Since the 1980s, the neighborhood in Columbus known as the short north—14 blocks in downtown Columbus—has been and continues to be a bustling arts district, home to 40 art galleries and dozens of great restaurants. The neighborhood's biggest gallery—and the only one open 24/7—also happens to be a hotel.
A stay at the Hilton Columbus Downtown, which opened in late 2012, feels very much like what it might be like to sleep over at the Museum of Modern Art. At the heart of the building is a soaring, 15,000-foot tall atrium, and all of the public spaces, and each of the 532 rooms, are appointed with works purchased or commissioned from local artists. Behind the front desk of the Hilton Downtown Columbus there hangs a pointillist composition by Granville, Ohio artist Christian Faur of 30,000 crayons stood on end, the crayons creating a pixel-like effect that adds up to a picture of the Downtown Columbus skyline. The spacious suite where I stayed commanded an amazing view of the city (the hotel is the tallest thing around, so you can see clear to the horizon). Vibrant paintings from local artists hang on the walls, as well as over the beds. (One of the restrooms in our suite had a Thurber print—a dubious homage to one of the city's most famous native sons.)
The hotel restaurant, Gallarie Bar & Bistro, set in the Atrium, also strives for artistry on the plate. Executive chef Bill Glover (also of Sage, an American fine dining restaurant on nearby High Street), serves hearty bistro-ized new Amerian food: locally sourced Amish chicken stuffed with herb mousseline; scallops in blackberry ketchup; braised veal shank; moules frites. Our favorites were the appetizers–scallops topped with foie gras with red pepper marmalade; bone marrow with a caper-arugula salad and grilled bread—and a hell of a breakfast. And "Eggs Bennie"—poached eggs and shaved ham served over a savory bread pudding of croissants steeped in a sage-infused custard—that I can't wait to try again when I'm next in town.
—Karen Shimizu In the Area
North Market Across the street from the hotel is the North Market, a daily indoor public market where you can find prepared foods and groceries. There's
Curds and Whey, a cheese shop featuring over 500 cheeses including several from Ohio producers. If you're in the mood to nosh, there's a range of stands selling prepared foods ranging from Polish cabbage rolls to Vietnamese spring rolls. But if you're going to snack and run, make a beeline for
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (there are other locations in the city, but this is the original location) where there are dozens of surprising, unfailingly delicious flavors of what I think I can safely say is the best ice cream you will eat in your lifetime. When I was there, there was a seasonal sweet potato and torched marshmallow ice cream that was full of little crunchy nuggets of brown sugar. (Basically, anything you try there will be awesome, so you should probably just try it all.)
59 Spruce Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215; 614/463-9664 Brothers Drake Meadery and Bar This downtown producer has taken the basic formula for mead-making—fermenting a honey-and water solution until it turns into something like wine—and run with it. At their bar and tasting room, you can taste a dozen meads on any given day. Wild Ohio, the most traditional mead, made of honey, water, and yeast, is a lovely drink—smelling of honey, but crisp and dry. Independence, a mead in which black walnut was steeped, had an intensely herbaceous aroma and a creamy mouthfeel. But what really turned my head was the "Apple Pie", made from honey and fresh-pressed cider fermented together with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. It's insanely, absurdly delicious: a fresh, tart apple pie in a glass. Only available within Columbus City limits.
26 E. 5th Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43201; 614/388-8765 Fresh Street Yakitori Two words for you: okonomiyaki fries. Fries topped with okonomiyaki sauce, powdered nori (dried seaweed), and Kewpie mayonnaise. There's an option to top the whole mess off with nacho cheese: Do so. Fresh Street operates out of a chinoiserie-draped bar called Double Happiness,
482 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
No comments:
Post a Comment