Lunch in the Garden

You know those places that you forget about and then, when you go there again you always say to yourself "I've gotta remember this place and come here more often." One of those places for me is the Garden Bistro in the Vista.  My good friend Ellen loves this restaurant and is a regular. I recently met her there for lunch and had that "why don't I come here?" moment.  

For those of you who do not know the Garden Bistro, it's a cute little place that's decorated like a patio.  You're inside but you feel like you're outside.  It's tucked away behind the Art Bar so you kind of have to know what you're looking for.  The cool thing is that it's in the Vista, but its got an enormous parking lot right outside its door.  Parking is quite the rarity in this part of town.  It's a locally owned restaurant with daily specials and a really good regular menu.  Lots of fresh sandwiches, salads and soups.

When we went the other day, Ellen got one of the specials which was a turkey reuben.  It looked just awesome and I may have to get that next time. I chose a salad and soup combo: BLT salad (I'm a sucker for bacon) and French onion soup. I loved them both!  It was a perfect size for lunch and the taste was fantastic.  

If you read restaurant reviews on sites like Urbanspoon you know that Garden Bistro gets rave reviews all the time.  Comments tend to focus on freshness, variety, flavor and that it's a good local joint.  The atmosphere is comfortable, fun and creative.  They have a loyal following of regulars and deservedly so.  Sadly, the owner of the restaurant recently passed away from kidney disease at a much too early age.  I did not know him, but Ellen did and she (and many others) are greatly saddened by his passing.  I hope that Columbia's continued patronage will help keep his memory alive and will help his family continue on. Garden Bistro definitely is a keeper in Columbia's dining scene.
 

Serious about Salad

Hello, my name is Elizabeth and I'm a salad-bar-aholic. There, I said it.

Yes, it's true.  I love salad.  I love salad bars.  Now, my germaphobic friends are cringing, I know.  But, what can I say? I like to live on the edge.  The reason I love the salad bar so much is simply that I like being able to have complete control over what's going on that plate.  I can't begin to tell you how many times I've ordered something other than a salad (in a non-bar restaurant) because I don't want to go through the exercise of saying something along the lines of:

"I'd like the grilled chicken salad 
BUT without onion, cucumber, celery, or egg."  

And, so many times I've asked (logically) "since I don't want onion, cucumber, celery, or egg, could you put on some bacon bits or olives or something instead?"  Of course not.  That would mean we're interested in making our customer happy, and we really couldn't care less about that. With a salad bar, I avoid all of this awkwardness and annoyance.  I can build that salad with whatever I want and no one can tell me not to!  The problem is finding any place with a salad bar anymore.  I mean, it's even hard to find a crummy salad bar.  So, when you come across a good one, you want to stick with it!

This brings me to Jason's Deli.  I have been there twice now and both times have gone straight for their salad bar.  OMG...if you haven't checked this out, and if you're a salad fanatic like me, get in your car now.  This is the bar of bars.  The choices are beautiful and bountiful!  Romaine, spring mix, spinach, Kalamata olives, green olives, artichoke hearts, pickles, beets, cheddar, parmesan, pepperoncini, bell peppers, croutons, carrots, jalapenos, sunflower seeds, almonds, bacon...just to name a few!  Lots of dressing choices, mini-muffins, crackers, and Jason's deli flatbread crackers with sesame seeds & pepitas.  Heaven! ( I didn't take any photos because during the busy lunch service, I just wasn't up for looking like a fruitcake standing there snapping pix of a salad bar.)

Of course, there's a lot more to Jason's than just the salad bar.  First, throughout their menu, they feature organic, healthful ingredients, vegetarian dishes and a lot of gluten-free.  I'm also a big fan of soup and I can't even begin to remember all the soups they had available the other day.  I remember vegetarian vegetable, organic tomato basil, and broccoli cheese.  My mom had the manager's special which was a cup of soup and half of a "pastrami meltdown." This was beautiful pink pastrami piled on fresh bread with caramelized onion and melted cheese.  She chose the broccoli soup and said both were very tasty.  You can see Jason's menu here.

And the "icing on the cake" is the NON-high fructose corn syrup soft serve ice cream which is gratis with your meal.  What a sweet little touch, huh? This place serves really fresh, good tasting food and offers choices to satisfy everyone, including kids.  Of course, for me, it's the bomb-diggity salad bar of salad bars!  If you haven't checked it out, do yourself a favor.  It's right on Gervais in the heart of the Vista...you can't miss it.   

More fun at Mojito's

Several months ago I wrote about Mojito's. It is a family-owned Caribbean restaurant in Columbia's Vista.  If you haven't made it here yet, I urge you to do so.  The food is excellent and I blogged to you all before that their Cuban sandwich is the best one I've ever had.  But what I like most about Mojito's is the entire vibe they have going. The decor is very mod and hip, yet carries their Caribbean theme, the location is prime, and the owners are present and accessible.  In fact, Jane (the matriarch) is on the floor moving from table to table...in a good way.

Mojito's has the MoJo!

Today I finally made it to Mojito's to give it a try.  I had posted a comment and a "Call to Action" a few days ago.  I'd like to publicly thank all of you who joined me today at my "Restaurant Rave" and supported this family business AND my friends who went earlier in the week to try them out.  Your dedication to local business is admirable and vital to our city's growth and culture.

Here we go...I love this place!  First, as soon as I crossed the threshold, I was impressed with the decor.  Rich wooden floors, warm colors, cool drinking glasses and plates, plants and the large screen at the back of the restaurant shows the surf rolling in and out on some beautiful Caribbean beach.  Nice touch.  Some of my friends were already there.  As soon as I joined the table, our very polite and friendly server was right for my drink order.  All of us opted for, you guessed it, a MOJITO.  Delicioso indeed.  

My friend Laurin and I decided to share two dishes so we could sample more.  She ordered the Mojito Cubano Sandwich with the cilantro-pesto pasta salad on the side.  I chose the Piccadillo Empanadas.  Our server suggested having one chicken and one beef for comparison.  This plate came with black beans, a side of yucca, grilled plantains and a vibrant yellow rice.  The Cuban sandwich was just as my Dad said: the best Cuban I've ever had.  Instead of roast pork slices, Mojito's uses roasted and pulled pork.  The pork had a very clean flavor; not over-seasoned.  Neil would really like it because too often he complains that dishes hide the meat's flavor; he just likes to actually taste the meat.  Also tucked in there was a nice smoked ham, delicious pickles, melted cheese and the bread was wonderful.  I'm not usually a big devotee of pasta salad, but the cilantro-pesto was a bright and pleasing dressing for the bowtie pasta.

Chicken and Beef Empanadas "Piccadillo"

The empanadas were also a "thumbs up" dish.  I've read a bazillion recipes for Piccadillo over the years, but have never made it myself so I was very curious about this dish.  My helpful server prefers the chicken, but since beef is more traditional, she recommended getting one of each.  I'm glad she did because it was interesting to compare the two. Laurin preferred the beef and I went the way of the chicken.  I felt like the chicken had more of the green olive flavor, which I really like.  The black beans and rice were both very well cooked, although I might add a light touch of salt if I were in the kitchen, but of course, y'all know I'm a big advocate of NaCl.  I've also never eaten yucca before so I was really looking forward to tasting it.  It has a similar feel and consistency to a potato, but sweeter.  And lastly, the plantains were sweet, well cooked and delicious.
 

Now, I had the pleasure of meeting Jane, the owner.  Her son and daughter are her business partners.  She is a delightful lady and the place just lit up once she arrived.  She talks to her patrons, but not hovering around your table like a Ruby Tuesday manager who says boiler plate stuff like "How is everything you guys?"  In a real way...Jane knows a lot of her customers by name, she laughs, she thanks people for being there.  She's a friendly face and certainly a hands-on influence in her restaurant...like it's supposed to be!

Jane bringing Mom that signature Avocado Pie

Before we wrapped things up, Jane brought our table a dessert smorgasbord.  First, that avocado pie that my Mom keeps raving about...I get it!  It is absolutely fabulous.  It is so smooth and creamy, not overly sugary and sweet, and it's beautiful to look at .  Also on the tasting plate was a wonderful coconut cake, a strawberry layer cake and a cheesecake that made Laurin oohh and ahh with delight. She's a cheesecake lover, you see.


In short, this is a great restaurant folks!  It's in the heart of the Vista and close to the "work" district (Main St., Statehouse, Assembly St.).  Family owned businesses are the key to a thriving local economy.  In Columbia, we are lucky to have a pretty decent restaurant scene for a town our size.  Without local restaurateurs there is no restaurant scene.  It would be corporate crap; just another Harbison Blvd.  Please try Mojito's.  I have a feeling you'll like what you find there and you'll be happy to become a regular customer. 

Call to Action: ***Local Business Needs Support

I have been asked to appeal to you, my loyal readers, to a true Call To Action.  As most of you know (or should) is that Neil and I, and my whole family for that matter,  are big supporters of local business, especially restaurants.  My parents (let's call them Jim and Dottie) have discovered Mojitos on Gervais Street in Columbia's 'Congaree Vista.'  I have heard their praises of this place but have yet to make it there myself.  Well, that's going to change.

Mojitos is a Cuban restaurant located at 1004  Gervais Street (zip 29201 for all you GPS'ers).  From Mom and Dad I've heard that the Cuban sandwich is good enough to make you slap your mama and call her Loretta.  My mom is in love with the Avocado Pie. Yes, I realize that sounds strange to us gringos, but from what I've heard, it's worth diving off the cliff and trying it.  In fact, my mom loves it so much, she and the mama of the family have formed a relationship as a result.  During the course of their conversation today, Mom learned that they just had a cook who was terminated and STOLE their family recipe book.  I hope I can find out who this tool is and circulate his name through Columbia's restaurateurs and "guarantee" his continued success in our restaurant scene.  And, thanks to our 'stellar' water pipe system, the City has Gervais Street dismantled right in front of their restaurant, blocking any street parking remotely close to them.  Anyway, the bottom line is that this restaurant is family owned, authentic Cuban cuisine, unique to Columbia and we need to support them and keep them alive in Columbia!

Mom says the avocado pie is similar to key lime, yet not...you know, because it's avocado.

So, I am appealing to you guys here in Columbia to make the concerted effort to seek this place out and try it.  According to my Dad, you will not be disappointed.  And as strange as avocado pie sounds, my Mom assures me that it will stop traffic.  Here's my disclosure:  I have not been to Mojitos.  Not because of lack of interest, but lack of time/opportunity so far.  So, I have a plan...  (oh, the suspense is terrible!!!)


I am proposing a RESTAURANT RAVE.  Yes, I just made up that term and patent is pending.  I have scheduled myself for lunch at Mojitos on Wednesday, January 19, 2010.  If you are available, and in Columbia of course, I'd love to see you join me.  Let's all show up on this day, try it out, give our support to a locally owned family restaurant!  If you like it, tell everyone you know.  Or, schedule your own RAVE within your Sphere of Influence.  We can't afford to let good family owned businesses fail in our community.  Post your comments so others can see your opinions!


I appreciate all of you who read this; I want to be sure that you know that.  If you're available, please join me in helping this family biz get more exposure and more fans.  Remember, what goes around comes around!  :-)