I'm back again, with more restaurants that I once went to, but either no long exist or have so changed that it might as well not exist. I'm still in Richmond, Indiana, because I've actually eaten at a lot of places there.
Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips - This franchise named for the late British actor still exists, I should point out, but not in Richmond, Indiana. The store, which was located on East National Road (U.S. 40) closed more than two decades ago, as did all of their Indiana stores.
When we ate here, I'd always get the Shrimp and Chips, because back then, I didn't eat any other seafood. The shrimp was big, in my opinion (I was young, of course), and oh, so tasty. The chips (French fries to us in the United States) were like none other I'd seen before or eaten since. They were shaped like a curlie or wavy potato chip, but they were more like a quarter-inch thick. In fact, they were closer in size to a broasted potato wedge.
This place was also where I was first exposed to malt vinegar, and I still it use to this day. Of course, while shrimp tastes good with malt vinegar, it tastes even better with cocktail sauce (or with wasabi, as I've recently learned.)
I don't recommend that you use the malt vinegar with the hushpuppies, however. They don't look very good after you douse them, and the vinegar makes the hushpuppy soggy.
If I happen to run across one of their stores in either Ohio or New York, I'll have to visit and try it again.
Howard Johnson's - When I was a child, my parents usually went to restaurants by themselves, because they didn't like eating out with children. I and my wife did not do that for the most part, because we chose to have children, and taking them out to restaurants is part of the deal. Not that I'm criticizing my parents, but I didn't (and still do not) agree with their decision.
When my parents did take me and my sister to a real sit-down restaurant, this is where they took us. I don't remember everything I had here, but we did come here for our birthdays - which meant a free birthday cake.
This restaurant actually catered to children, thanks to the insistence of the restaurant chain's namesake and owner. It's also probably why we were allowed to come here. I won't complain. I liked it - a lot!
This place was one of the few places I would actually eat spaghetti with meat sauce. Most restaurants cannot make a spaghetti dish that is worth eating, let alone mention. But I really liked this one. It was also the first time I had garlic bread with a pasta dish. Usually, I'd eat either saltines (at home) or bread and butter ( at school) when I had spaghetti with meat sauce.
Now, to a lost place in Muncie, Indiana...
Red Sun Buffet - This Chinese buffet restaurant was located near Ball State University, and it was the place that my wife and I introduced our children to Chinese-style restaurants.
It had a wide variety of foods to choose from, including a few sushi items that helped me get to where I liked to eat fish.
Not everyone liked this place. In fact, over the years, I've noticed that some people like to brag about some expensive or critically acclaimed restaurant they went to. At the same time, they like to trash places where working men like to eat. That's O.K., if you want (and desperately need) to impress others, but I eat at a place because I like the food.
I've got more important things to do with my life than to impress others.
As far as Red Sun Buffet went, it was our family's go-to place for a Chinese-buffet-style restaurant.
One fly in the ointment, however, was one sadly common to most Chinese restaurants. Their desserts are usually nothing to brag about. They did have hard ice cream in five-quart containers, however, so I'd at least eat a small cup of mint chocolate chip or Superman ice cream.
More to come later.
Peace be unto you.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Sunday, August 28, 2016
First Random Post
For today, I have a few random thoughts that have come to mind, and that I think of quite a bit.
A pastor from Southern California wrote a message where he stated that he went through both the Republican and Democratic party platforms in detail, so that he knew what they were and was going to tell us.
Of course, since he's a conservative Christian, it was pretty obvious what he what going to say (Republican - godly, fair and thoughtful, and Democratic - liberal, socialistic and demonic) and he didn't disappoint me. I've learned through hard experience not to take anyone's word for anything - even if he or she is a called a Christian. I've been lied to by way too many so-called Christians.
He even said that a socialist was merely a communist without a gun. Makes me wonder just how thoughtful and politically knowledgeable he really was.
Some people will vote against Hillary Clinton merely because of their own misogyny, and try to cloak it in the quilt of Christianity. Look to the reasons for yourself. Do not rely on someone else's word to guide you on your vote.
*****
I've tested different flavored soft drinks lately, and with the computerized soft drink machines, it's a lot easier now. A friend of mine from the Daria fandom recommended a half orange pop and half Dr Pepper mixture, and I found that delicious, so I'm testing even more.
More to come when I've accumulated more details.
*****
Speaking of Daria fandom, one of my friends who calls himself Aloysius has a series of half nuts stories, and one questions he's asked has stayed in my mind ever since he posted it. So, here goes:
What color is a choking Smurf?
Funny the things that come to your mind when you're tired at night.
*****
It's amazing the amount of details that people are willing to share on Facebook. What is it with people? Does anyone have a sense of privacy anymore? It blows my mind sometimes.
Don't get me started on people talking on cell phones in public. All any of this tells me is that the government needs no special computer programs to spy on our cell phones or e-mails. People are willing to tell everything and all government agents have to do is just stand there and listen.
I don't think the government has the manpower to do all that as it is, but then I think conspiracy theories are for people who have no sense of self-esteem or self-security. I have a life to live, and no time for kind of nonsense.
*****
I've come to the conclusion that most TV news is next to useless, because it is designed to sell products. The scarier the news, the higher they can charge for their ads.
How do you know that what you're hearing is the truth? Or even all of it? I'll stick to NPR or the BBC for now. When I don't rely on newspapers, that is.
More to come as I think of it.
Peace be unto you.
A pastor from Southern California wrote a message where he stated that he went through both the Republican and Democratic party platforms in detail, so that he knew what they were and was going to tell us.
Of course, since he's a conservative Christian, it was pretty obvious what he what going to say (Republican - godly, fair and thoughtful, and Democratic - liberal, socialistic and demonic) and he didn't disappoint me. I've learned through hard experience not to take anyone's word for anything - even if he or she is a called a Christian. I've been lied to by way too many so-called Christians.
He even said that a socialist was merely a communist without a gun. Makes me wonder just how thoughtful and politically knowledgeable he really was.
Some people will vote against Hillary Clinton merely because of their own misogyny, and try to cloak it in the quilt of Christianity. Look to the reasons for yourself. Do not rely on someone else's word to guide you on your vote.
*****
I've tested different flavored soft drinks lately, and with the computerized soft drink machines, it's a lot easier now. A friend of mine from the Daria fandom recommended a half orange pop and half Dr Pepper mixture, and I found that delicious, so I'm testing even more.
More to come when I've accumulated more details.
*****
Speaking of Daria fandom, one of my friends who calls himself Aloysius has a series of half nuts stories, and one questions he's asked has stayed in my mind ever since he posted it. So, here goes:
What color is a choking Smurf?
Funny the things that come to your mind when you're tired at night.
*****
It's amazing the amount of details that people are willing to share on Facebook. What is it with people? Does anyone have a sense of privacy anymore? It blows my mind sometimes.
Don't get me started on people talking on cell phones in public. All any of this tells me is that the government needs no special computer programs to spy on our cell phones or e-mails. People are willing to tell everything and all government agents have to do is just stand there and listen.
I don't think the government has the manpower to do all that as it is, but then I think conspiracy theories are for people who have no sense of self-esteem or self-security. I have a life to live, and no time for kind of nonsense.
*****
I've come to the conclusion that most TV news is next to useless, because it is designed to sell products. The scarier the news, the higher they can charge for their ads.
How do you know that what you're hearing is the truth? Or even all of it? I'll stick to NPR or the BBC for now. When I don't rely on newspapers, that is.
More to come as I think of it.
Peace be unto you.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
A Warning, Of Sorts...
While I will use this blog to expound on my thoughts and memories from time to time, I will also post bits of fictional prose.
Don't expect War and Peace, and don't expect The DaVinci Code, either. I write fiction for my own pleasure. It's a part of who I am.
Don't expect what I write to always make sense or remain in historical reality, either. I have my own sense of humor, and I merely strive to make myself smile.
More later.
Peace be unto you.
Don't expect War and Peace, and don't expect The DaVinci Code, either. I write fiction for my own pleasure. It's a part of who I am.
Don't expect what I write to always make sense or remain in historical reality, either. I have my own sense of humor, and I merely strive to make myself smile.
More later.
Peace be unto you.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Restaurants I Miss...Part Three
I'm back, with more of the restaurants that I once frequented, but have sadly gone away and remain only in my memories. Now, however, we're straying out of Winchester, Indiana.
Miller's Cafeteria, Richmond, Ind. -- Similar to MCL Cafeteria, this restaurant also had a store in Connersville, Indiana, and were famous for their distinctive milk stores that were all over Muncie and Richmond.
For the main course, you had a choice of roast beef au jus, fried chicken, or meatloaf. You also had a decent amount of sides and desserts to choose from, and you paid by the item you got.
I'd always get the roast beef au jus, dressing, green beans, and sometimes mashed potatoes and gravy, because sometimes gravy is just a blessing. I'd also get a roll, a slice of cherry or peach pie, and a soft drink.
The seating was comparable to that of the Courtesy Café in Winchester, but sturdier and nowhere near as cramped.
What strikes me about this place was how clean it was. Cleanliness should always be a hallmark of a restaurant, but Miller's took it to heights that other restaurants didn't reach. The workers not only made good food, but they kept the place spotless. It didn't even look worn, and the Courtesy, sad to say, looked worn (the quality of the food overrode that deficiency, easily, though.)
It was one of Dad's favorite restaurants, and thinking about it makes me realize how much I miss him, still.
Dandy's, Richmond, Ind. -- A drive-in restaurant located on what was U.S. 35 when it went through Richmond's west side, this place was a seasonal restaurant that closed through the winter months. They had unbelievable jumbo tenderloin sandwiches, or so it seemed to a thirteen-year-old boy.
Speaking of my Dad, we went to Richmond one day to get our van worked on at the dealership. While they worked on it, one of the workers dropped us off at Miller's, where we had a very good breakfast. Since that was more than forty years ago, I cannot remember what I had, but it almost certainly involved bacon and toast, because back then, I didn't care for breakfast sausage. I know that I also had orange juice, because I believed at the time that eating breakfast out meant that you also drank orange juice.
Then we walked through downtown Richmond and spent a long while in a bookstore, before finally walking back towards the dealership. When we finally reached Dandy's, it was lunchtime.
I had the tenderloin, French fries and a Coke. I could eat them any way, but my usual way was with mustard, pickles and onions. So it was this day. Of course, if there was any ketchup leftover from the fries, the sandwich would be dipped in it as well.
It has been said that hunger is the best seasoning, and it must be true, because that meal was delicious. That long walk from Richmond's downtown had to contribute to that, however.
After lunch, we walked on to the dealership, picked up our van, and went home. Another thing that stands out about all of this is that, as a thirteen-year-old, I never really thought about the money Dad spent that day.
Of course, being in my fifties, I know all about that, but it doesn't diminish my memories.
More to come later.
Peace be unto you.
Miller's Cafeteria, Richmond, Ind. -- Similar to MCL Cafeteria, this restaurant also had a store in Connersville, Indiana, and were famous for their distinctive milk stores that were all over Muncie and Richmond.
For the main course, you had a choice of roast beef au jus, fried chicken, or meatloaf. You also had a decent amount of sides and desserts to choose from, and you paid by the item you got.
I'd always get the roast beef au jus, dressing, green beans, and sometimes mashed potatoes and gravy, because sometimes gravy is just a blessing. I'd also get a roll, a slice of cherry or peach pie, and a soft drink.
The seating was comparable to that of the Courtesy Café in Winchester, but sturdier and nowhere near as cramped.
What strikes me about this place was how clean it was. Cleanliness should always be a hallmark of a restaurant, but Miller's took it to heights that other restaurants didn't reach. The workers not only made good food, but they kept the place spotless. It didn't even look worn, and the Courtesy, sad to say, looked worn (the quality of the food overrode that deficiency, easily, though.)
It was one of Dad's favorite restaurants, and thinking about it makes me realize how much I miss him, still.
Dandy's, Richmond, Ind. -- A drive-in restaurant located on what was U.S. 35 when it went through Richmond's west side, this place was a seasonal restaurant that closed through the winter months. They had unbelievable jumbo tenderloin sandwiches, or so it seemed to a thirteen-year-old boy.
Speaking of my Dad, we went to Richmond one day to get our van worked on at the dealership. While they worked on it, one of the workers dropped us off at Miller's, where we had a very good breakfast. Since that was more than forty years ago, I cannot remember what I had, but it almost certainly involved bacon and toast, because back then, I didn't care for breakfast sausage. I know that I also had orange juice, because I believed at the time that eating breakfast out meant that you also drank orange juice.
Then we walked through downtown Richmond and spent a long while in a bookstore, before finally walking back towards the dealership. When we finally reached Dandy's, it was lunchtime.
I had the tenderloin, French fries and a Coke. I could eat them any way, but my usual way was with mustard, pickles and onions. So it was this day. Of course, if there was any ketchup leftover from the fries, the sandwich would be dipped in it as well.
It has been said that hunger is the best seasoning, and it must be true, because that meal was delicious. That long walk from Richmond's downtown had to contribute to that, however.
After lunch, we walked on to the dealership, picked up our van, and went home. Another thing that stands out about all of this is that, as a thirteen-year-old, I never really thought about the money Dad spent that day.
Of course, being in my fifties, I know all about that, but it doesn't diminish my memories.
More to come later.
Peace be unto you.
Who Owns The Church?
Lately, I've seen some rather disturbing occurrences as far as churches go. In one Dunkirk, Indiana church, the wife of a deceased pastor pretty much ran everything and did everything, as if nobody else knew even what to do. You could really see this in action at any of the church's public activities.
It was like watching a real-life version of The Big Bang Theory, whereas instead of Sheldon Cooper answering every question because he thought that he knew best, this woman tried to do everything. In her view, she knew everything and everyone else had to be told what to do, because they were as useless as children.
She has been rather successful at running off any member or potential member who presented anything resembling a challenge.
It's a real pity that the pastor couldn't stand up to her, because I believe that the church will eventually die because those who want to worship Jesus Christ there will not want to do it her way. And she will push them out if she cannot dominate them.
In another church, located in Farmland, Indiana, one woman takes charge and gives orders and demands right and left, even though she no longer attends the church, nor does she tithe anymore. It is even believed that she paid a locksmith out of her own pocket and changed the locks to control who gets inside the fellowship hall. Though I've also heard that she's a very cheap person, so I don't see her actually paying for it.
This woman has accused others outside the church of using an ancient Windows XP computer and erasing the birthdays and anniversaries of the church congregation. A group I'm a part of uses the church for our meetings (and we pay an annual fee to the church) and she accused us pretty much of using the computer and being very messy, to boot.
She even told us we weren't paying enough to use the church. When she was told the pastor said that our payment was proper and sufficient, she said that the trustees didn't agree.
The only problem was that we talked to one of the trustees, who said, "How would she know? She doesn't attend any of the business meetings, and we haven't complained about what you pay."
When I suggested that maybe one of the church kids was using the computer to play a game, she snapped, "The computer doesn't have any games!"
She also said that the computer was new, and not old. I replaced my Windows XP a few years ago, because Microsoft no longer supported it nor updated it.
It obviously showed that this woman doesn't know computers. No crime in that. I have relatives who don't use computers, so they don't know even the basics of using one. The Windows XP is not only very old, it has pre-installed games. In my opinion, the spider solitaire game was the best one I ever played. And I learned to play Minesweeper on an XP.
When it comes to accusations, she was an epic fail. However, when it came to being a hateful example of a control freak, she was an epic win. For that particular church, it is a glaring weakness, but so far, they seem to be in control instead of her.
But she apparently is a master of passive-aggressive moves to take power when she can, and they have to watch her very carefully.
Another church has two older men who pretty much rule it with iron fists. They're friendly enough, and have been the main workforce to keep the church well-maintained and running. The only problem is that anytime they get a pastor who tries to do things his or her way, they run them off.
It's gotten to the point that the district superintendent has warned them that if they run off one more pastor, he'll close the church. They have a hard time believing that he'll do it, but they are in a conference that owns the church. It wouldn't be the first time a superintendent has closed a church.
When I was a child, I believed that you went to church to worship Jesus Christ, and congregated with fellow believers to strengthen yourself in your beliefs. Apparently, to some, that is secondary to their power trips.
To them, church is Serious Business.
Peace be unto you.
It was like watching a real-life version of The Big Bang Theory, whereas instead of Sheldon Cooper answering every question because he thought that he knew best, this woman tried to do everything. In her view, she knew everything and everyone else had to be told what to do, because they were as useless as children.
She has been rather successful at running off any member or potential member who presented anything resembling a challenge.
It's a real pity that the pastor couldn't stand up to her, because I believe that the church will eventually die because those who want to worship Jesus Christ there will not want to do it her way. And she will push them out if she cannot dominate them.
In another church, located in Farmland, Indiana, one woman takes charge and gives orders and demands right and left, even though she no longer attends the church, nor does she tithe anymore. It is even believed that she paid a locksmith out of her own pocket and changed the locks to control who gets inside the fellowship hall. Though I've also heard that she's a very cheap person, so I don't see her actually paying for it.
This woman has accused others outside the church of using an ancient Windows XP computer and erasing the birthdays and anniversaries of the church congregation. A group I'm a part of uses the church for our meetings (and we pay an annual fee to the church) and she accused us pretty much of using the computer and being very messy, to boot.
She even told us we weren't paying enough to use the church. When she was told the pastor said that our payment was proper and sufficient, she said that the trustees didn't agree.
The only problem was that we talked to one of the trustees, who said, "How would she know? She doesn't attend any of the business meetings, and we haven't complained about what you pay."
When I suggested that maybe one of the church kids was using the computer to play a game, she snapped, "The computer doesn't have any games!"
She also said that the computer was new, and not old. I replaced my Windows XP a few years ago, because Microsoft no longer supported it nor updated it.
It obviously showed that this woman doesn't know computers. No crime in that. I have relatives who don't use computers, so they don't know even the basics of using one. The Windows XP is not only very old, it has pre-installed games. In my opinion, the spider solitaire game was the best one I ever played. And I learned to play Minesweeper on an XP.
When it comes to accusations, she was an epic fail. However, when it came to being a hateful example of a control freak, she was an epic win. For that particular church, it is a glaring weakness, but so far, they seem to be in control instead of her.
But she apparently is a master of passive-aggressive moves to take power when she can, and they have to watch her very carefully.
Another church has two older men who pretty much rule it with iron fists. They're friendly enough, and have been the main workforce to keep the church well-maintained and running. The only problem is that anytime they get a pastor who tries to do things his or her way, they run them off.
It's gotten to the point that the district superintendent has warned them that if they run off one more pastor, he'll close the church. They have a hard time believing that he'll do it, but they are in a conference that owns the church. It wouldn't be the first time a superintendent has closed a church.
When I was a child, I believed that you went to church to worship Jesus Christ, and congregated with fellow believers to strengthen yourself in your beliefs. Apparently, to some, that is secondary to their power trips.
To them, church is Serious Business.
Peace be unto you.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Restaurants That I Miss...Part Two
I'm back, with some more restaurants that I miss, and I'm still in Winchester, Indiana. It's kind of understandable, since it is my hometown, and one I lived in and my family shopped in for many years. So, without further ado, away we go...
The Chicken Shack - Winchester, Ind. - This was a local landmark in the Winchester area for many years, mainly because of the large fiberglass chicken that stood outside the restaurant. The chicken itself was also quite famous for being stolen every year by seniors from Winchester's local high school.
The last I heard, the chicken was still missing, but since the restaurant itself has long been closed, there isn't a hurry to find it.
Who would want to store a large fiberglass chicken on their property, anyway? And why?
I loved going to this place for the Jumbo Tenderloin sandwiches, topped with pickles, onions and mustard. I also enjoyed the Tote Steak sandwiches, topped with pickles, onions and mayonnaise. Either one of these, served with crinkle-cut French fries, was a satisfying meal to be savored before you got there.
The tenderloin, as many of us in the Midwest know, is basically a pork tenderloin that is beaten flat, almost comic-book thin, breaded and deep-fried. It is, quite honestly, a Midwest delicacy. I can reasonably say that you will never see this sandwich served in the Middle East.
It was also much bigger than the bun it was served on, and that particular bun itself seemed to be bigger than the normal hamburger buns we see here. Of course, it may have been the normal bun, but I cared more about the meat than the bun, anyway.
The food scene in Winchester suffered a very real and major loss when this place closed.
Randolph Central Schools - Winchester, Ind. - The schools and their lunches are still here, I should point out, but what the children there eat now in no way even resembles what I got to enjoy as a student. Many of the dishes I took for granted are no longer served, sad to say. From what I've been told, the students today get to eat a lot of frozen foods, whereas we got to eat a lot of government commodities and generic canned foods.
Foods of the past included Old-Fashioned Hash, which was probably a simple roast beef hash, but it did NOT resemble the weird oily canned mess that is available in grocery stores today. The spaghetti and meat sauce was nothing spectacular, but it was quite good, and its sauce was very unique to our school system.
Then there was peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches, something that was served with chili or vegetable soup. This is something that apparently unique to our own area. People I know who went to school fifteen to twenty miles away never had such a sandwich and thought it was totally weird. I fixed these things up when I was in the Navy, and my shipmates thought it was also totally weird.
I always thought the sandwich was a holdover from the Great Depression, especially since many of our cooks when I was in elementary school were old enough to have lived through it.
A special mention needs to be made about the chocolate cake. It was very delicious, so much so that I can still taste it, even now, more than thirty-five years since I graduated from high school.
One thing I do not miss, however, was the chili. When I was in my early elementary years, the chili was quite good, but the quality diminished over the years. What started out with an equal ratio of meat and beans and plenty of "sauce" turned into a bowl of beans with very tiny pieces of meat here and there and very little sauce. Oh, there was also macaroni, which is not something I ever want to see in chili again.
Can you say "cheap"?
To be continued.
Peace be unto you.
The Chicken Shack - Winchester, Ind. - This was a local landmark in the Winchester area for many years, mainly because of the large fiberglass chicken that stood outside the restaurant. The chicken itself was also quite famous for being stolen every year by seniors from Winchester's local high school.
The last I heard, the chicken was still missing, but since the restaurant itself has long been closed, there isn't a hurry to find it.
Who would want to store a large fiberglass chicken on their property, anyway? And why?
I loved going to this place for the Jumbo Tenderloin sandwiches, topped with pickles, onions and mustard. I also enjoyed the Tote Steak sandwiches, topped with pickles, onions and mayonnaise. Either one of these, served with crinkle-cut French fries, was a satisfying meal to be savored before you got there.
The tenderloin, as many of us in the Midwest know, is basically a pork tenderloin that is beaten flat, almost comic-book thin, breaded and deep-fried. It is, quite honestly, a Midwest delicacy. I can reasonably say that you will never see this sandwich served in the Middle East.
It was also much bigger than the bun it was served on, and that particular bun itself seemed to be bigger than the normal hamburger buns we see here. Of course, it may have been the normal bun, but I cared more about the meat than the bun, anyway.
The food scene in Winchester suffered a very real and major loss when this place closed.
Randolph Central Schools - Winchester, Ind. - The schools and their lunches are still here, I should point out, but what the children there eat now in no way even resembles what I got to enjoy as a student. Many of the dishes I took for granted are no longer served, sad to say. From what I've been told, the students today get to eat a lot of frozen foods, whereas we got to eat a lot of government commodities and generic canned foods.
Foods of the past included Old-Fashioned Hash, which was probably a simple roast beef hash, but it did NOT resemble the weird oily canned mess that is available in grocery stores today. The spaghetti and meat sauce was nothing spectacular, but it was quite good, and its sauce was very unique to our school system.
Then there was peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches, something that was served with chili or vegetable soup. This is something that apparently unique to our own area. People I know who went to school fifteen to twenty miles away never had such a sandwich and thought it was totally weird. I fixed these things up when I was in the Navy, and my shipmates thought it was also totally weird.
I always thought the sandwich was a holdover from the Great Depression, especially since many of our cooks when I was in elementary school were old enough to have lived through it.
A special mention needs to be made about the chocolate cake. It was very delicious, so much so that I can still taste it, even now, more than thirty-five years since I graduated from high school.
One thing I do not miss, however, was the chili. When I was in my early elementary years, the chili was quite good, but the quality diminished over the years. What started out with an equal ratio of meat and beans and plenty of "sauce" turned into a bowl of beans with very tiny pieces of meat here and there and very little sauce. Oh, there was also macaroni, which is not something I ever want to see in chili again.
Can you say "cheap"?
To be continued.
Peace be unto you.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Restaurants That I Miss...Part One
Today is the day I start my series on the restaurants that I miss. Given that I've got adult children, and I live in East Central Indiana, much of my selection will be limited to my general area, but there you are.
Many of the restaurants I mention in this series are not only closed, but many of them are just plain forgotten, or remembered so vaguely that they might as well be forgotten.
I haven't forgotten them, however, and miss them very much. Without further ado, we start our series in Winchester, Indiana.
--The D&J Drive-In - A stand-alone fast-food style restaurant from my own childhood, which closed, if I remember correctly, in the 1980s. The one item I miss is the sandwich called the Farm Hand. I have tried for years to find out what ingredients were put on, and in what order and amounts, but to no avail.
I even asked the man who ran the restaurant that existed after the D&J closed, but he didn't even remember the sandwich, and he's only two years older than me. Oh, well.
What I do know is that the Farm Hand had two beef patties, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a generous helping of a cole-slaw-style dressing. It was also a sloppy sandwich, since the drive-in bought cheap hamburger buns for this and they tended to fall apart. It didn't matter, though, because the sandwiches were that good.
The only fly in the ointment for this place was their soft drinks. They would take a to-go cup and cram it full of shaved ice, and then add maybe four or five ounces of a soft drink to fill in whatever spaces were left. It was a criminal rip-off, in my opinion, and it always ended up in a watery-flavored flat soft drink. Were I to go back in time to this place, I'd bring my own bottled pop.
If my memory serves me right, this practice was once common in restaurants, but not anymore. After all, all of the fast food places I visit now have good-tasting soft drinks where you can tell that they're carbonated.
--The Courtesy Café - This was a cafeteria-styled restaurant located just off of Winchester's courthouse square. It is the one place that comes to mind when I think of one of my favorite main courses: Swiss steaks. Whenever my family and I ate here, I always ordered the same thing: Swiss steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, stewed tomatoes, and a roll. That was topped off with a ten-ounce bottle of Pepsi-Cola that I had to pour into the glass myself.
Going here was always a special occasion for us. We all loved it, which is funny when you considered that my sister and I grew up with McDonald's and our desire to eat there. But, as a kid, I thought the Courtesy was that good. I still think so.
The only minuses that comes to my mind were the long lines to get served (actually that was also a big plus - that was how good and popular the restaurant was) and the seating.
About the seating, picture, if you will, a steel (or aluminum - I'm not sure) dining room set (steel tables with cushioned steel seats.) Now multiply that many times over for a style that evokes a crowded high school cafeteria.
I should point out, in all fairness, the food more than made up for that deficiency. It was that good.
That's it for part one. More later.
Peace be unto you.
Many of the restaurants I mention in this series are not only closed, but many of them are just plain forgotten, or remembered so vaguely that they might as well be forgotten.
I haven't forgotten them, however, and miss them very much. Without further ado, we start our series in Winchester, Indiana.
--The D&J Drive-In - A stand-alone fast-food style restaurant from my own childhood, which closed, if I remember correctly, in the 1980s. The one item I miss is the sandwich called the Farm Hand. I have tried for years to find out what ingredients were put on, and in what order and amounts, but to no avail.
I even asked the man who ran the restaurant that existed after the D&J closed, but he didn't even remember the sandwich, and he's only two years older than me. Oh, well.
What I do know is that the Farm Hand had two beef patties, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a generous helping of a cole-slaw-style dressing. It was also a sloppy sandwich, since the drive-in bought cheap hamburger buns for this and they tended to fall apart. It didn't matter, though, because the sandwiches were that good.
The only fly in the ointment for this place was their soft drinks. They would take a to-go cup and cram it full of shaved ice, and then add maybe four or five ounces of a soft drink to fill in whatever spaces were left. It was a criminal rip-off, in my opinion, and it always ended up in a watery-flavored flat soft drink. Were I to go back in time to this place, I'd bring my own bottled pop.
If my memory serves me right, this practice was once common in restaurants, but not anymore. After all, all of the fast food places I visit now have good-tasting soft drinks where you can tell that they're carbonated.
--The Courtesy Café - This was a cafeteria-styled restaurant located just off of Winchester's courthouse square. It is the one place that comes to mind when I think of one of my favorite main courses: Swiss steaks. Whenever my family and I ate here, I always ordered the same thing: Swiss steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, stewed tomatoes, and a roll. That was topped off with a ten-ounce bottle of Pepsi-Cola that I had to pour into the glass myself.
Going here was always a special occasion for us. We all loved it, which is funny when you considered that my sister and I grew up with McDonald's and our desire to eat there. But, as a kid, I thought the Courtesy was that good. I still think so.
The only minuses that comes to my mind were the long lines to get served (actually that was also a big plus - that was how good and popular the restaurant was) and the seating.
About the seating, picture, if you will, a steel (or aluminum - I'm not sure) dining room set (steel tables with cushioned steel seats.) Now multiply that many times over for a style that evokes a crowded high school cafeteria.
I should point out, in all fairness, the food more than made up for that deficiency. It was that good.
That's it for part one. More later.
Peace be unto you.
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