What should Bruce Willis do in Columbus? We asked, you answered.
Apparently, most of y’all want actor Bruce Willis to eat a lot of fried chicken and barbecue, visit Fort Benning and take a trip on the Chattahoochee River when he comes to town.
Willis will be in Columbus to film a full-length feature film “The Long Night” — an action thriller that follows two criminals who break into a disgraced doctor’s home seeking medical attention after a failed robbery attempt leaves one of the crooks shot.
Earlier this month, we asked you — our dear readers — to tell us what Bruce should do, what he should eat and one only-in-Columbus bucket list item he should cross off his list. We got 84 reader responses though some people didn’t answer all the questions.
Is he here yet? Well, we’re not 100% sure. It’s possible.
Pre-production started earlier this month, and cameras should start rolling in early June. The city’s film commission president, Peter Bowden, told the Ledger-Enquirer on Friday he couldn’t discuss when the film’s cast would arrive.
So, Bruce, if you’re reading this, here’s what our readers think you should do in Columbus.
Where should Bruce eat?
The number-one vote getter for Columbus restaurant to eat at was Minnie’s Uptown with ten votes. The classic southern-style cafeteria lunch spot is known for its juicy fried chicken and mac ’n’ cheese.
Tied for second is Country’s Barbeque and Epic Restaurant with seven votes each. Are you surprised?
Epic is one of the city’s swankier spots. It was once named to a top-40 dining list of best U.S. restaurants by Gayot, a publication that has reviewed food, drinks, hotels, spa, travel, cars and more for over 45 years.
Founded here in 1975, Country’s has three locations in Columbus. The original is on Mercury Drive, and if you go on Friday or Saturday evening, you’ll hear some bluegrass.
“It’s true southern charm & delicious ‘home-cooked’ food made from the heart and soul of Columbus,” wrote Peytanne McQuinn about Country’s.
Most of y’all want Bruce to eat barbecue. Other area barbecue spots mentioned by readers include: Smokey Pig Barbeque, Crossroads Bar-B-Que, Chester’s Barbeque, 13th St BBQ, Pepper’s Barbeque, Zombie Pig BBQ and Smoke Bourbon and BBQ.
Other staples like Mabella’s, Trevioli, Dinglewood Pharmacy’s Scrambled Dog, Cannon Brew Pub, B. Merrell’s and 11 & Bay Southern Table got some nods too.
Where should Bruce visit?
Bruce, the people say you should go to Fort Benning and the nearby National Infantry Museum — if you’ve got time. The two were the most popular suggestions.
“Bruce Willis should spend a day at the National Infantry Museum,” wrote John Burns. “The amount of historical artifacts, information, and employees who are very knowledgeable make it more than just a walk through a museum. All these things bring the history of our military to life and give visitors an even greater appreciation for the sacrifice given by the men and women who have served and who currently serve our country.”
Other Columbus landmarks like the city’s riverwalk, the Springer Opera House and nearby Callaway Gardens were other popular suggestions.
What’s one only-in-Columbus item Bruce should cross off his bucket list?
You gotta get in the river, Bruce.
Kayaking or white water rafting on the Chattahoochee were the most popular suggestions. It’s billed as the largest urban white water course in the world. Certainly, that’s impressive, right?
Other suggestions included milking the 20-foot Kadie the Cow statue, meeting the Aflac duck and stopping by the Pemberton House. The home once belonged to Dr. John Pemberton of Coca-Cola fame. He’s buried here too. Columbus has a long-standing disagreement with Atlanta over Coke’s origins.
Enjoy yourself, Bruce. Regardless of what you do in Columbus, have some fun.
This story was originally published June 3, 2019 at 5:00 AM.