tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61178781407325862402024-03-14T01:12:26.297-07:00FLOEats IndyOne family quartet devours the Indy culinary scene.Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-23195914087985299732012-09-03T15:42:00.000-07:002012-09-03T15:42:49.954-07:00Cannoli Queen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tCb5gf4ZeAE/UEUnS45MwOI/AAAAAAAAAIU/PL7GQpbUNiU/s1600/cannoli.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tCb5gf4ZeAE/UEUnS45MwOI/AAAAAAAAAIU/PL7GQpbUNiU/s320/cannoli.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
Every time we drive by Cannoli Queen, we say we've gotta try it... Well, last week, we finally did!<br />
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Located in a strip mall off of County Line and Emerson, Cannoli Queen is a small, locally-owned Italian eat-in/carry-out order-at-the-counter situation. We were stoked to find they had a website and found it hard to narrow our choices. With our hectic work schedule, Fred did the carry-out option on his way home. <br />
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We eagerly anticipated Fred's arrival. Finally, he busted into the kitchen with a little Italian smorgasbord; lasagna with salad and bread, fried mozz and marinara, gabagool with Italian fries and marinara, spaghetti and meatballs & sausage with more salad and bread, and of course, cannoli's all around for dessert! Tums within reach, we dug in.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iL5BUV1DUhU/UEUnXRWOZKI/AAAAAAAAAIs/M9ga3MNLdik/s1600/lasagna.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iL5BUV1DUhU/UEUnXRWOZKI/AAAAAAAAAIs/M9ga3MNLdik/s320/lasagna.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lasagna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Where to begin? We opened it all up and started greedily sampling from the array of carry out tins. Stella dove into the Italian fries happily, while Libby took a big bite of gabagool. Fred was surprised by his pleasant reaction to the lasagna and Ozzy went loco on his spaghetti and the yummy <br />
bread. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oTuM_CqH-_0/UEUnV3CPt8I/AAAAAAAAAIk/ARUf8M0BxU0/s1600/gabagool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oTuM_CqH-_0/UEUnV3CPt8I/AAAAAAAAAIk/ARUf8M0BxU0/s320/gabagool.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gabaool</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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The fried mozzarella looked like it may have just come out of a GFS bag. Not the greatest first impression, but they were tasty enough. Fred couldn't stop talking about how much he enjoyed the lasagna. Not a person to have ever ordered lasagna in the last 16 years she has known him, Libby was slightly disturbed by his enthusiasm. What is it he liked so much? It was very cheesy, with a heavy amount of ricotta, good spicing, and it wasn't dry at all. Nice and moist with a wonderful rich marinara! Libby, on the other hand, found the gabagool only "fine". The meat was cut thicker than she would like and there wasn't enough complexity. There was just nothing special about it. Still reeling from the Little Eataly experience, Libby was regretting she hadn't tried the Italian beef instead. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2QbZIGpSRAA/UEUnZKVsSrI/AAAAAAAAAI0/32G5Dk2SG9E/s1600/pastawmarinara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2QbZIGpSRAA/UEUnZKVsSrI/AAAAAAAAAI0/32G5Dk2SG9E/s320/pastawmarinara.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spaghetti with Marinara & Italian Sausage</td></tr>
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Stella nibbled on this and that, not committing to one choice entirely, but more than willing to try most things a couple of times. One outstanding feature of the kids spaghetti and meatballs was the sausage. There were nice zesty chunks incorporated in the dish. Very satisfying. The sausage sandwich immediately went on the list for next time. The Italian fries were too bland. They were dusted in parmesan yet still needed more seasoning and there was not a great fry on them either. They could use some tweaking, but they were still a great transport vessel for the marinara. The side salads were exactly what you'd expect from a mom & pop italian place. Your basic tossed with iceberg, house Italian & shredded mozzarella. Good & classic, if uninspired. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xQWu4whx91c/UEUnarLDnAI/AAAAAAAAAI8/8Z3TccQCyak/s1600/salad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xQWu4whx91c/UEUnarLDnAI/AAAAAAAAAI8/8Z3TccQCyak/s320/salad.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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It was cannoli time and Fred slowly took the pastry box out of the paper bag. What a beautiful sight! Two chocolate and two originals that only seemed to differ in their shell. This was a first for the whole FLOE family. How to describe the cannoli? The cream was thick, with chocolate chips incorporated, not too sweet, but decadent. The shell was also thicker and denser than expected, but made sense with the subtle sweetness of the cream and tasted like a thick sugar cone without the sugar. Ozzy loved the filling, but balked at the slight flower coating left on the shells. They were definitly a nice dessert, but not sure if it would be chosen over any other sweet treat in the future.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cannoliqueen.com/" target="_blank">www.cannoliqueen.com</a><br />
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Wrap Up<br />
Price-$$, About what you'd expect for an Italin take-out place.<br />
Atmosphere-**, Again, what you'd expect for take-out. While they do offer a few tables, it seems like they're much more focused on the take-out side.<br />
Service-***, Friendly & responsive. <br />
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Overall<br />
<br />
Fred- B- -- I'm happy to have another take-out option in Greenwood, but other than the marinara, nothing was a straight up hit. We'll be back, but I wouldn't drive across town for it. <br />
Libby- B- -- No interest in trying the gabagool again. It did nothing for me. But I will definitely be getting the sausage sandwich and trying some of the fried ravi. No fries, but definitely a side salad.<br />
Ozzy- A- -- Kind of hard to go wrong with spaghetti & bread for the Oz. <br />
Stella- A -- She grazed on a bit of everything with no complaints. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1596673/restaurant/Indianapolis/Cannoli-Queen-Greenwood"><img alt="Cannoli Queen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1596673/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14129424832848029074noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-37629761919341740032012-08-21T11:49:00.000-07:002012-08-21T11:49:42.994-07:00Indianapolis Food Truck Mini ReviewsIt was Friday date night and we thought we'd go downtown to GenCon to do some people watching and check out the food truck meet up on Georgia Street. Here are a few quick mini reviews of our evening grazing.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E6R4rdCDPNs/UDPT2wuRCxI/AAAAAAAAAHs/oEui9VHbQy4/s1600/DerPretzelWagon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E6R4rdCDPNs/UDPT2wuRCxI/AAAAAAAAAHs/oEui9VHbQy4/s320/DerPretzelWagon.JPG" width="239" /></a>First stop was <u><b>Der Pretzel Wagon</b></u>. After struggling over whether to get a plain pretzel or one of the sandwiches, we decided to get two sliders; the smoked turkey, chipotle gouda with ranch and the ham and horseradish cheddar. As one can see, they were made with beautifully brown little pretzel buns and filled with a manageable amount of the goods. Yummy. Fred and Libby would have to concur that the smoked turkey won out, but both were tasty nontheless. Our one regret of the night was not having room to come back for a plain pretzel. The pretzel rolls had the homemade goodness you can't easily get in these parts--a perfect chew, glossy exterior, and just plain super tasty. Next!<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1690461/restaurant/Wholesale-District/Der-Pretzel-Wagen-Food-Truck-Indianapolis" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Der Pretzel Wagen (Food Truck) on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1690461/minilink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><a href="http://derpretzelwagen.com/">http://derpretzelwagen.com</a> <br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-79NHQwlJt-s/UDPU3Wb07bI/AAAAAAAAAH0/8uZNYtPQnuI/s1600/ByrnesGrilledPizza.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-79NHQwlJt-s/UDPU3Wb07bI/AAAAAAAAAH0/8uZNYtPQnuI/s320/ByrnesGrilledPizza.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><strong><u>Byrne's Grilled Pizza</u></strong> was next up. There were two pizza trucks on site, but this one seemed different and the toppings on the "rotating" pizza were too good to pass up. This was a pesto, ricotta, asiago, and pepperoni. The pizza was a pre-prepped one that was grilled to order. It came out with a nice crunch, a decent char, and some very flavorful ingredients. Was it the best pizza of our lives, no, but it was a decent truck pizza, no doubt. Are we going to trek across town to get it, no. But if we see them across from a brewery's tasting room, we'll definitely grab a slice. :)<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1607856/restaurant/Massachusetts-Avenue/Byrnes-Grilled-Pizza-Food-Truck-Indianapolis" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Byrne's Grilled Pizza (Food Truck) on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1607856/minilink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><a href="http://www.byrnespizza.com/">http://www.byrnespizza.com/</a>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QYilHS56HkA/UDPVS5SdgII/AAAAAAAAAH8/gb_rXokwLCk/s1600/ScoutsTreats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QYilHS56HkA/UDPVS5SdgII/AAAAAAAAAH8/gb_rXokwLCk/s320/ScoutsTreats.JPG" width="240" /></a>After a couple of savory dishes, it was time to enjoy some dessert! Entre <b><u>Scout's Treats</u></b>!!! Okay, we had seen some of the goodies walk by, but had no idea what we were in for. The attitude of the truck wench should have spoken volumes...we ordered the red velvet cupcake. Instead of trying to sell us on another one since they were out, she simply said with a dazed monotone and a distant glare in her eyes, "Here. Take a chocolate chocolate chip with white frosting. It's good." We didn't argue and bought the cupcake. As we greedily dove our forks into the whipped white goodness, it became clear where her confident yet carb-coma like expression came from. O-M-F-G. It was good. She was right. Huge, well packaged in a convenient plastic lidded cup, and yet, somehow not big enough to share happily. ;) Excellent cake that neither one of us could decide on the exact flavor and a lovely frosting that will make you never want to go to the grocery bakery again. And more than a couple of chocolate chips to boot. Wonderful and only makes us want to try them all.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1625028/restaurant/Wholesale-District/Scouts-Treat-Truck-Indianapolis" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scout's Treat Truck on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1625028/minilink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><a href="http://scoutstreats.com/">http://scoutstreats.com/</a><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mACWS0no6Z4/UDPViP33jBI/AAAAAAAAAIE/5yQX3oPnFt8/s1600/LittleEataly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mACWS0no6Z4/UDPViP33jBI/AAAAAAAAAIE/5yQX3oPnFt8/s320/LittleEataly.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
After much walking and talking and a beer or two, it was time for one last stop. We decided after seeing the menu that <b><u>Little Eataly</u></b> was the easy choice. What wasn't so easy was actually deciding on only one dish. As a "compromise" we didnt. It was going to be the Italian Beef--hot, and the Ravi Fritti. The Italian Beef was massive, dripping and delightfully spicy. As our lips burned, no fewer than 4 (count 'em! 4!) couples came up and asked us what we were eating and where we got it. It certainly made our top two IBs in the city, on par with Fat Dan's. The Ravi Fritti (fried ravioli) were served with a vodka dipping sauce. They were delightfully crunchy homemade pockets of ricotta that brought Fred back to a familiar happy place. <br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1644501/restaurant/Northeast/Little-Eataly-food-truck-Indianapolis"><img alt="Little Eataly (food truck) on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1644501/minilink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><a href="http://www.littleeataly.com/">http://www.littleeataly.com/</a><br />
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<u><b>Wrap Up</b></u>:<br />
The easiest way to sum up a food truck meetup review is to answer the question, "Will I hunt down this truck again"?<br />
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<b>Der Pretzel Wagon</b>: <b><span style="color: blue;">Yes.</span></b> When you want a good pretzel, you know they're not going to disappoint.<br />
<b>Byrnes Grilled Pizza</b>: <b><span style="color: blue;">No.</span></b> Not that it was bad pizza (really, is there such a thing?) but no special trips here.<br />
<b>Scout's Treats</b>: <b><span style="color: blue;">Oh Hells Yes.</span></b> This is a dangerous, dangerous vehicle.<br />
<b>Little Eataly</b>: <b><span style="color: blue;">Absolutely.</span></b> Little Eataly is a perfect example of what the new crop of Indy food trucks is all about -- great ingredients, smart menu & high quality execution. We might just drive across town for it.<br />
<br />Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14129424832848029074noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-58789064228611998372012-07-25T19:14:00.000-07:002012-07-25T19:14:08.263-07:00BRU Burger Bar<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CkUSp_ntppU/UBCiKrMQrZI/AAAAAAAAAHU/FkwuJGxx2MA/s1600/Outside+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CkUSp_ntppU/UBCiKrMQrZI/AAAAAAAAAHU/FkwuJGxx2MA/s320/Outside+-+Copy.JPG" width="239" /></a>Where can you get an amazing burger on the most fabulous side of town?! BRU burger bar, that's where! Not to spoil the review, but we like. <br />
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BRU is part of the Mesh and Boulder Creek family, but felt more like a neighborhood place than a chain. We went on a Friday evening, kids in tow, ready to sink into some serious beef. Our wait was short, only 20 minutes and luckily the establishment is next to a little patch of grass with that big brick head sculpture. Anyone? Anyone? Yeah, not sure of the name, but it was the ideal place to let the kids cavort for a bit. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cnlOBvWKb1U/UBCk9EIeSmI/AAAAAAAAAB4/pV_dG8c0Hjs/s1600/Ozzy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cnlOBvWKb1U/UBCk9EIeSmI/AAAAAAAAAB4/pV_dG8c0Hjs/s320/Ozzy.JPG" width="239" /></a>We were seated in the glassed in addition. Beautiful, awesome people watching, and so much nicer than the usual -by the front door- seating we are used to receiving. Another pleasant surprise--an actual kids menu! Did not expect that. And the beer selection? Holy Moley! If the burgers stood up to the beer, we knew we had a winner.<br />
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Our waitress was a doll. Knew the menu, knew the taps, knew what to suggest(even as far as pairings)and spent just enough time flirting with the kids to make us feel welcome. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7QHQxs1j6ZE/UBCkMe7oHbI/AAAAAAAAABo/yOUbhCAMZxk/s1600/Fred+Burger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7QHQxs1j6ZE/UBCkMe7oHbI/AAAAAAAAABo/yOUbhCAMZxk/s320/Fred+Burger.JPG" width="320" /></a>The burgers seemed to answer to every palate you could imagine. For tonight, Fred settled on the Bourbon Burger---lets the imagination go wild, doesn't it? This one came with bacon, peppercorn-bourbon glaze and horseradish havarti. Hello! Libby had to try the one egg burger on the menu--The End--horseradish havarti, fried egg, carmelized onion, lettuce, tomato and tuffle aioli. Ozzy went with their mac and cheese with fries and Stella the fried shrimp and fries. <br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pT-OxzMQQiA/UBCir82hdNI/AAAAAAAAAHc/PPxTGd_xSKE/s1600/Libby+Burger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pT-OxzMQQiA/UBCir82hdNI/AAAAAAAAAHc/PPxTGd_xSKE/s320/Libby+Burger.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
While we waited, we enjoyed the incredible people watching and our luscious beers - Weihenstephaner Hefeweisen and a Two Brothers Domaine DuPage . <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--4_ijF3jVIw/UBCljup7zyI/AAAAAAAAACI/IqxUJV3F-7Y/s1600/Stella.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--4_ijF3jVIw/UBCljup7zyI/AAAAAAAAACI/IqxUJV3F-7Y/s320/Stella.JPG" width="239" /></a>Just look at those burgers! Gorgeous, juicy, and topped with some fantastic ingredients. Let's just say, we were one happy FLOE. Fred's burger was cooked bloody and rare, just like he likes it! The bourbon glaze was quite tasty but made this burger a definite knife and fork experience only. Libby, on the other hand, indulged in the warm, gooey, sticky meat/cheese/sauce/egg mound eagerly with both hands. Other than needing a stack of wet naps, she was in her happy place. Her side of onion rings were nicely seasoned, but were a bit heavy on the batter(a tasty Pabst Blue Ribbon batter)...not too shabby. Ozzy was ooing and awing over his mac while Stella picked at her shrimp, but downed some fries and what appeared to be a homemade ketchup. Stella was crazy. Mommy and Daddy had to sample those shrimps and they were awesome! Screaming to be put on a poeboy with some of that truffle aioli!<br />
Although this is a pricey endeavor for burgers and beers, it's well worth it to dine with "our peeps" on Mass Ave...and of course, sneak over to Mass Ave Toys for play time!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bruonmass.com/" target="_blank">http://www.bruonmass.com/</a><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Wrap Up</i><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Price</i>-$$$<i style="font-weight: bold;">, </i>Expensive for a burger, but damn, that's a burger that touches you in all the right places!<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i><br />
<b><i>Atmosphere</i></b>-****, Rediculously warm and inviting with dark woods, exposed brick, rich tones and a perfect amount of buzz in the air to off set the occasional screeches from the short people. A true family pub!<br />
<i><b>Service</b></i>-****-Knowledgeable, fun, fast, and obviously enjoy their work.<br />
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<b><i>Overall</i></b><br />
<i>Libby</i>- A --mazing! I will gladly go there anytime and spend too much for a burger, beer and awesome company..and what i wouldn't give to live upstairs! ;)<br />
<i>Fred</i>- A -- Seriously could not have been happier with my meal. I'm a sucker for homemade ketchup too, and this one did not disappoint. <br />
<i>Ozzy</i>- A+ -- Oz was oooing and ahhing over his homemade mac & cheese. <br />
<i>Stella</i>- B+ -- While she didn't dig on the (perfectly wonderful!) shrimp, she loved the homemade ketchup, fries and undivided attention from the waitress.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1641738/restaurant/Massachusetts-Avenue/BRU-Burger-Bar-Indianapolis"><img alt="BRU Burger Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1641738/biglink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14129424832848029074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-37145954423836371192012-07-14T20:18:00.000-07:002012-07-14T20:18:11.528-07:00Louie's<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rgsiLx0UUgU/UAIyH0ASMwI/AAAAAAAAAE0/4AkGi_wbWn0/s1600/kids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rgsiLx0UUgU/UAIyH0ASMwI/AAAAAAAAAE0/4AkGi_wbWn0/s320/kids.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Wow. Has it really been a year? Oops. Life happens then you neglect your blog!<br />
Well, we're back and ready to hit the foodie scene once again!<br />
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We had been eyeing a place south of us for a while now. A "grill and bar" called Louie's off of Stone's Crossing and 135. Louie's is a small regional chain originating in Oklahoma. The menu is your typical American bar & grill with family-centered dining as the main focus & a separate adult-only area. At first blush it appeared to us that the 21+ area was much larger than your typical chain -- but then again, we'll never really know. ;) <br />
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We arrived and were seated near the front as seems to be typical when you have young children. Our server arrived promptly to explain the drink & food specials. The kids just wanted water, but Libby chose the margarita special of the day and Fred the Triton brewery seasonal, the Sin Bin. Both were exactly what the doctor ordered.<br />
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The menu is your typical burgers, wraps, sandwiches and salads with the addition of personal pizzas. Their signature appetizer seemed to be the fried green beans with wasabi ranch for dipping. That sounded perfectly fine to us. We knew Stella would dive in, and MAYBE we'd get something green into Ozzy. <br />
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For dinner, Ozzy could not be denied his mac & cheese and Stella followed suit. Libby was in the mood for shrimp and chose fries with au gratin veggies for her sides. Fred went with the steak with blue cheese and black bean salsa & chips for the side.<br />
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The atmosphere was very busy with lots of families so there was no worry about our kids causing a ruckus. While we waited, we noticed a lot of flat screens. After checking the website, there are a total of 14 but we were more impressed with the placement. From any seating angle, you could easily see two to three -- nice for sporting events. <br />
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Our entrees came out relatively quickly, but we had to question the status of our appetizer, which had obviously been forgotten. The oversight was very quickly remedied and we ended up with quite a spread before us. The kids dug in quietly to their very creamy-looking mac & cheese while mom & dad did the same with their entrees. Libby found the blackened grilled shrimp solid, but nothing amazing. The fries were Steak & Shake style shoestrings. A good fry, but also nothing to write home about. The au gratin vegetables on the other hand, were horrid. There was easily two to three times the amount of salt necessary, and we like our salt! It was simply inedible. <br />
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Almost on queue, Ozzy looked up from his mac & cheese to declare that it was "not good. Like at Monon Food Company". Man, that kid has a heck of a memory... We tried a bite and had<br />
to agree. It needed the salt from the au gratin. With kids now both abandoning the mac & cheese, Fred tried in vein to move them to the green beans. No dice, which was too bad because they were possibly the best thing on the table.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xm_gtKkJC2Y/UAIz-iRuqwI/AAAAAAAAAFg/LbDZr0lsa5o/s1600/photo%284%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xm_gtKkJC2Y/UAIz-iRuqwI/AAAAAAAAAFg/LbDZr0lsa5o/s320/photo%284%29.JPG" width="320" /></a>Fred's steak was well cooked, but very tough and stringy. The flavor was fine and yes, it was just a $10 steak. Even so, meh. The chips and black bean salsa side was fine, but a little heavy on the onion for his taste. <br />
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The green beans were a very basic batter & sauce, but it just worked. Nice & crispy with the evilness that only comes from deep frying. They may still have been green, but there was nothing vegetal left. Tasty. Would Ozzy touch even one? Heck no.<br />
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As everyone at the table seemd to be left wanting, we decided on a slice of carrot cake to share. No clue if it came out of a box or was home made, but it was definitely delish and demolished.<br />
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<a href="http://www.louiesindiana.com/" target="_blank">http://www.louiesindiana.com/</a><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Wrap Up</i> <br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Price</i>-$<i style="font-weight: bold;">, </i>Very inexpensive for a sit-down lunch/dinner. <br />
<b><i>Atmosphere</i></b>-***, Clean, comfortable & "buzzy" enough to hide any loud kid noises that may or may not emanate from your table.<br />
<i><b>Service</b></i>-***, Attentive & professional.<br />
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<i>Overall</i></div>
<i><b>F</b>red</i> -
C, I walked away feeling like I'd ordered all the wrong things. The food at other tables certainly looked tasty. Too bad ours really wasn't.<i><b> <br />
</b></i><i><b>L</b></i><i>ibby</i> -C+, For us, living on the south side, I will definitely go again and give it another shot. No problem. But would I suggest that somebody drive from another side of town? Hell to the no. You can probably find adequate fair at any local neighborhood "bar & grill". This may end up being my local Applebee's/Chili's alternative. <br />
<i><b>O</b>zzy-</i>C+, While he didn't dig on the mac & cheese, he told us "next time, I have to try the grilled cheese." Maybe his desire to return had more to do with Louies' game room, but it's a good sign none the less.<br />
<i><b>E</b>stelle</i>-C+, She had a few bites of mac & cheese and then gave up to come sit on daddy's lap and chow on his chips (with ketchup?) instead.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1500893/restaurant/Indianapolis/Louies-at-Stones-Crossing-Greenwood"><img alt="Louie's at Stone's Crossing on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1500893/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14129424832848029074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-84705543806704898232011-07-17T16:57:00.000-07:002011-07-17T19:02:42.003-07:00Clay Oven<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gHs2y8L2sEk/TiMOJbfjYfI/AAAAAAAAAEI/m48K7QfjQUM/s1600/app2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gHs2y8L2sEk/TiMOJbfjYfI/AAAAAAAAAEI/m48K7QfjQUM/s320/app2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630359514304963058" border="0" /></a>Every time a new non-chain restaurant opens on the south side, you know we'll be excited! Clay Oven is located next to the big US 31 Wal-Mart strip mall but it is still small and could be easily missed if you weren't looking for it. Open for a couple of months now, we had nothing but high hopes for excellent cuisine and a new favorite Indian dining spot close to home!<br /><br />We had the opportunity to try Clay Oven out twice before doing this review and on both occasions service has been polite, personable, and friendly. The patience and humor shown by staff were very appreciated when considering our very vocal children. ;)<br /><br />On our first visit, we decided to start with the mixed tandoori appetizer. A sizzling tray of chicken & lamb over a bed of charred green peppers & red onions quickly emerged. The smell of the meat and veggies was intoxicating. As expected in an Indian place, the seasoning on both were excellent. Mom, Dad & Stella enjoyed every morsel of roasted lamb, but found the chicken dry. That and for the price, I think we'll pass next time, especially since it was one of the more pricey appetizers.<br /><br />While Stella, Mom & Dad dove into the meat, Ozzy pecked a bit at the Papad. These are crispy, very thin wafers that came with the dish. No one could really nail down the spice. Maybe celery salt or onion salt? Not sure, but it wasn't a big hit with the Oz, so he waited for the main course.<br /><br />Our second visit appy was the Paneer Pakora. This was oddly familiar and quite good. Small squares of house-made Indian cheese dipped in a garbanzo bean batter and deep fried....yummy. This batter had a nice spice to it and would be good on anything!<br /><br />As we're both suckers for lamb, our first visit had to include it. Fred ordered the Lamb Hara Masala (lamb cooked in a mint curry sauce) while Libby chose the Krahi Ghosht . Since we knew the only thing headed to the table Ozzy would even consider touching was the rice, we added a basket of assorted naan. Now, FLOE is a sucker for naan. We consider it akin to pizza. As in even when it's bad, it's still pretty good! But never before have we gotten an assortment of different naans. Yowsa! Clay Oven offers 10 (count 'em!!! TEN!!) different naans. The assortment only came with 3 unfortunately: Garlic Naan, Rati (whole wheat), and regular. Maybe it was the curry going to our heads, but all three were some of the top naan we'd ever eaten. Ozzy dove in head first. Fred literally had to grab his hands to stop him from taking more than 1/2 of it for himself. This will most certainly be an every-visit order. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Skip it at your own peril, people!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Cl3QJMQHUk/TiMQoC2svTI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/uaQGPYAgjSk/s1600/freddish.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Cl3QJMQHUk/TiMQoC2svTI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/uaQGPYAgjSk/s320/freddish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630362239290359090" border="0" /></a><br />Fred's dish was certainly the star of the first evening. As someone who grew up putting mint jelly on his leg of lamb (Jelly on meat? Don't knock it 'til you try it!), this was right up his alley. Not sweet like his mom's, but incredibly savory with a heavy dose of mint. Fred quickly scooped up a handful of naan for his utensil and dove in. While they called it a curry on the menu, we didn't taste much in the way of masala. The sauce was more like a mint-based pesto. The hunks of lamb tasted like they'd been cooked in the sauce, but Fred wasn't sure. All we know is Clay Oven's chef hit this one out of the park. As with most Indian dishes, it may not look very appetizing, but one whiff of the enticing aroma and you're hooked!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fTQlPfNGNXE/TiMQ7uoNyJI/AAAAAAAAAEY/-opc0Hi661c/s1600/libbydish.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fTQlPfNGNXE/TiMQ7uoNyJI/AAAAAAAAAEY/-opc0Hi661c/s320/libbydish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630362577458284690" border="0" /></a>Libby's Krahi Ghosht was more of a fried-rice type dish which she ordered knowing Stella would have no trouble eating. While the flavor was fine and Stella definitely approved, it simply couldn't stand up to the Hara Masala. It was heavy on the peppers and onions which left the impression of a southwest meets India vibe. Unfortunately it ended up a little dry. Without a sauce to fall back on, the rice just sucked up all the moisture in the dish. A shame really...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-18elbWo8rms/TiORPtNUxgI/AAAAAAAAAEo/quj-xvSNEfs/s1600/korma.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-18elbWo8rms/TiORPtNUxgI/AAAAAAAAAEo/quj-xvSNEfs/s320/korma.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630503658162800130" border="0" /></a>But alas, on our second visit, we went more old school. Fred chose the Vegetable Korma and Libby the Chicken Tikka Masala. Wow! We thought the first visit had been pretty darned good, but it only when up from there. The Vegetable Korma was in a thick, savory sauce that had tons of veggies and unbelievable amounts of flavor. This kind of food can turn anyone vegetarian! Fred ordered it Medium-Hot and it was just a bit on the "hot" side, but so aroma rich, it felt perfect! Dip a little naan in and Fred was one happy man.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67KGwF2J2N4/TiORmatXnpI/AAAAAAAAAEw/K0m8PoV1WCo/s1600/tikka.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67KGwF2J2N4/TiORmatXnpI/AAAAAAAAAEw/K0m8PoV1WCo/s320/tikka.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630504048333921938" border="0" /></a>The Chicken Tikka Masala was definitely the best either Fred or Libby had ever had. Not to discount the familiar dish, but most lunch buffet versions are far too bland. At Clay Oven, that was SO not the case here! More savory, creamy goodness teaming with more of those floral overtones that made you wonder why the place didn't have a line out the door?!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Yp2ZKsCmnI/TiMRqJ3GcoI/AAAAAAAAAEg/na3fkf3fvjs/s1600/mangoicecream.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Yp2ZKsCmnI/TiMRqJ3GcoI/AAAAAAAAAEg/na3fkf3fvjs/s320/mangoicecream.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630363375042458242" border="0" /></a><br />Both visits left mom & dad stuffed, but the owner decided the kids needed some free ice cream for good behavior. Clay Oven offers a couple of different homemade ice creams per day. We decided on the mango and were happily rewarded with squeals from both kids. Definitely a hit all around. Thank you, sir!<br /><br /><b>Wrap Up</b><br /><b><i>Price</i></b>- $$, Not buffet prices, but what you would expect for a sit-down establishment.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span backup="" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span><span backup="">Although they do have a buffet for lunch.</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span backup="" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><i><b>Atmosphere-</b></i>**, Clean, comfortable. We would love to see more Indian influence in decor as there seems to be a standard look to all Indian establishments. Minimalism with a hint of culture...we say jazz it up!<br /><i><b>Service-</b></i>****, Not only were both the servers attentive but the owner actually came out to explain the difference between the Roti and regular naan. The owner was incredibly gracious and practically demanded to give the kids free ice cream! What's not to love?!<br /><br /><b>Overall</b><br /><i><b>F</b>red</i>-<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> A</span>, Lets see, local owners, check. Lamb, naan and a wonderful sauce, check. Basically this is Fred's definition of a great find. Too bad Indian beer isn't my cup of tea or this would really tick all the boxes!!<br /><i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-<span style="font-weight: bold;">A,</span> Both experiences were consistently welcoming and proved to be some of the best Indian cuisine I have tasted. No blandness here, just aromatic spice and did we talk about that naan???!<br /><i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">B, </span></span>Ok, the boy had naan, white rice & ice cream for dinner. Not great on the parenting scale, but not so bad in his eyes. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /></span></span><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">B</span>, Stella grazed on everything, but especially loved the ice cream. Since this ended up being a leisurely three course meal, she got a little antsy towards the end...both times.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1601833/restaurant/South-Southwest/The-Clay-Oven-Indian-Restaurant-Indianapolis"><img alt="The Clay Oven Indian Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1601833/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14129424832848029074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-73885927788896078372011-06-21T16:19:00.000-07:002011-06-21T18:11:26.784-07:00Three Pints<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jx13SyNL3c0/TgE7bUcW65I/AAAAAAAAABU/jyCWMPTSYpU/s1600/beer.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jx13SyNL3c0/TgE7bUcW65I/AAAAAAAAABU/jyCWMPTSYpU/s320/beer.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620839150465248146" border="0" /></a>Okay. It's been a month, sorry to be absent. What better way to get back in the saddle than with a local brew-pub?! So, the lucky recipient of our unruly children and picky palates was Three Pints. A short trek to Plainfield and resting in the old Red Robin, sits the contender. A newly trellissed front porch begs for climbing hops, but otherwise, it's familiar.<br /><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>We were seated right up front---thank you, unruly children. ;) Before arriving, we had researched the menu and were well aware this was going to be standard pub-grub... BUT we were still hopeful for some standouts.<br /><br />Our waitress was prompt. But when asked about the beer she responded--- she doesn't drink beer. Okay. That's fine, but shouldn't you be able to tell us something about the four in-house taps you're serving? A detailed description, even if it's just rote memorization? Nope. Ok. How about a sampler? Oh, yes! She brought us a "sampler" of 4 little plastic condiment cups. *sigh* Yes, it was free, but OMG, plastic sampler cups??? We haven't drank beer out of a plastic cup since college! Why isn't Three Pints banking some dough on a slightly classier service in perhaps, glasses? They could easily charge $7 for a set of 4oz samplers. Not a local brewpub clientele, you may ask? In the 35 minutes we were there, 4 people came in sporting their "support your local brewery" t-shirts and growlers to boot. There are some beerchops perusing the place. You gotta respect your beer better than that.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>The online menu reflected exactly what was in print. Ozzy and Stella were easy enough---the house mac(kraft) and the chicken strips. Daddy went with the pot roast sandwich and Mommy, the "brewpub favorite", fish and chips. The beers were acceptable, at least for a new brewpub. All on the hoppier side unfortunately, but of the IPA, APA, Scottish, and California Common, Libby decided on Scottish and Fred the California Common. Not terrible. Just not our favorite varieties. Let's give them 6 months and then check them out again.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>The food was fairly quick. Ozzy was delighted to, in fact, see out of the box mac and cheese. Stella was disinterested in eating her overly battered and bland chicken strips. Once mom & dad were sure she was done, Ozzy helped himself to them. They were right up his alley.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o950rSQEW1I/TgE8aGE6tVI/AAAAAAAAABc/A2nkfAmQeI0/s1600/fish.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o950rSQEW1I/TgE8aGE6tVI/AAAAAAAAABc/A2nkfAmQeI0/s320/fish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620840228940592466" border="0" /></a><br />Libby was excited to see the large fillets of battered Alaskan cod and was very happy to find the quality of the fish reflecting the $14 price tag. Two issues, wait. Three. The fish seemed like it was prepared in house, but sadly, the chef did not take care in frying. It was far too oily, and the batter just slid right off the fish. Not to mention the fries were awful. Awful! Out of a bag is expected, but sitting for who knows how long is completely unacceptable. McDonald's put them to shame. Shame. Shame! Shame! Shame! And last -- Our waitress didn't know what malt vinegar was and brought Italian vinaigrette salad dressing when asked.. Really? Yeah, really. At least the coleslaw was interesting and solid.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KLOQjfQVd8Y/TgE8pTD3SbI/AAAAAAAAABk/wCYA0YbLczs/s1600/potroast.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KLOQjfQVd8Y/TgE8pTD3SbI/AAAAAAAAABk/wCYA0YbLczs/s320/potroast.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620840490123872690" border="0" /></a>Fred's pot roast sandwich was exactly the stand-out we'd been hoping to find. Wonderful beef falling apart with an oh-so-not-so-good-for-you gravy. The optional horseradish really drove it home. And did we mention it's on a toasted brioche bun?!!! Super yummy and only $7.50! Unfortunately, Fred chose the vegetable medley for his side which he is pretty sure he has seen in every supermarket frozen food section. Two bites of that and he was done.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.threepintsbrewpub.com/">http://www.threepintsbrewpub.com/</a><br /><br /><b>Wrap Up</b><br /><b><i>Price</i></b>-$-$$, You can eat cheap, but you may get what you pay for.<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /></span></span><i><b>Atmosphere-</b></i>**, Meh.<br /><i><b>Service-</b></i>*, It wasn't for a lack of attention, but a lack of training, understanding of customer service or their own beer. Also, anyone who says *I*-talian should be jack-slapped. ;)<br /><br /><b>Overall</b><br /><i><b>F</b>red</i>-<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> C</span>, While the sandwich alone was more A- range, having sampled everything else at the table, it is obvious that food is not number one on the Three Pints' radar. Nor is a well-trained waitstaff. If I do go back, maybe the sandwich with a side of the slaw would make for a complete plate of decent food.<br /><i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-<span style="font-weight: bold;">D,</span> I didn't finish anything. Not even a pint of beer. That speaks volumes.<br /><i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A+, </span></span>"I loved everything. Even Stella's chicken."<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /></span></span><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">C+</span>, She did not eat much, but was hell bent on eating the blinds. Did we mention the kids were a bit cantankerous that day? ;)<br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1557782/restaurant/Indianapolis/Three-Pints-Brewpub-Plainfield"><img alt="Three Pints Brewpub on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1557782/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14129424832848029074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-79565727734347621322011-05-21T09:23:00.000-07:002011-05-27T07:11:42.001-07:00Red Habanero<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c-YMApbqfDg/Td8PZAojjII/AAAAAAAAADk/EULsv-mp240/s1600/tacos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px; height: 239px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611220583068175490" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c-YMApbqfDg/Td8PZAojjII/AAAAAAAAADk/EULsv-mp240/s320/tacos.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>When walking into Red Habanero, you could easily mistake it for a Qdoba or Chipotle. And on it's face, the menu does nothing to distinguish it. Sure, there are a few items you won't find at the "fast casual" TexMex chains, but Red Habanero's bread & butter (tortilla & salsa?) are the same tacos, burritos, quesadillas & enchiladas. But where the chains have moved to dumb down the flavor for the mass-market audience, Red Habanero has turned up the heat.<br /><br />After approaching the counter, we noticed there were several menu items labeled "Hot!". As most places take that to mean there might be a jalapeno or two thrown in, we paid that no mind continued to scan the menu. We decided on a pair of quesadillas for the kids -- one with chicken for Stella and a plain cheese for Oz. Libby ordered one of the "Hot!" items, the Jalepeno Lime Chicken burrito, while Fred chose his usual TexMex baseline dish, the Chile Colorado (this time in burrito form). On each burrito, we had our choice of 4 toppings including the usual cilantro, pico de gallo, sour cream & cheese, but also tomatoes, guacamole, black olives, onion & mushrooms, to name a few.<br /><br />As each entree came with tortilla chips, we sauntered over to the salsa bar to check out the options. Wow! Not just the usual 2 choices (hot & mild) but 5-6 solid ones. There was the house, tomatillo, ranchero, habanero, chipotle, & pico. We happily scooped out a bit of each for tasting. We were pleasantl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MdkkHW4UaoM/Td8PykfjQFI/AAAAAAAAADs/d3993axtUjg/s1600/burritospre.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 239px; height: 320px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611221022190813266" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MdkkHW4UaoM/Td8PykfjQFI/AAAAAAAAADs/d3993axtUjg/s320/burritospre.jpg" border="0" /></a>y surprised at the freshness & flavor of each. Per their menu, they make each one fresh daily. It's the little things that really make a place stand out from the crowd, and this was it for Red Habanero. Shockingly, the house salsa was the spiciest of the bunch, well ahead of even the habanero. Stella snuck a taste of it after watching Mom & Dad sample each one. She quickly got an aggrieved look and decided to dip in her beans instead.<br /><br />The burritos are grilled in a sandwich press which Fred found a little odd, but not displeasing. His Chile Colorado was superb. The flavor of the beef was head and shoulders above anything you get at the chains. The ranchero sauce it'd been simmered in had crept deep into the meat. No need for a salsa to add flavor here. Overall, a great crunch and just enough heat to bring a little sweat to your brow. Perfect.<br /><br />Libby's burrito was a pleasant surprise on many fronts. First of all, during preparation a large pre-marinated and grilled breast was chopped fresh right before her eyes! Impressive. The jalepeno lime sauce was applied liberally and had a lovely bright green hue. The real test was in the taste and after one bite "fresh" was really the best way to put it. The sauce was<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nk-yUydvo3E/Td8QMcHEC-I/AAAAAAAAAD0/2XIEq_DbBYQ/s1600/burritospost.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px; height: 239px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611221466617220066" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nk-yUydvo3E/Td8QMcHEC-I/AAAAAAAAAD0/2XIEq_DbBYQ/s320/burritospost.JPG" border="0" /></a>n't really apparent until the third or fourth bite in...um, Holy C***!!!, this was hot! Sure, there was the usual, discomfort in the mouth, a little bit of sweat forming on the upper cheeks, but it was the actual stomach cramps that got her attention. How can something taste so fresh and amazing and give you insta-ulcer?!!! It did cause a slow down in eating when you had to wait for the cramping to subside to have another bite. Yes, it hurt so good. Note to self; next time, heed the "hot" warning.<br /><br /><br />The kids simply demolished the meal. Other than Ozzy's beans, it was clean plates all around, with Stella wanting to dip her chips in Mommy's burrito. We tried Stella's chicken quesadilla and were surprised at the flavor even in the kid's version. Well seasoned meat and multiple cheeses. Either of us would have been happy to finish it for her!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HWPKKPRj7BI/Td8QehMHFqI/AAAAAAAAAD8/5ahPTONEEvw/s1600/kids.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px; height: 239px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611221777218213538" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HWPKKPRj7BI/Td8QehMHFqI/AAAAAAAAAD8/5ahPTONEEvw/s320/kids.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As we were about to leave, an employee came out and offered free small cups of ice cream for the kids as well as a tiny 3" diameter sombrero. Totally unexpected at an order-at-the-counter joint! We could feel real pride and honesty in his voice and actions. When a chain does something like that, it's not even close to the same feeling.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Wrap Up</b><br /><b><i>Price</i></b>-$, Basically the same prices as the competition.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>Love it when you can support your local mom & pop without spending a dime more!<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><i><b>Atmosphere-</b></i>**, You honestly could have been in any burrito joint---except for the stocked bar! Margarita with your burrito anyone!?<br /><i><b>Service-</b></i>****, No dead-behind-the-eyes minimum wage slaves here. If everyone who worked there wasn't family or friend of the family, we'd be shocked.<br /><br /><b>Overall</b><br /><i><b>F</b>red</i>-<span style="font-weight: bold;"> A-</span> , I actually had to go back a few days later to try the tacos! (also awesome -- try the Three Amigos pictured at the top!). My only complaint is the grill on the burrito. I really think it'd be better without. It's a nit-pick though. Next I have to try the shrimp tacos. Yum!<br /><i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-<span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>, Other than the intense pain, this was a fabulous experience. Great food with real attention to freshness. It's nice when hot means hot.<br /><i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A+, </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Lets see, carbs, cheese & more carbs. Oh, then free ice-cream out of the blue! Ozzy heaven!<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- <span style="font-weight: bold;">A+</span>, I'm sure we've shared her bean love in the past. But when you add chips & ice cream to the deal, you've got her dead to rights.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/442139/restaurant/Northeast/Red-Habanero-Indianapolis"><img style="border: currentColor; width: 200px; height: 146px;" alt="Red Habanero on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/442139/biglink.gif" /></a></div></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14129424832848029074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-65705487613059993832011-05-08T00:46:00.001-07:002011-05-14T15:20:48.881-07:00Fire by the Monon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vDJxaYZdWig/Tc7-LYtKLXI/AAAAAAAAAC0/5z8EtRCffRo/s1600/photo%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vDJxaYZdWig/Tc7-LYtKLXI/AAAAAAAAAC0/5z8EtRCffRo/s320/photo%25281%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606698057686723954" border="0" /></a>Another new restaurant has hit the scene in Broadripple -- Fire by the Monon. It bills itself as an upscale American grill with an emphasis on grilled local foods, local beer taps, and more heart-healthy choices. We walked the Monon from around the Biscuits vicinity and found Fire in a familiar area behind La Piedad. A red building greeted us and so did plenty of friendly smiles when we arrived.<br /><br />Upon entering, to our right was a quiet looking bar area. To the left, another bar was visible...was there family seating available? Yes. In between the two bars there was a room with space for 5 cramped tables. To our dismay, almost half of it was taken up by a very loud 8-top of drunken 30-40 somethings whooping it up about weddings or bachelorette parties or whatever. Not a good start. We know what would help this! Beer! We needed to know what was on tap and get the kids some chow.<br /><br />Chow was simple. Salads, a few entrees, some pizzas, burgers and sandwiches. The server informed us it was their soft opening menu, so things would change up soon. We went with a cheese pizza for Ozzy and pepperoni for Stella. Fred was into The Lake(grilled trout sandwich) and Libby the gouda-bacon burger. Both with sweet potato fries and shredded pickle(shreddies) on the side. Although after a couple of salads went by, we wondered if that was the way to go. They looked like something different and very fresh!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lb9nbn7ATJ0/Tc7_gpVEGPI/AAAAAAAAADM/V6ZxVGvmYH0/s1600/Fire-lake.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lb9nbn7ATJ0/Tc7_gpVEGPI/AAAAAAAAADM/V6ZxVGvmYH0/s320/Fire-lake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606699522437945586" border="0" /></a><br />The beer selection was impressive, including locals Upland, Flat 12, Oaken Barrel, Barley Island and Sun King. Oh, how about an Upland Wheat for Libby and a Flat 12 American Wit for Fred? Sure! Fairly quickly, the beers arrived and Libby was sad to see the foggy beer in her glass. Now Upland Wheat should be cloudy, but not look (and taste) like dishwater. Whether the beginning or end of the keg, this was not acceptable. One taste and it was obvious this should not have gone out to the table. Our waitress, who seemed to have expected this, quickly swooped in and offered to exchange it for a Sun King. Ah. Much better. But it made us wonder aloud, why did it get served if they knew it was questionable?! The rabble continued.<br /><br />This noise problem was not just us nor was it relenting. The table was getting the stink-eye from other diners as well. We have to ask, wasn't there room for 8 grown women to sit in one of your two bar areas? Ozzy decided he couldn't take it anymore and declared it was too loud, covered his ears, and asked to go home. Fred tried to tend the issue with some napkin made earplugs. On the way to the bathroom to insert them, he was stopped by another server who apologized and informed him that acoustic panels had been ordered. Another table arrived, and they were also informed of the noise reduction plan. We ended up scooting our table about a foot to help accommodate the small space for another table and that seemed to slightly help Ozzy's agony. Although Libby started to get feedback static from the jubilant noise behind her. Even Stella's occasional wails were muffled in comparison. Really?!<br /><br />Before too long the food came. Yay! Ozzy was overjoyed and started to dig in as did Stella. Fred and Libby quickly snapped a shot of each sandwich and sunk in.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jCwCV9sSh1I/Tc7_vgpGmaI/AAAAAAAAADU/xoI2GaeBp9w/s1600/fire-burger.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jCwCV9sSh1I/Tc7_vgpGmaI/AAAAAAAAADU/xoI2GaeBp9w/s320/fire-burger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606699777804114338" border="0" /></a><br />The burger was really good. Well cooked, nice seasoning and a very satisfying bite. The buns on both sandwiches were a wonderful toasted wheat. Teddy's, this is how you do a wheat bun right! The sweet potato fries were very familiar. Definitely from a bag. Not bad, just not special. The "shreddies" although only pickles were really fresh and the accompanying remoulade was a nice touch. Fred's trout sandwich was just that. A grilled piece of trout with lettuce and tomato along with the same remoulade. Not bad, just not special.<br /><br />The kids' pizzas were fine. Ozzy ate his aggressively and Stella tried to eat a full slice new-york-fold style. While mom & dad were unimpressed with the crust, Fire does know what kids want in a pie.<br /><br />When the check came, we <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Le-U0YfVJYA/Tc8AAI0MF6I/AAAAAAAAADc/Xi85BVWcgs0/s1600/fire-pizza.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Le-U0YfVJYA/Tc8AAI0MF6I/AAAAAAAAADc/Xi85BVWcgs0/s320/fire-pizza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606700063465936802" border="0" /></a>were more than ready to go. It's a sad thing that the environment actually played a bigger part than the food or even the service in our experience. Yes, it was a soft opening, but how long should a soft opening go on? We know this "soft opening" had been going on for at least a week by this point, as other bloggers had already written about it. It is still hard to decide whether we care to go back and give it another try. Family seating should be just that. A group of adults out to have a good time shouldn't be taking up half the dining area when there are two bar areas available. Belly up to one of the bars. We would if we could. :)<br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><br /><a href="http://www.firebythemonon.com/" target="_blank">http://www.firebythemonon.com/</a><br /><br /><b>Wrap Up</b><br /><b><i>Price</i></b>-$$, Your standard sit-down burger prices.<span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold"><br /></span></span><i><b>Atmosphere-</b></i>*, Loud and nondescript. How do you make an old building have zero character? Maybe there is some in the bar areas...<br /><i><b>Service-</b></i>*, Friendly & they were obviously trying. But there were multiple mistakes made. Not just in seating that group, but our server knew the beer was bad. She hovered until Libby took her first taste and immediately offered to replace it. If you know it's bad, DON'T SERVE IT!<br /><br /><b>Overall</b><br /><i><b>F</b>red</i>-C , The food was "Not Bad. Just not special." That about sums it up. Maybe if they get their "stuff" together, I'll give it another go. But I won't be hurrying back any time soon. <span style="font-weight:bold">Also, if you want to stand out for your food, don't have your standard side dish come out of a bag. </span><span style="font-weight:bold">Whatever happened to (from Fire's website) </span><span style="font-style:italic;font-weight:bold">"our first step includes working with local producers and suppliers to bring their best products to your table."</span><br /><i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-C+, The burger was very tasty. But this was the first time I truly understood how much impact atmosphere would have on my meal. It was very difficult to enjoy anything about it when my son was covering his ears in distress and all I kept thinking was "how did the hostess screw up seating this badly?!" The bars were almost empty!<br /><i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- D, He has never complained about noise before. Even at Chuck-E-Cheese. This would have been an F had it not been for the clean-plate-club pizza. <span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold"><br /></span></span><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>-B , After 5 ear infections in the last 6 months, Stella is almost half-deaf according to the docs. So she enjoyed her meal immensely! ;)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1589338/restaurant/Broad-Ripple/Fire-by-the-Monon-Indianapolis"><img alt="Fire by the Monon on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1589338/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a><br /><br /></div>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-86916121283462447172011-04-22T20:35:00.001-07:002011-04-24T06:45:05.885-07:00Taste Cafe and Marketplace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x5pO4UCs4xk/TbQi3Sou4CI/AAAAAAAAABs/y0pAedAkgcA/s1600/Taste%2BCounter.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x5pO4UCs4xk/TbQi3Sou4CI/AAAAAAAAABs/y0pAedAkgcA/s320/Taste%2BCounter.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599138570019201058" border="0" /></a><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We have read countless blogs, reviews, and comments from readers about the great things going on at Taste in SoBro. The opportunity presented itself so we went for it and decided to do lunch today---poor Oz-man had to make up a snow-day at school. :(<br /><br />As soon as we entered the door around 12:30 on a friday afternoon, we saw there was a sizeable line. We looked around a bit and saw that seating was tight too. Was this a mistake? Not to worry, the line moved at a steady pace and out of nowhere a table opened up right when we needed it! Yay!<br /><br />But first, the menu. This is an order at the counter set-up, with lovely glass cases showing patrons the intriguing lunchtime possibilities. There are wall menus, but the fine print makes them nearly impossible to read -- so thank goodness for the normal sized menus to peruse while you wait in line. Several things <em>sounded</em> good in the gourmet sandwich department; the albacore tuna nicoise, the curried chicken salad, the italian grinder, and the erin to name a few. Then others <em>looke</em><em>d</em> very good; the multitude of fresh sides, greek orzo and roasted beet salads, vine ripe tomatoes, tortelinni and OMG the desserts!!!<br /><br />We had heard good things about the pommes frites, so that was a no brainer. But after much deliberation, Fred went with the Erin and Libby the italian grinder...and a slice of chocolate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RGcbHtp-nTU/TbQjFecOK0I/AAAAAAAAAB0/g4utwb4-xGA/s1600/Frittes.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RGcbHtp-nTU/TbQjFecOK0I/AAAAAAAAAB0/g4utwb4-xGA/s320/Frittes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599138813706120002" border="0" /></a> sponge cake with mocha butter cream frosting!!! Terrible, I know.<br /><br />As we waited at our well placed plate-watching table, an incredible looking egg sandwich walked by twice and a couple of salads that didn't look too shabby either. It wasn't long before the frites arrived...Woah! A familiar looking cone of frites, good-sized portion to share, sprinkled with generous amounts of basil and seasoning accompanied by a light green basil-aioli....oooooo. We showed no mercy. Greedy bite after bite slathered in garlicy (and basily) goodness didn't stand a chance. These were serious business that put a couple of Broadripple favs to the test. Look out, Brugge, Canal Bistro, and Boogie, Taste's got your number!<br /><br />So, naturally this made for some serious anticipation concerning sandwiches and cake. I mean, where do we go from here? Two lovely diagonally sliced french baguettes revealed a little of the glory within. Libby found her first bite of the grinder a real explosion of olive tapenade --a great thing at first, but quickly <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhupUNJv2ag/TbQjYkhlaLI/AAAAAAAAAB8/5grF9FiwIjg/s1600/grinder.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhupUNJv2ag/TbQjYkhlaLI/AAAAAAAAAB8/5grF9FiwIjg/s320/grinder.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599139141756741810" border="0" /></a>became a bit overwhelming in the salt department. The meats were of good quality, but the sheer amount of olive overpowered the cheese and even the meat. About half as much would have been a whole lot better.<br /><br /><br /><br />Fred, on the other hand, made his "O" face of approval. Even though he forgot to nix the onion, he was in utter heaven. Erin was sheer creamy genius. An all veggie sammy, this creation <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HVvliysyEJI/TbQjpR_dNxI/AAAAAAAAACE/hp8Xt9-SI3M/s1600/erin.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HVvliysyEJI/TbQjpR_dNxI/AAAAAAAAACE/hp8Xt9-SI3M/s320/erin.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599139428839536402" border="0" /></a>included asparagus, sprout, red onion, provolone, swiss, more of that orgasmic aioli, and dijon dill sauce. The dill sauce and asparagus were really the stars. Creamy, easy, and the asparagus actually gave it the right amount of 'meatiness' with a little bite. *sigh* NEXT!<br /><br />Ah, yes. The cake. Dessert at lunch. Who would do such a thing? Libby. Every time, given the opportunity. This was better than expected. Better than it even looked if that was possible. The decorative strawberry on top was nice and all, but please! A mere distraction! This cake was somehow light in texture, but carried a flavor punch that sent one reeling. That hint of mocha was beautiful. The icing SWEET and creamy. Dreamy. The perfect ending to a very lovely lunch. Taste can bake too. Damn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGi1LHXjJ8M/TbQj4f3tVeI/AAAAAAAAACM/4WtwHlyVvxY/s1600/cake.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGi1LHXjJ8M/TbQj4f3tVeI/AAAAAAAAACM/4WtwHlyVvxY/s320/cake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599139690263172578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tastecafeandmarketplace.com/">http://www.tastecafeandmarketplace.com/</a><br /><br /><b>Wrap Up</b><br /><b><i>Price</i></b>-$$, You can eat cheap if you want, but why would you?!<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><i><b>Atmosphere</b></i>****, Beautiful, contemporary decor. No ugly soda fountain to be found. Instead, tasty looking homemade flavored waters. Come get your snob on!<br /><i><b>Service</b></i>**, Friendly & accommodating. But honestly they needed one more person cleaning tables. Can't call it a bus-boy, perhaps a Table Presentation Coordinator?<br /><br /><b>Overall</b><br /><i><b>F</b>red</i>- A-, I've never before had such a flavorful vegetarian sandwich. And I can even lie to myself and believe it was good for me! If it weren't for the overpowering tapenade on the grinder, this would have been in A or A+ territory. In my book, those frites are tied with Canal Bistro for 2nd best in Indy. A couple more dipping options and they'd surpass Brugge for the top spot!<br /><i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-B+, Yes, you can have too much of a good thing -- tapenade . Why are all the good frites in Broadripple? Share the love, people! And the baked goods? Forgetaboutit. Next stop? Brunch for one of those flirtatious egg sandwiches or perhaps truffle frites and aioli from the Aftertaste menu! Bring it.<br /><i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- N/A, Snow makeup day at school. Sorry Oz man. You would have loved the frites!<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- C, Felt a little out of place. Babies are SO last season! Were high-chairs available? On our way out, we found them. Hidden behind the front door. :/<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/442580/restaurant/Broad-Ripple/Taste-Cafe-and-Marketplace-Indianapolis"><img alt="Taste Cafe and Marketplace on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/442580/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-38895355636098059922011-04-17T18:19:00.000-07:002011-04-17T19:47:44.324-07:00The Tamale Place<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEgIlvECd6Q/TaufioJO6GI/AAAAAAAAABU/uBP7J6qEAYs/s1600/Tamale.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEgIlvECd6Q/TaufioJO6GI/AAAAAAAAABU/uBP7J6qEAYs/s320/Tamale.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596742379178485858" border="0" /></a><br />FLOE was headed to lunch before a quick trip to the zoo today, so it sounded like a good time to try out The Tamale Place on the near west side. In a strip mall off of Rockville lies this very modest, clean and easy "dive". Since it's scheduled to be featured on Triple D this May, FLOE had high hopes and were admittedly a little giddy to give it a go.<br /><br />Upon walking in, we were pleasantly surprised by the eclectic clientele. It's always a good sign to see natives of the cuisine, but this was a true melting pot. We were met at the counter by a very helpful and patient staff member. She explained how to order and approximately how much food would be enough for the 4 of us. Since they call themselves The Tamale Place, FLOE decided to forgo the tacos and nachos (although both looked excellent!) -- today it was all about the tamales.<br /><br />It should be noted that tamales are not a made-to-order item. Therefore the staff makes a set number of each per day and when they're out, they're out. While it's usually a good idea to peruse the menu ahead of time, don't get your heart set on a particular style before you walk in the door. You are at the mercy of the dry-eraser board.<br /><br />After a protracted examination of the menu, we chose 3 tamales and 3 sides for the 4 of us. For the tamales we opted for the Chicken Oaxacan Mole, Chipotle Chicken, and Beef with Poblano & cheese. Our sides consisted of slow cooked black beans, homemade chips and salsa & easily the best Mexican rice FLOE has ever tasted.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qB5oPtdYUaM/TaufvIIwQPI/AAAAAAAAABc/KX9D6sjL3BA/s1600/Table.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qB5oPtdYUaM/TaufvIIwQPI/AAAAAAAAABc/KX9D6sjL3BA/s320/Table.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596742593924841714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Since we knew neither kid was going to touch the tamales (although Stella would attempt it not knowing how spicy they might be), we quickly sated each with their favorite. Black beans for the girl & chips for the boy. We're not sure why Stella has such a love for any bean, but she always gobbles them up. In this case, we had to fight her for them as these were not your run of the mill black. We couldn't place the spices used, but the overall affect was delightful. Ozzy attempted the salsa and immediately hit his water glass. Oops. Sorry son. The cilantro hits your tongue first, but the heat came on strong at the end. While mom & dad were enjoying their tamales, Stella accidentally got a chip full of it too, resulting in some serious tears. Double oops! Thankfully this only served to accelerate her black bean intake speed...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMIe1QTHeD8/Tauf_cN7ZxI/AAAAAAAAABk/S43VrNuf9EA/s1600/beanface.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMIe1QTHeD8/Tauf_cN7ZxI/AAAAAAAAABk/S43VrNuf9EA/s320/beanface.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596742874193159954" border="0" /></a>As the kids experimented, we took in the tamales. The Chicken Mole tamale was firm yet tender, with a pleasant extra mild mole. We found it made a perfect contrast with the fiery Chipotle Chicken. The chipotle was perhaps a bit dry, but solid overall. While the masa was identical in all three, the real tamale winner was the Beef with Poblano. The meat was tender and juicy; perfect with a hit of the extra hot red salsa.<br /><br />We had ordered the rice as a backup for both kids but greedily kept it for ourselves after one forkful. Yowsa! Usually a throw-away side at most mexican places, this could have been served on its own! While there was undoubtedly a heavy hand with the oil, the spicing was dead on and there was a meatiness to it that we couldn't quite place. Simply a must-have on every visit.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thetamaleplace.com/">http://www.thetamaleplace.com/</a><br /><br /><b>Wrap Up</b><br /><b><i>Price</i></b>-$, <span style="font-style: italic;">All four of us ate for under $15. That's what we call Taco Bell cheap!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><i><b>Atmosphere</b></i>**, Very clean & well lit, but sparse and a little utilitarian.<br /><i><b>Service</b></i>****, The staff was very patient and helpful even with another couple waiting behind us.<br /><br /><b>Overall</b><br /><i><b>F</b>red</i>- A, This place nails it. There are no throw-away sides here. These guys mean business with every dish. I will make sure to try the tacos on my next visit. Now I just have to come up with a reason to be on the west side!<br /><i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-A+, Certainly the best tamales I've ever had. The best Mexican rice I've ever had. And damned good beans, chips and salsa. Just tell me when the Greenwood location is coming!!<br /><i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- B-, Definitely into the chips and wanted to try the salsa. It was just too hot. Mom & Dad should have been more cognizant of the spice with the little ones and gotten them a milder version.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span> He might have even gone for a cheesy tamale.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>Oh well. Next time.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- A, Black beans = win! And the poor girl wanted to like the salsa too. But the palate isn't up to speed yet.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/442571/restaurant/West/Tamale-Place-Indianapolis"><img alt="Tamale Place on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/442571/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14129424832848029074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-85019151625703853362011-04-17T17:03:00.001-07:002011-04-17T18:13:19.924-07:00Biscuits Cafe<div><br /><div><div><br /><div><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 240px; height: 320px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596711536436116226" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sRcU3C0no2c/TauDfV-a-wI/AAAAAAAAAAM/xe-ATNhtZGM/s320/stellahotsauce.jpg" border="0" />Another long weekend nightshift came to an end and Libby was in the mood for breakfast! Something a little spicy, something a little homey. Fred and the kids decided to drive her drowsiness to Biscuits in Broadripple!<div> </div><div>Biscuits is probably in one of the best <em>hidden</em> locations in Broadripple. Right off the Monon in a strip mall with at least three other eateries AND behind the new Thr3e Wisemen Brewery, Biscuits has achieved maximum quaintness. You walk in to what feels like a 1950's neighborhood diner with a little hispanic flair. We like.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>The menu is straight up hangover heaven! And nightshift heaven, for that matter. Where can you find the usual diner breakfast fav's with lotsa mexican treats---Breakfast burrito with beans and rice, Spicey sausage gravy and biscuits, Breakfast Quesadilla, Breakfast chimichanga??? Hell-o, Nurse! This is what Libby is talking about!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NvsnKsCUBo/TauF0D5S9jI/AAAAAAAAAAU/az55xpv9RFI/s1600/chocpan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596714091383289394" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NvsnKsCUBo/TauF0D5S9jI/AAAAAAAAAAU/az55xpv9RFI/s320/chocpan.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Fred decided the breakfast burrito was right up his alley this particular morning. On almost every other morning, Libby would agree, but today she had to sample the spicey biscuits 'n gravy---or rather a duo of the spicy and the original---carb coma coming up! :) Ozzy insisted on some chocolate pancakes and for Stella, per usual, a little of everything. Hot sauce, anyone?! ;)</div><div> </div><div>Service was organized, professional, and speedy...and many. We aren't sure who our actual server was as there was a crew that seemed to be tending our hunger/thirst needs. Again, we like.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2h0PUHG-uo/TauHTsBzaiI/AAAAAAAAAAc/Ry8Tp_VBC4Q/s1600/breakfastburr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px; height: 240px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596715734243961378" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2h0PUHG-uo/TauHTsBzaiI/AAAAAAAAAAc/Ry8Tp_VBC4Q/s320/breakfastburr.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div><br />Ozzy's pancakes were the giant chocolately goodness he was after. Two hotcakes, covered in chocolate sauce and powdered sugar was the carbotarian breakfast-dessert his little heart desires. Two giant thumbs up!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br />Fred's Burrito was enormous! Was this breakfast? Oh, yeah it was. Refried beans, mexican rice and the veggie fixins accompanied a larger than life, colorful burrito. Muy bueno. The red sauce went perfectly with the egg and chorizo, but Fred would have liked a bit more flavorful cheese. The refried beans and rice were standard mexican restaurant fare. This would be a great workingman's breakfast to power you through the rest of the day. No one leaves hungry.</div><div> </div><div><br />Libby anxiously awaited her biscuits and holy cow, what a plate!!! Not only was it HUGE, but the spicy gravy had a very different pink hue to it. Hey, made it very easy to distinguish the spicy from the original. Sadly, the biscuits and gravywere very floury...not in the best way. But honestly, the gravy wasn't too shabby. Not quite up to Grammy's standard (or Zest's), but worth trying. And they certainly hit the spot.</div><div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CzMpWpBD6OQ/TauKPJw3XMI/AAAAAAAAAAk/s_Aez1ZLjww/s1600/hotbiscgrav.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596718954861518018" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CzMpWpBD6OQ/TauKPJw3XMI/AAAAAAAAAAk/s_Aez1ZLjww/s320/hotbiscgrav.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />Stella had nothing but good things to jabber. Lots of "mmm's" and "oooo's" followed the refried beans and pancakes, but sadly no love for the b&g.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Wrap Up</b><br /><b><i>Price</i></b>-$$-Not the cheapest breakfast, but not breaking the bank.<br /><i><b>Atmosphere</b></i>***, It was a diner! How often do you see an actual diner? And in a strip mall, no less.<br /><i><b>Service</b></i>****, The well-oiled machine of service!! No qualms about it, these folks know how to turn tables and do it with a smile.<br /><br /><b>Overall</b><br /><i><b>F</b>red</i>- B, If there is such a thing as "standard" mexican-'merican breakfast food, this would be it. Having said that, it was up to standards and I certainly would not complain about a return trip.<br /><i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-B+, Although they weren't the best b&g I've ever had, they were good. And honestly, I would like to try a lot more on that menu. Is it Sunday morning yet?<br /><i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- A, Ozzy reports the chocolate pancakes were "absolutely" good. 'Nuf said.<br /><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- A, If toddler speak is louder than actual words, Stella was a happy camper.<br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/440215/restaurant/Broad-Ripple/Biscuits-Indianapolis"><img alt="Biscuits on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/440215/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a><br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673354263242573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-62006770375439251022011-03-26T22:31:00.001-07:002011-04-17T09:27:15.477-07:00Garuda<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B7eou29say0/TasIfErGGbI/AAAAAAAAAA0/QCyYWvNEhnU/s1600/photo%2B%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B7eou29say0/TasIfErGGbI/AAAAAAAAAA0/QCyYWvNEhnU/s320/photo%2B%25281%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596576291861436850" border="0" /></a>Ever had Indonesian cuisine before? FLOE neither...until Garuda! The new SoBro Indonesian Restaurant off of College and 52nd is tucked behind Taste and is very muted in its outward appearance. We had no idea what to expect. Once inside, some minimalist decor showcased a small dining area open to the very busy kitchen.<br /><br /><div><div style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr" trbidi="on">The hostess was a bit awkward(not sure what to do, more nervous than accommodating), but we'll chalk it up to being only open about one month at the time. Our server was very polite, but again, awkward. We were glad to see a small menu---makes it a little easier to pick new things.<br /><br />We noticed a lot of satay(skewered meats), some curry, and rice and noodle dishes with island flair. We decided to start with Lumpia, Garuda's Indonesian spring rolls. Fred had to have the Kare Opur(Indonesian Curry) with chicken and Libby the Beef Randang. Ozzy opted for a side of rice and Stella would sample from the lot.<br /><br />Beverage orders were never requested, but we were brought water to drink. Hm. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs1090qVrdI/TasIp70SbYI/AAAAAAAAAA8/G4-e4SBH3gE/s1600/photo%2B%25283%2529.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs1090qVrdI/TasIp70SbYI/AAAAAAAAAA8/G4-e4SBH3gE/s320/photo%2B%25283%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596576478462635394" border="0" /></a> The menu also stated we could specify how spicy we would like our dishes and that never happened either.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr" trbidi="on">The Lumpia came out pretty quickly and was just delightful! Visually very familiar, there was something different. The fried outside was thick like a chinese egg roll and had a hidden sweetness, while the inside had some curried tofu and mixed veggies that were more reminiscent of a spring roll. It was fried perfectly, nice and crunchy outside with a warm, tender inside. The pineapple chili sauce on the side was a great touch. Even Stella approved!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Entrees took a little longer, even though there were only two seated tables in the whole place and an army of folks in the back. Finally, they arrived and they were beautiful! And in appropriate proportions. Not the mega-size so many of us have become so accustomed to.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Fred's Kare Opur was so aromatic! It was quite mild with incredibly well blended spices--- the flavors had melded in the pot. It was familiar yet different in it's subtlety. Definitely a dish worth coming back for!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Libby's Beef Randang was actually t<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15H7KrbgNWs/TasJAMvfitI/AAAAAAAAABE/aCOHEeom2xU/s1600/photo%2B%25282%2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15H7KrbgNWs/TasJAMvfitI/AAAAAAAAABE/aCOHEeom2xU/s320/photo%2B%25282%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596576860963048146" border="0" /></a>he Beef Satay dinner. This was suspected, but not confirmed until after dinner when a quick look at the online menu checked out. Rather than a slow-roasted meat in coconut milk and indonesian spices, it was skewered beef with a side of rice and acar(a vegetable salad with cucumbers, pineapples and carrots marinated in a ginger-shallot lime sauce garnished with cilantro). One bite was all it took to see the value in these simple plates. Tender, flavorful, and so tasty it made Libby regret her earlier thoughts that less is more! More! More! The rice on the side and the acar worked better together than on their own. The yellow rice was again very mild in flavor---the acid from the veg was necessary. So, even though there was a bit of ordering confusion, Libby was very pleased with her surprise dish.<br /><br />Finally, we had to try the Pisang Goreng--- more well known as fried plantains. Yummy. This version had coconut and rice-flour battered plantains, fried and sprinkled with coconut<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4MpRlDs0qFk/TasKvr8eSPI/AAAAAAAAABM/1LkW5DP60KE/s1600/photo%2B%25284%2529.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4MpRlDs0qFk/TasKvr8eSPI/AAAAAAAAABM/1LkW5DP60KE/s320/photo%2B%25284%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596578776304470258" border="0" /></a> over a nutella and caramel sauce topped with coconut ice cream. This flavor combo was truly pleasing and the perfect sweet ending to a most satisfying dinner. Again, subtlety was the art of this dish. Lightly battered, lightly sweetened and even the coconut ice cream was more milky that sweet. One suggestion we would have is to have thinner slices. Plantains are naturally a bit bitter and the thicker slices caused the bitter plantain to compete with the already light sweetness. Otherwise, it was just de-lite-ful!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.garudadine.com/">http://www.garudadine.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><b>Wrap Up</b><br /><b><i>Price</i></b>-$$-Well priced for delicate, international cuisine.<br /><i><b>Atmosphere</b></i>**, Nothing exciting, but we're expecting it to flesh out over time. We did quite enjoy being able to view all of the chaos in the back!<br /><i><b>Service</b></i>*,- Very polite but GREEN. These guys need more experienced help to pay attention to detail and be on top of customer needs. There was a hostess, two servers, and what appeared to be two owners around, not to mention 4-5 chefs in the back. If they are struggling with only two tables filled, we cringe to think what a busy night would be like!<br /><br /><b>Overall</b><br /><i><b>F</b>red</i>- B-, I'd give the food more of an A-, very good. But the service was so poor, it weighed down the overall experience. I would like to go back to see if it's improved. If not, then that would be a huge red flag.<br /><i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-B+, Wonderful food, but the service was just bad. The kind of service where you know they are trying and can't seem to get it right. There's nothing worse than feeling sorry for your servers when the chefs are doing their part in the kitchen.<br /><i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- C+, Ozzy was not too impressed with his yellow rice, but he ate it and very much enjoyed the plantain sauce, rather than the plantain itself.<br /><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- B, Stella sampled from everything and preferred the acar, the curry, and the rice. The meat may have been too difficult for her to chew, but she seemed content overall.<br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1576214/restaurant/Broad-Ripple/Garuda-Indianapolis"><img alt="Garuda on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1576214/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr" trbidi="on"> </div></div>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-26930765700298401172011-03-23T17:55:00.000-07:002011-03-23T19:48:54.598-07:00Three Sisters Cafe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DAmpid7Bc9k/TYqgfmATUTI/AAAAAAAAAAM/lfE9GgE4iCg/s1600/corncake.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DAmpid7Bc9k/TYqgfmATUTI/AAAAAAAAAAM/lfE9GgE4iCg/s320/corncake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587454752344723762" border="0" /></a>On our short list, Three Sister's Cafe made the cut a couple of weeks ago when Libby had a rare Saturday night off. A roadtrip for breakfast Sunday morning was on the agenda! FLOE was well aware that one of our food-porn heroes, Guy Fieri, had sampled some eats and we couldn't wait to try it our for ourselves!<br /><br />Located in the heart of Broadripple, Three Sister's is situated in an old house with all the antiquated charms---creaky wooden floors, large windows, small rooms and quaint architectural details. We didn't realize it at the time, but we were super lucky to be seated immediately. Within 20 minutes, the line was out the door.<br /><br />One very fun and friendly type of seating they do for small groups is "family" seating. If there is one large table, you could get seated with other guests...some may scoff at this, but we found it kinda cool. Could be good to meet some new people. :)<br /><br />With a newly printed menu after triple D's visit, Libby decided to sample one of the show's featured items, the raspberry corn cakes with lemon curd. Fred had to try the omelet with calico potatoes. Ozzy requested the bear banana pancakes and Stella indulged in her own entree as well, the french toast. And can we just say, their coffee was FABULOUS. Nice and bold, not for the Folgers crowd.<br /><br />After a fairly lengthy wait, the beautiful plates arrived! We were more than a little excited. Libby, being the lucky tester of the corncakes, was completely satisfied with her choice. The corncakes were bursting with raspberries...but let's not mince words---it's all about that lemon curd. OMG, this was pure lemon heaven. Breakfast? This was a straight up dessert! Beautifully simple and totally indulgent. Fantastic! A must have from now on, whenever we get back.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yRncFJG2vXg/TYqgqkEDFPI/AAAAAAAAAAU/vtVCMJqoX40/s1600/omelet.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yRncFJG2vXg/TYqgqkEDFPI/AAAAAAAAAAU/vtVCMJqoX40/s320/omelet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587454940802127090" border="0" /></a><br />Fred's a 5-ingredient omelet with a side of calico potatoes and an order of sourdough toast really hit the tastebuds front & center. The mixture of exotic mushrooms, kalamata olives, brie, spinach and basil was to die for. Creamy, briney, mushroomy goodness with enough green stuff to make you almost feel like it's healthy. Of course any mistaken notion of that went out the window with the pound of melted butter on the very sour sourdough. Not that Fred was complaining!<br /><br />Unfortunately the calico potatoes may actually have been healthy. They certainly tasted like it. We wanted to like this mixture of white & sweet potato hash browns. They had some spice to them, but they just tasted. . . . healthy. Perhaps it was just a lack of salt, but there just wasn't the depth of flavor that we were expecting. Sadly, they looked a lot better than they tasted.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N8lG3yWa3c8/TYqm36frnVI/AAAAAAAAAAk/PGLg7DkoMu8/s1600/photo%252810%2529.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N8lG3yWa3c8/TYqm36frnVI/AAAAAAAAAAk/PGLg7DkoMu8/s320/photo%252810%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587461767231675730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>The kids were not on the same page with their meals. Ozzy was a little disappointed with the banana-i-ness of his choice. Apparently, he didn't connect the whole banana-in-a-pancake concept and said he would prefer them sans bananas. There was still plenty that he would like there, but this was not his dish. Stella, on the other hand, was happily munching away on her french toast and had little to complain about during our entire stay. She was in a good place.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B8pmgr4RwIM/TYqnKMgtIFI/AAAAAAAAAAs/IwRexvmlZng/s1600/photo%25289%2529.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B8pmgr4RwIM/TYqnKMgtIFI/AAAAAAAAAAs/IwRexvmlZng/s320/photo%25289%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587462081305452626" border="0" /></a><br /><b>Wrap Up</b><br /><b><i>Price</i></b>-$-$$,- Comparable to any chain breakfast place. But this sure ain't Bob Evans!!<br /><i><b>Atmosphere</b></i>***, You could feel the love. It was Grandma's house with a little Broadripple flair.<br /><i><b>Service</b></i>***,- The wait for the food made it seem like something had happened in the kitchen, but the server was very attentive throughout.<br /><br /><b>Overall</b><br /><i><b>F</b>red</i>- A-, Now I'm on my 3rd killer breakfast spot in Indy. Between Zest, Hoaglin To Go and 3 Sisters, who can decide where to go?!? I'll give you a hint -- it won't be Denny's. A little more salt on the calico potatoes during cooking would have pushed it into A territory.<br /><i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-A+, If I were in a hurry, this rating might be different. But the fact is the coffee was delicious and my corn cake with lemon curd was "City Hall in Flavortown".<br /><i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- C+, While he was having problems with both the wait and his chosen meal, Three Sisters had plenty of other options and the atmosphere was very conducive to a loud 6 year old.<br /><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- B+, She had the best seat in the house for people watching and her french toast was more than deserving of the adult menu.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/442617/restaurant/Broad-Ripple/3-Sisters-Cafe-Indianapolis"><img alt="3 Sisters Cafe on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/442617/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; width: 200px; height: 146px;" /></a>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14129424832848029074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-29125101090697203322011-03-02T19:01:00.000-08:002011-03-02T19:01:40.171-08:00New Bethel Ordinary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KOmFZSGnffg/TW8Dry7SgII/AAAAAAAAAc0/_gxrdp2Oq5A/s1600/pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KOmFZSGnffg/TW8Dry7SgII/AAAAAAAAAc0/_gxrdp2Oq5A/s320/pie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Having heard that one of the best pizza's in town was actually not<i> in</i> town, we drove out to Wanamaker to visit the New Bethel Ordinary (NBO). Upon entering and seeing the scorched wooden tables and an incredibly small town vibe, we immediately felt at home. There's no pretense here.<br />
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The NBO could be found in any small town in the midwest complete with 1950's style plastic letter wall special advertisements to an original antiquated main street building to a bit of confusion around import beers. With no set beer menu, our waitress was unable to provide us with a full listing of their beers. When we decided on a Guiness, she offered a frosty mug, we declined, she then just brought the cans...?<br />
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We perused the menu, knowing we were getting a pie, to see if an appy was appealing. Since we were worried that Stella really is not a pizza person yet, we thought we would maximize our chances with an appy sampler---the fried onion rings, fried cauliflower, and fried cheese sticks. The pie we chose? We decided to go ultra simple since the ingredient list wasn't blowing our skirts up---half cheese(for Ozzy) and half pepperoni. Simple should suffice, right?<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qLmw50pnEYc/TW8Du8d0GuI/AAAAAAAAAc4/bxtsej9ywGY/s1600/appy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qLmw50pnEYc/TW8Du8d0GuI/AAAAAAAAAc4/bxtsej9ywGY/s320/appy.jpg" width="240" /></a>The sampler came out quickly, and looked like it came straight from the bag---maybe the onion rings were done in house, but there is NO WAY the cheese sticks or cauliflower were made within 500 miles of the place. Not really very good. Stella tried some of everything and Fred was so happy to see she is not an onion person either. ;) Ozzy made a valiant attempt at a cheese stick, but as it got gooey, he vetoed the effort. Fred and Libby quite enjoyed the cauliflower, but all in all, it was a bust.<br />
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At this point, other diners started rolling in and it was obvious, pizza was the star of the menu. This was both heartening and foreboding in that everyone was ordering 4-7 toppings...did we mess this up? Well, showtime, here came the pie...TONS of cheese! Ozzy looked a little apprehensive. A nice touch, the demarcation made with a green herb and was a great concept-- something we would like to see on other pies. It was obvious where one side stopped and the other began.<br />
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Unfortunately, the great first impression soon fell incredibly flat. The mounds of cheese that were so obvious at first glance were in fact, straight mozorella on a not so exciting sauce and an overwhelmed, underdone crust. One side sitting in a pool of unappetising pepperoni grease. You can't pick up this pizza, a hand-tossed...you must use the knife and fork.<br />
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We soon found that where most places would put a single pepperoni, the NBO stacked three or four. This was obviously done in an attempt to provide abundant toppings, but doesn't work well with buried pepperoni. As other pies started coming out with mounds of toppings on them, we recognized our fatal flaw...NBO doesn't do simple. <u><i><b>But what pizza place can't make a pepperoni pizza</b></i></u><i><b>?!?!?!?!</b></i><br />
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Only a couple of weeks ago we had outstanding cheese pizza at Thr3e Wise Men...is it really so hard? <br />
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Really? Fred and Libby immediately went into a diatribe of how they were pretty sure that that one time they were weak and tried a Sam's Club Pepperoni pizza, that it was better than this! How is that possible? A pound of mozzerella does not a good pizza make! How can the crust cook right with a layer of insulation on top? Why didn't we order 5, 6, 7 toppings?! *sigh*<br />
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Having only eaten one to one 1/2 slices each, we decided that it simply was not worth ingesting anymore. We left, not satisfying our hunger, but still feeling that there was a ball of mozzerlla stuck in our gullets. Both of us fantasized of purging roman style and going to get, perhaps, some Brozzini's. Ozzy on the other hand, could not be disuaded of his "pretty good" rating. And Stella, while she didn't really eat much, certainly enjoyed her experience and was welcomed warmly by staff and the other customers.<br />
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This brings us to the final tally, where Fred had some serious sticker shock. $44, before a good tip, as the service was fine for a 16 inch pizza, a mediocre fried appy, and two (not exotic!) beers. Huh?! An example...last night at Oaken Barrel---which is arguably very inexpensive and amazing for the price--two dinner entrees, a kids entree, a dessert, and 5 WAY better beers came to a grand total of $36. Explain that to us!<br />
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In our diner's remorse, we dialed a friend who loved the place. He explained, it's about the massive number of multiple toppings. So, a word to the wise...don't do it. Don't try to be simple, get the mother load and maybe it's a whole new ball game. But as far as FLOE is concerned, we won't be trecking to Wanamaker to give it another chance.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nbopizza.net/">http://www.nbopizza.net/</a><br />
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<b>Wrap Up</b> <br />
<b><i>Price</i></b>-$$-$$$,- Apparently, Guiness charges a shit ton to go to Wanamaker. There was a special to get a 16 inch and a bucket o' domestic for $30...yet somehow two Guiness and an appy added up to almost $45? Oy.<br />
<i><b>Atmosphere</b></i>**, Small town, comfortable, homey, in a historic-ly ancient building in town.<br />
<i><b>Service</b></i>***,- Other than a little beer-snobbery on our part, the service was fine. :)<br />
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<b>Overall</b> <br />
<i><b>F</b>red</i>- F, I understand it's a toppings place, but what pizza place can't do a pepperoni pizza?! And if you're a toppings place, then you need to up the ante on the toppings---nothing extraordinary or interesting here .<br />
<i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-D-, I have never only eaten one piece of pizza in my LIFE! This was not good. It was depressing that so much cheese was going to see the dumpster. The only saving grace for me was the fried cauliflower--don't know if it was from the bag or not, but it was all I had...it was all I had.<br />
<i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- B, The boy took every ounce of cheese off but ate up his crust. He insisted it was "pretty good." Alright son, whatever you say.<br />
<i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- B, Content to snack and soak it all in.<br />
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</div><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/441734/restaurant/Southeast/New-Bethel-Ordinary-Indianapolis"><img alt="New Bethel Ordinary on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/441734/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-83723425931250608372011-02-20T11:49:00.000-08:002011-02-20T11:49:53.357-08:00Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3LVmg69AD_4/TWEnANxSpCI/AAAAAAAAAck/YWZGppROZT4/s1600/photo%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3LVmg69AD_4/TWEnANxSpCI/AAAAAAAAAck/YWZGppROZT4/s320/photo%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>For months now, we knew that a new brewery was surfacing in Broadripple and were excited to find they had opened in January. Almost a month ago, we planned to go on Fred's birthday, but some mean, nasty virus had other plans. Last weekend was our moment and the melting snow and glaring sunshine made us thirsty for one thing. A good brew!<br />
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Across Broadripple avenue from the McDonald's, Thr3e Wise Men has an excellent location...gooood parking (for Broadripple, at least). As soon as you enter, Scotty's marketing know-how is apparent. Not only is there great merchandising between t-shirts, growlers, very professional advertising, and a knock-out view of the heart and soul of the brewing process, but the techie factor is almost a bit much. Even the picnic table seating went above and beyond with seat padding, smooth table surfacing, and the greatest high chair ever...a table-top latch on that really allowed Stella to be at table height. Yay! Since the dining area is a bit small, they made up for lost space by placing 4-tops like us at the same table as another couple. Smart. We've always thought it was strange that more places don't do this. What's the worst that can happen? You speak to a stranger?!?<br />
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There are at least 7 hanging flat screens in the very open dining area, each table has an i-pad and even the bathroom stalls have tv's?! Naturally the faucet and soap dispenser were automatic, but even the hand dryer was some sort of high-tech freakiness. We couldn't figure out what we were supposed to do with the i-pad(only could see a map and they'd blocked the home button) and the toilet tv wasn't getting a signal, but when it's all humming... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PS19cSzISKs/TWEmYp0abyI/AAAAAAAAAcg/rfZE622ROMA/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PS19cSzISKs/TWEmYp0abyI/AAAAAAAAAcg/rfZE622ROMA/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Anyhow, let's talk chow! Although it may not be obvious from the fact that the name on the sign says "Brewery", this is a pizza place. Yes, there are appetizers, salads, and a few desserts, but the main course is pizza. This made Ozzy a happy camper. <br />
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But first, what to drink? Why a sampler of course! Unfortunately, they only offered three of their eight brews in each sampler, so Fred and Libby just had to get their own...shucks. Since neither of us are hop-heads, we stayed away from the single & double IPAs. We were excited by the color & milkiness of their Blackberry Wheat, but as with most fruit beers, the flavor just didn't come through. Pity. Both of us decided that the Blonde was the choice of the night for our second round. We found none of the beers to be extraordinary, just simple easy drinking beers that would all go well with pizza. If you're really looking for a knock-out pint, there are better breweries in town (heck, there are three of them within walking distance!), but in this case, the beer does what it's intended to do, wash down a pie. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a68PpuQZRSI/TWEsclnooOI/AAAAAAAAAco/aOKC9Oxns0Y/s1600/photo%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a68PpuQZRSI/TWEsclnooOI/AAAAAAAAAco/aOKC9Oxns0Y/s320/photo%25284%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
We started with the Goat Cheese and Wise Men Marinara. Can you really go wrong with this most delicious combo? No. The only negative we can say is that the pizza crust chips they gave for dipping had some fairly burned up pieces -- the sauce was good, the cheese premium quality and the cooked pizza crust idea, not bad! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6sTibL5eErI/TWEyNTVEHnI/AAAAAAAAAcs/XnCWbRN_2Mo/s1600/photo%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6sTibL5eErI/TWEyNTVEHnI/AAAAAAAAAcs/XnCWbRN_2Mo/s320/photo%25283%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>For the entree, we decided to go with two pizzas. A small plain cheese to appease Ozzy and a garlic, spinach, and basil for the rest of us. Normally, thin crust is not our preference, but this was very impressive. The sauce was outstanding! The cheeses somehow different in a really good way (parmesan melted in maybe?) and the ingredients great quality. I think we were all pretty shocked by how much we liked it. Ozzy's comments of "Fantastic!" and "This is the best pizza ever!" spoke volumes. This coming from a kid whose normal praise for a meal is "pretty good." Stella was shoveling as fast as she could....well, so were mom and dad. Next time we'll go for a meat topping, but the spinach, basil, garlic mix was perfect to show off that awesome sauce.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HLxFZSV8GwU/TWEyaC5bMWI/AAAAAAAAAcw/ZlYcNKJI_aQ/s1600/photo%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HLxFZSV8GwU/TWEyaC5bMWI/AAAAAAAAAcw/ZlYcNKJI_aQ/s320/photo%252816%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a> For dessert there are three options: elephant ear, brew-homemade carrot cake, and brew-homemade german chocolate cake. Fred expressed no interest in dessert(too full), but the rest of the family was feeling chocolate! Shaped like a small bundt cake and covered in crushed toffee bar, this was a hit. Very rich and in Libby's opinion, was screaming for a good coffee---should've gotten some Hubbared & Cravens! Next time. Ozzy and Stella were equally enthusiastic. The elephant ear looked really popular and pretty tasty. And knowing Fred's love for carrot cake, next time he's in the mood, he'll be sampling.<br />
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<a href="http://thr3ewisemen.com/">http://thr3ewisemen.com/</a><br />
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<b>Wrap Up</b> <br />
<b><i>Price</i></b>-$-$$,- Large pizza & a growler for $20?! Sounds like a deal to us.<br />
<i><b>Atmosphere</b></i>***,- Reminiscent of Scotty's other establishments. Loved the padded picnic tables.<br />
<i><b>Service</b></i>***,- Plenty of staff, but we're not so sure the electronic ordering system was really helping much. Our waitress had to step away from our table to punch everything into a gadget strapped to her hip. It took at about 2 minutes for her to enter the order. By that time she could have easily written it down and walked it to the kitchen. <br />
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<b>Overall</b> <br />
<i><b>F</b>red</i>- B+, <i><b></b></i>Very good pizza, but there's so much better beer in Broadripple... Maybe if they'd called themselves Thr3e Wise Men Pizza Co I would have had lower expectations... But all in all, it's a good deal and I'd definitely go back.<br />
<i><b>L</b>ibby</i>-B+, I had a great time just soaking it all in---beer and atmosphere. I was really happy to see they use as many local ingredients as they can--thank you, Thr3e Wise Men! Next time, we'll have to try a meat pizza and hopefully they will have the amber available since so many seem to enjoy it. <br />
<i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- A+, We've never heard such high praise from our boy!<br />
<i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- A+, Awesome high chair and she loved every bite.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1564830/restaurant/Broad-Ripple/Thr3e-Wise-Men-Brewing-Co-Indianapolis"><img alt="Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1564830/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-44987311328069155062011-02-15T19:59:00.000-08:002011-02-15T20:10:14.646-08:00Ichiban Sushi Bar & Sammy's Asian Cuisine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We're back in the saddle after more than a month of post-holiday quarantine! Weather and illness woes be gone! Oddly, we were in the mood for sushi. With Ozzy's lunch finickiness the school's problem today, we decided to see what has been going on at Ichiban.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EdSSLG8Kd8k/TVtDp5PToqI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/MCL3XLkZ5U8/s1600/Ichiban1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EdSSLG8Kd8k/TVtDp5PToqI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/MCL3XLkZ5U8/s320/Ichiban1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Being very familiar with Ichiban for the past several years, we noticed something different a few months back. Not only a much longer name, but more than twice the space! The entry alone made it clear this place had gone from neighborhood (charming) hole in the wall to new southside dining hotspot! Just beautiful! Somebody dropped a dime and kept it classy for a strip mall locale.<br />
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It's about 4 times the size of the old place with a private dining room, a second bar and a lot of intimate dining space for such an open feel.The menu has changed a bit adding a few more pan-asian dishes, but we chose to ignore this and eat what we came for---the best sushi on the southside.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p1gi7AyLyp8/TVtEAXtx7lI/AAAAAAAAAcU/ESHq17mMdzI/s1600/Ichibancrazy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p1gi7AyLyp8/TVtEAXtx7lI/AAAAAAAAAcU/ESHq17mMdzI/s320/Ichibancrazy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy Roll sans tail ends...forgot to photograph before diving in!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So accustomed to grabbing a sushi order ticket, we were happy to see a few lunch roll combos available that would more than satisfy our appetites---including a small third diner who would sample from everyone. All sushi combos come with miso soup and a small salad with house asian ginger dressing. Knowing what we wanted, we couldn't stop with just the combo. We had to add the true guilty sushi pleasure---the crazy roll...to share. :)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eonnlB4Dsl4/TVtEPqwpFfI/AAAAAAAAAcY/r5rYSojo6DM/s1600/Ichibanlunch1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eonnlB4Dsl4/TVtEPqwpFfI/AAAAAAAAAcY/r5rYSojo6DM/s320/Ichibanlunch1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As yummy as it is gorgeous!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Service was as expected---fast, professional and accommodating. Our salads and soups came out quickly and something was pleasantly different about the dressing. Not that it was at all bad before, but a small amount of yummy liquid sat at the bottom of the bowl and really kicked it up a notch...Stella agreed! Seeing her eat salad is a real treat after the long standing protests from Ozzy.<br />
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We did end up getting Stella one of the kids meals as we weren't sure how she would respond to sushi. We were happily surprised she sampled a bit of everything with great zest! Her favorites were the sticky rice, orange pieces, and salad. She wanted to like the shrimp, but the texture was too challenging for her to master without far too much of a choking hazard. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-opUmBdT1NWY/TVtEwsvP3fI/AAAAAAAAAcc/vk2vXCqW1JE/s1600/Ichibantunaeel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-opUmBdT1NWY/TVtEwsvP3fI/AAAAAAAAAcc/vk2vXCqW1JE/s320/Ichibantunaeel.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The sushi was fast and especially pleasing to the eye as you can see. If you haven't experienced the crazy roll...it really shouldn't qualify as sushi. But it is such a delightful fried treat wrapped in a sushi package---basically a tempura roll with extra crab meat and some killer sauces to boot! There's no denying this is a creation for the western palate.<br />
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We also went with two eels rolls, a tuna roll, and a shrimp tempura(as if there wasn't enough fried goodness from the crazy roll). All fantastic! Fred proclaimed being weak in the knees, while Libby silently stared off into space.<br />
We were so glad to get out and get some really good food after such a long time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ichiban31.com/">http://www.ichiban31.com/</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<b>Wrap Up</b> <br />
<b><i>Price</i></b>-$-$$$,- Half priced Monday's still available, but for sushi, you can't complain about the price.<br />
<i><b>Atmosphere</b></i>****,-Absolutely beautiful!!! Well designed and no spared expense.<br />
<i><b>Service</b></i>***,-Same good service we have always experienced.<br />
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<b>Overall</b> <br />
<i><b>F</b>red</i>- A+ , The best sushi I've had outside the coasts! With an atmosphere like that, it makes me proud to finally say there is a classy, high-end restaurant on the south side.<br />
<i><b>L</b>ibby</i>- A+, Just what the doctor ordered. A perfectly prepared meal in a quiet, intimate atmosphere that made us feel like we were going out, rather than just grabbing some lunch.<br />
<i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- school lunch today.<br />
<i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- A+, Stella was not out of place in the least and seemed to appreciate everything she ate. One happy baby!<br />
<br />
</div><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/441200/restaurant/South-Southwest/Ichiban-Indianapolis"><img alt="Ichiban on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/441200/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-76984912740132785652010-12-26T19:19:00.000-08:002010-12-26T19:28:45.521-08:00Red Lion Grog House--take 2!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TRgCw4aMGJI/AAAAAAAAAb4/SZPoS7qFq1A/s1600/photo%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TRgCw4aMGJI/AAAAAAAAAb4/SZPoS7qFq1A/s320/photo%25288%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>FLOE has decided after the last review, that some places should get another look after that fresh, awkward opening phase. So, with the winter chill in the air and the Colts win confirmed, we decided to head out to a family pub, The Red Lion Grog House. It was about 9 months ago we first ventured to the very "green" Red Lion. So, green if fact they didn't even have their "grog" license. Not cool. But now, liquor license acquired, Red Lion has a pretty impressive beer selection on hand and has accomplished the lived in, comfy neighborhood pub feel. <br />
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Our most entertaining waitress brought Libby a Sun King Cream Ale, and Fred, a Strongbow Cider. Yum. The kids were going with water today--no milk in da house. No biggie. We were here to see how the dishes were holding up! So, to start, the Toad in the Hole sounded like a good way to begin the evening in an English pub! <br />
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While waiting we soaked in the warm setting--a long, galley-shaped dining area, multiple flat screens aglow, and that lovely sound coming from over the kitchen wall---deep frying! Crackling, bubbling, somehow so comforting to hear that happy dance! <br />
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Our appy arrived quickly and as it was our first toad in the hole, we had no idea what to expect. A small chunk of sausage lay in a circular disk or nest of some phyllo-like dough, three in total resting on a bed of brown gravy. The sausage was different, a nice (not hot) spice to it---sage, thyme? The breading was a bit dry so the dish definitely needed the brown gravy that was very seasoned(a bit salty) and quite good. Aioli garnished the dish and was a good addition.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TRgDFmeP1_I/AAAAAAAAAb8/1jIPnoCLdZk/s1600/banger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TRgDFmeP1_I/AAAAAAAAAb8/1jIPnoCLdZk/s320/banger2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Fred decided the Chicken Piccata sandwich with chips was the way to go while Libby went with some more of that lovely sausage in the Blanket Bangers with chips and a side of aioli. All chips (remember folks, these are fries) orders come with a side of sauce...we went with one of the hot curry and one of the mild curry. Ozzy ordered the grilled cheese with bacon (on the side) with chips to share with Stella. Such a thoughtful young lad.<br />
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The Blanket Bangers(awesome name) were quite nice. The dish came with three wrapped sausages. The aioli was a must and the mild curry was Libby's favorite! Not healthy in the least, but damn yummy. The fries were a good cut, brown, but definitley more laden by the frying than crisp and lightened. Not complaining, just an observation.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TRgDSip0pDI/AAAAAAAAAcA/ThfHnQysxL8/s1600/photo%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TRgDSip0pDI/AAAAAAAAAcA/ThfHnQysxL8/s320/photo%25284%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Fred's Chicken Piccata Sandwich was a first of its kind for him. While he <i>always</i> loves piccata, the concept of a sandwich is the sort of unexpected twist that makes Fred love food so much! How was it? Interesting and flavorful, but the novelty wore off after 4 or 5 bites. All in all, it was a half decent sandwich, but really nothing to write home about. The real hit was the chips in the mild curry sauce. It was wonderful going between the hot and mild curry. Normally, Fred goes for the hotter stuff, but this time the mild was where it was at! The chips and curry sauces are available as an appy...and if you don't get them as a side as your meal, you should seriously consider ordering the appy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TRgDhWHTn-I/AAAAAAAAAcE/hRHimMQ8Yvw/s1600/grilledcheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TRgDhWHTn-I/AAAAAAAAAcE/hRHimMQ8Yvw/s320/grilledcheese.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Ozzy gobbled down the grilled cheese, even though it was cheddar instead of his beloved American. Stella concurred and they happily munched away between bits of chips and cheesy goodness. Ozzy even ventured into the mild curry and went back for seconds!!! Stella will, of course, dip into anything. :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.redliongroghouse.com/">http://www.redliongroghouse.com/</a><br />
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<b>Wrap Up</b> <br />
<b><i>Price</i></b>-$$,- A bit on the pricey side, but good beer comes with a price we are usually willing to pay.<br />
<i><b>Atmosphere</b></i>***,-Welcoming and cozy for a neighborhood pub. Definitely would be a great place to watch the game.<br />
<i><b>Service</b></i>****,-Great service with personality and personability!<br />
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<b>Overall</b> <br />
<i><b>F</b>red</i>- B+ ,While English pub food is never going to win any Michelin stars no matter who is in the kitchen, everything was well-prepared and thoroughly enjoyable. <br />
<i><b>L</b>ibby</i>- A, Totally appreciate good pub grub--especially sausage, chips and sauce! Beer was really good and as always, I sooo appreciate it when I can go to a pub with the kids!<br />
<i><b>O</b>zzy</i>- A, Happy boy and quietly munching!<br />
<i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- A, Dipped and enjoyed her meal.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1505113/restaurant/Fountain-Square/Red-Lion-Grog-House-Indianapolis"><img alt="Red Lion Grog House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1505113/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-18415898209818075742010-12-12T11:16:00.000-08:002010-12-12T11:16:28.847-08:00Teddy's Burger Joint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TQUTiklHKWI/AAAAAAAAAbs/Vu0bQFzf1fY/s1600/teddys1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TQUTiklHKWI/AAAAAAAAAbs/Vu0bQFzf1fY/s320/teddys1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>FLOE was psyched to see another home-grown startup on the south side of Indy. We hurried over to Teddy's Burger Joint for a quick bite on a weekday night. At the corner of State Road 37 and Southport, we thought it'd be a snap to find. We easily found Teddy's sign, but the restaurant itself wasn't so easy. For a strip mall, this was about the worst spot you could get for visibility. Teddy's is located in the back corner, behind a Steak & Shake. It's not really visible from the road. Location choice? Not so good.<br />
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Appointed with diamond plate and (nicely done) homemade tables, Teddy's decor seems like a cross between a garage & a finished basement. They've added a stage in the corner for live entertainment, a playroom in back for the kids and a fireplace in the middle of the open dining room. Several large flat-screens are positioned around the room ready for the sport du jour.<br />
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Being an order-at-the-counter type of place, we had to stop for a minute to take in the menu. Teddy's sports an impressive microbrew selection on tap, but we decided against it tonight. We were a little taken aback that the only size burger they offer is a 1/2 pound monster. Smaller size options would be nice, considering the price. Even for husky mom & dad, a 1/2 lb burger is a bit much. They come in Angus by default, but it can be substituted with a bison, turkey or veggie burger. As Teddy's is shooting for the gourmet burger angle, we stuck with the red meat, except for our resident carbitarian. <br />
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Libby opted for the Cajun burger on a wheat bun with a side of cheese fries and a draft root beer. Fred can never pass up a chance to order bison, this time on wheat with a fried egg and one of Teddy's 5 specialty mayos, horseradish! He also threw in a side of cheese fries for good measure. We were surprised that a specialty 'burger joint' didn't ask how we would like them prepared, but decided they must know what they're doing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TQUTw1QSCSI/AAAAAAAAAbw/29MOJVuOP1c/s1600/teddys2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TQUTw1QSCSI/AAAAAAAAAbw/29MOJVuOP1c/s320/teddys2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>First impression of the food? Mammoth slabs of meat on burnt buns along side straight-from-a-bag fries (seasoned at least) and a cup of pre-packaged nacho cheese. Seriously? For the prices they're charging, those buns should never have left the kitchen. We thought this was supposed to be a specialty place....<br />
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Fred's bison was a little over-done and dry. The egg fried within an inch of it's life. The whole sandwich would have been a complete disaster but was saved by the horseradish mayo. Now THAT'S the kind stuff that will put a place on the map. Crazy-good mixed with a little ketchup for the heavily seasoned fries too. Speaking of fries, the nacho cheese was surprisingly good -- nice and zesty.<br />
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Libby's Cajun burger arrived with the same, obvious burned circle on the bun (as seen above). It was nicely dressed with grilled onion, green pepper & cheese. The first bite revealed a pleasant seasoning, but she didn't find anything particularly Cajun about the burger. It was a little overcooked to her taste. The fries dipped in the nacho cheese sauce was surprisingly good for something that looked like it came out of a can. The root beer was root beer. It was sweet and hefty on the price @ $2.99 a glass. That's more than half way to a real beer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TQUT671ZTKI/AAAAAAAAAb0/CBDqcqKF2-M/s1600/teddys3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TQUT671ZTKI/AAAAAAAAAb0/CBDqcqKF2-M/s320/teddys3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Ozzy really enjoyed his extra healthy meal of kraft mac & cheese also with a side of fries & chocolate milk. Oh! He did have some fruit with it! (ketchup) *sigh* He took a quick trip to the chalkboard-lined playroom but got bored without any other children to play with. This is a good idea. <br />
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Stella absolutely loved dipping the fries. She had no interest in bites of the cajun burger, but had a bit of the bison. Again, the nacho cheese was the star.<br />
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Given that condiments seemed to be a real strong point and can have such an effect on a meal, Teddy's staff need to actively promote it. The person behind the counter should have been putting their best foot forward by promoting their specialty mayos and nacho cheese. A format that requires standing in line and staring at a huge menu on the wall requires the staff to help lead the customer. When you charge as much as you do for a gourmet burger, your staff has got to steer people in the right direction. You need to ask "how would you like that cooked". Libby didn't even notice that the specialty mayos existed on the menu...<br />
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<a href="http://teddysburgerjoint.com/">http://teddysburgerjoint.com/</a><br />
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<b><i>Wrap Up</i></b> <br />
<i>Price</i>-$$,- Hefty for burgers and fries---were they actually gourmet burgers, this would not have been an issue.<br />
<i>Atmosphere**,-</i> A good start<i>. </i>We liked the homemade tables, but nothing said "stop, watch the game and have a few beers." A pity, with this outstanding beer menu.<i><br />
</i><i>Service*</i>,- Order at the counter than they bring the food to your table. No enthusiasm for their own food.<i><br />
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<i><b>Overall</b></i> <b> </b><br />
<b>F</b>red- D, This is just bad execution. Overcooked meat and burnt buns. The mayo was good as were the cheese fries. But when you're supposed to be a gourmet burger place, that's not exactly high praise. When I compare it to other burger places around like Boogie Burger or Brickhouse burgers, it just doesn't compare. There was just a lack of caring in both burgers. They were both dry, uninspired and on burnt buns. An incredible disappointment. <br />
<b>L</b>ibby- C-, I can appreciate a good beer selection, especially in a homegrown establishment. But you still have to woo me with good service, reasonable prices and high quality preparation. I found the prices to be too high. It's ridiculous that the only option is half a pound of meat! There were some high notes with the nacho cheese sauce & Fred's mayo, but everything else was just "meh". I can get a huge sandwich prepared exquisitely with attention to detail and preparation, standing in line looking at a wall menu at Shapiro's and feel like I got a good deal paying $12 (with no sides). <b><i> It's not the price, it's the price for what you get. </i></b><br />
<b>O</b>zzy- B+, Ozzy really liked the play room and certainly didn't have a problem with the food. He gobbled up his meal completely.<br />
<b>S</b>tella- B+, She was content through the meal dipping her fries in nacho cheese sauce and then sucking it off!<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1552170/restaurant/South-Southwest/Teddys-Burger-Joint-Indianapolis"><img alt="Teddy's Burger Joint on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1552170/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-43786645870507188212010-11-20T12:57:00.000-08:002010-12-12T05:52:24.870-08:00Black Swan Brewpub<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TOgtjI-insI/AAAAAAAAAbg/PFtPvyqOjD0/s1600/beercrockstella.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TOgtjI-insI/AAAAAAAAAbg/PFtPvyqOjD0/s320/beercrockstella.JPG" width="240" /></a>Nothing is going to wet FLOE's appetite more than a new brewpub in town! When we heard of the Black Swan Brewpub's opening, we had to head west to Plainfield to check it out. Having just opened a little over a month ago (10/10/10), BSB is still a little wet behind the ears. But with a serious chef in the kitchen and the upcoming brewery taking shape, this place could be a serious force in the Indy foodie scene.</div><br />
We were a little sad to see it was located in a strip mall, but once inside, you'd never really know it. Rich, dark woods, a black tin ceiling, and local art displays gave a less conventional feel to the place. It scored some cozy points with low lighting, comfortable seating, and an overall relaxed atmosphere. <br />
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Even without their brewery up and running, the Black Swan offers 16 outstanding beers on tap. Budweiser fans will be sorely disappointed as there is not a single macro-brew available. Yes! Since we couldn't decide on just one, we shared a 10 beer sampler. *sigh* :)<br />
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We started with a duo of appetizers -- an order of frites and the Brewpub Stuffed Peppers. The frites come with your choice of toss and dip. As these were for the kids as well, we chose the salt & pepper toss and the beer cheese dip. The frites were light and crispy. Nice. The cheese was more of a fondue than a crock full of cheese. Stella certainly approved. We were hard pressed to keep her fingers out of it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TOguHz76jTI/AAAAAAAAAbk/0urRNWyZmV4/s1600/pepper2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TOguHz76jTI/AAAAAAAAAbk/0urRNWyZmV4/s320/pepper2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The second appetizer consisted of sweet, roasted peppadew peppers stuffed with chorizo and served on a bed of creamy goat cheese. Yowsa! Tiny mouthfuls of bliss! A light spice from the chorizo combined with a slight tang from the goat cheese simply left you wanting another. Too bad they only serve 5 of them! Actually, there couldn't be enough of those little happy bites.<br />
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Since it was slow, the chef, Nick Carter, came by and introduced himself. Nick discussed how they use as much local ingredients as possible...yay! Fred, being a homebrewer, was psyched to discuss the future brewing plans and was even happier to be given a personal tour of the brew-room to be. Nice touch. Thanks, Nick! :)<br />
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Fred had decided to try the Roasted Portabella Sandwich and Libby, the Braised Lamb Shank. Ozzy went with the usual. Our waiter was careful to mention that the Roasted Portabella was a cold sandwich...good to know.<br />
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Fred's sandwich was indeed, chilled, and he was thankful that the waiter had warned him ahead of time. While it was very odd at first, the flavors worked wonderfully and the combination of veggies made for a well-balanced meatless treat! Accompanied by a side of frites, this time Fred chose the Truffle Oil and Parmesan toss with the Kalamata aioli. The toss was light and went perfectly with the sandwich, but wow! that Kalamata aioli would make an old shoe taste good...it went on a little bit of everything!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TOfTH8tr5zI/AAAAAAAAAbc/KK_vj5gTrNI/s1600/lamb2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TOfTH8tr5zI/AAAAAAAAAbc/KK_vj5gTrNI/s320/lamb2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Libby, eagerly anticipating her lamb, was slightly dissappointed. Not so much by the lamb itself, but by the bland gravy accompanied by the uninspiring roasted veggies. There is nothing worse than the urge to get a salt shaker out. The meat was good, some tougher bits, but the flavor was there. This called for a seasoning intervention. To experiment, we dipped a bit of the lamb in the Kalamata aioli and pop! a noticeable improvement. A sauce can make or break a dish and this brown gravy was a disservice to the whole plate.<br />
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Ozzy was unimpressed with his mac 'n cheese, but couldn't get enough of the well prepared frites. Not much of a stretch, we know, but the cheesy cream sauce wasn't doing it for him. Stella couldn't agree more about the frites, but also enjoyed some of the roasted veggies and lamb. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TOgxLNviQCI/AAAAAAAAAbo/JkGPsyYm1e4/s1600/Trifle2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TOgxLNviQCI/AAAAAAAAAbo/JkGPsyYm1e4/s320/Trifle2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>We had to do the deed and try a dessert. A mere trifle; bourbon pound cake, cinnamon pastry cream, apple compote, and fresh whipped cream won the vote. Yeah, basically a deconstructed bread pudding, as most good chefs feel comfortable with, but this was a nice variation. The poundcake was cold, so it held it's shape and had some texture while the compote and creams gave it some real richness. All parties present approved! <br />
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Bottom line, there was room for improvement, but our overall impression is...we're going back! Appy's kicked butt, and entrees and dessert were good, but we have to try the ambitious brew line-up when the time comes. Oh! And there is wonderful thing on the menu called a Brewpub porterhouse that is actually a pork porterhouse...yes, next time little piggy.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blackswanbrewpub.com/">http://www.blackswanbrewpub.com/</a><br />
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<b><i>Wrap Up</i></b> <br />
<i>Price</i>-$$-$$$$,- Can be pricey, but a nice varied menu allows you to splurge if you have the desire.<br />
<i>Atmosphere***,-</i>A good start, but needs to be worn in a little more.<i><br />
</i><i>Service****,- </i>Probably a slow day, but wow, what a first impression! Nothing beats the Chef's direct attention and our server was informative and very professional.<i><br />
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<i><b>Overall</b></i> <b> </b><br />
<b>F</b>red- A-, Love the idea of this place!! But is the west side really ready for it? Awesome apps, and I'd love to try 3/4's of the menu! For a bud light and cheeseburger side of town, I worry this place is a hard sell.<br />
<b>L</b>ibby-B, Except for the blah gravy, everything was tasty. When spending $20 on an entree, expectations run high. Next time I WILL be having the pork porterhouse! Beer selection rocks and is only going to get better once the brewery opens. And thank you, Black Swan, for doing your part to support locally sourced ingredients.<br />
<b>O</b>zzy- B, Didn't approve of the mac, but couldn't get enough of the frites. Dug on the dessert as well.<br />
<b>S</b>tella- A, She ate everything and was especially fond of the roasted zucchini that mommy snubbed. ;) She also performed her staff-charming duties admirably. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TOCT9QZNrHI/AAAAAAAAAbI/VxCvP6Rnr4s/s1600/lamb2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1553128/restaurant/Indianapolis/Black-Swan-Brewpub-Plainfield"><img alt="Black Swan Brewpub on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1553128/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-34752792288090238922010-10-26T19:49:00.000-07:002010-10-26T19:49:55.334-07:00Mesh on Mass Avenue<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TMeQzNBCHPI/AAAAAAAAAa8/qmZsAdo7MQ8/s1600/Ozzy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TMeQzNBCHPI/AAAAAAAAAa8/qmZsAdo7MQ8/s320/Ozzy.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Mesh on Mass is a new hotspot in the old “SI” locale. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1288033022_0" style="color: black;">FLOE</span> decided to check it out after reading several positive reviews and we were curious to see what it had to offer to the hip Mass Ave scene. To be on the safe side, we called ahead to check if children were welcome and we were delighted to hear that yes, there were accommodations! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Once we entered, we began to wonder if it was in fact comfortable for “flip flops or a tuxedo” as the webpage claimed, and yeah, for the most part, we think so. Fred in an old t-shirt and khaki's and Libby in her scrubs felt slightly under dressed on a Saturday evening, but otherwise, yes. They really improved the interior from the bizarre Scholars Inn decor. From memory, there had been an overwhelmingly tacky red and black motif. Now, rich, warm earthtones, contemporary wall hangings and comfortable seating set the right mood for dining. It is a real treat to go to such an adult environment in a trendy part of town that welcomes families and doesn't make you feel like you're ruining the experience for someone else. *sigh*</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The menu is concise but offers a nice variety of options. We also noticed that Mesh is associated with Stone Creek. Our waiter, Joseph, clarified that it was the same owner. We had grown suspicious after seeing the familiar sauce for dipping the warm fresh baked bread. Yum.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">An appy sounded good, so after checking with the waiter that it wouldn't be too spice for Stella, it was the short rib epanadas with honey chipotle and red cabbage slaw. It was passible. No real punch of flavor, but solid. Maybe the slaw could have used a bit more zing? Still, start that left us ready to be wowed by the main course.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TMeREB9HkeI/AAAAAAAAAbA/PJDlTNHJ8x0/s1600/photo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TMeREB9HkeI/AAAAAAAAAbA/PJDlTNHJ8x0/s320/photo1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After seeing lamb chops bordelaise with carmelized brussel sprouts and chive creme fraiche, we knew one of us was getting that! Since Libby was feeling a steak, the Steak Frites(pepper crusted sirloin, herb butter, fries and citris pepper mayo) would fit the bill. Ozzy was feeling adventurous...not. Mac and cheese with... the fruit bowl on the side(!). Fruit's good! Stella would be sampling whatever she wouldn't choke on.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Fred was a lucky man. The lamb was cooked perfectly. A medium rare, yet the fat had no firmness and melted easily with each bite. The bordelaise with caramelized brussel sprouts was ridiculous! The absolute highlight of the meal! If you want to learn to love brussel sprouts, this is gonna do it. It's very rare that a vegetable side dish is the center point of an entire dinner experience. Yet we would have dined on these sprouts alone. Fred was struggling with whether to pick up the lamb chops and suck on the bones...with Libby's encouragement, he delicately indulged.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TMeRQipPtaI/AAAAAAAAAbE/NfOmJKhF4_E/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TMeRQipPtaI/AAAAAAAAAbE/NfOmJKhF4_E/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The steak was ordered medium rare and came out pre-sliced, which Libby was happy to see. Stella had decided the high chair wasn't going to work for her so Mommy's lap it was -- making the use of a knife impossible. The steak was good. Usually, medium rare does steak the best justice, but in this case, the medium well edges had the more tender texture. All in all a well prepared steak. The large portion of fries had a lovely light crisp outside that the chef had somehow gotten parmesan cheese crumbles to stick to. They then added parsley, some good seasoning and a touch of bacon...yum! Oh, and the citris pepper mayo was nice too. Stella dipped everything in it...even some cantaloupe. That one, not so good. ;)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Ozzy finished his very krafty looking mac n cheese and actually enjoyed the cantaloupe in his fruit bowl. Who doesn't love to see their kid eat something healthy once in awhile?! Stella was a big fan of the bread, strawberries, fries, the dipping sauce, and some of the empanada. She was a happy girl and quite pleased with gazing out the large window by our table. <br />
<br />
Libby had to try a dessert, so tonight the bread pudding with white chocolate, cherries, bourbon whiskey sauce and vanilla haagen dazs was the pick. Not usually a huge bread pudding fan, this one was nice. Moist, a little depth of flavor and definitely warmed the tum-tum. Stella enjoyed her sample as did the boy. Daddy could take it or leave it, preferring his glass of port instead. Ozzy jealously guarded his vanilla ice cream, refusing to share with mommy or daddy. But in a touching move, had no issues with giving the lil' one several bites.<br />
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<a href="http://www.meshonmass.com/">http://www.meshonmass.com/</a><br />
<br />
<b><i>Wrap Up</i></b> <br />
<i>Price</i>-$$$-$$$$,- Certainly pricey, but neither of us balked at the bill.<br />
<i>Atmosphere****,- </i>Not quite "flip-flops to tuxedos", but close.<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Service***,- </i>Perhaps not personable, but very professional and timely. Each course came out just when we would expect it.<i><br />
</i><br />
<br />
<i><b>Overall</b></i> <b> </b><br />
<b>F</b>red- B+, I love a menu where the sides interest me as much as the main courses. There are several items I will be excited to try on our next visit, especially the pork belly with white bean cassoulet. <br />
<b>L</b>ibby-B+, Solid meal and good beer selection with more on the menu I want to try! Will definitely go back as Mass Ave is one of my favorite spots in general and I can never get enough of an adult dining atmosphere that welcomes my entire family.<br />
<b>O</b>zzy- A, While he had a hard time staying in his chair, there were plenty of smiles and "yums". He really enjoyed watching the pedestrians outside while we ate. The next day he even asked if we were going back.<br />
<b>S</b>tella- B+, Plenty of space between the tables allowed her to roam a little after she could stand the highchair or Mommy's lap no more. She thoroughly enjoyed everything she was given, especially the citrus-pepper mayo. <br />
<br />
<br />
</div><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1544110/restaurant/Massachusetts-Avenue/Mesh-on-Mass-Avenue-Indianapolis"><img alt="Mesh on Mass Avenue on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1544110/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-89989174600468577072010-09-12T13:24:00.000-07:002010-10-22T21:15:03.327-07:00City Barbeque<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TI0oVeyAgQI/AAAAAAAAAas/vG9HJjWSrfc/s1600/Deluxe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TI0oVeyAgQI/AAAAAAAAAas/vG9HJjWSrfc/s320/Deluxe.JPG" /></a></div>City Barbeque, a small chain out of Ohio, made the south side the lucky recipient of a new bbq place last week! You can't have too many bbq joints! We had been watching for weeks as the final touches were completed and eagerly anticipated the grand opening. Three large visible smokers only heightened our glee.<br />
We know, why come during the opening? Service is bound to be bad, food is bound to be worse, right? Well, in this case, not so much.<br />
<br />
At first, we were confused as to where to stand once inside. It's got the look of a typical chain from the outside, but a less standard layout inside. You enter from the side of the restaurant and once inside, there is an ordering line immediately to your right. No real space to stand anywhere other than the line. Everyone orders for themselves and then you pay, find a seat, then get your food when your name is called. And it's fast! Like fast-food fast. Our food was ready to go by the time we sat down. Servers meander around to offer beverage refills and clear tables, but otherwise, it's more of a self-serve establishment. <br />
<br />
Seating was a little tight, but after taking it all in while we noshed on some pork, chicken, and brisket, it started to make sense. It was very much like an upscale-ish bbq shack. There was all kinds of hoopin and hollerin coming from the kitchen, lots of people around, lots of servers, signs on the wall advertising the peach cobbler or offering to buy your own homemade bbq sauce in exchange for a City Barbeque t-shirt...kind of a different, fun vibe.<br />
<br />
So, lets talk about that pork, chicken, and brisket. We decided to go with the Deluxe City Sampler--quarter chicken, half slab, pulled pork, brisket, and texas toast with two sides, gumbo and corn pudding. Ozzy had to try his staple dish with hush puppies on the side. Stella was dining on a bit of everything today.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TI0ozUDeN3I/AAAAAAAAAa0/dRq1RG1MRbw/s1600/macandcheese.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TI0ozUDeN3I/AAAAAAAAAa0/dRq1RG1MRbw/s320/macandcheese.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Well, it was quite a platter. Where to start? We decided to start with a bit of pulled pork...oh, but the sauces. How many were there? Uh, about 7, we think. Sadly, the website doesn't go into them, but we can recollect, a mustard sauce, a few sweet options, a couple of spicey and a vinegar. They were all good. Like most bbq sauce, it's hard to find one that is bad. So,we put a little on everything.<br />
<br />
The pulled pork was good. Tender, flavorful. The ribs were disappointing in that they weren't nearly as tender as they could be. You could taste the smoke, but they were tough and rather than falling off the bone had to be torn off the bone with force. The brisket was good. But it was difficult to differentiate the pulled pork from it. They were side by side and the textures were the only thing that separated their flavors. Especially when smothered in bbq sauce! But the sides were awesome! The corn pudding was just what you want, sweet, moist, buttery and so easy to spoon in. The gumbo was almost too good to be a side. On it's own, it had good heat and great sausage chunks. <br />
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An unexpected surprise was the texas toast. Usually a total throw away side or something you don't want to waste tummy space on when eating delicious meats. But this stuff was different and actually really good. Kind of sweet and reminiscent of Hawaiian bread or challah. Way soft, it would be the perfect bread for a pulled pork or brisket sandwich...Sadly, we tried it as an afterthought and didn't get the chance to do the whole sandwich thing...that would've been really good. *sigh* Next time.<br />
<br />
The one item we ordered that needed nothing added was their chicken. Holy smokes! It was pure perfection. That was some moist meat. And such flavor! Easily the best bbq chicken we've had anywhere. Next time we go back, it will be more of that chicken and some of this amazing sausage we saw go by our table. Oh, yeah, it was total eye candy (or should we say meat candy?).... But will it stand up to Big Guy's sausage? hmmm...<br />
<br />
Ozzy didn't share any of the mac 'n cheese, so we're assuming it was "pretty good." The hushpuppies were never a family favorite and so they were -- dry, oddly fishy and meh. Stella was very happy with all the meat and the awesome texas toast.<br />
<br />
So, all in all, for a grand opening experience, the first lunch they served in Indiana, it seemed to go off without a hitch. Ozzy even got a free balloon out of the deal! :)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cityqbbq.com/">http://cityqbbq.com/</a><br />
<br />
<i><b>Wrap Up</b></i> <br />
<i>Price</i>-$$,-Actually, pretty cheap for bbq. Our platter was the Deluxe City Sampler at 19.99 and was more than enough chow for all of us. A much smaller combo(with two fewer meats) at Famous Dave's runs 19.99. We just realized we didn't get the cornbread, but even so, more than enough grub.<br />
<i>Atmosphere</i>**1/2-Fun idea, but still a little awkward. Needs something.<br />
<i>Service</i>***- Opening day, first meal...it was overkill. Someone was checking on us every 3-5 minutes, but that is to be expected for a good opening.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Overall</b></i> <b> </b><br />
<b>F</b>red-B, Had I gotten just a plate of barbeque chicken, this would've been an A+. But unfortunately, the ribs were shockingly sub-par. The other meats deserve a B, so therefore, one awesome, one awful--B it is.<br />
<b>L</b>ibby-B, Some very high notes and average notes. I will definitely be back to try out some sausage and get more chicken! After a few months, we'll have to see where they stand. <br />
<b>O</b>zzy-A, When asked later, he reported "Really cheesy and yummy." And he got a free balloon! Happy boy.<br />
<b>E</b>stelle-A, Girl didn't refuse any bites of food and consistently screamed for more 'til she was full to the brim. And the screaming was definitely ok. ;)<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1547551/restaurant/South-Southwest/City-Barbeque-Indianapolis"><img alt="City Barbeque on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1547551/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-12357993291062995852010-08-30T20:20:00.000-07:002010-08-30T20:23:04.588-07:00Tulip Noir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>With a rare chance for a weekend brunch, we decided to give Tulip Noir a shot. We'd heard they were vying for best brunch in Indy so expectations were high. Upon walking in, we were greeted by the finest Ikea-wear around. This place practically screamed modern, minimalist design -- a real oddity in our little midwestern town. The staff keeps it impeccably clean and obsessively straightened. We were seated immediately and Ozzy's fears were calmed at once after he was informed that yes, they do have pancakes. We should say that 3 of the 4 of us were seated as we had to flag down a waiter and specifically ask for a high-chair for our 11-month old. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/THxcMDGhQEI/AAAAAAAAAYU/-lO1GwcbkBw/s1600/Smoothy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/THxcMDGhQEI/AAAAAAAAAYU/-lO1GwcbkBw/s320/Smoothy.JPG" /></a>As we had both already had our coffee for the morning, Fred ventured into Tulip Noir's impressive tea menu and settled on the Tie Kuan Yin Oolong while Libby decided on a pomegranate-blueberry juice & banana smoothie to share with Stella. While we thought the presentation for the tea was cute, if a bit pretentious, it became obvious that TN was not going to be known for it's service. We can understand that perhaps this tea is meant to be enjoyed sans sugar. But being uncouth hoosiers, it might have been a good idea to ask if we would like some sweetener if it is not provided as a matter of course. Also, how is one to drink a smoothie with no straw? We were forced to flag down another server to request both.<br />
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The smoothie was a disappointment. Not only was it slimey in texture, it was too thick and slightly bitter. It seemed as though the bananas were not ripe enough. Having said that, Stella did not mind one bit and quite enjoyed it.<br />
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As is usually the case when we review a breakfast place, Fred chose the Eggs Benedict while Libby went with the "Dreamy" french toast. Ozzy chose the buckwheat pancakes rather than the "pancakeys" after hearing that the later came with only honey rather than syrup. Bold move, son. Stella was very happy to have bits of everything.<br />
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As our food arrived, we realized we had made a dreadful mistake. It became obvious that Tulip Noir's menu is a la carte. It would have been nice if the waiter had mentioned this fact after noticing that none of us ordered any sides. In fact it never occurred to us as the side dishes on the two-sided brunch menu are on the back below the "Salads and Sandwiches". Not exactly where we would go looking for breakfast side dishes. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/THxcApOA8bI/AAAAAAAAAYM/cLsN0Fzy53w/s1600/Eggs+Benedict.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/THxcApOA8bI/AAAAAAAAAYM/cLsN0Fzy53w/s320/Eggs+Benedict.JPG" /></a>Regrouping, we were pleased by the visual appeal of all three entrees. Fred's eggs looked picture-perfect. Too bad he couldn't cut into them as he had no silverware. Time to flag down another waiter. Joy.<br />
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Upon his eventual first bite, he found the hollandaise to be spot on and the eggs were cooked perfectly. Unfortunately the canadian bacon seemed lifeless and off as was the untoasted english muffin. While we don't expect even a high-end brunch place to make their own canadian bacon or english muffins (although that would be fantastic!), it would be nice if they purchased quality products. The otherwise well-prepared dish was brought down dramatically.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/THxnF0XYZzI/AAAAAAAAAYc/qU0rB-kqVdA/s1600/French+toast2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/THxnF0XYZzI/AAAAAAAAAYc/qU0rB-kqVdA/s320/French+toast2.JPG" /></a></div>Libby's french toast was indeed dreamy. She had to remind herself to keep the moaning to a minimum as it is a small establishment and in this atmosphere that would be frowned upon. Stella greedily filled her mouth to maximum capacity with berries and bits of toast. Unfortunately our uptight waiter felt it appropriate to offer Stella a plate as the messy table was paining him. Even after we politely informed him that she would just shove it onto the floor, he froze in position with the plate out-stretched for several seconds. While there were plenty of other children in attendance that morning, our waiter was visibly uncomfortable with a messy table.<br />
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Ozzy was obviously torn throughout the meal. On one hand he was very hungry and had pancakes with yummy syrup in front of him. On the other hand, these were not Aunt Jemima. No son, these are buckwheat pancakes. For what they were, they were good. The fruit was nice and the blueberry-pomegranate syrup was fresh and tasty. Unfortunately, Ozzy's reaction was, "Mommy, I think they forgot some ingredients. These aren't good." But hunger prevailed in the end and we noticed that at least 3/4 of the pancakes were still consumed.<br />
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<a href="http://www.tulipnoircafe.com/">http://www.tulipnoircafe.com</a><br />
<br />
<i><b>Wrap Up</b></i> <br />
<br />
<i>Price</i>-$$$, Very much at the high end of the breakfast scene. <i> </i><br />
<i>Atmosphere</i>-****, We really enjoyed the modern decor<i>. </i>Something fun and different for Indy.<i> </i><br />
<i>Service</i>- Zero*s, <i><b><span style="color: red;">Wow. Can we give a negative *? This was easily the worst service we've had within the Indianapolis city limits. It bordered on insulting.</span></b></i><br />
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<i><b>Overall</b></i><br />
<b>F</b>red- D-, The only saving grace here was the french toast. It really was excellent. But "Competing for Indy's Best Breakfast"? You MUST be kidding me. For the price they charge, I would expect outstanding service. I've had a more attentive waitress at Waffle House. On top of that, the food was only mediocre. What, exactly are we paying extra for here?!? If you want an amazing brunch in Indy, go to Hoaglin To Go on Mass Ave or Zest in Broadripple. They blow this place away. And from the relaxed attitude and warmth of the waitstaff, they appear to do so effortlessly. <br />
<b>L</b>ibby- B-, Although our server had his personality quirks, I found the whole scene quite entertaining. Fred was visibly upset. Ozzy was visibly upset. Stella was busily enjoying her breakfast, as was I. But sadly, I won't be experiencing the dreamy french toast again. Although I'm pretty sure the vanilla challa french toast at Hoaglin To Go will suffice. I also wasn't aware at the time exactly how much we were paying for this breakfast or my experience would have been lessened.<br />
<b>O</b>zzy- D, We really can't blame Tulip Noir here. If there is a next-time, we might have to explain to Ozzy the full breadth of his ordering decision.<br />
<b>E</b>stelle- C, While the girl really enjoyed herself and provided for lots of smiles from the other patrons, it was obvious she wasn't welcomed with open arms from the waitstaff.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1427341/restaurant/Northwest/Tulip-Noir-Cafe-Indianapolis"><img alt="Tulip Noir Café on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1427341/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-43930774756943431162010-08-18T17:54:00.000-07:002010-08-18T17:54:49.338-07:00Mug N' Bun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TGssmIO8puI/AAAAAAAAAX8/ePbIgrpC_sw/s1600/MugnBun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TGssmIO8puI/AAAAAAAAAX8/ePbIgrpC_sw/s320/MugnBun.jpg" /></a></div>Having heard for years from our Speedway friends that they have the greatest drive-in around, FLOE eventually succumbed to our need for grease and made the drive up to 10th street. Just off 465 right before the industrial center of Indy, it's a genuine throw-back to another era. We decided to stay true to the drive-in vibe and stayed in our car. As the signed helpfully explained, you turn on your lights (day or night) to signal that you'd like service.<br />
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Deciding that we basically wanted to order the entire menu, picking only a "few" items was a challenge. After much discussion, we decided we would share everything and graze our way through the menu. The lil' reviewers came up front with mom and dad to share in the bounty.<br />
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As soon as we rolled the window down for our tray o' health, that wonderfully familiar fried drive-in smell wafted into the car. This was going to be good!!! To start, we ordered one regular root beer and one diet, unwisely choosing the 24 oz size, missing out on what we later learned was a frosty mug for the 16oz or a collectors cup if you order the 32. Dag nabbit! Rookie mistake. After several sips of each, we were happy to find that we actually preferred the diet. It's much heavier on the root beer flavor and visibly darker than the regular. Not that anyone enjoying Mug N' Bun is watching their figure, but at least we wouldn't have to add even more calories to the meal next time...<br />
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Fred's first pick, the catfish sandwich, was spectacular. It had a great fry on it with no hint of fishiness. Even Stella's eyes perked up with a quick taste. Of course the Oz would have none of it -- Boy just doesn't know what good is...<br />
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Libby decided for two "main" dishes, a single burger with cheese and a regular dog with sauce & cheese. The burger, while basic with only ketchup& mustard (lettuce or tomato are $.40 extra), was exactly what a greasy spoon should serve. Nice 80/20 patty straight off a flat-top. Perfectly cooked and juicy, it made Fred openly wonder how the fast food restaurants can stay in business serving patties from a factory. There's just no comparison.<br />
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The dog was also simple. Either boiled or steamed, it was nothing special but still solid. Libby would have liked the sauce/chili to be a little sweeter, more like a coney. But it was just right for Fred, who prefers a chili dog to a coney. <br />
<br />
For sides, we chose the Buffalo chips, seasoned fries, zucchini sticks, hot pepper cheese balls, and mac & cheese wedges (Ozzy's, of course).<br />
<br />
The mac & cheese wedges were really the only miss for the entire meal. Ozzy just didn't get it and ended up picking out the macaroni from inside them and then moving on to the rest of the deep-fried evil. The rest of us agreed that they were edible, but certainly not up to the level of the other greased up grub. <br />
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The fries were solid as were the buffalo chips (battered &fried silver-dollar sized slices of potato). The hot pepper cheese balls were interesting, especially with a quick dip in some ranch sauce. They had a nice heat that only hit you at the end. But seriously, how can deep fried cheese be bad, especially if there's some spice to it?<br />
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The real star of the sides had to be the zucchini. The fry was much lighter than the other items and they still had a hint of crunch to the veggie itself. Perfect in the horseradish sauce! Unfortunately for mom & dad, Stella found these to be her absolute favorite, finishing off 3 of the 6 sticks. Rats!!<br />
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After dinner we decided we couldn't do a review of a drive-in without sampling the shakes. So on went the headlights! One vanilla, one chocolate please! No idea the level of prep, we decided again, these are solid shakes. Not over the top, but definitely the sweetness you crave after a savory trip down memory lane. Next time, must do the float action and try the tenderloin!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mug-n-bun.com/">http://www.mug-n-bun.com/</a><br />
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<i><b>Wrap Up</b></i> <br />
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<i>Price</i>-$,-Definitely cheap eats. Our smorgasbord came to a grand total of $35 with a good tip.<br />
<i>Atmosphere</i>***-Just what you expect and remember from any drive-in...only thing missing was roller skates!<br />
<i>Service</i>***- A fast, feisty waitress told Ozzy how it is..."Life lesson--Mug N' Bun=Fried"<br />
<i><b>Overall</b></i><br />
<b>F</b>red- A, Dammit, now I have to try each and other every one of the frieds on the menu. Excellent zucchini!<br />
<b>L</b>ibby- A-, Good burger, good dog, excellent catfish, great root beer. I like my fries a little toastier and I was jonesin' for a coney sauce rather than a chili. The menu just says "sauce." Really enjoyed this and look forward to a future family date with carry-out Mug N' Bun at Tibbs Drive-in!<br />
<b>O</b>zzy- A, Other than his confusion with the fried mac, Ozzy was a happy camper. While enjoying his vanilla shake, he exclaimed,"This is soooooo good!!!" <br />
<b>E</b>stelle- A, Daddy is still kinda peeved that the girl scarfed down half of the zucchini. ;) She happily sampled whatever we would let her try.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/441712/restaurant/West/Mug-n-Bun-Drive-in-Indianapolis"><img alt="Mug-n-Bun Drive-in on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/441712/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-16388772408519487092010-08-04T18:15:00.000-07:002010-08-04T18:15:34.173-07:00West Coast Tacos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFoLrRs8tVI/AAAAAAAAAX0/8CgqZWouP8o/s1600/tacotruck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFoLrRs8tVI/AAAAAAAAAX0/8CgqZWouP8o/s320/tacotruck.jpg" /></a></div>Have you ever had a cosmic dining coincidence? Have you ever just wanted to eat something so bad that the universe actually lead you there? Well, either FLOE is in good with the stars or the luckiest SOB's in town 'cuz that is EXACTLY what occurred today. We were driving to the Children's Museum and started to muse about how much we would love to try that beloved taco truck we have heard so much about. We had no idea where to look, then <i>eureka</i>...it was right there before us! On one of our favorite dining spots, Mass Ave.! *angel chorus*<br />
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So psyched to stumble into some kind of wonderful, we grabbed a nearby parking spot and rushed into the stifling heat to the short line at the corner of Mass Ave, Delaware and New York. There was no menu, but Fred felt confident and all was cleared up when the young man at the window announced these simple words..."We have three meats today, chicken, pork or beef, and a green or red sauce...what would you like?" Well, that was simple enough! Three beef with red and three pork with green and a chicken sans sauce for the kids...well, for Stella. Great! Back to the car to enjoy our cosmic treasure!<br />
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As if we were meant to be comfortable in the swelter, a breeze blew through the Element and allowed us to take it all in. First, the pork with green sauce...light, fresh with hints of cilantro and onion(and that was ok). Just delightful and refreshing. Piled on two corn tortillas it was a light bite and as good as we had hoped. Then, there was the beef with red sauce. Libby actually moaned a little. Could it really be this good? Fred, while feeding Stella bits of chicken that her mouth gaped open for, was unable to speak. But his eyes spoke volumes...yes, yes, yes! How could something so delicate and simple from a truck be so incredible?<br />
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After Fat Dan's, we are beginning to wonder if this uncomfortable weather thing and incredible eats just go hand in hand...Sadly, Ozzy had no interest and was holding out for his dear mac 'n cheese at the Children's Museum cafeteria...whatever.<br />
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So, in summary, this is a must experience. The much revered West Coast Taco truck moves daily. You must either facebook, tweat, or be guided by the fates to enjoy this light, zesty lunch. You won't want to miss out on this Indy phenomenon!<br />
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<a href="http://www.thebestdamntacos.com/">http://www.thebestdamntacos.com/</a><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Wrap Up</i> <br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Price</i>-$<i style="font-weight: bold;">, </i>$5 for three small tacos that will knock your socks off.<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</i><b><i>Atmosphere</i></b>-?-Kind of depends, but they picked a nice shady spot for us! ;)<br />
<i><b>Service</b></i>-****, For a lunch truck, they were accommodating, polite, and fast. Works for us! They were even so kind as to break a large bill at the beginning of the lunch rush.<br />
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<b><i>Overall</i></b><br />
<i><b>F</b>red</i>-A, I've been happily burping it up the rest of the day! Both red and green sauces were awesome and the seasoning on all three meats was superb! No hiding anything here with cheese, sour cream, lettuce, or tomato...just perfectly cooked, incredibly seasoned meats in wonderful sauces. <br />
<i><b>L</b>ibby</i> -A, I could eat the beef with red sauce all day! Actually, all of it was great...you can't go wrong here.<br />
<i><b>O</b>zzy</i><i>-</i> no vote...amateur<i>. This kid has no idea what he is missing!<br />
</i><i><b>E</b>stelle</i>-A+, Stella chowed on a bit of everything and was only to happy to get another bite, and another, and another.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1537348/restaurant/Broad-Ripple/West-Coast-Tacos-Indianapolis"><img alt="West Coast Tacos on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1537348/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117878140732586240.post-70702999489930058742010-08-04T17:05:00.000-07:002010-08-04T17:05:55.513-07:00Big Guys BBQ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFn5QHxjpmI/AAAAAAAAAXU/W4aBn0rU4Gk/s1600/chrissullivan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFn5QHxjpmI/AAAAAAAAAXU/W4aBn0rU4Gk/s320/chrissullivan.jpg" /></a></div>Disgusted that the best BBQ we'd found on the south side was a chain (Famous Dave's), FLOE was excited to hear of a home-grown place that had opened up in Center Grove. Big Guy's BBQ shares a double-wide strip mall location with Hula Bean coffee, an ice cream place and a doughnut shop. All not only under the same roof, but at the same counter & cash register. Tres bizarre. Upon entering, Big Guy himself, Chris Sullivan explained that we needed to step next door to order at the counter. Sounds good. On our trek to the counter we were able to pass a table display of some of their specials, not wax food, but real smells...good advertising.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFn5aM8GHXI/AAAAAAAAAXc/iHm0KMVW7_Y/s1600/bg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFn5aM8GHXI/AAAAAAAAAXc/iHm0KMVW7_Y/s320/bg1.jpg" /></a></div>A small menu made it easy to narrow down what's for dinner. Definitely two combo platters to sample 4 meats and 4 sides total. Fred decided on the pulled pork, pulled chicken, cole slaw and ranch beans. Libby went with the Kielbasa, brisket, green beans and potato salad. Ozzy was delighted to have a combo made almost just for him, a pb & j and mac 'n cheese! Grammy came along for the ride and went with her own combo of the brisket and pulled pork with cole slaw and homemade chips.<br />
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It was slow at the time we arrived so seating was easy. It was very cool to be served by the owner and chef himself, who was quite surprised to be asked for a pic for the blog. No idea who or what we were, he played along. Big question for Big Guy now is how exactly is the BBQ?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFn5i-XKMQI/AAAAAAAAAXk/-7Y02fNnwb0/s1600/bg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFn5i-XKMQI/AAAAAAAAAXk/-7Y02fNnwb0/s320/bg2.jpg" /></a></div>Fred was very worried when he first bit into his pulled chicken. It was lukewarm and dry. But then the pulled pork! Luscious. Perfectly smoky with beautiful juicy bits. If we wanted to show a foreign visitor what pulled pork was supposed to taste like, this would be it. The beans were also a pleasant surprise. Not just a bunch of chili powder mixed into some beans but a great jalapeno bite and a dash of smokiness to round out the flavor. <br />
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Libby was pretty happy with the brisket. Some dryer parts but also some extremely tender, melty fatty bits that altogether had a great smokiness. The sides were good. A creamy potato salad that wasn't over the top in tang and the green beans were mild and had some sort of meat addition Libby couldn't identify. But the star of this show had to be the kielbasa...holy smoked sausage! So tender, with the perfect amount of char. It almost melted in your mouth and had so much flavor! Even Stella, with only her third tooth coming through bit into a skinless piece like it were softened butter! Her expression said it all. More!<br />
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Big Guys only offers 3 sauces, regular, spicy and mustard. The flavor of the regular and spicy were about the same, with only a bit more heat on the latter. Both were good but nothing to write home about. The mustard sauce was heavy on the vinegar with mustard to the extreme. Perhaps it would have worked well on the kielbasa, but who on earth would want to cover up any of that wonderful flavor? This place is definitely meat-first with sauces as an after thought.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFn5xM5Or7I/AAAAAAAAAXs/hqrIn7Bnod0/s1600/bgstella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_az4RolKCq1U/TFn5xM5Or7I/AAAAAAAAAXs/hqrIn7Bnod0/s320/bgstella.jpg" /></a></div>Ozzy's pb&j was served on a bun rather than bread. Mom & Dad thought that was a bad choice, but Ozzy loved it...devoured every morsel! There were even a few "mmm's" overheard throughout the meal. Oddly, he did not find the mac to his liking. It was of the baked variety rather than boiled, so it was "too hard" in his opinion. The rest of the dinner party quite liked it. It did have some peppery overtones, so perhaps our finicky boy had a legit kid complaint.<br />
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Stella was right at home and seemed to be the entertainment of the evening for the few surrounding diners. She lapped up the attention along with a good portion of pulled pork, chicken, kielbasa and texas toast. Wow, what is this? A child eating meat?<br />
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<a href="http://www.bigguysbbq.com/">http://www.bigguysbbq.com/</a><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Wrap Up</i> <br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Price</i>-$-$$<i style="font-weight: bold;">, </i>Cheap even by bbq standards.<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</i><br />
<b><i>Atmosphere</i></b>-* 1/2, Confusing ordering and decor. Nothing about the place said stop and stay awhile. FLOE will be happy with take out in the future.<br />
<i><b>Service</b></i>-**, Order at the counter, you're brought the food and that's all she wrote.<br />
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<b><i>Overall</i></b><br />
<i><b>F</b>red</i> -A-, The only downfall was the pulled chicken which was fine once sauce was added. I just wish I had gotten the chance to ask if the kielbasa was house made since it was so amazing. North siders, it is worth the drive just to get a lick of that! <br />
<i><b>L</b>ibby</i> -A-, Loved my kielbasa...that's right, MY kielbasa. ;) And the brisket was pretty delish too. Sides were not show stealers, but the potato chips, whether crispy or floppy, were straight up awesome!<br />
<i><b>O</b>zzy</i><i>-</i> A, Definitely no complaints and it didn't hurt having a kick butt bakery attached for dessert!<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>E</b>stelle</i>- A, Couldn't get enough of any of the bbq. The girl was chowin' down.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/40/1532961/restaurant/Indianapolis/Big-Guys-B-B-Q-Greenwood"><img alt="Big Guy's B-B-Q on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1532961/biglink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Fred, Libby, Ozzy and Estelle(Stella)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134048610030172291noreply@blogger.com3