New restaurant drawing attention

By: Dave Faries, Editor
Posted 3/24/21

Outside wind is whipping rain into a frenzy. Inside the phone rings for the third time in the past few minutes.

“I’ve been on that phone all morning,” said server and hostess Courtney …

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New restaurant drawing attention

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Outside wind is whipping rain into a frenzy. Inside the phone rings for the third time in the past few minutes.

“I’ve been on that phone all morning,” said server and hostess Courtney Cartee, turning away from the table and hustling back to the counter.

All morning is a relative term. 54 Cafe in Vandalia has been open just 15 minutes on this particular Thursday. Daunted by the rain, people are calling in carryout orders, although some couples and groups begin to filter in.

The new highway diner is already a popular place.

“We could not have asked for a better turnout,” observed owner Bret Davis. “The community support has been great.”

Davis refers to 54 Cafe as a family American style restaurant — casual and comfortable, with a broad menu. There is toasted ravioli, a St. Louis favorite. A riff on Tex-Mex called the taco salad. Tenderloin sandwiches hail from a swath of the Midwest. The potato skins, well that’s an ’80s thing.

There are also burgers, ribeye sandwiches, wings and even a children’s menu. It’s a “something for everyone” arrangement.

“We want everybody to feel welcome,” Davis said.

The catfish platter is a southern staple, plated with hush puppies. The crispy balls of cornmeal offer a natural sweetness countered by the cursory snap of minced onion that resonated under pops of herbs. The breaded catfish is flaky and lean, with a faint earthiness, with a streak of salt and pepper in the crust.

It’s a dish with a drawl, one that speaks of lonesome highways and cotton fields, muddy streams and summer swelter. But Davis prefers the tenderloin, beaten flat and coated by hand.

“It’s one of the better sellers,” he said.

Davis took an unusual route to restaurant ownership. He started cooking about 15 years ago in fast food chains and small family joints, which is pretty typical.

But seven years ago he left the service industry to work in care centers, starting out as a dishwasher and moving up to dietary director.

He opened 54 Cafe on March 2 and they are still easing through the birthing pains. On Thursday an order came through online, though the internet portal is still being tested. Cartee had to pick up the phone again and sort it out.

But kinks are normal for a new restaurant. “I’ve heard good things” — a line that drifted from a nearby table — and the barrage of calls indicates the place is off to a smooth start.


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