Rural Missouri - February 2020 - 17

mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon, ham and
sausage. The towering feast is topped
with sausage gravy, eggs cooked to order and two pieces of garlic bread.
At least once a month the spaghetti can be ordered with local, slowsmoked brisket. The beef - along
with the lamb and pork - is all
grown and processed locally, and
all of the beef at the Lil' Black River
Cafe is hung and aged 21 days.
"It has that smoky ﬂavor of the
brisket, and with the garlic and
vegetables it's not the norm," Alan
says. "I like to make things that are
semi-normal, but a little different."
At the top of the list of things
"not the norm" has to be the Burrito
Lust: cheesecake and nut clusters are
wrapped in warm tortillas, then topped
with chocolate and caramel sauces and
whipped cream. This special dessert pops
up on the menu occasionally, but it never
lasts long once hungry visitors know it's
available.
"We kind of have a saying, 'big city quality
at a small town price,' " Alan says.
Now the building which has at one time or
another served some central function for the community - restaurant, bar, post ofﬁce, gas station and
convenience store, library, hair salon, meeting place for
local Boy and Girl Scouts - once again ﬁnds itself the center of life in Grandin. Local businesses and church groups
host parties and dinners inside, while diners from as far
away as Memphis and Springﬁeld make the drive to enjoy
their favorite specials on the outdoor patio by the Little
Black River. All the while, Alan is busy in the kitchen doing
what he loves and, more than likely, creating something
new.
"We don't cook out of a box - that's
what I hear from a lot of people," Alan says.
Pasta comes in all forms when Alan's in the kitchen. The Italian Breakfast, left, highlights farm
"They come here for something different,
fresh eggs, vegetables, bacon and sausage gravy while the Barbecue Brisket Spaghetti, above,
but we're still homemade."
showcases local, slow-smoked beef. Both are served with homemade garlic bread.

Lil' Black River Cafe
Specialties: Seafood, breakfasts and pastas featuring hormone-free, locally sourced beef, pork and lamb.
Homemade sauces, dressings, breads and desserts. Regular specials include the Italian Breakfast, Barbecue Brisket Spaghetti, Catﬁsh Dinner and Blackened Chicken Breast.
Price: Appetizers from $5 to $14. Breakfast and brunch from $2 to $18. Lunch from $6 to $16. Dinner entrees from $11 to $20. Desserts from $2 to $5.
Details: Open Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m.
to 8 p.m. Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cash and credit cards accepted. Nonsmoking. Free Wi-Fi. Located on Highway 21 at the Middle Fork of the Little
Black River in Grandin. Contact at 573-593-4023 or follow them on Facebook.

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Rural Missouri - February 2020

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