2014 OHIO East Liberty 3 - Orchids and Pearl for K's BD

Woke up to birthday mimosas and coffee and leftover quiche. Still good the second time around. Then headed  southeast for a birthday day in the city of Columbus, Ohio.

Luckily we had another day of good traveling weather. First stop was the Franklin Park Conservatory. To get there the route took us through downtown and we admired the old and new buildings along the way.

From the outside the conservatory does not impress, but inside was warm and wonderful. Today an orchid exhibition was the highlight. So many color combinations and shapes and sizes of orchids. Colors from pale yellow to brilliant pinks and purples. Sizes from thumbnail to clenched fist. Single plants overflowing with hundreds of blossoms. This display was a feast for our winter eyes.

We wandered through the Himalayan Mountain display with its cool atmosphere. Then worked our way to the Palm House which was almost sweaty tropical. There was a Pacific Island Water Garden, warm and lush and included a lovely Chihuly red/orange/yellow glass sculpture. There was a sculpture garden and desert room with many species of cactus.

A Bruce Munro glass and light show was also showcased, but most effective in the evening with lights aglow. Another trip. In the daylight hour, I especially liked the clear glass "flowers" amongst the snow in an outdoor display.

Another display was that of a miniature hamlet with railroad. We recently viewed a TV special on the mastermind, Paul Busse, of these museum quality villages and we were excited to see one in person. We were not let down. All the buildings and landscape are made from natural materials--each so unique. That, intertwined with fern and flowers and greenery, was lovely. One could observe and see something new for hours. Hard to take in every detail and hard to walk away from this one. To read more about this artist, go to:  www.gardendesign.com/ideas/art-botany-Paul-Busse .

We finished browsing and headed to our next stop. We planned a late birthday lunch at the "The Pearl." This was recently rated the best new restaurant in Columbus. And, again, we were not disappointed. We arrived early, so decided to start at the bar.

This is no ordinary bar. Our mixologist was Carly. She said she did not think of herself as a bartender, but more as a alcohol chef. We agree.

First, they serve many classic drinks--Box Car, Grasshopper, Manhattan, several Southern punches, etc. They also make their own specialty mixes in house in an infusion locker, such as their Bloody Mary tomato juice. That's what Mike and Jim ordered. Along with this drink (served in a  mason jar) came a short bottle beer. "Delish," they said.

I ordered a classic ramos fizz. We used to drink these at Sunday brunch at the Moss Beach Distillery near our home in Half Moon Bay, California. Fond memories there. We would sit outside on deck chairs overlooking the blue Pacific. It was often quite breezy and they supplied blankets if you were too cold.

This drink today was made to perfection (raw egg white and all). Carly saw that I really enjoyed it and volunteered to make a new drink she was experimenting with that also included egg white. It was wonderful (and gratis). Citrus inspired and a refreshing treat on a cold winter day. Then came a gratis appetizer of Jalapeno corn spoon bread served in a small cast iron fry pan. It was warm and fluffy light and not too spicy from my "delicate" palate. 

The bar set-up itself is so interesting. Bitters and flavor additives are stored in small medicine type bottles and delivered to drinks with eyedroppers. The place looks more like an chemistry lab than a typical bar. So fun and fascinating to see the various alcoholic concoctions constructed and developed.

Four o'clock rolled around and we were escorted to late lunch. I have been on a weight loss regimen, but not today. It was a tough decision on what to order. Mike and I first thought we would share a Shellfish Tower which included a tall mound of oysters, clams, and shrimp, but came to our senses!!! He ended up with a dozen raw oysters on the half shell and I got a pound of peel-and-eat gulf shrimp (shades of Key West and Charleston).
I also had a spinach salad to be on the healthy side. I think J & K got catch of the day.

My shrimp were the largest I have ever had. Absolutely stupendous in size and taste. The only thing that might have made it better would have been some cheesy grits. It was hard to finish my plate, but the others helped out a bit. Mike was in heaven also with three types of fresh oyster. He slurped those babies down in a frenzy.

For birthday desert we had their fresh pies made daily--cherry and house special brown sugar pie. I don't have such a sweet tooth (salty is usually more my style), but I could have eaten a whole brown sugar pie all by myself. SOOOOOO good! This was a fabulous gastropub and we definitely recommend it. To read more, go to: www.thepearlcolumbus.com .

We finally could not fit in another bite, so we waddled to our car and back to East Liberty. The rest of the evening was pleasantly spent remembering the "old days" backed up with a few more celebration cocktails.

2/17/2014 - To home. Nothing special. Dry roads til about the Ohio-Michigan border. Then the rain-sleet-snow started. Roads slick, so we took our time from there. No ice slip-and-slide til we were a block from home on a side street. Back to reality and back to our sweetie cat Bella.