Blupoint Oyster House

I was excited to hear about a new place in Sobro with a good-sized patio and specializing in seafood. The stuff I read online was decent, and the menu looked very appealing, so we headed over to give it a try a couple weeks ago. Actually, this review is a combo of two visits—one with just hubby and one with the kids. They have a nice large outside patio (the inside looks cute too but I am not there yet) and a wine list that is also appealing to me.

At each visit we started with one of the tartares—the salmon tartare ($14) the first visit and the tuna ($15) the second. Ok, these were the biggest letdowns of both visits for me. There was nothing wrong with the quality of the fish but they were both pretty bland. The tuna was a little better because it had some capers in there that at least gave a salty kick every once in a while, but I would have guessed with anchovies, serrano peppers, and olives (according to the menu description) there would have been more flavor but it really just tasted mostly like tuna with a couple of capers. The salmon one said it had sesame oil, sriracha vinaigrette and sesame seeds, but again, I got very little flavor even when I dipped in the very minimal dollops of sauces on the side. Add some soy or something. And both needed a much bigger kick of acid. They were both served with freshly fried tortilla chips which were tasty, but because the fish was just ok, we didn’t eat that many.

But moving on, we also tried the panzanella salad ($8). We actually had this both times. The salad included cubes of ciabatta croutons, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta, and red wine vinaigrette. This one had the kick of acid I was craving and was well done (other than I really wished for a couple more of the croutons).
With the kids we also tried the fritto misto ($15). This was excellent. It was lightly and perfectly fried shrimp, calamari and oysters with a yummy, slightly spicy aioli (my favorite dipping accountrement). This is one of the better fritto mistos in town I think. The crispy exterior just kind of cracks to reveal super tender seafood—even the calamari isn’t chewy. And throwing some oysters in was a nice bonus that you don’t see at many places in their fritto misto.

On one visit, we tried the gambas al ajilo ($12) as well. This was a nice piece of bread topped with several shrimps which were all cooked just right. The sauce had a fair amount of garlic, but also a lot of paprika and chiles. There were six of the shrimp, so it was pretty sizable. It was tasty. A squeeze of lemon would have been perfect. (I know, I am predictable.)

 

With two visits we also tried two of the pasta main dishes and both were excellent—in fact I would venture to say their pastas are their strengths. The first time we had the squid ink bucatini with lemon cream sauce, chile flakes and we added the shrimp ($18 + $5). This was really well done. The sauce was rich and decadent but had a distinct lemony flavor which helped balance it. The pasta was cooked just right as were the shrimp. Both hubby and I agreed we’d easily get this again.

We also had the linguine and clams on the second visit (the picture you see is half portion as they split it in the kitchen) ($18). They make theirs just like I do, and it is my favorite way—some white wine, chile flakes and garlic in the sauce. Simple, and just right. It had a nice balanced flavor and everyone was happy with this one too. 

My son also had the seared salmon entree ($24) which was served with roasted potatoes, olives and asparagus. It was served with salsa verde on the plate as well. He enjoyed the flavors but thought the portion was small--he is a 15 year old boy who just finished tennis practice so not surprising. But it wasn't huge. It was also cooked through so depending on how you like it, this may or may not be your thing. Or maybe ask for it medium rare (that's what I would do).

With the kids we had a couple of the desserts. My kids were happy with what I would assume was a foodservice chocolate cake. They have a strange love for foodservice cake and this one did not disappoint them (I on the other hand do not think cake should ever be cold). We also had the tartufo which was gelato covered in cocoa—simple, cold, and delicious. 

Overall, it’s a pleasant place to go. There are definitely some ups and downs food wise, but the pastas and fritto misto and solid. I hope they tweak the tartares because I love to order them and I can see potential with the quality of fish they are using. Service was good as well. 

Let me know if you have been and what you think!

Blupoint Oyster House
5858 N. College Ave
Indy 46220
317/559-3259
www.blupointindy.com 

Juicy Seafood Indy

Well, about 9,834 days ago, before quarantine, the family and I finally got up the nerve to go try one of the “Juicy” places that are popping up all around us—seriously there are at least 3 in a 3-mile radius of my house. Trying to decide which one to try, I was looking online and ended up letting health department grades make the choice. We went to the one that is in the old Squealer’s in Castleton—officially Juicy Seafood Indy.

 

So here’s the deal with the whole “Juicy” thing (because I honestly had no idea what to expect other than crab. So the schtick is they service your choice of various shellfish in a giant plastic bag filled with several choices of spiciness and well as several choices of seasonings—the choices are lemon pepper, garlic butter, Cajun and juicy special (which is all three mixed together). Each bag comes with potatoes and an ear of corn. You can add 2 boiled eggs or ½ pound of sausage to a bag for $1.75.

They have a bunch of combos if you want a variety of seafood (or you could easily share). Dungeness crab will always be my most favorite shellfish (that and soft-shell crab) so when I saw that, I knew that’s what I was going to get. It is the most expensive except for the three-lobster tail dinner at $30, but Dungeness is just better. So you get basically a whole crab’s worth of legs, and the crab itself was good. I had no problems with the quality of the crab. I had the lemon butter seasoning and low spice level. The taste of the seasoning wasn’t bad, but it was pretty much flavored oil so it was pretty greasy feeling even though it wasn’t fried. I think if I went again—and it’s possible we might—I would just ask for some of the dry seasonings and have it steamed in the bag with some extra lemons. Maybe just a little “garlic butter” to dip in.  The corn was pretty inedible to me—super squishy—but that’s pretty much to be expected. The potatoes were boiled potatoes. They were fine. Anyhow, when they serve it to you, they shake it all up before serving it to you.

Hubby also got one of the combo  bags—his was filled with a lobster tails, some shrimp with heads on (you can do either on or off) and crawfish (about $30)--and he added sausage. The crawfish was not good and the shrimp and lobster were fine. He actually really enjoyed the sausage though. He had the Cajun seasoning. Overall, he liked mine better—both the seafood and the seasoning. I think he would be happy to share some Dungeness and add some sausage.

 

The kids went for the fried side of the menu, which seemed like a bad choice—but as it turned out, most of it wasn’t bad. They did share some of ours too. My daughter had the fried whitefish basket ($11) and my son the fried shrimp and tilapia combo ($12). We also had some buffalo wings ($6) and hush puppies ($3.50) for starters. (My son is on a buffalo wing kick right now and orders them most places that offer them). My daughter’s fish had bones that were a bit of a turn off, but my son enjoyed his fried platter and the wings. I’d say the hush puppies were underwhelming. My son said his wasn’t as good as my crab, but he said he would eat it again if he got some crab too.

So the whole atmosphere of this place is interesting—as noted, the big bags have a fair amount of “sauce” and are quite messy, they give you bibs and rubber gloves to eat your food with. A bit of foreshadowing I guess. And I guess you don’t have to worry about too many people touching your food since it’s in a plastic bag. My daughter was somewhat disturbed by the negative environmental impact of so many giant plastic bags coming out of the kitchen, and I can’t say I don’t agree. I do like knowing there’s a place to get Dungeness crab out, as it’s not something you see a lot of places. I think everyone would go back, but I am not sure how soon it will happen.

Décor-wise, it’s like a cross between Joe’s Crabshack and Red Lobster. Also, on a Sunday, it was packed. We had to wait. I think they were short a few servers too because service was a little spotty and a little slow, even though our server was really nice and helpful with ordering.

 

Anyway, I am wondering if you do pick up from them, if they just give you the giant poofy plastic bag…

Juicy Crab Indy

5899 E 86^th Street

Indy  46250

317/296-3884

www.juicyseafoodindy.com

Offshore at Sun King Brewery

The family and I went in to try the newest Sun King restaurant in the old Three Wiseman spot in Broad Ripple. They have a relationship with Pier 48, which has recently opened a restaurant downtown. This one is called “Offshore.” So you can get a pint of beer and some seafood—they explained it is all flown in daily and is very fresh. There are several non-seafood items as well. 

I was torn about what to order because several things looked good, but I ended up settling on the “Rachel Marie” lobster salad ($14.50). Hubby had the “Midnight” Cuban sandwich ($12.50), my son had a bowl of clam chowder ($8) and my daughter and boyfriend the Italian flatbread ($12).

I really liked that lobster salad—it was really unique and interesting. The lobster was super fresh and tossed in a crème fraiche-based dressing with a ring of seasoned dressing around—sort of like a Louie dressing or a remoulade. Then, on top of the pile of lobster was a fried poached egg with all kinds of little fingers of the fried batter making a beautiful presentation. When you cut into the egg it was yolky and delicious. And all the crunchy bits gave great texture. The only thing I would add is a squeeze of lemon (serve it with a grilled lemon would be perfection). This was not a super filling dish, but it was extremely good and extremely well-executed. I would get this again for sure. 

Hubby enjoyed their version of the Cuban sandwich. It is made with cider brined pulled pork, bacon, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard and it’s all stacked on Leidenheimer bread, which is the classic po boy bread made in New Orleans. It wasn’t your classic flat smashed Cuban sandwich, but it was a really good sandwich. And that bread is delicious, even if not a po boy—light inside with just the right amount of crunch on the outside. I kept sneaking more and more bites. It really grew on me.

My son had a bowl of clam chowder which comes with cornbread. It’s a full on cream-based soup, but with nice flavor and nice pieces of clam that weren’t all chewy. The cornbread was just ok—maybe would have been more interesting with a nice dollop of soft honey butter or even just some nicely salted soft butter. 

My daughter and boyfriend enjoyed the Italian flatbread which had pepperoni, capicola, salami, mozzarella, smoked provolone, and lemon ricotta. An interesting variation on a classic combo of flavors. They liked the soft crust. I am guessing there are still pizza ovens in there from 3 Wiseman, and it is a good use of the equipment. Regardless, they did well with it. Flatbreads always make me wary, but this was good and they have some interesting toppings. They also had some fruity non-alcoholic drinks that they really enjoyed. 

We also shared an order of whoopie pies ($5). They were simple, but I liked the marshmallow butter cream. The sandwich part was nice and soft as well. 

All in all, I find this menu interesting and the ingredients are all high quality and they clearly know how to not screw up seafood. Would love to try the fish and chips as well as the lobster roll. It’s not cheap, and I wish there were a few more wine choices (not much of a beer drinker), but I will take it. I am looking forward to a second trip. What do you guys think?

Offshore Broad Ripple 

(in Sun King Brewery)

1021 Broad Ripple Ave

Indy 46220

https://www.facebook.com/eatoffshore/

Spoke and Steele

Recently hubby and I were looking around for a good date night spot and I was somewhat uninspired by the menus I was looking at. It’s partly the season and that I didn’t want anything heavy…I just wanted something lighter and brighter even though it was Fall. Spoke and Steele has been a place I keep meaning to get back to try again since I knew that Greg Hardesty had a hand in creating the menu and when I looked at the menu and the abundance of seafood on there, I was sold. 

It’s an interesting menu—there are some definite Hardesty-ish menu items (remember that endive salad that came from Elements and then would pop up on the Recess menu?). And a big hearty burger. But there are also some interesting Asian influences as well as Cajun influences as well. All things that make me happy. The current head chef is Erin Gillum, which is a new name for me, but I like her ideas on paper.

At the recommendation of our server (who was very helpful and professional), we started with the biscuits with Vermont creamery slated butter and local honey ($7 for 2). Loved the creamery butter with just the right amount of salt, but I can’t say the biscuits on their own were super special. I mean, nothing wrong with a solid biscuit, but these could have used some gravy or something to really take them to the next level (maybe on the breakfast menu?). The butter and honey together added nice flavor though. We ended up just sharing one and taking the other one home.

The biscuits actually came out with the lobster and shrimp potstickers ($19), which were the clear highlight of the meal for me. But this course also reminds me of one of the things I would be vocal about when ordering—the timing and spacing of items. The food came out really fast and the salad was one of the last courses, which is not what we wanted. So if you go and you would like a more spaced out meal, I would order one or two things at a time and if there is something you want to start, let them know. Anyway, back to the potstickers—so, so good. There were 5 of them, stuffed with lobster and shrimp in a light wonton wrapper that was perfectly seared on one side. The broth though—wow—full of ginger, miso and soy—and topped with some peppers. I instantly wanted a second order, but hubby restrained me. The only complaint I had about these was I wished they were just a little warmer, but even so, I inhaled them. And then we dipped our biscuit inappropriately into the broth.

The next course we got were the pork belly and shrimp bao ($16). I love a good stuffed bun, but these were a bit of a miss for us just based on execution. They were 4 large buns—2 were filled with a large piece of shrimp and 2 with a small piece of pork belly. The meat quality of both was very good—the shrimp had nice flavor and was plentiful to fill the bun. The pork, while tasty, and perfectly crisped on the outside was way too small for the large bun. There was just one small maybe two inch by two-inch piece in mine and it was dwarfed by the bun and the excessive amount of spicy mayo. These could be perfected for sure. First, the amount of filling should match the bun. So either more filling or less bun. Then, less mayo—just a drizzle would be plenty as it is very rich (I would add a little acid to this as well). And finally, while I really liked the pickled cucumbers—and they are the things that make these little buns to me—you couldn’t really taste them due to being overwhelmed by the other ingredients. But like I said, there is definitely room for improvement. And I appreciate that they are doing something different. 

The next (and originally, we thought last) course was the endive salad ($11) and the broiled oysters ($20). Like I said, ideally, I would have liked my salad in the first course, but maybe that’s just me. The salad is described on the menu as having endive, blue cheese, candied pecans, granny smith apples and white wine vinaigrette. So the heavy drizzle of balsamic was a bit of a surprise but it was fine. You couldn’t really get much of the white wine vinaigrette flavor though. Loved the combo overall though-some of my favorite combination of things in a salad. It was well-dressed and topped with lots of goodies.

At this time we also got the broiled oysters which were 6 small oysters (I so much prefer them on the small side) topped with Cajun butter and parmesan cheese. They gave you a nice juicy piece of lemon to squeeze over them as well, which was the perfect addition. I prefer my oysters cooked, and these were cooked just right. Gave the oysters even a little more creaminess. Totally worth ordering. 

At this point we felt like we could use one more dish, and hubby was forcing me to try something new (because I really wanted more potstickers!) so we went with the “deconstructed sushi roll” ($24) from the raw section of the menu. This was interesting—it was a patty of rice that was seared on the sides like a crab cake, adding some extra texture. It was topped with some slices of avocado (would have loved a few more) and then ahi tuna marinated and cut into cubes. There were two crunchy spicy chili shrimp on the side. There was a bunch more of that spicy mayo on the bottom of the dish as well. Again, the mayo was a little over the top for me—super thick and rich, but the rest of the dish was really good. The shrimp were cooked just right and I liked the other ingredients combined together for a nice little bite.

Our server was excellent as well and knowledgeable about the menu. She also immediately brought a new bottle of wine when the one we ordered tasted off. No questions asked. I appreciate what seems to be a well-trained staff (although I would like the pacing to go just a bit slower). It's pretty loud in there when it is busy (which it was) so we were happy to be in a table near the bar without too many around us).

At this point, we felt like we had enough to eat and we were generally very pleased with dinner. There are so many things I would like to try (along with my potstickers) on future visits. I love all the shellfish on the menu---am intrigued by items like pickled shrimp with pimento cheese and the Brussels sprouts salad with crab and shrimp. Let me know if you have been and if so, what items you have tried—good or bad. I need to build my next order. 

Spoke and Steele

123 Illinois Street

Indy 46225

317/737-1616

www.spokeandsteele.com 

Caplinger's -Revisit

You know how much I love soft shell crabs. The other day I saw this picture on Instagram and immediately texted hubby to say we were going for lunch. Sadly, by the time we got there, they were already out of the soft-shell crabs, which made me sad. However, since we were already there, we went ahead and ordered the “The platter” ($15.99) to share. This is a dinner that consist of one piece of fried basa, ¼ pound of fried shrimp and ¼ pound of fried clam strips. Also, you get two sides and two hushpuppies.  My son got the Caplinger’s special sandwich ($6.99) which comes with 1 side. 

They fry up some good  seafood at Caplinger’s, and even though I was sad about the soft-shell crab. The basa is actually even better than some of the more expensive fish I think—it has great flaky but moist texture. The shrimp might be my favorite though—their little fried shrimp are delicious. The clam strips were a mixed review—hubby didn’t love them, but I had several that were really soft and tender. A couple were chewy (why hubby didn’t like them). They give you cocktail sauce and remoulade sauce—I really like the remoulade. It is tangy and has some nicely seasoned. I like this on everything. The hush puppies are tasty too—a nice corn bread type flavor. We always get the fries which are heavily seasoned waffle fries. Love them in ketchup. I struggle with a second side—the weakness of Caplinger’s for me is the sides. We get mac and cheese, which is tasty, but not as good as the fried stuff. 

My son loved his sandwich, although he usually ends up eating it open faced because their pretzel rolls are really big. 

All in all, even though I was sad about the sift shells (always another day), we had a very tasty lunch. And we got a nice piece of fresh salmon for dinner on the way out. Caplinger’s is a great place to have in Indy and I hope you go if you haven’t already (they are closed Monday though, so don’t go today!).

Caplinger’s Fresh Seafood

7460 North Shadeland Ave

Indy. 46250

317/288-7263

www.caplingersfreshcatch.com 

Salt on Mass

Luckily my kids are always game for trying a new restaurant with me, and since we were taking them to a concert at Old National (the Murat), we decided to check out Salt, which is so conveniently located. I had been wondering about it because I haven’t really heard much about it since it opened initially, but I think the concept of a good seafood-centered restaurant in Indy is one that is needed. Let me state up front that this dinner occurred a couple months back, and it looks like the menu may have changed a bit.

The interior of the place is well done. You can see someone put some time and effort into it. Our server was very nice and shared opinions with us about what she liked the best. We started with the spicy Alaska crab dip ($16) because I love a good crab dip. This one was described as being made with seasonal crab, cream cheese, Sriracha and parmesan. I can’t say I loved it. Ok, yeah, it wasn’t very good. While the crab on top was nice and seemed fresh, the crab that was mixed into the dip came across as very stringy (the whole family was fighting over the tender bits). And while there was supposed to be cream cheese and parmesan, the dip actually came across more oily than it did creamy. I liked the chips—they were nice and light and crisp (even if they could have used some salt ironically). I would probably take a pass on this one in the future. Perhaps the restaurant realized the error of their ways with this dish as it is no longer on the menu.

We also split a wedge salad ($8). They do them a little differently—with a split head of romaine instead of iceberg lettuce. There were quite a few bleu cheese crumbles. Although it was a wee bit lacking on the bleu cheese dressing (we had to order extra) it was, overall, a good salad.

For our main dishes, we ordered the Kona Tacos ($18), Fried Oysters ($15), Hawaiian Sashimi Tuna ($28), and a mahi-mahi dish. Hubby and I split the tacos and the fried oysters and we definitely preferred the oysters, although the tacos weren’t bad. The oysters were crispy, plentiful, and delicious. We were honestly surprised by how many came in a $15 order, there were at least 10 on the plate. They were drizzled in a nice remoulade sauce. There were some crispy bacon chips interspersed throughout the dish and the oysters stayed crispy despite the remoulade. The tacos were ok although they needed more acid and there wasn’t a lot of tuna compared to the amount of taco shell. I ended up breaking the shells in half and eating them open face with tuna so I could achieve proper tuna-to-shell ratio. I really wanted to like them and wasn’t wowed.

My kids were undecided on what to order (they didn’t want to order the same as each other and neither would give up their choice of mahi-mahi) so they compromised and each ordered a fish dish that they shared. My daughter got the Hawaiian sashimi tuna and enjoyed it. It consisted of rare tuna on a bed of Japanese red rice and was topped with sambal, caramel soy, wonton strips, and wasabi cream sauce. My daughter thought it a touch spicy (it had quite a bit of wasabi flavor) but hubby enjoyed it and ended up eating the rest of it after she finished. I enjoyed the crunchy texture-adding wonton strips. The tuna was cooked nicely rare and high-quality.

My son ordered a mahi-mahi dish with asparagus spears and some more of the crab dip (ugh) on top. The fish itself was well cooked. There was a beurre blanc sauce underneath that was good. I’ll try not to reiterate what I said above but I was not having the crab dip, it was oily and not a great addition to the dish. We ended up scraping most of it off. 

We had a little extra time left after dinner, before the concert, so we decided to order dessert. Hubby and I got a salted caramel brownie and the kids split a slice of chocolate layer cake. The cake was one of those generic, cold cakes that you see everywhere (guessing it comes in a box) although the kids seemed to enjoy it. Our brownie was ok, although a bit dense. 

In summary, Salt had a few good dishes but overall doesn’t have me racing back (I have not been back since). The food had some flaws and wasn’t quite as good as we had been expecting/hoping for. Anyone been more recently with better things to say?

Salt on Mass

505 Massachusetts Ave,

Indianapolis, IN 46204

317-638-6565

https://www.saltonmass.com 

B's Po Boy--Revisit

I know I’ve written about this place a ton before but B’s Po Boy really is one of our go-to family faves. We’d been wanting to go and the last time we tried we couldn’t get a table for 40 minutes, so we went to Bluebeard instead (such a sacrifice). We also wanted to gorge ourselves on American Food before our big European trip we had coming up (and hubby wanted Cajun food).  

We took a seat on the packed patio, looked at the menu and were very surprised. They had new items—this was exciting! We ordered the fried green tomatoes to start. It was actually a lot more than just fried green tomatoes—it was like a fancy salad with goat cheese, balsamic, fennel, lettuce and some fresh tomatoes. They were breaded with a cornmeal type batter similar to the shrimp on the po boys. They were tasty.

I’ve finally managed to get the whole family on the shrimp po boy bandwagon. After trying almost everything on the menu my daughter finally realized that the shrimp po boy is the best (we’ve been telling her this all along). So all four of us got shrimp po boys ($ market) and we all got extra shrimp. We always get extra shrimp. The shrimp were even more plentiful this time—maybe you don’t need the extra ones? It also seemed like they had amped up the flavor and spices on the breading. It was great! Of course this immediately made my son like them less (change is hard sometimes). They still import their bread from NOLA and I liked mine fully dressed with the lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. And mayo. Oh, and I always get a side of remoulade to add too. (I like saucy sandwiches). The kids eat theirs plain.

We rounded off our meal with our usual order of beignets and chocolate sauce ($5.50). As with the rest of our meal B’s had made some changes. The beignets were a little denser and more like the beignets we’ve had in New Orleans. Hubby even declared them better than any he’d ever had in his four years of living in NOLA. I’m not totally sure I agree, but they are darn good beignets.

All in all, it was exciting to see some additions and changes at B’s, while they still maintain the level of quality that we have always enjoyed. Combine this with their bocce courts, life-size Jenga games, and corn hole and you have yourself a family favorite.

B’s Po Boy

1261 South Shelby Street

Indy  46203

317/916-5555

www.bpoboy.com 

Caplinger's Fresh Catch - Revisit

You guys, they have soft shell crab at Caplinger’s! Well, at least they did when I went last week! I had been in to pick up some fish for dinner the other day (one of my favorite fish markets in town) and saw them. I don’t personally like to cook soft shells myself because it involves deep frying (you know the best way to eat a soft shell crab is deep fried) and I don’t do that very often.

I told hubby we needed to go stat, and he was easily swayed. You can get it in sandwich form, which comes with one crab, or dinner form, which comes with two crabs and two sides ($19.99). Who needs to waste time and stomach space with bread? So we got the dinner and each had a crab. We had hush puppies and red beans and rice for our sides.

Those crabs? They were perfect. They were large, and not too hard, and the breading is spicy and crispy and perfectly delicious. You have to get the remoulade sauce and dip the crab in it. It is also spicy and delicious. I like that they don’t make everything bland to appeal to the masses. The sides were only okay, the hush puppies tasted like they had maybe been cooked earlier—they weren’t smokin’ hot like the crab.  But the crab, I could go back right now (I just ate them for lunch today) and eat more.

We also got the lobster roll ($13.99). Love the filling of the roll—it’s different from many I have had because they use claw and knuckle meat (there are some nice big hunks of claw and knuckle in there, which is my favorite part of the lobster). It’s very lightly dressed, and has a little bit of celery and green onion for just a tiny bit of crunch. Really though, this sandwich is mostly meat. And the bread is a pretty dense bun, so hubby and I pretty much just decided to eat the meat out of the bun. Particularly because we were eating those oh so healthy soft shell crabs. The only thing I would add here (besides maybe a slightly softer bun) would be a squeeze of lemon. But we both enjoyed it.

My advice to you is to get in there and get some crab if you like them—and if you have never tried them, you need to! If they don’t have them, get the fried fish, because that breading is delicious. Or try the lobster roll. And if you have a favorite side dish, clue me in, because I am still trying to figure that part out.

(Oh, and a great fish market too.)

Caplinger’s Fresh Catch Seafood Market

7460 North Shadeland, Suite 400

Indy  46250

317/288-7263

www.caplingersfreshcatch.com  

Kona Jack's -- Revisit

The family and I decided to hit Kona Jack’s for dinner the other night. We were squabbling about what we wanted and my son wanted a steak, while the rest of us wanted (fresh) seafood. Perfect solution.

It obviously has a loyal following because even after all these years, it was hopping for dinner on a Friday. We ended up in the sushi bar area (they mumbled something about kids, so I wonder if they don’t seat kids in the main dining room), which was fine except the tables in there are pretty darn small if you’re putting four people at them.

My son got his steak dinner ($32), complete with baked potato and was happy. The quality of the beef was good, and it was cooked properly medium rare. His meal came with soup or salad and he chose a Caesar salad. I didn’t try it—he said it was fine, but slightly underdressed. Oh yeah, and they bring you this tasty loaf of warm herby bread with seasoned soft butter. That bread is delicious. My daughter wanted me to ask if we could get some extra to take home. She loved it.

My daughter got the special, which was fish and chips made with fresh lake perch. It also came with soup or salad and she got the clam chowder and gave it to hubby and me. I always forget that the clam chowder at Kona Jack’s is one of the better ones in town. Next to Barking Dog, which is now closed sadly, it’s my favorite. It is seasoned slightly differently and is a bit chunkier, but is very good. Her fish and chips were also good—perch is quite thin, so it’s not super tender, but it was fried well and tasted very fresh. I can’t stand those big steak fries they serve here, and am never tempted to eat even one. Those are straight up boring foodservice if you ask me.

Hubby had the blackened grouper sandwich ($15.50). The quality of the grouper was very good—Kona’s does a great job of having impeccably fresh fish, which is one of the reasons it is one of my favorite places to buy fish to cook at home as well. They also gave it a heavy-handed dose of blackening seasoning, which gave it a nice kick. Honestly though, there was a lot of bread to fish ratio and nothing particularly special about the bun, so hubby just ate the fish. Next time he says he’ll order it without a bun and see if they give him a little extra fish.

For me, I had the tuna tartar ($15) and the tempura fried veggies ($10). Well really, hubby and I shared them since his meal was a little light without the bread. Mine certainly was not. They give you a nice portion of tuna here for $15. It’s cubed and seasoned well with garlic, ginger, cilantro and a sesame dressing. It comes with crispy fried wonton chips and a little seaweed salad. It’s my go to place for tuna tartar now that H2O has closed unless I make it myself. It’s a little larger dice—almost like a poke, but very good.

The tempura fried veggies were also tasty—and a very generous portion. Also, it almost seemed perfectly tailored to me. The veggies on the plate were broccoli, asparagus, zucchini and avocado (ok, fruit). Pretty much my favorite things to tempura are these exact things. Actually, I think this was the first time I had fried avocado and I was wondering how it would hold up. It was delicious. I pretty much can’t think of a way I don’t like avocado unless it’s not ripe.

All in all, we all agreed that we need to remember Kona Jack’s more often when we’re all undecided about where to go. It’s a pretty wide menu and great quality seafood. Love the bread and clam chowder too.

Kona Jack’s

9419 North Meridian Street

Indy   46260

317/843-1609

www.konajacksindy.com

Ocean Prime - Revisit

For my Mom’s birthday, she chose Ocean Prime for dinner. It had been quite awhile since we had been there, so I figured it was a good time for an update.

There was a lot of food on our table throughout the course of the evening, but I didn’t try everything. I noticed they now have sushi rolls on the menu (not sure if this is new or not) but that sounded good so we decided to order some. We ordered the Dynamite roll ($17) and the lobster roll ($18). We also ended up with a free tuna roll that they accidentally made ($16), so honestly, by the time I was done with this and a few bites of other things, I could have called it a day.

The Dynamite roll was probably my favorite—it was filled with tempura shrimp and spicy mayo and then topped with some more fried shrimp. It was crunchy and quite delicious actually—both the kids and adults liked it a lot—their spicy mayo had a little bit more heat than many.  The lobster roll was filled with poached lobster tail, pickled Serrano peppers, kiwi, and massago. It was topped with more of the peppers and spicy mango puree. This one actually had a serious amount of heat to it. The ingredients were good quality, but I didn’t love this roll. It was a little too spicy, which detracted from the delicate flavor of the lobster. Also fruit in sushi rolls is not my favorite thing.

The free tuna roll was pretty good and probably fell in the middle for me. It was made up of a lot of spicy tuna on top, and avocado and cucumber inside. It also incorporated the wasabi-flavored roe, which actually had a fair amount of wasabi heat, giving this roll a pretty heated taste. All the rolls had a fair amount of spiciness that kind of surprised me a bit. Good or bad, I guess, depending on your taste. But overall, I was fairly impressed with the sushi quality and if I should find myself here again, wouldn’t hesitate to order a roll.

I had a bite of my sister’s salad as well—the Ocean Prime House salad ($10) with romaine, mixed greens, Granny Smith apples, goat cheese, walnuts and a Sherry mustard vinaigrette. I will say, this is a pretty decent tasting salad--the right amount of sweet without being over the top—and the goat cheese, slightly tart apples and vinaigrette balance it all nicely. I love a good vinaigrette. My other favorite appetizer is the goat cheese ravioli with mushrooms ($14), which I wrote about before and which my daughter had on this visit.

Sadly for me, the meal went downhill from here—this is usually my experience at Ocean Prime. You can get some nice apps, but when you move on to an entrée, they just fall a little flat. I split the Ahi tuna ($39) main with my daughter (the picture you see is half of the portion). It was served with small round roasted potatoes, fava beans and a truffle jus. Or so it said. I found the tuna, while cooked pretty well, to be pretty bland. Nothing about it really stood out for me. I didn’t get a lot of truffle taste—and I found it odd to be eating fava beans (and there were peas as well) in the middle of winter.

Luckily, the men in my immediate family did better with their meal—they shared an 8-ounce filet ($41) and thought it was very good. I did get one bite and thought it was good as well--much better than my tuna. They also do a very nice job with the au gratin potatoes at Ocean Prime ($11). They use roasted jalapenos in them, which are tasty—not spicy really at all, just adding richness and a little extra flavor. We have had ups and downs with steaks here, but this one was very good.

My sister's surf and turf app

Overall, it was a better meal altogether than most we have had here. The discovery of the sushi on the menu excited me a bit. I was bummed about my tuna and I wouldn’t order it again. I’m not sure this is a place we would rush back to, but if we do go back, a sushi roll and a steak would make a nice meal. It’s an expensive meal, even when you’re splitting, but such is life in most of the big chain steakhouses.

Our service was good—even with a large group. Hubby wanted me to mention that he hates the chairs here and finds them very uncomfortable. And the big round booths that look pretty cool are laid out right in what is basically a hallway, which isn’t an ideal place to sit either. They do have nice outdoor bar seating when the weather is nice.

All in all, it was a better meal than I was expecting and my mom was happy, so that’s all that matters.

Ocean Prime

8555 North River Road

Indy  46240

317/560-0975

www.oceanprimeindy.com