Half Moon Restaurant & Brewery- Kokomo, Indiana

Half rack of BBQ ribs:
Cubana sandwich with Brewer's chips:

We were over hungry when we settled into a long booth at Half Moon Restaurant and Brewery so we were beyond grateful that our server immediately brought us a basket of soft rolls. The rolls were good, but what made them really memorable was the soft cinnamon butter that was in the basket along with the regular butter. It was absolutely divine and the cinnamon butter and rolls were soon just a faint memory.

We had to order one of their beers since they are a brewery so we tried the Wildcat Wheat. It was ideal, light and refreshing on a hot and humid day. For lunch, we ordered their Cubana sandwich and a half rack of their BBQ ribs. The Cubana was a classic Cuban sandwich with sliced ham, smoked pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on a crunchy white bread. It was a really high caliber take on this classic sandwich. The smoky pork was really exceptional. We would have to say this is the best variation of this sandwich that we have ever had.

The ribs came with a choice of two sides. We chose the Caesar salad and baked sweet potato. The Caesar came first; it was a generous bowl of lettuce, croutons and Caesar dressing. The ribs and baked sweet potato arrived soon after. The ribs came with a dry rub. Their sweet, smoky, and spicy sauces were on the table to use at our discretion. We' re normally wet ribs kind of people but this dry rub was so good we would have been happy without the sauces on the table. The ribs were cooked to perfection, moist, and fell off the bone. We tried each of the sauces. They were all excellent, but our favorite was the smoky one. The sweet potato was an appreciated healthy option (although we were cursing ourselves that we didn't save any of that insanely good cinnamon butter for it).

This is quite a gem in Kokomo. We pored over their website to make sure that it isn't a chain and it doesn't seem like it is. We were so glad that we chose Half Moon as our Kokomo dining spot.

Raise a glass today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition.

We've had flowering tea before but not this hibiscus flower syrup for champagne (or sparkling water). This would really increase the wow factor of a holiday party. It is available on the interesting Epicure Pantry website but also on Amazon. We are also fascinated by Epicure Pantry's Salt Candle Holder. We might have to pick that up.

Oliver Winery's Hard Cider

It's October and that makes our thoughts turn to... hard cider. We fell hard for Oliver Winery's Beanblossom Hard Cider years ago and it has been an autumnal tradition ever since. That crisp apple flavor is just perfect throughout the fall. They say that it is good for their mulled wine recipe which we're sure it is but we just can't help from drinking it as is out of the bottle. Sometimes, however, it was challenging to find time to go south to the gorgeous Oliver Winery to get our bounty of cider. It used to be hard to find it in a store in Indy but, hallelujah, we stumbled upon it last week at Whole Foods (former Wild Oats in Nora)! So, while we would highly encourage everyone to check out Oliver Winery sometime (particularly when fall foliage hits its peak) and have a picnic on their sprawling grounds, it is darn good to know that there is Beanblossom Hard Cider close to home.

Oh happy day, Brugge Brasserie beers are available in bottles (and even a handy variety pack).

Buck Creek Winery

We are a little guilty about not giving equal time to all of the Indiana Wineries so, when we saw signs for Buck Creek Winery off of I-74, we felt compelled to stop and buy a bottle. They have daily tastings in their little shop where, if you're lucky, you'll be greeted by a sweet Dalmatian. The Der Champion wine caught our eye since it is made with the Riesling grape. We tried a sample first and then purchased a bottle. It's a little sweeter than we expected but quite good. Many of their wines seem to have fruity influences so they are great for those just easing themselves into becoming wine drinkers. Be sure to notice the really cool "wine bottle tree" just before you get to the Winery.

Sangria

Sangria is a little bit like meatloaf; everyone has slightly different recipes and everyone is sure that theirs is the definitive one. As we near the end of July, there is precious little summertime left to enjoy this refreshing drink so here is our favorite recipe for it.





1/3 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 large sliced orange

1 large sliced lime

approx 1/2 of a 20oz can of cubed pineapple

750 ml bottle of any red wine (2 buck Chuck works just fine)

Stir together sugar and water, using a pitcher or other large container, until sugar is dissolved. Add fruit (we peel the orange and then divide the sections, we don't bother to peel the lime- just slice it and halve those slices). Pour in wine. We usually like to let it all get happy overnight before imbibing it.

Q Tonic

It's getting hot and that might make your thoughts turn to... the perfect gin and tonic. You might be quite particular about the brand of gin that you use but have you ever put much thought into the other half of the equation? We hadn't either until we heard an interview with Jordan Silbert, the president of Q Tonic (if you want to hear the interview it was during the May 19th Food Talk). He tells us that the typical tonic waters that you find at the grocery or liquor store are loaded with so much high- fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors that you are basically adding the equivalent of a soda to your drink. In other words, you're insulting your gin. So, we picked up a 4 pack of Q Tonic from the Sam's Wine and Spirit website and Mr. WYA! was given the tough assignment of assembling his buddies to do a little taste comparison between Q Tonic and what we will call Grocery Brand "S".

The blind taste test began (jokingly referred to as the "blind-drunk" test). All the participants agreed to equal amounts of gin, tonic and ice. Limes were not served with the drinks, as not to alter flavors, and to contrast the qualities of the Q, we purchased the absolute cheapest store brand tonic water we could find.

Round one- we made the drinks in the kitchen as the participants sat out on the back deck and discussed world events, celebrities and how cool it was to get free gin. The men sat in the shade and sipped their drinks, at times in silence; at times, in near confrontational conversations about global topics that didn't affect us, and we can't control anyway. (Typical conversations when four men get together). This was the Q round.

Round two- This round was delivered with the store brand tonic. We made the store brand the second round to give it somewhat of a leg up in the competition. After all, by round two, ALL of the participants had been drinking. Clearly, the participants were aggrieved. "The first one was better." "Did you change gin?". The lamentations began. The Q tonic water made the drink smoother, with an almost silky texture. The gin seemed to have no trace of harshness, the store brand was harsh by comparison. If you spend money on premium gin, we would recommend running out for a four pack and trying this yourself.

The winner in 2 rounds with a 4 to NOTHING decision, Q.