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Columbus Discoveries
The city's best not-so-secret treasures
A Classic Downtown Diner with Classic Prices to Match
Jack's Sandwich Shop
52 E. Lynn St., Downtown
614-224-3655
Web: jacksdowntowndiner.com
Years ago, Jack's occupied a space at 222. N. High St., a locale that likely attracted more casual foot traffic than its current perch in the alley between Broad and Gay streets. But those who find themselves in front of the diner's glass front fall in love with the rotating holiday kitsch, intimate seating, in-your-face grill and, of course, the anachronistic disco ball shining on both counter and client.
Owners Chris and Kathy Kowalski claim to "keep things simple," and that motto translates most clearly in the lineup of diner favorites populating the menu. Hamburgers, double hamburgers, fried fish, French fries and other no-nonsense fare can be enjoyed with sides (slaw is popular) for around $5.
Regular specials, announced on the website and on a small board in the alley, include: pot roast, chicken parmesan sandwiches, liver and onions and chicken pot pie. Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, it's the perfect reason to ditch your vegetarian friends and find an alternative from the normal fast-food lunch break.
—John Ross
Pets and jets
Brown Pet Cemetery
Sawyer Road, near Port Columbus International Airport
Few things are as moving as any cemetery on a wintry day. But I know a graveyard that's unusually striking.
To get there, you must streak beneath actual airport runways. Very strange indeed is the bigness of up-close planes taxiing right above your car-moving face. When you arrive to the site, you'll see tons of unmatched tombstones, some handmade, scattered throughout a bumpy yard like chunks of faded and broken candy spilled from an abandoned pi?ata. And then there are the grave names: Bobo, Dukie, Stinky Bill and Dum Dum. These are the final homes for generations of Columbus-area animals.
I'm describing a visit to the Brown Pet Cemetery situated just opposite Port Columbus. I love wandering its grounds seeking revealing messages from the past (several gravesites date back to the '20s).
A few illuminating examples: a color enamel photograph of a kitty named Corrina (1948-1953) lounging regally and wearing a turban above this etching: "She was a sissy girl"; another headstone "photo" showing an elderly aproned lady wearing cat glasses and a pinched grin while hugging her pooch, Snooky; the bereaved "parents" of Toodles (1927-1940) poeticizing thusly: "Buried with care/if there's a dog heaven/Toodles is there."
There are also some amazing birdie graves that I'll let fly beyond my grip of words in hopes that you'll discover them on your own, because Brown's Pet Cemetery is a stirring piece of turf very worth your time. It is the bizarre interface between jets restlessly escaping earth and the eternal resting place of forever beloved pets.
—G.A. Benton
A Fresh Take on PB&J
Krema Nut Company
1000 W. Goodale Blvd., Grandview
614-299-4131
Web: krema.com
Inside a rather nondescript building on a nondescript corner of Goodale lies one of Columbus' yummiest secrets. The Krema Nut Company has been making and selling nut products for over a century. In fact, they're the oldest commercial peanut butter manufacturer in the country.
No salt, sugar or preservatives are added to their nut butters, meaning their products are almost as good for you as they are tasty. Krema's factory is visible through the large glass panes of their retail store, where workers busily crank out bags, tins and jars of everything from gourmet nut mixes to chocolate cashews.
The shop has a cozy general store feel, including a walk-up lunch counter (which doesn't operate during the holiday rush, but will re-open in January) that will make a knock-your-socks-off gourmet PB&J, milkshake or sundae for well under a five spot. Protein-heads looking to impress their friends with Krema trivia should also mention the second location inside the Columbus Convention Center.
—Brooke Williams
Time-Traveling Decorator's Hideaway
Nostalgia Modern Furnishings
1743 S. High St., Merion Village
614-989-5898
There's nothing like scoring a vintage furniture find during your weekly thrift store hunts, so it's easy to overlook the inevitable violent gash, mysterious stain or missing leg. But when you're in the market for quality, intact and odor-free retro goodies, head to Nostalgia Modern Furnishings.
Hidden within a large and deceptively low-key house on South High is one of the city's best-kept secrets for furniture and accessories from the '50s to the '70s. With hundreds of well-edited, hard-to-find pieces stashed in multiple themed rooms, make sure you plot out a chunk of time—you'll be there for a while.
—Nikki Davis
The Vinyl Countdown
Sour Records
20 N. State St., Westerville
614-895-1965
Web: sourrecords.com
The city has its fair share of great record shops, but a trip to Westerville's Sour Records is worth your while. Longtime owner Steve Louis left town three years ago, but instead of closing shop, Sour has continued to be sweet under former devoted customer John Vincent—especially its collection of imports and vinyl.
—Chris DeVille
Trade In and Trade Up to a Rock Star Wardrobe
Red Planet X
2875 Olentangy River Rd., Campus
614-267-7339
You know how you go to the secondhand store to find gently used designer denim, but all you find are 1995-era mom jeans? Red Planet X has the answer, selling a huge variety of vintage and secondhand wear while also offering new designer denim by Miss Sixty and True Religion, among others. You can buy/sell/trade your way to a killer wardrobe in just one stop.
—Brooke Williams
Blessed Book Bargains
Village Bookstore
2424 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., Linworth
614-889-2674
So the secret isn't that the Village Bookstore is new (it isn't), that their coffee is the gourmiest of gourmet (it's not), or even that it houses the cutest bookstore cat this side of the Scioto (it doesn't even have a kitty). But you've probably driven past this place a gazillion times thinking the only book inside was the original Good Book. Hidden in plain sight inside an old church, the Village Bookstore's impressive selection of new and used art, history and cooking titles is definitely worthy of praise.
—Nikki Davis
The Coolest Baby on the Block
What the Rock
1116 N. High St., Short North
614-294-9428
Web: whatherock.com
If you can already tell your baby is going to be a hipster, you can help by outfitting the little one in some of What the Rock's adorable onesies. Your small fry could be sporting a bib featuring Sonic Youth, Bob Marley, or even the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash. No bun in the oven? They have rockin' gifts for grown-ups too.
—Brooke Williams
Tienda Vittles
Taqueria La Michoacana
3881 Cleveland Ave., Northeast Columbus
614-475-7785
Columbus is dotted with genuine little Mexican specialty shops. Many of these tiendas also house authentic, bare-bones-styled mini-restaurants. Seek these places out! One such combo-joint is La Michoacana. There you can park it next to an almost life-sized shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe while chomping on tasty tacos, feisty fajitas and oversized "platillos" like Carne Asada, Alambre or Milanese—all come with real tortillas and very good beans and rice. A menu with color photos aids the Espa?ol-challenged.
—G.A. Benton
Campus Connection for Asian/New York Deli Fusion
The Kitchen Lounge
2653 N. High St., North Campus
614-268-0977
Of all the creative combos coming out of contemporary kitchens, this North Campus comfort-food café must have created the most original: Asian spring rolls combined with a New York deli staple. Kitchen Lounge's Reuben Rolls take the sandwich's usual ingredients—corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut—and wrap them up like a spring roll for a crispy dip in the deep fryer. Served with a tangy sauce on the side, these bites are so tasty you'll never want your reuben to mess with rye again.
—Brian Lindamood
The Italian Bar Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Mama's Pasta N Brew
23 Campus Place, Campus
614-299-7724
Students walk to class for years before noticing the small alley between East 15th and 14th streets, and it takes them even longer to realize that the strip houses a favorite haunt of dart throwers, dedicated drinkers and aficionados of Italian fare on the cheap. The closest thing Campus has to Cheers, Mama's caters to committed regulars with a friendly staff and annual bar-sponsored rafting trips and woos passersby with its cozy wooden confines and daily food and drink specials.
—John Ross
Dam Good Waterfront Dining
Hoover Grille
170 N. Sunbury Rd., Westerville
614-891-0200
Web: hoovergrille.com
The interior is gorgeous, but the best time to hit this new suburban hotspot is during warm months, when outdoor dining offers a view of the Hoover Reservoir. With a tasty menu that straddles the line between casual and fine dining, the place is no secret to Westerville dwellers, so grabbing a spot outside could require a well-worth-it wait.
—Chris DeVille
Capitol steps
Capitol Café
In the Ohio Statehouse, Downtown
614-728-9231
Web: shanesgourmet.com/ohiostatehousecafe.cfm
It's just a modest, diminutive cafeteria, but it's operated by Shane's, the fine local caterers, so it's steps ahead of average. What's really special about the Capitol Café, though, is the setting—the white-painted, brick-vaulted walls of the Statehouse basement. Walk through the stunning rotunda down to the ground floor where displays provide an architectural Ohio history lesson. Lunch will be nice sandwiches named after famous Ohioans (try the Rickenbacker, a great big messy reuben) and good hot homemade soups like rich, thick chili.
—G.A. Benton
Getting dogged
Gulladogs
1717 Northwest Blvd., Grandview
614-487-1393
The single mom-and-pop hot dog shop is largely a lost thing of America's past. Unless you live in Grandview, that is. There, Gulladogs runs a four-stool food counter in the back of a carryout. Several inexpensive sandwiches are available, but the claim-to-fame namesake frankfurter features a snappy and garlicky all-beef weiner, steamed bun, chopped onion, mustard and a thin, eccentric, Sicilian-family-recipe Gulla sauce. It's not at all like coney sauce, and in fact could best be described as enchilada-like. Certainly worth a try, plus the Gullas are super-friendly and sell great looking T-shirts too.
—G.A. Benton
New brunch on the block
8
733 N. High St., Short North
614-294-2413
For a while there was a dearth of places in the Short North's crowded restaurant row where you could pick up something good and breakfasty on a Sunday afternoon. The brunch options have increased in recent years, and one of the best now going is found at new eatery 8. A small but varied menu covers the basics well until 4 p.m., from pancakes to steak and eggs, to buttery, cheese-covered grits, all for short money.
—Melissa Starker
Where to Remember Why You Love Living Downtown
The Mall Café
26 N. High St., Downtown
614-221-3024
As we went to print, the small window into this cozy little bar at the corner of Lynn and Pearl alleys had been boarded up after some unfortunate vandalism, making it even harder to find. That's bad news for anyone seeking to escape 30 years of bar trends and enjoy some vintage urban charm. This awesomely unusual hideout features a sunken bar, a leather ceiling, an inviting plastic Santa Claus and peculiar drink specials ($1.80 for happy-hour Budweiser cans). If you go, remember that water is $10, closing time is 9 p.m. (10 p.m. on Friday) and credit cards aren't accepted.
—John Ross
Finest Free Food in the Land
Morton's Steak Sandwiches
280 N. High St., Downtown
614-464-4442
Web: mortons.com
Happy hour has been even happier since Morton's entered the Downtown landscape. Weeknights from 5 to 7, the upscale steakhouse offers free finger sandwiches made with filet mignon, bringing delicious refinement within reach of the thirsty and thrifty. Thanks to Ol' Mort, you don't have to be rich to taste the good stuff.
—Chris DeVille
The App You Have to Order in Advance
Hey Hey Bar & Grill
361 E. Whittier St., German Village
614-445-9512
No one can offer many concrete details about this German Village haunt—directions are usually hazy, hours never known—but when the Hey Hey Bar & Grill is mentioned around mealtime, those familiar with the place suggest one thing: Get the sauerkraut balls. Their mass production during the next several months has been halted by the owner's ankle surgery, but if you order a day in advance, you can snatch a batch of these battered, fried and delicious bunches of pickled cabbage. Once you're hooked, you'll want to return to enjoy them with a cold beverage and a show by the seasoned jazz and blues performers who routinely swing by.
—John Ross
Cookie Cutters
Bierberg Christmas Cookies
729 S. Fifth St., German Village
614-443-9959
Bierberg's is a fourth-generation Old-World enterprise run quaintly out of a small green residential house in German Village identified by a modest "Bierberg Christmas Cookies" sign. This is the kind of holiday shopping I can get behind: visiting a cramped, tiny "sales" room open only October through December and sampling the handmade goodies before purchasing them (cheap!). I especially like: anything with chocolate, star-shaped lemon sugar cookies, fanciful marzipan and h?rnschen (little horn cookies) with their excellent nutty flavor and texture coming from ground pecans and almonds.
Bloody Maria
Cazuela's Mexican Grill
2247 N. High St., Campus
614-884-0755
I first discovered the description of a Michelada on a Mexican menu a few years back: Beer mixed with Worchestershire, lime juice and hot sauce. It's like a Bloody Mary, but with beer! I've been unable to rustle up many converts to the spicy cocktail concoction but do enjoy the thing from time to time (it tastes like spicy-hot soda pop). Cazuela's Mexican Grill on campus makes it with a splash of V-8, which lends it a pleasant orange hue and imagined health benefits.
Here's my recipe for the brave and curious:
1 bottle Mexican beer (I like Corona)
juice of half a lime
2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco to taste
Serve in a tall glass over ice.
—Rebecca Zimmer
Classic Digs For a New Art Hot Spot
Q10 Gallery
43 E. College Ave., Westerville
614-477-3820
Web: qtengallery.com
With so many great galleries peppering the Short North, it's easy to overlook the art outlets in Columbus' outlying areas. Like, say, historic Uptown Westerville. The Victorian brick building that houses the new Q10 Gallery provides a unique, warm atmosphere for viewing the contemporary fare hanging on the walls.
—Brooke Williams
Fine Art in a Box
Capital University's Schumacher Gallery
Blackmore Library, 1 College & Main, Bexley
614-236-6319
Web: oldsite.capital.edu/schumacher
From the outside, the Josiah H. Blackmore Library is a paragon of boxy, unattractive late 1960s architecture. It's not too pretty inside, either, except on the fourth floor, home to the Schumacher Gallery. Alongside diverse rotating exhibitions, often featuring local and regional artists, a permanent collection offers moments of visual bliss from Picasso, Chagall, Rembrandt and more. Works newly acquired for the permanent ethnic art collection will be on view when the gallery reopens after semester break, on January 12.
—Melissa Starker
A Home Away from Home
"A Place Called Home" mural
State Auto Insurance Building
Washington & Spring Streets, Downtown
In the quilts filled with artist Aminah Robinson's childhood memories, Mt. Vernon Ave. crawls with life. Smiling people fill the colorful, business-lined street, ready to dance at the Limelight Lounge or line up at Isaly's Ice Cream. Across from the Columbus Museum of Art, which is planning a permanent learning center Robinson, her work has been recreated by CCAD students as a public mural, down to the hand stitching and button border.
—Melissa Starker
December 14, 2006
Copyright ? 2006 Columbus Alive, Inc. All rights reserved.
