Planted food truck launches in Bloomington, Pizza Hut reopens on eastside
A new food truck is operating in the Bloomington area and soon will be part of Bloomington Food Truck Friday and other events.
Planted Bloomington serves up plant-based food with mostly vegetarian fare. The food truck offers open-face sandwiches, called flats, in part because that eliminates the need for single-use plastic, according to owner Nicole Schoemann. Dishes requiring utensils will be served with wooden spoons and forks. The flats are named after local native plants, though they are not ingredients in the food.
Schoemann said the food truck is a way to share food while "honoring the earth" and being mindful of animals, the planet and people.
At a recent event, the goldenrod flat included Indiana sweet corn, zucchini, potato, tomato, cashew basil cream and was served with garlic chips.
In addition to sandwiches, Planted Bloomington will serve various flavors of coconut-based ice cream in sundaes and floats and two types of kombucha.
The menu will be seasonal, using local produce as much as possible. The food concept was designed by Erika Yochum, who many Bloomington residents may recall was owner and operator of the Feast Café that transitioned into Oona. Yochum is still finalizing the menu but expects to have a loaded mushroom dish that's the vegetarian equivalent to loaded nachos.
When the weather gets chillier, Yochum plans to offer soups and possibly a warm drink of golden milk.
"We'll stay with the seasons and feature as much local stuff as we can," she said, adding the food truck will be available for private events, including the upcoming Bug Fest Sept. 23 at Karst Farm Park.
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Planted Bloomington also will be at Butler Winery from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 24. Anyone who wants to try some of the fare is encouraged to pre-order a flat online at tinyurl.com/3hnea95z. There will be sides, desserts and drinks as well that can be purchased during the event, which will include Butler wine as well as live music. People don't have to purchase a ticket to attend but doing so ensures enough food for purchase is available. No cash will be accepted at the event; only debt and credit cards.
Eastside Pizza Hut is open again
The Pizza Hut on Bloomington's east side, at 250 S. Pete Ellis Drive, recently reopened its doors. The restaurant is open 2-10 p.m. daily for carryout, delivery and non-traditional dine-in, meaning customers place orders at the counter before sitting down. Meals are brought to the table.
There is no buffet and no fountain drinks. Customers can choose from 20-ounce and 2-liter Pepsi products to go with their meal.
General Manager Latisha Reinhardt anticipates there will soon be a lunch option, available 11 a.m.-2 p.m., of a personal pan pizza with up to three toppings and a 20-ounce drink for less than $8. Reinhardt is hopeful the Pizza Hut location will expand its hours in mid October to 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Stay tuned to future columns for updates.
Fall cocktail menu at Cardinal Spirits
While pumpkin spice is what many people anticipate when fall returns, Cardinal Spirits has created other fall flavors for its recently released fall cocktail menu. From Spooky Island (with Lake House Spiced Rum, pumpkin, coconut cream, passion fruit, cranberry, falernum and lime) to Autumn Sweater (with white chocolate-infused Creekbend Brandy, spiced pumpkin, walnut sweet vermouth, cardamom, lemon, egg white and black pepper), the names are almost as good as the drinks.
Some of the new concoctions feature Cardinal Spirits' bourbon and single malt whiskey, including Brown Butter Sage Old Fashioned (with brown butter-sage washed Birdhouse Bourbon, demerara sugar, smoke, Angostura and orange bitters) and Paper Plane (with Birdhouse Bourbon, La Boite American Amaro, triple berry elixir and lemon).
The cocktails are available at 922 S. Morton St. Patrons must be age 21 or older to sit inside; a patio is open to all ages when weather permits. For more, go to www.cardinalspirits.com.
Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com or 812-331-4359.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Plant-based food truck opens; eastside Bloomington Pizza Hut reopens
