Whitt's Inn: Smokers' Paradise and Quintessential Small-town Bar

Whitt's Inn, on US 31 at Tracy Road in Whiteland (or is it New Whiteland?  I can never remember where the one town ends and the other begins) is an unassuming little free-standing place at the edge of a strip-mall parking lot, so there is never a problem parking there even when they have one of those organized-group motorcycle rides in the summer.  The decor is your basic formless carpet/K-Mart Cafe chairs and tables that most bars have, but the place does have a kind of homey feel to it.  The staff is always friendly and the other patrons usually are, too.  On our last visit, however, there was a regular in there whose conversation had more F bombs in it than a freakin' episode of the Sopranos!  And of course he was the loudest sumbitch in there, so we all had to hear it.  Now, I was previously of the opinion that cussing was one of the freedoms that made a bar so relaxing, just like smoking and no-women-allowed used to be, but this guy made ME feel uncomfortable.  He wasn't angry or offensive, really, he just used "F-ing" like we would use any other adjective, only moreso.  The cook even joined in the mood the guy had created when she put an order up in the window and told the bartender to "TELL (F-bomb guy) TO PICK UP HIS F*CKING SH*T!", which got a big laugh, so I imagine his vernacular had been the subject of some discussion in the bar on previous occasions.

Anyway, I had an order of french fries that was pretty good, the beer and drink prices were decent, and they had Amber Bock on draft, which made me happy.  The only real drawback to the whole experience, aside from the aforementioned purveyor of profanity, was that the bar felt kind of gritty, like it hadn't been hit with a rag intentionally in a while, so I may have been taking my life in my hands with those french fries, but I did look in and see that the kitchen appeared to be clean, so maybe that particular bartender just needed to PICK UP HER F*CKING SH*T!  I always seem to have a good time there, so we'll be back.  

What is to Become of the Ice House?

The Ice House, 2352 S. West St. is still one of my favorite places, although I wasn't as happy with my last visit as I usually am.  It's a stand-alone building in a primarily industrial area near the White River, and that's part of its charm, really.  It looks rather like an old-fashioned ice house of yore, with barn wood outside, a metal(?) roof, and a big cooler-style front door.  There are a few neon signs on the sides and just a little lighted hanging sign out front, so driving by you might miss it if you're not looking for it.  Inside is all rustic wood paneling and antique sign decor, including numerous really cool old neon signs.  There is a small family dining room along one side (so kids can be admitted, I guess: I've never seen anyone in there), and a long bar along the other side with a mirror behind it that is almost as long.  The only problem is that the furniture and the fixtures are showing a little dust and age, and on this unseasonably warm and humid Friday afternoon in January there was a hint of a sort of musty old-wood smell that was a little less than pleasant.  I don't think they used to have a lot of smoke in there like Bailey's on Bluff did, but they may also be suffering (albeit not as much) from newly detectable odors apparent after Indy's recently enacted smoking ban removed the mask of smoke smell.  Either way, this time the place had a general appearance (perhaps undeserved, but with broken cabinet doors, a lot of dim lighting and a number of neon signs either not working or just not lighted, it gave the impression) of shabbiness. I had heard (and not from a particularly credible source) that The Ice House might be up for sale, but Joy, one of the owners, was busy eating with some friends/regulars and I didn't want to bother her, so I dunno for sure if maybe they're letting some things go in anticipation of an impending departure or not.  

The main reason for going to the Ice House, however, is still there-- a comfortable ambiance, great reasonably priced food, and decent beer & drink prices and specials.  One of our buds has gone there every Wednesday lunch for years to get the steak filet special, which was delicious and a great value for the money the last time I was there.  We had another engagement to attend, so we didn't eat there on this most recent occasion, but I saw possibly the biggest breaded tenderloin sandwich I've ever seen pass by on the way to someone's table, and it looked and smelled deeeeelectable.  You can see into the kitchen from the bar, too, and I must say it looked very clean and there was nothing shabby about that area.  The Little Woman and I split a decent-sized pitcher of Amber Bock for a really good price, too, so I'm not giving up on this favorite haunt.  As General MacArthur said, I SHALL RETURN!

UPDATE, 02/21/2014: The Ice House has been sold, effective (I think) 02/26/14.  The current owner had a stroke in January, sorry to say.  He's doing okay but decided the place was too much for his present condition.  Let's hope the new proprietor can continue the old traditions and come up with some new ones, like cleaning/fixing up the lovably eccentric decor.  To be continued....

Bailey's on Bluff- Great Decor in Great Decline

Bailey's on Bluff, in (you guessed it) a strip mall on the Northwest corner of Southport Road and Bluff Road, used to be one of the Bubbaz chain of Southside bars that came to be known for their Combat Nightlife, which is why (I think) none of them are called Bubbaz anymore.  I can't remember what it was called before it was Bubbaz, but I suspect the original owners wanted to open an upscale place to draw in the more well-to-do clientele moving into Murphy's Landing and other nearby expensive housing additions, just as Grumpy Ed's across the street tried to do before it gave up the ghost and became Robbie's Pub.  The wood paneling and bar layout of this place is gorgeous, but it hasn't been updated, or even maintained, really.  The carpet is old and smelly and worn, even more than the usual formless, colorless bar carpet.  Maybe it was the excess humidity of an unseasonably warm, rainy day in January, but the whole place had a musty, sour booze smell that I found really unpleasant.  As a result I didn't try any of the pub grub, and neither did anyone else while I was there.  Now that there is a smoking ban, bar & grilles are going to have to step up on their housekeeping now that they don't have stale cigarette smoke smell to mask the aroma of vomit, urine, and other fermenting fluid residues.

On the plus side, though, the beer and drink prices are decent, there are a number of big-screen TV's and tables set up specifically to view them, and usually at least one of the barmaids on duty is a smokin' hot babe.  But for the Geezer that I am, clean and comfortable trumps visual cheesecake almost any day, so unless they do some cleaning and renovating, Bailey's on Bluff is not on my return list.

Shallo's - A Southside Icon Soldiers On.

Shallo's is not in a strip mall, it's in a REAL mall, the one at Stop 13 and Hardegan Street that we used to call the Target Mall before Target fled and was replaced by Old Tyme Pottery.  I dunno what the real name of the mall is, but probably no one but the owners know, either.  Shallo's has it's own exterior entrance as well as one off the interior hall, and is a quintessential example of the "Fern Restaurants" that became popular in the late 70's and early 80's, like Bennigan's and TGI Friday's:  Old wood and brass interiors with various old signs and memorabilia on the walls.  In Shallo's case, the memorabilia includes a giant neon "INSURANCE" sign over the bar and several other lighted signs scattered throughout as well as numerous antique metal signs, framed posters, and a few stained glass windows, all of which have local historical significance explained in the back of the menu.  The cornices around the ceiling of both the first and second floors are also lined with a couple hundred old beer tapper handles, ranging from everyday ordinary to very rare or defunct brands.  

The beer tappers hint at Shallo's specialty:  They claim to have 500 brands of beer available, and you can see at least 100 of the bottled varieties on display in several large windowed coolers behind the bar and in the dining room. The day we went (January 2nd), however, they were out of  draft Warsteiner Dunkel and (gasp!) Guinness.  A different bar owner friend later told us that the local beer distributors had an unusually heavy demand on New Year's Eve this year, so maybe that was the source of the shortage.  The Little Woman and I both had the $7.99 5-ounce Sirloin lunch special, and it was EXCELLENT!  The steak was like 1.5 inches thick and cooked to perfection, the baked potato was large, fresh, and baked tender, and my side salad was likewise fresh and crisp.  I'm now on a crappy low-sodium diet for a medical condition, and the staff made adjustments for that-- the only no-sodium salad dressing I know is Vinegar & Oil, and though the waitress said they didn't have that, she was able to procure me a little cup of red wine vinegar and a little cup of oil, so with that and a Warsteiner Lager I was happy.  Prosit!

The Blind Pig - A Decent Greenwood Dive

The Blind Pig, on Madison just north of Main Street in Old Towne Greenwood, is kind of grungy and ancient-looking when you first walk in the place, that is if you found an open parking space in the tiny little lot next to the front door (there is another lot and another entrance in the back, off the alley, but you have to search for it). It looks as if long ago three small storefronts were combined to make one good-sized tavern:  The long, long bar is sort of u-shaped, running from the kitchen in the back down to the front, then turning and passing through a big doorway in the wall, then turning back toward the kitchen again.  There must be 30 stools all around it, and there are a lot of tables, a music stage, pool table, and several arcade games in there as well.  The new owner (son of the old owner, who passed away) hasn't changed anything, but he seems like a nice guy, and the bar staff is fairly friendly, too.   I know they have the usual pub grub, but I've never eaten there.  Drink and food prices are reasonable.  This ain't the kind of place I'd take a first date, for sure, and it's not my favorite, but there is something comfortable about it that I can't put my finger on....  Drink up, unless you're parked next to MY car in the little lot!

Ralph's Great Divide- A Gem on the Edge of Downtown

The first few times I drove by Ralph's Great Divide, on the corner of New York and Davidson Street, I thought the place was closed, as in not a going concern, not operating, an ex-establishment.  It was kind of small and dumpy-looking from outside, old sign, no lights, cars, or people around.  I guess those times must have been in the early morning or late night most of the time, but even after I knew that it was open, I still never knew exactly WHEN it's open until I went there and looked on the little sign by the door, which of course I've now forgotten!  Anyway, Ralph's is primarily open during the daytime and early evening, but is completely closed some days (Sundays, maybe?)  We were  recently surprised, however, when we had just finished a Saturday tasting tour of the near-Eastside breweries at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon (see earlier post, "Beer & Wine Tasting-- Cheap Weekend Entertainment!" from 11/27/2011) and drove by RGD and saw the teeny "open" sign by the door blinking. RGD is open from 2:00 to 10:00 on Saturdays--for now, at least!

If I remember the history right, Ralph constructed his little restaurant & bar by connecting two houses back in the 1950's. At that time, Davidson Street served as the dividing line between two distinct Indy neighborhoods in the ancient days before I-65 existed, hence the "Great Divide" name.  It's a charming little place with two dining rooms of maybe 10 tables each, and a good-sized bar with 6 or 8 stools and a bunch of antique signs and other memorabilia on the walls.  There are no windows except those by the door (my Dad said back in the 60's that there was a law that all bars and restaurants had to have at least one window so the cops could peek in to see what was going on, but I dunno if that was really true).  Unlike a dive bar, which RGD certainly is not, the lack of windows gives the space inside a cozy feel, like someplace you'd take your secretary/mistress or maybe arrange a mafia sit-down. It is, in fact, very crowded with suited business folk at lunchtime on weekdays. Hmmm....

The atmosphere is cozy, but the food is the best part. We ordered the Do-a-Duo, where two of you split a sandwich, you each get a cup of their specialty Hot Pot Aug, Hot Pot Pig, Ralph's Chili, or their Soup of the Moment, and split two sides for $18.99, but there are individual menu items that range from only $3.25 to $8.49   The Aug is au gratin potato soup and the Pig is the Aug with bacon and hot pepper cheese added, and it is reeeeally good!  The Little Woman had the Chili and I had the Pig (or was it vice versa?  We always share so I forget).  The chili was very good if not uniquely outstanding, and as I said the Pig was great, just the thing to warm you on a cold winter day, or to kill a hangover. We split a Dave's Bourbon Ham sandwich, which was large and tasty, and we had German potato salad and coleslaw for our sides.  The potato salad was every bit as good as the canned stuff we're used to (I just hope it WASN'T the canned stuff!), and the coleslaw was extremely fresh but could've used just a little more sweetness for my taste.

The service was friendly and fairly quick.  Beer and drink prices were very reasonable if not a bargain, so in terms of atmosphere, food, and drinks, this place meets my every expectation.  The only bad thing about the joint is that neither dining room is considered "family" dining, so children are not allowed inside....   For us old people, though, that may NOT be a bad thing.  Enjoy, you Geezers!

Taco Meats Potato-- Look Beyond the Name, Please!

UPDATE, 07/29/2014: Taco Meets Potato has closed.  Indy Chin Restaurant has opened in its place.  We see what that's like, and whether this is to become one of those fated "black hole" locations....

UPDATE, 03/10/2014:  I picked up lunch to go:  3 tacos for The Little Woman and fajitas for me, along with a small order of chips & salsa.  The new proprietors appear to be gringos, but they were very nice. Again the food was decent but not the stellar stuff the place turned out in the beginning. The salsa was fresh, but the tacos were uninspiring and though good, the amount of meat in my fajitas was kind of disappointing given the $10 price tag.

UPDATE, 12/16/2013:  There is a sign out front that says "UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT",  so I'll probably be suckered into eatin' there again.  Keeping my fingers crossed that the old guy took it back over....

UPDATE, 06/03/2013: I'm putting this at the top of the post because so many folks come here to read about Taco Meats Potato, and I wish all the good things I said below were still true, but something has happened to this place.  We've been there twice in recent weeks, and both times there was a new crew working and (although the waitresses were very easy on the eyes) they don't seem to be following the same recipes as before.  The salsa is decent but now it's really ordinary, lacking the milkiness and whatever it was that gave it such a distinctive and delicious flavor.  My wife's tacos were missing the fresh cilantro and onion the last ones had, and finally, my fajitas were okay, too, but again, not the culinary delight we once enjoyed there.  Sigh.... maybe the potatoes are still exceptionally good, anyway.

UPDATE, 11/15/2013:  I picked up lunch to-go there-- two tacos, the Enchiladas Trio platter with rice and beans, and a small order of chips and salsa.  The salsa was fresh and good, but still lacked the milkiness and whatever it was that made it so good before.  The tacos were decent but lacked the seasoning they used to have, and they only used one corn tortilla per taco, so they lost all their molecular integrity by the time I go home, resulting in what was essentially a taco salad without the bowl.  My enchiladas were decent, too, and the rice was tastier than most other places.  The beans were good depending on how you like you refritos: TMP's are not the whipped solid-mass like you get other places but contained some whole beans.  In sum, it was all just okay, including the price.  We probably won't be back, sorry to say.  Sigh, again..


Taco Meats Potato, 7040 Madison Avenue, recently opened in the strip mall space that was occupied by Heine's Roast Beef-- If I can reminisce a bit, Heine's State Fair cuisine (since that was their main business, running a mobile trailer at fairs and such) was delicious, but it was every bit as pricey as eating at the State Fair, so I suspect that's why the stationary store didn't last.  Hopefully this isn't gonna be one of those black-hole locations fated to have one failing business after another in it.

Anyway, the Little Woman and I were drawn by TMP's ridiculous pun of a name as much as by her boundless craving for Mexican food.  As you approach the door there is a Southwestern scene painted on the window along with the words "Where you bean all my life?" Geez, another pun?  I had misgivings about what we were about to experience, that is until they brought the multi-colored chips and salsa.  Now, my judgement may have been clouded by a couple of beers I had earlier, but I still believe it was THE BEST SALSA I have ever eaten, including in Mexico.  It had the usual pureed tomato, and I could taste lots of cilantro and onion, but the liquid part of it was a little milky, like maybe there was also sour cream in it as well as other spices that aren't in most other salsas.  The rest of the meal could've been made of sandpaper and I would still be raving about that salsa....

It was late evening, like 9:15, and we didn't want to upset our middle-aged digestive systems with a heavy meal right before bedtime, so we decided to split the Texas Nachos, a plateful of more chips with white cheese, three types of meat, jalapenos, and more of that delightful salsa poured over them, capped off with a big dollop of sour cream and a whole steamed jalapeno. I won't say they were outstanding but they were very good, and the price wasn't bad, either.  There's nothing fancy about the place, but it has the feel of all the authentic taquerias here and in Mexico that  I've ever been in.   I didn't ask, but it appears to be a family operation, with the cook and proprietor a young Hispanic guy who said he's from Dallas, although the source of his recipes is his mother, who hails from the Rio Grande valley, he said. 

As we went up to pay I spied the Potato Menu, which the proprietress/waitress said she didn't show us because they had sold out all their potatoes for the day.  There must have been at least a dozen potato combos listed, from taco to cajun shrimp to a regular loaded potato to a tilapia potato.  Maybe we'll get to sample those another time earlier in the day.  !Que bueno!

UPDATE: 12/03/2012-- We went there COMPLETELY sober this time, and the salsa was still da BOMB.  The waitress also gave us a sample of white-cheese queso with taco meat mixed in that was reeeeally good, too: We liked it so much we bought some to take home.  The Little Woman had two flour tacos with steak, cilantro, and onion, which were deeeelicious. The steak was marinated and seasoned somehow, in a way that made it tastier than any other Mexican restaurant's I've ever had .   I ordered the Taco Potato, a huge baked potato loaded with white cheese, taco meat, lettuce and tomato, capped off with a dollop of sour cream and a whole steamed jalapeno, all served with rice and refried beans. The seasoned coarsely-ground taco meat was also extraordinary.   I can't wait till Tuesday, when ground-beef tacos are $1 each.... The beans were ordinary but good and the Spanish rice was !INCREIBLE!  With most other Mexican restaurants I have to pour salsa or hot sauce over the rice to give it some flavor, but TMP's was tasty all by itself. !ANDALE! !VAS AL TACO MEATS POTATO, AHORITA!