Hey everyone- The next two weeks are Devour Downtown and I have had a lot of feedback already about where people are headed...I really want to know where you are going and what you think. Who has the best deals, who has the best menu items? What menus look the most appealing if you haven't been yet?
Everyone is asking...and I can't eat at all these places in the next two weeks, so let's hear it! Where have you been? And how was it? And where do you want to go?
I am making my list.....
Our list is coming together. Last year, we ate at Dunaways, and I have no desire to go back. This year, Fogo and Hue are currently on the list. I hope to add one more, maybe for a lunch...
ReplyDeleteLove this time of year!
I'm going to Hue Friday. I haven't heard anything about it, and this is the best way to try some place new!
ReplyDeleteFogo is certainly a good deal.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am intrigued by Hue as well (as I always am with a new restaurant). If you guys go, please share!
Considering it is 2 for $30, Bella Vita seems like a great deal and I think my wife and I will try them out. We were most unimpressed the one time we ate at their location in Geist (but for a class reunion, so I'm not sure it is the best sample). There are also a few items on the Adobo Grill dinner menu that tempt me.
ReplyDeleteI went to Adobo Grill for lunch yesterday (it's two people for $30) and it was outstanding!! For an appetizer, you get BOTH a cup of tortilla soup AND they prepare the fresh guacamole tableside. For entrees, they have plenty of selections from which to choose. The chicken enchiladas were a hit. YUM!!
ReplyDeleteR Bistro, St. Elmo and Euphoria. I'm very partial to "Independent" restaurants and support them whenever I can.
ReplyDeleteR Bistro and Euphoria are supposedly at the top of the list for us "foodies" and St. Elmo is a history lesson.
More when "Devour Downtown" is over
Erin,
ReplyDeleteI work for the Indian Office of Tourism Development and we're working with Butler U. and Devour Downtown to have 18 Butler students write about their experiences at 18 different restaurants participating in Devour Downtown. The first post is going up this afternoon and the other 17 will be posted over the next week and a half. Here's the link to check out all the posts.
http://www.in.gov/visitindiana/blog/index.php/category/announcements/devour-downtown-announcements/
I'm dining at Adobo Grill for dinner on Friday, can't wait! They have a huge number of items from which to choose, and the dinner includes a margarita ... is it Friday yet??
ReplyDeleteI'm really excited about trying Fourty Five Degrees. They usually have an extensive and creative sushi menu, as well as an interesting variety of dishes. I'm looking forward to trying anything!
ReplyDeleteI took a couple friends to The Oceanaire for Devour Downtown a couple days ago. I had never been before and was very happy with the decision.
ReplyDeleteThe Good: The food was fantastic. Each of us ordered one of the 3 entree options and all of us, with very discriminating tastes, were extremely pleased. We all ordered Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert and agreed we will be coming back just for that alone in the future.
The waiter was very helpful in selecting a wine and wasn't just trying to push a high priced bottle on us. We also ordered some asparagus and calamari appetizers which were great, especially the calamari which came with some wonderful peppers and onions mixed in.
The Bad: The dishes came with no sides so you had order them at an additional cost (roughly $5-8 bucks each). Also for the first course we ordered oysters in a half shell and the menu didn't say how many we would get so we were saddened to only get 2 per person. We ordered more because they were so good, but I think 3 or 4 would have been more appropriate.
Still, you can eat there for $30 per person and get your money's worth no doubt. I highly recommend it for any seafood lover.
At Adobo tonight, they are providing a huge amount of food for $30. Next up Hue for lunch and then Mesh
ReplyDeleteJust got home from DD at Adobo. A lot of food, but the guacamole and my husband's ceviche were the only items I might go back for. I had the empanadas appetizer which tasted smoky but nothing else; a pulled pork entree that was very moist and tender but lacked flavor; and his flank steak was similarly cooked properly but also bland. When I go for Mexican, I don't expect bland! Very disappointing. Plus it took almost 2 hours to get through the meal, service was painfully slow.
ReplyDeleteErin: Friday night, I joined two others at Harry & Izzy's for their Devour menu. It was fantastic. There was 2 choices for 1st dish, 2 choices for main dish with 2 sides, and 2 choices for dessert. They had a separate Devour menu that was for vegetarians. Coupled with a nice/affordable wine menu, all three had a nice evening. Great service, not to pushy and didn't hover. The place was packed, too. Thanks... Jeff
ReplyDeleteRe: Oceanaire Devour Downtown - I strongly disagree with Dan D.
ReplyDeleteA review of what went down for me:
Review post-meal (RH):
Had from the Devour Downtown menu ($30 prix fixe; described to me as "smaller portions" by the server): Lobster bisque, Seared Holland Sole (with Preserved Meyer Lemon and Hazelnut Beurre Noisette), and the Valrhona Chocolate Mousse. Supplemented this from the regular menu with their Crab cake appetizer (1 cake; $16.95) and steamed asparagus ($9.95). The crab cake was good, the asparagus w/ accompanying sauce was fine [big fat ones, cooked through but still nicely slightly crunchy]. The lobster bisque seemed both watered down AND thickened with some kind of starch. The sole was OK/fine although undersalted and a little “light” on taste. Served "bare". The mousse was utterly nondescript. One glass of a nice pinot noir (Belle Glos)($12) plus coffee ($2.75). Plus tip, $90. Bottom line: The DD menu sampling was forgettable, and if I had had just the DD and nothing else I would have been unhappy and have left hungry. They could have done much better with the DD menu. The idea, after all, is to promote the place, not make a killing.
NB1: I was seated promptly but waited 10-15 min before being served water/plate of pickles, then another 5 min or so before the waiter appeared.
NB2: The DD menu was an insert/box, in really tiny type, on the right side of the regular (printed) menu for the day. In my immediate seating area I saw only one other table having dishes from the DD menu [the lobster bisque, which was not on the regular menu] and that was also only when I was leaving.
Want to try the Skyline Club just because it's an option (and the menu does look good).....can't find anything about dress code there, however. How strict is it? Anyone know? My husband doesn't mind a tie/sweater combo but he's a fancy jeans kinda guy, not dress pants or a coat.
ReplyDeleteAmber- The profile on opentable says "smart casual," so he should be fine in dressy jeans, etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erin. I feel like a dofus. I looked for dress code info but not hard enough, I guess. :) Love the blog!
ReplyDeleteAmber, don't feel like a dofus! Glad I could help! And let's hear how it is after you go please! (I had my rehearsal dinner there, fond memories)
ReplyDeleteI picked Skyline because the hubs is pescatarian and I only do local, grass fed meats or (for now anyway) any type of wild caught fish. They offered 2 started and 2 main coarse meals we could choose from. They did not allow any ordering off their regular menu though and that bummed me out. We had the pear salad which had a lovely light flavor, walnuts and 2 slices of cooked pear. It was a generous portion. We also chose the crab cake which was small (and only came 1 on the plate) and had the thin crab meat instead of chunks (which I like better). The red pepper sauce to dip it in was very tasty. (by the way, I'm saying "we" because we split everything). We had the salmon entree which was deliciously perfect. The glaze was so delicate with a hint of, I think, nutmeg. So good. And another generous portion. Also had the scallops which weren't anything special - just pan seared but the pasta was tasty and the portion was perfect. Dessert came 2 on each place - a small cherry cheese cake ball (my fav) and a small triangle of "chocolate silk" (husbands fav). And his dress jeans fit in just fine. They are open to the public now too. I'm excited to go back since I took a peak at their menu and it looked great! ps: I'm also strawberryjam10 on twitter. :)
ReplyDeleteAmber, thanks for your comment, good to know about the fact that they did not allow you to order off the regular menu. Why was that? Especially if they are opening to the public now? Glad we didn't go or hubby would have been annoyed by that as he wasn't particularly excited by the devour menu.
ReplyDeleteWe at at Hue last weekend and would not recommend it. The place was very understaffed and the food was not memorable. I might recommend it for a drink at the bar for the nice jazz, but be sure to order something in a bottle because everyone in our party did not think the drinks were that special.
ReplyDelete