Vermillion eaters now eat in Vermillion
By Tim Gallagher Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Krystal Monk visits with diner Dale Taylor of Allen, Neb., during lunch at Market St. Cafe in Vermillion, S.D. Monk, a native of Nova Scotia, Canada, has enjoyed a varied career. She was a hair stylist and owned a bulldozer company before coming to the Vermillion area. She and husband Gary Monk operate the cafe. (Photo by Tim Gallagher)
VERMILLION, S.D. -- Gary Monk once advertised his restaurant's early-morning food this way, "It's Vermillion's best breakfast served in Newcastle."
Why? Because Monk's Newcastle Village Cafe -- in downtown Newcastle, Neb. -- attracted dozens of diners from Vermillion, a 15-minute drive from Newcastle.
Monk tapped the Vermillion market and its 9,765 residents (and nearly 6,000 college students) after realizing he might not sustain himself on Newcastle eaters alone.
"Vermillion's population is 15,000 during school and 10,000 when school is not in session," Monk said. "Compare that to 275 at Newcastle."
While the numbers made sense, Monk had no site in mind. Enter customer Jim Abbott, president of the University of South Dakota.
"The Honorable Jim Abbott was a customer on several Sundays in Newcastle. One day he asked if we would look at having a cafe in Vermillion," Monk recalled. "We said sure, but we didn't know if one was available."
One was. Abbott had a downtown corner cafe site in mind. Better yet, he owned the building which had featured a cafe called Marge's Place.
"We came and looked around and decided to come here," said Monk. "It was a fairly simple decision."
And on Dec. 1, 2004, Monk began making Vermillion's best breakfast dishes IN downtown Vermillion. The Market St. Cafe, owned and operated by Monk and wife Krystal, tripled its gross receipts in 2005, Monk said. The Monks' cafe site in Newcastle is for sale.
"Not much has changed between here and Newcastle," said Monk, who operated the Newcastle Village Cafe for five years. "We live up above the cafe, just as we did in Newcastle. We have bars on both sides of our business here, just like Newcastle. The post office and bank are right down the street, just like Newcastle. Essentially, this is the same as being in a small town."
The Market St. Cafe opens at 7 o'clock each morning and features Cinnamon Rolls, Caramel Rolls and a number of breakfast plates, including the Freeburg Special, a sausage-egg-and-cheese sandwich served on grilled wheat. The sandwich is named for diner Gary Freeburg of nearby Gayville, S.D.
The restaurant serves custom-made sausage from B&B Locker in Wynot, Neb.
"It's an old German recipe called Whole Hog Sausage," Gary Monk said. "It has a hammy flavor."
Lunch specials vary from the Hot Beef Sandwich (each Wednesday) to Pasta to Butterfly Chops to Meat Loaf. There's a homemade soup featured daily, and patrons may order off the menu for a variety of burgers and more.
Beyond breakfast, the Friday Night Buffet remains the cafe's largest draw, building on a reputation established in Newcastle. The Monks serve Broasted Chicken, Barbecue Ribs and Pollack each Friday evening.
"It's great," said Lilli Abild of Wakonda, S.D., when asked why she eats at Market St. Cafe. "The food is fresh."
"I love their soup," added Bev Orr of Volin, S.D., who works nearby. "Plus it's close. We like to come here for lunch."
"They serve super good Chicken Strips and Chicken Fried Steak," said Dale Taylor of Allen, Neb. "I come over here all the time. You get good people to talk to and you get good food."
The Monks close at 2 p.m. during the week, then fire up the grill for Delta Tau Delta, a USD fraternity whose members dine on Market St. Cafe fare four nights per week.
"We fix the food here, then take it to their house," said Gary. "I started doing that when we were in Newcastle. It is so nice to have a bunch of 19- to 21-year-olds around when you have something heavy to move. Seriously, it has been fun watching them grow from freshmen to seniors."
Gary and Krystal even have their photos featured on the Delta Tau Delta composite displayed at Market St. Cafe.
There's another photo of the couple displayed at the front of the 49-seat restaurant. It's their wedding snapshot taken May 14, 2005 after they were wed by Vermillion Mayor Dan Christopherson at The Eagles Club.
The mayor married them?
"The city charter gives the mayor the authority to perform weddings," said Gary, explaining that the charter dates back to an era when Sioux Cityans would travel to the Argo Motel in Vermillion for a wedding ceremony. "We were Mayor Christopherson's first wedding. He did an excellent job."
Market St. Cafe at 5 Market St. in downtown Vermillion, S.D., is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and Friday evenings for a buffet.
Why? Because Monk's Newcastle Village Cafe -- in downtown Newcastle, Neb. -- attracted dozens of diners from Vermillion, a 15-minute drive from Newcastle.
Monk tapped the Vermillion market and its 9,765 residents (and nearly 6,000 college students) after realizing he might not sustain himself on Newcastle eaters alone.
"Vermillion's population is 15,000 during school and 10,000 when school is not in session," Monk said. "Compare that to 275 at Newcastle."
While the numbers made sense, Monk had no site in mind. Enter customer Jim Abbott, president of the University of South Dakota.
"The Honorable Jim Abbott was a customer on several Sundays in Newcastle. One day he asked if we would look at having a cafe in Vermillion," Monk recalled. "We said sure, but we didn't know if one was available."
One was. Abbott had a downtown corner cafe site in mind. Better yet, he owned the building which had featured a cafe called Marge's Place.
"We came and looked around and decided to come here," said Monk. "It was a fairly simple decision."
And on Dec. 1, 2004, Monk began making Vermillion's best breakfast dishes IN downtown Vermillion. The Market St. Cafe, owned and operated by Monk and wife Krystal, tripled its gross receipts in 2005, Monk said. The Monks' cafe site in Newcastle is for sale.
"Not much has changed between here and Newcastle," said Monk, who operated the Newcastle Village Cafe for five years. "We live up above the cafe, just as we did in Newcastle. We have bars on both sides of our business here, just like Newcastle. The post office and bank are right down the street, just like Newcastle. Essentially, this is the same as being in a small town."
The Market St. Cafe opens at 7 o'clock each morning and features Cinnamon Rolls, Caramel Rolls and a number of breakfast plates, including the Freeburg Special, a sausage-egg-and-cheese sandwich served on grilled wheat. The sandwich is named for diner Gary Freeburg of nearby Gayville, S.D.
The restaurant serves custom-made sausage from B&B Locker in Wynot, Neb.
"It's an old German recipe called Whole Hog Sausage," Gary Monk said. "It has a hammy flavor."
Lunch specials vary from the Hot Beef Sandwich (each Wednesday) to Pasta to Butterfly Chops to Meat Loaf. There's a homemade soup featured daily, and patrons may order off the menu for a variety of burgers and more.
Beyond breakfast, the Friday Night Buffet remains the cafe's largest draw, building on a reputation established in Newcastle. The Monks serve Broasted Chicken, Barbecue Ribs and Pollack each Friday evening.
"It's great," said Lilli Abild of Wakonda, S.D., when asked why she eats at Market St. Cafe. "The food is fresh."
"I love their soup," added Bev Orr of Volin, S.D., who works nearby. "Plus it's close. We like to come here for lunch."
"They serve super good Chicken Strips and Chicken Fried Steak," said Dale Taylor of Allen, Neb. "I come over here all the time. You get good people to talk to and you get good food."
The Monks close at 2 p.m. during the week, then fire up the grill for Delta Tau Delta, a USD fraternity whose members dine on Market St. Cafe fare four nights per week.
"We fix the food here, then take it to their house," said Gary. "I started doing that when we were in Newcastle. It is so nice to have a bunch of 19- to 21-year-olds around when you have something heavy to move. Seriously, it has been fun watching them grow from freshmen to seniors."
Gary and Krystal even have their photos featured on the Delta Tau Delta composite displayed at Market St. Cafe.
There's another photo of the couple displayed at the front of the 49-seat restaurant. It's their wedding snapshot taken May 14, 2005 after they were wed by Vermillion Mayor Dan Christopherson at The Eagles Club.
The mayor married them?
"The city charter gives the mayor the authority to perform weddings," said Gary, explaining that the charter dates back to an era when Sioux Cityans would travel to the Argo Motel in Vermillion for a wedding ceremony. "We were Mayor Christopherson's first wedding. He did an excellent job."
Market St. Cafe at 5 Market St. in downtown Vermillion, S.D., is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and Friday evenings for a buffet.
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