Returning to Indianola

This evening, Linda and I returned to Indianola to check out the cherry pie at the Crouse Cafe and to see what Bluegrass Tuesday on the Warren County Courthouse Lawn would be like. Both were great!

We parked on the square and strolled around until we found the Crouse Cafe. We had the option of sitting at the counter, a table, or booth. We took a booth on the fringe of the locals. As it turned out, we were positioned very well for local conversation.

Opening the menu, I saw a small image of the cover of the Register's 100 Things You Must Eat... but it featured the Hot Beef Sandwich! I looked for the cherry pie and it also had the image. They'd been featured twice! We decided to try them both. As we waited for our food, we saw several servings of the Hot Beef Sandwich going to other tables; it's a popular order. It turned out to be a good call as both the sandwich and the pie were excellent! Fed, we moved out to find out what Bluegrass Tuesdays was about.

The southeast corner of the courthouse lawn was already pretty well filled with lawn chairs by the time we arrived. The ever present kettle corn stand was operating at capacity. Someone was operating a grill and a little lemonade stand completed the on-site food options.

The evening's featured performers, Monroe Crossing, had just started their show and were sounding very good. The little handout said

Minnesota Bluegrass Group of the Year five of the last eight years, a full time 'on the road' bluegrass band playing over 230 shows in 2006, they are stopping in Indianola on their way home after three weeks on stage in Silver Dollar City, Missouri.

They were a high quality act. In bluegrass style, each member of the band took their turns showcasing their talents as they played the music of namesake Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers. It was quite a show ... for free! If they have this caliber of show week in, week out, it's an unfortunately well kept secret.