze at either.

4.  Ditch your keys – everything is in walking (or biking) distance.  Think of the money you can save on car insurance, which leaves more change jingling in your pockets for drinks at Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails.

3.  Impress your partner when you arrange for a horse-drawn carriage to pick you both up for a night on the town.

2.  Save tons of time and support local businesses when you buy farm-fresh produce from area farmers in Pearl Market.

And the number one reason you should consider the cool digs at Neighborhood Launch – you can roll out of bed a half hour before you need to be at work downtown, throw some gel in your hair and still get to your desk with time to spare.

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!

The Columbus High Five looked pretty good last weekend.  I took my 11-year-old daughter, Lilly, to a sold-out WICKED at the Ohio Theatre on Friday night.  Before the show, we ate at Tip Top.  Gay Street was full of sidewalk diners at Latitude 41, Plantain Cafe, Tip Top and Due Amici.

Speaking of Gay Street, the cast and crew of WICKED are staying at the Residence Inn.  Chandra Lee Schwartz, who plays Glinda in WICKED, says that she is enjoying her stay in Columbus and has flattering things to say about the “town.”

The Gay Softball World Series clearly added energy, with 2,500 athletes staying in downtown hotels.  As Lilly and I walked to the Ohio Theatre from Gay Street, we passed a rooftop party at the Renaissance Hotel and a surprising number of other pedestrians.

After the show, we encountered gridlock on High Street as we approached the Short North.  We turned on Vine Street to head west toward Neil Avenue and encountered more traffic as we passed Park Street at 11:30 p.m.  Vine and Park streets had hundreds of people walking from club to club.

As I sat in traffic, all I could do was smile.

Last week Chef Derek from Due Amici stopped by the Market for a wonderful cooking demonstration at the Ohio Proud Mobile Kitchen using Ohio-grown produce.  You’ll want to try these out for yourself!

LEAVE THE LUGGAGE AT HOME

Close your eyes, lean back and imagine yourself at an outdoor cafe’ along the side streets of Paris.  Can you hear the French accordion music waft out the doors of the restaurant along with the smell of freshly baked bread?

No need to cash in your greenbacks for Euros just yet.  Alfresco dining is offered all around Downtown Columbus, and Gay Street is a great place to kick off an international expedition.

Leave the passport at home and head to Due Amici.  The European feel of this outdoor dining experience may leave you wanting to study Italian.  Sit down and relax with a superb glass of wine, and you don’t even need to worry about the exchange rate.

Is Cuban fare your thing?  Check out Plantain Cafe’, but make sure to save room for the plantain chips.  You will never look at another bag of Lay’s the same way again.

The coffee is roasting at Cafe’ Brioso, and you’ll have a hard time choosing among all the freshly prepared sandwiches and salads.  Those crunchy little handmade croutons are about as close to heaven as you need to be.

Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails celebrated their three-year anniversary last week.  Honor the milestone with a cold one and big plate of sweet potato fries.  Go ahead, throw in a pot roast sandwich if you dare.

Is your stomach growling yet?  We haven’t even hit J. Gumbo’s for jambalaya, and Latitude 41 builds delicious meals around fresh ingredients purchased right here from local merchants to create a meal that you won’t soon forget.  Rendezvous Cafe’ is nestled across the street and offers a wide assortment of delicious stews, sandwiches and salads.

If that’s not enough, just around the corner Pearl Alley plays host to burgers at Ringside, pizza at Cafe’ Napolitana and Latin cuisine at El Arepazo.  Wrap it all up with a Drunken Chunky Blondie at Sugardaddy’s or loosen your belt and head on down High Street for even more options.  Let us know your favorites.

THE LAZY MAN’S GUIDE TO EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS DAYS

There’s a couple ways to approach the three days of festivities known as Experience Columbus Days.  You could do a willy-nilly drive around, frantically hitting as many discount deals as possible.

With that approach comes stress and angst.  Who needs all the drama when the best bang for the buck comes in one concentrated area?  Enter Downtown Columbus…

1.  It starts with a visit to the Santa Maria (the only option with an authentic Christopher Columbus connection).  Guests can explore a real relic and take the official tour at a buy one/get one rate.

2.  Over at the Ohio Statehouse, tours are always FREE.  That said, it’s a great way to celebrate the weekend and the tours of the Statehouse building and museum are going full force on Saturday and Sunday.

3.  When the demands of this rigorous schedule render you too weak to walk, enter SegAway Tours.  Now famous for the fabulously interesting local trivia tidbits, at 50% off, you save a whopping $22.50 per rider.

Of course, you’ll need sustenance to survive our grueling itinerary.  The weekend celebration includes 25% off your tab at local Dine Originals restaurants.  Downtown members include Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails,  Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus, and Due Amici.  Check out experiencecolumbusdays.com for more information and the discount flyer.