This week I met the most amazing couple! They own the Beet Box in Columbia, MO and they are
passionate about exposing our community to culturally new foods. The owners met with us at a staff
meeting and shared their passion to help others in our community. There were a few tears around the
room as a lively discussion ensued. I enjoyed hearing their background stories and their love for culturally
diverse food. This is yet another great story of a local business reaching out to partner with the City of
Refuge to enrich the lives of refugees. I am excited to see this partnership grow!
I have to admit, I was rather bummed that they got me super excited about their middle eastern food AND
DID NOT BRING SAMPLES! To remedy the situation, I decided (because I am very opportunistic) that
my sweet sister-in-law needed a Beet Box lunch for her birthday.
I found the location easy enough even though I am directionally challenged and am new to running around
Columbia. It was nestled in a cute little out-of-the-way location with their fun logo on the exterior sign. I
walked in the door and felt instantly welcomed, and not just because the gal at the front register greeted me.
I loved the cute bar areas with overhead hanging boxes of plants and the fun print stools everywhere. I
noticed that outside seating was an option for when the weather is a bit warmer; however, some folks had
decided to brave the cool breeze because the sun was out.
The gal at the register was very helpful and pointed out the menus hanging from a string by clips. I loved the
novelty of the menus! She recommended the falafel wraps so I jumped at the chance to try something new. I
have to admit that I was more open to this new experience based on my meeting the previous day. I felt like
the owners had “thrown down the gauntlet” and challenged me to think outside the box (pun intended!)
with my eating preferences.
I stood back in a corner and watched the chefs buzz around laughing, chatting and working with co-workers.
I did see the owners working and they were shoulder to shoulder with their employees. That is always
impressive to me! It was really fun to watch them assemble the dishes but it was also slightly depressing!
They made it look so easy and I lamented my lack of skills. LOL!
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| I ordered the Falafel wrap and my sister had the hummus bowl. Yum! |
As you can see by the pictures, the food experience was amazing! I loved the new flavors, the crunchy textures
and the artful presentation. I noticed that the dishes were loaded with the middle eastern style of vegetables which
made me feel better about going out to eat. I remembered the previous day about how the owners make an effort
to source their foods from our area. It was nice to eat the food and know that I was helping more than one business
in my community.
In my limited experience as a food critic…I give it a two thumbs up rating!
All opinions expressed here are solely mine and are not a reflection of the opinions of the Americorp
VISTA program or of City of Refuge in Columbia, MO.
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