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.  

Thank you Pinterest

Since joining Pinterest a couple years ago, I've pinned many, many recipes.  I think the exact number is one zillion and two.  And I know I'm not alone here. In that time, I've made some of them.  Some have been successful, some lackluster, some not good at all.  But tonight changed all that.  Tonight I made a crock pot of creamy tomato soup that I've been eyeing for months and as cliche and juvenile as it is, all I can say is "OMG."  (It's like Moon Unit Zappa's horrible 80's "oh ma god, like gag me with a spoon.")

So, in full disclosure, the recipe came from here. I didn't grow up eating tomato soup because my mom can't stand it.  And, that crap in the can tastes like some weird sugary tomato concoction that can only have originated in Willie Wonka's factory. For quite some time now, I've been on the look-out for a homemade tomato soup.  The photo of this recipe lured me in. As soon as I read the recipe, I've been dreaming of making it and pairing it with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.  However, the hubinator has been craving baked potatoes lately and that sounded like a pretty good combo.  So, today was the day.  I whipped this soup up in my trusty crockpot and I am so happy that I did, that...well, I just felt compelled to write about it and tell you. So, as I type this post, I have a warm belly full of the most awesome, rich, fresh, flavorful tomato soup and the happiness that this entails.

Even if you never fancied yourself a lover or even a liker of tomato soup, if I were you, I'd venture out and try it.  The ingredients are cheap, so if you hate it, throw it out and it'll be no biggie. I bet you won't though.  In fact, I think even my mom would eat this soup and like it.

Baby's First Dish

As you all know, it's always been my goal to engage my child in cooking, food and nutrition.  As soon as she was old enough, I've had her in the kitchen.  Starting at things like pushing the buttons on the food processor, to measuring ingredients, mixing stuff up and even some beginner knife work.  But, tonight was the culmination of it all...my baby COOKED!

She's ready to roll!

 That's right.  She cooked an entire dish all by herself.  Of course I was standing right there overseeing, and I did all the prep work (chopping) but she cooked all by herself!  We decided to go with a Chinese flair tonight, so I worked on beef with broccoli while Viv worked on the veggie fried rice.  

So, this is onion, carrot, broccoli and ginger (which I think is nectar of the gods!)

I was so proud of her.  One: because she actually listened to and followed all of my directions.  Two: because she was talking constantly about her observations and her technique of stir-frying the veggies.  Three:  she sloped the rice up the sides of the wok like I told her and scrambled the egg down in the center. She did it all and we ended up with a great batch of fried rice. The real joy of it all was, of course, her pride in her creation and the excitement of being allowed to work with the stove and just do it.  Like all cooks though, at the table she kept insisting that my dish was better than hers while Neil and I insisted that the rice was the best.  

The beef with broccoli did turn out well too.  I used a flatiron steak, sliced really thin. Marinated in soy sauce, a little flour, a tiny bit of sugar and sherry cooking wine.  Stir-fried broccoli then cooked the steak with its marinade, which creates the sauce. 

I can't ever give Viv the plate that was chipped by the dishwasher. Ever.

  I may have said this to you all before, but I'm going to say it again. The beauty of Chinese cuisine is quantities.  Over dinner, we talked about this.  People walk into a place like Longhorn and order a 12 oz. steak.  That's a hell of a lot of meat.  That's more meat than a person is supposed to eat at any given sitting. Our dinner tonight was made with 8 oz. of steak and it was more than enough for the three of us.  What the Chinese know and have known for thousands of years is that you can take a little bit of a lot of things and make a satisfying meal.  


Think about this for a minute.  Fried rice is loaded with vegetables and tiny cubes of pork, chicken, tofu, or shrimp, right?  But, it's plenty for you.  MooGooGaiPan is thin slices of beautiful white chicken surrounded by tons of veggies.  Sweet and sour pork uses about 8 oz. of meat and the rest is all veggie.  And for those people who always say after eating Chinese food, they are hungry an hour later...all I can say is vary your selections.  You can't eat a wheelbarrow-load of fried rice, fried wontons or egg rolls and escape the carbohydrate coma and hunger that comes quickly.  You simply must treat this cuisine like any other.  Incorporate a salad, a main dish with protein, a veggie side and yes, carbs too.  But don't lump all Chinese in with your starch/MSG stupor and subsequent hunger.  Don't do it, I say!

My happiness tonight isn't stemming from the fact that I made beef and broccoli that Neil, the Vivver and I loved, but rather from the fact that my baby got in the kitchen tonight and OWNED  it!  I've waited for this day. Having her cooking alongside me, not having to worry about her getting hurt or spilling some hot something all over herself.  It was wonderful! If you have kids, bring them into the kitchen.  It will prepare them, in many ways, for their future life but also will bring so much joy to the here and now.  For you both.

Not like all the others

I grew up with Greek people.  I've been lucky enough to experience Greek weddings, Greek funerals and feasts of the dead, Greek parties and Greek food.  Lots and lots of Greek food.  Most people around here will probably tell you that they like to eat Greek, but I bet you they will all cite the same cast of characters:  gyro, Greek salad, pizza and baklava.  These are all great dishes to be sure, but there is so much more to Greek cuisine.  

Ariana's is a new Greek restaurant in West Columbia, not far from the Botanical Garden entrance on 378.  

I'm not sure how long they've been open, but it hasn't been long.  I ventured in with my mom and a friend for lunch the other day.  They serve gyros, of course, but they also feature moussaka, pastichio, tandoori chicken, dolmades, and spanakopita.  But what's pleasantly different is that they also have tons of lamb dishes which is really hard to find anymore.  Back in the good old days, the Epicurean was THE place for lamb.  I remember lamb chops with mint, "lamb for lovers" and lamb chops "bandit style."  And these were real lamb chops too, not the miniscule "lamb-pops" that show up in our stores today.  Seriously, are they slaughtering these poor animals a week after they are born?  Well, Ariana's is serving lamb.  You can get souvlakia on a pita or as a platter, grilled lamb kabobs, and rarely seen items such as lamb with carrot, raisin & almonds, lamb stew and a spinach stew with lamb. And here is something my buddy The April Blake will relish:  there are 5 vegetarian dishes on this menu!

Side salad with a different vinaigrette

Dottie's lamb souvlaki plate with homemade tzaziki & Greek potatoes

I had spanakopita served with Greek potatoes

I also love the fact that their decor IS NOT the typical, tacky Greek restaurant decor.  It's bright, fresh and clean.  No weird marshmallow-like structures covering the ceiling, no Greek fishermen painted on the walls by someone's aspiring 3rd grader, no run-of-the-mill food service style chairs and hard plastic plates.  Ariana's uses modern place settings, cloth napkins and stylish furnishings.  However, I found it a bit odd that the table we had was not as long as the booth seats.  That was a little strange; hopefully something temporary. And, I must admit, I was duly impressed that the table is outfitted with a salt grinder full of lovely pink salt.  Very nice touch! 

The owner is on-site, the ingredients look and taste fresh, the menu is different and interesting and the prices are more than reasonable.  I hope this restaurant will enjoy long success here in Columbia.  For those of you who would like to venture out and expand your Greek food horizons, try them out.  Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of times that a big ol' Greek pizza is calling my name and I wouldn't change that at all. But it is certainly refreshing to see a restaurateur open up and spotlight some lesser known Greek dishes.  And he's doing it well. 

Tasty Tomatoes, Indeed!

Today was the 4th Annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival. Four years, right in my own neighborhood, and we've never made it until today.  So, the three of us hopped on our bikes and followed the music to City Roots.

City Roots: In-town Sustainable farm

I'm glad we got there early.  Right off the bat, I was able to go through the tasting line, which featured beautiful, colorful and unusual varieties of tomatoes, paired with lovely olive oils from the Crescent Olive over on Devine St. I'm not really much of a fan of the little tiny tomatoes, but I tried the chocolate cherry and another one that was bright orange.  I also sampled the Cherokee Purple,Sun Golds and my favorite Mr. Stripey.  Not only do I love that name, but I loved the fruity sweetness of this tomato. Hats off to the Crescent Olive people on the oils and pairings.  There were baguette slices to dip, salt & pepper to grind and oils from oregano to chipotle. Like I said, I'm glad we got there early, because by the time we left, the tasting line was quite long.

This festival is certainly a celebration of the tomato, which might as well be named the official fruit (yes, Virginia, it IS a fruit) of the South.  The vendors that participated also featured the tomato in one way or another. There was a bloody mary bar, tomato hand pies by Spotted Salamander, tomato basil ice cream by Paradise Ice, fresh squeezed lemonade with add-ins such as tomato-cucumber as well as other fresh fruits, gazpacho, fried green tomato BLTs, regular BLTs. 

Spicy, Spicy!

Spotted Salamander's Tomato Hand Pie

However, the star offering was Rosewood Market's "Old Fashioned 'Mater Sandwiches." I mean, bravo Rosewood Market, for serving up what probably 95% of the Southern population considers the ultimate summer sandwich. We're talking white bread, gorgeous red tomatoes, and mayo.  That's it.  They were also offering a basil "veganaisse" but a purist knows that the 'mater sandwich really isn't about veganism. It's about basic ingredients with juicy tomatoes that run down your forearms as you devour it.

One thing I expected was that I'd walk away with a big bag of cool, funky, crazy-shaped heirloom tomatoes. However, only City Roots had a booth to sell veggies/fruits.  They had some pretty, perfectly round tomatoes, but I wanted some of those lunatics of the tomato world.  Also on the table were yard-long beans, all of City Roots' killer microgreens, lovely basil and what I think were purple carrots.  We were able to walk through the greenhouses too, which was really cool to see.  Outside, they had "Mater games" set up alongside the outdoor garden of the longest row of basil, Japanese eggplants, rosemary, dill, mint, just to name a few.  

Collecting the bean bags for another game of cornhole

In addition to all things tomato, the festival also features kids' games, live music and some killer restaurant offerings.  I regret not being able to attend the first 3 festivals, but am really happy that we made it to #4.  We had a great time, ate some super food, a spicy bloody mary and a couple of good beers and then pedaled home.  If you're unfamiliar with this festival, make sure to check out this link so you can be prepared for next year!

Chef'Store

Those of us who love food have been driving by, wondering, imagining, obsessing about the opening of this strange, new US Foods Chef'Store.  What is it?  When will it be open so I can check it out?  Will I cross the threshold and completely lose my mind?  What is this gigantic former Piggly Wiggly going to contain?  The giddy excitement was becoming unbearable.

Well, it's finally open and I was able to make a small foray into this enormous culinary mecca.  In a word?  Whoa!  It's amazing.  Obviously, this is the place to shop if you own a restaurant or a catering company.  I saw the equivalent of a sheetrock bucket full of soy sauce, a gallon of olive oil, cases of avocados and every type of to-go box known to man.  But, there are still items here that fit into the everyday domestic kitchen.  Unfortunately, I only had about a half hour, so I didn't even make it through all the aisles or the meat department.

However...

I did have time to find two super awesome products. Caperberries and white truffle oil.

I have an intense love of briny, sour, pickled foods.  I crave Claussen's pickles and have actually gotten in my car to drive straight to Publix.  I mean, when it hits, I want a pickle and I want it now.  (Here's where the husband makes some pickle innuendo joke!) I love capers on just about anything, including on a spoon.  Yes, I've been known to eat them right out of the jar.  But, caperberries are a whole other matter.  The first time I had them was about 30 years ago when my family was in NYC.  We discovered them in Dean & DeLuca and all went crazy for them.  Try finding them in Columbia, SC.  Virtually impossible except in the occasional gourmet shop where they've been priced as if they are Beluga caviar. Not anymore!  I got this huge jar at Chef'Store for 6 bucks and some change.  

 

As  you can see, I've already made a pretty significant dent in them.  I admit it!

Now, truffle oil is another thing that those of us here in the South simply didn't grow up with.  I've heard of it, of course, but it wasn't until about 2 years ago that I finally got to try it.  My pickle-joking husband gave me a little bottle of it for my birthday.  As tacky as it is, I had to know how much it cost.  $22 for a bottle that was probably less than one fluid ounce.  (Remember those shops with Beluga prices?).  Well, here at the glorious new Chef'Store, I got 9 oz. of white truffle oil for about $11.  I seized the moment, you know, carpe diem'd it.  I was so excited, I practically ran to the cashier. 

So, now I am armed for truffled risotto, truffled eggs, and one of my favorites, truffle-drizzled french fries!  Seriously, if you haven't ever tried that, you must give it a try.  

This store is really fascinating.  The prices are more than good and if you do need large quantities, it's there.  But, you can still shop for yourselves.  You just might need to split with friends.  For instance, a case of avocados (48) is only $19.98.  That's $0.42 cents per avocado.  The grocery stores act like they're doing you a favor when they put them on sale for $1 apiece.  So, get 5 or 6 friends to split one case and for roughly $4 each, you all walk away with lots of avocados.  If anyone is interested in going in on this deal with me, let me know.  Really.  I'm serious.

The US Foods Chef'Store is located on St. Andrews Rd, right off I-26.  For you Irmese, that's the old Piggly Wiggly on the hill.  For those of you who can't find your pantry without using your GPS, that's 655 St. Andrews Road, 29210. Block out an hour or so and have fun!