The Bad News Cafe

What makes food matter? Beyond the trends, fads, social media, marketing, and the endless programming...what is it about flavors, textures, aromas, and the act of dining that connects it to the core of your identity? That is one of the many questions a writer from Kansas City ponders on his drive to Topeka, where he spends the day interviewing an old friend whose otherwise unassuming restaurant has become a cult favorite among a very specific group of diners. An unlikely transition from a simple family restaurant to the most popular fine dining establishment in town would make a good enough story on any other day, but nothing compared to the local legend...it is also the place where guests choose to eat dinner on the darkest days of their lives. As old friends catch up and the restaurant is prepped for evening service, the legend is revealed against the backdrop of family history, hard work, personal tragedy, and dark humor. What makes food matter, and what makes it memorable, is the elusive ingredient that keeps the lights on at The Bad News Cafe.