What Springfield Foodies Eat

If you’re anything like us, you face the “What should I have for dinner?” question nightly, and sometimes we hit a slump, going back to the same places for a perfectly fine meal. But we want to love what we eat, not just like it. So we asked chefs, restaurateurs and food industry experts about desserts they desire, sauces that make them swoon, dive bars of their dreams and every luscious, lusted-after dish and drink they’ve had in this town. As diverse as our dining scene is, some standouts came up over and over again, so we’ve made a list of the most buzzed-about, drool-worthy, can’t-get-enough sips, bits and bites as told to us by our local foodies. Start your exercise plan now—you’re going to need every calorie you can get.

THE SWEETEST SLICE

The Foodie: Katie Baker
Her Lust: Any Pie from Prairie Pie

When it comes to indulgences, Katie Baker rarely gives in, but when she does, she always goes for Prairie Pie. “I don’t know what she does,” Baker says. “It’s just pie, but pie that your grandma would make—like, the best pie ever.” Baker and her husband frequent Cherry Picker Package x Fare, where Baker can’t resist snagging a piece of Eleanor Taylor’s inventively flavored concoctions packed into a traditional butter crust. Baker admits she’s tried almost every flavor, but her go-to is any fruit pie—she personally can’t resist apple pie. “They truly taste like comforting grandma’s pies,” Baker says.

THE HIDDEN GEM

The Foodie: Karen Beiler
Her Lust: The Lindberg Baby with Onion Jam from Lindberg's Tavern

Karen Beiler is gonna own it: She loves a good burger, and for her, Lindberg’s has the most incredible one around. “It’s kind of unassuming from the outside, but it’s such a gem,” she says of her fellow C-Street business. Beiler says you can’t go wrong with any of the burgers, but her favorite is The Lindberg Baby, a single patty seared in duck fat, plus an added topping of onion jam. “The onion jam is phenomenal with the provel cheese,” she says. “It’s just a really good combo.” While you’re chowing down, don’t sleep on the French fries with homemade Table Rock Red ketchup. “It’s fancy and delicious,” she says.

THE HANGOVER CURE

The Foodie: Michael Cho
His Lust: Bun Bo Hue from Bambu Vietnamese Cuisine

When your head is throbbing and your stomach is churning after a rough night, head to Bambu Vietnamese Cuisine for the Bun Bo Hue, soup made with spicy beef broth and wheat noodles. “That is life-giving,” Michael Cho says. “That’s literally all I’m thinking about sometimes in the mornings. Like, that has to happen.” Still feeling attached to your bacon egg and cheese biscuits? Put a little faith in Cho’s advice: “Noodle soup—people who don’t know that, I’m changing their lives. You’re doing God’s work by printing this. You don’t understand what it does to your body and to your soul after a night out. To all those people who need help in the mornings, if they heed this advice for Vietnamese noodle soup, I expect them to tip me. I expect monetary compensation. Throw my Venmo account in there.”

THE ULTIMATE BURGER

The Foodie: Daniel Ernce
His Lust: Full Ride From Grad School

Almost every Monday night, you can find Daniel Ernce downing the Full Ride at Grad School. The double-patty burger comes topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, bacon and super-soft sharp cheddar cheese. “I think the Full Ride is delicious and not pretentious, and it delivers exactly what it is: a burger that speaks to you and can get you back on your feet after a long week or a long night,” Ernce says. Although he likes other local restaurants for their less artery-clogging fare, Ernce is always drawn to Grad School. “I always feel good after I leave [a place like] Neighbor’s Mill—they make their own bread, it makes you feel whole, and you didn’t just necessarily slam dunk a Full Ride,” he says. “They’re different feelings—feeling better versus feeling whole, but I enjoy them both either way.” 

THE SUSHI STOP

The Foodie: Susie Farbin
Her Lust: Super-Fresh Food from Haruno Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill

When Susie Farbin is hosting guests and wants a night off from cooking, she heads to Haruno. Farbin likes that the restaurant has options for every diet and palate. Although she often gets whatever fish is freshest that day served sashimi style, she also likes the bibimbap, which she says is a great value, and salad. “Their salad dressing—I mean, you could drink it it’s just so good,” she says. However, Farbin says the standout dish at Haruno is the agedashi tofu appetizer. “It’s a soup with special tofu, agedashi tofu, that is amazing,” she says. The 2,000-year-old recipe consists of fried tempura-battered tofu in a soy-ginger broth. “It’s really, really good,” Farbin says. 

THE FINAL COURSE

The Foodie: Elle Feldman
Her Lust: Milk and Honey from Progress

Between her roles as esthetician and co-owner of Good Skin Day, Elle Feldman is traveling the globe, having visited about 10 countries—seven in the past year alone. The former owner of Elle’s Patisserie knows sweets and has dined in Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide, but her favorite dessert is at Springfield’s own Progress. “I think their milk and honey dessert is the best dessert I’ve ever had in my life,” Feldman says. “It’s ridiculous.” Italian-style semifreddo is topped with crunchy almond streusel and served with milk jam. “I’ve never tasted anything like that in my life,” Feldman says of the jam. “It’s kind of thick but also creamy, and it’s really a delicious buttery caramel. It’s just amazing.” 

THE DRUNK FOOD

The Foodie: Dylan Fox
His Lust: Halle(peño) Berry from The Chicago Cheesesteak Co.

If you’re hungry and it’s after midnight, your options in Springfield are limited. Fortunately, Dylan Fox has found the perfect cure for his late-night cravings: the Halle(peño) Berry sandwich from Chicago Cheesesteak Co. The Walnut Street location is within walking distance of downtown bars, and its 2 a.m. close time means hot, greasy goodness is available long after last call. At this time of night, just about any cheesesteak will do, but the Halle(peño) Berry packs every taste onto one bun. “It’s definitely comfort food,” Fox says. “It’s got cream cheese, fruit jam and jalapeños on it. It’s creamy, hot, spicy, sweet.” What more could you want?

THE DATE DISH

The Foodie: Joe Gidman
His Lust: Spanish Meatballs from Cellar + Plate Wine Bar

Joe Gidman is a C-Street champion. His businesses line the strip, and he frequents neighborhood restaurants and coffee shops, like his morning stops at Big Momma’s Coffee & Espresso Bar for a brownie and a breakfast burrito. But when it’s time for a date night, Gidman heads south to Cellar + Plate Wine Bar, owned by his friend Mary Guccione. “I like her food because it’s more small plate–style… so you can go with just two people and order several small plates and have that experience of tasting lots of different things,” he says. “She’s got a spicy Brussels sprouts [dish] that I’m obsessed with, and I like her Spanish meatballs.” Not only is the food conducive for some one-on-one time with your sweetheart, but the wine selection and cozy atmosphere round out the night.

THE SPRINGFIELD STAPLES

The Foodies: Rogan Howitt and Joshua Widner
Their Lust: The Kringle from Supreme Bakery and The Rico Suave Jackhammer from Andy's Frozen Custard

These brothers are best known for running some of Springfield’s most popular bars and coffee shops, but the two have a taste for sweets, particularly ones from Springfield staples. Widner and Howitt can rattle off their favorite sweets faster than you can blink—including almost every pie by Prairie Pie, doughnuts from St. George’s Donuts and Progress’s Milk and Honey dessert. But Widner’s heart belongs to Andy’s Frozen Custard. “I’m a choco-fiend,” he says. “I probably get Andy’s three times a week, which is shameful to say out loud.” His pick is the Rico Suave Jackhammer (pecans, Oreos and fudge) made with chocolate custard. Howitt’s choice is Supreme Kringle Bakery. “[It’s an] old-school Springfield spot,” he says. “They have incredible baked goods.” So incredible, in fact, that he brings a kringle to his family’s Christmas celebration every year. “That shit’s amazing,” he says.

[MORE: Best Breakfast Treats in Springfield, MO and Beyond]

THE FAMILY OUTING

The Foodie: Young Jun
Her Lust: Dinner at Bawi Korean BBQ

Young Jun knows about Korean food—it’s even the name of one of her restaurants. So it’s a huge testament to the authenticity (and deliciousness) of a new restaurant when Jun crowns it her favorite place to eat. Right now, she loves dining at Bawi Korean BBQ, which she likes because the concept is relatively new to our region. “I love to eat there—even though we’re competition!” she says. Jun especially loves the thinly sliced and marinated meats, and she says it’s a fun place to eat with family, friends and big groups of people when you can get boisterous and eat a lot. “That’s not a dating place,” she says with a laugh. 

THE SIMPLE SUPERSTAR

The Foodie: Uliana Komodi
Her Lust: Roasted Cauliflower Steak from Progress

Sometimes the simplest dishes are the most surprising, and that’s why Uliana Komodi loved the roasted cauliflower steak with carrot puree from Progress. “It was so simple, like, how did I not make this because it was truly amazing,” Komodi says. “It was one of those things where you didn’t expect much, but then you bite into it and go, ‘Oh my god, this is so good.’” The dish, which has since been replaced by a similar cauliflower and sweet potato combo for the winter, sat atop a carrot-coconut sauce and came topped with spiced Rice Krispies. “That was one of the things that I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is genius,’” Komodi says. “It’s just such a good bite all together.”

[Editor's Note: Since this story was published Progress has permanently closed. 08/2024]

THE "I'LL HAVE IT ALL"

The Foodie: Cari Price
Her Lust: Everything at Farmers Gastropub

If you’re wondering what to order at Farmers Gastropub, give Cari Price a call. Price loves just about everything on the menu, including the salty-sweet desserts, the made-from-scratch biscuits, the local produce, the sweet potato–bean-carrot burger (pro tip: order it with bacon), the pig ear tacos… the list goes on. But Price’s absolute favorite is the smoked pork belly biscuits. “I have raved about Farmers biscuits for a while, but the fact that [chef Andy Hampshire] combines the smoky, salty, fatty richness of his smoked pork belly with the perfect accompaniment of sweet maple and sharp spiciness of whole-grain mustard sauce on biscuits that I wish I could make so perfect—tender and light on the inside with a rustic, buttery crunch on the outside,” Price says. “This dish is incredible and absolutely solidifies my passion for cooking.”