This week’s Diner’s and Dives group included from left Shari Benyousky, Cara Metzger, Sue Charlton and Jeff Owens.

Text And Photos
By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

Column Note: In the 84th Diners and Dives series column, some Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club members explore Leesburg.

LEESBURG — We’ve eaten in Leesburg before and the charming town with the cobblestone streets never fails to welcome us. But this time, we had a special guest, Leesburg leader Sue Charlton who was named Kosciusko Chamber Woman of the Year in January of 2022.

Brew And Chew

Quite reasonably, Sue wasn’t quite sure about a Diners and Dives invitation, but she still joined us at Hoplore: The Mill. Hoplore is in an unusual location, an old grain mill on the eastern outskirts of Leesburg. When you’re at the Mill at 100 S. Old SR 15, you can imagine farmers gathering here to exchange stories while they wait for their grain. Now everyone gathers here to savor interesting food or check out the newest brew.

Suds And Savories

Stefan King spends the lunch chatting with Diners and Dives.

As we arrived, Sue exclaimed, “My name is on that pole somewhere! I remember signing it.” Hoplore encourages its customers to sign the walls or poles or grain vats. You’ll see hearts, dates, positive sayings, and even a dragon. After the other regulars arrived, we moved into the bar area with its long iron service bar railing and round tables made of wooden barrels.

“We are family-friendly.” Stefan King, one of Hoplore’s founders and brewers, pushed together two tables and joined us. “A brewery isn’t all about getting drunk.” He pointed at the weekly specials. “People not in the know think craft breweries are just about drinking, but we want to be a food destination too. We like to make common foods in unusual ways.”

Pints And Plates

Bartender Blake gave us menus and told us about the specials, the Bulgogi Tri-Tip Beef Taco with spicy Korean pickled cucumbers, the meatloaf sliders with cheese and bacon jam, and the loaded baked potato soup. Stefan pointed out, “We also have a seasonal Sangria with tart cherry, cranberry, apple and dark red wine. It’s been very popular.”

Sue, Mother Trucker Cara Metzger, and I ordered the Sangria. For regular readers, Cara works for Tranzstar Trucking and has a trucking following on Facebook and Instagram.

Woman of the Year Sue Charlton with Hopelore’s menu.

“We have fruited beers too,” Blake grinned. “For our customers who don’t like our beery beers. The most popular is the Tasty Whip Dammit. Also, tomorrow is our Amish Crack release party.” The Tasty Whip is Berliner Weiss with pineapple, banana and vanilla ice cream.

“That must be sweet then?” Sue asked.

“Ah yes,” Realtor Jeff Owens agreed. “I remember you telling us about the Amish Krack. How might a customer go about getting a taste of that beer early, like today?”

Blake joked, “How much would you pay for such an early taste?”

Owens returned, “How much would you pay to have your name spelled correctly in this article?!”

Pour And Pair

Stefan told us the Amish Krack story again. “Years ago, we chose the famous Rise ‘N Roll Amish donuts to add a caramel and cinnamon taste. We posted a video of us dumping the donuts into the vat, and in less than 24 hours, we had more than 30k views.” He accepted a mug. “And then I got a call from Rise N’ Roll Corporate telling us to take it down.”

If you know Stefan, you know his answer. “I told them I wasn’t taking it down.” Stefan folded his arms. “And then the second year rolled around, and I got another call. This time they wanted to bring their corporate group to the release. One of those poles has all their signatures on it.”

Amish Crack Release Day happens annually in December. Hoplore is packed with people coming to get their beloved stout and stick around for brunch. The Release Brunch menu includes brisket and waffles, gochujang chilaquiles, and krack donut French toast.

Hop And Chow

Chef Nick Furney.

Mother Trucker Metzger saw an intriguing item on the taco menu — The PB&J which is smoked pulled pork, Amish peanut butter, and strawberry jalapeno jelly. Blake nodded, “Yep, whenever we make a menu change, it never fails that the one thing people say don’t get rid of is the PB&J Taco.” Cara enthusiastically ordered one with a Korean bulgogi taco.

“I’ll order last,” Realtor Owens told us. This is a sacrifice as we all order something different, and someone might choose his favorite.

“He’s such a gentleman,” Sue nodded. Sue and Jeff have known each other for years, meeting when Sue was a prominent banker in Leesburg. Sue patted Jeff’s arm. “For 37 years I worked at the round bank.” Sue ordered the loaded baked potato soup.

“Great choice,” Stefan nodded. “Our chef Nick is known for his amazing soups.”

I ordered the Japanese BBQ melt taco with brisket, picked onion, sriracha aioli, and the jerk chicken with cabbage and mango chutney.

“You’re not a jerk though,” Blake reassured me as he took my order.

Gentleman Realtor Owens finally got his chance and ordered a hand-held BBQ burrito-brisket holding 1/3 pound of protein with smoked gouda mac and cheese, and corn and jalapeno salsa.

Brew And Stew

Bartender Blake in his element.

Stefan introduced us to Hoplore Regular Ryan Reinholt. “HI!’ Ryan grinned. “I work at The Papers in Milford so it’s cool to meet some people that I actually work with and never see.” Diners and Dives is published by InkFreeNews which is owned by The Papers Incorporated. “I love coming here,” Ryan waved at the crowded long bar. “Everything is so good.”

“Having the right person to execute the menu is key.” Stephan next introduced Chef Nick Furney who joined us when he had a moment to breathe. Nick studied culinary arts at Sullivan University.

“I love to cook everything really, especially steaks and BBQ,” Nick stroked his beard. “I used to draw the line at making desserts, but now we have these funnel cake French fries with a stout chocolate dipping sauce.”

Taps And Tastes

Shown with the Hoplore Beer Can Christmas Tree from left are Cara Metzger, Sue Charlton and Stefan King.

It’s clear that good food ties people together. Sue has lived in Leesburg for 68 years and clearly loves it. “I live just over there on Prairie Street now,” she smiled. “Albert was the name of my dad. He was a farmer here.”

Sue has carried on her legacy In Leesburg by helping rescue a Leesburg artifact, a life-sized nativity set. She had it lovingly restored, and today you can see the masterpiece at the Leesburg Clover Park.

“We have our Candelaria event this weekend (held Dec. 14) too,” Sue told us. Leesburg residents and the 4-H kids illuminate Leesburg by lining the roads on a magical evening every December. Everyone walks the streets, talks to their neighbors, and celebrates the season. “It’s just so beautiful,” Sue smiled. “Leesburg is wonderful.”

TIP — At 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20 there will be an IU vs. Notre Dame game watch event.

TIP 2 — If you’re a cross-country RVer and know about Harvest Hosts, you’ll be interested that Hoplore hosts RV guests who park for free at breweries across the country.

So, now you know about the secrets of little town Leesburg, so go get some amazing food and fascinating brews, and don’t forget to sign your name and say hello to Stefan, Sue, Nick and Ryan.

Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Diners and Dives? Send Shari Benyousky an email at [email protected].