The Salty Nut Café is a Five Points Institution. It’s large wrap-around deck, free roasted peanuts, and plentiful TV’s make “the Nut” a popular place to relax for happy hour during the warm weather months (February to November in Columbia). Later in the night and on the weekends the crowd becomes noticeably younger and rowdier, but if you can grab a table on the back porch of the restaurant then you have an unparalleled spot to enjoy some draft beer and serious people watching. The Nut also boasts an extensive food menu, though most people order dinner only after a few after-work drinks stretch into dinner time. The kitchen stays open late and offers standard bar fare in addition to wraps, salads, and newly arrived seafood po’ boys (shrimp, oysters, flounder).
I’ve been steadily pouring my money into this place since the fall of 2001. In fact, I’ll never forget the bartender’s reaction when I came in for my 21st birthday: “Are you serious? You’ve been drinking here for three years!!” I think its safe to say I’ve tried just about all the entrees on the menu - usually with an appetizer of two or three bourbon drinks.
This past Friday was a typical early football season day in the Capital City – warm, sunny, and unproductive. Hoping to get the weekend started off early, a large group of us headed to the Nut to try lunch out on the patio. The outing started off strong as we found a large table that could accommodate us all and helped ourselves to a few baskets of the complimentary peanuts. However, things soon took a turn for the worse.
When our food finally arrived – we didn’t get to eat until about an hour after sitting down – it was clear that, without the benefit of a little liquid pleasure to whet our appetite, the Nut’s menu simply does not stand up. While there were several different reasons people did not enjoy their food there was one common word used to describe the meal by all: DRY. Tank and Caveman both ordered Chicken Phillies, which had way too much bread and no juicy goodness of any kind (Caveman was smart enough to wash his down with a beer). A large number of the group went for jalapeño burgers, a house specialty, only to find themselves in dire need of condiments to take some of the heat off. In fact, despite his towering physical presence and striking good looks, Fabio was unable to get our waitress to bring any ketchup to the table. Luckily Tex took matters into is own hands and snagged a bottle off of a table inside. Also, the raw fries, which when served greasy and soggy have no rival, were on this day overcooked and brittle. The Queen of Frozen Cuisine may not leave the office for months after the poor tuna melt the Nut served her, and we doubt her sister will ever come to lunch with us again.
To make matters worse, the sun began to beat down on the patio, and the group waited over half an hour to get their checks. Pizza the Hut and Fabio simply left cash and the rest of the group behind. The end result was a two hour lunch that did little for our working goal for the week and even less for our appetites. Word to the wise – Salty Nut is a can’t-miss for a night out in Five Points, but I wouldn’t try heading over there until happy hour.
- Rabbit
A big development in Columbia's lunch scene today, folks. The Hunter-Gatherer, rated the #4 restaurant in Columbia by voters on Urbanspoon.com, is now serving lunch. This is a great move by the best brew pub in South Carolina, which proudly serves inventive recipes comprised of local meats and vegetables, delicious personal pizzas, and a brewed-on-site beer selection that will blow you away. Get over to the Hunter-Gather for lunch as soon as possible to support their expanded hours!
I don't say it very often, but there is only one word to describe our experience at Hong Kong last week - Booooooooo.
Here's what happened. Captain Understatement suggested that the Lunchmen call an audible and try a Chinese buffet he heard was good and affordable. Since we have not reviewed any Chinese restaurants on this blog, I hastily, perhaps too hastily, agreed. The Publican and Tex decided to make the trip, despite having some GI concerns about the fare that awaited us.
The air conditioning must have been down at Hong Kong, because it was hot enough to fry a wonton when we entered the restaurant. An industrial fan blowing across the dining area did little to alleviate the discomfort. The buffet itself was affordable - $5.25 is cheap for any uptown location. The good news ends there, however. For instance, I opted for bottled water after scoping out the suspect container with a hand-written sign that read "Water" on it. Those who were less prudent agreed that the water tasted as though it was from a garden hose - not a refreshing reprieve from the restaurant's temperature, to be sure.
The menu items had familiar names, such as "General Tso Chicken," "Sweet and Sour Chicken," "Fried Rice," etc. However, each dish proved to be below the already low bar set for Chinese buffet food. The grub was greasy to the point of being an environmental hazard if thrown out. The safest bet on the buffet was the fried dough with sugar - coincidentally the most difficult dish to mess up.
The service was equally disappointing. Tex could only swallow down one thing on the menu - the eggrolls. After taking a trip or two back to the buffet for a second eggroll and returning to his seat empty-handed, an employee asked whether he wanted anything else. Tex kindly requested that the eggrolls be replenished. Ten minutes later - no eggroll - even though the restaurant had nine people in it. As an aside, one of those nine appeared to be a wild-eyed maniac who was more intent on staring the Lunchmen down with a look that conveyed a blood-lust we rarely encounter at lunch. Spooky.
Tex left Hong Kong completely unsatisfied. He was not the only one.
The Publican decided wanted to wait it out for an eggroll, so I agreed to stay behind with him while Captain Understatement and Tex sauntered back to the office to recover from an overdose of grease and salt. In retrospect, it was a bad decision. Sometimes when a lunch goes this bad, its best just to cut your losses and walk away. Lessen learned.
- Tank
Everyone that goes to lunch with us carries a pink "Credit Card" in their wallet. Why? The reason is the Hampton Place Cafe. This little spot on Hampton Street between Main and Sumter is our go-to restaurant for a sandwich in Uptown, and after you buy seven of their delicious sandwiches or salads, that little pink card ensures that your next meal at Hampton Place is free.
Hampton place is known for their classics - the TSHM (turkey, swiss, and honey mustard), the RBHM (roast beef and honey mustard), and the Chicken Salad Club (think BLT w/ chicken salad). The sandwiches come standard with corn chips, potato salad, and a pickle spear. Experienced diners know that it is better to pass on the potato salad and either 1) grab some extra chips and salsa or a side of their own feta ranch, or 2) pitch in an extra buck and get a side Greek salad. Since the sandwiches are all priced under $7, a salad doesn't push lunch over $10. Whenever we head over to Hampton Place, I can be sure that many in the pack, if not all, will be ordering one these popular options. Well, except Rabbit. More often than not, he is pulled in by one of Hampton Place's massive salads. The best one in my humble opinion is the "new" Santa Fe salad. It is a taco salad on steroids.
Every now and then I stray from my usual order, "RBHM, no potato salad, just corn chips and a side of feta ranch," and I try something new. This week, I ordered the Hali Cali. Its a turkey sandwich w/ lettuce, tomato, sprouts, avocado, and sunflower seeds. This light fare was perfect for a temperate summer day, and the sunflowers seeds added a little something special. Rabbit went truly bold and ordered the skyscraper - the biggest sandwich on Hampton Place's menu. It looked so good, Pizza the Hut had to take a photo of it.
Hampton Place also serves some warm dishes for those who seek comfort in the cool winter months. Particularly popular, at least with Mrs. Tank, is the lasagna. Rumor has it that it is simply a popular store-bought brand, but she remains undeterred by that possibility. They also have a daily soup selection, but I have yet to be impressed by one. One other note of caution, steer very clear of the krab salad. It is a dark stain on the face of an otherwise delightful menu.
As usual, we all left Hampton Place pleasantly full and sporting a new hole punched into our pink cards. I'm only one punch away from my free meal, so you better believe that we'll be heading back to Hampton Place in the next week so that I can grab another RBHM.
- Tank
As a college student at Carolina, I spent literally hundreds of nights and countless dollars at Columbia’s premier dive bar on Greene Street, Pavlov’s. Free pool on Mondays and Wednesdays, $2 Tuesdays, and the normal female contingent that comes with a Thursday, Friday or Saturday in Five Points meant that every night of the week was an opportunity to make a series of bad decisions. Sufficed to say, I hated missing opportunities. Oh, and one more thing, I met Mrs. Rabbit there my senior year, and we’ve been together ever since. What a special place.
It was only fitting then, that when I went to lunch this week with a dear old college buddy, “Eastbound and Down,” that we would find ourselves unexplainably drawn to site of our greatest conquests and most epic failures. Just a stone’s throw away from the Pavlov’s/Salty Nut Compound across Greene Street is Mr. Friendly’s New Southern Café. Friendly’s is a longtime staple for low-country cuisine at dinner time, and since they don’t take reservations diners often gladly wait, cocktail in hand, over an hour for a chance to try the mustard pork or famous shrimp and grits. But what of the other meal of the day – lunch? Could Friendly’s duplicate their excellence during the daylight, or are they like Dracula and the Sorority girls that frequent Pavlov’s, doing their best work in the dark?
The atmosphere, while never stuffy at night to begin with, is noticeably more casual at lunch, and most of the crowded restaurant appeared to be women whose children were grown and now occupied themselves on boards of various charities and social clubs. There was also a good sprinkling of professionals throughout.
The menu was creative, but not overly expansive. There were several items that looked intriguing and bold, but neither Eastbound nor I had the guts to risk an unproductive afternoon back in the office. Both of us ordered one of Friendly’s “big salads” – I opted for the Southwest Caesar with Blackened Shrimp, while Eastbound took on a curried chicken with mangos over a bed of lettuce. The salads were indeed fresh and truly a meal in themselves. We were both satisfied, and agreed that the ingredients were of the caliber you would expect when eating at Friendly’s (and paying well over $10). As we reminisced about our collegiate exploits, both of us agreed that, had we done this while in school, it would have by far been the nicest meal either of us bought during those four years.
At the end of the meal, we decided that Friendly’s is worthy of another trip soon, with a bigger crowd, perhaps on a Friday, when the full extent of the menu can be explored. Just a few items that warrant consideration are the “Low Country Grilled Chicken Stack,” which basically is a tower of grilled chicken, fried green tomatoes, bacon pimento cheese, bbq sauce, and mashed potatoes. The Fried Oyster Po’ Boy is also famously good, and was actually suggested to me by a fellow diner. Perhaps most intriguing to this blogger is that all of the entrees come with your choice of Creole slaw or succotash, both of which are personal favorites.
All in all, a good call if you’re prepared to pay a little extra – but when you get a chance to travel down memory lane, it’s worth it, right?
- Rabbit
Tony’s Pizza Downtown, a fixture in the Columbia lunch scene, is tucked below street level on the 1100 block of Washington Street. Set underneath a dreary parking garage, amidst a string of loan sharks and other small businesses, a clean, new “Tony’s Downtown” awning invites Columbia business people underground.
Once inside the door, you’ll typically be met immediately by the line of nurses, bankers, office staffers, bureaucrats and lawyers silently struggling over whether to get the usual or take a chance on the simple little restaurant’s expansive menu. The atmosphere feels just dated enough to make you feel at home – like your great aunt who keeps everything nice and clean, but complains about how they don’t make TV’s in wood panel boxes like they used to (to be fair, it should be noted that, in a wildly ironic display of modernism, Caveman finds it a bit dark).
Even when extending out the door, the line moves quickly; probably because most folks I know say “Lasagna, Italian Dressing and a Tea” or “Baked Spaghetti, Thousand Island and a Water,” and pick up their plastic number to head for a booth. A few brave souls call out for The Special or The Cock and Fire Sandwich, and their courage is also richly rewarded. Ristorante Divino it is not – or so I’m told – I’ve never actually had the coin to visit the vaunted Gervais street eatery. The Italian fare at Tony’s is simple and homespun.
Speaking of simple, I always get the lasagna. To see why, check out the picture - compliments of our very own Pizza the Hut. With that dish, Tony’s starts you out with a small bowl of salad. Unless you are in tip-top cardiac shape, I suggest requesting the dressing on the side. Maybe it is to mask the less-than-perfect iceberg lettuce or maybe they just like it that way – but the ratio of dressing to salad is nearly 1:1. The salad is followed shortly by a basket of buttered garlic toast. Buttered with an enthusiasm rarely seen outside high school cafeterias, the hearty toast is a great way to dispense with all that left over salad dressing. On the heels of dipping your butter sponge in the dressing comes the real deal – everything happens fast here – Tony’s lasagna comes out steaming hot in an oval shaped dish. It seriously tastes just like Mom’s. No weird spices. No fancy presentation. No funny Italian sausage. Just pure deliciousness. Even the Queen of Frozen Cuisine agreed that the lasagna made her rare trip out of the office an excellent experience.
By the way – you’ve cheated yourself if that butter sponge didn’t get a go at the bottom of your lasagna dish.
I would be content to end the story there, but Tank and Rabbit insist we explore more of the menu, so here goes. Rabbit, true to form, had the Greek salad with grilled chicken. I dare say Rabbit aka “Salad the Greek” is an expert on all things salad – particularly Greek salad. Adequately portioned in a medium sized black bowl, the presentation was simple and appetizing with a healthy portion of right-sized chicken morsels atop a classic Greek salad. Rabbit’s report: “baller.” I guess that means he liked it. Tank and Caveman both opted for The Special: Greek pasta with grilled chicken. As Rabbit later remarked: “equally baller.” Both Tank and the hard to please Caveman remarked about how good the chicken and pasta were, as well as how the flavors were appropriately paired.
In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that many in my office enjoy Tony’s without falling all over themselves to gush about it. Objectivity be damned; in the words of our Governor, “this is a love story.”
A more balanced reviewer would probably conclude the following: Tony’s isn’t exactly reinventing lunch here – they’re a lot like a Bobby Knight team running the Motion – lots of options, solid execution and plenty of hustle.
- The Publican, guest columnist
Herodotus’ History Corner: Tony’s Pizza used to be a chain – thus the various restaurants by the same name around these parts. However, the franchise went out of business years ago and the individual operators who stayed in business ran their restaurants as they pleased, resulting in diverse menus and atmospheres.
There is no better way to put this - I've got a new favorite pizza in Columbia. Sorry, Village Idiot, I hate to say goodbye, but for now, I've got a new destination for pizza. Pizza Man, I hope there is no hard feelings. Al Amir, although your white pizza will always have my recommendation, Dano's is now my #1.
Last Friday, Rabbit and I ventured over to Dano's for lunch on the enthusiastic recommendation of a not-so-anonymous poster to the Diner, Drive-ins, and Dives entry (good call, Lady Capulet). We have both enjoyed Dano's fare before, including their excellent delivery pizza, but I had not been to the storefront since the recent expansion. We sat on the bar side of the restaurant, where we had prime seats facing two large, high-def televisions that were set on ESPN and ESPN2. Glorious. We resisted the urge to grab a pitcher of Bass Ale to make the experience complete, but just barely.
Dano's has a good menu consisting of pizza, calzones, strombolis, subs, salads, and wings. I couldn't remember the last time I had a calzone, so I ordered the special meatball calzone. Rabbit went after the Turkey sub, decked out with all of the usual fixings and some extra touches like roasted red peppers and banana peppers. While Rabbit was enthusiastic about his sub, I was smitten by my calzone. It consisted of the perfect blend of thinly sliced meatball, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese. The marinara on the side was thick and warm. In short, it was the perfection of the calzone.
The only regret that we shared when leaving Dano's for lunch was that we didn't jump on that cool pitcher of ale. To correct this cosmic error, Mrs. Tank and I had an informal date night on Friday that consisted of Dano's white pizza - meatballs added, of course - and a nice refreshing pitcher of Bass Ale. I could definitely get used to doing two-a-days at Dano's.
- Tank
p.s. Because Dano's is so incredibly baller, we have named it the Lunch Spot of the Week. Click the link up top for a full menu!
