by Janell D. on Loved this place! It was so fun to come and enjoy some great music with friends. The historic nature of the club makes it worth your while to arrive early and check it out- its really nice and takes you back to a time of San Francisco Speakeasy... The bar is cash only and a bit overpriced but for a club that's not surprising. I think the best part was the ladies bathroom- they keep an attendant in there chatting all the ladies up and reminding them not to forget their rings, drinks, etc. I thought that was pretty neat! I will return and I hope that Wonderbread5 is performing again when I do!
by Anne Marie B. on i'm smitten. i think bimbo's is my new favorite moderately sized concert venue in the city, and i dont make these decisions lightly. granted, concert experiences are largely shaped by the performers and the friends attending...and at this particular show i was actually working as an usher, but still absolutely loved it! depending on the performer, bimbo's will alter the amount of tables set up so as to provide a dance floor for bands people will want to see up close and personal. there are 2 main bars, a raised section in the back with a lot of tables, and a bevy of people serving drinks/food to the tables/dance floor. there also is occasionally a female in a fish bowl (a bimbo's claim to fame). but the best part is that walking in is like walking into the past. the decor is super swanky. apparently the club was originally on market street (hence the 365...it was the old address) and bimbo was the term of endearment the original owner used to be referred to as. the club moved to columbus several decades ago, but the feel remains the same today. i was there for the au revoir simone show and thought the acoustics were actually great. no feedback or out of proportion bass. and even in the back of the theater the sound quality was great. the half tables/half dance floor lends itself to a slightly more intimate concert setting, but if you want a seat, i'd recommend getting there early, especially for the more popular shows. yes, the drinks/food are a tad pricey, but that's the case at every concert venue of this size/bigger, and there are options for food/drink nearby (re-entry is allowed with a hand stamp). so bimbo's, you will be seeing a lot more of me.
by Faye Martirano on "Since you're pregnant, you can choose items from the vegetarian menu to substitute for the raw items on the regular menu," the waitress exclaims to me. Great advice for a pregnant customer; however, I'm not pregnant. And so our evening at XIV begins.... My sister, J., suggested we check out this new Michael Mina restaurant, so we headed to XIV on a Saturday night. Upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately encased in the Philippe Starck-designed interior - steel panels to the left and a European-style library feel to the right. The dining room was elegant and comfortable, blending the old and new quite well. Some of the group tables had sofas for seating, and the fireplaces were warm and welcoming. J. and I decided to go all out and skipped the chef's selection. We ordered 14 dishes of our choice and had a blast savoring the taste and texture of each dish. Quick synopsis below: 1. Bay scallops tempura - the crunchy tempura bits went perfect w/ the scallops 2. Golden beet salad - mache, gruyere and beets are a great combo 3. Pumpkin dumplings - slightly too sweet for me; but the broth was delish 4. Ahi tuna tartare - slightly spicy... yum 5. Atlantic cod- Asian-inspired 6. Jidori chicken - we got it b/c it came w/ truffle mac 'n cheese 7. Liberty duck - J. saved the foie gras for last; not as good as Lien Hoa BBQ on Bolsa, though 8. Crispy pork belly - tasty, but can't beat my mom's Viet. pork belly 9. Beef carpaccio - so yummy.. more restaurants should serve carpaccio 10. Roasted venison - delicious and tender, but would've been helpful if we had a knife to slice the venison 11. Idiazabal cheese - THE BEST cheese I have ever had; the dates and smoked bacon powder complemented the cheese so well 12. Lemongrass custard - my favorite dish; contained lemongrass custard, cola jelly cubes (they really tasted like Coke!), buttermilk sponge bread, yuzu-sweet potato mochi, shrimp chip (yes, shrimp chip!) and saffron cellophane 13. white chocolate cube - the chocolate was great, but the fruit inside was a bit rich for me One unfortunate moment was when they didn't bring us our risotto dish! We were waiting for it thinking the chef had selected the order our plates came out, and maybe the risotto would be the last main dish (before cheese & dessert), but alas, they just forgot! The server had the gumption to ask us if we still wanted it after the cheese had been served. That'd be like running the 25th mile of the marathon, and somebody asked you to redo mile 14... don't think so! Therefore, we ended up ordering 14 dishes, but only got 13. No comp, no nothing! Lame moment in our books. Yes, it's quite expensive. And yes, $14 for valet parking is a major rip off. However, we knew this coming in so for us, it was overall an excellent experience - exemplary food and great conversation in an elegant, upscale and comfortable environment. Getting back to the pregnant story, the waitress had thought I was pregnant because I had ordered decaf hot, raspberry tea, not because I looked pregnant... at least, that's what she told me. :)
