Indiana Cuisine: Cultural Wasteland or Hidden Gem?

[hornadylnl]

Actually, one of the best tenderloins I've ever had was in a podunk town in southern Brown County. We rode back down there this year and they closed it. I forget the name of that place.

 

[antsi]

In my opinion, although not a restaurant, what screams Indiana food to me is vine-ripe tomatoes and sweet corn.

Bingo. Indiana food happens in August, but it's worth the wait.

For "non-Hoosier" food, I really like Kona Jack's on the North side. It's a kind of Hawaiian/Pacific Rim seafood place. It's the only place on the mainland I have ever seen Ono on the menu. Very decent sushi, too.

Giesele's in Zionsville is a Bavarian Immersion Experience. Food plus surroundings.

There's a family style dining place on College south of 86th that is pretty classic midwestern fare. If you don't like fried chicken, don't bother.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

If you don't mind broken concrete floors, smoke, eating with construction workers and lawyers or drinking your ice tea out of a Mason jar then Working Man's Friend is the place. Awesome thin crispy edged hamburger and onion rings to die for.

WORKING MAN'S FRIEND

 

[riverman67]

Indiana to me , and I have lived here all of my life,
freshly caught and prepared crappie filets, fried morel mushrooms , and corn on the cob .
The problem with that list is you can't order it antplace I know of

If you like pulled pork Squealers in mooresvillle is pretty good

 

[IndyMonkey]

Indiana to me , and I have lived here all of my life,
freshly caught and prepared crappie filets, fried morel mushrooms , and corn on the cob .
The problem with that list is you can't order it antplace I know of

If you like pulled pork Squealers in mooresvillle is pretty good

You can get Bluegill at Mayberry in Danville.

 

[lovemywoods]

Actually, one of the best tenderloins I've ever had was in a podunk town in southern Brown County. We rode back down there this year and they closed it. I forget the name of that place.

Been there! It was the Gnaw Bone Food and Fuel. Nothing says 'Indiana' like a gas station/restaurant combo! Very classy!

Yea, they're closed now. The fellow that used to run that place now makes his signature tenderloins at the lower level snack shop at the Salt Creek Golf Course just east of Nashville, Indiana!

 

[Andre46996]

Being from Chitcago I have to agree with Scutter... How is a big guy supposed to stay big out here?? Indiana has NO idea what a pizza is, am Italian Beef, a breaded steak sandwich, What passes for chinese out here is horrible.

It seems Indiana is the land of chains and buffets.

I love home cooked country cuisine but I long for all the different ethnic foods.

I want a TRUE MAXWELL ST. Polish.... Nothing like them anywhere else and if it isn't from the one on MAXWELL ST. it is just a poor copy..

 

[hornadylnl]

Been there! It was the Gnaw Bone Food and Fuel. Nothing says 'Indiana' like a gas station/restaurant combo! Very classy!

Yea, they're closed now. The fellow that used to run that place now makes his signature tenderloins at the lower level snack shop at the Salt Creek Golf Course just east of Nashville, Indiana!

No, this place was just a restaurant. It was on 58 south of the Hoosier National Forest in a town called Norman. I found the name. It was called the Hitchin Post.

 

[Bigum1969]

The Fall Festival rules, but it's only for one week a year.

 

[Yeah]

Workingman's Friend is fine fine burger. But like most decent food joints in Indiana you have to hunt a little bit.

John's Famous Stew downtown is good stuff. Also Tata is good cuban. There is Egg Roll #1 for really excellent Vietnamese in Beech Grove. Just writing about them makes me want to drive to Indy and get some spring rolls. Mama's House on Pendleton pike is OK Korean. Story Inn (in Story) is great. Bonge's Tavern in Anderson. St Elmo of course. Kabuto in Greenwood for sushi. Bazbeaux pizza. Bourbon Street Distillery has excellent pulled pork. King Ribs pulls chicken really well.

Anyway, you have to work hard to find good spots around here, but they are out there. The most lacking thing is good cheap seafood. I miss buying sacks of crawfish, or shrimp, straight off the boat, for a couple dollars a pound.

That and there is nothing has any spice or heat in it. Especially not the cuisine Acadienne. None of that stuff is edible.

 

[Scutter01]

I've had Bazbeaux. It's greasy and tastes like cardboard, but everyone raves about it. This tells me that no one in Indiana knows anything about pizza.

 

[XDinmyXJ]

Yes, they do have a good burger. Got one there on the recommendation of a fellow rider. Don't expect fine linens, china, and silver though!

What's the name of the place downtown that has the tenderloins they put stew on? That's some pretty good stuff.

Downtown Columbus? Not sure what you are talking about but sounds excellent!

The brick is just a little hillbilly tavern but man can they cook a mean burger!

 

[XDinmyXJ]

I've had Bazbeaux. It's greasy and tastes like cardboard, but everyone raves about it. This tells me that no one in Indiana knows anything about pizza.

Yeah I agree with you. Its expensive too. There is a little place in Scipio, IN called Romano Pizza, its a little hole in the wall but they have a good Pizza! Zwanzig's here in Columbus has a good Pizza too.

 

[Lex Concord]

Ever since I moved to Indianapolis, one of the things I miss most about Detroit is the huge diversity of food available. Whole sections of the city are given over to different ethnic cuisines. You've got Greek Town, the Latin Quarter, Hamtramck, Little Italy, and so forth. You can hardly swing a dead cat anywhere in the metro area without hitting half a dozen awesome Coney Island places.

Living in Indiana, I rarely find anything other than chain restaurants, most of which serve tasteless bilge. There are the occasional treats, such as St Elmo's, Fogo De Chao, The Melting Pot, and so forth, but these are not restaurants that I make a habit of visiting on a regular basis, either because of price, proximity, etc.

I have yet to find anything that screams "Indiana!" to me. For example, if you say "cheesecake" or "pizza", you think "New York". For hot dogs, it's Chicago. Jambalaya, New Orleans, and so forth.

In your opinion, what food(s) or restaurants set Indianapolis apart? What says "Indiana" to you? What are your favorite restaurants that you patronize on a regular basis (not just special occasions)? If you had a cosmopolitan friend visiting from New York, where would you take him to eat to prove that Indiana isn't a cultural wasteland?

Not you too!!!

I'm married to a Michigander and I've been hearing this lament for over a decade now.

Sadly, I am a lifelong "Hoosier", and have long referred to Indy as a "cultural black hole" for just the same reason. It is better these days (the nicknames "Nap-town" and "Indy-a-no-place" were apt for some time.

As far as a uniquely Hoosier food, aside from the tenderloin sandwich, which essentially started as a pork version of schnitzel, Indiana is pretty limited.

If you are looking for decent non-chain ethnic cuisine, however, there are some places to check out, though they are few and far between.

The first thing I must recommend are the bagels at Bagel Fair. This is a local mom 'n' pop bagel shop that gives their counterparts out on the East coast a serious run for their money. True boil-then-bake bagels. As far as Indy goes (and probably anything West of Philidelphia), there is absolutely no comparison. For a real taste, get there on Sunday and try a bialy.

If you've a hankerin' for haggis, you might try MacNiven's Restaurant and Bar downtown. I just bumped into it today as I was meeting some friends at Bazbeaux , which happened to be closed. This place is right across the street.

If you like Greek, I would suggest Greek Islands just South of downtown on Meridian...in fact, it's just across the parking lot from Shapiro's, while you won't think you just stepped into Greektown, they do have pretty good food.

A good place for a tenderloin, or a very large burger, is Big Daddy's.

I guess one "uniquely Hoosier" experience might be to go out to the Clayton Cafe on Friday evening for the all-you-can-eat fried catfish (your choice, whole fish or fillets). It's a hole in the wall, but the food's not bad.

I've never been, but have only heard good things about the Mayberry Cafe on the courthouse square in Danville.

There is also Tata Cuban Cafe on Ohio St., literally a stone's throw from the statehouse. I haven't been able to go yet, but am looking forward to my first visit.

A Broad Ripple favorite of mine is Boogie Burger featuring truly unique forays into burgerdom. Also in Broad Ripple, though I've not eaten there since I was young, is the Parthenon.

Downtown Indy also has the Rathskeller featuring really good authentic German cuisine, and lots of it. If you like German, you might Heidelberg Haus Bakery

You may also want to take a look at the NUVO (liberal news rag) food page.

 

[theweakerbrother]

Places to check out in the Columbus area:

1. The Brick. Technically in Jonesvilles... mean burgers as mentioned already. But if you haven't had their bean soup & chili, you're really missing out. Just as good as the burgers if not better.

2. Zwanzigz Pizza. I keep hearing that Indiana has terrible pizza but I think there pizza is some of the best I've ever had. I've not been to the other fancy places listed so maybe I am just inexperienced in pizza.

3. Columbus Bar. Pretty good tenderloins. Great beer selection.

4. Lucas Brothers. Excellent burgers from a dirty greasy spoon.

5. The Patio. Excellent Gyros.

I don't know if Indiana really has a 'food' to it besides homemade Americana. Does deep fried count?

 

[CandRFan]

I had never eaten the pure deliciousness that is sausage gravy and biscuits until I moved here.

Louies here in Kokomo has the Bake. I guess it's a baked hamburger sort of thing in a hotdog bun with sauce and onions on it. Good eatin'!!

 

[theweakerbrother]

I also forgot to mention to those of you who live in Indy... if you like Yats, check out Papa Roux's on the East Side around 10th and Post. Holy cow... I've not had Cajun food that good since I lived in Texas on the Louisiana border.

Locally owned and operated, Pro 2A, will treat you like royalty and guarantee that you won't leave hungry.

I met Hickman there (not sure if he remembers) and he loves it, too. Art and Colleen (SP?) are some of the most gracious people on the planet. In fact, I think I might go there tomorrow for lunch if I can make it.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Too many chains and too few shiny spots.

You both need to get out more!

You guys nuts? There are all kinds of great joints around Indianapolis.

IME the whine "there's no place to eat" is performed by people who don't want to get off their backsides and try new things.

What do you like? Maybe I can help.

As far as "Indiana food", sure thing, fresh, organic and yummy.

P.S.--New York pizza is horrific, greasy ball of dough. Ick!

 

[XDinmyXJ]

X2 on The Chili at the Brick!

3. Columbus Bar. Pretty good tenderloins. Great beer selection.

4. Lucas Brothers. Excellent burgers from a dirty greasy spoon.

Oh I feel dirty just thinking about those two places! Man is the food bad for you but I am willing to sacrifice!


I also agree with many of the people who are saying that Indiana food is home cooked. I love me a good Porkchop or Pot Roast. And in weather like this a big Bowl of chili with crackers and cheese is where its at!

 

[riverman67]

John's Stew is the place with great tenderloins with stew on them.
You want to order the tenderloin supreme and just go ahead and get the 'hot' stew.It will only bring up a mild sweat

I get this about once a month