I am traveling from Buffalo N.Y. to Columbus Ohio this coming Friday and will be there through Sunday. The primary reason for our visit is the Univ. at Buffalo vs. Ohio State football game which will be Saturday at noon. We are 2 couples in our 50's and will be staying at the Hyatt Regency on North High Street. I'm looking for restaurant suggestions for dinner both nights and breakfast on Saturday before the game. I understand there are many restaurants to walk to from our hotel. We are looking for upscale with a fun atmosphere, with no set budget but entrees $20 to $30 would be good. American/seafood/Italian would work. Any other suggestions on what to do and see would be appreciated. Are there any good downtown neighborhoods to explore? Also any advice for the game day experience? Does tailgating go on? Are there any fun places to go before the game? Thanks for your help.

We have been away from Columbus for a while, but always enjoy eating at Rigsby's when we visit.

http://rigsbyskitchen.com/

You would probably enjoy German Village neighborhood near downtown. There is a great book store:

http://www.bookloft.com/

And the ultimate german village restaurant:

http://www.schmidthaus.com/


The OSU band plays a pep rally in St John Arena before the game. Guess it would be less exciting for the Visitors, but the band is great (TBDBITL) and you will be pleased with how friendly OSU fans are.

Enjoy my home town!

Welcome to Columbus! I would suggest

The Pearl (http://www.thepearlcolumbus.com) for a trendy, yet delicious spin on seafood. It's within walking distance to your hotel, but you'll definitely need a reservation. It's a newish restaurant, and I have heard phenomenal things about the fried chicken (apparently the sticky bun is to die). Personally, I think the baked clams and cornbread are fantastic.

Another personal fav within walking distance from your hotel is Marcella's (http://www.marcellasitaliankitchen.com) - delicious Italian and reasonable prices. Again, make a reservation. I think the pecorino cheese appetizer is amazing. Sangria is also delish!

You are staying in the neighborhood that is called the "Short North", so you're about 1.5 miles south of campus. It should be easy to take the bus directly north on High Street to get to campus. Tailgating definitely happens, and it will start early. People tailgate in parking lots and also many campus bars are fun (Varsity Club is my personal favorite).

In regards to other stuff to do, I would enjoy just walking around the Short North since there are many cute boutiques. You will also be present during the Greek Festival, which again, is right by your hotel (by the Greek Orthodox Church). You can check it out for some cheap eats and a fair type atmosphere. (http://www.columbusgreekfestival.com)

Finally, no trip to Columbus is complete without a stop at Jeni's (http://www.jenis.com). This local ice creamery is my favorite, and there is one on High Street. It is made with local, organic ingredients, and even though the flavors sound unusual, I promise you they are worth it. You can sample as much as you like, so you don't have to commit to anything too weird. I recommend the brambleberry crisp or the salty carmel.

Enjoy your stay in Columbus, and Go Bucks!

I'm glad I asked here! I thought we were going to have to drive to the game. It looks like there is bus transportation? If it is only a mile and a half there is no reason we can't walk. Thanks for the responses so far. Another restaurant I have heard about is Martini's. Anyone been there?

Hi KathyK, glad to help!

COTA is the bus transportation for the city (http://www.cota.com/How-to-Ride.aspx). I can't remember the line specifically, but there is a line that goes directly up High Street, which will take you pretty close to the stadium. I would ask your hotel concierge. If that doesn't work, you could always try to cab it as close as possible (I've done that a few times). My last resort would be driving a car since it gets so congested, and you really aren't that far.

And I double checked on Google Maps - you're about 2 miles to the campus, a little further to the stadium. Again, very doable by bus or cab.

I've been to Martini's before, and it's owned by the same owner as Marcella's. I prefer Marcella's since it's less expensive, but I honestly think better atmosphere and food. However, I know tons of people who rave about Martini's, and they do have a great selection of cocktails. I don't think it's worth the price, and the last time I went I had pretty bad service. But, my co-worker and her husband go every year for their anniversary, and it's their favorite restaurant in Columbus. So it could be fun to check out.

I reread your first post, and you were asking about brunch/breakfast places. A few that come to mind: Tasi http://www.tasicafe.com (very close by)
Katalina's http://www.cafecornercolumbus.com
Cap City http://www.capcityfinediner.com

All of them will be really crowded, but if you go early, it might be okay.

Another possibility is going to the North Market, which is an indoor market that has many vendors and stalls. You can wander around and grab a bite of some local delicacies. It's fun to walk around: http://www.northmarket.com

Enjoy!

German Town mentioned above is worth a drive thru. We stop at the Book store often when passing thru Columbus. It actually has 32 rooms, small rooms but 32 of them! http://www.bookloft.com/

I'm back from a fun weekend in Columbus. We found the Hyatt Regency to be very well located. We parked our car on Friday and didn't need it again until we left on Sunday. I was little surprised that it was quiet there over the weekend on a weekend with a home football game. We were able to book it for $60 a night on Priceline which was a great rate. Friday night we had dinner at the Mongolian Grill which was the choice of the couple that we were traveling with. The food was good but I wouldn't return there. Saturday morning we had breakfast at the North Market which was perfect for us. I had a cinnamon pastry that the Food Network awarded the Best Breakfast if Ohio. We took the bus to the game and went to the band pep rally at St. John's. It was about 110 degrees in there but otherwise a pretty neat experience. The game was better than we expected. Ohio State was favored by 35 points and Buffalo managed to only lose by 20 and we were in the game into the third quarter so we were happy. Very enthusiastic and well behaved crowd. On Saturday night we went to Martinis for drinks and 89 Fish for drinks. Both were great. I had the butternut squash tortiloni which was excellent. Sunday morning before leaving we drove around German Village. I wish we had time to walk around. All in all it was a great weekend and this NFL fan is going to start following a little more college football.

Thanks for posting back. Glad you had a good time!

I'm just re reading my last post. No, we did not drink all night on Saturday. We had dinner at Martini's and drinks at 89 Fish.