Pork Tenderloins

We happened upon Fremont because the snow forced us off the toll road. We were trying to make it into Ohio some place before calling it quits for the day. As a child in the 50s we vacationed on both Clear Lake and Lake George in that area. I also figured it was worth a tenderloin try as the last exit in Indiana. I was seriously considering detouring down to Huntington and try Nick's Kitchen but my wife had the serious joneses to get to Massachusetts to see our grandson. She was single minded.

Why was it not a true tenderloin? I doubt it had to do with it being a tourist area especially this time of year. I suspect it was the only place that would deliver the motel knew about. They had copies of the menu. It was super cheap. The place was primarily a pizza joint from what I could tell from the menu. If we had ventured out we might have found a place that served a true tenderloin.

Here is that sandwich

Tony's Pizza & More, Angola, IN

On our return we again were coming through Indiana. This time we hit the border in the morning and decided on making that detour some 75 miles or so south to Huntington, IN to try Nick's Kitchen. We arrived about 11:30 AM just in time for lunch. Jean Anne Bailey was there and served us up two tenderloins. Now for my assessment backed up by my traveling companion tenderloin critic (my wife). Jean Anne's tenderloin was the best yet of over two dozen or so sampled to date. Pictures may belie what a good tenderloin is but this one marinated in buttermilk, egg and flour overnight created a tender taste most others can't match. The meat was outstanding. The breading of simply saltine crackers was just right. It was not greasy--another plus. Nick's Kitchen is not a fancy place. It is unpretentious, friendly and an obvious destination for tenderloins despite they being listed on the menu with no fanfare whatsoever. In our hour in the restaurant we saw several ordered. The king of tenderloins, or should I say the Queen of all tenderloins, is right where they started in Huntington, Indiana over 100 years ago. You owe it to yourself to try one.

Pictures? Of course! including an asked for interior shot. More to come later...

Nick's Kitchen Pork Tenderloin Sandwich


Nick's Kitchen Interior, Huntington, IN. The kitchen is open to view in the back.

The man at the counter said he knew Nick Freinstein, the creator of the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. Nick died in 1941. That's customer loyalty.

If you want to see more of Nick's Kitchen, I have put together this little web site photo tour of our visit.

http://web.mac.com/davydd/iWeb/Site/Nicks_Kitchen.html

I'm having a big let down after visiting Nick's Kitchen. I've run out of known opportuniites now that I am back in Minnesota. On top of that, Lyon's Pub called me Thursday after I had left for lunch that they were running the tenderloin special again. I went out to lunch directly from a meeting so did not pick up my voice mail. Drat! I could have run up to Culver's last night but I just could not pull that trigger.

On the way out of Huntington, IN we weaved through the back roads through North Manchester. We drove by Mr. Dave's but we didn't stop. I was still satiated from Nick's Kitchen. The rhubarb pie tilted me over the edge. There was yet another Nick's Cafe in North Manchester. Jean Anne, is that another offshoot?

David, The Nick's in N. Manchester is no relation.That guys name is Nick and its his 2nd attempt at the restaurant business. The first was a truck stop in Wabash. BTW, Thanks for the website with all the pics. I don't know if it had anything to do with being so usy this Saturday.... But it was a happening place with alot of strangers enjoying BPT sandwiches. Have a great day, Jean Anne

Jean Anne, I am glad we made that detour and stopped. It wasn't planned but when I realize we could make it for lunch I went for it. We were planning a return trip from a nephew's wedding in Louisville, KY on June 3 and traveling on Sunday June 4 by going up I-69 to Midland, MI for another stop. Had I done that I would have been in for a surprise in you being closed on Sunday.

I'm having a blast with these pork tenderloins. I've been posting them here and on Trackforum.com just because it is a fun and unique challenge to track them down. OK, it's a weird hobby. I went through brewing my own beer a few years ago. When I upgraded to the Mac iWeb software in iLife 06 suite of software and started experiment with web page creation the simple way, I decided I might as well put them all together in one place.

quote:

Originally posted by janicks

David, The Nick's in N. Manchester is no relation.That guys name is Nick and its his 2nd attempt at the restaurant business. The first was a truck stop in Wabash. BTW, Thanks for the website with all the pics. I don't know if it had anything to do with being so usy this Saturday.... But it was a happening place with alot of strangers enjoying BPT sandwiches. Have a great day, Jean Anne

Jean Anne, Dave's photo lay-out of your restaurant was a delightful nostalgia trip, straight back to the '50s. Don't change a thing! The only possible improvement might be the installation of those small, wall-mounted juke boxes at each booth.

Tom Sherping, formerly of Wabash
(Still enjoying his own Nick's-style BPTs here in Boise.)

quote:

Originally posted by ScreenBear

Davyyd,
Very nice job. Great piece of Americana. I wish I could just cruise out and have a bite to eat at Nick's. Mapquest says it's 11 hours. Alas I cannot...at least not today. Keep that hobby going. I enjoy your reports.
The Bear

Thank you ScreeBear, and Garryd. ScreenBear, Nick's Kitchen is about an 11 hour drive from my house too (in Minnesota). The Roadfood.com web site doesn't recognize that effort in the feedback survey.

Sherp, Yes he did a very nice job on the photos. The wall mounted juke boxes would be fun but I am soory to say that I can't stand the radio on when I am working. Maybe a sign of getting old?? I remember when I was young and worked at Nick's for my father he would turn off the radio as soon as he got in the building,, I used to thimk he was so MEAN... My how we end up like our parents...

Uncle Vic,

That "staff" that was nice enough to let me in the back was none other than janicks on this board (message right above yours). Jean Anne Bailey, 5th owner of the 98 year old cafe. We have a celebrity amongst us.

I think it is amazing that a restaurant can be in continuous operation for 98 years. That came home to me today. We went to lunch at Hamlin's Cafe in downtown Minneapolis today because it is closing its doors this friday after 80 years including 37 years, 6 months and 3 days under the name Hamlin's. It is a throwback cafe that has not changed appearance in at least those 37 years. Some of the wait staff had worked there nearly that whole time. It will truly be an end of an era. Anything like Nick's Kitchen is a rarity in a big city and getting less so even in small towns. And we are all the poorer for it, and I don't mean because the pork tenderloin sandwich at Nick's Kitchen was only $4.25.

Well yes, Sherp, Nick's Kitchen is about 600 miles southeast of Tonka Bay, MN and everyone knows where that is too. Right?

When you are hungry for a tenderloin you are hungry for a tenderloin. What are a few miles?

Jchiszar, Great to see you here. We also have a deep fried walleye sandwich thread here that needs some help from a Wisconsinite.

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

Jchiszar, Great to see you here. We also have a deep fried walleye sandwich thread here that needs some help from a Wisconsinite.

I haven't been able to catch a freakin' walleye to save my life. But my father-in-law sure does, and they DO make a mighty fine sandwich!!

Davydd, I haven't read through all your posts, but have you mentioned the Tenderloin thread over at trackforum.com?

It may not suit some tastes, but fast cars, a good barley soda, and a tenderloin during May at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is tough to beat.

Yes, I believe I did a while back. This thread outreads Trackforum about 10 to 1 given the speed it caught up in a couple of days when 100 reads behind. I think the Trackforum members have gone over to the "Crazy Story (written by TF3ers)" thread.

Here it is...

http://www.trackforum.com/

Unfortunately I have not figured out how to get to the specific url. It is under the "Off Topic... Tenderloins & More" forum.

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

Jchiszar, Great to see you here. We also have a deep fried walleye sandwich thread here that needs some help from a Wisconsinite.

I would really like to read that thread.
I went to search and entered walleye sandwhich, it came back no results found.
I did it again and this time I entered deep fried walleye sandwhich.
Again it game back no results found.
Can You please help me, find this thread?

Thanks!!!

It ain't always easy to work with the search but I may have found what you were looking for.

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9729&SearchTerms=walleye

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I just saw on the web that Burkie's Drive-in in Muncie, IN is about to reopen after a major fire that happened last Christmas. They have been selling classic BPT sandwiches since 1954, year-round.

The wifey and I both attended Ball State. While Burkies sounds familier to me, she is drawing a blank. I seem to remember it, but I was an unattended college student and you all know how THAT goes...

I'll have to kick myself for not taking advantage of a t'loin so close to home back then (kicking, kicking, kicking...).

Small world jchiszar. My two brothers, sister, brother-in-law and two cousins all went to Ball State. I escaped to the University of Cincinnati. Now we are both up in the frozen north on the fringe of pork tenderloin territory.

I actually think pork tenderloin sandwiches are bigger in Indiana now than they were 30-40 years ago. I know I traveled to the other side of Indianapolis to sample the big ones at Al Green's on East Washington and Shadeland. Now my hometown of Speedway has six restaurants that serve them.

Davydd...I'm seriously thinking about Fast Friday weekend. My first one will be at T.H.E. Speedway, then the Flagroom Friday evening, followed by Union Jacks after the track closes on Saturday.
Then when I get home I'll think about doing a sit-up.

Jeff, I will have a Track Loin at the race for sure. Friday night before the race I will be at Grindstone Charlies on Crawfordsville Road at my annua Speedwayl high school reunion. We reserve their back room every year. Last year I convinced the group to add pork tenderloin sandwiches to the menu and they are on again for this year. A group of us usually retire to the Union Jack that same night. My sister insists we go to Muldoon's in Carmel to to prove her point that their tenderloin is better than the Nickel Plate in Fishers. I'm not sure when we will work that in. On the way down we are going to stop at Joensy's in Solon, IA for lunch. That's suppose to be one of the better Iowa tenderloins. After the race we are heading south so may even get a chance to try the Gnawbone Food & Fuel. On top of that I had Sheridan's Red Onion and the Mug'n'Bun in mind. I'm sure glad I hit Nick's Kitchen already. I'm going to need more than a sit-up.

Before this page scrolls off TJ Jackson will be clamoring for a picture so I better do something about it.

As many of you know I have been working on my favorite downtown Minneapolis pub, Lyon's Pub, to add a pork tenderloin sandwich to their menu. In the past it was an ocassional lunch special but I generally only stop in about once a week and can go a long time missing out. They have promised a new menu with the pork tenderloin on the permanent listing but so far they have conceded just making it a Thursday special. Steve the bartender will give me a call and let me know now when they have them. Thursday was such a day and just 10 would be available. So I got an entourage of five of us together and got there at 11:30 AM. We all ordered the same. We all asked for the sandwich without the melted chedder cheese that came on it the last time and to leave the BBQ sauce on the side. The sandwich, though slightly smaller than the last sampling, had a better breading. They were sold out by 11:50. Here is that sandwich.

Lyon's Pub Tenderloin Redux

:-)

Realizing that they are not the star of the show, the fries in the background look absolutely great

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

:-)

Realizing that they are not the star of the show, the fries in the background look absolutely great

You're so right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That could almost be a new thread "How many places serve a great sandwich or a great entree along with great fries?

Fries usually come standard with the sandwich in many pub type restaurants but I personally prefer onion rings with pork tenderloin sandwich.

Disappointing day yesterday. After talking up Lyon's Pub they didn't come through for me with the pork tenderloin sandwich special. I had upped the entourage to seven.

Slyder's Tavern, in Dayton's old Belmont neighborhood, has a tenderloin sandwich so large they have to fold the meat in half...good onion rings, too.

Follow that up with a Stroh's and an hour of pool at Belmont Billiards (where time seems to have stood still for decades), two doors down, and you're living the high life....

I think folding over the pounded out pork tenderloin might be a regional SW Ohio thing. I remember finding another restaurant that did that in Ohio. It is interesting how the regions reinterpret a sandwich. I mentioned before Minnesotans seem to like to add melted cheese. In Chicago it's the gravy.

I just finished pounding out six loins and they are now marinating in 2 eggs, buttermilk, flour, Emeril's seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic and dry mustard. I'm still debating what breading I will use. I will fry tonight and set some breaded ones aside in the freezer to see how they taste later.

Check that. I decided to let the pork tenderloins marinate overnight and will prepare the sandwiches today. I decided to make a pizza yesterday for dinner. In the meantime here is the official accessory drink I decided was needed for all this cooking. It has a very fitting name.