The lists of winners and placers announced Thursday night go on and on.
>> Best of Springfield: All the winners and placers in the 2023 contest
The beauty of the Best of Springfield food contests is that everyone who enjoys dining wins. The nomination process and voting — all from local residents voicing their favorites — always turns up a place you’ve never been, a place you had forgotten about or a place you frequent so much they know your name and order.
Here are my personal takes on finalists in several of the top categories, starting with the morning and going through the day .
Best Donuts: The winner here is no surprise to Springfielders. Schuler’s Bakery is what I buy when new employees start working with us, and I used to buy them in mornings when my daughters were little and would have someone for a sleepover. They are that good.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Best Breakfast: Olympic Coney Island might not sound like a breakfast place, but you are missing out if you don’t try it. My personal favorite is the gyro omelet.
Another finalist I enjoy is Mundy’s Diner, and I look forward to it opening in a larger space on the east side of town.
Best Lunch Spot: I know the winner here extremely well. COhatch the Market in downtown Springfield is the home of our own office space, and COhatch also is home to several fantastic lunch spots, making this a no-brainer for voters.
>> PHOTOS: The 2023 Best of Springfield celebration
I am a regular at Chido’s since Armando Nunez opened it in the summer. He is creative and fun, and he promotes others in social media.
I grab a tasty roll each week from Sushi Hikari, a fantastic sandwich from Jo’s Deli and alternate between Ironworks, Crust and Co. and All Saints Grill the other days of the week.
They all are so good that on those rare instances I venture out to have lunch with a source or community member, I feel like I am cheating on the COhatch folks.
Charlo’s Provisions & Eatery is a short walk from the office and another spot I hit up for lunch. It is definitely worth a try if you have not been. Keep an eye out for their seasonal dishes, like the occasional lobster roll I have had there.
Best bakery, cookies and desserts: Yes, those are three different categories, but they have many familiar names in each one, including Le Torte Dolci, owned by Lisa and Dan Freeman, who have four downtown food spots now. D. Sweets, Cookies and Gifts also should be on your list to try.
Best of the meats: Yes, these categories are really Best BBQ and Best Burger, but I lumped them together.
Rudy’s Smokehouse is a longtime favorite of mine and has been served at many of my family functions. I admit I still haven’t tried a couple of the finalists here, but rest assured, they are on my list because I hear so many good things about them.
I love a Straw Hat burger from Ridgewood Cafe, which has some cool decor and a nice outside dining spot.
Best Dine-In Restaurant: No offense to the winner, because I eat there regularly, but Casa Del Sabor is a different dining experience than the rest of the finalists in this category. If you are out for a date night, Stella Bleu Bistro, Cecil and Lime and Charlo’s all are solid options here.
Best Restaurant to take an Out-of-Towner: I can say that I have taken visitors to each of the places in this category, and Speakeasy Ramen, the winner, is always a hit with friends and family from Bellefontaine to Dayton and points between. People are amazed Springfield has something off the beaten path like Speakeasy.
You also cannot go wrong with fancier Stella Bleu or Cecil and Lime, or the quirkier Hickory Inn.
Best Mexican Food: My wife just might get a bit tired of me suggesting Mexican when we go out for dinner, but winner Casa Del Sabor and finalists Los Mariachis, El Toro and El Speedy Vaquero all have their specialties and friendly staff.
It is one of the categories that could even stand to have a few more finalists because we have plenty of great options in Springfield.
One of those is a Best Tacos finalist, Mariana’s Tacos Y Paletas, which is a family-run shop that makes unique food and has some wonderful dessert treats.
Best Pizza: I have tried and enjoyed all four finalists, and I already have mentioned Hickory Inn and Crust and Co.
That leaves the other two, which are fantastically different experiences. Catanzaro’s Pizza & Subs is an old-school business where you carry out, but be prepared for heavy lifting, because they do not scrimp on toppings.
Because of Best of Springfield, our family discovered how good the Station 1 pizza is. All the regular pizzas have been tasty, but the monthly specials are almost always the bomb. Put them on your must-try list.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Best Ice Cream: If Schuler’s is synonymous with donuts, you probably will find a photo of Young’s Jersey Dairy in the dictionary next to ice cream. The ice cream is what started it all, but the Young’s empire continues to grow with tons of other options and activities. And, it makes for a great way to end your evening after a food tour of Springfield.
Shoutout to a couple others in the category — Kone Korner reminds me of my younger days when I would stop coming or going from my hometown of Bellefontaine to the Upper Valley Mall; and Champion City Pops, Sweets, & Treats has tasty rolled ice cream, which requires some strong arms by those making it.
I hope you find this list fun and helpful, as it was intended to be, but feel free to drop me a line at ben.mclaughlin@coxinc.com if you want to rock, paper, scissors me on any of my thoughts.
Ben McLaughlin is editor of the Springfield News-Sun.
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