by Brian Garrido | Jul 24, 2024 | Places, Featured Destinations
Surrounded by miles of cornfields, soybeans and vegetable farms, the small city of Frankfort, the county seat of Clinton County, offers locals and visitors alike a tasty stop full of agriculture, changing demographics, a tiny bit of Hollywood history and a variety of women-owned restaurants.
Stop at the eclectic Vintage Cafe, owned by a mother-daughter-friend team, a former bar turned breakfast and lunch spot that opened in early 2022. It features an extensive menu featuring a variety of appetizers, breakfast dishes, soups, salads, sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas and options for kids. Highlights of the massive menu include the Fat Girl Monte Christo, a sandwich of two French toast-dipped donuts stuffed with ham, turkey Swiss and Provolone, grilled and then drizzled with a housemade honey mustard sauce; a Whole Hog Breakfast Burrito with ham bacon and sausage; and “Not-Cho Nachos,” a concoction of your choice of tater tots, housemade chips or french fries slathered in pulled pork, cheddar, and black bean salsa. Decorated with a floor-to-ceiling collection of celebrity images and rock and roll posters, the restaurant features a vintage jukebox and disco balls, adding to the fun.
Closer to the center of town, marked by the limestone Second Empire-style courthouse with a 165-foot domed clock tower, sits another all-female-owned eatery, Fresitas Artisan Ice Cream & More, which opened in 2021. Barbie pink coats the interior, and customers sit at tables with swingset seats. A social media selfie wall with plastic foliage and a vintage ice cream cart sits prominently beside the indoor jungle gym at the entrance. Guests can enjoy housemade paletas and ice cream or have a full-on lunch with quesabirrias, “mega” tortas of shredded beef and cueritos locos (chicharrones smothered in meats and cheeses). It is owned by Lorena Alvarez and her three daughters, Thania Ramirez, Mya Ortiz and Laura Guzman; according to The Frankfort Times, it has been the dream of the elder Alvarez since she was 15.
A few blocks north is another family-owned operation, the almost two-year-old La Mixteca. Spearheaded by Jackie Dominguez with her family, the Mexican restaurant is awash in bright red, yellow and tangerine hues, a hallmark of Oaxaca where moles, tamales, masa and giant empanadas reign. For inexperienced norteamericanos, loaded nachos, tacos, guac, and chips prevail, but for those seeking rich Oaxacan dishes like menudo and mojarra frita, La Mixteca may be the place to travel. Diners will also find well-stuffed burritos with braised pork, rice and salsa, which may be the dish most locals order but the empanadas of stewed chicken awash in achiote and melty cheese are an experience. Tucked into handmade portable pockets, the meat-filled handheld fills the belly. Enjoy beers, Mexican soda, tequilas and mescals from the country’s central region, too.
And for a bit of TV nostalgia, don’t miss the large mural depicting the famous faces of Frankfort, including the actor Will Greer, famed for playing Grandpa on “The Waltons.”
by Brian Garrido | Jul 24, 2024 | People, Q&A
Fort Wayne’s Brooklyn Pints Microcreamery dispenses frozen heaven for ice cream enthusiasts, offering handcrafted flavors scooped by Culinary Institute of America grads Trisha Tran and Brian Therkildsen. Housed on the ground floor of the 1920s-built Sheridan Court, a must-see for architectural enthusiasts, it’s the perfect location for these former New York City fine-dining chefs, who decamped in 2022 to Therkildsen’s hometown post-pandemic. Tran, who worked in Michelin-starred Manhattan restaurants, creates inventive tasting profiles with her churning partner such as cinnamon honey, Thai tea and pineapple upside-down cake along with vegan treats like peach crumble and blueberry corn. Did we mention house-baked waffle cones for the ice cream and other baked treats such as cookies and beignets? We caught up with chef Trisha recently for a quick Q&A. (And we’d like a bite of that peach crumble, please!)
What made you want to become a chef?
Watching my grandma cook traditional Vietnamese food as a child.
What is your favorite type of food and why?
My favorite type of food is any type of soup. Soup is versatile and offers comfort in every culture.
Where do you get your inspiration?
We get our inspiration from everywhere! We’re constantly trying new things and seeing if we can make an ice cream flavor out of them.
What is your favorite thing to make for yourself and your family?
I don’t have a favorite or a “go-to” dish. When I have time, I like teaching myself how to make Vietnamese dishes because I live far away from my family now. I want to learn and bring back that nostalgia from my childhood.
If you could eat anywhere in the world, where would that be, and what would you eat?
A goal of ours right now is Japan, and I would want to eat where the locals eat! I want to try all the curry, ramen, sushi, snacks, etc., and immerse myself fully in their food culture!
If you could choose a favorite place in Indiana to visit, where would that be located, and what would you eat?
There are SO many places in Indiana to explore. I can’t pick one; I want to try them all!
What items are always in your fridge?
Eggs, rice, bread, cheese, vegetables and chicken nuggets. Being business owners, we work long days, and when we get home, we want something quick and easy… you’ll find our fridge usually empty, but we typically try to keep these foods in our fridge for fast and easy meals!
by Brian Garrido | Jul 10, 2024 | People, Q&A
Born and raised in Wadesville, Ind., just outside Evansville, Jeremiah Galey cut his teeth in the industry, starting as a dishwasher at 17. Nineteen years and a lifetime of experience later, he finally ventured into ownership at Bad Randy’s Hot Chicken and BBQ Lounge on Franklin Street in Evansville. His creative approach comes from nearly two decades of experience instead of a culinary degree. “We’re unabashedly out-of-the-box” is a sentiment he uses frequently. Bad Randy’s food and drinks are rooted in tradition but approached from chef Jeremiah’s unique perspective.
What made you want to become a chef?
There wasn’t this “a-ha” moment most people ever expected to hear. I just started in the industry because I needed a job. I fell in love with the relaxed atmosphere of my first job at Red Geranium’s Conference Center in historic New Harmony, Ind. I was hungry to succeed, so I took advantage of every opportunity I came across and created my own. I was fortunate to be allowed freedom of creativity at that job, which helped me excel and learn.
What is your favorite type of food and why?
Whatever I’m in the mood for that day. I love hot chicken and BBQ. I also love all the different types of pizza. There aren’t many types of food I don’t like.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Coming up in the business, I had a hunger to do well and succeed, to prove to myself that I wasn’t just full of it. I’m also largely influenced by learning new techniques or different cultural ways of doing things. It gets me excited to work on things from new perspectives. I also love focusing on the history behind methods and cultures and showing appreciation for that aspect in new creations.
What is your favorite thing to make for yourself and your family?
At home, it’s usually pizza, BBQ, grilling or something simple on the stove like pasta or Thai basil chicken.
If you could eat anywhere in the world, where would that be and what would you eat?
I can’t pick just one place! Howlin’ Ray’s hot chicken in Los Angeles; Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s pizza in New Haven, Conn.; Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston; any big mercado in Mexico.
If you could choose a favorite place in Indiana, where would that be located, and what would you eat there?
Hot chicken at Bad Randy’s Hot Chicken and BBQ Lounge in Evansville!
What items are always in your fridge?
Beer, oat milk, eggs. Our house-made ketchup from the restaurant. Sparkling water. More beer.
by Brian Garrido | Jul 10, 2024 | Places, Featured Destinations
Bloomington, located in the southern part of the state, sits on rolling, verdant hills that burst with color in the fall, showing off its year-round scenic setting. It is home to Indiana University’s flagship campus, which has an enrollment of almost 49,000 and features a diverse, international population. The city also flaunts an epicurean sophistication, with plenty of chef-driven eateries among the typical college town drive-throughs.
The two-year-old Elm, named by USA Today as a 2024 Best Restaurant and one of Bloomington’s finer chef-driven establishments, sits on a tree-lined residential street in the historic Elm District, about a 15-minute walk from downtown’s courthouse square. Proprietors David and Martha Moore allow executive chef Dan Thomas to create a changing seasonal menu. Social media-friendly dishes reflect regional farms, ensuring a unique eating adventure with every visit. Elm’s breathtaking minimalist interiors with sand-colored banquettes, natural wood accents and Impressionist-like ocean mural in cerulean and beryl tones make it a chic spot.
For a dozen years, the all-vegan Rainbow Bakery baked fresh treats for those with a sweet tooth. With a retro-inspired interior, the one-of-a-kind area business serves pastries, cakes, cookies and donuts made with plant-based ingredients without compromising taste or texture. In spring 2024, the owners, who also own nearby Hopscotch Kitchen and Hopscotch Coffee, placed the business on the market, but the bakery is still operating and will do, even if another individual commits to its storied stewardship.
Since its opening in August 2023, the friendly Maru Products Artisanal Bakery & More has been a welcome addition. The bakery offers a South American selection of housemade sweet and savory baked goods, such as savory arepas and empanadas. Venezuelan-born Maru Macabe, who moved to Bloomington in 2016, brings yummy showstoppers of her former country with delicious handhelds such as the mozzarella stick-like tequeños, gooey cheese encased by fried dough instead of dipped in breading. Or try the cachitos, hearty half-moon pastries stuffed with ham, cheese or both.
Uptown Cafe, a long-standing fixture in Bloomington’s cultural landscape, has a rich history over almost five decades. It opened in 1976 on Walnut Street, with a “diner-esque” vibe, as chef and owner Michael Cassady has described. However, its longest iteration has been the Kirkwood Avenue spot, a stone’s throw from the courthouse. The legendary restaurant is still known for its delicious American-style dishes with Cajun Creole flavors peppered throughout. Hearty gumbo, blackened seafood, and other nods to New Orleans, burgers, and other global flavors appear at lunch and dinner.
Other Bloomington favorites include Janko’s Little Zagrab, which opened in 1973 and still ranks among the region’s top steakhouses, and chef Daniel Orr’s FARMbloomington, with its much-loved garlic fries and award-winning Luger burger as well as creative pizzas and globally inspired cuisine. And plenty of global flavors can be found on Fourth Street’s “International Row,” with Burmese, Tibetan, Thai, Korean and Indian restaurants.
Bloomington’s 21st-century dining scene, which has grown over the last several decades, mirrors the city’s inclusive spirit and progressive values. Whether craving a sophisticated dining experience, vegan donuts, Latin-inspired eats, global flavors or American classics, visitors will discover a diversity generally found in a much larger metropolis.
by Brian Garrido | Jun 25, 2024 | People, Q&A
An Indiana native, chef Sean Richardson became obsessed with food in his late teens while working his first high-volume line cook job in Fort Wayne, Ind. Richardson eventually opened The Golden in Fort Wayne with chef Aaron Butts and was a James Beard Award semi-finalist for Best Chef Great Lakes in 2017. After years of discovery and honing his craft, Richardson opened Rune Restaurant in March 2024. His focus is to bring his guests an elevated yet approachable dining experience. He describes his approach as “loud with big flavors, a bit chaotic, technical when it needs to be, but never fussy, and always delicious.”
What made you want to become a chef?
I love food. Realizing that this passion could take me around the world working in kitchens and with like-minded people was the catalyst. Learning how to take raw ingredients and transform them through the vast techniques that exist is what continues to push me every day.
What is your favorite type of food and why?
Anything that is cooked low and slow – soups, stocks, stews, braised meats. The flavors that can be brought out from a few simple ingredients and time never fail to leave me in awe of cooking.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Mainly from the food that is available. I certainly turn to books (old and new), as well as to other restaurants and chefs that I think are pushing harder than I am – they keep me on my toes, as I am naturally a competitive person. When I go out to eat in other cities and get to experience what it is that they are doing or experimenting with, it immediately inspires me to get back to the kitchen and cook.
What is your favorite thing to make for yourself and your family?
Tacos. I love them and feel pretty certain I could eat tacos every single day.
If you could eat anywhere in the world, where would that be, and what would you eat?
Right now, the answer to this question is Mon Lapin in Montreal, Canada. I would order the entire menu.
If you could choose a favorite place in Indiana to visit, where would that be, and what would you eat?
Milktooth in Indianapolis. The food is always fun and delicious, and it never seems out of place. But, to be fair, I have not done a great deal of exploration in Indiana lately. So, I am sure there are brilliant places that have popped up over the past couple of years that I should have my eye on.
What items are always in your fridge?
Chili Crisp, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, a variety of cheeses, oat milk and orange
juice because recently my kids have been obsessing over it.
