Tag Archives: Food travel

No fancy stuff here. I spent three days in Chicago chowing down on affordable, accessible and (mostly) American eats. Betcha can’t guess which one was my favorite!

I went to see family and found some interesting places to eat during a trip to Indiana.

1. Norm’s Market
Did I die and go to Heaven? We have nothing like this where I live.
It sells locally raised beef and chicken, locally grown produce, locally bottled Dad’s soda and Amish products (such as hubby’s obsession, Troyer beef jerky).
They also have a deli where lunch is a full sandwich with choice of fresh-sliced meat (including Braunschweiger!) and fresh-sliced cheese, along with a heaping portion of house-made side and drink for $5.50. If you order the daily sandwich special, it’s only $4.50. I opted for the pastrami and swiss on rye with pasta salad. It was enough to feed 2 people.
Oh, and did I mention Norm’s is adjoined to Jasper City Bakery, where we got creme-filled long johns for 55 cents each?
We also purchased a 2-pound flank steak, which was grilled to perfection for fajitas. It was some of the best beef I’ve ever tasted.

2. Fish Hut Pizza

I had to do a double take when I saw this place.

After stifling thoughts of deep-fried cod chunks atop a pie, I developed an obsession with trying Fish Hut’s pizza. We ordered a large pepperoni and a large sausage. The pepperoni tasted like something from the grocery store’s frozen section. But I was addicted to the sausage.
It almost had a Chicago-style thing going on, with a layer of crumbled sausage between the cheese and sauce (I know, I know — true Chicago has cheese on the bottom, sauce on top. But sausage is still in the middle!). I’d order Fish Hut again.

DiCarlo’s Pizza

Primanti Bros.

My obsession with Baked began when Bon Appetit featured their updated diner desserts in May 2009.

I made their Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie, Caramel-Apple Tartlets with Cinnamon-Rum Ice Cream and Brownie-Bottom Lemon Cheesecake over the course of several months.

I spent nearly an hour one night flipping through their beautiful cookbook, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, at Barnes & Noble.

Earlier this month, I visited Baked Charleston during a trip to the Holy City.

So, imagine my delight when I found out that Bon Appetit’s April 2010 issue featured “The Great American Cake,” by the owners of Baked.

Last night, with a near-rotten banana on hand, I had to make the Banana Cupcakes. I don’t usually deviate when baking, but since it was a spur-of the moment thing, I made a few adaptations: Cutting the recipe in half; using 1 egg instead of 1 egg and 1 egg yolk; using plain yogurt in place of sour cream; instead of peanut butter frosting, topping them with peanut butter chips.

They were still delicious! In fact, I would venture to say all the Baked recipes I’ve made at home tasted better than the items I tasted from their actual bakery. Still, I wouldn’t pass up the chance to visit next time I’m in New York or Charleston, S.C.