South Bend, Indiana... Fun with Grandma

Well, this was a good day... Anyone ever been to South Bend, Indiana, home to Notre Dame? There are some pretty spots, and some not-so-nice areas. My grandmother and I decided to take a day out of the house, so we went to the Farmer's Market in Elkart, the Tippecanoe Place Restaurant in South Bend, and the Rentown Country Store in Bremen.

This visit was much improved from our last trip to South Bend a few days ago when we spent the afternoon at the Social Security office. Though I can't think of one government office that I find pleasant to visit, the Social Security office is in a new category altogether. During my wait, young-ish people loudly used language that would make sailors blush in the presence of senior citizens, miserable looking people talked about their divorces with the stranger sitting in the next chair, and the most prevalent smell was stale, unwashed cigarette smoke. We waited for 2 hours before discovering that our business was already completed, but I was glad it was taken care of and one less thing on my grandmother's mind. At least the bathrooms were clean.

Today was far superior. Despite my utter exhaustion from a lack of sleep (we had a really fun evening talking and drinking way too much wine), I felt really good. The sun came out after over a week of cloudy gloom, and I really enjoyed the Amish retail therapy.

So, let's start there... the Farmer's Market in Elkart refers to a very large, 3 story red barn. We went on a Thursday in the winter so there wasn't any produce. There was, however, a lovely assortment of Amish goods- some cheese and meat, pies, fudge, and candy. I bought a soft pretzel from one booth (I couldn't help myself!!!). It was lovely buttery goodness. I bought some cheese curds that taste awesome, but they aren't the authentic ones that squeak when you eat them. The rest of the food products I purchased were packaged, so I haven't tried them yet. The medium corn salsa looks good. I think my mom will like the multi-colored wasabi soybeans. I have an obsession with awesome new skin care stuff, so I bought some Dutch Country Honey Bees Wax Raspberry Lip Balm. It's really good stuff. My final purchase was a lotion bar (I've been into more solid products lately- like Lush's shampoo bar... it totally rocks and is so awesome to travel with) by a line called Jordan Essentials. The packaging is a bit like a Bath and Body Works rip off, but the sweet cucumber melon bar smells and feels really good on my hands. Good stuff.

Next, we went to lunch at the Tippecanoe Place Restaurant at the old Studebaker Mansion. The food was great, the prices were more than reasonable (30 dollars for 2, including tip, off the special's menu, and there is even a $5.99 section). Appetizers included Baked Brie and Escargot, but I unfortunately didn't get to try those. I had the Cajun Prime Rib sandwich which was an excellent combination of flavors and textures. There were mushrooms and onions under a layer of mild swiss cheese followed by a very generous portion of prime rib spiced and cooked cajun style all layered on top of a piece of toast. It was well cooked and a solid combination of flavors. My grandmother had the vegetable soup made with a french onion base, and a Reuben sandwich. She spoke highly of her lunch as well. There was a desert tray, and everything looked fabulous, but I was way too full.

The food was excellent, but what I loved the most about this restaurant was the building. The Studebaker Mansion is beautiful, and we were allowed to tour around after our lunch. There were three floors with labeled rooms, and though the place was set up like a restaurant, and banquet hall, you can picture what it might have looked like when people actually lived there. The interior is stunning. The library has beautiful dark wood cabinetry and there is a giant walk-in safe in Studebaker's den. The ballroom on the third floor is really lovely.

After we finished touring around, we were both tired, but Rentown is pretty close to Plymouth, and nothing excites me more than fresh cheese (perhaps as much, but those who know me know how much I truly love cheese). Rentown is very hidden, and perhaps impossible for a non-local to find. A truly random grocery store, I haven't seen an assortment of items like that since I lived in Morocco. They have canned Amish goods, Amish candy, and lots of cheese (including Amish Butter Cheese!!! Yummm) along side packaged egg rolls and fried rice, packaged ham, bags of freeze-dried marshmallows (the lucky charms variety), fresh pies, TGIFriday's giant bags of chips, and some other regular but random grocery items. I love this kind of store, and I bought Apple Butter, Butter Cheese and some candy.

So we checked out, went home and it was nap time. It was a really great day. Completely off topic, I'm currently watching men's figure skating and the American guy just won after a beautiful performance. Congratulations Evan Lysacek. Evgeni Plushenko was incredible but just didn't do anything that well except for his jumps (which are probably best in the world). It was exciting to watch. Signing off for now... leaving for Indianapolis tomorrow to see friends.