Capri - revisit

I went to dinner with a friend who just loves Capri. As I am sure you know if you read my blog, I am not a huge fan of the Italian restaurants in this town. I don’t know, none of them have ever really impressed me. Honestly, some of the gourmet pizza places like Napolese and Pizzology probably offer some of the best options.

Anyway, she chose it and I was happy to go and hang with her. I went with an open mind and decided to try some new things. First of all, the rolls they serve here are really delicious. Light and soft, but with a chewy exterior—and fresh from the oven so they are steaming hot. They also give you butter AND olive oil as choices for dipping, which is much appreciated.

I do find the wine list frustrating. If you aren’t ordering a bottle, the options are limited to their house wines, which are just listed as the types of wine without any other identifying information. I feel like in a place like this (it’s a pretty nice restaurant inside), they should offer a few more by the glass options.

Anyway, I ordered the eggplant parmesan ($12) for my appetizer because I am pretty sure one or two readers have suggested it, and it sounded good. It was quite good-the best of the things I ordered for sure. There were nice layers of tender eggplant (but not so squishy that it fell apart) topped with cheese and lots of red sauce. The sauce had a nice tangy flavor with some chunks of tomato in it. I was trying hard not to eat too much of it because I still had my entrée coming, but in retrospect, I should have eaten it all. In the future, I would just get a small salad and this as my main dish and call it a day.

For my main dish, I got one of the fish specials, the yellow fin tuna ($31). It came with an Italian tomato type topping (think what you would get on a tomato bruschetta). There was basil, and a bit of vinegar and some olive oil I am guessing. Sadly, even though I asked, and was assured it was cooked rare to medium rare, the fish was overcooked, which was a shame. It also seemed a little more fatty than most tuna steaks you might be served in a restaurant—a lot of tendon-ish parts making it hard to cut and chew. I sort of wished the tuna itself was marinated in something as well, just to give it a little more flavor—it seemed like the fish on its own really wasn’t seasoned. The au gratin type potatoes on the side though? They were delicious—and addicting. They were thin sliced potatoes that tasted like they were soaked in cream and cheese and butter. Really, you just couldn’t go wrong here. Simple and comforting. Maybe a slightly unexpected side dish with the fish (pretty sure they just use the same sides with everything), but I was glad they were there.

I can’t say my mind was changed much about Capri, but I did enjoy the eggplant parm quite a bit. I you’re in the mood for that kind of classic red sauce kind of dish, this one is well done. And I like that as an appetizer it isn’t ridiculously big, but still big enough it could make a nice small main dish. And the rolls are really, really good.

The service is very professional, and I really enjoy the interior of the bar—very warm and cozy with lots of wood and a fireplace. I was surprised there were no wood fired-pizzas on the menu, since they have built their own oven in the back. Maybe they only serve them in the bar. But I would be interested to try them as well. What do you guys think? Do you eat at Capri?

Capri

2602 Ruth Drive

Indy  46240

317/259-4122

www.capriindy.com