Photo courtesy Luna Modern Mexican
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
Mar 25 2025 at 8 a.m.
THIS WEEK'S TABLE TALK PRESENTED BY
Catrinas, Reimagined
We’ve been really missing Catrinas Modern Mexican these days (especially as patio weather is quickly approaching). But we’ve got good news! We could all be sipping margs there as soon as later this week, according to a new co-owner. Alejandro and Catherine Hernandez from Catrinas are teaming up with another well-known crew in town to bring us a new concept there named Luna Modern Mexican. Martín Palma and Sergio Ruíz, who also own Casa Bella Mexican Cuisine, are helping to re-invent the restaurant. They’ve been spending the past few weeks making small updates to the interior and perfecting the menu that’s a blend of Catrina’s and Casa Bella’s best sellers. We got a sneak peek glance at the offerings, and you can expect lots of delicious seafood (think fried calamari and salmon tacos), plus all the classics like birria tacos and fajitas filled with steak, chicken and shrimp. They don’t have an official opening date yet, but Ruíz tells us it could be as soon as this week. We’ll see you there! 🌮🍤🍹
Mother’s is Brewing Up Changes
Mother’s Brewing Company has had a few changes up its sleeve as of late, and opening up its expansive upstairs to the public is the latest. Named Breadbox, it offers nearly 4,000 square feet of room to socialize over a cold one, plus some salty bites that pair well with it all (think pretzels, hotdogs and pizza). While nothing beats spending time outside in the brewery’s outdoor area, we’re excited to now have the extra indoor space on the chillier spring days we’ve been having. The Breadbox is also an event venue, and they’ve already broken the space in with a few special dinners and private events. Speaking of events, owner Jeff Seifried also made the recent decision to close Cufflink Coffee on the first floor, and it now serves as an additional space for private parties.
New Sweet Treat Alert
It seems like there’s always some exciting happenings going on at 14 Mill Market between all the events they host and new kiosks that pop up. keikeu is the new kid on the block at the food hall, and our mouths are watering just looking at their socials. Owner Leo Kim, who also brings us The Gochu, is the culinary genius behind the coffee, tea and dessert business. We plan on paying them a visit in the next few days and letting ourselves really indulge. The first thing we want to try is the strawberry matcha cream cake, and if it’s half as good as it looks, we’ll be one happy customer. We’ll also keep the party going by ordering an Acai berry chai to-go. 🍰
PSA: The Original Corner 21 is Back!
Corner 21 Chinese Cuisine temporarily closed its Sunshine location while they got the new Republic Road location up and running. Unfortunately, this closure was extended due to a chef injury. But good news! They’re officially back open and doling out spicy Szechuan chicken from both locations now. We heard word has already gotten out, and the original location was buzzing this past weekend.
Table Talk: March 18–24
Make Me a Sandwich
The Almighty Sando Shop just traded their food truck wheels for a walk-up stand downtown at the former location of The Sandwich Scene.
They’re officially open and offering sandwiches to-go right now, but
they do have plans for an upstairs seating area slated to open in May.
We made our way over there for our lunch break on their opening day, and
we think we may have discovered our new favorite sandwich. Like most of
the sandwiches on the menu, The Yaya Papaya is layered with ingredients
you could never find the time to make at home. We’re talking bright
flavors like sweet ginger tomato chutney and green papaya relish that’s
grounded with garlic bacon mayo and smoky deli chicken. The menu
includes a handful of other signature sandwiches, including an OKC-style
smash burger, plus an exclusive kids’ menu. Now that you’re all
probably hungry, make plans to pay them a visit for lunch or dinner
Tuesday through Saturday.
Wheeling Forward
Speaking of wheels, The Wheelhouse
is working on some exciting changes, including one big one: They’re
moving out of The Vib Hotel and into a space in downtown Springfield
this summer. They’ve yet to reveal the exact location, but they are
working on finalizing their lease and will let us know soon. In terms of
the other changes, they just hired two new co-head chefs. Chef Daniel
Love and Chef Trevor Dean were two of the first employees to work at The
Wheelhouse back in its food truck days, and they are scheming up new
offerings for the brick-and-mortar menu and just dropped an updated
catering menu. “We are excited to be getting some of the OG crew back
in-house to bring some excitement back into the community,” says owner
Lijah Sparlin. Lastly, a rebrand is also in the works. They’ll be
dropping “The” in their name and shortening it to “Wheelhouse.” We got a
peek at the new logo, and we love the retro look. Sparlin purchased
Wheelhouse back in October 2023 from Melissa and Zach Smallwood, and
we’re excited to see these shifts play out and watch how he continues to
evolve the business.
