Archive for the ‘Indiana’ Category
Well another year has come and gone and Pop Culture Cuisine is officially a two years old! This year our lives have changed dramatically in many ways, including the addition of a new family member. We also may not have traveled as far as in the past, but Adam and I still love finding new ways to seek out culinary hot spots wherever our travels take us. We have compiled a list of some of our favorite and not so favorite spots to share with you with links so you can read our reviews for yourself. We STILL love food and hope to continue to share lots of great finds with you all along the way.
Signature Dish:
1. Al’s Beef’s “Italian Beef Sandwich” – Chicago, IL
2. Kim & Scott’s Café Twist’s “Twist Your Own” – Chicago, IL
3. The Varsity’s “Chili Dog” – Atlanta, GA
Taste:
1. Hot Doug’s – Chicago, IL
2. Al’s Beef – Chicago, IL
3. The Depot American Diner – Chicago, IL
Ambiance:
1. The Walnut Room – Chicago, IL
2. Slow’s Bar-BQ – Detroit, MI
3. Lynn’s Paradise Café – Louisville, KY
Service:
1. Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap – Joe and his staff – Chicago, IL
2. Kouzzina – John – Orlando, FL
3. Emeril’s – Spencer – Orlando, FL
Price:
1. The Varsity – Atlanta, GA
2. Al’s Beef – Chicago, IL
3. South Side Soda Shop – Goshen, IN
Overall Top 5:
1. Al’s Beef – Chicago, IL
2. Hot Doug’s – Chicago, IL (A VERY close 2nd place)
3. The Walnut Room – Chicago, IL
4. Kouzzina – Orlando, FL
5. Emeril’s – Orlando, FL
Top 5 Biggest Letdowns…Not worth the Hype:
1. The Whale’s Rib – Deerfield Beach, FL
2. Brennan’s – New Orleans, LA
3. Camp Washington – Cincinnati, OH
4. Graeter’s – Cincinnati, OH
5. The Loveless Café – Nashville, TN
Best of the Rest…Honorable Mention:
Most Fun – Kim & Scott’s Café Twist – Chicago, IL
Most Memorable – Kouzzina – Orlando, FL
Most Worth the Wait – Hot Doug’s – Chicago, IL
Most Outrageous Dish – Bub’s Burgers – Carmel, IN
Best Excursion – Epcot International Food and Wine Festival – Orlando. FL
Best Sandwich (Burgers Included) – The Depot American Diner – Chicago, IL
Best Sweet Treat – Emeril’s – Orlando, FL
We love traveling around the country trying to visit as many PCC worthy places as we can. It IS our passion after all, and we’ve managed to visit quite a long list of places. Still, this doesn’t come CLOSE to the list of places on our “want to” list, which is most likely due to the insane amount of food television we watch. But what can I say…it’s SO addicting, as all my fellow foodies will agree.
That being said, due to our busier schedule and my present preggo-condition, traveling hasn’t been on the forefront of our plans these days…well at least not any far travels. So it’s nice when we find a place that is nearby, and better yet in our home town. Now Elkhart and its surrounding cities are hardly what I would call trend setting. That is not to say I don’t love where we live, but we are definitely no Chicago, LA, or New York, or even any mid-tier city for that matter, and that is especially true when it comes to food. So it makes it even more exciting when Guy Fieri decides to pay a visit to a restaurant that is only 10 minutes away from our house…Yay!
South Side Soda Shop began as a soda fountain in the 1940’s in Goshen, IN. In 1986 it was reopened as a 50’s style diner that has been serving good home cooked meals to its patrons ever since. Voted “Best Chili in Michiana” 7 times, it is easy to see how they certainly take pride in the food they are churning out; and this is not your regular ol’ diner. What makes the soda shop so special is their unique and gourmet menu items that you would not typically find nor expect at a diner. I mean…they serve turtle soup and a variety of seafood dishes that are big local favorites and are hardly what you would expect here. It was this uniqueness that brought Guy and his “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” crew out for a visit in 2007.
We’ve known that the show had visited this spot for a while now, and we have even been there a few times since. Still, it took us a few years to actually feature it; and now that we’ve been back in Elkhart for more than a year, we decided it was time to give it an adequate showcase. So on a free Saturday a little bit back, Adam and I arranged a whole day of fun things to do, including a lunch pit stop at the South Side Soda Shop.
When you first approach the restaurant you are immediately taken back in time by the nostalgic old 50’s soda shop look. While not a large restaurant, we have never had an issue getting a booth or table relatively quickly; and a fun little bonus is they have trivial pursuit cards on the tables to test yourself while you wait for your order…neat huh?
We perused the menu for a little while, although having been here before, it didn’t take long to decide on what we would be ordering: a crab cake appetizer, bowl of chili for me, a cup of turtle soup and the very unique New England Cheeseburger (quarter pound burger with cheddar cheese all served on a grilled English muffin) for Adam, and a basket of their delicious curly fries to share; and in true diner fashion, it wasn’t long before it was all brought to the table. Let me tell you….it was quite a spread.
Another fun treat at the soda shop is how they serve their chili to you. It comes in a large ice cream sundae dish, over noodles, and covered in cheese. Can you say “YES PLEASE!” We shared bites of the crab cake, which we decided was a bit too fishy for our tastes, but it came with a sauce that was very yummy. Adam loved his burger, and as usual I had fun trying to get all that my chili sundae had to offer in one bite! We also enjoyed the curly fries just as much as we usually do, but I made sure not to go overboard so I could enjoy the rest of our meal…although I admit that was a little hard….dem fries o’ so good!
What I love so much about the South Side Soda Shop is how it makes no qualms about being a traditional diner and people love it for that. However, while it has those favorite dishes you know and love from the past, they are also not afraid to add some interesting menu twists to keep the customers coming back and that is what makes it great!
SIGNATURE DISH: As a soda shop or diner, they have many dishes you know, love, and expect to see on their menu. However, I would say their chili is definitely a hit, and having won best chili 7 times, I’d say that is the standout dish. Also, they are well known for their seafood dishes and the turtle soup is a local favorite. Finally, as a soda shop, you can’t go wrong with the burgers and fries….fresh cut extremely yummy curly fries at that!
TASTE: If chili isn’t your thing, don’t worry. They have plenty of other wonderful creations on their menu. Turtle soup, which is definitely unique to our area, is a favorite of Adam’s and I happen to also think their burger and fries are pretty darn good!
AMBIANCE: If you loved going to an old school diner or soda shop as a kid, this will for sure bring back memories. If you have never been to one, this is definitely one to visit. The great nostalgic feel alone I feel is worth it. I love the soda fountain, counter, and old booths. Even the accessories just make it feel as if you have stepped back in time a little bit. It’s a fun comfortable place to be.
PRICE: What is so great about South Side is not only are you getting a great meal, often gourmet, but you are not paying a lot of money for it. They understand the idea of pleasing their customer and offering great food at a great value.
SERVICE: Every time I have been, I have had a sweet waitress who is more than willing to help you decide on what to order or give up great advice on the best thing on their menu. The food comes out quick, hot, and delicious. What more can you ask for?
I know many of you likely won’t be planning a vacation to Elkhart or Goshen anytime soon, but if you are just passing through, the South Side Soda Shop is a must visit. Also, if you want a place to crash, we are always in the mood for visitors! (You read that hunny?) 😉 So I happily give South Side Soda Shop 4 ‘Little Piggies’
With June almost gone, I’m feeling as if this summer is flying by without me getting to experience it like I’m used to. However, I am not going to complain because the sooner summer is over, the sooner I get to meet my little girl! Still, it is my favorite time, because summer brings to mind a lot of different dishes to experience throughout the season. I think a lot of people associate summer with cook-outs, burgers & barbecue, which brings to point what I’m focusing on this week….the All-American…Summer Signifyin’….Good ‘Ol Grillin’Em Up Burger!
Throughout the life of PCC, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to distinguish what is a GREAT burger. Anymore, it’s just gotten too cloudy. Now that is not to say I haven’t had some great ones along the way…, I just mean burgers can be so subjective and so versatile, it’s often hard once you’ve had a number of good ones to really tell the GREAT ones from the merely GOOD enough. You know….kinda like what they say about pizza. Am I making any sense?
Let’s just say I have ranges when it comes to burgers and really I’ve hardly met many I won’t enjoy. Maybe this doesn’t make me picky enough, but as I said, I have a range that can be from a White Castle slider on up to a gourmet burger….with many in between; and that being said, after seeing countless (and I mean COUNTLESS) of burger places featured around the country, I never seem to get sick of them….always willing to try another.
And that is just what I did a few months back. Bub’s Burgers in Carmel, IN (outside of Indianapolis) opened in 2003 and prides itself on fresh ingredients, a fun family atmosphere, and their crazy “Big Ugly Challenge” (as featured on Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food”). What is a ‘Big Ugly’ you might ask? It’s a one pounder cooked any way you like with any condiments you like. What makes it a challenge is you have to eat the whole thing and any sides you order in one sitting. 42,000 of these behemoth burgers have been ordered any many have been successful at finishing them, garnering their picture up on the wall; and while one pound sounds like a challenge enough, some have even taken on more with the full challenge record now sitting at 3, with 1 guy actually having eaten 4! Yes….this is gross and crazy all at the same time! When Adam from “M v F” made a stop and tried to take on the challenge, see how he did…
Pretty nuts huh? Well we just happened to be passing through Indianapolis on our way home from Cincinnati a few months back and figured this would be a perfect time to stop in for lunch. Located on Main St. in Caramel, it’s hard not to feel at home when you step into this cute little shop. I knew going in that there was NO WAY I was going to even attempt any ‘Big Ugly.’ Adam, on the other hand, wanted to order one just for the blogs sake….or so he says!…yeah right! 
But in addition to their regular beef burgers, Bub’s also has elk burgers on their menu, which very much intrigued me. So we got comfortable, enjoyed looking around at the thousands of pictures of successful ‘Big Ugly’ eaters that lined the wall and waited for our very own ‘Big Ugly’ and elk burger to arrive.
When they sat Adam’s burger down in front of him, it was almost comical. I have seen some big burgers in my day, but never one quite that large! This thing was not only thick, it literally was the size of a salad plate in width…if not bigger…, pretty crazy in my opinion. In addition to our burgers, Adam ordered some of their regular waffle fries, while I opted to try the sweet potato variety…, you know I can never turn down a sweet potato fry.
I was very surprised when I bit into my elk burger at how juicy it was. I haven’t had a lot of elk in my day so I don’t have much to compare it to, but this burger was flavorful and textured just like a beef burger, and just super juicy with just a hint of a flavor that I had never had, but o-so good! Adam also enjoyed his burger and said how surprised he was at how juicy his was given how large of a patty it was…, because we’ve seen some BIG burgers that end up looking really dry in the end just so they can get them cooked through. But not this baby….ummmm juicy good!
Unfortunately Adam was unsuccessful and his bid for “Big Ugly” glory. However, I have to admit I am proud of him, because although he probably could have, he decided given that we had to drive a bit more it wasn’t worth stuffing himself. Good boy…he’s learning!
SIGNATURE DISH: Burgers are their game (literally!), although they do have some other interesting items to try on their menu. But being that they are known for the burger, we thought it best to stick with those.
TASTE: We were both surprised at how flavorful and juicy both our burgers were, and I it was one of the better “burger joint” burgers I have had in a long time. The waffle fries were amazingly good, but I have had better sweet potato fries.
AMBIANCE: What I really liked about Bub’s was the atmosphere. It’s location helps too. It really is a no frills sort of place with a tad of fancy flair. What I mean is it was definitely laid back but not dirty and grimy like a lot of “joints” can be. Rather, they have made a point to make it look and feel laid back while still being polished. Also, it’s not a big place, so you will likely always encounter a crowd at peak times, even though it was all that chatter and buzz about the place that I enjoyed…. Just a lot of people hanging out on a Sunday enjoying a burger.
PRICE: While their “Big Ugly” is close to $15, I’m not sure you can argue with that price given just how large it is. We are talking about a pound of meat here! The “Settle for Less Ugly” at around 1/4 pound (that I enjoyed) was around $5 which I felt was very reasonable. Add in a couple of baskets of fries, you really are getting a good price; and while this is probably more than you would spend at McDonalds, again these are what I would call “fancier” burgers and you are paying for better quality.
SERVICE: All of the wait staff appeared to be pretty young. I would say high school and college aged kids. Still, they were all really up beat, very polite, attentive, and fun. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves and were easy going, while still providing quick service.
This was a nice break in our journey back home and we really enjoyed our lunch stop in Caramel. Bub’s also has an ice cream parlor at the front of the restaurant where anyone can come in and enjoy a scoop or two. I wished I had saved enough room to try some, but maybe next time. Because I’ll definitely be back to Bub’s Burgers, so I am happy to give them 4 ½ ‘Little Piggies.’
