That place is good!! People from around the city flock to this place. Fried chicken and chinese food. Only in the hood!

My favorites:

Grand Lux Cafe
P.F.Chang's
Kabuki
Bombay Cafe
Havana Mania

For Soul food...TOURISTS go to Sylvia's
 

But, there are soooooooooo many better eats. (good to see other NYCers on the site! Rue 57 is cool!...more later!

Yeah, if you go to Grimaldi's down @ DUMBO (part of Brooklyn Heights - Old Fulton Street), they have a whole history of Patsy/Grimaldi's. I believe for legal reasons, the name had to be changed.

Mike Anderson's- Mike Anderson's specializes in fresh South Louisiana Seafood.

Tony's Seafood-http://tonyseafood.com/tdeli.html

Chicken Shack- serves delicious Soul Food and Po-boys

Bet R Supermarket- Serve the best hot plate soul food lunches this side of the Mississippi river.

Wait I'm in Louisiana I can take you to my Grandmother's kitchen!:D

Now the pink tea cup is my jam! Where is the Spoonbread and AMy Ruth's?

As for Thai... I think I would take you to Peeps. But then we would go uptown for some seafood at my one of my favorite two joints, Johnny's and Sammy's.

@ Laidbackfella and BigChill06...where do ya'll eat when you come to Columbia (if you do).

I don't really know many good spots other than the chain restaurants.

But, I would take you to:


Carolina Wings & Rib House
Carraba's Italian
Travinia (sp?) Italian

or Casual spots:
Stuffy's (USC's mainstay)
WG's Wings (Spring Valley)

Bert's Grill across from Benedict

The Varsity

Lizard's Thicket on Elmwood

Captain George's

Update!
 

Spoonbread has 2 locations- both uptown-
547 Lenox Ave., between W. 137th and W. 138th Sts.,
366 W 110th St near Riverside Dr.

Amy Ruth' also uptown
113 W. 116th St.
Between Lenox and Seventh Aves. 212-280-8779 www.amyruth.com


My new favorite Sushi spot-

Ruby Foo's at Time Square! (they also serve Thai)

fave local Imma eat by myself if I feel like it Thai spot- Bangkok Thai- on in midtown

Okay, so I've never eaten there...but I'm gonna go ahead and say that most any mom & pop joint in a 2 block vicinity of a HBCU HAS to have good grub!

Athens, GA

Weaver D's "Automatic for the People" (where REM got a title)
-soul

Achim's K-Bob
-German/Turkish - doesn't sound all that great but OH it is!!

Johnny Carino's
-chain Country Italian - mmm mmm gooooood!

Columbia was my 2nd home during my college days. I went back in 2001 and I went to California Dreaming. The food was soooo yummy. I loved the decor as well.

Re: Update!
 

Then girl you need to check out SPICE. There are several locations and they all have like this ecclectic vibe. Peeps is soho-chic but Spice has an identity all its own.

I am gonna check out Amy Ruth and Spoonbread.

GIRLLLLL...the croissants are to KILL for! :D I will go to California Dreaming just to get an order of bread. :o I love their salads also. Where did you do your undergrad?

I went to Spelman. But, my roommate was from Columbia, so we would go "home" all the time.