Frontenac Grad serves up pie & kindness.

Every TV show that features a slice of Americana often serves it up in the form of a diner or small country café. Usually with a side of apple pie.

However, the on-screen version of a perfect small-town American Cafe is often a whole lot harder to find than one might expect. If you know where to look though, they do still exist and sometimes with Frontenac Friends at the helm.

Eastside Cafe has long been a haunt for journalists. Decades ago when I worked for the Girard Press Eastside was my favorite spot. Located across from the courthouse in Girard it was perfect to watch the county's comings and goings while hearing the gossip.

Over the years Eastside has had its fair share of ups and downs. Mostly downs as the economy and the restaurant industry changed. Until Andrew Faucett took over. A graduate of Frontenac High School he and his wife set to grow Eastside back into its old glory.

Unfortunately, he failed.

Eastside is not the worn but lovely café I remember from the turn of the century. It's now a shining bit of American country hospitality.

Bustling, bright, and perfectly clean, the interior of the Cafe has been redone. I couldn't help but feel like I was visiting Luke’s Diner in the Gilmore Girls. The waitressing team looks like it stepped out of central casting. Competent and quick even when swamped they are the kind who can comfort a sad patron and easily toss out an unruly one.

The food is homemade café fare done right, with coffee always at hand. Popping in for breakfast with family we ordered the classics and found everything to be beyond our expectations.

From perfectly cooked eggs to fluffy Belgian waffles it was clear that the ingredients matter to the ownership team. The biscuits were fluffy and perfectly cooked, the bacon crisp but not overdone, and the gravy perfectly spiced. Even the toppings like strawberry sauce have been handled with care.

While it seems that all-American food would be an obvious choice, it's actually brave to dive into. After all, if you're serving a dish from Japan, whose to know if it's really great or just the basics? Faucet jumped head first into serving what everyone knows and is doing the classics right.

He and his team haven't hid from improvements either. Always moving the business upward they have redone the outside of the Cafe and made countless other updates. The building shines with the care and attention.

In the traditions he undoubtedly learned from our amazing Frontenac restaurants, Faucett has leaned into community involvement. The Cafe is always participating in one event or another. From baking dozens of cinnamon rolls for his hometown, supporting the county fair, or hosting a fundraiser for family in Girard, Eastside seems to forever be doing something good for those around them.

Andrew is a shining example of how you can paint your heart Raider Black and Trojan Maroon at the same time. Frontenac is so very proud of you Andrew.

Stop by Eastside Cafe at 120 S Ozark St, Girard, KS 66743, you can find them online at www.eastsidecafegirard.com