“I always order the cheeseburger,” Ammeson said, adding she loves dipping the fries that accompany the burger in the homemade sherbet that’s served with the meal. That’s a tradition for her and many other diners.
Ammeson, who is a correspondent for The Times, also has written a variety of other books through the years, including “A Jazz Age Murder in Northwest Indiana,” “Lincoln Road Trip,” “Hauntings of the Underground Railroad,” “Femme Fatale” and others.
Ammeson developed an interest in the writing craft as a kid. “I started my own newspaper at 11 years old,” she said. She made copies of the paper and sold it to her neighbors.
In “Classic Restaurants of The Region,” readers will find stories and the history of eateries such as the former Whiting seafood hot spot Phil Smidt’s; Schererville’s Teibel’s; various gas station and stagecoach stop eateries, such as Square Deal BBQ and Gas Station in Beverly Shores; Starlight Buffet in Indiana Harbor; The Stage Coach Inn in Hebron; The Commercial Hotel in Crown Point; The Franklin House in Valparaiso, and more.
Ammeson said, in addition to her family frequenting Miner-Dunn while she was growing up, other restaurants they visited often were Phil Smidt’s, The Trolley Diner in Indiana Harbor, El Patio in Indiana Harbor; Casa Blanca in East Chicago, and Zel’s, where she loved ordering corned beef.