Pat Adamski once dreamed of operating a quaint tearoom in the woods. After living in Israel for more than two decades–leading an adventuresome life as an archeologist–she was ready to return to central Illinois and settle in the peaceful countryside. She didn’t quite find her tearoom in the woods, but she came close. For the past five years, she has been the owner of the Morning Star Mercantile and Cafe, located along the main street of sleepy Salisbury. She can usually be found in the kitchen, wearing a white apron, her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail, dishing up plates of cashew chicken sandwiches and apple pie.
The restaurant, which recently reopened after a two-month winter vacation, is truly a family affair. Adamski, who owns the business with her parents Bill and Georgia, works alongside her mother, who can also usually be found helping out in the kitchen, straightening chairs, or washing dishes. The cafe is housed in a large rustic structure made from salvaged 100-year-old barn wood and built by her father and brothers.
The cafe looks like it’s part general store, part log cabin, and part bed and breakfast. The warm wood floors, ceilings, and walls–and the heat from a massive stone fireplace–create an environment that feels like a comfy blanket on a chilly day. Baskets and swirls of grapevine hang from the wooden beams. The walls are adorned with vintage muffin tins and farm and garden tools; the windows are covered in simple white lace. A small corner of the cafe is filled with candles, Amish jams and jellies, and other gift items for sale. Mismatched, simple wooden tables and chairs, culled from country auctions and estate sales, complete the decor. In warm weather months, diners can also indulge in a cup of coffee and homemade slice of pie on the expansive front porch, decorated with hanging flower baskets and antique trellises. Adamski has adjusted to small-town life so well she even lives above the cafe with her two cats.
The menu includes a soup of the day, such as stuffed pepper and chili; sandwiches, including cashew chicken salad on a croissant, olive-nut spread, smoked turkey, or a jumbo chili dog; and Adamski’s special broccoli salad, a customer favorite. After lunch, you can have the homemade apple-nut dessert, carrot cake, apple-walnut pie with caramel sauce, fruit pies, or hot-fudge brownie sundaes. Some items can be ordered ahead to take home.
A career as an archeologist led Adamski, a Springfield native, to Israel, where she lived and worked for 22 years before deciding to return to Sangamon County to be near her family. Her vision didn’t include this speck of a town with boarded up windows and few businesses.
“In the beginning, I thought, ‘Salisbury? It’s kind of a weird little town. There’s nothing here. Is this really going to take off?'”
Most people only knew of the tiny town due to the success and high-profile clients of George Colin’s Folk Art, located next door to the cafe. And the business section of Salisbury–which isn’t even marked on the state map–at one time consisted of two taverns, two churches, and a few abandoned storefronts.
But she was encouraged by the success of her brother and sister-in-law, who own the Farm, a herb and dried-flower business a few miles down the road. And the fact that the town is located halfway between Springfield and New Salem, which draws one million visitors a year and has brought customers from across the country. Now a garden shop, antique shop, and the folk art gallery have joined the cafe in reviving this spot on Route 97.
“I’m very happy,” Adamski says. “I’m just amazed at how many people walk in here from Springfield. . . . People are looking for a quite retreat, away from their hectic lifestyle. That really surprised me. I’m amazed at how many people really relish that. A lot of people from Chicago tell us that too.
“I was wondering what it would be like to live here, but I like it. It’s fairly quiet.”
The Morning Star Mercantile and Cafe is located at 6141 Main Street, Salisbury, 12 miles northwest of Springfield (217-626-2022). It’s open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, but Adamski says she’s thinking about expanding the hours. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drinks, baked goods, and ice cream are served throughout the day.
This article appears in May 8-14, 2003.
