Food & Fun

For this week’s Food & Fun post I am going seriously old school. I’m reaching back to the past for a little food magic! Tonight I was reminded of 4 epic food joints from my college days in Anderson, IN and I want to share them with you.

First of all, to be classified as a “joint” is a real complement. So many restaurants are made just like the one down the street and I grow weary of the cookie-cutter stuff. To be a “joint” there can’t be a thousand others just like you. You have to have your own unique touches to be a “joint” and these places absolutely have all of thee above and more.

 First, let me tell you about Art’s Pizza in Anderson. In this day and age it is very difficult for a pizza place to set itself apart from the others…..Art’s has been doing just that since 1956. There is just something about their pizza…maybe it’s the ingredients or maybe it’s the oven they use. Who knows? All I know is if you are looking for an adventure and you crave good pizza you have got to check this place out. Forget all the fancy toppings….you can’t get anything exotic here. It’s all traditional pizza stuff and it will rock your world.

Also, when going to Art’s I would highly recommend trying an Italian Roast Beef sandwich as an appetizer. It’s slow roasted all day, every day and they top it with rich broth and green peppers. It is one of the tastiest sammy’s you will ever try.

Secondly on the college food circuit let me tell you about Gene’s Root Beer in Anderson. This is an old-fashioned drive-in style restaurant that has been an Anderson staple for years. You pull up and ladies come right to the car to serve you hot dogs, corn dogs, Spanish dogs (their version of the chili dog), fries, fried mushrooms and various other kinds of guilty pleasures. This place actually makes their own root beer! The recipe is a secret but they do sell it by the gallon. Great ice cream to finish things off as well.

Gene’s is located right on SR 109 (the bypass) in Anderson near the AU campus. If you are heading through there anytime soon, I would highly suggest stopping in for a great meal. They close for the season on October 15 this year.

 Thirdly is the Lemon Drop on Mounds Road near the mall in Anderson. An Anderson tradition since 1954 the Lemon Drop has been described as “old world greasy.” It absolutely rocks! Great burgers and traditional drive-in type food. It’s small so you may end up sitting at the counter next to a stranger but it will be worth the trip. Try the onionburger. You will not be sorry!

The Lemon Drop is one of those places you really have to experience to fully understand. Kim and I have shared many meals in this place over the years and have loved every single one of them.

The owner still cooks every single meal. As I wrote earlier, this is “old world greasy” and something you will really enjoy!

I could also spend time talking about places like The Toast (another greasy spoon place downtown), Eva’s (a fabulous place for an awesome old school breakfast) or The Real Hacienda (a converted church in downtown Anderson). They are all great and I would highly recommend each of them! Enjoy.

Dreaming About Chick-fil-A

I hope that you are aware of restaurant perfection. Please tell me that you have eaten at Chick-fil-A?? I have to tell you that I am a Chick-fil-A addict. I am off the charts when it comes to this place. My wife will tell you that each and every day we have a conversation that goes something like this:

KIM: Hey Babe, how was your day?

BT:  Pretty good, how was yours?

KIM: Pretty good. What do you want to eat for dinner?

BT:  Well, let me think…..

KIM: Let me guess, Chick-fil-A? Shocker! Please don’t make me eat there again today!

 That is pretty much a daily conversation that we have. Why? Let me explain. Did you know that all the food that is served at Chick-fil-A is made fresh, by hand, every single day? That’s right….every single day. That is pretty tough to find in today’s fast paced world of fast-food. Also, since their “genesis” in 1964 they have always cooked in 100% peanut oil that is both trans-fat and cholesterol free.

On a low-carb diet? Check. Got you covered.

Are you a vegetarian? Check. Got you covered there, too. In fact, you can even call ahead and order a special vegetarian meal that they will prepare especially for you. How’s that for service?

Breakfast? Absolutely. Sounds strange but the next time you are looking for a quick breakfast, give them a shot. They are awesome!

It also happens that this company was founded by a Christian and to this day, none of their restaurants are open on Sunday. Also, listen when you are there for the Christian music playing over the sound system. Very cool.

Oh, and did I mention the ice cream? Eating this ice cream reminds me of a story…..

When I was a kid, my parents would often try to give us special treats in the summer. I was very young when I learned 3 little words that would rock my world: homemade ice cream. My parents knew that no matter what they wanted me to do, if they just made a batch of homemade ice cream I would do whatever they asked! It was the best.

Fast forward to 4 years ago….my friend Sam and I meet for lunch at Chick-fil-A in Evansville. He pulls me aside and says, “Please tell me you’ve had the ice cream here?” I hadn’t and after our meal he opened my eyes up to Chick-fil-A’s “Icedream” vanilla ice cream. 

Let me stop here and tell you that I am a pretty simple guy. I love baseball, golf, football, basketball and ice cream. My ice cream doesn’t have to be exotic, just solid. Very, very solid. The first time I tasted “Icedream” I was transported back to being an 8 year old boy and eating my parents homemade ice cream in the backyard on a hot summer day. It was amazing….not just amazing, I actually worked a deal with the manager at the Chick-fil-A near my house to sell me extra-large drink cups full of “Icedream.” Sound obsessive? Yeah, Kim thought so too. I had to stop doing that. 

But, I still look for any opportunity to stop by and have a meal and I would encourage you to do the same.

Food And Fun – 6.20.08

One of the things that Kim and I love to do is enjoy a good meal. Over the years we have collected a list of our favorites and I thought I would take a minute to share some of those with you. Indianapolis is a great city with a growing list of great restaurants and we are making it our personal goal to try as many as we possibly can! So, here are a few that we really like, in no particular order.

1. Our favorite breakfast place in the city is Le Peep.   They serve an outstanding breakfast at many locations around the city. You can do normal breakfast food here but you can also experiment with a Panhandled Skillet Dish or omelette. For us, every trip to Le Peep must begin with a Gooey Bun!

2. When we are in the mood for a burger there is only 1 choice….Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream on the Monon in Carmel.   Bub’s is the home of the Big Ugly Burger (hence the name, Bub’s) which weighs in at a solid 1 pound after cooking. That’s right after cooking. Eat the whole thing and they will put your picture on the wall! If you don’t think your doctor would approve there are smaller choices for sure as well as chicken, dogs and a great mahi sandwich. They also offer both beef and elk selections for burgers. Waffle fries and a milkshake are also a must at Bub’s!

3. We also love great BBQ and have found a couple of places that we really enjoy. New last year to the downtown landscape is the Weber Grill Restaurant. This is always a great choice for a higher end BBQ meal.   All the food is cooked on charcoal Weber Grills and they do an excellent job. We also got a great suggestion from our friend Troy Hochstetler for  a great place in Fishers called Hawg Wild BBQ. This place is very special. This is great BBQ that we have really come to enjoy. Troy knocked it out of the park with this recommendation. Whatever you choose, make sure to finish it off with fried biscuits and apple butter. You will not be disappointed. 

4. We also love P.F. Chang’s. When we are in the mood for something different this place always comes through. Some other favorites in this style would be Stir Crazy and King Chef. All of these places have their specialties and we have come to love them all. 

5. Kim and I love ice cream. A few years ago we discovered Handel’s and the battle was over! This place is absolutely amazing. My personal favorite is “Spouse Like A House” which starts with vanilla malt ice cream, layered with a ribbon of peanut butter. Then they add chocolate covered mini-pretzels that are also stuffed with peanut butter. It is an amazing experience! 

6. For the purposes of this list I have saved our very, very favorite for last. Our hands down favorite restaurant in Indy has become Eddie Merlot’s. If you are looking for a fine dining experience look no further (steak, seafood, chicken).   Eddie’s is a place that we save for special occasions like our anniversary dinner. In a city that has it’s share of steak places and upper end restaurants, EM is in a league of its own. From start to finish you will have an unbelievable meal served by an absolute pro. My personal choice is the mouth-watering 16 oz. Bourbon Marinated Prime Rib Eye. The steak comes covered in crispy fried onion straws and when you add a side of sauteed mushrooms and Eddies Potatoes (diced Idaho potatoes baked in a rich sauce with cheddar cheese and jalapeno peppers) I promise that you will not be disappointed! You will pay top dollar to eat here but believe me, in my experience it is worth every penny.

7. Finally, my drink of choice. I have made it my personal quest to find the perfect drink and for my taste, I have landed on Stewart’s Diet Orange ‘N Cream. This stuff is amazing. It’s a great balance of orange with a hint of cream that will leave your taste buds begging for more.  I have sampled every version of this that I
 could get my hands on. Stewart’s is by far the best I have tried. I have to admit that I am totally addicted to this stuff and have even made a believer out of Kim. There is a non-diet version of this drink too; but, for some reason it just doesn’t “pop” as much for me. The diet version takes the cake. Give it a try and I hope you enjoy it! 

 

This is not a complete list of our favorites but I think you would be pleased with anything on this list. Happy eating this summer!