The family and I went in to try the newest Sun King restaurant in the old Three Wiseman spot in Broad Ripple. They have a relationship with Pier 48, which has recently opened a restaurant downtown. This one is called “Offshore.” So you can get a pint of beer and some seafood—they explained it is all flown in daily and is very fresh. There are several non-seafood items as well.
I was torn about what to order because several things looked good, but I ended up settling on the “Rachel Marie” lobster salad ($14.50). Hubby had the “Midnight” Cuban sandwich ($12.50), my son had a bowl of clam chowder ($8) and my daughter and boyfriend the Italian flatbread ($12).
I really liked that lobster salad—it was really unique and interesting. The lobster was super fresh and tossed in a crème fraiche-based dressing with a ring of seasoned dressing around—sort of like a Louie dressing or a remoulade. Then, on top of the pile of lobster was a fried poached egg with all kinds of little fingers of the fried batter making a beautiful presentation. When you cut into the egg it was yolky and delicious. And all the crunchy bits gave great texture. The only thing I would add is a squeeze of lemon (serve it with a grilled lemon would be perfection). This was not a super filling dish, but it was extremely good and extremely well-executed. I would get this again for sure.
Hubby enjoyed their version of the Cuban sandwich. It is made with cider brined pulled pork, bacon, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard and it’s all stacked on Leidenheimer bread, which is the classic po boy bread made in New Orleans. It wasn’t your classic flat smashed Cuban sandwich, but it was a really good sandwich. And that bread is delicious, even if not a po boy—light inside with just the right amount of crunch on the outside. I kept sneaking more and more bites. It really grew on me.
My son had a bowl of clam chowder which comes with cornbread. It’s a full on cream-based soup, but with nice flavor and nice pieces of clam that weren’t all chewy. The cornbread was just ok—maybe would have been more interesting with a nice dollop of soft honey butter or even just some nicely salted soft butter.
My daughter and boyfriend enjoyed the Italian flatbread which had pepperoni, capicola, salami, mozzarella, smoked provolone, and lemon ricotta. An interesting variation on a classic combo of flavors. They liked the soft crust. I am guessing there are still pizza ovens in there from 3 Wiseman, and it is a good use of the equipment. Regardless, they did well with it. Flatbreads always make me wary, but this was good and they have some interesting toppings. They also had some fruity non-alcoholic drinks that they really enjoyed.
We also shared an order of whoopie pies ($5). They were simple, but I liked the marshmallow butter cream. The sandwich part was nice and soft as well.
All in all, I find this menu interesting and the ingredients are all high quality and they clearly know how to not screw up seafood. Would love to try the fish and chips as well as the lobster roll. It’s not cheap, and I wish there were a few more wine choices (not much of a beer drinker), but I will take it. I am looking forward to a second trip. What do you guys think?
Offshore Broad Ripple
(in Sun King Brewery)
1021 Broad Ripple Ave
Indy 46220
This sounds really interesting. I'm glad someone is making good use of that space. This one is going on our list to try.
ReplyDeleteHad the lobster roll and the chowder. I would've liked the roll to have been toasted and a little lettuce would also be nice in the lobster roll. It was simply buttered roll & lobster. Good, not mind-blowing. The portions are pretty small considering the price, but hey - fresh seafood in Indy is going to cost you. The fries that came with the lobster roll were excellent, I must add.
ReplyDeleteReside in Broad Ripple, but admit this is one we'd not have even considered trying were it not for this initial review. And while we (I) generally concur with most of your reviews for those restaurants we've visited in common, afraid on this one we shared a different experience. Two of us shared everything (typical). Started with the chowder. Though its lobster tasted good and fresh, all-in-all it was not significantly better than some canned chowders I've had. The 'Rachel Marie' lobster salad was overly salty and lacked any character that I would consider 'good'. Opted for the 'Picnic Board' as it included Smoking Goose products which generally dependably make us happy. Believe this to have been the first time EVER that we were served a charcuterie board with absolutely NO description offered as to what was being offered. Sorry to be so negative, but honestly not sure our server could have discerned which were meats and which were cheeses. As it became apparent after the soup and salad were not going to satisfy our hunger, we asked for an additional small order of fries. These proved to be the best part of our meal. But fries do not a meal make. Plan accordingly.
ReplyDeleteTodd Sullivan