417 Dining Review: Sense and Sensuality

You know it for lunch. Here are the surprising results of dinner at Tea Bar & Bites.

Southwest Missouri is littered with tea rooms, and people love them unabashedly. For all this deliciousness, there are a couple drawbacks. One rule of thumb I’d like to see amputated: Tea rooms don’t usually serve dinner. Another: They’re not much for gourmet surprise or taste sensation.

Except at Tea Bar & Bites. This Springfield place is a gem. Colleen Smith, the owner, has put together a lunch menu with some good fancying-up, inspired by the Mediterranean basin and Asia. But Smith’s best-kept secret is actually at dinner. She and Ocean Zen alumn John Ruff, have created a series of monthly multi-course dinners that attract some of Springfield’s most finicky beaks, me among them. These Friday-night, reservation-only dinners feature five courses arranged according to a theme, served in the Tea Bar atmosphere. In spring or fall, sit outside: The café adjoins a courtyard with strong Spanish trappings. It’s Quaint Central.

The best part? Smith prices her five-course dinners low low low. When I attended on a summer evening, it was just $28 per person (with, Smith admitted, an increase to $32 coming this fall, owing to fuel and food prices). While Smith doesn’t offer wine pairings, she has the next-best thing: Bring your own wine, beer or whatever you prefer. There is a $2.50 per person corkage fee.

Tea Bar & Bites 621 S. Pickwick Ave., Springfield 417-866-7500, teabarandbites.com Lunch, Tues–Sat.; dinner, Fri. $–$$

Tea Bar presented a Polynesian luau the evening I visited, carried off perfectly. Chef Ruff’s food succeeded in taking guests on a journey to the south Pacific, even if you’ve never been west of California. The first course was a nicely sized portion, somewhere between amuse-bouche and snacketizer, of shrimp taco. The shrimp was dipped in tamarind glaze and nestled in a small crispy-flaky taco with Asian guacamole and a purée of refried taro. The effect balanced sweet and savory while marrying crunch, cream and chewiness together. It was actually like comfort food.

The second course was mango bisque with black pepper. This felt like those tiny portions of palate-cleansing granita served between courses at a hyper-fancy dinner: Soothing on the taste buds, with a little kick.

In the ’90s, it was trendy for restaurants to present food “vertically.” With everything stacked eight inches high whether it should be or not; things got silly. Tea Bar’s third course at the luau was a vertical salad, but not a pretentious one. The chef stacked slices of grilled eggplant and fresh tomato and decorated it with a basil-macadamia pesto and a “Mediterranean relish” (not at all Polynesian but still delicious) of minced black olive, capers, garlic, onion, basil, olive oil and fish sauce. On top, a pillow of soft goat cheese was sprinkled with sesame seeds. There was a lot going on here, but the flavors married well.

Tea Bar & Bites Fall Theme Dinners Tea Bar & Bites offers dinner only occasionally, during themed five-course Friday nights. Dishes fit the theme, and you can even bring your own bottle of wine for a $2.50-per-person corkage fee. Here’s what’s coming up this season: September 19, Greek Isles October 17, Harvest Moon Dinner November 21, Taste of Spain Dinners are $32 per person. Call 417-866-7500 to make reservations in advance. Request outdoor seating when you reserve.

The entrée was a chicken breast topped with a mango-spiced glaze. Underneath, a bed of Samoan coconut rice beat the good (but forgettable) protein, both in flavor and in texture. There was a strong coconut taste—so strong that I asked Smith if she’d resorted to coconut extract for flavoring. Nope, came the reply: Just coconut milk.

Dessert was “spiced chocolate pudding with caramel crisp,” a flan-like concoction—very light, with no eggy bad-custard flavors. It reminded me of Mexican hot chocolate, with notes of anise and maybe cinnamon. The “caramel crisp” was a miniature node of Rice Krispy Treat, only bound up with real, hard caramel. The resulting crunch was a pleasant riff against the floofy, bouncy pudding.

If I had it to do all over again? First, I’d dress for the occasion. Dudes in jungle-print shirts everywhere reminded me of Ball of the Wild, when Springfield movers and shakers dress “safari formal” for a party that raises funds for Dickerson Park Zoo.

Most importantly, I’d have paired all those spices and sweets with my own pinot grigio, or maybe a light riesling. Next time, I’ll be sure to ask about the theme when I make reservations, so I can play sommelier ahead of time. It’s the best way to turn a sensible treat into a sensual experience.

About Reviewing

Reviews are written by our editors and freelance writers as a service to readers, without advertising consideration. Visits are as anonymous as possible, and all expenses are paid by 417 Magazine. New restaurants are allowed at least four weeks to establish themselves before a first visit. To comment, please use our new Dining Feedback section on 417mag.com.