Lunching at Lillian's

Having lunch with friends really is one of my favorite pastimes.  There's just something special about having a break during the day to enjoy good food with people that you probably don't get to see as much as you'd like, unless you just happen to work at the same place as your friends, but I doubt that's the case for most of us. (How's that for a run-on sentence!)

Recently, my friend Sarah asked me out to lunch. She suggested meeting at Lillian's on Forest Drive.  I was so delighted...a restaurant that I haven't been to!  In fact, I don't think I've ever even heard of it. But that just made it all the more exciting. Lillian's is located in a strip mall in Forest Acres.  Like a lot of restaurants in strip malls, it's easy to overlook if you don't realize it's there.

Lillian's features fresh sandwiches and salads.  I was impressed by the number of vegetarian selections they offer. I am a major carnivore but have lots of veggie friends, so I notice stuff like that. They prepare your order fresh, so it may take a little while, but I wouldn't call it slow.  The decor is a bit sparse, but it's bright and open.

Sarah ordered the chicken salad plate which consisted of a scoop of chicken salad with pasta salad and a beautiful fruit salad.  The chicken salad seems to be one of their claims to fame, if you read the reviews out there.  I'll have to try it next time. 

Chicken salad plate

I chose the chef's salad which was a large salad with turkey, bacon, cheddar and a light herbal dressing.  I liked the dressing very much. It was subtle yet very flavorful; a nice change from the usual thick dressing that most serve with this type of salad (1000, blue cheese, ranch). 

Chef's salad

 I also noticed that Lillian's has a cooler filled with "take and bake" dishes.  This is great to know for those hectic evenings when you are just running out of time to cook. Or, when you need to take food to a sick friend, this is a quick easy way to grab and go. Lillian's in at 4711 Forest Drive, in the Bi-Lo shopping center. Next time you and a friend have lunch scheduled, try Lillian's.  It's fresh and light; perfect for that lunch date. Bon appetit!

Riverfront Revival

As a Realtor, it pains me to see empty buildings around town.  One in particular has been the former New Orleans restaurant.  This building occupies one of the most prime locations and views of the city than anywhere else in town.  Sadly, since January 2010 the building has sat empty and lonely. Until now.

Stone River has recently (like 3 weeks or so) opened.  They are touting themselves as Columbia's premiere wedding and event hall. Extensive renovations/changes have been made to include new stacked stone accents inside and out, new big beam timbers framing the entrance and what appears to be an outdoor covered space, walls have come down to open up the building and the decor is sharp & modern (lots of wood, black & white.) And, they also serve lunch. 

I headed over there today with my mom and dad to try out the lunch menu and to check the place out.  I really like the upfitting that's been done to the building. It's very attractive.  While at first glance, the new openness may seem too open, when you consider what they've designed the place to be (events) it really makes sense. The dining areas have all been pushed out toward the windows, overlooking the Saluda river and downtown Columbia.  And of course, there is dining on the porch. Where previously there had been rows of tables in the center of the room, there is now open space for dancing, cocktail mingling and bouquet throwing.  The tables are dressed with white tablecloths under black, simple black chairs and I know you may think I'm nuts to say this, but I even like the water glasses.  They are a highball size rather than a giant milkshake sized glass.  I rarely drink a whole glass of water during any meal and I really hate it when this huge vessel of water ends up just flooding my table with condensation.  (Does anybody remember the simple little "bev-nap"?)  Valuable little square of paper, in my opinion but today, you have to request them if, like me, you hate a drippy, wet table. With this shorter glass, I don't feel like my table is so cluttered nor is there as much surface area to sweat all over my placesetting!

So, how about if we talk about the food?  Yes, let's.

My mom ordered the club sandwich with baked potato salad. Like a lot of clubs, it is huge.  Nice, homemade looking bread loaded with turkey, ham and bacon, pretty red tomato and a little mayo.  Mom really liked the potato salad, which is noteworthy because usually potato salad (of any kind) is the last side dish she orders.  But she opted for this rather than fries and was pleasantly surprised.  The salad was warm and had gooey melty cheddar in it.  I tried a bite and it really had that baked potato flavor.  I'd order that myself.

I love the way they stand the sandwich up! Side of baked potato salad.

My dad chose the three salad plate (chicken, tuna and shrimp.)  In a nutshell, he said his tuna and chicken salads were very nice, but the shrimp salad, and this is a direct quote, "is a total disaster."  I knew the answer, but I asked it anyway.  Pre-cooked and/or frozen shrimp.  You know the kind.  They end up looking translucent, feel slick & rubbery in your mouth and have zero flavor.  I tried a bite.  No bueno.  Here's my thing about this.  We live in a coastal state.  The shrimp is only a couple hours away.  Hell, you can find a fisherman in Charleston who would meet you halfway on I-26 every morning with fresh shrimp, crab and fish. So what in the world is any restaurant in Columbia doing buying sub-par shrimp from a freezer?  If the Stone River guys take this piece of advice, throw out that junk and serve SC shrimp, this dish will improve exponentially. 

Chicken, tuna and shrimp salads with homemade pita chips.

I ordered the Cobb salad.  I always joke about installing a salad bar in my house right after I win the Powerball.  I am a salad junkie.  I love them, I crave them.  Cobb salads are one of my favorites because I am also addicted to bacon and blue cheese.  This is one righteous salad, friends.  It was served with a very generous amount of fresh blue cheese crumbled on top, pinwheels of smoked turkey and ham, fresh bacon pieces, avocado chunks and bright red, tasty tomatoes.  Traditionally, a Cobb is served with hard-boiled egg, which I loathe.  So, I always request no egg.  However, unless I really missed it big time, the menu didn't list egg, so I said nothing.  Yep, egg was on the plate.  However, since the salad was laid out in rows as a Cobb should be, it was a piece of cake for me to just eat around the egg. No big deal.

Cobb salad-isn't that pretty?

As for the people, everyone we encountered was very pleasant.  We were welcomed by the owner, Chris and later greeted by the GM, Jay.  Our waiter was Cameron and he was very personable, knew the specials and was attentive to us. It's so exciting to see something happening in this space after sitting vacant for so long.  As far as using it for an event hall, I can see loads of potential there.  You overlook the river and the riverwalk, have an awesome view of the ornate Gervais Street bridge and enjoy a great view of Columbia's skyline.  How could you not be happy sipping champagne at your cousin's wedding or enjoying lunch with friends while a couple of kayaks glide by? 

It's such a prime spot for a restaurant and an event space.  I wish Stone River well.  I think they've put together a great multi-purpose venue and they serve a nice lunch as well.  

Village Gourmet: Salads and much more

I'm not sure how long the Village Gourmet has been open.  It's been awhile though.  For the last 12 years, my office has been within walking distance.  Needless to say, I've had most things on the menu and have watched the place evolve from a gourmet sandwich shop to today's daily menu of specials that range from a calamari salad to Kobe burgers to house-smoked pulled pork.

Sizzling Flank Steak!

I had some time by myself today after a meeting downtown and decided to walk over to M Cafe for a little lunch.  I haven't been to M Cafe in a long time, so it was nice to be back.  As I neared the restaurant, I could smell it.  (This is a good thing).  I love being in a city and smelling good food smells.  Chicago is good for that.  So, as I arrived, I was already jacked about my pending meal.  

This is one of those places that I've been to enough times that I've tried several things on the menu but then one day, I ordered something that I'm stuck on.  I tell myself each visit, "Ok, this time I'm gonna do it.  I'm going to order something else NO MATTER WHAT!"  I peruse the menu, I ponder, I consider. Then, the waiter comes and I say, "I'll have my usual.  Sizzling flank steak with the cold noodle and salad."  He says, "What do you mean when you say 'cold noodle?'"  Uh oh...have they changed the menu?  I quickly look.  It's not called sizzling anymore, but it still offers me noodles instead of rice and there's mention of salad.  The waiter and I exchange mildly confused looks.  A moment of silence.  Finally, he says, "Why don't you just tell me how you want it."   

*****H A L L E L U J A H*****

Sorry about the lack of focus..the iPhone was even excited about this lunch!

This guy has just entered my Waiter Hall of Fame.  Why yes, I'd love to tell you exactly how I'd like it.  So, here it is.  If you like M Cafe or Miyo's, I recommend this little meal.  Sizzling Flank steak:  marinated in a soy based sauce that has a hint of curry.  I think they actually use skirt steak, which until recently wasn't well known in the South, so I think they always just called it flank for ease of understanding.  It's thin, tender and the marinade is just fantastic.  Garlic Green Beans: These come with the steak.  They are sauteed just until the skins blister.  My favorite way to cook beans.  Cold Noodle:  Pretty self-explanatory, but I like a little puddle of their house salad dressing on the plate, then the cold noodles, then a dollop of Sriracha or something similar.  House Salad:  the lettuce is beautifully fresh, absolutely no blemishes, it looks like they just picked it from the field themselves.  But the house dressing is the magic component here.  I've heard over the years that many of us here in Columbia have begged the owner, Michelle Wang, to bottle this stuff and she won't do it.  I can hardly describe it...soy, peanut, hot sauce???  I don't know; just trust me and order it!

So, I had a very successful and satisfying lunch experience. Oh..bonus!  I've always said I feel like I could write childrens' books.  I got an idea in my head a few days ago, so since I was dining alone today, I took a pad and pen and started writing.  If anything comes of it, I can tell you later about the irony of the lady at the table across from me!

**Restaurant Review-Zoe's Kitchen**

I have been the fortunate recipient of catering from Zoe's Kitchen before but have never made it into the restaurant.  Samples of their food I've had include grilled chicken skewers, grilled vegetables and (truly) the best Greek salad I think I've ever had.  

Today, I had to take the poor little Vivinator to the doc for the lovely cough that I've shared with her.  When I put my hand on her last night and realized I could make a grilled cheese sandwich on her back, I knew that cough had taken an ugly turn and chances are the ears were about to join the party. So, sure enough, both ears are "fully involved" and the doctor sent me off to Publix for free antibiotics.  Can you believe they do that?  Free anything in today's world excites me greatly!  My Publix is one of the "urban stores" which has no pharmacy, so off to Forest Acres I went.  The pharmacy was backed up and asked if I could do a little shopping.  Hey, I wasn't complaining...it's free medicine, right!  So, I seized the opportunity to visit Zoe's on Forest Drive.

I went in determined that I was ordering that fantastic Greek salad, but once I got in there, my mind reeled.  The menu was awesome.  Just simple, fresh, Greek-inspired salads, soup, sandwiches, wraps.  Nothing too fancy, but just quality.  Have you ever been able to sense quality just by "feeling" a place?  That's what was happening to me.  So, I decided to actually read the menu and perhaps decide on something other than salad.  So, I approached the cashier and ordered the "Gruben" which is a turkey reuben dubbed a "Zoe's favorite."  Then, the guy  behind the counter asked me if I'd ever had their chicken salad.  "Does it have celery in it?" I asked.  "Yes," he said.  Well, that takes me out of the running. But he convinced me to try a sample and lo and behold, I loved it!  Celery and all.  Theirs is shredded very fine so you can appreciate a little crunch, but not that foul celery flavor.  So, I changed my order to chicken salad on the 7-grain bread.  When it came to my side order, I couldn't really make up my mind, so I took the cashier guy's recommendation again and ordered the rice pilaf.  I know, it's not a typical side you'd have with a sandwich, but he was right it's simply delicious. 


Since I was by myself, I had time to study the menu.  They offer lots of lean foods...turkey, grilled chicken, homemade chicken & orzo soup.  Definitely not the average sandwich shop kind of fare.  The decor is warm yet bright and sunny.  And, they have several patio tables as well.  And, there's now another place in town where I can order chicken salad without disappointment!

Baby Shower Menu

My sister is having a baby girl in April!  Baby Clara Lillian.  I'm co-hosting a shower and am trying to get the finishing touches on what we're going to serve.  Since I'm always paranoid that I'm leaving out something major or that I'm leaving a hole (you know, too much starch, not enough veg or fruit).  So, I thought I'd throw it out to you folks and get your opinions.

Here's what I have planned:

• Tiropetas (these are little feta cheese/phyllo pastries.  We grew up with Greeks, so we've been eating these all our lives.)
• Mini spinach & swiss quiches (homemade of course)
• Swedish meatballs
• fruit with amaretto dip (Thanks to my friend Ellen's awesome recipe)
• Chicken salad finger sandwiches (these will come from Mathias Sandwich Shop)
• Homemade petit fours
• White wine
• Ice tea

Thoughts?  Opinions?  Katherine and I are both non-traditional shower throwers and goers.  We loathe shower games, so you can forget that.  We're not really big on crepe paper streamers, bells or balls so decorations will be something simple like fresh flowers.  And, my friend who's hosting it at her house and my mom cannot deal with paper plates and plastic ware, so Kay bought new wine glasses and glass plates for the occasion.

I mentioned my friend Ellen.  A few years ago, she threw a shower for a friend.  This is when I first tasted this amaretto fruit dip.  It is light, flavorful and super easy.  She was nice enough to tell me how to make it, so now I will share with you.  Don't let the simplicity fool you...it tastes fantastic and everyone will rave about it.

ELLEN'S AMARETTO DIP

• 16 oz Cool Whip
• 2 instant vanilla puddings
• 1-2 cups milk (just add until it looks right)
• 4 Tbs Amaretto

Blend together until you have a nice fluffy dip.  Keep it cool until time to serve, of course.  I'm serving with mixed fruit...probably will cheat and have Publix do that for me. Publix for President!





So, if any of you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.  Happy dining this weekend!