08.24.2024

Today’s Forecast

Editor’s Note

The cooler weather earlier this week had me thinking ahead to fall... anyone else? There’s always one fall event that you don’t want to miss: HighBall Halloween. The elaborate costume party returns on Saturday, Oct. 26, and there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Food

Go to dinner with strangers in Columbus with Timeleft

Presented by a CBUStoday Partner

a gif featuring images of people in a restaurant

Step out of your comfort zone, meet people you may not have met in your daily life, and connect on a deeper level at a Timeleft dinner. | Photos courtesy of Timeleft; GIF by 6AM City

Did you know that every Wednesday night at 7 p.m., small groups of strangers sit down to enjoy a meal together at several restaurants across Columbus?

Aside from living in the same area, there’s one thing they indubitably have in common: they’re all meeting for the first time.

How it works

Timeleft is an app on a mission to curb modern-day loneliness (and help solve that tricky question, “How do you make friends as an adult?”) by building connections through shared experiences + genuine interactions.

Users start by creating an account and completing a short personality test, where they share their age, career field, interests, diet, religious beliefs, and more. Based on their answers, Timeleft’s algorithm chooses five locals they’re most likely to enjoy conversations with. Tickets are $16 per booking (monthly packages are also available), and attendees are responsible for their bill at the restaurant.

a hand holding a phone with timeleft's app open, which shows the seat confirmation, the group and the restaurant — Timeleft emails you all of the information you need to prepare for your evening.
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Photo by ATXtoday

The day before dinner, participants learn more about their mystery guests broken down by percentages (i.e. 33% of the table works in the medical field) and receive safety tips for their excursion. One secret is revealed on the morning of the dinner: where the group will eat.

Timeleft picks the restaurant based on the general area the user chooses in the survey and how much they normally spend on a night out. You might be dining at local establishments like The 1126, [‘plas], and Nada.

Participants arrive at the restaurant at 7 p.m. and meet the five strangers — er, new friends — in their group. During the meal, Timeleft provides a game (think: fun icebreaker questions like “Explain your job to the table as if you were talking to a 5-year-old.”) for everyone to play.

At 8 p.m., the app reveals the location of the “Last Drink” — an optional after-dinner meet-up point that’s sent out to all dinner guests in the area, so people can meet up with other Timelefters if they want to keep the party going.

Keep reading to learn what sparked our interest in participating in this fun social experiment, or go ahead and book an upcoming Timeleft reservation.

See you at dinner, CBUS

Asked

Would you try dinner with strangers?

A. Yes
B. No

We're dining to know

Events

This Weekend

Columbus Jazz Orchestra | Saturday, Aug. 24 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Headley Park | $5-$20 | Enjoy an evening of live jazz music with food, wine, and beer service.
The Taylor Party | Saturday, Aug. 24 | 8 p.m. | The Bluestone | $18-$27.50 | Dance the night away through all the eras of Taylor Swift’s music.
Trucker Hat Bar Design + Press Workshop | Sunday, Aug. 25 | 12-3 p.m. | By Field & Flower Hats | $25 | Custom-make your own trucker hat — patches + hats are included.
Columbus Clippers vs. Indianapolis Indians | Sunday, Aug. 25 | 1:05 p.m. | Huntington Park | $8-$24 | It’s family day at the ballpark — stay for a post-game fun run around the bases.

Plan Ahead

Candles & Corks | Wednesday, Aug. 28 | 4-8 p.m. | Worthington Candle Works | $40 | Create your own scented candle and sip wine samples from House Wine while your creation dries.
Columbus Crew vs. New York City | Saturday, Aug. 31 | 7:30 p.m. | Lower.com Field | $37+ | Wear black and gold as the Crew attempt to defeat NYC for the second time this month.

There's plenty more to do

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Open

Chouette, a new French restaurant, opened downtown near the “Current” art display. Want to keep up with all the most recent restaurants and bars that are opening or closing in our area? Read more on our website.

Coming Soon

El Vaquero, the central Ohio-based Mexican chain, is opening inside the former Local Cantina in the Short North. An exact opening date hasn’t been announced, but we can taste those margaritas now.

Festival

Calling all oyster lovers. Hank’s Low Country Seafood & Raw Bar is hosting Oyster Fest on Sunday, Sept. 15. The free-to-attend festival will feature live oyster shucking, oyster roasting, jazz music, and Southern-inspired dishes. Reserve your spot in advance.

Show

“West Side Story” is coming to Ohio Theatre from Feb. 13-16, 2025. The production will be put on by BalletMet, CAPA, Columbus Symphony, and Opera Columbus. Tickets are on sale now.

Concert

Becky G, a five-time Latin Grammy nominee, is coming to Mershon Auditorium on Sunday, Oct. 20. Tickets are on sale now.

Sports

The Browns’ reserves didn’t have stellar performances against Minnesota. Get the latest news, analysis, and insider information for the Cleveland Browns with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.

Jobs

At CBUStoday, we love that we get to make the whole city of Columbus our office. If you’re looking for your next dream job, check out our guide to top employers and industries, or explore more places to work.

Legacy

It takes a village, as they say. As proud Columbusites, we’re inspired by the contributions of our most tenured community members. Please join us in celebrating the legacies of those who have recently died. (The Columbus Dispatch)

Finance

Finance experts call this card a cash rewards dream: unlimited cash rewards on purchases, $200 bonus after spending $500, long intro APR on purchases and balance transfers + more.*

Home

Good news: Rates are expected to go down soon. Compare fixed-rate loans and HELOCs to find your best way to borrow — calculate your payment.*

Home

Know any new or first-time renters? This award-winning renters insurance costs less per month than a Starbucks latte.*

Health

Did you hear that? Most hearing aids have one processor. These bad boys have two. They process speech and noise separately, so speech gets clearer and crisper. No wonder 385,000+ customers love them.*

Number

25. You can study this many languages (and more) with Rosetta Stone. Ready to start learning? Get 50% off.*

Sports

🏈 O-H

Buckeye football: Your guide to game day

Star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka poses with fans in Ohio Stadium. | Photo by CBUStoday

For some of us fall means one thing... the return of football. Need help planning for game day? Score the need-to-know info before you go nuts for the Bucks.

🗓️ Can’t-miss games
If you’re a true Buckeyes fan, then you know every game is a can’t-miss game. But these games are next level.

October 12 vs. Oregon | Away | This is the first year the Ducks are part of the Big Ten Conference. These dominant teams haven’t faced off since 2021, when the Bucks fell short.
November 30 vs. Michigan | Home | Said to be the biggest rivalry in all of college sports — OSU is looking for redemption on Ohio Stadium turf.

Browse the full schedule, including the season opener on August 31 against Akron.

🏟️ Know before you go
Have tickets to watch the Buckeyes in person? Before you put on your buckeye necklaces, there are a couple need-to-knows about Ohio Stadium.

Parking | Parking is always stressful, especially with 100,000 other fans involved. Save this map of available garages and surface lots near the stadium.
Stadium rules | Familiarize yourself with the rules, including no bags or purses of any size and no cash payments for parking, concessions, or merchandise.

More about the Buckeyes

City Guides

🏋️ Get your fitness on

25 gyms in Columbus, OH

Studio Torch classes in Franklinton and Grandview are available to book on ClassPass. | Photo by @studiotorch

Columbus is home to many opportunities for exercise — use this guide as a resource for all-things fitness in CBUS.

Pro tip: Not sure where to start? Try out multiple gyms with a free trial on ClassPass.

For those who enjoy working out alongside others

StudioTorch
Choose the gym in Grandview or Franklinton for guided group classes that take you through weights, treadmill exercises, and rowing.

For those who want to try something new

Peach Haus
This glute-inspired gym has classes like “Bootycamp” and “All About the Buns.” Drop-in classes start at $15 each, or you can choose from a variety of memberships.

For those looking for intense sweat sessions

System of Strength
Classes like “Ebb + Flo” (which focus on recovery and strength) are complete with infrared heaters. Other class options like “In The Mix” are guaranteed to break a sweat.

22 more fitness classes

The Buy

The Buy 8.24.24 (Affiliate)

These cloth placemats — they’re made from upcycled denim and cotton. Bonus: They’re machine washable, making your post-meal cleanup a breeze.

More the worth The Buy

The Wrap

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