Monon Food Company

I have been on a quest for good outside dining lately because the weather has been so nice, and remembered reading about Monon Food Company somewhere in my web surfing. I remember thinking I liked the sound of their food, that it is fresh and that there is no deep fryer in the place (hopefully this doesn’t scare you). I figured with my recent mini-obsession with fried chicken, I could probably use a little break from fried food.

So as I looked over the menu, I zeroed in on the items that were marked with the “MFC special” emblem which according to the menu means the items are house specials that are “signature dish[es] created by Monon Food Company that [are] sure to delight.” Well that sounded good to me, so I ordered “Tim’s Chipotle Fish Tacos.” I also ordered a side of mac and cheese which was not designated as such, but I just wanted to get something on the side to try as well.

The fish tacos were two soft tacos filled with tilapia, cabbage, “Monon” salsa, guacamole and chipotle mayo. They were well stuffed (I was glad I had extra napkins, and still stole one from my friend) and nicely flavored. The fish was lightly seasoned and sitting on top of the chipotle mayo. There was quite a bit of cabbage and some pico di gallo (I wasn’t sure if this was the Monon salsa, or if the guac was mixed with the Monon salsa because the sauce on top, which I assume was the guac from the consistency and flavor, had a tint that was not exactly green). Regardless though, the flavors were quite nice. I could have maybe used a teeny bit more sauce of one kind or another to make it a bit juicier, but I liked the tacos. I also liked that there was only one tortilla per taco, whereas many places use two on each, which I think makes them too starchy sometimes.

Now, the lady who was sitting at the table next to us when we sat down promptly asked me if I had ordered the fish tacos and I told her I had. She told me they are the best, and asked if I got one of each. I did not see another option on the menu, but she said there is a fish taco that is also served with a mango salsa. If this is true, I would love to try this next time as I think it would add a touch more of the juiciness I was looking for.

The mac and cheese was pretty good. It was noodles that seemed really just mixed with several cheeses and no real sauce aspect to it. Not a lot of creaminess, but very cheesy. Certainly came across as homemade for sure. And I enjoyed it.

My friend had the special of the day that was grilled Mediterranean salmon. It was a medium size piece of salmon sitting on rice with lots of Mediterranean toppings like olives, feta, and artichoke hearts. It was nice and she really enjoyed it. I had a bite and enjoyed the salty kick from the veggies and cheese although there was maybe just a touch too much feta for me which kind of distracted from the flavor of the fish.

We discussed the fact that there were a lot more women there than men on the day we ate, and wondered if the lack of fried food had something to do with that. Also, one thing that might bug me at dinner time is that you order at the register and then get your own drinks, sit down, and wait to be served your food. This seems fine at lunch, but would seem too casual for me at dinner. They do have a very nice beer selection, as well as several wines, but I would much prefer full table service at dinner time. There is quite a bit of outside seating, both on the street and in back of the restaurant. The place is doing a nice business, which is good to see from a place serving what I think are probably healthier options than most, particularly in Broad Ripple.

Monon Food Company
6420 Cornell Ave
Indy 46220
317/722-0176
www.mononfood.com