Located in the heart of Easton, Cafe Istanbul is a little bit of Constantinople in Columbus, Ohio. While many restaurants error on the side of kitsch to create a certain feel, Cafe Istanbul, uses traditional elements in an understated style to create the mood. The candle lit chandelier in the entry way is breathtaking.

While I am my dining companion both enjoy wine and have drank a fair amount of vino, we were slightly shocked to see an impressive offering of Turkish wines. While familiar with some Greek vintages, neither of us had tried Turkish wine and were pleasantly surprised. The wine was fruity and very smooth.

The menu is very heavily weighted to shish kabobs and other quicker Turkish specialties - but the selection is impressive and everything is described in a fair amount of detail, which for those who are less familiar with Turkish food is a plus.

The appetizer sampler is a meal in itself and loaded with all the great cold appetizers. The bread which accompanies this dish is warm and soft, perfect for enjoying the various textures and tastes of the dips and spreads. I will admit to enjoying the hummus so much that I dug into it with a spoon. The tray comes with carrot wedges and other veggies, which for me was the perfect way to enjoy the dips, since I cannot eat the bread. I feel certain the kitchen would have been happy to provide us with more carrots had we requested them.

The Kofte Kabobs were very tender and well seasoned and just this side of being a bit salty. It is a generous serving  and makes for a wonderful meal the next day with a salad or as a sandwich. The mixed grill kabobs are a great way to try 2 of the kabobs on the menu. I tried the chicken and doner kabob combo and I must say it was very satisfying and also was enough that I could enjoy it the next day also. The veggies and rice served with them are a great accompaniment and the rice is soft and fluffy. The doner, was very tender and not ultra processed and not too salty, which can happen.

We so enjoyed the appetizers and the meal, that we skipped dessert and coffee, but in reviewing the dessert menu online, it looks like a sweet finish is certainly possible at Cafe Istanbul.

Parking is a snap, in the lot across the street and the Cafe is located very near Nordstrom, for some after dinner shopping.

Cafe Istanbul would be a great place to meet friends for a relaxed and casual meal or for an intimate and quiet meal with someone very special.

Friends are here from Germany and we wanted to go out to dinner and some other friends, who were going to join us - suggested Cafe Shish Kebab! Wow is all I can say. The entire experience was wonderful.

We walked in - a party of 9 - three kids included and they did not blink an eye. The host gave the little ones balloons and mad us feel very welcome. We were quickly sat in an out of the way area, with room for us all, the kids contained gracefully and room for the stroller.

Our waiter was happy to split the checks - since none of us knew when we might have to bolt with our respective little one.

The menu is well done and has something for everyone. The special last night was a lamb shank wrapped in eggplant and roasted and it was wonderful. Cooked to perfection and seasoned just right. The sauce a mix of the lamb juices, olive oil and spices and tomato sauce rounded it out perfectly. The lamb and chicken shish kebab was likewise tender and well seasoned. The grilled veggies also received a hearty thumbs up.

The bread came to the table warm and the olive oil - seasoned with sun dried tomatoes and herbs was exceptional. Further, I am pleased to say that the Turkish Tea I ordered was just as I remembered - strong and hot.

Another nice touch is the decor. It is lovely inside Cafe Shish Kebab. The wood is warm and welcoming and while it is a big dinning room - it feels intimate and cozy.

Even  more exciting - enjoying all of this wonderful food and atmosphere  - will not break the bank.

Cafe Shish Kebab is located on Bethel Road, which is the NW side of Columbus. Well worth the drive.

The first Saturday of every month is the Short North Gallery Hop. The Short North is the area along High Street, running from Gooddale Blvd to the south and 5th Avenue to the north. It is a a great even and there is much to be seen. Most of the shops stay open and many have promotions and sales the night of the hop.

Going to be in town the end of the month -then the Granview Art Hop is the ticket to art and good food and very nice shopping.
The Art Hop takes place the last Saturday of every month from 4-9 pm. Each month, the art hop is given a unique theme. There will be new bands playing and new artists displaying work.

Grandview is west of downtown and the hop runs along Grandview Avenue, see the map for details.

It also means opening Day for 2 of our professional Sports teams.

Opening Night with the Columbus Clippers
Thursday, April 3 @  7:05 PM vs.
Charlotte Knights
Victory Bell Giveaway to the first 2,000 fans

Columbus Clippers
1155 W. Mound St.
Columbus, OH 43223
Phone: (614) 462-5250
Fax: (614) 462-3271
info@clippersbaseball.com

Columbus Crew

Saturday, April 12    Chivas USA
Saturday April 26    Houston Dynamo

Columbus Crew Stadium
One Black & Gold Blvd.
Columbus,OH 43211
Phone: (614) 447-CREW (2739)
Fax: (614) 447-4109

Clippers Staudium is located on the near West Side of Columbus, very near downtown. They are a minor league baseball team.

The Columbus Crew is our MLS team and Crew Stadium is located off of I-71 in between the OSU campus and Downtown.

Both are great family fun at a reasonable price.

The wait staff is expertly trained and we were well taken care of through out the evening. The specials for the evening were extensive and the menu is truly impressive.

The menu is very weighted to meats and fish as were the specials - but the meat is of very high quality and expertly prepared. There were four of us in our party and three of us choose to go with the specials - the gentlemen sampling Elk filet from New Zealand. It was excellent. The ladies went with the braised boneless spare rib  and Duck three ways and both were wonderful.

We had the oyster special for an appetizer and it is easily one of the best preparations of oysters I have ever eaten.

We finished the eveing with dessert and coffee. The deserts were very well plated and very rich. The coffee was outstadning. As out dinner companion said - there is nothing worse than a wonderful mean followed by terrible coffee. Well this coffee was every bit as good as dinner.

Handke's Cuisine is on the pricery side of the street - but it was worth every penny - it would be a great place for a little romance while visiting Columbus.

The coolest thing about the Smugglers Lounge - aside for the ultra cool jazz is the surroundings. There are very cool motorcycles everywhere and the red and black interior design is very fresh and very comfortable. This is a great use of space and the acoustics really worked for me also.

The Lounge also offers a wide variety of cocktails and had a very nice wine list. There is also a nice selection of sandwiches and small plates to pick from also.

I have thus far been able to pull up their website - so I can not offer you a link to check out the upcoming line up - the club can be reached at 614-224-9400.

There is also information on this and other LIVE jazz venues at the Smooth Jazz website.

So make sure to check out the LIVE Jazz - which is happening through the week and on Saturday nights!

AS with any brew pub, they feature their own brews and they certainly should one to suit every taste. We sampled the Winter Ale, which certainly lived up to the description - heavy notes of cinnamon and ginger.

We ordered the bacon wrapped sea scallops and they were wonderful. I could have eaten them both and called it a meal. The right mix of salty and sweet. They were in a fruity sauce - which worked very well with the salty bacon.

For dinner we, I had the Thai Beef Salad - and while the beef was cooked to perfection on the salad - the salad itself was so-so. My dinning companion had the Rock Filet. It is a 7 oz filet you cut and cook at the table on a special super hot stone. It was so yummy and fun to cook it yourself. The sauces which came with it were very nice and complimented the meat nicely.

The meal was brought to us at a very nice pace, with alot of time to sit and enjoy the architecture and each other. It was not overly crowded and it was very cozy and intimate. It reminded me a bit a of French Bistro, not so much in decor but in the pace and the attention the social elements of the meal.

If you are staying downtown, the Elevator is an easy walk. If you are stay in the burbs and want a place to eat after touring downtown the Elevator is a great choice. There are two surface lots very nearby and after hours - there is plenty of on street parking.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of venues, which offer ice skating - but it is a start. I would recommend - if you plan to check them out that you call or check the links prior to heading out - as times, availability and pricing may change - with the weather or otherwise.

The Chiller has skating at 4 Columbus locations. It is perfect for when the weather is not the best outside - at the Chiller you skate inside. I have been to the Easton location and the skating is very nice and there is a snack bar area. It is also located very near Easton mall and all of the shopping and dinning - which would be great for afterwards.

The Columbus Zoo also has outdoor ice skating - which opens at 4 pm daily and is free with the Zoo admission. They also offer skate rental. The rink is very close to the main entrance and is not as large as a full size or even half size rink at the Chiller - but it is still loads of fun.

The OSU ice rink also has open skate times - they vary per month and this link will take you to the December schedule - if you are traveling with young child - please not many of their open skates are 18 and over. Parking is also an issue in the Campus area - so you might want to call ahead to verify where it is best to park. The Campus area is locatednear downtown and it is a reasonable bus ride. Also the South Campus Gateway is a great place to stop and enjoy a meal before or after. There are many new and interesting restaurant located in the gateway.

Happy Skating!

The food is fantastic, it is fresh, fragrant, and brought to the table quickly. The service is attentive and very helpful - ready to answer questions and make suggestions. The restaurant is also kid friendly - they have high chairs and booster seats.

The menu is long and features Tandoor Favorites and a number of chicken, lamb and vegetarian dishes. There are also a variety of rice dishes and various breads are also offered. I had chicken saag and the rest of my family happily dined on Tandoori Chicken - half a chicken cut up and served with onions and peppers. Lemon wedges on the side. My first trip to Amul Indian I tried the Saag Biriyani - which was good but the chicken saag was even better!

The Mango Lassi is a crowd pleaser and I love the Chia - it is not sweet - like the commercial instant varieties.

The entire menu is also available for carry out and they also offer catering services.

Amul India is located in Dublin, Ohio - off of Sawmill Rd. It would be very convient before or after a trip to the Zoo - or is very close to many hotels located in Worthington or Dublin. Since it is located in a strip mall - there is plenty of parking.

To view pictures of Amul India and their menu - click here.