Hit the Town: Downtown Divas
Start your night in style. With a Euro-chic vibe and delightful Italian fare, Due Amici is an ideal place to make you feel like putting on red lipstick is worth it. Just be sure to make reservations in advance. And give yourself permission to indulge in the bread.
Due Amici, 67 E. Gay St., Due-Amici.com
Next, enjoy a walk around the Ohio Statehouse and make your way to De-NoVo for cocktails at the bar. Or, if you really want to splurge, skip the regular drink menu and ask for the Captains List of wine. Either way, you'll enjoy the energy (and the beautiful old-school sign out front).
De-NoVo Bistro & Bar, 201 S. High St., DeNoVoBistro.com
It's showtime! Nothing brings Downtown to life quite like a Broadway Across America show in the glitzy, historic Ohio Theatre. And this year's lineup includes some compelling options: Million Dollar Quartet (February), War Horse (April), Les Misérables (May) and Wicked (June).
Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St.,
Recount the performance over Downtown's best calorie splurge: Tip Top's sweet potato fries (and what can only be described as magic dipping sauce). The casual but oft-buzzing restaurant is open daily until 2 a.m., so it's the perfect place for a nightcap.
Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails, 73 E. Gay St., TipTopColumbus.com
Pop across the street to The Renaissance. (Best plan: Valet park your car here in the afternoon, ready yourselves at the hotel, and then enjoy the evening on foot.) Come morning, put the cherry atop your weekend by going downstairs for the breakfast buffet at Latitude 41.
The Renaissance Columbus and Latitude 41, 50 N. 3rd St., Marriott.com, Latitude41Restaurant.com