Of course one of the best parts about any vacation is eating out in places you have never been before! Nashville, Indiana is fairly small and doesn't have a large selection of restaurants. I looked up several potential possibilities before leaving home, however a few were closed while we visited. Some appeared to be closed temporarily, and some permanently. We did eat at some old favorites, and local hang-outs though!
On our first night we ate at the
Hob Nob Corner Restaurant, at the corner of Main Street and Van Buren. It is conveniently located right across the street from the visitors center. The Hob Nob is in a historical building that is very 'old timey' inside, which typically I love. The Hob Nob has old wood floors and a great counter, like in an old drug store. Unfortunately, it could use a little updating though. The floor has many holes that have been covered by sheet metal, and the bathroom door says 'knock before entering, lock doesn't always work', and the wallpaper was peeling in many places. The food however is fabulous! I had a tuna melt that was unique and tasted great. Mick had a Reuben, that he claimed was very good. The Hob Nob is known for it's Strawberry Shortcake, so we of course ordered one! I think it was the best Strawberry Shortcake I ever had! The 'biscuit' part is dense and filled with a strawberry cream! We split the order, and it was more than plenty for the two of us!
Strawberry Shortcake at the Hob Nob Corner Restaurant!
One of our favorite places to eat while in Nashville was
Big Woods Pizza Co. They specialize in pizza and artisan beers, brewed by Big Woods Brewery, which is located across the street. Big Woods Pizza Co. is an affordable, fun, family friendly place to hang out. We tried
Emily's Garden Pizza, which was amazing! The bread sticks are also wonderful. Mick did sample some of the beers, and liked the 'Cat Tail Wheat' the best. We also ate at the Brewery, but it is much smaller so therefore crowded. We had to share a table with other couples, that we didn't know and it was loud. We enjoyed Big Woods Pizza much better.
By far the most unique place to eat in Brown County, is the
Story Inn! This restaurant/inn is what is left of a long forgotten ghost town, that did not survive the Great Depression and development of state and national parks. At one time Story, Indiana was a thriving small town, then the road that runs though it was closed and the town couldn't survive. Eventually someone had the idea to make 'story' a resort town of sorts. You can now eat in the restaurant (pictured above....really!) or stay in one of many rooms/cottages on the property. All are unique, many with hot tubs (some made out of old horse troughs!) The rooms do not have tv's or phones (your cell phones will not work either!) or wifi! It is rumored that there may be ghosts on the property. We ate in the restaurant for breakfast and it was fabulous. I had an omelet with bacon and spinach. The produce, meat and eggs come from local farms. Breakfast and lunch are affordable, but dinner is quite expensive and requires a reservation. Inside the dining room is decorated like an old general store, and is interesting to walk around and look at all the old advertising cans and other items on the shelves.
On our way home we went to Columbus, Indiana, which is about 15 minutes from Nashville. After driving around town looking at beautiful homes and amazing art, we ate lunch at
Zaharakos! Zaharakos is an amazing, historical ice cream parlor/museum and a 'must-see' if you are ever in or near Columbus, Indiana! I am ashamed to admit, that we never stopped her before on our many trips to Louisville, but we will from now on! I am sure no other place exists with such an impressive collection of oak and marble counters, Tiffany lamps and vintage Soda Fountains in the world! This place is truly amazing and in pristine condition! But the best part.....is the ice cream sundaes! I also had a chocolate coke with a Paper Straw! So cool! Do not miss Zaharakos! It is number one on the list of
50 Things Every Hoosier Must Do in Indiana and has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning.
Some good eatin' in Southern Indiana!
