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Designated Driver
Or, a non-drinker's guide to bars and pubs and beer-centric dining.
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11 Places
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Sara’s 4-star review: After a thwarted attempt to meet up at Italian Village's newest-hour-long-wait, a friend and I ended up here for a dinner meet-up -- and I'm glad we did! We shared a bunch of small plates, which is definitely the way to go: bayou bites, fall balls, little foot, sauteed squid salad, and pate. My favorite was probably the squid salad, which was more like a stir-fry since it was all cooked vegetables, with crunchy fried squid tentacles and nice chunks of squid. The bayou bites (fried alligator) was also delicious and not too heavy. I found the texture of the pate to be a bit too crumbly for easy spreading. The fall balls (which the waiter said was one of their most popular items) were a bit like a heavy, savory donut of squash -- an interesting mix of textures, but not something I would want five of. The little foot had a lot of things going on -- including a scrumptious over easy egg -- but the barbecue flavor got too overwhelming for me after a few bites. The space was open and airy, and they didn't seem to mind that we lingered over small bites for a couple of hours total (granted it was a Wednesday night -- not the most busy time, I suppose). The menu had a decent number of vegetarian friendly options. I'd definitely come back, especially to try more small plates and order that squid salad again. -
Sara’s 3-star review: It's all right. We came later in the evening on a Friday night, and though it wasn't packed, the service was a bit on the slow side. I like that they always have a root beer selection on tap. We ended up with a half plain cheese and half grape pizza. I think it might have been a little overdone because the crust was very dry and chewy, and the edges were very wide (ie, not enough sauce to the edge of the pizza). I'd had the grape pizza before at their Worthington location, and remembered liking it a lot more than I did here. Maybe we just caught them on an off day, but with this many up-and-coming choices in the Short North, you can't afford to have too many of those. -
Sara’s 3-star review: I've been eyeing this place ever since I saw the "coming soon" signage on the building. My mental image of "Polynesian Tiki Bar Grill and Sushi" was of a cheesy quasi-trendy theme restaurant a la Rainforest Cafe, so I was a little skeptical coming here. Anyway, I met up with Lea P. here on a rare free weeknight. It wasn't terribly busy, and I found the ambiance to be surprisingly classy. Our waiter was nice (but he didn't know how to pronounce "kabocha" either). I had the aforementioned kabocha roll, salmon nigiri (always my first choice for trying out a new sushi place) and sashimi roll (which is a slippery little thing wrapped in cucumber). Everything was tasty, but nothing was over-the-top-amazing (especially for the price). They do seem to have a $10 lunch special and happy hour M-Sat from 3-7 (but no sushi deals during HH). I'll likely be back since it's just down the street from where I live, but you're definitely paying for the High Street location. -
Sara’s 3-star review: Said several times over the course of the evening: "Wow, this place is hopping!" "This really must be the place to be!" After the Yelp event earlier this year, I had bookmarked this place for a return visit, so when I was delegated person-in-charge of organizing a reunion for a bunch of former coworkers, this was the first place that came to mind, mostly due to the number of beer aficionados in the group. We made the mistake of meeting on a Friday evening -- one of the group showed up around 6:30 to check out the bar and get on the waiting list. Our group of seven was seated about an hour and a half later. It was definitely loud and crowded while waiting, and since we had so many people we were kind of awkwardly crowded around the bar. Other reviewers have pointed out that there is not enough space for waiting, despite the bar area and some additional standing area. They do take your name and phone number so you could wander around the adjacent mall area if you wanted, but you can't take your beer there. Once seated in a booth, our waitress was super patient as we fumbled through menus, ordered more drinks, picked out appetizers and pizzas, and informed her that we were going to need five separate checks, all of which was handled with grace and good humor. I did have the draft root beer, which was good, if a little on the sweet side. The group shared the rosemary garlic flatbread and the pork and pepper nachos. The flatbread came drizzled with balsamic and served with a scoop of goat cheese in a ramekin -- for a moment, we all thought that it was drizzled with chocolate and served with a scoop of ice cream because it looked so dessert-like. The nachos could have easily fed two people as an entree. For pizzas, we got the grape pie with steak, the black bean pie, the chicken gouda pie, and something else, I think it might have been the Cuban pork pie. I only got around to trying the grape and the chicken gouda. Next time I might go with bacon or sausage on the grape pizza instead of steak. We had at least a pizza and a half's worth of leftovers. A couple of people in the group were a little disappointed that there was no actual pie for dessert, though by that point everyone was too full for dessert anyway. The waitress successfully split all the checks correctly (she also did a great job at keeping everyone supplied with drinks throughout the meal). It was nearing ten PM by the time we all left, and it was only just then starting to clear out a bit in the restaurant. This is more like 3.5 stars, and probably would be 4 stars if we had come on a less crowded evening, or if there were a reservation system. The food and drinks and service were great, but coming here with a group on a weekend night is probably not going to give you the greatest or most relaxing experience. -
Sara’s 3-star review: Lea P and I were looking for a place to grab dinner before a concert over at the Basement, and an initial glance over the Arena District restaurant listings didn't seem to have many options outside of bars and pubs. Luke T. suggested this place (specifically the portabello burger and the mac 'n' cheese). It was pretty quiet on a Tuesday around seven, probably in part because a Blue Jackets game was scheduled for seven. It was a little confusing at first figuring out the seating situation, but after a second we noticed the host stand sign over the mostly hidden stand. We were easily seated in a booth, which had little jacket hooks that surprisingly did not let our coats fall to the floor during the meal. Our waitress informed us that burgers are $6 on Tuesdays (with the exception of one or two specialties), which is a savings of $4 or 5. I had wanted to try the truffle mac 'n' cheese that Luke had so highly recommended, but it was only offered in a full-size entree (no half or side orders), and I regretfully decided against attempting that much lactose and pasta. I ended up getting the Caprese Breezy burger with the kettle chips as a side. For six dollars, I thought the burger was pretty good -- it featured shredded basil, tomato, and mozzarella, and was pretty hefty. The bun stood up for the entire burger and was sturdy enough that I didn't have to resort to knife/fork. The kettle chips were acceptable, though I realized that I really don't like them in general as much as I think I do when I order or buy them. The hostess was a little brisk in seating us, but our waitress was nice, checking up on us a couple of times and splitting our check with no fuss. This isn't really my scene, but I'd probably suggest this place on a Tuesday if I were meeting with someone who was into burgers and bars. -
Sara’s 5-star review: Quick! Go here before it explodes with popularity and you have to wait months to get in for a tour! I'd been wanting to check out this place ever since I heard about it last year, and finally on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I stuffed Dan in the car and we took a drive out to Lancaster. It's about a half hour drive, nice enough on a sunny day; that is, if you can manage to navigate out of Columbus's ridiculously always under construction freeways. Once you turn onto Lithopolis from Lamb, the farm comes up really quickly on your right, so be watching for it, especially if there are cars behind you. There is a little gravel road leading to a small parking lot between the brewery and the tasting room -- which is really a big beautiful house broken up into a bar area, seating areas, and a gorgeous patio. We were greeted by a big furry white dog and a woman named Judy, who is the mother of Matt, the brewmaster, who wasn't in today. She invited us in, showed us around the house, which really feels like someone's home, and got us settled on the patio with the beer flight, a carafe of water, and some bread. It was a little warm, but there were patio umbrellas, comfy chairs, and a lovely view of the farm. We leisurely sat and sipped, discovering that the flavors of the cask aged tripel are best when slightly warm. After we finished, Judy walked us over to the brewery to get a "tour" from Dennis, her husband. This consisted of us standing in the main room of the brewery while he showed us the different pots and pipes used to brew, took us into the adjacent aging room, talked about the ingredients, let us sniff the hops and taste the malt grains. He called the brewery a "nanobrewery" since they only presently produce two barrels a day but will be jumping up to twenty in a few months because of the demand and publicity that they've been getting. He walked us out to the yard and pointed us towards the chapel, the old bridge and waterfall, the "hops garden" and the cave, all on the farm's property, so we took a stroll around. Dan dubbed it a "miniature state park" what with the hiking, rock formations, and lovely scenery. This is a great place to spend an afternoon. Since they do not have a food menu yet, they encourage you to bring a picnic or your own food. There are picnic tables, plenty of tables and seating areas in the house. We spent over two hours enjoying the beer, learning about the operation of the brewery, talking with Judy and Dennis, exploring the property and generally just enjoying being outdoors and away from the city. Fabulous people, place, and product! -
Sara’s 4-star review: After laughing over some of the posted (and deleted) reviews on Yelp, I convinced (not that I really had to twist his arm after saying there was craft beer) Dan to come check this place out with me. This bar/shop is tucked into a cozy little space next to Impero and Whit's Frozen Custard. When we arrived around eight on Thursday evening, there were a few people standing around the bar mingling. There are several refrigerators of bottles on the left, and a nice bar area with some tables and stools to the right. There were three bartenders, two men and a woman, and she came over to check in with us, explain a little about their concept, and invited us to ask questions. We took a seat at the bar -- a neat polished cross-section of a tree -- and Dan picked out an American pale ale from the list of six taps. The bartenders were super friendly and talkative, responding eagerly to questions about their start-up, the research they did, and discussing the merits of the different beers on tap. Dan also tried the Stone 16th anniversary, which I didn't care for, but which he deemed "interesting." I really like the ambiance of the bar area, with the low lighting and dark wood, although Dan thought it needed a little artwork or some decoration. He is a little dubious about the long-term viability of the space, suggesting that the carry-out factor and the limited taps might not be able to sustain the business. It is quite a small space, and doesn't have the potential that Brothers Drake has for patio extension or performance venue. But if it were on the merits and the enthusiasm of the proprietors and bartenders, there'd be no doubt as to the success of this neat little bar. -
Sara’s 3-star review: The yakitori grill, Freshstreet, is located inside this bar, which was our primary motivation for coming here on Saturday. I had looked up the hours and location online, so as we navigated our way through Downtown and into the Brewery District, I spotted Shadowbox and we parked on the next block. Double Happiness is a narrow building across from Shadowbox, and it's easy to pass by if you aren't paying attention. We arrived a few minutes after 6:30, and were a little nervous about the sketchy looking entrance, which turned out to be locked. This was confusing. We stood there for a couple minutes looking for hours or a phone number when the door popped open and the bartender asked, "Have you been waiting long?" The narrowness of the building makes for an interesting layout. The decor is akin to those kitschy Chinatown shops with red paper lanterns and printed gold Chinese characters posted everywhere. There is a long narrow bar, the grill at the far end, a lofted lounge area above the stage, and lofted restrooms above the kitchen. The lounge area is furnished with red plush couches, some small stools and cube chairs, and decorated with more red lanterns and modern paintings. The bar is well stocked with local and national offerings; Dan got a gin and tonic, and I had one of the Ramune sodas. We also ordered from Freshstreet (see separate review here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/freshstreet-yakitori-columbus#hrid:lyF2Q3kHxlSDaNsz5Fc-lg), and lounged upstairs while eating. It was pretty early on Saturday, and we had the whole upstairs to ourselves for almost an hour, which was great, since I'm not really a fan of crowds in bars. It's not the kind of place that I would normally frequent, but Freshstreet got me in the door, and it was a cool place to hang out for a while. -
Sara’s 5-star review: I should probably update my review so my lame break-up story isn't my most recent post about Brothers Drake since it's so much more than a place to go drown your sorrows (although I'm thinking it's pretty good for that too). I still don't really like mead, although whenever someone comes to visit, I'll share the flight with them. I usually ask for whatever kombucha is available -- sometimes it's local bottles, sometimes it's actually on tap. They also do have some sodas if kombucha or mead are not your thing. Coming earlyish on Saturdays is the best time for me, since I can walk over from my apartment, get a drink, order something yummy from Tokyo GoGo, and grab a seat for people-watching. The bartenders are always super nice and the food is always delicious (though I tend to overestimate how much fried food I can eat, even if it is delicious enoki and chicken). It does get crowded later in the evening when the live music starts up, so I tend to duck out before it gets too oppressively close for introvert comfort. -
Sara’s 4-star review: After reading Seth D's review of Yellow Brick Pizza, I bookmarked it as a place that the boy would probably like, so on Saturday evening we wandered down Broad Street to Olde Towne East to check it out. I was a little worried about whether we'd be able to get a table since a lot of reviews mention the busyness, but it was surprisingly empty when we arrived around 6:30. It did fill up pretty quickly around seven. The boy spent a good bit of time perusing the beer list, while I quickly picked out the Abita root beer that Seth D. wrote about. The root beer was cool but not cold, and made my heart beat faster (literally -- I had heart palpitations for the rest of the evening, which may not have really been a good thing). The boy had two beers that were on tap -- an IPA that he really liked, and something made with tea, which he wasn't a big fan of despite the fact that it smelled like Christmas. The antipasto salad that we had wanted to order was no longer available (though still printed on the menu and online), so we got the Greek salad instead, and the classico pizza. The salad had a lot going on -- lettuce with green peppers, red onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, and herbs. The pizza was a thin, crackery crust lightly topped with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, olives, green peppers, and cheese. The medium was plenty for the two of us. Our total came to about $45, which isn't bad considering the two beers. I imagine we'll return, although I may have to work on getting the boy to try some of the more creative pizzas. Sidenote: The boy pointed out that the clientele consisted almost solely of white folks who were driving into the neighborhood; the whole time we were there, we only saw one other interracial family group with a white husband, black wife, and interracial son. This led to a discussion about gentrification and the oddly stratified surrounding neighborhood (a couple streets of well-preserved houses, a couple streets of poorly maintained rental properties), and whether the influx of relatively wealthier patronage of this restaurant and the other businesses across the street were doing anything for the people in the neighborhood. Unfortunately no conclusions were made regarding the sociological conditions, but the food and drink were pronounced "quite good." -
Sara’s 3-star review: Yesterday, the boy looked in the fridge, and said "Beer?" and I said, "No beer..." and he said "Beer!" A few minutes later, we were driving down High St. past what seemed like every single government building in Columbus. Arriving at World of Beer, it took a few minutes to find parking on the street. We didn't quite understand the concept before coming here, so the bar atmosphere was a little surprising, since we were expecting more of a storefront environment. The boy spent a few minutes flipping through the catalogue, picking out four beers which came to a total of over $20. The list price for an Anchor Steam porter was a surprising $5, although all the prices were discounted slightly off the list since we were taking the beer to go. The atmosphere seems like it would be fun for those who enjoy plenty of variety in their beer, but if you are penny-conscious, going to Andersons in Dublin will save you some money and still provide a good variety.
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