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  

Capri

The other night, during the ice storm, I had a babysitter and dammit, I was still going out to dinner even though everyone I talked to thought I was crazy. I did however, relent and agree to go somewhere close by. We decided first on Pikk’s Tavern only to find it closed (apparently forever according to Feed Me/Drink Me). After skidding out of that parking lot, we debated what to do and ended up on Capri, as it is very close to our house. Now, I should tell you we have been there a couple of times before, and I have never been overly impressed, other than the bar is beautiful and the nice roaring fireplace is a great place to be on a cold night. For one thing, it is another one of those classic Midwestern Italian restaurants that serve portions that are ridiculously large and consist of entrees identical; to almost every other Italian restaurant in the US. So I decided, if I was going to agree to go, I was just going to get appetizers, one of which to be the antipasto platter we had had before with Gran Padano cheese, Proscuitto, olives and marinated veggies.

So after literally sliding into their parking lot, we started with the fried calamari—and hey, it was pretty good. A true Italian “fritto”—a light fry served with a homemade marinara. The marinara was quite fresh tasting and not bad. Man, if they made it into a fritto misto, it could be really good. Maybe add some sliced fennel and even thin sliced lemons to the fried mix and it could be unique and outstanding.

Hubby wanted to order the veal Bolognese because he had heard it was one of their best dishes, but then was swayed by a fresh pasta with salmon and cream sauce special. Once he was served, he immediately regretted his choice. He didn’t think it was great, and because it was smoked salmon in the pasta, he said it seemed to taste a bit too fishy (even though he does like smoked salmon by itself).

I did have the antipasto platter, which was as good as always. It isn’t stellar, but it is tasty and hits the spot and I don’t feel like I am going to explode when I walk out. The funny thing about this is that in another review I read, it was the only thing the reviewer didn’t like. So there you go.

Probably the best part of the dining experience here, besides the atmosphere (in the bar side—the other side tends to be quite empty most of the time—we made the mistake of sitting there the first time we went), is a bottle of wine that you don’t see everywhere and it is one of our favorites. It is a Gavi di Gavi and is a bit more expensive than some of the other choices, but really tasty.

All in all, if we have another ice storm, or if I just want drinks and an appetizer, we may go back to Capri. For a great Italian meal experience, I will keep looking and hope to find something a little less predictable.

Capri Restaurant
2602 Ruth Drive
Indy 46240
317-259-4122
www.capriindy.com