Events going on this week

*waves sheepishly* Remember when I thought things were going to slow down because I was finished with school? Yeah, totally wrong. Sorry about that.  Here are some things that are going on in the next few days that you should totally check out: 

Bluegrass, Bidding, & BBQ - Tonight (October 17th) at 7 p.m. at the Robert Mills House. All proceeds benefit the Historic Columbia Foundation, specifically the Woodrow Wilson Family Home. Local food, music, and drinks. $40 for the general public.

Harvest Week at Motor Supply Co. - Per their press release, "Harvest Week celebrates local farmers from the Midland's key sustainable farms who supply the restaurant with the ingredients for fresh, local food. Special nightly-changing menus with dueling ingredients from local farms are featured, complemented by a special Harvest Week cocktail list featuring local farm-to-shaker ingredients."

Lake Carolina Wine & Food Festival - Saturday (October 19th) from 2-5 p.m. All proceeds benefit Children's Charities of the Midlands. Lots of wine and food from local chefs. $30 in advance, $35 at the door. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

My Food in Photos

I know, I know.  It's been about 437 years since I've posted something that didn't have to do with my book. I have things to post from way back in January, I just haven't had time to get them together.  Maybe I should learn how to use the "schedule posts" feature.  Or maybe I just need better time management skills. But I digress.  The point is, that since I've had posts waiting in the wings for six months, I'm afraid I won't be able to write decent reviews because I can barely remember what I had for dinner yesterday, let alone in January.  So instead, you get to enjoy a photo recap with as much detail as I can remember.  Apologies for taking the easy way out.  Life should slow down soon and I should be able to get back on track with the blogging.  Onwards and upwards!

Shameless Self-Promotion

Lots of things going on in Hungry Lady land.  It's a bit overwhelming, but also pretty awesome.  If you aren't already sick of my talking about my book, here are a few things you might enjoy:

YOU'RE INVITED!

My book launch is tomorrow (April 24) from 4 -6 p.m. at City Roots.  It's a very casual, drop-in affair with food by Rosewood Market. Come by, buy a copy of the book, meet me, get an autograph if you want one, and enjoy some delicious food. Details below:

I was also on the ABC Columbia News at Noon today, talking about the book.  Please don't mock my constant twitchiness - I had slammed two cups of coffee immediately before this interview.  You can watch the clip here:

For more info on upcoming events and media appearances, head on over to my website.

Things to do this Weekend

If you are looking for something food / sustainable / fun related to do this weekend, there are a couple of options in Columbia: The first ever Midlands Farm Tour, and the grand opening of Uncle Maddio's, a new pizza join on the USC side of Main Street.

Farmers first.  Sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Whole Foods Market, the farm tour features 10 local farms in Richland, Lexington, and Kershaw counties. If you decide to go, the cost is $25 per vehicle in advance, or $30 at the event.  Or, you can just choose to pay $10 per farm. Advanced tickets can be purchased online, at Whole Foods, or at City Roots.

St. Croix sheep at Doko Farm. Photo by Amanda Jones.

The tour is self-guided, and you can choose what you want to see. You'll get to see baby farm animals, learn how each farm grows veggies, fruits, flowers, etc., without the use of pesticides. The tour is rain or shine, and is perfect for the whole family. It runs over two days: Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7 from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.  If you decide to go, make sure you bring a cooler so you can bring home many of the products that each farm will be selling. More information, including directions and maps, can be found here.

Pizza next.  Uncle Maddio's is like Moe's, but for pizza. Basically, you go through the line and decide what crust you want, what sauce you want, and what toppings you want. And, for the vegans and gluten-free among us, there are options to suit both of your dietary needs. 

Portabella Pesto Pizza.  Photo provided by Uncle Maddio's.

The grand opening is Saturday, April 6 from 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.  The first 100 customers in line will receive free pizza for a year.  The new Uncle Maddio's is located next to the Yoghut on Main Street, in the Adesso building. They feature three kinds of crusts, six sauces, seven cheeses (including Daiya vegan cheese), and 47 different toppings randing from local veggies to hormone-free chicken. And, if you aren't into pizza, there are plenty of panini and salad options.

Unfortunately, the Hungry Lady won't be able to attend either of these events, as she has a very important birthday celebration for her favorite soon-to-be 5 year old, and she has a 15 page paper to write before Monday.  But if you go to either, let me know how it was.  And if anyone wants to bring me a Portabella Pesto Pizza on Saturday, I certainly won't object.

A Quick Book Tease

Y'all just bear with me for a bit. There's going to be a lot of book promotion going on around these parts for awhile. My apologies if it seems like that's all I talk about, but a) I need to sell some books, and b) my excitement over finally being published still hasn't worn off.  

Today, I bring you something that The April Blake was kind enough to write for me. This was intended to be used as a foreword to my book, but ultimately the editors decided not to use it. I loved it so much that I wanted to share it with all of you. I asked April if that was alright with her, and she graciously agreed. April was the only person who read my completed manuscript (other than the editors) before it was published. I'm very grateful for all of her feedback and comments. Here is what she had to say in the intended foreword. Hopefully it will give you a quick overview of what to expect, should you decide to purchase my book.

When one thinks of Columbia, South Carolina no special attribute sticks out immediately, since it isn't necessarily known for its genteel history like Charleston or Savannah; and it isn't known for the quirky counterculture like Portland or Asheville. But given its unique positioning two hours from the ocean to the east and two hours from the mountains in the west, and surrounded by acres of farmland both inside and right outside of city limits so we've got access to fresh seafood, orchards full of fleshy apples, and more types of produce than you can shake a stick at within driving distance of tens of thousands of hungry and eager residents of the wide reaching Columbia metropolitan area. Happiest of all are the chefs, farmers, artisans and fans of these ingredients who are quickly and happily rallying around is the very real idea that our fair city can be known for its passion and reverence for local food.

And who better to tell the tale of the history and the present of Columbia's food scene than the local food blogger Hungry Lady? Laura created her food blog to detail and share her tastiest meals after winning a contest where the prize was gift certificates to a lot of local restaurants. I came to know her through her food blog, and as a fellow local food writer we became friends, dining pals and blogging buddies. Though she doesn't have native roots in our proud Southern soil, she lays out a rich tale that showcases the same pride that any homegrown would present in bringing our colorful heritage and connection from the earth to our plates to the forefront- right where it belongs.

Woven throughout the chapters of Columbia Food: The History of Cuisine in the Famously Hot City are stories of the folks like local pig wrangler and Soda City market founder Emile DeFelice who have taken a grassroots approach towards getting residents to know what they, their children, neighbors, and community are putting into their mouths on a daily basis. You'll read relatable tales of chefs like Ricky Mollohan who worked his way from prep cook to owner with the dream of creating culinary masterpieces that are alive with flavor. On the dirtier (seriously, these things are covered in dirt before they make their way to our forks) end of the business of local eating, you'll learn about the families that use their hands and hearts to bring your food from seed to fruit, from sow to sausage.

Columbia Food: The History of Cuisine in the Famously Hot City is coming on the cresting wave of Columbia's food scene, detailing it in a way that has never been done before. Read it now and ready yourself as the knowledgeable one next time you find yourself gathered with friends, family or colleagues around the table at one of the places described in the book, eating the very foods that you know came from out of the backyard of this state.

I Thought this Day Would Never Come

Y'all. I can't believe it. Publication day is finally here. My publisher got their stock of my book yesterday, and I got my copies in the mail this afternoon. The book looks so pretty!

I'd be lying if I said it hadn't been a bit of an emotional roller coaster to get to this point. At one point, I even almost decided to quit. But, my ever fabulous mother talked me off the proverbial ledge, and I pushed on. 

When I started this blog, I never thought, in a million years, that it would lead me to writing a book. It was an incredible feeling when I sent the draft to my editor. It felt even better when I sent in the final approval for printing. I stared at the proposed cover of the book for hours on the day it was emailed to me, grinning like a fool. And for everyday after that for about a week. I held printed copies of my marked up manuscript in my hands, approved photos, and gave my ok for publishing, but it wasn't real to me until I tore open the cardboard box this afternoon and held the finished product. It's still a bit surreal.

Right now, I'm lining up book signings and events, and I'm terrified. Terrified that people are going to read this book and think I'm a fraud, or that I forgot some hugely important player in the food scene (apologies in advance if that happened!). Also, I'm more than a little introverted so having to mingle with all of the people at these events is taking me way out of my comfort zone, and I'm having a minor panic attack just thinking about it. Just keep that in mind if I seem shy or nervous or twitchy or socially awkward when I'm talking to you. 

Everything about this journey and this experience has been a bit on the overwhelming side. I'm convinced that I'm going to wake up tomorrow and find that it's all been just a giant dream. But then I'm going to look on my dining room table (or really just the pillow next to me, because I am so not putting this book down), and realize that I did it. I managed to write a real book that people are actually going to buy, going to read, and hopefully going to enjoy.

I couldn't have done this without the support, encouragement, and general help of everyone in my life, including everyone who reads this blog. Thank you all from the very bottom of my heart. And if you could find it in you to support me a little bit more, I'd love it if you'd buy the book. You can get it from my publisher (The History Press), Amazon, or Barnes & Noble right now, and it should be available in stores next week. It'll also be for sale at all of the events I attend, so you can pick up a copy at those too. A full list of those are on the new website, so keep an eye on it for updates. 

Thank you all so very, very much.  Cheers!

A Bit of Housekeeping

Hi Friends!

I know it's been awhile. I also feel like that's how I start every post I've made lately. I do promise it will get better. I'm almost done with school, and I've been feeling more inspired to write. Now if I can just get my budget in line with some restaurant-type excursions, we'll be in business.

Just a few quick things to bring to your attention:

• I created a new, more comprehensive website, TheHungryLady.org. The link is in the top right corner of this page. Basically it's just a better way to keep myself organized, and to help with some book publicity. I'm still blogging here - if you notice, the blog page on the new site links directly back here - but the new site represents the "professional" persona of The Hungry Lady.  This is the first time I've done anything like that, so if you have some feedback on the site, I will happily accept it.
• I'm starting to get some info on book release events and such. As it comes in, the information will be posted here, Facebook, Twitter, and the new site. I'm really excited about this thing, and I hope you are too!
• I have a few posts sitting on the back burner that I haven't gotten to write up yet. I really will get better about that, I promise. But you can look forward to my visit to The Oak Table from Restaurant Week, tomorrow's brunch at Cafe Caturra, a random lunch at Taziki's, and next weekend's St. Pat's in 5 Points festival.

I think that might be it for now. If you want an actual invitation to the book launch, rather than just hearing about it via social media, shoot me an email with your mailing address, and I'll make sure you get one. I'd love for everyone to be able to make it!  

15th Annual Palladium Society Chili Cook-Off

If you like chili and / or you need some plans for this Saturday night (Feb. 23), you may want to consider heading down to the State Fairgrounds for the 15th Annual Palladium Society Chili Cook-Off. It's an all you can eat & drink chili, wine & beer event with live music for under $30. Details below in the press release that the Historic Columbia foundation asked me to share with you.

15th Annual Palladium Society Chili Cook-Off

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013 | 5 - 8 PM

Ellison Building at the State Fairgrounds, enter through the Rosewood Drive gate to park

$15 for members of the Palladium Society | $20 for members of HCF | $25 for non-members | FREE for children 12 and under
Purchase tickets online at hcfchili2013.eventbrite.com.

Chili lovers are invited to experience the tastes and smells of some of Columbia's most creative chili recipes during the Palladium Society's 15th Annual Chili Cook-Off!

This annual event is hosted by Historic Columbia Foundation's Palladium Society and features a variety of chili recipes from contestants, judging by local celebrities and chefs, live music by Whiskey Tango Revue, and prizes for the winners. Purchase tickets online at hcfchili2013.eventbrite.com. 

A CALL FOR COOKS! Enter as a cook in this year's Cook-Off by 2/19.

Photo from Historic Columbia Foundation

Not a HCF member currently? JOIN HCF AND THE PALLADIUM SOCIETY AT THE DOOR AND GET IN FREE! A $65 value, for just $50! Plus enjoy HCF and Palladium Society benefits at the individual level all year long.

Download a membership form, fill it out and bring it to the door on Saturday, February 23. Pay your $50 membership dues when you arrive and get in to the Chili Cook-Off for FREE!  *this offer is only valid for people who are NOT currently members of HCF. 

The Palladium Society is a dynamic organization of young professionals that supports the mission of Historic Columbia Foundation through educational, social, and fundraising initiatives.

Members of the Palladium Society have the opportunity to:

• Network with other young professionals who are also striving to impact the community.
• Learn about Columbia's significant past and have a say in its future.
• Volunteer at exciting Palladium events, such as the annual Chili Cook-off and the Silent Auction.
• Hold leadership positions on various committees.
• Attend social events including the new Renovation Rodeo, tubing trips, and more activities with other young professional groups.

The 15th Annual Chili Cook-Off is Sponsored by:SCBT
Dillon Construction Services
Palmetto Decorators
Mortgage Network, Clint Hammond
Tyler Construction Group
Willm
The Law Offices of Marion M. Moses, LLC
Capitol Places
WXRY 99.3
Liquid Assets

A Smashing Success

Happy 2013!  I hope everyone had a fabulous New Year and enjoyed whichever winter holiday you choose to celebrate!  For me, that entailed a fabulous Christmas, complete with a much-needed, lengthy trip home, a beer tasting with friends I don't see nearly often enough, and a quiet New Year's Eve celebration with an old friend.

But well before I headed north for Christmas, I had the pleasure of going to the preview party for the brand new Smashburger on Devine Street.  Since I'm always on the lookout for a good burger, I was pretty excited when the invitation showed up in my email.  The only part of my that was skeptical, was the part with a natural aversion to chain restaurants.  Thankfully, my skepticism was unfounded.

On the day of the event, The April Blake and I carpooled over to the restaurant, where we met R (who had agreed to be my plus one), Elizabeth (from Gastronomy by a Wanna-Be Chef), and a handful of Columbia's best bloggers.  When we walked in, we had the chance to talk to the local owners of the restaurant, and also to Smashburger founder, Tom Ryan.

Lake Carolina's Wine and Food Festival

The lovely folks running Lake Carolina's Wine & Food Festival shot me an email and asked if I would put some information about their event on the blog.  Rarely do I refuse a request to promote something local (and if I do, it's usually because it's lost in my inbox).  Add to that the fact that all proceeds from the event go to Children's Charities of the Midlands, and I'm totally on board.  

The event is next Saturday, October 13 from 2 - 5 p.m.  Meaing that you will totally be home in time to watch the Carolina / LSU game.  For a mere $30, there will be live music, a tailgate tent (where you can watch football), food samples from local restaurants (including Solstice, which is one of my favorites), wine samples from area wineries, and a silent auction.  And, if you're the running type, there is a 10K in the morning that you can register for separately.

Let's recap: $30, three hours outside on what will surely be a beautiful October day in Columbia, food samples, wine samples, a big screen tv for football, and live music.  Plus it's for a good cause.  Totally a no-brainer.

The full press release including ticket information & 10K registration info below:

State of the Hungry Lady

OK.  So.  Here is the earth...round and chilling.  But seriously, here's what's happening in Hungry Lady land.

You may have noticed a sever lack of posting going on recently.  It's not by choice, I promise.  It's more because of circumstance.  I thought it was only fair that I let you all in on what's going on in real life, so that you can hopefully forgive me the lack of posts.  Or at least understand where I'm coming from.

1. Grad school.  Y'all, sometimes I wonder why I decided that going back to school was a good plan.  Two classes that meet once a week, plus one Saturday a month, plus all of the reading and homework really takes it out of me.  I give up most of my weekends to get my homework done.  I do my reading when I get home from work in the evenings.  In short, school has consumed my life, and when I do get a free minute, I prefer to spend it with friends I rarely see because of said schoolwork.

2. Work.  My boss left for another position over the summer, and since it's a 2-person office, I was holding down the fort for a couple of months.  Which pretty much shot my stress level through the roof (mostly because being super busy at work coincided with a fast-paced, condensed, assignment heavy class over the summer).  I now have a new boss, but things aren't slowing down for me.  She's still learning things, so I'm taking on more than I normally would.  Which is fine by me.  I like to be busy.  But the moral of the story is that I used to use my work downtown to start posts or upload photos.  I don't have the time to do that any more.  

3. THE BOOK.  Like with grad school, I wonder why I thought trying to balance school, work, and writing a book was a good idea.  I am woefully behind on book researching, writing, and editing, so I need to shift my focus from blogging to booking.  

That said, I clearly need to work on my time management skills.  I'm just lucky I'm not trying to balance a family life too.  It's just me, which helps a little.  I have also developed a deep respect for those of you who do manage to balance work, family, school, extracurriculars, etc.  If you have any tips to share, I'd love to hear them.

Anyway.  The entire point of this post was to tell you that I'm still alive and well, I'm just stretched a little too thin at the moment.  I'll have a few posts here and there, but I really haven't been getting out much, so I don't have too much to write about.  I'll try to check in periodically, but The Hungry Lady is going to be operating on a limited posting schedule at least until February 1 when I send in the draft of the book.

That said, I really don't want to let things completely die out around here.  So, if you would like to submit a guest post, let me know.  I'm totally open to the idea, so we'll see what happens.  In the meantime, I'm going to practice my time management, keep up with work and school, and write a book.  Then, come February, this little blog will return to the upper part of my list of priorities.

Savory Brunch at Cafe Strudel

A few weeks ago, I finally got around to trying famed Columbia breakfast spot Cafe Strudel.  I had every intention of finally trying the oft recommended Hangover Hashbrowns, despite not being anywhere close to hungover.  And then I checked the brunch specials for the day, and I knew I had to change my planned order in favor of something a bit more unique.

R and I both decided to order from the list of specials on this particular Sunday morning.  He opted for a take on a classic eggs benedict: One with fresh tomatoes and avocados.  I had thought about ordering it, but of course, didn't want to get the same thing, so I had something different.  Which of course, didn't stop me from from trying a bite of R's.  The avocados were so creamy and just added a completely amazing bit of flavor to the dish.  I would strongly suggest ordering it if you get the chance.

Can't you tell how delicious this was?

Since I was determined to order something different, I got the other special on the list: Pulled pork and bleu cheese slaw french toast.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It was amazing.  Three giant pieces of french toast topped with a sweet and it spicy pulled pork and a tangy bleu cheese slaw.  Every single element was great on its own, but eaten together?  An otherworldly experience.  Unfortunately, it was way too much food for me.  I ended up leaving the third piece of french toast and just eating the pork and slaw.  Very seriously one of the best brunches I have ever had.

My mouth is watering just looking at this.

Bottom line?  Make sure you go out and try brunch (or lunch or dinner) at Cafe Strudel.  But, you'll have to wait a bit, as they are currently moving down the street to a new location.  Not sure when it will be up and running, but you can find out on Facebook or Twitter.

Final Rating

You can find Cafe Strudel on Facebook, Twitter, or the web.

Making time for lunch: Jason's Deli

I don't know about the rest of y'all, but years ago, before the reality of adulthood smacked me in the face, I had this idea in my head that once I grew up and got a job, I would become someone who lunched.  Maybe it was watching one too many episodes of Sex and the City that fostered this illusion.  But I was somehow convinced that I would be able to have multi-hour lunches in nice restaurants with friends in the middle of the week.  Then I graduated from college, and reality caught me in a choke hold.  Not only did I not have a "real" job (I moved back home for 2 months after graduation and worked in the same job I'd had during my college summers until I moved back to SC), I was faced with paying bills.  Once I moved back to SC, I was basically living off of my graduation money (thanks family!) for 2 months until I found a job.  Not the lavish one that was going to allow me to grab a table at the semi-swanky place where they serve luncheon instead of lunch, but rather one in the same field as my summer job had been.  I made next to nothing and was fully introduced to the world of the hour-long lunch.  Not only did I not have the funds for the nice lunches, but I also lacked the time.  That one hour time frame was strictly enforced.

And so, my dreams of fully becoming a Miranda (and let's be honest, except for our career choices, I really am Miranda Hobbes) were dead in the water.  Now, 7 years later, I make a little more money and can actually afford a nice lunch every now and then.  But I'm still a slave to the one hour time limit.  I don't know how many of you have ever tried to go out to lunch in downtown Columbia during the week, but if you have, you know that you either need at least 90 minutes or go super early or super late.  It's not because the service is slow, but because of the sheer volume of people.  Plus, you have to drive everywhere, and if you're like me, you manage to hit every single red light between work and your destination.  So 60 minutes to get to your car (if, like me, you can't park directly outside your office), drive to the restaurant, compete with 700 other people for a table, wait for your food to be prepared, eat, drive back, and walk back.  It can be done, but it's tough.  Which is why when I find myself lucky enough to have an afternoon off, I make sure I go out for lunch.

And that is exactly what I did when I found myself with the afternoon off on a beautiful Friday in June.  I got off work at 1 and had a few errands to run before I went home.  I also had some stuff to do at home, so I figured that I'd grab lunch to go and eat at the house.  I wrapped up my errands around town and decided to stop in at Jason's Deli.  Jason's is a great little chain of sandwich shops, primarily in the southeast, but with a few other scattered locations.  The one in Columbia opened about a year ago, and I've been there a couple times since.  Everything I've ever had at Jason's Deli has been great.  I have a friend who swears by the Muffalettas.  I like to try something new whenever I go, so on this particular occasion I opted for the Zucchini Grillini, a newish item on the menu.  It was a hot day in late June, so I figured something a little lighter would be a good choice.  And it was.

Oh hey, Instagram...

This awesome sandwich had a TON of grilled veggies: Zucchini, spinach, red onions, tomatoes, and kalamata olives, plus roasted red pepper hummus and muenster cheese.  Utterly amazing.  I devoured this thing, which may have been because it was around 2:30 before I got to eat it, or because it was so good.  The sandwich comes with a choice of chips, fruit, or steamed veggies.  I went with the chips.  I didn't end up finishing them because this sandwich was so filling.  Don't be fooled by how little it looks...it is more than enough food.  The next time I go in, I may have to break my "try something new" rule in favor of reliving this wonderful food moment.

So.  Not only does Jason's Deli have an awesome assortment of sandwiches, they also have a ginormous salad bar, a gluten free menu, and a vegetarian menu.  Definitely something for everyone.  And don't forget to grab some free soft serve on your way out.  Really?  How do you say no to that?

Final Rating

You can find Jason's Deli on Facebook, Twitter, or the web.

Recipes and BIG NEWS!!!!

This is a "kill 2 birds with one stone" kind of post.  Or as my grandmother would say, "Kill one bird with two stones."    Part one features a killer dinner in with R.  He cooked.  I watched baseball.  Somewhere, Donna Reed is having a coronary.  Part two is the BIG NEWS that has taken over Hungry Lady land.  So let's get started, yes?

Dinner in.  Three cheers for Pinterest for providing endless hours of procrastination, nerdgasms, and new recipes that I will pin, but likely never make.  Also, for providing the two recipes we tried on this particular evening.  First, we made (and by we, I totally mean R) Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo.  Yes please.  Packed with flavor and super creamy.  Utterly delicious.  Second, we made Baked Asparagus Fries.  These were utterly divine.  We didn't bother with dipping sauces, because we didn't really need them. They were crunchy and not so bready that the asparagus disappeared.  And except for the fact that breading anything is a royal pain, these were pretty easy.  Of course, we also threw in a salad for good measure.  I would very strongly suggest trying both of these recipes.  There was enough pasta for a small army, and R said it was still really good after being reheated the next day.

Such an awesome dinner.

Moving on.  Part two.  The BIG NEWS.  The new project that The Hungry Lady is somehow going to fit in between two classes, homework, and a full time job. Are you ready?  Wait for it.... Wait for it....

Brunching downtown: Motor Supply Co.

Good news y'all!  My crazy summer class has finally ended, and work is returning to normal, so that means you'll get to enjoy my ramblings a little more often!  At least until the middle of September when my fall classes start - Econ and Finance.  Seriously.  Who thought those two should be paired together?

Anyway.  I'm still working on catching up on a ton of posts.  With this one, I'll be finally finished with May, so I'm hoping to get caught up soon.  There are some pretty awesome things happening in Hungry Lady land, but I want to get caught up before I share the news.

And now, without further ado, let's talk about the most important meal of any weekend: Brunch.

Way back at the end of May, L's boyfriend came into town for a visit.  They had all kinds of fun things planned, but on the Sunday he was here, it was all about food and Game of Thrones.  I'm sure you've picked up by now exactly how nerdy my friends and I are, so you should not be surprised that a day long GoT marathon was in order.  But first, we needed sustenance.  And L's boy had to meet the parents. So the friends tagged along to ease the tension.  Where better to go than Motor Supply Co. Bistro.

L has been telling me for years that I needed to go to Motor Supply, but I somehow never made it there.  On this occasion, I was glad I did.  It was an utterly gorgeous day in May, and we were sitting on the patio.  There were 7 of us, so we took up a pretty big table.  We started with a basket of pastries, a round of coffee, and mimosas and bloody marys.  

First the bloody marys.  I ordered the O.C. Bloody, which comes with a variety of vodkas.  O.C., if I remember correctly, stands for owner's choice.  It was perfect.  It wasn't thick and it didn't get watered down by an overabundance of ice.  It had just enough spice to give the tongue a little ZING! but not enough to be overpowering.

Next, breakfast.  We were actually pretty unadventurous when it came to ordering.  There was a quiche, some french toast, a basic breakfast platter, and 4 orders of crab cakes benedict.  Mine was the only one I got a picture of - really taking pictures of 7 plates just wasn't going to happen.  I had the crab cakes.  It came with a bowl of fresh fruit, and grits. I pretty much despise grits, so I asked for hash brown casserole instead.

What a beautiful plate of food.

First the hashbrowns.  They were almost creamy from all of the cheese used.  It was almost like eating a hashbrown risotto.  They were awesome.  The crab cakes were perfectly cooked.  They definitely were spot on with the crab to breading ratio too.  Read: almost all crab, very little breading.  The eggs were just perfectly poached so that the yolk ran a bit when I cut into it, but net enough to make a huge mess.  The hollandaise sauce?  Divine.  Wonderful flavor that accentuated the flavor of the eggs and the crab cakes.  And, of course, the fruit was juicy and very very fresh.

One of the best things about Motor Supply? The menu changes daily. So it's really just a big surprise as to what you'll get.  Though, judging by how awesome brunch was, any meal will be delicious.  My new plan is to try to get there for lunch and / or dinner one day.  I've seen some of the lunch menus, and they've made my mouth water.  Some day...when I have the time to enjoy a leisurely lunch.

Final Rating:

You can find Motor Supply Co. Bistro on Facebook, Twitter, or the web.

Celebrate Julia Child at Terra this week

It's a pretty big week in food history.  The illustrious Julia Child was born on August 15, 1912, and died on August 13, 2004.  Which means, that had she lived, she would have been celebrating her centennial this year.  Amazing.  Known for bringing the French style cuisine to the U.S., Ms. Child is celebrated everywhere.  And this year, Hungry Lady favorite, Terra, is throwing a birthday bash.

Running from August 14 through August 18, Terra is offering a three-course meal (with or without wine pairings) to celebrate the life and death of Ms. Julia Child.  The flat cost of the meal is $30, $40 if you let Terra pick out your wine pairings, and $50 if you let them pick wine from their reserve wine list.  Not a bad deal, especially when you know the food is going to be good.

Terra is known for its use of fresh, local ingredients.  In building a menu to showcase the French style, I hope that Terra is able to stay true to that philosophy.  Of course, after looking at the menu, it looks like they will be.  Now.  Who wants to go to dinner tomorrow or Friday?

You can read the full press release, including the menu, after the jump.

The Hungry Lady Travels: The Steamer in Gulf Shores, Alabama

About 2 or so weeks ago, I started to tell you all about my vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama for The Hangout Music Festival.  Can't remember that far back?  You can read part one here.

So after 3 utterly amazing days of music, sun, and sand, we were ready to close out the festival in style.  Sunday night's headliner was the Dave Matthews Band.  Given that I haven't enjoyed DMB since they saved me from an ill-advised R&B and rap phase in the mid-90s, I wasn't excited about Sunday night at all.  Until the gang decided that we'd have our farewell dinner that night.

After watching the sun go down over the water to the dulcet sounds of The Flaming Lips performing Dark Side of the Moon, L & I headed back to the condo for a little pre-dinner beverage or two, while E, G, and J ran across the beach to catch DMB.  J, actually being a DMB fan, stayed for their whole set.  E & G stayed for a couple songs and then headed back to join L & me for a beer or two on the balcony.  We had decided that since DMB ended at 11 p.m., we were going to shoot to get to dinner right as the set ended and J was going to meet us there when she was done.

Later that evening, we meandered from our condo to our destination: The Steamer.  Let's talk about The Steamer.  It is, as you would imagine, a seafood restaurant.  But, for all of you who claim to only like seafood when it's fried, you're out of luck.  The Steamer only offers baked, steamed, grilled, or raw food.  Sold.

There were 5 of us, so we ordered quite a bit of food and shared most of it.  We had 18 baked oysters, smoked tuna dip, one pound of mussels, 6 snow crab clusters, and 1 1/2 pounds of royal reds.  Plus new potatoes, corn, sausage, and slaw.

Everything listed above, except 1 crab cluster and 1/2 pound of royal reds.

Let's talk about the oysters for a minute.  We got one order of Baked Rockefeller Oysters, and one order of the Baked Parmesan Oysters.  Not only were they gigantic, they were unbelievably delicious.  An excellent topping to oyster ratio.

These were the Rockefeller Oysters.

Needless to say, I wasn't eating any of the royal reds (those are a type of shrimp, for those of you not in the know), so L & I split 3 crab clusters.  We probably should have only gotten 2.  Again - gigantic and meaty.  And so juicy and flavorful that you didn't need any butter to dip them in.

Trust me, this looks like a lot less food than it actually is.

We probably could have also done without the mussels and the smoked tuna dip, but I don't regret a single bite of either dish.  Besides, after spending 3 days in the sun, running across the sand, and subsisting primarily on snack food, we were all ravenous.  We tore into our plates and it was dead silent at our table, except for the sound of the crab crackers.  If you know this group of people, you know that silence is an unusual occurrence.  We're a chatty group.  But apparently hunger and deliciousness trumps conversation.

By the time we finished, and we made a valiant effort and had very few leftovers, we were so stuffed we could barely walk home. Just to give you an idea, here's the "after" shot:

We filled two of those buckets in the center, and had leftover shells and such on our plates.

What an incredible time.  There's really no place like the Gulf Coast for seafood.  And don't let the prices on the menu scare you - everything is big enough to share.  Much like the Hangout has become tradition, I think The Steamer will fit in nicely with our plans for next time.

Final Rating:

You can find The Steamer on Facebook or the web.

The Mess that is Mezza

The Hungry Lady has been known to be cranky.  Usually after a little time alone, she uncrankifies and proceeds to be her usual upbeat self.  There are two times when she is crankier than normal: 1. Pre-caffeine. A good word of advice?  If you ever see me before I've had at least one cup of coffee, don't talk to me.  It's really in your best interest.  2. Low blood sugar.  Like most people, I get really cranky when I haven't eaten. Three bites of food or so later, and I'm back to myself.

Today I went out to lunch with R.  We went around 1 p.m. so we could avoid the insane lunch rush in the Vista.  As you can imagine, by 1ish, I was rapidly approaching low blood sugar levels of crankiness. But I wasn't worried.  We were headed to Mezza, so I figured I'd be appeased in about 15 minutes.  I've had Mezza on my list of places to go since they opened about a year and a half ago.  I've heard great things about the food from some trusted sources, so I was pretty excited.

The Hungry Lady Travels: Hangout Music Fest, Gulf Shores, Alabama

I may have mentioned this once or twice, but in case you missed it, way back in the middle of May, I road tripped down to the Gulf Coast for the Hangout Music Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  You may remember that I did the same thing last year, which you can read about here and here.


This year was much the same. The festival lineup was a lot different from the previous year, but not in a bad way.  Actually, there were fewer bands on my absolute must see list, so I was able to enjoy the beach a little more, cool down (read: eat and consume a few adult beverages) back at the condo throughout the day, sample the food, and not have to run from one set to the other, thus missing bands I wanted to see.

Lunching Downtown - J Gumbo's

Way back at the beginning of May, I finally had the chance to catch up with my old friend A.  We work in the same area, and try to get together for lunch every now and then, but for awhile, our schedules just weren't lining up.  Finally, we got a date on the calendar, and A, her co-worker J, and I headed to J. Gumbo's to grab some lunch.

J. Gumbo's is a Cajun / Creole chain, primarily in the Midwest, but slowly expanding to the South.  I can't speak to the authenticity of the New Orleans flavors, since I've never been there, but I can tell you that the food was packed with flavor and delicious.

The three of us got there and managed to find a parking spot with relative ease (no small feat if you've ever tried to park anywhere in Downtown Columbia at lunchtime in the middle of the week). The restaurant isn't especially large (it used to be the Quizzno's on Sumter St.), but there were enough tables to seat everyone there.  J. Gumbo's is only open for lunch (except on Thursdays - then it's open until 7:30 p.m.), and it wasn't super busy, which worked well for us.  We took a quick look at the menu, ordered, grabbed our drinks, and claimed a table.

If I remember correctly, J had the White Chili.  I didn't try any (this was the first time I'd met J, so if I'd started reaching across the table and digging into her food, it may have been a bit on the awkward side), but it looked tasty.  J thought it was a bit on the spicy side, but she also admitted that she doesn't really have much of a spiciness tolerance.  The White Chili comes served over rice, which J decided not to have.  It was still a huge bowl of chili, and she had plenty of leftovers.

Seriously looked good to me.

A went a little more traditional and had the Shrimp Etoufee.  Clearly I wasn't going to any of it, but I can tell you that it looked a lot better than the time I tried to make etouffee last summer.  I think A would have liked it to be a bit on the spicier side.  That said, she enjoyed it, but thought she would try something new the next time she was there.  I believe A got her etoufee served over rice, but in Columbia, you can also order it served over grits.

Another huge portion.  Pretty sure A had leftovers too.

I decided to break out of the giant bowls of food mold and ordered a sandwich.  The Jean Lafitte Po' Boy to be exact.  It's a combination of the Bumblebee Stew (corn, stewed tomatoes, and black beans) and the VooDoo Chicken (chicken in Cajun tomato sauce with red onions and celery), topped with sour cream, green onions, jalapenos, and shredded cheese served on French bread.  It was awesome.  The VoodDoo Chicken had just the right amount of heat for me, while the Bumblebee Stew was just perfect enough to take the burn out of said heat.  My only problem?  Too much bread.  I ate half of the sandwich, and then picked out the insides on the other half.  The bread actually seemed to take away from the insides, and I actually enjoyed it more once I started ignoring the bread.  Thankfully, J Gumbo's has a Jean Lafitte Burrito Bowl option, which is basically the insides of the sandwich served over rice.  Guess what I'm getting next time?

Much better without the bread.

Overall, we had a nice and inexpensive lunch.  All of our meals were under $7 (before drinks).  And all were big enough for leftovers.  If you can find somewhere else in town that has that kind of a deal, I'd love to know where.  Plus, J Gumbo's runs assorted weekly specials that change on a monthly basis.  And the food is good.  It was also really quick, which is another must for anyone trying to lunch downtown.  I'd suggest you check it out.

Final Rating

You can find J. Gumbo's Columbia location on Facebook, Twitter, or on the web.  For locations in other areas, please see the corporate website.