Rural Foodies
Home | View all Foodies
Art, food and commerce combine on the Rural Foodies McCook adventure
by Pam Soreide, Betty Sayers and Phil Soreide
The road from Holdrege to McCook along U.S. Highways 6 & 34 leads from rich, lush cropland to rolling hills with big bluffs of exposed sandstone and small herds of bucolic cows lying beside jeweled ponds. The sky is an endless dome of blue, and as the mile markers flash by you can catch an occasional glimpse of a hawk soaring or perched on the beam of a telephone pole.
We have made this trip dozens of times before and always thought it a beautiful slice of back-roads Nebraska, but for all that, Betty insisted, there are things on this road worth seeing; things she was fairly certain we had missed.
Since our pilgrimage was leading us to Sehnert’s Bakery and Bieroc Café in McCook – a known pleasure, almost certain to be a treat for our palates – we opened our minds to the possibilities.
A moment of meditation
South central Nebraska is home to a surprising number of nationally and even internationally renowned sculptors. One of these is Sondra Jonson, whose studio is in Cambridge and whose monuments and other works are in collections throughout the U.S. and in Europe.
To see some of Jonson’s work on local display, Betty directed us to the St. Germanus Catholic Church in Arapahoe, where, behind the sculpture garden visible from the highway leads a beautiful, secluded meditation garden. The paved path around the perimeter of the garden guides visitors past four moving and thought provoking bronze bas reliefs reminding us of the mysteries of Christ’s life. At the end of the path is a life-size sculpture of “Rachel Weeping for Her Children”, one of Jonson’s most famous works.
Art and religion are a rich tradition in rural Nebraska, so our second stop was also at a church, St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Indianola. As Betty led us into the sanctuary, it quickly became apparent why we were there: soaring stained glass windows in glorious magenta, royal purple, midnight blue, amber, ruby, emerald and other rich hues illuminate the interior. These elaborate works of art depicting Biblical scenes recall a time on the plains when the northern European immigrant population were feeling the promise of a prosperous, fulfilling future, and they believed they were deserving of every fine thing they had left behind in Europe, including the most opulently decorated churches. To their credit, generations of congregants in these small towns have maintained their ancestor’s dreams with dignity and respect.
A secular turn
Our next stop was more prosaic. In the city park in Cambridge that borders the highway, Betty led us to a trio of life-size bronzes of three boys playing baseball sculpted by Gary Ginther, a regional artist. Ginther captures the fierce concentration of the pitcher in his windup and the batter at the plate in a fun, dynamic composition.
Another Sondra Jonson sculpture – Cambridge is her hometown, after all – provides the focal point to a formal garden maintained by volunteers and featuring a collection of roses one of which had a fragrance so intense it was near intoxicating.
But then, on to McCook, and once there, the decision to have lunch first or drop into Knowlen and Yates, our favorite kitchen store must be settled. In the end, our cultural side trips notwithstanding, we are Rural Foodies after all, and there was no real debate.
A McCook landmark
Sehnert’s Bakery and Bieroc Café is something of a landmark “on the bricks” on Norris Avenue; it’s a place everyone in town knows and loves.
This is a busy bakery at any time of day, but you’d better arrive early if you want one of their legendary peanut butter rolls. Sadly, they were out this day, but we made up for it by ordering copious amounts of food to sample and evaluate.
All for you, dear reader. Only for you.
Once Tanner, the eager young man helping us behind the counter, understood what we were about, he entered into the spirit completely, sharing his favorites while pointing out the widely popular dishes favored in the community.
We ordered a Bieroc, of course. How could we not?
The sandwiches can also be made as lettuce wraps to interest the carb-counters or those who eliminate wheat from their diets, so we ordered the Happy German — corned beef, swiss cheese, kraut and 1000 Island dressing — as a lettuce wrap to give it a try. (Between ourselves, we did think that we might have preferred it on the swirl-rye bread, of course, but as lettuce wraps go, it was fairly decadent; a winner for any Adkins aficionado.)
Tanner insisted we try the Apple Planter (which we may not have otherwise), featuring sliced turkey, bacon, provolone, and thinly sliced apples on Focaccia with mayo and honey mustard. When we asked Tanner his personal favorite, he replied without hesitation that it was the BBQ Chicken Wrap. OK, we’ll take one of those, too. By this time, a line had formed behind us and we found it necessary to explain what we were doing. Behind us in line, a fellow who was obviously a regular advised us to try a Jiffyburger. Well, why not? Three people and five sandwiches…what’s wrong with that?
A table in the café
The bakery is connected to a cozy café of sturdy tables and mismatched chairs. We got our drinks and found a table near the wall of pictures depicting the dozens of performers who have entertained at the Bieroc, a popular venue for folk and acoustic musicians.
Our sandwiches came along and we gravely divided them and passed them around, chewing thoughtfully and making cogent comments. The Apple Planter proved to be delicious – a wonderful combination of tastes and topped with light, flavorful Foccacia. The barbecued chicken wrap was also one of the favorites, in a chewy pita wrap and a spicy-but-nice sauce. The bieroc was wonderful – originally a peasant dish introduced to the U.S. in the 1880s, it’s savory insides contrast nicely with the flaky crust. A similar dish is the flagship of a popular Nebraska fast food chain; this is not the same animal.
So what about the Jiffyburger? Well, therein lies a tale. Wes and Dorothy Sloggett bought a Dairy Queen franchise in McCook in 1950. After a year, they felt constrained by the franchise rules which specified that they could only sell ice cream. After that first year, they gave up the franchise and reopened as an independent business, Dairy Cream, selling hot dogs, sandwiches and soft drinks along with the ice cream features. Shortly after this change, the family went to California to the Rose Bowl (they were closed in winter, I suppose). In a search for lunch, they found a little café and ordered these burgers, for which Mrs. Sloggett managed to get the recipe.
These are not your typical burgers. The meat is not in patties for one thing, but more like a sloppy joe, only without tomato sauce. It’s served on a smallish bun with a dollop of mustard-mayo-pickle-onion relish in the middle. Not at all what we expected but great fun; a wonderful culinary find. The current owners, Matt and Shelly Sehnert, bought the recipe along with the bakery, and the tradition continues.
The weary adventurers head home
Our gluttony complete, we stroll across the street to the Knowlen and Yates, and spent another delightful hour shopping for the kind of kitchen equipment that makes cooking a pleasure, then stop by the just-opened Keystone Business Center, a restored hotel now housing offices and a business incubator for entrepreneurial businesses. A beautifully done restoration, the building preserves McCook’s past and points the way to its future.
To complete our McCook adventure, we hit Joltin’ Jo’s, a fun, funky drive-through with a friendly server and a full menu of coffee and other drinks. We got iced lattes for the drive home.
We’ve had a wonderful time and a great meal. We saw idyllic landscape and stunning works of art. The day was without quarrels and filled with sunshine. And now we have sweet, cold caffeine.
All in all a fine adventure. We may have to do this again sometime.
Who to Contact
Sehnert’s Bakery and Bieroc Cafe
312 Norris Avenue
Mc Cook, NE 69001-3706
(308) 345-6500
bieroccafe.comHours: Monday-Friday, 6:30am - 6:30 pm; Saturday 6:30 am- 4:00 pm
back to top