Ready for your daily dose of delicious????

Tuesday through Sunday you can find it in Cuba’s Uptown Historic District, right close to Old Route 66 and, of course, the Burlington Northern (originally Frisco) Railroad. 121 Smith Street.

Frisco’s Grill and Pub is the name, and trains are the game. Trains and delicious, knock-your-socks-off food. The extensive menu includes everything from “Biteables/Nibbles/Sharable Fare” to Dessert. It’s all there. Personal favorites include the Fettuccini Alfredo and the Reuben. YUM!

From the vintage train façade to the caboose inside, to the photographs that harken back to another time, the train theme is simply, but tastefully appointed.

Frisco’s offers outside dining, a separate pub room with 20 beers on tap, cocktails, a large selection of Scotch, and an expanded wine list. They also cater.

Owners Jimmy West and Ben White are certainly on track to make a name for themselves, Frisco’s and Cuba.

Something for Everyone.

If you are looking for a full-service resort, look no further than Bass’ River Resort near Steelville. It’s one thing to be offered a quality lodge, cabin, house or camping facility, but this recreational retreat doesn’t stop there. You will also find a swimming pool, country store, volleyball courts, basketball court, horseshoes, horseback riding, group pavilions, shuttle service on the Ozark Trail, showers, and much more—even pizza delivery! And this is not to mention the breath-taking scenery. True nourishment for the hungering soul.

So, if you are hankering for a nice, quiet float down the river followed by a primitive campout or a no-holds-barred luxury lodge-stay with all the comforts one location can capture, make your reservation soon—and often!

“If you haven’t been to the Bird’s Nest Lodge lately, you haven’t been to the Bird’s Nest Lodge!”

Meramec River Resort, the former Bird’s Nest Lodge, is under new management and the new owners are out to make their mark. The Bell and Norman families have purchased the lodge and are currently updating the 26 units as well as other buildings and the grounds. It is a work in progress and progressing it is! Rehabilitation of the rustic cabins is coming along nicely. Some of them feature staircases with tree and/or branch banister rails and/or stock-tank showers. Worth seeing for sure! And you certainly will not want to miss the Bird’s Nest Bridge, circa 1915.

In addition, the owners offer Customer Service Extraordinaire. Garrett Bell can be found around doing what it takes to offer hands-on provision for visitors in need of creature comforts. This beautiful Ozark destination offers camping, fishing, a restaurant, convenience store, cabins, and Kayak, raft and canoe rentals.

You can find them at 2356 Bass Road, Steelville, MO.

Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.

Just about every small town has one. That place where locals gather to solve the world’s problems over coffee, biscuits and gravy, chicken-fried steak or a chef salad. If you really want to know what America is thinking, go there.

One such is Country Bob’s Café, St. James. Comfort food extraordinaire! Extensive menu includes burgers, smoked meats, fish and shrimp, soup and salad and so much more. And, if you just can’t decide, there’s always the Buffet. And OH, MY the pies! So many choices. They also cater this home-made goodness.

Now, if you’re thinking this place is just for locals, think again! Easy access from I-44 and well worth the quarter-mile-ish journey—EASY PEASY. And you won’t find better home-style food whether it’s for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner.

They call them “Functional Art.” And art they are! Made of (and I quote) “1085 Blue Tempered Spring Steel. 0.85% carbon, allowing for edge holding ability at a low temper making sharpening easy with a stone, steel, or ceramic stick.” Beautifully-carved handles are shed deer/elk antlers.

Richardson Knives are well-known in the Meramec Region, and beyond—WAY beyond. This family business was the brainchild of Ken Richardson who began making knives from old crosscut saws in his spare time from his horseshoeing business sometime around 1990. Quality and creativity were the leavening agents for this family recipe for success. The Richardsons raised seven children near Dillard Mill and built a shop for the growing business. Soon, large retailers got wind of these unique sculptures and the rest is history AND current events. Family members have continued the legacy, producing the knives for sale at the store on Main Street, Steelville and at many other fine retailers, as well as online.

Functional art at its finest!

Tactile (adj):

My Thesaurus says: Tangible, palpable, perceptible, physical, concrete, solid, demonstrative, touchy-feely (I love that one!)

Yep. That explains it. Now, if you want, you can go online and shop for that unique antique/boutique item but it is just not the same as holding it in your hands and knowing that some discerning aficionado from the past has had a connection to the item. As a flea market enthusiast, I cannot help myself. Ozark Country Flea Market in Waynesville is a place where I can get completely lost in the past. Booth after booth of just a bit of everything calling my name and before you know it, I have spent a couple of hours reminiscing, recollecting, reflecting, ruminating and rummaging, finding those items that I simply can no longer live without. If you haven’t tried it, please do. So much better than pills and poultices for calming the nerves and lifting the spirit. But I must warn you, it, too, is addictive. Ozark Country Flea Market, 107 Rte. 66 E., Waynesville.

Nooks and crannies were created for those looking for the unique, and I was on a quest. It was a cold, grey, wintery day, and I just needed a cozy place to be. And I found it! Cellar 66 in Waynesville was just a bit hard to find, but well worth the search AND the find. Worth the search because the journey takes you through an adorable little alcove just west of the Pulaski County Courthouse. You will pass through the restaurant’s outside seating area (in the Rubidoux Plaza) on your way to the front entrance. Worth the find because, once you get there, you will discover a quaint, friendly, eclectic, comfortable, warm establishment. Overstuffed couch and chairs, relaxing music and thought-provoking wall-art add to the character. They even have wine-themed light covers!

And the food! My choice for the day was a delicious vegetable soup, one of owner Twyla Cordry’s special creations. Her touch can be seen across the menu and around the room.

You gotta go. Well worth the search AND the find!

Authentic is hard to beat. Go into a lot of “soda shops” today and replica items abound. At Pop Scherer’s Café Creamery in Steelville, that is not the case. Most of the décor is truly authentic 50’s and 60’s accoutrements. Cute as a button!

Close your eyes and think. Paper straws, red and white or yellow and black tables and chairs, Coca-Cola signs, soda counter with round stools, hamburgers frying on the grill. A lot of authentic bits and pieces make for an authentic Soda Fountain. Owners Todd and Alicia Rehmert, offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, catering, outdoor seating and excellent food—making this an authentically great place to get your daily dose of delicious!

It’s tucked away down one of those scenic, wild-flower-flanked country drives that tells you there is something simply transformative at the end of THIS byway. And, certainly, there is.

Indian Springs Family Resort offers really great facilities for you and your family for camping, lodging and/or floating on the Upper Meramec River. From the unique, rustic entrance, you know you are in for a treat. Well-arranged RV and tent sites, just steps from the river, offer water and electric or remain primitive, whichever suits your fancy. If lodging is your thing, options include “Black Eagle”, “Crazy Horse”, “Red Cloud”, “High Hawk” or “Standing Bear” as well as the “Big Chief Motel”, depending on your accommodation needs. AND, are you ready for this, folks: They also have two tipis that can sleep 6 people each!

Facilities also include a shower house, pool, dump station, pavilions, general store, the “Little Wolf Lodge Annex” and beach area. Well-maintained. Peaceful. Historic. Family atmosphere. If you are looking for a few days away from the same-ole, same-ole, get yourself and your family to Indian Springs. It’s revivifying!

Red Velvet. Cherry Cheesecake. Butterscotch Salted Caramel. Birthday Cake. Candycane. Cappuccino. Peanut Butter Chocolate. And the list goes on……

Not talking about cupcakes, here, folks. These are just some of the wonderful flavors of fudge you can get at Creekside Fudge and Gifts in Steelville. Lip-smacking!

This cute-as-a-button store also offers a huge supply of gift and specialty items including tee shirts, mugs, canvas bags, soaps and bath salts, and pajamas. One of my favorites—llama cups/mugs! The perfect place to pick up those unique gifts for the unique folks in your life, and something great for yourself, of course.  

Unique also are the sidewalk sandwich boards touting the various finer aspects of Fudgery, such as: “Fudge is like pouring smiles on your brain” or “It’s fudge o’clock somewhere.” Never know what you might see at Creekside, so you need to go soon, and often!

Experience.

Some businesses are based upon years and years of hard work, creativity and good old-fashioned know-how. One such is Lange General Store, Steelville. Todd and Alicia Rehmert had considerable experience from which to draw when they restored the old Puckett General Store on the main thoroughfare of this Crawford County settlement, and launched the Lange General Store.

And experience came from many directions and as far back as the late 1800’s. The store name comes from the original family mercantile proprietor, H.C. Lange, great-grandfather of Todd. Additionally, another set of Todd’s great-grandparents owned the general store at Tea, Missouri which is still standing today. Alicia also has two sets of great-grandparents who owned country general stores in rural Missouri.

Store offerings include tons of candies, sodas, coffees, teas, unique kitchen and home goods and so much more!

Steeped in tradition and served up with home-town goodness.

Yep, experience has been a great teacher for this business and we can all benefit. Visit. You will see what I mean!

105 East Main, Steelville or www.langegeneralstore.com.

It’s an institution!

I can’t remember a time over the years that I visited Steelville and it wasn’t standing there—mega ice cream cone beacon—enticing me to slow down a bit, pull on over and enjoy a meal or a morsel.

Dairy Isle is aptly named. A little island of goodness all wrapped up in a quintessential 50’s/60’s style structure. Except for minor alterations, it hasn’t changed much over the years. Same walk-up window, inside/outside seating, super-friendly service and signage that helps proclaim the institution. Dubbed as the “Rootbeer Float Capital of Missouri,” it allows little room for you to leave without an attempt on your part to verify. Delicious!

Don’t change, Dairy Isle. You are perfect just the way you are—ice cream beacon and all! What’s shakin’—indeed!

It’s not always the devil that’s in the details! Take Sybill’s in St. James. Here, the details are heavenly. Meticulously appointed, vast culinary selection and impeccable service make this one for your “list-of-local-places-I-can’t-miss.”

Now, I have a weakness for antebellum, Southern plantation-style houses. Consequently, it is super fun that one of my favorite local restaurants is housed in a modern version, styled akin. With several rooms from which to choose your culinary refuge, you are sure to feel as if you are part of a sophisticated dinner party, even in jeans! Elegant décor calls for elegant food and Sybill’s does not disappoint. And, oh, that porch. Photographers take note! This is a great place to dress period costumes and get that great family photo.

The restaurant is as rich in ambiance as it is in family history. Locally owned and operated by Tom, Janet and Sybill Scheffer since 2006, the restaurant takes its place in the family’s culinary account. Tom’s Mom and Dad, Loretta and Zeno Scheffer, opened Zeno’s restaurant in Rolla in 1959. That popular venue was in the family for 45 years. In 2001, the Scheffers found property in St. James that called their names as a perfect place to locate both a restaurant and gift store.

And boy, am I glad they did! St.James was the perfect town to plant this business. I absolutely love to have a delicious meal there (my personal favorite is the beet and goat-cheese salad-DIVINE!) followed by a delightful shopping stint in the gift shop. This little gift shop (once a 100-year-old home on the acreage) is chock-full of unique items that are a feast for the eyes.

The Scheffers didn’t scrimp on this one, folks, and neither should you. Check it out, but plan to spend some time and soak in all the lovely details—culinary, décor, ambiance, shopping—you won’t regret it!

Call me old fashioned, but I really enjoy those eating establishments that appeal to all my senses. I walk into Soda and Scoops on Route 66, Rolla, and smell, taste, feel, hear and see the same elements that were present in our local soda shop when I was growing up. I am transported to another time and place.

This little shop teases the past with décor that includes Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola memorabilia, soda shop style tables and chairs, tin ceiling, and interesting signage. Oh, and don’t miss the wonderful little “bicycle” chairs at one of the tables. Super cute!

And the taste! So many choices of ice-cream, served in a variety of ways. I had to have an old-fashioned root-beer float. Nostalgic! And Splendid! They also have specials advertised on their Facebook page.

Interestingly, you can “hear” the pleasantry in this business. Not only did I hear a server singing along with the throw-back music, but I also heard a customer join in. Nice to know you can be comfortable enough in a restaurant to “experience” the music. Check it out—819 N. Pine, Rolla.

A delight for the senses. Partake!

A chain, but new to Rolla, is Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. This Texas-style barbecue establishment offers slow-smoked meats, rubbed with Dickey’s rib rub and lots of sides to choose from. All of this comes with a Texas-size “Hello” when you come in the door and a laid-back friendly staff to serve it all up. They offer several meal plates, family packs and extra-large packs for those of us who just can’t get enough BBQ! They also cater. Dickey’s original restaurant was located in Dallas. We sure are glad they made their way up to the Rolla area!

Check them out on Facebook or at 1040 Kingshighway in Rolla.

Tell me now. Where can you go to stay in a beautiful, unique Bed and Breakfast, don your muck boots and milk a cow. Oh, and by the way, you can also adopt a cow or sample some yummy, artisan cheeses and wine and perhaps get a first-hand lesson in local lore! Well, M & T Farms AKA Cool Cow Cheese, outside of Owensville, of course!

This amazing little farm has it all! Great food, great service, scenery that includes nature’s contributions, as well as a gorgeous 1800’s home with plenty of other stuff to do. If you want to know what it is like to “live on a real farm,” mosey on down to Cool Cow.

If you can’t do the B & B, at least stop by to sample the wonderful offerings.

Owner Tom Blatchford, who was trained in Vermont, and his wife, Martha, run the place, along with son, Ben. Ben has training in cheese manufacturing and puts it to good use making all those wonderful morsels. From gouda to jack, I have a hard time deciding on a favorite so I usually have to get a variety!

Now if you partake of the B & B, don’t be surprised when the resident rooster wakes you at dawn – it’s part of the deal–ambiance extraordinaire–and the rooster takes his job VERY seriously!

For more information, visit www.coolcowcheese.com.

Love, love, love those great little stores that feature locally-grown products! Shelves and shelves of wonderfully-packaged dry goods and boxes, bins and baskets of amazing fruits and veggies! A great environment for the tactile-addicted.

Reinkemeyer’s Touch of Dutch Country Store in Waynesville is on my list. This is a bulk foods store, offering organic and gluten-free products, local produce, herbs and spices, bakery goods and tons of flowers. The strawberries I purchased were delicious!

So, slow down a bit, stroll, saunter, amble, ramble or meander on over to Waynesville and enjoy yourself shopping in this lovely little store. Take your time and breathe in the local, wholesome goodness. It is palpable!

Looking for something LOCALISCIOUS? Look no further!

Matt’s Steakhouse, located between Rolla and St. James along I-44 is your place. It’s almost like a pilgrimage for me. I have to go there fairly often to have their KC Strip, cooked just right, baked potato with all the fixin’s and their amazing salad! (I could just make a meal of the salad, but force myself to hold back to enjoy that delicious steak.) The wonderful prime rib comes in a close second for me. Unique décor, comfortable surroundings, customer-service priority and culinary perfection make this a KEEPER on my pilgrimage list! Go to www.mattssteakhouse.com for more information or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mattssteakhouse.

Sometimes there are just those places. You know—great scenery, great staff, great wine……

Red Moose Vineyard, tucked away on Highway VV in that picturesque area between Steelville and Salem, is one of those. Two brothers (Red and Moose Leitner) started the winery in 2006. They, along with their wives and other family/friends, have built the winery into a beautiful destination worthy of the drive. The vineyard is backdropped by beautiful woodland—a delectable morsel for the feasting eye. And, speaking of feasting, light fare and snacks are available, along with some wonderful wines. My personal favorite—Four Corners, (a dry red, 2017 Missouri Wine Competition Silver Medal Winner). This wine is a “marriage of our estate grown Norton & Chambourcin grapes. The wine expresses complementary notes of spice and berries and brings out the true terroir of the land. Aged 13 months in Missouri oak barrels from McGinnis Wood Products, Cuba, MO.”

The Leitners don’t take their good fortune for granted, either. They also give back to the community, pledging a portion of the retail and wholesale sales of some wines to worthy recipients.

Tasting room hours are Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m. The winery features live music on Saturdays. You can find them at redmoosevineyard.com. 

Be sure you make this trip—you won’t regret it!

What a gem! Salem and Dent County are blessed to have a tremendous storehouse for area historical and natural resources in the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center (ONCRC). Packed full of information on everything from bugs to iron ore, the ONCRC, 202 S. Main, Salem, is a treasure trove for visitors and citizens alike. The ONCRC is operated in cooperation with several government agencies and private organizations dedicated to the preservation and responsible use of natural resources found in the Ozark region. Each has an informational display in the main lobby of the ONCRC. The Center offers several free exhibits during the year. I was lucky enough to be there during the Ron Lewis photography display. Lewis is a freelance photographer and native of Dent County. His photographic interests are primarily capturing the beauty of the Ozarks landscapes, rivers and state parks as well as Astrophotography and scenery on his travels. Check out upcoming exhibits on the website at http://www.oncrc.org.

It was golf extraordinaire Walter Hagen who said, “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” The Wagon Wheel Motel of Route 66 in Cuba, MO., is one of those “flowers” that you won’t want to miss. Built in 1935, the Wagon Wheel Motel, at 901 E. Washington St, Cuba, MO, is the oldest continuously operated motel on Route 66, and is now operated by Connie Echols. If you don’t have time to spend the night in one of the simple, yet updated rooms, be sure to visit Connie’s Shoppe, where you will find all things Route 66…..books, t-shirts, jewelry, art, music and Route 66 soda! In addition to all the great merchandise, you will be in awe of the restored office, with original flooring, cathedral ceiling and a magnificent fireplace. Learn more about the Wagon Wheel Motel at www.wagonwheel66cuba.com And while you are staying at the Wagon Wheel Motel, be sure that you experience all the other sites, sounds and tastes, awaiting you in Cuba, Crawford County and up and down Route 66. You might need another night or two at the Wagon Wheel!

Ever felt the nostalgia of shaved ice in the summer or a good down home café that does a wide variety of burgers and some pretty amazing fried chicken? Snowensville is the perfect place then with both a diner and a shaved ice/ice cream stand. Located in Owensville, the business started as a summer time shaved ice stand housed out of a portable trailer. As the business grew, they built a permanent location and then expanded to include a diner. Owner Danny Breeden, believes in an affordable family experience and markets over 40 meals that are just $5.99. If affordable prices weren’t enough, Snowensville has a tradition of making sure to give back to the community.  They’ve held freshsqueezed lemonade fundraisers for the school and other community organizations, they’ve donated proceeds and when they were making mini donuts even drove all the way into St. Louis to donate the unsold donuts to the Children’s hospital.

Breeden keeps the community up-to-date on the latest with the stand and diner via live videos that he does almost daily and include moments of inspirational and motivational dialogue. The diner is located on 1^st street and is walking distance from the shaved ice stand making it easy to have dinner and then go and get dessert. Or if you don’t feel like walking to the stand, they offer a variety of Central Dairy Ice Cream in the diner! You can’t go wrong! 

Sweet menu. Sweet décor. Sweet prices. SWEET CAROLINE’S!
Brand new to Owensville and located at 114 N 7th Street, Sweet Caroline’s offers a well-rounded menu. I have to say, I had the Chuck’s Old-Fashioned Thin Burger and that’s the first burger in a long time that I didn’t want to put ANYTHING on. Was delicious all by itself! Great job on the décor as well. I especially appreciate the windmill-type ceiling fans. Peaceful. Creative. Delicious. Looking for a venue where you can feast both body and spirit? Look no further!

“Healthier Living Delivered” is not just a motto for CDR Naturals in Bourbon. Hopefully, the folks in Bourbon and surrounding area know how lucky they are to have a health food store in a town of its size, and being paired with a home/office delivery service, they are twice blessed! Jordan Ray showed us around the store a while back. It has everything from vitamins, supplements and herbs to essential oils to specialty coffees and teas and everything in between. Chuck and Donna Ray began this venture in their home when they moved to this area in 1995. In 2000, they moved the store to 363 East Pine Street in town. This is the place to go if you want to be surrounded by fresh organic produce, grass-fed meat and fresh herbs. This little store has a giant heart and we hope you will visit soon to check it out!

Small town + hometown boys + brick oven + entertainment + pizza and wings=SUCCESS! Missouri Pizza Company in St. James is lucky enough to have all these ingredients and more. If you are looking for a relaxing, delicious evening, look no further. Find the railroad track in downtown St. James and you will be close. Brothers “Mook”and “Bubba” Cunningham bring their culinary skills to play with hand-tossed, brick-oven-baked pizza that is well-priced. You can order a standard or build your own. They also offer wings, pasta, sides and desserts. You can enjoy while the kiddos play games or watch TV. Kuddos to the Cunninghams for supporting home-town fare!

It’s really hard to say what I like most….the delicious food, the great service OR the quaint atmosphere.

St. James Marketplace Café is located just a smidge off the beaten path—on Seymour Street, just one block off of the main street through St. James, but well worth the finding! Deb Kleinheider and her crew put together fresh, wholesome dishes and the portions are quite generous. My personal lunch favorites are the loaded baked potato soup (and I DO mean loaded) and the taco salad, but I am just beginning to work my way through the menu! And, while you enjoy this deliciousness, you can look around and enjoy the hand-painted signs by local artists, for sale to the public. Some of my favorites: “Hair Tonic and Head Rub Cures Baldness and Memory;” or “Gratitude Turns What We Have Into Enough;” or “All I Need Today Is a Little Bit of Coffee and a Whole Lot of Jesus.” Add to all that a super-friendly staff who make you feel right at home and you have a winning combination. Not to be missed! And coming soon they are expanding to open a bakery on main street.

Have you tried it yet? Mine was a chicken, bacon, ranch. This delectable delight—a savory galette—is the creation of Jessica Boulware, event coordinator at Meramec Vineyards/Winery, St. James. Light, flaky, rich and creamy—check! Jessica tells me that there are five others on the menu, including Mushroom/Thyme/Bacon, Roasted Tomato and Basil Ricotta, Chicken Artichoke, Buffalo Chicken and Philly Cheesesteak. There are also a couple of sweet ones. I intend to try every one of them. And, oh, they DO have wine….and beer…….

Joe and Michelle Boulware, new owners of the vineyard/winery, are making their mark in the community. They are continuing the same great wines and atmosphere and adding a few touches of their own. If you haven’t gone by yet, be sure you do so soon. You’re gonna love it!