7 Good Things: August 2009
These seven dishes or drinks have passed our taste buds and made us rave. They are ranked by level of yumminess.
1. For lunch, one staffer had the Smokehouse Stuffed Potato ($6.99) at Buckingham’s Express (3624 E. Sunshine St., Springfield, 417-887-4227). It’s a potato stuffed with brisket, pork, pit beans and horseradish slaw. “It was delivered to my table with a ‘Who had the 12-pound potato?’” she says. “Was I slightly embarrased? Yes. Did I eat six pounds of it? Heck yes.”
2. Branson’s bastion of heart-clogging wonderfulness, Chester's (1166 W. Hwy 76, Branson, 417-334-7838) for its crazy-good corned beef and its breakfast pile-up. But another visitor is raving about its signature dessert: bread pudding made with ooey, gooey cinnamon rolls ($4.95). “We devoured it,” he says. “It’s freakishly good!”
3. St. Micahel's (301 South Ave., Springfield, 417-865-2315) is downtown Springfield’s home of tasty burgers, giant salads and killer banana cake. But one frequent visitor tried something new last time: The spicy cheese ravioli ($6.50). “It’s a perfectly different take on a common Springfield appetizer,” he says.
4. A recent visit to Papouli’s (725 State Highway 248, Reeds Spring, 417-272-8243) left one diner excited about the restaurant’s souvlaki entrée ($22.99). “Calling it a ‘steak kabob’ hardly does it justice,” she says. “It was three huge pieces of perfectly cooked, tender filet mignon on a skewer with big, fat pieces of green pepper, a whole red onion and mushrooms.”
5. A great lunch value is the fajita quesadilla at Herradura's (1779 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, 417-886-1444). For $7.25, it’s more than enough food for lunch, and the quesadilla is served piping hot with tender chunks of chicken, warm beans and stretchy melted cheese, all served with rice. It’s fairly typical Mexican fair, but it hits the spot every time.
6. A coffee-lover branched out into the baked-goods shelf at Kaldi's (900 E. Battlefield St., Springfield, 417-881-5466) and tried the oatmeal-cinnamon cream pie cookie. It’s two crunchy oatmeal-raisin cookies on the outside with a very sweet and cinnamony icing-like cream inside. “They’re kinda teensy but so sweet that it’s just the right size,” she says.
7. Most Imo’s (several 417-land locations) fans probably get the pizza delivered to their front door, but it’s worth a trip to the actual restaurant for a good lunch deal. You can get a fresh-from-the-oven single-serving pizza, a side salad (both smothered in provel cheese) and a drink for less than $7.
