Tin Plate Fine Food & Spirits: Elwood, IN

Just had to throw this up here for the pork tenderloin fans. In recent years while traveling through the state of Indiana, I’ve learned that breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches are a big deal. A very big deal. If there was an official state sandwich, this would be it for sure. I never noticed it on menus in Northwest Indiana, but the farther into the state you go, the more they will appear on menus in all kinds of dining venues.

One of the best I have had to date was at The Tin Plate Fine Foods & Spirits, located in the small town of Elwood, Indiana in Madison County. It’s one of those super oversized ones that fills a whole plate and could easily feed two people (and you would probably still have some left over). The owners are proud of their recipe that took a little bit to perfect.

They also serve a Manhattan sandwich, another dish I had never really heard of in the Chicago area, but apparently it is a Midwest thing that you’ll often find in diners and family restaurants. It’s a dish of roast beef over mashed potatoes on white bread. It’s traditionally covered in a brown gravy. Sounds like a perfect helping of comfort food, doesn’t it? The twist at Tin Plate is that they serve it with a tomato gravy. Why? It’s yummy - and goes with the theme of the area since Red Gold has a plant nearby where they bottle and can tomato products and ketchup. That brand has a sweet spot in my heart. It was my Dad’s favorite ketchup brand. Anyway, it’s definitely worth a try. And if you can’t decide between the BPT and the Manhattan, get them both. You’ll have leftovers for days. 

For more info on Tin Plate, check them out on Facebook.