It's not easy to find a good restaurant around tiny Leo, Indiana, but I was impressed with the new menu from "That One Place." Someone couldn't help but make a play on words here. It's the latest name for the restaurant on the curve at Highway 1 and the Imagination Station in Cedarville (officially Leo-Cedarville). It's changed ownership several times in the past few years, despite its good location, so hopefully the economic climate won't get in the way of "That One Place" staying open.
A very casual, sporty place, with a couple of large flat TVs for watching games, and a spare amount of local, area sports memorabilia - but not cluttered with that kind of stuff everywhere. Warm pine-cabin logs and bench-booth seating - good-looking but my back and seat became really sore - easy to clean, I suppose, but most of us would rather have a little padding. Especially considering most of the morning clientele was folks 50 and over.
The food, though, was excellent - I had scrambled eggs and links. The potatoes were American fries, I'd call them, rather than shredded hash browns; but browned and crispy, and I'm picky. The toast was good - grilled, I suppose; crunchy and soft, great texture.
There are a lot of different dishes on this menu. Crepes, waffles, pancakes. I saw several patrons eating pancakes - it must be the thing. Egg dishes, omelets, skillets. Biscuits and gravy. This much selection is unusual for Leo, and I hope they get enough customers to keep the menu choices going. I think the locals still have no idea what they offer here now.
On Hosler Road in Leo is a small buffalo farm. (The farm is small, not the buffaloes.) Anyway, these nice folks raise and sell their buffalo meat, and some of it winds up on this restaurant's menu as buffalo burgers. I do like the "act local" approach to the offering, as I know their ranch is very cute, clean and organic.
The menu has a few "Leo" items - one is a taco meat omelet - sounds good with beans, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and cheese. The only connection I can make is vague on my part. All I've got is that Leo schools are famous for serving the kids a lunchtime "walking taco" - a single serving bag of chips, such as Fritos or even Doritos - into which is dumped taco meat and ingredients, and one eats it from the bag with a fork. I actually like this, but would never dare to serve it at home - sans plate. It tastes good though, and the kids like it. Don't know what made me think of that, but that's the only "Leo taco" I've got.
There is also a Leo Burger, which the menu reports to have a cheddar cheese skirt. So - I guess it looks like a cheeseburger cheerleader? Your guess is as good as mine.
Wrap sandwiches, salads, pasta. I think I have seen more cars here for lunch and dinner, and I've seen regular 'specials nights' advertised, seemingly a routine for the after-sports gathering place for local families. They have lots of pies advertised, and displayed in a nice case - they are trying hard. Cute fancy cupcakes were decorated uniquely and tempted me as I walked by. If you walked around the block in this neighborhood, you'd see the old boat ramp by the spillway and the dam at the St. Joe reservoir, and the oldish church by the river - lots of walnut trees, squirrels, and oaks on this corner. The Imagination Station playground across the street is famous. Built by volunteers and designed by locals, buses come from Fort Wayne and all around to bring kids here to climb and play.
Nothing fancy, with small town wait staff, and good looking pies. Go try "That One Place." I give it a thumbs up.
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