Adventures in Springfield, MO

I visited my parents this weekend, which always means exciting new food experiences.  My mom and dad are very different in their food tastes, my mom is in love with the adventure of food (like me) but my dad is very strait forward - pasta with marinara, steak, potatoes...nothing too fancy, just classic American food. As a result my mom is always looking to try new places when ever I'm in town.

This weekend we went to Bambino's, which is a little Italian restaurant tucked into a neighborhood.  Bambino's is run by an authentic Italian family that uses very classic recipes.  The food was fantastic, and covered in creamy cheese...tiramisu was to die for.  It's always hard to find a good authentic tiramisu, they nailed it. It was light and creamy with notes of amaretto, perfect ending to a heavy meal of pasta.

But what was most charming about this restaurant is that it's literally nestled into a neighborhood of houses...you would never find the place by mistake.  Our waitress (who was not affiliated with the owners at all) lived right across the street from the restaurant.

This exclusiveness gave the place an authenticity...it was very casual and friendly, but had a nice forgien feel, which you don't find often in American Italian restaurants.

After Bambino's my mom took me to Mama Jean's, which is like a small version of Whole Foods...and I was floored by their spice collection, as well as the tea selection (I bought an ounce of "lover's tea" for 70 cents!)

My mom and I always get into trouble in any kind of grocery store...Today we bought Appeal's "Pomelo & Pink Grapefruit & Lemon Aloe Vera" it was a light green colored drink that has small chunks of aloe vera in it, I kid you not....aloe vera drinks are supposedly the next "it" thing... I've tried a few aloe vera drinks and never liked them, this one was actually good... but chewy...there were small shavings of the aloe vera that one would have to chew before swallowing... but the sweet aloe mixed with a mild bite of grapefruit and a zesty splash of lemon was refreshing...it reminded me of drinking the juice from a can of pears...slightly sweet, and slightly chunky.

http://www.organicdirect.com/alo-appeal-pomelo-pink-grapefruit-lemon-aloe-vera-drink-169oz-p-9370.html

We also bought a few chocolates, my favorite being Chocolove's "Dark Chocolate Chili Cherry"

At first you taste the dried cherry's adding a nice sweet taste, but the chili hits you as an after taste, creeping into your mouth subtly and gradually getting hotter with each bite. I found the chocolate to be sadistically addicting!