417foodist

06/09/2024

Next Saturday the 14th is the 10th Annual MO Food Truck Fest out at the Ozark Empire Fair grounds! It is a free event filled with 20+ food trucks, a ton of vendors, and live music!

I will be there as a judge and plan to enjoy all the festivities! So make plans to grab friends and family and come have a good time! It runs 11am-7pm Saturday the 14th! Come say hi!

06/09/2024

When Andy Hampshire brings back one of my most favorite appetizers, you know I’m going to march myself in Farmers Gastropub and order that Crispy Fried Pork Belly!

Tossed in a mix of honey and sriracha and served with a side of their buttermilk dill dip, oh my goodness. It’s crispy, it’s sweet, it has heat, it’s like freaking pork candy folks. Dunk each morsel into the dill dip for one of the most satisfying pre-meal, meals that I love! My hats always off to Andy and his team, as I continue to love all things Gastropub!
📍2620 S Glenstone Ave

03/09/2024

While down in Branson, we had a craving for some boba so we decided to check out Boba Joes - Branson!
Boba Joe’s was a happening place on a Sunday afternoon, and I can see why! Not only do they have quite the collection of milk tea, but they also have fruit tea, coffee, cookies, ice cream, and even smoothies!

We grabbed a peach fruit tea with mango popping boba, and strawberry fruit tea with peach, mango, and strawberry boba, and they were deliciously refreshing! The staff were very friendly, the atmosphere was super fun and inviting! I can see why so many people were filing in to get some tasty treats!
📍111 S Commercial St. Branson

02/09/2024

My latest food adventure took me to the 76 strip in ol Branson, Mo! Where did I end up at you are asking yourself, well it’s one of the areas newest food trucks, that just opened in August. I’m talking about The KBQ - Korean BBQ Bowls!

✨The KBQ Bowl: filled with bite sized Korean fried chicken that has been glazed with their tangy Korean BBQ sauce. The bowl is filled with rice, then topped with the fried chicken, creamy corn, two pieces of crispy mandu, salad mix, and soy garlic sautéd noodles. I love that the chicken isn’t over sized and they packed so much in the bowl. The glaze was a great added sweetness, with the soy garlic noodles, and that creamy corn!

✨The Hot Piggy:Spicy Korean pork that’s sliced thin in their sweet and spicy gochujang & garlic marinad , rice, salad mix, crispy mandu, and topped with avocado. I am a sucker for gochujang, so this thin sliced pork was welcomed to palate with open arms! A hint of spice and great umami on the tender pork, so dang good!

✨Kimchi Fried Rice: fried rice with large helpings of kimchi, topped with avocado, and a perfectly cooked egg. Breaking that yolk and mixing it with the fried rice is so satisfying! There are large pieces of the kimchi in the rice, so you get great texture with each bite. Savory, tangy, and a touch of sweetness is what you can expect with such a great dish.

The fact that each bowl has their main star of the show, but melds so well with the soy garlic noodles, the salad for a little crunch, and those crispy mandu, makes this truck truly stand out! The KBQ is a family owned food truck, that brings years of culinary experience.

They are packing these bowls with so much food, that we were able to make two meals out of them! Go check them out, eat your way through the menu, try it all! I know I can’t wait to go back and eat more!

📍3309 W 76 Country Blvd, Branson (snuggled between the Ferris wheel and the helicopter rides)

01/09/2024

Drum Roll Please! May I present to you, the newest appetizer coming to the menu at Señor Julian Mexican Bar & Grill, the Chicharrón Norteño!

They are crispy, they are crunchy, they dip perfectly into guacamole and pico, wrap them up in a tortilla, with a squeeze of lime! However you choose to eat them, know that they are addicting and you can order them…. today!

Shout out to the whole Villela family for letting me try them ahead of time! I know y’all are going to love them, so go order some now!
📍3405 E Battlefield Rd., Springfield

30/08/2024

We’re going to call this post, “All about the Appetizers!” We hit up your friendly neighborhood Georgia Mac's to dive into some great apps, as well as some other menu items…. Really I was just craving a flight of deviled eggs! Let’s run down the apps and a few other items that we tried!

✨The Devil Went Down to Georgia: this is a deviled egg flight that has 8 eggs, with 4 different flavors. Home-Style, Smoky pimento cheese, cheesy bacon, and mustard horseradish. I am a deviled egg lover, and these are the perfect size to just scarf them down without a worry in the world! Each egg brings its own flavor, and are super savory!

✨Crack Crackers: oyster crackers seasoned with ranch
✨Fried Green Tomatoes: lightly breaded and fried green tomatoes.
✨Fried Pickle Chips: crispsty, crunchity, made in house fried pickles served with ranch.

✨Hangover Burger: an open faced burger topped with crispy bacon, a fried egg, and then smothered in country gravy. If you are on the hunt for that meal that is the perfect mix of salty, savory, and just down right smothered in gravy to help recover from the night before, here is your answer!

✨Mac ‘n Cheese Bowl: their house made macaroni and cheese, topped with Buffalo chicken tenders and green onions. Two items that deserve each other, creamy Mac ‘n Cheese and Buffalo Chicken! This is a large bowl of cheesy, savory, goodness!

✨Georgia Hot Chicken: a thick piece of fried chicken tossed in Georgia Mac’s hot sauce and then topped with coleslaw and pickles. Thicc, spicy, topped with coleslaw…. Is this describing me? 🤣

We pushed the limits of our table capacity with all this tasty food! Then we left with at least 4 to go boxes and enough food for an entirely new meal the next day! I loved getting to catch up with owner Jennifer while I was there, and eating all this delicious food that her and the team at Georgia Mac’s is cooking for all the hungry folks packed in the restaurant!
📍1440 E Republic Road., Springfield

30/08/2024

I am extremely honored to have a new menu item named after me on the all new fall menu at Retro Metro! Billy’s Oyster Rockafellers using oyster brought in by Express Foods! I cannot wait to dig in!

As always, big thanks to Chef Tiny & Hana for the honor!

🍷🍽️🚨 “We took a lot of time gathering, classic hits of Metropolitan Grill and inspirations from our Family trip to Connecticut to see some of our cousins. The fresh clams, oysters and lobster were so good. I wanted to bring that back to Springfield. Express Foods is making that a reality. We want to source the best possible product to share with our Retro family.” -Chef Tiny

This is another preview of our new dinner menu dropping September 3! Clams Casino!!🤩🤩🤩

www.eatretrometro.com

29/08/2024

Over the weekend, Steph and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary, and had a great meal at Piccolo in Nixa!

✨Italian Nachos: crispy wonton chips covered in their creamy Alfredo sauce, then topped with grilled chicken, tomatoes, basil, pepperoncini, and then topped with a balsamic reduction drizzle!

✨1855 Ribeye: an upper choice ribeye hand cut to 14 oz, then grilled and topped with a seasoned steak butter. I prefer my steak grilled medium rare, which they achieved, and I loved the steak butter on top!

✨Salted Caramel butter torte: since it was our anniversary Piccolo gave us a free dessert! Typically we go with the cannoli, but this time we tried the salted caramel butter torte and it was fabulous!

It’s always great going to Piccolo, they have great food and their staff are always on point! They made sure we had a great evening and of course we can’t wait to go back!
107 W Aldersgate Dr., Nixa

28/08/2024

It had been entirely too long since I have shown my face over at Before And After Brewing, so I did just that, I showed my face and stuffed it with tasty grub!
Steph had never been before, but she was very aware of their loaded pretzel, and when I say loaded, it’s loaded to the max!

✨Loaded Pretzel and Cheese: A Brauhaus Pretzel topped with Shredded Cheddar that has formed into a crispy cheese skirt, House Beer Cheese, Smoked Brisket shawarma beef, Pickled Red Onions, Pickled Jalapeños, Roasted Poblano Sauce, and House Mustard. We also added on a house pickled egg that was as bright pink as the onions! This is literally the ultimate pretzel, with the shawarma beef, plus the mix of acids, richness of the cheese, and that salty pretzel, oooooh it’s so good!

✨The Fish Wife Smoked Salmon Tin Fish: it is served with a row of saltines, house mustard, pickled onions, a whipped goat cheese mousse, and a pineapple jalapeño chimichurri. This is the ultimate “Perfect Bite” meal! Load a saltine up with a lil bit of each of the toppings and the smoked salmon, and you are in for a symphony of flavors dancing on your tongue!

✨Salad: Spring Mix Greens, Carrots, Cucumber, Marinated Castlevetrano Olives, Pickled Red Onions, Pickled Beets and a Pickled Egg. They had Green Goddess and a Vinaigrette dressing to choose from, we sampled both and both were very tasty!

Before & After is a great mix of food, beer, and coffee! They offer a super relaxed setting, cool artwork on the walls, and just an over all killer vibe! Go check them out, see what you might like on their menu!
📍2940 E Sunshine St., Springfield

27/08/2024

Where are all of my bread lovers? Who am I kidding, we all love bread, right? RIGHT?!
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to meet Kelly Jones, who is the owner of Flourish Cottage Bakery and Garden!

You might be familiar with their work, as they bake for Millsap Farms Community Supported Agriculture boxs! Not only that, but they do a monthly pick up sale that features multiple sourdough flavors, along with super tasty scones, sourdough chocolate chip cookies! I picked up my order, and chose three loaves that are all winners!

✨Jalapeño Cheddar
✨Classic Artisan Sourdough
✨Cinnamon Raisin

Each loaf of bread smells absolutely wonderful and as you can imagine they taste as good as they look! We have made BLT’s with the jalapeño cheddar, sliced grilled steak with onions and Swiss cheese on the sourdough, and toasted up the cinnamon raisin with a spread of butter!

The big monthly sale happens either the 3rd or 4th Saturday each month. They are also starting to offer the Artisan Sourdough for weekly pick up as well, on Tuesdays! Each loaf ranges from $10-$12. So watch their social media page to see what they are baking up, and get your orders in at their link below!

https://www.hotplate.com/flourishbakeryandgarden

26/08/2024

Here is a behind the scenes look from Friday at Restaurant Marketplace!

25/08/2024

Yesterday was LobsterFest at Farmers Market of the Ozarks, presented by Express Foods and Coastal Cuisine Mobile Eatery !
They were offering multiple menu items filled with delicious lobster. Chris Perkins also had live lobsters shipped in from Portland, Maine, so that you could take them home and cook ‘em up! Let’s dig into the items they were selling and I was eating!

✨Lobster Roll: a beautifully, buttered and toasted brioche bun filled with cold, Maine style, butter poached claw & knuckle meat! The lobster was tossed in a mixture of Old Bay and mayo. The toast on the brioche with the sweet and succulent lobster, made for a great roll!

✨Lobster Bisque: Maine lobster claw, knuckle, and tail with sherry wine, heavy cream, butter, and puréed fresh veggies. The bisque was smooth, creamy, very rich, they can put it in a cup, a bread bowl, a plate, or a shoe and I will eat it again!

✨Lobster Mac & Cheese: Cavatappi pasta that was cooked in lobster broth, then drenched in not one, not two, but three cheeses, and of course more of that Maine lobster! Super cheesy, with a bit of sweetness, over tender noodles, makes a guy ready for sweat pants and a nap!

This is a prime example of the fresh seafood you can order from Express Foods, plus getting to see the skills that are coming from Travis Meeks in the Coastal Cuisine food truck! What a perfect little Saturday! Just another thing to enjoy at the Farmers Market!
📍2144 E Republic Road, Springfield

24/08/2024

Time to check out my name sake over at OXO Bar And Grill!

🌯 Introducing the Foodist Burrito (417foodist) to our brunch menu.
👀 12” tortilla stuffed with pork belly, chorizo, eggs, fresh pico de gallo, rice and beans. 🫘
Ask for our cilantro 🌿 sauce on the the side for the perfect combination of flavors!

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2550 S Campbell Ave. Springfield MO 65807.

23/08/2024

Super exciting and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’re working on!

23/08/2024

The day has come, the 2nd location of Corner 21 chinese cuisine has opened their doors! We went Wednesday evening, to a very packed house of hungry, enthusiastic, Corner 21 loving people!

The inside of the new restaurant very welcoming, and filled with delicious smells the moment you walk inside! The menu has most of the same items at the original location, with some great new additions, let’s dive into a couple!

✨Corner 21 Signature Duck: you can order either a half duck or full. The server hauls out this huge wooden carrier that loaded with everything you need! A couple trays of hoisin sauce, thin sliced onion and cucumber, a steam basket of Mandarin Pancakes, and of course the juicy, tender, super crispy duck! The skin is crunchy like a Chicharron, and the meat is so succulent, dare I say this is my new favorite at Corner 21??

✨Duck broth with cabbage: this big ol bowl of soup came out as a surprise to our table, as we didn’t know it came with the duck. It was a broth made with the duck bones that still had meat on them, and a bunch of cabbage. It was so savory, and flavorful, that paired well with the rest of the meal!

✨Steamed Pork Buns: these are delivered to the table steaming hot, juicy, and oh so good! Each order has 8 pcs and we ordered two baskets, because they were that good!

I absolutely love the new location, and could eat my weight in that roasted duck. The joint was packed, and they were rolling people in and out steadily the whole evening. When you get a chance, check out the new location!
📍1730 E Republic Road, Springfield

23/08/2024

This is my home for today! We are recording our first 6 episodes today at Restaurant Marketplace!

22/08/2024

When you have friends reach out and say they will be at Rosie Jo's Cafe in 20 mins, and invite you to join them…you go!
I have been eating at Rosie’s since I was a teen, and have loved every meal I have had when we go. It can be breakfast, burgers for lunch, or a big plate of meat loaf for dinner, whatever it is, sign me up!

✨Fried Chicken Livers with mashed potatoes and white gravy, corn and Texas toast. Typically, if I’m there of an evening on the weekends, I default to the chicken livers! They are super tender, perfectly crispy, and dip so well into the mashed potatoes and gravy!

✨Fried pickles and fried mushrooms, they are a must for an appetizer when you visit! Grab a couple sides of ranch, and dip away!

✨Golden Fried Chicken served with potatoes, corn and Texas toast. The ultimate comfort meal is always fried chicken. It’s juicy, crispy, and cooked to order everytime!

✨Bread Pudding: you always have to save room for dessert. It can be homemade cherry, lemon meringue, or coconut cream pie, or be like me and go with warm bread pudding!

By now, if you have visited Rosie’s, you know that good food takes time. So bring friends, plan to visit, hang out, and enjoy these stick to your ribs meals that Rosie and her staff have been making for years!
📍1711 S 15th St., Ozark

21/08/2024

Feast your eyes on the brioche donuts from Blue Heron Farm & Bakery located onHistoric C-Street!
Sunday I stopped by to finally try them, and they didn’t disappoint! Each donut is very large, I’m talking the size of my hand, and they are filled to the max!

✨PB&J Donut: it is filled with peanut butter mousse, and strawberry jam! If you love a classic pb&j, than this would take you back to your childhood, in donut form! The mousse is creamy, light, and brings all that classic peanut butter flavor, with the sweetness of the jam!

✨Lemon Bar Donut: it is filled with lemon curd, their in house made shortbread cookie butter, and then topped with powdered sugar and shortbread cookie crumbles. I am a sucker for any and all things lemon, and let me tell you, this donut has more lemon curd inside it, than I could even dream about! It’s sweet, it’s tart, it’s down right wonderful!

Blue Heron has so many great items worth trying, from breakfast sandwiches, to salad, to great coffee. Stop in and see Jennie and the staff, grab something good to eat, and enjoy Historic C-Street!
📍206 E Commercial Street, Springfield

19/08/2024

Let us dig in to this week’s rotation of tasty morsels from Dirty Dough Springfield! You have till end of the day Thursday to get this cookie collection, so act fast!

✨Chucky Monkey: a cream cheese filled spiced oatmeal cookie topped with PB frosting, crushed bana chips, mint chocolate chips and pecans. Peanut butter and banana, with cream cheese?! This was a cookie that was piled high!

✨Cannoli: sweet creme stuffed sugar cookie topped with almond frosting and mini chocolate chips. The cannoli is my wife’s favorite dessert, so getting it in cookie form? Fuggedaboutit!

✨Sticky Bun: a caramel filled brown sugar cookie topped with cinnamon frosting, pecan pieces, and caramel drizzle. I saved the sticky bun cookie for my coffee break, because we all know a sticky bun goes perfect with coffee!

✨Reverse - chocolate filling PB & chocolate sauce and chocolate sauce. I am a lover of all things peanut butter, so this cookie was dreamy!

📍2515 S Campbell Ave, Springfield

18/08/2024

It’s been too long since I have visited Greek Belly, and from the looks of it yesterday, everyone in Downtown Springfield had the exact same thoughts we did, Greek food for lunch!

✨Smyrna Rice: Greek meatballs in a drunken pepper tomato sauce on rice pilaf. It comes with a couple pieces of pita, and a sprinkle of feta on top! I remember when John added these to the menu a while back, and I have loved them ever since. The meatballs are tender, and the drunken pepper sauce clings to them nicely. Each bite was a great mix of salty, heat, and acid, mixed with the rice and feta made for a great meal!

✨Dolmades: Hand rolled grape leaves filled with Greek herbed rice with a side of tzatziki and lemon. I absolutely love dolmades, they are light, fresh, it’s tangy with a touch of citrus. With a squeeze of lemon and some tzatziki, these are a great starter!

✨Pita of Troy: Part of the Legendary Pita menu this pita is filled with beefteki, Falefel, drunken pepper spicy feta, fries, tomato, onions, and cucumber. This is a legend for a reason! Each bite is savory, saucy, spicy, crunchy, creamy, it hits all the taste buds as a full meal wrapped up in a pita!

Not only do I love the food at Greek Belly, but the atmosphere is so cozy and inviting, and the staff are always wonderful! Easily one of my favorite spots in downtown SGF!
📍320 E Walnut Ave, Springfield

17/08/2024

Catch a flight of delicious drinks and food at some of my favorite spots in the 417!

OXO Bar And Grill
Urban Grounds
MO Slider Company
JW’s Kitchen
Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

When great local restaurants offer a flight, you can try multiple items in one setting on one plate! Let’s break down just a handful of my favorite food and drink flights in the Springfield-area.

17/08/2024

It’s hot outside and I do believe I found a new favorite beverage, the Cucumber Jalapeño Mint Kambucha from Spring Branch Kombucha!

It’s cool, it’s crisp, has great fresh cucumber flavor, with a hint of that jalapeño and mint! They have so many great flavors to choose from, like Lemon Hops, Strawberry Rose, Apple Pie, and their limited release, Blackberry Sage!

You can find them all over the 417! 4 By 4 Brewing - Fremont Hills, Harter House, MaMa Jean's Natural Market, and of course the Farmers Market of the Ozarks! Go grab a can, grab a bottle, shoot you can even get a keg!

17/08/2024

If you haven’t visited The Gochu Handcrafted Korean BBQ Bowl, let this be your sign to check them out!

16/08/2024

So you may or may not have seen a story I posted last week that myself and Anthony Brent from Springfield Trading Co have teamed up to start Springfield Media Corp!

Some exciting news is that we are partnering with Restaurant Marketplace to bring you all a cooking show where I will be interviewing great local chefs and restaurant owners while we cook together! We start filming next Friday and we can’t wait for you to see it!

Springfield Media Corp will be highlighting events & businesses in and around the 417. As well as bringing you great podcasts and video content. Let us know how we can work with you and your business, and showcase the greatness that is Springfield and beyond!

This will be a great outlet for both of us, as we’re both in the food game and this will allow for us to cover more than food! Check out the new page and give it a follow, and you will start to see some great content over there!

15/08/2024

Yall already know that I love to start my Saturdays at Farmers Market of the Ozarks! So last weekend when my mom was in town, she had the opportunity to explore with me!

We decided to check out a booth that I hadn’t visited yet, and that was the very vibrant Puerto Rican Flavors! Their menu is filled with empanadas, chicken skewers, cheese dogs, and potato balls!

We ordered a three of the beef empanadas, which were served hot and golden brown! Each empanada was larger than my hand, and filled with savory beef. Each bite was super crispy, and delicious! We also ordered the Pina Colada made with pineapple and coconut, and was the perfect pairing of sweetness with the savory.

This Saturday, if you are out and about and want to try something new, look no further than our Farmers Markets! They are not only a great source for fruits, veggies, baked goods, but have some tasty food trucks and booths worth checking out!
📍2144 E Republic Road, Springfield. Saturdays 8am-1pm.

14/08/2024

Liege Love Waffle Co. for the win with Fotsch and Friends!

13/08/2024

For every restaurant I have been to, there are at least 5-10 more that I haven’t, which until this past weekend, included Devil’s Pool at Big Cedar Lodge, but I have changed that now!
The weather over the weekend was perfect for exploring down at Big Cedar Lodge, as well as being at Top of the Rock for the sunset service!

✨We started with the fried chicken livers for an appetizer. I am a sucker for chicken liver, ate it growing up along with fried gizzards. These didn’t disappoint, as the plate was devoured quickly! Each liver was fried to a golden brown, then topped with a peppercorn gravy and served with white cheddar mashed potatoes.

✨I ordered the full rack of Smoked Baby Back Ribs. These were served with coleslaw, Parmesan garlic fries, and a side of pickled onions & jalapeños. Typically I prefer my ribs to have some pull to them, coming off the bone, but these were so good being fall off the bone tender! Perfectly saucy and smoky, partnered with the freshness of the slaw and brininess of the onions and jalapeños. Great meal!

✨Chicken Fried Bison Steak is a buttermilk fried steak, smothered in sage gravy, and served with mashed potatoes and broccoli. We also ordered the 10 oz Prime Rib that was served with horseradish cream, toasted garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. You best know I stole multiple bites off each of these dishes!

The atmosphere, the staff, the food, these are all the things that make a great restaurant, and Devil’s Pool has achieved that. I now know why people have been loving this reseusnt for so many years!
📍612 Devil’s Pool Rd., Ridgedale, Mo

12/08/2024

I am very appreciative of all the menu items named after me!

If you're familiar with local food incluencer in the Springfield, Missouri area, here are several food items named after him and the stories behind it.

10/08/2024

If you want my opinion, more foods need to be wrapped up, snug as a bug, in a pretzel! While visiting Silver Dollar City yesterday, I devoured the Jalapeño Cheddar Smoked Sausage Pretzel Dog from Sadie’s Pretzel Cafe!

It’s smoky, it’s cheesy, it’s salty, and savory! Perfectly handheld for eating while enjoying the sights and sounds of America’s #1 Theme Park!

09/08/2024

When your mom is in town from San Antonio and says she wants dinner and a margarita from Señor Julian Mexican Bar & Grill, you get a Foodist Favorite Margarita , Fundido, molcajete, and so much more!