Kearney eateries define town

COLUMN

By Kevin Smith

You may not think it to look at me, but I like food.

That’s where the running and good-fortuned high metabolism come into play.

What I really like is local flavor — I mean that literally and figuratively. When I take a trip, one thing I look for is restaurants that I can’t get at home.

If you’re ever in Dallas, may I recommend Café Brazil for some of the best sandwiches and coffee you’ll ever have.

And when you head out west on Interstate 70, take a break at the Tyme Out Lounge in Grandview Plaza, Kan., next to Junction City, Kan., for a great hamburger.

I stay away from the fast-food chains because I can get those anywhere.

I think the local restaurants, like the ones mentioned, help shape the identity of a town.

If you go to Pittsburg, Kan., there are several long-time restaurants that are a right-of-passage for anyone who lives there. Chicken Annie’s and Chicken Mary’s are historic restaurants — and possibly the best chicken you’ll ever eat.

Everyone eats at Mall Deli or Café Del Rio. And of course you can’t miss eating at Harry’s Café or Jim’s Steakhouse. All are hallmarks of the community.

And as long as you’re here in Kearney, I don’t know why you would leave town to eat.

“With the price of gas, you need to shop Kearney first,” Mayor Bill Dane said at the July 3rd Independence Day Celebration.

I would add to that: with what Kearney has to offer, you need to eat here first.

No, Kearney doesn’t have any world-famous chains. You won’t see anybody walking around wearing a Hard Rock Café Kearney T-shirt, but you will find people coming from miles to eat at Gino’s Italian Cuisine. You can’t get George’s homemade sangria anywhere else and while I’m not a wine-drinker I was impressed.

Or take Outlaw’s, for example, where else can you get Jesse James beer on tap? The atmosphere of the restaurant really reminds you that you’re in Jesse James’ birthplace.

And you can’t help but notice from the interstate the very popular Bike Night at Stables Bar & Grill. Plus they have 75-cent tacos on Tuesdays and a shuffleboard table.

La Fuente has several locations in the Kansas City area, but you won’t find it anywhere else. It has become a staple among the eateries in Kearney. People file in and I overhear them saying what they want before they sit down with a menu.

All these — and I know I’m leaving out a few — help create Kearney’s identity. People always talk about downtown revitalization and things to improve it. And there’s always room for improvement with anything. But as long as there are local restaurants downtown that you can’t get anywhere else, I think you’re on the right track to bringing people in.

I made it a point the past couple weeks to try as many local restaurants as I could get to. The list is daunting because there are so many, but that impressed me.

So with more variety of local flavor than you could ask for — and all of it reasonably priced — in a town the size of Kearney, you can’t afford to not to eat here.