Table Crumbs: The evolution of the pop up in Columbia, Bierkeller negotiating lease – Charleston Post Courier

Editors note: Table Crumbs is an occasional roundup of a weeks serving worth of Columbia food news, in brief.

Foodie bookie: Free Times has dove twice into Taste The State, the one part cookbook-one part food history book from the University of South Carolinas David Shields and chef Kevin Mitchell. The book details the states essential foods and their history, and now it has won a prestigious food book award. The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, which awards one countrys book in each category, named Taste the State as the top U.S. food tourism book. It will now compete for the global award.

Cake boss: Nothing Bundt Cakes, the bakery chain that specializes in (you guessed it) bundt cakes, opened its third Columbia-area location on Monday. The newest location is in Village at Sandhills, according to a Facebook post. Assuming its like other locations, its a bundt extravaganza, with options ranging from tiered bundt cakes to Bundtinis (cupcake-sized bundt cakes.)

Miracle on Main is the natural evolution of the pop-up

Amid a shower of Christmas lights and wreaths, the former Main Street Public House has been transformed on Columbias Main Street for the rest of the month.

Its now temporarily known as Miracle on Main, a Christmas-themed cocktail bar pop-up that has similar month-long stints in numerous spots around the country. Only here until the end of December, its the latest adaptation of the pop-up concept that has been a hit in the food world for some time.

In the new year, Miracle on Main will convert to the newest outpost of Prohibition, a Charleston-based whiskey bar.

The goal for us is, (this is) Prohibitions introduction to the Columbia community, said Tyler Rothenberg, a consultant with the bar who helped open the Charleston's outpost Miracle and connected Prohibition's owners to the Miracle concept.

Miracle is a somewhat upscale affair, despite its intentionally kitschy digs. The drinks all begin at least at $13 and shots run $9. The drinks are, as you might expect, very thematic. Theres the Christmaspolitan (which features Vodka, St. Germain, spiced cranberry sauce and more) and the On Dasher (which has gin, egg white and marshmallow, among other ingredients.)

The bar, which is open in Charleston and has pop-ups throughout the world, is mostly identical to other Miracle locations. The pop-ups are done through a licensing agreement, Rothenberg explained, and they each share similar aesthetics and drinks. In addition to serving seasonal drinks, the place also sells merchandise like the mugs or glasses some drinks come in.

The differences come from the city and the other options food, mainly.

Its one of those things that when you walk into a Walmart, you walk into a Walmart, theres different people, theres different smiles, different energy, he said. I think though the goal is for you to walk into Miracle on Main in Columbia and know youre in a Miracle pop-up bar. Its also to embody the specific energy and community of Columbia.

Miracle is the only pop-up that Rothenberg, who said he has been involved with multiple pop-up concepts, knew with as many locations as Miracle.

Pop-ups, though, more generally have a lengthy history in the food scene and one that was initially more underground.

In Columbia, chef and caterer Scott Hall is perhaps the main purveyor of pop-up style events in the city.

There is a certain temporary and highly stylized nature to pop-ups that he feels makes them distinct from more general events. For example, a one-night wine dinner or something in that vein, wouldnt quite qualify, the operator of the former Bone-In Barbecue said.

In the past, and with what he hopes to bring back, Hall held X Marks the Spot dinner events and frequently hosts drag brunches. The X Marks the Spot was an adventure-like ordeal, where participants would find clues around town that directed them to the final location, where their meal was held.

He pointed to roughly 2006 as when he first started noticing them. At that time, they were largely in bigger cities like Los Angeles and he going to ones where the chefs geld them in non-restaurant spaces and served things like game meat.

This sort of thing that happens in a snapshot, then its totally gone it really, because of that, it felt special and kind of underground and kind of potentially illegal, Hall shared. That kind of romanticism is what people got excited about.

Hall lauded and lamented the sprawling nature of the Miracle pop-up, with its wide number of spots doing it.

He was uncertain of any other pop-up that has that breadth and described it as exciting, despite it not quite hitting on his underground descriptor of pop-ups a characteristic he said helped foster innovation, something that is more difficult in a financially minded atmosphere.

This is pretty darn corporate, which I feel is at odds with the real spirit and fun of a pop-up, this is corporate as heck, he said. But I dont think that should necessarily take away from the fun of it, the excitement of it, I certainly feel like we need something like this.

I think this is kind of the natural pop-up and progression of where these come from, he continued.

Rothenberg agreed that some pop-ups like Miracle could be seen as slightly commercial but contended that Miracle opens the door for Columbia to experience something new.

I think what is important is to bring the same energy that you experience from a larger market, he concluded. Whats special about a large scale pop-up like Miracle, the community has an opportunity to feel the excitement and continue to go on with their life."

Bierkeller Columbias brewery is ready to go, once the lease is signed.

In September, Scott Burgess met with Columbia policymakers to secure a $100,000 economic development grant. The goal was the build out Bierkeller Columbias first brick-and-mortar brewery.

That plan is still on track, though currently in negotiations before construction and other work can being. Burgess reported that they have the framework and verbally agreed to contracts with a construction company and architect. The only thing left is the most important signing a lease.

I imagine there are people out there who are super euphoric when theyre starting out. They want to get stuff going and you get excited about the beer and introducing it to the public, said Burgess, the brewery owner and lead brewer, said. I dont want to say were more cautions, but were taking a huge step and want to do it right.

While its been over two months since that initial announcement, Burgess said he was as optimistic as before that things were moving along the right path. Hes being tight-lipped as usual about the plans other specifics, too, again declining to say where the brewery will be specifically.

Were still just staying the same thing as before. As close to the riverfront area were known for.

Burgess is still targeting a fall 2022 opening for the brewery, which he said will be unlike other breweries in the area, from its German-only brewing ethos to its aesthetic.

He said they wont include much of the brewery aesthetic that people expect, specifying repurposed wood and tin as things theyre avoiding.

A lot of people have these same preconceived notions of breweries, Burgess said. I have to be conscious of, in the same way we were in the beginning ... this is that times 20. Because there are 20 pieces more to the puzzles that people here havent seen.

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Table Crumbs: The evolution of the pop up in Columbia, Bierkeller negotiating lease - Charleston Post Courier