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In the bucolic setting of Grant Fork, Illinois, the legendary
Diamond Mineral Springs and The Back Porch, the Spring’s adjacent
complementary dining and drinking establishment, rest in the
tranquility of far away times in a location that seems far away in
distance; but really isn’t. We are blessed with well over 3,000
eating establishments in the Greater St. Louis region, but none can
match the combination of 19th century history, family
style dining, gourmet cuisine and libations of any type that are
available at this idyllic location.
These are two truly distinctive dining places as you’ll quickly
discover on arrival and both for various reasons are worthy of your
culinary consideration. But before our vicarious foray into the
today of the Diamond Mineral Springs and The Back Porch we’d be most
remiss without examining the history of how they came into
existence. We’ll set our Johnny Rabbitt time machine to the 1830s
and move forward in time from that point. It was then that this
location was known as Fitz James Crossing which was a stagecoach
stop, and yes, there were still a few Indians in the area. In 1837
the crossing was laid out as Fitz-James Village in the area known as
part of the Looking Glass Prairie. The stage ran between Vandalia,
then the capitol of Illinois, to Pocahontas and St. Louis. The
acreage where the Diamond Mineral Springs was to be erected was in
1836 owned by Benjamin Rimmer and at the time the property was noted
for a large cave entrance, which may still be there. In 1840 on this
parcel of property, one John Duncan opened a store and public-house
called the “Fitz-James Hotel by John Duncan.”
Around 1870 the tiny, sleepy village was renamed Saline Township,
but in 1872 the U. S. Post Office decreed that since there was
already a Saline in the state the name would need to be changed.
After some consideration it was decided that since Ulysses S. Grant
was President of the United States at the time and that the property
in question was in the fork of Silver Creek and Stony Branch, the
name should become Grantfork and so it did on the 1st of
July of 1872 though other records indicate the name change wasn’t
official until 1917. You might want to research some old postmarks
to ascertain the correct date of the name change.
In 1862 Steven Bardill, who, with his parents and brother, had come
to this place from Switzerland in 1840, eventually, after operating
other businesses, opened a stone quarry and lime kiln and at the
quarry discovered a spring of health giving mineral water - or if
you prefer - another version of the story is that when Bardill was
prospecting for coal he struck a spring of water that had a high
standard of mineral properties including bi-carbonate of soda,
chloride of sodium, magnesia, iron and lime.. Either way he quickly
developed the area with the name Diamond Mineral Springs. Bardill
would sell out to Anton Kraft in 1891 and he would put up a
first-class 30 room inn which he named the Windsor Hotel. Kraft was
acclaimed for his cordiality, hospitality and attention to detail
while the hotel itself offered fresh air, tranquil views, hot and
cold mineral baths and a fine restaurant that specialized in fresh
fried-chicken dinners which are made the same old-fashioned way
today at the Diamond Mineral Springs. He also developed the grounds
as Windsor Park and Windsor Lake, and built a dance and recreational
hall, which also offered billiards. Part of this building is home of
today’s Back Porch. He operated these two entities as a summer
resort and health spa far away from the noise, pollution, crush of
crowds, commercialism, smells and hub-hub of St. Louis. At a time
when St. Louis justifiably boasted it was the 4th most
populated city in the U.S, Grantfork was home to about 150 people.
By this time the reputation of the “Springs” made it the leading
public landmark in this part of Madison County.
Alvin and Arthur, the sons of Anton Kraft took over the Diamond
Mineral Springs promoting the place with advertisements such as one
from before World War II that offered all you can eat chicken
dinners for $1 with a chicken plate for half a buck. They also ran
dances on Saturday and Sunday and plugged that the “Springs” mineral
baths were good for rheumatism and that drinking the pungent waters
had medicinal and curative properties to fight skin diseases and
afford relief from stomach troubles. Alvin and his wife Ada passed
the facility on in 1954 to Milton and Norma Hanser who in 1970
turned it over to their daughter Judy Lanser Landholt. Then in ’79
she’d sell the venerable operation to current owner Brad Michael.
For those intrigued with the rich history of the Grantfork area you
should consider delving into the life and times of the wealthy
Solomon Hinckley Mudge. He came here from Portland, Maine, by way of
St. Louis in 1836, and established a several hundred acre estate and
summer home near Silver Creek settlement. He named it Oakdale and
this great estate, five generations later, is still in the Mudge
family. Those who have an interest in the past can access a fine
collection of well written and documented historical articles
through the Highland News Leader newspaper. These were written by
the prolific chronicler Roland Harris and are under the title: “A
Thought To Remember.” A great deal of the material in this Inside
St. Louis article was extracted from nearly three dozen of his
articles. There’s also an excellent history on the Diamond Mineral
Springs website: FootHiPies.com. I’ve never actually measured the
pies, but if they’re not exactly a foot high they’re darn close to
it. And are they ever good. Better than good!
Over the years countless dances were given at the Diamond Mineral
Springs with music provided by myriad groups not the least of which
was The Happy Acres orchestra made up of Chester “Sonny” Wildhaber,
Gus Bode, Pete Brimbau and Clarence Bargetzi. Who knows how many
picnics were held there, how many mineral baths were taken, how many
sailed the Windsor Lake, how much ice was cut from that lake, how
many dinners and drinks were served and how many romances began? The
dinners, drinks and romances continue today.
Like Morganford Road in St. Louis, or is it Morgan Ford? The place
in which the Diamond Mineral Springs and Back Porch is located is at
times, as in the previously mentioned articles of Roland Harris,
noted as Grantfork, but in a good number of other places it’s
written as Grant Fork. Either way you’ll find it at 1 West
Pocahontas Road north of Highland. From St. Louis take 70 E to Exit
21 which is Ill. Rte. 4 where you go left, then in a third of a mile
go right onto Ill. 143 for 1.3 miles. Next turn left on N. Duncan
St. which you’ll take for just half a mile, then right on Grantfork/Pocahontas
Rd for six and a half miles. The Diamond Mineral Springs/Back Porch
will be on the left where you’ll find a large paved and clearly
striped parking lot surrounded by the restaurants’ classic frame
structures and acres of trees. The springs still exist far
underground but are no longer utilized for bathing or drinking, but
who’s to say what the future might bring.
On my show, Johnny Rabbitt’s Route 66 on KMOX, we play the great
hits of the 1950s and 1960s and talk about memories and traveling
back in time with music. At the Diamond Mineral Springs and The Back
Porch you really are almost livin’ in the past as these fine
adjoining, yet greatly different in atmosphere dining rooms, whisk
you away to a simpler and more relaxed period with food that is
superior in quality and presentation to many of the top “big city”
establishments. For down-home fare we suggest a leisurely visit to
the Diamond Mineral Springs where family style old-fashioned fried
chicken dinners, made the way Grandma used to make ‘em, rules the
roost. This is good eatin’ and you’d best come with a big, big
really big appetite. Plus you’ll enjoy the casual old time
atmosphere with a color scheme of green and white, polished wood
floor, high ceilings and photos and memorabilia of yesteryear. I’m
telling you true. It really is like a visit to the past and the
ambiance is friendly and casual; like a family dinner at home. And
there’s no big screen TV to get in the way of the conversation
around the dining table.
You can order your crispy, crunchy chicken the way you like it by
choosing all white meat (our favorite), all dark, or mixed. The
breading consists of just flour, salt and pepper - it’s served
piping hot and it’s not greasy. I’d imagine the chicken is just as
tasty as it was when the Diamond Mineral Springs started serving it
almost 109 years ago. That’s when people came by horse and buggy and
as they might have said, it was a far piece from St. Louis, so more
than likely many of the folks who took that trek may well have spent
the night, so to breathe the country air and enjoy the refreshing,
purifying mineral waters on and in their body. The hotel rooms are
gone, doggone it, ‘cause you just might feel like taking a nap after
putting away the family feast spread out before you on the green and
whites checked tablecloth. With all dinners, you get tangy pickled
beets, the crunchiest cole slaw ever, apple sauce, warm freshly made
biscuits with apple butter, mashed potatoes that didn’t come from a
box, wonderful milk gravy and green beans with ham (which I’d
imagine in the old days would have been green beans with sow belly).
And save some tummy space for a slice of their deservedly legendary
pies or cakes. They tout their frothy meringue versions as being
foot high pies, and even though I didn’t bring a ruler, I think
they’ll measure up; and the crust is fresh and flaky. You’ll for
sure clean your plate. On our last jaunt we respectively had the
banana cream and coconut cream. Next time it’s the chocolate cream
for me. There was also lemon with their cloud-like meringue,
blackberry, peach and cherry pie plus some good lookin’
cheesecakes…all made from scratch. Our dinner was akin to the hearty
farm food you’d see in a classic movie – home-made by folks who know
how to cook and love doing it.
The Diamond Mineral Springs also has a solid menu of stick you your
ribs specialties such as chicken and dumplings with generous
portions of white meat chicken and made right there dumplin’s in a
rich creamy sauce. Also on the list posted on the wall there’s
perfect fresh fried frog legs plus baked chicken, roast turkey or
roast pork and dressing – you’ll ask for an extra helping of that
dressing. Other fare includes French fried shrimp, ho-made pork
sausage, rich country ham steak, whole meaty catfish, baked Boston
scrod, fried walleye fillets, New York strip steak, barbeque ribs
and pork steaks. This is home cookin’ the way it’s not done at home
anymore. And, as at the next door Back Porch, there’s a full bar
ready to wet your whistle.
If you’re a fish fan the Diamond Mineral Springs is now serving an
all you can eat seafood buffet (they’ll lose money on me) every
Friday from 5 to 9. It’s $17.95 for big people and for the little
ones, 6 to 12, it’s $7.95. They serve crab legs, salmon, shrimp,
walleye, frog legs plus baked ham, roast turkey, pork tenderloin,
roast top sirloin, plus pastas, vegetables, cheeses, fruits and
homemade soup. You can’t beat this feast. The Diamond Mineral
Springs also offers a family “To Go” special every day, in which for
$18.95 you take home, your choice: 12 pieces of mixed fried chicken,
3 pounds of Bar B Q ribs, 3 pounds of walleye, a quart of real
mashed potatoes, milk gravy, 4 gizzards, quart of green beans, pint
of beets, pint of slaw, 4 buttermilk biscuits with Chris’ apple
butter and 2 pieces of Foot-Hi pie, and it’s all very nicely
packaged. Just call ahead and they’ll get it ready for you.
DMS is open ALL holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New
Years and Easter. And when there’s some snow on the ground this area
looks like a scene painted by Grandma Moses or Norman Rockwell. And
they do take reservations for either place for any day, which is a
wise decision. Just call (618) 675-2655. There are several ways to
get there depending on where you’re coming from, and their customers
really come from everywhere, but an easy way to remember is take
Illinois Route 160 north from Highland and you’ll be there in a
quick six miles.
The Back Porch at the Diamond Mineral Springs started out a few
years back as a place where Brad Michael prepared barbecue on
charcoal grills. It gradually evolved into the fine dining
destination it is today. The Porch is a glorified, roomy white and
green themed “back porch” reminiscent of some of the “open”
restaurants of places like Maui, Fort Meyers or Key West. Complete
with “palm trees” encircled with twinkling lights. This screened in
room is nestled in a grove of greenery that along with the country
evening air and an assist from slowly spinning ceiling fans keeps
thing s cool all Summer. In the Spring and Fall the screens are
covered and the Back Porch remains a pleasant oasis.
For the uninitiated the Back Porch menu comes as a surprise at it’s
both extensive and most reminiscent of some of the finer eateries in
St. Louis or Chicago while you’re way out in the country being
served in a relaxed and charming environment of a time gone by. You
might opt for the grilled pork chops for $15.95 which gets you two 8
ounce chops served with rice dressing topped with tomato-burgundy
mushroom sauce. There’s roasted Florida grouper, finished with
basil, garlic and tomato for $20.95 and Sam’s pepperloin steak which
is a tender filet marinated in cracked pepper, olive oil and secret
spices. You could also select from other steaks including a
Delmonico or Cowboy steak or prime rib of Angus beef. There are 7
appetizers of which a favorite is the Onion Burst. This is a Vidalia
onion, French fried and served with a honey mustard sauce. Or you
might consider the Portobello mushrooms stuffed with crab, shrimp
and parmesan cheese or maybe the Coconut Fried Shrimp with sweet and
sour pepper jam. Appetizer pricing runs from $7.95 to $9.95.
Salads includes traditional Caesar, the Wedge, tomato-anchovy and
the Back Porch salad which is a mix of red leaf, Romaine and iceberg
lettuce tossed with pimiento, artichoke hearts, Bermuda onions,
provel cheese and Volpi salami served with the house red wine
vinaigrette. Prices range from $3.95 to $8.95. They offer BBQ St.
Louis style ribs, pork filet tenderloin, half chicken and prime rib
served with a home-made jalapeno, sweet sauce. These run between
$14.95 and $22.95. Among other tantalizing items on the menu is a
truly tasty lobster stuffed chicken chardonnay topped with a white
cream sauce, Australian lobster tails and Bob Hardy’s marinated
salmon filet finished with a bourbon, brown sugar and ginger
marinade. The late Bob Hardy, who was for many years news director
of KMOX Radio, lived just down the road from the Diamond Mineral
Springs and Back Porch and he was a regular at these fine places.
Above the bar in the Diamond Mineral Springs building is a taxidermy
fish Bob caught with photographic evidence of that catch on another
wall along with many other photos of the well known and famous who
found their way to Grantfork. Oh, there’s also a Back porch Sunday
night special of a 5 ounce filet and 5 ounce Lobster tail with baked
sweet or Idaho potato and that great Back porch salad for $19.95.
Plus each Sunday a very talented lady named Diana Starr plays and
sings at the piano bar. You might want to take home a copy of her CD
“Living For Your Love” which contains 11 well produced love songs
all written by Diana. A night at the Back Porch will be a night to
remember and well worth the ride. |
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