At long last! New restaurant opening in West Columbia to fill 116 Espresso bar’s void
State Street’s newest restaurant isn’t trying to fill anybody’s shoes.
When Palate opens this week, it hopes to carve its own niche in the Columbia-area restaurant scene with its unique fusion menu — think American classics blended with everything from Asian flair to South American zing.
Palate will begin serving dinner Tuesday following a pair of soft-opening events last week that generated a good deal of buzz on social media. The restaurant takes the place of the former 116 Espresso and Wine Bar near Terra, New Brookland Tavern and Cafe Strudel in West Columbia.
A narrow, intimate space with just eight tables plus bar seating, the restaurant will feature eight dinner entrees such as lollipop lamb chops (flavored with cumin and served with Chimichurri sauce) and seafood paella (covered in buttery Cajun seasoning). Entree prices range from $18 to $36. An extensive appetizer list includes pork belly bao buns and flash-fried calamari.
Palate also will serve weekend brunch, with dishes including Kahlua-creamed pecan Belgian waffles and shrimp jambalaya grits.
A lengthy cocktail list accompanies both dinner and brunch.
“My passion is for fresh, local. I like to do traditional but with a little twist,” owner-chef Levi Whitlock said. “You’re not going to come and get something that came out of a bag. You’re going to get pretty much chef-to-table.”
Rock Hill-native Whitlock said he began sharpening his kitchen skills around the age of 12, when he grew tired of Chef Boyardee and microwave meals and, with help from his grandmother, learned to fry chicken and cook meals for himself, his four siblings and mother. He was educated at Johnson & Wales University and has worked in catering, upscale restaurants, resorts and as a butcher.
“My whole life’s been around food,” Whitlock said. “I really love nature and the environment, and more importantly, I like satisfying people. And that’s how I reach people, through my food.”
Palate’s predecessor, the popular 116 Espresso and Wine Bar, closed almost a year ago after owner Ryan Whittaker sold the business to focus on spending time with his family, he told The State at the time. Many local brunch fans and happy hour fans alike lamented the restaurant’s loss.
“That’s really why we decided to change and be a brand new start versus keeping the name and trying to fill somebody’s shoes,” said Sally Wu, Whitlock’s business partner who’s been busily helping to ready Palate for its opening. “We’re bringing in something different. I don’t think you can compare apples with bananas.”
State Street and the surrounding riverfront district in West Columbia and Cayce, viewed as an up-and-coming alternative to downtown Columbia for eating and entertainment, boast some of of the area’s most enduring fine-dining restaurants, Terra and Al’s Upstairs Italian, as well as one of its newest, Black Rooster.
Activity in the area has been boosted by the new Brookland mixed-use apartment development at the corner of State and Meeting streets.
Palate plans to be open Mondays through Thursdays from 5-10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 5-11 p.m. and for brunch Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
