In the Midwest, Mother’s Day is often associated with flowers–not because of the bouquets given to Mom to honor her on a special day, but because Mother’s Day is viewed in these parts as the traditional weekend to fill out your garden beds. If you wait until Mother’s Day to plant flowers, the folk wisdom goes, you’ll avoid the risk of your plants dying from an unseasonably late frost.
As is so often the case, this time-honored rule of thumb reflects a significant kernel of truth: May is a wonderful time to grow things in central Ohio and elsewhere in the Midwest. Russell was in town for a visit this weekend, and he remarked on how green everything looks around here, with most of the trees fully leafed out, the grass growing like crazy, and flowers and flowering shrubs everywhere you look. As the picture above shows, in this season Ohio is a study in green. The air, freshened with recent rains and the fragrance of growing things, smells good, too.
Last night we went out to dinner with a college chum we hadn’t seen in a while. We had a fine meal, and it was great to catch up,
I like going out to eat on Thursdays. Fridays and Saturdays are the traditional top dine-out nights, when you expect the restaurants to be crowded–and fully staffed–and your fellow diners will give off that special “it’s the weekend” energy, but Thursday night is a pretty good option, too.
Thursday night dining has a vibe all its own. The restaurants aren’t quite as packed as a weekend night, but everyone at every table knows they’ve made it through most of the work week and there is only one more workday to go before the weekend–and there is a kind of deep, anticipatory glee at that prospect. I’m apparently not alone in my view that Thursday night is prime time for a meal out on the town, because the restaurant we went to last night was doing a brisk trade and people seemed to be having a really good time . . . including us.
It’s fun going out on Thursdays, but you also have to watch it and not overindulge–because there is, after all, a workday dawning bright and early the next morning. Experienced Thursday night diners have to know when to say when.
The coming summer promises to be a busy one in downtown Columbus–and autumn, too.
I’ve been seeing the flier shown above around town, and it indicates that this year the downtown event planners have come up with some new events and reintroduced some classics. The Pearl Market has long been a staple of the downtown area, with its fresh fruit and vegetable stands and homemade items. They’ve evidently decided to bring back the “Rally in the Alley,” which was a popular party and music event back in the ’90s. “Wellness Wednesdays,” with mindfulness classes and yoga, is a new option, as are movies at the Topiary Park and the intriguing Cirque du Pearl, which conjures images of trapeze artists, firebreathers, and jugglers entertaining in and above the alley. I think the Downtown Holiday Trolley Hop is new as well.
Add in some of the other staples of a downtown summer–Columbus Crew matches at Lower.com Field, the CAPA Summer Movie series at the Ohio Theater, Columbus Clippers games at Huntington Park, and the array of offerings from CAPA, among others–and you’ve given a lot of options to the people who live in or near downtown. That’s a good thing, too, because if you want to encourage people to live downtown, as the city of Columbus does, then you need to give them things to do on the weekends and during the week.
Which do you think will be more popular–Wellness Wednesdays, or the chance to guzzle a few brewskis and listen to music at the revived Rally in the Alley?
Last night we walked over to German Village to check out Cento, the new Cameron Mitchell restaurant on Third Street. It was a bit bittersweet, because Cento occupies the location of what used to be G. Michael’s, one of our favorite restaurants. Regrettably, G. Michael’s decided to close up shop several years ago–but there is no point in pining over restaurants gone by, is there?–so we decided to give Cento a try.
The first thing you notice when you arrive at Cento is that the physical layout has changed. A new entranceway has been created that takes you past an outdoor patio eating area directly to the host stand, rather than the old entrance through the bar area. The outdoor dining area has been spiffed up and expanded, too, with the installation of a fireplace, walls, and lighting. We sat outside on a pretty spring evening, and it made for a very nice setting.
Cento promises classic Italian fare with a twist, and it delivers. I started my meal with the octopus antipasto, shown above, with olives and pistachios. It was served in a unique way, with the strips of octopus molded together. The octopus was delectable, and the olives and pistachios were a nice complement from a flavor and textural standpoint. I followed that up with rigatoni alla vodka, which I asked to be served with a meatball. It also was quite good, with a very rich, creamy sauce. I recommend getting it with the meatball.
An important consideration when you are promising classic Italian–with or without a twist–is a strong wine list. Cento hit the target there, too, with a very nice selection of Italian wines. I favor Sicilian reds and was happy to see a number of selections from that sun-kissed island off the toe of the Italian boot. We enjoyed an excellent Etna Rosso with our meal.
We capped off the evening with a Sambuca, served in the traditional manner with three roasted coffee beans, and panna cotta for dessert, shown below. It also was served in an interesting way, and it also was delicious. We chatted with our dining companions, sipped our drinks, and enjoyed the glow of a fine meal in a pretty outdoor venue. Our service–provided, incidentally, by a G. Michael’s veteran–was top notch, too.
We’ll always be dedicated fans of G. Michael’s, but I’m glad to see that its space has been repurposed and is being used for a new restaurant that offers interesting choices and adds a bit more luster to the Columbus restaurant scene.
There’s been a lot of buzz about Hank’s, the new restaurant opening at the corner of Gay and High Streets in downtown Columbus. Last night we checked out Hank’s on its official opening night, and I can comfortably say that the buzz is warranted.
Hank’s is a seafood and low country cuisine venue that comes to Columbus from Charleston, South Carolina, where it is one of the finest culinary establishments in that food-loving town. Its arrival is welcome, because our downtown area is noticeably lacking in seafood options. Steakhouses we’ve got, but seafood? Not so much. Hank’s aims to change that.
The restaurant has a casual elegant vibe, with a wraparound bar and oyster bar, leather seats, and white-jacketed waiters. And the food fits in well with the casual elegant atmosphere. At the recommendation of the friendly bartender, we got the scallops crudo appetizer, pictured above. It featured thinly sliced, succulent scallops that you spooned onto crisps. It was, in a word, delicious. Kish got the she crab soup, which also was terrific. It came in a huge bowl, too—big enough for two, which made me happy since I wrestled it away from her so I could enjoy a few spoonfuls of rich she crab goodness.
The bartender also recommended the ahi tuna entree, shown below—and she therefore went 2 for 2. it featured slices of rare, blackened sushi grade tuna served over cheesy grits, with two fried oysters as a complement. After I scraped off the diced vegetables on top (sorry, Hank’s!) I enjoyed the combination of low country flavors and textures in every bite. I second the barkeep in highly recommending this dish.
My doctor is always encouraging me to eat more fish. Thanks to Hank’s, that challenge just got a lot easier. I’m looking forward to the day, coming soon, when Hank’s opens for lunch.
Watching the solar eclipse that passed through Columbus yesterday was, in a word, awesome. It’s an overused word, to be sure, but it definitely captures the amazement we experienced as we stood back by the parking garage behind the firm, tilted our heads to the sunny, fortunately mostly cloudless sky, wore our eclipse glasses, and watched the moon slide slowly past the sun.
I wasn’t particularly excited about the eclipse, but once I put on the glasses and saw the moon blocking a sliver of the sun, I was hooked. It was as if a magnificent celestial production was being staged just for our benefit. As the moon continued its journey, and the visible sun shrank to a crescent, you could feel the light fading incrementally. The air cooled noticeably as more and more of the sun’s warming rays were blocked. Just before the point closest to totality, as the sky darkened and we reached twilight dimness, all of the automatic outdoor lights in the alley went on. It was a bit startling, but nothing could distract us from the great show in the sky..
Everyone who came out to look at the eclipse seemed to share the same jaw-dropping reaction to the spectacle. There’s a “wow” factor to an eclipse that isn’t like anything else I’ve experienced. I can definitely understand why other people will travel to watch one. In fact, now that I’ve got the glasses, I might just do that myself.
Something pretty unusual will happen today in Columbus. We’re on the edge of the path of a total solar eclipse, where the moon will pass by the face of the sun. The downtown area will experience 99.6 percent totality for a few minutes starting at 3:07 p.m. this afternoon. If you want 100 percent totality, you’ll need to head north. Akron and Cleveland, among other Ohio cities, are on the totality track, which you can check out here.
Here’s an interesting statistic about just how rare it is to have a total solar eclipse visible in Ohio: the last one happened in 1806, only three years after Ohio became a state, The Ohio Department of Natural Resources notes that only 21 total solar eclipses have crossed the lower 48 states during the entire existence of the United States. The next one to hit Ohio won’t arrive until 2099.
Given the unusual nature of the eclipse experience, people in Columbus don’t quite know what to expect. There have been some weird warnings about making sure your car is gassed up, because there could be an influx of eclipse watchers coming to town and guzzling up our gas supplies, and traffic is expected to be bad because of potential visitors. Don’t be surprised if people have responded to the warnings by going to the store and stocking up on toilet paper, just as they would if a big storm were in the weather forecast.
I’ll head outside to check out the eclipse when near-totality occurs, but there may be a big catch: it is April in Ohio, which is a cloudy time. We don’t know if the sun will even be visible through the standard cloud cover. Right now, the weather app is predicting cloudy conditions between 3 and 4 p.m. Keep your fingers crossed that there will be a break in the clouds so we all can get a glimpse of a pretty amazing celestial spectacle.
Yesterday we had some errands to do that took us out of the downtown Columbus footprint. We ended up in the uncharted wilds of Grandview, where we decided to visit a Grandview staple–the DK Diner.
I’d never been there before, but I knew I liked it as soon as we pulled up. There were telltale signs of a good diner immediately apparent–people outside who seemed happy, not surly, about the prospect of waiting for a few minutes for a table, and a decidedly unpretentious air about the place. In fact, part of the seating area (and where we ultimately ended up) is in a tent added on to provide some extra seating. Those kinds of messages tell you something about a neighborhood joint–the locals like it and the food is good enough to justify a wait.
It was a little after noon, so we were still in the Weekend Decision Zone time period, where you could opt for a late breakfast rush headlong into lunch. The DK is known for its pancakes, doughnuts, and other breakfast chow, but I felt my taste buds being pulled to the lunch end of the DK menu spectrum. I settled on an elm burger, which comes with white cheddar cheese, bacon jam, a buttered brioche bun, and “elm sauce.” I’d never heard of “elm sauce” before, and when I asked, our waitress said it was some kind of spicy Asian mayonnaise. When I heard that, I knew I had to try one.
Wow! What a burger! Juicy, messy, and packed with flavor in every bite, the elm burger was fantastic–in fact, one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long while. It was so good I immediately declared that I would go back to the DK just to get another elm burger, and I mean it, too. With a nice serving of very crisp chips, which I promptly dipped in Frank’s hot sauce and the drippings from the burger, the elm burger vastly exceeded my expectations. And after eating it, I’m still not entirely sure what is in that mysterious elm sauce–but I’m pretty sure I’d eat tree bark if I could dip it in elm sauce.
One other consideration about the DK Diner: in an era where food prices and restaurant menu items seem to be increasing every day, the DK Diner menu offers a lot of bargains. Great food, low prices: DK Diner, where have you been all my life?
This morning the work crews had blocked off the intersection of Gay and High Streets and were busy putting up Current, the sculpture that hangs over that intersection during the warmer months of the year. The sculpture isn’t designed to withstand the weight of accumulated snow, ice, and freezing rain, so they take it down over the winter months. It’s actually a bit aggressive to put it up in early April, because Columbus has been known to get April snowstorms from time to time. None are in the short-term forecast–but April weather is notoriously fickle and can turn on a dime. We’ll just have to hope it stays above freezing.
As I watched the workers and cranes hoist Current into place, I was briefly tempted to go up to one of the guys in a hard hat and say, with a serious expression on my face: “Aren’t you hanging it upside down?” They probably wouldn’t have thought that was very funny, however.
In 1986, when I was a brand-new associate at the law firm, I realized when I got to work one day that I had forgotten to wear a belt. Embarrassed, I searched for a place near the office where I could buy one. I went to a department store called Madison’s in the building shown above, happily found a belt, bought it, and went back to work. At the time, Madison’s was a local department store that had several locations around town.
My purchase of a belt didn’t keep that department store in business, however. It closed very shortly thereafter, and the building fell into disuse. It sat empty for decades, right at the intersection of Gay and High Streets in the heart of downtown Columbus. That empty building, and others right next to it, gave the area a kind of forlorn look.
But now the buildings have been rehabbed, and the former department store has become an upscale apartment building, aptly called The Madison, that hopes to take advantage of the hot downtown Columbus housing market. You can see information about the 1- and 2-bedroom apartments here. They look like nice places for anyone who is interested in living in the vibrant Gay Street District.
Urban renewal is an ongoing thing in America, but I think it works best when the salvageable old buildings are reused and repurposed. The work on the Madison maintains a vintage building that fits right in with the prevailing Gay Street vibe and turns what was an eyesore into a nice residential facility. It’s another good addition to the downtown scene.
Yesterday we went to a barbecue place called Pecan Penny’s for lunch. The menu offers traditional sandwiches, ribs, and platters, and also “BBQ bowls.” The BBQ bowls allow you to build your own dish by putting everything that would have come separately into a bowl. You start with your choice of a “base,” add a protein, “load it up” and then add toppings. I went for cheddar grits for the base, pulled pork, and cheddar cheese and smoked pecans for toppings. Our server later delivered a bowl containing all of those ingredients. I added some Carolina mustard sauce, mixed it all up so that each forkful would have its share of grits, pork, sauce, pecans, and cheese, and happily shoveled it down. It was very good.
I’m probably behind the curve on this, but lately I’ve noticed that more and more restaurants are offering bowl food. I suspect that Chipotle was the first to really focus on this, with its deconstructed burrito in a bowl, but now bowl options seem to be everywhere–at KFC, at taco joints, and pretty much wherever going with the traditional handheld consumption approach would be messy. Taco bowls avoid the hard taco shell disintegration problem, and the KFC bowls no doubt take the “finger-lickin'” out of “finger-lickin’ good” chicken. As for the BBQ bowls at Pecan Penny’s, yesterday is the first time I can remember finishing a meal at a bar-b-q place where I didn’t have to immediately head to the facilities to soap up and wash the sticky veneer of barbecue sauce off my hands.
The bowls also allow you to easily mix up your food. They’d be anathema to fussy people who like to consume their main dish and sides separately, but if, like me, you like to mix things up, the bowls are a very handy method of doing so. I figure it’s all going to end up in the same place, anyway, and I like the flavors in combination.
There are times when only a standalone handheld will really hit the spot–like when you’re wearing sunglasses, a ball cap, a t-shirt, and shorts while on vacation, eating outside on a bright sunny day when a chance to lick barbecue sauce off your fingers and chase it with a cold beer is really the only way to go–but if you’re wearing a suit and tie on a work day the bowl option is a nice one to have.
Recently some friends from high school were in town–for a memorial service for one of our classmates, regrettably–and we decided to get together for lunch. They’ve long since moved away from Columbus, so I was trying to think of a place we could go that they would remember from our high school days.
This was easier said than done, because our high school days ended in the ’70s and pretty much everything in Columbus has changed dramatically since then. Most of the places we knew from that time went out of business, or were torn down entirely, decades ago. I could only think of one place that has survived: Tommy’s Pizza. It was a big hangout in high school, especially for pizzas before and after home football games, and it still occupies its traditional spot with the familiar towering “Tommy’s” sign shown above–so Tommy’s it was.
Our visit was the first time I’ve been to Tommy’s in many years, and it was like going back in time. So far as we could tell, the interior was identical to what it was 50 years ago, with the same entrance, the same pick-up counter just inside the front door with the stacks of “Tommy’s Pizza” boxes and hand-lettered signage written on the round cardboard inserts that Tommy’s puts under pizzas before boxing them up for a carry-out order. The tables, chairs, and configuration of the seating areas all seemed to be unchanged, too, and so far as we knew the same waitresses were still taking orders and delivering hot pizzas fresh from the oven. And the pizzas we got were the same great, crispy, thin crust pies that Tommy’s has been serving since those high school days.
The sense of sameness and memory evoked by our lunchtime visit to Tommy’s was very striking, especially in view of the sad event that brought us all together in the first place. It was oddly comforting, and cool, to think that one place from our youth was still there, pretty much unchanged by the passage of time. Columbus has changed a lot, but I’m happy to report that Tommy’s Pizza is still there, just as it always has been.
Some restaurant spots seem destined to change hands repeatedly, housing one restaurant after another without much of an opportunity to get to know any of them. That’s been true of the restaurant location at 201 S. High St., under the old-fashioned “Restaurant” sign. It was once de Novo, then it was a taco place, then it was Lola’s, then it was a place called the Downtown Tavern–and I’m probably forgetting a few of the places that existed in between.
Yesterday our lunch bunch went to the newest venture to occupy the spot. Called Hydeout Kitchen & Bar, it offers a nice lunch menu. The layout of the place looks pretty much the same as it always has, with a long bar and booths against the opposing wall. We sat at a booth, perused the menu, and were immediately tantalized by the fact that it offered potato pancakes as a side dish.
Potato pancakes, for the uninitiated, are a high-risk option. When poorly made, you are presented with what tastes like lukewarm leftover instant mashed potatoes covered in sawdust. When well made, the coating is crispy and crackling, the potatoes inside are hot and have some texture, and you add dollops or sour cream and applesauce for a true taste treat. Alas, we learned that the potato pancakes weren’t available yesterday, so we’ll have to go back to learn where the Hydeout version places on the potato pancake spectrum.
That was okay, however, because I was able to apply the cheeseburger test–which I’m happy to report was passed with flying colors. Hydeout’s burger, shown above, is very tasty indeed, and combined the essential qualities of good meat, fine patty formation, proper cooking, tangy cheese, and onions, and they add a dab of mustard to give it a special zing. The fries were excellent, too–crunchy on the outside, hot on the inside, and presented in a reasonable, and not excessive, portion size. They make their own hot sauce, too, which was an excellent complement to the fries and the burger.
So we’ll be going back to Hydeout–assuming it sticks around for a while–and I’ll gladly try another of their sandwiches in hopes of sampling an elusive potato pancake. Now that I’ve been tempted, I’ll have to see it through to completion.
It’s a drizzly, wet, gray Saturday morning in Columbus, Ohio, with temperatures in the low 50s–which is about part for the course the Midwest in March. It’s not exactly the kind of day that encourages you to get outside and do anything. On the other hand, it’s ideal for staying indoors, listening to music, and trying to get caught up on checklist items that have languished during the work week.
On days like this, I like listening to Mozart. This morning, I am enjoying an excellent recording of Mozart piano sonatas by Orli Shaham. It’s ideally suited for a damp day. The pieces are bright, tuneful, and interesting yet calming–the kind of music that helps you focus as you tackle the tasks on your to-do list.
Years ago, back in the CD era, I had a CD called Mozart for the Morning Commute that featured music designed to keep you alert as you navigated the roadways to the office. I wore that CD out. Based on what I’ve read, Mozart was more of an evening person than a morning person, but his music certainly is ideally suited to the morning hours.
Restaurants tend to come and go. It’s nice when you find a place that actually stays open long-term, continuing to reliably provide the good food and friendly service you’ve come to expect . . . and value.
So it is with the Tip Top, located on Gay Street in the heart of downtown. I’ve been there countless times–for lunch, for dinner, for Sunday brunch, for drinks after work, for fantasy sports drafts, and for a wedding after-party. Unlike other downtown spots, it survived the COVID weirdness, and with its comfort food-oriented menu, its long bar, its rotating draft beer list, and its array of high-top tables, it has remained a reasonably priced, dependable-quality, tried-and-true staple of the downtown dining scene for years.
The new owners evidently have big plans for the Tip Top, including physical renovations. That’s the way of the world in the restaurant business, and as Gay Street itself continues to change, it’s inevitable that the Gay Street businesses will, too. I’m just hoping the new owners keep my favorite lunchtime order–the succulent, melt-in-your-mouth pot roast sandwich with chips, which I got with either malt vinegar or hot sauce–on the menu. But that’s the risk when a long-time favorite moves on to new ownership.
Webner House 