This post is long over due. There will be no further reviews by Pat and Benson. Pat and Fran decided to retire to Minnesota. Pat’s last day here was March 28th. I had hoped to pick some legendary joints for us to go to but my health would not allow it. After a couple of trips to the hospital and a few medicine adjustments I am improving, just not well enough to hit the restaurant scene yet. By the way it had nothing to do with Covid. I am looking forward to getting out once more because a few new places have opened up and the ones that survived need some love. Which is exactly what I intend to do as soon as I am able.
Latest
Dad’s Kitchen Indy 6336 Guilford Avenue
https://www.dadskitchenindy.com/
Pandemic or not some folks are willing to take a shot. This location is off the main drag but is still well traveled. The space Dads is in used to be a chain sandwich joint and an ice cream parlor. Possibly more. I just can’t remember. My first impression after reviewing their menu was that the prices were a bit high. Upon further reflection I think they are probably in line with the rest of Broad Ripple. Folks don’t usually go to the Village for bargains.
I am not sure what Pat meant by the Bistro appearance. I though it was simply done. The treatment was top notch but for the most part it was rather plain. I guess we may need to hit a bar with sawdust on the floors.
I stayed with the burger part of the menu. Pat’s American was $12 and the House burger I ordered was $13. My burger came with cheese, avocado, pico de gallo and a chipotle mayo; and of course fries.
Now I do not think you could find a more attractive burger set up in town. From the cut of the veggies to the placement of the avocado everything was placed with precision and in an effort to please the diner’s eye. As for taste it was more than satisfying. The pico had just enough heat to get your attention and I enjoyed the creaminess the bit of avocado brought to the table. They use a ready made 3 to 1 patty and they give a reasonable portion of fries so the portions are modest. Of course most other joints offer 8 ounce burgers and enough fries for two.
I really enjoyed my burger. I thought it was nicely done and as Pat said it is not billed as a burger joint. They also have a big case full of bakers’ confections and of course a full coffee service. What caught my eye was a Blueberry Slapjack cake. It is just what it sounds like. Layers of cake size panckes stuck together and served with a side of syrup. They had the last pieces of an older cake reduced by half and I just could not resist.
Of course I forgot all about taking the picture until I was almost finished. Pat thought I should go ahead and take a shot anyway. I guess to document my lack of self control. However the cake cost $4.25. If that is half priced I doubt that I will be eating any cake there. It was pretty tasty though.
The pricey dessert aside I thought it was a pretty good lunch. They should do all right here. I think it is worth a try.
Main Street Grille 200 S Emerson Ave Greenwood In.
Well here we are back at a pub. Pubs are so different from when I was younger. Some actually have cooks and a kitchen. Some even have pizza ovens; like Main Street. Their oven uses wood. Should have gotten a shot of it. You can see it when you come in.
I could not resist their sausage so I opted for it as one of my toppings, They also offer different cheeses to go with their shredded mozzarella so I got some ricotta. Since Pat was so enthusiastic about his BLT I added bacon to my pie.
I agree with Pat they build an excellent pizza. The crust is thin and cracker crisp and it is not overloaded with sauce. They did a wonderful job with their sausage but its appearance can take you aback. They slice it horozontally with a slice and then cut the pieces so that they look like a flat raft. Regardless it was delicious. My only complaint was the bacon. They crumble it up and scatter it across the pie so it is hard to get a good bacon taste. That’s okay the rest more than made up for it. Pat rates their pie on a par with Some Guys and a bit above Bazbeaux. I think I would agree with that assessment.
Harsi’s Subs & Pizza 3337 Georgetown Road
This place was suggested to us by a young lady who worked at The Library. She had worked there and mentioned that the sauce and crusts were house made.
Pat’s pie looked great but I opted for a Stromboli. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
It was a beauty and I really liked the way they dug out the bread for the sausage and sauce. The bread was excellent but the rest of the sandwich was unremarkable. It would appear that they offer two different sausages. The sausage on Pat’s pie was chunky and; according to him; heavy with fennel. My sausage was neither. Little pellets that fill a space well but in this case had little flavor. The sauce had a bit of spice at the end but not much in the beginning. Would get a pizza if there is a next time.
So the verdict is one outstanding pie and one ho hum sandwich. Worth checking out for the pies and the other hot and cold sandwiches they offer. Plus our whole lunch was under $18. I think a hot ham and cheese on that bread would be very good.
The Library Restaurant & Pub 2610 S. Lynhurst Drive
https://www.thelibrary-indy.com/
I am not sure how we ended up here. I was checking on a joint that Pat mentioned to me and in anticipation of that joint not being open I listed this as an alternative. I guess that was why we ended up here.
It was a very attractive place. High ceilings, chandeliers, even an upstairs. I can see it as a fine dining French Restaurant.
As Pat said the special was fine. The aforementioned special was blackened prime rib Caeser salad. I agree with Pat is was fine. A tasty lunch for 14 bucks. Maybe it was the spirits of the former Haute Cuisine in the atmosphere but I am going to pick some nits. The salad was too lightly dressed for my taste. Salad greens should not be soggy with dressing but I would like to taste the dressing. Also the medium temp was more mid well. That comes from buying a cooked to rare ribeye. I do not agree with that. I think any kitchen with an oven should be able to cook a whole ribeye; or as some folks call it a whole Prime rib. However even if the meat was rare I do not get why they were unable to cook it to medium. I have my suppositions but they are just that, guesses.
Now the age old question. Would I buy it again? Of course. It was still a decent meal. Tasty and filling I just would have prefered a better execution. The fat was crisp which I enjoy and there was a slight spiciness which is always nice.
As a grand finale how about a fancy Manhattan. That makes any meal complete.
Clermont Skillet and Grill 9045 Crawfordsville Road
This is pretty new. It is in a spot that was home to a couple of other eateries; if sign remnants are an indication. Basically it is a diner. Diner is culinary slang for stuff yourself at a resonable price. One of the draws to this type of joint is that breakfast is available all day and how many times have we wanted breakfast for lunch. Well Pat was that way today.
I was taken by their lunch specials; especially their sloppy Joe sandwich with chips for $6.95. The unique thing about these was they all came with choice of soup or salad. Their soup was loaded potato soup. Creamy potato soup with cheese and bacon sounded great for a chilly day.
It was a very good soup. Not elegant but basic. Hot and comforting, like soup I had as a kid. Expecting a normal size omelet for Pat and sandwich for me we opted for a half order of biscuits and gravy to share.
The biscuit and gravy was pretty good. Very creamy and loaded with sausage. When my sandwich arrived I was rather surprised with the size.
I had expected a standard size bun but I received a huge bun loaded with meat and sauce. I am a big fan of Sloppy Joe and this was one of the better ones I have encountered. It wasn’t as wet as I prefer but definitely worth doing again. We got a lot of food and spent less than 25 bucks, tax included. Also that included the price of coffee and tea. So we had an excellent lunch with super service for a reasonable price. Check it out if you are in the area.
Union Jack Pub 924 Broad Ripple Ave. (revisit)
Union Jack Pub is rapidly becoming the Grand Pa of the Ripple. They may not serve a “proper” pizza pie but they serve a tasty one and have good beer on draught. It was a dreary and overcast day so we decided to visit Gramps and have a bite.
I opted for a individual pie. Two toppings for 10 bucks. They give you a lot of pie for $10.
I got my favorite duo for a pizza. Anchovy and black olive. It may sound odd but I really enjoy it and with their big crust format it was wonderful.
The only thing I wish they would do is brush olive oil or garlic butter on the exposed crust. The naked crust is good but a little fat would make it better.
Olympia Greek Cuisine 215 Terrace Ave.
This is a brand new joint. The building has housed 2 other restaurants in the past but this fellow went all out on decorating the place inside and out. He did a splendid job on the decor and it appears his food will be as lovely.
When you eat Greek you need some flaming cheese. And of course what is cheese without wine.
This was such an excellent start to our lunch. I can not think of a better cheese course that I have had. Another plate with some olives thrown in would have made me a meal.
Pat was finally able to get his fave since they use a minimal amount of onion. I usually default for Dolmades but I wanted something more substantial; so I went for moussaka
This joint has me hooked. Their version of Moussaka was great. They also have a good selection of seafood dishes. That is not too common around here.
Even if you know nothing of Greek food this place should still be added to your list. Good cooking is Universal and this joint puts out some good food.
The Little India Restaurant 653 E 52th Street.
One place closes and another takes its place. Such is the case with this joint. Sobro Cafe; the previous tenant at this location had good food and appeared to be doing well but it could not account for City intervention. I heard where the owner relocated to Bloomington.
Pat and I decided on a meal of appetizers. That way we could taste a bunch of different things. The only flaw in our plan was that the foods were all a variation of a theme. Breaded and fried. All good and expertly prepared just not much variation.
Samosas are mashed potatoes mixed with peas and formed in these rather unusual shapes and dipped in a chickpea batter and fried. They were pretty tasty and the mint and tamarind chutneys they serve with the apps fit nicely.
Considering that the Samosas were battered roasted potatoes the aloo tikki were probably redundant since they were potato pancakes with a similar treatment. However there was a slight difference in the texture. Our next 3 dishes were Pakoras or fritters.
What was interesting about our appetizer buffet was the prevalence of cumin in all of the dishes and how well mint handles it.
I have said it before. I appreciate Indian cooking because they elevate vegetable cooking to the center of the plate and make it the entree. That is why Pat has probably eaten more Indian than I. Vegetarianism runs in his family. I am sure these apps are different than others he has eaten in different joints. India is a big country and their cooking is not monolithic. Different areas different techniques. Look at the USA and BBQ. I was full on my fried medley but I had to get some rice pudding. I love rice pudding.
It was as delicious as the pudding I have had other places. I will be back to try Butter Chicken. They also offer pickles on their menu. Indian pickles aren’t just cukes. They would have been an excellent accompaniment to our fried feast. I just forgot.
Leviathan Bakehouse 1101 N. College Ave.
The Leviathan is a new joint which opened in September this year, during the pandemic and all of the restaurant closures. That move could be considered either foolhardy or brave. I am leaning toward courage rather than foolishness. Time will tell.
https://www.leviathanbakehouse.com/
I was torn between the Breakfast sandwich and the roast beef but the Porridge loaf sold me on the Roast Beef Chimichurri. It was a substantial sandwich with a lot going on in it. So much so that I could not fully appreciate the chutney.
As you can tell it is a colorful sandwich. As you might expect the bread was the lead role in this creation. The beef and peppers did their job properly and it was a very good sandwich. I would do it again but next time I will try their breakfast sandwich… a blanket of soft shallot baked eggs, and mild salsa verde has me intrigued.
I very nearly forgot the salad that came as my side. It is a vegan grain salad. It is made with wheat berries and a bunch of healthy things and as a bonus it was pretty good. I could order it again. Check out their website they have a bunch of stuff.
this ain't no bistro 