Something New Is Happening in the South Bend Food Scene

When I moved to South Bend from Nashville in 2018, I was eager for the transition from what felt like a large and disconnected city to a much smaller, intertwined community. Announcing the decision to friends and family, everyone was quite shocked that my husband and I would choose to leave the excitement and energy of a big city, for the largely unknown rust belt city of South Bend. When asked if I would miss Nashville, the answer would be some variation of “No, but I will miss the food.”

During the first few years in South Bend, I personally saw few creative and innovative things happening in the local food and beverage scene compared to the vibrant food culture in Nashville. Over and over, I visited the same two or three establishments that seemed to be pushing the envelope on what food and beverage in South Bend could be. A dinner out meant visiting Crooked Ewe Brewery to enjoy my favorite (the since-retired) Honey Fried Chicken, and daytime hours were spent at Zen Cafe’s previous Langlab location for a latte with some interesting flavor combination that I hadn’t experienced before. In my view, these concepts were opening a window to a new way of thinking about food in our medium-sized rust belt city.

While I only witnessed a small community of chefs and creators bringing new life to the food and beverage scene, I could feel that something interesting was happening.

In retrospect, something interesting was indeed happening. Fast-forward four years, and despite the chaos of the past two years, most of my now-favorite restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops first opened their doors during the height of the pandemic. Some of these establishments that took the risk to open during lockdowns and ever-changing restrictions include The Ragamuffin, Bantam Chicken & Seafood, The Early Bird Eatery, Pink Lemonade Pastries, Fatbird, and Roselily.

We’re experiencing a culinary renaissance in South Bend, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for it.

This renaissance struck me one Saturday morning last March when I decided to embark on a mini food tour of our city: a croissant from Pink Lemonade Pastries, a cinnamon roll from The Ragamuffin, a cappuccino from DeNolf’s, sourdough from The Elder Bread, a pound of coffee from Cloud Walking, and a block of cheese from Oh Mamma’s. This kind of tour was a typical Saturday morning for me in Nashville, so I felt the excitement of being able to experience a culture of young, innovative chefs and food creators right here in South Bend. I didn’t miss Nashville for one second that day. At every shop, I chatted with the people I saw—the business owners, employees, and customers I ran into were not strangers to me as they were in the big city—they were my neighbors and friends.

Food and drink is such an integral part of a community. It always has been. What we eat and where we eat is a defining factor of our life and the community to which we belong. 

Our bakeries, coffee shops, breweries, and restaurants are the new markets, commerce centers, and cathedrals of our culture. These days, more commerce happens around the dinner table than at the conference table. More stories are shared over a cup of coffee than in a therapist's office. And more of God is experienced in the everyday meal shared with friends than in stained glass windows of a cathedral.

If you don’t know me, my name is Kath, and I’m here to share the stories of the people and places fueling a culinary renaissance in South Bend. Something new is happening here, and it’s worthy of our attention. I feel a significant amount of imposter syndrome typing these words. I'm not a chef; I'm not a restaurateur. I'm not much of a baker. I’m simply a designer who is passionate about telling the unique stories of the food and beverage innovators shaping our city.

It’s easy to see how far South Bend still has to go to become known and appreciated as a vibrant food destination where residents and visitors alike are inspired by the culinary culture. On a weekday evening, I still encounter the eerie emptiness of a restaurant with only a handful of tables occupied. But by taking a glance backward, even just a year or two, it’s astounding how much progress has been made to create a culture of care and intention for how we eat in South Bend. I can’t wait to see what the next few years will bring.

To tell these stories, I’m starting a digital publication called Food Belt. Sign up at Food-Belt.com to be the first to know when we launch.