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Category: Indiana (Page 1 of 2)

Top 10 American Steakhouses

Forget those hoary stereotypes about women’s eating preferences. The ladies love a good steak! Here are America’s ten best steakhouses courtesy of the online women’s lifestyle magazine PureWow. It’s a solid and not entirely predictable list that hits a pair of Old New York classics, Peter Luger and Keen’s, a celebrity chef spot in L.A., Cut, from Wolfgang Puck, and a trio of Midwest old-time favorites in Archie’s Waeside of Iowa, St. Elmo of Indy, and Oklahoma City’s Cattlemen’s. Have a look and argue to your heart’s content.

Jonathan Byrd’s of Greenwood IN Has Closed

Man, the bad news doesn’t stop: Jonathan Byrd’s of Greenwood IN closed its doors permanently this past Sunday. Two years ago, the owners sold the building and scaled back the former 400-seat cafeteria to a 50-seat restaurant. Now, the new owners of the building are planning to sell it, and Jonathan Byrd’s is preparing to open a new restaurant in Westfield, in the northern suburbs of Indy, for which they will need to train the employees of the Greenwood place. So they felt now was the time to close the Greenwood restaurant. The Westfield restaurant, which will open next month as part of a 400-acre sports campus, does not sound like it will be a cafeteria but they will, thank goodness, serve Jonathan Byrd’s famous fried chicken.

Top Burger in Every State

Hubcap burgers at Cotham’s in Arkansas… the original burger on toast at Louis’ Lunch in Connecticut… thin, crisp-edged burgers at The Workingman’s Friend in Indiana…green chile cheeseburgers at the Buckhorn Tavern in New Mexico… these are four of the 51 burgers selected as the best in each state by Business Insider. The selections are apparently a research and compilation job, in which most of the burgers were named in a previous local media poll or competition. Nonetheless, it’s a mouthwatering project to peruse for American burger lovers.

Indiana State Fair, Indianapolis IN, August 7th through 23rd 2015

It’s the Year of the Farmer at the 2015 Indiana State Fair, as a different farmer will be spotlighted during each day of the fair. Add in a Wild West Show, acrobats from China, pogo stick stunts, and the great cheese sculpture and you’re certain to have an entertaining and wide-ranging fair day in Indianapolis. The first Indiana State Fair was held in 1852, making it the sixth oldest state fair in the country. Among its many claims to fame: the Beatles actually performed at the fair in 1964! Continue reading

Triple XXX Family Restaurant, West Lafayette IN

REVIEW

Triple XXX was once, decades ago, a thriving chain of restaurants, serving their own Texas-made root beer throughout the South, Midwest, and West. This particular Triple XXX, near Purdue U in West Lafayette, opened in 1929 and is one of two remaining (and independently owned) Triple XXX restaurants left in the U.S. (the other is in Issaquah, WA). Lafayette’s Triple XXX has a commitment to quality that is readily apparent. Their motto, “On The Hill But On The Level,” refers to both its levee location and the honest food they serve. They grind their own sirloin for burgers (or, as they call them, chop steaks). Shakes are made with real ice cream. Much of the food is made from scratch. It shows. Continue reading

The Workingman’s Friend, Indianapolis IN

REVIEW

Smack in the middle of the industrial/residential area west of the White River is a working man’s bar that serves an unforgettable double cheeseburger. The glass-brick-fronted Workingman’s Friend draws crowds at mealtimes, but our visit on a Monday night found the bar empty save for a small group of men quietly sipping beers and ignoring a TV tuned to a ballgame. We ordered Buds and double cheeseburgers from the no-nonsense bartender, who then went into the kitchen to prepare our meals, as we brought our beers to a table. Continue reading

The Rathskeller, Indianapolis IN

REVIEW

Visit just about any Midwestern city and you’ll find at least one 19th-century German restaurant still operating and thriving. German cuisine may have been the most out-of-fashion food in the country for ages (although, lately, it’s showing signs of life), but we find it hard to resist a visit to these great old dining halls. The Rathskeller is Indy’s oldest restaurant (open since 1894), and can be found in a building originally known as Das Deutsche Haus, a German social club. Continue reading

Teibel’s, Schererville IN

REVIEW

Sometimes LAF meals can be found in obscure shacks unknown to anyone beyond a five-mile radius. But not always. Take, for example, Teibel’s (pronounced Tee’-bls). Teibel’s is a local institution, well-known in the area as the place to celebrate those passages in life that often call for a banquet hall. While not particularly dressy, people arrive looking quite neat and presentable. These are the upstanding citizens of Schererville and beyond. Continue reading

St. Elmo Steak House FB Post Against Indiana Freedom to Discriminate Bill

Posted on St. Elmo Steak House’s Facebook page Wednesday:

Despite the actions and intolerance of the majority of our elected officials, Indiana is a friendly and welcoming state. People make this state great — not politicians. At St. Elmo Steak House and Harry & Izzy’s, we employ, welcome, and serve ALL. Most other businesses do as well, because it’s the right thing. The word Freedom should only be used when it’s inclusive and fair for all.

The post from the Indianapolis restaurant is in response to the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, signing a bill that gives people the ability to claim a religious exemption to anti-discrimination laws.

South Street Smoke House, Lafayette IN

REVIEW

We’re always on the lookout for good barbecue when we travel, due in part to our residence in the barbecue-deprived Northeast (and partly because we simply love all kinds of barbecue). The often Southern-seeming Midwest state of Indiana is a good place to look. For instance, in Lafayette we found good barbecue at the South Street Smoke House, located by the railroad tracks, on the main drag heading east out of the city. Continue reading

LAF in the A.M. February 25th, 2015

A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day

HAPPY NATIONAL CLAM CHOWDER DAY!

Gates Bar-B-Q of Independence MO Burns Down

Shake Shack Coming to Japan Next Year

Graeter’s Coming to Tennessee and Cleveland?

Giordano’s, Stunned by Indy Success, Plans Further Indiana Expansion

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LAF in the A.M. February 24th, 2015

A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day

 HAPPY NATIONAL TORTILLA CHIP DAY!

A Comparative View, Through Donut Holes, of Seattle and Portland

Best Pizza in CT (and, Therefore, the U.S.)

Fried Chicken: America’s Top 21

Third Saint Cupcake Opening in Portland OR

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LAF in the A.M. February 15th, 2015

A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day

HAPPY NATIONAL GUMDROP DAY!

Local Review of Indy Giordano’s

40th Malnati’s Opening in Oswego IL

How Shake Shack Teamed with Wine and Beer Makers

Fried Pickles, Fried Chicken in Tunica MS

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LAF in the A.M. February 14th, 2015

A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day

HAPPY CREME-FILLED CHOCOLATES DAY!

Pie and Ice Cream Benefit at TX Brewery

Top 10 Food Cities in the World

Shake Shack Comes to Baltimore Monday

Local Praise for Giordano’s of Indy

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LAF in the A.M. February 8th, 2015

A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day

HAPPY NATIONAL MOLASSES BAR DAY!

New Haven’s Pepe’s Opening in Boston Mall

A Look Inside the New Shapiro’s Fashion Mall Deli

Sweet New Hampshire

Mike Hardin, Hodad’s Owner, Has Died

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LAF in the A.M. January 29th, 2015

A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day

HAPPY NATIONAL CORN CHIP DAY!

Kelly’s Roast Beef of MA Stayed Open During Blizzard

Giordano’s Planning More Indiana Pizzerias

Learn All about Texas Kolaches from a Texas Senator

America’s Top 21 Diners

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MCL Restaurant & Bakery, Richmond IN

REVIEW

We don’t have cafeterias where we live (at least none that we’d want to eat in), so we’re always impressed, when traveling in a cafeteria-rich region of America, with the bounty of home-style cooking that can be enjoyed in one with the same ease, and minimal expense, of visiting a fast-food chain back home. We normally avoid chain restaurants during our travels, but one cafeteria chain we enjoy when passing through Indiana is MCL. Born in Indianapolis in 1950, MCL now numbers 19 primarily-Indiana restaurants. Continue reading

LAF in the A.M. January 21st, 2015

A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day

 HAPPY NATIONAL NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER DAY!

Is Jewish Deli a Victim of Assimilation?

Lynn’s Paradise Cafe Neighbors Angry

Indy Giordano’s Opening 2/3

NYT Visits Brennan’s of New Orleans

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