Photo courtesy Vanilla Bean Home
Table Talk
Table Talk: February 21–28
This week: The Jackson Grille prepares to open, fish fry season is here, new bar food downtown and more.
by Katie Pollock Estes
Feb 21 2023 at 8 a.m.
Chef Roland’s Treats are Back!
La Galette Berrichonne, the delightful French eatery in Fordland that originally had Chef Roland Parny at the helm, is now under new ownership and has been closed for renovations for quite some time now. But what about Chef Parny? Well, if you’ve been missing his delectable French pastries as much as we have, you’ll be thrilled to hear that every single Thursday you can get them at a Marshfield shop called Vanilla Bean Home. Their most recent stock of Chef Parny’s pastries included chocolate, almond and plain croissants, plus savory ham and cheese croissants. Word on the street is they sell out lightning fast, so get there early to snag yours.
Speaking of Marshfield…
The Jackson Grille in Marshfield is set to open the first week of March according to their Facebook page updates. This upscale eatery is located in a 140-year-old church with a cathedral dining room, an upper-level balcony, a full bar and patio seating outside. The menu features items like steak, pork chops, fish, prime rib (their specialty), a steakhouse-style salad bar, and some Asian-influenced dishes like sweet sticky ribs and prime rib egg rolls. The Route 66 filet looks especially tasty, topped with New Orleans–style butter shrimp. There’s even an Umami Burger that won a Sutter Home Winery regional burger contest at Wrigley Field. Oh, and there’s a sushi menu too. We’re super-curious about this new spot and cannot wait to try it!
New Downtown Bar Food
Soon you’ll have a new downtown Springfield stop for live music and bar food. The space formerly occupied by Patton Alley Pub is about to become The Dive on Patton. The concert venue-slash-eatery opens March 4, featuring a show by the band Troy. Teasers have shown us a pool table in Kansas City Chiefs colors, an elevated state area and plenty of space for fun. The Springfield News-Leader reported that hungry patrons can expect to find 30 beers on tap, along with bar food eats like chicken wings and tacos, and a walk-up window for sidewalk ordering outside.
It’s Fish Fry Season!
I grew up in St. Louis, home of roughly 1 million Catholic churches. And the Lenten season with its meat-free Fridays meant one very important thing at all those churches: fish fry season. Every Friday from Mardi Gras through Easter, most Catholic churches would host their own fish fry events, each with their own je ne sais quoi. You could hit up your home church every week for familiar fare (it was all about the fried cod and super-creamy mac and cheese at my family’s parish—eaten at long cafeteria tables in the school gym), or you could bop around town and try a variety. One church always had incredible cheese and green chili tamales alongside the fried fish, and that was a popular destination. Here in Springfield, fish fries aren’t quite as ubiquitous, but they do exist, and now is the time to seek them out. Tell us if we missed anybody with don’t-miss fish!
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
2200 W. Republic Road, Springfield
Fridays from February 24 through March 3, 3:30–7 p.m.
St. Agnes Catholic Church
533 S. Jefferson Ave., Springfield
Friday, February 24, 5 p.m.–7 p.m.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church
2818 E. Bennett St., Springfield
Friday March 3, 6–8 p.m.
Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church
3555 S. Fremont Ave., Springfield
Fridays from March 3–31.
ICYMI: Itty Bitty News Bites
Mardi Gras Eats: In last week’s Table Talk, we mentioned several places in 417-land that are offering muffuletta sandwiches and other Cajun fare for Mardi Gras, so don’t forget to check back on that too. But we have some tasty tidbits to add this week as well. Go to Tea Bar & Bites today, where they are serving king cake and some cute little Mardi Gras–colored fleur de lis cookies. Just down the block, Sleepy Opossum Cafe has king cakes today too, and you can get them by the slice or as a whole cake—but act fast because they are limited and are first come, first served. SPLIT Social Kitchen has created a Mardi Gras pasta with linguini, shrimp, andouille, Cajun cream an veggies. If you make it over to Georgia Mac’s today, you can fill up on jambalaya and a seafood broil. And if you’re still in a festive mood on Friday, pop into Simply Delicious Catering’s Mardi Gras Dinner on Friday, February 24 at The Diamond Room. There will be live music from Barak Hill, plus plenty of tasty Cajun food.
Cookbook for a Cause: Springfieldian Kari Manzardo has written All in a Day: Recipes Inspired by Family, Friends and the Great Outdoors. If you buy it at Black Sheep Burgers & Shakes, Flame Steakhouse & Wine Bar or Char Steakhouse & Oyster Bar, all of the proceeds are being donated to 4 the Love of K9s. If you purchase it at the meat counter at Harter House on Eastgate Avenue, proceeds benefit The Kitchen.
We Love a Good Booch: Wages Brewing Co. in West Plains had more than just beer on tap. They also make their own kombucha in a variety of rotating flavors, like blood orange, lemon-berry, hibiscus and more.
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight!: The Vineyard Market has some tasty events coming up, including tonight’s Cigar & Whiskey Tasting. It’s $60 and includes a new whiskey debut from Rossville Union
Movin’ on Up: If you love getting your dairy-free frozen faves from Sweet Emotion at their Springfield walk-up window, Sunday February 26 is your last day to do it. After that, they are closing their walk-up window and will soon be opening at a new location nearby on Walnut Street, in a space they’ll share with Whipped Cream & Other Delights (a vegan bakery offering sweet treats and breakfast fare like tacos and burritos). Their post announcing the change says they plan to be closed for just a few weeks before reopening in the new place. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more!
