I don't know about you, but when I think of Missouri State Fair food, I don't necessarily think of breakfast.  I guess I'm just thinking of corn dogs and deep fried stuff. 

Well, the other day, I got the chance to be proven wrong in a big way.  I headed on down to the Missouri Grown Bistro for a bit of a breakfast taste test.

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In past years, there have been others who have worked in this building to bring some variety to what fair food has to offer. But this is the first time that a culinary school has come in to show off their stuff.

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First impression? They're very busy.  The staff are all culinary students, and they're working their butts off.   They're very polite, but you can tell they're busting it.

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I enjoyed the flowers at the table! It was super nice to have a little area in the air conditioning that wasn't just a picnic table for once.  And comfy chairs! Anyway, on with breakfast!  I thought I was going to get just a little bit of a few different things, but I got a mostly full portion of four different things!  I got to chompin away, and here are some thoughts I  had about each dish.

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Biscuits and Gravy. 

I was a little hesitant about this one.  I'm not a big fan of the staple biscuits and gravy.  Mostly I don't like them because they're mushy. It's a texture thing. I get that people like them, though, I totally do.  This smelled like grandma's Sunday sausage that she'd make you before you went to church.  While I'm still not a fan of biscuits and gravy, this was acceptable for me. It wasn't bland or flavorless.  The biscuit was soft, but not so soft that it became liquid.  There were good amounts of sausage, and the chunks weren't too big to get on a fork.  It didn't convert me to the B&G fan club, but it got a thumb up from me.  But then, what WOULD convert me to the B&G club at this point in life? I mean, I'm almost forty. Is my palette really going to change that much this far along in life?  Probably not.

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French Toast Crusted in Cornflakes.

This looked amazing.  You could really see the cornflakes. I was a little hesitant because I like my french toast sweet with maple syrup.  But, I tried it, obviously, and I really tried to go in with an open mind. The crunch from the cornflakes was real, and the almost savory aspect of it paired nicely with the sweetness of the french toast.  I ended up not even missing the syrup!  Am I getting a hint of nutmeg?  Maybe.  This was pretty good, and it got me wondering if I could re-create it at home.  It might be possible, with a little input from Chef Husbando.

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Carnivore Omelet. 

So on this one was expecting a ton of meat, and that's what I got. Meat, meat and more meat. Ham, bacon, sausage, cheese, you get it.  It had a great stretch on the cheese, so you can tell they used the real stuff and not a "cheese product".  It was a little salty (natch, meat) but I really enjoyed it.  The eggs weren't too soft or too hard, and I liked the slightly crispy outer layer.  I definitely prefer more savory breakfasts that sweet most of the time. I can dig how people who are working with animals and livestock at the Fairgrounds might need something more substantial in the morning to keep up their energy through the day.  That would definitely fit the bill.

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Ozark Omelet. 

This one is very peppery.  You can see a ton of red peppers in it everywhere. I think there were tomatoes in it, too.  I like a crispy onion, and that's in there, too.  The ham is nice in this one.  I don't think the cheese is different from the last one, which is nice. There was a  nice give the eggs in the omelet, and it again wasn't too hard or too soft. I'm not sure why it's called the Ozark Omelet, though.  I'm sure the peppers are from Missouri, I mean, that's the point of the whole restaurant, but maybe that's the jist.

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Obviously I couldn't eat it all by myself, so I took some back the Outpost for my co-worker Derrick, aka Ginger Bear. aka The Guy You Always See At Our Booth, or TGYASAOB.   He tried the meals, too, and his favorite was the biscuits and gravy.  I would say my favorite was the french toast.  Overall, the food was pretty darn good, and the people were very nice.  It was definitely a step up from just grabbing a corn dog on the run.  If you were out on the grounds early and wanted some real food at a decent price, you probably couldn't go wrong with the Missouri Grown Bistro.  I'm going again later this week to try the lunch, and I'll let you know what that's like then.

Tastingly yours,
Behka

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