Two new restaurants open, another adds a location, and Pineapple Whip offers chocolate

Susan Szuch, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read

This week in the Springfield-area restaurant realm: a local taco favorite adds another location, Black Sheep rounds out its presence in the city, and Pineapple Whip offers chocolate soft serve for a limited time.

A Tacos El Champu is opening at at 603 S. Kimbrough Ave., where Black Market Smokehouse was located.
A Tacos El Champu is opening at at 603 S. Kimbrough Ave., where Black Market Smokehouse was located.

Tacos El Champu adding a Kimbrough location

A new Tacos El Champu brick-and-mortar location is in the works. The restaurant announced the news on Facebook. The new location will be 603 S. Kimbrough Ave., which previously housed Black Market Smokehouse and Smoked 417.

Tacos El Champu's first location is at 1342 W. Sunshine St., and they also have a food truck at 2350 S. Campbell Ave.

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Amici Modern Italian is opening at 4728 S. Campbell Ave., which previously housed Tasia.
Amici Modern Italian is opening at 4728 S. Campbell Ave., which previously housed Tasia.

Lavender Falls Farms opens new restaurant

Amici, 4728 S. Campbell Ave., is now accepting reservations. The "modern Italian" restaurant is run by Lavender Falls Farm, and is different from the farm's 2020 partnership with the Aviary Cafe.

Amici offers what they describe as a combination of a multi-course tasting menu and a la carte, like a prix fixe menu: Diners pay $60 for a five-course meal, choosing one option from each course. According to the website, the course options will change every week or two. Their current menu will be offered until Sept. 3.

Customers can view the current offerings and make reservations online at dineamici.com. The restaurant will be open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

More: Celebrate 20 years of the PSL with pumpkin spice coffee, baklava, shaved ice and dog brew

Black Sheep's Glenstone Ave. location is open

Black Sheep A.S.A.P. is now slinging burgers and fries at their Glenstone location, according to a Facebook post. The building at 3325 S. Glenstone Ave. formerly housed Taco Habitat, but was bought by Black Sheep owners Mike and Billy Jalili this past June.

Customers can dine in or order at the drive-thru from a menu similar to the Black Sheep A.S.A.P. on East Sunshine Street, with a scaled down selection of burgers and fries.

Black Sheep A.S.A.P. at 3325 S. Glenstone Ave. is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The machine that makes Pineapple Whip on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.
The machine that makes Pineapple Whip on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

Chocolate returns to Pineapple Whip while supplies last

Pineapple Whip has something of a cult following in Springfield, which is understandable given its history. This week, the soft-serve company is offering a chocolate flavor at its Glenstone Avenue location through Sept. 5, or until supplies run out.

According to a Facebook post announcing the flavor at 1147 S. Glenstone Ave., many customers had been asking if they would offer chocolate this summer.

In addition, all Pineapple Whip locations will offer pre-frozen pints of chocolate soft serve.

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Black Sheep on Glenstone opens; Tacos El Champu announces new location