Columbia dining options diverse; here are some State staff favorites

Breakfast, lunch or dinner, the Midlands offer a variety of fare at a variety of prices. The State's newsroom staffers describe the dishes and restaurants that make Columbia taste like home.

Food

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  Soda City Saturdays bring bevy of vendors to downtown Columbia

  Sarah Ellis eats a lot of doughnuts, among other Soda City treats. But she works off most of the calories by frequently exploring downtown, both on her own time and on the job as a metro reporter for The State, covering everything from local government to schools to development to personalities.
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  Original Pancake House part of family weekend

  The Original Pancake House on Forest Drive is a great place to enjoy a leisurely breakfast with family and friends. In what’s become a monthly tradition, web developer Chris Hessert meets up there with his kids and grandkids on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
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  Andy’s Special: It just tastes like Columbia, my friend

  In January, Jeff Kidd became the audience engagement editor for The State, The (Hilton Head) Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette. The new title came with a bonus — the chance to spend more time in his hometown and reacquaint his palate with its long-lost flavors, like the eponymous sandwich at his favorite deli.
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  Midlands' best barbecue joint?: One reporter's opinion

  Harrison Cahill joined The State newspaper in May 2014 and covers crime and general assignments. In his spare time he loves to play soccer, run, rock climb and visit his girlfriend in Charleston. And then there is the barbecue.
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  Bargain bites: Where to go if your budget is as modest as your cooking skills

  Reporter Cassie Cope is not a foodie. She can cook and prefers her meals that to cost less than $20. Luckily, Columbia has a dining scene that caters to the young professional’s schedule, budget and appetite. (And she can eat more than you'd think.)
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  Life is making itself a home – down on Main Street

  Staff members at The State share their favorite things to do in a special edition of Go Columbia. Lunchtime is a moving experience for staff writer Roddie Burris, who has come to enjoy having his turkey pastrami sandwich on pumpernickel bread while driving down Main Street.
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  Zorba’s at Seven Oaks serves up hearty meals in a neighborly way

  The years, careers and a family have turned Clif LeBlanc into a typical suburbanite. Working in Columbia and living in an established neighborhood gives him easy access to downtown where he and his wife work and shop. Busy lives have limited the time for fine dining. So when the two go out to eat, it tends to be close to home as well as to the stores where they buy groceries and everything else to maintain their home, yard and lifestyle.