4 Quick Notes

Pano shot of Wolf’s Head Tavern. Click to enlarge.

Lots happening in the CoMo food world these days. So to help you keep up, here are four quick notes:

• The Columbia Area Career Center’s culinary arts students will be slinging some serious barbecue today – Thursday, September 24 – from 10:30am-1:30pm. Check out the menu and best times to avoid the crowds here. Pro-tip: Order extra in bulk. Bbq freezes well.
• 44 Canteen is open. The sister restaurant to one of Columbia’s best – 44 Stone Public House – opened semi-quietly a couple of weeks ago and began lunch service this week. The menu focuses on snacks and small plates. Think sliders, burgers, tacos and other good stuff to pass around and share. Our first visit yielded almost universally excellent grub, an unsurprisingly ambitious beer list and a rockin’ cocktail for Mrs. SMEs. The open kitchen and tasteful renovation will be familiar and fresh at the same time. I’m excited to get back soon (maybe pre- or post-Roots ‘n Blues?).
• The Wolf’s Head Tavern is also open. The space is a stunning renovation of the sad, drop-ceilinged interior Chim’s operated in. Trey, Aaron and Co. labored long and hard to create something warm and inviting. He was going for “a place people go to drink two or three times a week” and I think they have a really nice space here. The menu changes daily and is posted on a chalkboard on the east wall. More smaller entrees and sides. I’ve yet to sample the wares – liquid or otherwise – but look forward to it.
• Miami Bites brings a little Cuban flair to Columbia. It’s the latest entry in an ever-expanding roster of food trucks in town, focusing on a small menu Cuban sandwiches and sides. More on them in the Tribune. Yay!