Photo:
PromoWest Productions

A couple Saturdays ago Serena Ryder, an amazing folk-singer who opened for Howie Day at The Basement , asked the concert goers to sing along with her. When her request was met with the majority of the crowd joining in on her chorus, she exclaimed, "Man, I love you Columbus!" As I swayed along to the beat, singing the lyrics myself, I looked around the venue at my fellow concert patrons and felt a surge of pride.

Of course, I can’t say that all Columbus concert-goers display the utmost respect and enthusiasm at every concert, but I think there’s a deep level of music appreciation in Columbus. I feel especially thankful for the presence of smaller, intimate concert venues in Columbus that allow me to experience all sorts of musicians.

There’s something so appealing about small venues. There’s a special connection between the musicians and the crowd. For example, I just recently attended an intimate preview concert of the Barenaked Ladies at A&R Music Bar . The band members were talking a lot between their songs and really engaging with the audience. I think this is partly because the A&R Music Bar has a fun, casual atmosphere that creates a comfortable vibe and allows the musicians and crowd to relate easier.

A similar vibe occurs at The Basement. When Howie Day came on to perform, he made a comment about how whenever he plays there, he feels like he’s in high school, in a friend’s basement while the parents are out of town. Of course, I don’t know of any basements that have such a large bar, but I can definitely relate to the comment because whenever I’m there, I get the sense that I’m with a whole bunch of friends, just hanging out and enjoying some music. There’s that comfortable, low-key atmosphere that really makes the music resonate that much more.

Yet another smaller concert venue is Newport Music Hall , located on The Ohio State University campus. While this venue is substantially larger than A&R Music Bar and The Basement, it still allows for you to get close to the stage with a general admission ticket. You also have the option of viewing the concert from the balcony, if you’d prefer that perspective. The venue itself is an older building that has a concert hall feel to it, and all in all, it’s another great Columbus concert venue to add to the list.

I love concerts of all sizes, but I have a distinct appreciation for the smaller venues. And as an avid concert-goer, I’m especially grateful for these precious Columbus gems.

For more info on these venues and concert lineups, check out the PromoWest Productions Web site .

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 haven’t heard about Columbus Neighborhoods, I highly recommend that you get acquainted. WOSU Public Media describes it like this:

"To celebrate Columbus’s bicentennial, WOSU Public Media is undertaking the production of Columbus Neighborhoods, a series of hour-long documentaries including extensive online resources about the city’s historic neighborhoods. It will feature a comprehensive series of documentaries, an innovative web component, community storytelling events, and classroom components that will be one of the most visible and memorable projects associated with the observance of the city’s bicentennial."

If you ask me, this is one very impressive project. I love that we now have a unique way to  get to know Columbus’ rich history. Two things to check out right away:

1. The Columbus Neighborhoods Web site .  It just launched this week, and it offers users an opportunity to share their own Columbus neighborhood story. You can upload photos, audio and video, launch discussions, and explore the uploads of others.

2. The upcoming series of Columbus Neighborhoods documentaries. Take a peek at the video trailer:

Six neighborhoods will be featured in their own hour long documentaries, and the Short North Arts District is first up. Local friends: Tune in on Monday, March 8 when it will air on WOSU TV at 8 p.m. (channel guide here ).

I attended the Short North documentary premiere last night at the Arena Grand, and found myself taken in by the story. Notable figures of Columbus past are highlighted along with various areas of the neighborhood, and local residents and historians share their knowledge. Discover what was happening here when The Ohio State University was that "new" university to the north, how the Short North got its name, what and where Flytown was, the story of the "Circus House" and more.  Cool side note: the documentary’s soundtrack features Columbus bands.

For more info about Columbus Neighborhoods, visit this link . You can also give them a follow on Twitter or fan them on Facebook .

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.

Ah yes, Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and you have to find something to do with that special someone. I thought I’d share my plan and expand on one of the Valentine’s Day ideas Scott shared earlier , because Opera Columbus has covered me for part of the weekend. I’ll be attending the opening performance of Romeo & Juliet at the Ohio Theatre with my girlfriend. Performances take place Friday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available here .

Tip: I was able to get my tickets on the cheap. As Opera Columbus shared on their Facebook page , if you use code FANS when buying your tickets, you’ll get a 20% discount.

And I’ll leave you with a fun fact -  the leads, Jonathan Boyd and Malinda Haslett, are a real life married couple. Brian Banion (Friar Lawrence) and Elise DesChamps (Stephano) are also a married couple. Love will certainly be in the air on stage.

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.

• At The Refectory , Chef Richard is preparing an exquisite five-course menu . Options include lobster mousseline, Ohio pheasant terrine, roasted bison loin, and chocolate lava cake, all for $85 per person.

• Due Amici will offer a “Be Our Italian Valentine” themed weekend. It kicks off Friday with “Third Wheel Valentines” for singles, then Saturday’s “Secret Valentines” and Sunday’s “Lover’s Night” with a Bloody Mary brunch and dinner for two, and finally  “Get Uncorked with the One You Love” on Monday with half-price bottles of wine and live jazz.

• Sushi Rock is offering a great special. For $75 you get a dinner for two including sushi, a main entrée, a bottle of house red or white wine to share, and dessert.

• On February 12-13 at the Ohio Historical Center , you can enjoy a romantic candlelight dinner followed by a concert of love ballads, comic songs, readings and romantic verse by the Ohio Village Singers.  Advance reservations required by Feb. 8 and the cost is $60 (parking is $4).

Outside of the Box
For something a little different, check out these options.

• JP’s Barbecue at Bolton Field Airport will offer an appetizer, dinner, and dessert buffet with music, dancing, games, prize giveaways and a champagne fountain. To top the night off, each couple can take a romantic plane ride around downtown Columbus. $159 per couple for party and airplane ride, $80 per couple for plane ride only. More details here .

• February 12, the Wexner Center for the Arts and The Blackwell team up for a getaway package designed for lovers of art and dance, as the Wexner Center plays host to the first stop on the farewell tour of the legendary Merce Cunningham Dance Company. In addition to two tickets to the dance concert and two gallery admission passes to see the Hard Targets exhibition on view at the Wex, the package includes deluxe accommodations at The Blackwell for two people, breakfast buffet, valet parking and special turndown service. Cost is $225 and the WexBlog offers more info here .

• Check out multiple experiences in Olde Worthington. A $25 per person package starts with pouring one gourmet soy candle at The Candle Lab , where you can create your own unique fragrance blend. Your candle takes an hour to set, so you can spend that time enjoying a personalized wine tasting at House Wine . If hungry, you can grab food from Caffe Daniela and eat in, or take it with you to enjoy at House Wine with your tasting. Your candles will be delivered to your table. Call 614.433.9900 or email info@thecandlelab.com for more info or to make a reservation .

Family Fun

• February 13 at 11 a.m., the PBJ & Jazz Series with Mark Flugge and Kelly Crum Delaveris takes place at the Lincoln Theatre. Take the family to this hour long, interactive jazz concert to hear and learn about the genre. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, juice, and a cookie is provided to children in the audience. Admission is $5.

• Now through February 21, Columbus Children’s Theatre presents The Boxcar Children , a great family show based on The Boxcar Children books. Admission is $9 for all seats on Thursday and $10 - $18 for Friday – Sunday performances.

For more Valentine’s Day ideas, check out the Columbus Event Calendar and choose Valentine’s Day from the category menu.

Here, she shares her experience at the Columbus Children’s Theatre , the award winning professional theater that has been entertaining families for over 40 years.

———————————————————-

Columbus Children’s Theatre: Engaging, fun and affordable
By Kristin Marks, cBus Mom

I recently went with a friend and three little girls to see Rapunzel at Columbus Children’s Theatre . We got the girls gussied up in their finest princess frocks and spent the afternoon enjoying the theater.

I have to admit, I was a bit nervous because the girls were not quite 4 years old (theater gives that as a suggested viewing age) and I worried that their attention spans would get lost in the middle, but that was not the case. Aside from a short game of musical laps, the girls did great at their first theatrical performance.

I think the elements the actors used to command audience participation helped keep the attention of little ones. The play was engaging and fun for the children because not only were the characters entertaining, but the children got to participate.

At the start of the show the audience was prompted to make certain noises or hand gestures when the witch came on stage. Each time the witch came out we all said in a scary voice "ooooohhh," and immediately there was giggling from kids - they loved being part of the production. Also, many times throughout the play there were chase scenes where an actor would run into the audience and sit in an empty seat.

Children were also asked to volunteer to be part of the show. Four adorable little ones acted as if they were a wall, and one little girl volunteered to be the prince’s assistant. It was impressive to see how well the kids on a stage surrounded by people staring at them, and entertaining to see how they responded to the situation. I think my girl enjoyed seeing the possibility of getting on stage herself one day.

After the show the cast sat down and allowed children to come up for pictures and autographs. Kids were handing actors their playbills and ticket stubs, and parents were busy snapping photos.

It was quite fun, and quite affordable. My tickets were $13/adult and $10/child. Shows were offered during the afternoon and early evening.

Upcoming plays:

The Boxcar Children : February 4 - February 21
The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood : March 11 - March 28
Seussical The Musical : April 15 - April 25
Jack and the Beanstalk : May 6 - May 16

Tips for your trip to the theater:

• Call a week in advance for tickets. I played a wicked game of phone tag with the box office. You can leave a message and they will call you back - usually the same day.
• Shows are about 45 minutes in length.
• It is a thrust type stage - meaning the stage is surround by the audience on three sides. Creates a very intimate atmosphere for the kids.
• Eat beforehand so the kids can concentrate on the performance and not their empty bellies.
• Read books that complement the play you are taking them to see. It will make it more fun if the kids can make connections and feel familiar with the story.
• Don’t make your child meet the actors. My daughter would not come out from her chair to save her life to meet the actors. She was scared. I asked the actors to wave at her, and they were kind enough to wave and smile at her. I gave them her playbill to sign for her memory box.
• Bring a camera. The actors will take a picture with your child after the show.
• Parking - be prepared to park at a meter, so have coinage. Or be prepared with cash to pay to park in a lot. There is plenty of street parking and lots within walking distance.

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.