LIVE TO EAT: Many familiar faces as 1816 Modern Kitchen & Drinks debuts in Corydon.

Here's the team: Mesa's Bobby and Ysha Bass, and Rod and Esperanza Juarez; Executive Chef Scott Dickenson, formerly of The Exchange in New Albany; and General Manager Levi Donaldson, also previously of The Exchange and more recently Wild Rita’s.

To learn about the history of the location, you'll have to click through to my article at F&D. Here's a clue: Old-timers like me ate in the same building when Richard Nixon was president.

1816 Modern Kitchen & Drinks is open in Corydon (Food & Dining Magazine)

Corydon was Indiana’s first state capitol (1816-1825), and for those of us who grew up in the area, the town always will be synonymous with the term “Old Capitol.”

Time marches on, and today, 203 years after the town’s historic Hoosier moment, 1816 Modern Kitchen & Drinks makes its debut at 100 E. Chestnut (the Shafer Building), around the corner from the landmark original capitol and across the street from Butt Drugs ...

Scenes from NABC's Beer 'n' Baseball Bus Trip yesterday.

Harrison County Summerfest in Corydon to feature a craft beer garden on Saturday, July 2, Noon - 9 p.m.

For readers unfamiliar with Southern Indiana geography, historic Corydon is right down the road from New Albany, perhaps 20 miles away and westbound on I-64.

Among other claims to fame, the town was Indiana’s first state capital. In fact, a little bird tells me that Corydon may soon experience another historic first: A group of townies apparently are exploring options for opening a brewpub on the square.

Wouldn’t that be delighfully epochal?

In the meantime, NABC is perfectly happy to be among the craft brewers represented at Harrison County Summerfest on the weekend before the 4th of July.

The craft beer action is on Saturday, July 2. The morning begins in nearby Lanesville, where there’ll be a charity 5k run/walk to benefit Shelby Richert.

After the race, the astute organizers have cleverly arranged for awards to be presented at the county fairgrounds in Corydon, where by sheer coincidence, a craft beer garden will begin operating at 12 Noon. Here’s the tentative draft list:

Barley Island Sheet Metal Blonde
BBC Amber
Bell’s Oberon,
Flat 12 Half Cycle IPA,
NABC Community Dark
Schlafly Kolsch
Upland Preservation Pils

The craft beer garden will run on Saturday from Noon until 9:00 p.m. More information can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=116169881797121

As someone who has spent a lifetime hereabouts, I cannot describe how excited I am at the prospect of showcasing craft beer in Corydon. It's a holiday weekend, so consider lining up a designated driver and heading that way.

Furthermore, there's a Dubois County Bombers baseball game (with NABC beer) later the same afternoon, approximately 45 minutes further west, in Huntingburg. Anyone up for a combined roadtrip -- Corydon, Bombers and craft beer?

Square talk.

We drove to Corydon on Saturday afternoon for lunch at Magdalena's. Upon arrival, we found preparations underway for the town's Halloween festival and parade.

It struck me that Corydon doesn't have all that much to work with in terms of a "downtown," but having a town square probably helps. I'm sure there are other reasons against it, as in those towns where the major thoroughfare wraps around the old courthouse in the middle, rather than passing it one one side, as in Corydon, making it easier to use the other three sides for events like this one.

New Albany has a Hauss Square that isn't. I suppose the closest we come to a square these days is the Farmers Market area. We should consider using it next year for a May Day gathering.

Is it fair to assume that ideas like the plaza between Main and the levee, formerly a component of the Overton vision for Scribner Place, is an attempt (like the Belvedere) to create a square-like public area where there was none before?