Guest Post - The Dancing Donut

Love having a regular donut guest writer. I have yet to make it to any of the new donut places!

Thanks Gwen!
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Donut lovers rejoice!  The Dancing Donut opened its doors Friday, April 3^rd at 1134 East 54^th Street in SoBro.  The Dancing Donut is the brainchild of Kate Bova Drury, owner of The Flying Cupcake.  Could customers handle her creative, kitschy brand of confection before their first cup of coffee?  I was about to find out.

When I arrived at The Dancing Donut a few minutes before their 7 am open time, the line already stretched out the door and into the parking lot.  There’s no missing the cheerful, smiling donut sign atop the store.  I couldn’t help but notice what an ideal location for a donut shop.  Just steps from the Monon Trail and several popular breakfast spots, I can imagine families stopping off for a snack in the middle of a bike ride or grabbing a donut while waiting for a table brunch table on Sunday morning.  Oh, and it’s two doors down from a gym, so you won’t have far to go when it’s time to work off those donuts.

Once inside, I was charmed by the atmosphere and décor.  The walls were lined with familiar paintings that you might see in a waiting room or your Grandmother’s parlor, except with colorful donuts tucked in unexpectedly.  In addition to ample tables and chairs, there is a counter with four stools in front of a window that looks into the bakery, providing a place for curious patrons to watch all the donut making action.  Overhead, two disco balls twinkled.  

As I approached the glass bakery case, I had a difficult decision to make: which of their many flavors would I try?  With tongue-in-cheek names like the Carmelo Soprano—a chocolate filled long john covered with caramel glaze--and the Fritta ‘staire—an apple fritter, I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the choices.  My partner in crime and I settled on a Brown Butter Crumble—a yeast donut topped with brown butter frosting and a crunchy sprinking of brown sugar, the Lemony Snickett—a lemon filled yeast donut, the Jelly Rippa—a strawberry jelly covered in sweet powdered sugar, and the Kevin Bacon—a long john topped with maple icing and crisply fried bacon.  Four donuts and two large Intelligentsia brewed coffees, my total came to right at $16.  

As I bit into each of the four pastries, I was delighted by the light, fluffy texture.  The donuts were delicate enough to be delicious on their own yet still able to stand up to the bold flavors of the toppings and fillings.  The bold coffee was the perfect compliment to these morning treats.

The Dancing Donut prides itself on serving “donuts so fresh you’ll blush.”  While a visit to this SoBro bakery might not make you blush, you’ll certainly be smiling.  Whether you sashay, waltz, or shimmy, get to The Dancing Donut for a delectable breakfast treat.  

The Dancing Donut

1134 East 54th Street

Indy 46220

317/737-1751

http://www.thedancingdonut.com/

Guest Post - Rocket 88 Doughnuts

Hi all, here's a post from Gwen, who wrote a post about General American Donut company this summer when my wrist was broken. She's back to update you on another doughnut place--Rocket 88. I have not been great about going to the doughnut places myself, so I am happy to have her specialty voice on the subject. 

Cheers, Erin

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Mmmmmm…donuts.  If you read that in your best Homer Simpson voice, you’re no doubt cheering the arrival of Indianapolis’s newest craft donut spot, Rocket 88 Doughnuts.  It’s located at 874 Virginia Avenue in the heart of Fountain Square. 

Opening on December 5^th, 2014, Rocket 88 claims to put the “ough” back in doughnuts with all-natural, organic ingredients, time-honored baking techniques, and creative flavor combinations.  The shop features its own special blend of coffee from Indy’s own Mile Square Coffee Roastery as well as organic teas, juices, and milk. Their menu includes classic favorites like Old-Fashioned and flavored yeast varieties, an assortment of vegan donuts, and specialty and seasonal flavors like Earl Grey Vanilla, Chocolate Potato Chip, and Brown Butter Pumpkin.  And let’s not forget the “crown jewel” of their menu—the waffle donut.  This gem is only available on the weekends and sells out quickly, so plan to get there early if you want to try this unique breakfast creation.

There’s no doubt that Rocket 88’s success is due in part to its location.  Located just steps from the Cultural Trail, the shop was filled with joggers, dog walkers, and cyclists stopping in for breakfast on the unseasonably nice Sunday morning I visited.  With its whimsical, post-modern décor and varied seating options, Rocket 88 encourages customers to savor their creations in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere.  For folks in a hurry, they’ll box your treats for safe travels.  

I wanted to try all of Rocket 88’s unique flavors, but even the most dedicated doughnut lover can only stand so much sugar, so I enlisted the help of two friends.  I purchased an assortment of eight doughnuts: two Salted Caramel Pretzel, two Maple Pecan, a Cinnamon Sugar Yeast, an Earl Grey Vanilla, and two Almond vegan doughnuts.  Add a large “Dirty Chai”—a chai latte with a shot of Mile Square espresso—and my total came to just over $18, served up by two smiling staff members.  Pricey for donuts and coffee?  Yes.  Worth it?  We would soon find out.

As we bit into our sweet confections, it was apparent that these were not your run of the mill, convenience store donuts—the textures of both the cake and yeast doughnuts were light, chewy, and airy.   The flavors were light and subtle—but almost too subtle in some cases.  The doughnuts were all delicious, but we yearned for more salt and crunch from the Salted Pretzel Caramel and the floral punch of a strong cup of Earl Grey Tea.  The vegan Almond donut ended up being one of our favorites, which surprised this group of omnivores.  

Though my first trip to Rocket 88 Doughnuts didn’t send me to the moon, their commitment to small-batch baking techniques, out-of-this-world flavors, and quality beverages will keep me coming back to explore their universe of craft doughnuts.

Rocket 88 Doughnuts

874 Virginia Ave

Indy  46203

317/737-2614

http://rocket88doughnuts.com/

Guest Post: Federal Donuts [Includes BONUS] — (South) Philadelphia, PA

Sacha here! You might remember me from Erin's review of Guatelinda. I am also known as @zigged.

Our 2014 family road trip took us east to visit my dad in New Jersey + enjoy adventures in Ocean City, MD, and New York City. The itinerary I planned included stops at restaurants that are reported to be culinary gems. This time: Federal Donuts.

I first heard of this place in Saveur's America's 50 Best Donuts (print edition). We tried another one on that list, Nord's Bakery in Louisville, and it was delicious. This one was a no-brainer because SOUTH PHILLY (where I'm from) and FRIED CHICKEN.

The menu is short and sweet. This place makes two things: donuts (hot fresh and fancy) and fried chicken. We were down to try both. I pre-ordered the donuts and chicken the night before to guarantee availability because of all the talk of their selling out of things.

We got a half dozen of each kind of donut—one of each fancy and two of each hot fresh—and a whole chicken. Each half chicken comes with a honey donut, so we got two of those too. If you call 15 minutes before arrival then they'll flavor the chicken before you arrive but I failed to do that, which was fine since I didn't remember the choices without looking at the menu anyway. We ended up with half buttermilk ranch (seasoning) and half honey-ginger (glaze). Then we drove to my dad's house in South Jersey, cut up the donuts into 6 pieces each, put the chicken on a plate, and sampled everything.

So...it's fried chicken. Tiny fried chicken. It wasn't piping hot by the time we ate it, and I tried only the honey-ginger because there weren't enough pieces for all of us to have more than one, so your mileage may vary if the conditions are different. But for $9.25 for four pieces of chicken and a donut, I wouldn't make a special trip again. I want to tell you more but there was really nothing memorable about it.

Oh, and every order comes with Japanese cucumber pickles. These were three teensy cucumber coins pickled in a gingery brine. The Huz liked them. I don't eat pickes.

Top photo, clockwise from top left: chocolate old fashioned, blackberry walnut, blueberry mascarpone, marshmallow marshmallow, chocolate sea salt, salted tehina.
Bottom photo, left to right (I think): Indian cinnamon, Apollonia, vanilla lavender.

So...they're donuts. They're good but not $2-a-donut good (although $6 for a half dozen of the hot fresh is reasonable). We each had our favorites, and all of us liked the salted tehina least (because it was almost savory), but we all agreed that they were nothing mind-blowing. My dad suspected as much ahead of time and I should've listened to him but SAVEUR LIST. A friend of mine wanted to bring us frannoli (fresh donut shells filled with cannoli cream) from Frangelli's Bakery the next day and I declined because we were donuted out but I'm sure that would've been a better treat.

We couldn't tell which hot fresh were which. I liked the dark brown ones the most of the three. They were all good but, like I said, DONUTS. Whatever.

I think the honey donuts are the basis for the hot fresh varieties and some of the fancy. There's nothing particularly honey about them but they are tasty for a plain donut. The cake is moist and tender and light and has a hint of tang like a sour cream coffee cake.

Federal Donuts

1219 S. 2nd St.

Philadelphia, PA 19147

267/687-8258

http://www.federaldonuts.com/

BONUS: If you are going to South Philly and you want to hit up a few slam dunk snack spots (i.e., not cheese steaks), go to John's Water Ice and Center City Soft Pretzel Co. You could even walk to one from the other! The pretzel factory closes at noon and the water ice stand opens at noon, so midday is the magic time if that's your plan.

TIP #1: There are other water ice places but John's is the best. For my entire life I got the same order: lemon on top, chocolate on the bottom. This time I tried pineapple on top, chocolate on the bottom. Solid choice. I'm not a fan of cherry-flavored things in general but that flavor seems to be very popular too, as evidenced by the dyed-red hands of the water ice dippers.

TIP #2: Be careful handling hot pretzels! Center City Pretzels has a mustard pump on the counter but, if your batch just came out of the oven, that pump is a trap. Dressing your pretzel will tempt you to bite it and that will hurt. Also, keep the paper bag open and maybe even take your pretzels out of it to cool (if you bought extra to save for later, which you should) so the crust doesn't get soggy and the salt doesn't dissolve.

Guest Post: Road Trip: Shake Shack — New York City, NY

Sacha here! You might remember me from Erin's review of Tacos 46. I am also known as @zigged.

Our 2014 family road trip took us east to visit my dad in New Jersey + enjoy adventures in Ocean City, MD, and New York City. The itinerary I planned included stops at restaurants that are reported to be culinary gems. This time: Shake Shack's Theater District location.

Many moons before our trip I knew where we'd have dinner in NYC. But a few days before we left I realized that we'd need a place for lunch too. Up until that point I assumed we'd pack it but, let's be real, two teenage girls from Indianapolis were not going to willingly go to Manhattan with sandwiches in their bags. So I asked Anil Dash where to go and of course he suggested this place. #duh

We arrived around 11:45 AM and were ordering by around noon, which is a pleasant departure from some of the stories I've heard. An employee handed us menus when we queued up (AKA "waited on line" to New Yorkers) so we knew what we wanted when it was our turn. My BFF from high school, who I hadn't seen in 10 years, met us there moments before it was our turn to order so BING BANG BOOM everything worked out perfectly. We got a buzzer that lit up when our order was ready a few minutes later and we ate standing at the bar-height counter where we had been waiting. Tables were snatched up before the previous occupants could fully depart.

We each got a ShackBurger® ($4.75) and a drink plus we split two orders of fries, one plain ($2.85) and one cheese ($3.85).

So...cheeesburgers. I mean, yeah, they were good, but they won't change your life. Thin patties cooked medium and served with a tangy secret sauce—I'm not sure why people go so bonkers about them. The fries were standard crinkle cuts*, you know, like at Culver's. The cheese sauce has a Cheez Whiz consistency and unremarkable flavor and wasn't in abundance on our order. I liked the burger, and I would get it again, but I wouldn't go out of my way or wait in a long line for it.

*Apparently some locations serve different fries and that has been controversial. And apparently Shake Shack will be bringing back a new and improved version of the crinkles to all locations by the end of this year. More details here.

This spot features a selection of frozen treats created just for this location. Various items on the menu had the potential to be tempting, including the custard flavor of the day (Devil's Food). The Girls got shakes, vanilla and strawberry, but I didn't try either of them because I was excitedly chatting with my BFF from high school. This may have been different had one of them gotten the flavor of the day.

Shake Shack
691 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10036
646/435-0135
www.shakeshack.com

BONUS: Here's a recipe for making a copycat burger at home, reverse engineered by an enterprising food writer, should you be so inclined.

Guest Post: La Terrazza Ristorante Italiano — Cherry Hill, NJ

Sacha here! You might remember me from Erin's review of Szechwan Garden. I am also known as @zigged.

Our 2014 family road trip took us east to visit my dad in New Jersey + enjoy adventures in Ocean City, MD, and New York City. My father and his wife took us out to dinner on the last night of our stay as an early celebration of my upcoming birthday. Their choice: La Terrazza Ristorante Italiano.

To start we shared two orders of calamari. We tried to get one order of grilled and one order of fried but the server said they were all out of grilled. (Not sure how that happens...?) In any case, the squid was tender and the breading was light and crunchy, which was just how fried calamari should be. It came with a wedge of lemon and two sauces, a marinara and a roasted red pepper. Don't be fooled by the photo—the plate was full but we swooped in like vultures before I remembered to snap a shot.

Four of us chose entrées that came with house salad, which was spring mix topped with two grape tomatoes and a drizzle of a creamy balsamic dressing. The dressing made the salad palatable—I'm not a big fan of spring mix because I think it feels and tastes like weed leaves—assuming you like dressing that is thick, smooth, and a teensy bit extra tangy. I thought two tiny tomatoes was a little skimpy, though. My dad got Caesar salad and The Kid got no salad, neither of which I have an opinion about.

I got one of the specials: lobster ravioli in a lobster cream sauce with shrimp and lump crab meat. The ravioli were red in color and stuffed full of lobster; I couldn't tell if there was any ricotta in there at all. The sauce was creamy, flavorful, and packed with seafood. I really enjoyed this dish. I imagine it would be good with a little cracked pepper on top but I only thought of that in retrospect. I ate all six ravioli + everything else on the plate besides the 3 or 4 shrimp, which I gave to The Kid.

The Huz got one of the specials: two crab cakes served with a cream sauce and a roasted red pepper sauce (same as with the calamari), with roasted potatoes and asparagus on the side. I did not try the crab cakes but he enjoyed them and the sauces. I heard him tell my father they were full of crab meat. I did try the potatoes and they were roasted to perfection with just the right about of herbs and spices. The asparagus had the right amount of tooth, too, based on the crunch I heard when he ate it.

The Kid got the shrimp Caesar flatbread. This seemed to be baked with the meat and then scattered with a chopped Caesar salad on top. She was disappointed that it had more crab meat than shrimp. (Well, she was surprised it had any crab meat, although I guess that's from not really reading the menu.) She chose it because she didn't want a heavy entrée and I'm not sure if she ate only half because she wasn't hungry or didn't like it. I didn't taste it but it looked appealing.

The Honorary Kid got lasagna. She ate most of it before declaring, "There's a lot of meat in there." I suspect she doesn't know what bolognese sauce is. I tasted it and picked up a pronounced nutmeg flavor, which must come from the béchamel sauce, and was glad I hadn't chosen that as my dish. The lasagna I'm accustomed to eating does not taste like nutmeg.

My dad got one of the specials: pork chop stuffed with broccoli rabe and roasted peppers and served in a marsala sauce, with roasted potatoes and spinach on the side. I didn't taste this because ① he was sitting across the table and ② I don't like broccoli rabe. He enjoyed it, though, and took about half home, which indicates that the portion was extremely generous (AKA my dad likes a large meal and to eat until he's quite full).

My dad's wife got...I'm not sure, really. I think it may have been one of the specials. I remember her choosing the pasta (capellini), and it looked like a frutti di mare-type dish, but I wasn't paying close attention and I forgot to ask.

Overall we really enjoyed this meal. More than one of us had leftovers boxed up and all of us left full and happy. Some of us didn't super duper love it but that's not a reflection on the quality of the food we were served but more on our choices.

My dad and his wife wanted to take us here because they loved La Posata, which recently closed, and they heard the chef had moved here. We found out from the server that the new chef wouldn't be arriving until August; what we ate had been on their standard dinner menu. The new menu will be some of these items, some La Posata items, and some new items. I expect the quality and taste will be at the same high level since both places serve(d) delicious dishes.

La Terrazza Ristorante Italiano [BYOB]
1401 Marlton Pike East
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
856/354-1888
http://www.laterrazzacherryhill.com

Guest Post: Mama Carolla's

by: @whitetimothyd

We embarked on a tour of indianapolis restaurants earlier this year to explore places we had not eaten for each letter of the alphabet. Last week we visited Mama Carolla's in Broad Ripple for our letter M. We had heard that if you want to experience authentic Italian Mama Carolla's was a great restaurant but if you want an innovative new spin on Italian cuisine, look elsewhere.

I'll start with some background:  the restaurant has been open in a renovated house since 1997.  An important note is the reservation protocol which does not allow reservations for parties of less than 6Tuesday to Thursday and does not take reservations of any kind on Friday and Saturday (closed Sunday and Monday). 

The first thing that stood out as we approached the restaurant from the rear parking lot was the beautiful outdoor seating area. We would have loved to sit outside on most any night but it was windy enough we choose to go inside.  It's important to point out that the restaurant is a renovated house that makes for a charming space but a quick updating by removing plastic flowers and cat pitchers on the shelf over our table would make a positive difference. 

The wine list was very approachable and we ordered a Monsanto Chianti Classico that was well priced but perhaps served a bit warm. For starters we ordered the fried mozzarella and garlic cheese bread. The mozzarella was very good topped with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. The bread was a bit more confusing. It was a round loaf that had slits cut in it with the cheese placed on the top. The top of the bread was fairly tasty but this left a large portion of bread beneath with no seasoning, garlic or cheese. 

To accompany out main course I ordered the Italian wedding soup which had great flavor but slightly unconventional thin short noodles. My wife got the Caesar salad which had good flavor but was rather heavy with dressing. 

For the entrees my wife ordered the veal Parmesan with angel hair pasta but I was enticed by the special for the night, blackened pork tenderloin with local corn and tomatoes and Tuscan mashed potatoes.  The interesting part about these entrees was they set the expectations I mentioned earlier on its ear because the traditional Italian veal dish felt heavy and should have been more delicate. The pork was a perfect medium (as ordered) and was the highlight of the entire meal.  So while blackened pork tenderloin feels more Cajun than Italian it was a delicious way to showcase local produce.   Keith our server was great and I have him to thank for steering me towards the special. We'll definitely be back and hopefully the weather will cooperate so we can sit outside.

Please follow the rest of our AtoZ tour of Indy on twitter @whitetimothyd.

Mama Carolla's

1031 E 54th Street

Indianapolis, IN  462/0

(317) 259-9412

mamacarollas.com

Guest Post: Road Trip: SangKee Asian Bistro — Greater Philadelphia Area

Sacha here! You might remember me from Erin's review of Pho 54. I am also known as @zigged.

Our 2014 family road trip took us east to visit my dad in New Jersey + enjoy adventures in Ocean City, MD, and New York City. The itinerary I planned included stops at restaurants that are reported to be culinary gems. This time: SangKee Asian Bistro.

To be honest, I didn't find this one on any list (although its website says it was voted Best in Philadelphia Magazine 2006). It was suggested by a college professor of mine that we planned to meet for lunch. Of the few choices he offered, this one looked the best.

The Huz, The Kid, and I all got the bento box lunch special ($13), which is a choice of three items. We all chose shrimp with fresh garlic sauce as the main item, which was fantastic. Tail-on shrimp, snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, asparagus, and maybe a few other things all tossed with an umamilicious sauce.

He got jumbo lump crab cake and chicken hot & sour soup as his other two choices. The Huz is a big fan of hot & sour soup and he said this one was excellent.

She got pan-fried chicken dumplings and ginger & scallion noodles as her other choices. She liked them both but the dumplings more. I wish I had gotten a taste of them. I tasted the noodles and they were good but not like we expected—skinny and a little dry when we thought they would be more like lo mein noodles.

I got jumbo lump crab cake and veggie fried rice as my two other choices. The jumbo referred to the crab meat and not the crab cake, which was small but very delicious. Lots of lumps indeed. It was sitting in a little puddle of sweet chili sauce that was a good accompaniment. I was very happy with the fried rice, too.

The Honorary Kid got sweet and sour chicken with white rice on the side because she wanted to go with a known. The chicken was more tender + a bit crispier on the outside than standard take-out and came dressed with the sauce (as opposed to having it on the side), which was brighter and tangier than standard take-out. I didn't expect it to be delicious, just passable, but it was outstanding. She couldn't stop talking about how much she loved it. If you are an unadventurous eater of Chinese food, or have someone in your party who is, this is a solid choice.

Dr. B, who is apparently a regular, got what he called the house special soup. (I assumed the menu would be online for reference later and it's not, so I'm relying on what he said.) When I asked him what was in it he said, "Everything leftover from last night." <shrug> It looked delicious—veg, meatballs, dumplings, etc.—and he loved it, so there you go. It reminded us of phở in that it was a big bowl of broth with a treasure of things floating around in it. I'd give it a shot.

The restaurant is in a strip mall with an unassuming storefront but the décor and ambiance are very nice inside—clean, bright, modern. Dr. B said they recently expanded into the space next door so business must be doing well. Service was good. I liked that there was a specific, laminated menu for the bento box lunch specials that listed everything in words on one side and photos on the other. We all enjoyed the tricolor fortune cookies too.

If you find yourself in Philadelphia and you want authentic (read: mysterious) Chinese food then I suggest you take your chances in Chinatown. If you are in the suburbs, though, or near the University City location, then this is a good alternative, especially if you're not up for a risky culinary adventure. Days later we were still talking about how much we enjoyed this meal.

SangKee Asian Bistro
339 E.Lancaster Ave.
Wynnewood, PA 19096
610/658 0618
http://www.sangkeeasianbistro.com

Guest Post: Road Trip: Red Egg — New York City, NY

Sacha here! You might remember me from Erin's review of Lucky Lou Seafood Restaurant. I am also known as @zigged.

Our 2014 family road trip took us east to visit my dad in New Jersey + enjoy adventures in Ocean City, MD, and New York City. The itinerary I planned included stops at restaurants that are reported to be culinary gems. This time: Red Egg.

Way back in April I came across a post (via Twitter) on the best dim sum places in the country. It was no surprise to see a restaurant in Manhattan but HALF-PRICE DIM SUM? That spoke to this cheapo's heart. When The Kid asked to see a Broadway show, and The Huz wanted to see the 9/11 Memorial, my request was for a discount dinner. Do we know how to do a day in Manhattan or what?

Sui mai

There were six of us at the table, as two friends (whom I knew from Twitter but met that day for the first time) joined us. It allowed us to order quite a sampling of the goods. I wish I could be more specific but I forgot to take the receipt with me, which had an itemized listing of our order. I did snap a shot of the order form, though, so I can give you an idea.

Roast pork buns

We got the following (I think): pork & shrimp sui mai; seafood sui mai; fish balls; chicken & scallop buns; roast pork buns (for which they are supposedly famous); pork, shrimp, and peanut "fun gaw"; vegetable "fun gaw";  crispy seafood dumpling; chicken skewer; beef skewer; crispy shrimp roll; and garlic spare ribs. They ranged in price from (I think) $4.50 to $6.50.

Fish balls

They gave us two things to dip stuff in: a red paste that I think was made from hot peppers and a translucent orange sauce that was sweet. Not sure that anyone but The Huz tried the hot pepper one but all of us liked the other one, which we assumed to be a duck sauce of sorts. We are a (mostly) wimpy bunch, I guess. The skewers came with their own dipping sauce, a thick, brown one that tasted like a soy reduction. Others liked it but I didn't.

Spare ribs

Everything was fresh, flavorful, and cooked well. My favorites were probably the smoky, tender skewers, the chunky fish balls, and the crunchy spare ribs. The crispy shrimp roll was good, too. I wish I had gotten a taste of the crispy seafood dumplings but there were only three in the order and I  must've forgotten to get more in the next round.

Various steamed buns

The funniest thing was that I had essentially no idea how to start. I'm not sure how I became the dim sum sherpa in the crowd. We ordered a few things at first but it was clear when the food came to the table that we would need to order more. I tried asking the guys that were around for advice—more than one brought food, refilled water, and came when we looked confused, so it was hard to tell who was our server—but they were vague with suggestions. Finally, after we had filled another order card, a man who seemed to be the owner came over and said, "Let the expert help!" He then looked at our choices and said, "Too much food! I know you have money but this is too much!" Then he placed the order. Ha! We laughed as the food kept coming out and we kept eating, especially at the idea that I was over-ordering because I had money to burn. My friends begged me to title the review MAKE IT RAIN DIM SUM. In the end there were only three individual dumplings left on the table.

When the bill came we saw that we had ordered 19 dishes for little over a hundred bucks. Reasonable, right? But then I asked The Expert if that was happy hour pricing and he said he would check...and then came back with a bill for half the amount. I KNOW. Ridiculously cheap. Even for Indy, but we were in Chinatown in Manhattan. Crazy. We tipped on the pre-discount price. You know, because we had plenty of money.

I got the impression from the snazzy website that the place would be big and fancy. Um, not so. The outside is a small, painted black storefront with a black door and a neon sign in a window shaded by black blinds. The inside is somewhat American Hustle with a touch strip club. Think black and red with copious mirrored walls, spherical pendant lights, and booths and niches. In other words, perfect for half-price dim sum.

Red Egg

202 Centre Street

New York, NY 10013

347/871-1123

http://redeggnyc.com

Guest Post: Road Trip: Gralehaus--Louisville, KY

by: wibia

In my opinion, Sunday brunch is one of the best meals of the week. It is your hall pass to eat whatever kind of food that you want.  Prime Rib at 11:00, no problem.   A drink, why not?! 

I looked at this list for places to go and it seemed generally creditable. https://impulcity.com/articles/best-brunches-in-louisville  Off the list, I choose Gralehaus.   This place is tiny.  It is in a restored house that has a few tables out front, and a garden with tables in the back.   There was a line inside to order at the counter and then you get a number and they bring it to you.   Total hipster hangout and it was packed.  We ordered a maple latte on ice ($5) and a ginger basil lemonade ($3)   I enjoyed the maple latte, but would’ve liked a little more maple.  The Ginger basil lemonade was a bit of a letdown and I prefer the one at Scratch Truck. 

For breakfast, I tried the biscuit with duck gravy ($9) and the lamb sausage & grits ($9).   We sat at a counter that is overlooking the kitchen.  I could literally reach out and make my breakfast we were that close.  I am not sure why, but I love watching crepes being made.  Mostly because I think that I can do it with my eyes closed, but imagine that it takes a little bit of practice. 

We waited and waited and waited….  I usually never complain about brunch because I have nothing else to do, but good grief.  Our meal arrived and as you can see, it looks good.  Mine was served luke-warm and I am not sure if this was the intent.  I could see the kitchen, so I know that it wasn’t sitting.  Knowing that we didn’t have table service and it took so long, I didn’t send it back, but in retrospect, I should’ve.  I enjoyed the taste quite a bit, but missed the maple syrup and duck cracklin' that I thought made this look interesting.  The duck in the gravy was softer than what we would typically find in a pork sausage that was fried a little harder.  Maybe my palate is going to the dogs, but I highly doubt that.  To continue complaining, note on the pic where there is a biscuit, not biscuits and duck gravy.  I know that my appetite is more than the average bear, so I am not sure if you should trust me on this.  Another half of a biscuit could go a long way here, just saying. 

My wife’s lamb sausage and grits was the winner of the two.  The lamb was formed into a patty (crepinette) and tasted different than any other breakfast sausage that I have had.  I really liked the spice that came from the ras el hanout and I can’t say that I have ever had this mixture before.  I thought that I tasted some sage in the lamb, but I might be wrong. Either way, flavorful as all get out and a great dish.  

With all of my complaints, I liked the Gralehaus.  I am not sure if I like it for Sunday brunch since it was insanely busy and is usually want something pretty quickly to cure whatever I did to myself on Saturday night.  If you want to get back at it, they had a wild beer selection where I didn’t even know 70% of the beers in the case.  We need more places like this in Indy.  A small menu, superior quality and something different.  With 14 other places that look good on that list, Gralehaus is not on my “must go back to” list in Louisville, but it was a fun experience.

-wibia

Gralehous

1001 Baxter Ave

Louisville, KY 40204

502/454-7075

gralehaus.com 

Guest Post: Road Trip: The Exchange, New Albany, IN

by wibia

Guess who’s back, back again…   say it like Eminem at least for that line.  Best wishes to a speedy recovery to my pal Erin. 

My wife and I enjoyed a weekend trip to Louisville and decided to commit to the major hipster music festival called Forecastle.  It is a great 3 day music festival that is run well and very approachable.   At roughly $150, you get a ton of good music and the grub is not that bad.   The first band that we wanted to see on Saturday was started at 2:30, so we had a little time to explore.   We took a trip back over the river to the Horseshoe Casino where our casino winning streak ended in a blaze of glory.  Stupid roulette and stupid red 17.

The Eater hot list is my first go-to list when visiting a city that I am not extremely familiar with.  On the top of the list, The Exchange in New Albany.   On Saturday, they open at 1:00 and it is the dinner menu only, which was more interesting to me anyway and I didn’t mind spending the extra dough as money and calories do not count when on vacation (note: red 17).  There were a few other patrons knocking down the doors at 1:00, so I was hopeful that the locals knew a thing or two and this was a good place.

The interior is quite nice.  They spared no expense.  The tables are reclaimed wood from the renovation and the steel beam trusses give it a warm but industrial look to it.   The restaurant itself is quite nice actually.  The menu is a modern gastro pub which is a significant as natural food labeling, but to me is just means – let's try to fancy up bar food and charge $2 more on everything.    

We started off with roasted red pepper hummus ($7) and roasted corn chowder ($6).   I realized after ordering the hummus, am I ever blown away by hummus? No.  I actually enjoyed this dish quite a bit and I liked the Klaus’ soft pretzel crostini.  Though it seems like an obvious fit, this is the first time that I had pico on hummus and I thought that it added nice texture to the dish.  The corn chowder was a disappointment.   For having bacon in it, I could’ve used a little more salt and pepper.  The soup wasn’t served hot enough for my liking and the green chile crema didn’t add anything significant and I didn’t care for the lukewarm soup and really cold crema combination.  Back to the drawing board on this.

My wife ordered a grilled cheese with white cheddar, green chiles, pickled onions, dijon mayo and brioche bread ($12).   She enjoyed this quite a bit, but I can’t say that I felt the same way.  The big issues here for me is that the bread and cheese proportions where out of whack.  More bread than cheese that is.  The pickled onions added a little bit of crunch that tasted out of place here.  Again, my wife liked it, I didn’t – it is probably a matter of taste.

I ordered the rock shrimp gnocchi ($20).  Cream, parmesan, red fresno peppers, asparagus, and bread crumbs.  I liked this quite a bit except it suffered the same fate as my corn chowder where a little salt and pepper could help this dish.  I didn’t get a lot of notes from the fresnos, but they added a lot of asparagus in the dish.  The gnocchi was just a bit soft for my taste, but I have had a lot worse.  The bread crumbs added texture to the dish and I have to say that this was a winner.

The Exchange was a nice surprise. There were a few issues here and there, but it was an overall strong effort for a young restaurant.  I enjoyed exploring New Albany and it was worth the 10 minute drive from downtown Louisville.  It’s a great space, the food showed promise, good beer and bourbon list, and I wouldn’t have any reservations in going there or recommending it. 

-wibia

The Exchange

118 W Main

New Albany, IN

812/948-6501

www.exchangeforfood.com