Edward's Drive-In

Shake, rattle & roll! Last week, we had the pleasure of enjoying one of the few "drive-in's" left in the city. Edward's. Located in the armpit of the Beech Grove area for the past 51 years, it is sure worth the trip to taste a classic coney dog and those much loved onion rings! Once an actual drive-in, this renovated version has inside seating with eclectic neon artwork, an actual old juke box and a number-calling based service system. The front counter is where the magic begins...fries? chili dog? rootbeer float? diet rootbeer float? Choices...choices.

Fred and Libby decided on a coney dog each, fries, onion rings, fried mushrooms, and diet and regular rootbeer floats. Ozzy didn't get his own order as we were sure he'd have enough to sample from us, BUT kids meals do come with the cutest pink cadillac serving basket! Had we known ahead of time, he would have had one too!

The coney dog was just what you expect. Slightly sweet, nice and cheesey and went down way too easy. The fries were also the classic crinkle with the perfect crisp...and for the onion rings...wow! A true specialty...and this is from onion haters! The mushrooms weren't bad, just needed a nice dipping sauce. The diet rootbeer float tended to ice over, but the ice cream and soda were just plain delicious. Ozzy agreed, as that was pretty much the only thing he had!


Others in our party went with the burgers, tenderloins, chili, and slaw. Comments about the burger were more on the meh side, but the tenderloin was definitely a hit.

And did we mention the price? Very reasonable. The Flo's entire feast came to $16. And don't forget about the free jukebox entertainment. Ozzy, who was shakin' his shimy with two other pre-schoolers had to be dragged kicking and screaming from the venue. Too much of a good thing?

http://www.edwardsdrivein.com

Wrap Up

Price-$, Cheap eats! Micky-D's ain't got a leg to stand on. Except maybe location.

Atmosphere-****, Eclectic diner feel. Plenty of seating, family friendly.

Service-****, There's nothing better than watching 30-somethings bouncing on the edge of their chairs waiting for their number to be called.

Overall

Fred - A-, A few more trips and a few more fried delicacies might turn this one into a solid A. While the coney was calling my name, I should have settled on just a bite of Libby's.

Libby - B+, Very happy with the food and definitely want to return, but why do they have to be across from a scary cement fortress?

Ozzy -A, Great place to meet chicks!

Cafe Nora

FLO was in the mood for something classy. Well, ok, Libby and Fred were. So we packed up the boy and headed off to Nora. Cafe Nora that is. Upon arriving, we were immediately seated in one of the 4 small, separate dining areas. Fred was immediately taken by the freshness of design, for such an established restaurant. They were able to accomplish old-world touch by mixing tile, brick, stone and stucco. Being that the seating areas surrounded the open kitchen, it felt open and cozy at the same time.

While perusing the menu, we noticed that this was too classy a joint to have the children's entrees in print. But our waitress immediately let us know that Ozzy was welcome and that he had a variety of off-the-menu choices. FLO felt the pasta with red sauce was the safest. Although by this point he had eaten so much of the incredible bread with olive oil dipping sauce that he kept proclaiming "I'm not hungry".

Fred couldn't quiet the thirst for that demon alcohol, so he ordered a glass of the house cabernet. After finding it quite possibly the best he's ever had (what can we say, we like cheap wine!), we found that it was Douglas Hill Cabernet.

After such a delightful red, a dark or red meat was begging to be paired. Libby opted for one of the specials, the French onion soup followed by grain-fed beef tenderloin (medium-rare) and an undecided dessert. Simply the best French onion soup evar! Super-cheesey, perfect broth and more of that wonderful bread. A couple nearby started to stare. The beef tenderloin, so tender a regular table knife was sufficient. And it barely needed to be chewed. Unfortunately, the accompanying onion topping, couscous side and green beans shouldn't have left the kitchen. FLO make better sides at home. The couscous seemed to have zero seasoning. No salt. No additional flavor whatsoever. The green beans were still too bland, even with what seemed to be diced garlic.

Fred decided on the duck breast, sauteed with portobella mushrooms and a caramelized balsamic sauce. YUM. Again, the chef hit the protein out of the park. The duck was perfectly cooked. Crisped fat, tender meat and an insane sauce that made Fred wish he were in a less posh restaurant. The plate would have been licked. His dish too, was served with the awful couscous and green beans. It would seem that as good as the head chef may be, the line was failing on the sides. Chef Ramsey would be livid.

Ozzy was true to his word and didn't touch his main dish. Funny how tummy space was found when the desserts arrived. For Libby, a very rich chocolate mousse. For Fred/Ozzy the tiramisu. Strangely the tiramisu was lighter in texture and feel than the mousse. Both were equally satisfying if perhaps uninspired.

http://www.cafenora.com

Wrap Up

Price-$$$$, While there are more expensive places in town, Cafe Nora still packs a punch.

Atmosphere-****, Warm, unimposing old-world charm.

Service-***, Accommodating and really seemed to enjoy the Oz.

Overall

Fred - B, Why did those sides leave the kitchen? I guess it allowed room for dessert, though!

Libby - B-, Although I enjoyed the experience there, when I arrived home, my G.I. system disagreed wholeheartedly.

Ozzy -B, The bread appetizer and desserts were both out of the park.