Patios
Hidden Treasures
By Steve Croyle |
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The Shrunken Head (Photo by David Heasley) 
Jimmy V\'s Grill & Pub (Photo by Chris Casella) 
O\'Reilly\'s Pub (Photo by David Heasley) After Midnight
The Shrunken Head is a strange joint. The name puts you in mind of something exotic, but the place looks more like a classic neighborhood dive. Then you head over to the bar and find craft-brewed beers, boutique liquors and a first class espresso machine. Weirder still is the menu: schnitzel. WTF?
Yet there's a real coolness to the former Victorian's Midnight Cafe. If Columbus was L.A., the Shrunken Head would be where all the hip people went when they didn't want to be on display, so when heading out to the patio you wouldn't be surprised if Johnny Depp bummed a smoke off you. (For the record, that guy isn't Depp.)
The hit-and-miss tropical theme is carried out to the patio, which, in spite of being small, manages to be soothing. There's a Tiki hut off in the corner that serves as an outdoor bar and the opposite side of the patio features a raised platform and a table. The place has an eclectic randomness to it, but there's also a sincerity that puts you at ease.
That sincerity (and the schnitzel) comes from German-born owner Andreas Kleinert. He likes the tropical vibe but admits that he's never been to the tropics. It just comes from the heart. "It's not where I want it," he said, referring not just the patio, but the bar in general, "but it's really hard when you're a small business. You can't just close it down for a month and replace everything."
His objective is to get things to a point where he feels at home, which is probably why it's easy to lose a couple of hours talking to him out back.
The Shrunken Head
251 W Fifth Ave.
(614) 299-2295
www.theshrunkenhead.net
Funny, How?
To be fair, Jimmy V's isn't really a funky place. It just has a name that evokes images of Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci stomping the stuffing out of some mook who made the mistake of looking funny.
Sadly, nothing of the sort goes down at the original Jimmy V's location. Rather than breaking thumbs over unpaid loans, Jimmy V bends copper, fabricating much of the decor that adorns his pub. Most of his work can be found on the covered patio.
Even without the massive copper waterfall on the north wall, this patio would be primo. A copper bar sits in the corner to expedite beverage replacement; a flat screen above said bar keeps everyone privy to gameday action. The summer sun's blistering rays are muted by opaque roof panels and the entire area is nestled in wrought iron and copper. Hey, when I told you Jimmy likes to bend copper, I wasn't lying and since this is his home base, you'll find all kinds of cool whirligigs and wind chimes.
Because it's covered, this patio tends to stay pretty busy in all but the worst weather, and a wood-burning stove is called into action on nippy nights. The first Thursday of each month is reserved for a cigar party, and in case the health department is reading, the patio is 100 feet from the entrance - so there.
Jimmy V's Grill & Pub
1788 W Fifth Ave.
(614) 485-9090
www.jimmyvspub.com
A Real Hole in the Wall
O'Reilly's looks like a rough place. It's a little bar sitting on a stretch of High Street that isn't bedazzled with arches or emblazoned with signs declaring it part of Clintonville. It might be in the Old North neighborhood, or maybe it's technically in Clintonville, but to me it seems like no man's land.
Geographical technicalities aside, it's a weathered old bar, and when you walk in you get the feeling you're in a trailer. I'm not sure if the floor is slanted or if that's just an optical illusion because the bar sits so low, but that's the impression you get. It would be a scary place if not for the people. Everybody's friendly and easygoing. In spite of the quirks, which become charming, you feel at home instantly.
The same is true of their patio. It's wedged between O'Reilly's and the neighboring storefronts and it almost looks like somebody removed a section of a strip mall to make room for a little outside seating.
The patio faces High Street and is bordered by three walls, one of which is a landscape retaining wall that keeps somebody's backyard from joining the party. There's a flat screen TV locked behind a weatherproof panel, so you don't have to give up the game to enjoy the outdoors and to combat the blistering rays of the setting summer sun. There's an awning covering most of the patio. Generally, you'll get service out there, but if it gets busy expect to get off your duff and flag down some help from behind the bar. Your legs ain't broke.
It's not fancy, but nothing about O'Reilly's is. It's just an honest neighborhood watering hole with cheap drinks, good food and nice people.
O'Reilly's Pub
2822 N High St.
(614) 262-6343
Originally Published: July 1, 2010
