Five Guys 🍔 Burgers And 🍟 Fries

Fast food, maybe. However, it is made just for you and the toppings are very good. (Bacon, cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms on this one) A large bag of fries serves at least three people and they also have free 🥜 peanuts while you wait.

I really like how they have a sign letting you know where today’s potatoes 🥔 came from. Raybould Brothers in St. Anthony, Idaho today.

Conner’s Kitchen Cornbread Muffins

350 West Maryland Street in downtown Indianapolis across from the convention center is the location of Conner’s Kitchen.

The cornbread muffins are fabulous! Baked to a golden brown with a crunchy outside and the inside was steaming when I cut it open. I spread the whipped 🍯 honey butter on the top and in the middle and let it melt for a moment.

Delicious!!!

Grain Belt

As a kid in the 70s, we would visit our cousins the Griggs’ in Burnsville, Minnesota. A suburb of the Twin Cities. As my parents were teachers, it would be in the summer and always a week when the Twins were in town. Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Bert Blyleven, all Twins’ Hall of Famers were a few of the players we saw. Or opposing players Brooks Robinson and Boog Powell of the Orioles aa well as Reggie Jackson and the World Champion Oakland A’s. A $1.50 would get you a bleacher seat by the bull pen. We would ask third string catcher Paul Ratliff for his autograph every day.

Home plate of Metropolitan Stadium (Twins stadium) currently is within the Mall of America.

Great memories, Yes. However, my Uncle Bob’s basement refrigerator full of Grain Belt, that’s what I’m taking home with me today. My brother, David, went to the IU/ Minnesota football game recently and stayed with my cousin Ann Griggs. And, as any responsible Wintin would do, he found some Grain Belt to bring home to his brothers. !

Here’s to you Uncle Bob, Aunt Roberta and Dad!!!

Persimmon Pudding by Heidi

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃 Walt’s Diner fans! Today’s feature is brought to us by my beautiful wife, Heidi. I am thankful for her every day! She makes me a better person.

Heidi got some Jackson County persimmon pulp from a friend at work and fixed a pan of persimmon pudding for Thanksgiving dessert. My favorite piece is the corner, topped with a dollop of Cool Whip. (I actually added more Cool Whip after taking the photo. I don’t think you can have too much) I enjoy the texture of the corner, as it is a little more firm than the center pieces.

Great flavor. The next thing I need is a pan with more corners.

Caramel 🍎 Apple Heath Bar Cream Cheese Spread

Heidi Wintin scores BIG with this creation at our first of several Thanksgiving dinners. This takes caramel apple dip to a new level.

1. Place a block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese on a plate.

2. Cover with Hershey’s caramel topping.

3. Sprinkle Heath Bar bits over that. (Heath Bar Bits put this dish over the top!)

Slice some apples and apply caramel apple spread as needed. You will not be disappointed.

Rails Again

Check this out. 50% Darlage Custom Meats ground chuck and 50% applewood smoked 🥓 bacon topped with cheddar and bacon strips on a toasted bun. ( Get it medium well.) And, how about the sweet potato 🍠 fries with marshmallow cream to dip them in. Major League!!! (Just so you know, I take all that pickles, tomato, onion and lettuce crap and put it to the side.)

Let’s talk about the Conductor Cream Ale. Brewed for Rails by the Schnitz Brewery out of Jasper, Indiana. Simply delicious.

I also had the opportunity to hug my lifetime friend Mitza Durham, shake a few hands from the past and reminisce with the voice of Seymour Athletics, Curt Nichols. ” Nick, get their asses off the field, we have a game to play!” Walt Wintin, SHS Athletic Director Quote.

Honey Roasted Peanut Butter: Bloomington Kroger

Any trip to Bloomington, Indiana has its perks. The food and dining opportunities are limitless. Heidi and I were going to pick up Sophie, a freshman at IU, to bring her home for Thanksgiving. Whenever I can I shop at the Kroger near the College Mall. Or, as my brother-in-law, Doug Hackman calls it, Krogucci. Opposed to the Kroghetto, on the other side of town.

This store is a pleasure to shop, but today, my priority was the honey 🍯 roasted peanut 🥜 butter as we didn’t have a lot of time. The honey roasted peanuts are in a clear container that sits on top of a grinder. You place you plastic tub beneath the grinder and push the green button and you get freshly ground peanut butter. All it has in it are the honey roasted peanuts. One moment they are peanuts, the next it is peanut butter. It is some fantastic peanut butter! Somehwere between creamy and chunky.

If that isn’t enough, they have a beer section that I can spend significant amounts of time and 💰 money in.

Rails For The Win!

Rails Craft Brew & Eatery is located at 114 St. Louis Avenue in Seymour, Indiana. The restaurant is an old remodeled brick building with an old 🛤 railroad atmosphere.

We started with the pretzel 🥨 bread and beer cheese. It was a good call. The pretzel bread was warm and the sauce was delicious.

This night I had the grilled chicken, applewood 🥓 bacon and ranch wrap with sweet potato 🍠 fries. You need to try the sweet potato fries. I salted them and dipped them in ketchup like regular 🍟 fries. The wrap was on point!

My friend David Goecker had a seasoned sirloin steak, baked potato 🥔 and a 🥗 salad. I sampled his sirloin that was cooked medium and it was tender and tasty.

I also had a pint of Ruby Bloom Amber from The Bloomington Brewing Company. It is a rich and flavorful dark beer and I recommend it. Rails has a variety of craft brews that will not disappoint.

Walt’s Diner gives Rails and it’s Railroad theme 👍👍.

Blondie’s Pizzeria

Blondie’s 🍕 Pizzeria is located at the corner of Main & Walnut Streets in Brownstown, Indiana.

Today I had the lunch buffet and a drink for about $8. The choices were incredible! I tried the :

1. Mushroom 🍄 pizza- Excellent!

2. Buffalo chicken pizza- Outstanding!

3. Chicken Ranch- Choose you own delicious adjective!

4. Ham & cheese sub- very good!

I also had a 🥗 salad, but really, that sounds kind of healthy. My two favorite features were the sliced hard boiled eggs and the creamy Ranch dressing.

Mason and Tawnya Fleetwood run a great restaurant and one of their other nice features is the Pulled Pork Nachos featuring Colton’s “On Target” BBQ.

Don’t forget Tuesdays and Wednesdays are dollar domestic long neck nights. Also, you can walk in or call ahead for reservations. 812-358-1800.