By Elizabeth Hey

It’s no surprise that the Red Onion Café has maintained a loyal following since it opened in 1995. My husband and I stopped for lunch on our way home from Tulsa and, even on a Monday, the short wait around noon attested to its popularity. On weekend nights, reservations are recommended.

Long-time restaurateur David Blum serves from scratch cooking in a cozy, 100-year-old downtown building—free municipal parking lies adjacent to the café. Specialties range from tasty appetizers to pastas, to hamburgers and steaks and tempting desserts.

Next to us, an older woman was dining solo but received a constant flow of attention. “Miss Betty” stops in several times each week, gives the staff Christmas cards and is walked to and from her car when she visits. We struck up a conversation and, although we’d already ordered, I asked about her favorite dishes. She immediately listed the smoked chicken dip, French onion soup and the smokehouse turkey sandwich. When she dines with her son, he always orders a double portion of the bourbon maple glazed pork chop.

I noted that a number of tables ordered an appetizer. No wonder. The signature smoked chicken dip fused chicken smoked in-house and mild Anaheim peppers. Beautifully plated bruschetta misto, a deconstructed version of bruschetta that’s generous enough for four, came with herbed cream cheese and marinated olive salad for piling on the grilled focaccia.

I ordered the café’s most popular lunch entree, Dave’s fried chicken salad topped with lightly crusted coconut fried chicken strips. Fresh and flavorful, I drizzled it with homemade honey-mustard dressing. My husband chose the “Love Me Tender” sandwich—grilled tenderloin medallions enhanced with garlic parmesan butter and cheese on a brioche bun. The restaurant slices whole tenderloins for its filet mignon dinners and uses the ends for this fork-tender steak sandwich. The Arkansas smokehouse chicken pasta remains a standout, too. Noteworthy sides include butter fondue broccoli and loaded smashed potatoes.

The beer selection features drafts from the Springfield Brewing Company and Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Company. Wine is available, but the list isn’t as extensive.
Local Apple Road Farm creates desserts each week. There’s always a low carb option, such as low-carb strawberry cheesecake. Hank’s Cheesecakes in St. Louis also supplies desserts, bringing the total up to a constant eight or nine.

The Red Onion offers a full menu for informal gatherings or custom catering to accommodate weddings, events and banquets.

Visit RedOnionRestaurants.com for more information.

By Elizabeth Hey

In the near future, tiny Versailles, population 2500, might just be known for its up-and-coming brewmaster, Chris Byars. Owner of the Bee’s Knees Ale House with his wife, Pam, they met on a blind date at the lake on Friday the 13th.

Pam manages the restaurant, which is known for built-to-order pizzas topped with house-made sauces. Specialty pizzas rotate into the repertoire. Sandwiches, nachos and salads also compliment the craft beer.

Although the brewery opened two-and-half years ago, Chris’ passion for brewing started much earlier. His pharmaceutical and industrial manufacturing career spans the past 20 years and involves extensive overseas travel. Along the way, Chris was introduced to outstanding brews in the Czech Republic.

“I tried to find beers here in the states like those I’d tasted in Europe, but none were up to par,” says Chris. “So I became the ultimate do-it-yourselfer and started brewing at home about ten years ago.”

Within the historic building, once a Packard dealership that now houses the restaurant, Chris creatively engineered a micro-brewery based on his experience with pharmaceutical technologies. But that changed recently. Given the popularity of Bee’s Knees ale, production was moved to a separate building down the road. Bottling started in mid-June.

“I recently traveled to the Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville where I picked up new, state-of-the-art equipment from overseas,” says Chris. “Our expanded brew house is ten times larger, and I’ve built a bottling line so that we can distribute around the lake.”

At the brewery, five beers remain on tap with the sixth changing seasonally. Beers feature honey and honey malt, which pay homage to the company name. “Electric Nectar” ranks as the most popular; the crisp, five-percent alcohol, blond ale utilizes honey malt for a hint of sweetness and a raspberry-infusion for summer. Chris’ business partner, Michael Garber, a former funeral home director, built the brewery’s furniture and bar. “Six Feet Bee-Low” alludes to his previous business. “Hazy Hive,” a high protein, light German-style beer incorporates wheat malt for easy drinking. “Pollinator Porter” reflects an English-style beer.

“We live on a farm north of town, and our three kids are involved here,” Chris explains, “Our goal is to make quality craft beer served in a family-friendly environment that’s welcoming to any age. Along with our casual menu, we offer kid’s meals plus events for the whole family.”

For more information, visit facebook.com/Beeskneesbrewingcompany.

By Elizabeth Hey

Smack dab in the middle of Fulton’s Brick District and tucked behind the delightful Smockingbird’s boutique, Fulton Café serves up authentic, and addictive, Cuban fare alongside American sandwiches, salads and soups. In 2017, the cafe was voted first place as the “Best Local Restaurant” in the Fulton Sun’s “Callaway’s Best” contest.

According to Cuban-born Iris Atkinson, co-owner with her husband, John, recipes hail from the Cuban cookbook that brides-to-be have received for decades. Iris should know. She immigrated to the States on her tenth birthday; her entire extended family still resides in Miami and Cuba, except for her mother who also lives in Fulton.

In 2008, the cafe opened its doors—the dream of Iris’ sister and brother-in-law who followed the Atkinsons from Florida to Fulton, where John grew up. But after a particularly icy winter, they handed off the keys to the historic brick building and moved back to Miami. When Iris and John took over the “lunch only” cafe, Cuban fare wasn’t on the menu. Inspired by her heritage, Iris began experimenting with a daily Cuban special.

“Each afternoon, our special sold out, so we added Cuban entrees to our menu,” says Iris.
Sofrito, a mixture of onion, green pepper and garlic, sautéed in olive oil and white wine remains the foundation of most recipes. Sweet and savory often intermingle in entrees. Pork shoulder starts roasting in the morning; fork-tender by 6 p.m., it’s ready for the next day’s entrees. Of the menu’s Cuban specialty coffees, cortadito was my personal favorite concocted with sweetened espresso, evaporated milk and sprinkled with cinnamon. Beans are sourced from Miami.

My husband and I ordered chicken fricassee marinated in a sofrito-based tomato sauce that incorporated green olives and raisins—an unlikely combo to our American palate—that paired wonderfully together. Roasted pulled pork came with a side of tangy mojo sauce combining orange, lemon and lime juices; cumin; white onion and garlic. Entrees included sides of white rice and black beans infused with bell peppers, onions, garlic, bay leaf and apple that, according to Iris, is a day-long process. We tried plantains two ways: flattened green plantains that were fried, smashed and fried again, called tostones; and ripe plantains that were simply quartered and fried.For an easy dive into Cuban cuisine, the popular Cuban sandwich teams roasted pork and ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and butter layered between freshly baked, traditional bread. The dough is shipped in monthly from Miami. The Cuban frita burger, a blend of beef, pork and chorizo drizzled with sauce on the “high” end of mild, won second place in the “Best Burger” category in 2017’s “Callaway’s Best” contest.

Visit mkt.com/fulton-cafe-llc.com for more information.