Crazy about Evansville cuisine

BY DAVID GRABER Staff Writer

There seems to be an endless number of options for food you can get in Evansville, Indiana. From restaurants that are dine-in or take-out only and ones anywhere on the spectrum of upscale to casual, the number of possibilities can be daunting. One of the best ways I like to think about a restaurant is whether or not I would go back to the restaurant and if I would ever recommend it to a friend. Almost all of the best restaurants I have gone to here in Evansville, including all mentioned in this article, I went to after it was recommended to me. While advising you in the direction of a good restaurant in Evansville would not be difficult, I would like to narrow the countless options even further for your convenience. Talking to you as a friend would, I have included a short, inexhaustive list of recommendations for some of the best entree options I have been served in Evansville: Burrito, La Campirana

With your choice of any of the superbly seasoned meat or vegetable fillings, the burrito served by the Mexican restaurant La Campirana on Burkhardt Road in Evansville is, quite frankly, genius. If someone had told me that perfecting the ratio of rice, beans and guacamole inside a burrito would eclipse any burrito I have had before, I wouldn’t have believed them. The way La Campirana has masterfully crafted such a balanced and flavorful ratio of fillings inside their burrito should be studied by scientists across the globe. However, I would reckon they would come up short for the cause of its greatness simply because this burrito is magical in every way.

Detroit-Style Pizza, Pangea Kitchen

While this plate is not necessarily a set entree from Pangea Kitchen on South Green River Road, it is impossible to pick only one of their inventive topping options to cover. With a thick, pillowing base and cheese baked around the crust, Detroit style is definitely the best style of pizza ever made in my humble and correct opinion. So good, in fact, I will forgive it for being in the shape of a rectangle. Pangea Kitchen puts their own spin on this iconic style, with options such as Diavola, The Butcher and The Baller being presets and the ability to create your own custom pie. Any choice you make here will not disappoint. Red and White Plate, Sauced Sauced, located on Parrett Street in Haynie’s Corner, must be onto something with their Red and White Plate because they know exactly what

I want. Just as it sounds, this plate is divided into halves by the color of the sauce, each with its own specific meat pairing. The red half has a slightly spicier kick than expected in a red meat sauce, which pairs well with a meatball that is always well-seasoned and moist. The white half is creamy, not heavy, with a piece of fried chicken that has no business being as good as it is. Sometimes, I opt for only ordering the white half by itself in a bigger portion. But together, the two complement each other to create a transcendent experience.

I hope you enjoyed this brief tour of Evansville through some of the best entrees I have been served. Now, it’s time for you to go out there and try them.