The Simple Comfort Food Robert Duvall Enjoyed At His Go-To Virginia Cafe

Tributes have been pouring out following the passing of acclaimed actor Robert Duvall, known for his Oscar-nominated roles in "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now" and his long career spanning several decades after a debut role of Boo Radley in "To Kill a Mockingbird." Plenty of stories have come from people who knew him personally, including the proprietor of a restaurant in Virginia where Duvall was a regular later in his life.

Duvall routinely went to the Old Salem Cafe in Marshall, Virginia, not far from the actor's home in Middleburg. The cafe's co-owner Donna Armstrong reflected on his friendly demeanor and some of the dishes he often ordered. Armstrong explained that Robert Duvall's favorite meals included some simple, no-frills staples, like patty melts, hamburger steaks, and your classic Reuben whenever he was at the Old Salem Cafe.

It was nothing especially fancy or complicated; Armstrong described it as "just your normal comfort food," according to local Washington, D.C. news station WTOP. Armstrong added that Duvall often arrived in the company of the farm hands who worked on his property (he lived in a very nice farmhouse on a massive property during his later years), and he'd cover their lunches.

For a quick reminder on what Old Salem Cafe's old-school dishes included, all three are simple to make but tougher to make delicious. A patty melt is made by taking a thin beef hamburger patty and placing it between two toasted slices of bread along with melted cheese and sauteed onions. Hamburger steaks are another simple, ground beef-based dish — it includes not much more than a seasoned hamburger patty served with gravy rather than burger buns and the usual fixings. Reubens are the odd one out, being a corned beef sandwich with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on rye bread.

All in all, Duvall brought up foods he liked on a number of occasions over the decades, and while it could certainly be pricey, high-quality food, it was rarely complicated. He'd said in the past that his favorite food was simply seasoned ribeye steak, a hearty and fatty cut of beef known for being a favorite of steak aficionados. Duvall was also a big promoter of his mother's recipe for crab cakes, which brought in ingredients like soda crackers, onions, and cayenne pepper alongside the standard Worcestershire sauce and mayonnaise that's crucial for crab cakes. It's hard to beat good comfort food.