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.

Back in July, we asked our blog readers and Twitter followers to tell Ohio Magazine about your favorite places to dine in Columbus.

You answered, Ohio Magazine listened. The result is an article called "Capital City Chow Down," by Jenny Pavlasek. You’ll find it in the October 2009 issue of Ohio Magazine.

Using the comments readers left on our July blog post , plus the tweets that were sent about the topic, the article covers locals’ recommendations on "Diners & Dives" (like Jack & Benny’s), "Casual Corners" (like Surly Girl Saloon), "Sophisticated Spots" (like The Refectory) and "Icing on the Cake" (like Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams).

Check out the entire article here .

You might spot your recommendation. You’ll definitely spot a lot of great places to eat in Columbus.

Thanks to everyone who submitted their favorites!

Got an opinion on the best place to eat in Columbus? We’d love to hear it.

We’re working with Ohio Magazine on a story they’re planning about places to dine. Sure, we could just give them our favorites, but we’re more interested in yours. So, we have a question for those of you who live here:

What’s your favorite place to take visiting friends and family out to eat in Columbus? Why?

There are two ways to share your thoughts:

1. Comment on this blog post.

2. Tweet your recommendation to @ExpCols , and be sure to include #OHMag in your tweet.

We’ll see what suggestions rise to the top in popularity, and an Ohio Magazine writer will head to at least one of the restaurants suggested. Your quoted suggestion might appear in the article, too.

Look for the article in the October issue of Ohio Magazine. In the meantime, you’ll find any additional updates here or on the @ExpCols Twitter profile.

"Where should I take my kids during a day trip to Columbus?"

"What hotel should I stay at if I’m going to the Blue Jackets game?"

"Where’s the best place to get Italian?"

"Any suggestions on what to do in Columbus this weekend?"

At Experience Columbus, we’re asked questions like these all the time. Many times, we’re asked on Twitter . We’re happy to help with the answers.

But we’re also aware that our local residents and frequent visitors know the best places to play, dine and shop in Columbus, too . So why not connect them with the people who need recommendations?

That’s what we’re going to try and do.

We’d like to introduce #ExpCols . We’re inviting the Twitter world to use that hashtag when looking to give or get information about experiencing Columbus. It’s kind of like a giant visitor center on Twitter . . . a Columbus "Twisitor" Center.

Our staff will be watching for tweets that include #ExpCols so we can reach out and answer them, but we hope it doesn’t stop there. If you’re a local (or you’re familiar with Columbus) we’re inviting you to chime in, too. We know we’re not the only ones who know and love this city.

Our friends in Portland made it work for them. We think it’s Columbus’ turn.

What do you think?
Any feedback or ideas?
Are you willing to join the #ExpCols conversation?

More tweetup news! If you’re on Twitter, join Experience Columbus and other Twitter pals for a tweetup during Cocktails at the Conservatory .

DJs from Encore Entertainment will provide music while the Palm House glows with James Turrell’s light installation, Light Raiment II .

• Thursday, February 26 at 5:30 p.m. (you can stay as late as 10 p.m.)

• Franklin Park Conservatory , 1777 E. Broad St.

• Free admission and free parking. Door prizes, cash bar and small plate hors d’oeuvres ranging $3-5. Enjoy $1 off drinks from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

• Please RSVP with a tweet to @ExpCols by 2/23 . Your RSVP means we’ll reserve a ticket for you, which you can redeem for a free cheese plate.

• RSVP’d Twitter pals will also take home a gift bag with goodies from Experience Columbus and a voucher good for one free general admission to the Franklin Park Conservatory (or you can use it towards the purchase of a Franklin Park Conservatory membership).

Never been to Cocktails at the Conservatory? Check out Sayaka’s post about the experience here .

If you have questions about the tweetup, please send a tweet to @Irene_ExpCols or @Brian_ExpCols.

At Experience Columbus, we’ve been kicking around the idea to compile a list of Twitter accounts that’s limited to places to play, dine and shop in Columbus. We finally decided to put one here .

There are a couple of hat tips in order for similar efforts - Columbus local Cheryl Harrison is growing a more comprehensive all-Columbus Twitter list here , and Alvin Borromeo maintains Columbus Twitter chatter here .

So why work to compile a Twitter list that’s only about playing, dining and shopping? Because quite simply, that’s our bag. That’s why locals and (especially) visitors turn to us. This way they can easily find and connect with the businesses that are specific to, ahem, experiencing Columbus.

Here’s that link to the list again. Are we missing anyone? Are we missing you? Please leave a comment below and if the account represents a place to play, dine or shop we’ll add it. We welcome receiving the organization’s account (for example, @ExpCols) as well as any individual accounts of people who represent the organization (for example, @Irene_ExpCols).

Many thanks and happy connecting.