Columbus is known far and wide for our local brews and spirits - but did you know there are also lots of great wineries around the city? One fun choice for a night out, right in the heart of the Short North Arts District, is Camelot Cellars . Camelot is celebrating it’s one-year anniversary of being back under local management. In the past year, the whole storefront has been transformed into a casual yet sophisticated space to enjoy the award-winning wine, conversation, and maybe do some people watching along High Street. Camelot also give guest the chance to make their own wine!

Camelot is celebrating its anniversary 7-10 p.m., Feb. 8 , with complimentary appetizers, $2 off all glasses of wine, gift bags from local Short North businesses, and chance to win a $200 gift certificate towards crafting your very own wine at Camelot Cellars. So stop in, have a glass of wine, enjoy some great company and toast to the success of this great local business!

For more inspiration on the local drinks scene, check out our Pinterest Board: Columbus Drinks .

It’s no secret that Central Ohio isn’t the warmest place to be in February, so Thurber House , a nonprofit literary museum and center located in the former home of writer and cartoonist James Thurber, is bringing warmth and sunshine to Columbus through New York Times bestselling author Tim Dorsey .

On Feb. 22, Thurber House’s Evenings with Authors series welcomes Dorsey as he shares from his newest book, Pineapple Grenade, set in sunny Miami, Fla. His fifteenth novel features Serge Storms, the hero of Dorsey’s stories, and the series of events he finds himself in including getting involved with Homeland Security, umbrella drinks, a dictator, murder and madcap adventure. The reading begins at 7:30 p.m. and is at the Columbus Museum of Art . (Click here for more details.)

We’re giving you the chance win a pair of tickets to hear Tim share from his hilarious new novel, ask questions and meet and greet with him after the event during a book signing.

Here’s how to win: Leave a comment below, or tweet at us (@ExpCols ) with the best book you’ve read this winter to be entered to win a pair of tickets to Evenings with Authors featuring Tim Dorsey. All entries must be posted by Thursday, Feb. 9 . One entry per person, please. We’ll randomly select the winners and notify you if you’ve won by Feb. 10.

I think of the Short North as my preferred shopping mall, and Substance (783 N. High St.) has been my favorite store there for years. Many of the beautiful clothes and accessories owner Christina Getachew stocks are organic, fair trade, re-purposed or vegan friendly. They’re also beautiful … and contemporary, yet timeless enough that I know I can wear what I purchase for years.

A year ago, something happened to make me love Substance even more. Christina opened up her second floor space to local artists, supporting entrepreneurs and introducing customers like me to exciting locally designed and produced fashion and products. Loft tenants include: Elizabeth Stevenson, owner of Elizabeth Ashleigh Designs, known for the gorgeous quality of her up-cycled vintage pieces; C & E Designs, a team of collectors who offer a varied array of refurbished vintage jewelry; J Squared Organics , whose soaps made #6 on Columbus Underground’s Best of 2011 Top 10 Locally Made Products list; and Josie Wills, whose background in pageant gown design brings a flair for the formal to her original pieces.

Substance Lofts will be celebrating its one-year anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 4, 4 – 6 p.m. All of the artists will be present to meet and greet visitors, along with guest artist Linda P. Miller with some of her jewelry designs featuring, hand-forged and imprinted mixed metals, charms, natural gemstones, crystals, and leather.

If you’ve never been to Substance, this would be an ideal time to check it out. If you have, you don’t need an excuse to go – you know it will be fun.

This post is written by fashion blogger Kholá Waddy-Jones of Kholá’s Kloset.

So you’re visiting the Capital City. You’ve been to all the ‘must see’ areas and now its time for some retail therapy. But where to go? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Here are my top 5 retail treasures in Columbus:

Jinny - (844 N High St., Columbus) This high end boutique has been featured in Lucky and Marie Claire magazines and resides in the ever so chic Short North district. If you want to get your hands on the newest Proenza Schouler PS1 bag, this is the place. Jinny carries the brands all ‘true’ fashionistas know and love- Givenchy, Lanvin, Maison Martin Margiela, The Row, Rick Owens and Alexander Wang to name a few.

Milk Bar – (765-A North High St., Columbus) Men’s, Women’s and accessories boutique also located in the Short North, Milk Bar is your go to for lesser known but still fabulous brands such as A.P.C, Life/After/Denim and Cheap Monday. The place to get great style and the peace of mind that you won’t be seeing your finds on everyone else.

Curiosity Shop – (3387 N High St., Columbus) The ‘Be All, End All’ for vintage jewelry. This Clintonville area shop carries over 15,000, yes THOUSAND pieces of costume jewelry for the late 1800’s to the 1980’s. It also has a small selection of fine jewelry. Find vintage pieces from names such as Miriam Haskell, Dior, Weiss, Trifari and more.

Captain Betty’s – (4 North Sandusky St., Delaware) In keeping with vintage, make the trip a bit outside the city, up 71 North to Delaware to visit Captain Betty’s. The most pristine vintage clothing in the state, arguably the Midwest, Captain Betty’s houses vintage clothing and accessories for men and women. The selection includes dresses, suits, furs, hats, scarves, jewelry and custom pieces you can’t find anywhere else.

Eclectiques Antique Mall – (3265 North High Street, Columbus) Making your way back to the city, be sure to stop by this unique antique mall. You’ll feel like you’ve just stepped into an episode of ‘American Pickers.’ With over 8,000 sq feet of browsing space, prepare to spend a few hours. Find everything from home decor, clothing, vinyl, jewelry and anything in between.

COSI is back with a new exhibit, RACE: Are We Really So Different. Visitors will be treated to a thought-provoking look at the cultural phenomenon of race. Early on, the exhibit shows there is no scientific basis for race, but that the effect of race are pervasive. The visually arresting photographs of Wing Young Huie demonstrate individuals’ very personal experiences with race, in a world where it’s illogical to classify people into categories.

You can look at your own skin under a microscope, put yourself into the shoes of people from different background to see how everyday life may be different, see the journey our species has taken from our common ancestor in Africa less than 150,000 years ago, and learn about the pseudoscientific methods people in eras gone by gauged race in a way that persists to the present day.

COSI’s education department has localized the exhibition by bringing in area high school students to talk about how race affects them. The students used their own backgrounds, feelings and points of view on race to design a locker. The Locker Project is on view in the corridor leading to the exhibition.

RACE will be on view at COSI through May 6.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been finding myself popping in for dinner pretty regularly. The menus are seasonal, and for a winter menu, I’ve found the offerings light and refreshing. Prices are reasonable and the quality of food is great. The best thing I’ve had so far was the Shrimp and Greens Stack, with sauteed napa cabbage in a sesame-based marinade topped with mesclun greens and butterflied shrimp. This is an appetizer, but was substantial enough for a main course. The seafood chowder was another standout - satisfying on a cold evening.

Another great dish is the Grouper and Chips - lightly battered and fried (can also be ordered grilled) and crispy shoestring fries. Be sure to order a side salad with this one if you’re looking for a veggie on your plate. The calamari appetizer is also outstanding. My wife has ordered the burger before, which has lots of housemade touches, and at $9 is a great value.

Have you been to T Murray’s yet? What do you like on the menu?

Tucked away on Jaeger Street, the guesthouse is just steps away from great restaurants like Barcelona , G Michaels and Lindey’s . There’s no big street sign, so you really do feel like you’re just walking into your very own Village pied a terre. What awaits you upon entry? A beautifully furnished living space with three guest suites, and a truly spectacular patio that ranks among the best in the Village.

Guests share the living room, kitchen (supplied with fresh baked banana bread, locally roasted coffee and basic fridge and pantry staples) and patio, and can retreat to their own private rooms, each with its own full bathroom. Each suite is an urban oasis, with ultra-plush mattresses and stylish, minimal decor that captures the German Village design sensibility.

If you’re looking more for loft-living, the Guesthouse also offers two 800-square-foot apartment s for visitors a few blocks away. The apartments are dog-friendly (a walk in Schiller Park with your pup will DEFINITELY make you feel like a local) and decorated with the same great style as the Guesthouse.

200Columbus Days is a city-wide partnership that runs Feb. 11-15, 2012, offering amazing deals and discounts for entertainment and shopping !

I t’s a great time to explore all the great things that make Columbus Columbus! So many of us have lived here for years but haven’t experienced the great activities right under our noses.  Marquee attractions around the city like COSI, Franklin Park Conservatory and the Columbus Museum of Art are offering great deals. If you’ve still never caught a Blue Jackets game, indulged in a tour with Columbus Food Adventures or caught a CATCO performance – they’re offering discount tickets, too!

To take advantage of these great deals, all you have to do is print out and show the 200Columbus Days flier or simply visit it on your mobile device and show the screen to the participating business’ ticket taker, cashier or restaurant server.

I hope you have a great time re-discovering the city! Make sure to share your experiences with 200Columbus: The Bicentennial on Facebook and Twitter !

Columbus is lucky to have a vibrant theater community. One theater company that makes it so vibrant is the Available Light Theatre Company. Founded six years ago, Available Light has catapulted itself among the best theaters in the city. Having just moved here from Chicago, I was anxious to see one of their productions. I was delighted to attend their most recent production, 33 Variations.

The play is about Beethoven’s obsession with Diabelli Variations and a terminally ill, present-day scholar who is equally obsessed with Beethoven’s intentions in writing the variations. The scholar’s daughter relentlessly worries about her mother’s well-being.

The director, Eleni Papaleonardos, showcases raw human obsession, its timeless existence, and the gift which comes from it. She makes bold choices and organically grows wonderful moments.

The show is hilarious, touching, thoughtful, and fantastical. I left caring about every character and woke up thinking about them this morning.

This weekend if your last chance to catch 33 Variations:

Friday, Jan. 20 @ 8 p.m. + TALKBACK
Saturday, Jan. 21 @ 8 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 22 @ 2 p.m.

If you don’t get a chance to catch this show, their next show, Sleeper, opens Feb. 16. They perform at the Columbus Performing Arts Center.

Make an evening out of it: Have dinner at Indian Oven, walk through Topiary Park before the show (across the street from the theater), and enjoy Available Light Theatre Company.

The Columbus Clippers Opening Day is just 77 days away! Though the Huntington Park looks ready for a pick-up game right now. Excitement is already building for that first crack of the bat (April 5, against the Louisville Bats ) as the Clippers attempt a three-peat AAA championship season! It’s not too early to get your tickets!