We present a snapshot of our fair city for you to use as a guide to various excursions around the downtown area. This guide focuses on and around High Street, a road that has run right through the heart of the city since Columbus beginnings. The three-mile section that makes up this guide moves north from the Hyatt to the Short North and south to German Village. The list of shops, restaurants, and clubs is not exhaustive, but you will get an inkling of what this part of Columbus has to offer. Enjoy!
These listings may give you and/or your spouse some ideas for ways to spend your evenings and those daytime hours when you re not (shame on you!) attending a session at the conference. All phone numbers start with a "614" long-distance area code (and "1" for U.S. international code)
You would never be able to guess by looking at it now that 15 years ago, the Short North was a stretch of dilapidated buildings, crime, drugs, and prostitution. The name "Short North" came from police descriptions of this run-down strip. Now, the Short North has become a thriving urban area that hearkens back to its prosperity in the 1920s, with distinctive art galleries, imaginative shops, and creative eateries.
The Arena District, while marketed as a distinct entertainment area from Short North, also offers eateries and entertainment options barely southeast of downtown (behind the Nationwide buildings).
Yes, it's true. Columbus is the home of Wendy s and White Castle (McDonald's was just a gleam in Ray Kroc s eye when White Castle was selling its millionth burger), but don t hold it against us. We more than redeem ourselves with the eclectic and ethnic offerings that you should discover while you re here. Are you hungry yet?
Benevolence
41 West Swan. (614) 221-9330.
A very short walk from the hotel, a half block west of High. The vegetarian s delight for lunch, good made-from-scratch bread, soups, and salads, and herbal teas. Wooden picnic tables and an artsy-crafty gift shop. Low cost.
Goody Boy Drive-In
1144 N. High St. 291-8512.
"Drive in hungry, Drive out full" is the sign that graces the entrance, unchanged since the 1950s. By the way, the Goody Boy is a 2-patty cheeseburger with fries and creamed slaw for $2.60. If you don t mind sitting shoulder to shoulder with a few of Columbus shady types, it is well worth the experience.
Haiku
800 N. High. 294-8168.
The ambiance here is pretty mellow. Pan-Asian cuisine, including a reasonably large sushi menu and a wide variety of noodle dishes, is served in an elegant yet casual atmosphere.
J & G Diner
733 N. High. 294-1850.
Greek and American-style food served with reasonable prices and an informal ambiance. Entrees include liver and onions, gyros, grilled salmon filet, and hamburgers.
K2U Bar and Grill
641 N. High. 461-4766.
Trendy restaurant that often features local jazz. A few tapas-inspired appetizers. Moderate to expensive.
Lemongrass
641 N. High. 224-1414.
One of the newer entries in the ever-so-trendy Asian-Californian fusion cuisine, the Thai owners serve up specialties such as Chicken Pad Thai and sushi. The décor is fresh and relaxed; features a grand piano.
Montana Bar and Grill
191 W. Nationwide 227-0013
Media entrepreneur Ted Turner opened his first restaurant in mid-January across the street from Nationwide Arena. The Grill features bison from Turner s herd and serves burgers, chicken and a variety of comfort foods in a Western saloon setting.
North Market
59 Spruce St. 463-9664.
If you dream of walking a few yards to get a falafel to eat with your chicken tandoori and tiramisu for dessert, you re in luck. Established in 1892, the market has been housed in many buildings around its present location. This indoor market supplies all the makings of a meal (fresh produce; select meats, cheeses and wines, fresh baked breads). You can find organic foods, homemade cookies, little delis with pasta specialties, pizzas, subs, Latin and Near Eastern food specialties, smoked fish, and almost anything else. Snack upstairs to the balcony for some people-watching. www.northmarket.com
R.J. Snapper s Bar and Grill
700 N. High. 280-1070.
No, it s not the coast, but Columbus rivals any inland city for the freshness of its fish. The interior is faux fish market. What is served is real New England fish market, stressing freshness. Try the mahi-mahi, a lightly spiced fillet with a tropical fruit salsa of papaya, mango, pineapple and kiwi.
Tapatio
491 N. Park St. 224-1958.
A fusion presentation of Southwest-Cuban-Mexican fare. Tapatio is known for being a local mecca for fresh herbs and chili peppers, some actually grown on site. Try a sampling of the appetizers on the weekly menu, as well as the red chile bread with pipian verde spread. Wednesdays are margarita nights.
Zeta European Emporium
751 N. High St. 421-7122.
Zeta offers Greek sundries--olive oil and other foods, soups and inexpensive lunch items. If you're in the area, you might want to grab a gyro and take it over to a picnic table in Goodale Park. Be prepared to wait awhile as they prepare your food.
Within blocks of the convention, you can find almost anything, from original art, Ohio-themed items, fishing creels, Amish baskets to "Cowtown Cookies," "Buckopoly," and gardening supplies (need I go on?). One of the most defining shopping experiences of Columbus is the multitude of local art galleries dotting North High Street. Many of the area restaurants also display local art for sale. You can visit Great Things on High, Global Gallery, and Loot for decorative items such as gargoyles, tea sets, or folk art from Ecuador.tium
1088 N. High St. 291-3130.
Recently relocated to the newly christened "Garden District" of the Short North, Byzantium is a store specializing in beads from all parts of the world. You can buy beads "to go," select beads that a Byzantium employee can help you fashion into a necklace, bracelet or earrings, or you can choose from a dazzling array of existing pieces. A global bazaar offering greeting cards, masks, drums, clothing and other items from many cultures, Byzantium is a fascinating place to browse.
Cookware Sorcerer
658 N. High St. 228-8678.
Now, I know most people might not go to a cookware store if they weren't in their home city (and many might not even there!), but this one's really worth wandering into. It s one of the original "Short North" businesses and the owner, Nancy, can tell you some of the history of the Short North area gentrification.
Functional Furnishings
601 N. High St. 228-3463
www.functionalfurnishings.com
One of the closest Short North stores to downtown featuring really cool modern furniture and accessories in a beautiful showroom.
Lindsay Gallery
986 N. High St. 291-1973
This gallery features folk, outsider, visionary, and American art.
Mac Worthington s Sculpture and Design Studio
749 N. High St. 294-7790
www.macworthington.com
Mac Worthington, metal sculptor and designer, specializes in outdoor designs, wall and tabletop pieces.
Magnolia Thunderpussy
1591 North High. 421-1512.
From the name, you know that this record store goes back to the 60s. Wide selection of CDs, especially strong in jazz and truly alternative bands.
North Market
59 Spruce Street. 463-9664
www.northmarket.com
Even though it s primarily a place for ethnic, vegetarian, and deli foods, there are other booths here scattered around the place. You can pick up some homemade soap, a bottle of wine at Grapes of Mirth, or a bouquet of flowers to brighten your hotel room.
Riley Hawk Glass Gallery.
642 N. High. 228-6554
www.rileyhawk.com
As the name suggests, this gallery features glass sculpture. The only deviation they granted recently was to the father of computer art, Charles Csuri, who premiered his Virtual Glass interactive exhibit this summer.
Salem West
1209 N. High. 421-7557.
This store celebrates real pagan and wiccan culture, from drums to ceremonial items.
Stained Skin
1255 N High St 297-7546
www.stainedskin.com
Columbus is home to many revered tattoo artists, starting with Stoney St. Clair. You never know when you will get a hankering for a tattoo; thankfully, there are plenty of existing parlors that will accommodate you, Stained Skin has been in existence since 1994 and has gained international recognition due to its crew of exceptional tattoo artists and body piercers.
Yankee Trader
463 N. High St. 228-1322.
You can still find dunking birds for sale here along with whoopee cushions, spider rings, party streamers, and alien heads at this Columbus institution. The building, built in 1890, houses plastic eyeballs, mustaches by the pound, and bendable chartreuse lizards. There is always a knowledgeable staff members on hand to search the upper four floors for a specific curio.
2Cos Cabaret
790 N. High St. 470-2COS
www.shadowboxcabaret.com
2Co s Cabaret operates every Thursday through Saturday. An evening at 2Co's includes any and/or all of the following: dramatic theatre, light theatre, monologues, poetry, and amplified acoustic live music. Appetizers, pizza, and full barthe performers are also the wait staff.
Arena Grand
175 W Nationwide Blvd 470-9900
www.arenagrand.com
Great theater for grown-ups (that s a relative term, of course). The only premier theater in town where you can have a good glass of wine or beer and decent food and watch great movies at the same time.
Barley s Brewing
467 N. High. 228-2537
www.barleysbrewing.com
Is this beer heaven? No, its Barley's, located just across the street from the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Choose from a wide variety of ales, stouts, and seasonal brews while sampling a full menu of creative "bar food." Try their black bean hummus and Mildred s Sauerkraut Balls, two extremes in the heart smart department.
Little Brother s
1100 N. High. 421-2025
www.littlebrothers.com/
The place in Columbus for roots music, local and national. Los Lobos, Lucinda Williams, Buckwheat Zydeco, and the Skatalites have played here. Major venue for local punk, rockabilly, cowpunk, alt country, and reggae.
PromoWest Pavilion
405 Neil Avenue 461-LIVE
www.promowestpavilion.com
Promowest Pavilion, is an indoor/outdoor concert facility that caters to audiences who enjoy an intimate, club-like setting. A variety of high profile, world-class performers have played rock, country, jazz, funk, comedy, classical, punk, rap metal and blues in this two-year old venue.
Short North Tavern
674 N. High. 221-2432.
This bar is a narrow, neighborhood watering hole and dart-throwing locale with food and space for live music on weekends. The view of High Street from the windows is worth the cost of an ale. It s consistently voted Best Neighborhood Bar in the local alternative papers.
Union Station Video Cafe
630 North High. 228-3546
Union Station is a popular GLBT meeting place in Columbus with casual food and cocktails in a social setting. On weekends, VJs take music requests all night while the large screens shows the latest dance videos.
The downtown area of Columbus is starting to experience a surge of residential redevelopment. Amidst the lunch eateries catering to state employees, nightclubs and restaurants are popping up to feed and entertain the after 5 crowd.
To the south of downtown, the Brewery District and German Village housed many of Columbus' German immigrants in the early 1800s. In 1923, residential use came to an abrupt halt when the Village was zoned for manufacturing and commercial purposes. By the 1950s, the neighborhood was scheduled to be bulldozed for more downtown development. Under the leadership of remaining residents, however, German Village was rebuilt in the 1970s: it is now nationally recognized as a leading historic preservation district. If you have an hour or two to spare and the weather is somewhat agreeable, make sure that you head down to this area to stroll down the brick streets and admire the charming (and expensive) brick homes and well-tended gardens.
Clarmont
684 S. High St. 443-1125.
The Clarmont has been a fixture in Columbus' German Village neighborhood for years. Meat and potatoes dominate the menu; the food is good and you get lots of it. The overall feel here is of an "old restaurant" where cigars are sold not because they're trendy but because they've always been sold here.
Flatiron Bar & Diner
129 E. Nationwide Blvd. 461-0033.
A short walk from the Hyatt-Regency and the Convention Center, the Flatiron Bar & Diner (a long narrow wedge-shaped building) serves Cajun-style food and drinks. Definitely not a smoke-free environment, as manager Roger is usually holding court with his circle of fellow cigar buffs at the bar. The jukebox is well stocked with blues, jazz and roots music. If there is such a thing as upscale funky, the Flatiron is it.
Saigon Palace Restaurant
114 N. Front St. 464-3325.
A mom and pop business where many times mom and pop are the only employees, Saigon offers Vietnamese dishes as well as Thai and Chinese. The salads are excellent, as is the rest of the menu. Other standouts include the pad thai and the spring rolls. The brightly-lit interior is mostly unadorned but clean and neat. Prices are low.
Schmidt's Sausage Haus
240 E. Kossuth St., (German Village). 444-5908
German and American foods are both on the menu at this restaurant in the heart of German Village. Known for their Bahama Mamas, Brats, and obscenely large cream puffs, this is a very tourist-y place to eat. Inexpensive-moderate. Watch out for the tour buses!
The many breweries located downtown celebrate the strong German heritage of this area on a daily basis. If you are looking for some unique spots for a conference break, then you may want to check out these "spirited" offerings.>Barrister Hall
560 South High 621-1213
Cigar bar with live jazz. Recommended if they re playing this week: Afro-Rican Ensemble, Pharez Whitted Quintet. You can take a break from the crowd by shooting a couple of games of pool upstairs.
The Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus
161 N. High 228-0500
www.elevatorbrewing.com
Originally the site of the Bott Brothers Billiard Hall built in 1897, The Elevator still touts the original stained glass windows, mosaic tile floor, crafted woodworking, and the original billiard table. The back bar features a state-of-the-art brewing system right behind the bar with12 handcrafted beers on tap.
Long Street
40 East Long St 470-4400
www.longstreetclubs.com
The Long Street Entertainment District is a new area of upscale entertainment venues east of High that stretch an entire city block
The Round Bar
650 S. High St. 461-9010.
Across the street from The Clarmont, this bar is "surprise!" round. This was one of the locations for Jodie Foster's e Man Tate. These days, the bar sports a modern décor and on Fridays and Saturdays it can sometimes be unbearably crowded.
Wall Street
144 Wall St. (1/2 block west of High Street). 464-2800
www.wallstreetnightclub.com
Usually a mixed crowd hangs out here, although it is primarily a lesbian dance club. Wall Street hosts the occasional drag show or touring comedian. The club features a large dance floor, a balcony for crowd viewing, and a gigantic video screen.
The Book Loft
631 S. Third Street. 464-1774.
One of the nation's largest independent bookstores, The Book Loft of German Village is the length of a city block. The pre-Civil War era buildings that once were general stores, a saloon and a nickelodeon cinema now now home to 32 rooms of books. You might run into Winky, the resident cat. The owners advertise discounts of 50 - 90% off original prices at all times.
Fireside Book Company
503 City Park Avenue (One block east of High and south of Livingston). 621-1928
my.oh.voyager.net/~fireside/
A great locally owned bookstore where the owners actually like to talk about books, Fireside inhabits a quaint German Village frame house built sometime around 1850. This cozy store carries out of print, used & rare books. They also do great searches for books you can't find anywhere else.
Statehouse Museum Shop
Broad and High 728-9234
www.statehouse.state.oh.us/
The Ohio Statehouse Museum Shop, located on the ground floor, specializes in unique gifts with an Ohio or political theme. Most items are made by Ohio artists or businesses and range from wine and pottery to lapel pins and clothing. This year will feature an assortment of Ohio Bicentennial merchandise.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and even as we finish it we re thinking of other things we might have added. You should stop by OSU, if for no other reason than to walk across the Oval, check out the Ohio Stadium, or peek your head into the Wexner Center for the Arts (1871 N. High Street).
Aladdin s Eatery
2931 N. High St. (Clintonville). 262-2414.
Mediterranean cuisine is featured here, along with decent desserts (which, to be honest, no one I know ever has room for). Lots of pita sandwiches, pita pitzas, and typical humus, baba ganouj, and assorted light and tasty appetizers. Inexpensive, serving beer and wine; a good choice for vegetarians.
Alana's
2333 N. High St. (North Campus). 614-294-6783.
Alana s is a lovely restaurant featuring cuisine influenced by flavors from around the world. Alana, the chef and owner, is a real presence here, from carefully describing the evening s specials to her servers to visiting the patrons tables to ask how they like certain menu offerings. She definitely makes it seem that your dining is of utmost importance to her. The wine selection is great, and the atmosphere easy-going. Don t miss the salmon cheesecake appetizer.
Blue Nile Restaurant (2361 N. High St., campus area) 614-421-2323
Another one of those restaurants in a less-than-exciting strip of campus area shops, Blue Nile turns from bland outside to cozy, ethnic inside. The décor and Ethiopian edibles are worth seeking this spot out. Chances are good that your host-server is the owner, too. Inexpensive-Moderate.
El Vaquero
3230 Olentangy River Road. 261-0900.
The transplanted Texan among us says this reminds him of the family Mexican places back home more than any other Mexican restaurant in Columbus. And like those places, inexpensive.
Knotty Pine Bar and Grill
1765 W. 3rd Ave. (Grandview). 488-8878.
The atmosphere at the Knotty Pine is that of a bar that serves food. The specialty is real Carolina and Texas style barbecue. Meats are smoked on premises and served with your choice of several sauces. Inexpensive.
Larry's
2040 N. High St.
The campus bar that features regular poetry readings and an older clientele than the other bars that line High Street across from OSU.
Mozart s
2885 N. High St. (Clintonville) 268-3687
Mozart s serves authentic European pastries that even Arnold Schwarzenegger appreciates (reallyhis photo s on the wall). Sandwiches, soups and salads are also served.
Nancy's Home Cooking
3133 N. High St. (Clintonville). 265-9012.
For the best breakfast in town, make your way to this established Clintonville diner. Breakfast consists of the usual eggs and assorted meats and toast, or go crazy with the garbage omelet. Whatever you do, don't ask for a menu. Just order. Those in the know also refill their coffee and other patrons. Cheap.
Paul's Pantry
1565 W. 5th Ave. (Grandview). 481-8848.
Around the corner from the expensive restaurants on the trendy Grandview Avenue strip, Paul's prepares fresh fish with creative sauces as good as any of those places and for much less ($12 to $21). Consistently in Zagat s Top 10 local restaurant guide.
Starliner Diner
5240 Cemetery Road (Hilliard). 529-1198.
Celestial diner atmosphere. Great Cuban home cookingfried plaintains, black beans and rice, cornbread encrusted chicken casserole, and sweet potato tamales.
Taj Mahal Indian & Pakistani Restaurant
2247 N. High St. (North Campus). 294-0208.
As the name suggests, Indian and Pakistani cuisines are served here. Good food, decent beer, including some Indian beers. This small restaurant just two blocks north of Lane Ave fills quickly on weekend evenings. Moderate.
The Thurman Cafe
183 Thurman Ave. (German Village). 443-1570
A family owned (now second generation) bar, it s still a little bit like Cheers. At times it can be smoky, but the various burgers are tasty and HUGE (split one with a friend).
Whole World Natural Restaurant & Bakery
3269 N. High St. (Clintonville). 268-5751/
This is hardcore vegetarian cuisine. Pizzas and sandwiches comprise much of the menu, but there are also several good daily soups and a number of daily specials, often casserole-like items. The Herb and Guacamole pizza is an interesting twist on a vegetarian pizza.