PRINTRestaurant wrap-up
Local dining spots that left us hungry for more
May 15, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
We love to eat. In the past decade, Vox has covered a number of beloved local restaurants only to watch them go. “Columbia is a very competitive restaurant market,” says Jeremy Brown, co-owner of Addison’s and Sophia’s. “Since it’s so competitive, anything that slightly affects business can put somebody out permanently.” Local restaurant owners and experts share the bittersweet reasons as to why they’ve closed and what the future holds for dining out in Columbia.
Classy's
Open for business: 2003 - 2007
Why they closed: Former Classy’s owner Leta Harvey says it was too much work. “Usually in the restaurant business, after work, you start drinking wine,” Harvey says. “You’re like, ‘forget work.’ You can only do it so long, and then everything is just piled on top of you.” Although some people think it’s easy to open and run a restaurant, Harvey, who has had 35 years of experience, disagrees. Despite her hard work, Classy’s closed after only four years.
The dish we miss: spaghetti carbonara
Alternative spot for satisfying your cravings: Hemingway’s Wine & Bistro offers a pasta carbonara. This penne pasta dish comes loaded with bacon, shrimp and heaps of Parmesan cheese.
Village Wine & Cheese
Open for business: 1986 - 2008
Why they closed: Village Wine & Cheese underwent kitchen and dining renovations as well as the addition of a bar before hitting the lights. “It just financially wasn’t working out,” says former owner Kathy Fluesmeier. “Our food costs had gone up, and we didn’t really feel like we could increase our prices. People thought we were expensive already. It was just hard to make ends meet.” Although Fluesmeier and her husband don’t intend to return to the restaurant business, she says it was a great experience to become a part of Columbia and meet new people.
The dish we miss: coconut-encrusted tilapia
Alternative spot for satisfying your cravings: No other restaurant in Columbia seems to be able to recreate the favorite fish dish at Village Wine & Cheese, but CC’s City Broiler, known for its steak entrees, has enticing seafood dishes as well. Try their halibut oscar covered in bernaise sauce and topped with hunks of crabmeat.
Trattoria Strada Nova
Open for business: 1990 - 2007
Why they closed: Eapen Thampy, former manager at Trattoria Strada Nova, says downtown Columbia has faced poor planning and development. He gives various reasons as to why Trattoria closed — high rent, lack of parking and the increasing price of food and beverages brought down the restaurant. “In some sense the number of restaurants that have gone out of business in the last year does not disconcert me,” Thampy says. “What does disconcert me is that it seems to be closer to a specific place, and that is downtown.”
The dish we miss: flash-fried calamari and osso bucco
Alternative spot for satisfying your cravings: Sophia’s offers a flash-fried calamari appetizer, although they top their squid with a spicy chili sauce and pair it with lemon-infused sour cream. If you’re craving osso bucco, head to Chris McD’s for the pork version with a veal glaze.
