Like I said in the part 1 version, Elkhart has too much cool stuff to just write one blog about it. On this version I take a bit more historical turn featuring more museums and historical landmarks. You will see names mentioned that are engrained in the locals in Elkhart such as Beardsley, Turnock, Miles, & Pierre Moran. I did manage to throw in some new stuff too.
The Tenderloin
I distinctly remember in my first year living in Elkhart back in ’03 asking people at work where the best place was to get a steak – apart from that US State chain roadhouse place. Pretty much everyone else would say “Heinnies.” Then I had to try to navigate the streets of Elkhart to find it as this was before GPS, and as everyone that is new here knows – the Elkhart street system is a confusing maze of diagonal roads, dead ends, and railroad tracks. But, I eventually found it on Lusher Ave and Heinnies has pretty much been my go-to place for steak since moving out here. It’s also one of the last remaining local food places that still even exists from the last 20 years of living here. My first decade was spent in the bar area which pretty much looks like your typical neighborhood tavern. The second decade we started having a couple of little guys to have to take care of, so we’ve been regulated to the back. Wait, let me re-phrase that, we’ve been upgraded to hanging out in the back barn section. Yes, the family section is basically a fancy barn with nice tables and country décor up everywhere. I now prefer to sit back there. When I set out to check out the local tenderloins and found out Heinnies had one, speculation was the best in town would be had here. My suspicions were correct, as you will get a superb sandwich that rivals the best in Indiana. The meat is tender and flavorful, the breading seasoned and flakey, and you get a buttered top toasted bun to help with the crunch in every bite. I’ve enjoyed it here a few times and, like always, look forward to my next visit. And… no longer will Heinnies be known only for steak – people can feel free to also rave about the breaded fried tenderloin sandwich.
The Town
On the north bank of the Elkhart River lies the Ruthmere Mansion. Built in 1908 and designed by famed architect and Elkhart resident Enock Turnock for the Arthur Beardsley Family, it has been a museum for the last 55 years. Inside you start in the basement gameroom where you can view a short movie on the history of the structure and families that lived in it. You then can head upstairs to tour the rest of the house, the garage, and the greenhouse. You can get a snapshot of how the upper class lived at the turn of the 20th century. Some of the highlights include the pipe organ located in the basement that can be heard around the house when played, the electric skylight on the 2nd floor ceiling, the separate bedrooms with the Jack-and-Jill bathroom between them, and the garage with the rotating floor to turn the car since there wasn’t a “reverse gear” back in the day. The house had always been a residence before opening up as a museum, so you can see most of the original architecture and room set-up. Pomegranates can be found scattered in the décor as it was a sign of prosperity and wealth, there are almost 300 (292 to be exact) and more seem to be discovered as the years go by. The staff were friendly and full of stories of the activities that had occurred in the history as well as events to still come. Some Elkhart natives will have stories, too, of hanging out in the mansion before it became a museum as a lady my wife worked with had told us about roller-skating in the 3rd story storage attic when she was a kid. Ruthmere has been lucky to escape the fate of a lot of old beautiful houses in the city and we are so lucky to have it to enjoy today.
Do you have a craving for an authentic French style macaron? Well, you can cancel your flight to Paris because Elkhart has a shop right on Main St. Le Macaron French Pastries has been tucked into the downtown landscape for the last year. Inside you can find all kinds of macaron flavors such as Madagascar Black Vanilla, Bubble Gum, Columbian Coffee, Rose, and the seasonal favorite of Pumpkin Spice. The macaron is like a cookie sandwich. It has a crispy exterior “shell”, but the inside is soft like cake. Inside is a thin creamy filling. Both the coke and filling are brightly colored that adds to the lure. It’s kind of like a tenderloin cookie… well… OK… it’s nothing like a tenderloin cookie.
The National New York Central Railroad museum is tucked into the south side of the railroad tracks on Main St. It’s the place most people from Elkhart know about but haven’t been to. You can get into the history of the NNYCRR and artifacts from the heyday of the railroad system in America, but most people tend to come just to walk through the locomotives and railcars that are scattered on the property. Up front, there is a dining car to walk about, you can sit in the “cockpit” of a locomotive accessed through a boardwalk, and they even had a traincar set up as “haunted” that you can walk though with black lights and trip switch activations of spooky displays. You used to be able to roam the old passenger cars and cabooses outside, but vandalism and age has closed the inside of these off. There is also a nice children’s area with a train to play with games and activities to enjoy. Most people’s favorite is the massive toy train display in the back. It is a huge town and mountain display with bridges, stores, roads, cars, and, of course, multiple trains that run along the tracks. You can find something new in there you haven’t seen before in every visit. You can even take a ride on a toy train on the new track outside. There is fun and intrigue for every age at the NNYCRR museum.
Strolling along Main St in Elkhart, you may get a craving for some ice cream. Luckily the Vanilla Bean Creamery is there to help. Scooped out of an old storefront, the beanery has been around since 2019. You won’t get store bought or shipped-in from a larger distributer ice cream here, it is all made fresh from scratch. With that, you can get some custom flavors like the Hot Chocolate ice cream that I was able to acquire. I was all ready to add some marshmallows as a topping when my son got a sample and exclaimed, “Dad, there are marshmallows already in it!” I really enjoyed that cup, the cocoa actually tasted like that powdery strong chocolate taste you get from a steaming cup one craves after shoveling the snow on a cold January. The marshmallows also didn’t melt in this cup. I was also able to get some fudge brownie a couple days later from their food truck when my other son and I went to the Garden of Villains at Wellfield Botanic Gardens. I ate the heck out of that cup. I strongly suggest one adds a trip to The Vanilla Bean Creamery when they head out downtown.
Talking with the locals, it would seem that Elkhart used to be full of theaters. Roaming around, you can find remnants of the old movie houses. On Main St there is a closed cineplex, a palace turned restaurant, and an opera house turned into a parking lot. Down by the old Pierre Moran mall there is an old duplex that is now a restaurant and the duplex by Concord mall is all but abandoned. You do have a multiplex up north by the toll road so you can get to all the new superhero releases before they stream on your TV at home. But, the gem of the city is still is still running silent movies with organ every once in a while. I’m talking about The ELCO Lerner Theater. Built in 1924 to host vaudeville, live music, and the new moving pictures, it underwent a massive renovation ten years ago to upgrade (without losing most of the historic charm) to the brilliant facility you can visit today. I was able to get a tour of the theater this last week to take in the grandeur of the place. The new wing to the north adds accessibility features as well as a new ticket office and a ballroom upstairs. The original structure has been revamped with the comforts of todays performance halls while retaining the décor and charm of the palaces built a century ago. I was able to go into the box seat balconies and check out the area where celebrities sat on order to more be seen than to see the show themselves. The cool looking mushroom chandelier still hangs from the dome ceiling and the former clay mural from the Miles Laboratories cafeteria is displayed at the entry before walking to your seats. I’ve seen a lot of restored theaters across Indiana, I don’t think anyone has been upgraded as well as this one while retaining the charm of an old movie house.
Back in 2003, when I moved out here, you were hard pressed to find independent craft beer from your local tap at the tavern, yet a brewpub that created their own on-site. I found that the old liquor store in the old Armory building was your best bet to find an IPA. Around ten years ago, Elkhart got their first brewery when Iechyd Da opened up on the north side of town almost right across from that old Armory building. First things first – how to pronounce Iechyd Da: (Yah-kee-Da). Walking in there on a Sunday evening to order up a pizza and get their seasonal Octoberfest, I was able to sit and discuss more Elkhart history with some of the regulars and the bartender. In the front of the pub, there are tables of family and friends gathered to enjoy conversation, beer, and food. The food, by the way, is excellent. Their pizza is now one of the favorites to locals. Iechyd Da has quickly become one of the main draws for the town and stands as one of the top attractions in Elkhart for both natives and visitors.
Elkhart has one of the most unique parks of an Indiana town that I have encountered. I’m talking about Island Park just east of downtown. This park sits at the confluence of the Elkhart and St Joe rivers and can only be accessed by foot. Legend is the city gets its name from the shape of the island looking like an Elk’s heart. I don’t quite buy that one; there aren’t many depictions of Native Americans flying planes or travelling in hot air balloons. I also googled an elk heart and I just don’t see it. On the Island you have a pavilion on the south side as well as a bandstand with an artesian well turned drinking fountain on the north. Although they do have a couple of events and fairs on the island, the space isn’t as used as much as other park areas around downtown such as the riverwalk and civic plaza area. Logistically, it is a tough space to get to as there are no roads leading to it, so it retains a quiet area of seclusion. It does have a charm of its own, not much has changed since Dr Beardsley purchased the area from Pierre Moran and you can get a vision of what Elkhart looked like before the population made it the urban landscape we know of today.
After answering that help wanted ad on Monster.com back in 2002 for a job in a town called Nappanee, I got out my state atlas and pointed to the nearest town with any sort of population. It happened to be Elkhart. I’ve made my home here for the past 20 years and, honestly, I couldn’t be happier. Watching downtown change from run-down to “delightful” has been a site to see. I’ve bought and sold a house here, sat in taverns and debated politics and sports, wrote a food column in the local paper, and even had my wedding reception in the ballroom at the top of Hotel Elkhart. It has become my home and I’m glad I could share my view of it and also point out a couple spots to get a darn good tenderloin.
This giant train is made out of toothpicks!
by Michael Tomko
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