New Albany; A Community Hub of Fitness, Growth, and The Arts

New Albany, the community that I have called "home" since I was 5 years old and a place that I will always be quite fond of, is an exquisite and ever-expanding location to put down your roots and stay for awhile. You may never want to leave the vibrant, bustling community once you see and experience what it has to offer.

In 1796, Plain Township became a part of the Military District set side for veterans of the Revolutionary War; however, due to the extensive time veterans had to wait to claim this land, they sold their parcels to land speculators. It was then realized that they portioned off a greater amount of land than was necessary, leading to the land being sold to Dudley Woodbridge who then resold his 4,000 acres to John Huffman, a Pennsylvanian farmer. German Farmers in Pennsylvania  turned their grain into whiskey to make it more transportable in order to deliver it further East. Troops were sent out in 1794 to bring an end to the "Whiskey Rebellion", as the farmers were refusing to pay taxes on the whiskey. Daniel Swickard, a name that most locals relate to Swickard Woods, was also known for having a whiskey distillery. Other pieces of land were offered for sale for $2.00 an acre in 1812. One of the early settlers, Archibald Smith, wrote in his autobiography, "In the year 1814 Ohio was creating a great excitement and hundreds were moving to the new country." (www.newalbanyplaintownshiphistoricalsociety.org/history.html) As his family members, and himself, had moved to the township in 1813 from New Jersey.


In all, there are six historical sites that are sponsored by the historical society in Plain Township:

Smith's burying ground, a pioneer cemetery that honors John Clouse and John Smith, two Revolutionary War veterans that are known to be buried in the township.

Wagnor Cemetery, a pioneer burial ground and the site of the first Plain Township school which has  been demolished located off of Central College Rd. The cemetery is a grave site for veterans from both the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

Archibald's Mill is located on Kitzmiller Rd, where the site of his sawmill remains on Blacklick Creek; it brought to life the era of the water-powered sawmill around the year 1853.

Founders of New Albany, a site located at the intersection of Route 605 and Route 62, which contains a marker honoring the Noble Landon and William Yantis whom laid out the plans for New Albany in 1837.

Disposal of Land in Plain Township, the marker describes Federal surveys of the township and disposal of lands when Ohio became a State; it is located on Swickard Woods Blvd. close to Plain Township Aquatic Center and Swickard Woods Park.

George and Christina Ealy House and Land which sits across from the Church of the Resurrection. It describes the history of the Ealy Family along with the construction of the house by local craftsmen.

A spike in growth occurred around the 1990's, partly in response to Les Wexner's expansion of his "clothing empire", The Limited, along with the commencement of building his mansion. Since this time, the town has had a steady climb in population and with more people coming in, more housing developments sprang up, and businesses hustled in to be a part of this blossoming community. Part of the communities uniqueness is the economy that makes up the area; New Albany ranks 12th out of 1,065 places in Ohio in regards to per capita income. Market Square, the gathering place in the heart of New Albany, is in a growth phase all it's own; new businesses and health centers have been established, including the Wexner Medical Center's Health and Fitness Center that is implementing programs such as community gardening and a walking club, along with hosting the Farmer's Market throughout the Spring season leading into fall. Local restaurants that have been welcomed into the square are Mellow Mushroom (open now) and the much anticipated Hudson 29, Cameron Mitchell restaurant(which will make it's appearance this Spring). Already established businesses within the square include: Starbucks, The Rusty Bucket Corner Tavern, The New Albany Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Learning Express, and Huntington.

New Albany has seen a 12.2% increase in the average price per square foot, which is currently $147, in comparison to last year's statistics. The median sales price has increased by 11.3%, which equates to $35,400, as it is now $349,900 based on the sale of 53 homes. Some of the popular neighborhoods, according to Trulia data, are The New Albany Country Club, Windsor, New Albany Links, Tidewater at New Albany, and Plain View Country Estates. [Other popular neighborhoods include: Upper Clarenton, Pickett Place, Hampstead Heath, Hampstead Village, and Hampstead Green.]

New Albany prides itself on it's plethora of performing arts venues and studios. The Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the arts has multiple uses as it has a recording studio, dance studio, and classrooms for the performing arts. Located nearby are the New Albany Ballet Company and the New Albany Symphony Orchestra. They definitely do not lack arenas for the fine arts.

Events to check out in the area include: Founders Day in May, with a parade, rides, vendors, and more; The Taste of New Albany, a culinary event for sampling food from a variety of restaurants, which gives its proceeds to the New Albany Chamber of Commerce; The New Albany Classic, an equestrian event sanctioned by the USEF/FEI and founded by the Wexner's, raises money for the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence and draws a diverse crowd out to enjoy rides, face painting, live music, food vendors, animals from rescues, as well as zoo animals; The New Albany Walking Classic, which takes place in September along with the New Albany Classic, is a 10k event and known to be the country's largest walk-only race.

There is a strong sense of community established here that is very welcoming and united; if you're looking for a place to call home that you can walk around the block and all the neighbors wave and spark conversation, New Albany may be calling your name. You can't walk into the neighborhood Kroger or Giant Eagle without running into someone that you know, or of course the local Starbucks on the corner of Market Street. (So you'll want to save some extra time on your regular errand running days). Even as it expands, the charm and the "culture of New Albany" is truly a source of pride for everyone that resides here. It is a very youthful and active area with people walking the paths around the golf course that loop through the neighborhoods or around the preserved wetlands, groups of friends catching up on the patio of market square's restaurant and coffee shop, friendly neighbors walking their dogs, or kids hanging out by the local library after school lets out. There is never a dull moment in this busy suburban lifestyle.

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The Barn; Decadent Dining

Exquisitely remodeled from the old Hoggy's, The Barn has transcended expectations and transformed into an intimate, classy bar and restaurant for upscale diners. BBQ connoisseurs will enjoy their various and numerous cuts of meat that are made precisely to your liking. Before we delve into the main course, let's discuss appetizers, which you can't go wrong with any of them here. We devoured the baked oysters bingo- I have never eaten anything of the like, other than raw oysters, which are on a whole other level and cannot even be compared. I could have ordered another round of these delicious bite-size apps. We shared a basket of ribs, which then turned into two baskets, as the meat slipped right off the bone and melted in your mouth; you couldn't stop after just one. The spicy sauerkraut balls were wonderful, even coming from someone who was never a fan of sauerkraut, the combination of flavors was pleasantly appealing to the palate. In case you particularly enjoy having some vegetables and dip before your meal, or cheese and a few pickles, there is a small plate bar with all of these options that you can grab at your own discretion.

 I highly recommend sipping on a Bourbon Hemingway, especially if you prefer your bourbon to have a lighter feel to it with citrus bursts, specifically grapefruit that provides just enough tart to make the drink wonderfully balanced.  I haven't ordered a filet mignon in years, as most of the time I more readily order scallops or fresh, wild-caught fish, but let me tell you I was delighted with my choice (a 6.oz filet)! It was cooked to perfection, with all of it's juicy tenderness intact, and I never even bothered to use the sauce as the seasoning was exceptional on it's own. The asparagus was tender and well seasoned, which preparing these until they are just right can prove to be difficult and many restaurants get them plain wrong by serving them tough and dried out. There were no complaints from the other seven people in my party that night, I swear a hush came over the table as we all took in our plates and immersed ourselves in the magnificent dish in front of us. The service was great, and if another server noticed that we were out of drinks, they didn't hesitate to come and replenish our waters or bring us another beverage. The timing of the dishes arriving to our table was not delayed, nor did we ever wonder where our appetizers/dinner/desserts were since they came out at a pleasant pace, so as to not rush us or keep us waiting. Their after dinner drinks were phenomenal and hit the spot.

Do not pass on the dessert! Every item on the menu was remarkable and came highly recommended by the server, no surprise there as they all made my mouth-water just reading the descriptions. I have a soft spot for coconut cake and this was by far the best I have ever eaten; it was extremely moist and was very much complimented by the chocolate sauce. Each bite was savory and just sweet enough without being over powering. You can tell they were baked fresh and were days from becoming stale, whereas some restaurants leave you pondering over the actual date the desserts were baked. The creme brûlée was the special for the night, it's presentation was definitely aesthetically pleasing and inviting to your taste buds. Many creme brûlées can be too sweet, if not paired with a tart fruit or topping, but they mastered the art of flavor combinations by adding blueberries and lemon zest atop mint leaves. It had a very rich taste that had me going back for more after each bite and I was rather disappointed when the dish was empty, regardless of the fact that I was entirely too full! The Barn lived up to every expectation as a Cameron Mitchell concept and then went beyond with its unparalleled flavor profile from the starters to the decadent desserts. I'd be crazy not to recommend this place to every one of my clients in the area, as it outshines most, if not all, of the restaurants nearby.

Feel free to share your experience at this restaurant; the more the merrier!

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Mellow Mushroom; a Hit or Miss Experience

A hot new spot recently opened up on Market Street in New Albany, the Mellow Mushroom has locals buzzing about having another sit down restaurant within the square, giving them another option other than Rusty Bucket- but is the craze mirrored by a great dining experience? I'd have to say that with my two previous visits, it is hard to tell due to inconsistent service, and what I've heard about other's experiences hasn't been too promising.

My first visit was a Sunday (Fun-day) at noon, and the place was relatively busy with most tables filled or filling up quickly as people filed in and the bar was packed with sports fans. We luckily had no wait and were seated immediately, our server arrived within 5 minutes to get our drink order, I had what they call a Moscow Mule- however, it was unlike any I had before, and that wasn't a good thing- while Jake had a beer (so no complaints there). It did take about 10 minutes to get our drinks, and as a busy restaurant they probably should have had another bartender to help serve more people so the order to wait (time) ratio was lower. Other than that, our service was pretty good besides the fact that our waitress seemed to forget quite a bit and had to return to our table to ask again, but being a busy Sunday, it was understandable since she was covering too many tables than a server should have, in my opinion. We shared the dough bite appetizer, which were balls of dough with three different dipping sauces, and they were rather scrumptious and well seasoned. Now to the main course: I had an artichoke pizza with white sauce, that was quite delicious but it could have used more artichokes and not have been so skimpy (because who wants to pay for a one topping with two pieces of the topping on each slice? Not me.)  The price is quite high for mixed drinks and I definitely would not recommend the mule, as it was very watered down and was not made like most mules (or put into a copper mug, which is how I expect one to be served!) It lacked mint and lime, two of the main ingredients and tastes needed to successfully pull of this drink! For the price, which I believe was close to $10 it came in a small glass, half filled with ice, and was not worth it.

Arriving on a weekday around 4pm, my mom and I were quickly seated, as we were the only customers in the building at this time. We were waited on almost immediately, and she continued to check-up on us until we were ready to order, and was very patient with us as we got carried away in our conversation. I debated on ordering a drink, due to my last experience, and decided that I would give it another try since I assumed it was Happy Hour (even though it is not posted anywhere on the menu or on the table signs). I ordered their margarita, which normally is $8. The server comes back to our table and says the bartender wants to know whether I want a strawberry garnish or a lime garnish, I say strawberry (thinking that it simply meant the GARNISH); she then returns again, asks if I want a salt or sugar rim, I reply, "sugar". She then brings me back a Strawberry margarita (which I didn't even see as an option under the margarita), but I don' complain since it already took 10 minutes to get it. Maybe it was wrong of me to assume, but when you order a margarita and you don't ask for it to be flavored, even if I ask for a different garnish since you gave me the choice, it does not mean that I want my drink order changed! Silly, silly error if you ask me.. It comes out in a small glass that is tiny at the bottom and expands outward as it goes up- therefore, I am already feeling ripped off thinking that this glass that just fits in my hand cost me $8- luckily, I later found out it was happy hour and it was $5, but still...If you enjoy a drink with your meal, this isn't the place to go, unless you drink beer and from now on that will be my choice of drink if we return. When you compare them to Rusty Bucket's cocktails, they don't even stand a chance, and Mellow Mushroom's are much more expensive! However, we were delighted by the bruschetta appetizer, as the bread was perfectly done and had an excellent buttery tone which complimented the bitterness of the balsamic. Our mega-veggie pizza wasn't my favorite, as it was missing some very basic seasoning that could have magnified the flavor profile of the pizza.

Overall, it was alright, but I was not wow'ed by this experience either; there is really nothing pulling me back to this restaurant. My brother and his friends had such poor service that he said it would be the first and last time they attempt to eat here, as it took 20 minutes to be seated (when it wasn't extremely packed, rather they were ignored), then after being seated it took another 15 minutes to get drink orders (just soda) and quite some time before they were brought out. Their pizza order wasn't taken until 40 minutes in, and in all they spent about two hours here, just due to the time they had to wait to order and receive their food. The ambiance and character is the one thing I think it really has going for it, as it is one of a kind. The painting's on the wall and the decor really stand out among the other eateries. If you're looking for a place for a good pizza and a beer, this may be a good place to stop in, and from my experiences I have learned to go for more of the normal and less unusual of the pizza combinations. For families with children it could make for a fun environment to have an enjoyable pizza night, as the kids can be amused by the tree and lighting in the dining room, along with the colorful characters painted on the walls.

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