folklorist,

Welcome to Roadfood.com and don’t be a stranger. This place is exactly related to the kind of books you write. I maybe overlooked the part about small towns. I kind of gathered that when nothing in Marion County was mentioned, but yes, I do think of Huntington as a small town. Alas, my hometown of Speedway too is a tad over 10,000. [:(]
I think the "Closed" overstrike only shows how tenuous and tough the cafe business can be if they can’t survive yet earn mention in a book.

I’m sorry it took me so long to find your posts. I want to thank you for your comments about my new book, Cafe Indiana, and address a few comments left by Davydd. Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington–said to be the home of the original Hoosier pork tenderloin–was left out because the book’s focus is small towns with populations under 10,000. (There are a lot of folks who’d argue that a town that big is small!) Cafes whose stories are overstamped with CLOSED went out of business or changed hands during the time I was working on the book. The decision was made to include them because these stories deserved to be told. In one case, the owner sold her cafe after a 41-year ownership. In another, a cafe closed after more than 60 years on the courthouse square. Small town cafes change hands on average every five years, so those that endure past the decade mark are pretty unique. More than just a guide to favorite home-cooking spots across the state, Cafe Indiana is an ethnography of small towns that explores the troubles, challenges, triumphs, etc. of cafe owners and communities. By the way! Cafe Indiana was reviewed in the December issue of Bon Appetit magazine, which called it a "must-have guide for Hoosiers and visiting foodies . . . readers will be geared up for a food tour that’s unlike any other." For a cross-cultural perspective, check out my Cafe Wisconsin (2004) and Cafe Wisconsin Cookbook (2007). So, to all of you: happy adventure eating in the Hoosier state.

Hey, I got the book as a gift for a coworker and they are delighted, thanks for the suggestion!

[;)]

perhaps this book would make a lovely holiday gift![:D]
thanks for the added info davydd.it saddens me to hear that many/any of these places have closed.

Wendell Trogdon wrote 17 books! Interesting. Mainstreet Diners didn’t show up when I checked Amazon.com because I was looking for Cafe Indiana and those words and somehow Duffy’s book was included. I searched inside Mainstreet Diners in Amazon and pork tenderloin sandwich came up only once. That was a surprise. Also no mention of the oldest mainstreet cafe of all, Nick’s Kitchen. The book is 7 years old. Would that be considered dated as far as restaurants go? I noticed that in Cafe Indiana several restaurants reviewed already had a slanted semi-transparent overprint of "CLOSED" over the review and the book just came out.

I got the book, Cafe Indiana from Amazon.com today. While searching for it another book came up, Reid Duffy’s Guide to Indiana’s Favorite Restaurants. Cafe Indiana omits all of Indianapolis and most larger cities but I noticed Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington got passed over. Between the two books (Duffy’s is more all encompassing) Indiana should be covered but both missed The Red Onion in Sheridan.

quote:

Originally posted by dug

quote:

Originally posted by jimcor

Ohmigawd!!! She didn’t give away the secret of the Green Bean State Caserole did she??? If she did there’ll be no more church group pot lucks for her!

you’re hysterical!
the beloved green bean casserole is probably the states most revered and sacred side dish[we speak of it in hushed tones].it’s comforting and familiar presence is expected,almost de rigueur and no event[thanksgiving,church social,funeral,hootenanny,cow tipping,barn raising,reception buffet or family reunion]would be complete without it.btw is that secret ingedient a splash of worchestershire sauce?perhaps i’ve said to much![:I]
as a proud hoosier i can’t wait to get a copy of cafe indiana!

Yeah, I had to get out of Indiana because of green bean casserole. [;)] So I ended up in Minnesota only to find out they call it hotdish. [:(][:D][:D]

I will have to get that book.

quote:

Originally posted by dug

quote:

Originally posted by jimcor

Ohmigawd!!! She didn’t give away the secret of the Green Bean State Caserole did she??? If she did there’ll be no more church group pot lucks for her!

you’re hysterical!
the beloved green bean casserole is probably the states most revered and sacred side dish[we speak of it in hushed tones].it’s comforting and familiar presence is expected,almost de rigueur and no event[thanksgiving,church social,funeral,hootenanny,cow tipping,barn raising,reception buffet or family reunion]would be complete without it.btw is that secret ingedient a splash of worchestershire sauce?perhaps i’ve said to much![:I]
as a proud hoosier i can’t wait to get a copy of cafe indiana!

Yeah, I had to get out of Indiana because of green bean casserole. [;)] So I ended up in Minnesota only to find out they call it hotdish. [:(][:D][:D]

I will have to get that book.

quote:

Originally posted by jimcor

Ohmigawd!!! She didn’t give away the secret of the Green Bean State Caserole did she??? If she did there’ll be no more church group pot lucks for her!

you’re hysterical!
the beloved green bean casserole is probably the states most revered and sacred side dish[we speak of it in hushed tones].it’s comforting and familiar presence is expected,almost de rigueur and no event[thanksgiving,church social,funeral,hootenanny,cow tipping,barn raising,reception buffet or family reunion]would be complete without it.btw is that secret ingedient a splash of worchestershire sauce?perhaps i’ve said to much![:I]
as a proud hoosier i can’t wait to get a copy of cafe indiana!

Ohmigawd!!! She didn’t give away the secret of the Green Bean State Caserole did she??? If she did there’ll be no more church group pot lucks for her!

This sure sounds like a great addition to the library. Thank you for the tip and the link to the review!![:D]

Greg-
Thanks for the tip on the book! It looks right up my alley. Since I have a birthday coming up, I have told one sibling to get me the Cafe Indiana book and the other to get me the Cafe Wisconsin book.

Once I receive them, I will let you know what I think.

I’ll have to look into this.

Here is a better link for those who are interested:

http://www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress/books/3689.htm