Still, you know me, you can't judge a town until you eat it's food. 

I got a restaurant map from the concierge, but no recommendations. I didn't want any. My goal was to find the street with the most restaurants (High St.), and walk till I found something that suited me for the evening. Enter Barrio. I saw it across the street thanks to open air dining - cool garage doors that made the whole place feel like it was outside for the first day of fall. 

I seated myself at the bar and perused the wine list. they had a favorite of mine, Juan Gil, but I didn't want that. The bartender suggested Mano a Mano tempranillo. He let me try it and it was tasty. He also guided me through the menu, helping me make sure what I chose was gluten-free... whenever I asked an either / or question, he was quick to make a recommendation. So were the locals, which were a mixture of personal finance managers, artists, and hipsters. It wasn't off putting, rather a unique mix that made this downtown restaurant feel like it should be in your neighborhood. 

My choices were octopus and jicama salad or a salad with beets, granny smith apples, goat cheese and a roasted yellow pepper puree. See what I chose! Pretty!!!!! and very tasty. I wasn't sure about the pepper puree at first though but it was lovely and complimented the bright apple flavors.  

My next option... escolar skewers or chorizo in red wine. Here is my chorizo.... yum. 

I loved my choices at Barrio. I loved my new found friends. I loved the small but totally urban vibe of the city. And for this road weary traveler, that was just what I needed to make me feel at home in Ohio.