August 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…