Columbus OH recommendations

I am headed to CBus to cheer on the US Men’s soccer team beat Mexico (hopefully another Dos a Cero). Are there any great places to eat/drink that I should seek out?

Josh, since no one else has responded, I will. It would certainly help if you describe what your preferences are. CBus is tough. There are some fun places to eat and drink, but “great”, not so much. We’ve been stuck in the “comfort and casual” rut ever since 2008. Individualistic restauranteurs who are willing to take risks get rewarded with BR in this town. We’ve had two such restaurants close recently (Til and Rigsby’s) and one about to (Alana’s). The so called place to be, the Short North, is dominated by eateries owned by either Cameron Mitchell or various groups of investors. The days of a chef-owner are seemingly dead around here. If you PM me with what you are looking for, I might be able to help.

We really liked a newish place, M at Miranova, when we were there in January. Food was better than the usual Columbus fare, the place was quite visually stunning and they even had an entry level Patty Green pinot on the wine list.

Lol. That ‘newish’ place just had its 15th anniversary. It is better than most and the bartender is fantastic.

Mitch pretty much summed it up. There is nothing I’d really recommend. Where will you be in town?

Thanks for the thoughts above. We’re staying at Le Meridien in Short North.

I’m always looking for locally sourced, chef owned places if I can find them - but it sounds like that may be a tough find. Otherwise - the group I’m with isn’t picky.

So far, these spots have been recommended by a friend who graduated from OSU and travels there frequently:

Dinner:
Lindey’s
Sycamore
Brassica

Lunch:
Thurman Cafe
Katzinger’s
Hot Chicken Takeover

Please let me know if I am on the right track. M sounds great and I will add to the list as well.

Looking quickly through Eater articles, Veritas Tavern looked potentially interesting, if execution is good. Have you guys been? I also wonder about inexpensive Korean and Vietnamese places for cheap and reasonably satisfying.

I have had a couple of good meals here. http://www.wolfsridgebrewing.com Really good food and more than just beer.

George

I had a good meal/wine at Alana’s, though that was 10 years ago.
I think a lot of responses make it sound like the OP is looking for a French Laundry type experience. Maybe he is. But I would guess there are plenty of nice places to eat in Columbus.

Just my singular and questionable opinion;
Lindey’s-nice atmosphere, solid, reasonably priced, boring to us locals due to menu remaining unchanged for 10+ years.
Sycamore-a friend raves about it-I have not been
Brassica-for dinner? I wouldn’t. It’s a very casual lunch spot.
Thurman Cafe-This place appeals to the nostalgia crowd who went as college kids. If you want a colossal greasy messy burger that does not have much flavor, go for it.
Katzingers-expensive for what you get-like in NYC-but good when you’re in the mood. Their rye bread is better than most.
Hot Chicken Takeover-If ever there was an inexplicable culinary phenomenon, this is it. They take some questionably sourced chicken (I heard it from a former cook), brine it in pickle juice to get rid of the smell from being a bit old (heard directly from same former employee), deep fry it, and then slather it with a paste of Crisco and cayenne. Does it taste good? Yeah, it does. Is it an accomplishment in cooking? No. Also, take a look at the clientele and you will quickly see what this stuff does to one’s body dimensions.

The Guild House adjoining your hotel lobby has a beautiful bar and they serve up a good steak. Other things on the menu are hit and miss. A Cameron Mitchell spot.
Wolfs Ridge Brewing does have very good food, but it is overpriced for what you get and again, it’s very hard to find anything on the menu that is even close to being health-conscious. Fat tastes good and it’s an easy crutch.
We like G. Michaels in German Village. It’s focus is on Low Country fare. Decent wine list.
The tuna tacos at Forno are a bargain and go nicely with a cocktail over there but I do not recommend anything else there.
For breakfast or lunch, there is tiny spot across the street from your hotel called Philco that has great breakfast, great service, and it’s fun. It has something of a cult following.
Philco is owned by the same people that own The Rossi down the street. The Rossi is a bit run down and tired IMHO, but we have always gone for great (and liberally dosed) cocktails and a great burger. They have a new menu item they call Bo Sam that is big enough for two to share and it’s incredibly good. Their pizza is good too.

What Mitch said, I agree with 100%. Tho would not go to Brassica even for lunch. Love Philco.

Tasi would be another breakfast choice nearby.

Also, if you like cocktails, Mouton is a good spot in the Short North.

Veritas is not worth the drive up to Delaware. Not saying it is bad, just not worth almost an hour drive.

If you want really good beer, Barley’s is go-to spot. Angelo has been making craft brew since when most of the hip brewers these days were in diapers.

Basi Italia is a chef-owned place that I meant to mention before.

btw - if art is of interest to you, do check out the Pizzuti collection.

btw - When is this? Nearly every place mentioned is walking distance from where I live. Be glad to meet up for a cocktail or two, if I am in town.

Agree about Thurmans and hot chicken takeover.

Have dined at Basi. Thought it was pretty good. Not a ton of exciting options in the Columbus dining scene unfortunately.

Thanks so much for this! Having more detail certainly helps make better choices and there’s a few that sound great here.

These sound great as well! Barleys was mentioned for beer and I want to check it out.

The game is on 11/11. We fly in late on the 10th and out on Sun, but we will certainly be cocktailing pre-game on Sat. Hit me up via PM if you’re going to be around!