Bloomington Bistro Gets Esquire Attention from Prof. Tom Chiarella

February 15, 2009

February 15, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. — "You can't eat there everyday or you would just be as fat as a house," says Tom Chiarella of the Runcible Spoon in Bloomington, Indiana. Chiarella, visiting professor of creative writing at DePauw University and fiction editor for Esquire, includes the Bloomington bistro in the magazine's listing of the "best breakfast places in America." Chiarella's citation is noted in today's Indianapolis Star.

"Seems Chiarella met the restaurant's classically trained owner/chef, Matt O'Neill, when he operated the Walden Inn in Greencastle years ago," writes Cathy Kightlinger. "Chiarella thought of the Spoon (that's what regulars call the restaurant) when he was asked to make a list of favorite breakfast spots." The columnist says Chiarella tapped the restaurant as one of the nation's best for breakfast because of its corned beef hash, "as well as its Irish mimosa (a concoction of champagne, orange juice and Guinness beer) ... The corned beef, which is made from a braised brisket, is remarkably fresh and tender, said Chiarella. And the stout beer mimosa might sound appalling, but isn't. Adding orange juice to Guinness is really the best way to drink the dark beer, he said."

Access the item at IndyStar.com.

Tom Chiarella -- author of the books Foley's Luck, Writing Dialogue and Thursday's Game: Notes from a Golfer with Far to Go -- was also the subject of a June feature in the newspaper. He also contributes an article on actor Clive Owen to the new Esquire.

Read more about Chiarella in this recent story.

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