Heartland View

Media Credit: Sean Callahan

Media Credit: Sean Callahan

Media Credit: Sean Callahan

Home cooking is hard to come by for most college students. Many have to drive a hundred miles or more, maybe only once every month or two, to taste the kind of fried chicken, barbecued ribs, or fresh-baked cinnamon rolls they grew up eating.

For Northwest students, Countryside Bistro, located nine miles south of Maryville on State Highway H, may be the best bet for home-style eats that won't strain the gas budget. Though catering and events account for most of its income, Countryside Bistro opens its doors as a restaurant Tuesday through Friday until 2 p.m., with buffets Friday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The menu consists of all-American fare, including grilled chicken, cheeseburgers, fried catfish, steak and more, served fresh with a homemade style of preparation. They also offer a breakfast menu Tuesday through Friday, featuring omelets, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, cinnamon rolls and other delicious items.

For the adventurous, the Bistro goes through five to ten gallons of Mountain Oysters (tender, breaded and fried pork testicles) during the Friday evening buffet. One couple regularly drives up from Kansas City specifically for that menu item, owner Eddie Heitman said.

Heitman started Countryside Bistro in 1993 in Graham, MO., seven miles from its current site. The business grew steadily, and by 2003, had outgrown the original location. Heitman built a new structure on family-owned farmland, and the new Countryside Bistro opened in June, 2003.

Catering makes up 90 percent of the Bistro's business, Heitman said. They feed the Bearcat football team for away games, and recently catered an event for Eveready where they served about 650 people.

They also host weddings, class reunions and other events, the large dining room doubling as a reception hall. Events of 250 to 400 people often rely on Countryside Bistro for great food at a pleasant location.

"We don't have too many weekends that we don't have something going on," Heitman says.

Heitman, who owned a tire service and filling station before deciding to open the Bistro, says the people he meets help to keep him going. He may retire in a few years, but probably won't.

"I enjoy what I'm doing," he says. "My wife thinks I'm crazy, but hard work doesn't hurt anybody."

For students and other community members who want the taste of home cooking without spending hours in front of a hot stove, the hard work performed at the Countryside Bistro will always be appreciated.

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