How in the world did I end up in rural Indiana for Valentine’s Day? I’ve lived in Georgia for most of my life but this weekend, the twists and turns that life often leads us down brought me to Warsaw, Indiana. Never one to shy away from trying new things, and continually looking for something to learn, I asked Siri if there was a particular food Indiana was known for so I could be sure to try it. Among the list, what stood out was lake perch, fried pork tenderloin, and hot Manhattan. Sure enough, we found a little local spot for lunch near our hotel. My husband and I look for those ‘hole in the wall’ type of places we won’t find at home. 

Among the mowed-down hay fields of this agricultural community, ‘Maria’s Family Restaurant’ turned out to be the perfect stop. Their menu offered breakfast all day, Mexican food, and American comfort food favorites. I was pleased to find a selection of “Classic Hot Manhattans” with your choice of protein including a fried pork tenderloin. What luck! 

The side of chicken noodle soup was hot and delicious with freshly shredded chicken and large, soft shell noodles that had been soaking in broth and flavor. 

Shortly after finishing that first course, the waitress brought out the entree, the mysterious Classic Hot Manhattan with fried pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes on the side smothered in brown gravy. The crustless sandwich bread making up the base of the dish had been cut into the most delightful little triangles. 

It was delicious! Although there’s hardly a meal I don’t like, I enjoyed the comfort food that I came to learn was a ‘Hoosier staple.’ I had never heard of a Hot Manhattan before, much less understood why I would find it in Indiana and not New York. So, as the constant learner I aim to be, I skipped right over to Google and found my way to Wikipedia and answers. 

“The dish was first served in a restaurant under the name “Beef Manhattan” in a now-defunct Indianapolis deli in the late 1940s where it gained traction as a Hoosier staple. The dish was named by Naval Ordnance Plant, Indianapolis(NOPI) workers who were trained in the fabrication of the Norden bombsight in Manhattan during World War II. They enjoyed the open-faced sandwich they had in Manhattan and brought it back to their cafeteria as the “Beef Manhattan.” In Indiana, it is served on bread.” 

(Beef Manhattan. (2024, September 13). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_Manhattan)

So basically, some folks from Indiana who were working in Manhattan fell in love with an open-faced sandwich and brought the idea home and made it their own. 

My husband ordered a patty melt with fries and a side bowl of chili. 

We finished the meal with a couple of scoops of frozen custard at the nearby ‘Ritters Frozen Custard’ which was cold and sweet and creamy, everything a scoop of frozen custard should be. 

Our visit here is a brief one, but I am glad to have been able to see firsthand our country’s amber waves of grain, a fresh snowfall, and learn about a new classic American dish.