Larry Bird is from French Lick, Ind., and a local sportsbar is dedicated to him, showcasing trophies and other memorabilia of his around the restaurant.



 So, we went to 33 Brick Street. It was time I tried the famous pork tenderloin sandwich



This is Indiana's "thing," and I couldn't leave before trying it.

First, Kayla got some fried pickles. Not my favorite thing, so I won't judge.

My sandwich, though, I was quite pleased with. The pork tenderloin spills out beyond the kaiser roll.

It had pickles, I think, and was tasty. Huge and hot and breaded and pan-fried. Comfort with a side of creamy mac & cheese. Yes.


Grade: A

This local brewery had me pretty excited - if there's one thing that makes me more excited than new restaurants, it's a new brewery. Point Blank Brewery didn't quite make the point.

I went for a calzone with mushroom, garlic, artichoke, and spinach. The actual flavor was pretty good, and there was a good bit of cheese. BUT it tasted as though it was literally dropped in the fire - ashy at points. Not just smokey and woodburnt - like I legitimately inspected it to see if I could see char on it. There were black marks - as long as I kept away from those, it was good.

Grade: B

My visit to Kayla was centered around the Kentucky Derby. Once in a lifetime, no? We crafted our giant hats, headed down to Louisville and got our bet on.

I keep this blog as not only a chronicle of my adventures - mainly in West Virginia - but also to note fun places I go with friends, all the while centering it around food, which is a common gathering place in our culture. Really, I like to be able to document places I go with fun people and having fun times. The restaurants are just a portion of that and usually are just representative of a larger conversation or experience.

So, my only review I can accompany with this trip is the mint julep. As soon as I got in, I bought one. It's bourbon, mint, sugar and water. And it's terrible.

But the races were just one giant party in the infield. A fun one.

Mmm BBQ. Indiana isn't really known for its BBQ - not like the Carolinas or Texas or Kansas. But Harley's, I think, gave 'em a run for their money.

First off, it's super easy to win me over with super sweet service. The owner, I'm assuming, recognized my friend Kayla (though she hadn't been there in months) as the girl from WV. I told him I was also from WV, and he went on about WVU. Winner. Super cool guy who genuinely cared about how we liked our food.

I ordered a half and half pulled pork and brisket platter, which came with two sides. I chose potato salad and macaroni & cheese.

Totes good. They have a spicy and a sweet sauce, and I mixed the two for the meat. Smokey and delicious.

The sides were good, too. I like a good mustard potato salad, the mac and cheese wasn't decent, too.

He also brought out a couple chicken drumsticks for us to try - amazing. By the end, I was totally stuffed and had to roll out the door, but it was worth it.

Grade: A

Indiana is an interesting place. They have towns called Ireland and Holland. A flood swept out towns called English and Leavenworth so they made new ones by the same name. And there's a town called Santa Claus - where everything looks like Christmas - and it houses Holiday World (a theme park that has an area devoted to Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving + a storybook forest type and a splashin' safari).

Holland has an ice cream shop near a windmill called - wait for it - Windmill Chill. Cash only, but a pretty large menu for an ice cream shop. I got a medium chocolate and vanilla swirl cone. I don't think you can mess this up, but it was really tasty.

If I wasn't feeling so exhausted after the day, I probably would've gotten out to check out the windmill. But oh well.

Grade: A