The Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and its host Guy Fieri — he of the hair like a gelled baby chick’s — will be filming an episode at local restaurant Pawley’s Front Porch this week.

The show will visit the casual Five Points eatery this Thursday, Oct. 29.
 

The Breach Inlet burger at Pawley’s. File photo

Chef Kyle Taylor says the network selected the restaurant because of its “creative hamburgers,” which include the Caw Caw Creek burger, the Sullivan’s burger and the Fripp Island burger. (In March, Free Times’ own Tad Trencherman took on the restaurant’s six-inch-high, half-pound Wadmalaw burger.)

I’ve also been told the Farmer’s Shed in Lexington, which serves homestyle comfort food and homemade bakery items, among other things, will be featured on the show. However, an employee at the Farmer’s Shed said she couldn’t speak to the media about the show and would not confirm the news.

We’ve been watching the selection process carefully here at Free Times. A few months ago, Columbia was all aflutter as Food Network researchers combed our town looking for restaurants to feature. They interviewed establishments as diverse as the Blue Cactus, Cock N’ Bull, Hunter-Gatherer, Drake’s Duck-In, Compton’s Kitchen and Pasta Fresca. They contacted Free Times, the blog Columbia’s Lunch Review and other media sources. They asked for suggestions on the Chow message board. And they received a number of recommendations from Free Times’ readers and staff, including me and section editor Ron Aiken.

Their stated criteria? The network wanted restaurants that were original or creative in some way, family owned, not chains and open for several years. More than one restaurant I heard from in August was told it hadn’t been open long enough to qualify for the show.

Oddly, Pawley’s Front Porch comes nowhere close to meeting the age criterion, as it only opened in February of this year. City councilman Kirkman Finlay, who owns the restaurant, opened it in the same location as the Congaree Grill, which he co-owned and which failed and closed down in January.

I congratulate Pawley’s Front Porch on its selection — it will be wonderful to have local restaurants get national attention. Let’s hope it brings attention to some other worthy Columbia-area restaurants, too.


A Week of Garlic at Goatfeathers

To celebrate Halloween and ward off vampires, Goatfeathers is celebrating its 15th Annual Garlic Week. Stop by the bar and restaurant and help them out. You’ve got until Sunday, when the promotion ends.

And just what does Garlic Week have in store? As in years past, the kitchen has put together a garlic-heavy special menu.

There’s bagna calda, an oily, garlicky, anchovy-filled Italian dipping sauce. There’s garlic onion soup, garlic fries and mussels in a creamy garlic sauce. There’s even — get ready — roasted garlic and honey ice cream.

Even better, all this garlicky deliciousness is 25-percent off during happy hour, which Goatfeathers considers 5:30 to 7 p.m.

No word on whether the bar has invented any garlic-infused cocktails to match the menu.

Goatfeathers is in Five Points at 2017 Devine Street.  


Let us know what you think: Email food@free-times.com.