The Tenderloin and the Town: Bluffton, IN

“One Night in Bluffton”

The visit to The Parlor City will be a little bit different. As the restaurant with the tenderloin is only open evenings and is a 21+ place, I decided to go it alone and stay the night in the town. These articles are usually similarly structured with the tenderloin first, the outdoor activity last, and a smattering of other highlights in-between. They are usually not in chronological order as sometimes I may eat in-between or last, sometimes the activities are not even on the same day. This time I will take you on my town journey from start to finish in exactly in order and, you too, can experience “One night in Bluffton”

The Tenderloin:

I arrived at the hotel north of the river and downtown area around 6:00 at night. I walked across the pedestrian bridge and wandered into an old building to a place to eat called “Billy Ann’s Supper Pub”. I just watched a Western off Netflix called, “Godless”. It is a must see. And even if you don’t like Westerns you will be after finishing it. Billy Ann’s made me feel like I walked back in time into a New Mexico tavern. Combining the old wooden walls and floors with the musty smell of a 100+ year old building, it makes you feel like you have to keep an eye out for Billy-the-Kid sticking up the joint while bluffing on your poker hand. The seats are made up of old church pews and although there are no kneelers in the place, they will serve you up a tiny cup of alcohol if you ask. I ordered up my tenderloin and a side called Billy Chips, where they slice the whole potato in half and fry it up crispy – skin on. The sandwich came out still shiny from being freshly fried. I didn’t dare go to grab it as I was afraid of getting a burn, so I took my fork and gently tore off a piece from the side next to the bun. The loin was so tender and juicy, it fell of like a piece of perfectly barbequed rib would off the bone. The breading was seasoned so well that I didn’t even need much of the hot sauce to enjoy the sandwich. It was large and thick that I almost couldn’t finish it… almost… Billy Ann’s has all of the character to be on any top tenderloin list. It has a theme, sits in an old town, has a great local following, and serves up one of the best fried pork tenderloin sandwiches in the whole state. Oh… and try the Billy Chips too, best side I’ve had in a long time.

The Town:

I set off from the Supper Pub and down Market St where at the courthouse they were having a free outdoor concert. They set up a nice plaza where the citizens can congregate and enjoy the warm night in northern Indiana. There was a barbeque food truck set up and many people were sitting down while a band played country music. Granted, some rock would have made me take a seat and take in some tunes, but it was nice nonetheless and neat to see on the way to my next destination.

One time on a work trip in Chattanooga, TN I was walking down the street to get something to eat and I passed a sign that said “Axe Throwing and Beer.” I couldn’t get that phrase out of my head the whole dinner and soon after I was back throwing axes and drinking beer. When I saw the sign for Busted Haft Throwing, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. For $10 I was able to throw axes at the target for about a half hour. There was no beer at this place, but I knew I would be getting to that later. If you have never done it or never tuned into ESPN2 at 2:00 in the morning, axe throwing is a combination of darts and… and… uhh… throwing an axe. Based on how close to the center of the target, or if you hit the blue dot that is nowhere near the center of the target, you get higher points. You can throw a heavy axe with two hands over your head or a smaller with one arm. It’s simple, but a lot of fun and a nice quick workout.

I was off to the other end of the block into Parlor City Brewing Company. The brewhouse started to make beer last year, and with COVID restrictions relaxed, the tasting room has recently opened up. I noticed the Peach Wheat Beer on the menu, called A Bit Fuzzy, and had to have one. Down in the south of the country, they drink fruit beer at most of the breweries all through the summer. I was happy to see one up here. The fruit taste is pronounced, but doesn’t taste like a wine cooler or anything; it still feels like a beer. It was wonderful to drink up after a walk during a warm summer. As I was finishing up my last beer I noticed the movie “Major League” playing on the TV. Again, that movie has made an appearance during one of my tenderloin trips. Back in Franklin I went to a theater to actually watch that movie. The brewhouse was new and clean, the beer was tasty, and the bartenders were nice and made good conversation. 10:00 hit and it was time to head back to the hotel as I had an early morning hike planned. The town was deserted during the walk home. Everything was closed, it was dark, and I didn’t see a soul on the way back. As vibrant and hopping the block was in the late evening, it was empty and deserted once 10 o’clock hit.

Ouabache State Park lies just outside of the Parlor City. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s pronounced O-ba-chee, it is just the French spelling of Wabash and is simply pronounced wa-bash. There is a nice 6 mile hiking trail around the park that I wanted to partake in. As it being a typical August summer in the northern portion of Indiana, it is hot right now. So I had to get up mighty early to get some decent temps to enjoy this path. I did underestimate the timing of the sunrise as when I was ready to leave the hotel at 6:15, it was still pitch black. I did create a sufficient delay and got to the park around 6:45 just when the sun was coming up. It was a flat trail, easily marked, and full of wildlife. I saw about 4 or 5 deer and dozens of squirrels and rabbits. You also hike right next to a fenced in bison ranch. With it being so warm and musty with little wind, I was noticing the scents of nature during the walk. Sometimes you get this rotting smell, not a bad one, but just slight and you can tell it was there. A lot of times I thought I caught the scent of mustard, and one time it smelled really sweet, like a cake being baked. I finished up my hike with passing only 4 people the whole way. It was a great way to start the day and built up an appetite and a taste for some coffee.

Luckily the bartender from the brewery last night suggested a place with “a good cup of coffee”. Hugh’s Bakery and Coffeehouse also sits on the downtown Market St strip. In addition to freshly brewed coffee, they had a chose-your-own croissant sandwich. My choices were egg / sausage / cheddar and it made a perfect remedy for my raging hunger.

Bluffton is called “The Parlor City” as it was one of the first towns to have paved roads. Back in the day, people kept the parlor the cleanest room in the house as that was the one guests would hang out in. Having paved roads would be a lot cleaner that the dusty dirt roads, so the town was seen in a new light. Over the years all the other towns paved their roads, but Bluffton still kept their welcoming vibe, and they also added one great tenderloin.

There was a tower too, but I couldn't climb it - wasps :(

by Michael Tomko

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