Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 39

behemoth breakfast has browned on both sides, it receives
more cheese and a heaping helping of homemade sausage
gravy. " That's the other thing about a diner: You have to
have good sausage gravy, " Rich says. " People will be upset
if they don't get it. "
Breakfast fans will find another early-morning standby
comes with not only plenty of gravy, but also Joy's fluffy,
layered biscuits. She also makes the
diner's pancake and waffle batters
from scratch, the latter of which is
best experienced in the Pecan Waffle.
Rich adds toasted pecan pieces to the
batter as it bakes and tops the toasty
grid with a ball of homemade maple
pecan butter. Paired with a cup of
house-ground coffee, their breakfasts
can't be beat.
"
Home Town Diner
Specialties: Breakfast including the Mountaineer Skillet and Pecan Waffle.
Burgers including the Big Mike. Fried chicken, catfish and pork tenderloin.
Homemade bread, rolls and desserts including apple dumplings and cream pies.
Price: Breakfast items from $1.75 to $10. Lunch sandwiches and specials from
$7.75 to $10. Sides from $2.75 to $3.75. Kids menu $5.45.
Details: Open Wednesday through Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed
Monday and Tuesday. Call ahead for holiday hours. Cash and checks accepted.
Nonsmoking. Located at 22425 Highway 54 in Hermitage. Contact at
417-912-6704 or follow them on Facebook.
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NOVEMBER 2022 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 39
Hermitage
Lunch is served from 10:30 a.m.
to 2 p.m. at Home Town Diner, and
the signature midday meal is Big
Mike. The double-patty burger's flavor
starts with Joy's club bun toasted
quickly on high heat. One-third of a
pound of hamburger is formed into
two patties, and while that's on the
grill the toasted buns are dressed
with shredded lettuce, pickles, onion,
a slab of cheese and secret sauce.
" People say, 'Oh, you're using
Thousand Island dressing,' but it's
not, " Rich says of the secret sauce's
flavor. " I give Joy all the credit because she spent hours
scouring recipes, experimenting and putting the hamburger
together until it was perfect. "
between 12 and 18 hours, battered with a combination of
organic flour and special spices, and then returned to the
refrigerator for another 2 to 3 hours while the batter sets.
Approximately 12 minutes after entering the Henny Penny
fryer, the crispy, golden chicken is ready to admire and
devour. Rich estimates the diner fries between 50 and 60
pounds of chicken every Sunday.
A diner is more
than that - it's the
feel. It's the people,
the atmosphere, the
friendliness, the
service, the homemade
food, the small town.
- Joy Porter
Served with a side of hand-cut fries, the combo is best
paired with soda for the full diner experience, according to
Rich. Home Town Diner has its own line of specially concocted
old-fashioned flavors so sweet, you'll be looking for
the paper-hatted soda jerk who poured them.
On Sunday from 11 a.m. until close - or more likely,
when the special is sold out - you'll find the diner's
tables full for fried chicken. Skin-on pieces are marinaded
"
" One of the secrets to fried chicken
is you want to lock in the juices, and
the skin helps do that, " Rich says.
" So we pay attention to the pieces we
use. The more skin, they fry better. "
Other regular favorites include
items from the Home Town Specials
menu such as pork tenderloin
sandwiches flattened by hand. Or,
try Rich's favorite, the Catfish Bun.
Instead of cornmeal batter, a special
crumblike breading is what sets
these fillets apart. Specials, including
daily specials not found on the menu,
are served with chips and coleslaw.
" What was kind of a defining
moment with the coleslaw was my
mom actually switched to my recipe, "
Joy adds with a laugh. " That was
huge. "
If you managed to save room for
dessert, you won't be disappointed.
The diner's pie case is brimming with
homemade goodies including apple
dumplings - a recipe passed down from Joy's grandmother
- creme brulees and cream pies. When she's not
following her own muse, Joy is always up for a challenge
from the customers to recreate some favorite dish or flavor.
Rich sums up the Home Town Diner experience in the
words of one customer when he tried the Big Mike.
" The minute he took a bite he said, 'That takes me back
to my childhood,' " Rich recalls. " When we heard that we
were like, 'We did it.' That's what we wanted: Something
that brings you back 50 or 60 years. And if we can do that,
then we've got something pretty good going on. "
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