Kitchen Witch

Hot dogs may just be the easiest, most accessible food around. Think about it: They’re one of a few foods sold and eaten just about everywhere, from discount and hardware stores to ballparks, gas stations, street kiosks, and, of course, restaurants. They’re cheap, they can be eaten on the run, and kids love them. People […]

Walking into the Dublin Pub, I had a strong sense of déjà vu. Of course I noticed the hints that something had changed: a new sign out front, a fresh coat of green paint on the walls, and some new menu items, such as pizza, gave it away. Plus, as a food writer, it’s my […]

June is Dairy Month, an annual tradition that promotes the dairy industry and its many contributions to society. OK, besides giving us ice cream, milkshakes, and assorted other summertime treats, what has the dairy industry done to deserve a month of devotion? Well, consider that June is also Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, Turkey Lover’s Month, National Accordion […]

The trend of all-you-can-eat dining in Springfield continues, now on an even bigger scale. The International Buffet is the latest restaurant in town to give people the option of grazing on anything from sushi and General Tso’s chicken to pizza and frog legs. At one time, the Heritage House was the king of the all-you-can-eat […]

I just returned from a vacation to South Carolina, a lush land of beaches, antebellum homes, and Low Country cooking. The term “Low Country” refers to the area just north of Georgetown, S.C., which continues to the Florida border and encompasses the Sea Islands, low flat areas (“low country”) surrounded by water, east of the […]

When August Jones moved back to Springfield from California three years ago, he immediately went to work farming his grandparents’ land. During that first summer, he was selling organic tomatoes and other fresh produce at the Old Capitol Farmers’ Market. The market not only provided an outlet to sell his crops but also introduced him […]

When Coz’s Pizza and Pub moved from Curran to Springfield nearly five years ago, it brought with it cold beer, sports memorabilia, and, most important, its thin-crust Chicago-style pizza. It also brought several traditions to the capital city, such as the bowls of salted peanuts at each table for patrons to snack on as soon […]

Shanita Auxila and her two small children, Zaria and Darius, are sharing a plate of smoked ribs, which she describes as amazing. “You can tell they’re smoked — they’re perfect,” she says. They’ve already shared a fried-oyster poorboy sandwich, courtesy of Sebastian’s Hideout, and chocolate-dipped strawberries from Coco-Bon. They’re pondering their next snack — perhaps […]

Spring means warmer weather and flowering trees. But for me, the harbinger of spring is asparagus, that delicious edible member of the lily family that usually bursts forth from the cool ground this month. Sangamon County is a great source of asparagus, with plenty of farmers selling their produce at the downtown farmers’ market and […]