More Closings....

With sadness, I have to let you all know that two places offering great independent food in Indy have both closed this week.  As I tweeted earlier this week, Z's Oyster Bar and Steakhouse abruptly closed this week (well, it seemed abrupt to me anyway) and last night I received an email from Euphoria stating that they have also decided to stop offering nightly dinner service and focus solely on their private party/catering business, which according to the email, has been a growing business for them.  As I have written here, Euphoria has always struggled somewhat with getting customers in the door, even with 2 superb chefs at the helm--first Brad Gates and now Ivy Denman.  I am assuming Ivy is still going to be the chef for the private functions (if that is not the case, I will let you know), so at least you can still plan a private party and enjoy her wonderful cooking.  And as I have mentioned here and reviewed several time, you can enjoy Brad's cooking through his catering service, Brad Gates Catering and Events.  Z's was a great, but badly located, restaurant where I recently had one of the best steaks I can remember.  I was actually thinking about having an anniversary party for my parents there this year, but I guess I will need to think of another option.

<<<Update: I have heard from Chef Denman, and she is leaving Euphoria, so unfortunately you will no longer be able to enjoy her cuisine at Euphoria.  Honestly, I am not sure if they are hiring another chef, but I can't imagine it being successful for long without a chef. I really hope to see Chef Denman somewhere else very soon. I would hate to see her leave Indy.>>>>

So now, as I have to do every so often (usually whenever another one of my favorites shuts its doors), I am giving you the poke in the ribs to get out there and support local restaurants.  Next time you are tempted to go to a chain, for me, think about it and pick a local place instead.  The only way we can expand our dining scene, encourage new independent restaurants, and maintain the ones we have is by supporting them with our business.  If you are looking for ideas, check out the right hand "labels" column here on my blog, and click on "Independent Restaurants."  Or leave a comment, or drop me a line.  I will be happy to recommend somewhere close to you, wherever you are in the Indy area.

And hey, keep in mind that Chow Down Midtown starts this week, where you can get a multi-course dinner (or two) for $30 at some great independent restaurants in the Broad Ripple Area--what perfect timing to try someplace new! (Tomorrow's post will offer a review of one of the places featured on Chow Down Midtown, and I have reviewed many of the others--again, check the labels column to easily find them).
And feel free to leave a comment and a shout out to your local favorites. Anything we can do to support them!

Now, go eat!

Erin

Euphoria- Revist (Devour Downtown)

***As of June 5, 2011, Euphoria is closed as a restaurant and is only open for private events. The chef has also left the restaurant.****

Wow. Seriously, this was a great meal.  One of those kinds of meals that make you know that you are getting to experience food from a chef who really gets it. We hadn’t been back to Euphoria since the last visit which was marred by really off service.  And frankly, when I suggested it for this last Saturday of Devour Downtown, hubby said, “fine, but if the service is as bad as it was last time, I am never going back.”  But both the Devour menu and the regular menu looked so good, I was willing to take the chance because in the past I have always had very good food from Chef Denman.

Let me start by saying just for full disclosure, I am not anonymous in the restaurant—the Chef knows who I am and always comes over to chat with us while we are there.   Our server was new to us though, and right away impressed us with his professionalism.  He was attentive and knowledgeable but left us alone when we wanted to be left alone.  Our service all night was great.  So already, we were starting off better.

Anyway, we decided hubby would get the Devour menu and I would order off the regular menu (there was skate!).  So I ordered the phyllo wrapped goat cheese appetizer ($10). It came with a salad of green apples, fennel, red onion and in a citrusy vinaigrette. This was amazing. Seriously.  First, it was beautiful—the phyllo wrapped the creamy goat cheese in a dramatic way and the salad was a bit tart but with a bit of bite from the onions—it went perfectly with the goat cheese and the crispy bits of phyllo.  I would get this again in a heartbeat.

Hubby had the smoked salmon cannoli with fennel and grapefruit.  This was a very inventive dish—the dish was served cold, and the crispy cannoli were stuffed with smoked salmon and fennel with crushed pistachios on the end—they  were served with a little salad of arugula with a creamy dressing. Hubby can’t eat grapefruit, so he had them leave it off. However, it was all really nice together and one of the more unique takes on smoked salmon.  The grapefruit probably would have been a great addition though, adding a bit of acidity.  At this point we were fighting over whose app was better (it was mine by the way).

We were also served a little middle course of the sweetbreads that are on the menu.  They are crispy fried with creamed sauerkraut, smoked grapes, arugula and hazelnuts.  Wow, these were outstanding as well.  The creamed sauerkraut’s accent was on the creamy, with just a teeny hint of the sauerkraut flavor.  The grapes were really good with a bit of the sauerkraut and the sweetbread, and the nuts adding just a little texture.  It was a perfect combination.

I had the skate wing with angel hair pasta, preserved lemon pesto, fried cauliflower and watercress ($22).  The skate was well seasoned and cooked just right (it was seared). I liked a bite of it, and its mild flavor, with a bit of the lemony pasta and a little bit of the crunchy fried cauliflower.  The cauliflower tasted like it was crusted with a panko-type crust.  It was a very large portion for me and I couldn’t finish it, but we both really enjoyed it.  I love seeing skate on a menu, which is a member of the ray family, and is a very tender white fish (or ray).  If you haven’t had it, and like thinner flaky fish, and you see skate on a menu, give it a try.  I have rarely had it dried out, and it seems to remain juicy when other fish often seem overcooked.

Hubby had the flatiron steak from the devour menu, which was sliced, served on top of whipped cauliflower and with pickled turnips.  The meat was really smoky flavored and perfectly medium rare.  The smooth cauliflower (that looked basically like mashed potatoes and worked as a starch in the same way) and vinegary turnips were also a unique and well planned variation in texture and taste.  And for a devour menu, the portion was just as large as my non-devour entrée.  When you consider the same steak (albeit with different sides) is $28, Devour is a great deal here.

We shared hubby’s Devour dessert—the hazelnut mousse cake with caramelized hazelnuts—it was just the right amount of choclately flavor, without being too much.  The mousse was light, and the caramelized hazelnuts were like a bit of hazelnut brittle on top.

So when we got there at 6:30, the place was nearly empty which surprised me for a Saturday Devour evening.  By the time we left, it was much busier, but probably not more than 75% full.  So it made me wonder, those of you who have been and not been back, why? And those who haven’t gone? Why not?  This is certainly one of the steals for Devour Downtown, and with some great, unusual things on the Devour menu (unlike a lot of places).  Since our service was spot on, I am back to thinking this is one of the best restaurants we have in Indy.  I sat there and felt like I could be in any city in the country and would have thought this was a damn good meal.  Better than any I have had in quite awhile. Chef Denman has a tremendous amount of finesse in her cooking, and her skills and talent are shining through.

Euphoria

337 West 11^th Street

Indy  46202

317/966-2389

www.creationcafeandeuphoria.com (and they have even been working on the website!)

Euphoria - Revisit

***As of June 5, 2011, Euphoria is closed as a restaurant and is only open for private events. The chef has also left the restaurant.****

How much does service play into what a good meal is for you? Unfortunately, my boundary lines were put to the test the other night at Euphoria. I have been excited to go back since I went last winter to try the new menu (new Chef) at Euphoria. It was an unseasonably mild night and the perfect one for the patio. We were with friends who had also enjoyed a very good meal awhile back at Euphoria and were looking forward to a return visit.

The menu was quite interesting, and I enjoy that it is not the same menu you see everywhere—there is creativity going into the planning. I started with the scallops that were being served with duck confit, sour cherries, arugula and walnuts. First of all, I just liked the sound of all these things—you can tell there will be a good mix of textures and flavors. The 2 scallops (which in my mind is a proper appetizer portion) were well seared, but not overdone in the middle and served with the other items. My favorite thing with the rich, buttery scallops was the sour cherries. Unfortunately there were only 3 of the little cherries and I would have liked one with every bite. They added a real tartness that I really liked with the scallops and walnuts. There were only a few little pieces of the duck on the plate, and honestly, I didn’t think they added that much.

Hubby had a fairly simple salad of greens and grilled veggies—asparagus, squash and radishes with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was good, and the veggies had a nice grilled flavor, but it was nothing overly exciting. One of our friends had the smoked salmon appetizer which was quite tasty and interesting. There were little pieces of the salmon topped with matchsticks of jicama in a coriander crème and pickled pearl onion on the side. There were also a few pieces of fried rice (as in deep fried crunchy rice) and watercress scattered throughout. I liked this unique take on smoked salmon. It was one of the favorites at the table.

For my main dish, I had the halibut with golden beet and snap pea salad with watercress and pine nut vinaigrette. The fish was well cooked—very tender and moist, and my first bite was great—I had a bit of the salad and vinaigrette and could really taste the vinaigrette. Unfortunately, I must have gotten most of it in that first bite because I couldn’t taste the vinaigrette much after that and I really missed it. Again, much like the scallops, the flavors were well thought out and good, I just felt like there wasn’t quite enough of the seasoning aspect of the dishes.

Hubby had the Barramundi with parsley pesto and smashed potatoes, pancetta and green beans. Again, the fish was cooked really well and was exceptionally tender and moist. The pesto was nice as well. Hubby seemed to enjoy it but someone else at our table that had it was not as impressed. Also pictured is the pork dish offered this night—I took a picture because it was so pretty but I never actually tasted it. It was pork tenderloin with raisin glaze, feta and fingerlings.
We had a nice cheese plate for dessert which was tasty—we sampled all five of the cheese they were offering. I think they push cheese plates as an appetizer course though (our waiter did) because half of the crackers served were black pepper flavored. I know I have said this before, but I don’t really like heavily seasoned crackers with cheese because you really start to lose the flavor nuances in the cheese.

The food was all good—not quite as good as the last time we were there, but still very good. The real bummer of the night though was the service. When we got there, it was not yet crowded, although the bar was closed for a private event. At first our server was quite attentive to us and we were generally served our drinks fairly promptly. However, as we were talking and looking over the menu, we did not order immediately. The patio began to fill up quickly and when we left there was not an empty table. I am not sure, but my guess would be that maybe they were not expecting such a crowd and were not staffed for it. We had a hard time getting attention when we needed it—we waited for flatware for quite a bit after our entrées were served, were never given bread until we asked for it in the middle of the meal (although others were) and when we ordered a couple of glasses of wine with dessert, it took a very long time to get them (and only after quite a delay when our first selection was not available). There were long delays between courses and if we had not been enjoying our conversation with our friends so much, it would have likely ruined the meal.

Euphoria is notorious with its service issues. The food has always been good and I like the interior and patio. But I am almost to my breaking point with the service there. I would be interested to hear from any of you who have eaten there lately about what you have found while dining there. I am not sure exactly what is going on, but I would love to see the service match up to the quality of food that has always been served there.

Euphoria
337 West 11th Street
Indy, 46202
317-955-2389
http://www.indycanal.com/

Euphoria- A New Chef

***As of June 5, 2011, Euphoria is closed as a restaurant and is only open for private events. The chef has also left the restaurant.****

I reported several months ago that Euphoria lost its chef, who happens to be one of my favorites in Indy. We hadn’t been back just because things were so hectic and I figured I would give the new chef a bit of time to get settled in. Her name is Ivy Denman and she moved to Indy from Chicago where she worked at Blackbird restaurant. My parents, actually, were the ones who were nagging me to go back after they had a wonderful dinner over Valentine’s weekend. My Mom is not one to rave about food, but she did about Euphoria. So we decided it was time.

I had been checking the website every so often and the menu there hadn’t changed since Chef Denman’s arrival, which sort of had me uninspired. It turns out, however, that she actually changes the menu every two weeks and uses very seasonal and local ingredients. (Side note: Dear Euphoria, PLEASE change your website. It is so mish-mashy and visually unappealing and just not up to date. At least, at least, please keep the menu up to date. Even the web address doesn’t make sense.) Anyway, when we got there the menu was completely different from what I expected and reflected very wintry cuisine (which is very appropriate for mid February).

Although I am utterly and totally ready for some spring foods and I am getting worn out with winter, the combinations of flavors being put together at Euphoria are completely unique and I would say represent some of the most refined dishes available here in Indy. This is the hand of a very very skilled chef. I started with the grilled octopus with white bean puree, pancetta, tomato confit and potato. The octopus, while it had the flavor of actually being more smoked than grilled, was extremely tender and paired nicely with very thin, crispy, possibly baked pancetta and was served on the white bean puree. There were some roasted tomatoes there as well, although I would have really liked a bit more of the acidic flavor of the tomatoes to balance out the rich smokiness of the dish. But it was beautiful and extremely well prepared.

Hubby had the crispy sweetbreads with celery root puree, blueberry mustarda, and celery and cilantro salad with buttermilk puree. Wow, this was great. The sweetbreads were in the center of the plate on top of the celery root puree and garnished with the salad on top. Sweetbreads if you are not familiar, are pancreas. Doesn’t “sweetbread” sound so much lovelier? The sweetbreads were tender and perfectly fried and the flavors were amazing together. And again, the presentation was beautiful. And I want to comment on the portion size. It was perfect. These were appetizers and they were appropriately sized as appetizers. Not huge, but enough that you got the great flavor sensations and did not feel like you were left wanting more. I, for one, greatly appreciate this.

For my main, I ordered another appetizer, the braised fresh bacon with white grits, apples, olive honey and fried sage. This was a large piece of pork belly with a wonderfully crispy bacon-y edge that was set into the grits and was beautifully set off by the tiny little dices of green apple. The apples completely made this dish. The tartness of them added just the right sweet and tart flavor to the rich saltiness of the bacon. A perfect marriage.

Hubby had the crispy braised duck leg with the house-made pasta, parsnip puree, knob onions and cilantro. He really enjoyed this. It was basically like a fried duck leg—it had really crispy skin. The pasta was a simple ribbon in a creamy sauce, and was outstanding. Another chef with a great pasta-making ability. (I still do not understand why so many chefs that cook in non-Italian restaurants make so much better pasta than the Italian restaurants in this town. But I digress).

Euphoria also has a new pastry chef, and they are presenting several choices each night. They also have paired down the cheese selection, but are still offering several selections daily (they are listed in the wine list, so if you want cheese, that’s where it is). We shared the bread pudding with caramel sauce. They also brought us a nice dish of sorbet to cleanse the palette first which was nice and refreshing. Anyway, the dessert was quite large, definitely enough to share. It was good. Not spectacular, but good. The only thing that annoyed about the evening was the pace. It was a bit slow. Sometimes this is nice, but we were ending a busy week and would have preferred to get in and out a bit faster. Our server disappeared a few times, and I think they were busier than normal, but still, I think you should be able to have three courses and be in and out in less than 2 hours (unless of course lingering is what you want, but in that case, you can always draw out your meal by ordering more slowly).

The thing about Euphoria is it has never had a problem with its food as far as I am concerned. It was wonderful under the helm of Chef Gates, and it is again with Chef Denman. They have totally different styles but are both up there in our local scene as far as I am concerned. But for whatever reason, this place has struggled to get butts in seats. I am not sure if it is the location, the parking (it is all street parking, although I have never had a problem finding a space), service issues, or that people have just never heard of it. The interior is quite warm and inviting, but recently at another dinner I overheard a conversation where someone was talking about how much they enjoyed the new chef, but that they hated eating practically alone in the dining room. At this most recent visit, the restaurant was probably nearly half full, and it is a big dining room, but it is sort of a let-down when you know it has some of the best food in Indy. So have you been? If not, why not? I am quite curious about this.

Regardless, I am telling you, I am very excited about the new chef. I hope that she can make it work at Euphoria, because she is a very, very welcome addition to our landscape. She has a gift for matching flavors from all areas—the sweet, the savory, and the tart-- and bringing them together extremely well on the plate. This is another place that I cannot wait to get back to in the Spring (not to mention that lovely deck is always so nice in good weather). Seriously, get over there and give it a go--she is doing great things with food!

Euphoria
337 West 11th Street
Indy, 46202
317-955-2389
www.indycanal.com

Euphoria minus a chef

***As of June 5, 2011, Euphoria is closed as a restaurant and is only open for private events. The chef has also left the restaurant.****

Well, damn, it looks like one of my favorite chefs in the City, Brad Gates, has left Euphoria to pursue his own business in catering. I know, I for one, will miss him at Euphoria. Of course I wish him well in his endeavors and will have to come up with some events to have catered!

While Euphoria has been one of my favorite restaurants since I started blogging, it has always struggled a bit business-wise (from my purely unscientific observations) and this loss makes me wonder for its future. Hopefully, it will find its groove because it would be a shame to lose yet another of our few fine dining establishments. If you eat there from here on out, shoot me a line and let me know how it went. And of course, I am sure I will get back there myself one of these days to see what's up.

In the meantime, if you are interested in Brad Gates, you can find him on twitter @Gates_Catering.

Euphoria- Summer Devour Dowtown

***As of June 5, 2011, Euphoria is closed as a restaurant and is only open for private events. The chef has also left the restaurant.****

Well, we took some friends who had never been to Euphoria for devour downtown (what? It’s a new season, and yes, I love this place). Anyway, I was interested to see what they would do for the devour downtown menu. I am really trying to eat off the $30 menus to see if restaurants are really showcasing their best. And because I want to see what I would think if I walked in for the first time specifically to try the cheaper menus.

I was glad to see that the Euphoria menu featured something besides steak (which I have seen on most of the menus) and highlighted one of the chef’s specialties, the scallops grenobloise. Another nice touch was that they were offering a wine pairing with each course for an additional $20.

Anyhow, I started with the Gruyere Salad which was red oak leaf and bibb lettuce with gruyere, croutons and a Dijon vinaigrette. I have had this salad before, and it is tasty. Properly dressed (actually tossed in the dressing) and had the cheese and croutons tossed in as well so they were nicely distributed. I kind of have a pet peeve with a lot of the restaurants in this city about salads. I hate when they give you these nice salads with great greens and then either drizzle a tiny bit of dressing on top or pile all the toppings on top in a bowl that is far too small to mix them up in. The best salads I have had are ones where you can stick your fork in, get a bite, and taste all the flavors at once. Even the dressing. This is a salad like that. Still fairly simple, but the flavors are all there in each bite.

Hubby had another classic standby, the steak tartare off the bar menu. It was, as usual, yummy and huge. Seriously, that is a lot of meat. Enough for 4 people I think. It looks so pretty all layered the way it is served, but hubby always promptly mixes it all together into a yummy mash. But I am glad to see this staying on the menu, as I haven’t had it anywhere else around here where it is any good (I can only think of one other place where I have even seen it on the menu).

I had the scallops for my main. They are always perfectly seared (yes, I have had them a few times) and they are served over fingerlings from the farmers market with green beans and garlic croutons and lemon caper butter. I love the totally zip of the lemon butter. You can actually tell there is lemon (and capers too) in there. It is tangy. And that’s how I like it. The croutons are nice with it too, although mine had absorbed a bit too much of the sauce and were a little soft. I have had it before when they are really crunchy and I like the juxtaposition of the softness of the scallops with the crunch of the croutons.

The other choice on the devour menu was a roasted chicken with maitake mushrooms, polenta and a black truffle-fines herbs jus. This was a tough decision for me because I have had this before as well and it is also really tasty. One of the few places I would actually consider ordering chicken out (I hardly ever do). I think the only other place I did it often was the Slow Club in San Francisco (man, they could cook some mean chicken). But back on topic, one of my dining companions did order the chicken and she and her husband both really enjoyed it.

Hubby had the sardine appetizer for his main dish. They were grilled whole sardines with sweet cherry tomatoes, arugula and lemon-thyme vinaigrette. This was probably the only let down of the evening. Hubby ate a whole lot of whole grilled sardines in Europe and generally really likes them. Unfortunately, these were a bit too small and the bone to meat ratio a little high. The flavors were good, but it was hard to get the meat off the bones easily.

I had the chocolate cake “cappuccino” for my dessert which was a warm molten chocolate cake served in a coffee mug with a mocha-brown sugar crème fraiche. It was pretty tasty and a unique way to serve it. But I have to say, the standout dessert was the rather large cheese board we ordered. We asked the chef to put together a nice plate (we generally like the stinkier ones) when we ordered our appetizers so that they cheese could come to room temperature. I applaud Euphoria for being the only place in town with such an extensive cheese menu. And now, it is expanding even further with the addition of new cheeses from a new purveyor. I can’t even begin to tell you all the ones we had, but suffice it to say, they were good. And gooey. My only gripe was that the crackers were too flavored and detracted a bit from the cheese flavor. I like mine plain. Or maybe a little sweet. So I asked for some bread, which they nicely toasted for me, and I was set. Oh! I totally forgot about the bread thing too. One of the things that Euphoria in its current and former incarnation has struggled with (in my opinion) is the bread service. But they have started baking their own bread, and it is really good. Nice and soft with a good crust and a slightly sweet edge. Kudos to that. Come to think of it, if they could slice it super thin and then toasted it, it would be amazing with the cheese.

Ok, one last little gripe…what happened to the pasta? I love the pasta at Euphoria (and the half orders) and I miss it. What I really wanted was an order of the papardelle with local corn, pancetta and Parmesan cream that came as a side with the one side seared beef. That sounds awesome.
I do appreciate the fact that almost every dish utilizes fresh items from local Indiana farmers--if you read through the menu you will see many local farms mentioned. I know Chef Gates hits the farmers market regularly to assure fresh produce on the menu. It really makes a difference.

Hey, I just noticed on the website they are extending the devour menu through Labor Day. Now’s the time. I tell you, for $30, this menu is a steal (I mean the scallops a la carte alone are $27!). And this is a devour downtown menu that is, in fact, showcasing what this kitchen is all about.

Euphoria
337 West 11th Street
Indy, 46202
317-955-2389
http://www.indycanal.com/ (glad to see they're working on their website...although it still doesn't fit on my screen right).

Euphoria-Late Spring

***As of June 5, 2011, Euphoria is closed as a restaurant and is only open for private events. The chef has also left the restaurant.****

There was a moment when I thought I wasn’t going to write up every meal I have at Euphoria because I go there more than a lot of places. But then, I was like, forget that, this is some of the best food in Indy, and I am going to write about it! My readers need to know.

It had been awhile, and we hadn’t hit the latest menu yet so we got ourselves on over there. When we got there, we learned it was the last night for this particular menu, which always seems to happen to us, but we were happy to enjoy the last of the season’s morels. We started with the ½ order (thank you thank you for putting half orders of pasta on the menu, this makes me so happy) of the morel mushroom pasta, which was pasta “rags” (or large flattened pieces like really wide pappardelle, covered with a creamy sauce with Pecorino Romano and Taleggio cheeses, and morels and asparagus mixed in. Man, was this good. And I was so happy to see they have (at least for now) added a pasta section to the menu with two pasta choices in full or half orders. I have said many times that Chef Gates’ pasta could compete (and win) against just about any in the City. This pasta was so good and rich, but had a sharpness from the Taleggio that I really enjoyed. The morels and asparagus added a nice flavor and texture break, and the pasta was perfect. Hubby and I shared this, as well as the next item, and we both loved it.



The other appetizer we had was the tuna tartare. This is clearly the best I have had in the City (well, I had a really good one at Puck’s once, but I think it may have been influenced by the fact that Chef Gates had worked there because it was very similar). It was a layer of a sweet onion/tomato relish, a layer of avocado, and the chopped sashimi tuna with horseradish-Dijon vinaigrette. The flavors went perfectly together, and there was just enough acid between the vinaigrette and the tomato relish to make all the flavors shine. Plus the teeny little crunchy pieces of the onion were perfect with the smooth avocado. And the salty sesame crackers were the perfect thing to eat with it--adding the salty taste and the crunchy texture. I had a really hard time deciding which was better. I would happily order either or both, again. Outstanding.






We had already ordered our entrees (sharing the pan roasted black grouper and a half order of the lobster tortelli) when we were chatting with the Chef who told me there were soft shell crabs on the bar menu! I hadn’t even looked at it because everything on the regular menu sounded so good! Well, like I said we had already ordered our food, but no way was I going to pass up soft shell crab, so we just added an order of those to our meal as well!

The soft shell crabs were delicious—really meaty ones, not like some you get that have no meat in the body. They were coated in breadcrumbs made of graham crackers as well as some other savory spices and were fried. They were really good too—a very similar coating to his calamari I think which is also quite good. There were three dipping sauces and I really liked them, except maybe for the tartar, it just wasn't exciting. They were a great deal too, there were 4 on the plate (even though there are only 3 in my picture—hubby got to one before I had my camera ready) and I think it was like $16.





Back to the things we initially ordered, the grouper was served with toasted couscous, ramps, English peas, a charred tomato vinaigrette and basil pesto. Again, the flavors all went together beautifully and the fish had a wonderful crispy skin.


The lobster tortelli has been on the menu before, and I have had it a few times. It is little tortellis stuffed with lobster, served with leeks and a “shallot-tarragon beurre fondue.” It was probably my least favorite thing we had, although it was still good. The pasta was a little dense I guess, but I love those smoked tomatoes on top for garnish. The flavors are rich and go together really well, but everything else was just so good, it seemed to lack a little luster in comparison.

Obviously, after that much food, we couldn’t do dessert, and hubby made a nice lunch of leftover fish and pasta, but one of these days we are saving more room for another cheese plate.

Euphoria
337 West 11th Street
Indy, 46202
317-955-2389
http://www.indycanal.com/

***June 21st update: went back the week after this review (what can I say, some friends wanted to get some of those yummy crabs, and who am I to argue?). Had lots of our standbys, the crab (natch), the beef tartare, and a cheese plate, all delicious as usual. Also tried the venison chops (we shared them). Outstanding. Not gamey at all and wonderfully prepared. Almost like a meatier, jucier lamb chop. Oh, and of course, the chef informs me the menu is changing yet again this week...a repeat visit may be necessary soon!

Euphoria-April Revisit

***As of June 5, 2011, Euphoria is closed as a restaurant and is only open for private events. The chef has also left the restaurant.****

Wow, I have been doing well lately with some amazing meals . Ok, I know I review this place more than a lot of places, but well, it is one of my favorite places, and hey, it’s my blog right? And seriously people, if you haven’t been, go and give it a try.

First though, in the interest of my complete honesty and total full disclosure, I must tell you all that this is a restaurant where I know, and am friendly with, much of the staff, so my meals there are in no way anonymous. Not that I think they treat me any differently from anyone else, and not that I would ever be anything but truthful in my review, but I thought I should let you know.

Ok, enough of that and onto the food. Overall, this is one of the best meals I have had (in Indy) in awhile (well, that and my last R Bistro meal, but you already know about that). So I had seen on the web that Chef Gates had put morels on the menu, so I needed to get in there (oh how I love morels). The menu had already changed, but the morels were still being used—of course, I ordered the item containing them for my starter. It was a spinach salad with bacon-Sherry vinaigrette, nice hearty hunks of blue cheese, red onions and of course, the aforementioned, crispy fried, morels. This salad came together beautifully. The dressing was pleasingly tangy and in proper amounts. Simply, I loved it. Hubby had the duck confit for his starter (seriously, that was a starter?). It was huge and hubby loved it. He was literally sucking the meat off the bones at the end, manners be damned. It was served over roasted asparagus and according to him, was perfectly cooked.

For our main course, we shared the skate (have I mentioned lately how much I love skate?) which was done in the classic Meuniere style (with lots of yummy lemon butter and capers on top) and served alongside house made linguine in a very light tomato sauce. I have also mentioned this before I think, but the Chef does fresh pasta so well, I am always happy when I get something with a side of pasta. You know it will be good. We also got a small order of the mussels from the bar menu which are also always good---I have told you about them before, but they are served with sliced garlic and topped with roasted tomatoes. And they are fresh, unlike certain restaurants around here apparently. Also, new to the bar menu are the skate fries which are fried strips of breaded skate, that sounded quite intriguing. Have I mentioned how much I love skate? I will say that entrees here are certainly big enough to share, and I find you can easily make a dinner of two appetizers.

We were so full that we passed on dessert (even the cheese) and just sat and digested with an extra glass of wineto share. I am happy to report though that not only was the food top to bottom outstanding, but the service was more polished than I have ever experienced while eating in the dining room. We happily recognized our server as a former L’explorateur server and service was attentive without being obnoxious. The wine was cold, the service good and the food amazing. Seriously, overall, this was one of the best meals I have had in since living in Indy. And this is a place with an ever-changing menu with amazing seasonal creations. Support our creative, inventive chefs who are still passionate about what they are doing and go have dinner!

Euphoria (and hey, they even have signs outside now!)
337 West 11th Street
Indy, 46202
317-955-2389
http://www.indycanal.com/

Update: 4/24: did another visit (after seeing Elements go under we wanted to be sure and support our faves) for dinner tonight and had a great meal and great service. Yummy steak tartare and the halibut with morel nage and spring veggies. Delish! The best patio in town too.

Euphoria-Winter Revisit

***As of June 5, 2011, Euphoria is closed as a restaurant and is only open for private events. The chef has also left the restaurant.****

Well, after L’explorateur’s unfortunate closing, hubby and I agreed we needed to put our money where our mouth is (no pun intended) and get back out to one of our favorite local restaurants/chefs and visit Euphoria again. We also went with hubby’s parents. It was so uplifting to see just how busy this place was! The first few times I went to the Tavern (before changing names and management) the food was always great, but the place was lacking in customers. This time, they had nearly a full house by the time we left and the place had a great vibe.

The food was also great as well. I shared/tasted several items and had several remarkable things. We were served a fabulous amuse bouche of fried artichokes with some of the tasty Puttanesca that is mentioned below. A great way to start the meal (and as I have mentioned before, I am always more impressed by a warm amuse, it takes some effort). As for what we ordered, we went with a few favorites we have had before and a few new items. The things we had had before, the beef tartare (off the bar menu) and the sweet potato gnocchi were good. The tartare is a great dish served with all the traditional garnishes on the side to mix in with the beef and housemade potato chips. The gnocchi are served with shaved Brussels spouts, braised pork and parmesan. They were maybe not quite as good as the first time we had them (I’m not sure why, maybe not as much of the Brussel Sprout flavor) but still very tasty.

I also tried the shrimp curry for the first time which was quite tasty, even for me, and I am picky about what curries I like. They are served with Laughing Bird shrimp, which are small, sustainably raised shrimp and were really great. I hope to see these shrimp in other dishes in the future—they had much more flavor than many of those super sized shrimps I keep seeing on menus around here that are always too firm. Anyway, there was a light curry sauce with avocado, pineapple and green onions that tasted slightly sweet from coconut milk but also had a bit of heat to it. This was not the kind of bright yellow curry you might picture from certain Asian restaurants. This was a light, creamy and spicy sauce on the shrimp served over perfectly cooked steamed rice. It was really quite good.

I also had part of the Scallop entrée which were large sea scallops served over baby spinach with cod cheeks, granny smith apples and a bacon sherry vinaigrette (with nice sized chunks of bacon). There were 4 large scallops and this was easily an entrée that could be (and was) shared. I enjoyed the saltiness of the bacon mixed with the tanginess of the vinaigrette and apples—right up my alley.

My father in law also ordered the one side seared beef which was served with a great fettuccine Puttanesca. It was also outstanding. Chef Gates really does pasta well—much better in fact then most Italian restaurants in this city in my opinion. The meat is also perfectly cooked, and everyone at the table had some and loved it.

The evening we were there was the last night of Devour Downtown and Euphoria had a great prix fixe menu set with several choices. They have decided to keep a $30 prix fixe on the menu for the time being. I think this is a great idea in our current economy. The menu has changed this week to my understanding, and after having a peek at the new one, the new prix fixe gives some great options (a great sounding soup or salad to start, trout or shortribs for a main, and a trio of desserts that includes my all time favorite banana tart).

The rest of the new menu (with some of the same items from the old one including the Scallops) has some great sounding additions, I for one am anxious to try the deconstructed Dungeness Crab starter. Oh how I love Dungeness Crab. We were also told that once they get to more Spring-ish menus, we will see some changes the wine list as well, which will make for a nice variety.

I noticed the steakhouse menu that I mentioned in my last review of Euphoria is gone which I for one am happy to see. We have enough steakhouses (we counted what like 10 downtown alone?). We do not have enough eclectic menus like Euphoria’s. Enough said.

As for the service, which has long been the Achilles’ heel of this place, it is certainly more friendly and welcoming. However, I think maybe they are (or were this night anyway) a bit short staffed, as the more crowded it became, the more overwhelmed the service staff seemed. But they kept up a warm front and did their best, and it was good to see them all so busy!

Euphoria is certainly one of the top restaurants in Indianapolis and I hope to see it prosper. Even if you are on a tight budget, there are great choices both on the prix fixe and the bar menu (in which everything is around $10 or less--be sure and ask for it) and you will certainly get some great food.

Euphoria
337 West 11th Street
Indy, 46202
317-955-2389
http://www.indycanal.com/

****2/9/09 update: Just thought I should share that on Monday nights the bar at Euphoria is open for an happy hour with all bar menu food items at 1/2 price as well as certain drinks. (The restaurant is closed, just the bar is open). They are also offering a seafood buffet with oysters, crab legs and shrimp cocktail, all you can eat, for $10. This is seriously one of the best deals going --you can get some amazing food for ridiculously low prices at one of the best restaurants in the City. Get yourself in there and see what they have to offer. I think you'll be hooked (and I can't believe these great deals are going to last forever.)

Euphoria

***As of June 5, 2011, Euphoria is closed as a restaurant and is only open for private events. The chef has also left the restaurant.****

Let me start by saying how happy I am that this restaurant exists again! Maybe even euphoric? (ha ha) Anyway, this is the new restaurant upstairs at the Bugg’s Temple building, previously “The Tavern at the Temple.” Several weeks ago the restaurant closed, and just when it looked like one of my favorite restaurants (for the chef and food anyway) was gone forever, it was reborn, as it were, as Euphoria. New owners, new service staff, same chef, many of the same menu items.

My first experience was a few nights before their grand opening when hubby and I were invited in to try some of the bar menu (and one of the regular menu appetizers as well). I was psyched. And thrilled to know the mussels I loved so much were still on the menu. They were the best in town. There are several repeat items as well as several new ones. And the cheese menu is still there too (thank goodness!). And you should know, if you go to eat here, you can always order off of the bar menu as well, so ask to see it. You get a lot more variety as far as appetizer choices that way (it is a completely different menu from the regular restaurant menu), and you can make a kick butt cheese plate for yourself for dessert.

So on this first night we tried two completely new things to us to start with, the sweet potato gnocchi with pork, thinly sliced brussel sprouts and Parmesan (this one is actually a starter on the dinner menu). Let me tell you, this was so good. Sometimes I find sweet potato things to be, well, too sweet. This was amazing. The gnocchi were sautéed and a bit crispy on the sides and all the flavors melded together perfectly. I would recommend this to anyone dining there.

We also tried the beef tartare. The freshly ground tenderloin and strip steak was topped with a fried quail egg and paired with very finely chopped onions and tomatoes, capers, those little tiny gherkins (cornichons I believe they are called) and mustard. And housemade garlic chips to scoop it with. Well, actually, they were really too thin to scoop it with, but great as a topper to a bite put together on your fork. The beef was excellent and the mustard really added that zip that you need with such a rich dish. I would get it again though for sure.

I had to get the mussels as they were one of my favorite things in the previous incarnation. When they first brought them out, we both thought they were off. The flavor wasn’t quite right. I then realized the smoked tomatoes that usually are a part of this dish were missing and it really suffered for it. Fortunately, I recognized the problem, and the dish was taken back to the kitchen and came out with the tomatoes. Then, it was back to par. I think because the restaurant wasn’t technically open yet and the kitchen was still getting it together (many new staffers were are told), they are just working out a few kinks. Just be sure and look for those tomatoes if you don’t see them on your mussels—they really make a huge difference!

We also tried the shrimp cocktail because it had been recommended. They are attempting to make a classic standby somewhat unique by serving it with different sauces besides the classic cocktail sauce. They serve it with three sauces—cocktail but with a sweet chili and Sriracha kick (really tasty actually), a cajun remoulade (this one didn’t really do it for me, tasted more like mustard or something), and a crème fraiche horseradish sauce (I liked the tang mixed with the heat of the horseradish). All in all, this dish was my least favorite though. The shrimp were good and large, but something about them was just a bit off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I don’t think I would order this one again.

For dessert, we were offered a cheese board (oh, hallelujah!) and we jumped at it. They have a lot of cheeses on the bar menu (and we are told even more to come) but they put it together for us. It was quite good, even without choosing it myself. They only thing I would change (besides making my own cheese choices) is that some of the crackers served alongside were savory flavored—which would be good if you are having a cheese plate as an appetizer, but when you want it for dessert, either plain crackers are best, or else something really good like raisin walnut bread thinly sliced and toasted. And some fresh fruit and nuts would really add to the experience as well. There was some chunky jam with it which was good, but just some grapes or fresh sliced apples makes for a perfect cheeseboard in my opinion. We were told that they are actually trying to go all the way with the cheese thing and actually invest in a cheese cart like you see in Europe (and San Francisco and even Chicago for that matter). In case you are unfamiliar, it is very common in Europe for there to be a large wheeled cart with many cheeses on it (usually broken up by animal type—i.e. goat’s milk, cow’s milk and sheep’s milk and then again by strength (or as I prefer to think of it, by stinkiness)). In Europe, people often have a cheese course either before dessert, or in place if it. And when you choose it, they wheel their cart around and you get to pick some yourself that they then slice up and serve with all the yummy accoutrements. The goal is to have a full cheese service on the weekends, with a dedicated cheese server! I won’t believe it til I see it, but I would be so, so happy! Bring on the stinky cheese! (I like the strong ones).

The service was so much more friendly and knowledgeable and I hope to see that continue and expand. The only service-type problem we had was the bottle of wine we ordered wasn’t very cold (which had been a problem in the past). I am going to think positive and believe it was just because they were still getting ready for the Grand Opening.

The next time we went was actually on the grand opening night. We went with friends, which was great--opportunity to have tastes of many things. It was a very cheery atmosphere and it was nice to see the place busy. They clearly had enough service staff and were on top of making sure the water glasses were full and wine glasses were topped off. We were also told there are many new servers who have come from other restaurants around the city known for their service. This is key, as service was one of the biggest problems with this place under the old regime.


The first food type thing I want to comment on is the bread. They have changed the bread service! I was mentioning this to hubby when we were at the bar, and was really hoping they got rid of the little rolls that were served room temp and were often so hard they could be substituted for batting practice. They now have nice slices of soft fresh bread (still not warm, but you can't have everything). Much better. Oh and such a cute little glass server for the butter--butter which is also room temperature and thus, spreadable!


We were served an amuse bouche of the salmon pastrami with a bit of creme fraiche and caviar. I'll be honest, smoked fish isn't really my thing but hubby loved it and everyone at our table seemed to enjoy it. Loved the plates they are using--very colorful and eclectic. The cool plate thing went on throughout the meal.


For my starter, I had the scallops grenobloise. These were outstanding. Normally I prefer the large sea scallops and these were the little bay scallops. But this was a great preparation. They were lightly pan fried with capers (love that tangy/salty thing) and teeny tiny croutons and a creamy fingerling potato sauce underneath. Add a touch more lemon, and, perfection. Hubby had the polenta with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. They were outstanding as well. One of our dining companions had the sweet potato gnocchi based on my recommendation and really really liked them, just as I did.

For my main, I had the lamb chops. First of all, can you say, enormous? The portions at this place have gotten Oceanaire size I think. The flavor was good, I really liked the dijon sauce and of course, the twice baked fingerlings (they fancy person's potato skins with cheese and bacon) and the broccoli rabe, however, the lamb itself was a little too tough. They were the big loin chops, and not the little lamb lollipops (um, the technical term being rib chop I believe) that I prefer (and which seem more tender). They were still medium rare in the middle, but they were a bit too charred on the outside. Hubby and another of our party had the suckling pig and both seemed to quite like it. My other friend had the one side seared beef, which I have had before and I know is good. It did have a more Fallish side dish-- wild mushroom risotto, and was quite well received. Seriously though, the portions are really really big. Next time, I will either split an entree or get two starters for sure.

Along these lines, another thing I noticed about the new menu was that 1) the prices went up and 2) there is a whole section of the menu which is like a steakhouse (and so many restaurants in this town). Now, I am guessing that both of these things have been done in order to ensure the survival of Euphoria, in which case, I wholeheartedly support it, as I really want this restaurant to succeed and prosper. It is a unique, non-chain restaurant with a local born chef (who has worked around the world) and who I think is doing great things. However, it does sort of bum me out that slightly under half the menu has been dedicated to steak like SO many other places around here. I mean, do people around here only want steak when they are eating out? I can throw some meat on the grill and have it come out pretty damn good. I want some complex flavors, some ingredients not necessarily so readily available to the home cook, some side dishes that layer the flavors in a way that I wouldn't naturally come up with on my own. But the dishes that aren't on the steakhouse portion of the menu all look great and all seem to showcase the talents of the chef. So expand your horizons and order those. Enough said.

For dessert, we ordered a cheese plate (natch) from the bar menu based on our own personal selections. We ordered quite a few selections and I am happy to report they were already serving them with plainer crackers and some fresh grapes (wow, are they reading my mind or what?). And as part of the dinner service, they were serving walnut bread, so I just asked for some of that with my cheese as well. Of course, if it were sliced super thin and toasted, oh the joy. But we can't have everything. I was very pleased with it. Hubby was too except that he complained about eating too much. My friend who was with us ordered a chocolate/pomegranate cake which was a tad dry I am afraid. Needed at least some creme anglaise or ice cream alongside to moisten it up a bit. And where oh where has the banana tart gone? Hopefully not away with the old owners. It was so good. They were offering a pear and apple tart tatin--next time.

The wine service was much improved (other than we didn't get a wine list upon being seated), but I knew what I wanted, so not a problem for me. And it was cold. They also serve my fave--Moscato d'Asti by the glass for dessert which made me a happy camper.

All, in all, Chef Gates is back, service is better and the food is still great. This time people, let's keep this place around!

Euphoria
337 West 11th Street
Indy, 46202
317-955-2389
www.indycanal.com