2020

It’s time for our annual Best of Columbia awards — and this year we shook things up a little. Our editors took out much of the groundwork for our readers by picking nominees for the reader-voted awards, and then you, our readers, turned in…

A book of prose poems that was first imagined and contributed to over 15 years ago is now coming to fruition. Mid-Missourian Walter Bargen, one of Missouri’s former poet laureates, is publishing his 24th book this August. The prose…

The last few months have shaken the business community to its foundation. While many are reeling from the instability in our local economy, it’s imperative that we find the opportunities in the shake-up. They’re there... if you look for…

During the 35 years that Tim and Toby Rost have been growing their business, they have taken their company from a small mom-and-pop landscape service to a sophisticated cluster of interrelated companies. Visitors to Superior Garden Center,…

There's no need to carry a purse without personality this season. Not when it's so easy to get your hands on an attractive array of options! In materials from luxe leather to sturdy straw, you'll find a collage of colors, plus distinctive…

It is time to harvest tomatoes. You can peel plain tomatoes and freeze or can them. You can also make salsa or tomato sauce and have them to use all winter. One of my favorite uses for tomato sauce is to top chicken parmesan. The sauce does…

Ocha Ramen, a ramen and noodle restaurant on Grindstone Parkway, opened its doors this summer and offers authentic Thai-inspired ramen dishes. Owner Sittiporn Kanthabanjong, who goes by Jenny, has lived in Columbia for four years and…

Changes are brewing at Camacho Coffee, a roasting and distribution business owned by Jesse Walters and Megan Meier-Walters. The business is expanding and will be moving early this fall to a new location at Copperstone Plaza, behind…

Grilling is a primal process, cooking outdoors over an open flame, similar to how our early cave ancestors did. It has a ritualistic flavor, and there’s often a social component, too — the gathering of family and friends to share in a…

Many Columbia businesses were on track for a record-breaking year — until this March, when the first COVID case was reported in Boone County. Health officials imposed a stay-at-home order and closed businesses deemed non-essential, such as…

Bold Red Norton Grilled w/caramelized onions French dip sandwich Short ribs London broil Pasta Bolognese Smoked brisket Pepper steak Pot roast Light Red Chambourcin Hamburger On a pizza…

If you’ve ever wondered how a guitar-playing deer made it onto a traffic box in downtown Columbia, you’ve come to the right spot. Every year, the City of Columbia hires local artists to decorate downtown’s traffic boxes not only to deter…

E-bikes (electric bikes) are everywhere. More people are riding them along the streets and trails of Columbia than ever before. But it’s a hidden trend. Spotting an e-bike on the move is tough because e-bikes look just about the same as…

"You'll think of The Paris Hours for many hours after you've finished it, haunted by its shocking ending." Paris in the 1920s was a magnet magnifique, attracting all manner of artists, both acclaimed and aspiring. It hosted the likes of…

A quaint unmanned guardhouse at each entrance signals that you’ve arrived at Arrowhead Lake Estates, a development that began in the 1990s and was originally 265 acres. Seven lots have been added to the neighborhood within the past five…

Chances are if you self-isolated because of COVID-19, you had a good, long look at your home’s interior. If you’ve found some things that need to be updated, you’re not the only one. “I’ve gotten calls from clients saying they’ve had a…

As Columbians battled their way through the stay-at-home order, personal quarantines, working from home with their spouses and schooling their kids over the past several months, one thing stood out. Well, several people and businesses stood…

Natural Bridges National Monument, located 35 miles west of Blanding, definitely qualifies as a hidden gem in southeastern Utah and a fun American Southwest adventure. The national monument offers hiking opportunities to three sandstone…

I have loved shortbread cookies since I was a kid. I love sugar, but I may love butter more. Shortbread is like the best of both worlds. I remember eating Archway shortbread cookies; all of my grandparents lived in Boonville, and for many…

With the alluring promise of swimming, boating, fishing or just simple relaxation, a lake getaway in the summer is practically a rite of passage for many Missourians. In an hour’s drive from Columbia, you can be at the Lake of the Ozarks,…