Saturday, December 9, 2017

White House Candy Co.











Welcome to the neighborhood, White House Candy Co.! If you haven’t discovered them yet, they are located on Chestnut Street, across from Zimmerman’s Glass, in downtown Corydon. Make plans to visit!

I stopped in with my sister, and we compiled quite a tasty sampler box: caramel and marshmallow milk chocolate, peanut smoothie milk chocolate, vanilla caramel sea salt dark chocolate, banana truffle white chocolate, sponge (molasses) dark chocolate, and orange cream milk chocolate. I can't comment on the sugar-free chocolates, but they are available. All chocolates are sold by the pound, so buy as little, or as much, as you care to.

They also have a wide range of popcorn flavors, plus taffy and other candies. Word on the street is that they will be adding lunch options soon. I think another outing will be needed once food is available. Let's plan it!

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Red Yeti
















I was in downtown Jeffersonville for their Light Up parade and celebration. After some Small Business Saturday shopping, it was time for some food. How could I walk past the Red Yeti on the corner of Spring and Chestnut?!

This is my Elaine sandwich with grilled chicken, brie, and Granny Smith apple slices on marble rye, with a side of braised kale with bacon and onions. YUM!!

If you enjoy local brews, Red Yeti operates Red Foot Brewing onsite. You can see the huge cylinders in a separate area off the bar. How fresh is that?!

Since raving about my meal, so many people have told me about the Sunday Brunch with all the fixings. Who wants to tease the Red Yeti some Sunday with me?!

Click here for their website.

Friday, November 10, 2017

Gray Brothers Cafeteria














You know I love an old-school cafeteria, with the trays you slide along the track to contain all the yumminess you think you can finish off. Gray Brothers Cafeteria in Mooresville (outside Indianapolis) sure hit the spot when I drove up to Indy for the BoDeans concert at the Vogue Theater. (Note that I've been a BoDeans fan for 30+ years, but I think my cafeteria love predates them!)

My go-to resource for quality eating, Roadfood.com, flagged Gray Brothers as "one of the best." Since Roadfood has never let me down, it was an easy decision to try them out.

They are set up serpentine-line style, so you can take a looksie at the food before you have to commit. I lucked out and went right to the front of the line, which started with utensils, but that meant I was all in with my decisions. It was hard, and I could tell by the drag of the tray that my eyes were probably bigger than my stomach. By the time I nearly polished off the fried chicken, probably the best mac and cheese EVER, green beans, and cranberry jello salad, the line was doubled-up and out the door. Thanks, Roadfood, for the alert to avoid the dinner rush!

I will say that the raisin pie was a new taste sensation, and I will select differently on the next visit. I'm really going to say this: it was toooo sweet. And I will be back. Who wants to join me?!

Click here for their website.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Marty's Restaurant
















I'm off to Milwaukee to visit one of my besties, and to see Eddie Izzard one night, and Steve Martin and Martin Short the next night. Talk about a gut-busting laughfest!!

Then there was the gut-busting food. This little ditty, The Cowboy Breakfast, was courtesy of Marty's Restaurant and Fiesta Hall in Waterford. I know it's my kind of place when the lady at the upscale consignment shop almost apologized for "the diner" in town. I am responsible for the egg/bacon/sausage face, and it was fun to get back to my food-as-whimsy days. That's cinnamon-swirl French toast and the lower edge of the plate, in case you are wondering, to provide the carb balance. And, Marty's had the most-delicious horchata I've had outside Los Angeles! I gulped at least three glasses down, it was soooo good!

We didn't check out the Fiesta Hall side of the restaurant, but there was a full breakfast buffet - even more variety than my Cowboy plate! - available. Put it on the list for next time!

Click here for their website.


Saturday, September 9, 2017

Zaharakos in Columbus, IN

Wow, if Fair Oaks Pharmacy, Museum of Making Music, and maybe Griffith Park's merry-go-round ever merged together, then they would be CLOSE to being what Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor/Museum already is!
















This is the amazing marble counter with stained glass and vintage soda fountain features. And the fountains still work!! Zaharakos dates to 1900, so think of all the tasty treats served over this counter.

I went up to Columbus for the Scottish Festival. I did some research and Zaharakos was the place to visit after the piping, sheep herding, and caber tossing excitement for some old-school ice cream fun. Boy, did it deliver!!



















But first, I laid a base with the Gom Sandwich, a classic sloppy joe but on grilled bread, and warm kettle chips. YUMM!!




















THEN I could enjoy this fabulous root beer float, with the root beer from the soda fountain! Can you feel the giddiness I was feeling?!




















But we're just getting started! Zaharakos also has a collection of mechanical music. Think player piano, but this was a player BANJO, with tamborine and triangle!! So cool!! This little boy is bopping to my quarter-activated music. Other people pulled out coins to keep the music going, too. It was delightful!




















There were four of five of these machines, alternating with non-utilized soda fountains. Sooo cool!!




















Columbus is straight up I-65, and 90 or so minutes away. Totally worth it to take a trip back in time!

Click here for Zaharakos' website.

Friday, August 25, 2017

8th Street Pizza




















This week's favorite pizza is from 8th Street Pizza in New Albany! Not only is the pizza delish, but they follow the pay-what-you-can methodology of The Table (see July 18 post) and support the local community. They are a self-described "boutique pizza shop and ministry" and all proceeds go to rent, utilities and programming. Hours are irregular for now: Wednesday 4p-8p; Thursday 11a-2-; and Friday 11a-8p. It's worth it to swing by on these limited hours!

Click here for their website.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Parkette Drive-In

I'm in Lexington today making sales calls with two attractions partners. We had a fancy-pants lunch at Dudley's downtown (no pix due to attempted professionalism at the meeting with a local colleague), and now it's time to take a breather. We needed an afternoon treat before making the final stops, and Parkette Drive-In was an awesome detour! This is their 60-year-old neon sign, with the carhop on top delivering someone's delicious food, with a row of cars along the top. It is worthy of a return trip just to see it all lit up at night!

Parkette is totally old-school, with pull-in spots where you eat in your car, and carhops still bring you a tray of food. Inside, there's a soda fountain counter with booths, and more tables in what looks like a converted garage space. They had to pull down the roll-up doors due to the rain while we were there.





















And this is my Hot Fudge Brownie, with a warm brownie base, ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry. Wow, and are you catching the googly Formica pattern? I need more detours like this!

Click here for the Parkette's website.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

The Table













Doing good, while eating good, is a great thing! This humble watermelon salad and BLT are tasty dishes from The Table in Portland, just west of downtown Louisville. Not only is the food delicious, but they have a surprising "pay what you can" policy. Pay the menu price, pay what you can afford, pay with your time, or leave some extra to pay it forward.

I snagged this from their website for the formal explanation: "The Table is a non-profit, social entrepreneurship that serves locally grown, fresh food and operates under a pay-what-you-can model. We value a place where everyone is welcome, and we provide creative payment solutions for all." How cool is that?!

Currently, they are only open for weekday lunch, so plan accordingly. I look forward to working my way through the menu. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked amazing. Who wants to join me?!

Click here for their website.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Los Aztecas














Today I have a hankering for some old-school Mexican food with just the basics: beans, rice, chips, chicken, cheese, and sauce. Los Aztecas on Main Street in Louisville certainly delivered!

This is their Chilaquiles Mexicano with corn tortillas, chunks of chicken, their special sauce and coated with melted cheese. It's an "all hands on deck" kind of dish, because you are definitely eating this with your fingers - nacho style! And the hot queso, fresh chips, and chunky salsa sure hit the spot.

Who wants to meet me for round #2?!

Click here for their website.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Jailhouse Pizza

















Introducing my new favorite pizza: The Electric Chair from Jailhouse Pizza in Brandenburg, Kentucky!

This hot little number has a lot going for it, and it even comes with a warning to "Eat at your own risk!" Ingredients are pepperoni, sausage, jalapeno peppers, hot sauce, their specialty Death Row sauce, and mozzarella. YUM!!

Oh, it was spicy hot, with my lips and tongue BURNING, but it was definitely worth the brief discomfort. Delicious pizza served up in a historic jailhouse was the order of the day. What's not to love about that? I can also recommend the White Flag pizza, with ricotta spread, mozzarella, spinach and garlic. We did give it up for that one, plus a sausage/pepperoni, and the chicken/bacon/ranch. Wow!!
















Jailhouse Pizza was an actual jailhouse from 1906 to the mid 1970s. Hank Williams, Sr. chalked up a night or two there.




















Our party was too big to fit inside the cell for our food, but that would be a cool experience for another time.




















Roam around the spaces to see the historic details. This was the show stopper - the drop-away floor where prisoners were hung. It is now covered by plexi, but my skin did crawl a bit. They say the space is haunted, which is totally understandable.




















The bottom of the drop-away floor, in case you were wondering how real they kept the place. Go see it for yourself!!

Jailhouse Pizza's address is 125 Main Street, Brandenburg, KY. Phone is 270-422-2664. Click here for their website.

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Indianapolis Museum of Art

I'm roadtripping to Indy today to experience the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and I LOVED everything about IMA!!
















I'll start with the awesome gardens. Twenty-six acres of plants including these Dr. Seuss-ish purple balls. I will have outdoor space in my new place, so I am paying attention to the floral opportunities.
















And, in one greenhouse, Drawn to Pink? or Drawn to Green?, Orange?, Purple?, Blue?, White?, and Yellow? sections will entice a run to the garden center for foliage. I am leaning to pollinator plants, so I definitely want some color.




















And I love this high/low color spill!




















And the best gift of all is a late-season gorgeous iris! I will definitely have some of those planted for next year.




















Inside the Museum, there was also the terrific Audubon: Drawn to Nature exhibition. I lucked out and tagged along with a docent tour and found out some amazing things.

I didn't know the Audubon prints were a subscription service, and I certainly didn't know the process.











The six steps are 1) observation and collection specimens, 2) pinning into position, 3) drawing and painting, 4) engraving or turning watercolors into prints, 5) hand coloring of prints, and 6) distribution. Each stage had examples and explanations.

Audubon: Drawn to Nature closes July 30, then the images go back to the private collector, per the docent. This is one of the nuggets I heard during the tour. There are no plans to travel the exhibition, so see it while you can!



















And I couldn't sign off without posting a pic of Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture in the Museum's lobby. What a great trip, indeed!

Click here for IMA's website.

Friday, May 26, 2017

Wild Rita's












It's my third day of working a fan festival at Louisville Slugger Field. I've already dabbled my way through the grilled sausages and Graeter's ice cream (granted, no complaints with either!), and I'm craving something different. Wild Rita's at the Residence Inn on Market scored!

This is the Taco Plate with Mexican rice. I went with Carnitas and Pescado Frito varieties from the six available. But, the most delicious dish was the Street Corn with queso fresca, spiced crema, and cilantro. YUM!! Street Corn is currently on my Favorite Things list, and this was a superb version.

Wild Rita's was a great space with bright colors and lots of cool blown glass. You know I'm not a drinker, but, if I was, this would be a great place to do it!

Click here for Wild Rita's website.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Ann's by the River
















Have you ever needed a visual to fully encapsulate what a "carb load" means? This delicious tray of food from Ann's by the River in Jeffersonville should do the trick!

Ann's is a classic diner, with trays and the rail to slide it along while making your choices. They are known for their rotating specials with four or more hot entrees, fresh vegetables and salads, and a smorgasbord of desserts daily. Wowza!! I got the fried chicken with two sides - greens and mac and cheese - and HAD to try to white bean soup with Johnny corn cake. Oh, and the lemon meringue pie was a no brainer.

I'm happy to say that no food was wasted on this venture, as I packed up half to take back to work with me. Two times the tastiness at Ann's!

Ann's is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Friday. Plan accordingly for the carb crash and need for a nap afterward!

Click here for Ann's website.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Frankfort Roadtrip: The Old Bus Station and Kentucky Fudge Company

Day two of sales calls, and this time we're heading East. Today's food and snackies had a shared historic theme.




















The Olde Bus Station Restaurant in Harrodsburg was a formerly a Greyhound Bus Station. The lunch counter was original to the Greyhound setup, and the you can imagine the buses pulling up where the covered deck is now.

This is the Titan Burger, topped with onion rings, bacon, and BBQ sauce, with a really fresh take on pasta salad with peas and bacon. YUM!

For our snackie, we went to Kentucky Fudge Company, located in this fabulous 1865 former drug store. I got some refreshing ice cream, but the cool setting was more interesting than the treat on this visit. It reminded me of the Pharmacy Museum in New Orleans!

Harrodsburg and Evansville have inspired me to get out and see more of this area. Are you with me?!

The Olde Bus Station Restaurant does not have a website. Address is 227 S. Greenville Street in Harrodsburg. Phone is 859-734-4202.

Kentucky Fudge Company does not have a website. Address is 225 S. Main Street in Harrodsburg. Phone is 859-733-0088.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Evansville Roadtrip: Walton's and Piece of Cake

I haven't been to Evansville for 30 or more years. I'm there today making sales calls with a colleague, and you know the girls have got to eat!
















The good folks at the Visitor Center - which is a cool pagoda along the bike path and worth a stop while in town - recommended Walton's International Comfort Food near the Arts District. You know you're at the right spot when there's a wheelbarrow filled with wood by the kitchen door to keep the oven stoked! Walton's kept earning the points with a basket of popcorn as the pre-meal munchie?! Cool, huh?!
















The menu had some amazing, drool-worthy items. I went with the Pig and Fig pizza. It was everything your tastebuds are dreaming of!! It was super rich, so next time I'll order a salad or veggie side for balance. YUM!!

Later, after innumerable sales schpeels and elevator pitches, we earned the hit-the-road snackie. We find a cutie-pie bakery shop on Main Street named Piece of Cake. This is my Lemony Snippetts cookie, which was a lemon cookie with lemon marshmallow cream frosting and sugar sprinkles. Delish!

I made some great sales connections, got to see a long-forgotten Indiana town, and enjoyed some tasty treats. Carpe diem, my friends!

Click here for Walton's website.
Click here for Piece of Cake's website.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Daisy's Country Cooking

This is as close to insta-posting as I'm getting to these days. I just came from a delicious meal of liver and onions, greens, mac and cheese, cornbread, and orange cake, thanks to my new friends at Daisy's County Cooking on West Fifth Street in downtown New Albany. Yum!!
 
You know I have a thing for cafeterias, and the whole slide-the-tray-down-the-track opportunity to select from a variety of tasties served in the individual plastic bowls. I was spent after a day hostessing tourism colleagues, then I concierged a senior group. What better pick-up than some iron-rich liver and onions? I felt perkier after the first bite!!
 
And, I'm especially intrigued by the idea of cafeteria-style breakfasts, so a follow-up to Daisy's is definitely needed. Who wants to join me?!
 
Daisy's does not have a website. Phone is 812-944-8101.

Friday, April 14, 2017

The Cafe


So, I've been hearing about The Café from multiple co-workers. See, I've been investigating box lunch options for my groups, so I'm getting great input from lots of sources. Today, I understand why The Café is topping those lists.

This, my friends, is the Southern Grits Scramble, with grits covered by eggs, covered by cheese, then covered by tomatoes and bacon. Do I even need to explain how terrific this was?! And, breakfast is available at any time. I love a joint that doesn't limit dreamy food to just morning hours.

I understand from (now confirmed) good sources that the salads, sandwiches, and soups are good. Heck, I haven't heard a bad thing about The Café! Who's with me to explore the whole menu?

Click here for The Cafe's website.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

O'Shea's Irish Pub


This month's Best Burger Ever came to me courtesy of O'Shea's Irish Pub in the Highlands. It is, afterall, Tartan Day, and I'm hanging with the Louisville Pipe Band at a fundraiser there. I was a first-timer to this pub, but you know I did my menu homework. Their Pepper Jam Avocado Burger topped with Swiss, crispy peppers, sweet hot pepper jam, lettuce, and tomato on a potato bun was off the charts! Note that I tried to order healthy with seasoned (which unbeknownst to me was bacon!) and charred Brussels sprouts. Delish!! Who wants to get their Irish on and explore with me?!

Click here for O'Shea's website.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Red Barn Antique Mall

















I am visiting my Mom in Corydon, and I have the urge to stop by Red Barn Antique Mall. I answered the call, and I scored!!

Luster Ware is my favorite dishware, because it is a fabulous blend of form and function. That melted creamsicle sheen was what pulled me in originally, but I am pleased to use my pieces daily. No curio cupboard for these beauties! Fire King made them pretty indestructible, and I get so excited when I add to my collection.

These dinner plates are in wonderful condition, and I couldn't pass on (another!) perfect sugar bowl and creamer set. Shout out to the previous owner for taking care of them.

With three floors of antiques and collectibles to explore, I'm sure you'll find something you like, too. Let's go!!

Click here for Red Barn's website.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Dragon King's Daughter



I'm in the Highlands, hanging with my Louisville Pipe Band chums, after marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. (So many cool things about that sentence!!) We're tired and hungry, after marching, playing, and dodging beads and other toss-able items from the partying crowd. We settled on Dragon King's Daughter, because we could eat while watching the revelers and the end of the parade.

I often pick my sushi like I pick my racehorses - by their cool names. Dragon King's Daughter did not disappoint. At top is The Kraken Attacks (red tuna, avocado, hot sauce inside; escolar and unagi outside) and Sushi and the Banshees (cream cheese, roasted garlic, and avocado inside; salmon and basil outside) at bottom. YUM!!

The menu is quite diverse. One friend got kimchi nachos, another prosciutto quesadilla, and the last Asian Beef BBQ tacos. And everyone was happy and content afterward!

I see that there's also a New Albany location, so I can meet you on either side of the river to tackle all the options. Who's with me?!

Click here for their website.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

The Addams Family at Derby Dinner Playhouse


I can't believe I haven't posted on Derby Dinner Playhouse yet! Since coming back in July, I've already seen The Hallelujah Girls, Honky Tonk Angels, Run For Your Wife, and now The Addams Family at the delightful playhouse. It is a theatre-in-the-round, so the audience seating is wrapped around the center stage, which is configured differently with each production. Sweet!

For The Addams Family, daughter Wednesday falls in love with a "normal" guy, who turns out to be not so normal. The Addams long-dead ancestors in a wide-variety of historical attires (caveman, knight in shining armor, school marm) are involved with bringing them together. And, it's a hoot - bawdy, witty, stomach-achingly funny stuff!!

Oh, as for the Dinner part, there is a full-on buffet beforehand! Salad bar, corn casserole, and fried chicken are just a few of the items loading (and re-loading!) down my plate. Good stuff!!

The next major production is Sister Act. Fingers are crossed I get to see that one, too!

Click here for Derby Dinner Playhouse's website.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Another Place Sandwich Shop
















Lunch al desko does not have dreadful. This, my friends, is a PBLT - BLT with a hearty schmeer of pimento cheese from Another Place Sandwich Shop off Seventh and Main downtown Louisville. Can I tell you how tasty the addition was?!

And, you get to walk by 21c's gigantic gold David statue when you visit Another Place. Hey, he's almost the same color as the pimento!!

I'm working my way through Another Place's menu, and the chocolate brownie with peanut butter frosting is dream-worthy. Let's go!!

Click here for their website.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Christmas Story House in Cleveland!

I'm in Cleveland for a work conference, and there is no way I'm leaving without seeing the Christmas Story House!

I grew up watching A Christmas Story; heck, I even still have a VHS copy of the movie! It is truly a holiday tradition for me.

A Christmas Story House is actually made of three components: (1) the ultra-fabulous Gift Shop, complete with the pink bunny outfit - or you can just get the slippers, and every configuration of leg-lamp items, (2) the House itself, and (3) the Museum.

All tours start at the Gift Shop, then a lovely guide walks you across the street while sharing the Christmas Story story. How the house fell into disrepair, and there was a motorcycle repair shop in the living room space. How the owner/uber-fan Brian Jones bought the house sight unseen and began the process of returning it to it's movie glory. How Jack Nicholson was originally pegged to play the Old Man. The great stories just went on and on!!




















And here it is! Can you see the leg lamp in the front window?! We also learned that only certain scenes were filmed in the house, due to space limitations. But, the Fragile box was delivered up those stairs and into the living room. The Christmas dinner scene with the dogs running through and destroying the turkey were filmed here on the first attempt.

These are my two favorite details:







































The coolest thing is that you can actually wander - and wonder! - around the house, and pick up the replica wall phone, or Randy's bib, or the Orphan Annie decoder ring. Too cool!




















Then there's the Museum where the real stuff is presented and protected. Here's Randy's snowsuit. We learned it was stuffed with upholstery foam, so Randy really couldn't put down his arms. Plan to stroll through rooms with the chalkboard from the A+++++ scene, and see one of the Red Ryder guns actually used on film. Truly an awesome experience for me!

Who wants to roadtrip to Cleveland?! I understand there's also a music museum of some esteem we can also pop into!

Click here for A Christmas Story House's website.