Classic Restaurants Of Indianapolis

Indianapolis boasts a few restaurants more than one hundred years old. Eateries like the legendary Hollyhock Hill and St. Elmo's Steakhouse are classic staples in the capital city. But for every legendary local restaurant that exists today, several more are mere memories. Diners can no longer feast on heaping piles of coconut shrimp at the Key West Shrimp House or sip on a Brandy Alexander at Fireside after a well-cooked steak, but their legacies still live on. Author Jeff Kamm explores the historic restaurants and most-missed locales that continue to define Indianapolis's culinary heritage.

A wonderful diversity of flavors has defined Northwest Indiana as a dining destination from its earliest days to the present. So great was the demand for frogs legs that the venerable Vogel's raised its own at a small lake nearby. Indiana-style, crisped-edged hamburgers at Miner-Dunn and Schoops survived the onslaught of fast-food chains. Ammeson leads a tasty tour of historic Region restaurants, some still serving but others almost lost to memory.--Adapted from back cover.

Nestled in a horseshoe bend along the Ohio River, Evansville bestrides the border between the Mid-South and the Midwest. This location allowed the city to build a culinary tradition all its own. For generations, cherished eateries like Turoni's, House of Como and Hilltop Inn have served delicious and unique local fare like brain sandwiches, cracker-crisp thin crust pizza, Ski slushies, burgoo and more. In recent years, revitalized historic districts have housed cafés, coffeehouses and breweries that hearken back to Evansville's past even as they embrace the present and look to the future. Historian and University of Southern Indiana professor Kristalyn Shefveland explores the historic restaurants and contemporary legends that define two centuries of Evansville's food history.

Chow down on the best foodie memories, and the places that provided them, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. With an abundance of appetizing eateries comes a wealth of memories. George Motz, author of Hamburger America, refers to Powers as "one of the greatest slider emporiums in America." The Hobby House provided the first restaurant experience for Dave Thomas, known worldwide as founder and pitchman for the Wendy's hamburger chain. Nine Mile Restaurant, which first opened as a tavern in 1837, competes for recognition as Indiana's oldest bar. During a campaign stop one month before his assassination, Robert F. Kennedy boasted that Zoli's on Broadway made "the best food I ever ate." Authors Keith Elchert and Laura Weston celebrate the savory and the sweet sides of the Summit City.

Noted TV personality and columnist Reid Duffy showcases 30 Indiana restaurants that have stood the test of time in this updated and expanded edition of Indiana's Favorite Restaurants. These showcased restaurants have been in existence for 25 years or more, and in some cases for several generations. Recipes for favorite dishes from these restaurants are included so that you can recreate the foods you love at home. Approximately 60 recipes -- from Acapulco Joe's Taco Filling to Nashville House Fried Biscuits -- accompany Duffy's reviews. "Comfort food" abounds in Indiana -- 162 restaurants are included in this category, and 23 well-known steak houses are highlighted in "Where's the Beef?" No fewer than 137 ethnic restaurants around the state are profiled here. Duffy looks to the future as well: he reviews 80 new restaurants that are "destined to stand the test of time." All of the restaurants popularized by Indiana Cooks! (IUP, 2005) have been included in this mouthwatering guidebook. Double the size of the original guide, Reid Duffy's Guide to Indiana's Favorite Restaurants serves up 432 thorough and extensive reviews. Each establishment has been visited in person and the food taste-tested. The result is the best guide to great dining for Indiana residents as well as visitors to the Hoosier state.

With an abundance of appetizing eateries comes a wealth of memories. George Motz, author of Hamburger America, refers to Powers as "one of the greatest slider emporiums in America." The Hobby House provided the first restaurant experience for Dave Thomas, known worldwide as founder and pitchman for the Wendy's hamburger chain. Nine Mile Restaurant, which first opened as a tavern in 1837, competes for recognition as Indiana's oldest bar. During a campaign stop one month before his assassination, Robert F. Kennedy boasted that Zoli's on Broadway made "the best food I ever ate." Authors Keith Elchert and Laura Weston celebrate the savory and the sweet sides of the Summit City.

The history of dining in Virginia goes back to 1607. Dairy lunches and tearooms dominated the early twentieth-century dining scene. Local favorite Doumar's--famous for inventing the ice cream cone--became the rage at the 1907 Jamestown Exposition, and palatial seaside resorts like the Cavalier attracted patrons to their luxurious dining rooms in the Roaring Twenties. In the 1930s, Bacalis' Hot Dog Place invented the Norfolk Dog, a tradition that's carried on today. Steinhilber's has catered to family nights out for decades, keeping pace as the local food scene has grown and changed. Join local chef and food writer Patrick Evans-Hylton as he recalls the history of Coastal Virginia's restaurants and the personalities that made them unforgettable.

Wichita is the birthplace of Pizza Hut and White Castle. But from its early days as a cattle drive stopover on the Chisholm Trail to its current life as a hub for aviation manufacturing, the city has been filled with hundreds of popular restaurants owned by generations of hardworking entrepreneurs. The 1920s and 1930s were a time for tearooms like Innes and for cafés like Holly Cafe and Fairland Cafe. The '60s and '70s ushered in swanky private nightclubs like Abe's. And there are classics like NuWay Cafe, Old Mill Tasty Shop and Angelo's that are still around today. Author Denise Neil details the rich history of Wichita's favorite classic eateries.