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.

Photo: The Elevator

Dine Originals Week returns!

Mark your calendar to dine out March 8-14, when the 40 locally owned restaurants of Dine Originals Columbus will offer 7 days of original menus .

Aside from being delicious, Dine Originals Week menus are specially priced at $10.10, $20.10 or $30.10. A portion of the proceeds will support the education programs of Local Matters , a Central Ohio nonprofit that works to make local, healthy food accessible to everyone in our community.

Reservations are strongly encouraged, so go on and make one. Or two. Three?

There is no better time to support the local food scene and visit an old favorite or try something new.

A giveaway! Win a $50 Dine Originals Columbus gift certificate

To celebrate Dine Originals Week, we have a $50 gift certificate to give away to one lucky reader. It’s redeemable at any Dine Originals Columbus restaurant.

To enter, comment on this post and list at least one Dine Originals Columbus restaurant that you plan to visit during Dine Originals Week.

You can check out the full roster of Dine Originals Week menus here . If you’re familiar with Columbus restaurants, I think you’ll agree that this is an amazing lineup of some of Central Ohio’s best fare.

You must comment by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26 . After that time, we’ll select one random commenter to win.

UPDATE: The entry period has ended. Congratulations to our winner, Cory (#21)!

Photo: Randall Lee Schieber

Calling all Columbus-loving friends! To help you keep tabs on dining, playing, shopping and staying in Columbus, we’ve added some new features to our blog and the @ExpCols Twitter profile. Here’s the lowdown:

Columbus Conversation

Our blog now has a page called Columbus Conversation . Here, you’ll find links to the latest posts across the Web - news articles, reviews, blog posts, videos and more. If it’s a recent link about a place to dine, play, shop or stay in Columbus, chances are good that you’ll see it there.

To stay up to date on what’s new to the page, click here to subscribe - updates can be sent your RSS reader or to your email inbox (you’ll never receive more than one email a day, and sometimes less).

Columbus Widgets

We have a couple of new widgets that you can use to share links about Columbus on your own blog or Web site:

• Columbus Conversation widget: Features the links you see on the Columbus Conversation page I mentioned above.
• Columbus Events Calendar widget: Features links to upcoming events and things to do in Columbus (the links are pulled from the Columbus Events Calendar ).

You’ll find both widgets here . Click over to check them out and grab the code for installing them on your own corner of the Web.

Twitter lists

If you’re a Twitter user, you’ve probably noticed that they launched a lists feature back in November. If you click here , you’ll find all of the Experience Columbus Twitter lists:

• A list of dining - full of our restaurant friends
• A list of playing - full of entertainment and attractions
• A list of shopping - full of galleries, shops and markets
• A list of staying - full of places to lay your head during a visit
• A list of staff - all the tweeters who work for Experience Columbus or our sister organization, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission

Give any of the above lists a follow, and you’ll have an easy way to check in on the current dining, playing, shopping, and staying scene on Twitter.

And as always, you can connect with experiencing Columbus here, too:

• Facebook : Where we post updates and send special offers to fans.
• Flickr Group : Where amateur and professional photographers across the Web share their shots of Columbus.
• YouTube : Where you can watch over a dozen videos about the Columbus experience.
• FriendFeed : Where you can catch many of our updates in one place.

Do you have…

• Questions or suggestions?
• A blog we should be watching for posts that cover places to dine, play, shop or stay in Columbus (and therefore, links we might share on the Columbus Conversation page)?
• A Twitter account that belongs on one of our lists?

Please let us know. Leave a comment or send a tweet to @ExpCols . We’d be glad to hear from you.

Sushi Rock

As an avid sushi lover, I recently went to Sushi Rock on the Cap at Union Station to see how they compare to other sushi places in Columbus. The result was pleasantly surprising!

If I had to use one word to sum up the atmosphere, it would be “sexy”. With red lighting and sleek interior, the atmosphere is hip and would be a fabulous place to take a date. I tried a few things from the menu (I tried to order things different than the normal handrolls), and my favorite by far was Mr. Kim’s Special. This art-on-a-plate sushi was nothing like I had ever had before. Somehow Chef Kim blended tuna, kiwi, pineapple (and a few other ingredients) together in a crispy shell for a mouthful of indulgence in every bite. I would get this again in a heartbeat and recommend it to anyone.

Sushi Rock also has happy hour specials. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, you can get $4 Maki rolls, $4 martinis, $4 house wines, $2 domestic beer and $3 import beers - great deals for trying Sushi Rock on a budget.

Opera Columbus presents
Romeo & Juliet
Photo: GroovyDoodle Photography

Wondering how to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Columbus?  Below you’ll find ideas for singles, couples and families. Everything listed here is happening on Feb. 14 unless otherwise noted.

Entertainment

• Ballet Met presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream , a comedic ballet based on the Shakespeare classic. Performances are at the Capitol Theatre, February 5-14. Tickets start at $25.

• Opera Columbus presents one of the world’s most famous love stories, Romeo & Juliet .  Performances are at the Ohio Theatre, February 12-14 . Tickets are $27.50-$102.50.

• From 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, BoMA is hosting The Rose Party - a night filled with music, dinner and dancing. There will be a buffet dinner, introductory dance class, a dance CD giveaway, and a professional dance show. Tickets are $20 or $25 at the door. VIP tickets are $35 or $40 at the door.

Dining

• At Barcelona Restaurant & Bar in German Village, enjoy dinner with music by Trista Hill , who performs in classical, popular and jazz styles. (more…)
  

Photo: G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar

Restaurant Week Columbus was last week, and I was presented with the difficult decision of selecting a restaurant from the list of enticing three-course deals. There was one restaurant on the list that I’ve always heard great things about, but hadn’t yet tried: G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar . I made my decision and quickly made my reservation. And I was not disappointed.

When I walked into the restaurant located in historic German Village , I thought the décor could be described as classic and contemporary, but the exposed brick walls gave it a comfortable and homey feel. It was early Friday evening, and the restaurant and bar were considerably busy and buzzing with conversations and laughter. We were immediately seated and greeted by our server.

I made my dinner selections from the Restaurant Week menu, but I browsed the regular menu and was impressed. It was much like their décor: contemporary in terms of their sophisticated seafood and unique pairings, but comfortable in regards to items like as grits and southern-fried chicken.

My first course from the Restaurant Week menu was their house salad made with poached pears, spiced pecans and gorgonzola vinaigrette, which was sweet and extremely fresh. My main course was seared scallops with braised short ribs, which I thought was the perfect example of a more refined food item (the scallops) paired with, in my opinion, the ultimate comfort meal (meat, potatoes and green beans). For dessert, I selected a delicious trio of one of Columbus’ favorite desserts: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams . The entire meal and experience was incredibly satisfying.

If you’d like to experience a similar three-course meal for $30, check out G. Michael’s on Monday nights (menu selections change each week).

To sum it all up: my expectations for G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar were high, but they were definitely met. Great environment, great service and great food. If you’re looking for a place where elegance meets comfort, I highly recommend it.

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…)

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 two of three, with suggestions geared to the business traveler.

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With Columbus being the state capital and the home of 14 Fortune 1,000 companies (six of which are Fortune 500), it is a frequent stop among business travelers. The city is located within a one-day drive or one-hour flight of nearly half of the population of the U.S. and Canada, so those who do travel here may be in and out of town in a day or after a brief overnight stay.

Here are some helpful tips and recommendations to make the most of your visit.

Where to Stay
Like I mentioned in the family travel post , there are several great hotel options at varying price points around downtown - click here to check them out. One property great for business travelers is The Columbus, A Renaissance Hotel , located on N. 3rd St. in the heart of downtown and near the capital, Nationwide Arena and the Greater Columbus Convention Center . The Columbus has the city’s only seasonal rooftop pool with great views of downtown; it’s often the site of an impromptu happy hour and always a great place to relax or swim a few laps. The hotel also has Wi-Fi access throughout, a large lounge and bar in the lobby.

Where to Eat

Photo: Latitude 41

If you’re staying at The Columbus, I recommend dining at Latitude 41 .  It’s located in the lobby of the hotel and it’s known for unique American cuisine. Also, a quick walk down Gay Street (across from the hotel) offers several unique Columbus restaurant options including fine Italian at Due Amici , great comfort food at Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails and Cuban cuisine at Plantain Cafe.

Once you’re done with business, a few great places to get dinner and a drink with locals downtown include the Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus , M restaurant, Mitchell’s Steakhouse and The River Club at Confluence Park .

Another uniquely Columbus eatery is our public market, the North Market . This is one of my favorite places to grab a quick bite and people-watch, as it is home to dozens of unique, independent merchants and farmers. Merchants offer ethnic food specialties, gourmet groceries, flowers and gifts. (more…)

Photo: Barcelona Restaurant & Bar

Ok, so after the holidays, maybe going out to dinner is not your first thought. But, getting out of the house and trying out a new place does sound pretty good. And, getting a deal on your meal makes it totally worthwhile to brave the elements.

Check out the 40 restaurants that are a part of Restaurant Week Columbus, Jan. 18-23.

Some of my favorites are Figlio Wood Fired Pizza , Cameron’s American Bistro , Barcelona , Mezzo and the Upper Arlington Hyde Park location, the original in Columbus.

Each restaurant is offering a fixed-price, three-course meal for between $15-$35 per person. Most give you the choice among two or three selections each for an appetizer, main course and dessert. For example, at Figlio you can have Peasant Salad, Beef Tenderloin Medallions and Chocolate Silk Pie for only $20 per person.

Pick a place you’ve never been and make your reservation now. Some restaurants will fill up. For a list of participating restaurants, visit RestaurantWeekColumbus.com . The event is presented by (614) Magazine .

Where will you be dining?