The office building at 1200 Chambers Road in Columbus is not as boring as it looks. In its basement, we found the Rose & Thistle, a friendly pub. It was just a bit after one in the afternoon—not a very late lunch, but apparently late enough: it was almost completely empty.

We found a seat and carried on with the discussion that programmers often have among themselves. The conversation makes little sense to those not versed in the art. Even so, the fragments are enough to convey the mood: requirements change ... delivery moved up ... boss said skip testing ...that guy writes VB code in any language ... crash and burn ...

I found a Guinness Bacon Cheeseburger on the menu and ordered it (modulo the BBQ sauce—my theory being that sauce is evil, since if you need sauce to cover the taste of the meat, you're solving the wrong problem). Along with it, I got a pint of Guinness, which was properly poured and served. My friend had another proper brew: Smithwick's.

Since that day, I read in some article or other that the place had a month-to-month lease and that the landlord decided that the space could be put to “better” use. The Rose & Thistle was expected to leave its location there; the owner said he would open up again elsewhere. I've heard nothing of it since then. The business can move—and I hope that it does so successfully—but something tells me that even if it thrives, there's no topping the pub-in-a-basement experience at 1200 Chambers Rd.