Lunch?
It’s the one-word question that means business.
Lunch is when you connect with clients, entertain private conversations and draft plans on napkins.
So where do you go to make this magic? We looked around town and found a variety of options that met our criteria: on the beaten path, interesting enough for out-of-town clients and some degree of privacy. We’ll bring you three this week and three next.
The clock’s ticking; let’s get down to business.
Springfield Brewing Co. Rating: 4 out of 5 forks – for consistency, originality and longevity
Any lunch survey has to include a trip downtown, and the standard is Springfield Brewing Co. – the place that helped kick-start downtown development when it dared to renovate a warehouse at 305 S. Market Ave.
Here, businesspeople can have their choice of tall tables or window booths, many within view of the center bar and the brewmaster at work. All it takes is a meeting request that says, “BrewCo,” and the salivary glands start working for the favorites: London fish and chips, Mom’s mac-and-cheese or any of the wood-fired pizzas.
On this visit, we looked carefully at the lunch menu, which includes any pasta for $1 less than dinner price. On our server’s recommendation, we tried the buffalo chicken Caesar wrap ($7.25) and the brewmaster’s fan club ($7.75). As always, the choices were flavorful and plentiful, with boxes provided to take the leftovers back to the staff refrigerator.
You won’t want to imbibe during lunch, but treat yourself to the Mueller root beer, crafted in the microbrewery with great hints of birch bark, anise and vanilla.
BrewCo is quiet enough for a business discussion but lively enough for that downtown feel. Service was a little disorganized but cheerful enough to make up for it. If you are in a hurry, make sure they know in advance.
Jimm’s Steakhouse & Pub Rating: 3.5 out of 5 forks – for its emphasis on the dinner crowd
For central location, hometown history and just a hint of the old boys’ club, Jimm’s Steakhouse & Pub can’t be beat.
In the former Steak & Ale, 1935 S. Glenstone Ave. – an icon when it comes to Springfield business deals – little has changed in the décor. It’s the same casual, good-old-boy atmosphere and even some of the same menu items, including the warm rye bread.
Yes, you can get a Steak & Ale Kensington, thinly disguised as the classic club steak sandwich, but for lunch, we recommend the prime rib French dip ($8.99).
As our table of four discussed business, we also tried the stuffed mushrooms with crabmeat, which we found a little too runny and woodsy. We were good with the lobster bisque ($4.79), the bleu bacon burger ($7.99) and the unlimited salad bar ($6.49) – another throwback to the old days.
The service was a little slow on the draw, but we made it out in time for our next meeting.
Digiacinto Rating: 3 out of 5 forks – for average East Coast delivery
To show a client the tucked-away places that are popular in our city, try Digiacinto. It’s in a strip mall at 2259 S. Campbell Ave. – easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there.
As former East Coasters, we can say the pizza steak sub ($7.25) comes pretty close to the true New England experience. We found the homemade tomato sauce a little watery and portions small enough to finish with room for dessert, so we split a creamy cannoli ($4.25). Digiacinto has a selection of lunch pastas and one special, which on the Friday we showed up was chicken parmesan with a side of linguini ($8.75), plus salad or soup. The Manhattan clam chowder (available only on Friday) was tasty with lots of clams and a rich tomato broth.
The restaurant has a nice antipasta and truly good bread that manages that perfect combination of chewy and crusty. And it knows its salami, offering Volpi Genoa from The Hill in St. Louis.
Digiacinto offers an easy atmosphere for business meetings with sheltered booths and good service.
Paul K. Logsdon is director of public relations and publications for Evangel University, and Kay Logsdon is director of the Food Channel for Noble. They have written restaurant reviews for 25 years.
