Ahla w sahla! (Welcome) to Al Amir – Columbia, SC

Sorry it’s just a regular wood fried pizza…nothing Middle Eastern about it but it was good

One thing I enjoy is trying international food.  Now, nothing too off the beaten path like Chinese cat or other animal J

I was turned on to al Amir by a friend who had the same taste in food I do.  Breads, spice, and curries are my thing…and thankfully hers too! 

Al Amir is a Middle Eastern restaurant hidden on Main Street in a small little strip of other food places. 

Now I’ll warn you, parking sucks!  And be careful when driving around cause you’ll have college kids coming out from everywhere.  Guess that’s why they picked that location, definitely gets a lot of traction. 

The décor is totally Middle Eastern at the entrance only.  Would be nice if they carried it throughout the restaurant.  From the hookahs to the gold framed doors to the pictures and other nick nacks…it is nice.  Apparently the owner actually brought these pieces from overseas so they are authentic.

The cooks are authentic and it surely tells in the food.  The hummus is delish and has just enough heat for me.  Ask them to make it even spicer & they are happy to accommodate.  The Damascus bread is the best…and a large portion so be ready to share.  You could have the hummus and bread as your entrée.  The falafel is ok but I’ve had better.  Unfortunately, the falafel I had looked & tasted like it was over done.  And no pita pockets…..just on pita bread.  The cucumber & yogurt sauce could use some heat too.  The pizzas are nice.  I had the Al Amir cheese wood fried pizza.  A little surprised to see pizza on the menu though.  Thinking this Al Amir pizza would have some spices or sauces from the Middle East is a mistake.  It’s just a regular pizza.  If you want Middle Eastern pizza, order the Lebanese one.

Good non alcoholic beverages though I wish they had the mango drink that was featured on their menu board for the day. 

Good atmosphere and definitely a Gamecock hangout.  The place is full of students and professors of all ethnicities.  Staff is friendly and quick.

Not a bad place to try!

 

 

 

Cola’s Rocks!

Oh my gosh…this can feed a few people!

Martini dessert

Wow…jalepeno martini don’t try unless you can handle lot’s of spicy & stiff drink

Today, I’m sharing about a great restaurant in Columbia, SC. A wonderful new restaurant on Assembly Street, Cola’s is fantastic!
Located in what looks like an old, rustic building, it’s actually an old warehouse. The glass garage door is open letting in the spring weather. And of course, we made sure to have the best seat in the house….right at the garage door!
The bar is full of every alcohol you can imagine including Cola’s own infused vodkas, citrus and jalapeño. And I, along with another friend, dared to try the jalapeño martini! And wow…what a kick. After a few sips, I had to go to my go to drink, Cosmo with the citrus infused vodka. Wonderful! The Lemon Drop martini was great too along with the strawberry mojito…bartenders definitely know how to mix a drink & were very liberal with the alcohol 
Appetizers were plentiful and nothing we ordered was wrong. From the spicy asparagus, egg rolls, and hummus….every plate was finished. And I especially liked the asparagus with sesame seeds and Asian sauce.

And I must say, the salads were outta this world. And that’s huge because I’m anti green…especially when it comes to salads. Check out the Hearts of Romaine lettuce!

The entrees were nice & fresh though I wasn’t too thrilled with mine. Ordered spicy rub chicken, without the bone, and they were very accommodating. However, the chicken looked like it was burned though it didn’t have that taste, believe the rub was just too dark. And it was very dry. I like my meat juicy and this was not. The sides were great…roasted garlic potatoes and mac & cheese. Oh my, the mac & cheese was fresh and loaded with cheese. And if the chicken was eaten with mac & cheese bite, wasn’t too bad.

Ahhhh…and that brings me to the best part of the meal….dessert! As a group of 7, we ordered a few and shared them. The coconut cake, with toasted coconut, was good but I’m a chocolate lover. And we had plenty of chocolate to go around. The layers of chocolate brownie and mouse served in a martin glass was good. But the crème de la crème was the dark and light chocolate cakes served with coffee bean ice cream. I couldn’t stop eating it especially since I had Remy Martin with it! The bread pudding is ok but again not my cup of tea.

The service is phenomenal! A sommelier to help us select our wine, a well educated waitress who knew every dish & drink like the back of her hand, and the manager who is always checking on us to ensure we had everything needed. And let me add, the wines were great…thanks to our own personal sommelier in our group.

The atmosphere is wonderful…the restaurant and bar was full starting 5:30 pm. Though a little pricey, it’s a wonderful restaurant that I will definitely visit again when in Columbia!