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a food fight Hey MOVErs and ‘Eaters, When I was a kid, I always wanted to start a food fight. I didn’t want to deal with the mess, of course, but I really just wanted to fling around spaghetti like I was in a cartoon.

In lieu of actually fighting with food, I’ve spent the last two weeks watching other people battle by binge-watching my way through “Chopped,” one of the most exciting Food Network shows to hit Netflix since “Food Network Stars.”

This wasn’t in preparation for the food issue or anything; I’m just a Food Network super-fan. Nothing makes me hungrier than watching some good ol’ “Cutthroat Kitchen” at 2 a.m. while shamefully eating my second cup of Easy Mac. The best part about these shows is the competition (sorry, Barefoot Contessa), and that’s the vibe we’re going for in this issue. We’re pitting Columbia restaurants against each other, Harold’s Doughnuts against Strange Donuts, Pizza Tree against Gumby’s and Shakespeare's. If you’re ever wondering late at night which CoMo delicacy you should choose, we’ll help you decide.

Want to know what Harold’s is like when they’re making doughnuts in the early morning? We’ve got that covered. Feeling homesick? Check out our compilation of family recipes. Don’t be afraid to step outside the dining halls and check out Columbia’s food scene. You may come away with a new favorite ice cream flavor or a favorite date spot.

So enjoy, MOVErs. Go buy yourself a piece of pizza and a cupcake. You deserve it.

Food, love and those little chocolate kiss things,

Katie

COMO FOOD SHOPS BATTLE TO SEE WHICH IS THE BEST EATERY.

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Gumby’s, Shakespeare’s and Pizza Tree battle it out to see which pie is supreme.

These sugary shops are sure to satisfy your inner sweet-lover.

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Check out our full stories at move.themaneater.com.

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Rise and shine:

A morning at Harold’s Doughnuts

Pros: doughnuts.

Cons: waking up at 5 a.m.

REGINA ANDERSON Staff Writer Being awake at 5 a.m. is similar to being awake at 5 p.m. during the winter. It’s pitch black and you’re not quite sure what you’re doing awake.

Luckily, the Harold’s Doughnuts workers are used to it.

The kitchen was already busy with activity. Five people worked at different stations, intently focused on their tasks.

They had to have 16 different kinds of donuts ready by 6 a.m., so there was no time to lose. No one talked but it wasn’t quiet.

A pop radio station played over the speaker system, filling the space with the sounds of Maroon 5’s “Sugar” and mixing with the whirring of machines in the kitchen.

One of Harold’s’ defining features is that they make everything from scratch, or, at least everything they can without impeding the process too much. The doughnuts are made fresh every morning starting at 1 a.m. They make their own sprinkles and once made their own Butterfingers as well. When the doughnut of the month was Mexican Hot Chocolate, they made the marshmallows themselves.

That’s why the people in the kitchen never really stop.

When someone is done with decorating, they’ll move on to displaying things. When they are done with the display, they’ll start working on packaging orders.

Katlyn Garrett, who is in charge of rolling and cutting the dough, had already been working for five hours. Her shift started at 1 a.m. and everyone else trickled in after her.

Garrett worked at a station right in front of the window, facing the street. A white hat kept blonde hair out of her face as she worked with the dough, rolling it out and cutting it into the familiar doughnut shape.

Harold’s uses two types of dough: yeast dough and cake dough. The yeast dough is what everyone thinks of when they think of a doughnut. It’s not easy to work with. You can roll it out as much as you want but until it’s ready, it won’t work for you, Amy Winschel, the general manager, says. You have to work for it.

After Garrett is done cutting the doughnuts, the dough goes into the proof box, where the dough rises. As the dough sits, the yeast and salt fight back and forth, which gives the doughnut its airiness.

Scott Jost, dressed casually in an orange shirt and striped beanie, came in at 2 a.m. His job is to work the fryer. He takes the doughnuts that are ready from the proof box and puts them into the fryer.

Frying yeast dough is pretty straightforward. The way to fry cake dough, though, is an fascinating process. There’s a contraption that looks like a mixing bowl hanging over the boiling oil in the fryer. Jost pours the cake dough mix in, and uses a lever to drop it into the fryer in a doughnut shape.

Joey Kopp, in a striped sweatshirt and blue baseball

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

Finished maple bacon doughnuts line the counter of Harold’s Doughnuts right before the store opens April 14.

cap, was the next one to come in at 3:30 a.m. He helps decorate the dougnuts and does the early morning deliveries, like the one to Columbia Regional Airport.

There’s a little shop there that sells coffee and Harold’s Doughnuts. At 4 a.m., Nick Meyer comes in and joins the decorating team.

The last person to come in at 5 a.m. was

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

Freshly fried doughnuts get glazed before sunrise at Harold’s Doughnuts on Ninth Street on April 14. The workers at Harold’s Doughnuts will typically start the doughnut-making process around 1 a.m. and will make anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 doughnuts before the doors open at 6 a.m.

Winschel. She normally comes in whenever extra help is needed. This day in particular, she was multitasking, decorating, setting up displays and answering questions.

Right at open, two construction workers in bright yellow safety vests walked in, ordered two doughnuts and then left.

It’s almost as if someone hit a switch at 6 a.m. People started appearing in the streets and walking by Harold’s as the first hints of light began to appear. A group of four runners came into the shop next, cheerful for this early in the morning. The man who ordered the doughnuts for the group chatted with Winschel behind the counter, and left with two small boxes and a bag.

“You bought the whole store!” his friend joked as they turned to leave.

At 6:34 a.m., the kitchen behind Winschel was empty and quiet for the first time since Garrett walked in at 1 a.m. The counters were cleaned off, the machines weren’t whirring and no one was by their stations.

The break didn’t last for long. It was 6:38 a.m. when the kitchen in Harold’s was just starting to come back to life.

MOVE FOOD Which CoMo pie reigns supreme?

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AMANDA BATTMER Reporter It’s no secret that Columbia is home to a plethora of widely adored pizza options. From the notorious Shakespeare’s to the laymen’s Domino’s, picking a number to dial when craving a late night bite to eat can be a bit overwhelming.

MOVE ranked the most popular pie stops to put an end to your pizza decision-making turmoil, because it’s time to invest in a greater tomorrow (one of delicious leftover pizza).

Pizza Tree

CoMo doughnut wars end now BRI CONSIDINE Staff Writer

Once upon a long time ago (last year, to be exact), two shops of a similar nature opened in Columbia, and the town’s breakfast game has never been the same since. That winter warmed up with the debut of Harold’s Doughnuts and Strange Donuts, which craft creative concoctions from scratch early

Harold's Doughnuts Besides bearing the proper spelling of the confection’s name, Harold’s brings a strong fight to the doughnut battle. With their fluffierdough uppercut and their bigger-size sucker punch, Harold’s has one up on Strange. It also helps that the shop was grandfathered into coziness with its background story rooted in owner Michael Urban’s family. He named the shop after his grandpa Harold, whose mother made homemade doughnuts. This history mixes well with their cozier, softly lit atmosphere and friendly staff.

Coffee

This is an important doughnut and breakfast staple that cannot be overlooked. When paired well, the coffeeand-pastry combo can be a breadwinner or a deal-breaker for any bakery. Harold’s blend is literally “Harold’s Blend” by Columbia’s own Fretboard Coffee. It is a nice, well-rounded medium roast with slightly smoky and nutty undertones. The flavor is not so bold that it overpowers the doughnuts, and it stands well on its own.

Glazed

This classic stands as a true test for doughnut-making. Getting a glazed

every morning. With an abundance of all these starchy sweets, it can be hard to choose which shop’s to consume. After thorough analysis and scientific methodology (read: stuffing my face), I have begrudgingly reached a conclusion to fill the holes in the “doughnut war” once and for all.

doughnut wrong is like taking points from Gryffindor; it just violates the natural flow of things. Luckily, Harold’s glazed beauties withstood the test. Their nonchalant flavor is just as mellow as a glazed doughnut should be; it doesn’t stand out, but it is fluffy, doughy perfection with just a little gooey glaze to sweeten it up. They give the classic the justice it deserves.

Craft

I tried quite a few of the craft doughnuts and was delighted to find even and balanced flavors that meshed well together. Nary a one was too dry or unsatisfactory. The best? The chocolate peanut butter cake doughnut. Although rich and borderline

Strange Donuts Much like the slang-strung title betokens, Strange Donuts is both strange and too hip for the classic mom-and-pop feel Harold’s rocks.

The store is of St. Louis origin and shares a space downtown with Seoul Taco (also from the Gateway City).

Inside, the atmosphere is a little colder and industrial.

It was desolate when I visited on an early Saturday morning. But if the craft’s the game, Strange has a couple of power hits stored up.

Coffee

This “Strange Brew,” as it is christened, has a tantalizing twist on a dark roast. Despite Strange’s website clearly stating this as a Kuva coffee, they were advertising Kaldi’s upon my visit. Regardless of the mystery roaster, the roast itself was smoother and not as savory as Harold’s. There were definite fruity undertones, which deviated from what I would normally drink, but it matched the sweetness of the doughnuts perfectly.

decadent, the flavors did not overpower each other and quenched my Reese’s craving promptly. The worst? Although the blueberry citrus cake doughnut was a little off (too much blueberry, not enough citrus), I was more disappointed with the maple bacon doughnut. The bacon was fresh and crispy, but its smoky savor clashed with the sweet maple, which was hardly detectable.

Nevertheless, Harold’s impressed me more than the last time I tried their creations. There is no striking out for them this round.

Glazed

Even Strange’s classics have a weird way about them.

Straying from the traditionally fluffy and homemade glazed doughnut, this one is lighter and fruitier (remember when I said the coffee matched the flavors? Everything is fruit here). It was a taste I would try again, but, honestly, it fell a little short of the glaze glamour Harold’s offered and was reminiscent of a store-bought confection.

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

A slice of Pizza Tree’s sausage pizza sits on a plate at their storefront in downtown Columbia on April 18.

Shakespeare's Pizza Don’t deny your tastebuds the truth. Shakespeare’s has been voted winner of the “Best Bites: College Edition” on Good Morning America. It’s worked its way into the heart of Columbia and has become the town’s model pizza restaurant. It has three locations and has even reached beyond its (temporary) home on Eighth Street with its frozen pies. Shakespeare’s captures the essence of MU, and yeah, the pizza is pretty good. But is it the best?

If you don’t find the flavor that really speaks to you, the pie here isn’t necessarily best-in-the-nation worthy. Sure, the handtossed dough and fresh toppings are hard to compete with. What really makes this a restaurant to remember, though, isn’t the pizza itself but the atmosphere.

Shakespeare’s will almost always have a long wait, since a lot of hype leads to a lot of customers. The pizza-hungry crowds and prime location between the columns and downtown produce the obvious college-town vibe. That and a slice of “The Masterpiece” is enough to keep any customer coming back for more.

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

One of Shakespeare’s classic lunch slices, a sausage pizza slice, sits on the outdoor patio at their temporary location on Eighth Street in downtown Columbia on April 18.

Craft

To offer a valid comparison, I purchased a lot of doughnuts similar to those I had eaten at Harold’s. I had been originally pulling for Strange Donuts’ sweet victory, but their doughnuts did not stand up as well as Harold’s. Their maple bacon “done,” as they call them, had more of a maple flavor than their competitor’s, but the bacon obviously came precooked out of a box (I work at Shakespeare’s Pizza and, sorry to disappoint, but we use the same bacon bits). Surprisingly, it tasted better, but the lack of freshness threw me for a severe, torturous, 10-hour Nyan Cat-like loop. Their gooey butter doughnut (a staple St. Louis flavor, through and through) tasted Paula Deen-approved (too much butter, not enough gooey). It was as bland as Kristen Stewart’s acting.

Now that I ripped that bandage off, I have to say that their cake doughnuts were everything a cake doughnut should be. Soft, crumbly and moist with just the right amount of flavor. The best one? The Key lime doughnut. It tasted like the middle of summertime with a meringue-esque frosting to balance out the tartness. The worst? The black forest doughnut. Despite its fancy cherry compote (or jam...I’m not sure which one it was) and cocoa powder dusting, it tasted like a chocolate doughnut with vanilla icing; it was good, but it just missed the mark.

Gumby's Pizza It’s all in the crust. What sets this pizza joint above them all is the perfectly bready-dough and, honestly, the cheaper prices. The restaurant has two locations in Columbia, the closest to campus being their spot on East Broadway.

Gumby’s claim to fame is likely their “Stoner Pie,” a cheese pizza topped with pepperoni, bacon, mozzarella sticks and french fries (if you get this, just make sure you’re really stoned). The menu is bigger and includes “Pokey Stix” (garlic cheese bread), calzones, pepperoni rolls and wings.

The restaurant itself is nice, and like many other pizza spots in CoMo, it has some pretty fun artwork. This pie is perfect for delivery, too, and there are loads of weekly deals perfect for students. Midweek madness (buy a medium cheese pizza, get one free) on Wednesdays and 75-cent wings on Thursdays are just a couple of their drool-worthy specials.

Plus, their cheese is perfectly melted. I’d stop the world and melt with you, Gumby’s.

The Winner:

The Winner:

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMIL LIPPE

he battle was rough and espoused many casualties (namely my diet), but the clear winner was Harold's. Its atmosphere was more inviting and its doughnuts more enticing. It didn’t win Inside Columbia's Best Place to Get Doughnuts two years in a row for nothing. The most important thing to remember, though, is that the true winner is just doughnuts. Whether old-‐fashioned or odd-‐fashioned, that’s something to pour some sugar on.

Coming in at a respectable third place is the quaint and beloved Pizza Tree. This slice stop opened in 2014 on Cherry Street and has served fun, interesting pies to the people of Columbia ever since. Some of their most interesting flavors include loaded baked potato, reuben and Philly cheese steak.

Pizza by the slice and by the pie are available daily through dine-in, carryout and delivery. What’s great about this place is it’s fun; the menu is ever-changing with inventive new flavors, and the art decorating the shop’s walls is enough to give Pizza Tree the title of CoMo’s cutest pizza parlor. But, like we’ve learned in every romantic comedy ever created, looks aren’t everything.

Picture this: You walk up to the cash register and place your order. You get one slice of secret margherita and one of the classic pepperoni — two true beauties. Your order comes out steaming on a paper plate and you’re more than ready to take your first bite. But wait? Where will you sit? The shop is so small that any pre-concert dinner rush will turn your walk-in order to carry out.

The pizza is good, but it leaves you wanting more (and not in a good way). If the best part of your slice is the pepperoni, there’s room for improvement.

Be honest, is this what your pizza dreams are really made of?

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

A Gumby’s specialty pizza, The Stoner Pie, sits in a to-go box April 18. The Stoner Pie is topped with pepperoni, bacon, mozzarella sticks, french fries, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Page design by Abby Breda

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ho doesn’t love a good pizza? A great pie can turn a sad night of studying into a full-‐blown party. Although CoMo has a ton of pizza places to choose from, after a tough battle, Gumby’s took a pizza my heart. Their crust, their unique pizza toppings and their distinctive restaurant vibes makes Gumby’s my one true love, even if that’s a little cheesy.

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MOVE FOOD

LIBBY MOELLER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Various candies are lined up in May Contain Nuts on April 15. May Contain Nuts is one of three sweet shops on MOVE’s candy crawl.

'S1S¸W GERH] WGIRI WEXMWÁIW ER] W[IIX XSSXL NAT KAEMMERER Reporter

Eating all these sweets can bake your life easier.

May Contain Nuts

The Candy Factory

The Velvet Cupcake

May Contain Nuts, Columbia’s English-style candy shop, is bursting with candy both oldfashioned and modern, from wax bottles and candy cigarettes to chocolate-covered espresso beans and gummy worms.

Glass jars full of candy that you can buy in bulk surround the perimeter, and there are so many varieties that everyone, no matter the age, is sure to find something to suit their sweet tooth. The gummy Krabby Patties will take you back to your own childhood, while the candy cigarettes can take parents back to theirs.

“We wanted to pack the store as much as we can — it’s 100 percent candy,” media manager Cooper Price says. “Since we do live in a college town, it’s supposed to be kind of funny and lighthearted.”

May Contain Nuts is owned by Dave Robinson. The shop opened in December as another restaurant under the Tiger Hotel’s management. It sits right between the hotel and its partner cupcake shop, Velvet Cupcake Cafe.

“We always made the joke that I’m in charge of all things dessert at the hotel,” manager Kayla Glydewell says. “When the candy shop came in, I was excited about the new opportunity and challenge.”

Old-fashioned candy making lives on in downtown Columbia.

Since 1974, The Candy Factory has been producing its own candy, including chocolate, caramel and toffee. It’s a family business, owned by Amy and Mike Atkinson. They do things the old-fashioned way here, preferring to make their candy in ways that other candy shops have long since stopped.

“We make almost all the candy, all the chocolate, fudge and toffee,” owner Amy Atkinson says. “We make it from scratch the old-fashioned way, in a copper kettle and with the marble slab.”

There are four chocolate machines, two for milk chocolate, one for dark and one for white, as well as a room where they make their fudge and molded chocolate. The copper kettle and marble slab sit in another section, where they make caramel and English toffee. The kettle boils the candy over an open flame, while the marble cools the boiling hot toffee so it can be covered with chocolate. The three candymakers at The Candy Factory have career positions with the store.

“I love the tradition of having a quaint, oldfashioned candy store,” Atkinson says. “It applies to multiple generations. Kids come in for tours, grandparents come in and college students too. It’s a fun place to stop in downtown.”

The Velvet Cupcake Cafe is the perfect dessert destination for on-the-go college students, offering delicious portable desserts. A sweet treat to grab between classes is just a walk down the street from the Columns.

Velvet Cupcake has six signature cupcake flavors — white wedding, peanut butter fudge, red velvet, triple chocolate, Tiramisu and carrot cake. They have speciality flavors each week, such as white white chocolate raspberry and brownie cheesecake, as well as a jar where they accept suggestions for cupcake flavors. The store also makes gluten-free cupcakes since those are very popular in Columbia, employee Victoria Trickey says.

“Working here is fun,” Trickey says. “It’s tempting to eat all the cupcakes.”

The Velvet Cupcake Cafe serves cheesecakes along with their delicious, frosting-heavy cupcakes. Some specialty cupcakes, like the Key lime cheesecake cupcake, combine the two desserts.

“We try to have cheesecake on hand at all times,” Trickey says. “My favorite thing ever is the cheesecakes.”

They also have a food menu and Starbucks coffee drinks. It could be a perfect destination for a rich breakfast, or a great lunch if you wanted to treat yo’ self.

The Candy Factory is located at 701 Cherry St. and is open Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Velvet Cupcake Cafe is located at 23 S. Eighth St. and is open every day from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

May Contain Nuts is located at 23 S. Eighth St. and is open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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MOVE FOOD

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

to hosting the perfect dinner party Master everything from the food to the atmosphere.

KATHERINE WHITE Columnist

If you’ve ever spent time watching the Food Network or browsing Pinterest, chances are you’ve dreamed of hosting your own dinner party. I would argue that good friends and good food are two of the best parts of being alive, so it’s no surprise that dinner parties are such a popular concept. If one of these weekends you and your friends decide to ditch a wild night out in favor of a classy night in, MOVE has some guidelines to help you plan the event.

The Food and Drinks The food is arguably the most important aspect of a successful dinner party. Sure, burning all of the food might make for a funny story your guests can laugh about, but you probably want to avoid that.

When choosing the menu, start with a blank template. Most fancy meals have a soup and/or salad to start off the night along with some kind of bread. Salad is certainly the easier of the two to make in bulk and keep ready, since soup can be a little more messy and needs to stay hot. If you want to have a second appetizer, that would come out next.

The main event then arrives: the entree. Make sure to include some form of protein (usually, a choice of meat, fish or poultry, but there are certainly vegetarian options), and at least two side dishes.

Quite a while later, you’ll bring out the dessert. I’m sure most people would agree that dessert is a necessary course and one

of the best ways to please your crowd. I personally love a good post-dessert touch, whether it’s a simple fruit selection to cleanse the palate or a delicious cup of coffee (if you can manage to learn how to make latte art, your guests will consider you a god forever).

While choosing which foods to fit into this template, there are some general guidelines to keep in mind. If you’re new to cooking for groups, consider making dishes that are easy to portion out between guests but easy to make in bulk. Pasta is the perfect example (plus, who doesn’t love pasta?). Another great choice is kebob-style foods. Putting marshmallows, strawberries and chocolate with chocolate sauce drizzle on a stick is simple, something you can prepare way in advance, is very easy to portion out, but it still looks pretty darn classy.

Remember to keep your drink menu in mind. Having several kinds of drinks on hand is always

a good idea. Water, iced tea and lemonade are traditional “classy” options. You’ll want a decent amount of popular soft drinks, most likely, either Coke, Pepsi or Dr. Pepper, a lemon-lime drink and a diet soda. If you’d like to include alcoholic beverages in your selection, check out some of the alcohol-food pairing guides on the MOVE Pinterest page online.

Make sure to provide a variety of these drinks. Even if you’re set on drinking wine the whole night, don’t forget a non-alcoholic option in case one of your attendees isn’t up for it.

What the food is and how it tastes aren’t the only important factors at play. As everyone who has watched the Food Network knows, plating is everything.

Peek at restaurant menus to find inspiration on how to plate your food in a way that makes it look appetizing and impressive. If you don’t want to get too artsy or formal, consider a buffet-style approach.

The Table, Setting & Atmosphere A tablecloth instantly jazzes up a normal table, and it’s a musthave for a true dinner party. Once that’s down, a good centerpiece helps bring something eyecatching to the look. There’s a lot of freedom if you want to be creative, but flowers and candles are the traditional table decorations and centerpieces, so you can’t go wrong there.

Choosing a theme for the event helps bring unique flair to the party. Seasonal or holiday themes are always fun and fairly easy to accomplish. There’s countless other options, from rustic to nautical

and everything in between. Want to celebrate the season premiere of “Game of Thrones”? Go for it with a Westeros-style bash! Love Halloween but still want to keep it classy? Find gothic inspirations for your decorations and atmosphere.

A good dinner party, like any good restaurant, should have a low-volume playlist that reflects the mood. A casual barbeque dinner goes well with country; traditional fancy foods couple well with a Panera-style classical and piano playlist. Unless you have a really specific theme, you can basically never go wrong with jazz

at a dinner party.

As far as table setting goes, the MOVE Pinterest account has guides on exactly how to set up plates and napkins. For your menus, you should certainly take advantage of free printables: They bring beautiful design to your party on the fabulous college budget of zero dollars. I also love using printables throughout your venue for other purposes. For example, a “Welcome! The Wi-Fi password is: ____” printable is possibly the most calming sign a college student could see upon entry.