The Buzz: Springfield’s Newest Coffee House & Internet Cafe

Last weekend, I began to head home after meeting my family for lunch at Old Chicago. As, I was driving down Republic Road, something caught my eye. I noticed a new sign with the words “the Buzz.” I am always scoping the area for new restaurants and coffee houses to check out. I wanted to see just what-in-the-world, the Buzz was, so I quickly turned around.

To my delight, I discovered that the Buzz is the newest coffee house in town. Having opened in December, the Buzz offers a special brew of coffee that is brought in from Kansas City. Honestly, I am not a huge coffee drinker. What I found most appealing, was the food, namely the homemade sopapillas and Navajo Tacos. I grew up in South Dakota, where Navajo or Indian tacos were fairly common. I have been searching for years for a place in the Springfield area that serves these tacos. For those not in the know, Navajo Tacos are similar to a taco. However, instead of a taco shell, they are served on fry bread, or a sopapilla. The Navajo tacos at the Buzz are wonderful! I especially like the fact that their sopapillas are homemade. No premade, frozen bread dough here.

Though the menu isn’t large, all of the items sound unique, interesting, and tasty. Additionally, they serve some items that change daily. Today, they had mushroom brie soup. I would loved to have tried that, but I already had my heart set on the Navajo taco. I visited the Buzz with my mother, who is a vegetarian. Though, most all of the items had meat, they were very accommodating in preparing something for her.

The decor is understated and tasteful, with several tables of various sizes. In addition, they have a section with a comfy couch and chairs. Of course, they do have free wireless internet access. The only difference between the Buzz, and other area coffee houses are the hours. They are open only during the daytime, from 7am to 3pm. Perhaps, as business grows, their hours will grow too!

The Buzz is located on Republic Road, just west of Fremont Avenue in Springfield, Missouri. It is in the same shopping center as Movie Gallery. Be sure to check out Springfield’s newest coffee house and internet cafe to see what the Buzz is all about!

Girls’ Night Out – Umi Japanese Restaurant

I had been looking forward to Girls’ Night Out all week. The plan was to dine on sushi at Umi.  We would, then head over the the Campbell 16 to see the just-released chick-flick, Bride Wars. Bride Wars was a bust. It was sold out! I was really kind of surprised by that. I didn’t figure that a chick-flick such as that would be sold out, even on a Friday night. I guess that just gives me an excuse to plan another girls’ night out very soon. At least we had a great time at Umi!

We met at Umi, promptly at 6:30 on Friday night. As soon as we walked in the door, it became apparent that we should have made reservations. Nearly all of the tables in the rather small space were packed. There was one table for six that was open, and the hostess offered that table to us. However, since we were only a party of three, we opted to sit at the sushi bar, which I rarely do. That was actually quite fun! We were able to chat, while observing the sushi chefs hard at work.

Needless to say, the chefs were swamped! I would love to return on a slower night, perhaps during the middle of the week. That would provide me the opportunity to visit with them, ask questions, and get recommendations. After all, I still consider myself somewhat of a newbie in the world of sushi. On this particular night, I was able to inquire about a few of the rolls they were making. However, I found our waiter to be the most helpful. I wish I would have asked his name, because he deserves a mention.

• Our waiter was prompt, professional, attentive, and efficient. Yet, he was not “overly attentive.” That is a good thing. I dislike it when servers are so attentive that they actually become obtrusive and annoying.
• He was very helpful as we were deciding which sushi rolls to order. I learned some new things about sushi that I didn’t know before.
• Our waiter highly recommended the Kissy Kissy roll, so I ordered that. I also ordered a second sushi roll. However, he was quick to point out that the two rolls I ordered were very similar in taste. He suggested a couple of other rolls that would offer more variety in flavor. I am very glad that he stepped in to do that. I ultimately decided on the Kissy Kissy roll, and the Geisha Roll.
• I love that Umi serves miso soup and a small salad with your sushi. Though the salad was small, it was quite tasty. I loved the dressing. Umi’s miso soup is, hands-down, one of the best in Springfield!
• When the sushi was served, I was a little surprised at how long they were. Yet, the pieces were not so big that they couldn’t fit into my rather small mouth. They were just right.
• The Kissy Kissy roll is made up of cream cheese, avocado, salmon,and crispy crab. The Geisha roll is one of the more expensive sushi rolls on Umi’s menu. The price tag is approximately $15, but it is well worth the cost! The Geisha roll was generous in size, and is comprised of shrimp tempura, cream cheese, and crab stick. In addition, it is topped with tuna. I couldn’t decide which one was my favorite. I liked both of them, and they were of two distinct tastes.
• Umi has more more than sushi on it’s menu. I am excited to return and try some of the other dishes, especially the bento box lunches, the filet mignon, and the Umi VIP Special.

I think I may have discovered a new favorite sushi place here in Springfield. I found Umi Japanese Restaurant to have fabulous food and service! Our waiter definitely played a part in our overall experience at Umi. I can’t wait for another girl’s night out!

Be sure to check out Umi’s website.

Girls’ Night Out: Envy, Tonic Ultralounge & James Bond

I have been wanting to check out the Tonic Ultralounge in downtown Springfield for a few months now. I jumped at the chance, when a friend suggested the somewhat upscale bar for a girls’ night out. We are not fuddy-duddies by any means, but we are not big party-goers either. Thus, we opted to meet for a 6:00 dinner, with a movie at the new Hollywood Theaters to follow. My friend had been to Tonic just a few nights earlier, and had high remarks about the food and service.

We both arrived at Tonic promptly at 6 o’clock on Friday night. However, I had actually arrived in the downtown area about a half an hour early. My friend had also suggested that I check out a new clothing store on Walnut Street, called Envy. She definitely knows my taste. The clothes looked trendy & fabulous! Thankfully, the prices are much more reasonable than some of the other trendy apparel stores in the downtown area. They are not Wal-Mart prices, but you won’t necessarily have to shell out $200 for a pair of jeans either. I bought a new, but vintage-looking red coat and scarf. I also found a very nice, large handbag that matched perfectly. I only paid about $80 for all three combined. Those were regular prices, not sale prices. I decided to wear the new coat and handbag on my girls’ night out.

I walked from Envy to the Tonic Ultralounge. The downtown area was surprisingly dark and desolate for a weekend. I had to remind myself that it was the day after Thanksgiving, and it was a little early in the evening. People were probably busy doing family stuff, or shopping and dining in the south area of town, near the mall. Also, most of the college students had gone home for the holiday.

When we arrived at Tonic, there was only one other customer. Another friend met us shortly after we arrived, but no one else came in the entire time we were there. I was told that it is usually swamped on weekends, with a wait of at least an hour to eat. This particular night, we had the place to ourselves, and it was somewhat hard to imagine the place being packed.

The menu doesn’t have an abundance of items, but I found a few that sounded quite good. They have your basic bar-food appetizers, hamburgers and sandwiches. What looked really good to me, were the main entrees, even though there were only a handful. This is where the problem started. I first ordered the seabass. A few minutes after taking our order, the waiter returned and announced that they were out of seabass. I then opted for the filet mignon, only to find out a few minutes later, that there were out of that too. In fact, they were out of all of the entrees. Apparently, they had been slammed the night before, but were unprepared for the crowd because it was Thanksgiving. I was told that they had all of the appetizers and hamburgers. However, I wasn’t in the mood for typical bar food. If I wanted a hamburger, I would have just gone to Burger King! I didn’t want to come across as a picky wench, and I didn’t want to embarrass by friends. Therefore, the three of us decided to order 2 appetizers and share them.

The nachos were very generous in size, but it was obvious that none of the ingredients were very fresh. In addition, the toppings were sparse. The guacamole and taco meat looked like they had been sitting around for a couple of days. All in all, this appetizer was quite unimpressive.

The sampler platter was just a tad better. It came with four types of appetizers: egg rolls, scallops, shrimp, and some kind of herb cream cheese wontons. They were (once again) out of the scallops, so we agreed to substitute more of the wontons. The platter was $15, which I thought was much too expensive for what we received. We received only four of each item. The shrimp were kind of small to warrant only getting 4 pieces. The only thing that I really liked were the egg rolls. They were actually quite good.

We were still a little hungry, so we decided to indulge in dessert. We were (once again) told that they were out of ALL of the desserts, except the chocolate fondue. Fortunately, that was the dessert we had been wanting. Again, it was just okay. There was nothing overly special about the chocolate. We received four items for dipping: apple pieces, pineapple, cinnamon-dusted sopapillas, and strawberries. The strawberries were surprisingly fresh, considering that nothing else seemed to be. The pineapples pieces were tough and chewy, and the apples were tough and dry. They were also kind of brown. The sopapillas were pretty good though.

Despite the snafu with the food (or lack of), I thought the service was actually great. The waiter was friendly and very apologetic about our experience. Additionally, he kept our beverages refilled at all times. Of course, we were about the only ones there, so I’m sure that made the task much easier.

My first experience at Tonic Ultralounge was not all I hoped for, but I WILL be going back. My friends swear by the place, so I am confident that this was just a really “off” night. After all, it was Thanksgiving weekend, and they had been unexpectedly slammed on the holiday itself. I look forward to trying it again – hopefully I will have the sea bass or the filet next time!

Since I wrote so much about Tonic, I will be brief with my review of the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. All I can really say, is that I loved it! I was disappointed when Pierce Brosnan was left out in the cold, and not rehired to play 007. As a result, I boycotted Casino Royale. I decided to give Daniel Craig a chance, when I heard from several friends say that he was much better than Brosnan. I have to say, it is true. While, I am a Pierce Brosnan fan, he was much too soft for the role of James Bond. Daniel Craig brings back that much needed edge, while still showing Bond’s compassionate side. If I must say, I think I have developed a little crush on Mr. Craig. I also loved the opening credits and the accompanying song, Another Way to Die. Jack White, of The White Stripes, teamed up with R&B songstress, Alicia Keys for the piece. I never would have envisioned the two of them performing a song together. Then again, I never would have paired Jack White with Loretta Lynn either. They were fabulous together! Here is a link to a Youtube video of the opening sequence of Quantum of Solace. Check it out for yourself!

The new Hollywood Theaters at College Station are quite nice as well. The seats are the most comfortable in town, and the lobby is very appealing. The prices are high – $9 for adults. However, I think they are about the same at the Campbell 16. People have been complaining about the high prices of movie tickets ever since I was a kid. This is nothing new, and I wasn’t surprised by the $9 price tag.

The girls’ night out was a nice little getaway that I needed, after spending Thanksgiving with family. It turned out to be a fun, fabulous night even when you factor in the experience at Tonic. Keep in mind that I will be returning to Tonic Ultralounge again, so watch for an updated review. I just have to give them a second chance!

Daily Adventure #1: Podcasts, KC, Spin Pizza, and Swurl

Sunday, July 20, 2008: I drove from Springfield, Missouri to Kansas City. Even though, it is only a 3 hour drive, I hadn’t made the trip in nearly two years. My sister lives, with her family, on the Kansas side in Olathe. They come to Springfield on a regular basis, so I get to see my nephews often. However, I do enjoy all that Kansas City has to offer. During the drive, I listened to some of my favorite podcasts. I enjoyed the French music podcast,Radio Oh-La-La. In addition, I listened to Alternageek, Grammar Girl, and Net@Night with Amber MacArthur and Leo Laporte. I love that I can listen to podcasts while I drive. I learn something new and valuable, and it makes the time fly.

My brother-in-law had already made plans to take the boys camping and dirt biking on Sunday night. That meant my sister and I could have a girls’ night, which is pretty rare for us. We started by having dinner at Spin! Neopolitan Pizza in Overland Park. I loved the openness and the decor.

We started with an appetizer of Rosemary flatbread with white bean hummus. We then moved on to the Melanzane, which was a white pizza with roasted eggplant, caramelized onions, and goat cheese.
The crusts are hand-tossed, and the pizzas are stone-fired. We loved everything about Spin! The food arrived quickly, service was great, and the food was wonderful! I just had to try the gelato. They had several flavors to choose from. I opted for the blueberry butter cookie gelato. It was just the right size and taste to end the perfect meal.

Lastly, I heard about Swurl on one of the podcasts I had listened to earlier in the day. Last night, I decided to check it out and sign up. Swurl is a place that basically pulls all of your different web presences into one place. It pulls from services like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Flickr, Picasa, and some many more. Swurl then places your updates from these services into your own little Swurl “page” with your own Swurl URL. The final result is a page that looks kind of like a blog. I think I am going to like Swurl. Here is my Swurl page.

Gailey’s Breakfast Cafe: I Really Want to Like This Place

Early last fall, I finally decided to check out Gailey’s Breakfast Cafe in downtown Springfield. Gailey’s is located in an old pharmacy on Walnut Street. This pharmacy also at one time, happened to house an old-fashioned soda fountain. It is nestled next to the Seville Hotel, which is now full of loft apartments. I had heard good things about Gaileys, including the fact that it boasts a menu with some items not found at your typical chain restaurant.

On my first visit, last fall, I decided that this place was way-cool. Sitting at the counter, I ordered the “Mystery Jeff” which is named for one of Gailey’s regular customers, who also performs with the Skinny Improv. Besides eggs, and bacon or sausage, it is also accompanied by your choice of hash browns. You can choose from traditional hash browns, or Gailey’s own sweet browns. The sweet browns, are quite simply, made from sweet potatoes. Topping off this selection, was a generous bowl of fresh fruit mixed with yogurt and granola. The sweet browns were out of this world! The fruit was fresh, and the combination with the yogurt and granola was yummy. To be honest, I couldn’t finish all of the fruit. I found the Mystery Jeff breakfast very filling. Additionally, I loved watching all the buzz around me. The cooks, the wait staff, and the other customers kept me entertained. With the downtown location, it was just fun to people watch.

I didn’t make it back to Gailey’s for a second time until yesterday. I stopped in for a quick breakfast, before meeting friends to work on a mission project. The experience this time was a little disconcerting. I waited at the door, to be seated, since there was a a sign that said to do just that. One of the wait staff looked at me after a couple of moments. He told me, rather rudely, to just sit where I wanted. While there were some customers in the cafe, they were not nearly as busy as they were that day last fall. Someone brought me a glass of water, and I was told that my waiter would be right with me. I waited a good 10 minutes, while some of the workers were on break, some were clearing a couple of dirty tables, some were standing behind the counter talking, and one waiter was running his tail off. The other staff kept coming around telling me that some one would be right with me. Where was the team work? Why couldn’t some one else just take my order?

Finally, after 15 minutes, I told one of the girls that I would not wait any longer. I wasn’t going to keep waiting when the cafe was not that busy, and other tables around me were being served, no problem. She said that she would be glad to take my order. Why did she have to wait for me to demand service, if she “would be glad to take my order?”

I ordered something different this time, the banana-walnut pancakes with two eggs and a choice of sausage or bacon. I was really expecting the pancakes to be out of this world, like the sweet browns had been. Alas, they were not. The cakes were generous in size and were quite filling. Yet, they didn’t have much taste and were a little dry. I was expecting them to be banana-flavored pancakes, just like the pumpkin pancakes at IHOP taste like pumpkin. The pancakes at Gailey’s were merely plain pancakes topped with sliced bananas and some walnuts. There was not anything special about them. The sliced banana wasn’t equivalent to even, one whole banana. I tried to drench the pancakes in syrup, but even that didn’t help give these cakes any flavor. Very disappointing.

When my waiter had brought the order to my table, he also gave me the check. He thanked me for coming in and said to pay at the register when I was finished. I guess he thought that since I now had my food, his job was done. There would be no one coming by to see how my food was, no drink refills, and no one to ask if I needed anything. And guess what? There wasn’t.

Since the my first visit to Gailey’s was so wonderful, I am somewhat inclined to dismiss the second visit as a “bad day.” I will probably go back at least one more time. I don’t quite know why, but I really want to like Gailey’s.

Cantina Laredo Serves Mexican Fare in an Upscale Atmosphere

As many are already aware from previous posts, I spent a fun-filled day in Branson, Missouri last Saturday. My girlfriends and I “shopped til we dropped” at Tanger Outlet Mall and Branson Landing. While at the Landing we had the privilege of dining at, what I believe to be, one the best restaurants in Branson. Cantina Laredo is a trendy, rather upscale restaurant that serves up delicious Mexican fare.

The eatery, with a patio that overlooks Lake Taneycomo, gets quite packed, especially on weekends. Therefore, we decided to venture there early so we could at least get our name on the waiting list. We arrived around 5 pm, and luckily, were able to be seated right away. It was a difficult task in deciding what to order as most everything sounded appealing. We already knew that we wanted the fresh guacamole, made table-side. That was a given. I opted for the Durango which consisted of a chili cheese relleno, a chicken mole enchilada, and a spinach enchilada with sour cream sauce. One of my friends ordered the Botanas Platter which was like a sampler platter with tacos, chicken fajita quesadillas, chili con queso, stuffed jalapenos, and beef, shrimp, & vegetable skewers. She raved that everything was wonderful!

While the delectable food was definitely the main attraction at Cantina Laredo, we couldn’t help but praise our server. The restaurant was packed. By the time we received our food, there was a line going out the door for people waiting for a table. Despite this fact, our waiter made us feel like we were his ONLY table. Our glasses never fell below the half full mark. Our chips and salsa were always kept plentiful. He maintained professionalism and a keen sense of humor at the same time. I believe it takes a very special talent for a server to be this attentive, with out being intrusive and annoying. He had that talent. Everything just seemed to flow smoothly.

Honestly, there wasn’t a single complaint among our group. We all were in complete agreement that this was one of the best dining experiences we each have had in a long time. Cantina Laredo gets a definite 5-Star Rating!

Bull Creek Cafe: A Little Country Cafe With Simply Divine Food

As I usually have Fridays off from my day job, I decided to meet my father for lunch. One of his favorite places to eat is this little country cafe in Sparta, Missouri which is about 20-30 minutes away depending on traffic. I have eaten there with him a few times before. I have to admit that I balked when he first mentioned the Bull Creek Cafe a year or so ago. Over the past few years, I have come to enjoy more trendy restaurants. A little old homestyle country cafe in a tiny town, was not my idea of a great dining out experience. I decided to give it a try last year since I don’t get the chance to have lunch out alone with my dad very often. I am so glad that I did make that decision. Although, the cafe itself, isn’t much to look at on the outside or in, the food was wonderful. I am a creature of habit. I always order the same thing at the Bull Creek Cafe. I love their open faced roast beef sandwich, served with mashed potatoes and smothered in luscious gravy. Many times, when I order such a meal at other restaurants, the beef is more along the lines of sliced processed meat. The roast beef at Bull Creek is much more than that! The meal also came with my choice of a vegetable. I also like the fact that they have 2 serving sizes. I ordered the half order which was just the right size for me. My dad has always bragged up their homemade pies which are made from scratch every day by the mother of the family-owned cafe. She makes awesome cream pies in a variety of flavors. Today, we ordered the pumpkin pie. I have to say that it was the absolutely the best pumpkin pie I have ever had. It was simply divine! Customers can special order pies as well. I think that I may just have to order a pumpkin pie for the next social gathering I attend.

The only thing I didn’t care for, was the smell of smoke. Living in Springfield, I have gotten used to smoke-free eateries. The city has an ordinance banning smoking in all restaurants unless it is bar-type establishment. At least 50% of their sales must come from alcoholic beverages in order for smoking to be allowed. I was able to get past the smoky smell at Bull Creek Cafe because of the tasty food and the great conversation with my father.

A Crappy Table for One

This weekend I decided to eat lunch by myself at a new downtown eatery. It was around 11 am on Saturday which is a good time to eat lunch downtown. Trying to have lunch on a weekday can be a real pain – parking is almost impossible to find and the restaurants are quite busy. Saturday afternoons are different, although many of the posh, upscale places are only open in the evening. This Saturday, I wanted to try Bailey’s a new restaurant that recently took over the space where Rasta Grill used to call home.

I love trying new restaurants, so I was pretty eager to try Bailey’s as well. I arrived shortly after their opening time of 11 am. The decor was simple yet attractive. The place was devoid of customers since they had just opened a few minutes earlier. There were about 5 employees hanging out around the open “bar-like” kitchen. One of the waiters asked me how many were in my party and I told him that it was just me. The choices in seating were wide open, as no other patrons were there yet. As he guided me to my table, he asked if I preferred smoking or non-smoking and a table or a booth. I relayed that I wanted non-smoking and a booth. We walked past the many booths in front of the eatery, then we passed the ones in the middle of the room, until finally we arrived at the table where he would place me. I could hardly believe it! This young kid had given me what I consider the WORST table in the restaurant! Actually it was the worst table I had ever been placed at out any restaurant I have dined. This table was a booth on one side, and 2 chairs on the opposite side. Not only did he choose a table in the far back of the restaurant, but he placed the menu on the side where I would be directly facing the restrooms I had to wonder if he would have done this if I had at least one other person in my party? As far as I am concerned there was NO excuse for this, considering that the place was totally empty of any customers except for me. Now I do have somewhat of a backbone, so I politely announced that I would prefer a table that was not in the back and did not face the restrooms. I have watched scenes like this in movies and tv shows like Sex and the City, but I have NEVER had this happen to me until now.

Luckily, his guy was not my server and the gal who was my server made up for his bad taste. Yet, I will probably never go back to Bailey’s. I would consider it, had my meal been outstanding, but unfortunately it was only “okay.” Restaurants are a dime a dozen in the Springfield area, and I remained the only customer at Baileys the entire hour I was there.

On a much brighter not, I will be writing another post tomorrow about some much more positive experiences in customer service.

The Grotto: A New Eatery on Springfield’s South Side Infuses Casual with Upscale

Since, I have Fridays off from work, I enjoy going out to lunch in a never-ending search to discover new eateries and new food. Today was no different. When I left my two-bedroom apartment on Springfield’s south side, my ultimate purpose was to find a little hole-in-wall cafe. I drove around for a bit, until I ended up at the intersection of Battlefield and Kimbrough, close to the Buffalo Wild Wings, and Umi Sushi Grill. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught what looked like a new restaurant in the same building as Umi. I decided to drive by and see what it was. It was called The Grotto and it looked quite appealing on the outside, so I decided to give it a try.

From the outside I couldn’t tell if it would be a “fast food” pizza joint or a more upper-scale, expensive place. When I walked in I discovered it to be an upscale yet casual and inviting eatery that offers much more than just your typical pizza place. This is a place where you order your food at the counter, yet the selections appear to be typical of a trendy, more costly restaurant. The decor reminded me of a modern day diner, sleek and minimalistic, yet casual and inviting.

The menu is quite expansive with appetizers ranging from a house or caesar salad to onion rings to steamed vegetables to homemade bleu cheese chips. There are a variety of soups with tomato bisque, broccoli cheddar, french onion and garden vegetable being offered each day. There are also soups that change from day to day.

Next on the menu are the salads beginning with a simple house salad, but also including eclectic and unique options such as the enchiliso the asian crunch salad or the steak bistro salad, among others. I was very impressed by the large list of dressings available, particularly the low-fat dressings. While The Grotto does have the standard dressings that most restaurants offer, they appear to have more choices in low-fat dressings than other places. Some examples of the not-so-standard dressings include a low-fat raspberry viniagrette, a fate free cilantro lime viniagrette, a reisling viniagrette, a sweet red wine viniagrette, and an avocado ranch.

There is a wide variety of burgers and sandwiches, including chicken sandwiches, a grouper filet, a sashimi ahi tuna filet, a palo alto portabello, and a hippy burger made with a black bean burger and guacamole.

The Grotto’s specialty is California-Style pizzas. According to a description on the menue, these pizzas put an emphasis on the toppings rather than just the crust and sauce. There is a strong selection of these pizzas at nice prices. Don’t worry, if California pizzas are not your style, you can also order typical, thin or thick crust pizzas with your choice of toppings.

They do offer a children’s menu as well as a few desserts including chocolate chip cookies, malts and shakes (adding to the diner feel), and a warm cookie sundae. My personal favorite would be the cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory drizzled with chocolate, caramel, or raspberry sauce. They offer imported and domestic beers as well as house and select wines.

Since I am a single working girl on a budget,I found the prices very reasonable. I opted for the thin crust four cheese pizza which was priced quite nicely at $4.29 for a personal-size. I added an appetizer of the bleu cheese chips. I topped it off with a home made chocolate chip cookie. The bleu cheese chips were absolutely scrumptious. They consist of homemade potato chips seasoned with rosemary and thyme, topped with semi-melted bleu cheese crumbles and bleu cheese dressing. I would go back just for these.

The pizza was quite good as well and was large enough that I ended up taking two slices home. The service was friendly, personable, and quick. I waited less than 10 minutes for my meal. When I first arrived, only one or two other people were there. After all, The Grotto had been open less than a week. By the time I had eaten half of my meal, more and more people arrived, finally culminating into a nice, steady crowd.

Though I was looking for a “hole in the wall,” I found a restaurant that I truly believe will be much more than that. As word catches on, The Grotto will become one of Springfield’s best places to try.

Check out their website at www.gogrotto.com for more information.