We do more than eat. I promise.

Last weekend, Wheat and I traveled to Columbus for a housewarming party of sorts for our dear friends, TJ and Tasha. Eric and CJ also made the trip down from northern Ohio, so it felt like a mini-college reunion, albeit with some of our favorite people missing. Friday was spent checking out their incredible new house (I'm seriously so happy for them!), catching up with each other, and taking turns stomaching Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Unfortunately, this Muggle was on the receiving end of soap, black pepper, earthworm, grass, and rotten egg, the latter of which nearly made me vomit (which ironically is also a flavor of Bertie Bott's Beans).

Saturday, we woke up bright and early in order to eat what everyone wants for breakfast - massive burgers. I've been pining after Thurman's Cafe, a popular bar and restaurant in the German Village, ever since I saw it on Man vs. Food years ago. However, every time I've tried to eat there, the wait time has been over two hours. The weekend of our visit happened to coincide with the Arnold Classic, so I was a little worried that the bodybuilders and gorilla juice heads would pack the place, making it impossible yet again. So, we showed up 15 minutes before the doors opened, stood in line with the rest of the crazies (yes, there was already a decent-sized line), and got seated right away.

Although I desperately wanted to order the $22 Thurmanator (for blogging purposes, of course), I opted with the Western Burger, which was still entirely too big to finish in one sitting. The Thurmanator, which consists of 24 ounces of beef, bacon, ham, and more, was actually named in honor of the annual Arnold Classic held in Columbus, so it was a fitting time to visit. I was worried that I'd find the place to be overrated after all the hype over the years, but I can honestly say it was awesome. Something about the meat, the barbecue sauce, the cramped, divey interior, and the company made it the perfect first stop to our busy day.

After lunch, we headed to The Book Loft, the dreamiest bookstore in history. I could have easily spent all afternoon there, meandering through the narrow aisles and crowded rooms, but fortunately, I was pried away with only a few books in tow. From there, we walked to Pistacia Vera for a dozen macarons. I still can't get over the unbearable cuteness of the Buckeye one.

Next up was a stop at Brothers Drake, a craft meadery and hipster haven where my friends imbibed the sampler. They kindly let me taste the Apple Pie flavor, which left me wondering why all alcoholic beverages aren't made from honey and apple cider. Yum. On our way back to home base, we decided to stop at Ohio Stadium (the Shoe) in hopes of getting in for a picture of the football field. We were in luck because the OSU women's lacrosse team happened to be playing, so we ventured in and took our pictures while I dreamed it was actually a football game going on behind me.

The next few hours were spent at TJ and Tasha's, playing Catchphrase, eating charcuterie, and relaxing before dinner. We opted for Irish food, so we drove to Dublin (sadly not the one in Ireland) for some shepherd's pie and reubens at the Dublin Village Tavern. The best part? Chasing it with some delicious ice cream from Jeni's. There's just something about that brambleberry crisp and black & white cookies.

The next morning, Tasha did what she does best: hostess the crap out of us. She made us a veritable breakfast feast complete with pancakes, cinnamon rolls, macarons, bacon, eggs, and orange juice. Then, before we knew it, it was time for our goodbyes. This time, however, we already have set plans to see each other again, so that makes it a little easier. But only a little...