Published: January 30, 2006 11:14 am            

Harvey Hinklemeyers

Variety is the spice of life

Diners in the hopping days of the 1950s served everything from ice cream to meat loaf, breadsticks to pasta, and everything in between.

It was a simpler time, with customized cars and cool music, but long gone are the days when you could order a good root beer float and an order of pizza at the same time.

Well, almost long gone.

Harvey Hinklemeyers serves up a heaping helping of yesterday -- along with an assortment of American food -- from its oldies-inspired diner on Dixon Road (MAP)

Decked out in neon and chrome, the restaurant, reminiscent of a '50s diner, where the servers and employees sport poodle skirts and other period clothing, is not to be missed.

During my first visit to the restaurant -- knowing I have to fit into a bridesmaid dress in November -- I passed by the gooey cheese pizzas and the stuffed toasted sandwiches and cruised straight the salad bar.

Like everything I've sampled at Hinklemeyers, it didn't disappoint.

I teetered a little trying to keep all the veggies from spilling on the floor as I walked back to our table, my plate piled high with a fresh garden salad.

That's saying a lot, too, because I really am a salad freak. I take salad creation to an almost frightening level. It's kind of an art and I consider myself an artist.

Since that first night, the night I fell in love with Harvey, I have returned several times. Each time I was with a new group of people, and each time I sampled something new and interesting.

The second time, I was not so concerned with my waistline. My friends and I decided our caloric intake was not going to be on our minds.

And with that, we proceeded to stuff ourselves full of Hinklemeyers' signature favorites.

The breadsticks, which have nearly the acclaim of Old Ben or the Sycamore Stump,didn't disappoint either. Soft, with a light and golden brown crust, the breadsticks are served with your choice of dipping sauces.

Since we live in Indiana -- and the only requirement for living here is a love of ranch dressing and cheese -- my friends and I ordered ours with a side of melted cheddar. It was a first for me, as I had only ever dipped my breadsticks in marinara sauce.

Until that point, I hadn't lived.

For my entree, I chose the pasta bolognese, a mixture of three pastas splashed in a marinara sauce with sauted onions, peppers, mushrooms, sausage and pepperoni. Topped with melted cheese, it was a step away from heaven.

It's easy to see why owners say this second Hinklemeyers location (the other is in Peru) is the pattern for a series of franchise Hinklemeyers restaurants.

        

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