One of my favorite things to do is to cut a cross-state road-trip into two parts. Start off with some music, hitting up the classic road-trip playlists and trying a new folk album or two when the eyes are fresh.
Three hours in or so, I start getting fidgety and begin to look for a treat. Usually this happen late on a Sunday afternoon – no restaurant or bar is too intense at this time, and they’re happy to have road-weary customers who are looking for something new in a city they are not regularly in.
Last Sunday, we were on our way back from a funeral in Southern Indiana and decided to pull off the road in Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne has a surprisingly diverse spread of bars, breweries, steakhouses, and some great new tastes. As we paused our Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors song (Dragons is a phenomenal album) and pulled off the interstate, we had to decide fast where to head for our dinner.
We love the Hoppy Gnome, a restaurant playing to worldly flavors amidst a sea of new microbreweries that highlight a great burger. Featuring a “scratch kitchen” that emphasizes a delicious taco menu, Asian-inspired cuisine, notable seafood options, and some vegetarian selections as well. Hoppy Gnome’s beer list is extensive, and includes the obvious standards, an experimental can/bottle only list, and GnomeTown Brewing Company’s selection as well.
Recently, GnomeTown began offering guided brewing sessions for customers to try brewing their own beer from start to finish in one of eight kettles under the supervision of a brewmaster. Haven’t tried this yet, though I recently tried a homebrew recipe with a Northern Brewer kit Christmas gift. (Stayed tuned for the final result!).
This time around, we parked and began our stop at Hoppy Gnome with a couple Indiana strong brews: “Robert the Bruce” Scottish Ale by 3 Floyds Brewing Company, and “R.I.O.S.” by Chapman’s Brewing Company. Having never tasted a 3 Floyds beer that wasn’t an IPA, I was very happy with the Scottish Ale. It was less brown than “Scotty Karate” (DarkHorse Brewing) and less plum than the wonderful “Loch Down” (Arcadia Brewing) up in our home state of Michigan. “R.I.O.S.”, my guess an acronym for Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout – was delicious as well, and we were glad to try a Chapman beer as we see their sign regularly.
Midway through our beers we decided to step the couple blocks down the street and have some starters at Proximo. Proximo is owned by the same restaurant group as Hoppy Gnome, though we did not know that when we arrived and were seated in the intimate and upscale restaurant. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of our experience at Proximo, and would be entirely too excited to go back. Proximo seems to be especially renowned for its brunch, which brings a wider and younger crowd than it’s Sunday early evening dinner bunch.
Forgoing the tempting bottled wine list, I went with a mezcal based “Oaxacan Old-Fashioned” and my wife had the most delicious chardonnay. The cocktail was well-balanced and although I expected a risk, I know to watch for the smoky mezcal in other old-fashions in the future.
We centered our focus on the menu after having a moment of observation on our surroundings – which, at this point, set a high standard for future restaurants in the Fort Wayne area. The most prominent features were a wine wall with a sliding library ladder, the bar, and the subtle variety of textures and neutral colors that created the adult and cozy atmosphere. We especially enjoyed the full comfy booths, providing a counterpoint to the other contemporary furnishings.
As we gathered our thoughts and eagerly expressed our first impressions, we decided on three starters for our dinner, avoiding the (certainly) tempting entrees.
Our first choice was the special, which was clearly articulated by the server, who we enjoyed talking with throughout the meal. This dish, featuring salt cod and potato stuffed peppers with cheese and greens garnishes, was delicious. The salt cod was lost in the potato texture which remained a little doughy upon service, but the flavors melted together very well.
After we decided on one we struggled – and eventually picked two more!
Our second choice was blue crab chilaquiles, with a spicy tomatillo salsa and the classic toppings of pickled onion, radish, avocado, and cilantro. Gently laid above it all was a sunny-side up egg.
For our third choice we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for ceviche in January in Indiana. Made with scallops, we picked the Ecuadorian style, but Proximo serves a Colombian style with shrimp as well.
In the end – plenty of food for two (for real, plenty!), and a delicious way to end a heart-breaking trip downstate.
While talking to the waiter, we discovered that Proximo was opened to tempt adventurous Fort Wayne-ites away from the classic Midwestern steakhouses that have flourished for so long. As visitors ourselves, we recognized the similarities in other post-industrial towns we have visited and were excited to understand that bringing new food to a city like Fort Wayne was a priority. Proximo’s staff is mostly homegrown, and we were blessed to have a taste of the city that we could not have had at any other restaurant.
Where do you stop on your drives? Do you have a city that is the half-way point, or a restaurant with a dish or sampler that you always check on before you begin the ride?
Valhalla's Table 