By Chris LaMacchia
And now a word from Columbus Crew Utility man, and ’09 Crew Player of the Year, Danny O’Rourke. I’d like to thank Danny for taking three months to get back to me, and also for taking time out of his busy schedule to write. As anyone who has ever stared at a blank pad of paper knows, writing something coherent to a broad audience is a daunting task. Thanks, Danny, we’re all looking forward to your next literary gem. -Chris
Greetings blogger nation. Like most of the time, I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. Seriously, ask Chad. The first time I played center back with him in ’08, I sprinted out to the opposing team’s left mid to pressure him. Stunned, Chad screamed, “Danny, what the $%^& are you doing”? I simply and honestly yelled back to him, “I have no idea”. All he could do was smile at me, nonchalantly replying, “Ok”.
And that’s when I thought to myself, could it be? Did my wolfpack just grow by one? And little did I know, 74 pks and 14 red cards later, it did.
Anyway, I’d like to thank Chris for letting me write on his site. I actually write all the time, but no one gets to see the espresso-laced, emo-induced prose that dominate the journals at the O’Rourke household. So when I saw Chris at his residence, known to most as Scottie McBean’s Coffee Shop in Old Worthington, we discussed a guest cameo on his site and what to write about. Being the nice guy that he is, he replied, “Dude, anything”. Awesome. Giving the worst decision maker in the world the parameters of “anything” is torture. Thanks Chris.
So I guess I’ll talk about some of the good places in Columbus, at least trying to keep the soccer talk to a minimum for this first blog. Seeing how I have no idea how this stuff works, maybe Chris could get suggestions next time and I’ll write the crap outta them.
Post practice, there are a plethora of places to go replenish ourselves, little nooks that myself or others have come across that are luncheon jewels of the city. A favorite spot of ours is El Arepazo in the alley just off of Gay and High St. Following a tough practice, the unique Venezuelan/Columbian cuisine hits the spot. Amazing. A spot that I used to frequent a lot in Grandview but they moved to 4th St. by 670 is Café del Mondo. Hands down best Italian Wedding Soup I’ve ever had. I’m pretty sure I’d drink it out of the back if they’d let me. And last but not least, some of you may be familiar with North Star Café. I’m partial to their brunch so any day off I’ll be in there for sure. And besides Thurman Café or Five Guys, I dare you to find a better burger than North Star’s Veggie burger. That’s right, dare. There are many other places I hit up like Tasi in the Short North or Brown Bag in the Village, but I’m trying to keep this blog short.
So after the post practice/post food baby coma, I always need an espresso to keep me functioning for the remainder of the day. And this is my expertise. Although nothing quite rivals the perfect espresso pull from an Illy Café, Café Brioso comes pretty damn close. I recently stumbled across this hidden gem with fellow espresso connoisseur Frankie Hedjuk. They use amazing espresso beans, freshly grind it right in front of you, use an amazing, local dairy for their milk, and their espresso is perfect. Sweet, bold, just the right amount of crema. Definitely a must for you coffee addicts out there. Café Apropos in Victorian Village is also a must. Also, the German Village Cup of Joe or Stauff’s in Grandview offer great espresso and very good atmospheres. And if you’re ever up north in Worthington, try out Scottie McBean’s in downtown Worthington. Great coffee, relaxing vibe, and let’s face it – Worthington is the best. And if you’re lucky, you may not bump into Chris.
OK, for all those who are still reading after that last comment, lets move on to something the HSH know all too much about. Beers. Where are the best places to grab a pint (besides their bar, of course)? Downtown I’d have to say the best pint is at Barley’s. We were fortunate enough to have a tour of their subterranean brewery and got to see first hand how they make their amazing beers. I’d recommend either the Scottish Ale or the Pilsner. And their Turkey Nut burger is unbelievable. Another good place in the suburbs would be Mellow Mushroom up in Polaris. Their beer selection is only second to their pizza. Or maybe Jimmy V’s in downtown Westerville. Or Elevator downtown as well. Or you could be like me and stay in my house all day reading and counting down the days until fantasy football starts.
So when I’m not eating lunch or drinking espresso (or dreaming of my fantasy dominance over Will Hesmer), here are a couple things I recommend to do. There’s a crazy sick bike path that leads from Worthington Hills all the way down to German Village. Anyone into riding has probably heard of it, but it’s a pretty easy ride to get from one end of the city to the other. Or to take my dog Wiley around the beautiful Antrim Lake as she attempts to pick fights with bulldogs. Runs in the family. If the weather is too hot, I like to try and catch under-the-radar bands at venues like Newport or The Basement. Of course I like a lot of the bands that come to the LC, but the shows inside at the Basement are always rockin’. And if you’re big into tattoos like me and plan on getting five to five hundred more, I always love stopping at Staind Skin in the Short North. Anthony and Naryan, amongst others, are top notch and its fun to bounce all my crazy ideas off them.
So I hope my first blog attempt wasn’t an epic fail. I’d love to hear what other places y’all recommend or any topics you’d like to discuss or fight over. Here’s to a lovely weekend as we all try to do something completely outrageous or talk to someone who’s a complete stranger. Here’s to helping others in need, from opening a door for a stranger to giving Duncan fashion advice.
All the best and God Bless,
Danny
