Cool Stuff, New Restaurants, and an Art Exhibit in Columbia

Cool Stuff – 819 E Walnut Street – CoolStuffLand.com

Arnie Fagan opened Cool Stuff for the first time in 1988 in downtown Columbia. It remained open until 2012 as a one-stop for everything eclectic, unique, and, well, cool. “I was the king of stuff for so many years, and I traveled all over the world buying stuff,” Arnie Fagan, the owner of Cool Stuff, says. Now the shop has made a comeback in Columbia for a short period of time. The Cool Stuff pop-up shop is located on Walnut Street and is open until December 31. You can find everything from genuine African art to sterling silver jewelry, finger puppets, and fossils. 

“It’s really something to see,” Arnie says. “It’s kind of like a museum as well. I think those are some of the things I would highlight that you just cannot find anywhere else and you just can’t buy at Walmart and you can’t get it on Amazon. It’s just one of a kind stuff. It’s very special.” 

And it’s all on a massive sale. For the last several years, Arnie has lived in Thailand. In March, he came back to Columbia to file taxes only to find out he was soon stuck here because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so his family came here too. In September, he decided to go into his storage and bring out all of the merchandise one last time. He’s been unpacking boxes ever since. Cool Stuff is open seven days a week from 11 AM until 6 PM. 

The Brassy Bird – TheBrassyBird.com

Have you ever heard of a virtual restaurant? If not, it may be a term you want to familiarize yourself with in. In the face of the pandemic, these types of restaurants—where there is no dining room and it is delivery only—are becoming increasingly popular. The Brassy Bird was created by Coley’s owner Brian Coley. The menu features a large selection of fried chicken sandwiches like the Hot Chicken with hot sauce, handcrafted ranch, pickles, and creamy garlic slaw, the Brunchy Bird with brie, apples, and honey, and a few salads, too. The open date is still to be determined, but it should be ready for business toward the end of December. 

Masters Exhibit: Picasso at Sager Braudis Gallery – 1025 E Walnut Street – SagerBraudisGallery.com

Pablo Picasso was a prolific Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and theater designer. He had a long career with more than twenty thousand pieces of work, which are often grouped into periods. Now Sager Braudis is hosting an exhibit with many pieces of his work available for viewing and purchase, including Femme a la collerette (Woman with Collar), Paysage de Dinard (Landscape of Dinard), and the clay ceramic Tête de femme, couronnée de fleurs (Woman’s Head, Crowned with Flowers). This exhibit is available to see by appointment until December 26. Email [email protected] to set up an appointment. Drinks provided by Les Bourgeois Vineyards and N H Scheppers Distributing. 

Delia’s Mexican Grill – 201 N 10th Street

A brand new Mexican restaurant has opened downtown. Delia’s took over the intimate space on Tenth Street near Cafe Berlin. The menu consists of traditional Mexican meals like fajita nachos and molcajete along with more unique items like the street fries, which are loaded fries with your choice of meat and queso, cilantro, guacamole, pico de gallo, and cotija cheese. There’s bar and table seating and two televisions inside of the restaurant. Delia’s Mexican Grill is open 11 AM–9 PM Monday through Sunday.

Wicked Asian Wings –  807 E Walnut St –  WickedAsianWings.business.site 

Wicked Asian Wings opened this fall on Walnut Street (right next to the Cool Stuff pop-up).  Choose from boneless or bone-in wings and thirteen different flavors including honey garlic sriracha and spicy thai. There are plenty of sides available too that you won’t typically find at other wing shops like crab rangoon, egg rolls, and fried rice. The restaurant is open for dine in, carryout, or delivery through DoorDash.