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Eating Indiana / Fried Chicken, BPT's, Burgers, Noodles, Pie

Eating Indiana / Fried Chicken, BPT's, Burgers, Noodles, Pie
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  • Eating Indiana / Fried Chicken, BPT's, Burgers, Noodles, Pie

    Post #1 - October 8th, 2015, 9:26 pm
    Post #1 - October 8th, 2015, 9:26 pm Post #1 - October 8th, 2015, 9:26 pm
    I try to throw up as much as possible and have a backlog of Roadfoodesque spots scattered about the state of Indiana. I thought about a 'Burgers of Indiana' thread but instead I thought I'd broaden it to this where I'll unload some of these spots I've doc'd when I get the time to do so. Others should feel free to add anything worthwhile, for better (Breaded Tenderloin) or worse (Breaded Cheeseburger). For those that have read 'Dining Secrets of Indiana' and also 'Cafe Indiana' these are the type of places I'm talking about. Interesting stops that are sometimes in the middle of nowhere. There's plenty of other threads about the food of the Hoosier people and when appropriate I'll stick to those which I've mapped out below. Proving once again, they eat more than corn in Indiana. Sorry. That commercial will forever pop into my mind when I hear someone say 'Indiana'.

    Northwest Indiana Food
    Searching for Lake Perch in Northwest Indiana
    South Bend
    Goin' to West Lafayette.
    Amish Indiana
    Goshen Indiana - Heirloom Sandwiches, Snapping Turtle Soup, DOC Certified Pizza
    Fun Times in Fort Wayne
    Ft. Wayne Eating and Shopping Recs
    Beef and Noodles Talk
    Pursuing the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich
    Breaded Cheeseburgers, Coneys, and Spanish Dogs
    Stopping in at Three Kokomo Favorites
    Super Eats in Indianapolis
    Dining Options in Bloomington
    Louie's Coney Island (Kokomo)
    Claus' (was Klemm's) German Sausage (Indianapolis)
    Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum (Columbus)
    Hinkle's Sandwich Shop (Madison)
    West Side Nut Club Fall Festival (Evansville)
  • Post #2 - October 8th, 2015, 9:32 pm
    Post #2 - October 8th, 2015, 9:32 pm Post #2 - October 8th, 2015, 9:32 pm
    Super, sensational, exciting, and vacational, Beef.
  • Post #3 - October 14th, 2015, 8:08 pm
    Post #3 - October 14th, 2015, 8:08 pm Post #3 - October 14th, 2015, 8:08 pm
    This past summer I was finally able to pay a visit to a place long on my Roadfood list.

    Image
    Anderson, IN

    I'd heard of this classic 50's style burger spot straight from the source. Despite it's very popular lemon shake and also the bowl of hard lemon candy at the cash register the place is named after the original owner who's last name was Lemon. He opened the place in 1954 and sold it to the current owner in 1972. Upon entering you get a big whiff of onion and the looks of a place where not much has changed. As you can see on the outside of the building they advertise Toasted Cheeseburgers, OnionBurgers, and of course Tenderloins too. My reason for wanting to try the place has always been for the OnionBurger which would end up being worth the wait.

    Image
    OnionBurger with Everything

    The Hell? What's so onion-y about that you ask? Well not the raw onions that come included when you get everything on one. It might take you until after your first bite to realize that these arent made in the same way Onion Burgers out in Oklahoma are made. Here the onion comes inside the beef. Big deal right, diced onion in beef, lots of people do that. Not quite. This is a thing of beauty.

    Image
    The inside of the hamburger patty

    At the Lemon Drop they take a thinly sliced fully intact onion and mold the ground beef around it. The burger than gets a nice crisp cooking on the flattop while the onion steams away inside. It really is a fantastic old school burger and maybe even good enough to make it into my all time Top 10 in that category. However they might be better served on toast with nothing but cheese.

    Image
    Onion Burger on Toast

    I thought this one was a bit better because it was all about the beef mixed with onion and cheese and when squeezed in-between some toast this is sure to be a good thing. It was better than any grilled cheese I've ever had and comparable to the long gone gyro melt from CND Gyros as far as onion power goes. Seeing as how Anderson is only about 40 minutes Northeast of Indy I will try to get back here when the chance to do so comes again.

    Image
    Classic Signage

    Lemon Drop  
    1701 Mounds Rd
    Anderson, IN 46016
    (765) 644-9055
  • Post #4 - October 14th, 2015, 9:46 pm
    Post #4 - October 14th, 2015, 9:46 pm Post #4 - October 14th, 2015, 9:46 pm
    My mom grew up in Anderson--can't wait to ask her about this...and to recommend it to my SO's cousin who is a soph and on the football team at Anderson U. I'm guessing he and his buddies could do some serious damage to a plate of those burgers!!!
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #5 - December 17th, 2015, 10:18 am
    Post #5 - December 17th, 2015, 10:18 am Post #5 - December 17th, 2015, 10:18 am
    What is it about somewhat exotic Asian cuisine being found in random spots all over Indiana? Whether we're talking top flight Regional Chinese food in Indy, Malaysian food in South Bend, Burmese in Ft. Wayne or Indonesian in Greensburg, it seems like there's some real gems throughout the state. Here's a couple more.

    Image
    Muncie, IN

    Heard about this place called the Dumpling House and because of my love for dumplings as well as the random ass location, there's not much in terms of good food in these parts, I wanted to stop in. I did so this past Summer while cruising around with jimswside. It's attached to the back of a grocery store called Asian Market that's basically in an alley. The menu was large and definitely had some intriguing regional things on it but we were pretty full as is. Thus an order of pork and cabbage dumplings were all we could handle. I opted for them fried and thought they were pretty good. I imagine they would've been better boiled but I still ate them all. As far as Muncie goes it's basically Dumpling House or fast food so all things considered this is a gem in the rough.

    Image
    Potstickers

    Speaking of dumplings in random spots I found this place from a couple years back in my Indiana food folder. I cant even pronounce the name but Anyetsang Little Tibet Restaurant in Bloomington is a favorite of many locals and graduates of IU. They're well liked for their homestyle Tibetan food.

    Image
    Bloomington, IN

    I freaking love a good order of Momo aka Tibetan dumplings. Unfortunately there's nowhere in Chicagoland to get some. Well there are a few but they all use chicken which bores me more than a Big Ten basketball game. Here they use ground beef mixed with yellow onions and serve them alongside soy sauce and the standard spicy tomato sauce. Top Notch for sure. I'll be back for another order next time life takes me thru these parts.

    Image
    Momo Dumplings

    Asian Market
    421 S Tillotson Ave
    Muncie, IN 47304
    (765) 287-8190

    Anyetsang Little Tibet Restaurant
    415 E 4th St
    Bloomington, IN 47408
    (812) 331-0122
  • Post #6 - May 10th, 2016, 9:38 am
    Post #6 - May 10th, 2016, 9:38 am Post #6 - May 10th, 2016, 9:38 am
    It's officially Drive-In season across the Midwest. Indiana has a nice Drive-In culture and while most of them are old school today's stop is all about the new. Pretty little town but drier than an informants dead body buried in the dessert. Nonetheless we weren't there to drink but rather indulge in one of Indiana's most beloved eats.

    ImageGreenfield, IN

    Located about 30 minutes east of Indy, The Mug is a new-school drive-in using local ingredients, the slogan here is "From Farm to Curb." Their Breaded Pork Tenderloin is made with locally raised Berkshire Pork obtained from their neighbors at Tyner Pond Farm. They also have hamburgers, hot dogs, and the other stuff but you gotta go BPT on the first visit in. This oversized beauty was as perfectly fried and juicy as any other I can remember. Just eating little nibbles broken off was a treat in of itself. When it comes to Indiana the only things bigger than Breaded Pork Tenderloins are 1a) The Bible and 1b) High School Basketball. This is the Jesus / Larry Bird of BPT's.

    ImageBreaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

    The Mug
    117 Apple St
    Greenfield, IN 46140
    (317) 477-7550
  • Post #7 - May 10th, 2016, 10:29 am
    Post #7 - May 10th, 2016, 10:29 am Post #7 - May 10th, 2016, 10:29 am
    Image

    Damn, Beef!! You're killing me!

    When I travel with my wife to her hometown near Anderson, IN, this is exactly what the tenderloins look like. They're ubiquitous in those parts. I remember the first time I ever had one, circa 1994. She kept on telling me how good they were. It wasn't until I laid eyes upon it that I began to understand.

    This one brings a (happy) tear to my eye. :cry:

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #8 - May 10th, 2016, 11:29 am
    Post #8 - May 10th, 2016, 11:29 am Post #8 - May 10th, 2016, 11:29 am
    Da Beef wrote:Indiana has a nice Drive-In culture and while most of them are old school today's stop is all about the new.

    Forget James B, Da Beef rates a Pulitzer as his writing/pictures make a trip to Indiana seem a good idea............................
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #9 - May 10th, 2016, 1:44 pm
    Post #9 - May 10th, 2016, 1:44 pm Post #9 - May 10th, 2016, 1:44 pm
    I agree Gary. To be honest, I've yet to have a BPT and I always laugh at how ridiculously small the bun is compared to the meat. I would love to watch someone eat that - though I suppose I might as well be the one eating it.

    Yes Da Beef, your posts always make me happy when the warm weather is here and sad when it's gone. I hope to really get out on the road this summer like never before.
  • Post #10 - May 12th, 2016, 3:29 pm
    Post #10 - May 12th, 2016, 3:29 pm Post #10 - May 12th, 2016, 3:29 pm
    I've studied maps of the Midwest for a long time and still can't see how the BPT Belt dies between the Wabash and the Mississippi, replaced by the mutant abomination horseshoe.
  • Post #11 - May 12th, 2016, 5:34 pm
    Post #11 - May 12th, 2016, 5:34 pm Post #11 - May 12th, 2016, 5:34 pm
    No, no. I've had one of the best tenderloins I ever ate in Peoria. At a place that unfortunately is no longer in business, but it was there and I am sure not alone.
    JiLS
  • Post #12 - May 12th, 2016, 8:44 pm
    Post #12 - May 12th, 2016, 8:44 pm Post #12 - May 12th, 2016, 8:44 pm
    JeffB wrote:I've studied maps of the Midwest for a long time and still can't see how the BPT Belt dies between the Wabash and the Mississippi, replaced by the mutant abomination horseshoe.

    Why the BPT has never migrated north to Northwest Indiana is beyond me.
  • Post #13 - May 13th, 2016, 2:01 am
    Post #13 - May 13th, 2016, 2:01 am Post #13 - May 13th, 2016, 2:01 am
    While we still operated our Pub, our BPT was one of our best sellers...smack dab in the middle of the Wabash and Mississippi zone. 8)
    D.G. Sullivan's, "we're a little bit Irish, and a whole lot of fun"!
  • Post #14 - May 13th, 2016, 11:55 am
    Post #14 - May 13th, 2016, 11:55 am Post #14 - May 13th, 2016, 11:55 am
    Look, you can get BPT's in Vegas and Florida, too, at Hoosier-themed places. Same as you can get Vienna beef dogs and Mary Ann buns. But BPT's are not ubiquitous, typical eats in Downstate the way they are in IN and IA. This despite the similar German-American farmer demographics.
  • Post #15 - May 13th, 2016, 2:51 pm
    Post #15 - May 13th, 2016, 2:51 pm Post #15 - May 13th, 2016, 2:51 pm
    Dunno what happens in the Trans-Wabash region, but let me assure you that the BPT Zone most certainly extends West to the Missouri and Kansas City: although arguments over the best BPT in town are neither as loud nor as rancorous as those over whose burnt ends are best, much energy still gets expended for and against various venues. Just check out the comments following this somewhat dated but still manifestly relevant piece:

    http://www.pitch.com/food-drink/article/20573979/our-five-favorite-pork-tenderloin-sandwiches-in-kansas-city

    Geo
    Sooo, you like wine and are looking for something good to read? Maybe *this* will do the trick! :)
  • Post #16 - June 20th, 2016, 5:40 pm
    Post #16 - June 20th, 2016, 5:40 pm Post #16 - June 20th, 2016, 5:40 pm
    The breaded pork tenderloin is ubiquitous in the majority of diners, cafes, bar and grills and sports bars in all of Indiana, Iowa and outstate Illinois. In Indiana they are served in most restaurants, including upscale, that have sandwich selections on the menu. Missouri has their share but it is much more spotty as is southern Indiana and southern Illinois. After that northwestern Ohio in the smaller towns may have them. They die almost immediately in significance in crossing the borders of any of the other states adjacent to the three "I" states. Strangely, Chicago ignores them for the most part.

    The farther you get away from the "I" states the stranger the offering such as fitting the size of the bun. ;) Also, in Texas they don't know what to call it. So if you see pork burger or fritter on the menu it just may be authentic. Fritter in the Midwest for a BPT is a derisive term for food service made up uniform patty of pork parts, breaded and frozen. Elsewhere it just may be a frying description.

    There are themed places in Arizona and Florida serving BPTs, but if you do a food forensic exam you will find most of the owners have some ties to the Midwest. That kind of tie can extend to Palmer, Alaska to Mission, Texas. Once I found an owner of a restaurant in McLean, Virginia who told me he was traveling through St. Louis and thought the BPT would be a good idea for his restaurant and he served it authentic Midwest style. He was a Middle Easterner, as in foreigner.
  • Post #17 - June 28th, 2016, 7:45 am
    Post #17 - June 28th, 2016, 7:45 am Post #17 - June 28th, 2016, 7:45 am
    1-2 punch from last summer. I'm a sucker for the old school-small town Drive-In and will most always stop for a quick bite when there's one within reach. Having grown up in the city these are something I rarely experienced in my youth.

    ImageFrankfort, IN

    This place has been around these parts since 1950. Like so many other drive-in's across the state it's a symbol of summer. Also like many of the others in that this place is popular for both savory and sweet.

    ImagePart of the Menu

    I particularly love the drive-in's with signature snacks. Or at the very least things you don't see on menus everywhere. Here they have a trio of popular items that people miss when they leave these parts.

    ImageMeatloaf Sandwich with Coney Sauce

    Meatloaf Sandwich was damn good actually. It was nicely cooked meatloaf topped with melted cheese and their house Coney sauce on a cheap hamburger bun. A perfect snack for a trip to the drive-in. Also extremely popular here are the Milky Way tacos. You just know I was intrigued. These are exactly what I would expect to find in the middle of small town Indiana. Doubt they've been on the menu since 1950 but guessing the late 70's maybe early 80's was when these debuted. They fill a cheap flour tortilla with their house coney sauce and or chili and top it with the common gringo toppings. Not gonna lie, I also liked these in a guilty pleasure sort of way, and ordered a second. Dessert wise they make half ice cream / half slushie drinks that are popular and I enjoyed a grape one which is said to be most ordered menu item.

    ImageSignature Taco
    ________________________________________________________

    I came across this next place just a few miles away from Milky Way while scoping out the towns mini Main street. When I saw a sign for tacos I had no choice but to check it out.

    ImageRossville, IN

    I guess Dan used to work over at Indiana Beach in his High School days. It's there where he learned to make the parks signature tacos which are served inside the park at a place called 'Taco Shoppe'. Taco Shoppe is synonymous with the beach as a couple of their crispy fried tacos are a part of many visitors visits. These are said to be the same recipe which is a softly fried white corn tortilla stuffed with ground beef and topped with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Not sure why but Indiana has a pretty strong deep fried taco culture though these weren't as good as the ones you'll find in Da Region. More to come.

    ImageBeach Taco
    ________________________________________________________

    Milky Way
    750 Washington Ave
    Frankfort, IN 46041
    (765) 654-8831

    Dan the Man's Taco Stand
    22 W Main St
    Rossville, IN 46065
    (765) 379-3600
  • Post #18 - June 28th, 2016, 9:32 am
    Post #18 - June 28th, 2016, 9:32 am Post #18 - June 28th, 2016, 9:32 am
    That meatloaf sandwich is calling my name.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #19 - July 27th, 2016, 11:10 am
    Post #19 - July 27th, 2016, 11:10 am Post #19 - July 27th, 2016, 11:10 am
    Today's post takes a look into old Elkhart. To a time when RV's were all the talk amongst middle aged white men and a young Shawn Kemp was throwing down windmills at Concord High School.

    ImageElkhart, IN

    Crimaldi's has been around these parts since 1980 though from it's looks it seems much older. That's because there was a differently named bar in the same spot before Mike Crimaldi took over. On my visit this past Spring there were a few regulars and not much else going on. But the beer was cheap and they're said to make a damn good burger so we decided to stay.

    Imagea peek inside

    The house-named burger is said to be best in the area so I wanted to give it a try. It's a 1/3 pound patty of fresh grilled locally butchered beef that's topped with griddled ham as well as Italian spices mixed with American cheese on a well toasted bun. An interesting set of toppings that I thought worked well. Certainly better than I remember Heinnie's Backbarn (featured in Hamburger America) to be. Worth a stop if passing thru and aren't vegan and or gluten free.

    ImageThe Crimaldi Burger

    Crimaldi's Restaurant & Lounge
    117 W Jackson Blvd
    Elkhart, IN 46516
    (574) 522-9125
  • Post #20 - September 27th, 2016, 12:03 pm
    Post #20 - September 27th, 2016, 12:03 pm Post #20 - September 27th, 2016, 12:03 pm
    Spent a night on the shores of a small lake in the Northeast Indiana area where there's quite a few small bodies of water before turning into Ohio. As always I was on the lookout for old school spots nearby and found this classic Midwest food stop about 20 minutes south of where we were.

    ImageFremont, IN

    Clay's serves your typical Midwest comfort food and because we're still in Indiana they take their pie pretty seriously. So serious it has it's own menu page and it's in the middle in between all of the comfort food. They had the typical soup and salad bar with an all you can eat offering as well as home cooked plates of food like Salisbury steak and turkey dinners. It's encouraged to eat pie before if that's what you want to do so why not.

    ImageAs seen on the Hoosier Pie Trail

    Upon first glance these are pretty small pieces of pie (at $3.95) but in the case of the house special 'Oops!' Pie it'd be hard to eat any more. It's a rich, decadent blend of classic pecan pie combined with tons of chocolate chips. Traditional Cherry was definitely traditional for better or worse depending on how you look at. Another house special that I read about more than once was the onion rings which I thought were the best thing we ate here. As good as any others with thick juicy onions perfectly battered to the point where the onion always stayed in place upon first bite.

    ImageOnion Rings

    I expected more from the home cooked turkey plate served with house stuffing and my choice of potato and vegetable. It was more than serviceable as far as taste but the serving size wasn't what you'd expect from a classic Midwest family style restaurant. That said it was $10 so it's not expensive. All in all if you're ever in this area or just passing through it's worth the stop for some good home cookin' done Hoosier style.

    ImageHome Cooked Turkey with Mashed Potatoes and Green beans

    On the way back we passed through a small town with a classic Main street setup. I spied a butcher shop and because they claimed to be famous for something it caught my eye and I decided to check them out. Normally I would never get a Hawaiian flavored brat as I almost exclusively stick to the original house recipe. However this place didn't have any original recipe brats that were fresh, only frozen. I prefer whats in the case opposed to the freezer and since they claimed to be famous for their Hawaiian brats and they had them fresh in the case I got some. Damn. Who knew sugar and soy sauce worked so well in a brat. They were delicious. I now regret not getting more and might even try some other shops Hawaiian brats in the future. I'll definitely stop in again next time I'm near there.

    ImageOrland, IN

    Clay's Family Restaurant
    7815 Old U.S. 27
    Fremont, IN 46737
    (260) 833-1332

    Mister Bratz
    9480 W State Rd 120
    Orland, IN 46776
    (260) 829-6328
  • Post #21 - July 11th, 2017, 8:47 pm
    Post #21 - July 11th, 2017, 8:47 pm Post #21 - July 11th, 2017, 8:47 pm
    Give a point to Indiana in the never ending BPT Battle versus Iowa. Maybe even two. You know the breaded pork tenderloin is popular in your parts when it's served at the local Chinese joint. I think I came about China Sea while browsing the Kosciusko County brochure one day while waiting on some gas.

    ImageMilford, IN

    In the brochure it was mentioned that China Sea was famous for it's tenderloin and I couldn't help but be intrigued. One day last year I made my way there while coming home from a little getaway. The inside felt like a local breakfast spot in the middle of America except instead of blueberry pancakes they had stuff like Orange Chicken, and the previously mentioned BPT.

    ImageBreaded Tenderloin

    Honestly this one looked a bit better than it tasted. The tenderloin was too thin but man it did have a fantastic fry job done to it. Which got me thinking maybe the war sue gai like chicken dishes were worth a try. War Sue Gai being the (regionally) famous Chinese-American dish with origins in Detroit (or is it Columbus?). This is on the menu as 'Oriental Chicken' and 'Hong Kong Chicken' - one comes with just the traditional thick goopy gravy and the other comes with vegetables as well as the gravy. Again the chicken was perfectly fried and thus I did kind of enjoy this dish. See ya next time.

    ImageHong Kong Chicken

    China Sea
    410 S Higbee St
    Milford, IN 46542
    (574) 658-3919
  • Post #22 - October 6th, 2017, 8:29 am
    Post #22 - October 6th, 2017, 8:29 am Post #22 - October 6th, 2017, 8:29 am
    We went down to both Turkey Run State Park and Shades State Park this past summer. They're only about 20 minutes apart from each other but it's about a three hour ride down to Parke County from Chicago. As far as the parks go Turkey Run was much more packed and thus didn't have that out in nature feel that Shades does. If you have kids Turkey Run might be the better choice with their large pool and all but Shades has a more secluded feel with better surroundings as far as nature goes. Here are the food highlights of this quick trip.

    ImageBoswell, IN

    While scoping out spots to stop at on the way down I came across a facebook page for The Farmers Table. From the name of the place to the pics of the inside this looked like a prototypical small-town cafeteria and it definitely was. But it wasn't run by a family with roots in Indiana. The owners of FT come from Texas and have a Mexican background. You know what that means? Breakfast Tacos! Legit ones too. They let you build your own on their handmade flour tortillas. I loved this Bacon, Beans, Cheese. Tasted like Texas.

    ImageBacon, Beans, Cheese Breakfast Taco at Farmers Table

    Continuing down towards the parks I wanted to check out yet another Indiana Drive-In that was on my list. I cant find too much info on the history of Hershey's Drive-In but the place has the feel of a spot from the 70's.

    ImageVeedersburg, IN

    Lots of love for their cheeseburgers on the WWW and that's why I wanted to stop. I got one with everything and saw a little sign assuring their customers of their beef's high quality. It comes in daily from a local butcher. This was a standard cheeseburger as far as toppings etc goes but bc the beef was so fresh and not from Wal-Mart or elsewhere the burger was pretty much perfect.

    ImageCheeseburger Everything at Hershey's Drive-In

    The spot I most looked fwd to checking out was a place mentioned for having one of the best BPT's in the state. I saw it over on the Indiana Foodways instagram page and it looked like a classic Roadfood establishment.

    ImageMecca, IN

    Mecca Tavern is located in pretty much the middle of nowhere but there were still a few people there on our lunchtime visit. The bar itself is over 100 years old (1899) and as they're slogan goes "we have the floors to prove it".

    Imagea peek inside

    If it wasn't 90+ outside they have a great little outdoor area with a built-in kitchen sporting a charcoal grill and a couple fryers. That's where all the food is made. I felt awful sending the bartender out there but I needed to try that breaded pork tenderloin. It was indeed worthy of being in the running for best in Indiana. They slice them in-house and then bread them down good before frying them fresh. To give you an idea on the size take a look at the bun at the top of the plate. For .50 extra they'll give you another bun so two can split the sandwich. $7 was a steal. No doubt one of the best BPT's I can remember.

    ImageBreaded Pork Tenderloin at Mecca Tavern

    Parke County isn't just home to the aforementioned parks we were visiting. Right outside of Turkey Run you can pull over near the former home of Jungle Park Speedway which was once a premier speedway in the early 20th century. It was also one of the most deadliest racetracks of all time. Nowadays it just sits in the middle of the woods. It's eerie but also kind of pretty. Here's a cool article from the Indy Star on it's history.

    ImageJungle Park Speedway

    Parke County is also home to 31 covered bridges and Indiana's largest festival which is the Covered Bridge Fest. It always starts the 2nd Friday in October so it's coming up next week.

    ImageBridgeton Covered Bridge

    You could tell that the fest is big bc there were all sorts of signs of it's happening including lots of mobile food units that must vend there yearly just waiting to be cleaned and stocked. Lots of signs offering rental of space for that wkd as well. It's said to be very popular with it's happening at the peak of Fall and all.

    ImageCox-Ford Covered Bridge

    Bridgeton is the most popular covered bridge and it's scenic but Cox-Ford was my favorite due to the fact it was in middle of nowhere and no one was around. It felt like a movie setting for real.

    ImageInside a bridge

    I thought this area was a really nice place to get away quickly for a day or two. It's much more scenic than I remembered though my last trip was when I was still in the single age digits. I hope to return someday sooner than later.

    ImageView from inside the bridge

    Farmers Table
    109 S Old US Hwy 41
    Boswell, IN 47921
    (765) 869-5006

    Hershey's Drive-In
    900 E 2nd St
    Veedersburg, IN 47987
    (765) 294-2296

    Mecca Tavern
    4854 Wabash St
    Mecca, IN 47860
    (765) 569-9438
  • Post #23 - May 6th, 2018, 9:50 am
    Post #23 - May 6th, 2018, 9:50 am Post #23 - May 6th, 2018, 9:50 am
    Next stop up is a place doing the classic style of burger that I love so much. I dont have an exact date on how long the Sandwich Shoppe has been around but the menu says 70+ years in business. I believe it. Located not far from Lafayette, everything about the Sandwich Shop is old school.

    ImageDelphi, IN

    On my visit the place was packed with families enjoying what must be one of their favorite meals in town. I say that because this is a small town and these burgers are fantastic. A double will set you back just $3.50 and an order of fries is a dollar and change. The latter of which are excellent fresh cut specimens. The burger itself is a classic example of a double cheeseburger. It's everything that made people fall in love with this style of burger. Thin patties supplied fresh from the local butcher that taste like real beef served with minimal toppings on a fresh baked bun. Another good one.

    ImageDouble Cheeseburger and Fries at the Sandwich Shoppe

    Sandwich Shop
    112 E Main St
    Delphi, IN 46923
    (765) 564-6252
  • Post #24 - July 9th, 2018, 10:01 pm
    Post #24 - July 9th, 2018, 10:01 pm Post #24 - July 9th, 2018, 10:01 pm
    The rebirth of the Zaharako's thread reminded me I have a few Columbus spots in my Indiana Food folder. It's a town I've driven through many a time mostly on the way to and from Louisville. Last summer I had work obligations back to back weekends in Louisville so I was able to stop in Columbus twice and try a couple spots on my list. While I haven't explored Columbus much past these three spots (and Zaharakos) it always reminds me of a prototypical Indiana town when stopping through.
    ________________________________________________________

    ImageYe Olde Fish House (Columbus, IN)

    There's a big fish sandwich culture in Indiana. Which is kind of weird bc it's the heartland and nowhere near the ocean. This is probably due to lent diets or something like that as the fish sandwich is popular in many other landlocked spots like Louisville and Western Pennsylvania while the McDonalds filet o' fish was born in Cincinnati. There's a couple "fish houses" as they're called on my radar but odd hours had prevented me from trying either until now.

    ImageThe Days Pie Selection

    Ye Olde Fish House is definitely a Roadfood type treasure in that they dont make them like this anymore. A 75+ year old town institution. The days fresh pie greets you upon arrival so the first decision you're going to have make is the hardest one of the visit. All pies are made in house as is pretty much common throughout the state. As far as what you're ordering to go with that piece of pie that would be a fish sandwich. They're piled high with fresh hand battered Alaskan Whitefish filets that are seasoned with their secret house recipe. They also have BPT's for the meat eaters in your group. Open M-F 10:30a-2:30p.

    ImageFish Sandwich from Ye Olde Fish House
    ________________________________________________________

    ImageMussillami's Drive-In (Columbus, IN)

    I don't know his name but I read about this Jewish guy here in the States who's visited over 6000 Chinese American restaurants and documented them all. I'm trying to do something like that but with drive-in's. I'm nowhere near 6000 but you have to start somewhere. I got to check Mussillami's off the list a few years back on the way home from a roadtrip to Nashville.

    ImageClassic Menu Signage

    They've been at it since 1957 and according to an article I read somewhere online they're the last of Columbus's old time drive-in's. Apparently there were a more than a few back when. They advertise a pizza burger on their sign and it's also listed on the menu before even the hamburger. You know the drill. Gotta try the specialties of the house. I'm not the biggest fan of pizza burgers but I did like this one. It was melded together really well.

    ImagePizza Burger at Mussillami's Drive-In
    ________________________________________________________

    ImageShorty's Lunch (Columbus, IN)

    Here's another place that evaded me due to limited hours. I was always so intrigued of Shorty's place bc 1) the picture online made it look like a classic Road shack type establishment and 2) there were very limited reviews. I'm not sure many people in Columbus know about this place as it's off on it's own in a run down area with not much else going on.

    ImageAt the Counter

    Shorty's is a counter lunch type spot. You walk in and take a look at the days menu. One thing you're always going to find on there is a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich aka the BPT. They made ours fresh to order and even though this wasn't even close to one of the biggest BPT's I've had it was up there with the best. Plain and simple these guys know how to season and fry.

    ImageBPT at Shorty's Lunch
    ________________________________________________________

    Ye Olde Fish House
    2024 17th St
    Columbus, IN 47201
    (812) 378-2921

    Musillami's Drive-In
    855 Jonesville Rd
    Columbus, IN 47201
    (812) 372-7565

    Shorty's Lunch
    601 Reeves Way
    Columbus, IN 47201
    (812) 603-7323
  • Post #25 - July 9th, 2018, 10:31 pm
    Post #25 - July 9th, 2018, 10:31 pm Post #25 - July 9th, 2018, 10:31 pm
    The days fresh pie greets you upon arrival so the first decision you're going to have make is the hardest one of the visit. All pies are made in house as is pretty much common throughout the state.

    At a spot in Iowa a few years ago, I asked if they made their own pies. "No, these are made at IGA (supermarket) who uses our recipes."

    The sad part was I really wanted them to have made those pies. I wanted to hear Old Miss arrives at 5 am to make those pies. Instead of picking up their regular order at the IGA.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #26 - July 10th, 2018, 8:33 am
    Post #26 - July 10th, 2018, 8:33 am Post #26 - July 10th, 2018, 8:33 am
    Da Beef wrote:BPT at Shorty's Lunch

    Image

    Da Beef-

    Lovely lighting on this sandwich. I always look forward to your posts. Thank you.
    -Mary
  • Post #27 - December 5th, 2018, 2:12 pm
    Post #27 - December 5th, 2018, 2:12 pm Post #27 - December 5th, 2018, 2:12 pm
    Was down in Louisville for work this past September. So I made sure to scout a spot in Indiana for the ride down. Somehow I stumbled upon a new to me spot in the Brick in the small town of Jonesville (Pop. 171). Despite it's location in what's basically Bumblef-ck the Brick stays busy. What gives? Their famous cheeseburgers and I imagine the small town chit chat for some.

    ImageJonesville, IN

    This was a classic old school Midwest tavern with three 60+ year old males at the helm. They were drinking beers, smoking cigarettes, and watching a show on TVLand in between their duties of serving beers and making burgers. Aside from beer and burgers they also have wine coolers and chili and that's about it. The chili was extra tomato-y with lots of beans and thus it fell right in line with a Midwest blend. Not my style. But the burgers are balls of beef smashed over a mound of onions which is my style. All it needed was some pickles and the house standard brown mustard. You'd think this place was really old but I read somewhere it opened in the 90's. Located about an hour north of Louisville.

    ImageCheeseburger at The Brick

    The Brick
    309 Walnut St
    Jonesville, IN 47247
    (812) 522-8636
  • Post #28 - June 20th, 2019, 5:18 am
    Post #28 - June 20th, 2019, 5:18 am Post #28 - June 20th, 2019, 5:18 am
    If It’s Sunday in Southeastern Indiana, Order the Fried Chicken

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/dini ... -ios-share
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
  • Post #29 - June 20th, 2019, 1:27 pm
    Post #29 - June 20th, 2019, 1:27 pm Post #29 - June 20th, 2019, 1:27 pm
    I am glad that this thread popped up again because I have a trip to Indiana coming up soon. But I must say I did a double-take when the original post popped up on the screen, starting with:
    Da Beef wrote:I try to throw up as much as possible
    :shock:
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #30 - July 1st, 2019, 8:26 am
    Post #30 - July 1st, 2019, 8:26 am Post #30 - July 1st, 2019, 8:26 am
    Lots of great Pork Tenderloin recommendations and pics on this thread! I'll add one more.

    Over Memorial Day Weekend, we went to One Eyed Jack's in Winamac. Their pork tenderloin is huge--not flattened as much as a typical Indiana pork tenderloin. As they describe it on the menu, it's a "12 oz, hand-cut, hand-breaded monster."

    My photo probably doesn't do it justice, but it was overwhelming, albeit very tasty. I ate about 1/8 of it. Ha!
    OEJ PorkTend.jpg Jack's Famous Breaded Pork Tenderloin
    “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.” ―Erma Bombeck

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