I am not a food snob. If it’s good, I’ll eat it. And I’m as comfortable at a steakhouse as I am at a fast food joint. Having said that, though, it’s obvious that some restaurants are better than others – better atmosphere, better service, and most importantly, better food. For those of us who love to eat, living in, working in, and visiting Fort Wayne has been especially “tasty” lately with so many great new restaurants opening. One of those is Tolon, a Midwestern supplier-focused, farm-to-fork restaurant located at 614 South Harrison Street.
A few weeks ago, I finally got the chance to grab lunch at Tolon, which I had been looking forward to since the restaurant’s opening was announced last year. The restaurant space has a clean, simple aesthetic that was immediately welcoming (and I love the exposed ductwork).
One of the driving ideas behind farm-to-fork restaurants is knowing where your food comes from, so because the restaurant uses only Midwestern suppliers, the menu changes seasonally based on what ingredients are available. So as I looked over the summer menu, I had some real trouble deciding what to order. That’s one of the marks of a good restaurant – having a menu that provides so many tempting options that it’s hard to pick just one.
My wife had eaten at Tolon before, so she gave me some advice on what to try. For an appetizer, we had the “chips-n-cheese,” an Indiana brie fondue with red Fresno chile peppers and herbed focaccia for dipping. I love fondue, and this was delicious. For my entrée, I tried the fried chicken sandwich, which was served on a buttered brioche bun and topped with sriracha honey, bread and butter pickles, and smoked blue cheese mayo. I had no idea how well these flavors would taste together – it turns out, the answer to that is amazing. One of the best chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had. I got to sample a bit of the Tolon bacon cheeseburger, which was also really good.
I know we have a lot of restaurant choices in Fort Wayne, with even more on the horizon, but if you love local eats, a trip to Tolon should be at the top of your “to-do” list. Tolon is open Tuesday to Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Visit Tolon online at www.facebook.com/tolonrestaurant and call (260) 399-5128 for reservations.
This post was originally published in September 2016 and has been revised. Last revised May 2021.