Friday, Nov. 20, 2009

Shop Around: Downtown workers get more menus on Main

New eateries offer more choices, especially on weekdays

Several new restaurants have sprung up along Main Street in recent months. A sampling:

- Jim and Alex Hazelton opened Cafe 1201 a couple of months ago on the mezzanine level of the Capitol Center building, 1201 Main St.

The cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, serving breakfast and lunch.

The couple, who moved to Columbia from Hilton Head this summer, serve a variety of pastries, bagels, sausage gravy and biscuits and lots of Adluh grits for breakfast.

For lunch, the menu consists of sandwiches, soups and salads with a blue plate special each day. Most lunches cost between $6 and $7.

Alex Hazelton bakes all of the pastries from scratch. And Friday is red velvet cake day. It sells for $2 a slice and is usually gone by noon, Jim Hazelton said.

- Kendall's Cafe & Bakery opened earlier this year inside the Bank of America tower at 1901 Main St.

The restaurant, owned by James Dinkins, serves breakfast and lunch from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. weekdays. Dinkins also owns Kendall's Katering on St. Andrews Road in Irmo.

Patrons can get a full breakfast for $5.25, including Adluh grits. Or pick up a signature Eggle sandwich, which is a bagel or croissant with a choice of egg, cheese and meat.

The restaurant has hot and cold sandwiches for lunch, including a popular hot turkey Reuben. It also sells a variety of salads and a soup of the day. Most lunches cost about $6.75.

Sides also are made from scratch, including take-home containers of pimento cheese and chicken salad.

The bakery also sells a variety of cakes and pies.

Manager Kelli Powell said Dinkins was looking for anopportunity on Main Street.

"There's lots of hustle and bustle going on," she said.

- The long-awaited Zoe's Kitchen opened several weeks ago in the main lobby of the Meridian building, 1320 Main St.

The restaurant, operated by Will Gillespie, is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Breakfast items include pitas, bacon and eggs, hashbrowns and fruit. Lunch fare includes sandwiches, kabobs, and pita pizzas in the $6 to $9 range with chips and a side item. Kids' menu items are $2.95.

- The White Mule opened this summer at 1530 Main St. for lunch, dinner and entertainment.

The restaurant serves a mix of sandwiches for between $6 and $8, salads for between $5 and $8, and pizzas for $8 to $10. It is open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays for lunch and opens at 5 p.m. for dinner, drinks and music Monday through Saturday.

Tonight, catch Patrick Davis. Tickets are $15.

Shop shorts

- Take some time out of your busy holiday shopping to meet and greet some USC legends - and maybe pick up some gifts while you're there. Safran's Antiques, 1015 Whaley St., will host a Big Friday Gamecock drop-in from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 27. Meet the likes of football legends George Rogers, Lou Sossamon, Don Barton, Jeff Grantz and Jim Carlen. And pick up some Gamecock memorabilia, including vintage programs, photos, bowl rings and original mascot uniforms.

- Earth Fare, on Devine Street, will host Outdoor Adventure Day from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday with the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. Admission is $5 and includes children's activities, inflatables and raffles. Natural beef hot dogs will be sold for $2.

- Get your Christmas presents or learn how to make your own at the annual Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 27-28 and from noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 29 at the State Museum, 301 Gervais St. The event is sponsored by Columbia Gem and Mineral Society. Admission is $7, with discounts for seniors, members of the military and children. Info: www.cgams.org

- A Holiday Open House is set for 11 a.m.-3 p.m. today at Uptown, 1204 Main St. Columbia artist William Carl Bell will be on hand to sign his newest print, "South Carolina's Finest."

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