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Evansville
Wednesday, April 15, 2026

March/April 2026

Evansville Living

Photo of new House of Como sign by Chanda Ramsey

Como’s New Glow

House of Como’s iconic street sign has a new shine. The towering landmark on South Kentucky Avenue which dates to the late 1960s and was broken in more recent eras, has been repaired and updated — but not because it
Diamonds Diner breakfast featuring hashstack with hash browns, sausage, egg, and cheese and the homestyle cinnamon slammer, a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich on cinnamon swirl bread. Photo by Chanda Ramsey

A Diamond in the Rough

Can’t decide between breakfast and dinner? You won’t lose no matter what you try — Diamonds Diner owner Vinnie Eljezi sees to that. Since September, diners can feast on house specialties including a hashstack — an enticing, hot heap of
Hangar No. 1 burger and pub fries, buffalo meatballs, house salad, and ribeye at Commander's Grill

Commander’s Grill Takes Charge on the Restaurant Scene

Commander’s Grill on Boonville, Indiana’s Downtown square, boasts a confident name and atmosphere, inspired by a classy individual who left a remarkable legacy. Born in 1888 in Boonville, Ralph Downs Weyerbacher graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and later supervised

Let There Be Brunch

Sleeping in and awakening late on the weekend seems sweet enough, but tack on a satisfying, leisurely brunch, and you’ve discovered the luxury of late risers. British writer Guy Beringer arguably coined the term in his 1895 Hunter’s Weekly essay

Lynnville Coal Museum Digs Up the Past

“It’s really a great day when somebody finds their grandpa’s name in that book,” Curator Aja Mason says, referring to a 1901 employee pay records book from the Big Four Mine in Boonville, Indiana. It’s one of the oldest artifacts
Art Woodward poses with his music collection, which includes CDs, cassettes, vinyl records, and more.

One For The (Vinyl) Record

I’ve been an avid collector of various music forms since my early teens. The “Museum of Art” — in my basement — features pieces from eccentric to norm: an 1880s Edison cylinder, 78-rpm records, 8-tracks, 45s, cassettes, 33-rpm LPs, and
Mallory Pleiss stands in her kitchen with an intricately decorated buttercream frosting cake from her business, Icing On The Cake

Mallory Pleiss Bakes Sweet Celebrations

At a young age, Mallory Pleiss was drawn to both art and baking. Her aunt had a cake business and created cakes for themed birthday parties her mother planned for Pleiss and her sisters; Pleiss fondly recalls receiving a “Pocahontas”-themed
Bruce Pearl cuts a piece of the net after he coached the Auburn University men's basketball team to victory.

Bruce Pearl: After The Last Whistle

Bruce Pearl relished the idea of building a basketball program from the ground up, and the University of Southern Indiana handed him that chance. Named in 1992 as the men’s head basketball coach — his first leading post — he
Jim and Mary Ann Wilsbacher stand in God's Garden, their publicly accessible garden just off the Rivertown Trail in Newburgh, Indiana.

God’s Garden Offers A Spiritual Scene

For 20 years, the backyard of Jim and Mary Ann Wilsbacher’s home along the Rivertown Trail in Newburgh has been a spiritual, scenic paradise — a place for lifting prayers, snapping photos, and taking in resplendent Ohio River views. The
Dani Schiffer cooks up a meal of Dishes By Dani

Dani Schiffer Whips Up Meals With Meaning

When Dani Schiffer snuck bites of home-cooked food out of to-go containers while tending bar at The Hornet’s Nest, patrons noticed. It was 2018; Schiffer worked at Lefler Collision (now Gerber Collision) and was a part-time bartender who dedicated herself
Pale white mushroom blooms grown by Woods & Stems

Things We Learned: Of Mushrooms and Mines

We’re stuffed from sampling a bunch of brunch dishes for the feature story, but we also picked up quite a bit of knowledge producing this issue. Learning sprouted in our reporting on Woods & Stems, which touts the nutritional and
Sharla Cowden sits in her duck-stuffed office in the University of Evansville's Theatre Department.

Sharla Cowden: In the Spotlight

Sharla Cowden is a talent whisperer, newlywed, and businesswoman with an artist’s heart. For 25 years, the Oklahoma native has helped guide the University of Evansville’s acclaimed Theatre Department, traveling to 10 states to recruit students and becoming a surrogate

Editor's Letter

Kristen K. Tucker stands in the Amazonia section of Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden

Here’s To Brunch, And Lunch!

Gone are the days when brunch was reserved for Mother’s Day or Easter — a once-a-year affair, typically an elaborate buffet at a hotel or country club. When I was a teenager, our family liked the Sunday brunch at the

Epilogue

A wooden replica of moai on Easter Island is installed at Daylight Sculpture Garden in Daylight, Indiana.

International Wonders in Daylight, Indiana

Inspiration for new additions to Bill Young’s Daylight Sculpture Garden — an impressive display of green wood art in northern Vanderburgh County — came from distant corners of the world. The U.S. Army veteran and Vectren Corp. retiree has about

Art Talk

Easel Does It club members display their en plein air paintings

Easel Does It Takes Art Outside

Iris Gentry acknowledges that en plein air painting is not for everyone. Hours spent outside painting the surroundings, exposed to the elements and an environment that can change at any moment, is difficult. But the Henderson, Kentucky, resident says that

Dwell

Joshua Claybourn and Melissa Cooney-Mudd stand before shelves of books that make up their home library.

Find Room For Reading In A Home Library

“I would suspect for most people, being surrounded by books creates an ambiance and a warmth and calm,” Joshua Claybourn says. Being an attorney with Jackson Kelly PLLC and a noted historian of Abraham Lincoln, Claybourn is well read, as
Vintage bluetooth speaker in a dark olive tone, available for $26 from BasketKases Gift Shoppe

Forever-Green Spring Decor

Look closely, and you’ll notice that spring arrives in layers, not leaps, of green. Designers are embracing that nuance with botanical tones that feel timeless yet unmistakably current. Saturated jade, heritage olive, forested moss, and delicate mint form a palette
Patrick and Susan Lattner's is home surrounded by azalea bushes, trees, and blooming flowers.

The Lattners’ Garden In Bloom

Patrick and Susan Lattner’s Georgian Colonial home is a beautiful sight year-round, but it levels up each spring when the dazzling azaleas bloom. A tradition since Judge Phillip C. Gould and his wife, Roah, bought the property in 1929, the

Craveables

Abby and Tim Smith pose by their freestanding homestead.

Convivium Micro Bakery Creates Connections

“Convivium” a word meaning “feast” that is pieced together by the Latin terms for “together” and “to live,” evokes thoughts of a shared table for Abby Smith, “where good food, good company, and good conversation invite us to slow down

Online Exclusives

Two people side-hugging and raising glasses for a toast

Traveling the World During Geo-Political Turmoil

After listing their Evansville home and selling most of their belongings in order to begin living abroad in October 2024, Darrell and Penelope Pennington visited 44 cities in 14 countries across Europe before returning home for a visit in December

Weekend Guide: April 9-12

Fiddler on the Roof 7 p.m. April 9-11; 2:30 p.m. April 12, Reitz Memorial High School, 1500 Lincoln Ave. Memorial students learn about “Tradition!” in this production of the award-winning dramatic musical set in early 1900s Russia. Tickets cost $8-$10.
High school students pose in a line for a group photo

Transylvanian Students Sample American Life

Fifty high school students and four teachers from the Transylvania region of Romania are getting a crash course on American culture during a two-week whirlwind trip that also takes them to Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. The delegation from Bolyai Farkas
Monarch butterflies approach tall grass in a bright, vibrant picture printed onto a stitch work of fiber art.

More Than a Makers Market

Whether it’s your first or fifth time visiting the Indiana Artisan Marketplace, Karen Hampton is confident you’ll find something to fit your tastes. The Evansville artist has displayed her work at the marketplace since its beginning in 2011. She juried
Photo of tall, earthen cliffs on the western coast of Ireland

Seven Days in Ireland

From culturally rich cities to dramatic coastal cliffs, the country of Ireland offers an extraordinary mix of scenery and charm. And Midwesterners are in luck: Ireland is easier than ever to reach, as last year the country’s flagship airline, Aer
Larry "Bubbles" Pollock's recipe for Irish stew uses sherry instead of Guinness or stout beer.

The Pub’s Irish Stew Lives On

When thinking of ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, my partner, Maxwell, and I revisited some of our favorite dishes from our May 2025 trip to Ireland as well as influential local Irish recipes. As Maxwell is the chef of
Photo of Lily King and Mayor Stephanie Terry by Greers N Motion

Good Sports

Lilly King doesn’t regret retiring last August from competitive swimming, a sport she participated in since age seven. “It's nice to not have to get up at 5:30 every morning to go to practice and worry about what I'm doing

On The Road Again

Darrell and Penelope Pennington made good on their goal to travel the world, as detailed in the July/August 2024 issue. Since listing their home and selling most of their belongings, the couple have visited 44 cities in 14 countries across