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."

Lima Memorial Hospital and St. Francis Hospital Food: Not Your Grandma's Gruel

I recently had occasion to visit with loved ones in both Lima Memorial Hospital in Lima, OH and St. Francis Hospital here in Indy, which leads one to make comparisons between the two similar institutions, especially (for me) their respective food services. When you spend hours watching your family member suffer while you have to sit there unable to do anything for them except be there, a short trip to the cafeteria can be a welcome respite from that constant anxiety.  

Lima Memorial and one other hospital serve that city of about 40,000 people along with a number of surrounding communities. It's undergoing a major renovation, so some problems, I suppose, are due to that.  The worst thing I can say is it seemed like a half-mile walk from the main entrance just to get to the elevators to get up onto the wards.  The cafeteria was down in the basement, so no windows, and was tiny for the size of the hospital, so at one mealtime I had to sit with another gent because all the other tables were full, I mean FULL of people, many of whom like me were forced to sit with people they didn't know, all taking off their masks to eat, which I doubt was a good thing Covid-wise, but maybe they were all vaccinated, at least.

On the plus side, their food was EXCELLENT!  My favorite dish was the Parmesan Chicken Breast: It appeared they had grilled the chicken, coated it with a creamy parmesan sauce and then baked it on for a few minutes more.  It was incredibly tasty, as was just about every thing else I had there.  The room service for patients was just as good: they were open until 10:00 p.m., and they accepted requests for patients' visitors as well. Every member of the hospital staff I met was as friendly and helpful as could be, and the longer I remained in Lima it seemd to be not just the hospital staff but the people of the city as well-- fast food restaurant employees, hotel clerks,  everyone!  

The staff of St. Francis (now named Franciscan-Indianapolis, although few locals call it that) are caring professionals who are very, very busy, so forgive them if they are more politely business-like than friendly.  The cafeteria is a busy place, too, but it is big enough to accommodate a lot of people very quickly with a very large selection of items.  The food is generally good but not outstanding; I have yet to find a dish I'm ecstatic about.  The two best things about the place are 1) it's on the second floor with big windows that overlook the parking lot, interstate highway, and some pastoral scenery, and 2) there is always hot Seattle's Best coffee available. I've several times spent a few peaceful minutes there at a table by the window, sipping dark roast while watching the traffic and pedestrians come and go, and not worrying about what the future holds for one particular room upstairs.  Every time a baby is born at St. Francis, the PA system plays a short music-box version of the children's hymn "Jesus Loves Me", which always makes me smile and pray that's really true. 

Newk's Eatery: Yeah, It's a Chain, but....

 ...It's not half bad, although it doesn't really pass the $$ Guy value test.  Newk's has locations across the South and Texas, with a few of locations each in Colorado and Maryland, and ONE, just one left in Indy.  It kind of reminds me of a stripped down McAlister's.  You order one of about ten sandwiches or entrees and they give you cups to fill your drink at a station in the back of the dining room. I had a Newk's Q sandwich and The Lovely Wife ordered a Grilled Steak sandwich.  Both come with a small side, so I had coleslaw and TLW had a fruit cup. The Q was sliced roast chicken on a kind of baguette with bacon and a white sauce that I supposed was meant to resemble Alabama white barbecue sauce, which was pretty good even though the sandwich was kind of small, like a 6-inch Subway sub for $8.  TLW's grilled steak was really shaved beef with a kind of minced horseradish sauce, again tasty but rather small.  My slaw was fresh but not memorable and TLW's little fruit cup was fresh and tasty.  We shared a $7.99 bowl of Tomato Basil Soup that was the hit of the meal even though it was sort of orange-colored and not very tomato-y.  They have little cups of add-ons you can take from the counter, so we added jalapenos, parmesan cheese, and crackers to the soup which made it quite flavorful.  Two large cups of UNsweet Peach Tea (which was nicely brewed and delicious) brought the price of our lunch to $34.51, which may be why the Newk's on the North side closed.  It was a nice working lunch, but not one this cheapskate could afford every day. ;-)

P.S. TLW was on a low-sodium diet at this time, and we found out too late that EVERYTHING at Newk's (except maybe the iced tea) is chocked full of sodium.  So if you're cutting down on sodium (and if not, why aren't you?!) you might want to avoid the place altogether. :-(

Ale Emporium: Like a Nationwide Chain But It Ain't.

Sorry, I wish this was funnier:  Maybe the Doc needs to up my meds! ...The southside Ale Emporium is in a nice strip mall (where else?) on the southwest corner of Emerson Avenue and County Line Road and opened a couple years ago after the original location was (and is) so successful at Alisonville Road and 86th Street, The original has a kind of old-fashioned pseudo-Victorian Bennigan's-like decor that makes for a comfortable living-room kind of atmosphere even though it is bustling and a little noisy, whereas this newer one down south has a trendy, modern marble and glass motif.  It has a family side and an adults-only bar side with an entire wall of flat-screen TVs, four of which are usually linked to make one great big screeen that can be seen from anywhere in the room, so it is likely a great place to watch the sporting event of your choice.  There is a covered outdoor section, too, which was nice today owing to the good weather, although I didn't see any TV screens there.  All of this gives the place a slick, polished look and atmosphere like you would expect from a major nationwide chain rather than a local establishment.  

And the food does nothing to dispell that big-box impression.  They have a full bar with a wide selection of draft and bottled craft beers, and a fairly varied menu of the usual restaurant dishes you might see at Applebee's, O'Charley's, or Chili's. They're sort of known for pizza and wings, and I have mixed feelings about both.  Like the rest of their food, it's all good... but none of it's what I'd call great.  They have both thin crust and deep dish pizza, very heavy on the cheese and almost no noticeable sauce.  The deep dish crust is rather thick and chewy compared to the pastry-like crust I've had in Chicago, the capital of deep dish, as well as some other places here.  I didn't get wings this time, but I remember being rather underwhelmed by them the last time.  ...Which is not to say I won't eat there again.  It's really a good place to eat.  I just wish it was better.