Louie's

Wow.  Has it really been a year?  Oops.  Life happens then you neglect your blog!
Well, we're back and ready to hit the foodie scene once again!

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. ;)

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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
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.

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. 

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.

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.

 









http://www.louiesindiana.com/

Wrap Up
Price-$, Very inexpensive for a sit-down lunch/dinner. 
Atmosphere-***, Clean, comfortable & "buzzy" enough to hide any loud kid noises that may or may not emanate from your table.
Service-***, Attentive & professional.

Overall

Fred - 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. 
Libby -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.   
Ozzy-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.
Estelle-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.

Clay Oven

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!

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. ;)

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.

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.

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!

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. Skip it at your own peril, people!

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!

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...




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.


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?!

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!

Wrap Up
Price- $$, Not buffet prices, but what you would expect for a sit-down establishment. Although they do have a buffet for lunch.
Atmosphere-**, 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!
Service-****, 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?!

Overall
Fred- A, 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!!
Libby-A, 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???!
Ozzy- B, Ok, the boy had naan, white rice & ice cream for dinner. Not great on the parenting scale, but not so bad in his eyes.
Estelle- B, 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.

Three Pints

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.





http://www.threepintsbrewpub.com/

Wrap Up
Price-$-$$, You can eat cheap, but you may get what you pay for.
Atmosphere-**, Meh.
Service-*, 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. ;)

Overall
Fred- C, 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.
Libby-D, I didn't finish anything. Not even a pint of beer. That speaks volumes.
Ozzy- A+, "I loved everything. Even Stella's chicken."
Estelle- C+, She did not eat much, but was hell bent on eating the blinds. Did we mention the kids were a bit cantankerous that day? ;)

Red Habanero

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.

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.

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 pleasantly 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.

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.

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 wasn'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.


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!

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.





Wrap Up
Price-$, Basically the same prices as the competition. Love it when you can support your local mom & pop without spending a dime more!
Atmosphere-**, You honestly could have been in any burrito joint---except for the stocked bar! Margarita with your burrito anyone!?
Service-****, 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.

Overall
Fred- A- , 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!
Libby-A, Other than the intense pain, this was a fabulous experience. Great food with real attention to freshness. It's nice when hot means hot.
Ozzy- A+, Lets see, carbs, cheese & more carbs. Oh, then free ice-cream out of the blue! Ozzy heaven!
Estelle- A+, 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.

Fire by the Monon

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.

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.

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!

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.

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?!

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.

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.

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.

When the check came, we 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. :)

http://www.firebythemonon.com/

Wrap Up
Price-$$, Your standard sit-down burger prices.
Atmosphere-*, Loud and nondescript. How do you make an old building have zero character? Maybe there is some in the bar areas...
Service-*, 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!

Overall
Fred-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. Also, if you want to stand out for your food, don't have your standard side dish come out of a bag. Whatever happened to (from Fire's website) "our first step includes working with local producers and suppliers to bring their best products to your table."
Libby-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!
Ozzy- 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.
Estelle-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! ;)