Dining Options in Bloomington, IN?

Well, I didn't seem to have a whole ton of luck when searching for this, so I thought I'd put up a new topic. We're headed down to Bloomington, IN around Memorial Day weekend (I must be nuts, with the Indy 500 going on), and wondered if anyone had any new suggestions, on places inbetween the south suburbs and Bloomington? I wouldn't want a huge, slow meal - something relatively quick but good.

And, for that matter, any place in Bloomington/surrounding that would be a not-miss?

I went through this thread, but couldn't find any specific examples to really help me.

Can anyone offer any suggestions?

It's been a long time (a real long time) since I went to IU, but I try to get back here and there, and there are a few places that I loved that are still around.

I highly recommend that you try Snow Lion -- when I went to IU, it was billed as one of only two Tibetan restaurants in the US and it was always excellent. Strangely enough, it was (and I assume still is) operated by the Dalai Lama's nephew. Interestingly, the Dalai Lama's brother was a professor at IU.

Whenever my parents would visit, I would always make sure they took me to Janko's Little Zagreb. It's a red and white checkered tablecloth place that serves very good steaks -- pretty simple but very good.

Finally, a little more upscale is Michael's Uptown Cafe which serves upscale American food -- some cajun/creole.

It's been a while since I was a student but in a fairly recent article in Bon Appetit (within the past 4 years??) The Trojan Horse was mentioned as a not-to-miss casual place.

It was good when I was a student...might want to give it a try.

I second the Snow Lion rec.

Is the Village Deli still there? At one time had GREAT pancakes!

Hope this helps. Now I have the itch to get back there!

PBandFluff wrote:It's been a while since I was a student but in a fairly recent article in Bon Appetit (within the past 4 years??) The Trojan Horse was mentioned as a not-to-miss casual place.

It was good when I was a student...might want to give it a try.

I completely forgot about the Trojan Horse. I always liked that too -- surprisingly good Greek food for a college town.

The Irish Lion is a pub, but has some quality food.
(try to avoid getting seated upstairs. The atmosphere up there is quite lame compared to the old pub feel of downstairs)

If you like lamb that tastes like lamb, this is a great spot. They have 3-4 lamb dishes, including a lamb stew and leg of lamb, both of which are excellent and full of rich lamby flavor. I also reccommend the fried potato-cheese ball appetizer (I can't recall the what they call them).


For breakfast, the Runicible spoon has some quality and creative dishes, and they roast their own coffee beans. It's in an old house and each table and each chair is unique.

A beautiful and scenic half hour drive to the East is the artist community of Nashville. I local friend has been raving that he needs to take me there next visit and go Brown Country Inn for their famous Fried Biscuts and Apple Butter and Fried Chicken. They seem to have few Vegetarian dishes.
http://www.browncountyinn.com/nashville-house-restaurant.html

You may want to consider trying Restaurant Tallent while you're in Bloomington. They have received some glowing reviews:

Review 1

Review 2

over on the Chowhound Midwest board. I've also read very good things about them in the local (Indy) press. My wife and I really want to eat there, but it seems that lately each time we've been through Bloomington we've been hiking or something and are way too grubby for a place like that.

Edited to Add:

On your trip from Chicago to Bloomington you may want to consider stopping at The Triple XXX Family Restaurant (the XXX part refers to their homemade root beer) in West Lafayette. Great burgers, onion rings and (of course!) root beer.

There's also Shapiro's on the south side of downtown Indy for a great pastrami on rye. As you mentioned, it is Indy 500 weekend so it could be a real zoo depending upon when you hit it.

I'm also an IU alum, and was just in Bloomington recently. A new "turkish" cafe opened about a year ago, yet I didn't have time to try it on my last visit. I think it's on 3rd. Sorry! My memory is failing me. Also, my old haunt is the Bloomington Bagel Company (BBC) on Dunn at Kirkwood. I actually love their bagels and rank them up there with NYC bagels and those of NY Bagel on Touhy. It's a good place for breakfast and even lunch. SOMA is a great coffee/juice house, with Laughing Planet Burritos upstairs (322 Kirkwood). There's several thai restaurants on 4th. Another interesting option is Bloomingfoods out near College mall. Have fun! I miss B-town.

I'm headed down to Bloomington today and plan on being there til Sunday morning. Anyone have any updated tips on where to eat? My buddies and I aren't looking for anything fancy this week. We just want good and simple this weekend...ie burgers, wings, etc. The only place I have in mind is breakfast at the Runcible Spoon. Thanks in advance.

We did summer stock theater near Bloomington and I'll give you one caveat: EAT EARLY. The only 24-hour option (mind you, this is ten years ago, so things may have improved) is the Steak-and-Shake.

The other Tibetan restaurant is also in Bloomington: Anyetsang's Little Tibet. It's less well known than the Snow Lion, but an extremely lovely Tibetan woman is the proprietress. She very graciously helped us navigate the cuisine (struck me as a strange hybrid of Asian and Hungarian) and pointed us towards dishes she said she used to make at home for her children. I remember some kind of stew that had sweet potatoes and bean thread in it; it was delicious.

Anyetsang's Little Tibet
415 E. 4th St.
Bloomington, IN
Phone: (812) 331-0122

BR wrote:Whenever my parents would visit, I would always make sure they took me to Janko's Little Zagreb. It's a red and white checkered tablecloth place that serves very good steaks -- pretty simple but very good.

To this day, my mother talks about our visit to Little Zagreb several years ago. She proclaims the meal to be the best steak she ever had in her life. Believe me, at 83, the woman has eaten a lot of (rare) beef in her time. It is not praise to be taken lightly. I also think Janko's steak ranks up there as one one of the best I have ever had. It was not the most tender (I like my meat with a little chew), but very flavorful and perfectly cooked (charred outside and bloody inside). Mind you, this was several years ago, and I understand that Janko passed away earlier this year. But I get the feeling the place hasn't changed much. It is definitely not the swankiest joint around (if I remember, those checkered table cloths are actually made of plastic, and most of the tables are of the picnic variety), but boy, was that hunk o' beef memorable.

I was just down that way this weekend, but I was camping and time didn't allow stopping in town (besides some of the best food to be found in the area was around our campfire).

But I have a very well traveled, trusted source who lives there now and also raves about Janko's Steaks. He also has this to say:

"Mancino's on College Avenue that has pizza of the new york/new jersey style...i can certify that the grease drips straight into your palm (and down to the elbow if not caught). the crust is a tad crispier than the original east coast version, but it's as close as i've come in the midwest."

Mancino's Pizza & Grinders
916 N College Ave, Bloomington, IN
812-333-1197

Janko's Little Zagreb
223 W. 6th St Bloomington, IN
812- 332-0694

I saw that the last update for this thread was 2006...we are headed to Little 5 this w-end and we are wondering if there are any new places we should try? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks..... any ideas would be great.

Thanks....

PBandFluff wrote:I saw that the last update for this thread was 2006...we are headed to Little 5 this w-end and we are wondering if there are any new places we should try? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks..... any ideas would be great.

Thanks....

High end, low end, middle of the road?

We are game for any recommendations...we won't be traveling out of Bloomington itself though ( ie we will not be going to Brown County, neighboring cities...).

Have any ideas?

PBandFluff wrote:We are game for any recommendations...we won't be traveling out of Bloomington itself though ( ie we will not be going to Brown County, neighboring cities...).

Have any ideas?

I went to school in bloomington, and I'm leaving Chicago in the next few months to get to Bloomington again to settle for the next few years for schools. I've eaten at virtually every main place in Bloomington.

On the more expensive side (lower your price estimates from Chicago) there's Tallent. I think the cooking at Tallent is excellent, certainly on par with top level cooking in Chicago. The service...well the service draws from college kids, so don't expect proper wine service, etc. That said, the food is great, it's right on the square, and has a nice bar menu. Note- they only serve wine and beer, no liquor.

On the lesser expensive side, virtually every place on 4th street is great for international cuisine. Personally I love Bombay house for Indian and little tibet for tibetan/thai food.

For wings, my favorite wing place is not too far in terms of stumbling distance from the little 500 track. I love Yogi's- it's a little older college bar and has a great beer selection. This reminds me- have you been to little 500 before? Are you aware of the hordes you're going to be dealing with? It's a little bit of insanity. I was a participant years ago.

As far as restaurants on Kirkwood- we ate at Farm the other day and it was just ok. It's new and focuses on locally grown foods. We love Trojan horse for very basic greek- try the Gyros. Also, on Kirkwood, tucked back behind the Jimmy Johns is a great falafel shop- you won't get closer to falafel in Jerusalem than this shop.

Opie Taylors on the square is a classic for burgers, but so is Nick's. Better to go to Nick's during the day, not later at night when you have to deal with the crowd.

Finally you should go grab a drink at my old watering hole- The Video Saloon. It's a cash only bar that's right across the street from the Bluebird on the square. You'll see an old sign and a stairway. It's a great relaxed crowd and the drinks are cheap. Enjoy.

jpschust wrote: We love Trojan horse for very basic greek- try the Gyros.

Agreed as far as Trojan Horse . . . I always thought they did the basics real well.

jpschust wrote:Opie Taylors on the square is a classic for burgers, but so is Nick's. Better to go to Nick's during the day, not later at night when you have to deal with the crowd.

The two things I recall about Opie Taylors was how cheap it was, and how hot their chili was . . . spicy enough to put a hole in your stomach, which made for some very good eating contests with college friends.

Is Snow Lion still around? I always liked that for Tibetan.

And I always think that a visit to Bloomington is not complete without a trip to Janko's Little Zagreb -- the red & white checkered tablecloths, the smoke, and some pretty good steaks. It's kind of like going to a friend's house for a barbecue and there's always a huge crowd.

Snow lion is still there, indeed- though I haven't eaten there in a LONG time (read 5+ years).

I love Little Zagreb, but I left that off only because there are so many great steak places in Chicago. We'll be in bloomington the following weekend.

Great..thanks for the input!

Has anyone tried Trulli? Open lasted year when we were there but we never got there....

My husband and I went to school there about 10 years ago and this will be a great visit back. We went last year but with my husband's work so this year we are going more out on own this time.

Yes...Little 5 is crazy time to go but...ah....the memories.....

Any good dessert places? Say after dinner and after a walk around...I have quite a sweet tooth and remember last year I was after something sweet about 9 PM and no where was open downtown..

Thanks again...

PBandFluff wrote:Great..thanks for the input!

Has anyone tried Trulli? Open lasted year when we were there but we never got there....

My husband and I went to school there about 10 years ago and this will be a great visit back. We went last year but with my husband's work so this year we are going more out on own this time.

Yes...Little 5 is crazy time to go but...ah....the memories.....

Any good dessert places? Say after dinner and after a walk around...I have quite a sweet tooth and remember last year I was after something sweet about 9 PM and no where was open downtown..

Thanks again...

I haven't tried Trulli- I actually don't even know where that is. As far as dessert, there's a new dessert place on Kirkwood next to the Indiana Theater (Buskirk Chumley). Not sure how late they are open though. I remember Scholar's Inn having really nice desserts as well. We went with cheese at Tallent, so I don't have a comment there. Other than that was possibly the largest serving of cheese on a cheese plate for 2 I've ever seen in my life.

I had a fantastic eating experience at Tallent last fall. It's the type of place that would work anywhere in the states, talented chef. Service was more small-town, but the food was big city.

I also made a promise to myself that I won't wait 5 years to get back to my alma mater.

BBC/Lennie's is still a great place for lunch, and the beer is as good as ever. Quarryman's Pale Ale!

ab wrote:I had a fantastic eating experience at Tallent last fall. It's the type of place that would work anywhere in the states, talented chef. Service was more small-town, but the food was big city.

I also made a promise to myself that I won't wait 5 years to get back to my alma mater.

BBC/Lennie's is still a great place for lunch, and the beer is as good as ever. Quarryman's Pale Ale!

Come on back, I'll buy you a drink when we are settled in bloomington.

As the wife and I have never been to Bloomington and are headed down there this weekend, I was wondering whether anyone had any additional or recent takes on Bloomington food options.
We're heading to Saturday's football game, so we're looking for a quick bite in the mid-afternoon sort of place, and then maybe a nice dinner later on. I figured Tallent sounded right for dinner (my wife is Serbian so Zagreb's piqued my interest, but she's not a steak fan, sadly), but would love to hear any further suggestions for quick, tasty bits around campus. Thanks for any additional tips.

Anderson G wrote:As the wife and I have never been to Bloomington and are headed down there this weekend, I was wondering whether anyone had any additional or recent takes on Bloomington food options.
We're heading to Saturday's football game, so we're looking for a quick bite in the mid-afternoon sort of place, and then maybe a nice dinner later on. I figured Tallent sounded right for dinner (my wife is Serbian so Zagreb's piqued my interest, but she's not a steak fan, sadly), but would love to hear any further suggestions for quick, tasty bits around campus. Thanks for any additional tips.

Skip Farm unless it's just for a drink and maybe a small snack, but it's not all that good in my opinion. What about Lennie's or Upland brewing company for an afternoon bite?

I'm going to PM you my phone number in case you want to give me a ring for any suggestions. There's also a decent chance I'll end up at the Tallent bar eating tonight.

so where'd you eat?

My wife and I are travelling to my alma mater in Bloomington this weekend for a quick getaway (she's never been, and I've been up to her stomping grounds in Madison, WI many times!). Are there any new places we might try besides Restaurant Tallent, Finch's, and Farm (??). Any specific dishes to try? I loved Janko's Little Zagreb as a student, however 10 years of eating at Chicago steakhouses makes me skeptical. We'll probably end up at Nick's (for a burger) or Farm for lunch and then have a casual dinner in the bar of Restaurant Tallent or Finch's...this after watching the Hoosiers play Illinois.

rober wrote:My wife and I are travelling to my alma mater in Bloomington this weekend for a quick getaway (she's never been, and I've been up to her stomping grounds in Madison, WI many times!). Are there any new places we might try besides Restaurant Tallent, Finch's, and Farm (??). Any specific dishes to try? I loved Janko's Little Zagreb as a student, however 10 years of eating at Chicago steakhouses makes me skeptical. We'll probably end up at Nick's (for a burger) or Farm for lunch and then have a casual dinner in the bar of Restaurant Tallent or Finch's...this after watching the Hoosiers play Illinois.

Farm's food is pretty weak, I'll be honest. Finch's is better as a lunch option- it is a better option in my mind than Farm. The winter menu at Tallent is awesome. Other than that, nothing all that new in Bloomington.

I appreciate your help jpschust - especially when it comes to Farm - I didn't even get a good vibe from their website; just too much going on. I will report back regarding our dining choices, though the outcome could end up being uninteresting following an afternoon of watching hoops and drinking beer.

rober wrote:I appreciate your help jpschust - especially when it comes to Farm - I didn't even get a good vibe from their website; just too much going on. I will report back regarding our dining choices, though the outcome could end up being uninteresting following an afternoon of watching hoops and drinking beer.

Totally- are you actually going to the game or just hanging out? I'll be around that weekend with my wife, sister-in-law and her husband. Feel free to drop me a line if you want to get together.

By the way, Finch's has a great beer selection. As far as food I really like there- the rabbit pasta is quite good. The frites are incredible there as well. Had a few pizzas, they are always good, but not blow your mind good. I think the Finch's food is really good and it shows- especially in the sense that the owners of finch's and the owners of Tallent are good friends.

With all the snow in and around Chicago last weekend we never even attempted to make the drive to Bloomington. Thanks for the tips; I hope to make it down there this spring.

I guess this one isn't "new" but Malibu Grill is a favorite of ours!

We also like to eat breakfast at Bloomington Bagel. Cute place!