stjoelive.com | Food & Drink

Eats: Wiedmaier’s does breakfast like it should be done

Growing up as a truck driver’s son, I was at truck stops a lot, especially Wiedmaier’s. One of the things I missed most now that I have grown up was there breakfast — most notably their biscuits and gravy.

Eats: Head down to Holt’s for a burger

In the 1989 movie “Road House,” a fictional bar in Jasper, Mo., called the Double Deuce was so rough they had to hire a guy named Dalton (played by Patrick Swayze) to clean things up. The movie could have been based on Holt’s Place in St. Joseph, if you talk to locals who haven’t been there for awhile. The movie is similar in that when owners Robbie and Tammy Wheeler took it over five years ago, they had their hands full cleaning it up.

Eats: Try taking tea at da Capo

If you happen to be in or around Platte City, Mo., around lunch time, you’ll want to stop at da Capo Teas & Eatery. It’s housed in a 130-plus-year-old storefront on Main Street across from the Platte County courthouse. Locals will remember it formerly as Fanny’s, which was a tradition there for many years. The owners have given it a trendier look, but it still has the old-world charm with lots of dark wood, rich fabrics and a ’50s era soda fountain.

Eats: J.C. Wyatt House offers a special night of dining

When it comes to eating out, there are restaurants that serve food and then there are dining experiences. The J.C. Wyatt House would be the latter.

Eats: Eating is entertaining at Fuji’s

A quick cure for the winter doldrums and ho-hum meals is eating at Fuji’s Seafood and Steakhouse. You have your choice of sitting at a table for regular restaurant style dining or around one of the Hibachi cook tables, where one of the chefs freshly slices and dices your meal in front of you, adding an entertainment element to the mix.

Eats: Nachos, Goochy Goo style

The pork nachos began simply as something different to serve during the Savannah High School 100-year class reunion last year, says Goochy Goo BBQ owners Michael and Dee Ventucci. They wanted something easy to hold for carry out, but not the same nachos as everyone else has.

Eats: Get your fill at MacKenzie's

One of the most popular food requests at MacKenzie's Bar and Grill in St. Joseph is the MacKenzie Burger. It's a huge sandwich packed with two six-ounce grilled hamburger patties, bacon, two kinds of cheese and grilled onions.

Eat: Oriental offers a Far Eastern experience

If you like Chinese food, you'll want to check out Oriental Restaurant on the South Belt Highway.

Eat B.I.G. at Black Iron Grill

A few months ago I was out riding with my Harley buddies and we stopped by a steakhouse and saloon in Rock Port. The food was so good I had to take a second trip with the wife.

Eats: Bouganvilla Restaurant is a good gamble

Even if you don't gamble, you might want to check out the Bouganvilla Restaurant at Terrible's St. Jo Frontier Casino. For one, the spacious dining area overlooks the Missouri River with little else but nature in view, where you can sit at tables surrounded by a full wall mural of the early frontier and an abundance of flowers and plants in a virtual courtyard setting.

Eats: El Jalapeno brings spice downtown

The brick walls, tiled ceiling and courtyard patio look like they were designed for El Jalapeno in Downtown St. Joseph. When combined with the piped-in Spanish music, Southwestern decor and overall authentic ambiance, it seems like the restaurant may have been here for years. But it was actually just in March of this year when El Jalapeno took over the building most people will remember as the home of Chloe and Bernard, a primarily French cuisine restaurant.

Eats: Just like grandma's

You could say Galvin's Dinnerhouse is like the St. Joseph version of Stroud's in Kansas City. Although there are certainly differences in decor and some menu items, they both pride themselves on tender, pan-fried chicken served up family-style in a down-home setting. And they've both been around long enough to get pretty good at what they do.

Eats: A taste of home at Parker House

After a morning of browsing through antique stores or working all day at the office, there's nothing more enjoyable than being pampered with a home-cooked meal. That could be why it gets crowded fast at the Parker House Cafe in Atchison, Kan.

Eats: The Bucket Shop goes Cajun

I'm a big fan of Boudreaux's, so when I heard they were opening the Bucket Shop back up I could not wait. When I got there with my wife and walked in, it felt like going back in time. It still has the antique bottles and the history of St. Joe, with some TLC.

Eats: Coffee with your spaghetti?

When it comes to the search for a great latte in town, the Olive Garden is a place you may have overlooked. They may not be a coffee house, but their caffÃ latte is the real deal, served in large, wonderful Italian looking cups with a small biscotti on the side.