DINERS DISH: Sycamore restaurant review

Sycamore, at 800 E. Broadway in Columbia's downtown District, has gradually become a Columbia favorite, offering casually-fine dining in a cozy atmosphere that's chic enough to entertain out-of-town guests and non-pretentious enough to have a regular local following. 

 

Yesterday for lunch, I had the fried oysters on warm focaccia while my seven-year-old enjoyed a grilled organic cheese sandwich.  The food was delish, but the service was slow.   Sycamore serves good, just-this-side of pricey lunch fare and for restaurants open on Mondays in Columbia, business often booms because so many other places close.   The place was packed. 

 

I've dined at Sycamore many times over the years, and bellied up to their bar more than once.   I had some bad experiences when Chef Mike Odette and his partners first opened, but it seems like the kinks were long ago worked out. 

 

Other diners share my opinion.  "I officially have a new favorite restaurant in Columbia," writes Melissa at business review site Yelp.com.   "When I'm looking to impress someone from out of town, this is where I bring them," adds Mike. 

 

But a lack of vegetarian dishes caught flack from some diners. 

 

"For what it does and how much it costs, I think there's room for improvement.  There were no vegetarian entrees the night we came and my friend was left to pick and choose among the appetizers," writes Annee from Santa Cruz. 

 

"As a vegetarian, I did not enjoy this restaurant," writes Anne K. from Columbia.  "Since they use local ingredients, it would be easy to make some awesome veggie options." 

 

I'm not a vegetarian, so I didn't notice whether or not Sycamore is light on veggie dishes. 

 

 

CHECK OUT SYCAMORE AT:

http://www.sycamorerestaurant.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/sycamore-columbia