Dining News

Dagwood's comes to town; Riad comes to the south side; and Clary's comes back.

Dagwood’s Comes to Missouri

Tom and JoAnn Dapp know how to stay busy. Dagwood’s Sandwich Shoppe is the eighth business they’ve owned in their 26 years as Springfield residents, and the fifth franchise. The couple opened their flagship store August 6, with plans over the next five years to add 65 more stores in Springfield, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Branson, Joplin and surrounding communities.

Against rivals like Jimmy John’s, Lenny’s, Schlotsky’s and Jersey Mike’s, how does a new sandwich chain compete? For starters, Tom Dapp says the Dagwood brand is familiar to the Baby Boomer target market, who grew up with the Blondie comic strip. (It dates back to 1930.) But mainly, he says, it boils down to the food. “Most importantly, without a doubt, it’s the quality of the food,” he gushes, pointing out that Dagwood’s sandwiches ($6 to $9) were created by New Orleans chef Geoffrey Rhode. The Springfield store is at 1111 E. Republic Road (down the street from the new Riad restaurant and two doors away from the new Parlor 88), in close proximity to many Boomers and their families.

Riad goes South

After being rebuffed in his plans to open a location in Kansas City, Riad Matar is opening a south Springfield restaurant at 1250 E. Republic Road. The new Riad Steak, Pasta and Seafood is set to open early this month, Matar says. Like its downtown originator, the new Riad will have a Mediterranean menu, though the southside store will add a kids’ menu to cater to southside families and happy hours for office workers. The location is not far from Twin Oaks Country Club, Cox South, two major apartment complexes as well as a host of single-family homes.

The New Clary's is Open

August 1 was the first night at the new Clary’s Restaurant, in the location formerly occupied by the casual restaurant Fish. (On July 30, Judge Miles Sweeney decided not to issue a restraining order over use of the “Clary’s” name, which had been in dispute between James Clary and old-Clary’s owners Dave and Lynée Fender.)

Clary’s new menu, less expensive than the old Clary’s, hearkens back to a more classical food aesthetic. Choice dishes: parmesan chicken on fettuccini Alfredo; veal meatballs on pappardelle pasta. Even the bar is old-school: Look for sidecars, Old-Fashioneds, banana daiquiris. The restaurant’s atmosphere is also warmed up, using earth tones, bamboo and grass matting.