I first heard about the Wittmond Hotel more than two decades ago, during one of those Monday morning “What did you do this weekend?” office conversations. A coworker described his scenic journey along the Great River Road, which – just west of Alton – skirts towering limestone bluffs along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. He told me about taking the Brussels Ferry to Calhoun County, a place he said was frozen in time, and which he described as having the feel of an island because it’s surrounded by rivers but is actually a long peninsula. He spoke of the county’s gentle rolling hills, abundant apple and peach orchards, farm stands, and then of a historic hotel which reminded him of visiting old relatives’ houses as a child, complete with lace curtains and sloped floors. “You sit down and they just bring you food, which they serve family-style,” he had said.
I was so intrigued that I made the trek myself the very next weekend. Since then, whenever I want to showcase the beauty of our region, I take guests on that same journey and am greeted by many of the same friendly faces each time.
Owner Charles Burch, 78, has been working at the restaurant since he was 9. He said his great-grandparents built the first part of the Wittmond, which was a mercantile with their home above, upon immigrating from Germany in 1847. “It was the first building with indoor plumbing in Calhoun,” he boasts. The walls are filled with historic photos of relatives, many of whom were born and died in the hotel. Charles shows me a photo of his grandfather, which is on display in the antique store. “See that lamp he’s standing beneath? It’s still there.”
By the 1890s, the upstairs had been converted to a hotel. “And that’s how the restaurant started: they needed to feed the guests,” Burch said. “You never knew what people wanted to eat, so you just had a bit of everything.”
The locally sourced, all-you-care-to-eat menu has hardly changed since. The first course consists of corn relish, beets, apple sauce, apple cider vinegar coleslaw, peach marmalade, rolls, and what many consider to be the world’s best sausage.
The main course includes succulent fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans and optional roast beef. If you somehow save room after all that, the Wittmond offers a variety of cobblers and cheesecake.
From downtown St. Louis, the drive takes about an hour, but getting there is part of the experience and is not something you’ll want to rush. Make a day of it while enjoying the bald eagles, foliage and the charming towns along the way. It will be an experience you’ll want to share. The Wittmond is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and only accepts cash or check.
166 E. Main St., Brussels, Illinois, 618.883.2345, Facebook: Wittmond Hotel
