On our trip back from Florida earlier this year, we spent the night in Paducah, KY. I had been to Paducah a couple times to call on a dealer there, but nothing really ever materialized. After having dinner the night before at Doe's Eat Place in downtown Paducah (click here to see that entry), Cindy decided she wanted to drive back into the downtown area at daylight to see more of the very nice downtown area. We drove past a restaurant on a corner and Cindy said that she could use a little breakfast. Parking the car around the corner, we walked into the Gold Rush Cafe to see what it was all about.
Ken White was a native of Paducah who ventured to culinary school at Walt Disney World just outside of Orlando, FL. It was there that he met a German girl by the name of Anita who was also attending the culinary school. After going back to their respective homes, Ken began a "pen-pal" relationship with Anita. Even in this electronic world of e-mails, the two would hand-write letters back and forth.
Ken continued his pen-pal relationship with Anita while working at several downtown Paducah restaurants including Cynthia's Ristorante (one that we'll want to try when we make it back through Paducah at some point), and Ristorante di Fratelli. Ken eventually convinced Anita to move to the U.S. and they were soon married.
The Gold Rush Cafe had been in business in downtown Paducah since 1998. The opportunity arose for Ken and Anita to buy the place and they did just that nearly 3 years ago. In addition to the restaurant, the White's also have a thriving catering business.
And Ken White is also known for some ingenious foods including deep fried spaghetti, and "Redneck Sushi" which consists of chicken chunks stuffed with chopped jalapenos and Monterrey Jack cheese, then rolled in rice and bacon bits. He also has a Buffalo chicken chimichanga on the breakfast menu, as well as a chili relleno ranchero that features a cornbread waffle topped with eggs and stuffed with a housemade chicken chorizo sausage.
White is also somewhat locally famous for some of his burgers that he's come up with. He has an open-faced burger topped with carbonara, a maple peanut butter and pepper jelly burger, and this one that they actually had on display on the counter by the cash register - a fried mac and cheese burger where the buns are made out of deep fried macaroni and cheese. Uh... No thanks on that one.
Every Thursday is "German Thursday" at the Gold Rush Cafe with entrees coming from authentic German recipes Anita brought with her from her homeland. Dinner specials are available all through the week, as well.
There's two sides to the Gold Rush Cafe, the small area as you come in the corner front door, and an equally small room off to the side. That's where we were seated at a two-seater table. Things were cramped in the room, but it was comfortable enough.
(Pictured left - coming into the Gold Rush Cafe from the corner front door.)
We were greeted by our waitress, a somewhat scattered middle-aged lady who was having a tough time keeping up with all the customers in the dining room. We were given menus and took a look at some of the eclectic breakfast items that they feature at the Gold Rush Cafe. My eyes immediately stopped at the French toast waffles. They used to have a contest on Friday nights on Gold Rush Cafe's Facebook page where people would make suggestions for the "waffle-of-the-day" to be served on Saturdays. It's my guess that the French toast waffles came out of that contest.
Cindy was thinking of something a little more healthy than French toast waffles or pancakes and she found an omelet skillet mixed with spinach, chopped tomatoes and feta cheese with a hashbrown casserole and a housemade biscuit.
Our food came out to us and the French toast waffles were, well, interesting. They basically put three full slices of French toast on a waffle iron and turn them into waffles. I had asked for blueberries to go along with the French toast and our server forgot to bring them out. It took about another five minutes for her to bring back a small container of blueberries.
The taste was, well, also interesting. The French toast waffles had that caramelized taste of cinnamon and sugar with a crisp outer side. After a few bites I decided that I liked the taste. They were certainly unlike anything I've ever had for breakfast.
Cindy's omelet was chock full of chopped tomatoes and fresh spinach along with it oozing with feta cheese. She took a couple bites and said, "Oh, my God! These may be the best eggs I've ever had! It's like they just picked the tomatoes and the spinach out of the garden!"
She said her hashbrown casserole was also very good. It had hashbrowns mixed with cheese and (I believe she said) bacon. She offered me a bite, but I was getting full from the very rich and very good French toast waffles.
When we paid at the front counter, Anita White took our money. She asked how everything was and my wife couldn't stop raving about the omelet skillet she got. I told her that I got the French toast waffle and she asked how I liked it. After I told her that it was interesting, she asked, "Interesting, good or interesting, bad?"
I told her that it was interesting, good - just like their restaurant. The Gold Rush Cafe was one of those great little finds on the road. Eclectic and daring foods served in a small town setting are tough to find. When we get back to Paducah - and we will - we'll have to get breakfast, or possibly one of their burgers, at the Gold Rush Cafe.
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