UP Factory: you’ll come back because you’ll feel good
From massages to aerial classes to yoga, UP Factory offers an extensive array of amazing classes and services.
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The Joint Redemption: how one irresponsible publication embarrassed a respected local businessman
In the 70s, Ken Friedlander made a name for himself with his clothing store, Ken and Company. He was well-known, a man with a booming voice, the kind of man who never met a stranger. His son, Paul, remembers his father always smelling of Paul Sebastian cologne, and says, “you would hear and smell him before you saw him.” Ken would later go into real estate, where his personality and business acumen translated into a…
Read MoreBourbon Cocktails: Beyond the Tried and True
As you have probably noticed, over the past two months I have been talking a lot about bourbon. So far I have written about the current bourbon craze—what started it, and the effects of the increased demand for bourbon. In the most recent article I addressed several traditional bourbon cocktails, including the Mint Julep, the Old Fashioned, and the Manhattan. This month I will explore several craft cocktails that are a twist on some of…
Read MoreSkylar Saufley: local blues wunderkind gets down and wows audiences on his way up
Getting compared to Eric Clapton is a big deal for any blues guitarist, and 23-year-old Skylar Saufley frequently draws the comparison from those who are captivated by his playing. Born in Virginia, Skylar moved to Columbus in the 3rd grade, when his father was stationed at Fort Benning. He’s been here ever since and considers himself a Columbus native, but when people hear him play, they often ask, “where did he come from?” Some also…
Read MoreStart Your Own Story: the bar at Epic is the perfect place to begin a love affair with one of Columbus’ premier restaurants
“A lot of people don’t seem to know you can come in and just enjoy the bar,” Adam Icard explained one Monday evening at Epic Restaurant (1201 Front Avenue, Columbus) where he works. This is Adam’s story: Adam has spent most of his restaurant career behind a grill, but over the past year has transitioned to baking and pastry work. He compares baking, now his primary passion, to chemistry, and enjoys the challenge of experimenting…
Read MoreIn Conversation with Bo Bartlett: The Bo Bartlett Center’s past, present and future, and finding common ground through art
On an overcast day, as the sun broke through a light rain long enough for me to walk from my car to the Corn Center for the Visual Arts, which houses the Bo Bartlett Center, I waited for Columbus-born artist of international renown, Bo Barltett, in the lobby area. I had visited The Center many times since the opening reception on Jan. 19, and I had always been struck by the contrast in these experiences—the…
Read MoreStrange Brew: Gentlemen jammers Mango Strange prepare for lift off
During certain times at select places, if you pay close enough attention, you can sense a scene being born. Thick as humidity, high as a Georgia pine and real as red clay, the buzz building around the ascendant local rock band was palpable in the sultry summer air during their Saturday night set to close out the Frogtown Jam last month. Faces familiar from gathering every Wednesday night to catch Mango Strange at their Loft…
Read MoreJim Pharr: Is He Serious?
By April Norris Those who love the Springer Opera House and No Shame Theater may have read on social media about the health issues of the talented Jim Pharr, host of No Shame and resident actor for The Springer. There is no replacement. I learned over coffee, (Fountain City Coffee, where he begins each morning) that Jim was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 23, roughly the time he began working at the Springer. “There…
Read MoreThe Wicked Hen: Midtown’s dining destination keeps getting better
In some ways, not much has changed—except for a beautifully remodeled dining room, new menu options and live music, Wicked Hen (1350 13th Street, Columbus) remains, as it was last year when we first wrote about it, Midtown’s premier destination restaurant. But that’s why Wicked Hen still sets the bar, and a high bar at that: from atmosphere to delectable fare, The Wicked Hen team, unwilling to rest on past success, is always looking to…
Read MoreGoing Green: Trees Columbus preserves and grows our urban canopy
Sometimes a name says it all. Simple yet profound, Trees Columbus’s mission is to “plant, preserve and protect” the city’s urban tree canopy. Since forming in 2000—in response to city plans to remove 150 trees from Lakebottom Park—the environmental advocacy and awareness organization has planted nearly 15,000 trees and helped enact local legislation critical to making Columbus a sustainable, beautiful community. “There are obvious reasons why it’s important to have an urban tree canopy,” explains…
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