Thai One On

Y'all know that I really like Publico. I've told you that. But, it's been a while since we've been there. Yesterday was my birthday.  So, the three of us decided to continue the celebration of me by having lunch at our favorite neighborhood joint today.  

I got there thinking that I'd order the Classic Carnitas and the Sambol Fish taco.  Like I usually do. But once there, I thought, "no, I'm going to try something new this time."  I chose the Thai Shrimp Burger. 

Shrimp burger with fresh cut fries

 So, this is a burger made of giant chunks of shrimp.  This is significant because too often restaurant dishes really skimp on the shrimp.  The burger is served on a fresh bun with red onion relish that is delicious. There's also a Thai peanut sauce and orange sesame aioli.  It's a very flavorful and successful fusion of tastes.  I could only eat half of it though; it's a big sandwich. I definitely recommend this one!

Neil decided on the burrito du jour, the "Wingerito."  It was stuffed with pulled chicken with a chipotle wing sauce, brown rice, lettuce and black beans.  It was really yummy.  Of course, Neil had them also jam as many jalapenos as they could fit into it. Many of you know that Neil's heat addiction knows no bounds.  He's constantly on a quest for what he considers hot and it's rarely what others can even tolerate. Today he sampled a coconut Ghost pepper sauce and admitted "it's hot."  That says a lot.

Now, the Vivver decided on her "usual," the Crunchy Avocado taco.  Can I tell you how much I love that my kid has an avocado taco as her "usual?"  

The Crunchy Avocado

 It also never hurts to start off with guac and queso.  The chips are always warm and salty.  The guac is creamy and the queso, well, what's not to love about melty cheese? 

Publico has completed their back porch/deck area. Today they had some astro-turf out with hula hoops, cornhole and a baby pool in the parking lot.  I'm not sure if this was special for the holiday weekend, or if this is a new fixture.  And, since the last time I was there, they've added brunch. Check out the menu here. Enjoy!

My new Favorite Restaurant: Publico

 

Once upon a time, Neil and I ate out all the time.  We weren't parents then.  Yes, parenthood has a tendency to curtail a lot of that spontaneous eating out.  But needless to say, I'll take my baby girl over a good steak any day!  

You all may remember how long time culinary citizen Garibaldi's suddenly closed up shop.  I think with something like a whopping 24 hour notice to their employees. I know I was shocked when I heard.  Just a few months before, Neil had taken our daughter there for a daddy-daughter date night and made a fan out of her. Then, they were gone. 

If you have been paying attention, that building has been under construction lately.  Lots of activity over there and then the sign went up.  Publico. Hmmm!  What could it be? What will it be like?  What can we expect? 

Neil and I decided to head over there on New Year's Eve for lunch.  He had already stopped in one day last week for a beer and tried their bacon-wrapped jalapenos and was impressed. He told me about the menu, which I pulled up online and out the door we went.

Neil is in a happy place

Publico's menu features a large selection of specialty tacos with an emphasis on Asian flavors.  Example? How about a Bahn Mi taco: crisp pork belly, jalapeno, cucumber, carrot & daikon.  Or, what about a Pad Thai taco or Avocado Crunch? Wait, there's more!  How does a burger made from ground chuck, brisket and short rib grab you?  Of course, you may opt for a Carne Asada puffy taco (remember that episode of "Beat Bobby Flay"?) or a Korean influenced tostada?


Neil and I opted for their special, which is 5 tacos and 2 sides. Our plan was to share so we could get a good sampling of the menu.  

Isn't that beautiful?

We chose the Plum Chicken, Sambal Fish, Cilantro-Lime Shrimp, Classic Carnitos and Bahn Mi taco.  For sides, we chose the Mexican street corn and edamame.  Simply put, this food was awesome.  Man, I don't even know where to begin...

Plum Chicken Taco

 I think the Plum Chicken was my favorite. The chicken is nicely seasoned and the plum sauce gives it a little something extra, without adding too much sweetness. It's dressed with a bok choy slaw, the plum sauce and black beans.  

Sambal Fish Taco

Neil's vote goes to the Sambal Fish, which I am a fan of too.  The fish is tempura fried: nice and light. The sambal aioli is awesome and the pickled red onion and kim chi give this taco crunch and tang.  

Bahn Mi Taco

I liked the Bahn Mi a lot but think it may need a little more zip to it; perhaps just a little more of the red pepper aioli. But, I loved the crispy pork belly and crunchy vegetables. 

Classic Carnitos Taco

The Classic Carnitos was also high on our list.  Smoky, pulled pork with jalapeno, guac, pico...delicious.  My least favorite was the shrimp. I expected more flavor from the cilantro and lime but found it rather bland.  But, of course, I am a shrimp snob.  I would order this again, but think I'd add more chipotle crema to jack up the flavor.  

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Taco

The sides are notable too: the Mexican street corn is out of this world.  The corn was smoky, tender and spiced with chile and cheese. We are both big fans of edamame but Publico serves it with Ponzu sauce, which we had never had before.  You dip the pod in the ponzu and then pop the beans out of the pod, you know, the same way we eat boiled peanuts. I had just never thought of or seen anyone serve with ponzu.  I like it!

Ok, I know this post is long, but there's a lot to say!  Publico is just cool.  They took out the windows that overlook Greene Street and replaced them with roll up doors.  (Anyone remember Hannah Jane's?) The walls are clad in recovered wood, food is served on flat, stainless plates, like pizza pans. If you choose to sit at the bar that separates the dining room from the actual bar, note the purse hooks, A/C and USB outlets.

 Someone is quite talented at chalkboard penmanship.  I always marvel at that...how does someone not only write so artistically that big and with a stick of chalk?  We had the pleasure of having the owner, Mike, stop by our table and talk. He's new to Columbia and excited about being here.  He shared with us his experience in the restaurant business from Houston to Nashville and now here he is in Columbia. He's interested in local sourcing and creating a quality upscale casual environment. Matt was our server and he was fantastic: answered all my goofy questions without rolling his eyes (at least not in front of me!) and he really knew the menu. He and the bartender Lilly, both came by our table to check on us and we talked about the menu, their favorites, our favorites.  

The Carnage

We loved our experience at Publico and can't wait to go back.  In fact, we've already decided what we're going to try on our next trip.  Highly recommend that you check out this new addition to our culinary scene.  Mangia!

Nicky's Pizzeria

You guys know how I am about pizza.  The world's perfect food:  all food groups are, or can be represented. It's good hot and fresh or right out of the fridge the next day. My pizza forays range from the pepperoni/sausage/black olive that I was raised on to bacon/blue cheese to veggie-palooza.  There is no end to what you can do to a pizza.  But one thing is clear:  it MUST have a good crust. Without this element, you're just wasting your time.  

A few months ago, Nicky's Pizzeria in Five Points caught my eye.  I've been so curious about it because I hadn't heard one word about the place.  None of my other food-obsessed friends had mentioned it, hadn't heard any ads, nothing.  And, it's tucked away in a corner spot right across from the post office on Greene Street, so it's easy to not notice it.  This summer I was working with a lovely couple who were buying their first house together.  He is in the restaurant biz, so I asked if they had tried out Nicky's.  Yes, they had.  They both said they really liked it and specifically mentioned the crust. Hmmm....

Recently, my husband and I had the occasion to check out Nicky's. As we walked across Greene, the first thing we noticed was 2 tables of City of Columbia police officers eating out on the patio. We all know that cops can be very loyal clientele for a restaurant, or even a bar, for that matter.  Next, we stepped inside to order and I noticed the smell.  The inside of this place smelled just like an old school pizza place that I remember from my childhood.  Yummy baked pizza smells, warm air from the ovens, herbs and pepperoni!  

We ordered a pitcher of Hopsecutioner, one of Neil's favorite IPAs.  Is it just me, or have pitchers of beer shrunk dramatically from my college days? ;-)

These pitchers have gotten awfully stubby

We decided to share the "Pesto Italian" which is a pie topped with pesto (duh), spinach, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes and mozz.  The topping combo was divine, but OMG, the crust!  It is a fabulous crust.  It's thin, but not like a too-thin cracker crust and not too thick.  Sometimes I find even a "regular" crust can hit that thickness mark where it loses the crispy, crustiness and just become chewy and tough.  Not the case here pizza lovers.  Awesome crust.

The Pesto Italian

 

A work of art

We will definitely be back for more. I really want to try their stromboli too.  The menu also offers more than a 1/2 dozen salads, specialty pizzas like the Pesto Italian, or you can design your own or just order by the slice.  I saw lots of college kids coming in to pick up subs to go, so we'll have to try those out as well.  Additionally, I'm impressed that they DO NOT charge for delivery and they offer coupons for delivery and take-out customers.  So far, so good Nicky's!