Columbia, Missouri

[mywhitedevil]

Has anyone noticed a slight dip in quality at Sycamore? The last two or three times we've been we've had iffy experiences. We had a (admittedly late) lunch where nearly half the menu was 86'd (only after we ordered), a dinner where everything off the grill station was under or over done; I ordered lamb chops rare and they showed up cold rare (seriously under 50 degrees in the middle). The service seems of much less quality, We had our last waitress ignore us half the night (with a 1/3 full dining room) and look clueless on wine service. The time before that, I asked if my cassoulet had pork belly in it, and the waitress told me it was lamb!

It's still hands down the best dining in Columbia, and we'll continue to go, but the recent trend worries me.

[A Patric]

Now, is that dry-aged or wet-aged for 21 days?  If it's dry-aged, then that's pretty impressive, if true.

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He specifically said that he "dry ages" his beef for 21 days. He mentioned letting the sides hang and having to trim them and losing quite a bit of weight, so it seems that he is indeed talking about dry aging.

Best,

Alan

[emilyr]

So here's Inside Columbia Magazine's Best of Columbia List. Juar in case you're wondering!

[A Patric]

Hi All,

Time-sensitive question:

I have a friend coming in to town tonight, and I am wanting to go someplace fairly memorable. I have never been to Abigail's at Rocheport, but I just recently talked with someone whose judgment I trust--who has eaten pretty much everywhere in Columbia, from Sycamore, to Grand Cru, to Churchill's to Chris McD's, to CC City Broiler--you get the picture--that Abigail's is excellent. Can anyone shine any light upon this restaurant for me? Any positive personal experiences eating there? What makes it different/special?

Best,

Alan

[A Patric]

Well we ended up going.

I'll leave it at that.

[A Patric]

New question:

Has anyone eaten at Hemmingway's? Thoughts?

[mywhitedevil]

New question:

Has anyone eaten at Hemmingway's?  Thoughts?

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thoughts on Bleu? I've been there for lunch a few times and felt it was good value for money. The space is really nice and the concept is good. I did feel like the menu was a bit boring. My friend Mandy is doing pastries but I haven't had much of a chance to talk her about it.

[emilyr]

thoughts on Bleu?  I've been there for lunch a few times and felt it was good value for money.  The space is really nice and the concept is good.  I did feel like the menu was a bit boring.  My friend Mandy is doing pastries but I haven't had much of a chance to talk her about it.

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I haven't been yet, but from those I've talked to, you're about right on. Nice for the money, but not as challenging as Wine Cellar Bistro or even Sycamore (a plus for my friends and family who aren't very adventurous), but there are some interesting choices on the menu, I think. I can't wait to try it; looks like a good deal and different from most Columbia restaurants, anyway.

Here's the website.

[mywhitedevil]

I haven't been yet, but from those I've talked to, you're about right on. Nice for the money, but not as challenging as Wine Cellar Bistro or even Sycamore (a plus for my friends and family who aren't very adventurous), but there are some interesting choices on the menu, I think. I can't wait to try it; looks like a good deal and different from most Columbia restaurants, anyway.

Here's the website.

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I was there for lunch and I have to say, I'm a bit concerned for their future.. Perhaps I'm being Chicken Little here, but they have closed the Bleu Market, and have stopped accepting Discover Card. There two things alone show a desperation to cut costs. I know that the development of the space must have cost $$$; I will be surprised if they last until Summer. I still have not had a chance to go for dinner or cocktails (the wine list/wine by the glass/cocktails look amazing) but looking at the menu again, it strikes me as very unbalanced/lacked cohesiveness. The fact that so many dishes required so many different ingredients must mean that the food costs are through the roof.

[emilyr]

Bumping up this thread to say I ate at Olive Cafe today, and dang was it good. It's in Cafe Berlin's previous location (and before that, Clover's?) at Providence and Walnut. Middle Eastern food and a Halal market, which is nice to see in mid-MO. I'll definitely be going back for spices and other ingredient; there are some great deals.

Today I had the kofta sandwich (seasoned, minced meat, hummus, tzatziki, veggies and pickles rolled in a chewy flatbread) and my friend had the gyro salad. The gyro meat was really good and crisped all over. We shared the hummus and it was pretty good, with a nice balance of flavors, but had a lot of olive oil on top which kind of masked some of the tastes.

Their menu isn't huge, only about 15 items, but I won't take too long to try them all!

[emilyr]

Anyone planning on going to the Farm to Table Festivalat the University next weekend? Lots of seminars on local food topics and cooking demos/classes by chefs from both Columbia and around the Midwest.

[A Patric]

New Places:

Broadway Brewery

44 Stone Public House

I don't have a comment on either place yet. Broadway Brewery has been open for a while and has had mixed reviews. 44 Stone Public House just opened and has had good reviews so far from what I've heard.

An unrelated question:

Do any of you know where I can buy fresh/cake yeast in Columbia?

Best,

Alan

[emilyr]

I've seen cake yeast at Schnuck's in the organics cooler, but I've really only looked at the holidays. I don't know if they have it year round.

I like Broadway Brewery for food (especially the glazed carrots - I could eat a whole meal of them!), but I've been pretty disappointed with their beers. They're very inconsistent. I don't feel like they taste they same from keg to keg. I took a friend in from Chicago there during T/F weekend, and she seemed to enjoy it.

I've heard good things about 44 Stone, too, but haven't tried it.

[A Patric]

Thanks for the tip about Schnuck's Emily!. I'll try it.