Table Talk: October 11–17

New Food Truck Alert

A new food truck has just opened up shop at Metro Eats, the farmers market and food truck park located on West Sunshine St. It’s called Contorto, and it bills itself as “scratch Italian cuisines with a twist.” What does that mean? Well, the menu has a variety of panzo (homemade fried calzones) and piadina (grilled flatbread sandwiches). Filings include things like meatballs or chicken with mozzarella cheese or steak with veggies, and you can choose a sauce to go along with it. Options are a few classics: vodka, alfredo and marinara. To give it a try, look for the Contorto truck at Metro Eats on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week from 5:30–8:30 p.m.

Happy Birthday, MaMa!

Last week we told you about Progress’s 4th birthday party, which happens tomorrow and still has some reservation spots left if you’re looking for a midweek date night. But Progress isn’t the only local foodie staple celebrating a birthday this week. MaMa Jean’s Natural Market is throwing a party for a seriously big milestone: 20 years of business! That’s big time, y’all. MaMa’s 20-Year Celebration takes place Friday 4–7 p.m. at the store’s 3530 E. Sunshine St. location. There will be food to taste, beer and wine to sample, door prizes and live music for a truly festive (and free!) family-friendly outdoor event. The store is doing a little good while they party too, as they raise funds for The Gathering Tree/Eden Village. Help MaMa Jean’s reach their goal of raising enough to build a home in Eden Village for an unhoused resident.

Need an Excuse for Brunch?

Whoa boy. The Vineyard Market just released their new brunch menu, and it looks oh-so-delish. Not sure what to order? Here, let me build you a meal based on… well… what I want to eat: breakfast pizza topped with gravy and chorizo for a savory bite, bananas foster French toast for a sweet bite, chicken and waffles with maple-dijon syrup for a sweet-and-salty craving and, finally, the breakfast charcuterie for sweetly shareable nibbles. Yum, right? So who’s up for a trip to Ozark?

ICMI: Itty Bitty News Bites

• They’re baa-aaaaaack! Pumpkin spice cannoli are finally here for a limited time at PIccolo, and my god you don’t want to miss this. It is practically a national holiday. These crunchy, creamy, dreamy desserts feature whipped mascarpone cannoli cream with seasonal spices, white chocolate chips and Ghiradelli caramel on top.

• Also for your sweet tooth: Askinosie Chocolate has released a brand new bar that’s packed with classic fruit-and-chocolate flavors with a hint of black pepper for a little complexity. The Fruit Punch Dark Chocolate Bar features freeze-dried strawberries and pineapple plus cocoa sourced from Mababu, Tanzania. We can’t wait to try this one.

• We don’t know much yet, but Trailer Perk Coffee is expanding to a brick-and-mortar that will include a drive-through. More to come as we learn more about this tasty little coffee trailer’s growth spurt!

• Oh hey, beer fans. There’s another brew-centric fall event happening this week just for you. Harvest Beerfest at The Old Glass Place takes place this Friday, October 14 from 7–10 p.m. with VIP admission at 6 p.m. The event is presented by Springfield Craft Beer Collective and features unlimited beer samples from local breweries (including Hold Fast Brewing, 4 by 4 Brewing Co., Banter Brewing, Great Escape Beerworks, Springfield Brewing Co., Show Me Brewing, Tie & Timber Beer Co., White River Brewing, Wire Road Brewing, and Mother’s Brewing Co.). Guests get a specially designed tasting glass and can listen to live music from Marcus Chatman. VIP tickets also get early entry into a VIP lounge area, light snacks and access to limited beer releases. Bonus: Proceeds benefit Ozarks Literacy Council.

• And finally, a cute little something is happening tomorrow night at Finley Farms. Guests can pop in for the come-and-go Stargazing & S’mores event from 7–9 p.m., where they can talk with astronomers from the Springfield Astronomical Society and peep the sky through high-powered telescopes. Stargazing and astronomer chatting are free, and you can purchase s’mores and seasonal drinks at The Workshop during the event.

• Another food-adjacent event reminder for you: Order Up! The Restaurants of Route 66 exhibit at the History Museum on the Square runs through November 6, so make sure you see it this month before it’s gone! The exhibit features all the foodie nostalgia and historical tidbits you can handle as it walks you through the food that hungry travelers would have eaten as they traversed the Mother Road through 417-land.