The Alpha Cafe in Wapakoneta, OH- 125 years of people trying to say the name 6 times really fast....

It's only logical that people who live in a city that has a long name will eventually coin shortened versions of that name, I suppose both to save time & effort and as a shared term of endearment.  Thus here at home Indianapolis is Indy. Appalachicola, Florida is Appalach, and Wapakoneta, OH is Wapak, pronounced the way a Bostonian would pronounce "War Park". I learned this by visiting a couple of establishments in downtown Wapakoneta one afternoon where I ran smack dab into a charity golf pub crawl to honor a beloved late Wapak high school alumnus.  The participants all had golf putters, since some of the establishments involved in the crawl had actual little putting greens set up to help raise charity money. It seemed like a cool idea until somewhat later in the day when putter discipline faltered due to alcohol consumption and some folks experienced some serious near misses.

I mention the pub crawl only because the crowd's arrival cut short my visit to The Alpha Cafe and my conversation with its proprietor, thus I was unable to learn much of The Alpha's 125-year history, several decades of which involve ownership by the same family.  The Alpha is a beautiful place that seems like a fancier version of The Rustic Cafe in Delphos-- a long narrow storefront space that is nevertheless quite deep. Just like The Rustic (and probably most small town downtown taverns everywhere. The Grill Bar in Franklin, Indiana comes to mind), there is a long bar along one side and a line of booths on the other. About midways back there is a grill/kitchen space, with a dining/games area behind that.

The bar itself is incredibly grand: huge and all carved wood from the 1890's, not something you'd expect to see in a small town.  I was trying to take a cell phone picture of the entire fixture in one photo and failing, it was so big!  The young lady bartender saw me struggling with my phone camera and handed me a postcard with the exact photo I desired. The bar was designed and installed by the Brunswick-Balke-Collander Company, forerunner of the present Brunswick bowling alley dynasty which, incidentally, built the bowling alley in the famous Biltmore Mansion at about the same time during the "Gay 90's".  

The proprietor was a gruff but friendly guy, though I know that seems like an oxymoron.  He had just started telling me about the history of the place when the pub crawl folks came in, so I didn't get to hear much more. I had a cheap and cold bottle of domestic beer alongwith a cheese and fried bologna plate. Experience with this and other regional establishmets teaches me that people in the farm-rich Northwest Ohio really know their way around beef, pork and cheese.  The locally-sourced bologna was seasoned, tender, and tasty, and the hot pepper cheese was spicy and delicious.  

The crowd was a little loud and boisterous but they were suddenly drowned out by a guy whooping, hollering, and dancing round like a man on fire. Everyone there looked at him like he might be insane, until we found out he was streaming the Bengals playoff game on his phone and they had just made a crucial interception, so when that was revealed the crowd broke out in applause. It's interesting to me that NW Ohio seems to prefer the Cincinnati teams for professional baseball and football rather than Cleveland, makes me like it there even more.  At any rate I will say the flat and almost featureless prairies certainly give way to some of the prettiest little towns anywhere, among which "Wapak" rates quite highly and the Alpha is a great part of it. Cheers!

The Garrison Restaurant at Ft. Benjamin Harrison State Park-- History and Simple Elegance

Fort Ben was an Army base that closed in the early 1990s, although both the National Guard and Reserve still maintain small facilities there, and the Federal Government retained the gargantuan 1950s-era Army Finance Center Building, though I dunno if it's still used for that.  My cousin from Tennessee was trained as a paymaster there before being shipped off to Vietnam for that war, during which when he wasn't doing paymaster work he guarded convoys and shuttlebuses from attack by the Viet Cong.  It seems ironic to me that another cousin who was in combat as an Army Ranger came through without a scratch while the ostensibly rear-echelon paymaster was severely wounded in a VC rocket attack that killed several of his tentmates, and then had to suffer through another rocket attack on the hospital where he was being treated.  Um, BUT I DIGRESS, as I so often have to say....

Fort Ben was completed in 1910 and has some of the most beautiful, well-maintained brick buildings I've ever seen on a military base.  The Garrison is located inside what was the Officers' Club, which has meeting and banquet rooms as well as the pro shop for The Fort Golf Course.  It's main focus is as an event venue, so the small but elegant dining room is only open for lunch every day from 11 a.m to 2 p.m.

The menu is somewhat limited, but has salads, sandwiches, and a few entrees.  They trumpet their Fried Chicken as a specialty, so I ordered that.  It wasn't huge like the specials I've had at other State Park Inns, but it wasn't as expensive, either, only $10.99 for 2 pieces of chicken (all white for $2 more) and 2 sides.  My Caesar Salad was beyond excellent-- it doesn't seem like there would be that many variables in what makes a salad great, but I swear this may have been the best side salad I've ever had: extreeeemely fresh and crispy Romaine, fresh grated Parmesan, and what I can only conclude was freshly house-made dressing. The chicken and mashed potatoes arrived just after the salad but I couldn't stop eating it, it was that good. I had to really force myself to stop eating the salad long enough to take a picture!

The chicken was not what I'd consider Southern-style but it was very good.   The breading was light and crispy, not greasy at all, although for my taste it could have used a little more seasoning, but the chicken inside was perfectly cooked and juicy.  The taters and gravy were house made from scratch, I think, though the yeast roll was standard-issue state park fare but fresh and soft.  Coffee was excellent, and plentiful since the server returned often to see if I needed anything. It was a great lunch and would have made a great sales pitch for anyone needing catering for an event.  I'd love to sample the Valentine's Day prix fixe dinner they're having, but dinner for one on the Big Day for Couples would feel kind of awkward.

The only drawback for guests staying in The Lodge is that it is the equivalent of a couple blocks away from the restaurant, almost too far to walk on a cold Winter's day, so they might want to just make do with the free continental breakfast the Lodge provides.  I drove by the Lodge but didn't have time to stop and explore.  It's another one of those lovely early 1900s brick buildings with a big front porch full of rocking chairs and an antique sign that says simply HOTEL.  They also rent out 4 houses, formerly commanding officer's quarters, and another larger house, all intended for groups of guests for conferences, retreats, and golf outings.  

I can't wait to come back and stay there, even though I only live maybe ten miles away.  AT EASE, MISTER (MISS, MA'AM, CIS)!  EAT HEARTY, HOOAH!

The Crossings Restaurant in Pendleton, IN-- A Mediterranean Oasis

Pendleton actually has a number of good places to eat, but the only Greek one I know is The Crossings, 8424 S. State Road 67, which stands all by itself  at the corner of SR67 and SR9, an attractive little place that's easily accessible from both roads.  It was previously a simple little breakfast restaurannt (I forget the name) but has been very nicely renovated by the current owners with a kind of upscale looking interior. The menu has a nice combination of traditional American and Greek dishes, and the proprietor was a handsome gent who was very friendly, greeting me with very exotic-sounding accented English. The server, on the other hand, was courteous but not friendly, a beautiful young woman who would have been even moreso had she ever smiled.  That, too, kind of seems like a sterotypical Mediterranean thing which I'm probably basing solely on the two Mama Mia! and My Big Fat Greek Wedding movies.

It was lunch time and I had a Greek Salad that was freakin' HUGE!  It was also delicious, with fresh greens and all the traditional components.  I love how they pitted the Kalamata olives, which were so fresh and tasty, even more since I didn't have to eat my way aroung the pits.  I don't know if there are different quality Feta cheeses, but the stuff on my salad was the best, as was the dressing. It was sort of delicately excellent!  The coffee was good, too.

Despite my perceived lack of friendliness, the server provided excellent service. The price was excellent for this $$ guy as well-- even with the addition of gyro meat and a cup of coffee, my bill was only $14.95, tax included. My only regret about the place is that it's not closer to home, else I would be back there right away to try the rest of the menu.   Opa!

Restaurant at the Canyon Inn, McCormick's Creek State Park-- Remote, and Loving It.

First off, I did not stay in the Canyon Inn.  Oh no, instead of paying a little more and relaxing in quaint, restored comfort, last month I disregarded everything learned from watching Lucy and Desi in The Long, Long Trailer and bought a small recreational travel trailer, after which I proceeded to drive over or back into some of the most beautiful scenery in America.  Granted, though, I saved some dollars here and there on accomodations, and was able to take with me everything I needed from home AND the kitchen sink, and slept in the same bed every night no matter where I went. So that's how I wound up staying in the campground at McCormick's Creek State Park for $21 instead of the Canyon Inn for $138, but I nevertheless resolved to eat in the restaurant there.  The park itself is quite beautiful and kind of rugged, with a fairly deep canyon and a pretty, noisy little waterfall just a short (but steep) walk from the roadway.

I've visited 3 of Indiana's 7 state park inns so far, and each is an exquisitely restored and maintained masterpiece.  The Canyon Inn is a beautiful stone building outside, and inside it is all polished wood and plush carpet.  I went to the restaurant and was seated immediately as you might expect in mid-January, but I was surprised to see a decent-size crowd there.  I ordered the Saturday special which was Barbecue with 3 sides for $18.39, maybe not $$ at first glance, but it was HUGE!  A big slab of ribs and a big, thick slice of brisket, both dabbed with a very subtle BBQ sauce, not too sweet and not too spicy.  My side salad was kind of small but the greens were very fresh and the Bleu Cheese dressing chunky and flavorful.  The house-made chips were tasty and non-greasy, with ridges suitable for dipping in the Bleu Cheese.  My Broccoli Cheese soup was really decent if not outstanding.  In addition to that bargain, they had Oliver Winery's Cherry Moscato for $3.50 a glass, so BOTTOM'S UP! (burp)

El Toro Authentic Mexican -- A little surprise in the quest for individuality.

El Toro Authentic Mexican at 7040 McFarland Boulevard recently opened in the building (NOT a strip mall, yay!) that formerly housed The Stacked Pickle, a small chain that fell victim to The Pandemic.  El Toro is a small chain, too, with locations in Zionsville and Walton, KY near Cincinnati.  I stopped in hoping to find something other than the dreadful cookie-cutter sameness that seems to plague the Mexican food genre. El Toro kept the basic layout of The Stacked Pickle but has added some nice Mexican themed decor.  There was upbeat reggaeton and cumbia music playing on the sound system.

 

I was seated pretty quickly, although not El Meson quickly, and pretty soon the waiter brought some chips and salsa.  The chips were warm, and they were thicker and crunchier than I've seen elsewhere, so I wonder if they weren't made in-house...  The salsa was a rich red color, which is important to me because for me salsa is not only a food but an item of apparel as well.  It was decent but nothing to write home (or blog) about, pretty ordinary.  So far they hadn't shown me anything more interesting than my 22 ounce glass of draft Negro Modelo.  

I was there at 1:30 p.m. on a weekday and there apparently was no lunch menu.  The prices appeared to be at the top of this $$ guy's comfort level, so I ordered the Texas Taco Salad for $13.99, which promised steak, ckicken, and shrimp with lettuce and cheese sauce(?) in a pastry shell.  What I got was more like an open-faced chimichanga than a salad.

The pastry shell was very thin and very crispy, and it barely contained the mounds of goodness piled upon it.  The shrimp was large, plentiful, grilled right and lightly seasoned, as were the chunks of chicken and steak, all covered with a creamy queso.  I had to dig a bit but did find a bunch of lettuce underneath the mountain of meat, It wasn't very salad like, but it was HUGE for the price, and quite tasty. That and the beer along with the attentive waiter made this a pleasant $25+tip experience. Bastante bien. ;-)

The Sherman Hotel and Restaurants in Batesville, IN: Classy, but not so Costly

If you know me personally I wouldn't want you to think that by this review I'm taking lightly the recent untimely passing of my wife, TLW, which initially stood for The Little Woman (which she was) and  later at the suggestion of a friend became The Lovely Wife (which she was).  She was a homebody and an accomplished cook who loved nothing more than staying home and creating her own culinary masterpieces, but she was nevertheless willing to humor me and embark on various dining adventures, not all of which were successful. She was sweet to me in that way, and so many others.  And that, as Forrest Gump says, is all I have to say about that. The Sherman was one place we always intended to visit but never did.

The Sherman is perfect for one of those weekend getaways that so many big-city dwellers crave.  It is roughly halfway between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, but is also reasonably close to Columbus, Ohio,  Louisville, Kentucky, and maybe even Chicago. I knew next to nothing about Batesville, Indiana beyond that tourist Mecca, the Batesville Casket Company, but I discovered the Hill-Rom Company also has a big presence there, WOOHOO! Beyond that, however, Batesville is a charming little town with a big German heritage, much like Berne, Indiana (which may be Swiss, too. I dunno for sure.)  Many of the old downtown buildings are of German-style architecture, and some of the new ones as well, which makes the place quite picturesque and enjoyably walkable.  There are numerous nice little restaurants and shops that sell a variety of items, especially antiques.  The old canal town of Metamora is not far away, with its own array of shops, canal boat exhibits, and an old-time railroad excursion.

The Sherman is part of Batesville's German heritage, with some of the building dating back to 1852.  It has a very Old European feel to it, lots of dark, heavy wood timbers and fixtures. After I checked in at the charming Old World lobby, I had a few misgivings as I ascended the stairs to the 2nd floor where all  22 guest rooms are located (there is no elevator for guests, but the staff is happy to help you with your luggage).  One rambling, labyrinthine 2nd floor hallway accesses all the rooms, with a step up or down along the way, so I wondered what I'd gotten myself into, but then I opened the door to the room and VOILA, elegance personified! My room was not overlarge but was high-ceilinged and beautifully updated, with a big comfortable bed, modern desk table and big flat-screen TV, and an elegant bathroom with faux marble flooring and glass-enclosed shower.  

I could have happily spent my entire time there in the room enjoying the 24/7 room service, but then I would have missed out on the excellent 1852 Restaurant, Black Forest Bar, and the Bier Hall, all of which are heavily patronized by Batesville locals, which is always a good sign. For dinner in the 1852 I had Jaegerschnitzel, breaded pork cutlets covered with a mushroom sauce and served with warm German potato salad, priced around $19 but the portions were HUGE and tasty.  Later I quaffed craft beers in the Black Forest Bar, an elegant space just off the lobby with an ornate antique bar from somewhere in Belgium, and yet the price was not outrageous. From there I went outside and around the corner to the Bier Hall (there was no direct interior access even though it's in the same building, my one pieve about the place), a large basement bar space that resembles every modern bar you've ever been to.  There was a decent live band on stage, a loooong bar, dart boards, and some video arcade game machines. Again, the prices were not outrageous and there was an eclectic mix of locals and hotel guests.

I checked out at noon the next day but decided to eat Saturday Brunch in the 1852 Restaurant, so the desk man (whom I suspect is the proprietor) secured my bags behind the desk while I ate.  The German Bacon, Egg, and Potato breakfast casserole was EXCELLENT, with half the plate shared by a pile of fresh spinach-- I asked for some vinaigrette dressing, and they brought 2 varieties, both home made and delicious. At $140 a night for the room ($125+ tax & fees), I didn't want to leave.  I can't wait to go back!  Prosit!  

West End Diner in Decatur, IN: Small-Town Goodness

After feasting at my bro-in-law's house in NW Ohio I swore I would never want to eat again, so the next morning I passed up the giant smorgasbord of leftovers in the kitchen and hit the road.  Thirty miles later, of course, there was a rumbly in me tumbly that could be heard over my vehicle's engine noise, music from the radio, and my cussing myself for not eating for free when I had the chance.   As if by magic the little West End Diner appeared, the glow from its "open" sign piercing the early morning gloom.

It is the kind of tidy small-town diner you've always imagined (well, that I've always imagined, anyway). with wood paneling and brick walls, cozy little booths, and a line of stools at a counter where all the grumpy old men customers always seem to sit.  I fittingly sat down at the counter and became grumpy because the stools are positioned too close to the counter, so that I had to do a kind of bow-legged spread to get where the stool was in a position to support my old butt. 

That, however, was the ONLY irritating thing about the place.  The wait staff was courteous if not outright friendly, and they were efficiently bustling about to keep everyone served.  I had the breakfast special full order of biscuits and gravy for $5.49 which included a drink, no less!  The coffee was okay but had a little bit of an alkaline flavor, maybe due to the water, maybe?  Biscuits were tasty but a little salty because they were homemade, and the gravy was a white milk gravy like you get at most Midwestern diners who've apparently never heard of bacon grease, but it had a decent amount of sausage bits AND some diced onions, which I've never had before-- they actually made it quite tasty.  

They had a big glass case on the wall with a sign over it listing the 15 types of pie they offer.  Out of all the exotic flavors I could have had, I chose Sugar Cream pie just so I could compare it to my bro-in-law's.  He began a long career in restaurant management by making pies at MCL cafeterias, so he has long been the piemaster of the family. I will say his pie was much lighter and fluffier than West End's, which was very dense like a heavy cheesecake.  Both tasted GREAT, though.  So, anyway, in case you missed it I got a full plate of biscuits and gravy, bottomles cup of coffee, and a piece of pie for $9.42, which made this $$ guy VERY happy.  As I left I put on my shades, looked at the cashier and did my best Arnold: "I'LL BE BAAACK."