We were in Indiana for a family gathering, and hangin’ at the Hotel Indigo in Fischers – an updated (and dog friendly – Shiloh LOVED it!) take on the roadside hotel by the nice folk at Holiday Inn – and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives came on the TeeVee with a piece about this cool spot in Milwaukee – The Comet Cafe – that features new takes on classic comfort food, most involving bacon.
We HAD to go; and by happy coincidence, our Canadian cousins were staying with us for a bit on their way home from Indiana – what better way to entertain out-of-towners than a visit to a funky kinda local spot?
By the way – there is no special meaning to the rabbit on the logo – they just like it.
We’d previewed the menu on line before heading North and had an idea of what we were going to have, but once on the ground, some plans were changed. I had first thought the Friday Fish Fry Everyday looked good – and the rye toast intrigued me – but ended up with a Turkenstein sammich – slow roasted turkey with spicy mayonnaise an’ stuff on sourdough bread – TASTY! – tho’ I kinda wished I’d also sampled the vegan barbecue riblets (I had planned to order them with a side of bacon).
Rich and Ernie both went with the Meatloaf Sammich – bacon wrapped meatloaf, sliced, then served (mercifully) open-faced on salted rye bread (I thought the two slices underneath everything a nice touch) with mashed potatoes, grilled tomato, onion, and a bit of bacon for luck, then kinda covered in beer gravy that they both thought wicked good and, finally, draped with some red onion. There was some question as to whether they’d both manage to eat it ALL, but card-carrying members of the Clean Plate Club that they are, they didn’t let the old club down.
Which brings us to the turkey balls.
Officially known as AJ’s Compact Turkey Dinner, they called to Lois from the menu and arrived in all their beer-battered and fried glory with a side of nicely prepared sprouts.
Lois, too, was a happy diner.
Dinner was followed by coffee for Rich and Ernie, a deep sigh of contentment from Lois, a café au lait for moi, oh, and a red velvet cupcake that Rich could not resist. We WILL be back – if for no other reason than for me to try those vegan riblets with the side o’ bacon.