DINERS DISH: Windows on the world -- and CoMo's best margarita -- at Tellers

'Ritas, wraps, and fine art make this eatery a fave

 

COLUMBIA, 3/12/13 (Review) -- At the happening corner of Broadway and 9th downtown, Tellers may be Columbia's best-situated restaurant. It offers great seats for people watching, especially on warm summer evenings with a table near the windows; tasty, reasonably-priced food; and CoMo's best margaritas.

That last part might be Tellers best-kept secret: I didn't believe it until I tried one, a house bar specialty.

With the 'ritas, I like Tellers wraps, an assortment of reasonably-priced but substantially-filling entrees wrapped in spinach, tomato, or white tortillas. The Coconut-Curried Braised Pork Wrap, at $6.99, was the hit of my evening a few weeks ago. Shredded cabbage and a cilantro-cucumber sauce give it punch. I also like the Black Bean Veggie And Rice Wrap with provolone, homemade salsa, and sour cream ($6.00); and the Steak & Portobella-Provolone Wrap, with onion, bell peppers, and homemade salsa ($7.75).

 

My wife likes Tellers' take-off on Build - A - Bear: Create a Salad. Start with lettuce and add from 23 items including croutons, goat cheese, kalamata olives, and hardboiled egg.

 

A nearby table looked like out-of-towners, a common sight at Tellers. Students and locals bring parents and guests for the full dinner menu, which features traditional favorites like Beef Tenderloin Filet ($22.00), Grilled Pork Loin ($14.00), and more exotic fare like Pan Served Wild Red Yellowfin Tuna ($17.00).

 

Formally named "Tellers Gallery and Bar," diners are sure to see more than just the people-watching show at the windows. When we visited in February, Columbia artist Kate Gray and Don Asbee, a metal sculptor from the Ashland-Hartsburg area, had teamed up for a show of combined forms and mediums.

 

All around the room, Gray's paintings glistened, with Asbee's inlaid copper work in the restaurant's dusky light. Gallery and restaurant patrons enjoyed an evening of visual -- and victual -- treats.

 

 

More about Tellers

http://www.allmenus.com/mo/columbia/285312-tellers-gallery--bar/menu/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tellers-gallery-and-bar-columbia