Eats, drinks and chillin' in Columbia

Okay, I didn't make it in time to check out any bands on Friday night. By the time, I got to Columbia, S.C. and hooked up with my buddy it was felt too late to do the media check in thing at the festival.

Instead sampled, Columbia's nightlife. The last time I was here, I hung in the Vista area. Last night, some friends and I went to Hunter Gatherer on Main Street. From the name of it, I thought it was going ot be a true meat-market, but it was more a folksy more rustic version of the vibe at the Evening Muse. Apparently, Hunter Gathere is one of the first brewpubs in the state. It looks like an old hardware or farm supply store, but African masks adorn the walls and beams. The doors to the bathroom are antique wood doors with stained glass. They look like something you'd find after much searching in a junkyard.

An old-timey band played on stage. I figured Hunter Gather would be all charm with average food, but I was pleasantly surprised. The grouper on a bed of stoneground yellow grits was huge and delicious. The hot black bean dip and duck over warm salad greens were also good. For desert we had a moist rum cake. The menu was small, but varied with several dishes that I wanted to return and try.

After dinner, we stopped by Delaney's Speakeasy on Saluda Avenue in Little Five Points. The area is a strip of bars where college-age students and yuppies mill spill onto the sidewalks in front of bars. It's my kind of area, not as polished as uptown, but still lively. I dug Speakeasy. If I lived here, it would be teh first place I took visitors. When you first walk in, it's long and narrow bar kind of like Liquid Lounge. The back opens to a spacious area with sofas and a gas fireplace. We huddled on a couple of oversized sofas, and ordered drinks from a reluctant server. Note: if you go, order drinks at the bar and then find a seat. Speakeasy has a huge imported bottled beer selection that rivals Hotel Charlotte. Music sets the tone, but it's not so loud that you can't have a conversation.

We finished the night at Rio Nightlife on Main. That was a mistake. It's strictly for young hip-hop fan, but what made the place whack is that It felt like a high school dance. Boys danced together and the girls danced together. It's like each group was scared to talk to each other.