Rural Missouri - April 2020 - 35

Contest reveals Rural Missouri readers' favorites

issourians sure aren't shy about telling you
what they like to do in the Show-Me State. After
a two-year hiatus, we brought back the popular
Best of Missouri Readers' Choice Contest to let
you - our faithful readers - cast your ballots on your
favorite places to eat, shop, visit and play in Missouri.
This years' contest - the 17th in the history of Rural
Missouri - highlighted a wide variety of categories showcasing the many unique opportunities afforded to Missourians all year long. Some categories came down to the
last reader vote while others had clear favorites. In total
there were 18 categories, some holdovers from previous
years and some new additions. Food categories are always
popular. Contest staples Best Restaurant and Best Burger
bore that out as they garnered the most responses in the
contest. Each category includes a ﬁrst- and second-place
winner along with an editors' choice (EC).
Thousands of votes came pouring in both online and
through the mail. All who completed a ballot in at least 10
categories were entered to win a $500 Visa gift card to use
at whatever Missouri restaurant or destination they enjoy
most. This year's winner was Osage Valley Electric Cooperative member Mark DeLuca from Garden City.
In addition to highlighting this year's award winners in
the following pages, online and on social media, in August
we will display these pages in the Missouri Electric Cooperatives building during the Missouri State Fair.
So, without further ado, here are your 2020 winners!

Restaurant
2nd: Lambert's Cafe, Sikeston and Ozark;
573-471-4261 and 417-581-7655,
www.throwedrolls.com
Heads up! This Show-Me State institution has been
a contest mainstay in the past. Missourians ﬂock to
Lambert's Cafe for their delicious food served in
generous portions and their "pass arounds." However, it's "throwed rolls" that the restaurant is best
known for. Between the restaurant's three locations
(one is in Alabama), Lambert's makes more than 2.2
million rolls per year.
1st: Be ks, Fulton;
573-592-7117, www.beksshop.com
Beks has become a dining destination in the heart of Fulton's Brick
District. Garry and Rebekah Vaught transformed their original idea
of a coffee and wine bar into a full-ﬂedged restaurant that is worthy of a drive. An abbreviated menu allows Executive Chef Danny
Proctor to ﬂex his culinary muscles with daily specials, focusing on
what is fresh and available. Enticing options may include Five Spice
Duck, as pictured above, blackened shark or steak cooked perfectly to your liking. Daily specials are posted to Beks' website.

EC:Take Root Cafe, Kirksville;
660-956-4671, www.takerootkirksville.org
Located on the courthouse square in Kirksville, Take Root Cafe
is a pay-what-you-can cafe featuring soups, salads, sandwiches
and entrees primarily sourced from local farmers. Be sure to try
the always delicious Pork Schnitzel or the Cuban Pork Sandwich,
featuring pork, caramelized onions, pickles, jalapenos, mustard, chimichurri and Swiss cheese. With a focus on community, Take Root
brings people together not only with their food, but also with
game nights and yoga classes in the upstairs studio.
APRIL 2020 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP

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http://www.throwedrolls.com http://www.beksshop.com http://www.takerootkirksville.org http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Rural Missouri - April 2020

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