I am a Thirsty Fellow devotee

I know it's been there awhile, but it's just been somewhat recently that I've finally been able to check out Thirsty Fellow on Gadsden Street.  And I gotta tell ya, I'm really diggin' this joint.  

The first time I went was for lunch with Neil.  He ordered one of the daily specials that day which was a big hot dog and was quite tasty.  I ordered (upon Neil's recommendation) their Philly.  Wow!  It was outstanding.  The meat was very lean, which I like tremendously, tender and flavorful.  The mix of hot and sweet cherry peppers was the perfect staccato.  The next time we went I had the Firecracker shrimp.  Theirs are a little different than Blue Marlin's but equally good.  They serve their shrimp fried with a jalapeno mayo to dip.  That trip, Neil went back to the Philly.  One evening, we met there for Happy Hour at the bar.  We split the Firecracker shrimp, but this time asking them to add the Philly pepper mix on top (similar to the Marlin's dish.)  It was simply terrific.

Any of you who read me know that my parents are awesome GPs. They took Vivi with them Saturday to see my sister in Asheville.  So, Neil and I attended the Regal Awards that night, slept in Sunday morning and headed out for brunch.  We bee-lined to Thirsty Fellow because we've been so intrigued by their signs touting their Sunday brunch.

It was a good choice.  First of all, they have one of the best Bloody Marys that I've had. It's rich and spicy, but not full of "stuff."  I hate having to chew up my Bloody Mary.  I ordered the shrimp and grits and Neil got baked French toast.  The shrimp and grits was quite good and different than all the rest. First off, you have a choice of bacon or sausage. I chose bacon and what they did was put crumbled bacon in the center of the dish for you to incorporate into the grits.  The gravy was light with sauteed bell peppers and parmesan cheese.  The shrimp were well cooked and a good size.  I was happy.  Neil's baked French toast was also very good.  The serving they brought him was enormous.  It was nice and warm and cinnamon-y.  It was served with sausage links and fruit.  Neil also asked for a side of the roasted potatoes, which he gave a thumbs up.  

I think Thirsty Fellow's Sunday brunch is right on.  Columbia has a deficit of good breakfast and brunch places these days.  Some of the other selections from the menu were an omelet du jour (this one was sundried tomatoes and mushrooms), waffles with a daily special fruit sauce, eggs benedict, homemade biscuits and gravy.  Of course, they also feature mimosas, bellinis and I'm tellin' ya, the Bloody Mary is a must.  If you're heading that way for brunch, give us a call...maybe we can meet you there!