Search for nostalgic zucchini

I have been on a bit of a ridiculous quest.

You see, I am from “the region,” otherwise known as Lake County to fellow Hoosiers. And being from Lake County has few perks, except one that made my exceptionally boring life a bit more fun with friends who understand.

While living in the dull town of Dyer for 10 years, I had my list of regular places to eat. However, there was one local pizza chain that stood out among the rest of the region dining locales — State Line Pizza.

It’s not that State Line had exceptionally good food, but it was still better than average and better than most other pizza places.

My family ordered takeout from them almost every week, and every time we got nearly the same thing — a medium, thin crust pizza, hot wings for me and beer-battered zucchini.

To find the same zucchini is my ridiculous quest.

I realize this probably sounds really ludicrous, but there’s something about State Line’s beer-battered zucchini that just satisfies every craving I have. The batter is light enough so the zucchini, sliced in rounds, is crisp and flavorful.

Also, the ranch that accompanies the zucchini is, in my opinion, the best ranch I’ve ever tasted. The combination of all of these factors makes for a phenomenal artery-clogging dish.

I’m not the only one who thinks this. My “region rat” friends who have dined at State Line long enough agree with me. State Line’s zucchini with ranch is possibly the best appetizer you can order from them.

Needless to say, we’ve had difficulty adjusting to our loss of decent fried zucchini here in Bloomington — until now.

I went to Opie Taylor’s the other night for dinner and wasn’t particularly hungry, so I looked at their appetizers for something light. What did I find? Fried zucchini.
I have ordered zucchini from other Bloomington restaurants, but they haven’t done justice to zucchini like State Line.

Often, the zucchini is in strips, soggy and with a crumb-like batter. This batter might work for other deep-fried foods, but for some reason it fails with zucchini.
Not to mention finding proper ranch is a pain. Being an avid fan, I’ve gone through my fair share of mediocre and disgusting ranches, only to find the ranch from Aver’s Pizza is the best in town. Coincidentally, it tastes nearly identical to the ranch from State Line.

So you can understand my hesitation to order Opie Taylor’s zucchini. I held my breath in fear and excitement.

The zucchini? Round with beer batter. Had I finally found my perfect zucchini?
As I dipped the first round into the ranch, I opened my mouth, fearing the disappointment that could follow. It was perfect.

Well, maybe not perfect. The size and slice of the zucchini was right on mark, and the batter was light and crispy, just as it should be. But there was something a little off.
Maybe it was simply the fact that it wasn’t the State Line zucchini I love and know so well. And of course, the ranch is nothing like State Line’s or Aver’s, which I expected.
All in all, though, my experience was very positive.

I’m sorry I can’t say more of Opie Taylor’s menu, since the other items sounded amazing. But I can say now that I have completed my quest, I will be returning to Opie Taylor’s soon, munching on deep fried vegetables with a side of nostalgia.