Auberge

My son was playing in a tennis tournament in Zionsville, and naturally the first thing I thought was, where could we eat after? I don’t make the trek out to Zionsville that often, so I wanted to make the most of it. We settled on Auberge, which was a place I have been wanting to go for a while. It’s French, with a really classic (but modern) French menu. It was easy to sell my son on it with two words: “steak frites.”

It’s a cute little place set on Main Street in an old house. They have a patio that probably doubles the size of the restaurant, but we sat inside because my son was sort of overheated from all that tennis. It is a cute interior with a lot of wood. Our server was very friendly, but sadly got a little overwhelmed as the meal progressed. 

First, they bring you these little baby bread loaves baked into a little flower pot. The bread was really soft, and it was warm, and they gave you nice soft butter with it. These were very good. Hubby was thrilled they had escargot a la Bourguignonne ($12) as well. If he seems escargot, he nearly always as to order it. They little snails were in a rich herby garlic butter and topped with little balls of puff pastry. They were very French, and very good. Done just right. We also ordered the tuna tartare ($16), which was very good quality hunks of raw tuna. It was mildly seasoned with lemon and olive oil and served over a little salad of diced veggies and topped with a quail egg and saffron aioli. I sort of wished for a bit more of the aioli, or the lemon or something, but it was still very good as the fish itself was great, and it was at least properly salted. 

Hubby loved his duck breast ($28), which was served medium rare, and alongside Dauphinoise potatoes and braised endive with a cherry reduction alongside. A slightly sweet, slightly tangy accompaniment is always good with duck. The potatoes were rich and creamy, and he was very, very happy. My son had the steak frites ($25), his go to at a French place, and was happy as well. The steak was cooked as he wanted it and the lightly truffle flavored fries were nice and crisp. I loved the garlic and tarragon aioli they served with the fries. They do a very nice job with the seasonings.

I was really torn about what to order, and I knew I would get some of the boys’ food, so I decided to try the quiche ($12). It had gruyere and broccoli and a nice rich crust (you get a whole baby quiche, not just a slice). I really enjoyed the well-dressed greens served alongside as well. I like a little tangy bite to go with a rich cheesy thing like quiche, and this one was great. The quiche itself was probably not something I would order again, but I did enjoy it. I have my eye on the croque Madame ($13), which is always one of my favorite things, but I didn’t try this time. 

Overall, I am excited to see a cute place with a classic truly French menu. I think the kitchen is doing a good job making great flavor combos and using high quality ingredients. The downside of this place was definitely the service. We actually wanted to try dessert (profiteroles!), but it was taking so long to get our server’s attention throughout the night, we just gave up. I don’t know if it was because the patio was so busy or what, but the service wasn’t good. I would certainly try again one of these days, because the food was worth it. Hopefully, it was just an off night. Who else has been there? Tell me what you think? I am surprised I don’t hear about this place more…

Auberge

175 S. Main Street

Zionsville, IN 46077

317/733-8755

www.auberge-restaurant.com 

Cobblestone Grill -- Revisit (Lunch)

The other day I met a friend for a quick lunch at Cobblestone.  I haven’t been there in ages—and they have remodeled the inside since then. It’s much darker and feels more modern than the last time I was there.

We ordered two things and shared. The first thing was the Southwestern chicken sandwich ($12) and the southern BLT ($11). Both were very good and had some nice touches. The chicken sandwich was a grilled chicken breast topped with avocado slaw, Gruyere cheese and Sriracha aioli. It was all on a brioche bun. The first thing you notice when you bit into this sandwich is the acidity of the slaw. And mixed with some hunks of creamy avocado? It was so good. The cheese and aioli rounded out the flavors nicely too, giving it some heat and some rich saltiness. It was a touch on the messy side, but tasted very good. I upgraded to fries for my side. They were good fries—maybe could have stood just another minute in the fryer though, some were kind of soft. And they served them with ketchup, which is kind of boring. I should have gotten some extra Sriracha aioli on the side.

The southern BLT was also very good—they use fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, bacon, and bib lettuce. I always worry that the tomatoes will be too thick, but these were nice and thin. The pimento cheese added nice flavor and a little bit of spice. The bacon was very crisp, so depending on how you like yours; you may or may not like this as much. I like my bacon super crisp, so I was good. My friend wished it was softer.

Both of these sandwiches were very good. They have the sandwich thing down. I like a mix of flavors and you gotta have some kind of sauce to keep it from being dry and to keep it interesting. Both of these had all of those things, and to be honest, I’d be hard pressed to say which one I liked better. 

The service was friendly and prompt, although the place wasn’t very busy. So, who else has been there lately?

Cobblestone Grill

160 South Main Street

Zionsville, IN 46077

317/873-4745

www.cobblestonegrill.com 

Friendly Tavern

Looking to meet up with my friend @wibia on the west side of Carmel, and realizing there aren’t many options there (you guys have any for me?), we ended up deciding on Zionsville. We ended up at Friendly Tavern, which has literally been on my list for years. Every time I do a “best of” type list, people mention it to me as a place to get a good tenderloin sandwich.

This is the kind of old school place you want to like as soon as you walk in—it was pretty well packed for a mid week lunch—mostly with older people and also some business people. I knew I wanted to try the tenderloin ($7.99), so we agreed to get it and split it and also to split something else. So we went with a regular cheeseburger ($6.49) as well.

Honestly, overall I appreciate the fact that they are making most everything in house. The burgers are made with ground chuck and are “hand-pattied” daily according to their menu. They also ask how you want it cooked, and pretty well kept it where I ordered it. The burger was straightforward, but it was a pretty solid one. The patty was tender and cooked close to the medium I ordered (I’d go with medium rare next time). They give you the necessary accompaniments to go with it—red onion and pickles and once I put some mayo, ketchup and mustard, I was pretty happy with it. It won’t blow your mind, and you’re not getting any fancy sauces here, but it’s a good burger. We had the standard fries with the burger, which were just that—pretty standard.

Honestly, the tenderloin wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t one I would probably put on my “best of” lists for tenderloins.  It was one of the super thin giant sized ones that more than covers the bun. We ended up cutting it in half and stacking it on top of each other and then adding the classic toppings—onion, mayo and pickles. It tasted decent, and they are making them there, but it was a touch too dry for me. Overall, I would prefer the burger. Or those fried chicken wings I saw coming out of the kitchen later—they looked delicious. For our side with this one we had the Buffalo Chips. These were more interesting and better than the fries. They were almost like waffle fries but without any holes that are seasoned. I wouldn’t say they tasted a lot like buffalo-flavored things, but they were nicely seasoned. (There is a slight upcharge to get fries or other sides).

I can see why this place stays around even if the food doesn’t blow your mind. It’s a cool, in an old-school divey kind of way, kind of place. The people there are friendly and you can tell it’s a place with a lot of regulars. Even though none of it stood out particularly food-wise, you feel welcome there and you sort of want to go back. And like I said, I need to at some point just to try those fried chicken wings—these aren’t like buffalo wings (which they also have), these are like pieces of fried chicken, but in the form of just little drummies and wings. They looked delicious, so if any of you guys have had them before, please let me know how they are!

Friendly Tavern

290 S. Main Street 

Zionsville, IN 

317/873-5772

www.friendlytavernzionsville.com 

Plum's Upper Room

I had high hopes for this one. The chef has some fairly impressive credentials and the online (sample) menu was intriguing. Online reviews were very mixed both high and low, but I was anxious to try it myself and was hoping for the highs to be our experience.

First thing, I love the interior—it is upstairs in a building in downtown Zionsville and is full of lots of wood, twinkly lights, and art. We had a lovely table for two in front of one of the windows overlooking the street. In the beginning, our server was very attentive. We had our wine quickly and perused the rest of the menu (which is strangely set out in reverse order—entrées first, then apps, then soups and salads). Sadly, the server, while very friendly, didn’t know much about the menu items which made it difficult to decide what to order. It’s too bad the servers are more versed in the menu.

We started out with the soup du jour, which was a corn puree with a bit of crispy bacon ($7). This was easily the best thing we had all night. The soup tasted wonderfully of fresh corn and was drizzled with a bit of what I think was basil oil giving it an even fresher summery taste. The soup was very smooth, and when you got a bite of the bacon with it, it was perfect. 

The other appetizer we ordered, the fried green tomatoes ($10) were not as successful, although they weren’t bad. I liked the super crispy fried exterior—it was nicely seasoned with peppercorns—but it could have used some sort of sauce with it other than the flavored oil underneath.  Also, they were a little thickly cut for me—a little too much tomato to crust ratio, particularly without anything to dip it into. Hubby and I resorted to dipping them in the soup and they were tasty that way. 

It was about this point of the meal where things started going south. The restaurant began really filling up (good for them), including a party of 10-12 people that our server was also waiting on (as well as many other tables). There were only 2 servers I could see in the entire place. Let’s just say, it was a struggle to get anyone’s attention for the rest of the night. Luckily, we had placed our order just before the large party was seated, so we knew we were at least ahead of them.

Hubby had the salmon pasta special ($30) and I had the mussels ($12) with a side of frites ($7). First of all, the salmon special was on a blackboard and no price was mentioned.  When he got the food, due to the size, hubby thought he had ordered an appetizer. Which would be fine, as we often do that purposefully, but the $30 price tag we saw when we got the bill was a little steep. And sadly, it was not very good. Again, much like the tomatoes, there seemed to be something missing—moisture. These angnolotti were more like dumplings than they were stuffed pasta—and the ramp butter that was listed on the menu was not really evident in any quantity. One thing I did really like were the ground cherries, which are a type of little fruit that looks (and tastes) a bit like a teeny tiny tomato. I can’t remember ever having them before. Honestly, I thought the menu listing meant “ground” cherries as in, ground up cherries, when I read it, which sounded a bit weird, and was happy to find these instead.

My mussels were fine—the mariniere broth they were cooked in had a great flavor—wine, shallots and herbs. Sadly, there was not enough of it, and it seemed that the mussels had not been steamed with enough of it either, because they seemed a bit chewy and overcooked as well.  The thing that really annoyed with this part of the meal was the “frites” though. They were food service fries that were barely dusted with salt (and of course there was no salt on the table, and no way we were ever going to get someone’s attention to get any). And they were $7. I don’t complain about prices very often, but this and the salmon were out of line. 

At this point, hubby was ready to get out of there. The server was obviously completely overwhelmed (as was the rest of the staff). I had intended to try dessert because I had read several people say that is was worthwhile here, but when we finally got our server’s attention to ask for the menu, she said they were written on the blackboard and maybe we could just get up and go read them ourselves. To be fair, she did say if she had more time, she would’ve gone over them with us. We decided to cut our losses and leave. 

So all in all, it was a bit of a disaster. I felt bad for our server though, because honestly none of it was her fault. They were sorely understaffed. Obviously they knew they had a fair number of reservations (the tables were marked with the last names, which I thought was kind of nice), but there weren’t enough people there to take care of everyone. I also think the servers should be more trained on the

food.

It’s really too bad too, because I really loved the ambiance and the menu sounded appealing and there was some creativity in the food. But sadly, between the service and a lot of the food we were served, there was nothing that gave us a reason to go back. I really hope it was just an off night, but it will take a lot to lure me back in. Maybe one of you guys have had a great meal here and can tell me about it? 

Plum’s Upper Room

112 South Main Street

Zionsville, IN 46077

317/873-5577

www.plumsupperroom.com

Serenity

After my post on Cobblestone, several people emailed me to give me suggestions about where to eat in Zionsville.  I was meeting my friend @indyfoodswap and she had had a good meal in the past at one of them, The Sanctuary restaurant, so we agreed to meet there. Unfortunately it was closed for remodeling (they might want to put a little more noticeable warning on their website, just a thought), so we decided to try Serenity instead (which had also been recommended).

It is a cute little house with several tables that were pretty full when we got there.  The service was a little strange—the meal took quite a long time from start to finish, even though we didn’t mind too much since we were chatting.

For my lunch, I had the Serenity club panini ($9.95).  It was a toasted sandwich with turkey, bacon, red onion, provolone cheese, tomatoes and spinach with a basil sauce.  I had it with a side salad.  For me, the sandwich hit the spot. It was cold outside, and the sandwich was hot and melty.  It wasn’t overstuffed (the tomatoes were a little meh though) and the veggies were fresh, as were the components of the salad. I could have used a little more bacon, but all in all I liked the sandwich.  The salad was quite large and underdressed, but much better when I asked for some dressing on the side (it was a Thousand Island type dressing).

Unfortunately, Suzanne’s meal wasn’t as good. She ordered the black and blue salad  ($11.95) that was described as having “roasted beef tenderloin” on it.  She was a little disappointed with the very small amount of beef and the fact that it almost looked more like deli roast beef than the pieces of filet that she was expecting.  I didn’t taste it, so I can’t speak for the flavor—I can just tell you my visual observations.  They did end up giving her a discount after she mentioned her concerns about how the salad is described, which she didn’t ask for and which I thought was a professional way to handle the situation.

All the entrées come with a scone, and I remember really enjoying the one I had had at the other restaurant they used to own in Carmel.  The chocolate chip/cinnamon one that came with my meal was a little soft though and I didn’t eat much of it.

All in all, I would say at least based on what I had, Serenity isn’t a bad lunch option in Zionsville.  It is a very feminine place (think high tea)—I think the place was pretty much full when we left, but there was only one guy in there.

Serenity

135 S. Main Street

Zionsville, IN

317/873-5590

http://www.occasionsdivine.com/serenity.html

Cobblestone Grill

We had to be over near Zionsville the other day to pick up extra cookies for my daughter’s Girl Scout troop and naturally, I took it as an opportunity to try a new lunch place in a side of town we don’t get to that often.  We decided on Cobblestone because it seemed kid friendly and was right on Main Street which we thought would be fun to walk around on for a bit.

I had heard this place had a new-ish chef and has been working on its menu lately and adding a few new twists to what is a pretty traditional menu of sandwiches, salads and a few basic entrées.  I think a lot of the new items are on the bar menu (and maybe the dinner menu?) because the lunch menu didn’t look like it had been updated in awhile.

We did ask for the bar menu and ordered the house made pretzel rolls to share from there.  The rolls were pretty good—they had the distinctive pretzel taste although not as much the smooth, sort of shiny exterior. They were chewy like a soft pretzel should be, although maybe a touch too doughy, and were served with a very strong mustard dip.  Would have loved a little salt on the outside, although you could taste a salty kick to them.  My daughter loved them. Hubby was the least impressed.

For my lunch, I had the fish tacos ($8) which are Cajun-spiced pieces of whitefish inside flour tortillas and topped with chopped onion and cilantro with salsa on the side.  I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about them, but they were pretty tasty.  The fish was heavily seasoned (in a good way) and really very tender.  Wrapped with the cilantro and onions and some of the salsa made for a nice, fairly light lunch.  The portions are large, but other than the large flour tortilla (which ideally would have been grilled a bit), you felt like you were eating fairly healthy.  And with a decent amount of flavor.

Hubby had the crab cakes ($13) which were not bad, but not great either.  I liked that they were fried really crisp on the outside, giving it a nice buttery crunch to them.  The flavor was your pretty classic crab cake, which doesn’t really excite me that much, particularly when they aren’t really that “crabby.” It was served with a creole aioli, which wasn’t bad, although overpowered the crab cakes a bit maybe.  The annoying thing was there was also what appeared to be a nice little salad on the plate, but it was totally undressed.  We asked for some vinaigrette on the side and then it was a nice combo to eat some of the salad with a bite of the crab cake.  It just seemed like a waste of the greens to serve them totally undressed.  They did serve a lemon wedge on the plate, which I guess you could have put on the greens, but it was better squeezed right on the crab cakes.

The kids both had cheeseburgers off of the kid’s menus and thought they were just okay. They looked pretty darn dry to me (hubby said they tasted like they had been frozen), so honestly I didn’t even try them.

I can see this being a decent option for lunch if you lived in Zionsville.  However, the worst part about the meal was the service.  The restaurant only had a few tables in it when we got there, but it took quite a long time to get attention throughout the meal.  Also, the décor is a bit tired—looking distinctly like late 80s/early 90s that has been pretty much untouched since then.

So Zionsville folks, what do you think of this place? And where are your favorite places to eat in Zionsville?

Cobblestone Grill

160 South Main Street

Zionsville, IN 46077

317/873-4745

www.cobblestonegrill.com

The Loft at Traders Point Creamery--Revisit

We finally got around to taking the kids to Traders Point Creamery for lunch the other day—my in laws were in town and we thought it would be a nice place to go with everyone.  I haven’t been since my last post and honestly, couldn’t wait to try the grilled cheese again. I remembered it being so good.

Since there were so many of us, we also got a starter—it was the  “Bloomy Puff” ($14) which is one of Traderspoint’s cheeses wrapped in puff pastry and served with a bunch of fruit and veggies alongside—there were apple slices as well as zucchini, squash, and peppers.  There was also a bit of fruit preserves on the side.  The bloomy cheese is a fairly mellow cheese—it sort of has the texture of a goat cheese, although it is a cow’s cheese.  It is light and has just a little tangy kick—and when you wrap any cheese  in puff pastry, I am going to be a fan.  I did think the portion of cheese, particularly for the price, was a little small. I was expecting something a little bigger.

To continue with the cheese theme (it is a dairy after all), I got the same thing I ordered last time—the grilled cheese with avocado and bacon ($9) and upgraded my side dish to the mac and cheese ($4).  Sadly, I was disappointed with my sandwich.  The bread was much thicker and not really grilled much at all (I would call it very lightly toasted) and there was nowhere near enough cheese (just look at the one I had in my first post, they look really different).  The bacon and avocado were plentiful and tasty, but you really want to taste the cheese here.  Last time, the bread was really thin and grilled even flatter with a nice crispy exterior.  This sandwich made me a little sad, because I was so hyped up for it (and had recommended it to everyone at the table).  The side of mac and cheese was my saving grace—everyone really liked it and I ended up having to share mine with hubby and both my kids.  It was not over creamy, and had good flavor from the Fleur de la Terre cheese (which is a Gouda and also happens to be one of my favorite Traderspoint cheeses).  I will say, I thought it needed a little salt and pepper, which I added, and then it was perfect.  I picked up some of the cheese and am making my own variation of it at home tonight.

Hubby ordered the patty melt (we actually split half and half) ($12) and we both liked it much better than the grilled cheese. They raise their own cattle and the beef was great (and cooked to order properly).  There was Swiss cheese and grilled onions as well as a “special sauce.”  The meat was really super tender and juicy and there was more cheese here than there was on the grilled cheese.  The thicker bread worked on this sandwich because there was a lot of filling—you needed it with that big patty.  It was a good burger.

I like the atmosphere of the place—and the fact they have beer and wine.  The interior is like the inside of a nice barn—woodsy but with modern tables.  The service was good and very friendly. And my kids liked checking out the cows after lunch.  I just wish they hadn’t changed my grilled cheese, but at least now I know I will try something else next time.

The Loft

Traders Point Creamery

9101 Moore Road

Zionsville, IN 46077

317/733-1700

www.tpforganics.com

Amore Pizzeria

One of the great things about this blog, and my connection with all of you guys is the way I can ask for a recommendation somewhere (usually on twitter) and get an answer back really quick.  I also love it when people ask me for help and I can help them (sometimes also with help from you guys).  I usually get a couple of emails a week from people asking for recommendations for some specific occasion or location—often people from out of town.  I love that. Anyway, I am rambling on because the other day I needed to be in Zionsville in the afternoon with my kids and figured it would be a good time to try something new for lunch.  I posted a tweet and after two different people recommended the same place, we set out to find it.  Amore is set in a little strip mall (I sort of expected it to be in downtown Zionsville for some reason) and is your classic New York pizza style set up.  Lots of pies behind a glassed-in counter.  They heat up a slice of whatever you want, and you are good to go.

As I looked over the pies, I thought several of them looked good. I asked about my classic combo, red onions and mushrooms and was told they didn’t have red onions, only white.  And I saw the mushrooms on another pie, and they looked like the same kind I had at Giorgio’s downtown—the ones that looked suspiciously like canned, so I decided to go another direction.  Their version of the margarita ($3.50/ slice) looked really good and different from a lot that you see in that the tomatoes were chopped up and evenly distributed on the pizza (instead of just like one slice on each piece as you commonly see).  There was also a lot of fresh basil sprinkled on top.  So I went with a slice of that, ordered a couple breadsticks ($.65 each) and the cheese slices for my kids ($2.85/slice).  But then, as we were paying for everything, I saw this Greek pizza come out from the back ($3.50/slice).  It looked awesome. I ordered a slice of it too.  Normally that is a lot of pizza for me for lunch, but I couldn’t pass it up. Who knew when I would be back?

As I sat down with the food, I realized I had ordered two flavors of pizza for myself that did not have red sauce on it—which I thought from a review perspective was probably not the best plan, but I also realized that I think I probably do tend to prefer a white sauce or olive oil these days---mainly I think because if I don’t like a pizza it often is because of the sauce.  Anyway, the margarita was good—there was mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top of the crust with the tomatoes and basil and the tomatoes tasted almost like they might be slightly marinated in a very light vinaigrette.  The Greek pizza also had a thin layer of cheese and then was topped with lots of fresh spinach, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives cut in half, garlic and feta cheese sprinkled on top and lightly melted.  It was hard for me to decide which one I liked better, but I probably ended up eating more of the Greek—and would be tempted to order it again. I loved the thick juicy olives. I did try a bite of my daughter’s cheese slice, and a dip into the marinara we got with the breadsticks, and you know, it was a little sweet, which is exactly what I don’t like in a red sauce.  The breadsticks, by the way, were nothing special to me.  (And I am frustrated to see on the menu now that they have garlic knots—I totally would have ordered them if I had seen them. That’s what happens when you are with your kids who are busy spilling their drinks and causing a general ruckus as you are trying to peruse all your options).  The crust on the pizza was good—nice and thin and crispy but with the right amount of bendiness to make it a proper New York style slice (at least in Indiana).  

This place obviously has a loyal customer base—at lunch on a Monday the place was jammed by the time we left.  And it is good pizza (and they have a very large menu of other things).  If it were my neighborhood, it would certainly be in my rotation.  And next time, I’m getting the knuckles. 

And p.s., what else is good in Zionsville? I am keeping a list.

Amore Pizzeria

41 Boone Village

Zionsville, IN 46077

317/733-1609

www.amorezionsville.com

The Loft at Traders Point Creamery

Struggling for new lunch places these days, hubby and I headed west to check out Traders Point Creamery’s restaurant, the Loft, in search of something tasty. I have always loved their products, particularly the Fleur de la Terre cheese—I always pick up a wedge when I am at the Farmer’s Market. That stuff is seriously good. It is a bit soft in the middle although tends firmer toward the rind. While not super strong, it does have earthy taste and a little bit of sharpness. But my kids love it as much as I do, so you there you go. Anyway, I was interested to see what the restaurant would be like and I like the motto on their website, “We milk it. We make it. We serve it.”

And the interior of this place is quite homey and rustic but with a modern flair. Cool barn loft space with aluminum tables. The service is very friendly and accommodating (even when there was a film crew in there the day we ate lunch filming extra scenes for a TV show).

The lunch menu has a nice selection of sandwiches, wraps and salads as well as a few other items like mac & cheese. Now, since we were sitting in a dairy, I figured, I needed to hit the cheese hard right? So I asked our server if she recommended the mac and cheese or the grilled cheese more. She said the grilled cheese was one of the best things on the menu. Well, that sealed it. Originally I thought, a grilled cheese seemed kind of boring, but their grilled cheese was amazing. It is thinly sliced whole wheat bread made with the Fleur de la Terre cheese, and your choice of one additional item. You could choose between bacon, avocado, caramelized onions, spinach, mushrooms or roasted red pepper. You get one included and any additional items are $1 extra. Wow. I could have pretty much taken all of them. They pretty much all sounded good. But not wanting to overdo it, I just went with my perennial favorites, avocado (natch), and bacon. Wow, this may just have been the best grilled cheese I have ever eaten. The bread was quite thin and the entire sandwich was pressed quite flat so it was really easy to eat, and there wasn’t too much bread to sandwich fixings. There was an appropriate amount of fillings and they were all delicious. Wow. I would be hard pressed not to get it again. It is very rich because the cheese is quite distinctive and combined with the other things, it was extremely filling. And hey, I dipped a couple bites into the side of garlic aioli that hubby ordered with his lunch and that was a nice little tasty addition as well. You also get a side with each sandwich—I had the salt and pepper kettle chips which were tasty, but didn’t knock me out or anything.

Hubby ordered the burger with Fleur de la Terre cheese as well as the aforementioned aioli. He said it was a really really good “gourmet” burger. Apparently he has categories of different types of burgers, which when pressed was a little vague about. But he ate every bite and also really loves the cheese. The beef was properly cooked medium and was very juicy.

I really wanted to get some ice cream as well, but as it was lunch and I had a big dinner coming up we skipped it. I really look forward to taking the kids here, as it is all their favorite things (grilled cheese, quesadillas etc) and they also give tours of the farm which I know they would enjoy as well. Not to mention, how could it not be cool to have lunch in a barn?

The Loft
Traders Point Creamery
9101 Moore Road
Zionsville, IN 46077
317/733-1700
www.tpforganics.com

Noah Grant's

One of the things I really like about writing this blog is that I go and try a lot of places that I probably never would have otherwise. I am sure that it would be very easy in this City to get stuck in a rut and go to the same few places all the time. Now sometimes these places are hits, and often they are misses, but either way, the sense of adventure is fun, and the need to keep trying new stuff gives me constant hope that I just might stumble onto a gem.

Well, I will just get it out of the way quickly, Noah Grant’s was certainly more of a miss food-wise, but hubby and I still had a very nice time exploring Zionsville a little (took us a few minutes to find the place) and the service was really fun and enthusiastic. It was a fun night, even though the food was not outstanding.

So, Noah Grant’s specializes in seafood, and has quite an extensive menu. Although strangely, while this menu is large, there is not a lot on it that really leapt out at me. Not sure why. But they sort of do that old school seafood thing with various sushi rolls as well (and of course steaks). And our server was as friendly as can be, and was happy to offer up her honest recommendations (and lack of recommendations on certain items) which I always appreciate.

She heartily recommending a couple of the salads, so I went with the Noah Grant’s version of a chopped salad. I have been really into chopped salads lately because I can really appreciate the varying ingredients, and the fact that they are so easy to eat, since the lettuce is typically in small pieces---you can grab a forkful and be sure to get a bite of all the flavors as well as usually a proper amount of dressing as well. I also like the fact that just about every restaurant has their version of a chop salad, but every restaurant’s version is different. Not like the “wedge” which is nearly identical in almost every restaurant you go to. Don’t get me wrong, I like the ingredients in a wedge, and sometimes I order them. But every time I see one on a menu, I sigh. I mean, it just seems so uninspired.

Anyhow, the salad was a little strange. It was not actually “chopped” lettuce at all—it was rather large pieces of romaine that were actually bigger than most regular pieces of lettuce in a regular non-“chopped” salad. Which was odd. It was mixed with blue cheese crumbles, tomatoes, bacon and a couple of slivers of avocado. The dressing was the basil vinaigrette which sounded nice to me, but was strangely sweet and was not my favorite. The pieces of bacon were really nice, real bits of recognizable bacon with good flavor. All in all though, I would probably pass on this salad again, and I would certainly pass on the dressing.

We did really like the dipping sauce that came with the bread though—it was a garlic and herby kind of mix in olive oil—really heavy on the garlic. I mean, really heavy. Some people probably would not like it because of it, but we did. The bread was simple slices of French baguette, but went well with the dip.

Hubby had 2 of their oysters Rockefeller and 2 of their shrimp Rockefeller (they sell them individually) to start. I had one of the shrimp which was a shrimp in an oyster shell and I suspect their spinach dip (because they have spinach dip on the menu as well) over the top and heated up. It was a creamy sauce mixed with pieces of spinach and parmesan on top. The shrimp were nice and pleasantly cooked, not rubbery at all. It was a nice mix of flavors if not a totally traditional Rockefeller. Unfortunately (since I only got one) this ended up being the best thing on the table all night.

For my main dish, I ordered, based on the server’s recommendation, the shrimp scampi—she said it was one of the best things on the menu. It was nicely presented with some pasta underneath (and not a ridiculous amount I was happy to see). And the sauce itself was great—the buttery garlic sauce cut with the right amount of lemon and wine to keep it thin and tangy—it wasn’t one of those sauces that seems like it is too creamy for its own good. Yes, I really liked the sauce. Unfortunately, the shrimp were so overcooked, they were pretty inedible. I don’t know, I sort of had higher hopes for a place that specializes in seafood… And it was frustrating because the shrimp on hubby’s appetizer weren’t so rubbery.

Hubby ordered ½ pound of King Crab legs. Now, I know there is no guarantee about the size of legs you are going to get, but these were some of the skimpiest legs I have seen. There was so little meat in them (they were sliced in half) that what was in there was really dried out. Also a disappointment.

We did have fun, and the people were very friendly and checked on us several times. We also enjoyed giggling at the fact that there are two chair rails in this place, and neither of them were saving the walls from the chairs that have unusually pointed edges—there were dings all over the walls—right between the two chair rails. (What can I say; we have a weird sense of humor).

I don’t know, maybe sushi is the way to go here, a lot of people seemed to be ordering it. But based on our meal, and the drive, it will likely be awhile before we go back.

Noah Grant’s
65 South First Street
Zionsville, IN 46077
317/732-2233
http://www.noahgrants.com/