Photo by Tessa CooperFall food has arrived at The Order.
Table Talk
Springfield Food News
Read all about what's happening with the food scene in Springfield in this week's Table Talk.
by Tessa Cooper
Sep 30 2025 at 8 a.m.
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I have a little favor to ask: If you’ve got a few minutes to spare before jumping into this newsletter, vote for your favorite restaurants, cafes, and bars in our annual Best of 417 Readers' Choice Awards. This is such a fun way to show local love without having to spend a dime. Now, onto your weekly helping of food news. Inside this newsletter, you’ll find details on The Order’s new fall menu, a fun way to discover your new favorite coffee and an ice cream shop opening soon in Nixa. Stay full out there!
Fall Has Arrived at The Order 🍂
This past week, The Order at Hotel Vandivort invited us to experience their new seasonal menu that recently dropped. It was truly a treat to learn about how Chef Calvin Davis and executive sous chef Dyan Davis are limiting food waste in the kitchen and incorporating locally-grown produce into their menu. One of our favorite dishes was the carrot dough agnolotti with black garlic filling. The pasta itself was incredible, but it was the hazelnut cream sauce that made this dish unforgettable. On the menu you’ll also find dishes like smoked carrots, fried walleye and 21-day dry-aged KC strip. The Order also has a dream team working the bar right now. We tried the Persim-mentation, which we’d describe as a fall-inspired tiki drink that features rum and paw paw liquor with a dash of lime and a delightfully unexpected addition of silky sage honey butter. This rich menu will pair well with a gorgeous fall stroll downtown to walk off the feast, so wear the right shoes.
Hop On the Coffee Trail
It’s time for one of our favorite local traditions! The Springfield, Missouri Convention & Visitors Bureau is bringing back The Ozarks Coffee Trail for the fifth year in a row. The city-wide event kicks off tomorrow and runs for one year. Just like last year, you can earn prizes by checking into participating coffee shops, and each location is offering a secret menu item that’s only available during this Coffee Trail season. Some of our favorite coffee shops are participating this year, like The Coffee Ethic and Brick and Mortar. Even a few shops in outlier towns are getting in on the fun, like Commercial Street Coffee in Branson. The sign-up goes live tomorrow, so keep an eye on their page.
We Scream for New Ice Cream
If you, like us, believe ice cream is a year-round treat, we’ve got good news for you. What The Puck?!, a hockey-themed ice cream shop, is getting close to opening in Nixa at 270 W. Mount Vernon. They haven’t released any details about the menu yet, but it’s the same crew that brought the town the now-shuttered Rocco’s Italian Kitchen, and they will be making the ice cream in-house. So we have a feeling that it’s going to be good! They posted a sneak peek walkthrough this past week, and judging by the fact that they already have their ice cream coolers in, it looks like they will be open very soon. Stay tuned! 🍦
Itty Bitty News Bites
• A few newsletters ago, we mentioned that Andy’s Frozen Custard has brought back their caramel apples for the season. In even more good news, Bon Bon's Candy House has just released theirs, too. 🍏
• We love a good local collab! Xurros Cafe has teamed up with Tortuga Torta to offer an xurro taco. It looks delish.
• There are so many delicious local food events happening in October. One extra tasty-looking one is taking place on October 9 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Cassidy Station at Estes Farms. Pat Duran of Metropolitan Grill will be wooing taste buds with a farm-to-table meal. We’ve attended this event before, and it’s still one of our favorite experiences to date.
