Sebree's, Greentop
November 2019
Inside an unassuming metal building on Highway 63, Brian and Cindy Boultinghouse have gained a following with their locally-inspired menu and updated farmhouse decor. Most of the menu is sourced within a 50-mile radius in this northeastern Missouri farming community. The restaurant is named after Brian’s ancestors, who settled her after the Civil War.
“Much of the produce, including the beef and tomatoes, comes from my grandparents’ farm that’s five miles away and now operated by family,” says Brian. “It’s where I spent summers and fell in love with the area.”
While at the University of Missouri, Brian began his culinary career as a prep cook. Cindy grew up in St. Louis and also worked in restaurants while at MU, where she and Brian met. Today, the couple lives just a few blocks from Sebree’s.
Almost everything—salad dressings, sauces, soups and desserts—is made from scratch. In addition to the regular menu, daily specials feature seasonal fare. Every entree includes soup or salad and a homemade cornmeal roll. Brian specializes in domestic-caught, sustainable seafood.
The Friday night that I dined, the soup selection included cream of mushroom, so savory and flavorful that I ordered some to take home. Another stand-out, the bruschetta came topped with several varieties of diced, freshly-picked tomatoes. And thinly, hand-sliced sweet potato chips were served with a side of yummy, honey-cream dipping sauce.
Tasty, wild Icelandic cod Florentine was topped with sautéed spinach, hollandaise and house-cured, smoked bacon. Sides included lemon and chive new potatoes and fried okra, both harvested that day. I also sampled the excellent Primmer Farms marinated and grilled pork chop. In addition to local beef and chicken, heirloom Hereford pork is acquired from the farm of a former Kirksville High School ag teacher. In-house butchering uses the whole animal. With the goal of minimal waste, the restaurant’s table scraps help feed those same pigs.
Among desserts listed nightly on the chalkboard, Cindy whips up amazing bread pudding and a Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie. Brian’s mom bakes pies using just-picked fruit, such as raspberries and pears, encased in a crust recipe handed down through the family.
On Sundays, brunch is serviced from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Holiday buffet brunches celebrate Easter, Mother’s Day and Thanksgiving. And reservations fill quickly during nearby Truman State University’s graduation.
Visit Sebrees.com for more information.