Comfort food is on the menu at MJ's Kitchen in the southside Shell gas station
Carol KuglerSeeking a little home cooking? If it's comfort food you crave, stop at the Shell gas station at the corner of Winslow Road and Henderson Street (275 E. Winslow Road) for breakfast, lunch or dinner at MJ's Kitchen. Owners/operators Ci Jones and Robert Miles opened inside the station on April 1 and are serving from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
They began offering breakfast and now offer breakfast, lunch and dinner — all types of comfort food, according to Jones. "We have at least one thing on the menu you'll like," she said recently just before one of her regular customers came in.
"Friendly and fresh food express," a sign displayed near the food in the warming area proclaims. That includes breakfast options of biscuits and gravy, bacon and sausage sandwiches, a breakfast burrito, shrimp and grits and a chicken waffle. Jones said she began cooking when she was growing up, learning in her mother's kitchen.
Lunch options are more finger-food oriented, including fried jalapeno, pizza puff, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, and fried okra, as well as cheeseburgers (single or double), gyro cheeseburgers, gizzards, chicken sandwiches, tacos (beef, chicken or steak), fish sandwiches, salmon burgers and Italian beef.
For dinner there's wings (2, 5 or 10 pieces), tenderloin, catfish, meatloaf, turkey with gravy or ribs with two sides. Options are macaroni, string beans, baked beans, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, sweet potato or collard greens. The 10-piece wings come with two sides, Jones said.
Different desserts are available each week and range from fried doughnuts to pies and cookies.
People with a special request can order 24 hours ahead of time and then pick it up. Jones said one person wanted a Fruity Pebbles pancake sandwich. All customers' names are put into a drawing at the end of the month for a free meal.
Besides just stopping in, people can call ahead and order at 812-322-3628 (with curbside pick up if it's raining) or order on DoorDash. For more, check out MJs Kitchen on Facebook.
Bloomington Chocolate Company celebrates with brownie bar
Bloomington Chocolate Company will host a Build Your Own Brownie Bar 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 29, to celebrate its 14th year in business. There will be different treats (mini M&M's, Reese's Pieces, chopped pecans and more), frostings (dark chocolate balsamic, vanilla buttercream or peanut butter) and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel to add to a brownie for $6 each. Bloomington Chocolate Co. is located in Eastland Plaza at 2534 E. Third St. inside the Olive Leaf store.
FARM adds summer appetizers, main dishes
FARMbloomington has new summer dinner items including appetizers of vegan tomato bisque with coconut milk, basil and roasted garlic; and a garlicy cauliflower and cheese dip served with toasted French baguette.
Orchard pizza with peaches, Capriole goat cheese, basil, Hoosier hot honey and baby arugula salad garnish is a new main course dish. Others include a Greek island eggplant stuffed with Parmesan, tomatoes, feta, summer vegetables and breadcrumbs that's served with a Greek salad and tzatziki sauce; grilled spicy New Mexican-style cauliflower steak served with black beans and rice and roasted red pepper coulis. Hot day? Try the new Monroe County Summer Salad with mixed baby greens, Maytag blue cheese, sweet peas, cucumber, carrots and radish.
FARM also has a rotating list of summer desserts. It's all available at 108 E. Kirkwood Ave.
Contact Carol Kugler atckugler@heraldt.com