2022 Week 24 – Smashing Success

I love a good burger. Be it a freshly ground half-pound Brisket Burger I make in the summertime or a good ole’ smash burger available just about everywhere. Smashburger’s are all the rage these days, and I’ve had a lot. Of course, having One Trick Pony in the Fishers Test Kitchen down the street from my house doesn’t hurt either.

Typically made with 3-4 oz patties, Smashburger’s are thin, with crispy, lacy edges, unlike the typical backyard burger, as the following video explains.

I took a road trip a few weeks ago to the little town of Goshen, Indiana, for a lunch date & tried a new place called Biebs & Ash Smashburger. We started the meal with Deviled Eggs that were topped with bacon, everything bagel crunchies & green onion. These were delicious & I would not hesitate to order again.

I ordered the Peanut Butter Smash for my burger, which had a double patty, pepper jack, crunchy peanut butter, blackberry-poblano jam, bacon, and pickled jalapeños on a potato bun, served with fries. I upgraded the fries to their “Hella Parm Fries” topped with garlic aioli and a mound of freshly grated parm. This was, by far, one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. The mix of ingredients worked very well together, and I could not stop eating it.

My lunch date ordered the Biebs Smash with double patty, American, pickles, onions, burger sauce on a potato bun, and upgraded her fries to the Maryland Style with old bay seasoning, malt vinegar aioli, and green onion.

It had been a long time since I visited Goshen, and it seems to be doing well. The downtown Main Street was alive with activity, and they had very few vacant storefronts, which is rare these days in small towns around the country.

And finally… HOW HARD is it to put a sticker in the correct place?

Next week we recap a quick trip to Cincinnati, try a new restaurant, and revisit one of our favorite stores.

South Side Soda Shop and Diner – Goshen, Indiana

Located in a neighborhood setting south of the Goshen courthouse, the South Side Soda Shop and Diner was my destination for lunch this rainy Thursday.  Because of the location parking is at a premium, but I lucked out and found a close spot.

Made famous to non-locals by the TV show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network, this place seems to be a destination for locals and foodies.  As a case in point, I overheard an older couple in the booth next to be going on and on about the real lemon zest in their lemon meringue pie (only foodies do that).  Naturally I had to order a slice to validate their claim, but we’ll cover that later.

When I was waiting to be seated, a gentleman paying his bill commented on how good the “real grilled tenderloin” was.  Looking for a light lunch, once seated I opted to go the pork route.  The “grilled” pork tenderloin sandwich ($4.80) is actually done on a flat top grill, not over an open flame as I was assuming.  It comes with Lettuce, tomato and mayo. Making the order a “Basket” ($1.25) added a nice portion of shoestring fries and a small cup of coleslaw.  Knowing I was probably going to have to verify the zesty claim I opted for a diet soda ($1.40) like it matters at this point.

I’ll have agree with the gentleman I mentioned earlier, it was a really good sandwich.  The fries were nice and crisp and the coleslaw had a nice tang.  Now that I’ve devoured the sandwich and sides it was time for desert.

I don’t really have a sweet tooth but I had to taste this lemon zest for myself (that’s my story).  The lemon meringue pie ($2.25) was a pretty decent sized slice with a nice pile of chewy browned meringue on the top.  How did it taste you ask?  VERY lemony & quite delicious (good call grandpa)!

Total bill for this visit was $12.48 ($10.48 + $2.00 Tip).

The South Side Soda Shop and Diner is located at 1122 South Main Street.  They are open Tue-Sat from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.