How I Go Columbia: HEMI Food Truck Court’s Christina Suvarna

Folks in Columbia may not be too familiar with stay-at-home mom Christina Suvarna, but hers is a name that will soon be circulated amongst the area’s foodies when her HEMI Food Truck Court opens on Meeting Street next week.

A native of Jacksonville, Fla., a mother of five and a student at Midlands Technical College, Suvarna spent four years traveling overseas, where she developed a love for a variety of cuisine. She developed the idea for the food truck court in 2014 and leased land for the lot at 728 Meeting St. So far, seven food trucks have agreed to be a part of the food truck court, which will rotate up to 10 trucks each day and is set to open March 14.

EAT: My husband, Shobhit, and I enjoy trying new restaurants. We both look for places that serve food that is most rooted in authenticity to its nationality. This is one of the reasons I am starting HEMI FTC. I have found that food trucks have a much stronger sense of rooted food. If it’s a German food truck, you will get a stronger taste of food found in Germany. The Belgian Waffle Truck and the Wurst Wagen are both fantastic examples of this. If it’s a true taste of Mexico you want, head over to Taqueria El Jarocho Express. If you are looking for something a little closer to home, Carolina Cookin’ and 2 Fat 2 Fly will fill you with some Southern soul. Spanish food, hands down, it would be Spanish Bite, a cooking tent found at the Soda City Market on Saturdays.

PLAY: My family is very outdoor-oriented, so we spend a good portion of our time off from school and work and many weekends hiking around state parks, playing in the river at the Riverfront Park or camping at Dreher Island. We also take full advantage of the circus when it comes to town.

DRINK: Being a mother of five doesn’t really afford me much adult time, so I’d have to say that my place of choice when it comes to having a nice glass of wine is curled up on my couch with my husband after the kids go to sleep.

LISTEN: Aside from listening to our favorite local artist, Harry Braswell, I also take the girls to see “The Nutcracker” at the Koger Center (for the Arts) each year. It’s a wonderful time to get all dressed up and enjoy a classic with my children. My husband also has a tendency to surprise us with tickets to concerts at the Colonial Life Arena.

SEE: The city of Columbia puts on amazing fireworks for the Fourth of July and New Year’s – we never miss (those shows). We also attend the Holiday Parade of Lights that travels from West Columbia to Cayce.

This story was originally published March 9, 2016 at 11:00 AM with the headline "How I Go Columbia: HEMI Food Truck Court’s Christina Suvarna."