4 Quick Notes

Chim’s Thai Kitchen (Cooper’s Landing): Aesthetically, this Thai restaurant is about what you’d expect from a van down by the river. But it’s not bad as a prelude to Bangkok street food and the noodle dishes and spicy cucumber salad are excellent (I don’t care for Chim’s pad thai, either here or in Jeff City. Go with drunken noodle or pad see ew).

Schnucks: Officially calling Hy-Vee’s bet, St. Louis-based Schnucks had pulled out all the stops with their renovation of the Forum store in Columbia. Their beautiful wine and beer section is centrally located (as it should be, everywhere, all the time). There’s also a Kaldi’s – with gelato – and more local produce than I’ve found before. Their spiral cut ham remains a draw. And I couldn’t resist this charcuterie platter.

Coffee Zone: Stopped in to grab breakfast to go (kitchen opens at 8:oo am). Grabbed a bagel instead (flavorless and stale). Anybody in Columbia have a decent bagel?

Riverside Diner: Homemade doesn’t always equal quality. This greasy spoon across from Glenn’s Cafe in Boonville clearly hand breads their own catfish, whips up their own coleslaw and even pickles their own beets. The beets were the only thing I’d eat again. (On a side note, at least they were open. Glenn’s, supposedly open until 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays, had closed when I arrived at 2:05 p.m.)

Shopping, eating off Columbia’s beaten path, Part II

 This consensus that seems to be forming around my off-the-beaten-path column yesterday is that:

1. Lonnie Ray’s is totally badass.
2. Coffee Zone and Casablanca are totally better than International Cafe, and…
3. I totally should have included Natasha’s Euro Deli on the list.

Won’t argue #1. Coffee Zone and Casablanca, even if they are better (and in the case of the latter, nowadays it’s debatable), aren’t exactly unknowns in town. Probably correct on #3, I just haven’t been there enough.

 One emailer describes Natasha’s:

I must sadly fault you for not including “Natasha’s Euro Deli” just south of Kea Int’l as a sixth, if not indeed the best of all of them. Try their Croatian Ajvar instead of tomato catchup, their Baltic Sprats instead of sardines, their Russian, Polish, Ukranian and other Eastern European beers, the best blutwurst I’ve had outside Germany, ham better than any I’ve found elsewhere in Columbia along with superb hard cheeses and various Russian styled fish offerings–and much uniquely more !  It really is quite a little grocery, and for them and for Columbia I hope they continue to do well.

 Hungry yet?

4 Quick Notes

Los Cuates: Sorry Taqueria El Rodeo, these guys up on Bernadette are closer and so, so good. Last time it was three tacos: cueritos, azabado and chicharrones. Seriously, brilliant food just steps from the depressing mall food court. Be prepared to either speak Spanish or order by pointing.

Main Squeeze: Had an excellent veggie stir-fry (with sesame tofu) yesterday. So good I bought a bottle of Thai peanut sauce at Cherry Hill Market and remade it for dinner, with barley this time.

4 quick notes

Cafe Berlin’s Stafford sandwich: Like a a savory french toast sandwich with ham and swiss inside. Nice.

Papa John’s: Just like Kostaki’s, but lacking the flavor, heat and speedy delivery.

International Cafe: Everyone knows it’s there but forgets to go. Too bad, because today their black bean soup kicked the cold weather in the pants.

Coffee Zone: Falafel wrap, officially underrated.

I love the smell of falafel in the morning

Today I am embracing my inner leftist. I’m thinking of it as a one-day vacation from generally centrist political leanings. An Obama vote this morning, falafel wrap from The Coffee Zone for lunch. On the way home I think I’ll grab a walking-fish car magnet and a couple dozen bumper stickers. Yee haw.

Go vote, y’all. Missouri’s going to be down to the wire, one to two percentage points.