It's Easy Being Green

It’s been a tough couple of weeks around the half-acre homestead, especially after getting word of the end of my employment.  Homestead Hottie and I have been itching to get our Darling Daughter out of the house and to hit the road to parts unknown for awhile now and the current situation has only made that situation worse.  This weekend we were supposed to be relaxing on the beach of the Gulf Coast but the job loss meant socking vacation money away and staying home instead.

Today we decided to hit the highway and take a day trip to Marengo Cave, just on the east flank of the Hoosier National Forest and almost to Louisville, Kentucky.  We weren’t sure if our 14 month old Darling Daughter would be able to make it through a cave tour but decided to go for the gold and opted for the longest tour: the Dripstone Trail.  She did great and was visibly amazed by what she was seeing underground.  The change of scenery kept her quiet for the first 45 minutes of the 70 minute tour, even though our guide’s voice was akin to nails on a chalkboard echoing throughout the cavernous darkness.  Toward the end she got fussy but started enjoying herself again when we got to a point in the cave where you could walk on the floor.  It was the perfect opportunity for her to stretch her little legs and she took it!  We all enjoyed Marengo Cave and were glad there wasn’t a grand finale ending to the tour like the one we experienced at Meramec Caverns in Missouri.  That’s another story in itself.

Next on our agenda following the spelunking was to find a sit-down restaurant and get a good bite to eat.  I had heard good things about The Overlook Restaurant in Leavenworth, Indiana and decided to give it a try.  Perched on a bluff high above the Ohio River, The Overlook definitely can boast a million dollar view.  Forested hillsides roll their way down to the river’s edge, dotted with farms along the shoreline.  Pleasure boats and tugs pushing barges ply the waters down below giving you even more to look at.  The ground surrounding the restaurant are filled with bird houses, feeders and native flowering plants that were overrun with butterflies of every shape, size and color while we were there.

Stepping inside The Overlook I immediately noticed the decor.  Wood paneling and mirrored walls give the restaurant a dated vibe hearkening from the 1960’s or 70’s.  The dining room furniture looks to be from that time period as well.  Knobby and well beaten wooden tables and chairs make the place look like a cheap fish and chips joint.  Vinyl seat covers are not only olive green but many are also tattered and torn.  Motel quality water color paintings (also for sale) adorn some of the interior walls where mirrored paneling isn’t currently hanging.

The menu isn’t extensive and nothing wowed me enough to leave me knowing, without a doubt, what I was going to eat.  I had paired it down to two possibilities:  Hot Brown Sandwich and the Fried Chicken dinner.  Our waitress informed me that they were well known for their fried chicken so I decided to give it a shot.  If you claim it’s your specialty then I’m going to want to put it to the ultimate test.  Our Darling Daughter enjoyed the Mac ‘n Cheese off the kids menu just fine.  Homestead Hottie ordered the club sandwich, stacked a mile high with meat and all the usual accompaniments.

There really wasn’t anything notable about the presentation.  On first glance I thought the two pieces of white meat chicken, which I paid $1 more to have, were extremely small considering the nearly $11 price for the fried chicken plate.  I chose green beans and mashed potatoes as my side dishes.  The potatoes looked white and fluffy, adorned with the requisite white gravy.  The green beans looked delicious with bits of onion and bacon sprinkled throughout.  Both sides were good choices but the chicken left me disappointed.  The fried skin was golden brown and looked enticing but when it hit my tongue, there was little if no flavor to tantalize my taste buds.  I must have dumped half the shaker of salt and pepper over the top just to produce some sort of flavor boost.  The interior of the chicken looked juicy but proved tough and dry inside.  Only a dredging through the mashed potatoes and gravy could cover up the sahara-like meat inside.

Homestead Hottie opted for the traditional club sandwich, sliced into quarters and stacked high on toasted bread.  She liked the club but noted it was certainly nothing special.  Our Darling Daughter enjoyed her plate of mac ‘n cheese and made quite the mess digging in.  All in all our tummies were filled and happy enough to keep us satisfied and awake for the hour plus drive back to the half-acre homestead.  The view at The Overlook is definitely something to go back for.  The food, especially their “special fried chicken”, is not.

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