Capri

The other night, during the ice storm, I had a babysitter and dammit, I was still going out to dinner even though everyone I talked to thought I was crazy. I did however, relent and agree to go somewhere close by. We decided first on Pikk’s Tavern only to find it closed (apparently forever according to Feed Me/Drink Me). After skidding out of that parking lot, we debated what to do and ended up on Capri, as it is very close to our house. Now, I should tell you we have been there a couple of times before, and I have never been overly impressed, other than the bar is beautiful and the nice roaring fireplace is a great place to be on a cold night. For one thing, it is another one of those classic Midwestern Italian restaurants that serve portions that are ridiculously large and consist of entrees identical; to almost every other Italian restaurant in the US. So I decided, if I was going to agree to go, I was just going to get appetizers, one of which to be the antipasto platter we had had before with Gran Padano cheese, Proscuitto, olives and marinated veggies.

So after literally sliding into their parking lot, we started with the fried calamari—and hey, it was pretty good. A true Italian “fritto”—a light fry served with a homemade marinara. The marinara was quite fresh tasting and not bad. Man, if they made it into a fritto misto, it could be really good. Maybe add some sliced fennel and even thin sliced lemons to the fried mix and it could be unique and outstanding.

Hubby wanted to order the veal Bolognese because he had heard it was one of their best dishes, but then was swayed by a fresh pasta with salmon and cream sauce special. Once he was served, he immediately regretted his choice. He didn’t think it was great, and because it was smoked salmon in the pasta, he said it seemed to taste a bit too fishy (even though he does like smoked salmon by itself).

I did have the antipasto platter, which was as good as always. It isn’t stellar, but it is tasty and hits the spot and I don’t feel like I am going to explode when I walk out. The funny thing about this is that in another review I read, it was the only thing the reviewer didn’t like. So there you go.

Probably the best part of the dining experience here, besides the atmosphere (in the bar side—the other side tends to be quite empty most of the time—we made the mistake of sitting there the first time we went), is a bottle of wine that you don’t see everywhere and it is one of our favorites. It is a Gavi di Gavi and is a bit more expensive than some of the other choices, but really tasty.

All in all, if we have another ice storm, or if I just want drinks and an appetizer, we may go back to Capri. For a great Italian meal experience, I will keep looking and hope to find something a little less predictable.

Capri Restaurant
2602 Ruth Drive
Indy 46240
317-259-4122
www.capriindy.com