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.