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J. FORD'S BLACK ANGUS
502 SOUTH THIRD STREET
TERRE HAUTE, IN 47807
812-235-5549 |
What is it about Terre Haute? Every time I mention that 60 minute or so trip out west on I-70 to someone they get that "look" on their face. I remember driving there to visit friends that had gone off to Indiana State University many years ago, remembering the "smell", and not the other fun times that were had. Well thank you EPA, it doesn't reek anymore, and the place actually has some bright spots. Get out of the city and there are lots of nice little lakes, and a couple of great
golf courses. They are re-vitalizing the
downtown area with some new shops and restaurants and they have a world class
Children's Museum. Head north on 41 at I-70 a few blocks and you'll find J. Fords Black Angus, a fine dining oasis sitting smack dab in between two motor lodges and across the street from
THE WORST THAI RESTAURANT that I have ever had the displeasure of visiting. J Ford's, on the other hand, is a "worth the drive" dining destination experience. Chef/Owner Jeff Ford was previously the head chef at the
Country Club of Terre Haute and took the top prize in a competition against 11 other top country club chefs. Jeff and his wife Kelly opened J. Ford's in 2007. We had a reservation for a group of six, dining out to celebrate my niece's amazing dance performance on a weekend night and the place was packed. We had a short wait and were seated in the main dining room. There also is a private dining room for groups/special events that had some festivities going on. The atmosphere is appropriately dark and has a 50's/60's sophisticated lounge vibe to it. Sinatra and some of his fellow crooners provided some background music via the ceiling speakers. It was probably just our location, but Frank and company could have been turned down a few db's to allow for more comfortable conversation. I'm sure that if we would have asked they would have done so. J. Fords offers a full service bar with a nice beer and wine selection as well. The menu offers just the right number of appetizers, soups/salads and entrees to choose from, it would be nice to see a blow away creative vegetarian entree on the regular menu. A nice size chalk board lists the evenings special offerings. We started off with a smoked salmon "pizza" appetizer with a horseradish sauce that was out of this world. Dinner salads were crisp and just the right size to prepare our pallets for the main courses. My Mother enjoyed her Airline Chicken Breast with wings attached, ready for take off. My niece devoured her tempura battered fish that was one of the specials. My Brother chose the enormous bone in Cowboy Ribeye which was delivered perfectly medium rare as ordered. J. Ford's beef comes fresh from
Chicago's Stockyards, which also provides their fine products to lots of great Midwest restaurants including Indy's own St. Elmo. How crazy is this, I'm in a Black Angus restaurant and I ordered seafood. Not usually a good move, but when my Brother saw that the Sea Bass was one of specials offered he insisted I get it, plus he promised to share his steak. WOW. It was expertly cooked and served with a super flavorful sauce that complimented, but didn't overpower the fish. The service was professional and attentive without being clingy. Now let's get to the bottom line, so to speak. The pricing is upper deck with entrees in the $24 to $42 range. Considering the top notch service, atmosphere and superior quality of all the ingredients, that is money well spent. A great place for a business dinner, date night or a special evening with friends and family. Next time I will get the Pork Belly, which I couldn't take my eyes off of at a neighboring diners table.
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