Meet the Chef
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Yes! Check out meet the chef events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
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Meet the Chef Events Today
Join in-person Meet the Chef events happening right now
COhPy Monthly Meeting
**Improving Office in Franklinton**
Physical location:
Improving Office
330 Rush Alley Suite #150
Columbus, OH 43215
Schedule:
6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages.
6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s).
Topic: Type Annotations with John Cassidy
We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact Central OH Python at centralohpython@gmail.com
Libera Animae - Freeing the Soul
Main Library, Meeting Room 2B
Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen).
Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection.
All backgrounds are welcome.
How LLMs Like ChatGPT Actually Work and How to Build With Them
**First meetup of the Columbus AI Engineering group.**
We’ll kick things off with a practical, beginner-friendly discussion on:
**How LLMs like ChatGPT actually work — and how to build real applications with them.**
We’ll cover:
* what’s actually happening under the hood (at a high level)
* why LLMs behave the way they do (hallucinations, prompt sensitivity, etc.)
* how people are building real systems with them today
* where things break in practice
This will be a **short, informal talk (\~15–20 min)** followed by open discussion and Q&A.
Whether you’re an engineer, builder, or just curious about how modern AI systems work, you’re welcome to join.
No slides, no fluff — just real conversation about real systems.
We’ll hang out afterward and get to know each other.
Italian Conversation Hour
Ciao a tutt\*!
Let's meet Monday at 6.30pm at the Upper Arlington Library (**Tremont** Branch) in **Meeting Room A** to speak in Italian for 1 hour.
Alum Creek Hike to Strawberry Farms Park
Join us for a flat 2.6 mile hike along the Alum Creek Trail from the rear parking lot of the Easton Hilton Garden Inn to the Strawberry Farms Park and back. This scenic trail along Alum Creek is a gem. Come and hike it with us!
Starting and Maintaining Relationships
This is a free in-person meeting.
Let's talk about relationships in such a way that you can really benefit from the knowledge.
We can talk about
* Soulmates
* How to start a relationship
* How to maintain a relationship
* How to pick the right partner
* How to recognize the red flags
* How to improve communication
* How to avoid argument and fights
* How to increase trust
You ask the questions, we'll talk about them.
Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there.
This group is sponsored the Dianetics & Scientology Self-Improvement Center.
Meet the Chef Events This Week
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Columbus Comedy Improv Meetup at Gresso's!
Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games!
The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime!
Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!
🌱 Columbus Vegan Meetup: Brunch at 4th & State
**Join us for a vegan morning at downtown Columbus's premier vegan diner!**
* **Date:** Saturday, April 4th
* **Time:** 11:00 AM
* **Location:** [4th & State](https://www.4thandstate.com/) (152 E State St, Columbus, OH 43215)
* **Type:** Community Dining / Brunch
* **Cost:** Pay-as-you-go (Entrees typically range from $10–$20)
***
**About the Event**
Come catch up with fellow vegans and vegan-curious friends in the heart of downtown. 4th & State is a family-owned, "mod diner" known for its laid-back atmosphere and incredibly indulgent vegan comfort food. Whether you’re looking to discuss animal rights activism or just want to enjoy a milkshake with like-minded people, all are welcome!
**The Food**
This spot is **100% vegan** and offers a massive menu of diner classics. Highlights include:
* **Signature Brunch:** The **Vrunchwrap**, pancakes, and French toast sticks.
* **Comfort Classics:** Loaded fries, burgers, and their "hand-breaded tempeh chicky."
* **Allergen Friendly:** They offer a dedicated **gluten-free** menu and are a **tree-nut-free** kitchen (with the exception of coconut oil).
**Important Details**
* **Seating & Reservations:** 4th & State typically does **not take reservations**, so please RSVP early so we can try to coordinate seating together.
* **Parking:** There is free and paid street parking nearby, as well as several paid parking lots in the downtown area.
* **Accessibility:** The restaurant features a wheelchair-accessible entrance and seating.
Columbus Chess Club
This is a time where players of all ages, and skill levels can gather and enjoy a nice Sunday full of Chess!
Carfagna's Live Music, Wine and Dinner
Enjoy a bit of Columbus culinary history at Carfagna's market, wine bar and ristorante. We will gather for a glass of wine or two in the wine bar at 6:30 with dinner at 7pm. Arrive early if you like, shop and place your items in a cooler in your car.
This is a pay-on-your-own event. I will have a reservation for twenty (20) at 7pm. Message me if you want to be on my table.
Keep your reservation up to date as the Attendance and Release of Liability provisions are enforced, including the 48 hour No-Show Rule. See the first page of Group Page for details.
Read about the history of Carfagna's here and also see their weekly specials. https://carfagnas.com/about-carfagnas/
April Social - Rehab Tavern Franklinton
After a short winter hibernation, we are back for warmer weather events!
We'll kick things off with our monthly social at [Rehab Tavern ](http://rehabtavern.com/) located in Franklinton!
**Address**: 456 W Town St #460, Columbus, OH 43215
You'll find us at a large table with CAC flyers and placards!
We'll be discussing what warm weather events you'd like to see such as hiking, biking, kayacking, etc!
Gold Star Business Networking
Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!
COUNT RMH Housewarmer Volunteering (Ronald McDonald House)
Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process.
Fast track
• Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell).
• Show up and try it out.
• Complete application, etc. later.
Normal process
• Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/).
• Attend orientation in advance.
• At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility.
• Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM.
• Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895).
The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014.
Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.
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Data & Analytics Wednesday - The Data-Driven Brand
**The Data-Driven Brand: Using Analytics to Shape Perception**
Can you use analytics to improve tacos? This being CBUSDAW, we think the answer is probably “yes”, but we’re not sure how to implement or test this theory.
For our April meetup we’ve got Sara Kear, CMO of Condado Tacos, to investigate this delicious question. Sara will explore how she blends quantitative data and qualitative customer feedback to shape brand positioning and drive business decisions. We all know that marketing and analytics go way beyond attribution. Sara will show how Condado uses customer insights to inform product and pricing strategy.
She’ll also highlight how Condado leverages customer feedback at scale to influence operational priorities, positioning marketing as the voice of the customer across the organization. In the last 12 years Condado has gone from one location in Columbus to 52 locations across 10 states, so we’re guessing there’s more to that growth than really good guac (though the guac probably helps).
Ultimately, this talk focuses on the intersection of art and science—using data to inform creativity and build a brand that resonates with customers in a measurable way.
**About Our Speaker**
Sara Kear is Chief Marketing Officer at Condado Tacos, where she oversees brand, restaurant design, menu and pricing strategy, off-premise including catering, and customer data strategy. Since joining in 2021, she has helped grow the brand from 19 to 52 locations while building a data-driven marketing organization focused on loyalty and customer insights. Condado has since been named to the Inc. 5000, recognized as Breakout Retailer by Chain Store Age, and consistently ranked among FastCasual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers.
Thanks to our 2026 sponsors:
[Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro)
More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)
Columbus Chess Club
This is a time where players of all ages, and skill levels can gather and enjoy a nice Sunday full of Chess!
Dinner @ Due Amici
Someone told me about Due Amici and I hear it has some of the finest Italian food in town mangia bene, vivi felice! (eat well, live happy). Let’s enjoy the great food, the conversations, and most importantly the amazing company we keep, guys.
Omnipresent Atheists Weekly Meetup (1st Tues)
Jimmy V's Grill & Pub in Grandview Heights. You are responsible for your own meal/drinks. We usually don't have any agenda other than eat, drink and talk. :) If the weather is nice we will be on the back patio, otherwise we are in the cigar room.
This group has been meeting every Tuesday evening for over a decade. Many attendees do not RSVP on meetup. Please don't let the small number here discourage you. Anyone/everyone is welcome to come. We'd love to have you join us.
COTA bus #5 comes to W. 5th and Wyandotte Rd. And it's a minute walk to the restaurant.
Did you know that there are atheists everywhere?!?! You may not know it, but we are! We're in your schools, diners, police force, military, government, and some are even still in your churches! So come and join us and meet other local atheists, along with agnostics, heathens, humanists, skeptics, and anyone else who's 'hell bound'!
Vision: a Central Ohio that accepts atheism as a viable alternative in all areas of public and private life.
Mission: grow, support, and provide community for atheists in Central Ohio.
Social meetings held most Tuesdays at a local pub/restaurant at 7:00 PM (and often into the wee hours). Attendees call themselves agnostics, skeptics, humanists, non-theists, deists or even theists. All attendees are welcome but should support our vision.
Atheists of Columbus (AoC) is part of Omnipresent Atheists (OA). AoC members are invited to join this OA meetup and/or OA Facebook group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/omnipresentatheists/ ) but are free to continue conversations on the AoC Facebook group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/columbusatheists/ ). AoC was founded in 2012 as a networking, social group for Central Ohio area humanists, skeptics, atheists, agnostics, nonbelievers, freethinkers, and the curious. It was a member of Columbus CoR and held weekly meetings, mostly on Fridays, for several years but then operated as an online only group for some time. In November 2018, Omnipresent Atheists (OA), a group that routinely meets on Tuesdays, invited AoC to merge.
Omnipresent Atheists is a member of the Columbus Coalition of Reason (ColumbusCoR.org). Omnipresent Atheists is a member of the Columbus Coalition of Reason ( http://www.ColumbusCoR.org ). Omnipresent Atheists endorses the mission of the Secular Coalition for America ( http://secular.org ).
This group has been meeting every Tuesday evening for over a decade. Many attendees do not RSVP on meetup. Please don't let the small number here discourage you. Anyone/everyone is welcome to come. We'd love to have you join us.
Omnipresent Atheists Weekly Meetup (2nd Tues)
Jimmy V's Grill & Pub in Grandview Heights. You are responsible for your own meal/drinks. We usually don't have any agenda other than eat, drink and talk. :) If the weather is nice we will be on the back patio, otherwise we are in the cigar room.
This group has been meeting every Tuesday evening for over a decade. Many attendees do not RSVP on meetup. Please don't let the small number here discourage you. Anyone/everyone is welcome to come. We'd love to have you join us.
COTA bus #5 comes to W. 5th and Wyandotte Rd. And it's a minute walk to the restaurant.
***
Did you know that there are atheists everywhere?!?! You may not know it, but we are! We're in your schools, diners, police force, military, government, and some are even still in your churches! So come and join us and meet other local atheists, along with agnostics, heathens, humanists, skeptics, and anyone else who's 'hell bound'!
Vision: a Central Ohio that accepts atheism as a viable alternative in all areas of public and private life.
Mission: grow, support, and provide community for atheists in Central Ohio.
Social meetings held most Tuesdays at a local pub/restaurant at 7:00 PM (and often into the wee hours). Attendees call themselves agnostics, skeptics, humanists, non-theists, deists or even theists. All attendees are welcome but should support our vision.
Atheists of Columbus (AoC) is part of Omnipresent Atheists (OA). AoC members are invited to join this OA meetup and/or OA Facebook group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/omnipresentatheists/ ) but are free to continue conversations on the AoC Facebook group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/columbusatheists/ ). AoC was founded in 2012 as a networking, social group for Central Ohio area humanists, skeptics, atheists, agnostics, nonbelievers, freethinkers, and the curious. It was a member of Columbus CoR and held weekly meetings, mostly on Fridays, for several years but then operated as an online only group for some time. In November 2018, Omnipresent Atheists (OA), a group that routinely meets on Tuesdays, invited AoC to merge.
Omnipresent Atheists is a member of the Columbus Coalition of Reason (ColumbusCoR.org). Omnipresent Atheists is a member of the Columbus Coalition of Reason ( http://www.ColumbusCoR.org ). Omnipresent Atheists endorses the mission of the Secular Coalition for America ( http://secular.org ).
Pattycake 🧁Meetup
Join us again this Saturday for drinks and sweets at this delicious Vegan co-op bakery. Mingle with likeminded Columbus Vegans.
We will aim to sit outside after purchasing items and hopefully taking in cooperative weather.
Special note on parking: Please try to park along Acton, Richards and/or Chatham streets so as to free up the lot at the back of the building for pick-up orders. Thank you. 😊
Patty Cake offers everything from cupcakes, cookies, cakes, muffins, whoopie pies, as well as gluten free goodies. They also have coffee, oat milk and cold brew
🍕Vick’s Gourmet Pizza 🍕
Join us for pizza and conversation at Vick’s Gourmet Pizza! 🍕
Good slices, good stories, and plenty of laughs around the table. Come hungry, bring your best conversation, and let’s enjoy a relaxed evening with great company.
Extra cheese and extra chatter encouraged! 😄





















