There are so many Columbus folks with amazing talents that deserve to be showcased. AND I am lucky to have so many talented friends! This week’s showcased awesomeness is…

Mara Bakes!

Who: Friendly, outgoing, friend-since-high school Mara!
What: “Signature Cupcakes, Cakes & sweet confections by Special Order LOCATED IN COLUMBUS, OH.”
Contact: *protected email*
Mara Bakes — Check her out on Facebook too!

I have enjoyed her sweet talent for awhile now but recently I was extremely blessed by her talent during my wedding weekend! She’s not only reasonable with her prices, her concoctions are made to order and beyond delicious! As my great friend Brittany, a serious cupcake judge, said about her thin mint cupcakes “yummmmmmmmmmmmmm!” YOU ROCK GIRL!

A surprise for Rob @ the rehearsal dinner!

Amazing rainbow cupcakes on the big day! Courtesy of awesome photog Alisha Skeel!

Contact her today for your upcoming baby shower, birthday party, wedding, bridal shower, engagement party, whatever! Just contact her!

Happy Cupcakes,

PocketBook Jess

For so many different reasons!

But the main reason is that we can find fun, creative, unique, interesting AND cheap things to do every night of the week!

Example #1:

*Friday night= Brew Review, an event benefiting Creative Living. Held @ OSU Urban Arts, a super cool art space that’s FREE! (expect a $20 date there soon!)

@ Brew Review with Kelly - she's the one that made $20 Dates logo!

*Saturday day= COSI is for the grown-ups too! Went with my sister & nephews and had an awesome time! Even stopped in to the Weather Live Show — COSI employs some pretty smart yet engaging folks! We had a blast!

@ Beerfest!

*Saturday night =Columbus Winter Beerfest @ the Convention Center! Pretzel necklaces and all!

One of the cool parts of going to all these Uniquely-Columbus events is that you get to meet some creative & interesting people! We met the brewer/owner of Neilhouse Brewery and they’re opening a tap room soon (also expect a $20 date there soon!)

The point is, Columbus is full of cool things to do! Some might be $20 Dates & some might be a little bit more $$. But we don’t want you to miss out of those other non-$20 Date cool things! So, we’re going to attempt a new weekly post called

“Uniquely Columbus!”

Look for it soon!

Happy Dating,

PocketBook Jess

The deal of the week is…

Rancho Alegre!

What: Yummy Mexican food
Where: Two locations — 1075 Dublin Road (Grandview) & 6211 Cleveland Avenue (North Columbus)
Happy Hour: M-F 3p-7p
Featured Deal: HUGE margaritas! For only $5.50!

As most of our friends & readers might know, Mexican food is by far my favorite. So when Rancho Alegre opened a new location by our home, Rob & I were among the first to check it out! (Thank you Rob, for being a wonderfully supportive husband of my Mexican food addiction:)) Now we’ve been there multiple times, especially for their great happy hour! This time I remembered my camera & notepad!

Happy Hour = 1/2 off most appetizers, $5.50 HUGE margaritas, $3.50 Well Drinks, $1.50 off domestic & import beers!

Try Rancho Alegre at either the North Columbus or Grandview location this week!

Happy Dating,

PocketBook Jess

What a better way to start 2012 $20 Dates in Columbus than to start with the very first $20 Date – Sushiko! An oldie but goodie!

What: Local, delicious sushi & roll bar
Where: Crosswoods area -122 Hutchinson Ave, Columbus, Ohio 43235
When: Tuesdays 5p-10p
Phone: 614.985.6441
Sushiko

The quality of food & service at Sushiko is tops AND it’s very affordable, making this restaurant one of our favorite places to go! Rob & I went back last Tuesday for 1/2 priced sushi & had a great time! Every Tuesday = 1/2 off selected sushi rolls and $3 small sake, $5 large sake. We definitely enjoyed ourselves & stuffed our faces — Thank you Sushiko!

They also have a great lunch special = M-F 11a-2:30p — $8 for any 2 rolls. Can’t beat that! Great lunch date!

Yum!

Total = $3 + 2 rolls (Regular Price: Volcano = $12.95 + Crunchy = $7.95) $10.45 for 1/2 off Tuesday! + Tax/Tip = $20!

Kisses:
*Sushi is made by top chefs behind the bar & the quality shows.
*Sake + sushi = perfect combination!
*Our server was friendly and quick!

Misses:
*The awesomeness of Tuesday has spread throughout the area, making the wait time looooong. Be prepared to arrive early or eat dinner late. We waited for 1 hour, but it was well worth it!

Happy Dating,

PocketBook Jess

What: Hot chocolate & a stroll around
Where: 66 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 – DUMBO
When: check website for hours
Jacques Torres

Rob & I go back to NYC every holiday season to spend time with his wonderful family & this time we had more vacation time than usual, which was great! With more time on our hands & armed with $20, we attempted the seemingly impossible…a $20 Date in New York City.

First Attempt = Ice Skating in Bryant Park
Result= Mission failed! $20/person — but we still had fun! We decided to walk around Bryant Park before heading home with our cold selves. There are a lot of little shops scattered throughout the park, and the first one we came across was by far my favorite. Pickle Me Pete! You guessed it, it’s just barrels of Pete’s homemade pickles, all varying in spice level. I got an assorted jar full & was a happy camper. So I guess this date was a partial $20 date success!

Not quite a $20 Date...

So many pickles!

Second Attempt = DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is an up & coming area near the water with a cool art scene & an amazing view of the city. We grabbed Rob’s sister & her boyfriend & my father-in-law and went down to this industrial side of Brooklyn with amazing hot chocolate at the famous Jacques Torres. We all got the wicked hot chocolate (which is like cake batter, thick & amazing) and walked down to the waterfront. The old Coney Island Carousel is now beautifully featured in a new glass home down in DUMBO, so we went to check that out, along with the view of the city between the Brooklyn & Manhattan bridges. It’s almost breathtaking, no matter what the weather, to see the massive scope of the city against blue skies & architectural masterpieces. So of course, lots of pictures were taken:)

Result = SUCCESS! $4 for each small Wicked Hot Chocolate = $20 for the five of us! Group $20 Date is a success! And we got plenty of exercise walking around DUMBO, checking out all the new tucked-away shops while drinking our yummy hot chocolate.

Next time you’re in NYC, make sure to check out Jacques Torres & the neat area that is DUMBO!

Happy Dating,

PocketBook Jess