Columbia Cuisine

So I haven't posted in a few weeks... get off my back, ok? Last week, I went to Columbia, MO for a work-related conference. For those who might not know, I recently moved to St. Louis from Columbia in July 2009 after living there for 6 years. Since I was visiting (and work was picking up the tab), I knew I had to visit my favorite places to eat with my favorite Columbia friends.

Monday

Lunch: Sake with Christina

Sushi is just the best, isn't it? My meal consisted of Seaweed Salad, The Wave Roll, and Mackerel Nigiri. Thinking about the wave roll makes my tummy growl. It consists of tempura fried shrimp, cucumber, avocado, (possibly) spicy tuna, and rice all wrapped in soy paper and topped with a drizzle of a sweet and spicy sauce. I much prefer soy paper to seaweed wraps as seaweed can be a bit chewy. Christina and I dove right into guy talk and then religion (?). The only thing missing? My sake and lime Saketini. :( I had to go back to the conference after all.

Dinner: Murray's with Kathy and Ed

My coworker Kathy invited me out to dinner with her and her husband Ed. She suggested that I pick the place, since I used to live there.

My original pick was Abigail's in Rocheport. It is absolutely my favorite place to go in the Columbia area. Small and homey, you can go there in casual dress even though you usually need a reservation! It is eensy and popular; you do the math. The menu changes daily so the food is always fresh and original. I've never had a less-than-fabulous dish there. So why didn't I go? They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Dang the luck!

Murray's is not in the same league as Abigail's, but they do make mean fried green pepper rings that are served with a small mound of powdered sugar on top. I know, sounds weird right? Weird and tasty! Salty and sweet is one of my favorite flavor combinations and it really works here. Plus they're fried, so there's that. Every time I go I also get the tuna, pesto and feta sandwich. It is a tuna steak with chunky, homemade pesto and feta crumbles. Can you feel the weight being packed on?

Dessert: Sparky's with Ryan

Sparky the dog

Sparky's is an independently owned ice cream shop that offers a variety of flavors from the obscure (i.e. Blueberry, Carrot Cake, and Bloody Mary Sorbet) to the stand-by's (i.e. chocolate and vanilla). I got one half scoop each of Lemon Poppyseed and Red Velvet. Superb!

Ouch! Tummy ache! I usually don't let this happen, but I found it to be a recurring theme on this trip. Waaah waaaaahh. On to Ragtag Cinemacafe to hang with Josh and Ryan and then back to my hotel room to soak in the enormous whirlpool tub that, let's be honest, made me feel a bit lonely, but very relaxed!

Tuesday

Lunch: Kaldi's with Ryan

Kaldi's is a coffee shop that has a few locations in St. Louis as well as the one in Columbia. I went for a simple salad, not wanting to repeat Monday's tummy ache, but I left with a treat - their blueberry oat scone. I love grainy things. Always have, always will. I even preferred wheat bread over white as a small child. Kaldi's does not offer this scone every day, so I get very excited when I happen to be visiting on the day when they make it. I figured I'd save it for breakfast the next morning. It only made it until that evening before ending up in the tum tum.

Dinner: Flat Branch with Ryan, Josh, and Ben

Too much food! So, I just watched the boys eat and ordered myself one of Flat Branch's refreshing micro-brews while we sat on the patio, enjoying the beautiful weather and chatting it up.

Later on, I got a hair cut by my old stylist, Richard, for whom I cannot seem to find a suitable replacement in St. Louis and then back to the hotel for bedtime.

Wednesday

Back home to squeeze in a visit to my old pre-school class feeling slightly heavier, but very content. I'll work it off... Good friends and good food = happiness in my book.

Bottom Line: I like to eat at places whose names are possessive.

See you next month. JK (I hope).