Earlier in the week, I ventured into local Springfield legend, Caspser’s  for the very first time. I had been hearing about how wonderful their chili is for years, but couldn’t get past the hole-in-the-wall, metal “shed” that houses Casper’s. After learning that they just celebrated their 100-year anniversary, I FINALLY took the plunge. I figured their chili MUST be good, if they have been around for 100 years.  The restaurant is tiny, but cozy. The interior has a kind of “kitschy” appeal. The service was very friendly and prompt. I went early – before 11 am. I know they can get extremely busy during the lunch rush, especially throughout the winter months. I had a cup of chili with cheese on top. It was very satisfying and filling, and it tasted great!

Have you heard about Artisan’s Oven? I hadn’t until recently, but apparently they have been around for over four years. Located on Ingram Mill & Sunshine, Artisan’s Oven is best known for their breads which are baked fresh each day. The daily selections may include Pain aux Cereales, Pane al Olive, Pain au Fromage, Foccacia, and Challah, to name a few. In addition, they have a daily soup  which is only sold by the pint, plus, a nice variety of cookies and other sweets.  Pastries include tarts, cinnamon rolls, White Cheddar and Chive scones,  sweet scones, and more. I had a sweet tooth they day I tried Artisan’s Oven, and couldn’t decide which of the cookies I wanted to try. They all looked good!  I ended up buying one of each type of cookie. Next time, I am going to try both the bread and the homemade soup.

Have you ever thought of having chicken for breakfast? Well, neither had I, until I heard the very popular Chick-Fil-A is now serving breakfast. While they do have sausage and egg-type sandwices, Chick-Fil-A stays true to it’s name by offering chicken sandwiches that are more “breakfasty.” My favorite breakfast item is the 3 or 4-piece Chicken Minis. They are made of high-quality chicken nuggets (way better than McDonalds) in a wheat bun that is coated with a rather sweet-syrupy butter. Very tasty, indeed!