Country Bob's Cafe in St. James

I can totally recommend Country Bob's Cafe in St. James, Missouri for anyone looking for a classic, Midwest dining experience. The special on Fridays is catfish and as you can see for $7.99 the portions were large! For a buck more you get two filets...for 2 bucks more--unlimited!!! Teddy was happy with the chicken strips and he ate my hush puppies. I also recommend pie for dessert. They are homemade, none of that canned stuff that Frankie Dunn hates and yes, if he does make another trip to Missouri, they do have his favorite here - Lemon Meringue! I had the Coconut Cream (Just like on Gilligan's Island), in sticking with the Gilligan theme Sue had the Banana Cream and Ted enjoyed a huge piece of Chocolate pie. Teddy was also happy that they had fans. The prices were reasonable, the service was fast, friendly and our waitress seemed to come right out the Boar's Nest. So, next time you are crossing Missouri on I-44 (old 66) go north about 1 mile at the St. James exit to Country Bob's...not Bob's Country Bunker...that's another place. You won't be disappointed! We often drive thru St. James, so I am looking forward to trying their other dishes.

Slingers in House Springs, MO

 Slingers in downtown House Springs, MO is a classic Midwest diner that serves a solid breakfast. We have the tradition now of eating here the first weekend morning after school is out for the year. The only downside of Slingers is the smoke, but the rest of the place and the food make it worth the old school smokey atmosphere. I had the bacon, eggs and hash browns, which I highly recommend.

 Teddy had a serving of bacon and a stack of delicious pancakes. He was also happy that diner has plenty of ceiling fans!

Teddy loves sitting at the counter and Slingers has a long counter with plenty of stools. We are hoping to hit Slingers one more time before summer break is over! One more thing: as the name implies, yes you can order a slinger here or in fact several slingers if you are really hungry!

Bob's Drive In in Imperial, MO

Bob's Drive In in Imperial, MO is one of our favorite places to enjoy classic American dining. This is a classic drive in with classic American food. We often bring our exchange students from Germany here to see  and experience American Midwest culture and food. The restaurant was opened in 1959 and recently was renovated. The restaurant is only a few miles from our home. Teddy always has the chicken strips and then a vanilla shake for dessert. Sue and I usually have a cheeseburger (in my case a double cheese) and a side of fried Okra. If you are traveling I-55 get off on the Richardson/Vogel exit and drive 5 more minutes further off the highway and you can enjoy an American classic experience and get away from the normal interstate exit restaurants. Yesterday morning Teddy was pretty excited--two of his favorite things: Mowing the lawn then going to Bob's for lunch. We always eat outside on the tables and Teddy especially likes the ceiling fans they have under the little shelter. Also, I recommend the corn dogs and the ice cream is every bit as good as Ted Drewes without the hassle of the large crowds. Many of my students work or have worked here and I often see people I know when dining here.

Chris' Pancake House

Last week I had the privilege of having breakfast again at Chris' Pancake House. This blog entry also inaugurates a new sub-category on my history blog: Historic and/or classic dining! Chris' is located on "The Hill" in St. Louis, MO. "The Hill" is an Italian neighborhood that is best known for its many restaurants that serve dinner. I had been introduced to Chris' for the first time when I was invited to breakfast by my friend Skip Berger to talk about some research I was doing on a WWI soldier. The next summer, Suzanne and I brought my mom and step father here for breakfast. My stepfather, Dan, especially enjoyed the marble rye toast. The waiter let Dan know that it was delivered by a local bakery, Vitale's and that it was just two blocks away. We then visited the bakery, where Dan bought 2 loaves and brought them home to Springfield (MO) to enjoy! This last week was our best visit yet. Suzanne and I had a stressful morning at Children's Hospital talking to the neurologist about Teddy's possible brain surgery this summer. We took a much needed break afterwards to Chris'! I had the bacon and eggs...which I highly recommend! I rate the bacon a 10, the eggs 10, Hash browns a 9 and the cakes a solid 8.  The atmosphere out in the atrium was especially nice with the sun shining in, but it is always a little chilly, so I recommend bringing a jacket on warm days since the a/c will be nice and cool. There was a nice mix of people eating there and the wait staff was very friendly. According to a little online research, Chris' opened in 1987. I definitely recommend Chris'!