Pickwick Place

Pickwick Place: A quaint escape not far from campus

GRETA CROSS Editor-in-Chief @gretacrossphoto

The historic Rountree neighborhood is home to students, families and an array of local businesses, nestled close to Missouri State’s campus. Within the neighborhood lies Pickwick Place, Rountree’s retail strip. Despite its close proximity to campus, visiting the shops and restaurants feels like a quaint escape.

Pickwick Place is at the intersection of Pickwick Avenue and Cherry Street, less than a 10 minute walk from Domino’s Pizza on National Avenue near main-campus.

Cherry Picker + Fare 601 S. Pickwick Ave. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Cherry Picker + Fare is a coffee shop, restaurant and bar on the corner of Cherry Street and Pickwick Avenue. The rustic interior and exterior seating area creates an all-natural environment.

As for seating, there isn’t much inside, but there are more seats outside in a fenced-in front porch.

Isabella Loretz, a senior hospitality leadership major, said Cherry Picker + Fare is a great place to sit outside, while enjoying food, trying out their great wine selection or bloody mary mix, which is made in-house.

“It’s my favorite place to sit outside with my fiance, friends and dogs when it’s nice out,” Loretz said. “The atmosphere there is just great.”

Ott’s Pasta 1437 E. Cherry St. Hours: Monday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Ott’s Pasta is a local Italian restaurant across Cherry Street from Cherry Picker + Fare.

Ott’s local charm can be enjoyed by dining in or ordering carryout.

Alyssa Decker, a junior hospitality leadership major, said she enjoys calling ahead to pick up her food.

“The package makes it look a little small, but in reality it is packed with food and flavor,” Decker said. “It’s also fresh, which always makes anything automatically better.”

Decker said her favorite order is fettuccine served with salad and bread for just over $5.

Along with being a popular restaurant, Ott’s Pasta also offers a community compost, serviced by the Springfield Compost Collective.

Tie & Timber Beer Co. 1451 E. Cherry St. Hours: Monday-Thursday 2-11 p.m., Friday-Saturday 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., Sunday 12-8 p.m.

Tie & Timber Beer Co., a local brewery — popular with students 21 and up — is on Cherry Street, behind Ott’s Pasta.

According to the Tie & Timber Beer Co. website, the area where the bar now sits was originally a lumberyard along the Chadwick Branch of the Frisco Railway.

Guests can enjoy a beer inside or on the patio, surrounded by the sound of live music.

Loretz said Tie & Timber is her favorite brewery in Spring field because of the welcoming atmosphere.

“I’ve met the nicest people there and it gives off a total Colorado vibe,” Loretz said. “Plus, their beer is great.”

Skully’s Food Truck 1427 E. Cherry St. Tuesday-Saturday 14-8 p.m. (or until sold out)

Skully’s Food Truck is located on the corner of Cherry Street and Pickwick Avenue, across from Ott’s Pasta.

The permanent food truck offers an array of fresh interna tional cuisine, but be aware, their hours may fluctuate because they’ll close early if they sell out.

Vanessa Guzman-Slater, junior hospitality leadership major, said Skully’s is one of her favorite places to eat near campus.

“I love the concept of a ramen food truck because these guys are able to prove that high quality, flavorful food doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive,” Guzman-Slater said. “As well, in creating a more traditional style than what Springfield is used to on its own is pretty cool, considering how important diversity is to the area.”

Tea Bar and Bites 621 S. Pickwick Ave. Hours: Monday-Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tea Bar and Bites is a gourmet cafe two doors down from Queen City Cycles on Pickwick Avenue.

Graduate student Hailey King has worked at Tea Bar and Bites for about a year and said it has a quaint, antique feel with works from local artists rotating in each month.

The cafe has a small garden, which is used to supply the ingredients for the majority of the daily specials, King said.

Along with serving fresh breakfast, lunch and dinner options, the cafe offers monthly themed dinners for guests to enjoy.

According to the Tea Bar and Bites website, themed dinners are a 5-course meal prepared by the cafe’s executive chef Marty Almaraz. While at dinner, guests can enjoy live music performed by a local artist.

King said Tea Bar and Bites is the perfect place for a girl’s Sunday brunch or lunch with grandma.

These restaurants are just a handful of the local businesses you can find in Pickwick Place. Other popular student favorites include: