I grew up between Kellogg and Newton, Iowa (see map of where our house was located). When I was younger, I would play in Kellogg. When I got older, I would play in Newton.
There was an old grocery store on W. 4th St. S. in Newton called Stockton's. The building that Stockton's was in is now the Newton Fire Department. On the southside of Stockton's was a little diner called The Cardinal. The Cardinal consisted of two horseshoe shaped counters (and I want to say there were 4 booths on the west wall). They cooked breakfast, lunch, and supper and were open late at night.
But the one thing the Cardinal was known for were their burgers. They had this old flat griddle grille they'd cook the meat on. And the buns, they'd take them and slather an egg-based batter on them, put them on the grille and toast 'em. Oh, man! They were killer! When The Cardinal closed in the mid-70's, I had to go in for one last burger.
The burger recipe went to Bigelow's, a restaurant that was on the NE corner of the square in downtown Newton. They just weren't as good (I'm tellin' ya - there's something about these old grilles that makes the burger!). Bigelow's is long out of business, but I've heard that the recipe is now housed at the Midtown Cafe just across the street from where Bigelow's once stood. I just haven't gone in to check to see if the burgers are as good as what I remember from The Cardinal years ago. But I guess I'll have to do it sometime.
I too remember the Cardinal. I also remember the Stocton's when it was on HWY 6. I liked the breaded tenderloins at the Cardinal. It was an event for the family to go to the Cardinal.
Posted by: Mrsir24 | November 02, 2012 at 08:34 PM