Rivals...

Downtown Columbus, Ohio has a lot to offer for the guy who just loves to travel or the guy who is looking for a simple vacation with the big city feel but without the big city hassle.

First off, most of the downtown area and especially the “Arena District” is well organized, easy to navigate and densely populated with quality restaurants and bars. We ventured to Gordon Biersch Brewery, Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar and Buca di Beppo’s. Of those three restaurants Buca di Beppo, a family Italian eatery, had the best food, Gordon Biersch Brewery had the best drinks and Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar had the best atmosphere and was the perfect place to close out a night. All were quality establishments and are worth a visit.

The Arena District is so named for Nationwide Arena, home of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets have been in Columbus since 2000 and by the looks of it, they’ll make the playoffs this year for the first time in franchise history. Personally, I’m a Detroit Red Wings fan but, it’s always fun to catch a game in another city; especially if you can get tickets like we had… one row off the glass. Sitting that close you’ll better understand the speed and the grit that is the NHL. See the previous Black Rucksack article on the NHL experience and get tickets from StubHub!

More rivals...

Another feature in Columbus a few miles outside of downtown is the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium; one of the best zoos in the country. It’s a good place to relax and enjoy a sunny Spring afternoon. A zoo typically isn’t the place for a hardcore adventure (unless something escapes) but, a lot of the kids, girlfriends and wives you guys have will enjoy it.

This is just a taste of what downtown Columbus, Ohio offers… find a hotel and book it now!

Gordon Biersch Brewery – $$$
3.5 out of 5 Rucksacks
-

Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar – $$
4 out of 5 Rucksacks
-

Buca di Beppo – $$$
4 out of 5 Rucksacks

No. VI Chophouse > Volare

Dinner at an upscale restaurant can set a perfect tone for a Valentine’s Day evening. Just a few days ago I had a very difficult, albeit truncated, experience at a restaurant called Volare Ristorante in Wixom, MI, near Novi. Thankfully, my wonderful, hot girlfriend was gracious enough to not let Volare’s failure effect our evening.

Our reservation was for 9pm. I made the reservation about 10 days before Valentine’s Day and expected to have a great dining experience. To my surprise, we didn’t even make it to our booth. We arrived about two minutes before 9pm to a packed vestibule… not a good sign. I talked to the frantic hostess at the hostess stand and she said it would only be a few minutes until a table was cleared. Now, in my opinion and I think in common practice, it is not too much to expect to be immediately seated when one has a reservation. But, I was OK though not pleased with waiting a few minutes.

A few minutes turned into ten minutes at which point, I was riled. I asked the hostess when we were going to be seated and what the holdup was and all that was said was, “there are about five groups in front of you”. At the twenty! minute mark, I decided to call another fine restaurant in Novi, the No. VI Chop House. Luckily, they had immediate seating and thus our decision was made. Once I informed the hostess that their service was shameful, we headed out to get the car from the valet. Long story short, I waited ten minutes for the valet and finally ended up having to help them find my keys. By 9:35pm we were on the road to No. VI Chop House.

We had a very nice dinner at the No. VI Chop House. The only negative was the smell of cigar smoke wafting in from another nearby room. The service was amiable and fast. The filet mignon was perfectly seared and the bleu cheese scalloped potatoes were ambrosia. Additionally, the dining experience served to perfectly accent the evening and the weekend.

No. VI Chop House Review – 4 out of 5 Rucksacks – $$$$
Absolutely worth experiencing!

Volare Ristorante Review – 0 out of 5 Rucksacks – $$$$
DO NOT DINE!