Summit City Eats by KPC Media Group

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Contents

Advertiser’s Index

3 Rivers Co-op & Deli........................................................................19 Acme Bar & Grill................................................................................ 22 Biaggi’s.................................................................................................. 4 Big Eyed Fish........................................................................................7 Blue Gate Theatre............................................................................. 13 Calient..................................................................................................29 Chop’s...................................................................................................10 Cindy’s Diner......................................................................................29 Coney Island.......................................................................................16 Conjure Coffee..................................................................................30 Crossroads Kombucha..................................................................... 21 Tim Didier Meat.................................................................................. 31 Don Halls............................................................................................. 32 Edible Arrangements..........................................................30 (260) 444-4134 • www.ediblearrangements.com Goshen Brewing Company.............................................................. 4 Health Food Shoppe.........................................................................15 Hop River Brewing Company..........................................................17

King Gyros...........................................................................................16 Liberty Diner...................................................................................... 22 Lucky Moose........................................................................................ 6 Nawa Asian........................................................................................29 Ossian Meats....................................................................................... 2 Pembroke Bakery & Cafe................................................................27 Rudy’s...................................................................................................27 Rusty Dog Irish Pub........................................................................29 Ruth’s Chris....................................................................................... 28 Satek Winery....................................................................................... 9 Skyline Chili....................................................................................... 22 Taj Mahal...............................................................................................17 The Friendly Fox................................................................................15 Trolley Steaks & Seafood................................................................. 11 Umi.......................................................................................................... 9 Visit Fort Wayne................................................................................ 21 Copper Spoon by Wine Down....................................................... 22 Ziffle’s Rib Bar....................................................................................18

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If these walls could talk Though construction practices have come a long way, the allure of older buildings has caught the eye of many a prospective business owner. In Fort Wayne, it’s no different. Just over the past five years, more than half a dozen restaurants, bars and breweries have opened in buildings whose stories began long before their current occupants. “That’s become a thing in the United States now — the conversion of old buildings — and it becomes a draw. I think it might be a chicken and egg situation where people that are trying to hustle end up buying these older buildings and start converting them, and then it caught on and now larger or more well-funded companies are doing it too,” Andrew Smith, co-owner of Junk Ditch Brewing Co., said. Like many of the Summit City’s newer breweries, Junk Ditch evokes a long-lost era — at least its walls do. The restaurant, brewery and bakery — all separate LLCs — spawned from the Affine food truck in the summer of 2016, but the building that houses them has lived many previous lives. In its roughly 100 years of existence, the space has been a Korte Paper Co. warehouse, a slaughterhouse and,

later, an empty vessel. “When we got down to this area, we knew this space was where the Korte buildings burned down, but it wasn’t until after we’d started the process of purchasing that we learned this was one of the Korte buildings originally,” Smith said. Many of Korte’s facilities on West Main Street were claimed by a fire in 1998, while Junk Ditch’s current home survived. Two more warehouses used to sit where the adjacent Marathon gas station now stands. Smith and his partners purchased the building a few years ago from the family that had owned it for nearly a century, Smith said, while most of their education on the building’s past continues to come by word of mouth. “We did some research and we’ve been told a lot of things by people who eat here that lived near here when they were little kids,” Smith said. Though the long-standing space offers a unique atmosphere, Junk Ditch purchased the building mostly because of its price tag. Getting things up and running, however, required a complete renovation.

OPPOSITE: Kekionga Cider Co. uses the t-year-old Goeglein Mill’s old press to produce all of its ciders. Partners Logan B arger and Tyler Butcher collaborate with the Goeglein family to present press demonstrations on S aturdays. ABOVE: An old sign left over from the Wayne Candies factory still st ands atop the building at 15 01 E. Berry St. The business was well known for its Bun B ars.

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“The only thing that we really had here was essentially the walls and the roof,” Smith said. “We put in new HVAC, new electrical, new gas, new water. We jack hammered the floors up, and in the back section it was 16 inches lower than the front, so we had to bring in gravel to fill up to the right level and had all of our plumbing set into that.” Nevertheless, some of the charm of Junk Ditch’s customer-facing space is lent by a few small windows to its past. As soon as you walk in, the first thing you’ll notice is a peculiar looking host stand that’s actually a refabricated Nutting equipment cart left behind many years ago. On a wall next to one of the first tables when you walk in, the owners also left a smattering of phone numbers scrawled on the brick, as well as a section of wall that reads “Cleveland parts only” — remnants to complement the industrial look of the historic building. About a third of the space has been converted from the original warehouse, and Junk Ditch has future plans for the rest. “We have plans to convert some of that empty space and turn it into new and ever-evolving things,” Smith said.

good, so that also came with proper drains and power availability and things of that nature,” Tomaszewski said. “There wasn’t too much we had to do in the way of getting ready for production. There was plenty of renovation that needed to be done, but not that much of what you would call mechanical expense.” Though many vestiges of the former business have been sold off or cleaned out, the brewery owners found the original blueprints for the building,

From confections to taps

Three miles east of Junk Ditch, new memories are being made in another major player in Fort Wayne’s history. Summit City Brewerks, a brewery that celebrated its fourth year of business in October, calls the old Wayne Candies factory its home. Wayne Candies was founded in 1902 as the Heit-Miller-Lau Company and manufactured several confections including Mary Wayne and Lady Wayne Chocolates brand candies — named after General Anthony Wayne’s wife, Mary Penrose Wayne. Charles Dickmeyer purchased the company in 1930, renaming it Wayne Candies. In the late 1940s, the company began making its most popular product, the Bun Bar. Wayne Candies operated out of several locations over the years before moving into the old American Fork and Hoe plant at 1501 E. Berry St. in 1950. The majority of that space was purchased by Summit City Brewerks in 2014. Unlike Junk Ditch, Summit City owners and brewers David Tomaszewski and Will Long had an easier road when it came to renovating and retrofitting. “We were planning to be and ended up being a manufacturer of a beverage

K E K I O N G A CID E R C O.

which indicate the space Summit City occupies used to be a recreation space for Wayne Candies’ more than 200 employees. An even sweeter example of repurposed space is the area where Tomaszewski and Long brew their many styles of beer. “Where we started making the beer is actually where they used to cook the caramel for the Bun Bars,” Tomaszewski said. “That’s been a really neat thing.” The most obvious remnant of Wayne Candies is the Bun sign on the east side of the building, which still greets customers to this day. Though Summit City’s footprint hasn’t moved, the business has doubled its usable space, Tomaszewski said, adding a family room and outdoor patio, both of which bear the bones of Fort Wayne’s history. “People like the industrial, modern feel of buildings like that,” Tomaszewski said. “It’s a great thing to be able to renovate and use an older space rather than building new construction.”

Reviving tradition

For non-beer drinkers, one of Fort Wayne’s newest businesses offers a different kind of beverage, made in a space as storied as some of the city’s oldest figures. Kekionga Cider Co., a cidery opened in 2017, employs a manufacturing tradition dating back nearly 90 years. After toying with the idea of developing their own hard cider, longtime friends Logan Garger and Tyler Butcher learned of the Goegleins, a family that has owned a local mill on and off since 1928. The old barn off Maysville Road was first used as an apple mill in 1929 before the business began specializing in canning, which declined in demand after consumer refrigerators went into mass production around World War II. The Goeglein family sold the building before repurchasing it in 2008. Over the past year, Kekionga has rented the space for production. “We sat down and had a few meetings and they took us to the space, and we just thought it made a perfect fit,” Butcher said. “Why not start a cider company in a 90-year-old cider mill? We just fell in love with the space.” Kekionga will eventually share a retail kitchen with the Goegleins, which the family is currently working to get up and running. The partnership has also breathed life into the mill’s old cider press, which Kekionga uses to produce its product. “In the fall, we use the press as much as we can,” Butcher said. “We typically work with the Goegleins and have live pressings on Saturdays. The press is huge. When we can in the fall, we use as many apples as we can from local orchards, especially Orchard Hills in Kendallville. Other than that, the (building) is kind of not built for a modern business, but we work around it. The atmosphere is what we really like.” Butcher said he and his partner let the cider do the talking but, of course, the building has its own stories to tell. “Being in something with that much history — just an old barn with the yellow patina lights — it’s great,” he said. “There’s no frills, no catchy gimmicks. It’s an old building, we have good cider, it’s just a pretty good atmosphere.”

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— Louis Wyatt Page 5

High-end with half-pints the do’s and don’ts of dining with kids Eating out at an upscale restaurant comes with its own set of expectations and social cues. Small children can sometimes have trouble adhering to such requirements, making a family night out to such places a bit more difficult. Some restaurants have even gone so far as to have a policy that discourages parents from bringing their small children, so as to maintain a desired decorum and atmosphere. “These days we have to tread this carefully because you don’t know what other people’s response is going to be you to your disapproval,” Karen Hickman, a certified etiquette and protocol consultant, said. “I do think restaurants do have the right to say we are not really kid friendly. If you are considering going to a fine-dining situation, you should call ahead to

ask what their guidelines are.” For the most part, though, local fine-dining restaurants do not have policies about small children, believing that customers of all ages should be allowed to experience fine dining. “We want it to be a family establishment,” Patrick Court, assistant manager at Park Place on Main, said. “We want them to be able to enjoy the evening. It’s a fun experience to see the awe in their eyes when they come in and see the ambience and atmosphere of it.” Once the kids are at an appropriate age, 5 or 6 years old per Hickman’s suggestions, parents should be reinforcing good manners and establishing expectations in regards to behavior, and perhaps doing a test run with a shorter outing first.

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“When your children start going to school, for instance, take them out for a short meal,” Hickman said. “Ease them into it and see how they do. As they learn how to behave, move them up.” The key to having a smooth fine-dining experience is preparation. Lessons in manners should start early, with a focus on saying “please” and “thank you,” and learning how to not make a mess. If a child does not demonstrate good manners around the family dinner, Hickman emphasized, taking them to a fancy dining establishment is not going to magically give them manners. “Every child is different,” Hickman said. “I think a lot of it depends on the parents’ preparation of the child. If your children have never sat down at your home and used silverware,

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your experience in a fine dining situation might be difficult.” When the family decides to make the leap and go out for a nice meal at a high-end restaurant, Court encourages parents to order their children’s food early, so that as the evening progresses, the kids are occupied and fed. While most restaurants nowadays offer crayons and other quiet activities to keep kids busy, Hickman added that there is no harm in bringing along a book or other quiet activities. If possible, though, Hickman suggests leaving the iPads and smart phones in the car or in a bag. “What I do see parents doing often these days is everybody takes an electronic device and the whole family sits there on their electronic devices waiting for food,” Hickman said. “That’s an opportunity to have family time and to talk to your children.” If plans go awry and the children start getting agitated and forget

their manners, the result can be an uncomfortable experience for the parents and other patrons. In an effort to minimize the chaos and avoid annoyed glares from other tables, parents need to step up, perhaps be the “bad guy” and remove the petulant child from the table. For parents who have an unruly child, especially in fine-dining situations, you may have to consider extracting the child from the restaurant and taking them to the car or maybe the restroom and see if you can get them to calm down, Hickman said. As for the other diners and wait staff in the restaurant, Hickman and the restaurant staff agree that the other customers are entitled to an enjoyable, uninterrupted dining experience. When a complaint is brought to the attention of a member of the staff, Court said they are happy to accommodate. “I would please them instead of uprooting the whole family because

that does happen,” Court said. “We would move (the diners) to make their experience better, perhaps into the bar where no kids are and make it quieter.” Sometimes, Hickman noted, there are times when the kids should stay home with a sitter, namely when the outing is later in the evening or is expected to last a few hours. Other than that, she believes exposing kids to new and more sophisticated dining experiences is a good way to reinforce the importance of manners and how to behave in different social situations. “I’m not opposed to children being taken out to a high-end restaurant,” Hickman said. “That’s how they learn to manage themselves. But do it when it’s age appropriate. Children are never going to learn how to behave unless they have those experiences.” — Chelsea Boulrisse

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It’s noon, and bakers for GK Baked Goods are in the kitchen they share with Affine food truck and Junk Ditch Brewing Co. However, the bakers are likely creating buns for a different set of restaurants and food trucks. Meanwhile, across town, the head brewer for Junk Ditch is talking over a new beer with brewers from Hop River, LaOtto and more than a dozen other local breweries. This isn’t a set of hypothetical situations. It’s what happens every day in the kitchens, breweries and buildings of producers across Fort Wayne. Here, food professionals are choosing collaboration rather than competition to keep the momentum going for everyone.

‘It’s community’

“The brewing community is just that — it’s community, especially, it seems, in Fort Wayne,” LaOtto Brewing Page 8

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How local food producers are working together to grow

co-owner and head brewer Josh Brames said. “We’ve been underserved for so long it just seems we’re sort of magnetized to one another.” Earlier this year more than 15 brewers in Fort Wayne came together in a big way and collaborated on not only a beer — aptly named Trail Mix — but also a beer trail to encourage consumers to visit each one. The Northern Indiana Beer Trail encourages beer enthusiasts to grab a passport and check out various craft breweries in the area, with the added incentive of earning prizes along the way. In fact, the more breweries a person goes to, the better the swag earned. Though it might seem counterproductive to encourage customers to go elsewhere, that’s not how brewers see it. “Craft beer drinkers…love exploring, they’re very curious, they’re really

into new things and they will go from brewery to brewery,” Hop River Brewing Co. head brewer Kevin Debs said. “What we want to do is not steal drinkers from another craft brewery because we can’t — they’re not going to be loyal to craft breweries in that way. “What we want to do is steal beer drinkers from the really big breweries and show those people, hey, there are other things out there, there are all these other flavors, there’s a whole world you can explore. And once they start exploring that world they’ll come to all of our breweries.”

Being part of people’s narrative

Grace Kelly Baked Goods started making bread for Affine Hospitality, owners of Junk Ditch Brewing and Affine food truck, a couple times a week a few years ago, owner Grace Kelly said. One day, someone from Bravas had the bread at Affine’s food truck and

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started asking where it came from, she said. Bravas later became GK Baked Goods’ first wholesale account, and the two recently spent six months together perfecting a potato bun for the burger restaurant. But Bravas and Affine aren’t GK’s only customers. The bakery makes items for restaurants and food trucks around the city, from Head 2 Hock and Ragin’ Cajun to Trubble Brewing, J.K. O’Donnell’s and more than a dozen others. While GK Baked Goods has a menu of breads, pastries and desserts it offers, the company also works with restaurants to create custom products for their menus, Kelly said. “(We) start testing recipes for them and then I take it to them. They’re able to test their dishes with that product in house and decide (what changes to make),” she said. “It’s a cool way to kind of be a part of people’s narrative.”

‘It makes you better in the end’ Mad Anthony Brewing Co. has also learned the value of collaboration not only within its industry but outside it as well. “It’s super cool to be able to collaborate with our brew friends but (also) to reach outside of that with other producers, with the wineries and the

distilled spirit producers,” said Josh Volz, director of marketing and design at Mad Anthony and Shigs in Pit. One partnership has been with Old Crown Coffee, who supplies and roasts special beans for Mad Anthony’s Jonesing for Java beer. “We come out with this big, bold porter with a lot of coffee flavor to it,” Volz said. In the past year Mad Anthony has also partnered with Three Rivers Distilling Co. for a Still Mad Hopped Whiskey. “We dreamt that up with them and they took our Good Karma IPA and distilled that into the whiskey we got,” Volz said, adding he hoped to create another batch with the Fort Wayne distiller this winter. Working with producers in different industries gives a sense of perspective, he said. “Seeing the way somebody else does something, it helps you reflect on how you’re doing your own thing and it makes you better in the end, just seeing and learning from other people,” Volz said.

Stronger together

Collaboration also helps strengthen the sense of quality and community felt by local producers, Volz said. “We’re not making the same

product, but we (have) the same mindset where we’re picking the best ingredients, we’re picking the finest things to go into our products and I think being able to see those people around town doing that and be able to connect with them, I think it’s making our community stronger and getting people to stay here in town and go and eat, drink and buy from these local places, their neighbors and their friends,” he said. Kelly agreed. “People think we want everybody to fail or something, in the industry as a total,” she said, “but we’re so excited to be a part of this community and the community as a whole is excited for one another. “We always say it’s support local, community over competition, we just want everyone to succeed. … We’re excited, we’re going to their places on our days off. We want them to do just as good as we want ourselves to do.” “We are stronger together,” Brames said. “No one of us is big enough to make a ripple in the pond, but all of us together, we will be heard.” — Megan Knowles

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Best foods for...

What to order for a first date, business lunch or holiday party Business lunch

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Business lunches can be made less stressful by following certain guidelines, said Karen Hickman, etiquette and protocol consultant and owner of Professional Courtesy LLC. First, the person who issues the invitation is expected to pick up the tab, regardless of gender. “When you get to the restaurant it’s helpful if the host makes some suggestions on what’s good in this restaurant, because First date they typically choose the restaurant as well. A common fear on first date is making a In that way it can lead people to having an fool — and a mess — of yourself. understanding of the host’s expectation of “I’ve seen girls just order salad or soup what you would order,” Hickman said. “And (on a first date),” Cristina Ray-Durnell, general of course the guest would order first and manager of El Azteca Mexican restaurant, then the host should also follow suit: the said. number of courses their guest orders they Fortunately, about every restaurant has should order as well.” some kind of offering that keeps it clean For someone who might find their host without limiting diners too much. hasn’t made suggestions, it’s OK to prompt For example, Ray-Durnell recommends them for recommendations or to ask what items that are self-contained, such as a they’re considering ordering, she said. quesadilla. And while nachos would usually “I always recommend people order seem like a no-go, she said El Azteca’s are things in the middle of the road price-wise,” Hickman said. “I would not order anything individually topped, so they’re less messy that’s a real high-ticket item unless your than most. host really suggests that.” In addition, there are a few items Both Nori and El Azteca offer lunch Ray-Durnell would steer people away from. “Burritos are going to have melted cheese menus that feature items from their dinner menus at smaller portions and prices. on them and that could potentially make “When you’re on a business luncheon a mess. Fajitas of course are so good and you’re going to be talking a lot so you don’t they’re sizzling but you have to build your own taco yourself so there’s a chance to get have a lot of time to eat a whole bunch of things…this is a good price and a good all messy…so I don’t think people are really portion,” Ray-Durnell said. ordering that per se,” she said. In addition to avoiding traditionally Another obstacle those on a first date messy foods, Hickman also advised to stay sometimes encounter is apprehension about clear of what many people would consider trying something new, Nori Asian Fusion finger food, such as fried chicken or chicken co-owner Yondra Vixtoria said. For example, many people “have it in their on the bone, barbecue ribs or even messy sandwiches. mind” that they don’t want sushi, he said. “A lot of people still worry about sushi Holiday parties and they don’t want to have sushi,” Vixtoria Another common time people aren’t quite said. sure what to order is during holiday parties. In those cases, he sometimes During these events, Hickman advised recommends a tempura sushi, where part of caution. the sushi is fried, or a cooked sushi “where “If it’s work related you’re still really at the whole thing is cooked” or fried. work,” she said. “What you do Saturday “I hear a lot from (customers) that night at the Christmas party may not be they have never had sushi and they were forgotten Monday morning if you end up on scared of sushi but once they try it they the tabletops hanging from the chandeliers.” love it,” he said. For this reason, Hickman advised

Sometimes, food can stress us out. Whether it’s on a first date or at an important business meeting with a boss, our food options can sometimes cause more anxiety than excitement. Will it be too expensive? Will it make a mess? Will you have to try something unusual? Fear not! Summit City Eats talked to restaurant managers and an etiquette expert to help take some of the anxiety out of what to order.

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partygoers to enjoy no more than one to two drinks. But what to order? Companies that work with Don Hall’s Catering will often create their own signature cocktails, which helps give guests options and sometimes allows for small-batch creations of the drinks, which speeds up bar time, Carrie Riepenhoff, director of services/team lead for Don Hall’s Guesthouse Hotel, Hall’s Catering and The Philmore on Broadway, wrote in an email. “Drinks with lots of steps or mixers seem to bog down processes and lengthen drink turnaround time at events with bar service,” she said. One of Riepenhoff’s favorite new custom cocktail ingredients is a food-safe pearlescent powder, which was included in drinks available at the Middle Waves music festival in mid-September. “As they stir it creates an ‘interactive cocktail’ — a cool conversation starter at gatherings where people don’t really know each other,” she wrote. Other favorites include wine slushies, cranberry mules, Spanish coffees and local beers and wines. As far as what to avoid, Riepenhoff said to be careful around high-sugar cocktails and sparking wine, which she said can sometimes lead to next-day headaches. For those who want to enjoy some bubbly, she recommended a dry sparking wine like Prosecco, perhaps with fresh-pressed raspberries “for some holiday flair and flavor and to brighten the sweetness.” Above all, Riepenhoff agreed that avoiding overindulging is key. She recommended that companies could employ strategies such as offering hosted cocktails only during appetizers or closing the bar during dinner, and also not offering shots of liquor.

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— Megan Knowles

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Desert Donuts are almost too pretty to eat — almost. Best friends Tiffany Brown and Jada Carpenter started their small business in May. Baking out of a private kitchen, the pair create doughnuts with interesting flavor combinations and colorful decorations that pop off their Instagram feed, like the Pink Cloud, a dreamy doughnut topped with pop rocks and a tuft of cotton candy. Their friendship started in Fort Wayne, but they learned that they both lived in (and loved) Austin, Texas. Thus, they named their business “Desert Donuts.” However, they could also be called “dessert donuts” because the cake doughnuts are more like a cupcake than a breakfast pastry. In the few months since they started, their following on social media has snowballed. Brown and Carpenter have sold doughnuts at local farmers markets and pop-up shops. They offer flavors of the week and take pride in their custom orders like an assortment of Alice in Wonderland-themed birthday doughnuts. Desert Donuts also offers vegan and gluten-free doughnuts. Brown and Carpenter said gaining momentum as a startup has been an adventure. They were recently excited to get an order from Vera Bradley. The luggage and handbag company commissioned doughnuts inspired by its new holiday designs. — Bridgett Hernandez

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Here, the doughnut duo answers some questions while they put the finishing touches on their latest creation, a blueberry waffle doughnut. You can find Desert Donuts on Instagram at desertdonutsfw. What’s your favorite doughnut? TB: The best doughnut that I think we’ve made so far is our strawberry doughnut. It’s just so fresh. You could eat it plain. JC: For our Johnny Appleseed, we do caramel sea salt chips in the doughnut and it’s to die for. What beverage pairs best with your doughnuts? TB and JC: Firefly Coffee house iced coffee! What moments have stood out to you since starting Desert Donuts? TB: How fast it caught on and how many people actually want our doughnuts is really cool. JC: I was getting a pedicure one day and overheard someone talking about Desert Donuts. I was like “Oh my God!” We say this all the time, but when you’re supporting a small business, you’re supporting someone’s dream.

CONTRIBUTED

How would you describe your presence on social media? TB: We try to post something every single day to stay current and consistent. JC: It’s fun and bubbly. We recently posted a selfie introducing ourselves — Tiffany as a dog mom and I’m a mom of a 1 year old. If you go through our page, you can taste our personality. What’s next for Desert Donuts? JC: A food truck would probably be our next step.

Tiffany Brown (left) and Jada Carpenter are the co-owners of Desert Donuts.

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Dawn to dusk dishes

Dusk

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Grilled cheese is the signature dish at Dash-In after dark, but these aren’t just your average bread and c heese. The Dash-In menu offers 10 different variations on the classic s andwich with toppings ranging from gourmet cheeses to spinach artichoke dip.

Locally owned and operated for over 28 years by the same owners

GENEROUS PORTIONS AND GREAT FOOD Drive- through, Dine-in or Carry-out Outside seating available Open: Mon- Thur: 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Fri.- Sat.: 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. • Sun.: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

814 Goshen Ave Fort Wayne, IN 46808 • (260)432-8882

Summit City Eats • 2018 • www.fwbusiness.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

FEATURES BAR & RESTAURANT

Dawn

Dusk

The breakfast buffet, featuring all of the classic breakfast staples, is the go-to wake-up call for hotel guests and rest aurant goers.

R IB

UTE

1020 S. Calhoun St. (260) 420-1100

Every night is different at Features as the chefs switch it up with new small plate and t apas-style appetizers to quell an after-hours snack attack craving, like the flank steak and shrimp fried po boy pictured above.

Authentic Indian food 6410 W. Jefferson Blvd., Ste 9B, Fort Wayne

260-432-8993 Taj Mahal is one of Fort Wayne’s favorite Indian food restaurants serving all of your favorite dishes with hearty portions at great prices.

Dine-In or Carry-Out Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fri. -Sat. 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

TajMahalIndian_98517 Summit City Eats • 2018 • www.fwbusiness.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc. 3.5”x4.625” Summit City Eats BW 10/26/18

#70 Susan dr 4 color

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LIBERTY DINER

Dawn

Dusk AB

IS S

2929 Goshen Road (260) 484-9666

It’s all about omelets, day and night, at Liberty Diner . In fact, owner George Smyrniotis estimates that he goes through about 90 dozen eggs per day. Pictured is the S anta Fe Omelet.

While omelets are still popular at night, patrons coming in often crave one of the diner’s juicy burgers with both creative and classic combinations of toppings.

SERVING FORT WAYNE’S FAVORITE BBQ FOR OVER 30 YEARS

VOTED FORT WAYNE’S “BEST RIBS” 10 YEARS IN A ROW! Est. 1987

DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS CARRY OUT AND CATERING AVAILABLE 6340 E. STATE BLVD. 46815 LOCATED IN GEORGETOWN SQUARE 260-493-1222 WWW.ZIFFLESRIBBAR.COM Page 18

Summit City Eats • 2018 • www.fwbusiness.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

FRIENDLY FOX

Dawn

Dusk

R IB

UTE

4001 S. Wayne Ave. (260) 745-3369

Step aside boring breakfasts, and make way for the Garbage Plate. Boasting homemade biscuits, bacon, tomatoes and a whole lot of gravy, this dish is key to kic king off the day.

Appetizers rule the late-night menu, with the rest aurant’s hand-wrapped egg rolls wrapping up the top spot.

Summit City Eats • 2018 • www.fwbusiness.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

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What kind of Fort Wayne foodie are you?

Take our quiz to find out!

It’s Saturday morning. You find yourself: A. at the farmers market shopping for local produce and handmade baked goods. B. eating leftover pizza for breakfast. C. snapping a picture at brunch for the ‘gram. D. Googling “best eggs Benedict in Fort Wayne.” You’re hosting an out-of-town visitor. What restaurant(s) would you insist on taking them to? A. Tolon for a real farm-to-fork experience B. Coney Island or Powers Hamburgers. They’re Fort Wayne institutions! C. Check Facebook for the closest food truck rally for a smorgasbord of local choices! D. Paula’s on Main for seafood or Cork ’n Cleaver for steak. After pouring a bowl of cereal for dinner, you realize you’re out of milk. You… A. head to the co-op for a gallon of local milk from an Indiana farm. Local just tastes better. B. shrug and eat it dry. It’s better this way. C. send a sad Snapchat to a friend and hope they’ll deliver. D. Who eats cereal for dinner?! Which coffee do you reach for when you need a pick-me-up? A. My neighborhood coffee shop — I’d

rather support a local business than grab a cup at a national chain. B. Something covered in whip cream that doesn’t taste like coffee at all. C. A cafe latte — with latte art, of course! — from Fortezza. D. Something fresh roasted, sustainable, fair trade and organic. When you’re craving something sweet, you reach for… A. A cinnamon roll from GK Baked Goods. B. A Reese Bomb Sundae from the Stand. C. A yummy bun from Yummi Bunni. They’re almost too pretty to eat. D. Dark chocolate gelato from DeBrand’s. How often do you eat avocado toast? A. Not often… avocados leave an enormous carbon footprint! B. Does guacamole count? C. #allthetime #avocadotoastislife D. Avocado toast is sooooo 2017. What’s your favorite food and drink pairing? A. A Guntrhop Farm-sourced burger and craft brew from Junk Ditch. B. Wings and beer at Buffalo Wings & Ribs. C. DIY s’mores and dessert wine at the Hoppy Gnome. D. A red wine and a charcuterie board from Copper Spoon. Which one do you agree with most? A. You like to know where your food comes from. B. Big portions + tasty grub = heaven.

C. Presentation matters. You eat with your eyes first. D. Quality is better than quantity when it comes to food. Your ideal date night is... A. a bite to eat at Trubble Brewing followed by a show at the Clyde Theater for a truly neighborhood experience. B. grab some Ollie’s or Big Apple pizza, Netflix and binge. C. a restaurant with great lighting for pictures. D. the best seat in the house at an exclusive Fort Wayne establishment. Your friends can always rely on you to… A. recommend a great local alternative to a chain. B. be ready to split an order of nachos and a pitcher of margaritas. C. take great pictures and remember to tag you on social media. D. recommend a fantastic restaurant. Your server arrives with the appetizer. Before digging in, you… A. ask where the ingredients were sourced from. B. ask for extra ranch. C. tell everyone at the table to hold their horses so you can take a picture. D. compare it to a similar dish you had at a restaurant last week.

If you answered mostly… A’s: The locovore: Eating local matters to you. You’ll always pick a mom-and-pop place over a chain. Supporting local restaurants means investing in your community. And not only is it (usually) a healthier choice and better for the environment — local food tells the story of a place. B’s: The junk food junkie: Food should just make you feel good. Whether it’s a slice of your favorite pizza or a greasy burger (or both!), part of the experience is the way it makes you feel. C’s: The social foodie: Sharing is caring! You love to be able to let your friends know about your great food finds. Plus, you’re helping others make informed dining decisions and spreading the word about your favorite joints. A win-win! D’s: The critic: You know what you like and there isn’t anything wrong with that. Dining isn’t just about sustenance, it’s about the experience and quality. Knowing that people care about making your food as much as you do about eating is what it’s all about.

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Stop in & enjoy some of our Best! All Day Breakfast, Soups, Salads, Burgers, Steaks, Baby Back Ribs, Seafood and Mediterranean Specialties.

LIBERTY DINER Est. 2000

Your Family Restaurant

• Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Best Greek Salad & French Onion Soup American/Mediterranean Style in New York Atmosphere

2929 Goshen Rd. • 484-9666 Since 1941

Serves Lunch, Dinner, Pizza and Drinks

Acme Bar & Grill CALL

(260) 480-2263

1105 E. State Blvd (at the “East State Village” gateway arch) @AcmeBarAndGrill

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4021 Ice Way, Fort Wayne

260-203-4948

Mon - Sun 10:30am - 10pm

KPC Media Group PROOF Summit City Eats • 2018 • www.fwbusiness.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc. Corrections must be made by 2:00 p.m. 10/4 or ad will be assumed correct and run as is.

Off the beaten path

The Summit City is jam-packed with more fantastic eateries than the pages of this publication has space for, so for the second year in a row, we’re offering our recommendations for the best restaurants you may have never heard of. Whether you call them “hidden gems” or “holes in the wall,” we’re encouraging you to make a detour from your restaurant routine to get to know these local treasures. — Bridgett Hernandez

El Salvador Restaurant

Pizza Subs & BBQ

515 E. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne Hours: Tue.-Thu. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday Phone: (260) 420-0010 Located between a gas station and a laundromat on the east side of downtown, El Salvador Restaurant serves up generous portions of Central American fare. Customers can dine in and enjoy chips and salsa with their meals, which run between $6.99 and $16.99. The menu includes tacos, tortas, tamales and more. Pupusas ($1.75 to $2) are served piping hot with a cabbage slaw. This is not fast food. Call ahead for carryout or be prepared to wait while your food is prepared.

519 Washington St., St. Joe Hours: Tue.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday Phone: (260) 337-0222 A few miles north of the county line, Pizza Subs & BBQ is a mom-and-pop pizzeria that is a draw for pizza lovers for miles around. The self-described hole in the wall serves up more than fresh slices. Owners Steven and Christine Weirauch take pride in their recipes, including a made-inhouse pizza sauce and sweet and tangy pulled pork that is slow-cooked for nine hours. The restaurant offers dine in, carry out and delivery ($2 within a five-mile radius). Steven enjoys counting the number of pizza restaurants his customers have to pass to get to Pizza Subs & BBQ and said hearing customer praise never gets old.

Bob’s Restaurant

Well Grounded Café

22031 Main St., Woodburn Hours: Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sun. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Phone: (260) 632-5233 Woodburn natives know that Bob’s Restaurant is a hometown institution. It’s well-worth the 20-minute drive from downtown Fort Wayne. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with hearty daily specials like meat loaf and ham and bean soup. Friendly service keeps regulars coming back again and again, like the group of gregarious, graying farmers that the servers have affectionately dubbed “The Liars’ Table” or the father and son who signal their breakfast order to the fry cook with a hand signal. Don’t even think about leaving without ordering the famous pie — the restaurant carries more than a dozen varieties each week with regulars like cherry and apple and the unusual like gooseberry.

14517 Lima Road, Fort Wayne Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sat. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Sunday Phone: (260) 637-6622 For such a little café, Well Grounded Café packs a ton of flavor. Located in the Lima-Plank Mercantile on the south end of Huntertown, this is a great spot for breakfast or lunch. The menu offers specialty coffees, fresh baked goods, salads, paninis and breakfast sandwiches. Try the amazin’ Asian wrap filled with teriyaki chicken, shredded cabbage, mandarin organs, green onion, ginger, sesame seeds, rice crackers and house-made ginger sauce. The café offers a variety of sides from healthy fruit and veggie cups to brownies. A great option for filling up when you don’t want to feel weighed down.

Summit City Eats • 2018 • www.fwbusiness.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

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S. Clinton St. BY SUMMIT CITY EATS STAFF After chowing down on all the coney dogs Fort Wayne had to offer in 2017, Summit City Eats wanted to take on another local favorite — the . sausage roll! ve A But as we prepared for this section, we made a discovery. If you’ve ake L had a traditional sausage roll in Britain, the ones in Fort Wayne will come e. as a surprise. Instead of a link of sausage surrounded by flaky pastry, Av a the northeast Indiana dish more resembles a calzone: a doughy exterior bi m folded around ground, savory sausage (and sometimes more). olu C Here are our thoughts on some local offerings.

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W. Pontiac St. Fairfield Ave.

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3516 Broadway (260) 456-6807 Pastry: Less of a pastry and more of a thin pizza dough. Sausage: The sausage in this roll is ground, with lots of pepper sage Blvd. notes. I liked the flavor, and I usually don’t like sausage. E. Rudisill Blvd. W.and Rudisill It wasn’t greasy or too overwhelming, just nice and savory. Other ingredients: The 07’s sausage roll has a layer of gooey cheese in it as well. Presentation: It’s more like a sausage calzone, so it’s very large and flat. Also comes with a side of tangy BBQ sauce for dipping. Atmosphere: The 07 Pub is your friendly neighborhood bar, complete with drinks and other bar fare. — Megan

S. Clinton St.

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Brooklyn Ave.

gle Rd.

Lafayette St.

Sausage: The original sausage roll packs lots of well-seasoned sausage into every bite. Other ingredients: Cheese and marinara filling. Presentation: Baked to perfection. The dark brown bubbles from the oven Taylor St. made it look even tastier. Atmosphere: Cozy tavern on Main Street. A relaxed neighborhood institution famous for its pizza and sausage rolls. 21 and older. — Bridgett

Nuttman Ave.

rson Blv

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1432 W. Main St. W. W (260) 426-7543 . n Blvd Pastry: Very tasty and well baked. A nice crust. Definitely a fork ersoknife fand f e J . W kind of sausage roll.

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Laycoff’s Tavern

Cli n

3530 N. Clinton St. (260) 482-1122 Pastry: One of the best I have had in Fort Wayne! Sausage: Sausage was small (not big chunks). Great spices in the sausage. Other ingredients: The cheese was perfectly melted and the sauce had a great flavor. Presentation: Excellent presentation, looked almost too good to eat! Atmosphere: Bar atmosphere, but fun. — Rick

vd.

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N. Anthony Blvd.

N. Clinton St.

North

S. Clinton St. Spring St.

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W. Pontiac St.

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The ACME Bar and Grill

1105 E. State Blvd. (260) 480-2263 . very reminiscent of their pizza crust. d lv Pastry: It’s B ton hingIt’s doughy and chewy — really puts the “roll” in E. Was Maum sausage roll. ee . d lv e. the They definitely don’t skimpAvon nB soSausage: r e f f e J E. sausage. There is some spice to it that really gives the roll its most prominent flavor. Other ingredients: If you’re looking for something unique, the ACME’s homemade marinara sauce sets this apart. I’m tasting some oregano and other spices coming through. Mushrooms are optional, but I would definitely recommend them. Presentation: The roll is perfectly round with the dough closed in the center. Atmosphere: If you sit near the bar, there’s a lot happening. It is very much a “neighborhood” S. Anthony Blvd. hangout. If you’re looking for hustle and bustle you’ll get it. — Louis

Brooklyn

eA ak

Lafayette St.

908 Spring St., (260) 424-1640 3031 W. Washington Center Road, (260) 489-3505 10346 Leo Road, (260) 471-4751 My order: Lexy’s offers four kinds of sausage rolls on their menu. I ordered the Hindenburg, an everything iac St. pizza wrapped in a roll. in St. E. Ma Pastry: The outside of the sausage roll was baked W Main St. to golden brown perfection. The pastry was thin and a little crispy. It held together well considering the abundance of fillings. lvd. well-distributed Sausage: The crumbled sausage ton Bwas g n i h s through each bite.W. Wa Other ingredients: Pepperoni, mushroom, lvd. onion, rson B femozzarella. green olive, green pepper and f e J . W Presentation: Like the name suggests, Lexy’s Hindenburg sausage roll is big enough for two adults to share. The staff said more than half the customers . who order sausage rolls request barbecue sauce on the side. Taylor St. Pizza has three locations Atmosphere: Lexy’s throughout Fort Wayne. At the location on Spring Street, there’s limited seating in the small pizzeria, but most orders are for carry-out. — Bridgett

S. Anthony Blvd.

Lexy’s Pizza

E. Pontiac St.

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h a s p s e e r c e n s e t i a r u e r p a x n e t ’ s s ’ e f l e a g vors u f e R

The first Burmese refugees arrived in Fort Wayne more than 25 years ago following the 1988 national uprising in Myanmar (also known as Burma). In the last decade, several Burmese restaurants and groceries have popped up in the city to serve this growing population as well as welcome customers of all backgrounds. Today, the city’s Burmese population is estimated at more than 6,000. In addition to the refugees who have made their homes here, Fort Wayne has also been a destination for “secondary immigration,” as many Burmese immigrants have moved here from other parts of the United States where they were first settled.

Showcasing diversity

The Burmese restaurants in Fort Wayne reflect the diversity of the local Burmese population. Myanmar, which shares a border with India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand, is home to more than 100 ethnic groups with more than 60 languages spoken. In addition, many immigrants lived in refugee camps in Malaysia and Thailand for years before arriving in the United States. These experiences have shaped the flavors found here. Several of these restaurants and groceries have opened for business on the southeast side of Fort Wayne where many of the city’s Burmese population have made their home. Mahnin Asian Restaurant, located on South Calhoun Street, offers a wide variety of southeast Asian menu items Page 26

from pad thai, a Thai food staple, to Burmese-style coconut noodle soup. Lo mein noodles are served in a coconut milk broth with chickpeas, onions and soft boiled eggs. The dish is topped with crunchy fried soybeans. Nawarat, located on South Anthony Boulevard, offers Burmese, Thai and Indian dishes with menu items like beef with basil, samosas and Burmese-style fried noodles. There is also a growing community of Burmese families in northwest Allen County. Family Power, located at 5205 Decatur Road, offers a Burmese and Asian fusion menu. (Family Power and Nawarat also offer halal options.) Fort Wayne’s newest Burmese restaurant, Nine House, has opened up just south of Huntertown, where, in a local subdivision, about a dozen Burmese families have moved onto the same street with more families expected to follow. The restauranthas been getting rave reviews from its regular customers since it opened. Its menu offers both daily specials and regular items. There are eggrolls, chicken dumplings, Thai noodle dishes and Burmese curries. Nine House has table and chairs for dining in, but most of its business is catering and carryout orders.

A gathering place

Earlier this summer, Ezra Kokonaing opened the restaurant and catering business with her husband, Gabriel. Ezra’s father came to Fort Wayne as a refugee. She followed when she was

17 years old and graduated from South Side High School. “I was born in Burma, raised in Thailand and grew up in America,” she said. “(Kokonaing is pronounced) like coconut, but ‘nine’ instead of ‘nut,’” said ZZ Kokonaing, a junior at Carroll High School, who helps his parents out at the restaurant by taking carryout orders and working the register. His sister, KK, a freshman at Carroll, helps in the kitchen. Ezra does all the cooking in the tidy open kitchen. She uses mise en place to throw together complex dishes that use several ingredients in just minutes. She admits that the food she serves is not exactly the same as what you might eat in Burma or Thailand. She’s had to adapt to the ingredients that she can find here. It’s a concept that she learned from her father and that she’s teaching her own children. “That’s one thing I learned from my dad. When you cook something, don’t wait for stuff from the outside. Use something close to you,” she said. As a cook, it’s not just important that the food she cooks is delicious. She wants to be transparent about what’s in the dishes and how they are made. For her, using local ingredients is also a matter of health. She wants her customers to know that she uses ingredients that are made in the U.S.A. and approved by the FDA. Many dishes are organic. “It’s so hard to find some things and

TH BR IDGE T

ERN A

NDE

there are a lot of (packaged foods) from different countries and we don’t know

what they’re made of. The ingredients are sometimes not even listed on the bag,” she said. In addition to providing a healthy and delicious option, the Kokonaing family wants to share Burmese culture and food with the community. In fact, before Nine House was a restaurant, it was a gathering place for the local Burmese community, Ezra said. Most of the children can speak English fluently, but their parents sometime struggle. The space provided a place where students could get help with their homework. “We’re here to serve others,” Ezra said. — Bridgett Hernandez

Places To Go

Mahnin Asian Restaurant 2701 S. Calhoun St., Fort Wayne Phone: (260) 744-3584 Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wed.-Mon.; Closed Tuesday Menu: Burmese, Thai, Asian fusion Nawarat 5527 S. Anthony Blvd., Fort Wayne Phone: (260) 387-7735 Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wed.-Sat. and Mon.; Closed Sunday and Tuesday Menu: Burmese, Thai, Indian Nine House 14617 Lima Road, Fort Wayne Phone: (260) 633-8414 Hours: 4:30-7:30 p.m. Tue.-Sat.; Closed Monday and Sunday Menu: Burmese, Thai Family Power 5205 Decatur Road, Fort Wayne (260) 744-2720 Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tue.-Sun.; Closed Monday Menu: Burmese, Asian fusion

OPPOSITE: Burmese-style coconut noodle soup at Mahnin Asian Rest aurant is comprised of lo mein noodles in a coconut milk broth with chickpeas, onions and soft boiled eggs. It’s topped with crunc hy fried soybeans. ABOVE: Ezra Kokonaing prepares a dish in the kitc hen at Nine House.

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Serving Lunch, Dinner and Drinks High - end Thai/Asian fusion cuisine at affordable prices. Big city vibe, front patio seating available. Event room for up to 50 guests. 100% locally owned, with locally sourced and sustainable ingredients whenever practical. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday

126 W Columbia St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (260) 399-7501 • www.nawa.live WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NAWARESTAURANT/ INSTAGRAM: NAWARESTAURANT

THE RUSTY DOG Serving Traditional Irish Pub Favorites along with Steaks, Seafood, Sandwiches, Burgers and much more!

AUTHENTIC ‘50S DINER

“We serve the whole world, 15 at a time!” Breakfast served any time, featuring the world famous “Garbage”. Traditional diner items like hamburgers, grilled sandwiches, french fries and milkshakes. A local favorite! Open: Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-2 p.m., Closed Sundays Cash and credit cards accepted.

CINDY’S DINER

230 W Berry Street Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Phone: (260) 422-1957

Full bar with 16 craft beers on tap! Featuring 10 Indiana Breweries.

“There is no end to the charm of this brilliant pub.” - Food Critic Ryan DuVall 5 Star Review Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 4:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Friday - Saturday 4:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

32 N. Jefferson Street, Huntington

(260) 579-0433

Rustydogirishpub.com

Page 29

Staff picks

Greater Fort Wayne

Business Weekly 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808 (260) 426-2640 • Fax: (260) 426-2503 www.fwbusiness.com

Terry Housholder thousholder@ kpcmedia.com Publisher

Megan Knowles mknowles@ kpcmedia.com Special Section Editor

Bridgett Hernandez bhernandez@ kpcmedia.com Reporter

Louis Wyatt lwyatt@kpcmedia. com Reporter

When I host people from out of town, I like to take them to:

MARKETING CONSULTANTS Bobbi Jenks Susan Dawson Melissa Poore Steven Jefferis Machele Waid

Bravas, because the patatas are heavenly. — Kanisha Bevins, designer

George O. Witwer Publisher Emeritus

S. Rick Mitchell Chief Financial Officer Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly is a publication of KPC Media Group Inc.

07 Pub, because my husband and I love the food and the great location. — Megan Knowles, special sections editor Liberty Diner, because it has yummy classic diner food and 24-hour breakfast. — Chelsea Boulrisse, reporter Liberty Diner, because the menu is huge (there’s something for everyone!) and the service is fast and friendly.

Soup, warm bread and fresh flowers give the place a homey feel. — Bridgett Hernandez, reporter Coney Island, because of the nostalgia of Coney Island and the coneys are great! — Rick Mitchell, KPC Media Group CFO and Summit City Eats taste tester Henry’s, because the food is great, the atmosphere is charming and it has a long history in downtown Fort Wayne. — Louis Wyatt, reporter

Chelsea Boulrisse cboulrisse@ kpcmedia.com Reporter

Kanisha Bevins Special Section Designer

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Coney Island

07 Pub

Holiday Items

Give the gift of steak with a Tim Didier Meat's Steak Box!

Home for the Holidays

260-482-8400 • Fax: 260-483-2416 • Toll Free: 888-482-8401 3205 North Wells St. Fort Wayne, IN 46808 tdidier@comcast.net | j.didier@comcast.net

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