I have been extremely busy over the last three weeks with no time to work on my site, but during this hiatus I have been searching for ideas to write about and share with the teeming masses. Overall the news is grim with economic chaos throughout the country, while locally my place of employment is now laying people off. It's hard to find something positive to write about but I believe we may be headed for an exciting ride that ends up changing this country and perhaps our way of life for a long time. Let me explain.
"Happy days are here again?", is based on a popular tin pan alley song that came out during the Depression around 1929. (I added the question mark myself.) Franklin D. Roosevelt used it as a campaign song in his 1932 run for the presidency and it has been identified with the Democratic Party since then. I consider myself politically as an Independent but I still like the song even though it was stolen by a political party. Anyway while I was looking around town the past few weeks I see trends that point to positive changes in our local area and the country.
First off - the economy.
Bill Clinton used the saying "It's the economy stupid!" for his campaign against the first George Bush. The nation's economy was taking a beating during the first Bush administration and the country was ripe for change after twelve years of Republican leadership. The savings and loan debacle hurt Bush and the Federal Government had to pay out billions to save the industry from itself. Even though the Feds got their money back lessons were not learned. Let us move ahead a few years. The second George Bush is in power and we are fighting several wars in the Middle East and there is an economic meltdown happening towards the end of his last year in office. Like father, like son.
At this time our friend Mr. Ed is asking "What does it have to do with local businesses?" I promise you I am getting to it but a little history lesson is in order.
Back in 1980 the Reagan administration borrowed billions to pay for a military buildup to force the Soviet Union into bankruptcy. During this time the Reagan tax cuts came about giving the Federal Government less money to spend so with less revenue and increased military spending the budget was a bust. In the 1980's credit cards went main stream meaning almost everyone could now get one. People would talk about their Gold or Platinum or even Titanium cards and their increasing credit limit. Wealth was no longer measured by money you had in the bank but what amount of credit you could get. The next president, Bush the First, had to raise some taxes to keep the country solvent but it may have cost him the election. But the ground was set with the first Reagan tax cuts as businesses started growing and international trade increased. President Clinton was a gifted politician who saw what was happening and decided it was good for the nation. No matter what the Republican congress did, any improvement in the economy was reflected on Clinton and he got the credit. The Fed kept lowering interests rates with the belief that the best way for individuals to gain wealth was to own their own house. This continued into Bush the Second's first term where we had a real estate boom due to low interest rates. Houses were being built everywhere and selling for ungodly high prices and people were buying them left and right, some to live in and some for investments. New designer home loans allowed people to buy a house with little or no down payment. Easy credit was everywhere but wages did not keep up. Personal bankruptcies increased as consumers could not control their spending and went too far into debt. A shadow was being lifted and we were going to see the results of over 25 years of deregulation and "moral hazard". The Republicans were very big is deregulating industries to make them more successful which worked to a degree but Capitalism breeds greed and we were to see it in epic scales never seen before.
Are you still with me? Our country's perception of wealth has changed to how much credit one could get, not by personal money saved. Since 1980 the federal government has led the way in thinking deficit spending is not only okay but the correct way to run the country. Companies and banks have learned that "moral hazard" or the knowledge that risky investments will always be bailed out by the government for the good of the country is part of the plan. Deregulation of some industries has failed. Individual citizens carry way too much debt and do not have enough saved for the future. I apologize if all this seems simplistic but it starting to come down to the local level. (Finally Mr. Ed says!)
How about something positive. Recently I stopped into two new local shops selling items I did not need but wanted. Daylight Donuts is located on Broadway next to the Papa John's Pizza outlet and sells a variety of donuts and pastries. They are scheduled to offer Broaster Chicken sometime in the future but for now they have just donuts. The other shop was Hot Box Cookies which is further down Broadway next to Cool Stuff. This place sells cookies that you design yourself. For $5.95 you can order six cookies with any toppings you want. Call ahead and they will be waiting for you. Here you have two businesses opening up during one of the worst economic times selling items we really don't need but want. I will make every effort to buy from these two businesses hoping to help them become successful. The owners are brave people and deserve our respect and business.
Another positive trend, gas prices have gone down and people are thinking. Oil prices are down because demand for gas is lower. Countries like Iran, Russia and Venezuela are now worried because the money is not flowing in and the oil money is what keeps the govenments propped up. Americans are now rethinking gas mileage and Detroit is designing higher mileage cars. I went through this in the early 70's but I think the government and private industry are in a position to change the auto industry forever.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Rethinking Columbia Mall
In my August 15th entry I made a negative comment about the Columbia Mall that I need to clarify. Compared to past malls the Columbia Mall (in my opinion) is very boring. It has become a collection of shoe stores, clothing outlets and jewelry shops while very few, if any locally owned venues are located there. Almost every store I used to shop at is gone. At one time there were stores that sold books, music, movies, toys and the place seemed to be alive. Nowadays I see shoppers in trances who appear as robots programmed to shop at a mall that looks the same as a hundred other malls with the exact some stores in each.
I cannot believe I am nostalgic for the original Columbia Mall which I hated since it's conception.
The Columbia Mall helped cause the death of Parkade and Biscayne Malls, both of which had so much character. Changing trends and mall owners who didn't seem to care or know what to do helped in the demise of Parkade and Biscayne. Developers thought bigger was better so they built this large shopping center to draw everyone to Columbia. As I watched Parkade and Biscayne Malls slowly die I was tempted to shop at this new mall. I admit I found it fascinating as the next customer and like the idea of a huge group of stores and restaurants under one roof. One stop shopping at its best but it has changed. Allow me to elaborate:
-Wal Mart went after toy shops like they did grocery stores causing many to close.
-The Internet has changed people's shopping habits as music, movies and other items are cheaper to buy online or download.
-Bad parenting had kids dropped off at the mall by their parents, unsupervised leading to bad behavior from the kids and a terrible shopping experience on Friday and Saturday evening.
-Rent at the Columbia Mall is very high which has caused most local owned businesses to go elsewhere. I am sure rent is within industry standards but the only stores that can afford it are national chains.
-Most attractions are gone. The theatre was kicked out to get Barnes and Noble in that spot. The arcade was kicked out because of the problems with kids. There is a merry-go-round located in the Cafe Court which runs almost empty most of the time.
I am sure there are other reasons for the changes at the Columbia Mall but none come to mind right now. Not all the changes are bad though. The new owners cleaned up the mall and it looks nice. Security has improved and it is no longer a chore to go there on Friday and Saturday nights. I compliment the owners for their brave decision to ban unsupervised kids on those two evenings. The biggest problem I have with the Columbia Mall is my own. I am older now and have less patience with bad service and boring surroundings. As I age I become nostalgic for places I remember, even though at the time they may have been boring also. I am sure the Columbia Mall is a good place to shop but I just try to stay away. Who knows where the next "new" mall will be located and if I am still alive I will write about my past memories of the Columbia Mall and how I missed it. Scary stuff, in my mind.
I cannot believe I am nostalgic for the original Columbia Mall which I hated since it's conception.
The Columbia Mall helped cause the death of Parkade and Biscayne Malls, both of which had so much character. Changing trends and mall owners who didn't seem to care or know what to do helped in the demise of Parkade and Biscayne. Developers thought bigger was better so they built this large shopping center to draw everyone to Columbia. As I watched Parkade and Biscayne Malls slowly die I was tempted to shop at this new mall. I admit I found it fascinating as the next customer and like the idea of a huge group of stores and restaurants under one roof. One stop shopping at its best but it has changed. Allow me to elaborate:
-Wal Mart went after toy shops like they did grocery stores causing many to close.
-The Internet has changed people's shopping habits as music, movies and other items are cheaper to buy online or download.
-Bad parenting had kids dropped off at the mall by their parents, unsupervised leading to bad behavior from the kids and a terrible shopping experience on Friday and Saturday evening.
-Rent at the Columbia Mall is very high which has caused most local owned businesses to go elsewhere. I am sure rent is within industry standards but the only stores that can afford it are national chains.
-Most attractions are gone. The theatre was kicked out to get Barnes and Noble in that spot. The arcade was kicked out because of the problems with kids. There is a merry-go-round located in the Cafe Court which runs almost empty most of the time.
I am sure there are other reasons for the changes at the Columbia Mall but none come to mind right now. Not all the changes are bad though. The new owners cleaned up the mall and it looks nice. Security has improved and it is no longer a chore to go there on Friday and Saturday nights. I compliment the owners for their brave decision to ban unsupervised kids on those two evenings. The biggest problem I have with the Columbia Mall is my own. I am older now and have less patience with bad service and boring surroundings. As I age I become nostalgic for places I remember, even though at the time they may have been boring also. I am sure the Columbia Mall is a good place to shop but I just try to stay away. Who knows where the next "new" mall will be located and if I am still alive I will write about my past memories of the Columbia Mall and how I missed it. Scary stuff, in my mind.
Smokin Chicks BBQ - Three times a charm!
I had to drop the kids off at the Necropolis last night so I decided to check out the Roots, Blues and BBQ Festival downtown while I waited for their call to be picked up. What perfect weather, I am sure the festival planners were rejoicing about the cool, clear evening. The crowds were large and well behaved but the lines to the BBQ vendors were long so I waited to see what the two kids would want to eat. When they finally called I asked them to walk downtown (the car was a mile away) and check out the festival. When we met up they walked around the event for an half hour and seemed bored. They were both hungry so my daughter wanted to go to Smokin Chicks to get a pulled pork sandwich. I thought this to be strange because she has often informed me about her dislike of BBQ but off we went to the Ninth St. location so we could sit down for a while.
This was my third visit to Smokin Chicks and they did not disappoint. The kids both had sandwiches, my daughter had her favorite pulled pork while my son ate a pulled chicken sandwich. This time they bought the large size which was scary looking because of the huge amount of meat on a large bun. (I wondered how are they going to eat all that!) With a generous slathering of the sweet BBQ sauce both kids ate their sandwiches in very few bites. I should not be amazed since teenagers eat their weight in food everyday but it is so rare that they like the same restaurants I do. So my hats off to Smokin Chicks for excellent food.
They are now my favorite BBQ place in Columbia for pulled pork and chicken sandwiches. Their meat has a wonderful light smoked flavor that doesn't even need a sauce. The meat is so tender and the burnt ends explode with flavor. There is a selection of sauces on the table with our favorite being the Sweet sauce. I do not know if the make their own sauces but they compliment the sandwiches very well.
Over the past few months I have been hitting the BBQ places. Lampert's Plush Pig has excellent side dishes (The waitress says they make all their own Cole slaw, baked beans and potato salad from scratch.) but the smoked meat was just okay. Bandana's smoke flavor always gave me heartburn but their boiled peanuts are awesome. Buckingham's which was my favorite moved to South Columbia and since I am too lazy to drive down there I just don't go. I was the only one in my family who liked Buckingham's so we didn't eat there much. I wonder what happened to their plans to open a location near the Harley Davidson shop because that would be just walking distance for me.
Anyway, back to Smokin Chicks. I shall encourage everyone to try this place out as I believe they are local owners that put out a great sandwich. In fact I may go out today and buy a pulled chicken sandwich and maybe try their sausage that has a strange name. Great flavor, huge portions and contentment, this place may be a portal to Nirvana. Give them a try.
This was my third visit to Smokin Chicks and they did not disappoint. The kids both had sandwiches, my daughter had her favorite pulled pork while my son ate a pulled chicken sandwich. This time they bought the large size which was scary looking because of the huge amount of meat on a large bun. (I wondered how are they going to eat all that!) With a generous slathering of the sweet BBQ sauce both kids ate their sandwiches in very few bites. I should not be amazed since teenagers eat their weight in food everyday but it is so rare that they like the same restaurants I do. So my hats off to Smokin Chicks for excellent food.
They are now my favorite BBQ place in Columbia for pulled pork and chicken sandwiches. Their meat has a wonderful light smoked flavor that doesn't even need a sauce. The meat is so tender and the burnt ends explode with flavor. There is a selection of sauces on the table with our favorite being the Sweet sauce. I do not know if the make their own sauces but they compliment the sandwiches very well.
Over the past few months I have been hitting the BBQ places. Lampert's Plush Pig has excellent side dishes (The waitress says they make all their own Cole slaw, baked beans and potato salad from scratch.) but the smoked meat was just okay. Bandana's smoke flavor always gave me heartburn but their boiled peanuts are awesome. Buckingham's which was my favorite moved to South Columbia and since I am too lazy to drive down there I just don't go. I was the only one in my family who liked Buckingham's so we didn't eat there much. I wonder what happened to their plans to open a location near the Harley Davidson shop because that would be just walking distance for me.
Anyway, back to Smokin Chicks. I shall encourage everyone to try this place out as I believe they are local owners that put out a great sandwich. In fact I may go out today and buy a pulled chicken sandwich and maybe try their sausage that has a strange name. Great flavor, huge portions and contentment, this place may be a portal to Nirvana. Give them a try.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Twilight Festival's Last Gleaming
Thursday evening I dropped my daughter off downtown for Columbia's Twilight Festival. Since this would be the second to the last of the festivals I decided to walk around town and see what was going on. The first thing I noticed was the number of people walking around, a lot less then in previous Twilight evenings. The other thing I noticed was the number of music venues were reduced to a decent level that did not crowd the airwaves with unnecessary noise. There were still enough people and musical acts to attract a decent crowd but with 9th Street not being closed, the sidewalks were full. Most of the teenagers were congregating in Peace Park and there seemed to be fewer gangs of young people running around harassing everyone. And with the weather being clear and cool the evening my walk downtown was quite nice.
I walked all the streets to get a feel for the crowd which seemed happy but sparse in some areas. There were very few information booths set up and only a handful of people handing out flyer's. My first stop was Gumby's to say hello to a friend who is the evening manager. Gumby's is over the now famous Sapphire Lounge which has been in the news lately for unruly crowds and people taking pot shots at police. The lounge was closed so I had a beer at Gumby's, an ice cold Negra Modelo from Mexico. They only charged two bucks which is a great price. All of the customers in Gumby's seemed like Junior High students there for the cheap pizza. They kept looking my way like I was a plain clothes cop or a dirty old man. My friend was busy so I left after one beer. I soon ran into a old Columbia College school mate of mine. We talked politics for a good half hour with strangers joining in or just listening. I had conversations with the Libertarians and the Obama workers of which I changed my positions several times to see what theirs were.
Around 8PM I went to Smoking Chicks BBQ on 9th Street to get a sandwich. I highly recommend their pulled pork sandwich as it was tender and flavorful but not too smokey. I liked their Cole slaw which has horseradish in it but it was dry and could be a little creamier. After eating I walked the streets one more time to see what was going on. Little bands of young people were showing up so I decided it was time to leave. I used to enjoy the Twilight Festivals but it became a hassle dealing with the rude kids and at the time of this writing I do not know if I will go to the last one this next Thursday. I am sure Columbia will come up with something new to entertain it's populace.
I walked all the streets to get a feel for the crowd which seemed happy but sparse in some areas. There were very few information booths set up and only a handful of people handing out flyer's. My first stop was Gumby's to say hello to a friend who is the evening manager. Gumby's is over the now famous Sapphire Lounge which has been in the news lately for unruly crowds and people taking pot shots at police. The lounge was closed so I had a beer at Gumby's, an ice cold Negra Modelo from Mexico. They only charged two bucks which is a great price. All of the customers in Gumby's seemed like Junior High students there for the cheap pizza. They kept looking my way like I was a plain clothes cop or a dirty old man. My friend was busy so I left after one beer. I soon ran into a old Columbia College school mate of mine. We talked politics for a good half hour with strangers joining in or just listening. I had conversations with the Libertarians and the Obama workers of which I changed my positions several times to see what theirs were.
Around 8PM I went to Smoking Chicks BBQ on 9th Street to get a sandwich. I highly recommend their pulled pork sandwich as it was tender and flavorful but not too smokey. I liked their Cole slaw which has horseradish in it but it was dry and could be a little creamier. After eating I walked the streets one more time to see what was going on. Little bands of young people were showing up so I decided it was time to leave. I used to enjoy the Twilight Festivals but it became a hassle dealing with the rude kids and at the time of this writing I do not know if I will go to the last one this next Thursday. I am sure Columbia will come up with something new to entertain it's populace.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
My favorite pizza in Columbia MO
Well folks, summer is almost over and the kids are back in school. My daughter's new dog has taken over the house and using it as a very large bathroom (We are working on its' house training skill.) while my teenage son still hogs the computer and is proud to report he is the number one sniper in his online game. (That should get him far in the future.) Such is family life in this household.
Over the summer I have been on a quest looking for my favorite pizza in Columbia. It has been hard work but I came up with some surprises. Here is my list starting with my least favorite:
#10 Papa John's
Their product was never consistently good or bad, just okay. One thing about their pizza, it has a spice or combination of spices that put me to sleep. I'm not kidding! One time we bought it for the staff at work and it was hard to finish the day because everyone was so sleepy. I bought it once for a group of kids at my house and sure enough they all quieted down after eating, some of them nodding off. Maybe the original "Papa" John should check out his Columbia store to see if it meets the company standards. They had a special going for a one topping pizza at a great price so I go in, pay for it and the guy hands me a pizza. I commented on how fast that was and he said they had cooked a bunch of them up ahead of time because of the special. My pizza tasted like the box it was in which made me check to see if I was eating cardboard. Yuk!
#9 Pizza Hut
Bad service at their Clark Lane location and a mediocre product made an impression on me. The company once offered a speciality pizza, I can't remember what it was, so I tried to order it from the Clark Lane location and they were out of the special crust. So on another day I went to the store and ask for the same pizza and once again they had sold out. Okay, so it was popular, that's a good thing right? Again I go to the store and they won't even acknowledge me because everyone is playing around. I waited awhile and even tried to get someones attention but to no avail so I walked out and haven't bought anything from them since.
#8Domino's
They have a great delivery service but an above average mediocre pizza. My kids like the pizza so they order it on occasion and I of course steal a piece. There never seems to be a consistent product because we order the same pizza and sometimes it is good and other times it is terrible.
#7 Imo's
For a chain store they make a good pizza. I guess it is called a St. Louis style with the thin crust and square cut but all in all I like their pizza. The problem has been consistency. The last few times our pizza seemed to have less toppings and did not taste as good. They do deserve another chance.
#6 Kostaki's
They serve a good pizza but are soooooo far from where I live. They are located in the Cherry Hill Village in west Columbia and I did not even ask if they deliver to the far east edge of the city. If you live nearby they are worth checking out.
#5 Shakespeare's
Twenty years ago they were my favorite hand tossed pizza. Then Henry J's pizza came along and introduced me to thin crust which became my all time favorite. When Henry J's closed I started loving Shakespeare's again. Yes, I have fickle taste buds but as one is introduced to new things we sometimes change. And as some company's grow their product may not keep up in quality as I believe this may have happened to Shakespeare's. They have their west location and their frozen pizza business in grocery stores but I tried one of their frozen pizzas and it is not worth what I paid for it. I also think the ingredients have changed but I may be mistaken. The last time I was there one of scuzziest workers took my order and I watched the whole process to make sure he did not make my pizza. When I got home I found the pizza was not quite done but I ate it anyway. I will continue to go to Shakespeare's because of fond memories of great times and have a hope that the next pizza I eat there will be great.
#4 Arri's
This legendary Jeff City pizza place opened a location in south Columbia in the Kohl's shopping center. Some of my friends talked about going to Jeff City to eat this great pizza and they were happy that Arri's opened a store here. I tried it and it is good. It falls into the category of Greek pizzas and has an excellent sausage. I also talked to the manager who said the Jeff City location sometimes has an hour waiting time for customers so people from Jefferson City will drive up to Columbia to eat at the new location. The pizza here is worth the drive.
#3 Tony's
I have lived in Columbia for over twenty-five years and never ate at Tony's until recently. So many people recommended it that for research purposes I had to go. I was not disappointed but not that overly impressed. They serve a good pizza but it is similar to most of the Greek pizzas in this town.
#2 G&D Pizza
"Lot's of beer in America!" I remember the staff at G&Ds yelling it out on a busy evening years ago when I first started going there. Some of the same staff (owners) are still there which make a difference in the restaurant trade. It is a great restaurant with a great Greek style pizza. My only problem is my laziness to drive to the opposite side of town to eat there.
#1 A Tie! George's and Italian Village
Do you want a great pizza with all the toppings? If you order a pizza from any one of these two places you cannot not go wrong. I have not had a bad pizza yet from them and try to go at least once a month. Italian Village is on Vandiver which requires me to drive but the pizza is worth it. George's is located two blocks away and is handy. George, the owner, is a colorful gentleman to talk to but I have been unable to talk to anyone at Italian Village because they are always busy.
Another good thing about their pizzas is the fact they are tasty the next morning cold for breakfast. What a way to start a day.
There you go, my list for my favorite pizza in Columbia. I foresee it to change as I have discovered several other restaurants that need to be tested. I will try to keep the blog updated as I get access to a computer at home. My next list may be hamburgers at non tradition restaurants which means I will order a burger from the menu at maybe a barbecue place. No McDonald's or Burger King here. I am looking for what I call the "Wow" factor, when you eat something and bells and whistles go off in your brain saying this is great. It is a hard job but I thing I will try it.
Until next time, good day.
Over the summer I have been on a quest looking for my favorite pizza in Columbia. It has been hard work but I came up with some surprises. Here is my list starting with my least favorite:
#10 Papa John's
Their product was never consistently good or bad, just okay. One thing about their pizza, it has a spice or combination of spices that put me to sleep. I'm not kidding! One time we bought it for the staff at work and it was hard to finish the day because everyone was so sleepy. I bought it once for a group of kids at my house and sure enough they all quieted down after eating, some of them nodding off. Maybe the original "Papa" John should check out his Columbia store to see if it meets the company standards. They had a special going for a one topping pizza at a great price so I go in, pay for it and the guy hands me a pizza. I commented on how fast that was and he said they had cooked a bunch of them up ahead of time because of the special. My pizza tasted like the box it was in which made me check to see if I was eating cardboard. Yuk!
#9 Pizza Hut
Bad service at their Clark Lane location and a mediocre product made an impression on me. The company once offered a speciality pizza, I can't remember what it was, so I tried to order it from the Clark Lane location and they were out of the special crust. So on another day I went to the store and ask for the same pizza and once again they had sold out. Okay, so it was popular, that's a good thing right? Again I go to the store and they won't even acknowledge me because everyone is playing around. I waited awhile and even tried to get someones attention but to no avail so I walked out and haven't bought anything from them since.
#8Domino's
They have a great delivery service but an above average mediocre pizza. My kids like the pizza so they order it on occasion and I of course steal a piece. There never seems to be a consistent product because we order the same pizza and sometimes it is good and other times it is terrible.
#7 Imo's
For a chain store they make a good pizza. I guess it is called a St. Louis style with the thin crust and square cut but all in all I like their pizza. The problem has been consistency. The last few times our pizza seemed to have less toppings and did not taste as good. They do deserve another chance.
#6 Kostaki's
They serve a good pizza but are soooooo far from where I live. They are located in the Cherry Hill Village in west Columbia and I did not even ask if they deliver to the far east edge of the city. If you live nearby they are worth checking out.
#5 Shakespeare's
Twenty years ago they were my favorite hand tossed pizza. Then Henry J's pizza came along and introduced me to thin crust which became my all time favorite. When Henry J's closed I started loving Shakespeare's again. Yes, I have fickle taste buds but as one is introduced to new things we sometimes change. And as some company's grow their product may not keep up in quality as I believe this may have happened to Shakespeare's. They have their west location and their frozen pizza business in grocery stores but I tried one of their frozen pizzas and it is not worth what I paid for it. I also think the ingredients have changed but I may be mistaken. The last time I was there one of scuzziest workers took my order and I watched the whole process to make sure he did not make my pizza. When I got home I found the pizza was not quite done but I ate it anyway. I will continue to go to Shakespeare's because of fond memories of great times and have a hope that the next pizza I eat there will be great.
#4 Arri's
This legendary Jeff City pizza place opened a location in south Columbia in the Kohl's shopping center. Some of my friends talked about going to Jeff City to eat this great pizza and they were happy that Arri's opened a store here. I tried it and it is good. It falls into the category of Greek pizzas and has an excellent sausage. I also talked to the manager who said the Jeff City location sometimes has an hour waiting time for customers so people from Jefferson City will drive up to Columbia to eat at the new location. The pizza here is worth the drive.
#3 Tony's
I have lived in Columbia for over twenty-five years and never ate at Tony's until recently. So many people recommended it that for research purposes I had to go. I was not disappointed but not that overly impressed. They serve a good pizza but it is similar to most of the Greek pizzas in this town.
#2 G&D Pizza
"Lot's of beer in America!" I remember the staff at G&Ds yelling it out on a busy evening years ago when I first started going there. Some of the same staff (owners) are still there which make a difference in the restaurant trade. It is a great restaurant with a great Greek style pizza. My only problem is my laziness to drive to the opposite side of town to eat there.
#1 A Tie! George's and Italian Village
Do you want a great pizza with all the toppings? If you order a pizza from any one of these two places you cannot not go wrong. I have not had a bad pizza yet from them and try to go at least once a month. Italian Village is on Vandiver which requires me to drive but the pizza is worth it. George's is located two blocks away and is handy. George, the owner, is a colorful gentleman to talk to but I have been unable to talk to anyone at Italian Village because they are always busy.
Another good thing about their pizzas is the fact they are tasty the next morning cold for breakfast. What a way to start a day.
There you go, my list for my favorite pizza in Columbia. I foresee it to change as I have discovered several other restaurants that need to be tested. I will try to keep the blog updated as I get access to a computer at home. My next list may be hamburgers at non tradition restaurants which means I will order a burger from the menu at maybe a barbecue place. No McDonald's or Burger King here. I am looking for what I call the "Wow" factor, when you eat something and bells and whistles go off in your brain saying this is great. It is a hard job but I thing I will try it.
Until next time, good day.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Memories of Columbia's Past Part 4
Wow, what a month it's been! With the kids out of school, adopting a dog and general crapola around the house I have been way too lax with my postings (sorry Mr. Ed). During this last month I have tried to collect my thoughts on past restaurants but find my memories are getting too vague. There are a lot of places I would like to write about such as Los Banditos, Katie Station and some of the chain restaurants that closed but my memories are not clear enough to share. I have decided to close this section of my site and reflect on my other interests. I have been collecting data to possibly start new sites on the following subjects:
-A site remembering Biscayne Mall, Columbia's last good mall.
-(Lets face it, Columbia Mall sucks! It is dull and uninteresting.)
-A site dedicated to Parkade Plaza, Columbia's first mall.
-( A dark, empty place trying to come back.)
-A site featuring Nowell's Grocery stores, an innovator for present day super markets.
-(So powerful it kept HyVee out of Columbia for years until Nowell's closed.)
-My search for the best pizza in Columbia.
-(The standard will be the large house special with everything.)
-A list of new restaurants opening in Columbia.
-(Even in a bad economy several have already opened.)
-A list of weird things around the Mid-Missouri area that catch my interest.
-(This will include old attractions and weird stories.)
In another week the kids will be back in school, the dog should be used to its new home and the renovations to the house should be near completion. All in all it has been a good summer even though I have been busy with taxi duties and entertaining bored teenagers. The weather has been excellent and everyone is healthy so I can't ask for a better time. More later.
-A site remembering Biscayne Mall, Columbia's last good mall.
-(Lets face it, Columbia Mall sucks! It is dull and uninteresting.)
-A site dedicated to Parkade Plaza, Columbia's first mall.
-( A dark, empty place trying to come back.)
-A site featuring Nowell's Grocery stores, an innovator for present day super markets.
-(So powerful it kept HyVee out of Columbia for years until Nowell's closed.)
-My search for the best pizza in Columbia.
-(The standard will be the large house special with everything.)
-A list of new restaurants opening in Columbia.
-(Even in a bad economy several have already opened.)
-A list of weird things around the Mid-Missouri area that catch my interest.
-(This will include old attractions and weird stories.)
In another week the kids will be back in school, the dog should be used to its new home and the renovations to the house should be near completion. All in all it has been a good summer even though I have been busy with taxi duties and entertaining bored teenagers. The weather has been excellent and everyone is healthy so I can't ask for a better time. More later.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Memories of Glenn's Cafe
Back in the 1980's a chef from New Orleans started a culinary sensation by taking Cajun cooking out of Louisiana and sharing his mouth watering recipes with the rest of the nation. His style of cooking by using a super hot iron skillet to "Blacken" fish and meat would soon be attempted by many of us as Cajun recipes became the rage. This style of cooking actually caused a shortage of red snapper in the U.S. and most restaurants had to stop selling that type fish for a while due to supply shortages. During the early stages of this craze a local chef named Steve Cupp opened a little restaurant on the Southwest end of Business Loop 70 offering Cajun dishes and some of his own creations. I don't know where the name of Glenn's Cafe came from, I guess it was there before Mr. Cupp opened his restaurant, but that name is still famous today in its latest incarnation located in Boonville.
Glenn's Cafe was small compared to most restaurants and you had to arrive early to get a good seat. Sometimes you would find yourself sharing a table with a stranger as they tried to seat as many customers as they could. My friends and I always to get there before the lunch or supper ush and would watch as the place filled up around us. We tried almost every item on the menu during our many visits there and found it all wonderful, except for this stuff called "pot liquor" which I guess was a broth made from boiled vegetables for stock. (It had a weird taste, almost like dishwater mixed with vegetable soup.) The owner watched all of us as we bought a round and drank it down. He and the waitress just smiled and moved on while we all tried to put on brave faces after drinking that muck. But the food was heaven; I loved the corn bread which was sweet and almost creamy when biting into it. The shrimp creole was awesomely spiced and the blackened pork chop was my favorite, but everyone loved the seafood gumbo and the bread pudding. At this time in history we were able to eat fresh, raw oysters from the Gulf Coast without catching some life threatening disease so we ate our fill.
Glenn's Cafe moved to a larger location on 9th St. with a varied menu mixed with Cajun and Southwestern dishes. The food was still awesome but more expensive. The place was always filled but did not have the same feeling as the older location as it looked so new and all. Since it grew out of our price range we ate there less, except for special occasions. Eventually it closed for reasons unknown to me and finally opened up recently at a hotel in downtown Boonville. I wish I could remember the time line but the dates are vague. I do plan on trying Steve Cupp's new location sometime in the future and who knows, if they are available I might slide a few raw oysters down for old times sake.
Glenn's Cafe was small compared to most restaurants and you had to arrive early to get a good seat. Sometimes you would find yourself sharing a table with a stranger as they tried to seat as many customers as they could. My friends and I always to get there before the lunch or supper ush and would watch as the place filled up around us. We tried almost every item on the menu during our many visits there and found it all wonderful, except for this stuff called "pot liquor" which I guess was a broth made from boiled vegetables for stock. (It had a weird taste, almost like dishwater mixed with vegetable soup.) The owner watched all of us as we bought a round and drank it down. He and the waitress just smiled and moved on while we all tried to put on brave faces after drinking that muck. But the food was heaven; I loved the corn bread which was sweet and almost creamy when biting into it. The shrimp creole was awesomely spiced and the blackened pork chop was my favorite, but everyone loved the seafood gumbo and the bread pudding. At this time in history we were able to eat fresh, raw oysters from the Gulf Coast without catching some life threatening disease so we ate our fill.
Glenn's Cafe moved to a larger location on 9th St. with a varied menu mixed with Cajun and Southwestern dishes. The food was still awesome but more expensive. The place was always filled but did not have the same feeling as the older location as it looked so new and all. Since it grew out of our price range we ate there less, except for special occasions. Eventually it closed for reasons unknown to me and finally opened up recently at a hotel in downtown Boonville. I wish I could remember the time line but the dates are vague. I do plan on trying Steve Cupp's new location sometime in the future and who knows, if they are available I might slide a few raw oysters down for old times sake.
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