Table Talk: August 16–22

Pineapple Gone Crazy

Have you been on Piñas Locas, the new little dessert spot located at 3211 S. Campbell Ave. in Springfield? They opened just a few days ago, and they offer tons of fun Mexican treats, like frescas con crema and sweet-and-spicy mangonadas that blend the flavors of mango, chamoy and tamarind. If you’re not the owner of a sweet tooth, you can pop in for tasty Mexican snacks and appetizers too. But perhaps the most intriguing items are the hollowed-out pineapples filled with so much sweet, spicy and tart stuff you won’t know where to start when you try to dig in. Popping out of the top, there are mango slices, kiwis, strawberries, tamarind candy, sour gummy worms, drizzles of chamoy, sprinkles of tajin and lots more.

Sips for Sea Creatures

If you need an extra excuse to justify indulging in some locally brewed beer, Hold Fast Brewing has you covered. For August, they’ve designated Wonders of Wildlife as their non-profit of the month. That means you can feel good about ordering The Experience Pale Ale, since a portion of every sale is donated to Wonders of Wildlife’s animal care fund. Bonus: You can also visit the brewery this Thursday, August 18 from 5–9 p.m. to enjoy live music and meet some of the animals from Wonders of Wildlife while you sip that tasty brew.

Back-to-School Sweets

School starts in less than a week, and hopefully your kids are as ready to head back to all-day learning as you are. If they need a little boost to make them excited about their first day, there are a couple of local bakeries offering fun back-to-school treats. At The Urban Cup, you can buy adorable cupcakes with school-themed decorations, like sugar pencils or little sugar book stacks. They are promoting these as teacher gifts, but we think they are just as cute for little kid pick-me-ups. If what you really need, instead of a cookie to get them excited for school again, is tasty fare to fill their lunchboxes, we have you covered with some ideas for that too.

ITTY BITTY NEWS BITES

• Springfield Trading Co., a local company that makes some of our very favorite hot sauce (their Spicy Garlic flavor tastes good on absolutely everything) is offering seasonings now too. You can get a jar of their Louisiana Love seasoning at their booth at Farmers Market of the Ozarks. The spicy Cajun-inspired mix features cayenne pepper for heat, plus garlic, spices, herbs and salt—so it kicks up the heat on whatever you're eating.

• Oh speaking of seasonings, have you visited the Yo Seasonings booth at C-Street Farmer’s Market? There are so many flavor-packed jars of goodness to choose from, from classics like Cajun seasoning and jerk seasoning to more surprising blends like the sriracha and lemon-pepper seasoning or the brown sugar rub.

• Prima’s Mexican Kitchen is now serving brunch again. You can get tasty morning fare like huevos rancheros on both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.