Evansville Living May/June 2024

Give yourself a timeout, mom

All year long, you’re busy doing what you do best — caring for your family. But sometimes, you need to refocus on your own health and well-being. At Ascension St. Vincent, we’re here with the care you need, from checkups to specialty care.

Need help scheduling? Try online chat and talk with a care navigator today. ascension.org/StVincentWomens

52

COVER STORY Most Beautiful Homes

What makes the River City’s most attractive houses truly stand out? Here, we explore 10 homes with curb appeal that grabbed our attention, from traditional Tudors and classic Victorians to stately brick Italianates and captivating English cottages.

44 SECONDARY FEATURE A ‘New’ Day

Meet some of the entrepreneurs, artists, and thinkers who are bringing fresh energy to New Harmony, Indiana, and helping reinvent a community well-known for its history and culture.

80

LOCAL FLAVOR Sunny Side Up

Now open for two years, The Rooster’s Den in Newburgh, Indiana, offers a made-from-scratch menu that has fans crowing.

THE COVER Karen and David Lottes fell in love with the character of this Riverside Historic District home, seen here in April. With its prominent overhanging eaves and square campanile tower, it is one of the finest examples of Italianate-style architecture in Evansville. Photo by Zach Straw

IN EVERY

CULTURE

25 Art Talk Mary Bower bids farewell to Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science

26 Entertainment Center Preview this summer’s can’t-miss socials at area Catholic parishes

27 On Stage

This Broadway production has lots of buzz – and Evansville connections

27 Shelf Life

28 15 Minutes Music brought Brick Briscoe back from the brink

30 The Guide

32 Social Life

DEPARTMENT

37 Travel Journal

Discover blues, barbecue, and music history in Memphis, Tennessee

HOME & STYLE

67 What’s In Store

Go on a treasure hunt at Polen’s Antique Shak in Gentryville, Indiana

68 On the Market This East Side Tudor offers character and history

68 We Were Curious

Here’s why owls are carved into a tree stump on Riverside Drive

69 In the Garden Bat boxes creatively solve a home owner’s dilemma

70 Home of the Issue

GOOD LIVING

Color and creativity take center stage at Mary Beth and Michael Guard’s New Harmony loft

FOOD & DRINK

77 Trending Now

G.D. Ritzy’s clocks four decades of burgers, fries, and philanthropy

78 What We’re Trying Now Feeling saucy? Head to Homer’s Barbecue in Henderson, Kentucky

78 Fresh Takes

79 Local Foodie Rethink meat, and more, with Tori Chapman of Vegan Eats and Treats

84 Dining Directory

Peruse the cuisine of Tri-State restaurants

FINAL DETAIL

144 Capturing a three-minute solar eclipse isn’t just a snap

VOLUME

EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Kristen K. Tucker

PRESIDENT, TUCKER PUBLISHING GROUP

Todd A. Tucker

EDITORIAL

Jodi Keen

Managing Editor

John Martin Senior Writer

Maggie Valenti Staff Writer

DESIGN

Laura Mathis

Creative Director

Maliah White

Graphic Designer

Hadley Mitchell

Digital Marketing Coordinator

ADVERTISING

Jessica Hoffman Senior Account Executive

Jennifer Rhoades Senior Account Executive

Logen Sitzman

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

CIRCULATION

Gregg Martin

Distribution and Circulation Manager

CONTRIBUTORS

Catherine Anderson, Debbra Dunning Brouillette, Gordon Engelhardt, Zach Evans, Katie Henrichs, Lucy Himstedt, Jo Ann Learman, Amy Lynch, Michelle Mastro, Natalie Reidford, Zach Straw, Timothy Weir, Art Woodward

TUCKER

Todd A. Tucker President

Kristen K. Tucker Vice President

WHAT A DIFFERENCE FOUR YEARS CAN MAKE

Four years ago, we watched our younger son, Jackson, graduate from Reitz Memorial High School on our family room television via livestream from the school’s auditorium. A few days later, our older son, Maxwell, graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis. We were social distancing in Fort Morgan, Alabama. Max’s commencement similarly was livestreamed from an empty Clowes Memorial Hall where Butler President James Danko conferred students’ degrees. We toasted Max, then walked down the boardwalk to the deserted Gulf Coast beach. The following year, the university allowed the class of 2020 to walk in Hinkle Fieldhouse with the class of 2021. In 2022, Max received his master’s degree in person, on campus. Later this month, Jackson will receive his bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. He will graduate in the KFC Yum! Center – the venue is so large, tickets are not needed. Indeed, it has now been four years since the Class of 2020 left high school with livestreamed and drive-through graduations ceremonies, courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic. This May, many of those students who matriculated in four-year university programs now are finishing their studies. Jackson will continue his studies this fall in an MBA program at the University of Louisville.

Here’s to our graduates! Resiliency has defined them, and they will take this necessary life skill onto college and out into the world.

This issue long has been focused on home and garden, showcasing the annual At Home special advertising section (featuring 46 businesses this year). For five years, the May/June issue also has featured Evansville’s 10 Most Beautiful Homes. The concept is to select homes with exteriors that catch our attention. We leave notes for homeowners expressing interest in writing about and photographing their home, and we begin curating the Most Beautiful Homes feature. As we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; our story is not a competition or an awards program. We aim to highlight the broad range of home styles here. Last year, a modern home built in the 2010s made its way to our cover;

in this year’s roundup, the newest home featured is 32 years old. Two were built before or during the Civil War. The stately Riverside Historic District brick Italianate on the cover was built in 1863.

We invite homebuilders and homeowners to keep this project in mind – we like to receive tips. Maybe we have left a letter at your doorstep about your home. It’s never too late to call us; we already are working on next year.

New Harmony, Indiana, makes an appearance in this issue. Last fall, retired Historic New Harmony director Connie Weinzapfel invited me on a mini tour of the town before our book club meeting, which Connie was hosting at her Posey County home. She wanted to introduce me to some of New Harmony’s newcomers – people who have chosen to relocate to the town on the Wabash River to open new and unique businesses. My tour formed the basis for Senior Writer John Martin and Staff Writer Maggie Valenti to spend an early spring day in New Harmony, meeting the people who are bringing new energy to the town while honoring its history. Read their story beginning on page 44.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you!

Kristen K. Tucker Editor & Publisher

THE LEXUS RX PLUG-IN HYBRID

Conversation

MOMENT IN THE SUN

Ed the Eagle ... was excited to see EDS featured in the newest edition of Evansville Living (“Celestial Celebrations,” March/April 2024)!

Evansville Day School via Instagram

PIPING FRESH

My longtime friend and University of Southern Indiana Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Tom Rehl is killing it with his retirement gig (“A Fresh Slice,” March/April 2024)!

Mike Hillyard via Facebook

LIVING LEGACIES

I loved reading this (“One Hundred Years of Life,” March/April 2024)!

Priscilla Glenn via Facebook

FINE LINES

Thank you, John Martin and the people at Evansville Living for the great article about my artwork (“Strokes of Excellence,” March/ April 2024). I have always appreciated how you honor local people and businesses with great articles in your wonderful magazine. I am overwhelmed and honored to be featured.

Jon Fuchs via Facebook

IN THE RING

Thank you Evansville Living for highlighting two of our officers, Sgt. Sam Smith and Officer Taylor Merriss ... in the April 13th Guns & Hoses event (“Ready to Spar,” March/April 2024)

Evansville Police Department via Facebook

FACE FORWARD

Cover is awesome (March/April 2024 issue)!

Art Woodward via Facebook

TEE UP

Appreciate the love, Evansville Living (“Love of the Links,” March/April 2024).

Lappe Oaks via Instagram

WELL TRAVELED

Thank you all so much for highlighting SoIN in this year’s travel issue (“Rolling on the River,” March/April 2024)! The article turned out great, and we appreciate you all helping to spread the word about some of our top attractions.

Anna Rosales-Crone, SoIN Tourism

PRAISE FOR “ALL ABOARD,” MARCH/APRIL 2024

My friend Robyn Legeay! Congrats on the exposure and recognitions!

Jennifer Smith via Facebook

The best wraps in town! Everything is fresh and yummy!

Karen Schmidt via Facebook

Love this little place!

Susie Wilson via Facebook

I have always wanted to go there! We moved here in 2020 and I heard about it a few years ago. Definitely going!

Kim Kapps via Instagram

Fifth Third Private Bank has been serving the Tri-State area since 2000, and over the years our commitment remains the same: to provide best-in-class service so you and your family can find financial freedom. We have a few new faces to the team: Marshall Byers recently joined the bank and will serve as a Wealth Management Advisor, alongside two relocations, Andrea Braun, Associate Wealth Management Advisor, and Miranda Schultheis, Trust Administrator. Pictured (left to right): Andrea Braun, Miranda Schultheis, Gabrielle Jones, Private Banker, Derek Bitter, Sr. Portfolio Manager, Joshua Wichman, Sr. Portfolio Manager, Adam Stevens, WMA, Ryan Davis, PB Managing Director, and Marshall Byers.

Snapshots

Ringing in the New Year: The July/August 2023 issue of Evansville Living joined Greg, Hannah, and Edith Rodocker on a holiday trip to southeast Asia in December. Here, the Evansville family pauses at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, before flying to Singapore.

Snowbirds in the Sun: Tresa and Brent Miller traded winter’s chill for the tropical scenery of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, in January. Making the trip to visit fellow Evansville residents Joe and Jane Fehrenbacher was the January/February 2024 issue of Evansville Living.

Blast from the Past: While cleaning out photos on her phone, Evansville’s Karen Edwards unearthed this photo she snapped of her son Cory reading the January/ February 2017 issue in Bruges, Belgium, during a European vacation in April 2017.

Road Trippin’: Evansville Living’s March/April 2024 issue tagged along with Sabine and Jim Wathen in April when they visited Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan. The Evansville couple toured the site, which was built in 1918 as a dairy farm and today functions as an events venue.

Learning Something New: Tucker Publishing Group Senior Writer John Martin visited a writing class at Caze Elementary School in April. Students Tyliek Johnson, Audreyia Howard, Ismael Cherry, and Kiani Saito enjoyed flipping through April/May 2024 Evansville Business and July/August 2023 Evansville Living

Easter in the Mountains: Cooper, Amy, Joey, and Addison Davenport of Henderson, Kentucky, took the March/April 2024 cover story’s message to heart and spent Easter weekend in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

CONTRIBUTORS

LUCY HIMSTEDT

“The showcasing of special places and events in every issue of Evansville Living reminds me why I chose to make this my permanent home. Summer socials are among those unique things that enhance our region’s quality of life. I wanted to share my love of socials with those who may not have experienced them or who have forgotten how wonderful they are.”

Lucy Himstedt traveled the Tri-State through her work with Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana, University of Evansville, and as general manager of WFIE-TV. Now retired, she and her husband Don Richard enjoy filling their calendar with quality time with their grandchildren and community events, including summer socials at area parishes. She tours some of her favorites on page 26.

ART WOODWARD

“I knew I would be a writer at the age of six. My father was a boogie-woogie piano player who gigged with the great Boots Randolph. Mom was a gifted poet. They instilled in me a love of music and respect for the written word. I don’t see my life as having meaning without either. Writing about music is wonderful, especially when I get to interview a friend and fellow song crafter like Brick Briscoe.”

Art Woodward, also known as Art the Dude, is a longtime multi-media advertising creative director for Tri-State companies and agencies. He’s also a writer, photographer, videographer, and lifelong lover of music — skill sets that serve him well when reviewing Evansville’s concert and events scene. Find his interview with multi-faceted musician Brick Briscoe on page 28.

A NEW CHAPTER

ECS point guard Josiah Dunham commits his talent to USI BY

GORDON ENGELHARDT

After taking Evansville Christian School to its first IHSAA Class

A semistate berth in school history – as anticipated in Evansville Living’s January/February cover story – Josiah Dunham hopes to help revitalize University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball’s fortunes.

“I believe in (USI) coach (Stan) Gouard and the whole coaching staff to really build something in the years to come,” says the ECS senior, who on March 26 committed to USI. “I felt they had a strong belief in my abilities.” Dunham, a 6-foot-1 point guard, averaged 24.2 points, 5.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 steals while sparking ECS to

a 24-3 record. He ended his high school career as the IHSAA’s 18th all-time scorer with 2,373 points.

“He’s ultra competitive,” ECS coach David Kruse says. “He wants the team to be successful. He has a great work ethic, every day, every drill. … He’ll be a great fit for USI.”

After posting a 16-17 record in its inaugural season in NCAA Division I, USI slumped to 8-24 in its second year. Gouard says the second year of the transition period often can be the most difficult, with players eyeing the transfer portal after experiencing the move up to Division I. Gouard says the biggest positive is Dunham will be playing for a hometown program, which will make him work even harder to succeed. “He will be a great culture kid for our program,” Gouard says. “His work ethic will give him a chance to be an impact player in the years to come.”

Dunham hopes to lend a helping hand during his freshman season at USI.

“My AAU experience playing for Indiana Elite 3SSB allowed me to play against the best players in the country and prepared me for the speed and size at the next level,” he says. “I am confident I will adapt to the next level.”

Good Living

LA DOLCE VITA IN CENTRAL INDIANA

Indianapolis’ DeHaan Estate welcomes luxury furnishings shoppers

BY AMY LYNCH

With its dramatic curved architecture, travertine floors, indoor and outdoor sculpture, and Tuscan vibes, Christel DeHaan’s gracious 151-acre estate feels more like something you’d expect to find in Italy than Indianapolis. Ever since construction finished in 2007, curious passersby have been longing to get a look

at Linden House, the late philanthropist’s Palladian-style home northwest of downtown Indianapolis between Butler University and the Newfields campus. Now, they finally can.

“The DeHaan Estate is one of the most magical properties in North America, and we are honored to open its gates to the public for the first time,” RH Chairman and CEO Gary Friedman said in a press release announcing the opening in November 2023.

Founded as Restoration Hardware in Northern California in 1979, the luxury home furnishing company now elevates furniture shopping to an art form, assembling a global portfolio of high-end galleries in the U.S. and Europe to consider, typically homed in notably significant buildings.

DeHaan’s 42,000-square-foot former residence has been reimagined as a fitting new home displaying more than 70 precisely curated museum-quality showrooms featuring RH’s distinctive contemporary

furniture and accessories aesthetic — along with globally sourced art, antiques, and artifacts — to the fullest advantage. DeHaan purchased the former Benedictine monastery of St. Maur Priory in the early 2000s and lived onsite until her death in 2020 at age 77. When it hit the market, RH wisely moved fast, teaming up with a Colorado-based developer to claim the nearly turn-key estate for a cool $14.5 million, the highest residential property sales transaction in Indiana real estate history.

CAVIAR-TOPPED GRILLED AVOCADO

RH Indianapolis welcomes shoppers for an immersive experience. In the main foyer, a greeter provides helpful instruction on how best to navigate a self-guided tour. Follow the bust-lined hallway to the right, then leisurely make your way back through one dazzling room after another (and the RH Interior Design Studio) toward the center. If you’re not awed and overwhelmed by that point, venture into more main-level and upstairs vignettes in the west wing.

“From the immaculately groomed grounds and tree-lined driveway, to the massive stone terrace and boat dock overlooking the lake and forest, and the perfectly proportioned rooms filled with natural light from the abundance of windows, RH Indianapolis is a place to come and dream, be inspired by the architecture, get lost in the views, enjoy a meal in the grand ballroom, or sip a glass of wine while strolling through the gardens,” Friedman added in the press release.

With a rain-evocative pendant light installation by L.A. glass designer Alison Berger hanging from the soaring two-story vaulted ceiling, the Dining Room — a name simultaneously understated and meta — acts as a stunning centerpiece for the entire facility. Amid lunch and dinner menus of mostly French bistro-inspired fare, a caviar-topped grilled avocado starter, a superlative burger, and the decadent butterscotch crème brûlée all rise to the top.

Jeff Jaeger, a recent first-time visitor shopping with his wife Debbie to furnish a home they’re building in nearby Fishers, sums up the experience succinctly: “I never would have believed this was Indianapolis.”

Faith for 175 Years

Central United Methodist Church observes anniversary

BY JOHN MARTIN

GLORIA MILLAY’S FAMILY moved to Evansville when she was 7 years old and her parents, who wanted a good place for their four kids to attend Sunday school, decided to visit Central United Methodist Church.

Millay is 78 today, and she’s still a member. Central UMC celebrated its 175th anniversary with a special service April 14 that retiring Indiana Conference Bishop Julius Trimble attended.

Millay says the church remains a treasured place to nurture faith and friendship. She adds that UMC’s youth ministry is one of the church’s most endearing qualities, and “we’re all still trying to carry that on.”

Central UMC originated in 1849 when the Methodist Church established Evansville City Mission at North Main and Pennsylvania streets.

In 1853, a church was built on Ingle Street between Seventh and Eighth and named Ingle Street Methodist Episcopal Church. That building was outgrown, but an attempt to build anew on Eighth Street in the 1870s was abandoned due to a nationwide recession.

A new church opened at Franklin and Mary streets in 1906, and it was renamed Central United Methodist Church. That building rapidly ran out of space, and construction of the present sanctuary at 300

Mary St. started in 1924. Congregants met at Veterans Memorial Coliseum while the church was under construction.

The current building has been expanded over the years with an educational wing and family life center.

Central UMC is active on many fronts in Evansville — it was a charter member of Congregations Acting for Justice and Empowerment in 2003.

“ The thing that stands out the most to me is some really good people who are deeply committed to their faith and to their church,” says the Rev. Dewey Miller, who has pastored the church since 2019. “… We’re looking forward to a good long future.”

COME TOGETHER central-church.org

BISHOP JULIUS TRIMBLE, THE REV. DEWEY MILLER, AND MELISSA COUNTS

VIRGINIA HURT, THE CHURCH’S ELDEST MEMBER, WITH THE CONGREGATION’S NEWEST MEMBER

ROAD TO THE 19TH AMENDMENT

Historical marker honors Evansville suffragette Lucia Blount BY

ZACH EVANS

Did you know that Evansville women’s suffrage movement was born in a home that is now the site of Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library’s Central Branch?

The home belonged to Lucia Blount, the wife of a local industrialist. In 1886, the meetings she held for women led to the creation of the Evansville Equal Suffrage Society. Blount later moved to Washington, D.C., and became involved with national suffrage efforts.

Th ose meetings now are preserved with a historic marker in front of Central Library at Chestnut Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard as part of the National Votes for Women Trail. Surrounded by a manicured garden, the marker was installed in 2022 in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana, EVPL, the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.

Coming Up Aces

EVPL Chief Operating Officer Heather O’Grady says the marker reflects the library’s mission is to cultivate curiosity.

“We hope the marker will forever spark conversations about the importance of voting and the power individuals can have in creating and advocating for change,” O’Grady says.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER evpl.org

Wes Carroll provides a steady hand for UE baseball

BY GORDON ENGELHARDT

UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE head baseball coach Wes Carroll’s name is synonymous with success on the field and in the dugout.

Named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s All-Centennial Team in 2007 as one of its top players, Carroll also is a two-time MVC Coach of the Year.

A Castle High School and UE graduate, Carroll is the second-winningest baseball

coach in UE history behind Jim Brownlee. He speaks with Evansville Living ahead of the Aces hosting the 2024 MVC tournament May 21-25 at UE’s Braun Stadium.

Evansville Living: Discuss the poignancy of hosting the MVC tournament at Braun Stadium.

Wes Carroll: It has taken many years and a lot of hard work by many to get our facilities up to the MVC Tournament hosting standard. I’m extremely proud of the efforts here at UE to see and understand my vision followed up by actions.

EL: What do you expect to learn from hosting the tournament?

WC: We will see an enormous impact on the local economy, and our community will have an opportunity to

experience college baseball at a high level. The Evansville Regional Sports Commission and Brandon McClish have been instrumental on many levels. His leadership and knowledge is such an asset to the city of Evansville.

EL: What do you attribute your longevity to at UE?

WC: I’ve had tremendous support throughout my years within the athletic department. I’ve also been very fortunate to have talented assistant coaches that believed in my vision and care deeply about the student-athletes. But most importantly, I’ve had outstanding student-athletes that bleed purple and wear the Aces script across their chest with pride. Those are the ultimate keys.

WHEN YOU GO

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Eight teams will take German American Field in the league finale at Braun Stadium, UE’s state-of-the-art 1,200-seat stadium that opened in 2020.

May 21-25, Charles H. Braun Stadium off Walnut Street, University of Evansville gopurpleaces.com

WES CARROLL

GOLFING FOR A CAUSE

Deaconess Classic marks 30 years of championing women’s health

BY MAGGIE VALENTI

“Would the community embrace an all-ladies golf classic?”

Jayne Manis asked 30 years ago as a group that included Pam Rausch, JoAnn Robinson, Holley Brundick, and Marian Shymanski brainstormed what would become the Deaconess Classic For Women’s Health.

“Several in our community said that such an outing would fail,” says Linda White, vice president and chief administrative officer at Deaconess Henderson Hospital. “Well, 30 years later and over $4 million generated by this event, we are here to thank those (who) created this worthwhile outing.”

Of the original quintet of organizers, only Manis is alive. She hasn’t missed a moment of the classic, handling promotion of the women’s mammograms fundraiser. White, then director of nursing at Deaconess Health System, connected the committee with Deaconess Foundation, which helped attract sponsors and donors.

“We couldn’t have done it without this community,” Manis says.

At the inaugural Women’s Classic on May 15, 1995, 100 women signed up for $125 per person, and it was a standing room only audience with former Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh’s wife, the late Susan Bayh, in attendance alongside former first lady Marilyn Quayle and pro golfer Michelle McGann.

The event “just took off after that,” Manis says. “To see where we’ve gone with it has been unreal.”

“We have sold out every year,” says Theresa Phipps, Deaconess Foundation’s donor relations and event specialist. Tickets for this year’s event on May 13 had sold out by April.

Each year sees about 130 participants — and usually grosses around $140,000 — at Evansville Country Club and follows a different theme. One of its biggest accomplishments was helping fund Deaconess’ Mobile Breast Center, which meets community members where they are to provide mammogram screenings.

The classic includes a breakfast and pro clinic, with prizes and awards given to donors and supporters. An example is the Spirit Award named in Rausch’s memory, awarded to community members who go above and beyond to support cancer survivors.

Manis is stepping down after this year. At 94 years old, she says it’s time to pass the baton.

“ There will be a special place in my heart forever for this committee,” Manis says.

TRUE OR FALSE

Cheers to That!

Happy hour bellies back up to Indiana bars

BY ZACH EVANS

IT’S FRIDAY AFTERNOON. You just got off work, so you head to your favorite bar with coworkers to cap off a productive week. To your surprise, the bar is offering 50 percent off drinks from 4-6 p.m. “Wait, I thought this was illegal in Indiana?” you ask.

Is happy hour banned in Indiana?

Not for long! Hoosier happy hour returns beginning July 1, thanks to House Bill 1086 being passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb this spring.

What exactly does that mean?

Bars, restaurants, retailers, and craft manufacturers can offer discounts or run specials during a defined time window, like $2 beers during lunch.

Why was it banned in the first place?

Don’t most states allow happy hours? Indiana banned discounted drinking hours in 1985 as a measure to reduce drunk driving. It joins its surrounding neighbors in having some form of happy hour.

What else does the new happy hour law allow?

HB 1086 also allows bars and restaurants to sell carryout alcoholic drinks.

What do Evansville legislators think?

Republican State Rep. Tim O’Brien, who voted in favor of the bill, thinks the change is good for businesses facing increased costs.

“Since the pandemic, many restaurants and bars are still struggling to return to pre-shutdown levels of business. This new law can help area businesses, many of them community staples and mom and pop establishments, by allowing them to responsibly offer drink promotions like their counterparts in Illinois and Kentucky,” O’Brien said in a statement.

PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW

JAYNE MANIS

JAYNE MANIS

BY

ENDLESS THRILLS

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PASSION PURSUED

Evansville Museum’s Mary Bower closes a flourishing career

BY TIMOTHY WEIR

It was an emotional moment. During the 61st-Annual High School Art Show at the Evansville Museum of Art, History & Science, regional art teachers stepped forward, led by Jennifer Bretz of North High School.

Her voice breaking, Bretz read their proclamation for Mary Bower, the museum’s executive director.

“We wanted her to feel the love,” Bretz says. “She gave our students this platform for so many years, and it was our last chance to tell her how much that meant to us.”

Their words and hugs brought to tears the normally reserved Bower, who retires

in June after serving the museum her entire 45-year career. She is viewed as humble and hardworking, guided by a lifelong love of art inspired by an Art Institute of Chicago visit with her father.

“I fell in love with that museum, and I’ve loved them ever since,” Bower says.

She carried that passion to Illinois State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in art history in 1978. At the university’s art gallery, she advised fine art seniors how to present their solo exhibitions.

“That experience was exciting,” Bower says. “It got me thinking, ‘This would be a wonderful job.’”

John Streetman agreed. Then the Evansville Museum’s executive director, he interviewed and hired Bower as curator of collections and became her mentor.

“We worked well together for over 30 years, and made a great team,” Bower says. She advanced to chief curator and Virginia G. Schroeder curator of art in 2014 and the John W. Streetman executive director in 2018.

Schroeder, a friend and arts patron, valued her, too. At Bower’s 25th anniversary in 2003, “I was proud to endow the Virginia G. Schroeder Curator of Collections Chair,” she said in 2018. It secured Bower’s role. Schroeder passed away in 2023.

ART TALK

MARY BOWER

A personal favorite of the more than 400 exhibitions Bower staged, 2015’s “Master Teacher” series celebrated community ties.

“Mary and the museum did a beautiful job on that series,” Katie Waters, University of Southern Indiana professor emerita of art, says. “Presenting works by the five founding USI art professors and our students was special for all of us, and honored USI’s 50th anniversary.”

“Managing the museum’s $14-million expansion was another great opportunity,” Bower says.

Wrapped in 2014, it yielded the stateof-the-art Koch Immersive Theater & Planetarium and upgraded exhibition and entrance space.

“Mary developed strong operational, financial, and fundraising acumen that complemented her knowledge of art,” former museum board president Sharon Walker says. “By achieving that balance, she kept the museum flourishing.”

Bower’s husband David, who serves as USI’s vice president for development and alumni engagement as well as president of the USI Foundation, also retires this year.

“We want to travel and spend time together with our daughters and their families,” Bower says. “We plan to get more involved in the Evansville community, too. This is our home.”

Picasso’s Progress

AMONG THE DETAILS Mary Bower wants to wrap up before retiring is exhibiting “Seated Woman with Red Hat.”

This glittering mosaic by Pablo Picasso was discovered in the museum’s storage area in 2012 and has been of keen public interest ever since. In March, the museum secured a $52,658 grant from the Indiana Destination Development Corp., along with funding from private donors. This funding helps make displaying the rare work possible after exhibition space is readied, on a date to be announced.

SPIN. THAT. WHEEL!

Summer socials are a meeting point of food and fellowship

BY LUCY HIMSTEDT

Lucy Himstedt knows the magic of summer socials. The retired local television executive won a gorgeous quilt in a big wheel raffle about 20 years ago at St. Mary Catholic Church in Ireland, Indiana, and hasn’t given up on snagging another. More than that, she loves the food and fellowship of these annual traditions. We connected with Lucy ahead of this season’s socials to get a preview of what to expect. – Evansville Living editors

Chicken dinners, along with grand raffles and paddle wheels, are a staple of summer socials throughout our area. And as my friend Theo Boots from St. Philip parish reminded me, what’s most important is keeping the “social” in summer socials. Old-fashioned family fun is primary.

A big draw for many of our local socials is theme baskets that are either auctioned or raffled. At St. Wendel, more than 100 baskets can be won by chance. Their selection and quality are amazing, each having a value of $150 or more (some a lot more). Good Shepherd in Evansville involves the whole school in building their baskets. Each grade is assigned a category to bring – from dinosaurs and princesses to gift cards and spa items.

Holy Rosary’s is one of the only three-day socials left and features carnival rides. Another draw is amazing Latino food thanks to the influence of parishioners who came from the now-closed Nativity parish. The topic of food takes me to my husband’s home parish and our favorite

social – St. Bernard in Rockport, Indiana. The biggie is their turtle soup – they make approximately 600 gallons a year. Roger Hurm and Steve Daming have overseen the soup for some 35 years. Roger confirms the soup no longer actually contains turtle; today’s recipe contains pork and is very tasty!

WHEN YOU GO

ST. PHILIP CATHOLIC CHURCH

3500 St. Phillips Road South, Mount Vernon, Indiana

Social is Aug. 10-11, 2024

ST. WENDEL CATHOLIC CHURCH

10542 W. Boonville-New Harmony Road, Evansville

Social is Sept. 7-8, 2024

GOOD SHEPHERD CATHOLIC CHURCH

2301 N. Stockwell Road, Evansville

Social is June 20-22, 2024

HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH

1301 S. Green River Road, Evansville

Social is May 30-June 1, 2024

ST. BERNARD CATHOLIC CHURCH

547 Elm St., Rockport, Indiana

Social is Aug. 18, 2024

QUILT RAFFLE AT ST. MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN IRELAND, INDIANA

TURTLE SOUP SIGN

Broadway Lights

Four Evansville Theatre alums help “Stereophonic” nab 13 Tony nominations

BY CATHERINE ANDERSON, WITH JODI KEEN

DAVID ADJMI’S MUSICAL “Stereophonic,” a fly-on-the-wall perspective of a 1970s band’s recording session, netted 13 Tony Award nominations on April 30, a credit to long hours by four University of Evansville Theatre Department alumni.

“We’re all very proud of this show, but I certainly didn’t imagine we’d make history . . . as the most Tony-nominated play of all time. The work of this cast and creative team is amazing,” says co-producer Wes Grantom, UE class of 2003. “Stereophonic” shares this historic honor with “Hell’s Kitchen,” a semi-autobiographical musical about Alicia Keys.

Producer Nick Mills also hails from the Class of 2003, and he built a strong professional relationship with Grantom. As one of seven lead producers for “Stereophonic,” Mills reached out to

BY JODI KEEN WITH MAGGIE VALENTI

Glimpses: A Comedy Writer’s Take on Life, Love, and All That Spiritual Stuff Matt Williams 2024, Forefront Books

“Why would a guy who created sitcoms write a faith-inspired book? Good question. I’ll tell you why. We all need to be uplifted. In this age of chaos, conflict, and enmity, there are some things that everyone would have a hard dime opposing.” – Introduction, page 19

After years of writing for and running successful TV sitcoms like “Roseanne” and “Home Improvement,” Matt Williams questioned who he was. Journaling his thoughts led the Evansville native to discover “glimpses” of goodness sprinkled throughout his life’s stories.

Grantom about shifting the musical from off-Broadway this spring.

Grantom, also an assistant theatre professor at UE, wanted in, he says, because “Stereophonic” “is a completely original work that really defies genre in a lot of ways.”

Costume team member Miriam Cortes graduated UE in 2021 and was an assistant costume designer when “Stereophonic” performed off-Broadway in October.

“What’s so great about the Broadway remount is a lot is now custom made,” she says.

C over actor Ben Anderson received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at UE in 2015 and performs two roles.

SHELF LIFE

Addiction From The Other Side

Amberlie Johnson 2023, Austin Macauley Publishers

“I still married him knowing the battle I would face. I felt I would be able to change the definition, the statistics, and change this new version of this man I’ve known. I am thinking, ‘I can do this!’ But I was sadly wrong.” – page 56

Amberlie Johnson’s debut publication chronicles her husband’s addiction to opioids and her desperate efforts to lead him to recovery. Seven years into his sobriety, she shares their story, plus more from others with similar experiences.

“‘Stereophonic’ is the most beautiful production on every level,” he says. Audiences – and the Tony Awards’ nominating committee – agree. See why: Performances of the Daniel Aukin-directed production run through Aug. 18 at New York City’s John Golden Theatre.

GET TUNED IN stereophonicplay.com

World War II

Indiana Landmarks

Ronald P. May 2023, The History Press

“No city in the state of Indiana contributed more to war materiél production during World War II than Evansville. … Overall production levels reached astounding levels in many of the eighty-plus factories that contributed to the war effort.” – page 25

Historian Ronald May travels the state touring sites significant to the Second World War, and it doesn’t take him long to point out the markers of the River City’s mammoth wartime manufacturing output, such as the LST-325 near the former Evansville shipyard or the site of the Red Cross Canteen, formerly on Ohio Street.

BY JOHN

PHOTO

BEHLMAN

NICK MILLS, BEN ANDERSON, WES GRANTOM, AND MIRIAM CORTES OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY’S JOHN GOLDMAN THEATRE

THE ROAD TO REMISSION

How dark days led Brick Briscoe to the City of Light BY ART WOODWARD

BRICK BRISCOE

Brick Briscoe is equally adept at using both the creative and analytical parts of his brain. As creator, writer, and producer of a television series and a radio show, as well as a touring singer/songwriter, he has to be.

“The Song Show,” his weekly radio program airing on WNIN’s station at 88.3 FM, has been in production since 2015. His TV show, “Any Road with Brick Briscoe,” is filming its fourth season and streams on WNIN Channel 9.1. The roster of artists who have appeared on these shows includes stars such as bluegrass musician Billy Strings and English singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock. His broadcast work also includes feature films and documentaries.

Briscoe credits his music for helping him through his darkest days. In 2017, he was diagnosed with Stage IV mantle cell lymphoma, a rare subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Five years later, doctors discovered chronic leukemia.

“Music saved my life,” Briscoe says. “Mostly spiritually. Being able to work on the soundtrack for my shows, and work on my LP ‘IV’ while in the hospital was crucial. It kept me focused and allowed me to think infinitely, not short term.”

You’ve been back in Paris finishing production on “Paris, Indiana,” a collaborative album with several European artists.

There are a lot of [roads] that led to this one. I took my first trip to France in 2018 to shoot a film about an Evansville family’s connection to World War I, called “Chester & Gertrude (At War).” While filming, we visited the famed Parisian cemetery Père Lachaise, where Jim Morrison and many other famous artists are buried. I was in remission and felt lucky to be alive. Coincidentally, Lucky Point, Indiana, is right across the river from where I live in Petersburg. The two places just came together in my mind. On the flight home, I penned all the lyrics to the album “From Lucky Point to Père Lachaise,” and released it that same year.

Fast forward four years, I was in France and Ireland with my TV show. By then I had visited Paris a number of times and met some very talented songwriters, performers, and artists. The idea came to me to develop a cross-cultural music project featuring them. When Nick Buxton, owner of French Fries Publishing and the Basement Productions studio, and all the artists were on board, the project took off. Back home, we’d send each other music drafts. I returned to Paris in September 2023 to put all the pieces together in Nick’s studio. We had quite a mélange of music: Irish reels, R&B, folk, grunge, rock, blues, chanson [polyphonic French singing].

And now you are producing a documentary about the making of that album.

The film follows my career and the lives of the participating artists. It highlights similarities, differences, failures, and successes. There are live performances, studio B-roll, backstories, and conversations shot all over France. I borrowed the title for the film from the album I mentioned earlier, “Lucky Point,” because that initial journey is what spawned my passion to work in France.

How has your diagnosis made you think differently about life in general?

I write a song every day … lyrics, music, or both. You start thinking about your legacy, and you wonder, “Did I work hard enough?” And as I look at my body of work, I believe I have.

Keep Listening

The record “Paris, Indiana” will release in summer 2024 on most streaming platforms. The related documentary, “From Lucky Point to Père Lachaise,” is expected to release this fall.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRICK BRISCOE

MAY

MAY 23

Uncorked Series: Fiddlin’ Folk

Editor’s Note: Event dates were accurate as of press time. Before attending, check with the organization or venue for the latest event news. Find a full calendar of events at evansvilleliving.com/events.

BY MAGGIE VALENTI

Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra’s Eykamp String Quartet performs Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer,” Jennifer Higdon’s “Reel Time,” and more.

7-8:30 p.m., Copper House Fare + Libations, 1430 W. Franklin St., evansvillephilharmonic.org

MAY 25

PBR Challenger Series

Saddle up for Rally Point Events-sponsored bull riding, followed by a farewell concert by country musician John Michael Montgomery. This event doubles as a shoe collection for EVSC students in need.

7 p.m., Ford Center, One S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., fordcenter.com

FARMERS MARKETS

MAY 25-26

Evansville Antiques Show

Browse the antiques and fine art collections of some of the Tri-State’s most prominent dealers.

9 a.m.-4 p.m. and 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Vanderburgh 4-H Center, 201 E. Boonville-New Harmony Road, Darmstadt, Indiana, theevansvilleantiquesshow.com

MAY 25-27

Memorial Day Services

Honor the sacrifice of local veterans who have passed away with community events, services at Oak Hill and Locust Hill cemeteries, and more.

Several locations throughout Evansville

MAY 26

Food Truck Festival

This gathering of food trucks is one of the Tri-State’s largest and features a wide range of culinary tastes, plus live music, tailgate games, a kids’ zone, and more.

MAY 26

Strawberry Social

In Newburgh, sweet strawberries signal summer. Enjoy the berries in myriad confections and drinks in the city’s historic downtown before indulging in a cake walk, raffle auction, live entertainment, and a vendor market.

noon-5 p.m., Downtown Newburgh, Indiana, Riverfront, historicnewburgh.org

MAY 30

LemonAid Stand

For 28 years, visitors have filled up on grilled cheese, ice cream, baked goods, and more at this Easterseals benefit. Castle High School student Abby Wells and her family serve customers at this year’s event.

STARTING IN LATE SPRING, the bounty of regional harvests –along with apparel, handcrafted goods, food trucks, yoga, live music, and more — is available for browsing at several area farmers markets. In Evansville, Market on Main sets up in Downtown Evansville on Wednesdays, Franklin Street Bazaar posts up on West Franklin Street on Saturdays, and Evansville Farmers Market hosts a monthly gathering at 815 John St. The New Harmony Farmers & Artisans Market sets up shop each Saturday morning in Posey County.

For more, see marketonmainevv.com, evansvillefarmersmarket.org, facebook.com/FranklinStreetBazaar, and visitnewharmony.com

1 p.m., Bosse Field, 23 Don Mattingly Way, facebook.com/ EvansvilleFoodTruckFestival

MAY 31-JUNE 2

Paramount Pickleball Tournament

Evansville Community Pickleball Association christens the city’s newest courts with this round robin-style tournament. Spectators can view play on the 16 outdoor courts from under covered awnings in stadium seating.

11 a.m.-1 p.m., Easterseals Rehabilitation Center, 3701 Bellemeade Ave., easterseals.com/in-sw

Wesselman Park, 551 N. Boeke Road, pickleballbrackets.com

JUNE

JUNE 1

River City Pride Festival & Parade

A parade through Downtown Evansville kicks off Pride Month and leads to this all-day festival with food trucks, lip-sync performances, and local vendors. Be sure to stop by Evansville Living’s booth and say hello!

Downtown Evansville, rivercityprideindiana.org

JUNE 8-9

New Harmony Antique Show

Beginners and afficionados alike can find something to add to their antiques collection at this annual display and sale, which draws participants from across the region.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. and 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Ribeyre Gymnasium, 603 Main St., New Harmony, Indiana, visitnewharmony.com

JUNE 9

Art in the Garden & More Tour SWIMGA’s 1.2-acre curated garden, which boasts an iris walk, Japanese garden, native plants, a berry patch, pollinators garden, and more. Look for art displays, local vendors, food trucks, live music by The Honey Vines, and more.

12:30-3:30 p.m., Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener’s Association Display Garden, 3501 E. Lloyd Expressway, swimga.org

JUNE

6-15

Indiana State Games

Senior athletes vie to qualify for the 2025 National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa, in a variety of sports, including pickleball, swimming, tennis, bowling, cycling, and more.

Multiple locations in Evansville, indianastategames.org

JUNE 8

West Side Nut Club Cruise-In

Start your engine … and pilot it over to West Franklin Street for this cruise-in that covers four blocks. Trophies are awarded for the best car, truck, and bike, and a half-pot raffle sweetens the deal for spectators.

2-6 p.m., West Franklin Street from Saint Joseph to Wabash Avenues, nutclub.org

JUNE 12-15

W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival

This annual music festival honoring the Father of the Blues is one of nation’s largest and features savory food, free live music, a beer garden, and more.

Audubon Mill Park, 123 N. Water St., Henderson, Kentucky, handyblues.org

JUNE 14

Night Market

Can’t make it to a daytime farmers market? Step out after dark to this evening event, held twice a year in Downtown Evansville. Added to the mix are food trucks and live music with the usual locally grown produce and goods, craft and merchandise vendors, and more.

5-8 p.m., 900 Block of Main Street, downtownevansville.com

JUNE 21-22 ShrinersFest

This annual riverfront festival organized by the Hadi Shriners comes complete with boxing, cornhole, a car show, food and craft vendors, and more outside their Downtown temple.

Riverside Drive, shrinersfest.org

JUNE 25-29

National Theatre on Ice Competition

Top U.S. Figure Skating teams from around the country showcase their passion and talent with theatrical performances with elaborate costumes and choreographed group ice dancing. Competitors are grouped into categories for age ranges and similar skill level.

Swonder Ice Arena, 209 N. Boeke Road, 2024nationaltoi.com

JUNE 26-28

Black Art Workshop and Exhibition

Creatives can join workshops, studio sessions, and panel discussions at this inaugural event celebrating Black artists. The work of guest artists Sophia Okotah, Ayinde Rochon, Matthew Fields, and Kenneth Randle will be displayed June 24Aug. 30.

University of Southern Indiana Liberal Arts Center, 8600 University Blvd., evvaam.org

OUTDOOR MUSIC SERIES

WARMER EVENINGS are made for relaxing to the strains of music. Several summer series spread that opportunity across the city, from outdoor activity-laden biweekly Music in the Park to the street festival style of First Fridays each month in Haynie’s Corner Arts District. Performing and visuals arts also mix at the Reitz Home Museum, where visitors can sit in the shade of the Second Empire mansion at Wine Down to the Weekend, and the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana Downtown, which invites guests to its free On the Roof concert series.

For more, see evansvilleparksfoundation.org, facebook.com/ HayniesCornerArtsDistrict, reitzhome.com, and artswin.org

BOSSE FIELD TOUR Feb. 6, Bosse Field Mary Ann Garling, Barbara Lanning, Larry Lanning, and Zane Clodfelter

MAPLE SUGARBUSH FESTIVAL March 3, Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve Owlfred and Kristina Arwood

USI AND SMILE ON DOWN SYNDROME COOKING COLLABORATION March 26, Crossroads Christian Church Jamie Baker, Madison Windham, Beth Young, Paige Young, Tess Fuller, and Sarah Obermeier

BLACK HISTORY WAX MUSEUM Feb. 27, Ivy Tech Community College Evansville

1. Patricia Watkins 2. Aleah Brown

EVANSVILLE FIREFIGHTERS PIPE & DRUM CORPS ST. PATRICK’S DAY BAR CRAWL March 16, Evansville and Newburgh, Indiana 1. Adam Bigge, Ben Adams, Alex Smock, Christopher Conley, Michael Schmahlenberger, Zerrick Wells, Keith Jeffers, and Bethani Rumsey 2. Karen Edwards and Wanda Claise

ANNIVERSARY DINNER March 21, House of Como Bonita Stewart, Jerome Stewart, Frank Patton Jr., and Roxane Patton

AN EVENING OF HOPE FOR ALBION FELLOWS BACON CENTER April 19, Bally’s Evansville Taylor Droste and Austin Michael

GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE April 8 1. Lexy Burris on Riverside Drive 2. Jo Cruse, Kim Baker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Cathy Newell, and Perry Enlow at John James Audubon State Park in Henderson, Kentucky

EVV 16 HONOR FLIGHT OF SOUTHERN INDIANA April 13, Evansville Regional Airport and Washington, D.C. 1. Daniel Dunn III and David Noble 2. Candy Moser, Michael Sherman, and Fallon Mulherin 3. Alice Weisling and Janet Seiler

River City Pride was founded in 2019 by local members of the LGBTQIA+ community to serve the Evansville region through leadership development, educational programs, and community events which achieve inclusivity, equality, strong community connections, and awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues.

Mission:

1. Unite, educate and serve the LGBTQIA+ community.

2. Celebrate and advocate LGBTQIA+ history while providing a safe space for networking and outreach.

Vision:

Create a safe haven that fiercely supports and advocates equality and equity in the community.

Ready to get involved?

We hold our Board of Directors meetings every first and third Tuesday of the month. These meetings are used for discussion, event planning, and to review the progress of the organization’s work so we can continue to move forward. We offer time at the end of every board meeting for members of our community to bring questions and issues important to them to our attention, and for community organizations to connect with our board for collaboration and support opportunities. Interested in attending? Privately message us through our website or by email so we may provide additional details.

UPCOMING EVENTS

RAINBOW FORMAL

May 18, 2024 • 4:35 PM University of Evansville, Eykamp Hall

PRIDE FESTIVAL & PARADE

June 1, 2024 • 12 PM Main Street, Downtown Evansville

PRIDE NIGHT AT THE OTTERS

June 2024 Bosse Field

WAG-N-DRAG PET ADOPTION EVENT

June 2024 Vanderburgh Humane Society (VHS) 400 Millner Industrial Drive, Evansville, IN

PRIDE WIFFLEBALL TOURNAMENT

June 2024 Haynie’s Corner Arts District, Corner of 2nd and Adams

LOCAL BUSINESS GIVEBACK DAY/NIGHT (AZZIP)

June 2024 Azzip Pizza

PRIDE TRUNK-OR-TREAT

October 2024 Location TBD

LOCAL BUSINESS GIVEBACK DAY/NIGHT (HACIENDA)

October 2024 Hacienda

QUEER MONTHLY MEETUP

Every second Wednesday of the month • 6 PM Haynie’s Corner Brewing Co. 56 Adams Ave., Evansville, IN

RAINBOW ELVES GIFT SHOPPING DAY

November 2024

MEMPHIS REVITALIZED

Beyond Elvis, this southern city’s star continues to rise

BY DEBBRA DUNNING BROUILLETTE

Elvis Presley, Graceland, and anything related to the King of Rock ‘n Roll have drawn me to Memphis six times over the past 35 years. But since my last visit nearly seven years ago, Memphis has gotten pretty buzzy – it was proclaimed “the hottest destination in Tennessee” by Conde Nast Traveler editors, who in 2023 named it among the 23 best places to visit in the country and the world.

This is due not only to the city’s unique history and long-standing appeal, but to billions of dollars in revitalization projects over several years. Long known as the Birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll, Home of the Blues, and Barbecue Capital of the World, Memphis is adopting a new moniker — River City on the Rise.   Tennessee’s second-largest city (behind Nashville) welcomed more than 12 million visitors in 2023, and that number is expected to grow. While continuing to embrace its rich heritage, Memphis now has new hotels, restaurants, and a revitalized riverfront offering more reasons to plan a visit — even if, like me, you’ve been there before.

WHERE WE STAYED: CENTRAL STATION HOTEL

The Central Station Hotel, which opened in October 2019 as part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, was an ideal location to begin exploring the downtown area, along with several other travel writers.

The 123-room luxury hotel in the South Main Arts District was part of a $55 million project, undertaken more than 100 years after a train station first opened on South Main Street in 1914. Along with the hotel, a new Amtrak ticket office and waiting area were added.

Many of the main sights are quite walkable, a mile or two at most from the Central Station Hotel. You can also take the Main Street Trolley from the hotel to the Beale Street Entertainment District and other points of interest in the downtown area.

The Arcade Restaurant, Memphis’ oldest café, is across the street from the hotel. Ask to see the booth where Elvis liked to sit and, if time allows, stay for a cup of coffee or Elvis’ favorite deep-fried peanut butter banana sandwich.

THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

The National Civil Rights Museum, a five-minute walk from our hotel, is positioned at the former Lorraine Motel, the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968.

B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB ON BEALE STREET CENTRAL

This is your city where you raise your family and live. Quality of life is important, and that means a clean city where there is no litter. A city you can be proud to call home.

That’s why the work of Keep Evansville Beautiful is so important. We work to make your hometown a better place to live. How? By getting thousands of pounds of litter off the streets each year, planting hundreds of trees and flowers, and educating our youth about just how important our environment is for everyone.

Please join us in this work by donating to our Annual Fund Drive. KEB is NOT a city funded organization. We rely solely on your donations.

You can help our city by donating to:

Keep Evansville Beautiful 402 Court St., Evansville, IN 47708 Or go to our website: www.keepevansvillebeautiful.org

REAL MUSIC VARIETY

The museum opened in 1991 to honor his legacy. Exhibits cover five centuries of civil rights history, from the beginning of the resistance during slavery, through the Civil War, Reconstruction, the rise of Jim Crow, and related events of the late 20th century.

Particularly poignant to me was the final exhibit, “King’s Last Hours.” Visitors slowly shuffled past Room 306, viewed through a glass window, in hushed silence. It remains just as King left it before he walked onto the balcony, where his life was taken by an assassin.

BARBECUE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

The city’s reputation as the Barbecue Capital of the World is well-known, with its more than 100 barbecue restaurants. The annual fourday World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is a popular event held during the Memphis in May Festival.

We had lunch at Central BBQ, often ranked the No. 1 spot for barbecue in Memphis. The restaurant’s motto is “smoke is our sauce.” A secret combination of dry-rub spices and a 24-hour marinade is used to prepare its award-winning ribs, pork, chicken, turkey, and beef brisket for the smoker. The meat and poultry are slow smoked over hickory and pecan wood and served with Central BBQ’s signature sauces.

A RIVER CITY ON THE RISE

The history and heritage of Memphis, named for the ancient capital of Egypt on the River Nile, have been strongly tied to the Mississippi River since its founding in 1819.

Our group’s experience of the River City on the Rise came during several hours in 30foot, multi-person Voyageur canoes, with a trained guide directing us. Halfway through, we stopped for snacks and then paddled under the river bridge to our ending point.

Mississippi River Expeditions offers river adventures including micro-cruises, half- and full-day trips, and multi-day camping trips.

The following morning, we strolled along the riverfront through Tom Lee Park, which underwent a $61 million facelift in 2023. It was named for a Black Memphian who rescued 32 people from a steamship disaster on the Mississippi River in 1925. The riverfront park is connected to downtown via a canopy walkway.

GRACELAND AND

ELVIS PRESLEY’S MEMPHIS

For me, no visit to Memphis would be complete without another nostalgic walk through Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley.

It is the second most visited home in the U.S. after the White House, attracting more than 650,000 visitors annually. This time, visiting the

BARBECUE PLATTER FROM CENTRAL BBQ

ARCADE RESTAURANT

TOM LEE PARK ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Meditation Garden, which includes the graves of Presley and his family, was even more significant since his daughter, Lisa Marie, and his grandson, Benjamin, have been laid to rest there as well.

Across from the mansion is Elvis Presley’s Memphis entertainment complex, which opened in 2017. His planes, cars, and other exhibits highlighting his musical and movie career are on display, along with an eye-popping “Dressed to Rock” exhibit of more than 100 jumpsuits, capes, belts, and pieces of jewelry worn by the King from 1969 to 1977.

BEALE STREET –HOME OF THE BLUES

Memphis has the distinction of being in cluded in the lyrics of more recorded songs than any other city on the planet — more than 1,000. Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Mem phis” may be one of the most iconic. The line “walking in Memphis, with my feet 10 feet off of Beale …” ran through my head as we walked through the tertainment District

block pedestrian-only stretch of clubs, restaurants, and shops in the heart of down town, between Second and Fourth streets. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, Beale Street also is the location of the W.C. Handy Home and Museum. as the Father of the Blues, Handy is familiar to Tri-State residents, since he spent a decade in Henderson, Kentucky. Henderson’s W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival is held annually in mid-June.

Summer Lovin’

2024 INDIANA STATE GAMES

The Indiana State Games local 501(c)3 nonprofit annually hosts events for persons age 50+ to compete in a choice of 25 sporting events by gender, sport, and five-year age increments: 50-54, 55-59, etc. Participants compete recreationally and competitively for Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals.

• Indiana State Games Events all over Evansville and Newburgh (June 6 -15 )

• Registration ends June 1st: www.IndianaStateGames.org

a speakeasy vibe, was the perfect choice for our last evening meal. To access the hid den entrance, guests climb the fire escape stairs on the side of the building. (At this time, that’s the only way inside Itta Bena.) From a third-floor vantage point above

• Interested in registering, volunteering, and/ or sponsorship opportunities? Contact Holly Schneider with questions: 812-297-9568, indianastategames@gmail.com

B.B. King’s Blues Club, Beale Street through blue-tinted windows. Soft jazz adds to the ambiance but doesn’t intrude on conversation.

Menu items like jumbo shrimp and grits and Cajun pasta are examples of its Southern-in spired cuisine with a Delta twist. Start with the crab-stuffed avocado and she-crab soup. Named for the Mississippi town where B.B. King was born, Itta Bena is well worth seeking out.

FLY OR DRIVE?

Memphis is a four-and-a-half-hour drive south of Evansville (approximately 300 miles). If you choose to fly, as I did, Delta Airlines has daily flights from Evansville Regional Airport to Atlanta, Georgia, with a connection to Memphis.

STAY

THE CENTRAL STATION HOTEL centralstationmemphis.com

THE GUEST HOUSE AT GRACELAND guesthousegraceland.com

BIG CYPRESS LODGE big-cypress.com

DINE

ITTA BENA ittabenadining.com/memphis

THE LOBBYIST lobbyistatchisca.com

CENTRAL BBQ eatcbq.com

COCOZZA AMERICAN ITALIAN eatcocozza.com

HOG AND HOMINY hogandhominy.com

SUNRISE MEMPHIS sunrise901.com

DO

SUN STUDIO sunstudio.com

STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC staxmuseum.com

MEMPHIS ROCK ’N SOUL MUSEUM memphisrocknsoul.org

NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM civilrightsmuseum.org

GRACELAND, THE HOME OF ELVIS PRESLEY graceland.com

MISSISSIPPI RIVER EXPEDITIONS canoememphis.com

BASS PRO SHOPS AT THE PYRAMID stores.basspro.com

The NEW New Harmony Entrepreneurs and residents help this Posey County river town embrace reinvention

BY JOHN MARTIN AND MAGGIE VALENTI PHOTOS BY ZACH STRAW

Nestled on a wooded Wabash River shoreline in Posey County, New Harmony is a unique setting in Southwestern Indiana, distant from some modern conveniences but where history, culture, and nature take center stage.

The around 700-resident town, founded in 1814 and site of early social living experiments, is undergoing a reinvention of sorts, led by entrepreneurs and newcomers who aren’t native to New Harmony but were pulled in by its charm and distinct character.

There’s still much timeless familiarity here: the Roofless Church, Harmonist Labyrinth, Harmonie State Park, and Red Geranium restaurant are the same treasures they’ve always been. Visitors, however, can also discover plenty of “new” in New Harmony — colorful shops, an eclectic mix of events, and food and drink choices that are worth the 40-minute trek from Evansville.

• Practical Meets Whimsy at Capers Emporium •

MICHAEL AND MARY Beth Guard looked at New Harmony from afar and saw opportunity and intrigue. Both grew up in nearby Southern Illinois and knew the area. But after making their lives and careers in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and after Mary Beth’s mother relocated to New Harmony about 10 years ago, the couple felt a calling.

“ This town grabs people,” Mary Beth says. While visiting, “we found ourselves saying to each other, ‘I feel so relaxed.’ … It was amazing. And within a few hours, we were just driving around town saying, ‘I wonder how much houses go for.’”

Wonder turned to action. In 2016, the couple bought a historic building at Main and Tavern streets. The former Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge dates to 1915 and was under the stewardship of Indiana Landmarks then. It had been a dance hall, deli, and grocery store over the years, but it was empty and in disrepair. The Guards went to work, piecing together a business plan that centered on community and their love of cooking.

Capers Emporium is the result. Opened on June 30, 2018, at 602 Main St., the sidewalk-level storefront sells everything from kitchen gadgets and gourmet food items

to puzzles and pajamas, while also hosting a variety of cooking classes. A glass fusion studio and kilns in the basement followed two years later.

Along the way, the Guards decided to make the building’s upper level their own home — a colorful, attractive loft that, like New Harmony itself, blends nostalgia with contemporary touches. (Read more about their apartment starting on page 70.)

Mary Beth says she’s always loved spending time in the kitchen, dating to her Carmi, Illinois, upbringing, and Capers Emporium is a perfect setting for her to cook and share.

“My mother, when I was in sixth grade, said, ‘I can’t find those golden porcelain dishes that Grandmother gave us.’ And I said, ‘Oh, they’re in my hope chest. You weren’t using them.’ I always loved dishes. I loved to entertain, I loved to cook. I wanted to bring people back into the kitchen, but we fell in love with this town, and we wanted to have a store that would give people one more reason to come to New Harmony, and it would also contribute to the locals and give them a place to go to have fun and to shop. We hope we have done that. And after all those years of very serious work, I get to be a kid again.”

‘THIS TOWN GRABS PEOPLE’ When the Guards decided to relocate to New Harmony, they were all in, obtaining a historic building for their business and then deciding to live in a loft above it. Capers Emporium is a haven for those who love the kitchen, offering a variety of gadgets for sale, cooking classes that are promoted online, and a wide range of gifts, from puzzles to pajamas.

MICHAEL AND MARY BETH GUARD

• Antiques Find New Life at The Barn •

NEW HARMONY snatched up Jeff and Cindy Smotherman, as well. About 20 years ago, the Tennessee natives and lovers of farm antiques ventured to New Harmony’s annual summer antique show, wound up relocating to the town a short time later, and have been community champions ever since.

Their business ventures are right next to their Brewery Street home in the center of New Harmony. At 403 Brewery St. is The Barn by Jeff and Cindy Smotherman, which retails antique farm signage in a structure that dates to the late 1800s and once was New Harmony Implement Company and a John Deere tractor sales outlet.

The other is New Harmony Cottage. The Smothermans rented the building as a gift shop and spa after buying it, but it is now a popular Airbnb with a rustic air. Everything in the unit is about New Harmony, right down to the books on the shelves.

As an Airbnb, “we make four times as much as we were when we rented it,” Jeff says. Cindy, who Jeff credits for doing most of the work on the Airbnb, adds, “It’s perfect for a couple of nights.”

AFTER A CAREER IN RESTAURANTS that took him to New York City, Indianapolis, Indiana, and elsewhere, Patrick Schuette, too, felt New Harmony’s calling. He owns Say’s, a restaurant at 500 Church St., in the same building as Sara’s Wine Bar.

Patrick’s parents, Kent and Suzy, had owned a German restaurant in Lafayette, Indiana, while he was growing up. But the family was close with longtime New Harmony arts patron and town advocate Jane Blaffer Owen — Kent Schuette, a former landscape architecture professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, was hired to work in 1998 on the Cathedral Labyrinth at 309 North St. The Schuettes wound up buying a house in the community in 2001.

An Indiana University graduate, Patrick eventually settled in New Harmony, and in 2022, he worked on a vision for food at Say’s that would pair well with the drinks and atmosphere offered by Sara’s, while complementing New Harmony’s longtime restaurants.

Say’s eclectic, upscale menu includes a list of sandwiches, salads, and rotating entrees that recently have included choices such as vegetable massaman curry, chicken enchiladas, chop steak, beef lasagna, and pork ragu.

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME Jeff and Cindy Smotherman love living and working in the heart of New Harmony. They have a pair of businesses — The Barn, which hosts a menagerie of antique farm signage, and New Harmony Cottage, a rustic Airbnb that can comfortably host a couple for a few nights. Natives of Tennessee, the Smothermans first came to New Harmony about 20 years ago for the town’s annual antique show, which convinced them to make the Posey County town their home.

• Culinary Adventures on the Menu at Say’s

JEFF AND CINDY SMOTHERMAN

NEW HARMONY COTTAGE

THE BARN

NEW HARMONY COTTAGE

Schuette also updated the space’s decor, and he latched onto the name Say’s — a nod to Thomas Say, an early 19th century New Harmony resident who is considered the father of North American entomology. Say’s Firefly is Indiana’s official state insect.

“I was thinking about legacy and there are so many people who have come to New Harmony to do their passion, to live through their work,” Schuette says. “And (Say) was someone who did that. When we were throwing around names, that kind of came up and kind of flowed off the tongue and was perfect.”

SAY WHAT? Patrick Schuette last year obtained the space at Church and Main streets in New Harmony that used to be Sara’s Harmonie Way Café and turned it into Say’s Restaurant. Schuette says his menu complements Sara’s Wine Bar, which remains in the adjacent space. In addition to fresh takes on salads and desserts, Say’s offers many sandwich selections and rotating entrees.

• Passion for Collecting at Artefakts •

THE TOWN 26 MILES northwest of Evansville makes significant contributions to regional art and history, which has enticed many transplants to plant roots there. Among them are Teresa and Pat Smith, who came from Central Illinois and had been visiting New Harmony since 1999. What started as frequent visits became a plan to open a shop in New Harmony.

“There is something going on here, and we wanted to find out what it is,” Pat says.

Both had worked in antiques in their former lives and transferred that skill to New Harmony in the form of Artefakts, a gallery at 507 Main St. After they bought the space in April 2023 from Larry and Patricia Gosh, the Smiths enjoy running a shop as they had in the past. Artefakts opened on July 4 and displays eclectic items for every walk of life, including clocks, coins, art, musical instruments, oriental rugs, jewelry, and more.

PATRICK SCHUETTE SAY’S ARTEFAKTS

A FRESH START Though a town of only about 700 residents, New Harmony attracts people from across the region to its vibrant Downtown. The Smiths left Central Illinois after spending nearly 50 years collecting art and artifacts. They took their collection with them to Posey County — drawn there by the town’s friendly nature and calming atmosphere — after visiting New Harmony many times over the years.

Pat says the goal is to “pass on 48 years of collecting art and artifacts.”

Since moving there, Teresa says “everybody has been so welcoming.” People like Mary Beth Guard, she adds, “remember everyone’s names and make you feel welcome.”

The Smiths also enjoy the many visitors that come to visit during big annual events like Kunstfest, a German culture-themed arts festival in September. First Brush of Spring ushers in its namesake season with painters spread through town painting in the open air. The antique festival continues each June, and during Christmas, New Harmony takes the whole month to celebrate with parades, home tours, a tree lighting, music, shopping, and more.

“It’s a very active community for a small town,” Teresa says.

•

Old & New at Lowry Hollow •

ALSO CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN is Lowry Hollow, a shop of antiques along with garden and home decor at 617 Main St. The building dates to the 1830s and is one of three original Robert Owen-era buildings still standing. Horsehair plaster used during construction is still visible. When the woman who owned the shop retired, Lynn Clark, a former speech pathologist, bought it and reopened Lowry Hollow, a shop she started in New Harmony around 2011, in October 2023. Her commute now is so short, she sometimes bikes to work.

Clark describes her shop as “A mix of old and new.” She is a Southern Ohio native while her husband,

TERESA AND PAT SMITH

Ron, who leads history tours in town, is from Central Illinois. Clark named the shop after a road she grew up on in Ohio, but she wanted a place for the community to come together, so the shop hosts art shows, poetry readings, and family-fun crafting events.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE New Harmony draws a cast of characters to its spot on the Wabash River. Lynn Clark was a speech pathologist before she started Lowry Hollow, which she named after the street she grew up on in Southern Ohio. Clark’s shop has moved locations over the years and most recently settled in one of the three original Owenist buildings still standing in this small town.

THERE ARE MANY GROUPS steering New Harmony forward. The New Harmony Business Associates — started in the 1970s — has more than 40 volunteers who help promote merchants and community events, led by the group’s Education and Activity Fund.

The University of Southern Indiana’s Historic New Harmony program demonstrates the small town’s history through educational and cultural programming, maintenance of historic properties, and the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art at 506 Main St. Centered around the Atheneum Visitors Center at 401 N. Arthur St., visitors can book walking tours or explore the small town’s history via tram, a recent addition to the program. The tram is one of the many vehicles seen around town, including golf carts, which can be rented.

The New Harmony Artists Guild provides arts education and collaboration in the region by collaborating with more than 100 artisans from several artistic fields. The Under the Beams concert series attracts talent from around the world to perform at Murphy Auditorium.

Indiana Landmarks also has been involved with historic preservation in New Harmony, as has the Working Men’s Institute. Dating to 1838, the institute has served the community as a museum, library, and archive.

New Harmony is a “town that continues to recreate itself,” Lynn Clark says, and its newest residents embody that spirit

wholeheartedly. From the original Harmonist settlement to its arts boom under Jane Blaffer Owen’s patronage, all who helped shape and create New Harmony into what it is today carry forward its enduring spirit. Case in point, Clark’s favorite part of New Harmony is the people.

“Everybody supports each other so much,” she says.

YOU GO

START HERE visitnewharmony.com

CAPERS EMPORIUM prettyfood.com

ARTEFAKTS visitnewharmony.com/ location/artefakts

SAY’S visitnewharmony.com/ location/says-restaurant

THE BARN facebook.com/ FirehouseAntiques

LOWRY HOLLOW facebook.com/ lowryhollow

LYNN CLARK

ATHENEUM VISITORS CENTER

LOWRY HOLLOW

10 Most Beautiful

Homes

HOW MANY OF US get acquainted with a city by taking a stroll and perusing its homes? In Evansville, that method fits the bill. Neighborhoods burst with historic residences, edgy designs, classic styles, and a few surprises – and that’s not confined by city limits. Join us for a tour of these 10 homes that caught our eye.

BY EVANSVILLE LIVING STAFF, WITH CATHERINE ANDERSON • PHOTOS BY ZACH STRAW

Winterwood Drive

LOCATION:

The Oaks, East Side

BUILDER: Harry Kramer in 1939

STYLE: Greek Revival

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

Five bedrooms, three and a half baths, and 4,500 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: Andrew and Mary Saltzman love their house in The Oaks subdivision so much, they’ve bought it twice. They first occupied it in 1991, having purchased it from Peabody Coal Executive Vice President Irl Engelhardt and wife Suzanne. Then, the Saltzmans moved in 2001, thinking they needed more room as their family grew to six. Missing their old digs, they repurchased the home on Winterwood and moved back in 2007. The house’s white facade contrasts with the many red brick homes around it, and its front-facing columns and balcony over the front door only add to its charm. The house has undergone several remodels since it was built, including the addition of a guest wing by The Oaks’ developer Dan Buck, who remodeled it as a part of the subdivision. Dotting the property are numerous 100-year-old oaks — hence the neighborhood’s moniker — and azaleas, but “every year we try to add something new,” Mary says. This has meant upgrades, remodels, and landscaping work. In 1997, they added the pool, and they completed a major renovation of the house in 2011. “It’s a very different house from when we first lived in it,” she adds.

Bayard Park Drive

LOCATION: Lincolnshire

Historic District, East Side

ARCHITECTS: John Anderson and Henry Veatch in 1928

STYLE: Tudor Revival

SIGNIFICANT STATS: Four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and 3,100 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: A century ago, Old World charm was the foundation for the planned Lincolnshire neighborhood on Evansville’s East Side. Featuring homes of similar style, the now historic district was one of Evansville’s first to be developed in the early 20th Century. Enchanted by its European architecture, Emily Mandel knew years ago she wanted to live in Lincolnshire. Now she, her husband Matt Walker, and their infant son Owen are the third family to own this stately, yet warm Tudor Revival. The current owners enjoy the same original appeal that’s been appreciated by the families who previously lived there. “I just like the Tudor style,” Emily says. “It reminds me of a European neighborhood.” The home’s distinctive brick exterior envelopes an interior featuring half-timbered walls, gabled roofs, hardwood floors, and built-in cabinets and bookcases. The family enjoys time outside on the patio and in the yard, where Emily has devoted much of her physical and creative energy to landscaping in the five years they’ve resided there. Working around the home’s magnificent mature trees, she says, “I’ve added a ton of plants, taken out some dead bushes, and added lots of perennials and annuals to put some color in.”

Southeast First Street

LOCATION: Riverside Historic District

ARCHITECT: Mursinna & Boyd in 1863

STYLE: Italianate

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

Four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, and about 8,000 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: David and Karen Lottes had recently built a home in Darmstadt, Indiana, when Kenny Drew, a fellow collector and owner of North Main shop American & European Antiques, suggested they consider buying a historic home that soon could come on the market. Known as the Sonntag-Bayard House for its prominent prior residents, this striking 161-year-old residence had an appealing story: 23rd U.S. President Benjamin Harrison gave an 1888 campaign address from its balcony, which later was removed. Conceived by the same architectural firm that designed Trinity United Methodist Church, it features an arched entryway, ornamental ironwork, and square campanile tower. Entranced, the Lotteses regularly called the owners for several weeks, hoping the home would be listed. When it finally was, “We walked in the front door, down the hall, and gave each other a look. We knew we were in trouble,” Karen says. More than just the architectural style hails from the Mediterranean. Cherry wood and stained glass used in the library, dining room, and staircase also were imported from Italy. The sandstone-colored brick villa is “impeccably maintained” for its age, Karen says, and retains original features like limestone lintels atop the windows.

Riverbend Court

LOCATION: Riverbend Estates, Newburgh, Indiana

DESIGNER AND BUILDER: Othmar Jacobs in 1992

STYLE: Modern

SIGNIFICANT STATS: Four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, and 7,000 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: Othmar Jacobs, the Evansville and Newburgh homebuilder who died in 2015, designed and built refined residences across the Midwest, and he left his mark on this showstopper off French Island Trail. The semi-circle driveway is but one distinguishing feature of the home, owned by Frank and Judy Schultheis since it was completed 32 years ago. The couple love every inch of their house. The great room features a commanding 18-foot ceiling. The property includes a cupola poking up from the roof, and from there, “you can see all the way to Downtown Evansville on a clear day,” Judy says. Some of the couple’s other favorite features include their breakfast room with an open floor plan, the hardwood floors, and a walk-out basement, topped by a second-level deck and three third-level balconies all overlooking a water fountain in the yard. Judy says their back porch swing offers an unrivaled look across the Ohio River to Kentucky, Judy’s native state. “I tell her, there’s your home,” Frank says. The Schultheises moved in when their youngest child was 16 and have made many memories in the years since. “We enjoyed building our home and entertaining family and friends,” Judy says.

LOCATION: Newburgh, Indiana

BUILDER: Thomas Floyd Bethell in 1855

STYLE: Italianate

SIGNIFICANT STATS: Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and 6,300 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: Jeff and Elizabeth “Bussie” Cox always had admired this pre-Civil War home on the Newburgh riverfront and made it theirs in 2007. They are the fifth owners of their 169-year-old home, which was built by Thomas Floyd Bethell, a Civil War captain and river trader. His connections came in handy during the three-year construction: The bricks, as well as sand for the mortar, were shipped from New Orleans, Louisiana. Upon completion, it was one of the largest homes on the Ohio River and stayed in the family until the late 1930s. “When you stand in the house and reflect on who lived here and what their life was like 150-plus years ago, it’s a pretty cool feeling,” Jeff says. The house lost its front porch in a late 1800s windstorm; the Coxes built a new one when they moved in. Otherwise, the exterior largely has stayed the same, and many original interior elements remain, including the hardwood floors, nine-foot doors, 14-foot ceilings, crown molding, and 18-inch-thick brick walls. When updating, the Coxes abide by Indiana statutes implemented by Newburgh’s Historic Preservation Commission. The couple have raised their five children here and enjoy watching Ohio River Scenic Byway passersby from their perch on a hill.

Sycamore Street

Riverview Court

LOCATION:

Ohio Riverfront near Downtown

BUILDER: Wilfred C. “Bud” Bussing Jr. in 1991

STYLE: Contemporary

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

One bedroom, four bathrooms, 3,800 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: Jeff Kempf purchased the first home built for the Riverview Court development in 2012. By that time, nearly every lot of the exclusive neighborhood — tucked away along the Ohio River near Marina Pointe — was taken. Each home shares the wide, uninterrupted strip of lawn that ends at the river’s edge, a view seen here and enjoyed from passing boaters, barges, and riverboats. For Jeff, the appeal was immediate. The location, with its water view and quiet privacy, reminded him of his family’s home in Palm Beach, Florida. The cream-colored walls contrast with a dark metal roof. Inside, the entire top floor is open to the rec room and balcony. Jeff says adding a few walls could easily transform his home layout into two bedrooms. His favorite feature is the fireplace he designed. “It resembles a sailing ship, and the whole front is blue glass,” he says. Inspired by a moving ship creating a waterfall effect, it uses blue diamond glass tile that rises and flows down, surrounding a ship’s hull. Barge and boat traffic on the Ohio River provides soothing diversion, as do the bald eagles nesting nearby and interactions of other wildlife. “It just never gets old to walk through here,” Jeff shares. “Especially … we have such beautiful sunsets.”

Washington Avenue

LOCATION: South Central, near Haynie’s Corner Arts District

BUILDER: Elias Weber in 1865-1866

STYLE: Queen Anne

SIGNIFICANT STATS: Five bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and 4,400 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: Pete and Amy Emery bought this historic property in 2016 and have worked to preserve it ever since — “it will take the rest of my life to restore everything,” Pete says. Original resident Elias Weber owned it for a little more than 20 years, but its second owner, Frederick Lauenstein, kept it in his family for 95 years. Lauenstein added its angular tower in 1890 – for which the house received its moniker, Tower Estate – as well as stained glass windows, a mahogany stairway, and hand-crafted fireplaces. Part of the city’s Washington Avenue Historic District, the stately house with distinct columns on its porch and Federal-looking windows is not only the Emery family home. One section is available as an Airbnb, a project Pete took on just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. He also established the Evansville Community Pottery Studio in part of the carriage house and invites artisans to use it. The next project, Pete says, is adding a private studio apartment to the building’s back upstairs area. Once done, it will have a bathroom, kitchen, and laundry facilities. Rounding out the property’s appeal are a small orchard, vineyard, and several gardens.

Kansas Road

LOCATION: McCutchanville

BUILDER: Unknown in 1907

STYLE: Modern Queen Anne

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

Four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, and 4,045 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: As the former owners of a Civil War-era home on Erskine Lane, Joyce and Greg Donaldson passed by the historic Coots farmhouse on the corner of Kansas Road and Moffett Lane every day, giving them ample opportunity to admire it. They snapped it up in 1997, dubbed it Wyndhill, and raised their two sons there. The 117-year-old house sports patterned wood shingles, a front-facing gable with light trim, and a wrap-around porch the Donaldsons added. The couple did away with the original slate roof due to cracking and replaced all the exterior boards, while trying to keep Wyndhill looking as it did when it was built. “We love this house. A lot of people do, too,” Joyce says. That affection is evident in a poem Greg wrote about the home and the lady who lives there for Joyce’s birthday more than 20 years ago. Landscaping enhances the property’s natural beauty. “Everything on the property blooms,” Joyce says, including peonies down the front drive, rows of mock orange, snowball viburnum, husband and wife pecan trees, and an allée of 25 walnut trees, outlining what was once a country road. “We have walnuts coming out of our ears,” Greg says.

Lincoln Avenue

LOCATION: East Side

DESIGNER: H.G. McCullough Designers in 1977

STYLE: Picturesque, in the English cottage style

SIGNIFICANT STATS: Five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and 8,500 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: Hilary and Trey Denton are no strangers to being featured in Evansville Living — their former home in McCutchanville was profiled seven years ago. They didn’t think they would leave it, but that changed when real estate agent Carol McClintock asked Hilary, an interior designer from California, to stage this house on Outer Lincoln Avenue. “I just spent so much time in this home, I started seeing the beauty in it. And I ended up buying it,” Hilary says. Prospective buyers of “the Butterfield House” — so called in homage to its first owners — were put off by its wide swaths of brown, but Hilary saw its potential. “Trees were covering it; we cleared that out. We painted it a stone color, a creamy beigy white. We put up sage green shutters.” The new-look design, she says, is inspired by Blaise Hamlet, a village of 18th Century cottages north of Bristol, England. “I saw a photo of this house, it really resembles it, except the entryway is different. It has cute little bird houses built into the eaves,” Hilary says. “I love the bay windows, the dormers, all the little details that give it character.” Besides the bird houses, her favorite exterior features are the house’s fountain and arch leading to the pathway. “And, of course, my garden,” she adds.

Big Cynthiana Road

LOCATION: West Side

BUILDER: German Township School District in 1920

STYLE: Federal Revival

SIGNIFICANT STATS: Four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and 8,500 square feet

WHY IT STANDS OUT: When Michelle Peterlin first stepped into German Township’s former Kasson School in 2006, she was struck by its absolute stillness. She learned it had been constructed with triple width brick walls, which created a notable audial effect. Peterlin was taken by the natural light streaming through the more than nine feet tall windows. Both characteristics remain at the top of her appreciation list 17 years after she and her husband Frank purchased the house as their private residence. “Even though it’s a big house, we have it laid out so it’s very easy to care for,” she says. Peterlin designed the home’s high-functioning layout renovations, which were profiled in the July/August 2014 issue of Evansville Living. Bill Flowers, who bought the building from the newly formed Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in the 1960s and turned it into an apartment complex, added pillars, doors, a fireplace, and a chandelier from area historic structures before they were razed. The wedding of the Peterlins’ oldest child spurred the addition of cherry and apricot orchards, many privet, boxwood, and butterfly bushes, and a brick pathway. “I love to garden,” Peterlin says, “so I’m out there working on it. Even in the winter, I’m doing something.”

The 23rd Annual Best of Evansville poll is your chance to tell us the latest and greatest the city has to offer in dining, shopping, entertainment, local business, community personalities, and more. So, what people and places stand out to you? Best of Evansville winners will be announced in the September/October 2024 issue of Evansville Living!

VOTING RUNS JUNE 1–30

SCAN TO DOWNLOAD

Home & St yle

TREASURE HUNTING

Polen’s Antique Shak is a haven for vintage fans BY LAURA

Polen’s Antique Shak in the tiny Spencer County community of Gentryville, Indiana, is a long-known destination for pickers and dealers from miles around.

Owner Tim Polen’s large collection of vintage and antique items, from furniture and glassware to collectibles and ephemera, has stood the test of time. And it’s always been a family endeavor.

Tim’s father, Tom, mother, Edith, and grandparents loved buying and selling. Tim recalls that in his youth, he bid $2 at an auction he attended with his grandparents. He wound up bringing home a little red chair and was hooked.

By high school, Tim was buying truckloads at auctions and reselling them for a tidy profit.

MATHIS AND JOHN MARTIN

“My favorite thing to do was go to auctions, sometimes 7 to 10 times a week,” Tim says. “It was just fun … we enjoyed doing it. I’ve been around it my entire life.”

Tom, who worked as a postal carrier, started Polen’s Antique Shak about 60 years ago. Edith helped at the store and continued until her passing at age 93 in 2015, but Tim largely took over the business after his father’s death at age 71 in 1989.

Underlying the family’s love of antiquing, Tim’s sister, Susan Schroeder, once ran another store across the street. That business has been closed for many years, but Schroeder still has items for sale at antique and vendor malls in the area.

Old-school to the core, Tim says he doesn’t like how auctions have become an online business for some. He still prefers going to them himself.

“The adrenaline is going to an auction and bidding live, that’s what I’ve always liked about it,” Tim says.

Polen’s Antique Shak is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays, at 204 Main St. in Gentryville, and Tim says it’s worth the trip for treasure hunters to browse his vast inventory.

“Everybody should see it at least once,” he says. “And come back again if they really like it.”

TIM POLEN

PHOTOS BY LAURA MATHIS

POLEN’S ANTIQUE SHAK

Home & Style

TALK OF THE STREET

A Historic District tree stump is revived with carved wood owls BY

When Robert Nicholls’ beloved tulip poplar in front of his home faced a snuffed-out existence, he opted to “turn lemons into lemonade,” he says, and have the tree shaped into a beautiful wood carving.

“The tree was healthy, growing, with nothing wrong with it,” he says. “But its roots had been ground out on purpose to make way for a neighbor’s driveway. It was very unfortunate.”

He asked the city to leave the stump eight feet tall, the perfect height for a carving closer at eye level with the families walking their dogs through the neighborhood, or the school children who wait for the bus by the old tree.

While visiting The Reindeer Farm in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Robert, his wife Emma, and their family met chainsaw carving artist B.J. Raymer while he was creating and displaying carvings at the farm.

MICHELLE MASTRO

R aymer, a firefighter in Owensboro, Kentucky, started a chainsaw carving side gig, Glowing Jacks Carving, four years ago

to destress. Liking Raymer’s wood carvings and bravado, Nicholls picked up his business card and later hired him.

The Nicholls family landed on a barred owl. One lived in the neighborhood and would perch and hoot from the tree’s branches.

“You could say we wanted to honor the owl,” Nicholls says.

The carved owl took four days to complete in February, and almost every minute, passersby would stop and take note.

“I told B.J., ‘Bring a sign and put it next to your work. There are going to be a lot of people asking us who did it,’” says Nicholls. “I warned him: ‘I think this carving will generate a lot of interest in your work.’”

Today, the owl is still the talk of the street.

“People will drive by, roll down their windows, and say that it is the coolest thing they’ve ever seen,” says Nicholls.

Raymer says he is happy with the positive response from the neighborhood.

ON THE MARKET

Old-World Charm

Own a slice of Evansville history with this Tudor on Alvord Boulevard

BY CATHERINE ANDERSON

CASUALLY DRIVE South Alvord Boulevard, and this brick Tudor is sure to slow your pace. Built in 1937, the charming abode with its arched front doorway under a dramatically steeped roof point has clearly been appreciated throughout its time.

Homeowners Jonathan and Patricia Weinzapfel agreed to honor the house’s character when they moved in 20 years ago.

“You can tell that everyone who has lived in the home has loved it,” Patricia says. “When we bought it, we wanted to be good stewards of this beautiful house.”

Meticulous improvements and attentive care make full use of each floor of the four-bedroom, three-bath home, honoring the style of original design. Bookshelves procured from the old Central Library were artisan-installed to preserve their historic significance.

The Weinzapfels made happy memories raising their children there.

“It is beautiful, but at the same time, it’s warm, inviting, and approachable to everyone who walks in the door,” Patricia says.

221 S. ALVORD BLVD.

Price: $520,000

Agent: Joe Kiefer, Hahn Kiefer Real

PHOTO OF THE NICHOLLS BY JODI KEEN. OTHER PHOTO PROVIDED BY SOURCE

CARVE OUT SOME TIME Find more of Raymer’s work on Instagram @glowing_jacks_

ROBERT AND EMMA NICHOLLS

B.J. RAYMER

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY HAHN KIEFER REAL

FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS

A pair of brothers builds bat boxes and inspires a fundraiser

BY MAGGIE VALENTI

Heatherly Hite’s sons Declan Rattray, 11, and Quade Rattray, 9, love to spend time outdoors with their friends, but a common pest was sucking the fun out of it.

“The mosquitoes are so bad, we were kind of sick of it,” Hite, owner and senior agent at Insurance Connect, says of the Riverside Historic District home they settled in two years ago. Enter bat boxes, which give the winged mammals a home that is an alternative to taking shelter in a house, garage, or shed. Since bats feast on insects, the boxes also aid with pest control.

This winter, Hite presented the idea of bat boxes to her sons’ homeschool teacher, Jennifer Roberts, whose husband, Chris Smearing, helped the brothers build the boxes as a school project. This piqued the interest of the Old Evansville Historic Association, which adopted the boxes as a fundraiser.

“We didn’t intend on this being a fundraiser,” Hite says. “We just needed something for the bats.”

It takes the brothers 90 minutes to build each wooden platform and a week to construct an entire 31-inch-by-18-inch box using materials supplied by Smearing. Their favorite part, though, is painting. Smearing plans to begin installation this spring. Hites’ sons will split the funds raised with OEHA. The boys already have four orders, including one slated for Sunset Park, but Declan hopes to sell at least 25.

“I’d like to see bat boxes all around. If we could have them all along this street, that would be great,” he says.

BUG OUT Bat boxes through the OEHA fundraiser cost $100, with installation an additional $25. Place your order by texting or calling Heatherly Hite at 206-790-0827. A $50 deposit is due at the time of each order.

PHOTO BY JODI KEEN

DECLAN RATTRAY, HEATHERLY HITE, AND QUADE RATTRAY

House of Hues

Mary Beth and Michael Guard transform their New Harmony loft using a rainbow of color

BY MICHELLE MASTRO

PHOTOS BY ZACH STRAW

In New Harmony, Indiana, Capers Emporium sells gifts, kitchen and gourmet food items, and anything you might want to make “pretty food,” as their motto goes. Mary Beth Guard, co-owner with her husband Michael, says she’s always loved “pretty kitchen things.” The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, residents fell in love with New Harmony after Michael’s mother moved to town about a decade ago. In 2018, they opted to create this kitchen-oriented store, a long-held dream of Mary Beth’s.

The shop is in the former Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge, a historic building erected in 1915. The business resides on the ground floor, with a glass fusion studio and kilns in the basement, while the couple’s residence sits above the shop. Back in 2016, the couple bought the historic building, but they had zero intention of ever making a loft apartment above it.

“We actually planned to do an event center upstairs, and we spent a year working with a code consultant and an architect. But the way the building was constructed, it just wasn’t going to work,” Michael explains. “We would have had to add a second staircase, which would have taken space from the store. It took us a year to figure that out. And that’s when we decided to go with a loft up here.”

Jump to the present, and the loft apartment, which the couple has occupied full time since 2022, is a dazzling extension of the pretty food choices and style of Capers Emporium. Case in point, guests to the residence’s teal-hued kitchen draw a clear connection between it and Mary Beth’s unique style.

“ The color of the glass tile in the kitchen is the same color we used for our wedding nearly 46 years ago,” Mary Beth reveals. “We wanted a color we wouldn’t get tired of looking at, and we didn’t want to choose whatever happened to be trendy because you can end up feeling date stamped.”

She says the unique color choice goes well with a wide range of other hues, too – hence this main living space’s large quantity of colors. Glass treasures are prominent. This includes colorful wine and drinking glasses on a wall near the kitchen.

“It provides a visual reminder of many sets of colored glassware by featuring a few pieces from each, and it also helps combat the storage issues engendered by a large collection,” Mary Beth says. A few of the pieces have been handed down through family members, while others have been collected from when she attended grade school and onward. “It’s the tip of a beautiful iceberg,” she says.

The brilliant color choices continue. The space boasts many of Evansville artist Gary Hobdy’s works, adding to the overall splashes of color. On the main room ceiling is a multi-toned decorative detail that originally had been a gothic-like dark wood feature with small light bulbs around the perimeter and a giant disco ball. Michael was

A ‘NEW’ START They made their professional careers in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, but Michael and Mary Beth Guard left the Sooner State behind and have embraced life in New Harmony, Indiana. The Guards live in a loft above their sidewalk-level business, Capers Emporium. Their home, like their business, brings colorful, infectious energy and displays Mary Beth’s affinity for vividly hued glassware and dishes.

MICHAEL AND MARY BETH GUARD

“The color of the

glass tile

in the kitchen is the same color we used for our wedding nearly 46 years ago. We wanted a color we wouldn’t get tired of looking at, and we didn’t want to choose whatever happened to be trendy because you can end up feeling date stamped.”

– Homeowner Mary Beth Guard

determined to save the decorative feature, despite Mary Beth’s skepticism.

“Away went the tiny bulbs and disco fever,” she says. “A box was built inside with a reflective surface in its interior, housing smart bulbs controlled by an app that allow us to change the light colors to solid or any mixture on a whim.” The dark wood was given coats of white paint, and a covering was added to hide the bulbs and hardware, while still allowing soft light to shine through.

TRUE COLORS Splashes from across the spectrum color the Guards’ loft, from the fabric on furnishings and rugs on the floor to paintings on the walls and flowers on tabletops. The space, on the second floor of a historic building erected in 1915, needed a complete overhaul but offered ample opportunity for creativity. “There was so much to love,” Mary Beth says.

What a difference some color makes. When the couple first stepped into the loft, it was one wide-open room. It was flat and beige, and it certainly didn’t represent the couple’s flair for style.

“The old wooden floor in the big room was worn thin, and it tended to crack as it was walked upon,” Mary Beth says. “The plaster and lath ceiling was giving way, making the room a hard hat zone. But the bones were good, really good. The high ceilings, the magnificent windows, the great views — there was so much to love.”

The couple added a mezzanine level to gain more usable space. “That allowed us to have another multi-functional living area that provides comfortable seating, indispensable bookshelves, room for our musical equipment, and another desk,” Mary Beth says. They also placed a second guest room on the mezzanine level, plus a full bathroom, spa room, and butler’s pantry. “We created a den, a laundry room, a full bath, and a half bath under the mezzanine level, so part of the main floor is cozy, as opposed to the parts that have the ceilings that are over 16 feet tall.”

Renovations didn’t stop there. The plumbing, electrical, HVAC, flooring, framing and finishing the rooms, not to mention building the kitchen and bathrooms — everything needed to be done from scratch, Mary Beth says.

“We also built a raised area on the west end of the great room so that we could more easily enjoy the view from the windows, since the bottom of the windows are about four feet off the ground,” she says.

ROOM TO ROAM The Guards’ multi-hued loft apartment frequently welcomes guests, and the airy space can accommodate a crowd. Around 70 guests mingled throughout the residence at a house concert last autumn, and the spacious home offers plenty of room for a grand piano for entertaining.

“Color makes us happy,” Mary Beth says. “God gave us flowers and rainbows. Let’s bring some of that inside.” – Homeowner Mary Beth Guard

The primary bedroom had exposed brick, but the couple wanted more because they liked the character it added. Then, they peppered the ceiling with painted clouds. “One of the guys who works for us painted the sky and clouds, lying on his back on scaffolding,” Mary Beth says. “The morning sun comes in through the east window. To awaken to the soft morning light and look up from bed to see that magical sky starts the day off in the best possible way.”

C onverting the building into a chic business and now loft apartment “just shows that New Harmony can be whatever you want it to be,” Mary Beth says.

OLD AND NEW Exposed brick walls ground the liveliness of the Guards’ home’s interior design while also offering a reminder of the building’s early 20th century origins. Built in 1915 as a lodge for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge, it functioned as a dance hall, deli, and grocery store over the years.

Plus, living above their business has been a gamechanger in terms of convenience, too, by eliminating a commute to work.

In terms of color choices, Mary Beth and Michael are beyond pleased.

“Color makes us happy,” Mary Beth says. “God gave us flowers and rainbows. Let’s bring some of that inside.”

Weeklong theater program for students K-12! July 8-12 • Henderson, KY

With his ship wrecked and his trusty computer on the fritz, brave explorer Gulliver finds himself lost in space with nothing but an Invisible Force to guide him! Join us July 8-12 as the Missoula Children’s Theatre (with more than 50 local students) present an original musical adaptation of Gulliver’s Travels at the Preston Arts Center!

Auditions, rehearsals and performance will be held at the Preston Arts Center, 2660 South Green Street in Henderson, KY.

For more information or to pre-register your child contact info@haaa.org or call 270-826-5916.

Food & Drink EYES ON THE FRIES

G.D. Ritzy’s celebrates 40 years of food and philanthropy BY

JOHN MARTIN

Afamily business through and through, G.D. Ritzy’s signature thin-patty burgers, shoestring fries, and ice cream have made it legions of fans over the last 40 years.

It was well-known local restaurateur Andy Guagenti who snatched up the national franchise and brought it to Green River Road in December 1983. G.D. Ritzy’s existed in several cities and states then, and it quickly became a hit locally. Guagenti soon expanded to the city’s North and West sides.

G.D. Ritzy’s presence across multiple cities and states dwindled over time, but at the five area shops that remain — three in Evansville and two in Owensboro, Kentucky — the Ritzy’s name is as enticing as ever.

Chili and a peanut butter (emphasis on the peanuts) and strawberry jelly sandwich are other menu staples, and a longstanding Ritzy’s tradition is free ice cream for A’s on a child’s report card. Ritzy’s ice creams are made at its West Side shop, and patrons dig into their meals in throwback dining rooms accompanied by tunes from the 1950s.

“ We have not changed a thing,” third-generation owner Chad Grunow says. “It’s exactly the way that it was, with a few additions like the chicken salad and chicken tenders. But as far as the burgers, fries, and ice cream, it’s all still the same recipe.”

Guagenti — who helmed well-known Evansville restaurants Farmer’s Daughter, Burger Farm, Sir Beef, and Andy’s Steak N Barrel — died in 2017 after co-owning the business with his daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Dan Grunow. Chad, who is Karen and Dan’s son, joined his parents in ownership following his grandfather’s passing.

G.D. Ritzy’s doesn’t just take food seriously — the company also has a commitment to philanthropy that’s deeply personal.

Chad’s brother, Jacob, has Down syndrome. Inspired by Jacob, Guagenti in 2004 opened Jacob’s Village in Evansville, a neighborhood community where adults with functional disabilities can find housing, activities, and programs to increase independent living skills.

About 30 people live at Jacob’s Village, off IN-66 on Evansville’s far West Side. Jacob Grunow also was assisted in his youth by Easterseals Rehabilitation Center, and G.D. Ritzy’s is the longtime title sponsor of Fantasy of Lights each winter at Garvin Park, which in 30 years has raised more than $4.5 million.

Grunow says that after 40 years, he and his family will continue to satisfy Evansville residents’ cravings while also sharing their success.

“We’ve been very successful because of the community, and we want to give back to that community,” he says.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? The “G.D.” in the restaurant’s name comes from the initials of its founder, Graydon Douglas Webb of Columbus, Ohio. Evansville owner Chad Grunow says it’s unknown where “Ritzy’s” came from, but just like the Double Ritz Basket, the name has stood the test of time.

CHAD GRUNOW

Food & Drink WHAT WE’RE TRYING NOW

A Barbecue Odyssey

Homer’s meats and sauces bring the heat to Downtown Henderson

BY JOHN MARTIN, WITH HADLEY MITCHELL

WHILE CASEY TODD was growing up, his family always came together for barbecues. Todd’s great-grandfather, Homer Ward, was an avid cook, and Homer’s Barbecue is a tribute to Ward’s mastery of a barbecue pit.

Homer’s, at 128 Second St. in Henderson, Kentucky, is Todd’s newest Downtown Henderson restaurant, following Hometown Roots and Roast Coffee Bar.

The menu at Homer’s is loaded with smoky, savory meats — pork, brisket, chicken, or Texas-style ribs — with five choices of sauce, all made in-house.

There are plenty of intriguing appetizers, too, such as the pork cakes, which Todd describes as a take on crab cakes. Pulled pork and cream cheese are cooked into a patty, topped with coleslaw, and drizzled with Carolina mustard and sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Another appetizer to try are briskitos, which Todd says is a recreation of his favorite school lunch, chili crispitos, only with the dry rub brisket of blended herbs and spices. For an unexpected fusion of flavor, go for the dirty rice bowl, a mixture of brown rice, creamy queso, and “cowboy caviar” –bean dip, for the city slickers – topped with candied jalapenos.

NOW OPEN

Kwench Juice Cafe, 1211 Tutor Lane, Ste. A, opened its doors in February and serves vegan smoothies, juices, and acai and pitaya bowls. Dishes by Dani has opened a storefront at 421 Read St. selling salads, fruit bowls, parfaits, and more.

Robert’s by the River has taken up residence in the former Riverwalk Restaurant at 6 Walnut St. and offers a menu of sandwiches, smoked pork chops, and Southern-style meatloaf. La Catrina Mexican Restaurant, 7799 SR-66, Newburgh, Indiana, cooks up burritos, enchiladas,

Salad selections are prepared with locally sourced greens and house-made dressings. For your glass, try one of the eight beers Homer’s has on tap, plus several cocktails. On Thursdays through Saturdays in summer, patio diners can enjoy live music.

Todd takes pride in helping to revive Down-

town Henderson with his businesses and says Homer’s is the latest part of that effort.

“We don’t want to be a special occasion restaurant. We want to be a weekly restaurant for families and friends,” he says.

tortas, tacos, and more. Enjoy pizza and sandwiches surrounded by an impressive amount of sports memorabilia at Casey’s Dugout, 2900 Lincoln Ave. Patrons at Hush on Main, a 1920s-style speakeasy at 323 Main St., Ste. F, can sip cocktails over appetizers and pasta dishes. Don Juan Authentic Mexican Grill, 4011 IN-261, Newburgh, offers taco salad, quesabirrias, sopes, flautas, and catering. Cap & Cork, 104 N. Water St., Henderson, Kentucky, opened April 8 and serves a

menu that includes craft beer, buffalo fries, ribeye, jalapeno cheddar sausage, and more. Cosmos Bistro, 101 S.E. First St., reopened its doors as a new enterprise April 11 and offers a rotating upscale dining menu featuring local ingredients made by area chefs.

NIBBLES

River Town Ice Cream and Grill, 521 State St., Newburgh, reopened for the season on March 22. Heady’s Pizza, 4120 N. First Ave., has rebranded as Nation’s Pizza. Amy’s on Franklin, 1418 W. Franklin St., is rebranding as Bad Randy’s Hot Chicken & BBQ Lounge, which is expect-

ed to open in May. Highland Inn, 6620 N. First Ave., now has a salad bar open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Casa Fiesta has opened a second location at 1003 E. Diamond Ave. The Zone by Maryscotts, 434 Plaza Drive, Mount Vernon, Indiana, has debuted a new brunch menu featuring country steak and eggs, chicken and waffles, steak sandwiches, and more. Bowlify Superfoods has opened a second location at 8390 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh.

DEARLY DEPARTED

Dwell Coffee Co., 13221 Darmstadt Road, Darmstadt, Indiana, has closed.

FRESH TAKES

HOMER’S PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SOURCE. CASEY’S DUGOUT PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW

CASEY TODD

DIRTY RICE BOWL

BRISKITOS

TAKE A BITE

Chef Tori Chapman is helping Evansville expand its palate

BY MAGGIE VALENTI

Tori Chapman grew up around cooking. Her grandmother whipped up southern-style food, her mother cooked homemade meals daily and baked a cake for every birthday, and her uncle Glen was a chef at the former Tropicana casino, now Bally’s Evansville. Through that legacy, Chapman, a Benjamin Bosse High School graduate, harnesses her talent to bring vegan baked goods to Evansville with Vegan Eats and Treats.

She was inspired to go vegan – which involves nixing meat, dairy, and all animal byproducts while cooking – after watching the 2017 documentary “What the Health,” a film linking food to chronic diseases, and she soon after started a food blog called Vegan Eats and Treats. She transformed tinkering with recipes into a business selling her own creations from the apartment she shared with her partner Ryan Herring and their first daughter. At first, Chapman sold her inventory to friends and family, but that changed when word got out.

“It was the community hyping me up. The community just wanted something different, and I could provide it,” Chapman says.

When she first brought her vegan options to Evansville foodies, she was peppered with questions, which have dissipated over the years as more people are exposed to vegan food.

“Evansville has really opened their minds to different kinds of food. It doesn’t have to be meat and potatoes to taste like meat and potatoes,” she says.

She moved operations out of her home and started cooking out of commissary kitchens before landing in October 2023 at Kitchen 812, where she also hosts monthly popups. She operates most of her business from social media, while Ryan helps behind the scenes.

She primarily produces baked goods – cookies, cakes, pie scones, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, and doughnuts – which she makes with vegan substitutes for eggs, milk, and butter. Her baked goods also stock River City Coffee & Goods on Main Street. While she mostly bakes, she grew up on soul food like fried chicken, collard greens, and mac and cheese, which she has learned to convert to vegan options using plant-based chicken, dairy free cheeses and milks, and vegan friendly oils and butters. She also offers custom orders, curbside pickup, and catering.

HEALTHY OPTIONS Tori Chapman, owner of Vegan Eats and Treats, whips up animal product-free versions of baked goods, mac and cheese, and fried chicken for Tri-State eaters. A lifelong cooking enthusiast, cookies hold the biggest place in her heart. “I love the versatility of cookies. You’re able to make so many flavors with just a base,” Chapman says.

“Our most popular is savory food because customers can’t get it all the time,” she says.

Chapman dreams of having a brick-and-mortar location or a food truck.

“This is just a starting point still to us,” she says. “Eventually, we’ll be able to branch out.”

STRAWBERRY MINI CAKE

TORI CHAPMAN

BANG BANG FRIED CHICK’N

RISE AND SHINE

Fans of homestyle cooking are crowing over The Rooster’s Den BY

JOHN MARTIN

The Rooster’s Den takes pride in serving hearty breakfasts and lunches that taste like they could have been prepared fresh in your own family’s kitchen. That’s the goal owners Jennifer Hettenbach and Jason Campbell set two years ago when they opened at Highways 66 and 261 in Newburgh, Indiana. Together for a decade, the former Castle High School students always have loved cooking. Hettenbach held a variety of customer service jobs, and Campbell worked in the restaurant industry and still owns a lawn care company, Affordable Landscape and Mowing.

The couple often spoke of owning a restaurant, motivated by memories of dishes their grandparents and great-grandparents handed down to them. “It was something always in the back of our minds, but we had to wait for everything to align,” Hettenbach says.

They set up shop inside what had been a Burger King at 3988 Haley Drive. Befitting its name, The Rooster’s Den’s breakfast is a big hit, and one of the most-ordered early morning items — biscuits and gravy — is made Jennifer’s and Jason’s own way.

“That is straight from my great-grandma,” Hettenbach says. “She taught me how to make it. It’s so funny learning how to cook from that generation. There were no measurements. It was just all eye and taste.”

Th at same sausage gravy from Hettenbach’s great-grandma graces other delicacies at The Rooster’s Den, including the Loaded Haystack, which is a pair of biscuits topped with eggs and cheese. Another one to try is the Rowdy Rooster, which has bacon layered between a trio of hashbrown patties, topped with sausage gravy and shredded cheese, with a side of salsa.

FROM THE KITCHEN The Rooster’s Den’s sausage gravy recipe was handed down to co-owner

Jennifer Hettenbach by her greatgrandmother, who influenced her love of cooking. At lunchtime, diners can order from a long list of sandwiches and also visit the soup and salad bar.

JENNIFER HETTENBACH

BISCUITS AND GRAVY

Hettenbach says customers love theFrench toast, and her pancakes, which have several varieties (chocolate chip, tutti fruity, berrytastic, and Caribbean) in addition to the classic, are sweeter than at other restaurants.

“ They’re big and fluffy,” she says.

More breakfast choices include Monte Cristo and BLTE (bacon, lettuce, tomato, and egg) sandwiches, omelets, burritos, platters with classic favorites, and a fruit and granola bowl.

And yes, drink options include breakfast cocktails – “all the fun stuff,” Hettenbach says.

As the clock moves to lunchtime, The Rooster’s Den’s popular soup and salad bar opens for business, “and we do daily lunch specials as well, ranging from our chicken pot pie to Salisbury steak to meatloaf,” Hettenbach says.

Lunch menu choices include classic sandwiches and a chicken strip basket. The Rooster’s Den makes seasoned potato chips in-house.

Desserts? The Rooster’s Den has plenty of those too, although there isn’t a set dessert menu — ask what’s available when you visit. A couple of big cakes, including an Oreo-topped chocolate confection, sat on the restaurant’s bar when Evansville Living visited.

Not currently open for dinner, The Rooster’s Den does offer its facility for private events after hours, and Hettenbach and Campbell also have catered several functions off-site, such as wedding rehearsal dinners and Christmas parties.

The Rooster’s Den can customize a menu for a specific event.

“We do big and small,” Hettenbach says. “We’ve catered for 20 people. We’ve catered for 300. So, nothing’s off-limits for us.”

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed Hettenbach’s and Campbell’s plans to open The Rooster’s Den, “but once we made the decision to go for it, within about six months we were up and running,” Hettenbach says.

The restaurant’s building, which bears no resemblance inside or out to the fast-food joint of its past life, is in a tricky location to navigate to, but Hettenbach says that after reaching it once, subsequent trips are simple.

Word is spreading — Hettenbach says she has greeted diners from communities across the region who are drawn to The Rooster’s Den’s homestyle, made-fromscratch style cooking.

“I think we have what people want,” she says.

FRENCH TOAST

CLUB SANDWICH

SALAD BAR

in a league of its own

I dreamed of this for a long time …

I was born and raised on the East Side of Evansville, 54 steps away from the gym doors at Reitz Memorial High School. We grew up within walking distance of Eric Weber’s The Slice, a bike ride from Turoni’s Pizzery, and two miles up the road from Steve’s Una Pizza. We had the East Side’s best pizza within arm’s reach. Spending countless hours with Eric at The Slice, I pictured myself making pizza, with a big window for kids to watch me.

I’ve ran a successful lawn care company called Grass Kickers for nine years. Winters off were tough. That’s when I’d study pizza and watch YouTube for ideas. I knew I could do it. I had a plan.

I learned our family’s eye doctor was moving locations. He was leaving a small building on Lincoln Avenue. I knew it was perfect and bought it quicker than Rickey Henderson stealing second base.

When I’d talk about these ideas and dreams, the one person who said he’s in when we find such a place to call our own – Kyle Fields. I excitedly told him, “I found it. We can make it work, and we’re buying it.” His next two words are all I remember: “Let’s roll!”

I had a book of ideas and recipes ready to go. We gutted and rebuilt the shop the way I always dreamed of, and seven months later, we were ready.

Our pizza is different than the others here on the East Side. It’s a thicker crust cut into eight pieces. We love fresh ingredients, and we’re not shy with toppings. We offer 12 signature pizzas, weekly and monthly pizzas, a handful of sandwiches, and a few sides.

Our shop is dubbed a “Don Mattingly museum,” and the items you see on the walls at Casey’s Dugout show a lifetime of collecting.

We have been open since Feb. 11. To see people lined up out the front door is a feeling I can’t describe.

I know we are different. We have no phone number or online ordering, and emails go unread. We not only want to meet you; we want to thank you for allowing us the opportunity to feed you and your family. We look forward to being here for years to come. We are so very grateful for your support. If you have not had the opportunity to visit and have a pizza or beer, we hope to see you soon!

-Casey Keown, Casey's Dugout

Dining Directory

RESTAURANTS THAT DEFINE OUR CITY

FINE DINING

CAVANAUGH’S: 421 N.W. Riverside Drive (inside Bally’s Evansville), 812433-4333. Steaks, fresh seafood, overlooking the Ohio River, and entertainment in the piano bar.

 RED GERANIUM: 520 North St., New Harmony, IN, 812-682-6171. Contemporary American fare.

UPSCALE DINING

BAR LOUIE: 7700 Eagle Crest Blvd., 812-476-7069. Full bar, expansive menu with a variety of appetizers, a large hamburger selection, and signature martinis. Catering available.

BIAGGI’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO: 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway Ste. 3, 812421-0800. Italian cuisine from scratch including monthly chef features, authentic pastas, chicken parmesan, and bruschetta, plus gluten-free options. Catering available.

BONEFISH GRILL: 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway, 812-401-3474. Wood-burning grill, fish, steaks, soups, salads, and its famous Bang Bang Shrimp. Catering available.

 BRU BURGER BAR: (Best Restaurant for a Burger) 222 Sycamore St. in the former Greyhound bus terminal, 812-302-3005. Signature chef burgers, classic sandwiches, salads, appetizers, desserts, and an extensive drink menu.

CAMBRIDGE GRILL: 1034 Beacon Hill (at Cambridge Golf Course), 812-868-4653. Salads, sandwiches, pizzas, entrées, and an expanded wine menu.

THE COLLECTIVE: 230 Main St. (above COMFORT by the Cross-Eyed Cricket), 812-909-3742. Fresh specialty appetizers and entrées with an extensive beverage list.

 COMFORT BY THE CROSS-EYED CRICKET: (Best Restaurant for Brunch) 230 Main St., 812-909-3742. Full breakfast menu, home-style favorites, sandwiches, steaks, and salads.

COPPER HOUSE: 1430 W. Franklin St., 812-909-8089. Unique cuisine meets comfort food including shrimp and grits, burgers, apricot salmon, goat cheese bites, and signature cocktails. Event space available.

 CORK ‘N CLEAVER: (Best Restaurant for a Celebratory Dinner) 650 S. Hebron Ave., 812-479-6974. Steak, prime rib, chicken, seafood, salad bar, soup, and sandwich lunches.

COSMOS BISTRO: 101 S.E. First St., 812-437-5281. A local chef-inspired rotating menu of duck, lobster agnolotti, venison tartare, oysters on the half shell, and more.

 FARMER & FRENCHMAN: 12522 U.S. 41 S., Robards, KY, 270-748-1856.

Café featuring cheese and charcuterie trays, salads, Neapolitan pizzas, pasta, sandwiches, desserts, beer, and Farmer & Frenchman house and European wines. Catering available.

 HAUB STEAK HOUSE: 101 E. Haub St., Haubstadt, IN, 812-768-6462. A la carte menu. Steak, prime rib, seafood, chicken, pork, vegetable side dishes, and desserts.

HOUSE OF COMO: 2700 S. Kentucky Ave., 812-422-0572. Baked chicken dishes, lamb chops, fish entrées, and oversized steaks with Lebanese and Middle Eastern influence. Catering available.

 R’Z CAFÉ AND CATERING: 104 N. Main St., Fort Branch, IN, 812-615-0039. Classic comfort food to modern cuisine, including breakfast and lunch combinations as well as daily specials.

SAMUEL’S: 113 S.E. Fourth St., 812-777-0047. A wide range of shareable bites for the table, specialty entrées, and sandwiches rotating seasonally for those 21-plus only. Open for lunch and dinner.

SCHYMIK’S KITCHEN: 1112 Parrett St., 812-401-3333. Globally influenced restaurant with a full bar with brunch available on Sundays.

PRIVATE CLUBS

EVANSVILLE COUNTRY CLUB: 3810 Stringtown Road, 812-425-2243. Executive chef on staff. Diverse menu selection including prime steaks and fresh seafood. Member-only dining.

OAK MEADOW COUNTRY CLUB (THE MEMBERS GRILL): 11505 Browning Road, 812-867-1900. Chef-created menu in full-service dining room and diverse options ranging from traditional to cutting edge. Breakfast served on weekends. Member-only dining.

ROLLING HILLS COUNTRY CLUB: 1666 Old Plank Road, Newburgh, IN, 812925-3336. Executive chef on staff. New and classic dishes including chicken, steak, seafood specials, and pastas. Member-only dining.

DELIS

BOWLIFY SUPERFOODS: 250 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-303-2874; 8390 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-1364. Acai bowls, smoothies, rice protein bowls, and avocado toasts. Catering available.

CHICKEN SALAD CHICK: 1414 Hirschland Road, 812-594-9820. More than 12 flavors of chicken salad, soups, sides, and desserts. Catering available.

THE DELI: 421 N.W. Riverside Drive (inside Bally’s Evansville), 812-4334000. Deli sandwiches, salads, hot dogs, and pizza.

THE DELI AT ONB: One Main St. (inside Old National Bank), 812-4245801. Fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, paninis, desserts, and daily specials. Catering available.

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, restaurants are accessible to people with disabilities and accept major credit cards. City and county ordinances prohibit smoking in many facilities. We suggest calling ahead to check which venues are exempt. Evansville Living has made every attempt to present an accurate guide. Please notify us of significant changes in a restaurant’s management, location, or menu. This directory is compiled by editorial staff and not based on advertising.

FIREHOUSE SUBS: 1031 N. Green River Road, 812-909-4445. Hot and cold sandwiches with toppings such as smoked turkey, sliced chicken, and veggies. Kids eat free on Wednesdays and Sundays. Catering available.

THE GRANOLA JAR CAFÉ & BAKERY: 1033 Mount Pleasant Road, 812-4371899; 333 State St., Newburgh, IN, 812-490-0060; 5600 E. Virginia St., 812-401-8111. Specializes in house-made granola along with sandwiches and deli salads plus vegetarian and vegan options. Catering available.

HONEYBAKED HAM: 1446 N. Green River Road, 812-471-2940. Boxed lunches, sandwiches, salads, as well as whole, half, or slices of ham. Variety of desserts and side items. Catering available.

JASON’S DELI: 943 N. Green River Road, 812-471-9905. Sandwiches, salads, and other healthy meals with fresh ingredients and no artificial trans fats, MSG, or high fructose corn syrup, plus a 22-foot-long salad bar and free ice cream with every order. Catering available.

JIMMY JOHN’S: 701 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-401-5400; 130 N. St. Joseph Ave., 812-402-9944; 330 Main St., 812-402-5653; 2320 N. Green River Road, 812-402-5747; 8680 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-7111. Deli-style sandwiches, fresh-baked bread, vegetables prepared daily, and cold-cut meats. Catering available.

KWENCH JUICE CAFE: 1211 Tutor Lane, Ste. A, 812-550-1125. Vegan smoothies, juice shots, and acai and pitaya bowls.

MCALISTER’S DELI: 2220 N. Green River Road, 812-618-2050; 5301 Pearl Drive, Ste. 100, 812-228-4222; 3788 Libbert Road, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-3354. Deli sandwiches, salads, spuds, soups, and sweet tea.

NORTH MAIN ANNEX GOURMET CATERING & DELI: 701 N. Main St., 812250-4551. Gourmet catering from breakfast to dessert, and a daily, fresh-made menu of breakfast, salads, baked goods, and deli classics.

OLD TYME DELI & MEAT SHOP: 307 N. First Ave., 812-401-1030. A traditional deli and meat shop offering plate lunches.

PANERA BREAD: 220 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-476-7477; 5201 Pearl Drive, 812-250-7088; 4015 Gateway Blvd., Newburgh, IN, (inside Deaconess Orthopedic Neuroscience Hospital) 812-706-6386. Breads, sandwiches, paninis, soups, salads, and specialty coffee drinks. Catering available at Burkhardt and Pearl locations.

PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS: 137 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-479-7366; 4827 Davis Lant Drive, 812-402-7366; 5310 Pearl Drive, 812-434-7366; 8887 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812- 401-7366; 1111 Barrett Blvd., Henderson, KY, 270-826-7361. Grilled, made fresh-to-order sub sandwiches, homemade hand-cut fries, fresh baked cookies, and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Catering available.

SICILIANO CHARCUTERIE & SUBS: 2021 W. Franklin St., 812-303-3855. Charcuterie, specialty subs, and salads. Catering available.

WHICH WICH: 6401 N. Green River Road, 812-867-0826. An extensive menu of customizable sandwiches and sides. Catering available.

BAKERIES, COFFEEHOUSES, AND ICE CREAM

 2ND STREET BISTRO & BAKERY: 111 S. Second St., Boonville, IN, 812573-8887. Sandwiches and freshly baked breads, desserts, cookies, cakes, pies, and more.

 3 CHICKS FUDGERY: 305 Main St., Mount Vernon, IN, 812-307-3454. Fresh fudge, gourmet coffee, hand-dipped ice cream from JB’s Barnyard, and unique gifts. Catering and food truck available.

BASKIN-ROBBINS: 3960 N. First Ave., 812-550-1500. Premium ice cream, plus bakery treats and custom ice cream cakes and pies.

BE HAPPY PIE COMPANY: 2818 Mount Vernon Ave. Ste. B, 812-449-7718. 6225 E. Virginia St. Ste. C, 812-916-9454. Made-from-scratch bakery specializing in sweet and savory pies, sweet rolls, brownies, cookies, scones, petite cheesecakes, coffee cakes, and cookie pies.

BEA SWEET TREATS: 4111 Merchant Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-454-7728. Custom cakes and cookies, macarons, cinnamon rolls, and other baked goods.

BEANS & BARISTAS: 800 N. Green River Road (inside Eastland Mall), 812-475-8566. Full coffee bar, gourmet coffees and teas, Italian sodas, and various pastry treats. Retail gourmet coffee beans, teas, and unique gifts.

 BLACK LODGE COFFEE ROASTERS: 610 Church St., New Harmony, IN, 812-682-2449. Pour-overs, cold brew, iced coffee, espresso, and more.

WAGYU STEAK FRITES AT SAMUEL’S

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAMUEL’S

BOBACCINOS CAFÉ: 3848 N. First Ave., 812-773-3333. Extensive coffee, boba tea, and blended tea menu, plus pastries, sandwiches, smash burgers, and breakfast items including biscuits and gravy.

BUBBLE PANDA: 1524 N. Green River Road, 812-760-2728. Bubble tea shop offering milk and ice teas, slushies, smoothies, and lattes.

BUBBLE TEATALK: 619 N. Burkhardt Road, Ste. G, 812-598-5235. Bubble and milk teas, smoothies, slushies, and more.

CLEO’S BAKERY & BROWN BAG LUNCHES: 9 W. Jennings St., Newburgh, IN, 812-853-0500. Full bakery with cookies, scones, muffins, cupcakes, coffee, and lunches including signature sandwiches paired with a choice of chips, pickles, and homemade soup. Catering available.

COOKIES AND CUPCAKE BY DESIGN: 419 Metro Ave., 812-426-1599. Cookie bouquets, custom-decorated cookies, cupcakes, cookie cakes, and other baked goods. Local delivery is available.

CRUMBL COOKIES: 939 N. Burkhardt Road Ste. B, 812-965-4133; 5435 Pearl Drive, Ste. 2, 930-212-0677. Delivery and carry-out homemade, gourmet cookies. Catering available.

D-ICE: 800 N. Green River Road (in Eastland Mall food court), 812-3199071. Thai-fried ice cream rolls and bubble tea.

DONUT BANK BAKERY AND COFFEE SHOP: 210 N. St. Joseph Ave., 812-426-1011; 2128 N. First Ave., 812-426-2311; 1031 E. Diamond Ave., 812-426-0011; 5 N. Green River Road, 812-479-0511; 1950 Washington Ave., 812477-2711; 3988 State Highway 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-9911; 1200 Lincoln Ave., 812-402-4111; 4800 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-401-2211; 1303 W. Broadway St., Princeton, IN, 812-385-3711; 2630A U.S. 41, Henderson, KY, 270-212-0181. Donuts, coffee, cookies, other baked goods, and smoothies.

DUNKIN’: 3960 N. First Ave., 812-550-1500; 850 N. Green River Road, 812-303-5797; 848 S. Green River Road, 731-259-4112; 3955 Orchard Lane, Newburgh, IN; 2222 U.S. 41, Henderson, KY, 270-297-0299. Donuts, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and a variety of coffees.

 ELBIE’S ICE CREAM: 70 S.E. Front St., Elberfeld, IN, 812-403-3778. Seasonal ice cream stand with specialty dishes, ice cream nachos, unicorn sundaes, and more.

FARM 57: 3443 Kansas Road, 812-677-5757. House-made pastries plus coffee, ice cream, and drinks. Seasonal live music and food trucks on Wednesdays.

 FIRE & ICE: 606 Main St., Ste. B, New Harmony, IN. Serving ice cream, milkshakes, honey-glazed hot ham, chili, and more.

GAYLACAKE: 320 N. Main St., 812-454-9791. Specializes in order-only cupcakes, cookies, special occasion cakes, and other baked goods.

GREAT HARVEST BREAD COMPANY: 423 Metro Ave., 812-476-4999. Freshbaked bread, breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, homemade soups for lunch, and specialty sweets. Catering available.

HOMETOWN NUTRITION: 300 Main St., Ste. 1A, 812-401-0058. Smoothies, boosted teas, protein shakes, and more.

 HONEY MOON COFFEE CO.: (Best Place to Have a Cup of Coffee) Weinbach Ave., 812-602-3123; 1211 Tutor Lane, 812-893-2945; 2903 Mount Vernon Ave., 812-470-3205; 20 W. Water St., Newburgh, IN. 812-746-8168. Curated coffee and drinks, Hong Kong-style bubble waffles, all-day breakfast items, and Graeter’s ice cream.

INSOMNIA COOKIES: 318 Main St., Ste. 100, 930-500-4814. Late-night bakery specializing in delivery and carry-out warm cookies.

JOE BREWSKI COFFEE: 10 N.W. Sixth St. Specialty cold brews and lemonades.

 LIC’S DELI AND ICE CREAM: (Best Ice Cream/Gelato) Ave., 812-424-4862; 4501 Lincoln Ave., 812-477-3131; 2001 Washington Ave., 812-473-0569; 11 N.W. Fifth St., 812-422-2618; 8700 Ruffian Lane, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-0022. Deli-style soups, salads, sandwiches, locally made ice cream, choco-cremes, and sorbets.

MILK & SUGAR SCOOP SHOPPE: 2027 W. Franklin St., 812-602-1423; 10931 IN 66, 812-625-1087. Premium ice cream shop.

MISSION GROUNDS: 1107 Washington Square, 812-421-3808. Specialty coffee, tea, lemonade, whole beans for sale, and pastries.

MR. BUBBLE TEA: 503 N. Green River Road, 812-550-3166. Smoothies, Asian beverages, and bubble tea in different flavors.

MULBERRY JEAN’S ACCENTS: 600 State St., Newburgh, IN, 812-4905835. High tea served with sandwiches, desserts, an extensive collection of premium coffee beans, and a variety of loose-leaf tea.

NOTHING BUNDT CAKES: 6436 E. Florida St., Ste. 100, 812-758-7856. Serving full-size and miniature specialty cakes for any occasion.

ORANGE LEAF FROZEN YOGURT: 701 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-401-5215. Up to 70 flavors of frozen yogurt.

PANADERÍA SAN MIGUEL: 2004 Washington Ave., 812-814-8037. Traditional Mexican bakery with cakes, pastries, and bread.

PARLOR DOUGHNUTS: 204 Main St., 812-303-4487; 301 N. Green River Road, 812-303-5906. Specialty doughnuts and coffee from Proper Coffee Roasters. Green River Road location also serves breakfast items and milkshakes.

• One-stop shop: in-house catering, bar service, and event planning by Acropolis Catering

• Linen, glassware, centerpieces, and vintage Rolls Royce for pictures available for additional charge

• Audiovisual equipment, ultra high speed internet/Wi-Fi

• Capacity: 200

Book your wedding at Venue 812 - 2024 Dates Available! 1401 N Boeke Road • 812-758-4660 • venue812.com

Photos by HJRR Photography

Dining Directory

PENNY LANE COFFEEHOUSE: 600 S.E. Second St., 812-421-8741. Fair trade organic espresso and espresso drinks, gourmet coffees, Italian sodas, fresh-baked pastries, and vegetarian soups.

 PIECE OF CAKE: (Best Birthday Cake Baker) 210 Main St., 812-4242253. Customized cakes, cookies, coffee, sodas, breakfast items, and more.

REVIVE ENERGY AND NUTRITION: 1211 Tutor Lane. Boosted smoothies and teas, protein shakes, and more.

RIVER CITY COFFEE + GOODS: 223 Main St., 812-550-1695. Espresso bar, brewed coffees, pour-overs, and teas.

RIVER KITTY CAT CAFE: 226 Main St., 812-550-1553. Coffee, tea, croissants, cookies, biscotti, and savory pastries.

RIVERTOWN ICE CREAM AND GRILL: 521 State St., Newburgh, IN. Seasonal walk-up eatery offering soft serve ice cream, floats, sundaes, dipped cones, and more, plus corn dogs, burgers, and chicken tenders.

SCOOTER’S COFFEE: 535 E. Diamond Ave., 812-916-9487. A coffee shop with hot, iced, and blended drinks, smoothies, teas, and baked goods.

 SMALLEY COFFEE: 2955 Newton St., Jasper, IN. Handcrafted drinks including tea, coffee, and frozen drinks.

STARBUCKS: 624 S. Green River Road (inside Barnes & Noble), 812475-1054; 504 N. Green River Road, 812-476-7385; 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway, Ste. 16, 812-401-1771; 4700 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-549-4053; 4650 First Ave., 812-421-0461; 601 Walnut St., 812423-5002; 9919 Pointe View Drive, Newburgh, IN, 930-203-0463; 7755 IN 66, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-0234. Specialty coffees, teas, and baked goods.

 TF ICE CREAM: 1002 E. Walnut St., Boonville, IN, 812-715-3367. Ice cream, sherbet, barbecue, chili dogs, and more.

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE: 2101 N. Green River Road, 812-2979727. Smoothies, flatbreads, wraps, salads, and sandwiches. Catering available.

DINERS, CAFÉS, AND FAMILY RESTAURANTS

10-8 CAFÉ: 4209 U.S. 41 N., 812-413-0129 and 812-413-9355. A cafe with breakfast, appetizers, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, and specialty coffee from the makers of White Swan Coffee Lab.

BIG-TOP DRIVE IN: 1213 W. Maryland St., 812-424-7442. Burgers, sandwiches, chicken strips, and ice cream.

BURGER BANK: 1617 S. Weinbach Ave., 812-475-2265. Mini-burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and more.

THE CAROUSEL: 5115 Monroe Ave., 812-479-6388. Classic American cuisine.

 CARRIAGE INN: 103 Gibson St., Haubstadt, IN, 812-768-6131. Plate lunches, sandwiches, soups, salads, steaks, and assorted dinner entrées.

CATFISH WILLY’S SEAFOOD & COMFORT CUISINE: 5720 E. Virginia St., 812-401-2233. Seafood favorites like crab, lobster, shrimp, gator, and Southern comfort food. Patrons can order Hoosier Burger Co. items.

CLEAVERS: 5501 E. Indiana St., 812-473-0001. Sandwiches including pulled pork, Chicago-style Italian beef, pork loin, and steak.

 COMMANDER’S GRILL: 118 W. Locust St., Boonville, IN, 812-715-0055. A sandwich shop with fried chicken, salads, steaks, and pork chops.

CROSS-EYED CRICKET FAMILY RESTAURANT: 2101 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812422-6464. Sandwiches, fish dishes, breakfast items, country-style dinners, and more.

 THE DAIRIETTE: 711 Atkinson St., Henderson, KY, 270-826-2401. Hamburgers, tenderloins, fries, milkshakes, and soft-serve sundaes.

 DADE PARK GRILL AT ELLIS PARK: 3300 U.S. 41 N., Henderson, KY, 812-425-1456 or 800-333-8110. Clubhouse dining.

THE DINER BY MELE’S: 550 N. Green River Road, 812-402-1272. Regional specialties, Mexican-inspired dishes, and all-day breakfast.

DISHES BY DANI: 421 Read St., 812-470-2615. Serves salads, fruit bowls, parfaits, warm-up meals like taco bowls and stir fry, and sweets like cakes, pies, and brownies. Catering available.

DOWNTOWN GRILL: 900 Main St. (inside Main Street Food & Beverage). Serving sandwiches including Philly Cheesesteaks, Cubans, Italians, Subs, and hotdogs.

 FEED MILL RESTAURANT & BAR: 3541 State Highway 60-E., Morganfield, KY, 270-389-0047. Seafood and barbecue.

FRANKIE’S RESTAURANT: 6840 Logan Drive, 812-490-3172. A wide range of American fare across dedicated menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

FRIENDSHIP DINER: 834 Tutor Lane, 812-402-0201. Breakfast, sandwiches, pasta, and home-style favorites.

G.D. RITZY’S: 4810 University Drive, 812-425-8700; 4320 N. First Ave., 812-421-1300; 601 N. Green River Road, 812-474-6259. Hamburgers, grilled chicken, chicken strips, hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ultra-thin shoestring-style French fries, old-fashioned ice cream, and milkshakes.

 GASTHOF AMISH VILLAGE: 6747 E. Gasthof Village Road, Montgomery, IN, 812-486-4900. Amish- style buffet with bakery. Catering available.

 HOMETOWN ROOTS: 136 Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-212-3653. Southern comfort food like mac and cheese, pulled pork, and fried chicken. Catering available.

HOOSIER BURGER CO.: Operates as a ghost kitchen at Catfish Willy’s Seafood & Comfort Cuisine, 5720 E. Virginia St. Order online or dine-in at Catfish Willy’s.

THE HORNET’S NEST: 11845 Petersburg Road, 812-867-2386. Soups, sandwiches, salads, daily lunch specials, steaks, seafood, and chicken, plus brunch.

JAN’S PLACE: 1400 W. Maryland St., 812-633-8989. Cajun and creole food served five days a week.

JOURNEY FISH AND CHICKEN: 825 S. Green River Road, 812-303-2420. Sandwiches, gyros, fried fish, and fried chicken.

JUICY SEAFOOD: 865 N. Green River Road, 812-303-6869. Seafood boils, fried seafood, and appetizers.

KITE & KEY CAFÉ: 2301 W. Franklin St., 812-401-0275. Breakfast and lunch options and desserts, with an in-house coffee shop serving coffee, espresso drinks, tea, hot chocolate, smoothies, frappes, and pastries.

 THE KORNER INN: 15 W. Main St., Elberfeld, IN, 812-983-4200. Daily lunch specials, sandwiches, burgers, and dinners.

LIBBY AND MOM’S: 2 Richardt Ave., 812-437-3040. Home-cooked meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

 LOG INN: 12491 County Road 200 E., Haubstadt, IN, 812-867-3216. Fried chicken, ham, roast beef, and fiddlers.

MAIN STREET FOOD & BEVERAGE: 900 Main St. Food hall with patio offering Caribbean, Latin American, and Venezuelan fare as well as gourmet burgers.

MAJOR MUNCH: 101 N.W. First St., 812-306-7317. Cheeseburgers, chili, grilled chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, and catfish.

MERRY-GO-ROUND RESTAURANT: 2101 Fares Ave., 812-423-6388. Traditional American cuisine.

 MISTER B’S: (Best Restaurant for Wings) 1340 Hirschland Road, 812402-2090; 2611 U.S. 41, Henderson, KY, 270-826-1111. Pizza, wings, sandwiches, soup, salad, and pasta. Catering available.

 MR. D’S: 1435 S. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-826-2505. Drive-in classic American cuisine mushrooms, chicken strips, fried chicken, chicken liver, chicken sandwiches, and more all hand-breaded with Colonel Jim’s Breading. Breakfast and charcuterie board catering are available.

NELLIE’S RESTAURANT: 8566 Ruffian Lane, Newburgh, IN, 812-629-2142. Breakfast and lunch items, such as omelets, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, burgers, and salads.

THE NEW FRONTIER RESTAURANT AND BAR: 12945 IN 57, 812-867-6786. Bloody Mary bar, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, salads, steak, fried chicken, and pork chops.

THE NEW OLD MILL: 5031 New Harmony Road, 812-963-6000. Steaks, chicken, catch of the day, sandwiches, soups, and salads.

NOMOD: 900 Main St. (inside Main Street Food & Beverage). Serving a smash burger, brunch burger, and chicken wings.

PATTIE’S SAND TRAP AT FENDRICH GOLF COURSE: 1900 E. Diamond Ave., 812435-6028. Burgers, sandwiches, chicken, salads, and a variety of snacks.

PIE PAN: 905 North Park Drive, 812-425-2261. Traditional American cuisine. Homemade pies sold by the slice and whole.

PIER 17 CAJUN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AND BAR: 600 N. Green River Road., 812-303-6338. Cajun classic appetizers like fried calamari and seafood from shrimp and oysters to catfish served in combo specials, fried baskets, and boils.

 THE RED WAGON: 6950 Frontage Road, Poseyville, IN, 812-874-2221. Catfish, oysters, and grilled salmon.

ROBERT’S BY THE RIVER: 6 Walnut St., 812-777-0074. A sit-down restaurant offering generous appetizer portions, nearly a dozen sandwiches, and entrees such as smoked pork chops and Southern-style meatloaf.

ROOSTER’S DEN: 3988 Haley Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-706-3555. Family recipes and homestyle cooking.

 SAY’S RESTAURANT: 500 Church St., New Harmony, IN, 812-270-4183. Comfort food made with seasonal local ingredients

 SIDEWALK CAFE: 228 Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-831-2233. Gourmet chicken salad, Italian beef, tomato basil turkey wrap, loaded potato soup, and strawberry cake. Catering available.

 SILVER BELL RESTAURANT: 4424 St. Wendel Road, Wadesville, IN, 812-963-0944. Sandwiches, fiddlers, pizza, and vegetable side dishes. Family-style fried chicken dinner specials.

THE TIN FISH: 707 State St., Newburgh, IN, 812-490-7000. Fresh fish flown in daily, clam chowder, salads, and sandwiches.

VFW 1114: 110 N. Wabash Ave. of Flags, 812-422-5831. Friday buffet, prime rib on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday.

WAYLON’S DINER ON MAIN: 606 N. Main St, 812-777-0088. All-day breakfast, homemade desserts, lunch specials, and cold sandwiches and wraps for grab-n’-go lunch.

 YESTERDAZE BAR & GRILL: 101 S. Second St., Boonville, IN, 812-8970858. Daily lunch and dinner specials; sandwiches, wraps, salads, sides, and entrées.

 ZACK’S DINER: 202 E. Locust St., Fort Branch, IN, 812-753-1230. Family restaurant serving breakfast all day and standard diner fare.

ZESTO: 102 W. Franklin St., 812-424-1416; 920 E. Riverside Drive, 812423-5961. Hamburgers, fish and chicken sandwiches, tenderloins, soups, and ice cream.

 THE ZONE BY MARYSCOTTS: 433 Plaza Drive (in Southwind Plaza), Mount Vernon, IN, 812-643-5024. Chef-driven fresh scratch cuisine in a family-friendly restaurant with a sports theme.

AMERICAN FARE NATIONAL CHAINS

APPLEBEE’S: 5100 E. Morgan Ave., 812-471-0942; 5727 Pearl Drive, 812426-2006; 1950 U.S. 41 N., Henderson, KY, 270-826-9427. Soups, sandwiches, salads, and various dinner entrées.

BISCUIT BELLY: 945 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-777-8300. Shareable breakfast dishes, biscuit sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, and more.

BJ’S RESTAURANT AND BREWHOUSE: 1000 N. Green River Road, 812-5509320. Soups, salads, pizza, pasta, burgers and sandwiches, and other entrées. Catering available.

BOB EVANS: 1125 N. Green River Road, 812-473-9022. “Homestyle” American menu.

BUBBA’S 33: 1 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-901-6409. Fresh burgers, pizza, sandwiches, entrées, classic pub-style appetizers and sides, and a full bar.

CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN: 2100 N. Green River Road, 812-491-9976. Garden-fresh salads, homemade soups, and varied entrée selections including pasta, lemon pepper chicken, and tilapia.

CRACKER BARREL: 8215 Eagle Lake Drive, 812-479-8788; 2130 U.S. 60 E., Henderson, KY, 270-826-5482. Classic American cuisine.

CULVER’S: 1734 Hirschland Road, 812-437-3333; 4850 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-492-8000. Butter burgers, frozen custard, cheese curds, and more.

DRAKE’S: 1222 Hirschland Road, 812-401-2920. Craft beer, burgers, and sushi.

FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES: 5402 E. Indiana St., 812-401-1773. Burgers, hot dogs, and Cajun fries.

ASSORTED DESSERTS AT PIE PAN

PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW

FREDDY’S FROZEN CUSTARD & STEAKBURGERS: 2848 N. Green River Road, 812-909-4395; 5501 Pearl Drive, 812-303-6137. Steakburgers, sandwiches, and frozen custard.

GOLDEN CORRAL BUFFET & GRILL: 130 N. Cross Pointe Blvd., 812-473-1095; 1320 N. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-869-9310. Large buffet selections, steaks, shrimp, and chicken. Weekend dinner menu begins at noon.

JAKE’S WAYBACK BURGERS: 115 Cross Pointe Blvd., 812-475-9272; 624 E. Diamond Ave., 812-422-4999. Burgers, hot dogs, and hand-dipped thick milkshakes.

JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS: 939 N. Burkhardt Road, Ste. A, 812-618-3939; 8850 High Pointe Drive Ste. A, Newburgh, IN, 812-758-4208. Serving cold and hot subs including BLTs, club sandwiches, Philly cheesesteaks, and more. Catering available.

LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE: 5645 Pearl Drive, 812-421-0908. American fare including hand-cut steaks, baby-back ribs, mesquite-grilled chicken, appetizers, salads, and seafood.

LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE: 320 N. Green River Road, 812-473-2400. Steak, chicken, ribs, seafood, sandwiches, and burgers.

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE: 7201 E. Indiana St., 812-474-0005. Specialty steaks, chicken, seafood entrées, salads, and vegetable side dishes.

PANDA EXPRESS: 2445 Menards Drive, 812-479-8889. Chinese fast food like orange chicken, sesame chicken, and fried rice.

RAFFERTY’S: 1400 N. Green River Road, 812-471-0024. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and dinner entrées.

RED LOBSTER: 4605 Bellemeade Ave., 812-477-9227. Soups, salads, sandwiches, seafood entrées, fresh-catch, and daily specials.

RED ROBIN: 6636 E. Lloyd Expressway, 812-473-4100. A variety of hamburgers including the “Banzai Burger,” the “Royal Red Robin Burger,” and the “Whiskey River BBQ Burger.” Full bar menu. Catering available.

TERIYAKI MADNESS: 8833 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-4900048. Japanese inspired, Seattle-style teriyaki customizable bowls of chicken, steak, tofu, veggies, noodles, white rice, and fried rice.

TEXAS ROADHOUSE: 7900 Eagle Crest Blvd., 812-477-7427. Ribs, steaks, side items, and fresh baked bread.

TGI FRIDAY’S: 800 N. Green River Road (in Eastland Mall food court), 812-491-8443. Specialty salads, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, chicken, pasta, and seafood entrées.

WINGSTOP: 499 N. Green River Road, Ste. B, 812-909-3445. Classic, boneless, and crispy wings in 11 flavors.

PIZZERIAS

ARCHIE & CLYDE’S RESTAURANT & BAR: 8309 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-7778. Pizza, fried cheese ravioli, wraps, salads, soups, gyros, and barbecue.

AZZIP PIZZA: (Best Business That Gives Back) 5225 Pearl Drive, 812401-3572; 8850 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-3810; 2121 N. Green River Road, 812-901-0490; 4660 N. First Ave., 812-250-8947. All personal sized pizzas (8 or 11 inches) made with one meat and all the vegetable toppings included. Thin and crispy pizza as well as thick-crust and 7-inch pizzas. Warm cookies, salad, and beer available.

CASEY’S DUGOUT: 2900 Lincoln Ave. A baseball-themed eatery serving specialty pizzas like Graham Slam and Tater Swift, sandwiches, cheese bread, and Just Rennie’s cookies.

DONATOS PIZZA: 710 S. Green River Road, Ste. 3, 812-618-3868. Pizza, oven-baked subs, salad, calzones, wings, and desserts. Catering available.

DONTAE’S HIGHLAND PIZZA PARLOR: 6669 Kratzville Road, 812-777-0016. Pizzas, strombolis, salads, and appetizers.

FARM 57: 3443 Kansas Road, 812-677-5757. Wood-fired, brick-oven pizza from The Pizza Revolution and weekly food truck events.

FAT BOY’S PIZZA: 10722 Highway 662 W., Newburgh, IN, 812-518-3061. Local una-style pizza serving take-out orders only.

FRANKLIN STREET PIZZA FACTORY: 2033 W. Franklin St., 812-602-3028. Pizza, sandwiches, wings, appetizers, and salads.

GARDO’S ITALIAN OVEN: 13220 Darmstadt Road, 812-868-8071. Pizza, sandwiches, wings, appetizers, and salads.

GATTITOWN: 316 N. Green River Road, 812-473-3800. Buffet-style pizzas, pastas, salads, and desserts all in a kids’ festival-like arcade.

K’S PIZZA: 315 E. Diamond Ave., 812-303-2381. Pizza, strombolis, Italian subs, sandwiches, and more.

KIPPLEE’S STADIUM INN: 2350 E. Division St., 812-476-1936. Pizza, wings, and sandwiches.

LOMBARDI’S NEW YORK PIZZA AND WINGS: 3311 N. Green River Road, 812-602-5255. Authentic New York-style pizza sold by the slice or whole and buffalo wings.

LYLE’S SPORTSZONE PIZZA & PUB: 1404 E. Morgan Ave., 812-425-7729. Home of Lyle’s original loaded stromboli. Also serves pizza and sandwiches.

MOD PIZZA: 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway, Ste. C-102, 812-602-5525. Custom, artisan-style pizzas.

NATION’S PIZZA: 4120 N. First Ave., 812-437-4343; 2278 S. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-212-3700. Pizza, subs, wings, and pasta. Late night delivery available.

NOBLE ROMAN’S: 222 S. Red Bank Road, 812-303-4010; 1216 Washington Square Mall, 812-473-4606. Pizzas, salads, breadsticks, garlic bread, hand-sauced chicken wings, pasta, and sandwiches.

PANGEA KITCHEN: 111 S. Green River Road, Ste. E., 812-401-2404. Offering authentic Neapolitan and Detroit-style pizzas, Thai cuisine, and Italian gelato.

PANGEA PIZZERIA: 401 N.W. Second St., 812-401-2500. Neo-Neapolitan pizza, scratch-made gelato from Pangea Kitchen, and Grande cookies.

 PIZZA CHEF OF BOONVILLE: 423 W. Main St., Boonville, IN, 812-8971600. Pizza, sandwiches, and appetizers. Catering available.

PIZZA KING: (dine-in facilities) 220 N. St. Joseph Ave., 812-424-7976; 7777 State Highway 66, Newburgh, IN, 812-853-3368; 1033 S. Weinbach Ave., 812-476-4941. Pizza and baked stromboli-type sandwiches.

PIZZA OVEN: 5806 Stringtown Road, 812-425-1455. Pizza, strombolis, and Texas barbecue sandwiches.

ROCA BAR AND PIZZA: 4600 Washington Ave., 812-422-7782. Sandwiches, salads, pasta entrees, pizza, steaks, and chicken plus breakfast options. Live entertainment and patio dining.

ROUNDERS PIZZA: 510 W. Mill Road, 812-424-4960. Specialty pizzas including the Nameless Special, a pie with the tomato sauce on top, and the Bavarian, a pie served with mustard.

ROUNDERS PIZZA TOO: 12731 N. Green River Road, 812-867-7172. Specialty pizzas including the Nameless Special and the Bavarian.

SAM’S PIZZERIA: 2011 W. Delaware St., 812-423-3160. Pizza, sandwiches, calzones, pasta, strombolis, wings, and breadsticks.

 SANDY’S PIZZA: 609 S. Main St., Fort Branch, IN, 812-753-3972. Pizza, strombolis, sandwiches, and spaghetti.

THE SLICE: 2011 Lincoln Ave., 812-454-0983. Pizza by the slice or pie. Non-traditional varieties.

SPANKEY’S UNA CAFE: 15 Jefferson St. Ste. 101, 812-303-2810. Gourmet pizza, salads, sandwiches, dessert, and a full bar.

SPANKEY’S UNA PIZZA: 4404 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-402-6776. A pizza joint with a variety of specialty pizzas such as The Westsider with an assortment of meat toppings, and strombolis.

STEVE’S UNA PIZZA: 1005 S. St. James Blvd., 812-477-5411. Dinner-only takeout, thin-crust pizzas, and extras.

 TURONI’S FORGET-ME-NOT-INN: (Best Pizza - Write In) 4 N. Weinbach Ave., 812-477-7500. Pizza, salads, sandwiches, and fresh-brewed beers.

 TURONI’S PIZZERY AND BREWERY: (Best Pizza - Write In) 408 N. Main St., 812-424-9871. Pizza, salads, sandwiches, and freshbrewed beers.

 TURONI’S PIZZERY AND BREWERY NEWBURGH: (Best Pizza - Write In) 8011 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-5555. Pizza, salads, sandwiches, and fresh-brewed beers.

THE LOBO LOUNGE: 1200 Edgar St., 812-550-1001. Pizza, adult beverages, and more. private Venue

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BARBECUE

BANDANA’S BAR-B-Q: 6636 Logan Drive, 812-401-9922. Pork, beef, chicken, and ribs specially prepared over a pit of select hardwoods for a signature smoked flavor.

 CHEFWHAT BBQ & MORE: 422 Seventh St., Henderson, KY, 270-2120742. Fresh barbecue lunch specials are made to order daily including barbeque burritos, quesadillas, and breakfast on Saturdays. Catering available.

 HAWG N’ SAUCE: 6580 Leonard Road, Mount Vernon, IN, 812-838-5339. Barbecue entrées and home-style side dishes. Catering available.

HICKORY PIT STOP: 1521 N. Main St., 812-422-6919. Barbecue chicken, turkey, pork, mutton, brisket, ribs, and a variety of side dishes.

 HOMER’S BARBECUE: 128 Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-869-2214. Local barbecue with smoked meats, craft sides, cold beer, and cocktails. Catering and food truck available.

 J&B BAR-B-CUE AND CATERING: 48 S. Holloway St., Henderson, KY, 270-830-0033. Chicken, ribs, brisket, and pork with a variety of salads and sides. Catering available.

KENNY’S SMOKE SHACK BBQ: 901 W. Franklin St. 812-303-0867. Pulled pork, turkey legs, smoked sausage links, sliced brisket, chopped mutton, sandwiches, and various sides.

LONESTAR BAR-B-QUE AND SOUL FOOD: 2403 Washington Ave., 812303-3351. Barbecued brisket, tacos, pulled pork, ribs, and more Southern specialties.

MARX BBQ: 3119 W. Maryland St., 812-425-1616. Barbecue chicken, pork, and ribs.

 MISSION BBQ: (Best Barbecue) 1530 N. Green River Road, 812-2130200. Barbecue, made-from-scratch sides, and sandwiches.

 MOONLITE BAR-B-Q INN: 2840 W. Parrish Ave., Owensboro, KY, 270-684-8143. Daily lunch and dinner buffets, as well as a menu. An abundance of barbecue and other meats, plus country-style vegetables, corn muffins, a salad bar, and desserts.

 TAYLOR’S GRILL ON WHEELS: 130 N. Water St., Henderson, KY, 270854-4302. Classic Memphis-style smoked meats, barbecue favorites, loaded mac & cheese, and desserts. Take-out only. Catering available.

 THOMASON’S BARBECUE: 701 Atkinson St., Henderson, KY, 270-8260654. Barbecue varieties of pork, mutton, ribs, chicken, ham, beef, or turkey, with sides like potato salad, slaw, and barbecue beans. Catering available.

ETHNIC

ASIAN

2ND LANGUAGE: 401 N.W. Second St., 812-401-2500. Authentic Asian cuisine, ramen, and desserts. Open for lunch and dinner service.

BIG BANG MONGOLIAN GRILL: 2013 N. Green River Road, 812-602-1400. Openbar Mongolian grill stir fry, lunch and dinner options, and appetizers.

CANTON INN: 947 North Park Drive, 812-428-6611. Cantonese- and American-style appetizers, soups, poultry, beef, pork, and seafood dishes.

CHINA GARDEN: 501 N. Main St., 812-422-6699. Traditional Chinese fare like egg drop soup, hunan chicken, and moo goo gai pan.

CHINA KING: 590 E. Diamond Ave., 812-423-1896. Traditional Chinese entrées like lo mein, Szechuan pork, and Egg Foo Young.

CHINA VILLAGE: 8423 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-8238. Soups, fried rice and noodles, specialties like hunan shrimp, and more.

CHOPSTICK HOUSE RESTAURANT: 5412 E. Indiana St., 812-473-5551. Buffet with traditional Chinese and American menu items.

Contact Aaron: 812-205-7039 knobhillhouse@gmail.com

Dining Directory

FROZEN MARGARITA AND TORTILLA SOUP FROM JALISCO MEXICAN RESTAURANT

CRAZY BUFFET: 701 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-437-8833. Chinese buffet with lunch specials and combination dinners.

DOMO JAPANESE HIBACHI GRILL, SUSHI, AND RAMEN: 215 N. Green River Road, 812-491-0003. Authentic Japanese dishes, bento boxes, sushi, ramen, and hibachi.

FUJI YAMA: 915 North Park Drive, 812-962-4440. Soups, salads, noodles, rice, sushi, hand rolls, chicken, beef, and shrimp dishes.

GANGNAM KOREAN: 518 Main St., 812-550-1171. Korean cuisine, rice and noodle dishes, seafood, and sushi rolls.

GOLDEN BUDDHA: 3221 Taylor Ave., 812-473-4855; 5066 IN 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-853-2680. Traditional Chinese cuisine featuring lunch specials and family dinners.

GRACIE’S CHINESE CUISINE: 12500 U.S. 41 N., 812-868-8888. Soups, seafood, and chicken- and pork-centric dishes.

JAYA’S RESTAURANT: 119 S.E. Fourth St., 812-422-6667. Authentic Korean cuisine and sushi.

JIMMY GAO’S SZECHWAN CHINESE RESTAURANT: 669 N. Green River Road (in Eastland Place), 812-479-7600. Extensive Sichuan menu, including Szechuan dumplings, bok choy, and pho.

JUMAK: 5720 E. Virginia St., 812-303-1705. Traditional Korean dishes such as bibimbap, yachae twigim, and bulgogi.

KANPAI: 4593 Washington Ave., 812-471-7076. International fare and Japanese sushi bar serving beer, wine, and sake.

LIN’S ASIAN EXPRESS: 520 N. First Ave., 812-909-4210. Asian cuisine favorites including sushi, fried rice, and hibachi.

LINCOLN GARDEN: 2001 Lincoln Ave., 812-471-8881. Chinese appetizers, soups, lunch platters, and entrées including crab rangoon and General Tso’s chicken.

MA.T.888 CHINA BISTRO: (Best Asian Restaurant) 5636 Vogel Road, 812-475-2888. Specialties include lemongrass fish, Peking duck, and chicken lettuce wraps.

MAMA’S KITCHEN: 1624 N. Green River Road (inside Aihua International Market), 812-479-7168. Stir-fried dishes and soups.

OSAKA JAPANESE HIBACHI AND SUSHI: 5435 Pearl Drive, 812-303-0359; 4222 Bell Road, Ste. 7, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-1371. Hibachi-style cuisine, sushi bar, and specialty dishes for dine-in and carry-out.

POKÉ PIRATE: 2013 N. Green River Road, 812-434-1725. Signature bowls and build-your-own poke.

POKÉ RIVER: 6240 E. Virginia St., 812-303-8003. Poke and sushi dishes, like poke bowls, sushi burritos, and poke salads.

ROPPONGI JAPANESE STEAK & SUSHI: 7221 E. Indiana St., 812-437-5824. Sushi, filet mignon, New York strip, and hibachi.

SAKURA: 4833 Highway 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-0553, Japanese cuisine like sushi, sashimi, fried rice, tempura, and hibachi dinners.

TANUKI MART: 5614 E. Virginia St. Japanese candies, Momofuku noodles, chili crunches, and more.

TASTE OF CHINA: 4579 University Drive, 812-422-1260. Traditional Chinese dishes such as Mei Fun, Chow Mein, and Egg Foo Young.

THAI BISTRO AND BAR: 5416 E. Indiana St., 812-303-3153. Authentic Thai cuisine, including Pad Thai, curry, papaya salad, crab rangoons, satay, and more.

 THAI CHOW ORIENTAL FOODS: 1007 S. McCreary St., Fort Branch, IN, 812-753-3878. Classic Thai food.

THAI ORCHIDS: 601 E. Boonville-New Harmony Road, Ste. 200, 812-6120465. Curry dishes, drunken noodles, and Thai custard, and more.

TOKYO JAPAN RESTAURANT: 3000 N. Green River Road, 812-401-1020. Hibachi grill: chicken, beef, shrimp, and scallops.

VIETNAMESE CUISINE: 4602 Vogel Road, 812-479-8818. Vietnamese fare, including traditional noodle dishes.

WASABI EVANSVILLE: 1122 Hirschland Road, 812-602-3737. Sushi, hibachi meals, appetizers, soups, and salads.

YANG’S SHABU SHABU: 4700 Vogel Road, 812-471-8889. Chinese, vegetarian, seafood, Japanese, and more.

YEN CHING: 406 S. Green River Road, 812-474-0181. Chinese weekday lunch specials and evening menu items.

ZUKI: Japanese Hibachi Grill & Sushi Lounge: 1448 N. Green River Road, 812477-9854; 222 Main St., 812-423-9854. Sushi and hibachi-grilled foods.

GERMAN

GERST HAUS: 2100 W. Franklin St., 812-424-1420. Traditional German cuisine, including soups, salads, sandwiches, and dinner entrées. Large imported beer list.

 SCHNITZELBANK RESTAURANT: 393 Third Ave., Jasper, IN, 812-4822640. Authentic German food, as well as American favorites.

INDIAN

ROYAL INDIAN CUISINE: 7799 Highway 66, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-4018. Authentic Indian cuisine like samosas, tandoori chicken, curry, and more.

TAJ MAHAL: 900 Tutor Lane, 812-476-5000. Tandoori chicken, paneer tikka, panjabi curry, kadai paneer, and more.

YAK & YETI: 815 S. Green River Road, 812-909-2022. Himalayan family recipes passed down from multiple generations, including Tandoori lamp chops, momo dumplings, and several kinds of curry.

ITALIAN/MEDITERRANEAN

ANGELO’S: (Best Italian Restaurant) 305 Main St., 812-428-6666. Pasta, chicken, seafood, veal, and pizzas.

CAFÉ ARAZU: 17 W. Jennings St., Newburgh, IN, 812-842-2200. Pitas, wraps, shish kebabs, and rotating specials and desserts.

KABOB XPRESS: 3305 N. Green River Road, 812-402-0244. Hummus, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, fresh salads, sandwiches, gyro plate, and many kabob plate options.

LITTLE ANGELO’S: 8000 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-853-8364. Italian cuisine featuring appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas, pasta, and chicken.

LITTLE ITALY: 4430 N. First Ave., 812-401-0588. Italian and Mediterranean pizzas, soups, salads, pasta, chicken, and sandwiches.

MANNA MEDITERRANEAN GRILL: 2913 Lincoln Ave., 812-473-7005. Stuffed grape leaves, gyros, shish kebabs, and more.

MILANO’S ITALIAN CUISINE: 500 Main St., 812-484-2222. Pizzas, pasta, baked sandwiches, and dinner entrées.

 OLEA FUSION BISTRO: 108 Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-577-6055. Serving Spanish and Greek cuisine including tuna ceviche, black bean hummus, omelets, quiches, huevos rancheros, gyros, and more.

OLIVE GARDEN: 1100 N. Green River Road, 812-473-2903. Soups, salads, pasta, and luncheon entrées.

SAUCED: 1113 Parrett St., 812-402-2230. Pasta, steak, and seafood. Catering and event space available in The Ballroom.

SMITTY’S ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE: 2109 W. Franklin St., 812-423-6280. Premium steak, pasta, pizza, and Italian favorites.

LATIN AMERICAN

 AGAVES MEXICAN GRILL: 2003 Stapp Drive, Henderson, KY, 270-957-5028. Mexican fare like burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, chimichangas, and margheritas. Catering available.

BURRITO EXPRESS MEXICAN GRILL: 900 Main St. (inside Main Street Food & Beverage); 2630 U.S. 41, Henderson, KY, 270-577-1225. Authentic Mexican cuisine and local specials. Catering available.

 CANCUN MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 341 S. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-8260067. Fajitas, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, seafood, Mexican-style steaks, and more, plus a yearlong outdoor patio. Catering available.

CARIBBEAN CUISINE: 1010 S. Kentucky Ave., 812-303-0631. Caribbean and Haitian dishes like red beans and rice, oxtail, and fish.

CASA FIESTA MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 2121 N. Green River Road, Ste. 8, 812401-4000; 1003 E. Diamond Ave., 812-437-5516. Traditional Mexican entrées, family specials, and 24-inch “monster” burritos.

CHAVA’S MEXICAN GRILL: 4202 N. First Ave., 812-401-1977. Authentic Mexican cuisine offering burritos, tacos, and more.

CHIPOTLE: 499 N. Green River Road, 812-471-4973; 2800 N. Green River Road, 812-916-4757; 4719 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-435-10888; 1310 Hirschland Road, 812-916-4789. Tacos, burritos, salads, drinks, chips, and guacamole. Catering available.

DON JUAN AUTHENTIC MEXICAN GRILL: 4011 IN-261, Newburgh, IN, 812518-3171. Taco salad, quesabirrias, sopes, flautas, and more Mexican cuisine. Catering available.

EL CHARRO MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 720 N. Sonntag Ave., 812-421-1986. Occasional mariachi band performances. Specialties include paella and chimichangas. Catering available.

EL MARIACHI MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 1919 N. Green River Road, 812-7770111. Street tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, and other Mexican cuisine.

EL PAISANO MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 311 S. Green River Road, 812-437-5089. Street tacos, burritos, tortas, and more.

EL PATRON: 943 N. Park Drive. 812-402-6500. The owners of El Charro opened this restaurant on the North Side, offering authentic Mexican cuisine.

FIESTA ACAPULCO: 8480 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-858-7777. Authentic Mexican dishes, grilled steak dinners, and more.

GOLLITA PERUVIAN CUISINE: 4313 E. Morgan Ave., 812-303-5100. Authentic Peruvian cuisine like Peruvian minestrone, tamales, and papa a la huancaína.

HACIENDA: 990 S. Green River Road, 812-474-1635; 711 N. First Ave., 812423-6355; 5440 Pearl Drive, 812-422-2055; 600 E. Boonville New Harmony Road, 812-401-2180. American-influenced Tex-Mex menu. Catering available.

HOT HEAD BURRITOS: 5625 Pearl Drive, 812-437-5010. Burritos, salad bowls, tacos, nachos, quesadillas to order with meat options including chicken, steak, pork, barbacoa, and taco meat. Catering available.

JALISCO MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 4044 Professional Lane, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-2814. Authentic Mexican cuisine.

LA CAMPIRANA: 724 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-550-1585. 900 Main St. (Inside Main Street Food & Beverage). Fresh Mexican cuisine and fresh juice bar. Food truck available.

LA CATRINA MEXICAN RESTAURANT: 7799 SR-66, Newburgh, IN, 812-5183334. Mexican-inspired burritos, enchiladas, tortas, and tacos, plus chicken wings, nachos, and seafood specials.

LA MEXICANA RESTAURANT: 920 Main St., 812-550-1165. A family-owned establishment serving burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas, and seafood.

LAS AMERICAS STORE AND RESTAURANT, INC.: 1016 S. Weinbach Ave., 812-475-3483. Offers Mexican ingredients for purchase and food made in house.

LOS BRAVOS: (Best Latin Restaurant) 3534 N. First Ave., 812-424-4101; 6226 Waterfront Blvd., 812-474-9078; 4630 W. Lloyd Expressway, 812-464-3163; 3311 Liberty Blvd., Boonville, IN, 812-897-3442. Traditional Mexican menu. Catering available.

LOS PORTALES MEXICAN GRILL: 3339 N. Green River Road, 812-475-0566. Authentic Mexican dishes, grilled steak dinners, and more.

 LOS TORIBIO: 1647 S. Green St., Henderson, KY, 270-831-2367. Traditional Mexican cuisine.

LOS TRES CAMINOS: 12100 U.S. 41 N., 812-868-8550. Authentic Mexican cuisine including chimichangas, burritos, Mexican pizza, and quesadillas.

MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL: 6401 E. Lloyd Expressway (inside The Evansville Pavilion), 812-491-6637. Fresh Mexican cuisine. Catering available.

NACHOS GRILL: 821 S. Green River Road, 812-909-0030. Authentic Mexican fare made from scratch with fresh ingredients.

NOCHE CANTINA & COCINA: 2215 W. Franklin St., 812-277-3514. Serving fried truffle yuka fries, grilled elote salad, deep-fried tres leches, and more.

QDOBA MEXICAN GRILL: 922 N. Burkhardt Road, 812-401-0800; 5501 Pearl Drive. Mexican fare. Catering available.

RIVIERA MEXICAN GRILL: 10604 Highway 662, Newburgh, IN, 812-4909936. Fajitas, quesadillas, nacho platters, taco salads, and more.

SALSARITA’S: 3910 E. Morgan Ave., 812-437-2572; 4077 State Route 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-5050. Mexican cuisine like burritos, tacos, taco salads, and its signature Quesorito. Food truck and catering available.

SUNRISE CAFÉ FAMILY RESTAURANT: 8401 N. Kentucky Avenue, 812-626-0050. A family restaurant with a mix of Mexican and American cuisine.

PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW

 TACOHOLICS KITCHEN: 122 First St., Henderson, KY, 270-957-5001. Enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, chimichangas, margheritas, Mexican street tacos, a full bar, and more. Catering available. Food truck called “Mini-Chimi” available.

THE TAQUERIA COMPANY: 800 N. Green River Road, Ste. 102 (inside Eastland Mall), 812-550-1505; 2519 N. First Ave., 812-602-4041; 4600 Washington Ave. Tacos, quesadillas, nachos, fajitas, and burritos with homemade tortillas.

TAQUERIA Y PUPUSERÍA MIRANDA: 2008 Washington Ave., 812-492-9992. Specializing in authentic Salvadorian Pupusas and street tacos with a variety of fillings.

SPORTS BARS

BUFFALO WILD WINGS GRILL AND BAR: 715 N. Green River Road (in Eastland Place), 812-471-9464; 5405 Pearl Drive, 812-423-9464. Chicken wings cooked with various seasonings, burgers, salads, and chicken. BURGH HOUSE AT SHOWPLACE FEC: 8099 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-842-2563. Specialty burgers, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and drinks.

CHASER’S BAR AND GRILL: 2131 W. Franklin St., 812-401-1699. Sandwiches, pizza, burgers, salads, and lunch specials. Catering available.

CORNER POCKET BAR & GRILL: 1819 N. Fulton Ave., 812-428-2255. Soups, salads, sandwiches, plate lunches, pizzas, stuffed baked potatoes, and appetizers.

THE DIVE BARGE: 1801 Waterworks Road. This seasonal riverside 21 and over bar offers burgers, shrimp, wings fries, hotdogs, and more.

DOC’S BAR: (Best Bar to Watch Sports on TV) 1305 Stringtown Road, 812-401-1201. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, and desserts. Family room and kids’ menu available. Free Wi-Fi and full bar. FRANKLIN STREET TAVERN: 2126 Franklin St., 812-401-1313. Drink specials and pizza.

 FROGGY’S RESTAURANT & SPORTS BAR: 7247 Main St., Wadesville, IN, 812-673-4996. Burgers, pizza, wraps, strombolis, sandwiches, the famous pork steak, and more. Catering available.

HOOTERS: 4620 Lincoln Ave., 812-475-0229. Appetizers, wings, soups, salads, and sandwiches.

 IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL: 203 N. McCreary St., Fort Branch, IN, 812753-9918. Bar food and drinks. Bikers are welcome.

J’S SPORTSBAR & GRILL: 1602 Vann Ave., 812-401-2266. A menu of chili, wings, burgers, sandwiches, and more.

KC’S MARINA POINTE: 1801 Waterworks Road, 812-550-1050. Seafood options and full bar.

MOJO’S BONEYARD SPORTS BAR & GRILLE: 4920 Bellemeade Ave., 812-4758593. Bar food including chicken wings, burgers, and strombolis.

NEIGHBORS: 4222 Bell Road, Ste. 1, Newburgh, IN, 812-269-7410. Classic bar food and favorites including sandwiches, smashburgers, and salads.

NEWBURGH TAVERN: 707 State St. Ste. E, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-1363. Serving beer and specialty cocktails.

O’BRIAN’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL: 1801 N. Green River Road, 812-401-4630. Irish tavern food, Reubens, burgers, soup, and salad.

PRIME SPORTS: 4944 Old State Route 261, Newburgh, IN, 812-518-3050. A greaseless kitchen serving pizza, wings, strombolis, and more.

 ROOKIES RESTAURANT: 117 S. Second St., Henderson, KY, 270-826-1106. Angus beef steaks, seafood, pasta, chicken, sandwiches, prime rib, and Arabian salad. Banquet room for events.

TIKI ON MAIN: 524 Main St., 812-424-5020. Burgers, hot dogs, gyros, small pizzas, fish dinners, and cold drinks. Open seasonally.

WINGS ETC.: 628 E. Diamond Ave., 812-909-2945; 8833 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-490-0550; 401 Walker Drive, Henderson, KY, 270-205-4486. Chicken wings, burgers, wraps, salads, and wide beer selection.

TAVERN FOOD

 3RD STREET SALOON: 118 S. Third St., Boonville, IN. Traditional pub food with unique homemade twists made with local meats.

BOKEH LOUNGE: (Best Place to Hear Local Bands) 1007 Parrett St., 812-909-0388. Open daily at 11 a.m. Offering a full menu including steaks, kabobs, burgers, salads, sandwiches, and vegetarian meals. Brunch on Sunday and weekly specials.

 THE BRASS RING: 231 S. Main, Haubstadt, IN, 812-632-8681. Serving smoked sausage dogs, bone-in wings, fish sandwiches, strombolis, and more. Also offers a pizza kitchen.

BUD’S ROCKIN’ COUNTRY BAR AND GRILL: 2124 W. Franklin St., 812-4011730. Southern comfort food, daily plate lunch and beer specials, and gourmet flatbreads. Catering available.

DARMSTADT INN: 13130 Darmstadt Road, 812-867-7300. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and plate lunches. Dinner entrées include steaks, fried chicken, and seafood.

DEERHEAD SIDEWALK CAFÉ AND BAR: 222 E. Columbia St., 812-425-2515. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and double-decker pizzas.

ENIGMA BAR & GRILL: 4044 Professional Lane, Newburgh, IN, 812-4900600. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and various entrées as well as a tequila menu.

FOOL MOON GRILL AND BAR: 5625 Pearl Drive, 812-467-7486. Appetizers, wings, signature salads, and burgers.

HIGHLAND INN: 6620 N. First Ave., 812-909-1500. Appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, and customer-favorite Bloody Marys.

THE HILLTOP INN: 1100 Harmony Way, 812-303-3732. Sandwiches including fried tenderloins, brain, fried bologna, fried fish, salad bar, steaks, chicken, and seafood entrées.

HORSTKETTER’S TAVERN: 5809 Stringtown Road, 812-423-0692. Traditional tavern serving cold beer and deli meats.

K.C.’S TIME OUT LOUNGE & GRILL: 1121 Washington Square, 812-437-9920. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and pizza. Plate lunch specials available.

KNOB HILL TAVERN: 1016 Highway 662 W., Newburgh, IN, 812-853-9550. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and dinner entrées including shrimp, steak, chicken, fiddlers, and hand-tossed pizzas.

LAMASCO BAR & GRILL: 1331 W. Franklin St., 812-437-0171. Tavern menu including soups, salads, and sandwiches.

 METZGER’S TAVERN: 1000 Powell St., Henderson, KY, 270-826-9461. Traditional tavern appetizers, soups, sandwiches, and breakfast.

 NISBET INN: 6701 Nisbet Station Road, Haubstadt, IN, 812-963-9305. Homemade soups, desserts, and barbecue. Catering available.

PEEPHOLE BAR & GRILL: 201 Main St., 812-423-5171. Cheeseburgers, onion rings, fries, and the splitter (a fried hot dog).

PRIME TIME PUB & GRILL: 8177 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-4900655; 12301 U.S. 41 N., 812-247-0093. Prime rib, burgers, half-pound burgers, salads, more than 30 bourbons, and more. Catering, food truck available, and doggy menu available.

THE ROOFTOP: 112 N.W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 812-550-1599. Breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, and pizza.

 ROUTE 65 TAVERN: 10801 Main St., Cynthiana, IN, 812-622-2025. A family restaurant in the front and a tavern in the back that serves sandwiches, burgers, chicken quesadillas, shrimp cocktails, and more.

 SNAPS BAR & GRILL: 1115 Main St., Jasper, IN, 812-848-7627. Sandwiches, burgers, salads, steaks, chicken, and pasta dishes.

THE SPORTSDEN BAR + GRILL: 701 N. Weinbach Ave., Ste. 110, 812-479-8887. Strombolis, sandwiches, wings, and more.

SPORTSMAN’S BILLIARDS AND GRILLE: 2315 W. Franklin St., 812-422-0801. Cheeseburgers, tenderloins, cheese balls, and more.

ST. JOE INN: 9515 Saint Wendel Road, 812-963-9310. Soups, salads, sandwiches, plate lunch specials, fiddlers, steaks, and fried chicken dinners.

 ST. PHILIP’S INN: 11200 Upper Mount Vernon Road, 812-985-5558. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and plate lunch specials. Dinner includes fried chicken, open roast beef, catfish, shrimp, and more.

STOCKWELL INN: 4001 E. Eichel Ave., 812-476-2384. Plate lunches, homemade soup, salads, sandwiches, steak, pork chops, and brain sandwiches. Catering available.

 YELLOW TAVERN: 521 Church St., New Harmony, IN, 812-682-3303. Must be 21 to enter, cash or check only. Traditional American food such as pizza, steak, and sandwiches.

ZAPS TAVERN: 3725 St. Philip Road, 812-985-2121. Tavern-style food including wings, burgers, and dinner entrées, plus ice cream from JB’s Barnyard. Catering available.

BREWERIES, WINERIES, AND CRAFT COCKTAILS

ARCADEMIE: 22 N.W. Sixth St. Craft cocktails and regional beer on tap.

BARKER BREWHOUSE: 96 N. Barker Ave., 812-437-5079. Serving an extensive selection of beers, including craft and brewed on-site, plus wines and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as some pre-packaged food items. Food may also be brought in or ordered for delivery.

 BOUCHERIE VINEYARDS AND WINERY: 6523 Keyway Drive, Spottsville, KY, 270-826-6192. Wine tastings and winery tours.

 CAP & CORK: 104 N. Water St., Henderson, KY. Craft beer, buffalo fries, ribeye, jalapeno cheddar sausage, and more on the menu.

DAMSEL BREW PUB: 209 N. Wabash Avenue of Flags, 812-909-1956. A microbrewery and restaurant serving pub food.

 DUSTY BARN DISTILLERY: 6861 Carson School Road, Mount Vernon, IN, 812-454-0135. A distillery making bourbon, rye, and liqueurs with a tasting room open for sampling, cocktails, and bottle purchases.

ENTWINED WINE AND COCKTAIL BAR: 303 Main St., 812-550-1393. A robust list of wine, beer, and cocktails, plus appetizing plates of starters and shareables.

HAYNIE’S CORNER BREWING CO.: 56 Adams Ave., 812-909-2668. Craft ale, beers, and wine. Beer can be taken to go.

 HENDERSON BREWING COMPANY: 737 Second St., Henderson, KY, 270200-4314. IPAs, porters, farmhouse ales, and more.

HIGH SCORE SALOON: 309 Main St., 812-909-3229. Arcade bar with local and regional brews, full bar, tots, nachos, and sandwiches.

HUSH ON MAIN: 323 Main St., Ste. F. 1920s speakeasy offering custom cocktails, appetizers, a dinner menu including pasta dishes, and weekend brunch.

JENNINGS STREET PUBLIC HOUSE: 300 W. Jennings St., Newburgh, IN, 812518-4007. Local craft beer, wine, domestics, scratch cocktails, and spirits, plus a small food menu.

MO’S HOUSE: (Best Place to Have a Drink After Work) 1114 Parrett St., 812-401-3800. Craft cocktails made from scratch, ample lounge seating, patio space, and snacks.

 MONKEY HOLLOW WINERY: 11534 E. County Road 1740 N., Saint Meinrad, IN, 812-357-2272. Local organic meats and cheeses, Saturday evening concerts in summer, and a tasting room.

MYRIAD BREWING COMPANY: 101 S.E. First St; 8245 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh, IN, 812-402-1515. House-brewed and guest beers, as well as wine and spirits. Carry-in food and food delivery are permitted, and food trucks often visit on weekends.

 PEPPER’S RIDGE WINERY: 4304 N. County Road 200 W., Rockport, IN, 812-649-9463. Free wine tastings, picnic areas, pizza delivery, local meats and cheeses, wine slushies, and weekend live music.

 RIVER CITY BREW WORKS: 405 Main St., Rockport, IN, 812-649-2739. Located in a historic building and offering regional craft beer, wines, and a food menu.

 WINZERWALD WINERY: 26300 N. Indian Lake Road, Bristow, IN, 812-3577000. German-inspired wines, flatbreads, salads, Bavarian pretzels, charcuterie trays, and paired wine and food flights.

CATERING

ACROPOLIS CATERING/VENUE 812: 1401 N. Boeke Road, 812-758-4660. Greek-American cuisine, chicken, beef, lamb, salads, and desserts. Food truck available.

AGAPE GRAZE: 122 N. Weinbach Ave., 812-518-0008. Charcuterie catering and gift delivery services.

BAUERHAUS MOBILE CATERING: (Best Wedding Venue) 13605 Darmstadt Road, 812-759-9000. Customized menus from simple party trays with gourmet hors d’oeuvres to elegant seven-course meals.

DILEGGE’S: 607 N. Main St., 812-428-3004 or 812-459-9864. Fine Italian-American cuisine available for catering or special and private events, with food served in the in-house banquet room outdoor dining.

FIELD 2 FORK CATERING: 17425 Owensville Road, 812-899-1010. Providing produce, meat, and local alcohol selections from fresh, local ingredients.

JAYSON MUNOZ CATERS: 4593 Washington Ave., 812-471-7076. Favorite dishes from Chef Jayson Munoz like bourbon chicken, tacos, and carb rangoon.

JUST RENNIE’S CATERING: (Best Caterer) 100 S.E. Fourth St., 812-401-8098. Specializes in fine foods.

KOKIES FOOD SERVICE & BANQUET CENTERS: 11917 Highway 66, 812-423-8229. Offering a diverse menu, from tacos to lobster.

MILLER’S CATERING, BARBECUE, AND WEDDINGS: 10108 Schaeffer Road, 812-454-2744. Specializes in catering, barbecue, wedding packages, and fundraisers.

 THE NEW HARMONY INN & CONFERENCE CENTER: 504 North St., New Harmony, IN, 812-682-6150 or 812-682-6168. Caters within a 50-mile radius of New Harmony, Indiana, and offers a variety of food from steaks to sandwiches.

PAPPA BEAR’S CATERING: 812-568-8890. Whole hog roasts, hand-sliced brisket, smoked pork chops, rib-eye steaks, pulled pork barbecue, pulled chicken, smoked chicken, side items such as twice-baked potato casserole, potato salad, and green beans, and desserts.

PIZZA REVOLUTION: Downtown Evansville Farmers Market and various locations, 812-430-5945. Mobile wood-fired pizza and salads.

 SCHNITZELBANK CATERING: 409 Third Ave., Jasper, IN, 812-634-2584. Caters home-cooked favorites to elegant cuisine.

AT HOME

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

STORIES EDITED BY EVANSVILLE LIVING STAFF, WITH CATHERINE ANDERSON

Building & Real Estate

Adam Green Architect 108

Berkshire Hathaway-Green River Meadows 105, 106

Bosse Title Company 95, 105

Brian Stevens Homes 97, 107

ERA First Advantage Realty 95

F C Tucker Emge 92, 97

Fee Construction 96

First Federal Savings Bank 93, 94

German American Bank 98, 101

Graber Post Buildings, Inc 101, 106

H G McCullough Designers Inc 103, 104

Habitat for Humanity of Evansville 99, 104

Landmark Realty & Development 108

Liberty Federal Credit Union 102

NextHome Hahn Kiefer Residential 103, 107

Team McClintock/F C Tucker Emge 99, 100

Interior Design

812 Garage Floors 108, 111

Bancroft Blue Design Co 109, 110

Benny’s Flooring 111, 112

Cabinets & Counters 119, 120

Give a Dog a Bone 117, 118

Grateful Threads 115, 116

Paint and Carpet Depot 121

Pella Windows & Doors 117, 120

Rug Merchant, The 113, 121 Simplicity Furniture

Square Yard Carpet 116

Sunrise Flooring & Cabinets

The Rug Gallery of Newburgh

Outdoor Living

All-Weather Products, Inc 125, 126 Bill Egli Concrete

Colonial Classics, Inc 123, 124

Corressell Landscaping 129, 131

Hornbeck Concrete Services 128

Kelley Custom Pools 122, 125

Landscapes By Dallas Foster, Inc 127, 130 Lawn Masters 122, 129

McMahon Exterminating, Inc 127, 128

Service & Supply

CenterPoint Energy 132, 127

Evansville Winsupply

135 Hamlin Equipment Rental 136

J E Shekell, Inc

L&W Supply 136

Paragon Sight Sound Security

Turpen’s Painting Co

Home is Where the Heart is

Building or buying the home of your dreams is easier than ever with guidance and input from these local construction and real estate professionals.

Smart Financing

Elisa Snyder, Retail Lending Sales Manager, FVP, offers tips on your mortgage

What trends do you see in the mortgage market, and how do they impact potential home buyers?

We’re observing a gradual change in the real estate market, transitioning from a rapid seller’s market to a developing buyer’s market. Inventory is still low due to sellers being reluctant to give up their current 2-3 percent mortgage rates, prompting a rise in demand for construction loans.

What advice do you typically offer first-time home buyers navigating the mortgage process?

The first step in the home buying journey is to sit down with one of our experienced Retail Loan Advisors at First Federal Savings Bank to discuss the loan amount and program that best fits your needs. You want a monthly mortgage that is comfortable and won’t strain your budget. Getting prequalified prior to scheduling home tours is important so you can avoid falling in love with a home that is over your budget.

What types of mortgage loan products does First Federal Savings Bank offer, and how do they cater to different borrower needs?

Whether you are a first-time home buyer, medical professional, or veteran, or are looking to build your dream home, we have a mortgage loan program to fit every scenario. We have programs that offer up to 100 percent financing to fit your financial goals and budgets.

How does First Federal Savings Bank provide support and guidance to borrowers throughout the mortgage process?

When you start your loan application with one of our loan advisors, you work directly with them throughout the entire process. We also offer in-house servicing, making our closing process quick and efficient. Our loan servicing team is on hand to answer any questions throughout the lifetime of your loan. Customers are also able to stop by any of our 10 convenient locations at any time for additional assistance.

What do you foresee as future trends and challenges in the mortgage industry, and how is First Federal Savings Bank preparing to address them?

I believe the mortgage industry is going to continue to see higher interest rates compared to the ones we witnessed from 2020 to 2022. It’s hard to predict what’s to come in the immediate future, but our loan programs are consistently adapting to the current market to encourage and enable borrowers to purchase their dream home.

What other services does First Federal Savings Bank offer?

First Federal Savings Bank is a full-service community bank that offers complete banking products for individuals, families, and businesses. Whether you’re looking to invest in a Certificate of Deposit, buy your dream car, or expand your business, we have products and expert guidance to help you succeed.

First Federal Savings Bank firstfedsavings.bank

Welcome to Victoria Woods, Newburgh’s premier residential experience. Just minutes from historic Newburgh, Victoria Woods feels a world away. Enjoy the best of the great outdoors by walking through more than 400 acres of forest, fishing in our beautiful lakes, swimming in our community pool, and catching views of the rising and setting sun from your porch. This beautiful landscape sets the scene for the lifestyle of your dreams. At Victoria Woods, you’re home.

Gimme Shelter

What to know before you venture into the real estate market

Summer is a popular time of year for buying and selling homes: kids are out of school, yards are green and lush, and vacations allow time to move in or out. But first, you need a game plan. Whether you’re buying or selling, building, or moving in, Janice Miller of ERA First Advantage Realty weighs in on the important real estate market points you need to know.

Describe the home building and real estate market now.

The current market is still a seller’s market. Average days on market is up a little, but not by much. We are still seeing multiple offers on homes that are priced correctly. New construction is still a strong market and there are some buyer incentives being offered.

What is the number one request from clients these days?

The number one request we see is for homes with land or large lots.

Well Titled

Stay a step ahead of homeownership with Bosse Title Company

What services do you offer?

We offer real estate closing services and issue title insurance for residential, commercial, and industrial real estate transactions. While we primarily serve the surrounding counties, we are able to work in all of Indiana and Kentucky.

Are home construction projects experiencing delays related to materials?

Last year, there were delays because of materials, but that seems to have cleared up for the most part now.

Name one theme you are seeing in the marketplace. We are seeing buyers going both bigger and downsizing.

How can the current interest rate environment affect clients?

The interest rates seem to have settled down and do not seem to be affecting the current market nor buyers’ decision to purchase a home. Buyers' price points have had to be adjusted slightly due to the increase in interest rates, which affects what they will qualify for.

What do the best home client relationships have in common?

Communication is key to a great client relationship. Establish what your client’s goals are for their housing needs and make sure they are prepared to compete in this market. For a seller, that entails making sure the home is ready for the market and that a top-notch marketing plan is in place. For a buyer,

What are some misconceptions about the current market?

Obviously and understandably, everyone is concerned about the current interest rates. That said, historically speaking, rates are still low. According to a local home builder, Indiana saw an 11 percent increase in new home construction year over year for the first quarter. This statistic is consistent with what we’re seeing in our own backyard. Home sales have been steadily increasing in Gibson, Posey, Warrick, and Vanderburgh counties. While the numbers are still lower than in 2022, it’s good to see the housing market becoming robust again.

Is owning financially smarter than renting?

Assuming homeownership is for you, it’s financially smarter to own than rent. If someone is

Building & Real Estate

being pre-approved is an important first step to make the home buying process a smooth transaction. Buyers need to understand how much they need to put down, how much their payments might be, and how much they can afford.

ERA First Advantage Realty erafirst.com

waiting on the sidelines for rates to drop to buy a house, there’s an adage that says to “marry the house, but date the rate” – meaning when rates fall even lower, you can always refinance.

Explain the kind of experience and expertise your team has.  Bosse Title has been in business for more than 30 years. We’ve handled thousands of real estate transactions.

Why would someone want to use your services? We’re locally owned and operated. We’re conveniently located, and if you can’t come to us, we can come to you.

Bosse Title Company bossetitle.com

The 411 on Fee Construction

Trust a proven professional with your next building project

Looking for a general contractor for your next home or commercial building project? Turn to Fee Construction.

Get to Know Fee Construction

Fee Construction was born out of necessity. About 10 years ago, Josh Fee needed a construction crew to complete renovation and maintenance work for his business, Fee Properties. Once that crew was developed, Fee Construction was founded and took on smaller bathroom and kitchen renovations. Then, larger projects and additions were added to the mix, such as the Main Street Food and Beverage food hall at 900 Main St. Fee Construction launched its custom homes department in spring 2022 with a spec home near Cambridge Golf Course. The company is starting construction on its fourth custom home soon and continues to do kitchen and bath renovations as well as additions.

Working with Fee

When you become a Fee Construction customer, you can expect a smooth, efficient project. Vice President of Sales Adam Gann and Estimator

Why choose Fee?

Anyone considering a remodeling or building project should make sure their contractor is affiliated with the Southwestern Indiana Builders Association and follows Indiana Quality Assurance Builders Standards. Being a member of SIBA – Adam even sits on the board of directors – means Fee Construction customers can expect a high-quality project.

Fee Construction stays alert to industry trends and changes by regularly visiting trade home shows, studying customers’ material selections profiles, and listening to construction professionals to prepare for trend shifts.

In the end, customers need to be satisfied and feel that a contractor has not only met but exceeded their expectations. The team at Fee is committed to ensuring it executes each customer’s requests with integrity, safety, respect, quality, and innovation.

From left to right: Nick Grant (Estimator), Josh Fee (President/Owner), Tavian Fee (Son of Owner), Adam Gann (Vice President of Sales), Jeff Hibbs (General Superintendent), Jared Fee (Executive Vice President)

Managing the Market

Real estate in Southwest Indiana and Northwest Kentucky keeps moving

With prime home-buying and moving season now upon us, all eyes remain on interest rates and the supply of homes. Rates for home loans continue to fluctuate, so as real estate agents, we are encouraging our clients to concentrate on three things: First, do what you can now to boost your credit score. Second, shop around and compare lenders. Third, keep an eye on rates. When a rate dip happens, lock it in.

“Real estate transactions are still happening and will continue to happen, as home buyers are realizing that buying is still better than renting,” says Gretchen Muchnick, co-owner of F.C. Tucker Emge . “Don’t let rising interest rates deter you from investing in a home. Interest rates are normalizing, and more buyers are ready to take the plunge into homeownership. Remember that owning a home brings a sense of pride, stability, and security that is invaluable. So, focus on the long-term benefits and make a sound decision based on your individual circumstances.”

New construction is ramping up as lumber prices have fallen from their peaks in 2021 and 2022. “The focus of these new homes is really targeting a wide range of price points. The needs of home buyers can var y according to where they are in their life cycle, so a larger supply of homes that will satisfy anyone downsizing, upsizing, or rightsizing is a welcomed sight,” Muchnick says. “A trend is also emerging with multi-generational families living in the same home, which is increasing the home purchasing power and the need for larger homes.”

Another reason for increased construction of new homes is that sellers are more reluctant to sell. While they might have a good amount of equity in their current home, the idea of a new mortgage at a higher rate isn’t appealing. Unless they have the opportunity to pay cash for a new home rather than getting a mortgage, many of them are staying put.

The real estate market is never boring and might seem complex right now, but that’s why the professionals at F.C. Tucker Emge are here to help. Our agents have the expertise and the training needed to serve their clients, no matter the situation.

F.C. Tucker Emge fctuckeremge.com

Have It Your Way

Brian Stevens Homes makes custom residences a reality

The place you call home should be exactly what you envision, and that starts with a trusted homebuilder. Brian Stevens Homes of Evansville brings second-generation homebuilding experience to every client, and owner Brian Stevens himself offers 18 years of experience running his own custom home company.

Expect a Custom

Experience

“Everything we do is 100 percent custom and detail-oriented for the customer. It doesn’t matter if it’s a $400,000 house or a million-dollar house. You get the custom experience,” Stevens says. “Our core values are quality, integrity, and, most important, availability. I am second to none at answering my phone when people need me.”

Top-Notch Customer Service

Brian Stevens Homes’ commitment to customer service touches every aspect of every project. “I ask detailed questions before the build so that everything is bid how they want the home built. This process really helps in keeping the project in budget,” Stevens emphasizes.

Additionally, keeping up with style trends allows for greater customer satisfaction.

“We are seeing more siding on higher-end homes. … It has given recent homes a really good look,” Stevens shares.

The Importance of Efficiency and Trust

“A normal home takes me seven months or so from start to finish. Some higher-end homes can get up to 10 months,” Stevens says. “The clients are trusting you and spending a lot of money with you. They deserve to be able to get ahold of you during the entire build process and, most importantly, after the build process.”

Brian Stevens Homes brianstevenshomes.com

Building the Future

Habitat for Humanity of Evansville marks 600 homes in 40 years

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Habitat for Humanity of Evansville, and we have now dedicated 600 homes since our founding in 1984! We are only the 25th Habitat affiliate in the nation out of over 1,000 affiliates to reach this important milestone!

This is not only a celebration for Habitat but for the entire community! Thanks to your support, 600 local families have a safe, secure, and affordable place to call home. These families are experiencing financial freedom and stability that they never

A Community of Connection

Enjoy refined living at Saddle Creek Estates

What inspired the development of Saddle Creek Estates, and what amenities can future residents look forward to?

Developer Wayne Kinney envisioned Saddle Creek Estates as a neighborhood embodying the character and values of McCutchanville, catering to the growth spurred by local employers like Toyota. He wants to create a community that offers tranquility and connection featuring lakes, mature trees, and thoughtful amenities like a well-lit environment and a welcoming waterfall feature at the entrance.

What sets Saddle Creek Estates apart from other developments in the area?

Mindy Word from Team McClintock and Jill Lucy of ERA are united in their enthusiasm for Saddle Creek Estates. They are keen to assist future homeowners in navigating the development’s offerings, where 86 lots await construction and personalizations. The developer’s

thought possible, allowing them to build better lives and futures for themselves and their children.

Through the Habitat program, families receive a hand-up, not a handout. They work alongside volunteers and future homeowners to build and buy their homes through a zero-percent interest mortgage. Families experience the pride of what it means to be a homeowner and learn the important skills they need to maintain their home and become financially independent.

Without the generosity of community volunteers and donors, none of this would be possible! Thank you to everyone who has given their time, talents, and treasures to help local families achieve their dream of homeownership!

“When

approval process ensures that each home aligns with the community’s high standards which promises a neighborhood consistent with Saddle Creek Estate’s vision of quality and elegance.

What are the financial options available for those interested in Saddle Creek Estates?

Cindy Barnhill from Liberty Federal Credit Union is excited about the growth of the North Side. The credit union supports this development by offering mortgage options fitting different needs, including conventional and construction loans with low down payment options. They also provide a Lot Loan Program for those who want to secure their spot in Saddle Creek Estates now and build their dream home later.

How does the Saddle Creek Estates development address the needs of the Evansville community?

Wayne Kinney says the development is set to unfold over the next decade, safeguarding investments and building a neighborhood of character. With options ranging from start-up homes to million-dollar estates, Saddle Creek is poised to be a defining feature of North Side living.

To learn more about building in Saddle Creek Estates, contact Mindy Word at 812-455-2976 or Jill Lucy at 812-459-0036.

Team McClintock teammcclintock.com

I open the door to my home it’s going to be like opening a new chapter of my life.” - Cheyenne T.

Habitat for Humanity of Evansville evansvillehabitat.org

Welcome to Saddle Creek Estates!

Nestled in the rolling hills of McCutchanville, Indiana, Saddle Creek Estates is a new, residential subdivision offering a picturesque setting with large, wooded lots. Saddle Creek Estates was strategically designed to be a secluded and quiet retreat from a busy world, and with only one entryway to its 127 homes, drive-through traffic will be minimized, making it a safer community. With its North Side location, Saddle Creek is only a 15-20 minute drive from Downtown Evansville, Toyota, and East Side shopping, and for the frequent traveler, it is only 5 minutes from Evansville Regional Airport. Quick and easy access to Highway 41 puts Schnucks grocery, CVS Pharmacy, and your choice of banking and restaurants only 5 minutes away. Saddle Creek is proud to be within the school districts of McCutchanville Elementary School, North Jr. High School, and North High School, all built in the last 10 years.

2: HOMES STARTING AT $400,000 & UP SECTION 3: HOMES STARTING AT $300,000 & UP

Post Up

Find skilled carpentry at Graber Post Buildings

Neatly tucked away down an old country road just outside of Montgomery, Indiana, sits the impressive Graber Post Buildings sales office and manufacturing complex. Forged from humble and modest beginnings, GPB was begun in 1973 by Glen Graber with the help of three other Amish carpenters. His purpose was to provide for his entire family.

As a skilled carpenter, Graber knew that providing the best quality materials and craftsmanship while erecting post-frame buildings would be a key factor to his success. In 1987, supply chain issues helped him make one of his biggest business decisions ever. He invested in a computerized roll-former to produce his own siding and roofing panels. It was a major risk in the early stages of his business venture, but it yielded great opportunities for future growth.

Today, Graber Post Buildings has grown year after year while building on the same core values that Mr. Graber set in place on Day One: Providing the best building materials, at a fair and competitive price. GPB has more than 30 sub-contracting crews to construct buildings and install metal roofs in a two-hour radius of Montgomery. We stock and distribute every item needed for a post/stud framed building or metal roof. We build custom wood trusses, laminated columns, five metal siding/roofing profiles, metal trims, windows, doors, overhead doors, and any other imaginable item that you may need.

Residential post-frame buildings or “shouses/barndominiums” have become a popular topic in the last few years. To help aid in the design process, our website features a design tool that allows you to come up with your own custom design that can then be submitted for a free, no-obligation quote. We also feature a color visualizer that will help aid in picking the perfect color combination for your next build. Lastly, to help with design inspiration, we have a gallery with all our top projects to give you great ideas/ tips to include in your next build.

Graber Post Buildings graberpost.com

Bank On It

Be prepared for your mortgage with German American Bank

Shopping for a new home and need financing? Don’t go it alone. German American Bank’s team of Mortgage Lenders and Customer Service Specialists help home buyers navigate their options and select the loan that meets their needs. Best of all, the team at German American is with customers each step of the way.

Home Loans

German American Bank is known for welcoming customers with expertise and professionalism, commitment to customer service, and customizing home loans that fit each unique budget. Each German American Bank Mortgage Lender helps identify the best mortgage program for clients’ particular needs. This includes comparing different loan estimates with considerations for an affordable down payment, and the individual’s credit score.

That’s why the German American Bank team is up to date on available programs for low down payments, payment assistance, and veterans’ assistance, as well as conventional programs such as 15or 30-year fixed or adjustable rates.

Client Preparation

Each member of the mortgage team knows the importance of taking steps to help determine the best mortgage. They advise that the client monitors their credit score to ensure it is accurate. German American Bank offers up-to-date credit score monitoring in its mobile banking app.

A credit score can be improved by making on-time payments for all bills and minimum payments on debts. The more allocated toward debt payments, the more quickly a credit score may improve over time. Don’t take on further debt when considering a home-purchase.

Additionally, examine current spending and create a budget. Pay down debts to improve your debtto-income ratio. Save for the down payment and other upfront costs.

Be Informed

Meeting one-on-one with a German American Bank Mortgage Lender is the most helpful first step to understand the full scope of the home-buying process. German American knows that questions may arise unexpectedly, and team members pride themselves on being available in the office, by phone, or email when customers need them.

German American Bank germanamerican.com

Home Life

Learn what’s trending in home design

HOME DESIGN TRENDS CHANGE, and not just colors and materials. The very purpose of a home changes as people age, and when the real estate market fluctuates, so does how residents choose to define their dwellings. Early observers of those market trends are home designers such as the experts at H.G. McCullough Designers. Here, they tell us what changes they have observed in TriState home construction.

What themes in home design have you noticed? In the Tri-State, we are seeing more remodels (both additions and alterations), and for new home design, both “right-sizing” and “downsizing” square footage living space. Projects in the Indianapolis area and northern Indiana are “going bigger.”

Name three current design trends. We are currently seeing these design requests: covered outdoor living space with an outdoor cooking area; kitchen, dining, and family room areas that are open to one another; and townhouses that include elevators.

Tell us which exterior materials are popular right now. The most popular exterior materials are combinations of stone and brick, composite cedar shakes, composite board and batten, and metal roofing.

H.G. McCullough Designers hgmccullough.com

-Shera Smith

Becky Kasha (Managing Broker), Krystal Wedel (Agent), Jason Dicken (Agent), Marian Trapp (Agent), Crystal Burns (Agent)

New All-Brick Development on North Green River

Green River Meadows Phase One is underway, and Phase Two will be open soon

Green River Meadows welcomes you to a new slice of the American dream and your shot at suburban bliss, right in the heart of Evansville’s North Side. Developed by Kinney Home Construction as one

of Evansville’s newest subdivisions, Green River Meadows boasts full-brick exteriors, standing as a testament to craftsmanship and persistent value.

Conveniently located close to suburban conveniences, and midway between the downtown area and Blue Grass Fish & Wildlife Area, Green River Meadows is districted into Oak Hill Elementary, North Junior High, and North High schools – and with Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s award-winning classroom and vocational opportunities, the educational opportunities are endless. Green River Meadows is less than 10 minutes from the Schnucks at Lynch and Green River roads, and about a half hour from Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Princeton, Indiana. For sports enthusiasts and soccer families, the nearby Goebel Soccer Complex

and Deaconess Sports Park serve as a hub of activity with opportunities for recreation and community. And being near Evansville Regional Airport, you’re less than a 10-minute drive from anywhere in the world, for business or leisure. Most importantly, Green River Meadows is a great new neighborhood for you and yours to call that powerful word that endures into our memories, hearts, and stories: home.

Green River Meadows greenrivermeadowsevv.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - Indiana Realty bhhsIN.com

GREEN RIVER MEADOWS

Right at Home

Find your family’s next home with NextHome Hahn Kiefer Residential

NextHome Hahn Kiefer Residential, the residential side of Hahn Kiefer Real Estate Services, has its new home in the former location of The Pub restaurant and Rosedale movie theater. The building was vacant for years before it was purchased and completely renovated to house the real estate companies.

NextHome Hahn Kiefer has been in Evansville since 2018 and has expanded to six agents. On average, its agents have 10 years of experience and work full time in real estate or real estate related fields.

NextHome is known for its mascot, Luke, the bright orange French bulldog. Luke guards the firm’s listings and pops up elsewhere now and then. He sets the tone at the company as lighthearted and humorous, but the NextHome team takes customer service very

Building & Real Estate

seriously. In fact, its tag line is “Raising the Bar for Customer Service.”

Managing broker Becky Kasha says the mindset is, “How much can we do for our clients?” whereas others may think, “How little can we get by with?”

One of the unique offerings at NextHome is a designer on staff –Jim Lang, of Jim Lang Designs. Jim has decades of experience in both design and real estate sales and is accepting new clients for both design and sales. Jim, as well as any of the other NextHome Hahn Kiefer agents, can be contacted through the main office.

NextHome Hahn Kiefer Residential

MAKING YOUR DREAM AN AFFORDABLE REALITY

A second generation builder, Brian Stevens brings quality, innovative design, and constant attention to detail to each individual home. It’s a tradition built on the recognition of each customer’s individuality and the dedication to make each customer’s visions become reality.

Down to the Details

Make your house a home with customizable amenities and products from the Tri-State’s finest in renovations, flooring, rugs, decor, and more.

Elevate your Space

Bancroft Blue Design creates engaging, substantive spaces

Whether it’s a residential or commercial project, Bancroft Blue Design takes pride in listening to the needs of all clients and helping them make the best decisions possible.

“Ever yone deserves to be in a space that makes them happy and comfortable to live and work every day,” Design Guru Jaima Graham says.

Graham enjoys taking on any project that involves space planning, which she describes as “the foundation of everything — what finishes work where, and how they need to be applied: electrical, storage space, and how materials on furnishings hold up.”

The most common requests, Graham says, are for color selection, kitchen remodels, custom cabinetry, and general space planning for both homes and commercial projects.

Bancroft Blue Design completed Breckenridge Assisted Living in Morganfield, Kentucky, a 60,000-square-foot facility, plus numerous projects at Newburgh,

Indiana’s Rolling Hills Country Club over 12 years, such as its grand ballroom, foyer, dining room, bathrooms, and lounges, plus color selections, custom cabinetry, and door hardware.

“There is so much substance to what I do,” Graham says. “There seems to be a common belief that you can’t be a technical thinker and an interior designer. My education at the University of Kentucky was such a benefit in training me as a technical thinker. Professors at school also pushed the notion that you must reduce the inability to be flexible with different styles and tastes than what you personally have. It’s necessary to justify why something is important to the design of the space with each client.”

The motto of Bancroft Blue Design is, “Details Make Design.” Graham says that’s because “it’s those little details that people get most excited about and feel are personalized for them. I like to let clients talk to the point they feel they’ve overshared about how they use a space. It’s in that in-depth conversation that I learn ways to make their design as functional as possible for them.”

Bancroft Blue Design bancroftbluedesign.com

Rugs 101

Shopping tips from The Rug Gallery of Newburgh

Redecorating your living space? Owner Mike Kishline details why The Rug Gallery of Newburgh should be the starting point for rug shoppers.

“The Rug Gallery of Newburgh specializes in hand-knotted and machine-made rugs in sizes and colors that will fit your budget and your decor,” he says. “Attention to detail, combined with exceptional service and in-home trials are just a few of the reasons that first-time and repeat customers find their way to The Gallery.”

Since a rug can accentuate a room’s best features or serve as a focal point, it’s important to seek out and carefully consider a wide range of inventory.

“With extensive experience in selling and installing rugs, I can assist in room measurement and suggest style choices that will enhance any space,” Kishline says. “I have more than 2,000 traditional, transitional, and contemporary styles in stock in every size and price range, including current trendy colors. I travel to India and U.S. markets to order directly from rug manufacturers. Buying rugs can be compared to buying art. It’s a fun part of this business, and it feels great to provide my customers with many options to ‘decorate your floors with art.’”

Kishline has been selling rugs for over 17 years, and The Rug Gallery of Newburgh is a name you can trust.

“I invite you to experience the difference in selecting and purchasing fine quality rugs at affordable pricing. I love what I do, and I look forward to earning your business for a lifetime.”

The Rug Gallery of Newburgh

LAKERIDGE CROSSING REMODEL

Jaima Graham, Interior Designer and owner of Bancroft Blue Design Co., creates a functional and beautiful space for clients on a fast-track timeline.

A CURIOSITY AND PASSION FOR FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

At a young age, Jaima would spend hours taking things apart and putting them back together. She had a passion for making things work efficiently with a high level of functionality. This translated into a degree from the University of Kentucky College of Design. After working for a commercial furniture dealership, an architecture firm, and a flooring company, Jaima decided to pursue her real estate license in 2021. At the time, she thought real estate would be her focus, but after four client calls in quick succession about interior design projects, it quickly became apparent that interior design was the main emphasis of her new business, Bancroft Blue Design Co.

A DREAM REMODEL PROJECT

What began as a kitchen remodel and replacing floors for a Lakeridge Crossing client grew to a total home remodel, complete with a laundry room. Jaima created CAD scaled floorplans, 3DRenderings, and Sketches to show the clients the final Design.

TWO-AND-A-HALF-MONTH TURNAROUND

The Lakeridge Crossing kitchen was demolished on Nov. 6, 2023. Substantial completion of the project was achieved prior to Christmas. The entire remodel was formally completed on Jan. 19, 2024. Had it not been for a full set of custom stairs that was added during the last quarter of the project, the completion would have occurred by the end of the year.

RAPID REMODEL

A few factors set up the ability to deliver a job of this scope in such a brief timeline. The client hired Jaima as Project Manager in addition to Interior Designer. Jaima worked with the clients on preplanning the design of the remodel prior to the demo. The contractor, Josh Haas of Tom Haas Construction was a perfect fit to

handle the scheduling demands and communication needs. This project was a dream scenario in that the homeowners allowed Jaima to make the day-to-day decisions. When problems arose, Jaima went to the client with a solution already in mind as well as an associated cost.

“We had a print that hung in my Grandma’s kitchen that we wanted to pattern our remodel around. That was all we gave Jaima, and what she did from there was amazing. She helped me with everything from renting an Airbnb to getting to the last touches on this awesome remodel. We love our new house, and she made the process very enjoyable. We will be working with her again in the future. She’s part of the family now.”

BRING ON THE REMODEL PROJECTS

Through Jaima’s design work with her company, Bancroft Blue Design, she aspires to teach people how good design can enrich and enhance their lives. Jaima enjoys the challenge and lots of moving parts that come along with a remodel. She sees her most important role as a designer as educating her clients on how to make an efficient and usable space – not just a pretty space. For Jaima, the goal is that in the long run, her clients will never have to change the footprint of their home. The homeowner will find the layout suits the way they use their space and may only wish to update the design to make it on trend years down the road.

-James B.

Which Concrete Coating is Right for Me?

812 Garage Floors helps you select the perfect concrete coating for any space

812 Garage Floors started small during the COVID-19 pandemic, and founders John and Barb Gisler have grown it into a family business. The company has evolved to serve commercial and residential spaces in the Evansville area, meeting different needs within the community.

“It was just me at the beginning, and as the company grew, my son Andrew joined the business in 2021,” John says. “In 2023, Andrew’s brother-in-law, Brian Reynolds, joined after he finished serving in the U.S. Army.”

Be Floored

Benny’s Flooring brings your dreams to life

Benny’s Flooring has assisted the Tri-State with all its floor covering needs for more than 25 years – we’re experienced at bringing your dreams to life! Benny Detalente started in the floor covering business at a young age. Together with his wife, Brenda, and their two grown children, Josh, and Kayla, they have become the Tri-State’s premier floor-covering provider.

812 Garage Floors specializes in enhancing spaces with high-quality resinous coatings, concrete overlays, and concrete polishing for both indoor and outdoor environments. Their expert team collaborates with clients to identify the optimal coating solution tailored to each space’s specific needs, taking into account factors such as moisture vapor emissions, UV exposure, and abrasion resistance.

“The most common coating right now is polyaspartic flake,” John says. “A lot of inexperienced installers like to sell polyaspartic flake as the best coating for all applications. This is simply not true. While it is a great product, it is not the solution to every coating need.”

Whe ther clients are seeking a decorative touch with flake or metallic coatings for residential

spaces or need a durable system for industrial settings, 812 Garage Floors ensures all surfaces are not only beautiful but built to last. Trust 812 Garage Floors for a finish that stands the test of time.

812 Garage Floors

“We enjoy what we do and treat our customers like we’d expect to be treated. There’s no pressure, and we’re not commission based. Instead, we look at each customer – whether a residential or commercial project –as unique and an opportunity to build a long-term relationship,” Benny says.

Walk into either of two local showrooms, and you’ll be greeted with a smile and provided with professional design expertise to fit your situation. You’ll find hundreds of top industry brands with competitive pricing and no-pressure sales.

What’s unique about

Benny’s Flooring?

We have heard from our customers over the years that we “offer the premium floor covering experience here in the Tri-State from beginning to end.” As a locally family-owned and operated business, we’re committed to each customer we serve. We’re experienced in everything from hardwood to luxury vinyl planks to classic carpeting. Our years of experience bring professional design expertise, friendly customer service, professional installation, and satisfaction guaranteed.

What don’t people know about Benny’s Flooring?

1) On average, most of our employees have been with us for at least 10 years. We care about our employees, have regular staff meetings to keep everyone on the same page, and provide ongoing industry training and education opportunities. Our customers experience the benefits of our ongoing staff training and development for themselves. In our experience, happy employees equal happy customers.

2) We offer the industry’s top brands and the latest flooring coverings. Visit either of our conveniently located showrooms in Evansville or Newburgh and browse hundreds of samples to fit your unique situation. Our professional design and installation experience helps guide each customer to the right flooring, and we guarantee satisfaction. Check out our website to see our variety of offerings and our latest work for happy Tri-State customers.

Benny’s Flooring bennysflooringin.com

Front Row: Monica Clark, Luann Wells, Narissa Miller, Desiree Luecke, Brenda DeTalente, Kayla DeTalente, and Benny DeTalente.

Back Row: Josh Detalente, Sam Belcher, Herb Stogsdill, Dan Short, Howard Fingers, and Kris Jones.

Interior Design

The Perfect Match

The Rug Merchant caters to all kinds of clients and their needs

Describe your inventory and styles of rugs available.

When Terry Lewis opened The Rug Merchant, his goal was to offer something for everyone. Fifty-four years later, we still have one of the largest inventories of in stock rugs in the Midwest! At any time, we have around 2,000 hand knotted, machine woven, tufted or antique rugs in stock in traditional, contemporary, and transitional styles. Every one of our rugs carries a tag with the price, material, and country of origin. We don’t haggle over prices or offer different prices to different people.

What do you think is most important in working with clients?

Everyone has a different “why” when it comes to buying a rug. Also, what may seem like not very much money to one person is an astronomical amount to someone else. That’s why our focus is on finding the right rug for each client. With thousands of in-store rugs, we’re able to stay within almost anyone’s budget.

Are there certain types of rugs that are more suitable for different lifestyles?

Every day we hear, “I don’t want to spend a lot of money, because I have dogs/kids/ cats/messy friends.” We totally understand those situations. If the reason is that right now you have other priorities for spending, no problem. We can stay within almost any budget to find your perfect rug. If clients are afraid of ruining a “good” rug with kids and pets, they are exactly the ones who should spend a little more and get a quality rug that can stand up to whatever life throws at it, be cleaned time after time, and always look like new afterward.

The Rug Merchant therugmerchantevansville.com

Customer Focused

Simplicity Furniture prides itself on quality home furnishings and unforgettable experiences

What services do you specialize in?

We specialize in the customer! Every service we offer, such as our free same-day delivery and free haul away of the customer’s old furniture, allows us to fulfill any need they may have. We believe when a customer purchases their furniture, they should have it that day!

What makes Simplicity unique? It would be simpler to list what doesn’t make it unique, but we are far from boring! From live music to comedy shows on weekends, resident store pets, and an ice cream machine, we have it all! Owner Pat Coslett always says, “It’s not about the furniture,” and he’s right! It’s about the customer feeling welcomed and at home. We truly specialize in the unforgettable.

How does Simplicity Furniture prioritize customer satisfaction? What steps do you take to ensure a positive experience for every customer?

Our store focus continues to be the customer. We love to curate an experience for them the moment they walk through the door to make their shopping experience

easier. Our sales team listens to the customers’ needs and helps them find whatever they need! They are also not on commission, so the customer can shop without pressure. When someone does purchase from us, we always ensure that if there are any issues, we will make them right!

What values or principles does Simplicity Furniture embody as a brand? How do these values influence your business practices and interactions with customers?

Time and time again, the thing that simplicity values the most is the customer. Our principles are good quality furniture that won’t break down on you, as well as good quality fun. We are a family-owned business, so we have the flexibility to make our own rules to make sure that people stay happy and come back to see us again. Our interactions with our customers reflect that. When someone walks into our store, they are greeted with a hello and offered something to drink. Often, the sound of laughter from other shoppers and our salespeople is heard while they shop. We really like to create an environment where people feel like they are visiting friends.

Simplicity Furniture simplicityevv.com

A New Venture

John Abel and Brian Ferguson join forces at Sunrise Flooring & Cabinets

John Abel, owner of Sunrise Flooring & Cabinets , has a new partnership with interior designer Brian Ferguson. When they met at a Business Networking International meeting, John was looking to expand the cabinet side of his business and needed a reliable and talented partner. Brian joined the team and now handles design for kitchens and baths, cabinet layout, and flooring and tile.

Brian draws on his years of interior design experience when working one on one with clients and brings fresh ideas and styles to customers. John is excited to offer his customers a “one-stop shop” experience where they can select tile, flooring, and cabinetry in one place. The customer experience comes first, and this new duo is all about taking good care of people.

Sunrise Flooring specializes in “anything you can walk on,” John says. “We focus on flooring for the everyday person, and we work with everyone like they are family by helping them make decisions based on their needs.” Trusted staff man the Newburgh store, and chances are you’ll cross paths with the owner himself.

Once you select flooring from a variety of options such as tile, laminate, luxury vinyl plank, or carpet, John’s flooring crew schedules your installation. The crew works directly for him and is fast, efficient, and courteous. “There’s a real team environment instilled within our crew, and they do the job right,” John says.

No matter if you choose cabinetr y or flooring, the devoted team at Sunrise Flooring & Cabinets is with you each step of the way.

Curious about the Latest Trends?

Brian says that Modern Shaker-style cabinets are popular, and shades of blue and green are current favorites for pops of color. Shoppers also enjoy lighter natural woods and light-colored floors.

Top Trends

Here’s how to pull together a tasteful aesthetic that is still perfectly you

Home decorating options are extensive, offering shoppers an endless parade of colors, textures, materials, lifespans, purposes, and qualities. Being offered endless options can intimidate a client into indecision without a trusted opinion to help them achieve their dream results, but specialists such as Grateful Threads Fabric can make sense of materials, organize your ideas, and arrive at a solution that feels like a perfect expression of your tastes.

“We help clients realize their design projects from inception to completion,” owner Tresa Miller says.

“Family heirlooms to thrift store finds can elevate your decor and create a space that is uniquely you.”

Invest in Color Pops

Miller says neutrals have been the go-to, and that’s not a bad thing. “It enables us to incorporate a lot or a little color to reflect each client’s design aesthetic for a fresh, individualized look,” she says.

Talk about Texture

“Texture creates all the beautiful layers and interest in every project,” she says. “Can you say Boucle?”

Study Your Surfaces

“We want to see as many hard surface selections as possible to incorporate the right textiles. Fabric first!” Miller says. “Floors, paint, cabinetry, and counters have unlimited options, but fabric is unique and can be the inspiration or palate for everything else.”

What’s Trending?

“We often get requests for items that are sustainable, durable, cleanable, and beautiful. Sure! We can do that,” Miller says. As for materials, she calls crypton “superhot right now because of its cleanability, long wear, and soft hand,” she says. “It is perfect for use by people, and their kids and pets! Always wanted a white sofa? You can have one now!”

Grateful Threads Fabric gratefulthreadsfabric.com

Throw Me A Bone!

Give A Dog A Bone pampers your pets with holistic products

What products do you offer that can make a pet feel more comfortable in a new home?

We really have almost everything a cat or dog might need. Creating a space that’s truly theirs can be helpful, which can be accomplished with a cozy bed, a new cat scratcher or climber, or even something as simple as a new, high value treat. For anxious pets that may need extra support, we carry a selection of natural and safe calming treats and remedies that can help ease their stress.

Do you have any accessories or products that are a must-have for new dog owners?

The absolute basics are a healthy food that they like and tolerate well, as well as some training treats and a bowl or feeding platter. Next would be some enrichment. Long-lasting chews are great for burning energy and mental stimulation. Another good form of enrichment are treat-dispensing puzzles and toys.

The Door to More

Give your home a professional polish with Pella Windows & Doors

Freshening up your home this spring? Open doors — literally — by consulting a professional for your home’s exterior openings.

Stimulating and engaging their mind is just as important for them as it is for us.

Do you offer any specific pet cleaning products (carpet cleaners, shampoos, etc.)?

Yes, all of the above. We have a great selection of shampoos, conditioners, hair detangler sprays, and more for both the average pet and for pets with sensitive skin or hot spots. We also carry safe household cleaners that are exemplary at removing urine smell and reducing pet markings in the house.

Why is this business important to you and how has it impacted the Evansville area?

This business is important to us because the pet industry is kind of a mess. It’s a confusing time for pet owners to figure out how best to feed and care for their pet, and we can help. We see ourselves more as consumer advocates, not brand apologists that just want to sell more. Our goal is

to actually help our community through the products we carry and the knowledge we have about those products. Our store opened as a “natural” pet food store more than 19 years ago, long before natural pet food and raw feeding were popular or even really heard of. This is the store I would want to shop at for my own pets if I was the customer. In fact, before we took ownership of Give a Dog a Bone nine years ago and before Elizabeth even started working here 12 years ago, we were customers.

Give a Dog a Bone dogbonemarket.com

What is the process Pella  Windows & Doors takes new clients through?

We begin by first understanding the needs of our clients and follow up with identifying the best quality products for their project. Whether visiting your home or our showroom, a Pella expert will:

• Review design, plans, and elevations

• Present material and color options

• Measure window and/or door openings

• Explain the installation process

• Prepare a quote

Why should you choose Pella Windows & Doors?

As one of the most recognizable window and door manufacturers on the market, Pella has a reputation for high-quality products with excellent workmanship.

What are some of the latest trends in windows and doors?

We are seeing black and bold windows that are taller and wider with broader expanses of glass.

What types of warranties are available on Pella products?

We offer a Limited Lifetime Warranty with a local service department that backs up our product.

What are your most common client requests now?

Through the Pella Windows & Doors Design Works program, we can show clients asking for actual images of their home with various exterior colors, window styles, and grille patterns.

How important is collaboration with the builder or remodeler in working with your clients?

We pride ourselves on attention to detail for all projects along with clear communication between the builder, designer, and homeowner.

Pella Windows & Doors pellabranch.com/evansville

Top That

Cabinets & Counters helps your home’s surfaces shine

What services do you specialize in?

We template, fabricate, and install granite, quartz, quartzite, marble, and dolomite countertops.

What does your inventory look like?

We have a large inventory of different types of natural stone slabs, quartz slabs, and remnant pieces for smaller projects. Does it change year-round? Absolutely –we receive new slabs every week. Some of the slabs we pull in are pieces that customers have hand-selected at one of our distributors, or slabs we are ordering in for customers. Other slabs are ones we simply pull in for stock material. We are always on the lookout for new and exciting countertop materials!

Is any project too big or too small? Not at all! We provide countertops for entire homes as well as small furniture pieces.

Why is being a family-owned business important?

One of the most important things customers should know is that when you work with a family-owned business, you are getting a group of people who truly care and are passionate about what they do and the product they create.

How should new clients make the first step?

A good first place to start is to gather samples of your cabinet color, flooring, backsplash, paint, etc. and stop in to take a look at our slabs and samples. We have a wide selection available that is sure to satisfy everyone’s style!

Cabinets & Counters cabinetscounters.com

p Nick Wood, Cherie Simpson, Jeremy Bethel, and Ray Butler

QUALITY LAW N CARE DELIVERED

Nature is Calling

These area experts can help expand your living space into the outdoors with pools, hardscapes, landscapes, and gardens.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Gain a green thumb with a full-service center

Colonial Classics is the TriState’s largest and most complete garden center and nursery.

“We are proud to have served our customers and community since 1958. Growth in outdoor living and gardening has been phenomenal the last three years,” says JT McCarty, President of Colonial Classics.

The Tri-State has followed a national trend to invest more in outdoor spaces to create personal havens of beauty and tranquility.

A recent National Association of Home Builders survey cited 58 percent of respondents’ connection to the outdoors and nature as a strong influence in their design choices, with 45 percent of respondents saying outdoor entertaining will receive increased attention. A large, green backyard once satisfied homebuyers, but today’s homeowners are seeking more options and flexibility in how they use outdoor spaces.

Colonial specializes in being a full-service garden center and nursery that can help customers

with all their gardening and landscaping needs. For those looking to add color to landscaping beds, thousands of varieties of annuals, perennials, and shrubs are stocked most of the year. If your yard needs just one beautiful tree or a full-scale landscape project that includes a swimming pool, patio, outdoor kitchen, and pergola, Colonial has extensive experience and training to design and install it.

“Our staff is trained to advise on the right plants that will thrive and mature into the vision our customer has,” McCarty adds. “In addition, we carry numerous lines of outdoor furniture, beautiful gift/decorative items, and the largest selection of pottery and fountains in the area.”

“Colonial Classics isn’t the best because we are the oldest. We are the oldest because we are the best,” McCarty says. “We appreciate the confidence our customers have placed in us for 65 years to help them achieve their gardening/landscaping dreams.”

Colonial Classics colonialnewburgh.com

On Solid Ground

Bill Egli Concrete has constructed durable structures since 1975

Family-owned Bill Egli Concrete Construction, Inc., takes pride in its legacy of providing excellent quality concrete construction projects expeditiously. The company’s clients benefit from the company’s specialization in residential and commercial concrete jobs of all kinds. Additionally, a large scope of their work currently involves decorative concrete.

Founded by Bill Egli Sr., his son Billy Egli Jr. is the current owner and CEO. Clay and Kane Egli, sons of Bill Jr., thrive in the family business and help the company stay current with the latest trends in the industry.

How Bill Egli Concrete Does Things Differently

Bill Egli Concrete, Inc. stands apart based on the company’s 49 years of experience, maintaining an extremely efficient crew, and the ability to transform a home or project within a short time frame. Next year, the company will celebrate a half century as a business. Fifty years pouring and finishing concrete allows Bill Egli Concrete to take pride in its reputation for craftmanship, professionalism, and attention to detail.

Adapting to Challenges and Trends

Throughout the years, cement shortages, rising material prices, the housing market crash of 2008, and the COVID-19 pandemic are some of the challenges the concrete industry faced. In addition, the many changes in market trends, particularly in the construction industry, have required Bill Egli Concrete, Inc. to adapt, as well as welcome, the technological innovations that improve efficiency. Despite it all, the company has held steadfast to the same work ethic and core principles throughout the years.

Bill Egli Concrete Construction, Inc. facebook.com/billyegli27

Water World

Dive into a one-of-a-kind creation with Kelley Custom Pools

What services do you specialize in?

We specialize in custom, in-ground, vinyl-lined swimming pools that we tailor-fit to customers’ needs. We also offer a full catalog of premium fiberglass inserts for those who prefer the permanent durability those pools tend to offer.

Outdoor Living

Bring the outside in with a room enclosure

As spring unfolds, Tri-State residents are taking to their porches and patios more often. Jason Feightner, owner of All-Weather Products, Inc. , discusses how to select the right patio cover or room enclosure for your home, as well as the company who should install it.

Describe the latest trends in room enclosures and patio covers.

The floor-to-ceiling glass look is the latest trend in glass room enclosures and, honestly, I love it. It looks tremendous! Tempered safety glass knee wall areas provide a stunning look to the outdoor spaces and really connect the customers with nature and their outside space.

How did Kelley Custom Pools originate?

Floyd Kelley, a general contractor like his father, started our company as a subcontractor in 1953, then with his sons founded F.T. Kelley & Sons in the early ’80s. After more than 70 years in business, Floyd’s vision continues with his sons and grandchildren as Kelley Custom Pools .

Explain your design process for creating a custom pool.

The homeowner and our sales representative start with an onsite, no-pressure consultation about placement, options, pricing, and more. The overall idea is fleshed out as final choices are made. Once construction begins, we have a firm idea of the homeowner’s expectations, yet we remain flexible enough to pivot should the need or desire arise.

What customization options are available to your clients?

We hang our hat on not shying away from custom options. Our clients have a huge selection, from pool structure type to liner/ shell color choice, shape, size, and about two dozen options to craft the pool to exactly what they are looking for.

What advice would you give to homeowners considering a custom pool?

Our biggest advice is to take your time. It’s fun and exciting to plan a pool, but it is a process, like all things. Remember, a quality in-ground pool will last generations. The good decisions you make now, your grandkids will thank you for later.

Kelley Custom Pools kelleypools.com

Is there any maintenance required on a room enclosure?

The product is maintenance-light because the primary material used is aluminum, which doesn’t rust or require painting. However, there are some maintenance items that require a monetary investment that customers should be aware of. Screen cloth has a life span of 7-10 years and can result in $500$800 of maintenance expense when needing replacement. These enclosures are outdoor spaces, and the sealant applied may need freshening every 5-10 years, but this is something that most homeowners can do themselves with as little as $8 to $10 of material cost.

What can a client expect about the process of working with your company?

Customers can expect punctuality, clear communications, follow through, and follow up. They

can expect us to use words like “will” or “won’t” not “should” or “maybe.” Potential clients can expect a no-pressure product presentation visit and for their questions or concerns to be addressed. They can anticipate prompt responses to their emails, and for the phones to be answered by actual humans — not machines or answering services.

All-Weather Products, Inc. allweatherproductsinc.com

Old Granite Texture Mat Pool Deck

Don’t Bug Out

Canines can sniff out Cimex Lectularius, more commonly known as the bedbug

Bedbugs can wreak havoc on a home, and it can be tricky to spot an infestation early. One of the best ways to quickly eliminate bedbugs is by bringing in a scent-trained dog to detect them. Shelby Buono, K9 trainer and National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association certified handler at McMahon Exterminating, Inc. , says their team has started training our dogs using actual bedbugs. Teaching dogs to be alert to the scent of each stage of the life cycle, from the smallest egg to the full-grown adult.

Shelby and canine Sparrow are a NESDCA-certified team. NESDCA is a certifying organization assuring the highest quality standards of Scent Detection Canines are upheld. Shelby plans to certify with Indy later this year.

These dogs are spot on in identifying the multiple life stages of bedbugs. Family dogs such as Labrador retrievers are naturally skilled at scent detection and the dogs are taught through strict obedience training to work around distractions such as food and small children.

“Canines ha ve different scent receptors,” Buono says. “When a dog smells a piece of BBQ chicken, it smells every ingredient in the BBQ. The same goes for bedbugs. Bedbugs are so tiny they can hide inside a screw head. To the trained eye, they are easily missed, but the dog can sniff out a tiny bedbug between the mattress and box springs, helping our treatment team pinpoint exactly where we need to be treating.”

McMahon Exterminating, Inc. mcmahoncan.com

Alluring Aesthetics

Three reasons to plan your landscaping with a professional

A well-landscaped yard can make all the difference to the look and feel of a property, providing you with a comfortable, beautiful place to relax or invite company over. Dallas Foster, owner of Landscapes by Dallas Foster, Inc., offers three reasons why it’s important to plan your home landscaping with a professional.

They can help you design a more cohesive garden

“We like to use bright colors and a blend of textures that complement each other,” Foster says. “Using different bloom colors and a variety of plants that have different shades of green leaf colors make the landscape extremely attractive.”

They can help you plant strategically Professional landscapers plan for the future.

“Don’t get caught up in what is blooming when you are choosing your plants,” he says. “Make sure you research the bloom times and growth habits of each plant in order to be successful in this approach to your landscape design.”

They’ll help you choose the best architectural features to complement your landscaping

Foster notes that unique stones, antique posts, interesting seating, or other small garden objects all can add focal points to the landscape.

“Of course, it is always nice to add landscape lighting to illuminate your landscape at night, which will add that extra color and increase the time during the day you can enjoy your landscape,” he says.

Landscapes by Dallas Foster, Inc. dallasfoster.com

The Great Outdoors

Let Lawn Masters help you take charge of your yard

‘Tis the season for outdoor living, but an unkempt yard or lines of pests can put a damper on celebrating the warmer weather. Take charge with a professional service such as Lawn Masters so you can sit back, sip a summer beverage, and enjoy the great outdoors.

Who is Lawn Masters?

A local company, headquartered in Newburgh, Indiana, which has been around for 17 years. Jerry Rogers founded the company which has grown each year it has been open and now serves customers in Newburgh and on Evansville’s East, North, and West Sides as well as Owensboro and Henderson, Kentucky.

What does Lawn Masters do?

Lawn Masters makes lawns, landscapes, and trees healthy and beautiful by applying professional products. Accurate and timely treatments improve the health of the plants and protect them from insects and disease problems. Lawn Masters also helps its customers control weeds in their flower beds, protects trees and shrubs from insects, and offers mosquito control through the Mosquito Patrol and Mole/Vole remediation through the Mole Patrol.

Lawn Masters’ technicians receive year-round rigorous training and are licensed by the state of Indiana and Kentucky. The protocols used by Lawn Masters technicians are specially designed for the local area. We also are easy to do business with. When you call us, you get a friendly voice that is eager to help.

Lawn Masters yourlawnmasters.com

Why Lawn Masters?

Potted Plans

Enjoy outdoor living with Corressell Landscaping

What services do you specialize in?

Corressell Landscaping specializes in the maintenance of your landscape beds as well as the new installation of landscape. We are very efficient at ripping out your old, overgrown shrubs and replacing them with new plants. This not only provides curb appeal but can increase the value of your home. Keeping your landscape beds clean and weed free is also important, and we provide routine maintenance for your landscape beds and plants throughout the season.

What are the latest trends you see in outdoor living?

People want to spend time outdoors. They like to enjoy time on their front porch or back patio and view nice flowering shrubs.

What are clients asking for now?

Our customers value their free time, and they take pride in their home. We help them with this need.

Should certain plants/varieties/trees be selected over others in our area?

When we design a landscape, our goal is to provide the customer with plants that provide color throughout the year. We like to use hydrangea and crape myrtle, which bloom in the summer months. Azalea, lilac, and viburnum are spring bloomers. Evergreen such as holly and laurel provide consistent color year-round. Nandina also is a nice fall and winter option for color.

Corressell Landscaping corressell.com

WE KNOW CUSTOM PUBLISHING

Our nationally recognized custom publishing and design team can assist you with a variety of creative projects including logo creation, branding, collateral material, annual reports, inserts for the magazine, and more!

Service & Supply

Masterful Upkeep

Maintain your home's quality and safety with services from local suppliers, painters, utility specialists, and exterminators.

High-Tech Home

Paragon Sight Sound Security  brings your residential networks under one roof

What services do you specialize in?

Paragon Sight Sound Security is a full-service custom electronics design and installation company. We specialize in commercial and residential home automation, lighting control, distributed audio/video, home theater, networking, surveillance, security, and much more. Our team designs, engineers, installs, programs, and provides lifelong service for all of our clients.

Tune-Ups for Your Tools

Three ways to maximize your home’s indoor air quality

This spring, as you clear off the dust from months of indoor living, don’t forget about two of the hardest working members of your household: your air conditioner and furnace. Regular tune-ups not only keep them in shape but help improve your indoor air quality.

“It’s important to get on a twice-a-year maintenance program. It keeps your equipment clean and working at their optimum efficiency,” says Jeff Hahn, a comfort specialist at J.E. Shekell, Inc. “It’s the No. 1 thing you can do to get the best performance out of your system.”

“Especially in spring, cottonwood and grass clippings can attach to the outdoor unit and clog it, and it can’t breathe,” he adds.

How does Paragon Sight Sound Security ensure that its team stays up to date with the latest technologies and best practices in the industry?

Our entire team has a true passion for home technology and security. We have the same systems we offer to clients in our own homes and in our showroom, so everyone gets to experience smart home living every day and understand how it can enhance people’s lives. We stay up to date with continuous education through manufacturer training, industry conferences/expos, trade association memberships, reading industry publications, and social media groups.

What are some of the latest technological advancements that Paragon Sight Sound Security has implemented in its solutions? We’ve been using touchscreens and apps as the primary means to control the home for more than ten years. Now, voice control is really starting to add to the simplicity of home automation. While we do not recommend using voice as the only means of control, it complements the touch and remote interfaces.

What are the emerging trends in technology and security that Paragon Sight Sound Security is keeping an eye on?

Simulators are really in high demand and have expanded from golf to bowling, baseball, and other sports. Think of the Nintendo Wii but much more realistic. Also, AI in camera systems is really starting to enhance image recognition and event notifications. Plus, with four- and eight-megapixel cameras, the image quality is outstanding at an affordable price point.

Paragon Sight Sound Security evansvillehometheater.com

“When you clean it properly and it can breathe through filters, it’s blowing colder air and not using as much energy to run it. A proper running system could make as much as a 30 percent savings on your energy bill.”

Having a good air filter is crucial. A filter with a rating of MERV 10 or higher catches mold spores,

bacteria, and viruses. The experts at J.E. Shekell recommend a filter with a MERV 13 rating.

Hahn also recommends installing an air purifier, which works in conjunction with your furnace blower and can block common viruses.

J.E. Shekell, Inc. shekell.com

We have the largest team of experienced union technicians in the Tri-State, and they are always available to provide prompt, friendly, affordable service twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. That’s why we are the Tri-State’s #1 source for All Things Comfort—especially yours!

J.E. Shekell has won the President’s Award from Carrier for 2024!

This award is given to a select few heating and cooling companies who have demonstrated excellence in all areas of operation, from customer service to technical expertise.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY UPGRADE

Our iWave products reduce airborne particles and certain bacteria and viruses.

• Advanced technology delivers cleaner, fresher air

• Reduce odors, smoke and dust particles

• Can be installed in most air conditioning or heating systems

A Colorful Life

Turpen’s Painting Company brightens home style

Immerse yourself in a vibrant palette of possibilities as we unveil the essence of Turpen’s Painting commercial and residential painting business. From the sub tle whisper of a calming hue to a bold accent wall, our passion for transforming environments shines through in every project.

Specialties and Trends

Turpen’s Painting Company offers Commercial and Residential painting services for interior and exterior surfaces. They specialize in Historic Home Restoration, Custom/High Gloss Finishes, Wood Restoration, Painting and Staining. The Evansville based company

makes it a point to stay on top of the latest style choices by working with local designers and builders. Chad Turpen notes that currently, “Bolder color choices are trending, and gray is on its way out.”

Customization and Scope

“From beginning to end,” Turpen shares, “we work hands on with each customer to aid in choosing the best color and product to fit their desired look. We also provide computergenerated color examples and apply samples.”

Collaboration is Essential

“Preparation is the most important part of any paint project,” Turpen says. “That starts with good communication with the customer and our crews. Since

Winning Recipe

Expect exceptional customer service at Evansville Winsupply

How does Evansville Winsupply help local customers?

Quality of service and customer experience is the No. 1 priority for Evansville Winsupply. Being one of 600 stores across the country, including multiple large distribution centers, customers of Evansville Winsupply gain the benefit

from associating with a large company while also working with a small, locally owned staff who can react and make decisions quickly and efficiently. That local ownership is what sets Evansville Winsupply apart from others in the industry. Who trusts Evansville Winsupply with their major projects? Winsupply has had a strong presence in Evansville. It has worked with and supplied

our inception, our mission has been clear: to deliver unparalleled service, communication, attention to detail, and top-quality painting solutions to our valued customers.”

Turpen’s Painting turpenspainting.com

plumbing products to local businesses, hospitals, assisted care facilities, hotels, and so many reputable businesses and organizations that trust Evansville Winsupply with their important projects. Customers’ needs are the main focus of every business decision, and clear communication is a strength Winsupply takes with gravitas.

Describe your customer experience. When you are a customer of Evansville Winsupply, our bath and kitchen idea center associates will walk you through our stunning showroom and help you find the perfect plumbing and lighting fixtures for your home. If you need specific or miscellaneous parts for your plumbing fixtures, swing by the parts counter. Not sure what plumbing fixtures or parts are right for you? Talk to one of Evansville Winsupply’s local experts. With more than 200 years of combined experience, the Winsupply team is guaranteed to help you out even with the most niche brands and products.

Evansville Winsupply evansvillewinsupply.com

Beat the Heat

Stay cool with CenterPoint Energy’s energy-efficient programs

CenterPoint Energy assists customers in implementing straightforward, sustainable solutions to enhance their home’s energy efficiency, all while cutting costs. Through our range of programs, rebates, incentives, and tips you can enhance your home’s energy efficiency, minimize your environmental impact, and enjoy savings.

With our Residential Rebate Program, you can earn rebates on a variety of energy-saving equipment and improvements, including heating and cooling equipment, smart thermostats, and insulation upgrades.

• Enroll in CenterPoint Energy’s Smart Cycle program and get $75-plus in savings this summer.

• Make the most out of your AC with a $25 tune-up rebate.

• Prepare for days by the pool with up to $800 back on electric pool pumps or heaters.

Nearly half of your energy bill in the summer may go toward cooling your home. Before heading out on your summertime adventures, use these tips to prepare your home for the season.

• Have your air conditioner maintained annually by a qualified technician and check your air filter monthly.

• Turn off the ceiling fan when not in the room. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. If the room is unoccupied, turn off the ceiling fan to save energy.

• Close the fireplace damper. An open damper will allow the conditioned air to escape.

To find more easy, long-term solutions that can improve the energy efficiency of your home, visit CenterPointEnergy. com/SmartSavings.

CenterPoint Energy centerpointenergy.com

SHOW OFF YOUR HOME!

Do you own a home or know of a house that would look great in the pages of Evansville Living magazine? Each issue, we feature a unique house in the Tri-State that is distinguished by its impressive architecture, attractive location, stunning interior, and the remarkable people who live there. Contact us by calling 812-426-2115 or emailing webmaster@ evansvilleliving.com for a chance to have your home featured in an upcoming issue of Evansville Living!

President’s Message June/July

It’s summertime. Though thoughts turn to vacations and the sun, we and the City of Evansville already are looking toward the fall with some nifty plans. Using grant dollars from PBS, WNIN will launch a multiplatform initiative to engage the community in

WNIN BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2024

A.J. Manion

Immediate

Past Chair

Susan Hardwick

Chair

Richard Kuhn

Vice Chair

Lawrence Taylor

Secretary

Nancy Hodge

Treasurer

Tim Black

President

Noah Alatza

Joshua Claybourn

Beau Dial

Stephanie Koch

Kim McWilliams

Tara Overton

Amber Rascoe

Dr. Ron Rochon

Stephanie Roland

Stacey Shourd

Thomas Silliman

Alfonso Vidal

Daniela Vidal

Mike Walsh

Gene Warren

Amy Waterman

Jordan Whitledge

Matthew Wright

Elissa Corbitt

Student Board Member

Devon Langley

Student Board Member

dynamic and well-informed climate action. This initiative involves a strategic partnership with the city government and collaboration with more than 30 local organizations. WNIN will spearhead the creation of a digital-first series and three television specials. We’ll also hold a contest for local high school students culminating in a city-wide campaign using marketing materials created by students.

WNIN will partner with the Evansville Climate Collaborative for the project. ECC, formerly known as the Evansville EPA, facilitates innovative partnerships and projects aimed at reducing air emissions and improving community readiness for climate impacts to ensure a healthy, vibrant future. WNIN and ECC will work together to come up with efficient and effective ways of reducing the city’s carbon footprint. We will develop written case studies for publication on the agency’s Climate Action Hub, and WNIN will create a series of climate-related video content. You’ll be able to see all this content on ECC’s Climate Action Hub, at wnin.org, all of WNIN’s social media channels, and, of course, over the air on WNIN Channel 9.

We will cover the topics outlined in Evansville’s Climate Action Plan, including transportation, buildings and energy, waste, and local food, agriculture, and green space. The series will be designed to raise awareness of local issues, highlight sustainability efforts throughout the city, and inform residents of how YOU can get involved.

Maybe the most fun part of this project will involve local high school students. WNIN and the Evansville Climate Collaborative will ask students to participate in a competition to create the most impactful video and/or parking lot sign designed to heighten awareness of the detrimental effects of vehicle idling and to motivate citizens to cease this practice. You know who you are … sitting in your car playing on your mobile phone while the engine runs. The winning videos will be featured on WNIN, and the best signs will be installed in school parking lots. There may even be some cash to win! Speaking of cash, as you get excited about this effort between your city government and your public media station, think about offering up something extra to WNIN. Yes, this is a grant-funded effort, but we always have ideas for these types of mission-oriented projects. If it’s important to you that these types of collaborations happen in the community, then it’s a good time to include WNIN TV and/or FM on your giving list. Look for the donation banner at wnin.org and show your support for the good work we continue to do every day. You may also make a gift by calling us at 812-423-2973. Thank you when you do!

Sincerely,

Tim Black, President and CEO

The WNIN Jazz Fest will make its return to Downtown Evansville this summer! Join us Saturday, July 20, for an evening of live performances, local artistry, and community togetherness.

This FREE family-friendly event showcases live and vibrant jazz musical performances from regional bands, including the Bokeh Big Band, The Sidemen Trio, Monte Skelton, and more. Attendees are encouraged to invite their friends and family, bring their chairs, and find a spot to enjoy the evening. The event will be held 4-10 p.m. on Main Street, with gates opening at 3 p.m. All ages are welcome.

“We’re thrilled to host this event in 2024! After the success of last year’s Jazz Fest, we couldn’t be more excited to work with our community partners again and to put on this free event for all to attend. This event aims to connect and enrich our community through music and we’re proud of the part we get to play in that,” says WNIN Director of Events and Theater Karen Robinson.

Like last year, a wine and beer garden will be available to patrons over age 21 for a $10 entry fee. The entry fee is only required for this portion of the event as it allows attendees to enter and sample wines from local and regional wineries as well as purchase wine either by the glass or bottle for an additional cost. Beer will also be available for non-wine drinkers. Each attendee will be required to show their legal photo ID before being granted entry.

Attendees will also have the option to purchase food and snacks from local food trucks, and inflatables will be available for kids during the event.

In anticipation of the event, head over to WNIN-FM to check out Nightlights and Afterglow, programs that delve into the world of jazz. Nightlights airs Saturdays at 10 p.m. with Afterglow immediately following at 11 p.m. on WNIN 88.3 FM.

For more information about this event or to learn how you can get involved in the Jazz Fest today, please contact Karen Robinson at krobinson@wnin.org and 812-423-2973 ext. 136 or Sarah Davis at sdavis@wnin.org and 812-423-2973 ext. 261.

WNIN JAZZ FEST 2024

What: This free family-friendly event will feature live jazz performances, a 21+ wine garden (requires $10 entry fee), food trucks, inflatables, and more.

When: Saturday, July 20, 2024

Where: Outside WNIN Studios at Two Main Street in Downtown Evansville

Time: 4-10 p.m. (gates open at 3 p.m.)

WNIN’s Jagielo Featured on NPR

WNIN Multimedia Journalist Tim Jagielo was featured on NPR’s “Morning Edition” after his two-part story about obstetrician deserts in the Midwest was determined to be an important story of interest.

Condensed and edited for a long, on-air feature, “There’s a Growing Drought of Hospital Maternal Care Units Across the Country” tells the story of how hospital units dedicated to maternal care have been closing across the country. To help mothers in need, simulation teams have been traveling the Midwest to help educate emergency medical staff about childbirth.

“The first audio I recorded was actually the moment my wife and I learned we were having a daughter at the 20-week ultrasound. It made me wonder what stories I might be missing regarding childbirth or maternal health. I made inquiries at Deaconess, and the simulation team was one of the stories they thought were important, considering the amount of ‘OB deserts’ in rural America,” Jagielo says.

Tim’s story brings awareness to how the OB simulation team tackles a growing problem by working to improve maternal outcomes and make “OB deserts” safer for expectant mothers. The traveling simulation team already has 50 birthing teach-ins scheduled at other facilities, and they’re looking for ways to reach even more hospitals.

When asked how it felt to be featured on NPR, Jagielo says, “This is a real milestone for me, so it means many things. As a relatively new radio journalist, it’s career affirming. It was, of course, also fun to hear my name on NPR, not to mention my daughter’s first sounds and even my mother-in-law encouraging [his wife] Emily to push.”

To listen to Jagielo’s story, visit npr.org and search the story name from above. For more news and features by Jagielo and other local journalists, visit wnin.org.

Spotlight

June 2024 Highlights

PROFESSOR T, SEASON 3

Airs at 7 p.m. Sundays starting June 16

Professor Jasper Tempest and the team untangle a series of knotty crimes while Professor T is dominated and perplexed by the women in his life.

MASTERPIECE: GRANTCHESTER, SEASON 9

Airs at 8 p.m. Sundays starting June 16

In Season 9, it’s 1961 and life is good for Will and Geordie. The families are always together, from Sunday lunches to planning summer holidays with honorary grandparents Mrs. C and Jack and adopted uncles Daniel and Leonard. But when Will is approached with a life-changing offer, can he leave Grantchester and Geordie behind?

THE GREAT AMERICAN RECIPE, SEASON 3

Airs at 8 p.m. Mondays starting June 17

Season 3 of PBS’s popular cooking competition series premieres with eight new home cooks, two new judges, and one new location. Award-winning chef and Los Angeles restaurateur Tim Hollingsworth and Francis Lam, host of public radio’s “The Splendid Table,” join returning host Alejandra Ramos and judge Tiffany Derry at a new filming location in Nashville, Tennessee.

DISCO: SOUNDTRACK OF A REVOLUTION

Airs at 8 p.m. Tuesdays starting June 18

Enjoy some of disco’s originators, musicians, promoters, and innovators, as well as modern-day musical icons.

Co-opted by the commercial mainstream, the genre dominated and flooded the market – the airwaves and record shops – leading to a subsequent hate-fueled backlash. As a result, the music and its ethos went back underground, where it evolved into an electronic dance sound that laid the foundations for contemporary dance culture.

DYNAMIC PLANET

Airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays starting June 19

This extraordinary four-part journey to the extremes of the earth shines a light on the impacts of climate change and reveals how science and tradition can prepare us for a

fast-changing world. Pairing indigenous knowledge with cutting-edge research and unexpected animal behaviors, the program explores the interconnectedness of nature and provides surprising hope for our future.

HOPE IN THE WATER

Airs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays starting June 19

This three-part program from chef Andrew Zimmern and his production company Intuitive Content travels the globe to discover the creative solutions and breakthrough blue food technologies that could benefit us and our threatened waterways. The series highlights amazing conservationists who are working toward a sustainable future for the planet. Environmental enthusiasts Shailene Woodley, Martha Stewart, Baratunde Thurston, and José Andrés reveal hidden underworlds jeopardized by climate change, irresponsible fishing and exploitation, and habitat destruction.

BECOMING FRIDA KAHLO

Airs at 9 p.m. Tuesdays starting June 18

SPONSORED CONTENTJUNE/JULY 2024

This new three-part documentary series distributed by BBC Studios strips away the myths to reveal the real Frida. Explore the major events of the artist’s life, from her lifelong health problems and political controversies to her complicated relationship with artist Diego Rivera. Kahlo used her artwork to process her emotions, producing what are now some of the most valuable – and most widely reproduced – paintings of the 20th Century.

July 2024 Highlights

A CAPITOL FOURTH 2024

Airs at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. July 4

America’s Independence Day celebration honors our country’s birthday with an all-star salute. For over 40 years, this television event, featuring a parade of superstars, has offered the best in American entertainment and helped set the tone for a spectacular American birthday party. This top-rated extravaganza displays coverage from 20 cameras positioned around Washington, D.C., ensuring viewers are front and center for the greatest display of fireworks in the nation.

PBS NEWSHOUR: THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

Live coverage airs at 7 p.m. July 15-18 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

GODS OF TENNIS

Airs at 8 p.m. Tuesdays starting July 23 Rebels, rockstars, revolutionaries. On court, they were legends. Off court, they challenged the world. Reflect on the careers of Arthur Ashe, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and more in the golden age of tennis.

NOVA: SEA CHANGE

Airs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays starting July 24

This special presentation covers a regional location with profound global implications. Watch a fascinating tale about a sea within the sea, a body of water that is warming 99 percent faster than the global ocean. What happens for the animals in the water, the jobs dependent upon them, and the millions of people along the shore, is likely to happen worldwide.

HOTEL PORTOFINO SEASON 3

Airs at 7 p.m. Sundays starting July 28

Bella and Cecil, now estranged, are forced to come together to figure out a way forward. Cecil has inherited his father’s title and now has an enormous inheritance tax bill to pay. Bella discovers newfound independence and formulates her plans for a beauty venture. The series builds to an explosive climax with a party at the hotel, where one guest gets their ultimate revenge.

June/July TV Channel 9.1 and FM

DAYTIME TV SCHEDULE

MONDAY - FRIDAY

5 a.m. Arthur

5:30 a.m. Odd Squad

6 a.m. Molly of Denali

6:30 a.m. Alma’s Way

7 a.m. Lyla in the Loop

7:30 a.m. Wild Kratts

8 a.m. Daniel Tiger

8:30 a.m. Rosie’s Rules

9 a.m. Sesame Street

9:30 a.m. Work It Out Wombats

10 a.m. Donkey Hodie

10:30 a.m. Pinkalicious & Peterrific

11 a.m. Elinor Wonders Why

11:30 a.m. Nature Cat

Guides

Curious George 12:30 p.m. Xavier Riddle

1 p.m. Baking With Julia

1:30 p.m. Ask This Old House

2 p.m. Primetime Repeats

3 p.m. Primetime Repeats

4 p.m. Primetime Repeats

5

4

5 a.m. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood 5:30 a.m. Arthur

PRIMETIME TV SCHEDULE

6 p.m. PBS Newshour

Antiques

Specials TUESDAY 6 p.m. PBS Newshour

7 p.m. Finding Your Roots

8 p.m. Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution/The Gods of Tennis

9 p.m. Becoming Frida Kahlo/Frontline

10 p.m. Amanpour & Company

11 p.m. Antiques Roadshow

WEDNESDAY

6 p.m. PBS Newshour

7 p.m. Climate Programming

8 p.m. Climate Programming

9 p.m. NOVA

10 p.m. Amanpour & Company

11 p.m. Climate Programming

THURSDAY

6 p.m. PBS Newshour

9 p.m. Midsomer Murders

10 p.m. Amanpour & Company

11 p.m. This Old House 11: 30 p.m. Ask This Old House FRIDAY

6 p.m. PBS Newshour

7 p.m. Washington Week

7:30 p.m. Firing Line

8 p.m. Great American Recipe

9 p.m. Roots of Comedy / Specials

10 p.m. Amanpour & Company

11 p.m. NOVA

SATURDAY

6 p.m. TBA

7 p.m. History Detectives

7: 30 p.m. Samantha Brown’s Places To Love

8 p.m. Midsomer Murders

9 p.m. History Detectives Specials

10 p.m. Austin City Limits

11 p.m. Specials

SUNDAY

6 p.m. Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

7 p.m. Professor T

8 p.m. Grantchester

6 a.m. Molly of Denali 6:30 a.m. Alma’s Way 7

7 p.m. Newsmakers

7:30 p.m. Shivley and Shoulders/Specials

Lyla in the Loop

8 p.m. Specials

9 p.m. D.I. Ray

10 p.m. Classical Tahoe/Specials

11 p.m. Specials

COMPANY ................................................. PAGE

812 Garage Floors 108, 111

Adam Green Architect 108

All-Weather Products, Inc. 125, 126

Ascension St. Vincent 3

Award World Trophies & Gifts 9

Baird BC2

Bally’s Evansville Casino & Hotel 23

Bancroft Blue Design Co. ............................. 109, 110

Bauerhaus, The/Bauerhaus Catering 7

Benny’s Flooring ................................................. 111, 112

Berkshire HathawayGreen River Meadows 105, 106

Berry & Associates .................................................... 40

Bill Egli Concrete 123, 126

Bosse Title Company ...................................... 95, 105

Brian Stevens Homes 97, 107

Brinker’s Jewelers ....................................................... C2

Cabinets & Counters 119, 120

Cadiz/Trigg County Tourism ............................... 29

Capers Emporium 50

Casey’s Dugout 82, 83

Center for Pediatric Therapy 8

CenterPoint Energy 132, 137

Charles Ford Retirement Communities of New Harmony 42

Colonial Classics, Inc. 123, 124

Comaier Services 14

Corressell Landscaping 129, 131

D-Patrick Ford 18

D-Patrick Porsche 2

Diana Schnakenburg/F.C. Tucker Emge 9

Dirt Finders Maid Service 40

ERA First Advantage Realty 1, 13, 95

Evansville Mulch Shooter 12

Evansville Regional Business Committee and E-REP 4

Evansville Rug Cleaning 74

Evansville Surgical Associates BC1

Evansville Winsupply 132, 135

Eyewitness News WEHT/WTVW 69

F.C. Tucker Emge 92, 97 Fee Construction 96 Field & Main Bank 8

Fifth Third Private Bank

Final Detail READY, SET, CAPTURE

Photographer Zach Straw put years of practice into a three-minute shoot

BY MAGGIE VALENTI

Photographer Zach Straw, whose work regularly appears in Evansville Living and Evansville Business, viewed the August 2017 total solar eclipse from Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. He had plenty of time to imagine how to shoot the eclipse passing over Evansville this spring, and it paid off.

“(There was) so much brainstorming and planning in the lead-up,” says Straw, who operates Tri-State Aerial Services and Straw Photography & Media with his wife, Audra. “It’s all about getting a wide variety of shots.”

During Evansville’s three minutes in totality on April 8, his DJI drone captured a spherical panoramic view of the northwest and southeast corridors of Riverside Drive with twilight in every direction. Straw photographed the crowd Downtown alongside Tucker Publishing Group Creative Director Laura Mathis as the moon moved closer to eclipsing the sun.

“The color of everything was changing, and that’s how we knew, here it is, here we go. We both were awestruck, really,” Mathis says. Safety was among their biggest concerns when sending up Straw’s drone, especially with an estimated 8,000-plus people expected on the riverfront. Choosing a takeoff point where the drone’s camera could depict spectators without flying overhead was essential, and the boat ramp at Dress Plaza, though partially submerged by high water, was ideal. Straw’s Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability permit also allowed him to fly in Evansville Regional Airport airspace. In pictures throughout the day, viewers’ necks were craned toward the sky, and many waved at his winged camera. Once darkness crept in, a night strobe on the drone lit up so it more easily could be spotted by anything else in the sky, including life flights to and from the nearby

Deaconess Midtown Hospital. Straw spent between 20 and 30 seconds shooting the spherical panoramic image, precious time when there were only three minutes to execute the planned shot. Previous experience underscored the enhanced effect of a wide view, as well as the importance of packing light to move quickly during a short time frame.

“It’s wild to have all that lead-up for such a small duration of time,” Straw says.

To complete a spherical shot, the drone rotated in each direction — up, down, and every side — snapping 36 shots that later were digitally stitched together to create one image.

“It captures what Evansville was like during that moment … and the only shot I’ll get of a sunset in Evansville from all sides,” he says.

IN THE ROUND How often does darkness descend from all directions? That’s what spectators, such as these gathered along Riverside Drive, experienced during the April 8 total solar eclipse. Photographer Zach Straw’s drone also revealed a missing “V” in the “City of Evansville” sign along the Downtown esplanade.

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