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…)

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…)

Looking for a few laughs? Check out one of my go-to spots, Funny Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant . With six or seven performances a week, there are shows to fit any sense of humor. From stand-up comics and hypnotists to Last Comic Standing contestants and celebrity guests, they do not disappoint.

Located in Easton Town Center , it’s easy to take advantage of the free parking, the abundant shopping and the delicious restaurants nearby. Another option is to check out Funny Bone’s full food and drink menu that’s available before each show—you can view it online here . As an added perk, all pre-show diners receive priority seating.

Before you leave the Funny Bone I recommend you fill out the information card on your table, to sign yourself up for the email list. Sure, you’ll receive emails promoting upcoming shows, but you may also receive emails containing offers for free tickets. Just another reason to keep going back!

Every year or so, my girlfriends and I plan a girls weekend. Drawing us from Ohio, Indiana and Texas, sometimes it’s a big city, other times a spa retreat. This summer, we decided a hassle-free, affordable stay in Columbus was just what we needed. We developed a list of possible activities: festivals , Gallery Hop , glass art exhibitions , shopping , antiquing, swimming, live music, etc. The weekend’s theme was "As little or as much as we want to do."

After an afternoon of lounging poolside, we were ready to step it up . . . a little. Anywhere we went was sure to be filled with endless chatter, giggles and reminiscing. Being chicks who enjoy lots of options, we headed for Easton Town Center .

Easton Town Center

It was a gorgeous Saturday evening. As we approached the north district of Easton, my friend from Dallas exclaimed, "I didn’t know you had a Tiffany’s !"

"Yep, of course we do," I said with a proud smile.

Like kids in a candy store, we circled the brightly lit display cases, pointing, oohing and aahing over the necklaces, classic Tiffany bracelets and diamond rings. This was my first visit to Tiffany’s and I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of choices and price points. One of the girls purchased a lovely necklace with a key charm, a birthday gift from her parents (how convenient!). The friendly staff wrapped her purchase in the iconic little blue box with a ribbon and off we went to decide on a dinner spot.

Across the fountain, we spotted the patio at Bon Vie , a modern French bistro - the perfect place for cocktails and dinner. We started with summer-themed martinis and the savory brie fondue with apples, broccoli, carrots, celery and bread (a good way to fool yourself that you’re eating healthy). I was satisfied and could’ve stopped there. But, no.

For entrees, we shared and devoured the Pasta Pistou (penne noodles with chicken, French green beans, walnuts, tomatoes and goat cheese in a creamy pesto sauce), Fettuccine Bon Vie, Boursin Stuffed Chicken Breast and the Balsamic Chicken Chopped Salad. Each dish was delicious and we were stuffed, but then Crème Brulee was calling our name. The custard was rich and creamy with a perfect glaze on top, garnished with fresh strawberries.

After dinner, we explored some more boutiques, then headed in for a deep food-induced coma.

Maybe next year we’ll go somewhere else, but why? There are still too many things left to do on our Columbus list!

I work with a variety of groups visiting Columbus – girlfriend getaways, family reunions, church groups, school groups, book clubs…the list goes on. And they almost always ask for “something different” to do.

In response to these requests, Experience Columbus has worked with a number of partners to develop a variety of options for people looking to do something fun and hands-on. We now have 57 different “experiential” activities that include everything from interacting with exotic zoo animals to learning about herbs to tasting and toasting with Irish beers .

If you’re part of a group looking to plan something unique in Columbus, check out some of what’s available:

• Be a Columbus Clippers baseball player . Attend a press conference announcing your signing with the team, dress in the clubhouse, warm up in the cages and then take the field.

 

• Go behind the scenes of the renowned BalletMet and discover what it takes to bring a production to life. Learn secrets the audience never sees, enjoy an interactive meeting with dancers and take an exclusive backstage tour

 

• Participate in a one-of-a-kind sensory experience in Worthington . Blend and pour a scented candle, then sniff and sample among two-dozen distinctive wines.

 

• Learn what’s in fashion from the experts , create scrapbook memories , and learn to cook with top chefs – all at Easton Town Center.

 

• Cook with spicy foods master CaJohn , sample an array of amazing tastes and learn how artisan ice cream is made from farm-to-table at Columbus’ lively and historic North Market

 

• Tour a 13,000 year-old cranberry bog where only a rare few are permitted to travel, create a blown glass ornament and make teas when you explore Licking County

 

• Pamper yourself at a spa , enjoy an evening of adventurous dining , and become a winemaker in the lively Short North Arts District

 

• Be a horse trainer for a day , learn about saddles, bits and more or discover some betting secrets of the pros with a behind-the-scenes thoroughbred racing experience

 

A complete list of current tours can be found here . For more details or to set up an experience for your group, feel free to call me at 614-222-6136 or send me an email .

Photo: Shadowbox ,
The Sketch Comedy and Rock-n-Roll Club

Our friends at Shadowbox have done it again.

They’ve produced a remarkable production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum , the Tony Award winning musical by Stephen Sondheim.

Every time I attend a Shadowbox performance I’m struck by how fortunate we are to have such talent in our own backyard. This show has it all: great comedic acting, perfectly executed dialog, and wonderfully choreographed music, singing and dancing. The result is non-stop, goofy, hilarious entertainment. Throughout both acts, I was either laughing hysterically or smiling ear-to-ear.

Steve Guyer (Executive Producer/Director) and Julie Klein (Assistant Director) have done a masterful production job. The entire cast shines, but special acknowledgment goes to J.T. Walker for his performance as Pseudolus and Jimmy Mak as Hysterium. They were totally in synch throughout the show’s entirety.

My favorite thing about a Shadowbox experience is that the actors are also your servers. Amy Lay , who plays the amusing dumb-blonde Philia, was our server Sunday. Being able to interact with the actors during intermission, before and after the show creates a powerful intimacy. I had to ask Amy, “How did you cross your eyes like that?”

I can’t wait to see Forum again. You can check it out on Sundays only, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. through April 26.