March 29, 2024

State Fair artifact on display at Baxter cafe

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BAXTER — When Al and Jeanne Conover opened their diner in Baxter last year, naming it “Blue Ribbon Cafe” was an obvious choice because of Al's family history and connection to the Iowa State Fair.

“We talked about some other names, but then we came up with this and we started putting all the pieces together on how this was related to Al’s family and the Blue Ribbon Foundation,” Jeanne said. “This is the one that stuck.”

When the Blue Ribbon Farm Family award existed, Al's family was the first win to it in the 1960s. Even though Al doesn't remember standing with his family in front of the grandstand as WHO TV legend Herb Plambeck awarded the Conovers with the plaque, he cherishes the honor and has recently added a piece of Iowa Star Fair history to the Blue Ribbon Cafe.

A large, and familiar, Iowa State Fair sign now sits on the rooftop of the Baxter diner as a display piece for the public. The sign formerly sat in front of the fairgrounds for decades before being removed.

Al is a longtime auctioneer and came across the sign during last year’s Iowa State Fair Corn dog Kickoff event. He purchased it in the auction and knew immediately what purpose he wanted to give the sign.

“It’s the only one in the world,” Al said. “It was the sign for the Iowa State Fair. I bought it with intentions to do what I did with it — put it on the diner.”

More state fair memories exist inside the cafe as photographs of Al and Jeanne's 4-H animals fill the diner's walls.

Located on Highway F17, the cafe is now open Tuesday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays and Mondays until 2 p.m. They incorporate certified Berkshire pork and certified Angus beef in their menu, which has served people from all over the country. Open for only 10 months, Blue Ribbon Cafe has welcomed guests from nearly 20 states, and the Conovers believe the restaurant's success is mainly due to word-of-mouth.

“I think it’s people finding out that they can get one hell of a burger here,” Al said. "We cut no corners on the meat."

When the diner opened last summer, it was Baxter's first sit-down restaurant since Mona's off Main closed at the same location a few years back.

Al and Jeanne encourage people to stop by Blue Ribbon Cafe to try one of their burgers, but emphasize that there are other convenient places in Baxter to get good food as well.

"If we’re closed, you can get a sandwich and cold drink at the grocery store, or at (Kountry) Korner or Cadillac Jack's," Al said. "There are other places in town where you can get a cold drink and some food if we’re closed."

Contact Alex Olp at aolp@jaspercountytribune.com