Jumping on bandwagons

Businesses change hands or open and close all the time. Such is life in any day and age. In my twenty five years in this city I've seen a lot of shops come and go - I've also seen a lot sustain themselves and grow. Some of these places I try to frequent as much as possible. There are also some I've never been to. The week I've had the opportunity to go to three establishments I've walked or driven by many times. It's like I've made new friends.

The Short North Tavern has been in its location for at least thirty years. There seems to be a very loyal following of regulars taking part in the cheap drinks. The place has real dartboards, which tells me they have an established and older crowd. The food is cheap and plentiful, but you do not go there for the food. A two dollar happy hour gin and tonic will definitely make me return.

Another place with real dartboards is the Char Bar. How it's kept it's location in the highly developed area right next to the new Hilton astonishes me. It's a rather seedy but charming dive bar with a great window for people watching those on High Street or going to the Convention Center. I'm not sure on drink prices, but I plan on hitting their patio for one of their Long Island Ice Teas when the time is right.

After driving by it on my way home for the past twelve years I finally stopped in Thurn's. They've been in business for aver 130 years. Hours are odd, but that's because they cure their own meats. And what meat it is! The very friendly guy behind the counter gave me a slice of their pastrami that was outstanding. It's aftertaste lingered on the ride home so pleasantly I almost turned around to get more. Next week I'm getting a loaf of good rye bread to go with that pastrami.

There are always new places to go in this city, but sometimes the fun in life is finding what's been here and enjoying what everyone else has for years. These are they places that make Columbus a great place to live.

The dishes greed serves

The dishes greed serves

(For Cafe Edison)

Take away a lunch counter

replace it with tables draped by 

linen napkins, framed by stemware

Take away the soul of a worker

who needs a place to eat lunch

that will not empty a wallet

Take away the jobs

of people who want to 

feed the people

Not cater to another dining trend

A concept that will pop up and close

in three months

Something to fill the bottom line

of an accounting sheet

that keeps the stomach unnourished

Takes us away from a neighborhood

that turns into a district in name only

which has no real meaning

beyond a marketer’s vita

A strategy that is empty

on a boulevard that used to be something

unique to its citizens but is now

like everywhere else

Hot August Night

Tonight we went to the Gallery Hop, which happens in the Short North on the first Saturday of every month. You always see something different amidst the sameness.



The obligatory car that costs six figures on the cap



That's one small sip for man, one big gulp for mankind.

My wife refused to let me buy this Apollo 11 stein!



Got to give the guy credit for trying on a busy sidewalk.



We skipped Jeni's and hit the new Whit's Custard, which recently opened. I like custard.


Even if I had the $3,500 to spend.

No.



Stephanie Rond has a really cool mural up!



These guys called themselves the Ohio Flaggots and were awesome.



Ok, it's really Flaggots Ohio.



Could not get a full shot of this sweet car because the sidewalk had a lot of traffic. Rigsby's is crowded on Gallery Hop night.



It's a Buick Invicta from 1961 I believe. I do not think I've ever seen one before.  It was called a banker's hot rod and it is is amazing condition inside and out.

Do not wait!

Saturday we were shopping in the Short North and came across a liquor cabinet. We have been looking for one for awhile. The price was good, even better on Wednesday. It's a large antique and furniture store that sells its items on consignment and lowers prices the longer they're in the shop.

So we decided to wait.

You can guess the outcome.

We were shown another, similar, item, but it was not even close to what we wanted.

Over dinner we were speculating what the buyers were going to do with the cabinet. Hipsters applying decoupage of faux old wine labels to the lid. Freaks using it to store jars of eyeballs. Damn, we just wanted a nice piece of furniture to put our booze in.

Insert all kinds of cliches about snoozing and losing here.

You know, if that was the worst thing to ever happen to us for the rest of our lives, things will be very good.