Aunt Judy's Country Kitchen: Comfort Food Worth the Trip.

Aunt Judy's Country Kitchen is in Franklin, Indiana, in the same strip mall in the 300 block of E. Jefferson Street as Bojack's Pub (see post), but to call the building a strip mall doesn't really do it justice: It runs at a right angle to the street, along a wooded creek.  It's a brick building which fits in nicely with Franklin University next door and stately houses nearby, so right away Aunt Judy's has more class than your usual home-cooking diner.  The pale yellow walls and brown wood tables & chairs inside make it seem like your Mom's (or your aunt's) kitchen, and all the tables have a little vase with a fresh-cut sunflower from JR Parker Flowers, the other business in the building (like maybe Judy is the J in JR? Hmm...) that completes the homey atmosphere.

The Little Woman had her usual Grilled Tenderloin sammich and I got one of the day's specials, fried Alaskan Pollock with fries.  The Tenderloin was near-perfect for our tastes, pounded out thin and nicely browned, with crispy fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion. The fish was so lightly breaded and fried that I was surprised it held together so well on my fork, yet it melted in my mouth!  That Judy knows how to fry stuff... my fries were cooked just right, though I suppose there was nothing remarkable about them.  We met several locals at different times that night who extolled the virtues of Thursday night at Aunt Judy's, when folks come from miles around to sample their Fried Chicken, which is to die for, they said, so DANGIT, we're goin' back!   

Aunt Polly's Pizza: The Original is Back!

Aunt Polly's Pizza & Subs has been around for at least the 24 years I've been in Indy, in various locations. When I used to work late shift it was on E. Michigan Street, I think, and they had the best cheesy bread and sandwiches you get at that hour, and at one time they were open 24 hours a day....  At some point, however, the business was sold, then went outa bidness, I think, but now the original owners are back and operating out of a small storefront location at 5339 E. English Avenue (which is in a building with two other storefronts, but I don't think that qualifies as a strip mall... or does it?), so their current business is strictly take out or delivery.  Their delivery service is amazing-- they will deliver anywhere in the city for a $10 fee.  They're open 3:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. or later, most days.

Everyone seems to be at least a little bit particular about how they like their pizza, so I will describe the HUMUNGOUS 18" works pizza we had and you can make your own determination.  They make their own pizza dough, and the crust is fairly thick yet kind of light and just a little chewy, which is not The Little Woman's favorite, but she didn't have any trouble wolfing down a couple pieces.  The cheese is deliciously tasty but there isn't a lot of it-- you could easily see areas of sauce exposed around the edges, so if you're expecting The New Bethel Ordinary's inch-thick layer of cheese you'll be disappointed. I liked that you could really taste the sauce that way. The Works has pepperoni, sausage, onions, and green peppers in decent amounts. It was a good, balanced pizza experience, so we'll probably order from there again. It's been said that pizza is like sex:  when it's good, it's VERY good, but when it's bad, it's still pretty damn' good!  I hope to try one of their famous sandwiches, next time.  Mangia! 

Guerrero's: Not Different, But Good.

Guerrero's is (say it with me) in a strip mall on the northeast corner of Madison and Edgewood Avenues. It just opened in the space occupied previously by Tequila's, and before that it was my beloved watering hole, Shigg's Digs, so it remains to be seen whether the Black Hole Phenomenon will suck this place under, too. They kept Tequila's rich dark-wood decor, which I like, although I suppose it does kind of make the place seem a little dark.  The service was excellent, with chips and salsa brought to our table almost as soon as we were seated.  TLW had the taco 'n enchilada combo plate and I ordered Camarones ala Diabla, wondering if I'd have to drink a gallon of milk with it like I did with the same dish from El Compa (see post). She said the crunchy taco was perhaps the best she's ever eaten, especially the shell, which was light, crispy, and flavorful.  She had it down before I could filch any of it, but she took pity on me and gave me part of her enchilada. (Actually, she almost always gives me part of her meal.  That's why I've been on the cover of OFG* magazine.)  The ground beef in it was especially tasty, very well-seasoned.  My Camarones dish was more substantial than El Compa's, having onion and tomato mixed in with the shrimp and sauce, but though decent, it just wasn't quite as delicious. It didn't set my lips ablaze either, which was a good thing.  The food was good even though it was standard Mexican fare, and the price was reasonable, so we'll probably be back soon.  !Andale!

*Old Fat Guy

El Compadre Taqueria: Some LIke It Hot!

The last couple times we've stopped in at the Green Door Lounge (see post), which doesn't serve much in the way of food, someone has come into the bar with a bag of tacos from El Compa Carniceria & Taqueria, in the same strip mall as The Door at 711 E. Thompson Road.   Taquerias are generally little lunch counters either attached to or inside of a Latino Market, kind of like the snack bars you old people used to see inside those ancient corner drug stores when you were kids, or so I'm told, anyway. Some have tables and chairs where you can eat, and others like El Compa are strictly to-go.  The tacos these good ole' boys were bringing in were FANTASTIC traditional Mexican soft tacos-- corn tortilla, chunks of tasty marinated and seasoned beef with cilantro and lime juice.  When I later saw that they have $1 tacos on Tuesdays, I had to stop in and pick up lunch for The Little Woman and myself.  I got her 3 tacos and the Camarones ala Diabla platter for me.  The guy warned me that the platter is very spicy: "Bring it on!" I said.  He smiled and said since we like spicy food, he would give me some hot salsa for the tacos as well as the green sauce he'd already put in the bag. I think heard evil laughter echoing behind me as I left the store....

The Camarones ala Diabla was a simple collection of shrimp in the devil sauce, with (I think) rice and beans on the side.  I say "I think" because the sauce wiped out most of the rest of my memory of the meal-- it was oh, SO tasty, but it was also oh, SO SPICY HOT!  Now, TLW shares my love of spicy food, but she took one bite and immediately ran to the kitchen to fetch us some milk and maybe a fire extinguisher.  Thankfully she had more milk standing by when she tried a little of the red salsa on her taco, because it set her lips on fire.  I think it was even hotter than the Diabla sauce....  I finished my meal because it was sooooo delicious, but I drenched my tongue in milk and it was still burning for several minutes afterward.  TLW very graciously gave me one of her tacos, and we ate them with the verde sauce, which was tasty but also had a little kick.  I think the whole meal cost like $11, so it was well worth it.  We'll definitely go back, but we'll go green, in regard to the sauce, anyway.  !SALUD!

The Corner Pub: Only the Name Has Changed, and That's Great!

The Corner Pub, at the corner (duh) of Old Meridian Street and Epler Avenue, used to be the Old Meridian Pub(see post), which was one of my favorites until squabbles between the multiple owners caused it to be sold. I'm happy to say, though, that the new owner has pretty much kept everything the same.  Steve is back in the kitchen where I like everything he cooks but the chili (which tastes good, it's just not my idea of chili, being more like Brunswick Stew).  Most of the other former employees have returned as well as a new one, Esther, who has probably tended bar at more establishments than I could name.  There was a good crowd in there on the Friday afternoon we visited, including a group of firefighters celebrating a retirement.  I dunno if they were 2 or 3 drinks in and just having a good time, or if 20 years of sirens screaming in their ears has left them all hard-of-hearing, but we listened with amusement to 6 or 7 boisterous, bellowed conversations all at the same time.  It made for quite a festive atmosphere, and hopefully this will be the norm for this nicely reborn watering hole.  Cheers! 

Becky's Village Restaurant- A Great Experience for Earth Explorers.

Becky's Village Restaurant is in downtown Willshire, Ohio, a tiny little burg on the way back to Indy from Van Wert.  It was Sunday morning... before the churches let out, I hoped, but when we got in there it was already quite busy-- must've been a lot of folks who attended the early service!  I was dressed in my traveling clothes, shorts and a t-shirt, so maybe that gave me away as an outsider?  Every head turned to look at us quizzically, like they'd just seen us park a space ship outside.  Seeing that we appeared harmless, however, they soon turned back to their own conversations, although I did see one lady immediately don a tinfoil hat to ward off our energy beams (jk).

It was a pretty simple, straightforward diner menu.  I had a breaded chicken breast sandwich, and The Little
Woman ordered her staple grilled tenderloin sandwich.  I thought the wait would be lengthy given their booming business, but both orders arrived promptly and were excellent!  The fries were julienne cut, my favorite, and they were cooked just right, too.  Real brewed iced tea topped off a great little meal that was beyond reasonably-priced, something like eleven bucks for both of us.

The best part of the quaint, simple decor was a big clock on the wall that appeared to have been made out of a carnival Big 6 wheel.  I reeeeeally WANTED that wheel!  I was thinking about offering to buy it when I saw a group of townsfolk outside with torches and pitchforks, testing the hull of our saucer, so we just teleported the hell back aboard and got outa there....  We may yet return to study these Willshireans, though!

The Library Indy: "Casual Fine Dining" is NOT an Oxymoron

The Library Pub & Restaurant, 2610 S. Lynhurst Drive, has been there for years but, just like Ralph's Great Divide (see post), I had always been curious about the place but it was never open whenever I drove by, so I wondered if it was still a going concern.  Turns out it is-- I received an Amazon Local deal in my email where you could purchase a $60 food voucher for $30, so I leapt, er, lept, er, jumped at the chance.  Their website, www.library-indy.net  lists prime rib as their specialty as well as a "come as you are" atmosphere.  Having read that, I was really surprised at the elegant decor inside and out.  There is a circular drive with a portico at the entrance and a little fountain in the middle of the circle.  The building is set up rather like a grand old house, with a high-ceilinged entrance hall that has stairs to the second floor and a large chandelier lighting the way.  The first-floor dining room has blonde-wood floors, french windows, and antique-looking wood tables without tablecloths.  It seemed a little odd seeing folks in shorts and t-shirts in this grand setting, but it made me feel really comfortable, after a bit.

The atmosphere was impressive, but it only hinted at how good the food was:  The Little Woman and I shared the Chef's Cut Prime Rib (16oz), which the waiter thoughtfully divided for us, along with the sides, onto two plates.  I'm not a big prime rib guy, but I've had a number of them over the years, and this one was perhaps the best I've ever had-- seasoned and cooked perfectly.  The sauteed green beans were the best non-Southern style ones you could ever find, shaking one of my core beliefs that bacon grease is an indispensable ingredient in green beans. The only less-than stellar part of the meal was the baked potato-- I thought it tasted great, but TLW pointed out that it had a mealy texture that indicated it might have been left over from lunch, which I suppose is a little cut-cornery for a $$$ establishment. All in, though, this $$ guy didn't feel bad about having to fork over that extra $ for the quality food presented, and that's saying something!

We adjourned to the bar after dinner, and the bartender was quite friendly and attentive in spite of being really busy.  She said that a lot of locals don't seem to know about the place because it's in a commercial area that primarily serves airport travelers, with 20 hotels within a 2-mile radius.  Indeed, while we were there a number of hotel shuttles came and went with groups of businessmen in various states of attire and sobriety.  They have an outdoor patio where you can eat and drink, but it was kind of a warm day, so as TLW's niece once said, when it's hot I DON'T do "OUTSIDE"! We like this place so much we signed up for one of their customer club cards, because just like AHNOLD, we'll be baaaaaach!  Have I already used that one?  BAAAH!  It's hard being original, even with yourself, sometimes....