We’ve seen a boom in rooftop bars and restaurants in recent years, and I’m 100 percent here for it. Beth often jokes that one of my purposes in life is to climb to the highest point wherever we are, just to look at it all.
So when you combine that desire with an expert place to eat and drink, you get the winning combination that is Goodale Station.
Goodale Station is 12 stories above the Canopy By Hilton Hotel in the Arena District. It’s meant to feed visitors to the convention center across the street, but the food, drinks and views are a must for anyone in Columbus.
The restaurant has its own entrance, with a corridor leading to an elevator that takes you directly to the roof. Although our visit with friends coincided with a rainy evening, we enjoyed the views. Much of the restaurant is surrounded by glass walls, while a large curved glass ceiling provides overhead lighting. And there is also a small outdoor patio.
For starters, their cocktail menu offers some very unique libations. Try the Day hiker with mushroom-infused Hayden basil, amaro nonino, dry curacao, turmeric, lemon, yes, served with mushrooms! Or choose an older route with the strawberry mojito.
It’s hard for me to resist the drama of a good smoked the old fashioned waytoo.
We split a few items from the appetizer and sharing menu and were very pleased with all of our choices. The cheese and charcuterie blackboard offers a good mix of meats, cheeses, breads and spreads.
Our server recommended the sticky root beer ribs: Fall Ribs with a unique glaze of root beer, crushed peanuts and Thai basil. Be prepared for the mess, but it’s worth it.
The crab cakesvery well done, they are covered with a bacon and lemon gremolata and serrano chilies in pickle.
Even before visiting me, I had discovered the aloo masala the menu. House spiced potatoes and chickpeas with a tamarind date chutney and serve with a couple of slices of fermented serrano naan. Great flavor all around; I would have liked a couple more pieces of the naan.
Quick break for another drink: the Golden Casket with Woodford Reserve, DiSaronno, Plantation 5yr, maraschino, suze and lemon.
We will rarely say no shishito peppersand Goodale Station’s version is beautifully topped with a miso vinaigrette, cotija cheese and spicy chili nuts.
The only dish we ordered from the main course section of the menu was the ricotta cheese. Gnudi are dumplings similar to gnocchi but made with ricotta cheese. They are light and fluffy, and a delight when paired with burrata, mushrooms, asparagus, capers, a virgin sauce and fennel pollen.
As you can see from the sample above, Goodale Station’s menu travels across a few different continents to bring together a unique combination of large and small dishes. We loved everything, and although we went for drinks and a light dinner, there are so many more reasons to come back…like happy hour or weekend brunch!
Goodale Station
77 E. Nationwide Blvd.
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 227-9400
Website: goodalestation.com
FB: Goodale Station
IG: @goodalestation