Food Traveler Magazine Winter 2013 | Page 44

Northern WINTER DESTINATION Noble Coffee and Tea Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano Small Towns with Big City Amenities There’s a reason people refer to HAMILTON COUNTY as “ChowTown, Indiana.” Great restaurants abound, and the word is out that the eateries have the flavors foodies savor. F or more than a decade, Hamilton County has been one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. With this growth, Hamilton has become a place to find an eclectic mix of urban edge and suburban ease with each of its eight incorporated 42 FOOD TRAVELER | WINTER 2013 towns: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Sheridan, Cicero, Arcadia, and Atlanta. Six local farmers markets are hosted during the weekends in many of Hamilton County’s towns, including a winter market in Noblesville. Local restaurants take cues from the markets, stocking their menus with locally inspired dishes. At-the-farm experiences include Stonycreek Farm’s pumpkin and Christmas tree harvesting and Gatewood Vegetable Farm. Broccoli Bills and Wilson Farm Market are stand-alone markets open throughout the week. Well known for its love of the breaded tenderloin sandwich, Hoosier Hospitality serves it up! It’s hard to travel anywhere in the state and find a menu without a version of the unofficial Hoosier sandwich. Locals have long traveled to Hamilton County for this specialty sandwich at a number of restaurants along the Tenderloin Trail. Eighteen eateries serve their versions, but most stick to the traditional, thinly-sliced and oversized delight as large as the dinner plate—big enough to share or carry out for a delicious leftover the next day. A trip to the Hoosier state is incomplete without one. THE LOCAL RESTAURANT SCENE Where can you find local foods in Hamilton County not found anywhere else? The local restaurant scene. Here are just a few of the many: Mat [