The following “CHEW THAT!” column originally appeared in “The Courier-Times” and / or “The Shelbyville News”. Check their websites for further information.
“CHEW THAT!”
The Early Bird Diner
Blaise Doubman
Well, I quit my Library job and after that was never really around that part of town much anymore. It slipped my mind until one day my friend, Carol Prosser, was mentioning about eating there with a friend of hers and how they even had her newspaper article that I wrote celebrating her 50th year of working at Good’s Candies! I added it back on my list of places to visit. As more and more time went by, I totally forgot about the place and it left my radar. Then, it arrived back on my radar when it was announced that it was going to close and be put up for sale. I. thought I had missed it.
Then, I got news that it had been bought and was not only going to stay open but it was going to extend hours into lunch and I knew then that I was going to have to check It out! Aaron Boyer is the new executive chef and has not only been cooking for 35 years but has a culinary degree from Aramark. Their new hours are 7am-2pm Tuesday though Sunday. His trademark is his delicious biscuits and gravy, which is all made from scratch. He also offers catering services and has catered everything from tour events to events at our local Rose Bowl.
When I went for the first time, I was impressed with the menu of scratch made food. Their breakfast menu is expansive and their daily specials are impressive. I tried their pancakes and let me tell you, if you love pancakes, you need to check these out. They are huge! They are the size of a large dinner plate and the smallest order comes with two of them! I also tried their house made chili which was also delicious. Everyone makes their chili different and this one I really think if you are a fan of chili, you will like. It was just enough spice and just enough kick to really be enjoyed without the spice being overpowering. I love foods with heat where you can still actually taste the food and that is what this chili is like. I also tried two of their house made pies and both were equally delicious. The cherry pie was good, with food flavor as was the pumpkin pie with whipped cream. They even offered to warm the pie up, which may not seem that big of a deal, but trust me when I say most restaurants do not even give that a thought.
If you are in the New Castle area, I would recommend checking this place out. All types of breakfast platter combinations and tons of options for lunch. Cheeseburgers, fish specials and something that I am going to try next time I go back, their famous tenderloins! I have witnessed pictures of their tenderloins on social media and they look absolutely incredible!
The Early Bird Diner is located at 211 South 15th Street. To call with special of the day questions, general inquires or catering requests, please call them directly at 765-529-3722. Make sure and tell them that Blaise the Baker and “CHEW THAT!” from The Courier-Times sent you there! I really do think you will find this charming spot added to your list of regular eats.