Culinary Trails
Eastern Indiana
The Indiana Foodways Alliance recommends the following restaurants for visitors who wish to sample the local fare in the counties located in eastern Indiana. Call to verify hours.
Pricing is averaged and may be subject to change.
$ = Sandwiches are under $5, entrees under $10
$$ = Sandwiches are under $9, entrees under $18
$$$ = Lunches $10 and up, dinners $18 and up
Randolph County
Ghyslain Chocolates, Inc.
350 W. Deerfield Road 866-449-7524
Union City, IN 47390 http://www.ghyslain.com
Ghyslain Maurais brought his Old World candy- and pastry-making skills from Quebec to Eastern Indiana and presides over an aromatic candy kitchen where chocolate is elevated to fine art. (We always knew it belonged on a pedestal!) The beautifully painted chocolate turtles and truffles glow in their gold boxes and melt in your mouth. Plump marzipan fruits and pastries make still life tableaus in the display cases. And the croissants! Let's just say Ghyslain is a certified French pastry chef and candy-maker who has worked in the finest 5-star hotels throughout the world before settling down with his wife, Susan, in Union City, IN, to delight Hoosiers with his craft. Tours with taste tests are available at 10 am and 2 pm on Monday through Friday or by reservation. The boutique is open Mon-Fri 8 am-6 pm, Sat. 8 am-3 pm. Lunch is served 11 am-1 pm. Mon.-Sat. $$
Wick’s Pies, Inc. & Mrs. Wick’s Pie Shoppe
100 Cherry Street 765-584-7437
Winchester, IN 47394
Mrs. Wick’s is the cozy home-style bakery and restaurant next to the Wick’s Pies factory in Winchester. Mike Wickersham’s father began the pie company in 1944, and his mom opened Mrs. Wick’s 20 years ago to showcase over 32 varieties of handmade pies baked on the premises, and offer them the way pie should be served - with a scoop of ice cream. Today the extensive menu includes breakfast, lunch and dinner specialties, but you can still get a slice of freshly baked pie with ice cream for around $3.00, and you can take home perfect pies, “seconds”, pot pies and noodles at factory discount prices. Wick’s patented sugar cream pie, along with pecan and German chocolate pies are carried in the freezer sections of most supermarkets in Indiana. They are made across the street, where Wick’s Factory tours are offered on Wed. and Thurs. in April, May and June, and Mon.- Fri. in September and October. Open Mon.-Fri. 6 am - 7 pm. Sat. 6 am - 2 pm. $
Farmland Chocolates at Tanglevine Crossing
110 North Main Street 765-468-6958
Farmland, IN 47340 www.tanglevinecrossing.com
Cinnamon truffles and silky French chew taffy are among the handmade delights at Tanglevine, a treasure chest of a gift shop and confectionery in charming downtown Farmland. The chocolate-covered cherries, toffee and carmidillos are also worth a stop each time you travel through Randolph County near the Ohio border. Top quality ingredients and loving care go into these carefully made candies that locals often order before they are fashioned. Open Tues. - Sat. 10 am - 5 pm.
Thyme For Tea
120 East Franklin St. 765-584-3536
Winchester, IN 47394
This 1860’s green brick townhouse started life as the residence of a superior court judge, and was lovingly restored by Peggy and Bill West as a tea room five years ago. The carved woodwork, high ceilings and lace-curtained tall windows make a pleasant atmosphere for lunch or tea, where the motto is “as natural and homemade as possible”. Real lemonade and hot or cold teas accompany almond chicken salad, hot chicken sandwiches, homemade soups and Peggy’s signature pecan muffins and homemade yeast rolls. Fanny Bogue bakes the pies in the little kitchen behind the shop - apricot and coconut cream pie were recent menu offerings, along with daily specials like quiche, fruit salads and Amish meatloaf. Open Mon.- Fri. 11 am - 3 pm. $$
The Chocolate Moose
101 North Main Street 765-468-7731
Farmland, IN 47340
This old-fashioned soda fountain and grill is the heart of Farmland, where owners Gary “Moose” and Karen Moore greet their customers, and high school kids get their first jobs. The hand-breaded pork tenderloins are cooked to perfection on the grill with a flat iron- not deep fried, and they are served on a 5 inch bun with homemade potato “chips” and coleslaw. The pork comes from the local Farmland meat locker. Fish and seasoned chips are another specialty at the Chocolate Moose, along with homemade soups, salads and sandwiches. Desserts include apple dumplings and fruit cobblers, served with Atz Premium Ice Cream from Kendallville. Ice cream flavors include cherry mousse, moose tracks and seasonal favorites like pumpkin, peppermint and black walnut. Flavored cokes, sodas and phosphates are fountain favorites. Open daily 11 am - 9 pm, or 10 pm on Fri. & Sat. $$
Main Street Café
104 N. Main St. 765-468-8393
Farmland, IN 47340 www.mainstreetcoffees.com
The Wheeldon family knows coffee, and they are eager to share its lore with visitors to Farmland with a coffee photo display and stories of the free-trade shade-grown organic coffees that are expertly roasted, blended and ground on the premises. The beautifully restored shop glows from the bird’s eye maple and poplar original flooring to the stamped tin ceilings. The coffees are flavorful enough to need minimal sweetening or milk and the café offers a wide array of freshly ground coffees to take home and enjoy. Open Tues. - Sat. 10 am - 3 pm, Sat. 9 am -3 pm.
D &J’s
730 W. Washington St. 765-584-4010
Winchester, IN 47394
The dark brick building at the town’s entrance gives little indication of the friendly service or warm interior of this classic hometown restaurant. Jennie Pearson makes the fabled apple salad and Jennie’s chicken salad, along with the pickled eggs and beets, ham salad, macaroni and potato salads that Winchester natives thrive on. The fried chicken and homemade cherry pie are top sellers too. D & J’s hand-breads their pork tenderloins and jumbo cod fillets, and offers sandwiches, salads, plate dinners and steaks on their classic menu that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open Mon. - Thurs. 7 am - 8 pm, Fri. - Sat. 7 am - 9 pm, Sun. 7 am - 3 pm. $
Farmland General Store
113 N. Main St. 765-468-6472
Farmland, IN 47340
This long narrow shop on Main Street is filled with old-fashioned glass-front candy counters, shelves and barrels filled every kind of candy imaginable. Childhood favorites abound, with cream drops, divinity, homemade marshmallows and caramels in the cases joining Mary Janes, licorice, candy lipstick and jawbreakers on the shelves. If you can remember it, you may be able to find it here at the General Store on Main Street. Open Mon. - Fri. 11am - 5pm, Sat. 10am - 6pm.
Bartonia Restaurant
3460 S Arba Pike 765-964-3030
Union City, IN 47390
At the intersection of Greenville and Arba Pikes sits a big house with a front porch. Inside, the spare open dining area is one big room with a counter at the back and lots of farmers wearing ball hats and eating “Bartoni” burgers, homemade soups or breakfast served anytime of the day. A sign mentions mashed potatoes and gravy every Friday, Saturday and Sunday - that would be to go with the platters of chicken, fish, pork chops or steak that are served with corn or green beans for dinner. Homemade pie and ice cream cover the dessert menu of this very reasonably priced local hangout where pizza, munchies, burritos and wraps round out the menu. Open Mon. - Thurs. 10:30 am - 8 pm, Fri.-Sat. 10:30 am - 9 pm, Sun. 10:30 am - 2 pm. $
Wilson Wines
1037 S. Indian Trail 765-853-5100
Modoc, IN 47358 www.wilsonwines.com
Way down a country lane in Randolph county, John Wilson makes wines like Modoc White from Niagra grapes, Richard Red from Concord grapes, and Autumn White from grapes gathered from the16 year old vines on the family farm. Brothers Jim and John offer free tours of the winery in a lively manner, stating "this is a hobby and a party that became a business in 2000". The patio outside the winery is the site of many seasonal celebrations of wine and food, pulled off with the help of the "Wenches and Grinches" a group of volunteers who cook and set up the croquet fields for concerts and tournaments. Poetry readings, grill-outs, luaus, music and the famous Modoc Meadows Fall Follies (50 gallons of ham & beans, blue grass and the release of the Summer Fruit Wines) are a few of the hilarious events that take food and wine seriously at Wilson Wines. Check the website for event listings. Winery hours: May - December, Thurs. - Fri. 6 pm - 9 pm, Sat. -Sun. 1 pm - 6 pm.
Jay County
Sharlette's Fudgery & Candies
112 South Meridian 260-726-4937
Portland, IN 47371
Sharlette and Ron Cole preside over this beautiful little shop with a sweet chocolate aroma. Sharlette's fresh creamy fudge goes beyond chocolate, maple and peanut butter to innovative offerings like Wedding Cake, Praline and seasonal favorites key lime, apple pie, pumpkin and strawberry. The shop offers gourmet flavored malted milk balls, tender turtles, fudge apples and candies, and even sells chocolate candles and small gift items. Glass bottled sodas and coffee are available, or you can extend your visit to the Glass Bonsai next door, where coffees, teas and smoothies are served in a zen setting. Open Tues.- Fri. 10 am - 5 pm, Sat. 10am - 3 pm. Extended hours for weekend events.
Greazy Pickle
211 W. Main St. 260-726-9200
Portland, IN 47371
We don't like the name, but the Pickle has good hand-breaded tenderloins, state fair ribeye sandwiches and bite-sized fritters they call corn nuggets that are creamy on the inside and crisp on the outside. The tenderloins are not pounded thin, so the pork stands up to the seasoned breading. This is a very casual tavern with a bar menu, concrete floor and a pool table in the middle of the room. Open Mon. - Wed. 11 am - midnight, Thurs. - Sat. 11 am - 3 am, Sun. noon - 8 pm. Non-smoking until 9 pm daily.
Bear Creek Farm's Homestead Restaurant
8339 N. 400 E 260-997-6822
Bryant, IN 47326 www.bearcreekfarms.com
The Homestead Restaurant is part of a 200 acre resort in rural Indiana that offers home-style Hoosier food from an extensive menu, the Garden Gazebo Grill or the Grand Buffet. Well-seasoned pan-fried chicken, apple butter, noodles, old-fashioned salads and artisan breads are the stars of the menu. The Homestead serves up to 700 diners at one meal in a multi-dining room setting when they have scheduled musical acts in their concert hall that attract tour groups, and they offer themed packages to overnight guests as well, but the general public is welcome to join them for meals and to shop for the baked goods, jams, noodles, fudge and candies that are made at Bear Creek. Open April 15 - December 31 for lunch and dinner, Tues. - Thurs. 11 am - 7:30 pm. Fri. - Sat. 11 am - 8 pm, Sun. 11 am - 4 pm. Closed Nov. 25-27 and Dec. 23-26 and on Mondays. $
Tom & Rod's Steakhouse
2 W. Main St. 260-726-8965
Portland, IN 47371
Across the street from the Pickle, Tom & Rod's has been the classic mainstay restaurant in Portland since 1975. The full bar and pleasant, comfortable dining rooms have a slightly masculine air, with photos of local entertainers on the walls. The sandwich and dinner menu is served all day, so the selection includes the Homemade Giant Breaded Texas Tenderloin - a classic wafer thin pork tenderloin in a fine golden breading, flame broiled burgers, broasted chicken, prime rib, steaks, ribs and six tempting shrimp dishes. There is even a pizza menu for weekends. Open 11 am - 10 pm daily.
Henry County
Highway 38 Diner
350 W. State Road 38 765-521-2877
New Castle, IN 47362
This is a gem of a roadside Hoosier diner, housed in an unassuming tan brick building on Highway 38. Open the door, and the sunny yellow walls and regular diners will offer a hearty greeting. Choose between smoking or non-smoking dining rooms, decorated with glamour shots of classic sports cars and find a booth. The daily specials are posted, and include chicken and noodles on Thursdays, chicken and dumplings on Fridays, and pan-fried chicken on Fridays and Sundays. The diner bills itself as the home of the mile high burger, and the classic breaded tenderloin, served with homemade potato chips. Lots of homemade side dishes and a full breakfast menu that includes fried mush, oatmeal and the "Working Man Special" (3 eggs, smoked sausage, ham or bacon, home fries or hash browns, biscuits and gravy and coffee for $6.25), mean you can eat healthy or hearty here. But don't pass up dessert - freshly baked cream pies and fruit cobblers, cakes and rhubarb squares. The sugar cream pie has a dusting of traditional nutmeg, and the peanut butter, coconut and chocolate pies have local diners debating their favorite. Open Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 8 pm, Sat. 6 am - 3 pm, Sun. 8 am - 2 pm.
Macaboo's Steakhouse and Sports Bar
5800 S. State Rd. 3 765-987-8000
Spiceland, IN 47385
Macaboos is located less than a ¼ mile south of I-70 at exit 123, on State Route 3, near the New Castle Motorsports Park. Built recently as a lodge with fieldstone fireplaces and soaring rafters, it features a large sports bar, dining room, screened dining gazebo and patio dining. Macaboo's also features a dining room menu that is serious about grilled steaks and pastas, and a bar menu that does a good fried pickle and pork tenderloin sandwich. The wait for a table can take up to an hour on Friday or Saturday nights, so plan accordingly. Open daily at 4 pm - late. $$
Back in Time Tea Room & Bakery
403 W. County Rd. 100 N. 765-533-3177
New Castle, IN 47362
Larry and Polly McCord have built a farm house style tea room with a big front porch next to their original business, the LP Greenhouse, where they serve beautiful salads, sandwiches, soups and fresh bakery items for lunch in a peaceful country setting. The tea room is decorated with antiques, and lunch is served on Polly's antique china collection. Choose flavorful choices of choose tea blends, hot or iced coffee, hot chocolate or milk to go with your carefully prepared luncheon - the tea room does not serve sodas, and does not take credit cards. Open Tues. - Sat. 11 am - 3 pm.
Decatur County
HighPoint Orchard and Farm Market
3321 N. U.S. Highway 421 812-663-4534
Greensburg, IN 47240
The brick federal style homestead on the highest hill in Decatur County is a breathtaking backdrop for the blooming acres of fruit trees where that surround Karen and Randy Cyman's farm market and lunch room. Fresh baked goods include pies, breads, cupcakes and cookies, donuts are made each morning, and chicken salad, sandwiches, colorful salads with edible blossoms and soups are served for lunch. There are lots of local specialty foods and garden gifts to buy in the shop, along with extra baked goods to take home, and flowering hanging baskets as well. Cider and the many varieties of apples and Asian pears from Highpoint's orchard are available in season, culminating in an annual Apple Fest the second weekend in October. Open Tues. - Sat. 9 am - 6 pm. Lunch served 11 am - 2 pm.
Stories Restaurant
109 E. Main St. 812-663-2114
Greensburg, IN 47240
Lewis and Katherine Storie opened their Main Street restaurant in 1977, and their children, Don, Chuck and Beth have made it as much of a landmark as the tree top county courthouse across the street here in Greensburg. The place hums with conversation as patrons happily tuck into the plate lunches and pies that are better than homemade, thanks to the second generation's dedication to their art. Don's wife, Annie makes all the salads and pan fries the famous chicken, while Chuck's wife, Jane bakes the generous pies: coconut, banana, apple crumb, peach, butterscotch, cherry and graham cracker (a vanilla custard with a golden meringue) that are on the menu daily, plus offering a seasonal pie, such as fresh strawberry for late spring. Biscuits and gravy and hotcakes top the full breakfast menu, and the plate lunch specials come with three sides. Of course, there is a really Big Tenderloin (premium Indiana pork, cut fresh, marinated and breaded) on the sandwich and dinner menu along with roast beef Manhattan, cod fish tails, pork BBQ and burgers, N.Y. strip steak, ham, chicken, shrimp and catfish. Homemade salads, soups and sides round out the classic Hoosier offerings. Open Mon. - Sat. 8 am - 7:30 pm. Closed Sunday.
