By Thomas C. Pavlik I wouldn’t have known about Café Fresca but for my wife giving me a heads up that she had seen several positive reviews on Facebook for the place. Perhaps that’s because it doesn’t advertise much or because it’s located in the Bicentennial Building, occupied by the Illinois Department of Financial and […]
Thomas C. Pavlik Jr.
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Empire Korean Steakhouse and Bar
By Thomas C. Pavlik, Jr. I’m a huge fan of all Asian food, but I’ve only had Korean barbecue a handful of times and always when I was out of state. It’s something that I look forward to whenever the opportunity presents itself, which is why I was happy to learn that this genre was […]
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Casa Real Cantina & Grill
By Thomas Pavlik I’m a big fan of fried chicken, so I had some mixed emotions when I heard that Raising Cane’s was taking over the former Casa Real location on Wabash Avenue. Sure, Springfield has quite a few Mexican restaurants, but I’ve always been partial to Casa Real. Thankfully, Casa Real is open once […]
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Legacy Pointe Eatery
By Thomas Pavlik Legacy Pointe Eatery, 1130 W. Legacy Pointe Drive is the newest restaurant at Legacy Pointe in the space formerly occupied by Fox Run. It holds itself out as a “moderate – to medium-priced, casual-dining establishment” with a “high-quality full menu” that’s “centered around fresh and homemade items with a focus toward healthier […]
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Dolphin Chicken, Fish and Grill
By Thomas Pavlik I’ve been seeing lots of chatter on social media about Dolphin Chicken, Fish and Grill, and hearing some of my friends make favorable comments about it. So, I figured it was time to give Dolphin a shot. First thing to know is that Dolphin is drive-thru and take-out only. Second thing is […]
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Broadgauge
By Thomas Pavlik I’ve been hearing about the wonderful food at Broadgauge in Petersburg for quite some time. So, a few months ago, I cajoled a group of friends into taking a Monday drive to Petersburg for lunch at Broadgauge’s lunch partner, Talisman. Unfortunately for my friends, I neglected to notice that Talisman is not […]
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The Taco Joint
By Thomas Pavlik I’ve driven by The Taco Joint, a food truck located at South Grand Avenue and Second Street, literally hundreds of times and have always made a mental note to stop by and give it a try. Finally, my wife suggested that we grab a friend and head on over for lunch on […]
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Sportman’s Lounge and Restaurant
By Thomas C. Pavlik I used to be a regular at Sportsman’s in its former iteration, before it got a little long in the tooth and rundown. And then it went dark. Recently, however, a group of friends bought the building and decided to resurrect Sportsman’s, and in doing so, they’ve managed to preserve all […]
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Made-from-scratch makes an impression at Papo’s Café
BY TOM PAVLIK I’ve been hearing about Papo’s Café for the last several months, but primarily in connection with its made-from-scratch breakfasts, baked goods and hand-crafted coffee drinks. And yes, Papo’s breakfast menu sure is enticing. Although plenty of business is done over breakfast meetings, this month the fates decreed a lunch meeting with a […]
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Try something new at Nu-Voh
BY TOM PAVLIK Although I love a good steak, I get particularly animated over more esoteric dishes like steak tartare or roasted bone marrow. It’s the kind of food that gets me excited, but not the type of fare usually seen in the capital city. So I was excited when I first saw Nu-Voh’s food-forward […]
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Committed to Downtown – for another 50 years
BY THOMAS C. PAVLIK JR. When you’re open for business in the same community for more than five decades, you’ve probably done a few things right. And let’s be honest: you’ve probably made a few well-intentioned mistakes, too. This year marks our 50th anniversary, and we’re proud to have served the capital city for the […]
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Having a tiff about TIF
By Thomas C. Pavlik Freelance Contributor Between the surveyor’s museum, the former Methodist church downtown, the YWCA, and Enos Park, everyone seems to be in a tiff about TIF. There have been many discussions lately among the aldermen and the general public about the most appropriate use of these funds. First, a bit of history […]