The Feed Mill Restaurant menu and specials, listed on a recipe card.
TYPICALLY, WHEN YOU walk into a restaurant, sit down and ask for the day’s specials, the waitress rattles off the choices.
But not at the Feed Mill Restaurant in historic downtown Jordan. During a recent visit there, the waitress hands me a lined white recipe card with the neatly-printed specials.
Now that’s different, I think, as I put down my menu and scan the card.
For $7.99, I can have liver and onions or hamburger steak served with mashed potatoes and gravy and soup. Hamburger steak? That’s different. How can hamburger be steak? (Later, when I google “hamburger steak,” I discover this to be a fancy word for hamburger patties.)
I continue reading the recipe card. For a dollar less, I can have a hot beef, pork or hamburger commercial. A fish sandwich, chicken and tuna salad sandwich and hot dog options round out the specials.
Considering I don’t like most of the selections, I order a hot pork commercial and, given a choice, pick green beans over applesauce.
My hot pork commercial.
And then, when presented with the soup options, I face an unknown. Should I try the vomacka or stick with the more traditional vegetable beef barley?
“What’s vomacka?” I ask the waitress.
It is, she explains, a Czech creamed vegetable soup and vomacka means “gravy.”
I figure, what the heck, I may as well expose my taste buds to something foreign.
As my husband and I wait for our meals, I hear the waitress tell the elderly woman two tables away that carrots, green and yellow beans, potatoes, onions, celery and cream comprise vomacka. Dill seasoning flavors the mix. I don’t even have to eavesdrop. Her loud voice carries across the room where, even though it is the prime lunch hour, only my husband and I and the woman and her female companion are dining here.
Our beef and pork commercials arrive promptly. My pork commercial is just OK. The vomacka is tasty and I’m glad I’ve tried it.
Vomacka, a creamy Czech soup
And even though I expect a more historic feel to this restaurant, which is housed in a 1914 circa feed mill, I enjoy the view of rushing Sand Creek through huge plate-glass windows in a late 1970s addition.
When the waitress sees my camera, she suggests that I photograph the creek from a nearby foot bridge. “We’ve had professional photographers in here and it doesn’t work,” she says, looking toward the windows.
I want to tell her that I’m a professional writer and photographer too and that I know shooting images through these windows will not work. But, I hold my tongue. Clearly, she thinks that I am just a woman having lunch here with her husband.
My photo of Sand Creek, taken from a foot bridge near the Feed Mill Restaurant in mid-March. The dining room overlooks the rushing creek.
© Copyright 2010 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
I find this interesting as my maiden name was Vomacka. I also had an uncle who lived in Jordon. who is now deceased.
That is interesting. However, I believe the restaurant misspelled the name of this soup. I’m pretty certain the correct spelling is vomachka.
Omg, had this soup for the first time. It was awesome, we will be back when you reopen.
Glad to hear the good report on the soup.
I would like to make the vomachka soup for my family, is there a recipe for it somewhere?
I don’t have a recipe. Readers, can you help Miriam?
My only suggestion would be to search for a recipe online.
The vomacka at the Fishtale Restaurant in New Prague tops anyplace else. It’s definitely not ordinary.
Your criticism of the restaurant, food and wait staff sounds a bit pompous…makes me realize I’d better watch my own evaluations and manners in the future.
Paige, I’m sorry you took my honest post in such a negative fashion. I certainly did not mean to come across as pompous. Thank you for the tip on the vomacka in New Prague.
The spelling is Vomacka, I’m from New Prague. My family makes such awesome Vomacka and I need to learn how to make it!! You people should come to Dozinky Days in New Prague, LOTS of wonderful food and fun!!
OK, with a capital “V” then. I’ve heard about Dozinky Days; sounds like a celebration I should take in sometime. Thanks for stopping by. Great to hear that your family makes this ethnic dish.
VOMACKA
INGREDIENTS:
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Onions, diced 1/2 inch
• 1 Cup Carrots, diced 1/2 inch
• 1 Cup Celery, diced 1/2 inch
• 3 Cloves crushed garlic
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 6 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns
• 1 Tablespoon Pickling Spice
• 2 Tablespoon Chicken Flavored Base
• 3 Cups Potatoes, diced 1/2 inch
• 3 Cups Green Beans, cut one-inch
• 2 Cups Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Melt better in a heavy pot.
2. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic, and sauté until vegetables are tender and clear.
3. Add flour and stir slowly with a wooden spoon for two minutes, eliminating any lumps.
4. Don’t brown, Add chicken stock, chicken base and dill.
5. Place peppercorns and pickling spice in a cheese cloth or tea strainer, add to sauce and bring to a slow boil.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add potatoes and beans, and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).
8. Heat cream to a simmer and add slowly to soup.
9. Remove pickling spice bag and add vinegar.
HINTS: If you prefer a thicker soup, add a mixture of 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup milk and cook slowly for five minutes.
Thank you so much for taking the time to type this recipe. Very kind of you to do so.
This is a very good recipe, close to my mothers, she would also crack an egg or two & simmer like egg drop, yum yum
So delighted to remind you of your mom.