Cafe, Coffee, And Fun

Hubby Tony and I drove southwest across the state today. Our destination was Springfield, Missouri, where a fellowship meeting will be taking place tomorrow

Sometimes when we make this trip there are other people in the car, and our schedule is determined by what the group wants to do. Other times, like today, we are on our own and can do whatever we want. This morning we heard on the radio that there was an establishment in Bourbon, Missouri that had a section devoted to Dolly Parton, and a menu inspired by her favorite recipes, we decided it would be a fun place to stop for lunch.

I had never been to Bourbon before, but it's one of the many cities that were on Route 66 before the Interstate was built. The tiny downtown area wasn't too far from the highway, and the restaurant was easy to find.

The interior of the building had a bar against one side, and a small bandstand by the door where a duo was playing. The food ordering area was along the back. Tony and I looked at the menu and decided to split a sandwich, large side dish, and dessert.

After ordering food we found a spot to sit. Several minutes later one of the owners came over to introduce himself. He asked what brought us in, and said that soon a reporter from one of the St. Louis television stations would be coming in to film a piece on the restaurant. We learned that although both he and his wife enjoyed Dolly Parton, she was a superfan. A couple of minutes after he left the people at the table next to ours struck up a conversation. It seemed like a very friendly place!

The restaurant was busy, but listening to the band made the time pass quickly. When our food came to the table I was ready to dig in. The grilled Southern style pimento cheese sandwich (which was billed as Dolly’s favorite) started with grilled sourdough and was stuffed with a generous layer of pimento cheese spread. It came with a choice of bacon or ham (I chose bacon).  The Slaw of Many Colors was described as Dolly's favorite to take to a potluck. It had red cabbage, green cabbage, white onion, and green pepper, all tossed with a wonderful creamy, slightly sweet dressing.

Dessert was a hunk of Dolly Parton’s Chocolate Cobbler (similar to a lava cake), served warm with a dollop of whipped cream.

After our food was gone I walked over to look at the Dolly memorabilia, located in a nook in the back corner of the building. I particularly liked this standee cutout. Take a look at the title of the book!

As we were leaving the news reporter was getting set up for her interview. I'm pretty sure it will show up on tonight's news but we won't be home to see it. I may have to search it out online.

Five years ago: Wash Your Hands And Freshen Your Breath