This post is written by guest blogger, Kevin Taylor, Historic Preservation student at Southeast Missouri State University.

October is almost over, but Oktoberfest is still going strong in people's minds. When talking about great style craft beer and downtown Cape, Broadway Biergarten is the place to go.

Broadway Biergarten is cut from a different cloth when talking about bars. Being a student, I had never experienced such a unique style of bar. Their goal is not just to make money on the drinks, but to educate their consumers on the different beers that are available. As a college student, I can understand the hesitation of shelling out $16 for a case of craft beer. Broadway Biergarten serves craft beer so that the consumer has a chance to experience them as they should be without spending a lot of money.

"The main focus is trying a great beer, and the conversation that's had there. If you focus on those two things, then you have a good beer hall," said Rob Foeste, owner of Broadway Biergarten.

A lot of people are put off by craft beers because they will have a bad experience with one and then categorize the others into the same group. I myself fell into this category. Foeste says "You may not like Guinness, but that doesn't mean that you don't like stout beers." Styles of beer can vary a lot even in their own category (like stouts or bocks).

I have also been a victim of frozen mugs, and the throught process of the "the colder the beer, the better" is false. Craft beer isn't meant to be served as cold as possible, but to be served chilled. This is where glassware comes into the picture. If a beer is too cold, it could ruin the taste of the beer. The first picture below is just one of many glasses that Broadway Biergarten uses to serve beer. The narrow part towards the bottom is designed so that you can keep your hand there but not warm up the beer.

"Every beer is supposed to be poured out, event if they don't know it," Foeste said. Beer is supposed to be served in glassware. Much of the taste of the beer comes from its smell, just like everything else. If you can't smell the beer while you are drinking it, then its presentation is wrong.

Another great attribute that the business has going for it is the historic structure that it's located in. When asked what made the building so perfect for Broadway Biergarten, Foeste mentioned the original tin ceiling, the immaculate brickwork, and the exposed brick on the inside were all a perfect match for what he wanted. Being a Historic Preservation major, I love that Rob is an advocate of historic buildings. This is just another example of how old historic buildings can be repurposed for success in downtown districts, such as Old Town Cape.

Foeste invites you to stop by and check out the establishment and enjoy a beer, or two. And take my word that you'll have a high quality experience and enjoy your time there.

It all started a few months ago at my friend’s house. She was serving dessert (following one of her many legendary dinners) and handed me a home-made, lemon cupcake on the most darling little saucer. It was a seafoam green, semi-translucent plate that I made all kinds of excited fuss over. My friend, Jessica, had received it as a gift from another friend who found it at an antique shop. Jessica explained that she had actually been on the hunt for additional pieces and then flipped the saucer over to reveal the Fire-King trademark. This was the first I’d heard of Fire-King, and it sparked some interest.

Through a little research on Antique Trader, I found out that Fire-King glassware was mass produced by Anchor Hocking Glass Corp. from 1942 – 1976. My friend, Jessica, had looked the dishes up online and found some pretty steep prices on several Fire-King sets and individual pieces. Turns out, we’re not the only ones gaga for Fire-King, especially the Jade-ite color which is the official name for the color and the most popular among collectors.

We were a little disheartened by the online prices, but I knew something that so many of us take for granted in Cape Girardeau – that we have one of the best antique districts in the Midwest. And from that thought the mission commenced: I would find Fire-King for my friend!

I was confident that Fire-King was patiently awaiting my arrival in an antique store downtown. I headed out on a Sunday afternoon, and popped into Brick Street Antiques and Pastimes Antiques where I found Fire-King pieces, but no Jade-ite, Fire-King. I was getting warm!

Then I strolled into Riverfront Antique Mall. As I walked in, I saw an entire wall of antique glassware that immediately caught my – oh boy! – eye. I approached the wall, and locked my eyes on a section of seafoam green dishes. I grabbed a saucer, and it was the moment of truth! I flipped it over, and there it was… Fire-King!! I had found it, and in a matter of 45 minutes downtown. I purchased one medium sized serving bowl and 4 saucers for $25.90 which was a steal compared to the prices we had found online. The clerk inside was very helpful, and told me about Anchor Hocking and several of the dishes they had produced. She pulled out a reference book to see if she could find the exact dishes I was purchasing for value’s sake, but they weren’t inside the particular issue.

Immediately after I paid my $25.90, I walked outside and texted my friend Jessica, “I have a thank you gift for the millions of dinners you’ve cooked me!!!” I’ve never been one to contain excitement. I ended up giving her the dishes that night, and we both danced with giddy excitement. Ok, maybe I was the only one to literally dance, but I know Jessica was right there with me in spirit!



Author: Toni Eftink is a Project Manager at Element 74 where she leads custom web projects. She has a huge love for downtown Cape Girardeau and small businesses. You can find her on Google+ and Twitter.