14 MAY 06: FRIDAY'S ON MY MIND

The Ma Rainey blues festival opened Saturday at the Liberty Theater. If enough people attend this event, perhaps we'll qualify for a Columbus Hard Rock Café.

A lot of new restaurants have come to Columbus in recent years - but few big-name restaurants have opened as quietly as T.G.I. Friday's on Whittlesey Boulevard. It had no big ad campaign, and no grand opening bash. It's as if the owners expected a big crowd automatically - but if they don't sell pancakes or waffles....

I paid a visit to the new Friday's a few weeks ago - and was surprised right away by my ability to find a parking spot near the door on a weeknight. At the Olive Garden, I think that still requires several laps and burning a gallon of gas.

The second strange thing I noticed about Friday's occurred at the entry doors. They have giant F's for pulling - which means you probably shouldn't take a group of teachers there.

Only once before had I dined at a T.G.I. Friday's - and that was during a vacation, on a Monday night in New York. That restaurant was practically across the street from Madison Square Garden, but not even Monday Night Football brought out a crowd. Back then, a San Diego-Indianapolis game somehow didn't thrill people.

The TV sets for sports events were in a different part of the Columbus Friday's from where I sat. That's just as well, because I had big windows to watch events outside. If this restaurant was downtown, there might actually be something
interesting to watch.

In fact, look through the window the other way and you'll find Friday's has a well-marked kitchen area. I'm not sure why this marking is part of the decor. It's not like a Japanese restaurant chef is throwing around Ginsu knives.

At some point in the last few years, I heard Friday's gain a reputation of being a "homosexual restaurant." I didn't notice anything like that during my trip to the Friday's on Whittlesey. In fact, there was a family with small children near my table - well, I mean I assumed the man and woman were married....

The menu at Friday's back in the 1990's wasn't that much different from what I encountered on Whittlesey. But there seemed to be a definite emphasis on steaks, served with three distinctive house sauces. Why the server asked if I wanted A-1 in addition to it, I have no idea.

(And some of the steak cuts at Friday's have rather obscure names. The menu offered "flat iron steaks" - and I hope no one used the flat irons on their hair first.)

The wine sauce was sufficient for me, and added some flavor to what was otherwise a run-of-the-mill steak. With salad and a beverage (no dessert), I had dinner at Friday's for less than 20 dollars -- but it struck me as being like the red-and-white stripes which abound there. It's only memorable if you bring an engagement ring.

BLOG UPDATE: After an early rush of support for Jim Wetherington, the backers of Mayor Bob Poydasheff finally may be speaking out. Your blog has obtained second-hand e-mails supporting the mayor, sent around town from someone who considered running himself. Before you ask - no, we have NOT found Dylan Glenn.

Jeremy Hobbs ran for Columbus Council two years ago, and lost to incumbent Red McDaniel. He says he thought about running for mayor this year, but health problems prevented it. Lifting all those babies for kissing could require some weight training, you know....

Since he's not running for mayor, Jeremy Hobbs has decided to back the incumbent. He writes in part:

Right here in Columbus we have a Mayor who has done a remarkable job. A Mayor who has integrity and honesty and fairness. We have a Mayor who hasn't just given up and raised taxes on people just because we could not find a solution to the public safety pay raise issue. We have a Mayor who has stuck by his word and has achieved a great many things here in Columbus. We have a Mayor who has
promised NO job cuts in his upcoming 2007 budget.

Now hold on a minute - Bob Poydasheff hasn't "given up and raised taxes?!" Well, he didn't sign an executive order raising them....

Jeremy Hobbs apparently missed the one-cent sales tax vote a couple of years ago, which Mayor Poydasheff backed but the voters turned down. The incumbent has promised to put that back on the ballot if he wins re-election -- and he's a Republican. Will Democrat Jim Wetherington try to top it, with a two-cent increase?

And if you believe the TV news reports, the mayor's proposed budget DOES have job cuts. While they may not be in public safety, they're certainly in the parks department. But then again, increased sales of home basketball goals could improve our economy....

E-MAIL UPDATE: As severe weather rumbled across Columbus Saturday night, we pondered a message about what happened three days before:

It's dark out

The TV stations did a real lousy job of reporting the storm comin' into Lee and Russell co. Wednesday.

When the 5 o'clock news came on, both 3 and 9 did the weather that a not so good looking storm is headed for columbus, and mentioned that Auburn was having it then.

But as I flipped back on forth to see updates on the storm -nothing more until almost the bottom of the hour when the 5:30 edtion started and both then Mentioned the storm moving in on Columbus and Harris county getting some nasty stuff. After that,, Whamo,, No power until Thursday Morning..

If the the News stations claim to want business money from businesses and support from the west side of the river, all of them need to do more on storm reporting in advance and not just because it will hit Harris county of columbus.

Sadly - we have to rely on channel 12 out of Montgomery to keep stuff that is up to date on the west side,, many days the picture is fuzzy.

We're sorry you were disappointed - but didn't you like the "bow echo" shown on the radar screens? One station even added an arrow of direction, making it seem almost like archery.

As I recall, Wednesday's storm was considered only a "severe thunderstorm" as it moved toward Columbus. But then a tornado warning was issued for Harris County, and that changed the mood of things. And when it looks like nighttime at 5:30 p.m. right outside your window, that can get your attention.

The TV stations tend to rely on their "watchers" and "trackers" for updates on what's happening outside Columbus. Maybe many of them lost phone service Wednesday -- and they need their own wireless contracts.

There are rare evenings when I can pick up WSFA in Montgomery on my home TV in downtown Columbus. I feel a bit guilty when I do - because my "sofa" for watching a station with those letters is in another room.

Now other items from a magnificent weekend....

+ For the first time, Columbus State University needed two ceremonies for its graduation day. Yet there were only 600 graduates -- so these seniors must have had a lot of groupies.

+ Waddell Elementary School was evacuated for a time because a gas line ruptured nearby. WRBL's Candace Cook declared the evacuation was difficult because it was "a hot day." With temperatures only in the 70's, in May?! Well, she IS from the Northeast....

+ The Springer Opera House presented a drama called "Proof." Why this wasn't suspended after the rapper of that name was killed in Detroit is a mystery to me....

+ The Chattahoochee Valley Vipers assaulted Augusta 60-46 - but did I see it right on WRBL? The halftime entertainment at the Civic Center was a ventriloquist?! Is every high school dance team in the area on vacation?

+ Instant Message to the Sonic on Victory Drive: Wow - you're open until 4:00 a.m. on weekend nights? Do dancers at The Gold Club want slushies, after they get off work?

COMING MONDAY: E-mail about a local judge's new project....

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