Food & drink notes: New restaurants, events

New restaurants

Matt Shmanske has made a name for himself in Columbia’s restaurant business as the owner of Burger Tavern 77 and Moosehead Saloon, both on Devine Street, as well as Latitude 22 and the Thirsty Parrot, both on Harden Street.

Now, Shmanske and his wife, Tasha, have expanded their reach into the Vista with City Bar and Fondue, which opened last month at 700 Gervais St.

“Ben Arnold approached Matt about taking a lease over here, and he was just ready to conquer a different part of town,” Tasha said. “Being in the Vista is a great, great thing. It was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.”

Arnold, who comes from a longtime Columbia business family, has helped spearhead downtown development for more than two decades.

City Bar and Fondue puts a Southern twist on fondue favorites with menu items such as the city blend pimento cheese fondue, an apple brandy dipping sauce and Southern bruschetta.

The restaurant and bar are part of Arnold Companies’ refurbishment of the 700 and 800 blocks of Gervais Street. The new business joins Rocket Man Piano Bar and Wet Willie’s.

City Bar and Fondue is open 4 p.m. to midnight daily.

Events

Lunch and Learn with Historic Columbia: Bring your lunch to the Robert Mills Carriage House at noon for an hour of exploration of topics and rarely seen artifacts. Wednesday, March 16: Arthur & Moore’s 1850 map of Columbia. Free for Historic Columbia members, $5 for nonmembers. www.historiccolumbia.org

Farm to Table March Harvest Dinner with guest chefs Sarah Simmons and Charley Scruggs: 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 14 at City Roots. Enjoy a four-course, family-style dinner on the farm with wine pairings by Advintage and complimentary cocktail by Bourbon Columbia. Simmons is founder and chef of City Grit and Birds & Bubbles in New York City, Rise Bakeshop in Five Points and a soon-to-be-opened Southern-themed restaurant in West Columbia. Scruggs is a partner and chef de cuisine in Rise and former pastry chef at The Oak Table. $75, available at eventbrite.com. www.farmtotableeventco.com.

St. Pat’s VIP Experience at Saluda’s in Five Points: Noon-7 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at 751 Saluda Ave. Includes festival admission, food, open bar for beer and liquor, clean restrooms, and premier and exclusive viewing of a main stage from Saluda’s wraparound porch. $95, available at www.StPatsColumbia.com.

Whispers of Whiskey: Tickets for the 2016 Great American Whiskey Fair are on sale now. The event, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 29 at 701 Whaley, is among the largest whiskey tastings in the United States. Early bird admission is $50 ($100 VIP), available at eventbrite.com. www.ExperienceWhiskey.com, info@experiencewhiskey.com.

Monday is Pi Day (3/14). Celebrate the mathematical constant pi (numerical equivalent is roughly approximated to 3.14) by eating lots of your favorite pie: apple, chocolate, lemon or a combo pizza pie. BTW, if you need another reason to celebrate, it’s also the birthday of everyone’s favorite theoretical physicist Albert Einstein.

Susan Ardis, sardis@thestate.com, @foodsusan