Something significant happened in Illinois this weekend.
This means one thing for the Low-Rent Foodies in the Springfield area. Time to take off your masks and EAT!
So, with that, here are five local establishments that are open and ready for your hungries!
Finley’s Tap House
I first heard about Finley’s from a friend of mine at church, who is a fellow craft beer enthusiast. One day, whilst we were discussing the merits of particular brands of stout, he mentioned that the fish and chips at Finley’s were legendary.
My 49th birthday was coming up, so I chose Finley’s as my celebration destination. I was not surprised by the drink selection and the elevated bar food.
What did surprise me was what else the chef had up his sleeve. Living in the 217, I don’t have much experience with gastropubs, as that’s more of a big city thing. The easiest way to describe the experience is, instead of a bar that also has food, this is a restaurant that also has a bar.
Because it was my birthday, I decided to splurge on the braised pork shank.
Oh. My. Dog. I have never had piggy melt in my mouth like this. At $21.99, I don’t know if it quite qualified as Low-Rent, but this Foodie regrets nothing!
Finley’s is also a nice place to stop in for lunch. My daughter (Low-Rent Foodie, Jr.) recommends the Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad.
Of course, this is Springfield, so you gotta have horseshoes on the menu.
Lake Pointe Grill
I have mentioned this place before. It’s still one of my favorites, conveniently located near my wife’s office (or at least what used to be her office before the Branch Covidians took over Lincoln Land with their hysteria).
I have always appreciated the diversity of the menu at Lake Pointe, with its Midwestern take on southern classics such as BBQ, shrimp and grits and gumbo.
I have a feeling, though, that I’m going to be eating a lot more of their wood-fired pizzas, since owners Chris Hanken and Vic Lanzotti were forced to close the branch of Pie’s the Limit nearest to where I live due to COVID fallout. (The location on South Macarthur remains open.)
You can build your own pizza, but some of the combos they have come up with make it not worth the stress of making your own decision. My favorites are the pulled pork pizza with gouda cheese, jalapenos, and sautéed onions; the Creole pizza with shrimp and andouille sausage, and the Michigan Avenue pizza (shown below).
sausage and ricotta.
$14.99
This pie bears much more of a resemblance to New York Pizza than Chicago, but that’s another post for another day.
La Fiesta
La Fiesta currently has three locations. It began its life as Omar’s Latin Fusion Cuisine in the former location of Xochimilco Grande at Piper Glen. Owner Omar Hernandez kept the highlights of the Xochimilco menu, made some improvements to the recipes, then added a few concoctions of his own. The “Latin Fusion” label might have thrown some people off though, so they eventually reverted to a primarily Mexican menu.
In 2017, Omar bought the La Fiesta restaurant on Stevenson Drive, rechristening it La Fiesta Grande. About that time, the Piper Glen location changed its name to La Fiesta Chatham (even though it’s technically in Springfield).
Not long after that came a very happy day when Omar opened the third location within walking distance from Low-Rent Foodie headquarters! There’s something about being able to sit on your front porch and smell fresh burritos! Speaking of which…
I love all Mexican food, but I CRAVE burritos! La Fiesta currently has seven different burritos on their menu. My favorite is the chipotle burrito (pictured above). I prefer this one with steak. It comes stuffed (and I do mean STUFFED) with black beans, rice, onions, and green peppers, and topped with that magnificent chipotle cheese dip and Pico de mango.
Two more that I order regularly are the Southwest Burrito…
…and the Tricolor Burrito, which is topped with ranchera sauce, cheese dip and tomatillo sauce to represent the colors on the Mexican Flag.
Lulu’s Diner
Lulu’s originally opened as an international buffet with an emphasis on Middle Eastern cuisine.
In 2017, however, it reopened under the management of Landi and Klorida Skenderi with a focus on made-from scratch American diner food.
Lulu’s in known for their friendly service, inexpensive breakfast and lunch specials and HUGE portions. I have been known to throw down some hearty breakfasts in my time, but I couldn’t even finish this corned beef skillet.
Lulu’s is one of those places where the staff knows the regulars and has their orders started before they even sit down. I can’t help but feel comfortable in a place like that, even as a first timer.
Scoop du Jour
After all that legal chowing down, you’re going to need dessert, right? So let your food settle, then head on down to Chatham and cool off at Scoop du Jour.
Shannon McCauley and Fran Abbott have been serving up coffee, fresh-made pastries, sandwiches, wraps and soups since 2015. Oh yeah, and ice cream.
Lots of ice cream.
About 30 flavors of ice cream, some of which vary from time to time.
And not just any ice cream, but Cedar Crest ice cream, from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, which is the greatest ice cream on earth. (I stand by that statement. If there is any that is better, I haven’t tried it.)
I usually get a waffle cone (made fresh daily), but sometimes, you just need a sundae.
These are just a few of the establishments that opened up this weekend. Many more are opening soon. This lockdown has been absolutely brutal for mom and pop places like this, so please do what you can to help them keep their doors open. One way you can do that is to share this post on social media with the hashtag #supportsmallbusiness.
Now go GETCHA SOME!