What isn’t fun is trying to find reliable classic foods, be it pizza, a burger, or good old-fashioned Chinese takeout. We’ve found several pizza places in CoMo that we love (Shakespeare’s, Arris’, and Kostaki’s) and while we haven’t found a great burger place (don’t you think CoMo needs one? Million dollar idea someone, get on it), we make pretty decent burgers at home. Chinese food though, nada.

So this past weekend, instead of unpacking, we decided to tackle finding the perfect takeout place. I put the call out on Twitter asking for the best place to get Chinese food, clarifying that I meant the Americanized Chinese food you think of when you see the little white boxes.

I chose the most popular three and got the same dish at each. I set up a blind taste test for my two taste testers, my husband and a local foodie friend henceforth known as FF. All three places had different recommended dishes, but I wanted an apples-to-apples comparison, so I went with a classic: beef with broccoli.

Contender #1: Hy-Vee Numerous people had told me they felt HyVee was actually the best Chinese in town. For $3.99 (dinner special) I was handed a box with a decent portion of food (though the smallest out of the bunch), big scoop of fried rice, and my choice of an eggroll or crab rangoon.

Contender #2: Mandarin House This actually came up the least of the three in suggestions. But we hadn’t tried it before and it was close to the other two so it sneaked in to the throwdown. For $8.50 I received an eggroll, fried rice, a cup of soup (choice of three, I went with hot and sour) along with the beef with broccoli.

Contender #3: House of Chow Our only Chinese take out in CoMo had been House of Chow. I had not been overly impressed but so many people recommended it that we decided to give it another chance. For $8.95 I took home a large portion and a pint of white rice.

Back at the homestead I dished out the food onto numbered plates just to ensure anonymity. Since we had two different types of rice we set those aside to eat after we had done the blind testing. Then my husband and I devoured the egg rolls and soup while we waited for the notoriously late FF to arrive.

The Throwdown

Visuals (aka the Beauty Contest)
The taste testers were first asked to judge on appearance. #1 (Hy-Vee) was commended for the greenest and most plentiful broccoli (which makes sense; they probably have access to the freshest produce.) #2 (Mandarin House) got high marks for the biggest chunks of meat and looking the yummiest (we use highly professional terms during our throwdowns.) #3 (House of Chow) had the most lukewarm response: “Well there’s a lot of it,” and “There’s more sauce than food”.

Winner: Mandarin House

Victuals
Then we sat down to eat. After tasting all three (without rice or soy sauce) the judgment came down: #1 (HyVee) got high marks for the fresh taste and crispness of the broccoli. But overall the dish was called bland and requests for soy sauce were made (and denied!) #2 (Mandarin House) The beef was given high marks on taste and texture and both FF and my husband liked the flavor. On the downside it was a little over soy sauced and FF thought there was too much onion (that’s why she gets the name foodie: I didn’t even notice it had onion). #3 (House of Chow) sorry House of Chow lovers, but pretty much everything from the taste (bland), to the vegetables (anemic), and the meat (chewy) was called out.

Winner: Mandarin House

The Big Reveal & Overall Value

After the blind tastings, FF and my husband made guesses on what dish came from where. FF obviously eats a lot of takeout because she picked right for House of Chow and Mandarin house but was stumped by HyVee. My husband knew where I had brought the food but didn’t know which dish was from which place. He picked correctly for House of Chow but mixed up HyVee and Mandarin House. When I told them the prices of each FF picked Mandarin House as the winner but my husband thought for the money he would just get food from HyVee and pour some soy sauce on. Our overall winner and where we will be getting take out (at least when I am the one picking it up)….

Mandarin House

If you have a takeout place that challenges Mandarin House, let me know and we’ll have a Chinese Throwdown Round 2. I am also taking suggestions for our next food to enter the throwdown ring.

To see more from Capturing Como, visit the blog.

5. Lee Street Deli- Nothing beats these if you are looking for ball park nachos. Layered with nacho cheese and the restaurants famous meat they use for the juicy burger. If you get them loaded they are also topped with peppers, olives and jalapenos. Yum!

4. Coleys- Located off to the corner of the downtown near cycle express these nachos are really a gem which no one seems to know about. Most notable is the delicious pepper jack cheese sauce layered with tomatoes, black beans, chicken and green olives. Nothing completes them more than a huge glob of sour cream on the top!

3. El Rancho- Nothing says late night without a trip to El Rancho. The queso is to die for and the grilled chicken hits the spot. You shouldn’t be surprised if you have ever seen the line outside of this place on almost every weekend night.

2. El Maguey- Another mexican favorite are these Chicken Fajita nachos. Layers of cheese, green pepper, tomatoes and onions make these a delicious pair to a margarita.

1. Addisons- Hands down the best nachos ever. From the Italian style chips to the cheese you won’t taste anywhere else these nachos are sure to satisfy any taste bud.

Think I missed a spot? Let me know by leaving your comment below or e-mail me at beth@iknowcomo.com

At the beginning of this article, I thought it would be easy to write. Like any caffeine addict, I need to have my daily energizer in the morning to get through the day (more like two or three cups of coffee).  I set out to find the best coffeehouse in Columbia. It seemed like it would be an easy walk, but this turned out to be a marathon.

When most people describe coffee I used to think of the generalization of a cup filled with dark liquid, that distinctive smell and somewhat bitter taste. After living in Columbia for over four years, I’ve become a self-proclaimed “coffee snob.” I know how I like my various types of coffee – cappuccinos, espressos, iced or double shots. It was going to be difficult for a place to impress me.

After surveying 15 different restaurants and cafes, I finally narrowed it down to my top five.

1. Kaldi’s Coffeehouse – 29 S. Ninth Street

Kaldi’s started out as a St. Louis based chain that slowly made it’s way out to Columbia. It’s named after the ninth century Ethiopian goat herder who discovered coffee. This is my favorite place in Columbia because that atmosphere is very open and the staff is very friendly. Unlike Starbucks, they took their time getting the drink orders and making them. I ordered an iced coffee and bought a bag of Highlander Grogg, which has a taste of hazelnut and a hint of rum. Some of the perks at  Kaldi’s is that there is free wifi for the customers and a lot of room. The downside is that Kaldi’s becomes packed very quickly with students and can get expensive if one is ordering drinks and food. Even if Kaldi’s is a bit more expensive, I’d gladly pay the extra money because of the extra attention received by the baristas and the cozy environment.

2. It’s a Grind – 4603 John Gary Drive

It’s a Grind began in Long Beach, California. I wasn’t sure where to put this coffee shop at first, but after going there twice, it became my second favorite place in Columbia. Their iced coffee is amazing! It’s cold and smooth tasting with a nutty aftertaste. There’s not too much ice or too much milk. The mixture is just right. On the second visit, I ordered a double cappuccino (12 ounces) that tastes sweet. There was a bit too milk for my taste, but still was very delicious. It’s a Grind has a blues and jazzy feel to the décor. The shop features free wifi, a patio and a fireplace for those cold nights. They’re moderately priced with great coffee.

3. Rendezvous – 3304 W. Broadway

Rendezvous has quaint feeling once one goes inside. I was very impressed with their wide variety of coffee types and teas. It was very difficult to decide to what to get. In the end, I ordered an Americano. The drink was very strong with little milk.  The barista asked at what temperature I wanted the drink to be. It was searing hot – perfect. Rendezvous serves sandwiches, soups and pastries. I strongly suggest getting a bowl of soup. I sampled the potato bacon soup and it was fantastic! Rendezvous has free wifi for customers, but there are very few outlets for laptops.

4. Lakota – 24 S. 9^th Street

Lakota first opened in Columbia in 1992. At first stepping into the place, one feels like walking through a rustic, woodsy building. The furniture is mostly made of wood that resembles logs. I had the feeling of being in Canada and not the Midwest. Lakota offers the widest variety of coffee types and drinks I found in Columbia. They also feature four different types of drips. I had a cup of their house blend coffee that was very strong. No milk or sugar this time. Lakota has very good coffee, but I didn’t care for their customer service. The first time I was there was a few weeks ago. I sat down waiting for a few friends to order their drinks so a place could be saved for them to sit. An employee came to me and gave me a negative attitude stating I needed to leave if I wasn’t going to order anything. After saying I was going to buy something after my friends were purchasing their orders, he still said I needed to leave.  I became quite flustered, but stayed. I went back last week and again I was treated rather rudely.  They know what they’re doing with their coffee, but their customer service needs improvement.

5. Starbucks – 304 S. 9^th Street

Many people scorn the very name of Starbucks because it is there. All of the Starbucks are genuinely the same and have the same products.  Every time I go there I know they will have what drink I want and they are very quick. I chose Starbucks as my fifth choice because of the convenience. Not only is there the location downtown, but there is a drive through off Broadway and Barnes & Noble sells it. When I go to Starbucks I know exactly what I’m getting, including the free wifi.

I set out on a mission, and when I began, I had no idea how difficult it would be. Trying to decide which restaurant sells the best hummus in Columbia should be an easy task. Just decide which one tastes the best, right? Wrong. Who would have thought that a food that is made out of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), tahini (ground up sesame seeds), and olive oil could have such a wide variety of tastes? All of the ingredients are incredibly bland. Turns out, finding the perfect hummus recipe is an art, and one that many restaurants throughout Columbia take a lot of pride.

Most hummus recipes include various amounts of garlic and lemon juice. Sometimes it is garnished with parsley, paprika, olive oil or other spices. Usually it is served with warm pita bread, but it is also commonly served as a dip for vegetables or chips or as a spread on sandwiches. It is considered a complete source of protein, making it a popular choice for vegetarians and vegans. The dish originated in the Middle East where both chickpeas and sesame seeds are commonly harvested. Hummus has been served for over 10,000 years.

I sampled the hummus from Arris’ Pizza, the Broadway Brewery, Felini, Coffee Zone, and the International Café. I wanted to sample from Café Berlin and Casablanca as well, but both restaurants were closed because they were moving locations when I set forth on my journey. I was surprised by how very different each hummus was from the others.

The first hummus that I tried was from Arris’ Pizza. Arris’ Pizza is a pizza joint with Greek heritage. They originated in Jefferson City, and have expanded with locations throughout Mid-Missouri. They offer a variety of pizzas, pasta dinners, sandwiches, Greek food, salads and appetizers. Their hummus costs $6.25 for an appetizer and is served with Greek olives. It’s pinkish in color, which I attribute to roasted tomato, and is quite tangy. The lemon in it is quite prominent. It is also very creamy.

Broadway Brewery’s hummus is quite different than any of the others that I tried. It is not sweet at all, and is blended with basil pesto and feta. It is quite a bit dryer and thicker than the others. It costs $6.25 for an appetizer size and is served with pita bread.

Felini is the most formal of the restaurants that I went to. Their food tends to be a bit pricier and the atmosphere is much less casual. Their hummus costs $6.99 for an appetizer size. It is very creamy and the garlic tastes are prominent but not overwhelming. There is also a hint of parmesan cheese.

Coffee Zone takes a lot of pride in their hummus, especially considering they are a coffee shop and not specifically a Mediterranean restaurant. They even have an article displayed proudly behind the barista bar claiming that they have the best hummus in Columbia. When I entered the coffee shop and expressed interest in ordering some hummus, a customer even commented to me about how fantastic the hummus is. Their hummus is $4.95 for an appetizer, and is served with pita bread and garnished with olive oil, parsley and paprika. The presentation is quite attractive. The taste is more complex that the others. It has more of an herby taste, and isn’t very sweet. It is very creamy, but perhaps not thick enough.

The International Café is a small Mediterranean foods restaurant that sells affordable hummus, falafel, gyros and other Middle Eastern favorites. Their hummus is $4.25 for an appetizer and is served with pita bread and topped with tomatoes and onions. It is very creamy and doesn’t have any prominent flavors. It’s not bland, but not particularly lemony, garlicky, or herby.

So, which of these hummus is better than all the rest? That is a very difficult decision. I would say for taste, my favorite was probably Felini, but I would also be less likely to go there for hummus because of their more formal atmosphere and higher prices. I would be more likely to go to the Coffee Zone or the International Café and grab some of theirs because they were the two cheapest, and had the highest price to tastiness ratios. All of the hummus that I tried were delicious and unique in their own ways.

What: Barnes & Noble
Where: 2208 Bernadette Drive

Columbia doesn’t have much in the way of chain bookstores. The two stores that are considered chains are Lemstone Christian Books and Barnes & Noble. There isn’t much of a competition.

After first visiting Lemstone, I found the store to be very small selling the typical items for a Christian store – Bibles, how-to guides and bookmarks. The store rivaled a Hallmark store in size and was very crammed with merchandise. It’s not very tidy with dust on the shelves and a small selection of books. The staff was very friendly and more than willing to help. I was very surprised to find that the store is open on Sunday afternoons.

Compared to Barnes & Noble, no chain store (or independent store) can really compare. It crushes the competition, metaphorically, of course. Barnes & Noble is so vast; it seems overwhelming at first sight. Upon entering, there is a huge selection of magazines from which to choose. Barnes & Noble sells my favorite UK fashion magazines and literary journals. It’s like Christmas day every time I go in to buy the magazines!

Past the magazines are books upon books upon books. Each section is clearly identified by the signs above the shelves. I found the way the sections are divided a bit confusing. Everything is listed by genre and then alphabetically by author. The collection of books are limited because there aren’t any used books. They’re either from the best sellers list or the latest releases. It’s convenient if you want a book, like Dan Brown’s newest novel, but annoying if you need a specific book and if it’s not in the store. One clerk commented they can order the book to the store, but isn’t it cheaper to get it from Amazon?

Another perk is the coffee shop in the back of the store. It sells Starbucks drinks. I can get my caffeine fix while browsing.
Overall, it’s the best Columbia has to offer because, honestly, there isn’t much else.

What: Get Lost Books
Where: 8 S Ninth Street

For a book lover, a bookstore can be either heaven or hell. It is heaven because of the vast number of books offered at a store, be it new or old. The genre doesn’t matter, as long there are books and plenty of them. A bookstore can be hellish because, again, there are so many books it’s so difficult to make a decision on which ones to buy. The historical biography about Henry VIII? The comedic book about Chelsea Lately’s latest adventures in her wild escapades of parties and sex? Or what about the guilty pleasure Doctor Who science fiction novels that you would never admit to anyone that you read? Then you must walk up to the front of the shop, your arms loaded down with books, and you’re just dreading the total amount at the end of the transaction. I am guilty as charged. I am a book nerd.

Since I am said book nerd, I took it upon myself to find the best independent bookstore in Columbia. I trudged through every independent bookstore I could find in Columbia: Adam’s Walls of Books, Columbia Books, The Peace Nook, Trade-A-Book and Village Books.

Adam’s Walls of Books, located at 214 N 8th Street, is a small hole-in-the-wall with a sign professing from Adam himself that he is “the king of clutter.” The store is only open for a few hours on Saturdays. Walking around Adam’s books lives up to the sign outside – cluttered and proud of it. There is wide variety of used books, but the prices were high for my tastes. Columbia Books came in a close second as the best bookstore. They specialize in rare books and everything is neat, in an obsessive-compulsive way. The staff is very friendly and their first priority is customer service.

Trade-A-Book is the place for anything and everything related to the romance novel genre. It has the largest used romantic book collection I have ever seen. There are at least three rows running the entire length of the store dedicated to romance – Desperate Housewives-like books. Trade-A-Book’s policy is to let patrons bring in their gently used books to trade for one in the store. But the overwhelming collection of romance with titles like The Millionaire’s Baby and the Italian Gentleman was too much for me to handle.

I even spent two hours trying to find Acorn Books, which had moved from downtown Columbia to Anderson Avenue, only to find a residential home that looked occupied, but certainly not a bookstore. After further research and asking around, the store closed two years ago, for those who are interested.

The last bookstore I visited was definitely worth the wait. I found the Mecca of new and used books in Columbia – Get Lost Books.

Located on South Ninth Street, Get Lost Books is a newer addition to the downtown Columbia atmosphere. The store is framed by a large window neatly filled with books and magazines. Get Lost Books beckons pedestrians on the street to walk in and browse. Upon entry, the shop is very small, but very organized. Bookcases of all sizes frame the interior of the store, and homemade signs point out which genre of books each bookcase holds. Get Lost Books has a wide variety of new and used books, and a very impressive selection of poetry, anything from Keats to Whitman. The store also has large selection of magazines to purchase such as The New Yorker. The only type of books it seems to lack is romance novels (what a shame).

There is a small love seat towards the front of the shop where browsers can sit and read. The bookstore has a very homey feel, small, but comfortable. I didn’t feel pressured to buy anything, and didn’t get strange whiffs of smells that are displeasing to one’s nose, unlike some of the other bookstores I visited. It often becomes very crowded because the space is very limited, so be wary. The prices are adequate for whichever type of book you’re looking for. If you’re not sure of the title, author or genre, just ask the knowledgeable staff.

As for Get Lost Books, it’s a bookworm’s paradise.