My Neighborhood: What Linda Kass Loves About Main Street in Bexley

From the window of her East Main Street shop, Gramercy Books, Linda Kass has a great view of the heart of Bexley. Wally, her mini labradoodle and the bookstore’s official greeter, helps her roam the city, where she’s lived for most of her life. “Wally loves to walk along Main Street and north, through the neighborhoods, and say hello to everyone and to all his dog friends,” says Kass, also the author of three novels.

At the Movies

“I grew up going to the Drexel,” says Kass, who lived in nearby Berwick. “I remember walking with my parents to the Drexel, toward the bright, neon lights.” She and her husband, Frank, founder and chair of Continental Real Estate Cos., still attend the cinema on a regular basis. “We just saw ‘A Man Called Otto’; it was excellent,” Kass says.

First Course

Main Street has become a foodie destination, but it wasn’t always this way. A few decades ago, “Giuseppe’s [Ritrovo] and the Drexel were the only things that brought people to Bexley,” Kass says. “I love the bruschetta and eggplant Parmigiana at Giuseppe’s.” Then again: “The pasta is so good.”

Other Dishes

Linda and Frank do their best to patronize the many other eateries along East Main Street’s thriving restaurant row. When Linda hosted author and animal behaviorist Temple Grandin for a book event, they dined at Khaab Indian Kitchen & Bar. “She loved it,” Kass says, adding they both had shrimp kebabs. Zen Cha is another favorite (“I like the salmon”), and Rubino’s Pizza is a local institution. “Frank loves the pepperoni pizza,” Kass says, adding she goes in a different direction. “I order the pickle pizza, but without the tomato sauce.”

A Yankee Doodle Tradition

“The Fourth of July is a huge deal here; it’s pure Americana,” Kass says of the annual Independence Day celebration. “We go to the parade and then watch the fireworks from our roof.”

Coffee Break

Kittie’s coffee shop and bakery is in the same building as Gramercy and a regular stop. “I get the Nashville Hoodie; it has vanilla, honey and cinnamon,” Kass says. Wally sticks with water.

This story is from the April 2023 issue of Columbus Monthly.