Jillian's, Alfresco Mobilista, Miss Cocky among restaurants, vendors at fourth-annual festival
An acoustic cover of Kanye West’s “Heartless” rang through the Vista, as children sat on the sidewalk curbs with Rita’s and Marble Slab in hand. Andouille sausage seared grill-top on the corner of Gervais and Lincoln, and Nonnah’s chicken croissants and cheesecake lined the Liberty corridor.
Viva la Vista took to the streets of downtown Columbia Sunday afternoon, marking the fourth year of the food, drink and music festival.
Boasting 24 restaurants and a handful of retailers and craft booths, the festival filled Gervais Street with tents and on-tap beer trailers. Three stages — one labeled the children’s stage next to Whit-Ash — hosted Columbia bands, and balloon animals and stiltwalking entertainer Lanky Lou added to the fun of the family-fit afternoon.
Festivalgoers bought tokens at $1 per token, or 20 or more for a discounted rate, to taste the restaurants’ sample-sized fares.
Jillian’s stole the corner spot with chef Alfie Owens, who’s been with the restaurant since their opening 14 years ago, sautéing skillets full of the tent’s crowd-favorite sausage and chicken pasta.
The Vista restaurant, bar and game room also served their dippin’ nachos, Kahlua pork sliders and spinach dip with flatbread.
“I picked some unique items,” Carl Greb, Jillian’s general manager, said. “Our flatbread is fantastic, and there aren’t too many other people who do flatbread.”
Jillian’s also had a punching bag set up in front of their stop, with the restaurant’s swag available for high score-breaks, and $3 game cards for all participants.
“It’s all a part of our eat, drink, play concept,” Greb said.
Alfresco Mobilista made their Viva debut, building a line in front of their booth in the Blue Marlin corridor, with shrimp sliders, pork tacos and Mobilista bleu chips.
Mobilista founders Adams and Julie “soon-to-be” Haynes kept the grill going — Julie joking about the people who started lining up at 11:30, before the festival’s noon opening, for the food truck’s signature chips.
Although this was Alfresco Mobilista’s first time at the restaurant corral, it was Adams’ second year, previously serving as the head chef at Blue Marlin.
Then there was the umbrella hat that could be spotted a mile away. Eric Boatwright, who worked at Viva la Vista the past two years as a Motor Supply Company Bistro server, enjoyed his first Viva la Vista as a guest.
To shield himself from the sun, Boatwright sported his South of the Border umbrella cap.
“I like when they close down the streets, and you can walk around, listen to music, drink beer and eat food,” Boatwright said.
Boatwright said the on-tap beer was his festival favorite, also trying zpizza’s pepperoni pie, noting how happy he was with the festival’s change from Saturday to Sunday — it had been held on Saturday for the past three years.
Nick and Toni Dorsey brought their two kids to the festival, making their rounds through the restaurant booth lines to sample the best. Nick crowned Ruth’s Chris barbecue sliders and Toni cited Nonnah’s chicken croissants as the tastiest of the bunch.
“The actual restaurants are too expensive — it’s all cheaper here,” Toni said. “And, places like Ruth’s Chris, you can’t bring the kids.”
And although the retail showing wasn’t as large, Miss Cocky displayed their bedazzled Gamecock gear and Jennifer Miner and Teri Smith showcased their handmade jewelry.
The live music added a lot to the afternoon with dueling stages — one at the end of the Marlin corridor and the other on the end of the opposing Liberty corridor.
DayClean, an R&B, soul and funk group from Columbia, opened up the day on stage one with their eclectic mix of beats. In addition to their acoustic guitar and cello-driven originals, the duo shined with covers of Kanye West’s “Heartless” and Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
Outside of the food, music and retail, Viva la Vista also took on a philanthropic edge with their first ever Doctors Care 5k Dash to the Vista. The race, which started at 10 a.m., benefited the community healthcare organization, sending participants on a track down Lincoln, around the Greek Village and back to the starting site.
Jane and Ken Petrie ran the 5k and spent the afternoon checking out DayClean as well as the Sakitumi and Blue Marlin booths.
“It’s nice — a good day. And there are a lot of good booths,” Ken said, noting that they will both be running in next year’s race as well.
Viva la Vista gave life to the Vista, bringing together the culture, music and food it’s known for with a little community good feeling.
And, at the end of the day, how many afternoons can be spent with trailers full of the best “gourmet” beers, expertly-crafted balloon animals and bedazzled Gamecocks?