120466 Sun Feb 10 19:01:16 -0800 2002 9 8 Midwest 0 656733 Looking for local fare in Springfield, IL - steakhouses,breakfast, pubs. No Chains Sun Feb 10 19:01:16 -0800 2002 0 Lisa McElroy 1 656740 The local specialty is an artery-clogger called a "horseshoe" or a "hobnail" or something like that. Think toasted rye, meat and fries in a pile with cheese sauce poured over all. Quite tasty, actually. Ask around the state gov't/downtown area, and you're pretty sure to find a good place. Sorry i can't remember where i went, but i was directed to a good place by, i think, a museum guard. Mon Feb 11 10:20:39 -0800 2002 656733 0 CliffA 2 656753 Hello! My recommendation is Gallaghers Steak House on S. 6th St. Every time I am in S'field, I make it a point to stop there. Excellent service and great steaks. My fav is a NY Strip "Black & blue" (blackened w/ cajun spices and topped w/ blue cheese. Bon Appetit! Wed Feb 13 06:34:30 -0800 2002 656740 0 Big D 3 657331 For the best food in Springfield, I suggest you go to Barnes and Noble and find a good cook book. There is a good Thai restaurant, Magic Kitchen. And Cafe Brio for southwestern fare, is good although somewhat inconsistent. There is an excellent Asian market on the west side of town for supplies, but no on site chow. Fri Apr 19 10:59:40 -0700 2002 656753 0 Jim 1 656741 Couple of places that I like in Springfield...Maldaner's is downtown. It seems to be the "fancy" place in Springfield. I had a really good risotto there and a fabulous peach cobbler. It seems to be a fairly New American menu w/ a mid-western slant. The other place is called the Feed Bag, and it's on the plaza downtown. This is a soup/sandwich/salad kind of place. It's miserable during lunch hour -- just tons of people waiting in line. But the food is good, quick, and consistent. The sandwich Cliff refered to is called the Horseshoe, or the smaller version is the Ponyshoe. It's not in the least bit heart-healthy. It's 2 (or 1 in the case of the pony shoe)pieces of Texas toast, topped w/ a meat item (sliced turkey, hamburger patty, chicken patty, or sometimes grilled vegs), topped w/ french fries, then topped w/ a healthy serving of cheese sauce. Back in the day I could eat one for lunch, then one for dinner. Ugh. Mon Feb 11 11:55:05 -0800 2002 656733 0 marie 1 656744 Unfortunately I spent 3.5 years in the culinary void known as Springfield IL. If you are looking for good food drive 113 miles to the south and eat in St. louis. But Seriously, there are a few decent options but i wouldn't consider any of them fantastic. La Sorella which is on the west side is an italian place with good atmosphere and they do a decent job with traditional italian dishes. Gabatoni's is an old school italian/pizza/diner that has pretty good pizza and some interesting round homemade toasted ravioli. vic's on the north side has probably the best pizza in town. There was a little place in a strip mall on the west side called indigo that tried to be nouveau-trendy that was passable. If any one tells you to go to Saputo's run away from them as fast as you can lest you get sucked into their incredibly poor culinary tastes. Saputo's is one of the worst restaurants i have ever eaten in in my life. their idea of antipasto is cubed kraft cheese and canned olives! If you are looking for a pub i would go to the Barrel Head. They have decent burgers and bar food, good beer selection and no anheuser busch products. Try the Bacon Horseshoe if you want to die young, about a dozen strips of bacon smothered in fries and cheese sauce. For mexican their is a pretty good spot called Rancherito on the northwest side run by mexicans and staffed by mexicans which is always a good sign. And their is actually a decent thai restaurant called the Magic Kitchen i think, it's in an old gas station on the far north side. Oh yeah don't forget the Mel-O-Creme Donuts! Also beware that Springfield has a fascination with serving everything on those square plastic platters with the metal inserts that they heat to about 5,000 degrees and kill your food! Good Luck and I hope you don't have to be there long! Mon Feb 11 14:53:53 -0800 2002 656733 0 Tcharles 2 656757 I've lived in Springfield for almost 4 years now and I am loathe to recommend any place. This is the city of chain restaurants, sub shops and buffets. I've been to La Sorella a few times and it's only so-so. I don't get the hype about their pizza at all. Their bread appears to be homemade, but it's not great bread by any definition. Dense and often underbaked. I've been told that Lanzerotti's in nearby Jacksonville is much better, but I've never gone myself. Indigo tries very hard, but it's overpriced and the food was not that impressive when I've been there. You're just paying for a somewhat funky, industrial atmosphere. I seem to recall some Blue Dog paintings on the walls. I have had some very good meals at Augie's Front Burner which is on 5th St. and just across the Old State Capitol. The main course dinner prices run from about $15 to $20, but the servings are usually quite generous. My only quibble with them is that they sometimes over-decorate their food (usually a rosemary sprig or two sticking out of your food) and they have questionable taste when plating desserts e.g. green mint sauce with tiramisu! Augie's website I do not recommend Gumbo YaYa's although they seem to have lots of local fans. I did not find the food impressive and service was bordering on rude. If you like donuts, you should try Mel-O-Cream for breakfast. There are several locations around town with the newest one right downtown. Another breakfast idea is Sunrise Cafe on 2nd Street. It's a greasy spoon and I actually like it for some strange reason. Wed Feb 13 15:47:41 -0800 2002 656744 0 Rhea 3 656758 I guess the only way to add a URL is by using the URL function below, so here it is: Link: http://www.augiesfrontburner.com/ Wed Feb 13 15:50:21 -0800 2002 656757 0 Rhea 1 656749 The Magic Kitchen, serving Thai on the northern outskirts of town, is something of a local legend. No-ambience roadside shack, concrete floors, BYOB, etc. But some mighty good chow. And they don't tone down the spiciness for Anglos - they'll fire it up for you if you like. Just south of downtown is a chili place that's better than decent. Used to be known as Den's, and still is called that by many Springfieldians; but I believe it has recently changed its name. Lunch only, I believe. Tue Feb 12 14:38:21 -0800 2002 656733 0 Harry V. 1 657083 It's true the Thai Kitchen is great--& they are known for their (American) pies as well. Armando's is a newish Mexican place that has fantastic authentic Mexican food according to my So. Cal. friends. You can get a good horseshoe at Fritz's, a mom & pop-type diner and also at D'Arcy's, an "Irish pub" (i.e.Guinness on tap). Popeye's (don't confuse it with the chicken chain) -also a mom & pop type place- has great BBQ --soul food too I believe. None of these places have ambiance per se, but they have great food & lots of local color. good luck! Wed Mar 20 19:08:48 -0800 2002 656733 0 mms