Our Review of 14 Mill Market

Like many of us, I’d been anticipating the opening of Nixa’s 14 Mill Market (203 E. Mount Vernon St., Nixa, 417-763-6500) for months. My mind takes me back to other food halls I’ve visited over the years: New York’s Chelsea Market, Boston’s Quincy Market and LA’s Original Farmers Market among them.

I’m an adventurous eater, and sampling foods with a like-minded friend has always been one of my favorite pastimes. On a recent sunny Saturday my husband and I avoided eating until about 2 p.m. and headed toward Nixa with an open mind and a ravenous appetite.

The Mill has an inviting curb appeal, with rows of tables and chairs and a handful of Adirondack clusters. The interior has a clean, industrial look with concrete floors, metal and wood tables and chairs, plus several high-top tables with stool seating for larger groups or more communal dining. TVs suspended from the ceiling meant we didn’t have to miss the Kansas City Chiefs game.

Now for the hard part: narrowing our food choices. There are tons of offerings to choose from, so we took a few minutes to walk around reading menus and figuring out the lay of the land. We realized we had our work cut out for us, but in a really fun way.

We started with a slice of pepperoni pizza from Pie Paradiso. I’m glad we only ordered one slice because it was huge. The handcrafted pizza had a thin and crispy crust, with those delicious little pepperonis that curl up like tiny meat bowls. Addictive.

From there we shared a Western BBQ slider and waffle fries from MO Slider Company. The thin, crispy-edged burger with cheddar and BBQ sauce was delish, especially given the crunchy texture of the fried onion tanglers tucked inside. There were several versions to choose from, and all the sliders can be made with beef or chicken. If you can’t decide, go for a Slider Flight and try ’em all.

At this point I got a little anxious because I was surrounded by tempting menus and I was starting to feel full. A video billboard at the Wisner Bar caught my eye, and the very pretty margarita with the Tajin rim and floating jalapeño called my name.

I figured a Leah-Rita would be just the liquid courage needed to fuel the rest of our culinary journey, and it fit the bill perfectly. It was tangy and spicy, with Ghost tequila, triple sec and a few healthy shakes of Cholula. This is the best margarita I’ve had in a while.

For Round 2 we chose the Two-Wing Mac and Cheese combo with a side of collards from Queen City Soul Kitchen. It’s hard to beat a plate of soul food, especially when it comes with a nice slice of homemade cornbread.

Despite increasing pressure in my waistband, I just had to continue this food adventure with one menu item that wouldn’t leave my mind: the Monte Cristo at Liege Love Waffle Co. I’m a sucker for a sweet and salty combo, so this would fit the bill nicely and end the journey on a sweet note since we knew we had zero room left for dessert.

Wow. This melty mountain of ham, turkey and Swiss nestled between powdered sugar–dusted homemade waffles was sublime. The side of raspberry sauce made this dish downright addictive, as evidenced by our knife and fork assault from both angles. The addition of a side of potato scoops made it better, as the salty fry-meets-chip just begs to be dipped in the little raspberry bucket. We loved it.

At this point I felt a sense of contentment tempered with melancholy because I was literally full to capacity. Sheesh… Am I losing my touch? I went in with great aspirations of trying a spicy tuna poke bowl, ice cream, a taco or two, my first-ever açai bowl plus a visit to the self-serve wine kiosk. Alas, I can only eat so much.

Despite an almost 30-minute drive from our home in north Springfield, we will make the trek back to 14 Mill Market soon. We look forward to a leisurely evening with friends for live music and more foodie finds. Every staffer was friendly, every menu was tempting, and I like the idea that if I’m in the mood for an avocado toast and latte, but the hubs is hangry for man food, we will both get what we want—and then some.