Recently, I had the opportunity to take advantage of Recess/Room 4’s special lunch hours during Super Bowl week. Even though technically, by the time you read this, you won’t be able to take advantage of it yourself, since they were just offering their normal Room 4 fare, I figured it was game for a post (even though we were actually sitting in Recess) because you can always go to Room 4 and get some similar types of stuff. 
I was with the BFF and we both started with the “hangover chicken soup” ($11) which was perfect for me because I felt like I was getting just a touch of a cold, and the spicy rich broth was exactly what I needed. The soup was loaded with pieces of seasoned, tender chicken and a ton of veggies—celery, carrots, onions, jalapenos, tomatoes and zucchini. There was a nice little garnish of cilantro on top. The veggies were tender, but not tasteless mush, like so often happens in soup. But seriously, the thing about this soup was the well-seasoned broth. It had so much flavor, a nice amount of heat, tasted good, and seriously helped out the sinuses. I also liked the lime wedge alongside to add to the freshness from the cilantro.
The grilled fish tacos ($16) were great. I think this was the first time I have had monkfish in a taco, and it was really nice. The fish was grilled, and very slightly charred on the edges, but the fish was really tender and I love the way monkfish has such a sweet taste. But my favorite part about these tacos was all the flavor from all the toppings. There was mashed avocado, a tangy cabbage mix with lime and fresh sliced jalapeno. They were topped with a seasoned crema, which had a little spice, but still gave you the creamy coolness that made the whole thing a perfect combo. I had just a little taste of my friend’s carnitas as well, and it had a nice meaty taste (had cotija cheese and salsa on top) but if I were going back and had the same choice, pretty sure I’d be going with those fish tacos. They were bright and delicious. There was also a black bean salad along with the tacos, and while it was good, I enjoyed the tacos (and soup) so much, I didn't have much room for it.
I was glad to hear that several of our Super Bowl celebrity guests got up to Recess to try the food here. It was good to see a few of them venturing outside of the chain-zone downtown. I am looking forward to a return visit soon for dinner.
Room 4
4907 North College Ave
Indy 46205
317/925-7529
Totally agree about the fish tacos - not to be missed. You can tell they are serious about these by the custom-made wooden boards (wrapped in disposable film) fitted with precisely-placed wooden pegs to hold them at the perfect spacing.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick update to mention that Greg Hardesty, chef and owner of Room 4 and Recess has been nominated for a 2012 James Beard Foundation "best chef in the Great Lakes region." Gina Mehallick (R Bistro) and Dave Tallent (Restaurant Tallent) were also nominated. Link: http://blogs.indystar.com/indykitchen/2012/02/21/three-indiana-chefs-nominated-for-james-beard-award/
ReplyDeleteAll three of these great chefs deserve our support.
Hi Erin,
ReplyDeleteI love reading foodies blogs. It's interesting to see others opinions on restaurants around the area. I started a cool project last year called Indianapolis Dining Cards. It's still in its building stages with a lot of room to grow, but it will give you some cool options next time you eat. Check out www.indianapolisdiningcards.com. If you want some samples let me know, cwilson@thesynergrygroup.com.
-Chris
We stopped by Room 4 again last night and had what was probably our all time favorite dish there. It was skate wing, served over a fabulous cole slaw, with capers and very thin potato chips on top. The cole slaw was made of cabbage and carrots cut uniformly into rice-size pieces, and dressed with a minimum of liquid so that there was no extra around the edges. It held together like sushi rice. The capers were braised briefly in malt vinegar before being plated around and over the skate wing. The skate wing itself was firm, but perfectly cooked throughout; like grouper but less fatty. And then to top it off, 6 or 7 mini potato chips decorated the top of the dish, which added crunch and picked up the malt vinegar notes from the capers to make it a sophisticated play on fish and chips. Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteLou,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE skate wing! I wish I saw it more often on menus around here... And that prep sounds amazing! thanks for sharing!