This post is written by Anthony Cordo, Visitor Services Manager for Experience Columbus.

The New Year is approaching, but before we can welcome it in we’ve got to get in to a bar! Check out some of the ideas below and their highlights to decide where you and your friends will enjoy the party.

Gresso’s: New Year’s Eve Party
Cover: $59
Includes: open bar (well and domestic drinks), champagne toast, D.J., buffet, shuttle service.
Why: this is a fantastic neighborhood hotspot and on NYE it’s a favorite choice to enjoy life with your friends without emptying your wallet. You’re not likely to find a place as popular as this with an all-inclusive cover this low.
Know before you go: pre-purchase your admission over the phone – it’s always sold out at the door.

Barrio Tapas Lounge: New Years Eve
Cover: $5
Includes: Old-School hip-hop party, D.J. Patrick, drink specials.
Why: Barrio has great food.

Newport Music Hall: Ekoostik Hookah
http://www.experiencecolumbus.com/event-detail.cfm?id=30969
Admission: $30
Includes: admission to the concert.
Why: Ekoostik Hookah is a fun live music experience!

House Wine: New Year’s Eve at House Wine
Cover: none.
Why: This can be an affordable plan – you pay for what you drink. If you’re a wine-o this is a good option!

Shadowbox Live: New Year’s Eve at Shadowbox Live
Cover: $100 ($180 for two)
Includes: Two bands, dancing, dinner and dessert banquet, champagne toast at midnight.
Why: the folks over at Shadowbox Live know how to throw a fine party, and this NYE bash should appeal to people who like live music.
Know before you go: reservations required.

Park Street Complex: New Year’s Eve Extravaganza
Cover: $10
Includes: multiple D.J.s, party favors, circus performers, a ball drop at midnight.
Why: if you’re looking for a club scene to ring in 2012 this is one of the best options. The complex is three attached bars, and each one has a great dancing scene.
Know before you go: dress hot – everyone else will.

Camelot Cellars Winery: Venetian Masquerade Ball
Cover: $25 ($40 for two)
Includes: special wine prices, champagne at midnight, appetizers.
Why: this is a fancy way to celebrate in masquerade style.

Hyatt Regency Columbus: NYE on High
Cover: $129-499
Includes: open bar, eleven bands (Lt Dan’s New Legs, Reagonomics, and others), D.J.s.
Why: this is one of the best known NYE celebrations; it’s been going on for thirty years!
Know before you go: book a room at the hotel in advance as part of the package.

Photo: Randall Lee Schieber

This post is part 1 of a 7 part series featuring Columbus happy hours. Whether you like to head downtown or to the suburbs, we have you covered. Check back each week as Experience Columbus staff spotlight their favorite areas of Columbus to meet friends, share a drink and have some fun.

In this post, Kelly explores the happy hour specials abundant in the Short North Arts District. Stay tuned for future posts in the series as we explore Grandview, Park Street, downtown, the University District at OSU, Easton Town Center and Worthington.

Who doesn’t love a great happy hour? It’s the perfect opportunity to unwind after a busy day, catch up with friends and coworkers, and best of all enjoy tasty drinks and snacks at a fraction of the price. My go to spot is the Short North Arts District . With 20+ restaurants lining High Street, the choices are both diverse and plentiful; the tough part is figuring out exactly where to go. And if you’re anything like me, it’s usually a game time decision based on my mood and my group. (more…)

This past weekend a few of the Experience Columbus crew hit the new piano bar, The Big Bang . We had one rockin’ time!

Located under Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in the Arena District , dueling piano players sit opposite each other and play old school favorites that you can’t help but sing out loud.

If you are looking for a high-energy hang out, this is the place to go. Tip: You should get there early - the night we went it was packed by 11 p.m. and we spotted a line at the door.

Here are the impressions our group had about the night:

Meg Gordon : When I heard that Big Bang was opening in Columbus, I was super pumped and my expectations were high. I was not disappointed! I think it’s nearly impossible to go to The Big Bang and not have a good time. I mean, what could be better than belting out some of your favorite tunes with your friends?

Melissa DeGraw : I liked that we got there before a cover started and the drinks were not that expensive. It’s a fun place to hang with your friends and relax with some great entertainment to boot!

Kate Kastenholz : I think The Big Bang is a home run. There was so much energy and I was amazed that the performers were able to rotate and play each instrument!

Brenda Carter: I loved the music and group participation, and that the price of drinks was reasonable.

Kelly Brooks : My favorite thing about The Big Bang is that it has a little something for everyone. Whether you want grab a few drinks, enjoy some live entertainment or spend a night people watching, you can do it here. But make sure you arrive early if you want to grab a table - it fills up quickly!

Since it’s new, we know only some of Columbus has had the chance to experience The Big Bang. Have you? How was it?

These first chilly weeks in Columbus have me thinking one thing: comfort food. One of the best places to hit up for such fare is Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails .

In addition to the favorites your mom might have cooked - a very tasty pot roast, a simple grilled cheese and a killer meat loaf, there is a nice selection of updated standbys. My favorites are the fries, especially the eggplant and sweet potato varieties. Both come with imaginative dipping sauces and if you share a basket with your table, there won’t be any left - of the fries or the sauce (try the Bloody Mary sauce with the eggplant fries). If you decide to indulge in that basket of fries, there is also a nice selection of salads to feel virtuous about - I usually opt for the goat cheese salad.

Food is only part of the story at the Tip Top. The other part is the funky decor of Columbus pride items and the drink menu . In addition to a nice selection of beers on tap (including some CBC options and a couple of seasonal offerings), there is the not-to-be-passed-over whiskey cocktail menu. Those who have studied up on Columbus history will recognize some of the cocktail names, such as the Bottoms’ Up or the LeVeque Tower. Staying true to our family’s roots, my brother always chooses the Flytown Pick-Me Up, which combines ginger ale, whiskey and maple syrup.

If you save room for dessert, don’t forget to ask for the daily pie selection to pair with Brioso coffee. Cafe Brioso , just half a block up Gay Street from the Tip Top, roasts their own coffee beans so the product is always fresh.

From inventive cocktails and tasty fries to that last bite of pie or sip of coffee, the Tip Top doesn’t disappoint if you’re looking for a unique comfort food destination. Take some time to linger over the photos on the wall and try to forget the chill in the air that drove you here in the first place.

Last week I joined some Experience Columbus pals to check out the new Garage Bar in the Arena District . On their Web site , the Garage Bar bills itself as having a neighborly feel that appeals to blue collar, white collar and no collar patrons. After experiencing it, I see their point. It doesn’t matter who you are here, as long as you like booze and rock ‘n roll.

You’ll feel the unique vibe just by looking around. You can’t miss the retrofitted, reproduction gas pumps that supply draft beer. The names of the 25 shots on the $4 "Shot Club" list might just make you blush. The bar features a scarlet and grey top that mimics an OSU Buckeye helmet, complete with coasters that look like buckeye leaf stickers. Red and metal-covered walls surround you, featuring tin signs, chrome and “automobilia” of all kinds.

Fuel on tap

While the atmosphere, my super-frosty glass of beer and the promise of good munchies left me happy enough to come back, the jukebox landed this bar on my list of favorites. I heard the likes of Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Sublime, Primus, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Weezer…I could go on, but any rock lovers out there are surely getting the idea.

This isn’t a swanky club. And I suspect they’re just fine with that.