Montgomery diner serves genuine Czech jitrnice and vomacka
Date Modified: 06/03/2010 10:02 AM
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David's Diner
Location: In the Montgomery Oil building, 200 Fourth St. NW, Montgomery, Minn.
Diner hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Station hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Pay at the pump: 24 hours.
Known for: Homemade soups.
Local favorite: Vomacka, a Czech soup.
Local teen favorite: Cheese curds.
Unique: Dumplings on a stick are sometimes served at state fair time.
Other services: Catering, take out.
Call them at (507) 364-9370
MONTGOMERY, Minn. — David's Diner is the kind of place that will leave you smiling for days after your visit.
Located in the Montgomery Oil Building at the corner of state highways 13/21 — otherwise known as Fourth Street Northwest — and Spruce Avenue Northwest, Lorraine and Jerry David have created a touch of home in David's Diner.
"It feels like home here," one customer volunteers and Lorraine confirms as she introduces everyone int the diner. When there's a shortage of booth space, customers will sit together, she said. The diner has seating for about 30 people.
David's Diner celebrates its sixth anniversary June 15, but the family's history with the site goes back to Sept. 20, 1960, when Jerry started working at Montgomery Oil.
The couple bought the station on Sept. 15, 1971, and after a 1997 fire, they rebuilt.
When they rebuilt, Lorraine asked for a little corner to fry burgers. That little corner has become David's Diner, frequented by locals and travelers alike.
Lorraine pulls out the gues tbook, signed by folks from throughout Le Sueur County and as far away as South Korea, Thailand, Argentina and Costa Rica. Several states are represented in the book as well, including Arizona, Florida and California.
"They all like different things," she said, as she turned the pages.
David's Diner has hosted officials from the Czech Republic and the Montgomery Lion's Club meets there. They've made sub sandwiches for teachers during conferences and pizza for wrestling tournaments.
And they've prepared gallons and gallons of soup for Kolacky Days, Christmas and other special events, Lorraine said.
They're known for their homemade soups. The creamy Czech vegetable soup, vomacka, is made Tuesdays and Saturdays. Lorraine's vomacka has both green and yellow beans, which is different than other recipes.
Lorraine is a bit of experimenter in the kitchen. She seldom goes by a recipe.
"Since I've been a little girl, I've always loved to cook," she said.
"Many people have tried to buy her recipes. They're not for sale," Jerry said.
She said her tomato bisque is a work in progress. The soup is often paired with a grilled cheese sandwich or a mushroom Swiss burger for a lunch special. Lunch specials are $4.
Their motto is "quality food at diner prices," Lorraine said.
Other lunch specials include chicken dumpling soup with a California burger, chili with a bacon cheeseburger and a breaded chicken breast sandwich with vomacka. Their burgers are one-third pounders.
They prepare a lot of carry outs when farmers are busy in the field, Lorraine said.
Many people call to see what the special is and will place an order for pick up, Jerry said.
People who call on Saturday may find that Lorraine had enough time to prepare potato dumplings. She prepares the dumplings for special order, too. Some Saturdays, pork dumplings and sauerkraut are on the menu.
Jitrnice, a Czech sausage, is served for breakfast and at noon everyday.
A German, Lorraine learned to cook Czech food from her mother-in-law and other good cooks in Montgomery.
The diner has a Czech feel with pictures of people in traditional Czech dress dotting the windows and a couple Kroj, traditional Czech folk dress, hanging in the windows. Lorraine has volunteered with the Miss Czech Slovak Minnesota Pageant for more than 20 years and she's always looking for girls of Czech or Slovak descent to enter the pageant.
But Lorraine says she's sure to cater to other ethnic traditions as well. She makes Irish stew in March, potato dumplings for the Germans and tacos for the Hispanics.
The couple's three daughters, Ann, Connie and Carol, all help at the station. Connie's handmade cards are sold at the convenience store that fills part of the Montgomery Oil building. The building also has two deep service bays.
Jerry's post is behind the counter and the till and Lorraine spends her time in the diner.
"She is the cook. I'm her assistant," Jerry says.
"We get to work with each other and we like that," Lorraine said.