The Columbus Blue Jackets draw fans from all over the state of Ohio, the region and Canada. This post is for all of you traveling to Columbus for an upcoming game, as I’ll share some ideas of where to stay, eat and play when in town. Whether it’s your first or an annual trip, Columbus has much to offer and there are many reasons to stay the night and make it a getaway.

Arena District

Nationwide Arena, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, is located within the Arena District , a 95-acre planned development. The district features restaurants, nightclubs, the Arena Grand Theatre, Huntington Park (home of the Columbus Clippers) and the LC, an indoor/outdoor music hall.

Also, the Columbus Visitors Center is located just one block south of the arena. You can stop in to find out what else is going on while they’re in town, get recommendations on restaurants and even purchase tickets to the game.

See the Arena District for yourself, before you get here: (more…)

Cameron’s American Bistro

This post is part seven of a seven part series featuring Columbus happy hours . Here, Scott explores happy hour specials in Worthington. You can also check out options in the Short North Arts District , Grandview , Park Street , downtown and Easton Town Center .

When it comes to happy hour in Worthington, there is a more diverse scene than you might think. You can easily find great beer, wine and spirits along with unique food and dining at varying price points.

The Worthington Inn
One of Columbus most historic and consistently top ten restaurants, happy hour is from 3-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and includes half price on bar menu, $2 domestic beers, $2 off wine by the glass and $5 well drinks. Try the BBQ pork sliders, queso fundido, tomatillo salsa and pickled jalapeno for $6 or Warm garlic kettle chips with Point Reyes blue cheese sauce for $3.50.

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Refectory owner Kamal Boulos

When you talk about culinary traditions and fine dining in Columbus, there is one place that comes to my mind as the epitome of both. The Refectory is the most award-winning restaurant in Columbus and has received Zagat, DiRoNa and Wine Spectator Awards. As if that weren’t enough, The Refectory has also received the prestigious Four Diamond Award from AAA for 15 years in a row.

The menu developed by Chef Richard Blondin, a native of Lyon, France, offers contemporary American cuisine and classic French cuisine. Its also complemented by arguably the largest wine cellar in Columbus, which includes over 700 selections. My wife and I went for dinner with high expectations and we were not disappointed.

The dining room menu features a good mix of seafood and shellfish, meat and poultry and even several fantastic vegetarian options. For those of you fin lovers, the salmon duet hors d’oeuvre is fantastic mix of cold and hot smoked salmon and it’s plated beautifully. My favorite, though, has to be the alpaca terrine with pistachio, olives and cranberry pumpkin vinaigrette. So good, I almost ordered two of them. (more…)

Yesterday was the opening of Susurrus at the Franklin Park Conservatory, so my coworker Kelly and I went to check it out. Written and directed by Glasgow playwright David Leddy, Susurrus is a unique audio play presented in botanical gardens. This collaboration between the Wexner Center for the Arts and Franklin Park Conservatory runs through Oct. 24 Update! The show’s been extended and will run through Oct. 31.

Patrons are scheduled to begin their journey every 15 minutes to allow for a personal, uninterrupted experience. After receiving an iPod, headphones and a map from the visitor desk, we were on our way, walking through Franklin Park Conservatory as well as the grounds of Franklin Park itself, stopping at eight distinct spots during the play. (more…)

One of the fastest growing interests in the culinary world is the farm-to-table movement. So, we recently invited several food writers and bloggers from across the country to Columbus for a four day foodie frenzy. We took them to several locales that epitomize the farm-to-table movement and offer a twist that’s uniquely Columbus. Here are just a few of the places we went that would make a great stop for anyone.

Black Creek Bistro
Restaurateur/farmer Kent Peters is the owner of Black Creek Bistro, located in Olde Town East. Kent is one of Columbus’ best purveyors of the farm-to-table movement. Each morning he goes to his farm, which is 10 minutes from downtown, hops on his tractor powered by recycled kitchen oil and chooses what will be on the menu that night. The restaurant also features a great wine collection, including several Ohio wines to pair with the locally grown menu items. I would have to recommend the juiciest, fall off the bone chicken I’ve ever had in my life: the chicken confit. It’s a half confit chicken from Gerber Poultry in Kidron Ohio, served with pan jus and accompaniments du jour. Another great entrée is the pork mole tender consisting of pork loin scallops with mole sauce, guacamole and tortilla crisps with pickled vegetables and accompaniments du jour. Blackcreek Bistro offers a truly tasty farm-to-table experience.

Knead Urban Diner
For chef Richard Lopez and wife Krista Lopez, the word "knead" means making everything by hand, the old fashioned way. Lots of love and plenty of local, fresh ingredients are key to their menu of Mex-Italian-Ohioana fusion items. One of my favorites, the "Motherclucker" chicken sandwich, elicits both chuckles and raves. (more…)

Checking out the polar bears

The highly anticipated Polar Frontier attraction at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium opened last month. I have been to many zoos and animal parks across the country, and I can honestly say this is the coolest exhibit I have ever seen.

Polar Frontier represents a long-abandoned mining town in the Arctic Circle, and connects you to the animals that live in some of the coldest climates in the world.

When you enter, the first animals you encounter are the Arctic fox - Ice, Anana, Cassius and Brutus. Their habitat is a garden shed that sits against the abandoned mine and includes an outdoor yard and indoor den with visitor viewing at both. (more…)

Monday, May 31 through Sunday, June 6, the top professional golfers in the world will converge on Muirfield Village Golf Club in the northwestern Columbus suburb of Dublin. The 35th Memorial Tournament is sure to be fun for all who attend.

To get you ready, we are sharing some tips and information to make sure your Memorial experience a memorable one.

Getting There and Around
Once you are 3-5 miles away from Muirfield Village, tune your car radio to 1610 AM for the latest traffic, parking and weather information. Carpooling is encouraged and you’ll want to plan your logistics in advance. Course maps are available as you enter the course, or you can click here to download one.

Survival Guide – Must Pack Items
Sunscreen, lip balm, hat, sunglasses and comfortable walking shoes. (You won’t believe the shoes that people seemingly think are comfortable and appropriate to walk around a golf course all day.)  You might also want to bring an umbrella, wind breaker and/or poncho if inclement weather is in the forecast.

Things to Leave in the Car or at Home
Don’t bother bringing the following items as they are banned from entering the course. For a complete list of banned items, click here .

• Cell phones
• Still cameras (acceptable on practice days only; banned Thursday through Sunday)
• Video cameras
• MP3 players
• Binoculars
• Bottled beverages, water included
• Chairs with arms

Pictures and Autographs
If you want to take photos, you must go out on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. These practice rounds are the only days the public is allowed to take still cameras out on the course. Video cameras are never allowed on the course.

You are prohibited from asking for a player’s autograph while on the course all week, but you can ask for their autograph upon them exiting the course, most likely at the 18th green as they walk to the clubhouse to turn in their scorecard.

The 19th Hole
If you are looking for some fun, food and good company after the tournament ends each day, head over to the Bogey Inn , a perennial favorite for Memorial enthusiasts (and non-enthusiasts, too). If you park in the public lot on Dublin Road south of Glick Road and enter the course at the 6th tee, you’re in the best possible position to experience the tournament and the "19th hole."

For more information about the Memorial Tournament, click here to visit their Web site. To buy tournament badges, click here .

When you think of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Columbus, one place that easily stands out is the northwest suburb of Dublin. They take Irish pride to a whole new level all year long. In Dublin, “Irish is an attitude,” and their St. Patrick’s Day Celebration , held this Saturday, is no exception.

It all begins with a big Lion’s Club Pancake Breakfast from 7-11 a.m. at Sells Middle School, located at 150 West Bridge St. Adult admission is $6, children under 12 are $4.

Then, Dublin’s annual parade, expected to draw 20,000 spectators this year, begins at 11 a.m. It will start at the Metro Center and make its way east along Bridge Street through Historic Dublin - you can check out a map here . The parade features bands, floats, clowns, St. Patrick himself, leprechauns and all-things-green.

The community will also be filled with Irish-themed activities that would be fun to share with family or friends. Here are some ideas, all of them taking place on March 13:

• Irish Tasting event with live music - Whole Foods Market. 12-2 p.m. (3670 W. Dublin-Granville Rd.)
• Irish tea & scones with writer Cindy Thomson, author of Brigid of Ireland - TehKu Tea Company.  10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (55 S. High St.)
• Performance by the Celtic Band Mythica - The Brazenhead Irish Pub. 4-7 pm (56 N. High St.)
• Chocolate Guinness cupcakes and St. Pat’s decorated treats - Sugar, Inc. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. (36 N. High St.)
• The American Cancer Society Blarney Hop - The Shoppes at River Ridge. 12-4 p.m. (6436 Riverside Drive)

Click here for more St. Patrick’s Day Celebration info provided by the City of Dublin.

If you only had 24 hours to spend in Columbus, what would you do? This was a hard question for me to answer, but I’ve come up with a list of must sees and must dos that I feel will leave any visitor with an experience uniquely Columbus.

I’m sharing these ideas in a three part series - the first post is geared to families, the next to the business traveler, and finally, a post to help a local decide what to do with visiting friends or family.

Here’s part three of three, with suggestions geared to residents looking to entertain visiting friends or family.

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We all have friends and family come to visit us. And inevitably we all get asked the question, “So, what are we going to do while in town?”  Check out the following ideas for a fun Columbus experience and give your visitors a better sense of why you call Columbus home.

Where to Eat
My favorite place to take family and friends to eat in Columbus is Tasi Cafe . Located just behind High Street, Tasi’s offers freshly prepared comfort food with a unique flair. The casual atmosphere makes it a favorite of locals, and the menu offers breakfast, lunch and dinner options.

The Refectory is an AAA Four Diamond award winner, offering contemporary American cuisine and classic French cuisine. The restaurant’s location is unique - it’s inside of an old church, and the atmosphere has a rustic feel. Also, they have an amazing wine cellar with over 700 selections.

No matter what your visitors’ tastes, they are sure to find something they like at the North Market . Central Ohio’s historic public market since 1876 and located between the Short North and Arena District, it features fresh and prepared foods, and authentic ethnic cuisine. (more…)

Photo: Barrio

Owned by local restaurateur Jeff Mathes, who also owns Due Amici, Barrio opened in March of 2009. The tapas bar and lounge is open seven days a week and serves brunch, lunch and dinner. The menu features dishes from South America and Spain in a warm, neighborhood bar atmosphere. The wine menu is inspired by Argentina and Chile.

The new Express Lunch menu offers a wide variety of entrees to choose from, and sides including soup, salad, fries or chips and pico. Most items are around $10, making them a good value. I would recommend the fries, as they are deliciously drizzled with a sherry vinegar aioli, garlic and herbs. They are mouthwatering good.

My favorite menu item is the chorizo and manchego meatballs; I have been know to eat more than a few plates in one sitting. With any order you receive fresh bread that comes from North Market merchant Omega Artisan Baking , paired with a sweet creamy butter made with agave syrup and a side of ancho chili oil. (more…)