Southern Indiana Dining...All is Lost

I went numb when I saw the Century 21 signs at Rockwall Bistro in Floyds Knobs on Friday night. The closing of Rockwall seems to finalize the decimation of any hope for foodies in Clark and Floyd counties. This follows the shuttering of Bistro New Albany late last year and Stratto's earlier this year. I'll add this to my growing list of reasons to move back to Louisville. I really thought Hoosier's were starting to develop some class and taste, but I see that I was wrong. Long live Joe Huber's and Cheddars!

[Robin Garr]

Tony, welcome to the forum! It's painful indeed, and a lot of us are worried that it's not going to get better on either side of the rive as the economy goes into the toilet.

We've been discussing some of the points you made in this recent topic. Feel free to join in!
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3491

Thanks for the welcome, Robin. I appreciate the forum as an opportunity to share. I've read many of the posts about S. IN spots closing. I think that restaurants here often have to be even better than those in Louisville to survive. The bar is set higher because they have to pull people from 'over there' to make it. This is a very difficult situation.

We took friends to both Rockwall and Stratto's. Rockwall was open about 8 years and Stratto's around 2 I think. Rockwall made an impression and drew lots of folks from Louisville. Stratto's was inconsistent enough that we had friends actually 'turned off' by it when we took them. It was a no-brainer for us to frequent these places because of proximity (and a desire to keep quality local dining spots in the area). However, it takes alot for them to draw enough Louisvillians to make a serious go at operating a restaurant. As we see, it remains tenuous because as soon as the economy takes a dive, S. IN loses everything within months. I guess we're doomed to cross the Kennedy for good, innovative food.

Just open your eyes...pleanty of places to eat....

don't forget about us and my thai and many others
and i will contend that we don't need louisvillians to survive, but we do need our local communities to support us

:cry:

I went numb when I saw the Century 21 signs at Rockwall Bistro in Floyds Knobs on Friday night. The closing of Rockwall seems to finalize the decimation of any hope for foodies in Clark and Floyd counties. This follows the shuttering of Bistro New Albany late last year and Stratto's earlier this year. I'll add this to my growing list of reasons to move back to Louisville. I really thought Hoosier's were starting to develop some class and taste, but I see that I was wrong. Long live Joe Huber's and Cheddars!

What's with the shot at Huber's?

Move back and you'll be further away from:

Clarksville seafood
Federal Hill Cafe
Come Back Inn (well one version of it)
The Ranchhouse (two options)
Kansai
Sportstime
Market St. Fish
The Onion
Southside Inn
Pizza King
Skipjacks
C-town Pizza
Kobe
Ann's on the River
Wings to go
and my personal fav when I have an appetite for destruction: Chicken House

So while we don't have an August Moon, a Del Frisco's or Boombozz, 'we ain't hurtin' as bad as other places for choices.

my MPG, others vary

Once again, it's up each individual to support the local places that they love and take some initiative in doing so. Organizing outing with friends and family to these places and spreading your great experiences you have there may be enough to keep them in business.

P.S. while the restaurant choices may be getting thinner, the options for places with great beer seem to be growing

long live great beer

I do love the Southern Indiana Come Back Inn. The food is always great and the atmosphere is always kind of jazzy. I usually eat there at lunch and he seems to always be packed.

I do love the Southern Indiana Come Back Inn. The food is always great and the atmosphere is always kind of jazzy. I usually eat there at lunch and he seems to always be packed.

And they have good beer!

My shot at Huber's has to do with the fact that anyone can open a can of green beans and stick them in the microwave. While I appreciate the suggestions offered, many of the places suggested in S. Indiana are sub-par at best. I try to support local businesses, but it's hard when they cut corners and offer nothing memorable. The Onion is OK, Ann's is awful. Mai's Thai is a gem. Come Back Inn is marginal and Appleby's fell far short (especially for dinner). Rocky's is solid and I hear good things about some of the newer places in New Albany. But, it's still hard to spend money over here for marginal food when there's exceptional stuff across the river. Stratto's and Rockwall were our two shots at finer dining, and they're gone. It seems like were doomed to eat Joe Huber's (rest his soul) canned green beans and Ann's over-cooked, placed under a heat lamp for days frozen entrees.

So you dont think that Rockys opens cans and puts them in the microwave? I think that you would be surprised just how many places do that...Chains and Local...and use the Sysco truck for there produce....It is just a fact of life...

Who cares? Green beans suck anyway.

[quote="Eric McKendrick"]Once again, it's up each individual to support the local places that they love and take some initiative in doing so. Organizing outing with friends and family to these places and spreading your great experiences you have there may be enough to keep them in business.

This is such a good point , we should all feel very spoiled on the ky. side of the river to have such a variety of quality fine dining restaurants. Yes there are some good places to eat in IN., but I agree there is a lack of the as you say fine dining. With as many people as I know across the river That come to louisville to eat out, it just makes me ponder why there does not seem to be any support for fine dining over there. it is a shame.