Ok, I have been somewhat distracted this week with all the buzz around Bugg's Temple so I have neglected my duties. And it was crazy because we ate at the Tavern at Bugg's last Saturday night shortly before I found out all this stuff. What I have learned from the Feed Me/Drink Me blog is that certain people involved in the restaurant are leaving, that the Creation Cafe people (which is located on the middle level of the building) are taking over the Tavern and hope to have dinner service restored here at some point (with Chef Gates as chef). I hope so, because it is honestly one of the best restaurants in this City food-wise in my opinion (with significant service issues to be worked out), and I will truly miss Brad Gates' food if they don't reopen.
Now, onward to the actual review here. My parents had eaten at Mitchell's for lunch several weeks ago and really enjoyed it (I think they had soup and appetizers). They know my penchant for good food and new places to write about in my blog, so they wanted to take us there. In all, there were 6 of us, and we got 6 different things and overall I think the review was somewhat mixed (except for my Mom's entree which was devoured by the entire table--more on that later.)
I had actually been to Mitchell's about a year ago and had a pretty good, but not overly memorable meal. Basically, I feel the same way about it now. I started with roasted mussels with a white wine, garlic and tomato broth. The broth was outstanding--and I really like the way they put big croutons right on top that sort of filtered down into the broth as you ate and tasted delicious with the mussels. The mussels themselves were not the best (I guess, maybe not the freshest) I have ever tasted, but they were decent. I also tasted my Mom's crab cocktail which was served with a nice tangy crab Louie sauce (I still keep hoping for a really good crab/shrimp Louie salad in this town--is anybody listening??). Anyway, my Mom's crab was quite yummy. I would be tempted if I went back to get her crab to start and maybe my mussels as a main dish.
What I had for my main dish was walleye, which is something I order as often as possible. It is one of the few Great Lakes' fish that you see on menus somewhat infrequently and the taste of it is really good--delicate but with a unique flavor. And generally, I like to try and eat as locally as possible and living in a pretty well land-locked part of the country, that can be challenging with seafood! I ordered the fish broiled thinking that it would be a fairly simple preparation that would allow the natural flavor of the fish to come through (and was actually described on the menu as "simply broiled." Unfortunately, while the temperature of the fish was cooked very well, it lost a lot of its own flavor with quite a bit of seasoning put on top. Some fish requires extra seasoning, or works best as a conduit for sauces and spices, (like halibut or tilapia) but I personally do not feel that way about walleye. I guess I should have gotten it grilled, but I thought the broiling would affect the flavor even less. On that note, I would like to say the last time I was there, I had fish prepared in their Shang Hai style, which is steamed with lots of ginger and green onions and with a rice wine vinegar sauce over rice and spinach and I remember being pretty pleased with it--again, a better preparation for tilapia or halibut in my opinion though.
Apparently my Mom had the ordering mojo this night though, because to follow her yummy crab cocktail, she got the blue crab and shrimp penne pasta with an Alfredo-type sauce. My husband had several bites and kept talking about how great it was. I generally am not a big fan of Alfredo sauces, so at first I declined, but then decided to try it and was glad I did. Everyone at the table ate some and everyone liked it.
I do want to say that others at the table who got other dishes, were not as happy with their choices as we were with ours. But I didn't try them so I don't feel I should comment on them.
We did all share (yes 6 people and 1 dessert) the Sharkfin Pie which is an insanely decadent "pie" made with butter fudge ice cream, peanuts, peanut butter, chocolate fudge and an Oreo crust. And there was enough for us to all have a decent portion. It is really good if you like peanuts and peanut butter as that is the dominant flavor.
All in all, Mitchell's menu reminds me a lot of Oceanaire except it isn't quite as extensive with the fresh shellfish and the portions at Mitchell's are more normal sized (although still very generous). I do think Oceanaire has the edge on Mitchell's however as far as freshness and interesting preparations. And Oceanaire has more of a metropolitan feel. Alas, they are both chains, albeit small, but you do what you need to to get fresh seafood in this town.
Mitchell's Fish Market
Clay Terrace
14311 Clay Terrace Blvd., Suite 100
Carmel, IN 46032
317-848-3474
http://www.mitchellsfishmarket.com/
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tavern at the Temple Update 2
****THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED****
Sadly, I have just learned that the Tavern at Bugg's Temple will no longer be serving dinner as of Thursday. That is a real loss to this restaurant community indeed.
Sadly, I have just learned that the Tavern at Bugg's Temple will no longer be serving dinner as of Thursday. That is a real loss to this restaurant community indeed.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Miyagi's
****THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED****
Woo-hoo! I get so excited when I find a new restaurant that is good. Really good. And not a chain! Oh happy day. So hubby and I came by Miyagi's seperately and yet both suggested it the same week for date night. We had both seen an ad for it, and I will admit, been drawn to the coupons for the place mixed with the description as French infused Japanese. And face it, we were looking for something new.
So, we were doubtful, and even had back up plans if it looked too questionable. (I mean, it is not often that we choose a restaurant based on coupons in a free mailer) But we pulled up to the location on 96th street (near Keystone) and were pleasantly surprised by the modern decor and prompt greeting. We were seated and ordered drinks (there is a full bar for those who are interested). As we perused the menu, we were happy to see an actual French influence on many of the options. There were so many things I wanted to order. You need the first drink to have whilst you look over everything on the menu, as it is quite extensive. There is a hot kitchen and a cold kitchen and separate appetizers and entrees (well, sushi rolls for the cold kitchen and regular main courses on the warm side). I was thrilled when I saw all the choices on the hot appetizer side. All of my favorite things, crab and shrimp, scallops, rare-cooked high quality meats, all combined with citrus and ponzu sauces. Yummy.
I decided to go with 3 appetizers and have a tapas-style meal. I had the soft shell crab (natch), gyu no tataky, or thin slices of filet mignon atop cucumbers, tomatoes and avocado, and the lobster spring rolls. Hubby ordered off the cold menu and got the Hamachi appetizer (which is actually cooked quickly at the table) and a fancy roll called a diablo roll.
The lobster spring rolls came first and they were outstanding! They were crispy and served over a bed of mango chutney with a orange vinaigrette. They were perfectly cooked and we both loved them. Next came the soft shell crab which had a soy based sauce with it. Now you know how much I love soft shell crab and these certainly did not disappoint. My final choice was the beef dish which was very medium rare (which is exactly how I like to eat beef) and it was served with very thin (wafer thin) slices of tomato, cucumber and avocado. It was quite tasty as well, but probably not quite as good as the other things.
Hubby's hamachi, which as mentioned was cooked at the table, was probably the biggest disappointment. It was good, but cooking it even that long was too much. Maybe sear it on one side only for a couple seconds. The seasonings were good though. If it wasn't so tough, it would've been better. His roll, on the other hand, was outstanding. It was tempura king crab and shrimp wrapped in the classic rice with salmon on top and roe as well as a delicious spicy sauce. It isn't on all the menus (apparently, even though they have only been open for 3 months, they already have an "old" and "new" menu. But if you like fancy rolls, order it!
We also tried the honey bread dessert on our waiter's recommendation. It was sort of a sweet bread drizzled with a honey cinnamon sauce and served with ice cream. I wasn't overly excited about it, but the waiter had not steered us wrong so far, so we went for it (and after all, we did have that coupon!). It was really good. The bread was crispy and mixed with the ice cream and sauce, it made a really good combination.
The service was very attentive and informative. Our server really knew the food and made great recommendations on the whole. By the end of the meal, he was a bit almost pushy and a tad know it all-ish which got annoying. But he did really know and appreciate the food.
The wine choices were somewhat limited (which seems to be the case with most Asian restaurants it seems, well, except Shaghai Lil which has great choices) and a little on the flowery/sweet side for me, but I know that is what you are supposed to drink with spicy, or Asian food, and I struggled through, but would love to see a few more crisp choices by the glass. Hubby had a mixed drink to start which he said was very good.
We will certainly be back--and I will order some of the same things and some different things off the appetizer menu. There were so many appealing choices!
One last thing, I think they should drop the "'s" after Miyagi and just be "Miyagi" instead of "Miyagi's." It sounds like it is owned by the guy from the Karate Kid movie. Just my 2 cents.
Miyagi's
3625 East 96th Street
Indy, 46240
317-846-7077
http://indymiyagi.com/
Woo-hoo! I get so excited when I find a new restaurant that is good. Really good. And not a chain! Oh happy day. So hubby and I came by Miyagi's seperately and yet both suggested it the same week for date night. We had both seen an ad for it, and I will admit, been drawn to the coupons for the place mixed with the description as French infused Japanese. And face it, we were looking for something new.
So, we were doubtful, and even had back up plans if it looked too questionable. (I mean, it is not often that we choose a restaurant based on coupons in a free mailer) But we pulled up to the location on 96th street (near Keystone) and were pleasantly surprised by the modern decor and prompt greeting. We were seated and ordered drinks (there is a full bar for those who are interested). As we perused the menu, we were happy to see an actual French influence on many of the options. There were so many things I wanted to order. You need the first drink to have whilst you look over everything on the menu, as it is quite extensive. There is a hot kitchen and a cold kitchen and separate appetizers and entrees (well, sushi rolls for the cold kitchen and regular main courses on the warm side). I was thrilled when I saw all the choices on the hot appetizer side. All of my favorite things, crab and shrimp, scallops, rare-cooked high quality meats, all combined with citrus and ponzu sauces. Yummy.
I decided to go with 3 appetizers and have a tapas-style meal. I had the soft shell crab (natch), gyu no tataky, or thin slices of filet mignon atop cucumbers, tomatoes and avocado, and the lobster spring rolls. Hubby ordered off the cold menu and got the Hamachi appetizer (which is actually cooked quickly at the table) and a fancy roll called a diablo roll.
The lobster spring rolls came first and they were outstanding! They were crispy and served over a bed of mango chutney with a orange vinaigrette. They were perfectly cooked and we both loved them. Next came the soft shell crab which had a soy based sauce with it. Now you know how much I love soft shell crab and these certainly did not disappoint. My final choice was the beef dish which was very medium rare (which is exactly how I like to eat beef) and it was served with very thin (wafer thin) slices of tomato, cucumber and avocado. It was quite tasty as well, but probably not quite as good as the other things.
Hubby's hamachi, which as mentioned was cooked at the table, was probably the biggest disappointment. It was good, but cooking it even that long was too much. Maybe sear it on one side only for a couple seconds. The seasonings were good though. If it wasn't so tough, it would've been better. His roll, on the other hand, was outstanding. It was tempura king crab and shrimp wrapped in the classic rice with salmon on top and roe as well as a delicious spicy sauce. It isn't on all the menus (apparently, even though they have only been open for 3 months, they already have an "old" and "new" menu. But if you like fancy rolls, order it!
We also tried the honey bread dessert on our waiter's recommendation. It was sort of a sweet bread drizzled with a honey cinnamon sauce and served with ice cream. I wasn't overly excited about it, but the waiter had not steered us wrong so far, so we went for it (and after all, we did have that coupon!). It was really good. The bread was crispy and mixed with the ice cream and sauce, it made a really good combination.
The service was very attentive and informative. Our server really knew the food and made great recommendations on the whole. By the end of the meal, he was a bit almost pushy and a tad know it all-ish which got annoying. But he did really know and appreciate the food.
The wine choices were somewhat limited (which seems to be the case with most Asian restaurants it seems, well, except Shaghai Lil which has great choices) and a little on the flowery/sweet side for me, but I know that is what you are supposed to drink with spicy, or Asian food, and I struggled through, but would love to see a few more crisp choices by the glass. Hubby had a mixed drink to start which he said was very good.
We will certainly be back--and I will order some of the same things and some different things off the appetizer menu. There were so many appealing choices!
One last thing, I think they should drop the "'s" after Miyagi and just be "Miyagi" instead of "Miyagi's." It sounds like it is owned by the guy from the Karate Kid movie. Just my 2 cents.
Miyagi's
3625 East 96th Street
Indy, 46240
317-846-7077
http://indymiyagi.com/
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
BARcelona Tapas
I know, it is a chain, and I tend to stay away from them as much as possible, but it is something really different in this City, and something different is always good (and it isn't a very big chain after all--just 2 locations as far as I know). Plus it is open on Mondays, and all the other places I was thinking about going were not.
This is my second visit to BARcelona (they write the name that way, it is not a typo), and my first was probably a good year ago. I wasn't blown away the first time, which was why it took me awhile to get motivated to go back. But I do appreciate the idea here, real Spanish-style tapas in this Midwestern City. Every other City in the world seems to have it, and now we do too. Tapas originated in Spain after all, so there should be lots of things to make and try.
I have to say, I am impressed by the size of the menu and the choices offered at BARcelona. They have a lot of the classic tapas like potato and cheese tortilla Espanol (more like a piece of quiche made mostly with potato), Serrano ham with manchego and these yummy, crunchy breadsticks and lots of other seafood and meats. The only repeat we had from the first time (read, the only thing worth ordering again) was the Serrano with manchego cheese. I love Serrano ham--sort of like Prosciutto, but for plain eating, much better in my opinion because it is really more flavorful. I liked taking a piece of the bread stick, layering a sliver of the cheese against it, and then wrapping the whole thing with the ham. Delish.
We also ordered the tortilla--and it is really good. It comes with a lemon which is great squeezed on top. It is room temperature and comes out fast. It is a nice, classic Spanish starch to have with the other things, particularly if you order several meat items.
We also tried the bacalao, or potato and cod cakes (more like fried balls). These were the biggest disappointment. I only had a taste and left the rest. There were so many better things, they weren't worth eating.
We had the goat cheese with bread which was basically a tomato sauce with a large hunk of goat cheese that was all heated and served with garlic bread. It was quite good, tasted like it could belong in an Italian restaurant though. Hubby LOVED it.
The little plate of mixed marinated olives were good too--a nice salty cut for some of the richness of the food. I wasn't too sure about the whole pickled garlic cloves mixed in--are you supposed to eat those? They were quite hard and I thought must be very intense---are they just for flavor? I will probably never know as I will probably never try one unless someone tells me they aren't that strong!
We had one of the day's specials too--a Spanish bouillabaisse of sorts with clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari and scallops in a garlicky, smoky, yummy sauce. For some reason the consistency of the cooking was a bit off. The mussels and clams were really good and well cooked (meaning properly cooked, not well done). The shrimp was pretty good. The calamari was questionable--a few pieces were ok, but a lot of it was very rubbery, the worst thing that can happen to calamari. The scallops were inedible they were so rubbery. It all must have been cooked the same amount of time, which you just can't really do with that many types of seafood. That broth though, WOW! If they just did a mussel and clam dish in that broth, it would be perfect! And sadly, I scanned the menu and I didn't see anything cooked in that sauce. It's a shame.
Our server was really nice and the food comes out fast, as it is finished in the kitchen (as tapas should be). So you generally get the cold and room temperature stuff first, and so on. The nice thing about tapas, you can share several and then if you want more, just order some more. Or if one is not so good (i.e. cod cakes) you don't feel like your whole meal is ruined. It was also quite crowded for a Monday which is nice--and the atmosphere is really like a tapas place you might find in Europe. We had wine, but the margaritas looked quite good as well.
We also had dessert--bread pudding with a caramel sauce. It was as good as it sounded. Rich and large enough to share with at least one other person, if not more.
All in all, we'll be back. And this time sooner I think than the last time.
BARcelona Tapas Restaurant
201 N. Delaware
Indy 46204
317-638-8272
http://www.barcelonatapas.com/
This is my second visit to BARcelona (they write the name that way, it is not a typo), and my first was probably a good year ago. I wasn't blown away the first time, which was why it took me awhile to get motivated to go back. But I do appreciate the idea here, real Spanish-style tapas in this Midwestern City. Every other City in the world seems to have it, and now we do too. Tapas originated in Spain after all, so there should be lots of things to make and try.
I have to say, I am impressed by the size of the menu and the choices offered at BARcelona. They have a lot of the classic tapas like potato and cheese tortilla Espanol (more like a piece of quiche made mostly with potato), Serrano ham with manchego and these yummy, crunchy breadsticks and lots of other seafood and meats. The only repeat we had from the first time (read, the only thing worth ordering again) was the Serrano with manchego cheese. I love Serrano ham--sort of like Prosciutto, but for plain eating, much better in my opinion because it is really more flavorful. I liked taking a piece of the bread stick, layering a sliver of the cheese against it, and then wrapping the whole thing with the ham. Delish.
We also ordered the tortilla--and it is really good. It comes with a lemon which is great squeezed on top. It is room temperature and comes out fast. It is a nice, classic Spanish starch to have with the other things, particularly if you order several meat items.
We also tried the bacalao, or potato and cod cakes (more like fried balls). These were the biggest disappointment. I only had a taste and left the rest. There were so many better things, they weren't worth eating.
We had the goat cheese with bread which was basically a tomato sauce with a large hunk of goat cheese that was all heated and served with garlic bread. It was quite good, tasted like it could belong in an Italian restaurant though. Hubby LOVED it.
The little plate of mixed marinated olives were good too--a nice salty cut for some of the richness of the food. I wasn't too sure about the whole pickled garlic cloves mixed in--are you supposed to eat those? They were quite hard and I thought must be very intense---are they just for flavor? I will probably never know as I will probably never try one unless someone tells me they aren't that strong!
We had one of the day's specials too--a Spanish bouillabaisse of sorts with clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari and scallops in a garlicky, smoky, yummy sauce. For some reason the consistency of the cooking was a bit off. The mussels and clams were really good and well cooked (meaning properly cooked, not well done). The shrimp was pretty good. The calamari was questionable--a few pieces were ok, but a lot of it was very rubbery, the worst thing that can happen to calamari. The scallops were inedible they were so rubbery. It all must have been cooked the same amount of time, which you just can't really do with that many types of seafood. That broth though, WOW! If they just did a mussel and clam dish in that broth, it would be perfect! And sadly, I scanned the menu and I didn't see anything cooked in that sauce. It's a shame.
Our server was really nice and the food comes out fast, as it is finished in the kitchen (as tapas should be). So you generally get the cold and room temperature stuff first, and so on. The nice thing about tapas, you can share several and then if you want more, just order some more. Or if one is not so good (i.e. cod cakes) you don't feel like your whole meal is ruined. It was also quite crowded for a Monday which is nice--and the atmosphere is really like a tapas place you might find in Europe. We had wine, but the margaritas looked quite good as well.
We also had dessert--bread pudding with a caramel sauce. It was as good as it sounded. Rich and large enough to share with at least one other person, if not more.
All in all, we'll be back. And this time sooner I think than the last time.
BARcelona Tapas Restaurant
201 N. Delaware
Indy 46204
317-638-8272
http://www.barcelonatapas.com/
Thursday, August 7, 2008
R Bistro and my love of soft shell crab
****THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED****
I have mentioned before how much I love soft shell crab. I only wish I saw it on more menus. In case you don't know, soft shell crabs are blue crabs right after they have molted their hard shells and haven't quite grown their new ones. They are caught at that point and you can eat them whole, shell (such as it is) and all. I love them. In fact, I declared to my hubby last night that they are probably one of the most perfect foods. They have the yummy tender crab inside with the little bit of crunch that normal shellfish lacks. They are almost always fried somehow, either sauteed or deep fried, just to add that much more crunch.
So when the menu came out Wednesday for R Bistro and one of the featured items was soft shell crab served with two of my other favorite summer time things, tomato and corn relish, I booked a reservation. The crab was served on top of grilled bread with some yummy spread, tomato slices, mizuna greens and bacon. The corn relish was on the side. It was one of my all time favorite things I have eaten at R Bistro.
Many of the menu items were actually selections from other well known female chefs/cookbook authors. Alice Waters, Patricia Wells and the 2 Fat Ladies to name a few. When I saw the summer tomato pudding as an appetizer, courtesy of the 2 Fat Ladies, I knew I had to try it. I watched their show quite a bit while I lived in England and was sure it would be good knowing their propensity toward cream, butter and all things rich and delicious. I didn't even ask what exactly it was but went for it. It turned out to be a chopped and seasoned tomato mixture covered in a sort of soft tomato-ey bread crust with a bunch of stuff around it like cream fraiche, green olives, boiled egg and some more tomatoes. It was even better than expected. Light and so flavorful. I highly recommend it.
We tried dessert, thinking someone else's recipe might help in this area (as I think desserts are R Bistro's biggest weakness), but it still wasn't overly memorable. It was Alice Waters' chocolate pave, which was like a flourless chocolate cake. It was just ok, not a lot of flavor. I really need to learn from experience and just skip dessert, as everything else is usually so good.
My suggestion is to get there by Saturday and get the soft shell crab, or if you can't do that, go to R Bistro and see what's on the menu anyway. And hey, they are even on opentable.com, so it is even that much easier to make your reservation!
R Bistro
888 Massachusetts Ave
Indy 46202
317-423-0312
http://www.rbistro.com/
I have mentioned before how much I love soft shell crab. I only wish I saw it on more menus. In case you don't know, soft shell crabs are blue crabs right after they have molted their hard shells and haven't quite grown their new ones. They are caught at that point and you can eat them whole, shell (such as it is) and all. I love them. In fact, I declared to my hubby last night that they are probably one of the most perfect foods. They have the yummy tender crab inside with the little bit of crunch that normal shellfish lacks. They are almost always fried somehow, either sauteed or deep fried, just to add that much more crunch.
So when the menu came out Wednesday for R Bistro and one of the featured items was soft shell crab served with two of my other favorite summer time things, tomato and corn relish, I booked a reservation. The crab was served on top of grilled bread with some yummy spread, tomato slices, mizuna greens and bacon. The corn relish was on the side. It was one of my all time favorite things I have eaten at R Bistro.
Many of the menu items were actually selections from other well known female chefs/cookbook authors. Alice Waters, Patricia Wells and the 2 Fat Ladies to name a few. When I saw the summer tomato pudding as an appetizer, courtesy of the 2 Fat Ladies, I knew I had to try it. I watched their show quite a bit while I lived in England and was sure it would be good knowing their propensity toward cream, butter and all things rich and delicious. I didn't even ask what exactly it was but went for it. It turned out to be a chopped and seasoned tomato mixture covered in a sort of soft tomato-ey bread crust with a bunch of stuff around it like cream fraiche, green olives, boiled egg and some more tomatoes. It was even better than expected. Light and so flavorful. I highly recommend it.
We tried dessert, thinking someone else's recipe might help in this area (as I think desserts are R Bistro's biggest weakness), but it still wasn't overly memorable. It was Alice Waters' chocolate pave, which was like a flourless chocolate cake. It was just ok, not a lot of flavor. I really need to learn from experience and just skip dessert, as everything else is usually so good.
My suggestion is to get there by Saturday and get the soft shell crab, or if you can't do that, go to R Bistro and see what's on the menu anyway. And hey, they are even on opentable.com, so it is even that much easier to make your reservation!
R Bistro
888 Massachusetts Ave
Indy 46202
317-423-0312
http://www.rbistro.com/
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Z's Oyster Bar & Steakhouse Update
*****AS OF JUNE 3, 2011 Z's IS CLOSED*****
A quick update on Z's. We went there for dinner last week and it was back up to its original standard and even a little better. After one trip where it was very crowded (on a Saturday night), the food quality was lower and the service was just plain bad, it took us awhile to go back. However, when we did, we were reminded of all the reasons we loved it the first time we went. Of course, it was not crowded (at all) so it was easier to give good service and prepare the food so well..
Anyway, the roasted clams, which we have ordered most visits, were delicious. And they now include bacon and chives which made them extra tasty. Reminded me of this claim and sausage combo that we had in a little divey place in Portugal that I can still remember because it was so good.
I had the walu, or butterfish, again (I can't help it, I don't think I have had better fish.) I remembered to order the tail end so it wasn't SOO thick. It was outstanding again. Hubby had a steak again and loved it as well. I had several bites and it was quite good. (My fish was better if you ask me).
We did get dessert just to try something new, we had the chocolate souffle (souffles are supposedly their specialty). I miss the bread puddings they had in the beginning. It was good, but not overly memorable.
But all in all, this place is great. Try it on a weekday when it isn't so busy. They even have an outside seating area--looks nice although the sound of 465 may get to you after awhile.
Z's Oyster Bar & Steakhouse
6220 Castleway W Drive
Indy 46250
317-644-8000
www.zsoyster.com
A quick update on Z's. We went there for dinner last week and it was back up to its original standard and even a little better. After one trip where it was very crowded (on a Saturday night), the food quality was lower and the service was just plain bad, it took us awhile to go back. However, when we did, we were reminded of all the reasons we loved it the first time we went. Of course, it was not crowded (at all) so it was easier to give good service and prepare the food so well..
Anyway, the roasted clams, which we have ordered most visits, were delicious. And they now include bacon and chives which made them extra tasty. Reminded me of this claim and sausage combo that we had in a little divey place in Portugal that I can still remember because it was so good.
I had the walu, or butterfish, again (I can't help it, I don't think I have had better fish.) I remembered to order the tail end so it wasn't SOO thick. It was outstanding again. Hubby had a steak again and loved it as well. I had several bites and it was quite good. (My fish was better if you ask me).
We did get dessert just to try something new, we had the chocolate souffle (souffles are supposedly their specialty). I miss the bread puddings they had in the beginning. It was good, but not overly memorable.
But all in all, this place is great. Try it on a weekday when it isn't so busy. They even have an outside seating area--looks nice although the sound of 465 may get to you after awhile.
Z's Oyster Bar & Steakhouse
6220 Castleway W Drive
Indy 46250
317-644-8000
www.zsoyster.com
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Sawasdee Restaurant
Again, I am behind. Why is summer so busy? Anyway, I went on a recent trip with girlfriends to Sawasdee Thai restaurant after being told by many folks how good it is (and reading the same in many places). For those who might be curious, "Sawasdee" is a word for a bowed Thai greeting.
The restaurant, I have been told, has recently expanded in its strip mall location, and must have been quite small before. It is nicely sized now and was quite full for a Tuesday night. (And I might add, quite warm! For someone who usually brings a sweater to restaurants in this City in the summer due to the crazy air conditioning, I was flushed by the time I left Sawasdee).
So I ordered something off the menu that seems to be as large as the phone book (the menu, not what I ordered). OK, I am not going to be able to remember what its official name is, but it boiled down to chicken (on a side note, I was interested to see how many different ways "chicken" was spelled on this menu--when people are writing menus, do they forget all about spell check?) with garlic and black pepper sauce and seemed to have some crushed peanuts on top. (Another side note, as a Mom of a child with peanut and tree nut allergies, I would NOT take such children here since it appears that out of the 4 meals on the table, 3 of them contained peanuts and/or cashews--ok, one of them was "cashew chicken," but still). Once you finally narrow down what you are going to order, you then need to choose your meat, which could be chicken, beef, pork, shrimp and even sometimes squid. It takes AWHILE to get through this menu. I think I now know the true reason people just always order their favorite here. It is so much easier! If it were my restaurant, I would try to get it onto a couple of larger pages and make certain dishes with the ingredients that might benefit the most from the accompaniments. But that's just me.
Anyway, as for the food, it was good (I also tried the drunken noodles). They brought you soup and an spring roll to start. The spring roll was really crispy which is how I really like my spring rolls. The soup was sort of nondescript. Since I generally don't like sweet sauces in which to dip my spring roll (or anything else) I used the soup to dip in. It was pretty good. The entrees came with steamed rice (except the drunken noodles) and my entree was also pretty good. It wasn't amazing and the chicken was a little overcooked I thought. The sauce sort of had that eggy consistency to it that a lot of Asian restaurant meals have. None of it was super flavorful, but I probably should have gotten it spicier (oh yeah, that was yet another choice. Once you picked your entree, you chose between mild, medium, spicy and Thai hot). By that time I was overwhelmed and just said "mild" which may have been a mistake.
The service was quite nice and at one point when we ordered a second glass of wine, the manager?/owner? came to our table, opened the bottle and let us taste it, even when we only ordered a glass. Also, one of the other big benefits of this place is the cost. Dinners were only around $10, and they included the spring roll and soup (or Thai salad). All in all, for an Asian-type meal, Shanghai Lil's is still my fave, but it is significantly more expensive, so there you go.
1222 West 86th Street
Indy 46260
317-844-9451
The restaurant, I have been told, has recently expanded in its strip mall location, and must have been quite small before. It is nicely sized now and was quite full for a Tuesday night. (And I might add, quite warm! For someone who usually brings a sweater to restaurants in this City in the summer due to the crazy air conditioning, I was flushed by the time I left Sawasdee).
So I ordered something off the menu that seems to be as large as the phone book (the menu, not what I ordered). OK, I am not going to be able to remember what its official name is, but it boiled down to chicken (on a side note, I was interested to see how many different ways "chicken" was spelled on this menu--when people are writing menus, do they forget all about spell check?) with garlic and black pepper sauce and seemed to have some crushed peanuts on top. (Another side note, as a Mom of a child with peanut and tree nut allergies, I would NOT take such children here since it appears that out of the 4 meals on the table, 3 of them contained peanuts and/or cashews--ok, one of them was "cashew chicken," but still). Once you finally narrow down what you are going to order, you then need to choose your meat, which could be chicken, beef, pork, shrimp and even sometimes squid. It takes AWHILE to get through this menu. I think I now know the true reason people just always order their favorite here. It is so much easier! If it were my restaurant, I would try to get it onto a couple of larger pages and make certain dishes with the ingredients that might benefit the most from the accompaniments. But that's just me.
Anyway, as for the food, it was good (I also tried the drunken noodles). They brought you soup and an spring roll to start. The spring roll was really crispy which is how I really like my spring rolls. The soup was sort of nondescript. Since I generally don't like sweet sauces in which to dip my spring roll (or anything else) I used the soup to dip in. It was pretty good. The entrees came with steamed rice (except the drunken noodles) and my entree was also pretty good. It wasn't amazing and the chicken was a little overcooked I thought. The sauce sort of had that eggy consistency to it that a lot of Asian restaurant meals have. None of it was super flavorful, but I probably should have gotten it spicier (oh yeah, that was yet another choice. Once you picked your entree, you chose between mild, medium, spicy and Thai hot). By that time I was overwhelmed and just said "mild" which may have been a mistake.
The service was quite nice and at one point when we ordered a second glass of wine, the manager?/owner? came to our table, opened the bottle and let us taste it, even when we only ordered a glass. Also, one of the other big benefits of this place is the cost. Dinners were only around $10, and they included the spring roll and soup (or Thai salad). All in all, for an Asian-type meal, Shanghai Lil's is still my fave, but it is significantly more expensive, so there you go.
1222 West 86th Street
Indy 46260
317-844-9451
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Meridian
This week I decided to go back to Meridian after I had been shortly after its opening and being fairly unimpressed. In case you don't know, Meridian is located at Westfield and Meridian, where the old Dodd's Townhouse used to be. Anyway, I knew the menu had changed and thought this would be a good time to re-try it and review it. The decor, as has been mentioned before, is really nice and warm. Reminds you of being in a really nice ski lodge with lots of faux candles. They also have outside dining.
I want to start out by saying, it has greatly improved. I was honest with our waiter about my first visit (he asked) and he told me that they were feeling as though the kinks were getting worked out and many had commented on the improved dining experience. The starters were really good. I had the mussels in sweet chili oil and hubby ordered the chef's version of oysters Rockefeller. The mussels were fresh and well prepared. Seemed a bit too sweet at first, but as the heat caught up, they seemed a bit more balanced. The oysters were outstanding. They were actually deep fried laid across a bed of cheesy spinach with a piece of bacon on top and some Hollandaise on the side. They were really good. I don't usually order oysters and I think I would order these if I go back.
Because I decided to order a starter for my main (I tried to get them to serve me a half order of their lobster carbonara but they said no.), I decided to get a salad as well. It was a properly sized (read, not enormous) spinach salad with the usual suspects, egg, mushrooms and onions and a nice warm bacon dressing. The only fault on this was it was maybe just a little too much dressing.
For my main, I ordered the appetizer of potato gnocchi with mushrooms, greens and bacon (seemed to be bacon everywhere) with balsamic. It was good. Maybe even just ok. But not bad. Hubby ordered duck. He liked it, but didn't love it as much as those oysters. We didn't try dessert for 2 reasons. Trying to watch the figure after a somewhat decadent vacation and also because the courses seemed to go a bit downhill each time, so we figured why risk it?
I will say this, I have been having a lot of bad luck with wine service lately (I have been to two restaurants that have served us very warm white wine), and I was really happy to be served a nice cold bottle of exactly what I ordered.
The server was very friendly and helpful, if not a little over-eager. He was knowledgeable and quite proud to be working there, which was nice to see. He sort of assumed we didn't know anything about food, which was maybe a little annoying, but maybe most of his customers are in that category, I don't know.
I hope the food continues to improve as much as it did between my first two visits. If so, Meridian could turn into an outstanding overall restaurant.
Meridian
5694 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208
317-466-1111
http://meridianonmeridian.com/menu.htm
I want to start out by saying, it has greatly improved. I was honest with our waiter about my first visit (he asked) and he told me that they were feeling as though the kinks were getting worked out and many had commented on the improved dining experience. The starters were really good. I had the mussels in sweet chili oil and hubby ordered the chef's version of oysters Rockefeller. The mussels were fresh and well prepared. Seemed a bit too sweet at first, but as the heat caught up, they seemed a bit more balanced. The oysters were outstanding. They were actually deep fried laid across a bed of cheesy spinach with a piece of bacon on top and some Hollandaise on the side. They were really good. I don't usually order oysters and I think I would order these if I go back.
Because I decided to order a starter for my main (I tried to get them to serve me a half order of their lobster carbonara but they said no.), I decided to get a salad as well. It was a properly sized (read, not enormous) spinach salad with the usual suspects, egg, mushrooms and onions and a nice warm bacon dressing. The only fault on this was it was maybe just a little too much dressing.
For my main, I ordered the appetizer of potato gnocchi with mushrooms, greens and bacon (seemed to be bacon everywhere) with balsamic. It was good. Maybe even just ok. But not bad. Hubby ordered duck. He liked it, but didn't love it as much as those oysters. We didn't try dessert for 2 reasons. Trying to watch the figure after a somewhat decadent vacation and also because the courses seemed to go a bit downhill each time, so we figured why risk it?
I will say this, I have been having a lot of bad luck with wine service lately (I have been to two restaurants that have served us very warm white wine), and I was really happy to be served a nice cold bottle of exactly what I ordered.
The server was very friendly and helpful, if not a little over-eager. He was knowledgeable and quite proud to be working there, which was nice to see. He sort of assumed we didn't know anything about food, which was maybe a little annoying, but maybe most of his customers are in that category, I don't know.
I hope the food continues to improve as much as it did between my first two visits. If so, Meridian could turn into an outstanding overall restaurant.
Meridian
5694 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208
317-466-1111
http://meridianonmeridian.com/menu.htm
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Return to Elements and the Tavern at Bugg's Temple
****BOTH OF THESE RESTAURANTS ARE NOW CLOSED****
OK, I am trying to play catch up still and so I am going to do quicker than normal reviews of 2 of ,what are usually a couple of my faves.
We went with the in-laws to Elements a couple of weeks ago and frankly, had one of what was probably my least favorite meals there. And usually this is one of my favorite restaurants. Anyway, I had one of their signature salads (that I love so much) and while it was good, it wasn't the best I have had for sure. It was white endive with blue cheese, pistachios and a vinaigrette. It thought it a bit light on the blue cheese and the pistachios weren't as good as some in the past which have included pine nuts or other more flavorful nuts.
For my entree I ordered Tasmanian sea trout. It was done in a shanghai style which as I have said before, I quite like. I almost always order fish at Elements because they do it so well. I had never had, nor heard of, this particular type of fish but assumed it would be similar to trout I have had before (like rainbow trout etc). Well, it was basically like salmon, only a tiny bit lighter. OK, here's the thing. I don't like salmon. I know, most people do, but I like white fish (pretty much of any kind) and some raw tuna type dishes, but usually not the fishes in the pink color family. So I was really disappointed. I was lucky though, because hubby really liked it and traded with me. He had ordered lamb so all was well in the world. The lamb was perfectly cooked, but the sides were a little dull. I only wish the waiter had explained to me what Tasmanian sea trout was, as he had to a nearby table after I had already ordered it. Oh well, you live and you learn. But again, to be fair, hubby REALLY liked the Tasmanian sea trout (but he also really likes salmon). So if you like salmon, try it, if not, skip it!
We also recently went back to the Tavern at Bugg's Temple (also on the night of an ominous looking cloud and storm system--seems hard to avoid this summer) with friends from out of town and had an outstanding meal (well, 3 out of 4 of us did anyway). I had the mussels (of course) and am happy to say, they were back up to their highest quality. In fact, everyone at the table fought for them and I should have gotten a double order. I then had the one side seared beef, which I have always wanted to get but haven't and it was really really good. A nice demi glace with it and I loved it. Unfortunately, I ended up sharing quite a bit of it with my table mate who didn't care for his suckling pig shepherd's pie (said it was way too salty), but really there was plenty for sharing.
And, big announcement! They have added an entire cheese menu in with their bar menu!!! I have been waiting patiently for Indianapolis to catch up to the rest of the world and offer some decent cheese plates for dessert and now you can make your own! They are priced individually so you can mix and match whatever you want. We had a selection of 3 served with some nice accompaniments (honey, nuts, etc) and it was good. And of course, we had the banana tart. I think as long as we go there, and they have it, we will be ordering it.
I would also like to say, the service is getting better each visit which is reassuring. Our waitress even remembered us and knew what wine we would want which was very nice. Unfortunately, they do seem to have a problems keeping several bottles cold at a time, so when we ordered our second, we had to wait to have it chilled down and ate a lot of our entrees without wine. No one is perfect I guess. But this is still one of our favorite restaurants and I was happy to see the food back to the high quality of previous visits.
Remember, they have a great patio looking over the canal. Get there while the weather is nice!
Elements
415 North Alabama
Indy 46204
317-634-8888
http://www.elementsindy.com/
The Tavern at Bugg's Temple
337 West 11th
Indy 46202
317-735-7960
http://www.tavernatthetemple.com/
***Note: this restaurant is now called Euphoria, under new management but with the same chef.
OK, I am trying to play catch up still and so I am going to do quicker than normal reviews of 2 of ,what are usually a couple of my faves.
We went with the in-laws to Elements a couple of weeks ago and frankly, had one of what was probably my least favorite meals there. And usually this is one of my favorite restaurants. Anyway, I had one of their signature salads (that I love so much) and while it was good, it wasn't the best I have had for sure. It was white endive with blue cheese, pistachios and a vinaigrette. It thought it a bit light on the blue cheese and the pistachios weren't as good as some in the past which have included pine nuts or other more flavorful nuts.
For my entree I ordered Tasmanian sea trout. It was done in a shanghai style which as I have said before, I quite like. I almost always order fish at Elements because they do it so well. I had never had, nor heard of, this particular type of fish but assumed it would be similar to trout I have had before (like rainbow trout etc). Well, it was basically like salmon, only a tiny bit lighter. OK, here's the thing. I don't like salmon. I know, most people do, but I like white fish (pretty much of any kind) and some raw tuna type dishes, but usually not the fishes in the pink color family. So I was really disappointed. I was lucky though, because hubby really liked it and traded with me. He had ordered lamb so all was well in the world. The lamb was perfectly cooked, but the sides were a little dull. I only wish the waiter had explained to me what Tasmanian sea trout was, as he had to a nearby table after I had already ordered it. Oh well, you live and you learn. But again, to be fair, hubby REALLY liked the Tasmanian sea trout (but he also really likes salmon). So if you like salmon, try it, if not, skip it!
We also recently went back to the Tavern at Bugg's Temple (also on the night of an ominous looking cloud and storm system--seems hard to avoid this summer) with friends from out of town and had an outstanding meal (well, 3 out of 4 of us did anyway). I had the mussels (of course) and am happy to say, they were back up to their highest quality. In fact, everyone at the table fought for them and I should have gotten a double order. I then had the one side seared beef, which I have always wanted to get but haven't and it was really really good. A nice demi glace with it and I loved it. Unfortunately, I ended up sharing quite a bit of it with my table mate who didn't care for his suckling pig shepherd's pie (said it was way too salty), but really there was plenty for sharing.
And, big announcement! They have added an entire cheese menu in with their bar menu!!! I have been waiting patiently for Indianapolis to catch up to the rest of the world and offer some decent cheese plates for dessert and now you can make your own! They are priced individually so you can mix and match whatever you want. We had a selection of 3 served with some nice accompaniments (honey, nuts, etc) and it was good. And of course, we had the banana tart. I think as long as we go there, and they have it, we will be ordering it.
I would also like to say, the service is getting better each visit which is reassuring. Our waitress even remembered us and knew what wine we would want which was very nice. Unfortunately, they do seem to have a problems keeping several bottles cold at a time, so when we ordered our second, we had to wait to have it chilled down and ate a lot of our entrees without wine. No one is perfect I guess. But this is still one of our favorite restaurants and I was happy to see the food back to the high quality of previous visits.
Remember, they have a great patio looking over the canal. Get there while the weather is nice!
Elements
415 North Alabama
Indy 46204
317-634-8888
http://www.elementsindy.com/
The Tavern at Bugg's Temple
337 West 11th
Indy 46202
317-735-7960
http://www.tavernatthetemple.com/
***Note: this restaurant is now called Euphoria, under new management but with the same chef.
Rick's Cafe Boatyard
I am so behind.. Summer is flying by and I have had some great meals, but no time to write about them. So I am trying to do some catch up. A few weeks ago we went to Rick's Boatyard over on Eagle Creek. The night we went was one of those nights when there were tornado warnings all through the night, and all though it was impressive watching the storms, it probably wasn't the safest choice.
We started with the calamari which was described as "tempura." I wouldn't exactly call it "tempura," more like a light breading to me, but I will say it was really good. It was more like strips of the body of the calamari (as opposed to the normal rings and tentacles you usually get with fried calamari), but it was super tender and I thought really good. As did everyone else at the table. It was served with a remoulade sauce that was quite tasty, but it was good with just a squeeze of lemon if you ask me.
I then had the combo of tempura shrimp and Parmesan crusted tilapia. It was good, but not as good as the calamari. The funny thing was the dinner portions were huge but the calamari portion quite dainty. Hubby has planked whitefish which was also good, but again, did not measure up to the quality of the calamari. We saw someone else get crab legs which looked really good. I think we have decided that next time we will get the calamari and the crab and see how that is. We also had a mud pie type dessert which I guess they are known for. It was decadent and quite good as well.
I really liked the atmosphere of the reservoir-side dining and always enjoy finding such places in our fair, land-locked City. I know it has been around a long time, but it was my first time there. If you haven't been or haven't been in awhile, give it a try. Especially when the weather is nice.
Rick's Cafe Boatyard
4050 Dandy Trail
Indy, 46254
317-290-9300
http://www.rickscafeboatyard.com/
We started with the calamari which was described as "tempura." I wouldn't exactly call it "tempura," more like a light breading to me, but I will say it was really good. It was more like strips of the body of the calamari (as opposed to the normal rings and tentacles you usually get with fried calamari), but it was super tender and I thought really good. As did everyone else at the table. It was served with a remoulade sauce that was quite tasty, but it was good with just a squeeze of lemon if you ask me.
I then had the combo of tempura shrimp and Parmesan crusted tilapia. It was good, but not as good as the calamari. The funny thing was the dinner portions were huge but the calamari portion quite dainty. Hubby has planked whitefish which was also good, but again, did not measure up to the quality of the calamari. We saw someone else get crab legs which looked really good. I think we have decided that next time we will get the calamari and the crab and see how that is. We also had a mud pie type dessert which I guess they are known for. It was decadent and quite good as well.
I really liked the atmosphere of the reservoir-side dining and always enjoy finding such places in our fair, land-locked City. I know it has been around a long time, but it was my first time there. If you haven't been or haven't been in awhile, give it a try. Especially when the weather is nice.
Rick's Cafe Boatyard
4050 Dandy Trail
Indy, 46254
317-290-9300
http://www.rickscafeboatyard.com/
Friday, June 13, 2008
L'explorateur (again)
****This restaurant is closed as of January 2009****
I can't help it. I know I have blogged quite a bit about L'explorateur, but we had a perfect meal there this week. The day was lovely, the service was great and the food was outstanding!
Were were served an amuse bouche of a slice of fried zucchini with a remoulade sauce. It was good, but could've used a sprinkle of salt on top. As for the things we actually ordered, we started with some of the L'ex classics, the scallop ceviche, which I am completely addicted to, and the yellowfin tuna "pizza" which is a small flatbread with anchovy aioli, the tuna, thinly sliced, and some olives and microgreens. They were both amazing! The ceviche contained scallops, avocado, cilantro, habanero, and cucumber with house made chips. Oh, and lots of lime juice. Cucumbers aren't my favorite thing, but I ate around them (interestingly, they don't always put the cukes in, it does make for nice variety that it isn't always exactly the same).
We both had the skate for our main. I have mentioned before how much I love skate (as does hubby) so when it is on a menu (which isn't that often around here), we almost always both order it. I loved that it wasn't the classic preparation that we have had many times. It was lightly floured (and I think had some egg in the crust too), pan fried and served over a mix of chopped asparagus and morels all in a brown butter sauce and over a swash of miso paste. May sound a little strange, but it was richly delicious.
We had a bottle of the Principessa Gavi with the meal which was also perfect (for some reason with this wine, it is either really good, or somewhat skunky). Since we were on such a roll, we decided to go for dessert. We went with another L'ex classic, the banana pot de creme with dark chocolate genache. We have had this before and weren't as impressed as we were this time. I don't know if it was slightly different or if it was just the high of the rest of the meal that made it seem so good, but it was very good. We also asked if they had glasses of moscato d'asti for dessert and were told they only had it by the bottle. We ordered a glass of Riesling to split instead. When the waiter brought the wine, it was actually moscato d'asti. It was funny because he didn't mention it, but obviously, they had decided to open a bottle for us. So we ordered another glass (lower alcohol content you know!).
This is a restaurant that we really need in Indy and I hope it continues to do well! It is the most edgy restaurant I think we have and the food is fresh and outstanding. Rumor has it the chef is looking to move the restaurant downtown. I would still go just as much and hopefully maybe even more people will discover it and enjoy it as I do.
L'exlorateur
6523 Ferguson Street
Indy 46220
317-726-6906
www.dinelex.com
I can't help it. I know I have blogged quite a bit about L'explorateur, but we had a perfect meal there this week. The day was lovely, the service was great and the food was outstanding!
Were were served an amuse bouche of a slice of fried zucchini with a remoulade sauce. It was good, but could've used a sprinkle of salt on top. As for the things we actually ordered, we started with some of the L'ex classics, the scallop ceviche, which I am completely addicted to, and the yellowfin tuna "pizza" which is a small flatbread with anchovy aioli, the tuna, thinly sliced, and some olives and microgreens. They were both amazing! The ceviche contained scallops, avocado, cilantro, habanero, and cucumber with house made chips. Oh, and lots of lime juice. Cucumbers aren't my favorite thing, but I ate around them (interestingly, they don't always put the cukes in, it does make for nice variety that it isn't always exactly the same).
We both had the skate for our main. I have mentioned before how much I love skate (as does hubby) so when it is on a menu (which isn't that often around here), we almost always both order it. I loved that it wasn't the classic preparation that we have had many times. It was lightly floured (and I think had some egg in the crust too), pan fried and served over a mix of chopped asparagus and morels all in a brown butter sauce and over a swash of miso paste. May sound a little strange, but it was richly delicious.
We had a bottle of the Principessa Gavi with the meal which was also perfect (for some reason with this wine, it is either really good, or somewhat skunky). Since we were on such a roll, we decided to go for dessert. We went with another L'ex classic, the banana pot de creme with dark chocolate genache. We have had this before and weren't as impressed as we were this time. I don't know if it was slightly different or if it was just the high of the rest of the meal that made it seem so good, but it was very good. We also asked if they had glasses of moscato d'asti for dessert and were told they only had it by the bottle. We ordered a glass of Riesling to split instead. When the waiter brought the wine, it was actually moscato d'asti. It was funny because he didn't mention it, but obviously, they had decided to open a bottle for us. So we ordered another glass (lower alcohol content you know!).
This is a restaurant that we really need in Indy and I hope it continues to do well! It is the most edgy restaurant I think we have and the food is fresh and outstanding. Rumor has it the chef is looking to move the restaurant downtown. I would still go just as much and hopefully maybe even more people will discover it and enjoy it as I do.
L'exlorateur
6523 Ferguson Street
Indy 46220
317-726-6906
www.dinelex.com
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Oceanaire --the next visit
OK, I was hoping for some soft shell crab, but turns out they only have it for a couple of weeks in the beginning of May. I did find out though, it was a good time to visit Oceanaire because it was Devour Downtown, where many of the downtown restaurants have fixed menus for a $30.00 (and you get 3 courses). So I thought, hey, this is a perfect for Oceanaire since, a) their stuff is very pricey and b) the servings are way too big. So I ordered the set price, hubby ordered a la carte and we shared. The serving size of the devour downtown appetizer was great! Small portion of smoked salmon. Very well done. We also ordered the regular mussel appetizer which was, of course, huge. They were pretty good--not too big in individual mussel size. The shallot/white wine sauce was a little flat--needed several lemon wedge's worth of squeezes to brighten it up, then it was quite tasty. Although my favorite mussels in this City are still the ones on the bar menu at The Tavern at Bugg's Temple.
Continuing on with the set menu (you actually got to choose one of three choices for each course which was nice), I had the Dungeness crab cakes. I love Dungeness crab and having had the blue crab cakes at Oceanaire before, I had high expectations for some really meaty delicious crab cakes. However, while their blue crab cakes are that way, the Dungeness crab cakes are not. Apparently, they use all the meat from the body cavities of the crab and it is the small stringy bits. (Now, when you are eating the actual whole crab, this part is still really good, but didn't come out this way in the crab cake.) The portion was actually still quite large (2 large crab cakes). Hubby ordered the walleye done "Ritzy" style with crushed Ritz crackers. It was quite delicious (and interestingly, the only fresh water fish on the menu--apparently the chef is from Minnesota and loves walleye). I love it too. I think it is one of the best white fishes around personally.
Up til now, the service was superb and quite a difference from our last meal out at Puck's. We even had the manager at our table a couple times to check on us. And your shell bowls are constantly emptied and water is always full. However, in between entrees and dessert, things got really busy in the restaurant and service of the food slowed quite a bit. We finally ordered our dessert from the special menu and it was a strawberry rhubarb crumble with ice cream. There was way more ice cream then crumble which was unfortunate because it was hard to tell how the crumble really tasted.
I know this review sounds harsh, but I generally do like Oceanaire and the fact that the seafood is very fresh. This was definitely not my best meal, but I like that the menu is different each time, and next time I will get something else. I also really appreciate the professional service. I will do devour downtown again at Oceanaire as well because I really appreciate the smaller portions.
Oceanaire Seafood Room
30 S Meridian Street
Indy, 46204
317-955-2277
http://www.theoceanaire.com/
Continuing on with the set menu (you actually got to choose one of three choices for each course which was nice), I had the Dungeness crab cakes. I love Dungeness crab and having had the blue crab cakes at Oceanaire before, I had high expectations for some really meaty delicious crab cakes. However, while their blue crab cakes are that way, the Dungeness crab cakes are not. Apparently, they use all the meat from the body cavities of the crab and it is the small stringy bits. (Now, when you are eating the actual whole crab, this part is still really good, but didn't come out this way in the crab cake.) The portion was actually still quite large (2 large crab cakes). Hubby ordered the walleye done "Ritzy" style with crushed Ritz crackers. It was quite delicious (and interestingly, the only fresh water fish on the menu--apparently the chef is from Minnesota and loves walleye). I love it too. I think it is one of the best white fishes around personally.
Up til now, the service was superb and quite a difference from our last meal out at Puck's. We even had the manager at our table a couple times to check on us. And your shell bowls are constantly emptied and water is always full. However, in between entrees and dessert, things got really busy in the restaurant and service of the food slowed quite a bit. We finally ordered our dessert from the special menu and it was a strawberry rhubarb crumble with ice cream. There was way more ice cream then crumble which was unfortunate because it was hard to tell how the crumble really tasted.
I know this review sounds harsh, but I generally do like Oceanaire and the fact that the seafood is very fresh. This was definitely not my best meal, but I like that the menu is different each time, and next time I will get something else. I also really appreciate the professional service. I will do devour downtown again at Oceanaire as well because I really appreciate the smaller portions.
Oceanaire Seafood Room
30 S Meridian Street
Indy, 46204
317-955-2277
http://www.theoceanaire.com/
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Puck's
****Note: Puck's is no longer in business.
Pucks, Pucks, Pucks. What can I say? The food is great, and so is the ambiance (beautiful dining room at the Indianapolis Art Museum overlooking the fountain), but the service blows. Hard. We went last week and have been many times since being back in Indy. The food has almost always been excellent, while the service has ranged from mediocre to really crappy (as it was this last time).
Because the service problems started from the get-go, that is where I will start. I will tell you about the food next. We walked in, about 2 minutes late for our reservation. There was no hostess there and a large party ahead of us. We all waited. The hostess came back, told us she would seat them and be right back for us. About 10-15 minutes later (!!) she came back and seated us. At a table with only half the necessary flatware and no bread plates. Granted they were pretty busy, but it bordered on ridiculous. The waitress was nice but very distracted and slow. Our meal took forever. Later, I saw why the hostess wasn't at the front. She was bussing tables and pouring water and bringing menus (which by the way, for dinner, we were given one dinner menu and one lunch menu). It makes one wonder if they are struggling with help or business and were not expecting a crowd. But you have to have bussers.
As for the food, I am amazed that with the service issues they have, they continue to put out such an excellent product. Although I have noticed that the menu used to change a lot more than it does now. Which is a bummer because parsnips are really more of a fall/winter kinda thing I think. Where's my spring veg? But if you are having a lot of service problems, and who knows what turnover in the kitchen, it is probably easiest to keep up the quality with routine.
On to the food specifically. I had the frisee salad with a poached egg, bacon and sherry vinaigrette. I have had it in the past, and as usual, it did not disappoint. Excellently prepared and executed. Hubby had the tuna tartare which I had the last time I was there (and I had some this time off his plate as well). The quality is really good, but to me, it was heavy on spiciness and could've used some lemon or something. Next, I had the halibut done Shanghai style with rice. It was good. The fish was cooked very well, but it was quite spicy. I can handle a fair amount of spiciness, but this started to take away from the other flavors the closer you got to the end of the meal. Normally, my experience with Shanghai style is a sort of mix between the spiciness of the red chilies and a sort of sourness from the ginger and rice wine. This was mostly just hot, with a hint of the other flavors, but still quite good.
Hubby then had a blue cheese encrusted filet, as the mains weren't really up his alley this night. (Listen up Broad Ripple Steakhouse, this is how you do a blue cheese encruseted steak--with blue cheese! Not breadcrumbs.). He was quite happy.
Anyway, it was a very frustrating meal because the food is up there in the Indy scene, but the service was so bad, it made it hard to want to go back. I hope they fix these problems, because not everyone has 3 hours to spend at a weeknight dinner. And I want to go back, I really do.
Puck's at the IMA
4000 Michigan Road
Indy, 46208
955-2315
http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/
Pucks, Pucks, Pucks. What can I say? The food is great, and so is the ambiance (beautiful dining room at the Indianapolis Art Museum overlooking the fountain), but the service blows. Hard. We went last week and have been many times since being back in Indy. The food has almost always been excellent, while the service has ranged from mediocre to really crappy (as it was this last time).
Because the service problems started from the get-go, that is where I will start. I will tell you about the food next. We walked in, about 2 minutes late for our reservation. There was no hostess there and a large party ahead of us. We all waited. The hostess came back, told us she would seat them and be right back for us. About 10-15 minutes later (!!) she came back and seated us. At a table with only half the necessary flatware and no bread plates. Granted they were pretty busy, but it bordered on ridiculous. The waitress was nice but very distracted and slow. Our meal took forever. Later, I saw why the hostess wasn't at the front. She was bussing tables and pouring water and bringing menus (which by the way, for dinner, we were given one dinner menu and one lunch menu). It makes one wonder if they are struggling with help or business and were not expecting a crowd. But you have to have bussers.
As for the food, I am amazed that with the service issues they have, they continue to put out such an excellent product. Although I have noticed that the menu used to change a lot more than it does now. Which is a bummer because parsnips are really more of a fall/winter kinda thing I think. Where's my spring veg? But if you are having a lot of service problems, and who knows what turnover in the kitchen, it is probably easiest to keep up the quality with routine.
On to the food specifically. I had the frisee salad with a poached egg, bacon and sherry vinaigrette. I have had it in the past, and as usual, it did not disappoint. Excellently prepared and executed. Hubby had the tuna tartare which I had the last time I was there (and I had some this time off his plate as well). The quality is really good, but to me, it was heavy on spiciness and could've used some lemon or something. Next, I had the halibut done Shanghai style with rice. It was good. The fish was cooked very well, but it was quite spicy. I can handle a fair amount of spiciness, but this started to take away from the other flavors the closer you got to the end of the meal. Normally, my experience with Shanghai style is a sort of mix between the spiciness of the red chilies and a sort of sourness from the ginger and rice wine. This was mostly just hot, with a hint of the other flavors, but still quite good.
Hubby then had a blue cheese encrusted filet, as the mains weren't really up his alley this night. (Listen up Broad Ripple Steakhouse, this is how you do a blue cheese encruseted steak--with blue cheese! Not breadcrumbs.). He was quite happy.
Anyway, it was a very frustrating meal because the food is up there in the Indy scene, but the service was so bad, it made it hard to want to go back. I hope they fix these problems, because not everyone has 3 hours to spend at a weeknight dinner. And I want to go back, I really do.
Puck's at the IMA
4000 Michigan Road
Indy, 46208
955-2315
http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/
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