Cozy Dining

Peabody's brings warm charm to Commercial Street

There’s a cute little gem with great food and laid-back atmosphere that’s a cozy respite from the street’s winter winds on Commercial Street, not far from the thrift stores and refurbed lofts. I went to Peabody’s twice with my friend Kari Engel, and the place had a healthy crowd of leisurely lunchers and subtle, elegant tunes coming from the player piano. Peabody’s reminded me of the cute, tiny restaurants I’d eat at in New York City (one in particular that served primarily grilled cheese), where the ambiance was a complete 180 from the street. We ate there right before Christmas, and there was a full-sized decked-out Christmas tree next to the piano. The whole place just felt cozy, with exposed brick on the walls that are painted warm red and mustard yellow. There’s even a lofted private room upstairs, where diners can look down on the restaurant.

The first time we ate at Peabody’s, we started with the coconut shrimp appetizer ($6.99), which was crispy and sweet. This was my favorite part of the meal. The coconut flavor was strong; it reminded me of dining out in Florida. Kari ordered chicken pesto pasta ($7.50), which came with the most buttery garlic bread I’ve ever seen. I had the Reuben ($6.99), which didn’t remind me of New York as much as the décor did (wishful thinking). It was delicious, however, with plenty of tart sauerkraut but not too much dressing. The fries were thick-cut (my favorite kind) but came to us a little cold. I didn’t say anything about it, but I’m sure if I had, I’d have been accommodated in some way. Everyone who worked there was super-nice and eager-to-please, and at least four people said goodbye to us and wished us a great day on our way out the door. I could see this place being a little Cheers-like; after a few trips, everybody knows your name.

On our second trip, Kari ordered a pan-seared yellow-fin tuna steak topped with a lime-cilantro cream sauce and roasted red peppers for $14.95. It came with a side of green beans just like my grandma used to make and thick, chunky, skin-on mashed potatoes.

I had the pasta fui Delmar ($16.95). It was bow-tie noodles with little bay scallops, huge shrimp, tomato, spinach, and a jalapeño cream sauce. The sauce
definitely had a spicy kick and a distinct jalapeño flavor, but it wasn’t the kind of thing that would make your eyes water or your tongue burn. It was just the right amount of spicy. The best part, though, was the sheer number of scallops in the dish. I would say the distribution was generous, but that would be an understatement. The spinach is more than an accent in this dish, as well. There was quite a bit of it, all wilted perfectly and jam-packed with flavor. I would order it again for sure, but I do think $16.95 might be a smidge steep for a pasta dish.

We finished by splitting a slice of tiramisù, and I had a cup of coffee. The tiramisù came to us frozen, which bothered me more than it bothered Kari. I admit it tasted okay, but it wasn’t the right texture, and I’m not sure what frozen tiramisù really says to customers. Besides that, though, the meal was great. Kari adored her dish, and I would probably go in the direction of tuna on my next visit, just to get a taste of something besides the mountains of delicious little scallops.

Peabody's

312 E. Commercial St., Springfield
417-832-8585
11 a.m.–2 p.m., 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Mon.–Fri.
$$

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