Table Talk
Table Talk: March 9–15
This week: Prairie Pie arrives, a new sushi joint and more BBQ for summer.
By Megan Dollar
Mar 09 2021 at 8 a.m.
Photo Courtesy Prairie PiePrairie Pie's brick and mortar shop on South Jefferson Ave. opens Thursday.
Pie Time Has Arrived
Prairie Pie’s store front is finally opening! Starting Thursday, the South Jefferson pie shop will be open from 11 a.m. until sell out, Thursday–Sunday. They’ll be serving the classics we know and love (chocolate chess, key lime, honey sea salt and more) plus adding a few newbies to the menu. And, what better occasion to open a pie shop than Pi Day? Opening weekend concludes on the holiday, 3/14, where pie will be sold by the slice as well as Vito’s New York–style pizza by the slice. This one is gonna be good!
Fresh Sushi
A new sushi spot is making its way to west Springfield later this spring. The folks from Davalon food truck, formerly located at the Route 66 Food Truck Park, are embarking on a new journey with Sushi by Davalon. The small brick and mortar will be located at Springfield Metro Eats Food Depot on West Sunshine (more on that to come). They’ll serve simple sushi rolls as well as more complex rolls, poke bowls and sushi pyramids, which are hard to find in 417-land. Their original Asian fusion food truck, Davalon, will be located near the sushi shop so you might as well double dip when you can. Look for both spots to be open early this summer.
Hog Tide Bar-B-Que Comes to Willard
Drew McNatt is expanding his award-winning barbecue joint with a new location in Willard opening later this year. The Aurora location of Hog Tide Bar-B-Que opened nearly five years ago, but McNatt has been on the barbecue trail much longer with 10 years of barbecue competition under his belt. Not only did McNatt’s burnt ends, brisket and more win awards on the competition trail, but the versions he serves in Aurora have won, too. The Willard location will open in the old Jackson Street Deli building, just across the street from Willard Middle School. The menu will vary a bit from the one in Aurora due to limitations of the space, but that also means a few new items will be added, says McNatt.
Plan for Patio Season
These first sunny days may be numbered, but that's all the more reason to take advantage of them, and there's nothing like dining outdoors on a nice, sunny day. Check out our list of the best patios in Springfield to find the perfect sun-soaked spot to dine this spring and summer. A personal favorite of mine is the patio at Farmer's Gastropub for dinner or the patio at Tea Bar & Bites for lunch and then, of course, the patio at Cherry Picker Package x Fare for a coffee or drink with a friend, too. You can't go wrong with any of these patios, or any patio at all, really.
