It’s billed as the Indiana Culinary Trails Passport, and its mission is to highlight Indiana food. Of course, tenderloins are on the list — but more about that
later.

The idea is a project from the Indiana Foodways Alliance and features local joints all over the state, and the “trails” all center around a theme. Among the trails you can choose from are Between the Buns Burger Trail, Cultural Cuisine, Hoosier Pie, Hoosier Distillery, Farm to Table, Here Fishy Fishy, and Sweet Temptations.

There are nearly two dozen food and beverage trails to explore.

And about those tenderloins, October is Porktober. If you visit two tenderloin spots on the Tenderloin Lovers Trail, you could earn a free piggy bank. There are 33 restaurants you can choose from in northern Indiana alone, including The Brown House in Auburn and Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington. 

You can find out more about the passports by going to at visitindiana.com/Cuisine. It is free to enroll. And as you stamp your passport, you inch toward rewards.

Eliza B’s opens up shop

Eliza B’s bread, pastries, cakes, and other made-from-scratch goodies frequently appear at the YLNI Farmers Market and other festivals and gatherings. 

Now they have a store at 303 Webster Road in New Haven. 

Eliza B’s is owned and operated by Mary Barmes. She delights in using family recipes to craft these creations.

The store also has locally produced honey, cheese, and other staples. They are open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. 

Deer Park are fans of smashing pumpkins

Owner Tony Henry’s crew at Deer Park Irish Pub, 1530 Leesburg Road, will host their annual Halloween Pumpkin Drop on Tuesday, Oct. 31. 

Billed as a night of “pumpkin pulverizing,” a huge pumpkin grown at Kurtz Farms will be hoisted in the air, then you can guess what happens next. It is a silly and memorable way to mark the day. 

Guests may purchase entries to the Guess the Weight contest. Hint: It’s probably about 200 pounds. Once they weigh it, it becomes the focus of a candlelight procession to the billboard outside of the pub where it will meet its fate. 

Just now discovering Lee’s 

Until recently, I had not been to Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. Following a gut feeling, my gut was quite pleased with the result. 

I craved boneless chicken breast strips, and the ones at Lee’s are thick, meaty, and light. They are marinated, coated with their, you know, famous herbs and spices, and prepared in a pressure cooker. 

The first time I opened the pack, I thought they had made a mistake and gave me the actual chicken breast. No tiny pieces here. They come with several dipping sauces, but for me, they are fine without them. 

There are four locations in Fort Wayne: 1830 W. Dupont Road, 220 E. Rudisill Blvd., 404 W. State Blvd., and 6316 Stellhorn Road.

Times are changing

If the recent dip in temperatures didn’t remind you it is fall, this is another warning. 

Zesto at Coldwater Crossing, 210 E. Washington Center Road, closes for the season on Oct. 22. 

Sorry, I just share the news.

Off the Eaten Path is the Whatzup weekly column that covers Northeast Indiana’s restaurant and food news. Send your news items to info@whatzup.com.