The really curious thing about Hobart, Indiana is how the city name is pronounced. One would expect a pronunciation that mimicked the capital of Tasmania or my alma mater in Upstate New York - Ho-BART. Instead the natives pronounce it Ho-BERT. It's the only word with "art" in it that I know of using the "ert" pronunciation. Odd.
Cafe 339
Hobart, Indiana
Cafe 339 is named for the address where it is located - 339 Main Street. There seems to be a little lack of creativity in naming downtown Hobart restaurants. There is also a 54 Main Bistro located at, you guessed it, 54 Main Street.
AMBIENCE: It wasn't too difficult to snag a parking spot right in front of Cafe 339 at 8 on a Friday morning. The smallish cafe felt very diner-esque on the inside, from its stools at a counter, to its booths, to its middle aged waitresses, to its Greek-American owners. It was fairly busy when we got there, with a healthy mix of locals: people on the way to work, mothers with kids in tow, and old ferts like myself. The environment was lively yet civilized. Motown tracks from Pandora played in the background. Tables, floors, and the bathroom were super clean. Nice ertwork hung on the walls; mostly paintings by local ertists.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
FOOD: I asked for the Breakfast Panini which was grilled Italian bread filled with spinach, tomatoes, bacon, provolone, and three eggs. I have no idea how they filled two pieces of bread with all those ingredients but it turned out scrumptious. The potatoes were grilled exactly as I liked them with just a little touch of grease and some char. The order took care of 90% of my appetite. The Healthy One helped me take care of the other 10%.
The Healthy One ordered the spinach and feta omelette, always a smart choice at a diner with a Greek heritage. It came with potatoes and a couple of pancakes.
The omelet was very favorably received. Unlike myself, she didn't especially like the potatoes. Perhaps it was that little bit of grease. I cleaned them up without any problem. As for the pancakes, she said I had to give them a try. They were marvelous. Perhaps, the best we had on our entire tour so far. The batter was light and had just the amount of sweetness. It had to be homemade.
The Healthy One ordered the spinach and feta omelette, always a smart choice at a diner with a Greek heritage. It came with potatoes and a couple of pancakes.
The omelet was very favorably received. Unlike myself, she didn't especially like the potatoes. Perhaps it was that little bit of grease. I cleaned them up without any problem. As for the pancakes, she said I had to give them a try. They were marvelous. Perhaps, the best we had on our entire tour so far. The batter was light and had just the amount of sweetness. It had to be homemade.
5 out of 5 stars
COFFEE:
The menu said they served Kona coffee. At $1.45, with refills, that would be a great deal. My experience with drinking Kona on my visits to Hawaii had been delectable. This cup didn't taste anything like the Kona coffee I remembered. My guess is that it was watered down to cater to Midwestern tastes (see my Ohio report). If I was asked whether my cup of coffee was Kona or Eight O'Clock I would have said Eight O'Clock. In my mind, if you brew coffee with even high quality beans, a lot of water and a small amount of grounds defeats the purpose. I say, when it comes to the quantity of beans, "go big or stay home".
2 out of 5 stars
SERVICE: Cafe 339 was very well staffed. There were enough servers to quickly take orders and refill coffee cups for the bustling crowd. The food came out after only about a 10 minute wait. Our waitress was professional and cheerful. It was readily apparent that she was a seasoned pro at making sure her customers had a good experience. The friendly owner bounced around the room ensuring that everything was going smoothly. I paid my bill to him at the counter. He asked if everything was alright. Coffee aside, it was.
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars
A FEW WORDS ABOUT HOBART:
Hobart is located in very Northwest Indiana, a mere 40 miles from downtown Chicago. The city is predominately residential and has a population of 28,248. I imagine some people commute to Chicago for work. Others may be steelworkers. Believe it not, steel is still made in the United States and Indiana leads the country in steel production with most of that steel made in plants not to far from Hobart. I don't know what else to write about the city. We only got a brief misty and foggy morning view of the area before we deperted for Chicago.
Hobart is located in very Northwest Indiana, a mere 40 miles from downtown Chicago. The city is predominately residential and has a population of 28,248. I imagine some people commute to Chicago for work. Others may be steelworkers. Believe it not, steel is still made in the United States and Indiana leads the country in steel production with most of that steel made in plants not to far from Hobart. I don't know what else to write about the city. We only got a brief misty and foggy morning view of the area before we deperted for Chicago.
BURN THOSE BREAKFAST CALORIES OFF:
After breakfast we drove into the heart of Chicago for a quick eight hour visit. We did plenty of walking along the shore of Lake Michigan, took the requisite pictures in front of "The Bean" (a.k.a. Cloud Gate), and afterwards participated in an interesting architectural walking tour.
After breakfast we drove into the heart of Chicago for a quick eight hour visit. We did plenty of walking along the shore of Lake Michigan, took the requisite pictures in front of "The Bean" (a.k.a. Cloud Gate), and afterwards participated in an interesting architectural walking tour.
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October 6, 2017
NEXT UP: Wisconsin
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