Dining Alfresco Downtown Style
Summer time is one of my favorite times to dine out – outside that is! Downtown has many venues with patios that make eating and drinking outside fun and enjoyable when the weather is nice. Here are a few of my favorite patio picks:
- Due Amici: Located on Gay Street, this modern Italian restaurant is located in the middle of hustle and bustle of downtown. The menu includes small plates, salads and lots of seasonal specials make the experience worth the trip. Tip: Mondays feature half price bottles of wine & champagne with live jazz music starting at 6 p.m. Due Amici is located at 67 E. Gay Street.
- Latitude 41: Located within the Renaissance Hotel at the corner of Third and Gay streets, the outdoor patio here offers comfy couches in a great urban setting. Happy hour specials for the summer last until 7 p.m. and include $5 pizzas and wine specials. The patio is a great hangout for after work and evening relaxation.
- J. Gumbos: Voted Best Cajun by the readers of 614 Magazine, J. Gumbos offers great Cajun fare like Bourbon Street Chicken and Voo Doo Chicken. While sitting on the patio after hours, enjoy a Mike’s Hard Lemonade, margaritas, and several varieties of beer for only $3. Or get the mix-and-match bucket of 5 for $14. Happy Hour is Monday through Saturday 3 to 7:30 p.m. J. Gumbos is located at 31 E. Gay Street.
- Manifesto Tuscan Grato & Scotch Bar: A relatively newcomer to downtown, Manifesto, located at 21 E. State Street in the Fifth Third Building, offers Italian fare that includes lots of wonderful small plates as well as Italian wines and premium cocktails. What’s not to like about having a cocktail on the patio before a show at the Ohio Theatre or afterwork?
- Hills Market Downtown: Most recently, I have enjoyed having Sunday brunch at the Hills Market patio where they prepare sweet and savory crepes from Crepes a La Carte. On Saturdays, Hills offers a $5 Pancake Breakfast that includes a stack of pancakes, sausage and Silver Bridge coffee. Of course they offer Ohio made maple syrup to put on top. Brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.! Hills Market Downtown is located at 95 N. Grant Avenue.
Patios coming to downtown soon include:
- El Camino Inn located at 238 S. Fourth Street is a So Cal lounge offering cheap eats such as $2 tacos as well as margaritas and canned Mexican beers.
- Little Palace Bar + Kitchen located next to El Camino Inn at 240 S. Fourth Street is a historic downtown neighborhood diner. The menu includes pizzas, Stromboli, sub sandwiches, burgers and other favs such as gyros and hand cut fried.
But my favorite spot to dine outside is in the courtyard of Neighborhood Launch with our neighbors. Occasionally we gather around the fountain in the courtyard on nice evenings to enjoy food, beverage and good conversation.
What’s your favorite place to dine outside downtown?
