Thr3e Wise Men

Thr3e Wise Men is the latest project of Scott Wise, who owns the Scotty’s Brewhouses and Scotty’s Lakehouse at Geist.  I always joke that the surest way to stir things up is to write a review of a Scotty’s enterprise. These reviews always seem to bring people out for comments. I will be interested to see if this is the case with this review.

Anyway, I already liked this place when I saw the fact that the menu is so much more limited than others in Scotty’s arsenal.  It is pretty much pizza, sandwiches, a salad and a few appetizers (fear not fried pickle lovers, they are there).  But the focus is pizza-type foods and beer, which they are also brewing in house.

We had put off going up till now because I had heard there are no backs on the seats in the restaurant (mostly picnic tables, but there are some tables in a banquette with backs) and we were waiting for a nice day to sit outside at the tables and chairs out there (with backs).  Hubby has back problems and gets cranky if he doesn’t have a back.  However, I will have to say, for picnic tables, they look like they are about the most comfortable ones you could imagine.  The seats are padded and the tables are topped with a thick coating so you aren’t going to have those tables that never really get clean.  I actually really liked the interior—it felt more welcoming and more family friendly than the Lakehouse which has always felt like a bar inside to me more than a Lakehouse.

But we sat outside with the kids who already instantly loved the place as soon as our server set down the bucket of popcorn which is being popped freshly near the back of the restaurant (the first smell I noticed when we walked in).  Seriously, they could eat nothing else and get fresh popcorn and be happy. They are easy.  Thr3e Wisemen doesn’t have a specific kids menu, but with pizza as a main item, most kids I know are going to be happy.

We started with an order of breadsticks ($4) and the tableside tossed salad ($7 for serving for 2).  The breadsticks were a hit with the kids as well—they were pretty good. Nothing amazing, but solid and I liked that they seemed to be brushed with some garlic butter giving them a little flavor without dipping them into anything.  They did bring their housemade marinara and the standard nacho cheese dip.  I am still waiting for someone to come up with something different to dip breadsticks into, but maybe that’s just me.  I would love just a bit more of the garlic butter on the side at Thr3e Wisemen --that would be tasty.  The marinara is pretty good though—very thick and savory in flavor, none of that over-sweetness I don’t like.

The salad was chopped lettuce with spinach, red onions, mushrooms, bacon, mozzarella and goat cheese.  We went with the house dressing which is an Italian-type vinaigrette.  It was properly dressed (tossed and dressed at the table) and served its purpose as a nice accompaniment to the pizza. The dressing leaned a bit toward the sweet side for me—I would prefer a bit more vinegary flavor, but that is probably a matter of taste.

The pizza though, wow, the pizza was really good.  Hubby and I split a small pizza with red onions and mushrooms ($11).   I appreciated that our server stopped us when we tried to order a medium, telling us she thought we would be better off with a small.  She was right.  The small is plenty big.  The crust is super thin and done the way a thin crust should be. Nice and crispy but with just a little chewiness. It had a great yeasty flavor, not sure if it is from the dough, or the fact that they use some of their home brewed beer in it.  Same marinara here—the right amount so it didn’t take over the other flavors and just the right amount of toppings.  The cheese is also a blend from a local dairy and had a little more flavor than your standard pizza mozzarella.  If you like a really thin crust type pizza, this is a place you need to try.  The kids had a cheese (with extra cheese) pizza ($9.50) and seemed to enjoy it as well.  Extra cheese may be a bit much for the crust, but they were happy.  On this subject, I think if you were to load up the crust with too much meat, it may not hold up as well either, but I could be wrong. I would love to hear from other people what they have liked on their pizzas at Thr3e Wisemen.

This is good pizza.  Hubby and I were both really happy to have found a handmade pizza with good flavor so near our house. We have a ton of pizza places around us, but we are not in love with any of them.  The pizza at Thr3e Wisemen may just fill our void for a good thin crust pizza.  We will know for sure when we see how well it travels.  But the current plan is to put it into the rotation for sure.  I am glad to see that the narrower menu has allowed for certain menu items to really shine.  The service was also very friendly and professional while still being low-key. I like that it doesn’t seem like they are trying too hard.  All around, this is a nice family friendly Broad Ripple option with some high quality menu items. (Kudos to the stools in the bathrooms for kids to reach the sinks and the fancy hand dryers).

Thr3e Wise Men (is it just me, or does the “3” in the name make it more difficult to find online?)

1021 Broad Ripple Avenue

Indy 46220

317/255-5151

http://www.thr3ewisemen.com/

Scotty's Lakehouse

Scotty’s Lakehouse is probably the most suggested place I have had for a review. It seems like everywhere I go, people are asking me if I have been there. I couldn’t quite figure it out, after what was a fairly average review before of Scotty’s Brewhouse, but I figured with that many people recommending it, I should give it a try.

The first thing I liked about the Lakehouse was the menu. Actually, several things about the menu. First, it is so much simpler and less sensory overload than the Brewhouse menu. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a lot on this menu, but it looks like someone has made a conscious effort to pick the best things and focus lots of energy on them. Also, it is printed on recycled paper in a simple color scheme. It lets you focus on the words without feeling like the pictures are knocking you out. The other thing I liked is that the Lakehouse is attempting to source the majority of their ingredients organically, and locally, if possible. For a “burger joint” as they call themselves, I am impressed with this.

The interior is not that much different from the Brewhouse interiors—it feels like a bar, not a Lakehouse. Hubby was particularly not impressed with being seated within direct eyeshot of the kitchen, particularly since there were several empty tables when we got there. We did get a booth, which are quite roomy and the flat screen tvs that are a Scotty’s signature item would be nice if you have kids with you (it looks as though you can only get sports or cartoons though).

Anyway, we decided to get several items and share them all. We wanted to see what some of the items were like that were unique to the Lakhouse so we tried to aim for those. We started with the tuna ceviche and the truffle fries. Unfortunately, when the fries first came out, they were totally cold. We could see the potential though and sent them back (our server was very attentive). The second batch was excellent. The fries themselves are made fresh in house (so we were told) and are cut in a very interesting way—they are almost like little canoe shapes. They are pretty good sized and the individual little fryer basket they are served in is cute. I love truffle flavor on fries, but I don’t think it added a lot here. You couldn’t really taste it that much, and it was completely lost if you used the dipping sauces they served alongside (according to the menu, the sauces are chipotle ketchup, garlic mayo and Sun King beer mustard—the mayo tasted more like ranch dressing to me.) But, anyway, when they were hot, they were really good. Nice and crunchy exterior, a bit of skin left on, and fluffy inside. We kept talking about how they were almost like the base of a potato skin without as much skin, and how good they would be topped with cheese and bacon (which luckily they have already thought of and such an item is on the menu).

The ceviche is ahi tuna chunks mixed with tomato, onion, lime juice, jalapeno, and avocado. Blue corn chips are served on the side. I keep ordering this type of dish at various places hoping someone will pull it off and you know what? The Lakehouse did a decent job. The seasonings were great—although it was almost like a very mushy guacamole with the chunks of fish mixed in. But you could really taste the lime and other seasonings and we enjoyed the flavor. My only complaint is that the fish may have been a little “overcooked” (ceviche is basically cooked in the lime juice and the longer it stays in the mix, the more cooked the fish gets). The portion was quite large—between the two of us, we probably only ate half.

For our main course we got the #3 burger which is a burger with a fried egg, applewood smoked bacon, chipotle ketchup and Indiana smoked gouda cheese. The burgers are cooked to order (we got medium) and the egg can be as well. They standardly cook it hard, but we both like it runny in the middle to create a nice saucy addition to the burger. They had no problem cooking it over medium. Ok, this burger was delicious. And this is saying a lot for a girl who tends to like her burgers really thin. And these burgers are a great value at $8.00. Totally worth every penny. There are no sides that come with, but I would recommend those fries we had earlier. One of our favorite parts of the burger was the bun—it was really delicious and perfectly proportioned to the sandwich. It was a soft high quality egg bun—totally different from the sesame seed buns I remember from the Brewhouse.
We also got a small cobb salad to share as well. The salad was very Patachou-esque, which makes sense since Patachou serves the breakfast and brunch at Lakehouse on the weekends. By the way, I think this is a great idea in a place like Geist that has limited restaurant choices—basically you get two restaurants in one. Anyway, the cobb salad was what you expect, other than there was a lot of fresh spinach mixed in with the greens. There was so much lettuce packed into the bowl actually, it was a little hard to eat. But the blue cheese, bacon, egg crumbles, tomato and red onion dices were all good quality and fresh. And I really appreciate they don’t skimp on the avocado which was laid across the top. The dressings are all housemade and I went with the ranch. It was very good. Like I said, it reminded me a lot of the salads at Patachou. Fresh, good quality ingredients. Nothing amazing, but a good Cobb.

Finally, and probably the biggest disappointment was the mac and cheese. They have three varieties of mac and cheese—we got “Mac 2,” which is rotini noodles with caramelized onions, bacon, goat cheese and Indiana smoked Gouda. This just was not good. The noodles were dry and not cheesy really and the Gouda was just laid across the top of the noodles and warmed up (but wasn’t very warm when we got it). It wasn’t gooey at all and just did not come together. I think mixing the ingredients up would make for a more cohesive product.

We also shared a whoopee pie for dessert. This was really tasty. It is two soft chocolate-y cakes with a layer of marshmallow cream in the middle and covered with powdered sugar and caramel sauce. We really enjoyed this. The cakes were nice and fresh and soft and the marshmallow flavor sort of made you feel like you were eating something you would have loved as a kid. Really sweet, but fun. And I love that you get a little box of Lemonheads with your check.

So yes, this place is a burger joint. And if you stay in that area of the menu (and be sure and get some of those fries), I think you will have a really good meal at the Lakehouse. And I applaud Scott Wise (aka “Scotty”) for using all these organic and local ingredients and for making so much of the food in house. Here’s my question, if it can be done at Lakehouse, why not at the Brewhouse too (at least use the Lakehouse buns at the Brewhouses—they are delicious)? That would be a wonderful evolution in pub food.

Scotty’s Lakehouse
10158 Brooks School Road
Fishers, IN 46037
317/577-2900
www.scottyslakehouse.com

Scotty's Brewhouse

Well, Scotty’s has been on the list awhile, and we had the kids and my parents and it was a great day to sit outside, so we thought, why not? I have to start by saying they do a nice job of making the place pretty kid friendly for a “brewhouse.” Inside there are TVs at each table (can you change the station? I am not sure. If not, sports may not keep the kids entertained after all). We sat outside though, and they had one of those nifty bean bag toss games right outside the fence on the sidewalk that kept the kids entertained until their food got there. And since it was Sunday, the kids’ meals were free (with the purchase of an adult meal) which was a nice surprise as well.

Before I get into the meat of it, so to speak, can I just complain about something? This menu is an assault on the senses. What is it about these types of restaurants that makes them think they a) need to offer every type of food under the sun; and b) print them all in screaming bold graphics that just make me dizzy. Seriously, there are so many things on the menu, it was a bit overwhelming. My Mom even commented, with so many things on the menu, you wonder if they can do it all well.

Anyway, since there were 6 of us, I ordered some starters for the table. According to everyone and everything I have ever read about Scotty’s, the fried pickles are the thing to order, and since I love pickles, and even fried pickles (anyone ever had the fried pickles at the Irish Lion in Bloomington?). The pickles come with a horseradish sauce or ranch dressing. I asked for both (and eventually got both). But the horseradish was definitely the best I think. Not too spicy and nice and creamy. A really nice complement. And by the end of the meal, I think hubby and I agreed that they probably were the best thing on the table. They are sliced pickles (as opposed to the spear-type ones I have had before) and were clearly hand battered (since a couple that were stuck together still had quite a bit of wet batter in them). They were tasty overall for little fried items, and I enjoyed them. And I think pretty much everyone did, even my 3 year old.

We also ordered the 7 tidals buffalo chicken dip because it sounded interesting and was designated as a house specialty. It is described as chicken, bleu cheese, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and mild sauce all blended with blue corn chips and celery. Well, it wasn’t very good. Tried a couple bites and couldn’t eat any more. And judging by the amount left at the end, no one else liked it either. Chicken? Really? There was chicken in there? Sorta reminiscent of that Velveeta con queso dip people used to make in the microwave with salsa. But funkier. And it was very, very orange.

Because I was attempting to try lots of things, after that, I opted for what are called “scooty snacks” on the menu, which are basically Scotty’s version of sliders. There are several flavors you can try, so I chose the turkey Caesar and the buffalo chicken. These are intended to be a smaller portion (which I do appreciate that they are offering), so not served with a side or anything (and if you get a side, watch out for all the choices on that front too. Whew!) Well, the turkey and Caesar sandwich was pretty dang boring. It was like two slices of turkey with some very lightly dressed Romaine. Oh wait, it says there was Swiss on it too…really? I don’t recall that at all. (hey, now that I look at my photos, you can see cheese on one half, I think that was the half I didn’t end up eating.) Anyhow, bland was the word for these. After about 2 bites, I was done. The buffalo chicken was much better, the chicken was nice pieces of white meat, fried and covered in buffalo sauce and supposed to be served with a side of blue cheese dressing. Well, I had to ask for mine, but when I got it and put it on the little sandwich, it was tasty. The chicken was tender, the sauce not crazy hot and the blue cheese dressing a very high quality with large chunks of cheese in it.

I also had a couple of bites of my Mom’s bayside turkey wrap which was a honey wheat tortilla with sliced turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, pepper jack and guacamole. It was certainly better than my turkey Caesar “snack,” but nothing amazing. Better dipped in some ranch. Could have used some sort of dressing or something on it.

Hubby had the “bugle blazing blues” burger which was described as a burger with Cajun spices, crispy bacon and blue cheese crumbles. He thought the beef itself was very good, and the proportion of meat to bun appropriate, although still a huge burger if you ask me (and since he basically wouldn’t eat dinner that night, I’d say I was right). I had a bite and it wasn’t bad—I appreciated that the meat wasn’t cooked to death. It wasn’t spicy though. And I think hubby nailed it on the head when he described it as really nice ingredients that were too dry together. The blue cheese and bacon were good, but the sandwich was dry. Maybe if they used some of their blue cheese dressing which was quite tasty and full of those nice sized chunks of blue cheese instead (which is basically what hubby ended up doing with my left over blue cheese dressing), it would step it up. The waffle fries on the side were good.

Mom wanted a margarita and they were offering a pitcher for $7 so I had a margarita as well. Again, not bad (and freakin’ cheap for sure) but nothing to write home about. And on the topic of drinks, why is it a “Brewhouse” that doesn’t brew beer? Is that a question that everyone else knows the answer to except me?

The thing about Scotty’s is, it is bar food, generally done with pretty good ingredients and seemingly some of it is done in house. So I guess what I am saying is, nothing was making me crave going back there, but if you want a large (very large) selection of classic bar food (you can certainly see how Scotty’s started in college towns) that is made fresh (at least what we had), and is a local alternative to all the chains doing similar, but not as good stuff, give Scotty’s a go.

Scotty’s Brewhouse
3905 E. 96th Street (and there is one downtown)
Indy 46240
317-574-0101
http://www.scottysbrewhouse.com/ (wow, the website reminds me a lot of the menu!)