MacNiven's

The other night when we were off to see Snow Patrol at the Egyptian Room, it only seemed appropriate to give MacNiven’s a try, given that the band resides in Scotland (even though I think they are all Irish, but whatever) and MacNiven’s is a Scottish bar.  Ok, really we just wanted to try the place, but seemed like a good tie in (and check this out, I even drank beer while I was there).

Because so often when I go to a place like this, that seems to have a loyal following, I often get yelled at after writing a review for not ordering the “right” thing.  While I still maintain that if it is on the menu, it should be good, I can appreciate that certain places have certain things that may excel above others.  And since with pubs it is sometimes hard to figure it out on your own, I have taken to asking around on twitter to see if there are certain items that many people mention specifically.

Well, I can assure you people feel strongly about MacNiven’s and the most popularly mentioned item that day when I took my random poll were the Scotch eggs ($7.50).  So naturally we had to order them (and I might not have otherwise).  If you aren’t familiar, Scotch eggs are boiled eggs that are covered in sausage, lightly breaded and deep fried.  And I will have to say, you guys were right.  These things were darn tasty.  First of all you know I love eggs in pretty much any format, so that was a plus (and cheers to the kitchen who obviously knows how to boil an egg properly which is a skill many do not have).  The sausage gave it a salty, slightly spicy kick with a wonderful crispy edge.  Also, the red pepper aioli was great with them.  We both commented about how much we liked it—and that it was a spicy red pepper and not a red bell pepper flavor which is neither of our favorite tastes.  Hubby was somewhat fanatical about making sure he just put the aioli on the egg part so as not to ruin the crispy edges of the sausage.  I good technique, but I was just dipping and eating.  Hubby ate a lot more Scotch eggs during our time in the UK and I asked him what he thought in comparison—he said he thought these were some of the best he’d had (other than ones he had at a fancy restaurant once that were actually wrapped in salmon which he will reminisce about for ages).

We also went with what was also recommended by several—the Angus burger ($10.25 with cheese).  So this is a unique take on a burger and we ended up deciding we quite liked it.  So it is this huge, super thin burger patty (I am talking the size of the plate) on a regular sized bun.  The meat is marinated in Worcestershire sauce and pepper and there is no ordering it anyway but pretty well done (says so right on the menu, which I appreciate, at least they are letting you know).  Because the meat is so thin (I mean I am talking like a thick crepe), I can’t imagine it could be cooked any other way.  And it didn’t matter because it had a ton of flavor because of the Worcestershire sauce.  We ordered cheese on ours (cheddar) and it was sort of silly that they only put one little square on that huge orb of meat, although once you folded it up on the bun (which is the only way to really eat it like a sandwich, by folding it into quarters), it was about the size of the end product.  I would ask for an extra slice or two next time though.  We just topped it with onions and it really didn’t need anything else—we alternated back and forth about whether we liked ketchup on it better or not—the Worcestershire giving it such a unique flavor on its own.  I can see how this might be a very cravable item, especially after a night of several drinks.

Ok, so I was going to go with the seared Ahi tuna that one of your recommended, but hubby balked and we ended up getting the Belhaven beer battered shrimp appetizer that none of you recommended (although someone did recommend the fish and chips made with the same batter) ($9.50).  Ok, ok, I shouldn’t have strayed, I should have listened.  These were not very good.  The shrimp was tough (and honestly didn’t taste that fresh—a little fishy) and the batter, while it had a nice beer flavor, wasn’t cooked enough and was too soft, quickly becoming mushy the longer they sat.  They were served with a couple of slices of lemon and some cocktail sauce.  I have to say, we had been having such good luck with everything up to this point, I had high hopes and was kind of disappointed.  But I guess I should have listened to you guys more.

Speaking of which, I noticed on the menu, and coming out of the kitchen, several orders of potato skins.  Really good potato skins (which are nearly impossible to find anymore) are a guilty pleasure of mine and I am wondering if any of you have had them and if they are fresh and if they are good.  Also, wondering if there are other gems on the menu we should try next time.  Because there will definitely be a next time.

MacNiven’s

339 Massachusetts Ave

Indy 46204

317/632-SCOT

www.macnivens.com