Police Benefit From Spectacular Perfection

In Los Angeles, celebrities are omnipresent. They eat, drink, relax, and shop amongst ordinary citizens. They intermix with the everyday. In Columbus, our celebrities are fewer and much less casual. Jim Tressel rarely is seen enjoying dinner with his family. Les Wexner is never seen running everyday errands.

Prior to my arrival at Park Street Patio, I had mixed expectations for the Celebrity Bartender Competition. With five name city celebrities under one roof, how would the crowd react? How would the celebrities react? Would the energy disappear after the novelty wore off and we realized this was a one-time occurrence or would the digital flashes and energy resonate throughout the evening?

When I arrived, those questions seemed ridiculous. The energy was exquisite. Every bar seat was occupied. Every table was occupied. People were standing in the walkways, they were standing in the doorways… Clearly, the importance of this evening was apparent… Five celebrities, two of which would place on any top ten of the city’s elite, uniting to help those who protect and serve our city… The formula was perfect…

Also perfect and the reason I enjoy Park Street Patio (and of course, Sugar Bar) is the camaraderie I share with Owners Chris Corso and Mike Gallichio and Promotions Superstar Randy Haffey. Whether it was discussing next Wednesday’s Vivid Video event with Mike or Chris cracking jokes about how I spend my nights (although, I spend most of them in his venue) or Randy and I discussing how much he loves his job… The conversation and interaction are among the best I enjoy in this city… I know I write positively about these three all the time, but I must… They deserve it…

As the bartenders made their way through introductions, onto the floor, and inside the bar, one could sense the electric anticipation… Would they get the orders right? Would anyone break anything? How would they interact with customers? When the competition, which was less of a competition and more of a collaboration for charity (as it should be) commenced, the bar was swamped with people…

Celebrities, bartenders, bar backs… Instructions were quick… Orders were quicker… Jimmy Jam looked as though he had bartended his entire life… Within ten minutes, he was snapping off bottle caps as though this was his day job…. Kirk Herbstreit and Rick Nash were slightly slower… Not because they weren’t fast learners… Because everywhere they turned, a digital flash occurred… Someone asked them for a picture… Someone talked to them… In the first half hour, I think Herbstreit and Nash’s combined smiles outnumbered drinks poured… Obviously, they were the centers of attention…

Until the Pepsi Power Patrol walked onto the stage… The collection of red and blue bunnies, turned a jersey auction (which raised nearly $5000) into their own personal showcase… Forget that Herbstreit and Nash were bidding against each other for the jerseys… Forget that Corso spotlighted what an exemplary human being he is, by winning a jersey and donating it to a policeman (way to go Chris)… The half-dozen bunnies, notably Holly and Sarah, captured every eye and thought in the venue…

The combination of the Power Patrol, the Bartenders, Corso and company, the hundreds of flashes, and an excellent DJ separated this evening from any other I have enjoyed in this venue… April 2 was not the typical Thursday crowd which saunters into Park Street Patio seeking to relax with a beer and a basketball game… This crowd had a buzz (not just alcoholic)… Simply stated, when I cast my vote for Event of the Year… this is the evening…

As the evening concluded, Herbstreit and Nash continued their delightful relation with the assembled throng… Jimmy Jam, meanwhile, was clearly satisfied with his performance and seeking interaction of a different variety… As ten p.m. approached and the celebrities were officially cut, Jimmy Jam relocated himself to a table of bunnies… Relaxed and worn from the two hours, he appeared less as the person we hear every morning and more, the person we would encounter on a normal Thursday at Park Street…

Speaking of encounter… As midnight approached, I finally scored a conversation with Herbstreit and Nash… Before I say anything else, I must compliment their presence… Both were approachable and relatable… Particularly, Herbstreit, who clearly has not forgotten where he came from… Herbstreit, Nash, and I discussed this website, a possible interview, and when I discussed the Gossip Awards with Herbstreit, he mentioned a possible appearance… Whether or not this occurs, I want to personally thank Nash and Herbstreit for the time they allowed me… They are both outstanding individuals…

As I departed my three minutes of celebrity for other events and Herbstreit and Nash returned to their customer mingling (they stayed longer to continue raising money), I passed Holly, who had returned to the bar, having swapped the red and blue for a black and silver shirt and the perfect pair of jeans… She looked OUS (that would be gorgeous, luscious, scrumptious… Anything that ends in OUS)…

The celebrity bartender competition was not a success… Success implies pedestrian phrases such as a job well done… This was a titanic triumph… Haffey and all who participated should be proud of themselves… At a moment when police need our support more than ever in this city, Thursday showed them exactly what they are worth…