Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Ripple Inn- Revisit- Lunch

*********THE RIPPLE INN IS CLOSED*********

I heard there was a new chef at the Ripple Inn (Charles Mereday), and after checking out the fancy electronic video menu outside the restaurant the other day, I was intrigued to try it again.  I really want to go for dinner, but my schedule/babysitting has been so crazy, I have been having a hard time fitting dinners in.  So after seeing they have started serving lunch, the BFF and I headed over to give it a try. So walking in, there were not a lot of people in there, which has been the case the last few times I have been there.  We chose to sit in the bar, simply because there were some people there.
I’m not sure, but I think the menu is the same for lunch and dinner, which was a little confusing for me because I am not much for ordering an appetizer and entrĂ©e type thing for lunch, but there aren’t a lot of smaller options—well, there are a lot of appetizers and they still have the potato skins, and a few sandwiches, but it mainly seems laid out like a dinner menu.
I went for the filet “cheesesteak” appetizer ($14) which was an open-faced sandwich topped with lots and lots of extremely tender slices of filet, melted Gruyere cheese, a touch of truffle oil and topped with a healthy amount of micro-greens.  It was extremely rich, but really quite tasty.  The beef, as I said, was super tender and nicely seasoned. I love Gruyere on just about everything; it has a nutty taste that makes it distinct—and a bit of saltiness which was good with the beef.  And I know sometimes truffle oil is overused, but this was just a light amount, adding more of the aroma than anything (and there is nothing that makes me happier than the smell of truffles).  But I particularly liked the swoosh of something red on the side of the plate (I was going to ask what it was but forgot)—it had some sweetness and a bit of tartness that was perfect with the rich meat.  If I had one more swoosh of it, I would have been really happy—I would have liked dragging every bite through it.  I also appreciated that the greens were more than just a garnish—they actually added some peppery flavor and variation in texture to the dish.  But I love little greens like this because you never pull some giant leaf out that is then hanging out of your mouth awkwardly. Perfect little bite sizes.  I liked it, and I thought the dish was executed well.
The BFF had the warm spinach salad ($10) which was spinach (obviously) topped with eggs, mushrooms and a warm bacon vinaigrette that had a whole ton of bacon in it.  We wondered before she ordered it if she should add protein to the salad (you can add chicken, salmon or shrimp to any of the salads I believe) but wow, there was a ton of meat on it.  It was served with a warm dressing which wilted everything a bit (which I always enjoy).  And I couldn't decide whether it was impressive or annoying that they made all the dressing to order when she asked for more on the side—I decided it was impressive, but it took quite awhile to get it.  While there was a lot of bacon on the salad, there wasn’t a lot of liquid at first, and the salad needed more.  When they brought out more, they brought out enough for about 3 salads, but it was quite tasty.  Hopefully, they can find the balance from the start because I think this would be a really good salad if it came out dressed perfectly.
So, I can’t quite figure out what the deal is with the Ripple Inn. I know they have been through several chefs, but honestly, I have had pretty good meals there every time I have eaten there, throughout various phases. They have also started offering tasting menus at a pretty decent price (my parents just went and enjoyed it). Why is the place so empty whenever I go?  Have you guys had good or bad experiences there?  Regardless, I am looking forward to giving the Chef Mereday’s food a try for dinner soon.
The Ripple Inn
929 East Westfield Blvd.
Indy, 46220
317/252-2600


The Ripple Inn on Urbanspoon

9 comments:

  1. A few eeks ago my winfe and I went for dinner using a Living Social deal that was basically a 2 for 1 deal on the 3 course tasting menu with wine pairings. Including my wife and I, there were a total of 6 diners the entire evening. Additionally, our service was HORRIBLE. I assume that since we were using the Living Social deal our server assumed we were cheap and weren't going to tip according to what the meal would have cost full price. I sent an email to them the follwoing week and never heard a peep from them. Needless to say, we won't be returning.

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  2. I also went for the Living Social Deal - tasting menu with wine for two for $60 (I think). The food and service were WONDERFUL. We could not have been more pleased with both. We have actually been telling people it's the best meal we've had in a long time (the tasting menu was seared scallops, filet with fingerling potatoes, tiramisu). I would highly recommend it, and we plan to go back very soon.

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  3. Our family ate there in August, using a Living Social/Groupon 3-course coupon. The service was very good and the food was exceptional, both in presentation and execution. We were also surprised there were very few people there the whole time we ate.

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  4. I had dinner there this past Saturday, the place was 75% full and the food was great!! We ordered the five course tasting. Chef Charles is perhaps the most talanted chef in town nobody knows about. I will be making weekly appearances as long as Charles is behind the kitchen.

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  5. This is an out of towner's perception, but a lot of us don't think of B.R. as a dining destination despite the fact there are some very good properties there.

    We intend to try the Ripple Inn the next time we're in Indianapolis. I like the room, the table cloths and atmosphere which is also unlike a lot of Broad Ripple.

    If people will get off Broad Ripple Avenue and explore they'll find some interesting places. Good review Erin and let's hope we can get them some business.

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  6. Glad to hear more people are trying it...I am more intrigued than ever to get in there for dinner.

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  7. Hubs and I dined there over New Years last year and had a great experience. The service was okay, clearly new, but I loved that the chef (at the time) delivered each of our courses. We had a good experience and I'd head back that way for sure.

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  8. A girlfriend and I had dinner at The Ripple Inn before the Mellencamp concert in mid-November. It was wonderful. The service was good. The mussels were out of this world. I had the cheesesteak appetizer as my entree and while it was delicious, it was just too much after the roasted beet salad, the mussels and some delicious Malbec.

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  9. This place is now closed. Not surprised, everytime I walked by which was 3 or 4 times per week it hardly ever had anyone inside.

    http://www.therippleinn.com/

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