A Dining Road Trip
Sometimes it is really, all about the food! I traveled first to Indianapolis, Indiana. Next, we went to Nashville, Tennessee. Then we drove home through Southern, Illinois, enjoying a dining road trip, all in a short time. During that time, I had some AMAZING meals at some great places. Read about our fun dining experiences!
The Indy Experience!
My friend Janna Seiz and I traveled to Indy to attend the Indiana Media Marketplace. This is an event where writers meet up with destinations. A unique opportunity that I wish every state offered! Tropical Travel Girl and food and wine writer Debbra Dunning Brouillette set up a dinner at the delectable Seasons 52. While there are several Season 52’s, this was the first time dining there for both Janna, and me.
Janna and I met up with Debbra, and other writers she had included. We met up with Amy Piper of Follow the Piper, and Pam Howard of Our Adventures Everywhere. What fun sharing stories and catching up. It had been several years since seeing Debbra, and one or two since seeing Amy and Pam.
Janna and I split an amazing fish dish!
I also ordered possibly the best mushroom soup. I have ever had.
What’s really great is they offer small bite shot glass size desserts. Soooo, of course I had to try one. I wasn’t even bad! It was a great evening catching up with friends. Debbra and Janna were meeting for the first time, and it is such a small world. They even knew some of the same people, they had both worked at the same place at different times!
Before heading to the Marketplace downtown, Janna and I stopped at a new breakfast place for us. It was called the Yolk. We split a breakfast meal that featured eggs, sausage, bacon, and pancakes! We were ready to roll for the Marketplace. Best of all though was the tea selections. Janna and I both favor tea, and she had Jasmine, and I tried Chinese Breakfast tea. Yummy!
Nashville Bound
Janna and I got home, then the next day, the hubby and I headed for Nashville, Tennessee, continuing our dining road trip. My first book, Farm Girl Adventures, with my new publishing house, House of Honor was released. I was invited to join a group of authors at the Book, Author and Publisher Fair. Friday evening, House of Honor’s Jack LaFountain, and his lovely wife Kim took us to the Santa Fe Cattle Company. This fun eatery offered steak and more. Keith and I split a filet, and it was marvelous!
The Book Fair
My friend and fellow author, Rick Shaw, had told me about House of Honor, and I was honored to get to share an author table with him at the fun event where my book was shared for the first time! Keith and Rick’s friend Scott Rake took good care of us during the event which also profiled other House of Honor’s publisher, and author extraordinaire, Jack LaFountain. I also got to meet fellow writers, Robert Borders, and Keshia Cecilia Willi.
When the book fair was over, Scott suggested dining at one of my new favorite places, The Loveless Cafe. I love the story behind this iconic diner. The historic sign shared the details. “In 1951, Lon and Annie Loveless began serving fried chicken, biscuits and jam at picnic tables to hungry travelers from Highway 100, then the main road between Nashville and Memphis.”
The story continues. “They soon converted their 4-room home into a restaurant, added the 14-room Loveless Motel, a smokehouse and the iconic neon sign.”
Today, they are still serving scratch-made Southern meals. They use the recipes passed down by Lon and Annie. I was amazed to read, “the Loveless Cafe remains a staple that welcomes over half a million guests each year.”
The four of us were soon seated and served a pile of delicious biscuits!
Details at the Loveless Cafe!
Inside are pictures of famous people, many musicians, that have visited over the years. Besides the decor, the food was great! I had amazing fried chicken, fried okra, and fried green tomatoes. Rick and Scott treated us like kings buying our dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Three desserts were ordered, and the waitress hearing it was our anniversary, made it special
There was a cool gift shop where Keith added to our jam pile. He also got me a fun Loveless Cafe T-Shirt. I couldn’t leave without a photo taken next to the Farmall tractor. My friend Sara Broers, author, blogger, and co-owner of the Midwest Travel Network always says, “If a tractor is there, Cindy will find it.”
Thank you to Jack and Kim, and Rick and Scott for wonderful meals, and cammraderie.
The Blue Room in New Minden, Illinois.
Continuing our dining road trip, we headed home to Illinois. I can’t count how many times I have passed by the Blue Room in New Minden on trips south! Once a hotel, the building shows its age, standing tall! Rick and Scott said the food was delicious, so we decided to give it a go on our way home.
A bar and diner, inside there is virtually no where that doesn’t have a signature. One could take hours reading names and dates on the wall. We failed to ask for a marker and add our own John Henry to the collection.
Lucky to find a table, we were glad to share with two locals when they came in and every space was filled. We had already ordered burgers and shared onion rings.
The cheeseburger especially was great. It was thick and juicy. Talking with our new friends, they let us sample one of their pretzel bites and they were amazing. While our onion rings were good, I would order those pretzel bites in a split second!
Leaving, we had to take a photo of the door on our way out.
This is a place filled with folk lore and stories. We will be back!
Heading home, I reflected on my multiple state week, and the amazing meals I’d had during our dining road trip. There are great dining options everywhere, California, Colorado, Connecticut and beyond! Where was the last place you had a meal that you will long remember.
