10.09.2023

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Today’s Forecast

66º | Heavy thunderstorms | 90% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:30 a.m. | Sunset 5:32 p.m.

🍽️ It’s Restaurant Week, Cola

Participate in Restaurant Week happening around Columbia

Dragon Room is offering dinner specials for two this week. | Photo via @thedragonroomsc

Restaurant Week 2023 kicked off last week across Columbia and will run through Sunday, Oct. 15. This is the perfect chance to snag great deals at some local favorites — or soon-to-be favorites.

If you’ve never experienced Restaurant Week before, local restaurants will offer special deals (think — three courses for $35, specialized dishes or menus... etc.) to encourage folks to try new restaurants and eat locally.

We’re giving you an idea of how Restaurant Week works below by sharing three local deals we have our appetites set on.

Dragon Room, 803 Gervais St., Columbia
Japanese | Dinner: $39 Special for two

Your dinner will include one banchan, two savory house-made egg rolls served with sweet and sour sauce, a pair of scorched bourbon chicken yakitori skewers, one okonomiyaki, and one fried rice option.

Pro tip: For a vegetarian option, opt for BBQ Mushroom Yakitori instead of Chicken Yakitori.

Gervais and Vine, 620-A Gervais St., Columbia
Tapas | Dinner: Specials starting at $17

Grilled Shrimp that’s enhanced with basil pesto + lardo butter ($17)
Chorizo and manchego perogies, featuring Idaho potatoes, manchego, chorizo, and a chive sour cream dip. ($17)
Smoked pork tenderloin accompanied by potato croquette, beech mushroom cream, and peppadew pepper cream. ($26)
Lamb ragu + ricotta spinach gnocchi infused with fennel, carrots, celery, onion, tomato, and herb parmesan. ($27)

Pro tip: Each dish includes a selected glass of wine by chef + owner Jackson Hinkle.

Piecewise Coffee Co., 2001 State St., Cayce
Coffee | Special: Tiramisu Iced Coffee Special

Who says Restaurant Week can only be reserved for food? Enjoy the Tiramisu Iced Coffee — a double shot of espresso pulled over a house-made tiramisu custard.

Pro tip: This week, mention Restaurant Week at the register to receive 15% off of one drink.

Set aside some time to browse all of the Midlands’ participating restaurants. Psst — you have more than 12 cities and ~60 restaurant options to choose from.

~60 deals and meals

Asked

Do you have a stand-out Restaurant Week memory or meal?

Did you discover a new local favorite or have a first date during Restaurant Week? Maybe you want to share a date-gone-wrong story. Spill the tea at the link below.

Dish

Events

Monday, Oct. 9

Stargazing at the Melton Observatory | Monday, Oct. 2-Monday, Oct. 30 | Times vary | Melton Observatory, 1429 Greene St., Columbia | Free | Gaze at the stars at the Melton Observatory from 9 to 11 p.m., weather permitting.

Tuesday, Oct. 10

Pups n Pints at The Grand | Tuesday, Oct. 10 | Times vary | The Grand on Main, 1621 Main St., Columbia | Free | Get ready for a paw-some night of furry fun and ice-cold brews at Pups + Pints, where adorable pups and refreshing pints collide.*
Smoked Oyster Series | Tuesday, Oct. 10 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Smoked, 1643 Main St., Columbia | $60 | Learn to appreciate oysters like a fine wine by discovering the nuance of flavor by the climate of origin, taste, texture, and salinity.

Thursday, Oct. 12

Concert in the Gardens | Thursday, Oct. 12 | 5-7 p.m. | Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens, 1615 Blanding St., Columbia | $20 | Bring your own blanket or chairs and pack a picnic if you’d like.

Friday, Oct. 13

Oktoberfest at WeCo Bottle and Biergarten | Friday, Oct. 13-Sunday, Oct. 15 | 5-8 p.m. | WeCo Bottle and Biergarten, 626 Meeting St., West Columbia | Free | The West Columbia biergarten will double the food trucks for the weekend and have a rotation of German brews on tap.

Saturday, Oct. 14

Walk for Life & Famously Hot Pink Half Marathon + 5K | Saturday, Oct. 14 | 7:15 a.m. | Segra Park, 1640 Freed St., Columbia | $15 | Proceeds from the event will help fund the modernization of Prisma Health’s Baptist Breast Center.
Accessibility Morning at the SC State Museum | Saturday, Oct. 14, Saturday, Nov. 11, Saturday, Dec. 9 | Times vary | South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais St., Columbia | Free | Accessibility Morning returns to the State Museum on Saturday, Oct. 14 — and visitors are invited to wear costumes, enjoy trick-or-treating, shows and tours with ASL interpretation, and more.*

Friday, October 20

Boo at the Zoo | Fri., Oct. 20 - Mon., Oct. 30 | 6-9 p.m. | Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, 500 Wildlife Pkwy, Columbia | The annual family-friendly Halloween spooktacular is back with magic shows, haunted carousel rides, trick-or-treating, and more — Pro tip: Buy in advance + save up to $5 per ticket.*

New week, new events

Click here to have your event featured.

Seasonal

Events

Get ready for the fair-y best time of the year

Presented by a COLAtoday Partner

Fair goers on a ride at the South Carolina State Fair.

Pro tip: Save up to 50% when you purchase tickets at participating Circle K locations or online. | Photo provided by South Carolina State Fair

Funnel cakes and ferris wheels are living rent-free in our minds. That’s right — the South Carolina State Fair is almost here (happening Oct. 11-22).

Here’s what’s new this year:

Delish dishes

Feeling hungry (and thirsty)? Expect even more new fair foods and drinks than ever before. Enjoy 13 new savory treats, fried delights + refreshing drinks available for the first time, including a donut dog, pumpkin spice funnel cake, and Mexican corn sundae. Check out the full list.

World-class exhibitions on display

Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition: This walk-through documentary shares the untold stories of royal life, captured by the Princess’ favorite photographer, Anwar Hussein.
Remembering our Fallen: A photographic war memorial honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who succumbed to invisible wounds.

Don’t miss these new delights, plus all your #SCStateFair favorites, like:

Nearly 70 rides
The free, daily “CIRCUS at the Fair”
Hundreds of fine art submissions
Homegrown florals
Daily performances at the Pepsi Place stage
Animal showings
And more

Snag tickets + save

News Notes

Civic

Richland County will commence a $4.3 million Transportation Penny project, constructing a two-mile sidewalk along Alpine Road to enhance pedestrian safety + accessibility. The project, which includes road resurfacing, is set to be completed by August 2024 and a groundbreaking is set for October 31.

Development

Columbia Place Mall will transform into a hub for various government offices, including a 911 call center, Department of Probation and Parole, Department of Juvenile Justice, and a voter registration office. The county also intends to build a new Department of Social Services office in the former Dillard’s store space. (WLTX)

Real Estate

Rise Fitness + Wellness, a local pilates studio, is relocating to 1727 Harden St., in early 2024. The 1,250 sqft space is undergoing renovations. Broker-in-Charge Sam DeWees of DeWees Real Estate Group represented the tenant in the lease transaction.

Try This

The Guignard Brickworks Dinner, hosted by Cayce Beautification Foundation, returns for its second year on Wednesday, Oct. 25. The dinner and fundraiser will be a farm-to-table event catered by Honey River Catering + will support beautification efforts in Cayce.

Seasonal

Get your Howl-o-ween costumes ready for your furry friends and plan to attend the 9th annual Yappy Hour Howl-O-Ween costume contest at Jake’s on Devine, happening on Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. More details about the event are to come.

Community

Get to clipping, Soda Citizens. Curiosity Coffee Bar is hosting a community plant swap on Friday, Oct. 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. Bring your houseplants, potted plants, and clippings to exchange. Enjoy beverages and more during the botanical-themed evening.

Wellness

Hear this: The world’s first hearing aids featuring dual processing — and backed by cutting-edge German technology — were just unveiled. 385,000+ customers have transformed their hearing with double the power and double the clarity (plus: a 45-day, no-risk trial).*

Home

Did you know? Your HVAC system is only as reliable as the air duct system that assists it and sealing your ducts can help you get the most from your equipment: Enter: Cool Care Heating, Air, Plumbing & Refrigeration’s Duct Sealing with Aeroseal®. Learn more + schedule a sealing.*

Answered

Last week in COLAweekend we asked you about Cocky’s new entrance and told readers to vote “yay” or “nay” on whether they liked it.

Out of 236 readers, 60.6% (143) of you voted “Yay — I like it” and 39.4% (93) of you voted “Nay — I don’t like it.”

The COLAtoday readers have spoken — they approve of Cocky’s new train entrance. If you missed the poll, you may be missing COLAweekend; our once-a-week weekend edition newsletter that comes out on Thursdays at 12 p.m.

Look for it this week, featuring real estate news, weekend events, engagement elements, and interactive games like polls + puzzles.

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The Wrap

Samantha Robertson in a white shirt and grey vest

Today’s edition by:
Sam

From the editor

I love Restaurant Week. I’ve enjoyed delicious dinners from Market on Main, Gervais and Vine, and more. I can’t wait to decide where we’ll go this year — but I have my eye on Saluda’s Apple Cider Brined Pork Chop entree.

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