Barns Brews & Back Roads

One thing I probably forgot to mention in my introduction to BB&B is that my husband is a retired firefighter and an amateur barbeque grillmaster. That leads us to a lot of BBQ places around the state and especially ones that are firefighter owned/operated or – like Firehouse BBQ & Blues – located in an old remodeled fire station.

This adventure takes us to Richmond, Indiana and to be honest, I need to go back because I saw a lot of other locations I’d like to explore but didn’t have time. I enjoyed finding movie quotes for the headings of my last two blogs, so I’m going to continue this time using quotes from the movie “Backdraft.”

“You go, We go” Lt. Steven McCaffrey

Always bring friends with you on your adventures! Seriously though it’s the best way to explore restaurants because everyone usually gets something different off the menu. And, one trick I learned from my co-worker (and fellow travel enthusiast) Erin is to ask the waiter “What is your best seller?” or “What is your favorite?” That worked well at Firehouse BBQ & Blues, (400 N 8th St., Richmond) as we explored many of the tasty options including pulled pork, brisket and the Mojo sandwich. We started out with an order of Jaimie’s Jalapenos which are cream cheese, cheddar cheese and bacon stuffed jalapeño peppers which were amazing because they are fresh made, not some janky frozen version. I actually wanted to try one of their Texas Taters – a giant baked potato stuffed with pork or brisket or chili and topped with cheese, onion and BBQ sauce. But, sadly they had run out of potatoes. I ended up with a BBQ chicken dinner with baked beans and macaroni and cheese. For me, sides are just as important at a BBQ spot as the meat, because when Dave is the grillmaster – I make the sides. Mac & Cheese is my make it or break it for a BBQ place by the way. Mac & Cheese should be creamy and cheesy – those are my only two requirements. I’m not big on crunchy (like a breadcrumb topping) or baked (because it tends to get burnt 😐). This was top notch Mac & Cheese! The baked beans were also good, southern style slow cooked for sure. The green beans looked like they were also slow cooked and southern (insert bacon, onion & garlic!). The coleslaw, I wish I would have tried it – that’s another make it or break it for me. Theirs looked suspiciously close to the recipe I make which uses both vinegar and mayonnaise. Normally I also try the brisket at a BBQ place because Dave has 100% spoiled me with his home smoked brisket, but I didn’t this time. It did look perfectly cooked though, as did the pork. How do you know? Look for the smoke line – it shows that the meat was slow cooked at the proper temperature – “low and slow.” The chicken was tasty and the BBQ sauces were on point – they have a mild, spicy and sweet & spicy. Things we didn’t try but really would like to go back for – the pizzas looked incredible, the sandwiches were unique – they have basic BBQ sammies but also some creative twists, and those Texas Taters – I need to go back!

This was an amazing restaurant in a fun atmosphere – they embraced the old fire station vibe wholeheartedly and kept a lot of the interior fire department structure. They also have a stage and feature live music Thursday – Saturday nights. Music is a big part of the atmosphere at the restaurant including hand painted music themed tables. My favorite was “Yellow Submarine” even though we ate at a Rolling Stones table. And on the wall is the Gennett Records logo – Gennett records was a record company and label in Richmond that thrived in the 1920s publishing famous jazz, country, blues and gospel artists like Louis Armstrong, Hoagie Carmichael, Gene Autry and Lawrence Welk. There is a Gennett Records Walk of Fame on South 1st Street in Richmond at the Starr Piano Company which is now maintained by Richmond Parks – along the Cardinal Greenway. Another site to visit – when I go back for the Texas Taters!

Parking for Firehouse BBQ is limited to street parking and a few nearby parking lots for other businesses. I parked at the Model T Museum (309 N 8th St) which is probably frowned upon – I don’t know. If I was into cars – the museum seemed like an interesting history trip. My grandma once told me her first car was a Model T. The Model T has a lot of history as it was the first mass produced automobile with pricing affordable to the middle class. I imagine the museum is a cool trip back to the 1920’s.

While I was assessing the parking situation, I did have to drive around the block which is known as “The Depot District” and there were some cute stores and a few other places I’d like to check out – first and foremost is Roscoe’s Coffee & Tap Room (416 N 10th St). That spells Brews & Brews for sure! And I glanced at their menu online and saw that they offer a “Quad on the Rocks” which is described as quad cubano shots of espresso over ice topped with half & half. Umm is that even legal?!?! Yes, its high on my “to do” list!

“Well, when the doors open, if it’s hot, don’t get out.” Lt. Steven McCaffrey

Okay so that quote is a stretch, because I realized for my next location I needed to switch movie quotes to “Men in Black.” But if it’s hot – you definitely need ice cream. And some of the best ice cream in Indiana is located at Uranus Fudge Factory (6400 National Road East, Richmond). Yes, this is the second Indiana location for Uranus and it features one of my other travel obsessions – giant white cross by the interstate (110 ft. tall to be exact since “giant” is not an accepted measurement). But back to the ice cream – I thought I snapped a picture but I didn’t. You really have to see it to believe it, but if you get the ice cream in a sugar cone (the ONLY acceptable way to eat ice cream) their idea of 1 scoop feels like it’s an entire pint. I got the coffee ice cream this time, which when I was checking out the clerk told me it was the best option. But I’m sure they say that to everyone. I also got a quarter lb. of salted caramel fudge – I’m not sure I should “rank” fudge because I’m pretty sure I’ve never had bad fudge. Oh wait – I did attempt to make fudge once and messed up – so there’s that. But again, I don’t know how to quantify fudge for you. I did see that for the summer Uranus has a limited time “Life’s a beach” fudge – which is salted caramel and coconut flavored and features a white chocolate candy shell on top.

Since my last visit (to the one in Anderson) they have added some new merchandise including a lot of branded items featuring their mascot Rex Uranus. This location seems bigger, but it may just be because it’s more open overall. They have all the fudge flavors, all the ice cream flavors and rows and rows of candy. They also have a vortex tunnel – which is harder to navigate through than I’m willing to admit. And they now have a “Uranus Crop Dusters” shirt to add to the clever collection of “occupations” in Uranus.

Is it cheeky? – okay nope that was not supposed to be a pun. Yes, they have found a niche and are cashing in on your ability to revert to your giggly 10 year old self after learning about a planet called Uranus. Which by the way, some Fanny Funsucker left them a review that said “You should be ashamed. Uranus isn’t pronounced that way. You need to get your perverted minds out of the gutter and change the name!” Sometime there are no words. Also her one star review is proudly displayed on the first page of their website. I can confirm, this location is just as fun and outstanding as the one in Anderson – and not a one star rating unless your heads up Uranus. Okay, I’ll stop now. Oh hey look, it’s decorated like a barn (Barns!)

“You see that glow flashing in the corner of your eye? That’s your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear.” Brian McCaffrey

The glow you see flashing is not your career dissipation light, but the Warm Glow Candle Outlet (2131 N Centerville Rd, Centerville, Indiana). Roughly 10 miles east of Uranus, this outlet, sits right on I-70 and I have passed it countless times – okay maybe 20 times – but never stopped. The building sticks out because it’s shaped like a giant candle. No joke:

What I expected: a Yankee Candle store on steroids.

What it was: an enormous building full of everything home decor your could ever want, plus their brand – Warm Glow candles – in hundreds of scents, an entire silk floral section and a giant selection of Indiana craft beers and Indiana wines (Brews!).

I started in the Home Decor & More section which is a collective of local sellers with a few antique furniture pieces, multiple hand sewn items including quilts and a lot of modern farmhouse decor. There were several unique pieces I pondered buying like birds made from recycled license plates. I resisted because they didn’t have a cardinal which is the only bird I actually “collect.”

They have a large selection of candle scents and sizes. There are roughly 36 “year round” fragrances and multiple seasonal selections. For the sizes and flameless fragrances there are:

• Hearth $17.95
• Mini Hearth $6.95
• 3pack Votive $5.95
• Giant 3 wick $41.95
• Mini 3 wick $24.95
• 2 wick loaf $14.95
• Scented Melts $3.95
• Atomizer Oils $6.95
• Room Spray $6.95

I have a candle limit I had to impose on myself to do this travel blog. My limit is 4 small candles – not votive. I bought the Mini Hearth in Lemon Blueberry (year round), Peony (spring/summer seasonal), Pink Champagne (spring/summer seasonal) and Creamy Vanilla Bean (year round). Disclaimer – in the era of candles in a jar – these are not candles in a jar. They are free standing large “hand dipped” candles and to burn them you need to set them on a tray or tin – the reason you need to do this is because if you don’t pay attention while one is burning, you get a wax waterfall. Exhibit A:

They come with instructions on best burning techniques – one of which is to re-shape it by “hugging” it with your fingers while warm to ensure the sides don’t burn uneven, causing said wax waterfall. They also come with a matchbook – which is another one of my odd collections. Stick with this blog long enough and you’ll see I have many.

The biggest surprise though was the whole area dedicated to Indiana wineries and breweries. Twenty two wineries are featured – yes their are twenty two wineries in Indiana – including two of my favorites of Mallow Run and Oliver. There are twelve Indiana craft breweries highlighted – and that is just a tiny sample of the nearly 200 breweries here. But several of my favorites are Quaff On, Oaken Barrel and Sun King. The beers are mostly single can mix & match 12 oz. $2.99 and 16 oz. $3.99. It’s a great way to sample some of the different beers you might want to try.

Overall a fun trip. And I’m always amazed when I travel to a town for something specific and find at least 10 other things I didn’t know were there. Also, Richmond is larger than I remember – or maybe I’ve only been to the east side. And this was a fun excuse to use my top three favorite quotes from the movie “Backdraft.” Anyway, more fun stops along the highways in Indiana to come!