Super Bowl Update: Broad Ripple Restaurants

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Union Jack - Revisit

3:49 AM | Labels: Broad Ripple Restaurants, kid friendly, Pizza, Union Jack Pub

So one of those really snowy nights not long ago, we got really stir crazy and had to get out of the house, even though the roads were really bad. Not a lot of places were open, but we found out that Union Jack was, so we got in the 4 wheel drive and headed out with the kids. The roads were fairly empty, but apparently, a lot of people had the same idea because the restaurant was doing a booming business. Unfortunately, they were short several staff members, so things were a little crazed, although our server did an awesome job—she was really up front about certain things taking a very long time (pizza) and I am pretty sure she was waiting on the entire family side by herself. Honestly, considering everything, she did a great job.

Hubby has a thing for the cheesy fries ($7.95) at Union Jack. We had them once before and he really wanted to get them again. Pretty straight forward—a mound of fries, bacon bits, a ton of melted (real) cheese, and ranch dressing for dipping. The kids loved these too. What’s not to like about fries, cheese, bacon and ranch? The fries were crispy and the cheese was cheesy (and gooey like only actual cheese can be). This apparently reminds hubby of a favorite bar in New Orleans that he used to hang out at in college. They sort of remind me of potato skins. Same kind of flavor.

In spite of the warnings, the kids ordered kid’s pizzas ($5.65 ea)—one with just cheese and one with sausage. We did order them immediately, before we even placed our drink orders after our server warned us. The pizzas were great. I am assuming this is their “regular” crust pizza and it was crisp on the edges but with a really nice light, airiness to it. This was some of the better pizza I have had in awhile. The kids both decided they liked the sausage the best (they call them sausage meatballs because they are such big pieces of sausage). We had the thin crust awhile back and it was just ok, but this was great. And it has been years and years since we had the deep dish pizzas—I really want to try one of those (we were scared off by the warning on this night since they take 40 minutes normally according to the menu). Hmmm..only question would be Chicago style or deep dish (in other words, one crust or two)? I think very soon, we will be back in for some more pizza.

Hubby and I split fish and chips ($12.95) for our actual dinner (although we sort of stole a fair amount of our kids’ pizzas). They weren’t bad, and the fish was juicy and tender, but they were breaded, not battered which isn’t my favorite thing. They are made in house though, and the breading has a nice amount of seasoning and flavor. They also do a breaded tenderloin in what I am assuming is the same breading, and I bet it would be really good if the pork is done well. We had a house salad on the side as well. Pretty standard—they do make their dressings as well and I liked the blue cheese. The rest of it was standard—mostly romaine lettuce and croutons as well as some cherry tomatoes.

We had a fun night with the kids and they really liked the pizza. And so did we. So we are going back soon for the full enchilada, so to speak.

Union Jack Pub

924 Broad Ripple Avenue

Indy 46220

317/257-4343

www.unionjackpub-broadripple.com

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H2O Sushi - Revisit

2:45 AM | Labels: Broad Ripple Restaurants, Eli Anderson, H2O, Independent Restaurants, Japanese restaurant, Nicole Anderson, seafood restaurants, sushi

Ok, so H2O is one of my favorite places. I probably go out to dinner there more than almost anywhere (and carry out, etc). I was thinking, if you have just started reading my blog, or have a memory like I do, or just don’t know me personally, you may not realize this. Therefore, I decided it was time for a revisit. I have also had a couple of great meals the last couple of times I have been, but didn’t take pictures of one, so I decided to make an effort this last time.

We were with my in-laws, who had never been before, and are generally not sushi eaters, but they were game to try any place we liked so much. We got a bunch of different stuff and shared. The first thing (as always) was the tuna tartare ($14). This is a staple for me and I think I would cry if I was told I couldn’t have it. I know I have talked about it before, but it is diced tuna that has been marinated in ginger, soy and lemon and mixed with radish, chives and cilantro and served with masago on the side (mix it in people, it gives a nice little teeny extra texture). Fried wontons are on the side to scoop it up (I always ask for extra). I love this stuff.

We also got a couple of orders of one of the day’s specials, the pork shumai ($6), which I had seen on the menu before, but had never ordered. They were outstanding. They were little dumplings stuffed with pork and seasonings and sitting in a bowl of what they called a sweet and savory sauce. It had soy and I would say some vinegar as well as something making it a little sweet. Since you generally only get chopsticks at H2O (or a fork if you ask), I was not too proud to put one on my plate and then dump some of the sauce on top. The dumplings were rich and the broth had all the variation in flavors that kicks them up a level—salt, sweet, and acidic. I would easily get these again (and I know hubby would demand it).

My in-laws ordered the shrimp tacos ($10), which we let them eat since they only come 2 to an order and since I have had them many times before. They are some of the better of the “gourmet” tacos you see on menus around town—tender grilled shrimp, with yuzu adobo sauce (giving a little tartness and a smoky flavor), guacamole and crema (adding to the creaminess) as well as cabbage and radish giving them just a little needed crispness so that they don’t become too soft. These are on our regular rotation as well (and are on the menu all the time).

We also shared the special noodle dish of the day which was Shanghai noodles with roasted salmon ($27). Usually their noodle dishes are some of my favorite things, but this one wasn’t as exciting for me, probably because cooked salmon isn’t my favorite fish (I prefer it raw or smoked). The noodles were a slightly thicker noodle (like linginue) and were in a ginger miso broth. I really enjoyed the flavor of the broth but it was kind of hard to get a lot because I was using chop sticks and we were sharing.

Lastly, we got a couple of rolls because, well, it isn’t a visit to H2O without ordering the crazy ho roll ($14). We also got the ultimate California ($10). I love the crazy ho (I mean who doesn’t really?) and this is another thing we almost always get. It is spicy tuna and wontons inside and is layered on top with avocado, snow crab (real crab, yay!), eel, eel sauce, spicy sauce and masago (the little fish eggs). Yeah, it’s a lot going on, and yeah, it is everything I like (even the spicy tuna which isn’t that weird tuna salad-ish sstuff you get a lot of places). It’s gooey, and it’s good. A little bit of crunch from the wonton and little spiciness from the spicy sauce and tuna, but a touch of sweetness from the eel sauce. Delish.

The ultimate California is crab (again, the real stuff), cucumber and avocado inside and the roll is lightly coated in more of the masago. This is definitely one of the better California rolls I have had, but it is clearly a much simpler thing, and to be quite honest, I love all the stuff that is going on with the crazy ho.

So for dessert, we had an order of “the cookies” ($8.50) which I have had many times and love—they’re like the ultimate oatmeal cookie—chewy and warm and served with espresso cream for dipping (and which we had to get because it was my in-laws first visit). But hubby and I were excited when they had a couple of other dessert options. Nicole Anderson, one of the owners (married to the chef Eli Anderson) is a pastry chef and when she does other things, they are just as great as the cookies. If there is one thing I have learned, when they are offering something else (which they often don’t), just order it. This day’s selection (among others) was a caramel cream pie ($8). Wow, was it good. It had the deepest caramel flavor and was topped with a ton of fresh whipped cream and little caramel covered rice crispies. Hubby was so happy—caramel is one of his favorite things dessert-wise. Honestly, I am not sure whether his parents got much of it because the two of us ate it so fast.

So, there’s the update. A few of my classics, a few specials, and an amazing dessert treat. If you haven’t been to H2O before (and even if sushi isn’t your thing), you are missing out. This place is in my top 5 Indy restaurants.

H2O Sushi

1912 Broad Ripple Avenue

Indy 46220

317/254-0677

www.h2osushibar.com

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Thr3e Wise Men - Revisit

2:44 AM | Labels: Beer, Broad Ripple Restaurants, Independent Restaurants, kid friendly, Pizza, Thr3e Wise Men

We met up with some friends of ours and their kids the other night at Thr3e Wise Men (I still have a really hard time typing that name). I have only eaten in the place once before, and it was outside and quite awhile ago, so I figured a revisit was in order (we have ordered carry out several times before).

The place was very busy and I didn’t think we would get seated right away until we saw there is a small back room as well—it feels a little removed from the restaurant, but was probably for the best given that my son and his best friend were there together. I like how kid friendly they are at Thr3e Wisemen as well—they give them crayons as well as a little dough ball to play with, which seemed to make them all happy. There is also fresh popcorn delivered right away which the kids love as well. The adults were happy because we had a long table and could sit down at the other end and have some adult conversation.

We started with some loaded potato chips ($6.50) which are housemade potato chips that are seasoned and topped with Maytag blue cheese cream sauce and bacon. I was not a huge fan of these. I don’t know if it was the seasoning on the chips, or the blue cheese sauce, but something was making the roof of my mouth burn—it just wasn’t enjoyable to me. I also appreciate the housemade chips, but these were a little too thick for me—I prefer a thinner potato chip. Although you certainly didn’t have to worry about them breaking under the weight of the toppings. The kids got breadsticks and were happy.

We ordered a pizza for the kids and the Moms split a special pizza—it was a veggie pizza with white sauce, and a bunch of veggie toppings-tomatoes, spinach, onions, green peppers and mushrooms (I actually asked for ½ of it to be without green peppers, but they only gave me about 2 pieces without them). The pizza was good though. The crust was nice and crispy and there were a decent amount of veggies. I enjoyed the variation from the regular red sauce (although I do like their red sauce). The white sauce had a decent amount of garlic flavor. I like their cheese blend as well—it isn’t rubbery they way pizza cheese can often be.

The menfolk had a pepperoni and mushroom pizza ($12) and seemed to enjoy it as well. I was happy to see they were really on their game with getting the crust right. Occasionally the kitchen seems to have problems with consistency based on our carry out experiences—it seems like sometimes they don’t stretch it enough or something and it is too dense and the pizza is much smaller than normal.

We also shared an elephant ear ($4.50) which I really enjoyed. They take their pizza dough, deep fry it, and coat it with cinnamon and sugar. Simple, and really tasty—and I enjoy the slightly sour taste of the dough that comes from the crust (and I am guessing the beer that goes into it). Everyone at the table, adults and kids alike, agreed on this one.

The atmosphere is totally casual and just noisy enough that it isn’t annoying, but that slightly drowns out your own loud son’s voice so he isn’t annoying others. I liked our server, especially since she carded all of us, which I always appreciate. All in all, it’s a good option for pizza and kids, although I am still looking for my ideal pizza in this town.

Thr3e Wise Men

1021 Broad Ripple Avenue

Indy 46220

317/255-5151

www.thr3ewisemen.com

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Sabbatical

2:59 AM | Labels: Broad Ripple Restaurants, Independent Restaurants, outdoor seating, Sabbatical, tapas

Hubby and I intended to go to Sabbatical the other night when we ended up at the Sushi Bar, and have been determined to go ever since. We ended up meeting some friends the other night for dinner—I always like having a few extra people to try tapas (which is generally what makes up the menu at Sabbatical) so I can try lots of things. I am looking back though and thinking maybe this is not as good idea as it sounds because it means I have a lot of items to remember when I go to write it up.

My first reaction to the place is that the interior is really more of a bar feel than a restaurant feel. Honestly, I haven’t been in the building in many, many years and I am not sure what the different incarnations have been like, but the interior is a little cold. I think when the patio is open; this restaurant will visually have more appeal.

Hubby and I got there first and ordered a glass of wine and a couple of small things that we thought most people would like—the bread and butter plate ($5) and the roasted garlic ($4). The butter is very soft and mixed with herbs and truffle—could taste the herbs for sure, not as much the truffle. It was served with a small sliced loaf of pretty soft French bread and Naan. Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about $5 for bread and butter, but it seems to be more common these days. I enjoyed the roasted garlic—it was a whole head of garlic that was roasted giving you several cloves of soft, sweet, nutty garlic. I love roasted garlic in general so I liked it—it isn’t really something overly easy to share in a group though unless you don’t mind everyone’s fingers on your food—you really had to pick up the whole head to squeeze the cloves out. It was served with thin-sliced toasted French bread which I liked—it had some oil on it and was nice and crisp.

We had lots of other things and I am just going to discuss them in no particular order other than they what springs to mind as I write. The Stella blue cheese dip ($7) was a warm dip that was very creamy and had a nice blue cheese flavor, but that wasn’t so overwhelming that it offended anyone. I thought it was interesting that they served it mainly with sliced fruit and veggies (apples, squash and peppers) and then a bit of Naan type bread (the menu said French bread crostini, but it wasn’t). I liked the apples dipped in the blue cheese—I’ve always been a fan of blue cheese and fruit, but the raw veggies didn’t do much more me, and I would have preferred something a little firmer bread-wise than the Naan. But the dip itself was worth ordering.

We also had the seared scallop wonton tulips ($9) which were little fried wontons that were filled with a seared scallop and topped with mango, red onion and wasabi cilantro cream. I liked the crunchy wonton for a good texture variation from the scallop, but flavor-wise, this dish was lacking. I think the mango was there for a little sweetness and acidity, but it wasn’t enough and I didn’t get wasabi or cilantro out of the teeny bit of cream that was on top. I honestly sort of expected it to me more of a chopped filling that was mixed with other things—this tasted mostly like a seared scallop in a fried wonton and that’s it (to be fair, the scallop was cooked decently, which can be a challenge at many restaurants).

The table also ordered the brie stuffed turkey meatballs ($8) with cranberry chutney. Ok, I didn’t choose these, and am probably not the fairest person to review the dish because generally, meatballs rarely impress me, and these were certainly not ones that were changing my mind. The meat was fairly tender (it sort of completely fell apart as soon as you touched one) but didn’t seem overly seasoned. The chutney was sweet and the brie not overly melty. I don’t know, these just didn’t really come together in any special way for me.

I did enjoy the flavor of the adobo battered mushroom skewers ($6) even if they weren’t quite as crunchy as I would have liked. The whole mushrooms were battered with adobo-flavored batter and fried. The adobo flavor is one hubby and I quite like, and it was quite dominant. The whole thing was drizzled with more of the wasabi cilantro cream, which had a nice balancing effect (this time there was enough of it to really taste it a bit). If the batter had been really crisp, these would have been outstanding. As it was, they were one of our favorites.

The group ordered a couple orders of the seafood skewers which each had a scallop, a large shrimp and a piece of salmon that were seasoned and grilled. Another thing I didn’t personally order, and which I normally wouldn’t, because I find “meat on a stick” often to be dried out. I was actually pleasantly surprised by this—at least the salmon, which was the only part I tried. It was pretty heavily seasoned but at least it wasn’t just completely bland and dried out, which is what I normally would fear in a dish like this.

We tried the pulled pork sliders as well (I think they were $4 each) from the specials menu—I thought they were one of the better things we had—the pork was nice and tender—but wow, were they spicy, as in way too much heat. I appreciate them having a bit of heat, but this was just a little too far.

We also got several desserts (after I tried to order one recommended by our server and was told they were out of it after I ordered it), but the only one I tried was the peach and cranberry shortcake dumplings ($5). They tasted very dense and somewhat dry (like shortcake) and almost like they were made with some cornmeal. They were covered in what was described as a caramel sauce on the menu, but it was almost like a caramel flavored cream sauce. They also brought some ice cream on the side. I only had a couple of bites of these—they just weren’t really doing it for me and honestly, that was about all I could handle they were so dense.

I had hope for this place, and there are certain items that are pretty good. Unfortunately, there is just some lack of finesse in almost every dish that just doesn’t get me excited to go back. There is an effort being made in the kitchen to make something interesting, but it just isn’t totally coming together somehow. The service was very friendly, and like I said, the outdoor space will be nice when it is warm, but I will be interested to see how this place does in the meantime. Who’s been?

Sabbatical

921 E. Broad Ripple Avenue

Indy 46220

317/253-5252

www.sabbaticalindy.com

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Sushi Bar

2:50 AM | Labels: Asian, Broad Ripple Restaurants, Independent Restaurants, Japanese restaurant, kid friendly, sushi, Sushi Bar

I feel like I have been in a rut lately and wanted to try something new. I have heard some good things about the new Sushi Bar on Broad Ripple Avenue and wanted to check it out. We were both impressed by how cute the interior of the place was when we walked in (ok, hubby would not use the word “cute,” but whatever). They have done a really nice job of giving it a feel that is more than just your typical Japanese restaurant. There’s a bay window in the front with a large sunken booth that was full with a family when we walked in—I can’t wait to take the kids back to sit there, they would love it (and the rest of the restaurant can’t hear them as well—it’s a win-win.)

see the size of the glass?

Anyway, we sat down and ordered some drinks—one of the first perks of this place is cheap alcohol. They have $1 domestic beers and $2 imports and while the wine list is, um, well, what you expect of most Japanese places, when you order a glass, it is a serious glass. As in HUGE. So you get your money’s worth here too (I think my glass was $6.99 which was one of the more expensive ones).

We started with an order of veggie tempura ($6.95). They also have an eggplant tempura appetizer that I was intrigued by and asked the server if eggplant was included in the mixed veggie option—she said no. So it was a nice surprise when she brought it out and told us they had gone ahead and added a couple pieces of eggplant. I appreciate these things. I also loved that there was a piece of broccoli in there as well (and various squash and a couple of onion rings). The tempura was only ok though—it just wasn’t quite crispy enough. The taste was good, but it needed another minute or hotter oil.

Next they brought us our rolls—we ordered the “2010 roll” which was a special on the board and was a roll with shrimp tempura inside and avocado, spicy tuna and crispy crab flakes on the outside (around $13). We both enjoyed the flavors of this one—there was also a light sauce beneath the crunchy crab flavored bits—my only problem with it was it was so tall, it was hard to get it in your mouth. I also thought it was interesting that the pieces of shrimp tempura that were inside the roll were much crunchier than the ones in the veggie tempura appetizer. I think a lot of places must fry the stuff that goes inside rolls longer to keep them crunchier once they’re in the roll. I just wish they would fry the other stuff as crunchy. Loved the crunchy bits on top to give the roll lots of texture.

We also had the red dragon roll (I am almost sure that was its name—around $12) and it was very good. Probably more up my alley because it was a little easier to eat and the tuna on top was great. It was eel and avocado inside and fresh tuna on top (actually rolled almost all the way around). There was also a lightly sweet unagi sauce on top. This one didn’t have the texture of the first one obviously, but it had a great, more simplified flavor. And the ingredients were extremely fresh and well done.

We also had an order of tuna nigiri ($4.50 for 2 pieces) because hubby really likes nigiri(which is just the rice topped with the fish). It was also very good—a good way to really get a handle on the freshness of the fish—this was melt in your mouth tender and the rice had that slight sweet/vinegar taste that makes nigiri shine. I sometimes don’t like nigiri as much because there is wasabi added (often a bit is put under the fish) but this one didn’t have that problem.

Our server was nice, but had a little bit of attitude—I think she was trying to be funny, but sometimes it came across as a little snotty. As the restaurant got busier, she was more focused on getting food and drinks out and I enjoyed myself more (the giant glass of wine didn’t hurt either). I was also entertained by the couple who came in toward the end of the meal and asked the server to explain everything to them—they had never had any type of sushi before (I love eavesdropping on the tables around me). I have to hand it to them though—way to be bold and just ask for help. The menu is quite large—I think there are probably 20-30 different rolls alone, not to mention a menu full of other good sounding things, including several noodle dishes that I would like to try.

Overall, while there are certain things that could use some improvement (the tempura for sure, as well as the fact there is no website to be found), this is a good addition to Broad Ripple village proper. The food is good and the prices are pretty reasonable (particularly for beer-- although it is technically a “special,” the special sign looked fairly permanent). They have a kids menu, which so few Japanese restaurants seem to have, and I know we’ll be back with the kids to give the place a try as a family. So who has had the noodles and other dishes? What else is good?

Sushi Bar

911 Broad Ripple Avenue

Indy 46220

317/257-7289

There is no website (there is a facebook page with nothing really on it). It is hard to believe in this day and age that a new restaurant doesn’t have a website, but maybe that’s just me.
***Update 11/2/12: they have a website!
www.sushibarindy.com

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La Chinita Poblana

3:21 AM | Labels: Broad Ripple Restaurants, Independent Restaurants, la chinita poblana, lunch places

Hubby and I had a quick lunch at the new Broad Ripple place La Chinita Poblana the other day—I have been noticing a lot of people talking about it online and wanted to give it a try. It is in the old Boogie Burger location (and I think there was another restaurant there for like 5 minutes in between). They have opened up the space inside. It seems roomier, although there is nowhere to sit inside, you can only stand. Currently, you can sit at the patio tables next door, but I am wondering how their lunch business will be after the weather gets cold (if it ever gets cold again). The man at the counter (assuming he was the owner) was really nice and clearly enthusiastic about his food. I asked him which were his favorites and he told me that would be like choosing between his children.

The tacos were good though—really good on the whole (they’re all $3 each). We shared the crispy shrimp taco, the tilapia taco, the carnitas, and the beef tongue. We also got an order of chips and salsa ($2.99). I love all the different flavors they are putting into the tacos—they aren’t just Mexican flavors—there is a lot of Asian influences as well. At first when I read the menu, I was a little suspicious of the combos, but generally they are pulling it off.

The chips and salsa were really good—the chips are homemade and are nicely salty. The problem with homemade chips is that they are often too greasy (see Pancho’s) but these were not. Nice and crisp and the salsa was delicious. Hubby said it was more of a “sauce” than a salsa and I think I agree. It was pureed very smooth but had a ton of flavor and some different spices than a lot of salsas have. It had a very pleasant building heat—by the end you could feel it on your lips, but you weren’t in pain or anything. The portion is a reasonable size for two people to share. Usually they give you way too much, but we ate all of these.

Our favorite taco of the four was the tilapia taco. It was blacked fish with yellow curry and chipotle mayo, pickled cabbage slaw and herbs. The cabbage was really nice and tangy, but you got a bit of depth and smokiness from the chipotle too. I also like that they just use one tortilla on the tacos—sometimes the doubled up tortillas make the flavor too much of the tortilla and not enough of the insides. I would get this one again for sure (hubby and I have decided we might each have to have our own of this flavor).

The next favorite was the carnitas. Hubby and first disagreed about it because the pork had a lot of crunchy bits to it—he wasn’t so sure he liked it that way, but I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t dried out—just fried a little crispy on the edges. It was topped with avocado cream, onions and herbs. We also had one of the fried shrimp tacos—the shrimp were done in a salt and pepper crust (it was a dry corn meal kind of crust) and then topped with a chipotle sweet and sour sauce and an herb mixture. The shrimp themselves didn’t wow me here—they were a little dry—but I really liked the flavors of everything else. You could taste that smoky and deeply spicy chipotle and then there was a really nice tangy kick. I added a little more of the salsa from the chips to moisten the whole thing up a little more (hot sauce may work well here too) and it was better.

My least favorite by far was the tongue. The tongue itself was cooked well—it was very tender, but the taco on the whole was really bland. It also had the avocado cream, onions and herbs, but there was just nothing that made this one stand out at all. More salsa and hot sauce would probably help some, but with all the other delicious options, I would take a pass on this one. In fact, we didn’t even finish it between the two of us.

Honestly though, I am really excited to go back—I want my own tilapia taco and I am kind of itching to try a couple of the other flavors—maybe the red curry marinated skirt steak or the crispy Japanese eggplant (please let me know if you have had them). Also, a friend recently told me the peanut/noodle salad ($5.25) was really good as well. Nothing like some tacos and noodles right?

La Chinita Poblana

927 East Westfield Blvd.

Indy 46220

317/722-8108

www.lachinitapoblana.com

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BRICS

2:27 AM | Labels: BRICS, Broad Ripple Restaurants, desserts, Ice cream, Independent Restaurants

I don’t usually do dessert places, but lately, for some reason we have been hitting several of them a lot. It started this summer with BRICs—we have been before, but there is a growing obsession with it in my family. It’s right on the Monon Trail too, so several times recently, after dinner somewhere in Broad Ripple (usually Brugge); we take a walk down to BRICS.

I have to admit, a lot of dairy doesn’t sit particularly well with me, but it is hard to resist at BRICS—the first time we went, hubby and I split the caramel x 3 which I am pretty sure is my favorite flavor to date—although it is hard to choose. This is caramel ice cream with caramel swirls and little caramel filled chocolates mixed in. Well worth the heartburn I often endure after too much dairy.

The most recent time we went with the kids, and I just had a bite (ok, several) of everyone else’s. My daughter had the yellow cake batter which is rich golden ice cream that really tastes like cake batter with chocolate swirls throughout. This may very well be my second favorite so far.

Hubby had one of the rotating flavors which involved lots of toffee—it was tasty too, but loved the caramel more. My son went with chocolate chip cookie dough. I love raw cookie dough (one of the main reasons I ever make cookies), but I am not as big of a fan of it in ice cream—something about the coldness takes away from the dough angle—but still tasty. If you are into cookie dough ice cream, I am sure you would like this one.

yellow cake batter

cookie dough

toffee

On this trip we also discovered the “briclet” which is a smaller-sized scoop than their normal scoop (which is huge). The briclet is $2.70 and the regular scoop is $3.20. Trust me, the briclet is enough. We also got our cones chocolate dipped, which added $.60. They have a ton of different cone options as well, from huge waffle cones (made in house), to the traditional cake and smaller waffle cones. The people who work there are super friendly and happy to give you a free sample of any of the flavors.

They have a large list of regular flavors that they always carry as well as a rotating list of various special flavors. I like this so you don’t get bored—but thank goodness the caramel x 3 is one of the regulars!

BRICS

901 East 64^thStreet

Indy 46220

317/257-5757

www.bricsindy.com

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Broad Ripple Brewpub

2:05 AM | Labels: Beer, Broad Ripple Brewpub, Broad Ripple Restaurants, Independent Restaurants, kid friendly, Pizza

I can’t believe we have lived (back) here 6 years now and this is our first trip to Broad Ripple Brew Pub in that time. I have been in the past, years and years ago, but I can’t even begin to tell you what I thought of it then it has been so long. Someone recently told us the Scotch eggs were good though, and we really enjoyed them at MacNiven’s, so we wanted to try them.

We also had the kids with us and they are pretty kid friendly as well, although our server didn’t bring us a kids’ menu until we asked for one. Honestly, the service, or lack thereof, was actually the first thing I noticed about the place. There was no one around anywhere, just a lot of signs saying “enter through other door” and “seat yourself” and a pile of menus on a center table. After we did seat ourselves, it took awhile before anyone approached us too. I wouldn’t say service is a strength, that is for sure.

We started with the Scotch eggs though ($6.75) and they were good. It is a boiled egg covered in sausage, breaded and quickly deep fried. The sausage was a little different from the MacNiven’s version—it was more like country sausage—not quite as spicy. They also served them with a garlic ranch dipping sauce. The sausage part was nearly as thick as the egg, and honestly I prefer my egg ratio to be a little higher, but the flavor was good and the outside crust was good and crunchy. The ranch was very garlicky, and that was a nice change of pace from your traditional ranch. If I had to choose which one I liked better, I would probably choose MacNiven’s, but these were very good too.

Hubby and I were a little overwhelmed by the sheer size of the menu—there are a lot of options on there—and ended up splitting a 12" specialty pizza ($11.50). It was the portabella pizza and had portabella mushrooms, provolone, mozzarella and feta cheese (we had them skip the roasted red peppers). The flavor of the pizza was very good—again, lots of garlic and the different flavors of cheeses made it more interesting than a lot of pub pizzas. The mushrooms tasted like they were roasted and had a deep earthy flavor. The feta was a good addition because of the saltiness it added—especially once it is cooked. The crust tasted good—it was seasoned more than your standard pizza crust. The only problem was the classic soggy in the middle problem. You really had to eat it with a knife and fork because the middle was so gooey, if you picked it up, the topping would have slid off. It was kind of a shame, because if it had a solid crust, it would have been a pretty darn good pie.

The chicken fingers that my son had were not impressive (they rarely are). They seemed pretty foodservice to me. He mainly just finished up the Scotch eggs instead. My daughter had a half order of nachos off the appetizer menu and was perfectly content. All in all, for a pub, the food was pretty good (at least the adult food was). The service was pretty lacking although our server perked up a little when I asked her opinion on some of her favorite things. The menu is large though—really large. I know a lot of you guys eat there, so let me know about your favorite things.

Broad Ripple Brewpub

842 East 65^thStreet

Indy 46220

317/253-2739

www.broadripplebrewpub.com

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Brugge Brasserie - Revisit

2:53 AM | Labels: Broad Ripple Restaurants, Brugge Brasserie, Independent Restaurants, kid friendly

This is just a quick update on Brugge because I have reviewed it several times in the past and in general, am a pretty big fan. We pretty much always get mussels ($19.95)—our current favorite flavor being the blue cheese and bacon. I really like that no matter how heavy handed or light handed the cook is with the seasonings on any particular day, you can always taste both of those ingredients—and there are always big hunks of blue cheese scattered throughout to fish out of the broth. This is what we had this time, as well as the last few times I have been with various people, and they have always been good. Their frites are some of the best in Indy. They are super crunchy and fresh. I am also still stuck on my favorite frites sauces, the aiolis (I like both, but particularly the raw garlic one), the blue cheese and the sherry vinegar with sea salt.

This trip though, my 6 year old ordered the steak frites which is a hanger steak served with a big pile of their frites on top. ($16.95) (You can also get it with fried eggs which also sounds amazing.) I had heard this steak was good from other people, but had never gotten around to ordering it because I love the mussels so much. My son is a steak guy though and we figured between the three of us we could share it all. The steak was really quite good—hanger steak definitely has a slightly tougher consistency than something like a filet, but it was cooked perfectly and had a great flavor. It was fairly heavily seasoned on the outside with a spice rub, which we thought was great, but my 6 year old is a bit of a purist. I think if we got it plain, he would have enjoyed it more.

For the first time on this visit we also sat up on the upper deck—I really enjoyed this. There were a couple of tables in the shade and I love that you can see over the top of many of the buildings to big old walnut trees which I assume are along the river. The tree top view is a much nicer one than the deck below.

Brugge is certainly a fairly regular place for us. Well, it is for hubby and me at least, we are still working on the kids. They are coming along slowly but surely though.

Brugge Brasserie

1011 A East Westfield Blvd.

Indy 46220

317-255-0978

www.bruggebrasserie.com

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Naked Tchopstix

2:34 AM | Labels: Asian, Broad Ripple Restaurants, Japanese restaurant, Naked Tchopstix, sushi

I don’t know if it was because it had been so hot or what, but lately I am craving sushi. And we needed somewhere that had a wide enough menu to make the kids happy too (meaning, they have not developed their true love of sushi. Yet.) A friend of mine really likes Naked Tchopstix so we thought we would give it a try.

They certainly meet the criteria of a large menu—our server came back like 4 times before we were ready to order—and even then I didn’t feel like I had enough time to really read through everything. They have a lot of sushi and Japanese food, but they also have a lot of other things—Korean, Thai, Chinese etc. Everything from soups to noodles to rice dishes.

We settled on trying their tuna tartare ($9.99) because in many places it is one of my favorite things, so I always want to try it somewhere else. This one was different from most in that it was more like the tuna mix that is used in rolls that list “spicy tuna” as an ingredient. It is more of a finely chopped mix of the tuna mixed with spicy mayo—it isn’t the large raw pieces of Ahi that are my favorite thing. So it was this “spicy tuna” mix combined with mango and tobiko (fish eggs) with deep fried wontons on the side to eat them with. There seemed to be a sweet sauce on top as well. This one wasn’t for me—I guess I like either a soy based sauce or an acid based sauce with something like this. And something about just scooping up the prepared tuna made me think of canned tuna fish. I don’t mind it inside a roll as much along with other ingredients, but just eating it straight up like this seemed strange. Hubby liked it better than I did.

We also got two rolls. Again, we were having a hard time deciding because there are a lot of choices. I like there to be some contrasting flavors in a roll—something with some crunch or texture as well as something creamy (either the fish or the sauce). I am also always partial to a roll that includes avocado. The first one that grabbed my eye was the corona roll ($10.99). It included avocado, more of the spicy tuna (I didn’t realize they were going to have the same ingredients), and tempura chips and was topped with white tuna and lime. It had a light wasabi mayo sauce as well. I really liked this. It had a nice citrusy flavor and wasn’t overly sweet. I personally like a crunch from something tempura in my roll and the little chips did the trick. The white tuna was pretty tender. I like the flavor from the lime on top, but ended up picking most of them off because I just don’t like chewing on the skin of the lime slice, even when it is really thinly sliced. This roll was the best thing we had.

The other roll was the Tokyo roll ($12.99) which had eel, avocado and crab inside and tuna and spicy mayo on the outside as well as various flavors of roe. It normally comes with cucumber inside as well, but cucumber isn’t our favorite thing in sushi, so we had them leave it out. That is probably not a good idea because it probably gives it the extra crunch that the roll needed. It was good, but nothing that I would crave again. The ingredients were good, and the tuna on the outside was nice and fresh, but it just didn’t wow me for anything. The corona roll was much more memorable.

We also shared a small order of frites ($4.99) with the kids, which seemed like a weird thing to get at a place like this, but they wanted them, so we tried them. They are pretty good—the really thin kind that were nice and hot and crispy. They served them with 4 different sauces—all things that I think they are using in their other food items—a teriyaki type sauce, a sweet chili oil, a spicy mayo and a wasabi mayo. Honestly, none of the sauces were really necessary—the frites were fine on their own. I am guessing these are on the menu for the late night Broad Ripple bar scene. But the kids liked them. The kids split a chicken teriyaki dinner ($11.99) which they were fine with but my daughter informed me the all white meat was “a little dry.” I had one quick bite and would say she was right about that.

All in all, I would say this is a good place to go to meet a sushi craving, even though there are other places that I like better. They do have a nice wide-ranging menu though to appeal to many different tastes. So what have other people had non-sushi wise that they really like? Or do you have a favorite roll there?

Naked Tchopstix

6253 N. College Ave.

Indy 46220

317/252-5555

www.tchopstix.com (why do restaurants not put prices on their websites?)

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Canal Bistro - Revisit

2:25 AM | Labels: Broad Ripple Restaurants, Canal Bistro, Greek Restaurants, Independent Restaurants, kid friendly, lunch places

The other day hubby and I wanted to go out to eat somewhere for lunch where we could sit outside. We wanted something good to eat, to not be right on a super busy road AND to have a drink with our lunch. A lot to ask I know. We settled on Canal Bistro. We hadn’t been there together in a long time and it was the perfect day to sit along the canal.

We were having a pretty big dinner that night so we didn’t want to eat too much. We had the Mediterranean pizza ($11) and the spinach pie ($6) to share. I have had the pizza before and I really quite like it. It is basically a pita that is topped with kalamata olives, red onions, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, lots of herbs and feta and baked so that it is crisp on the bottom and everything on top is warm. It is a fairly simple idea, but with great flavors from the olives and artichokes and crunch from the onions. This one had maybe just a little too much cheese, which made it dominate the other things maybe just a little too much, but all in all, this is something I really enjoy. Particularly with a glass of wine.

The spinach pie (or spanikopita) was great. I have had it before and didn’t remember liking it as much as I did this time (but spanikopita in general is one of my favorite things at Greek restaurants). Basically they are little triangles of phyllo dough wrapped around a filling of feta and spinach. What made this one so great was how wonderfully crispy the phyllo was without being burned at all. It was perfectly browned all over. Honestly, it was almost like it was quickly deep fried, it was so evenly crispy (usually this dish is baked, and is often not so uniformly browned and crisp). I also love the little salad underneath of pickled red onions, olives and parsley (as well as a little chunk of fresh feta). A little bit of the salty, tangy flavors from this with each bite of the pie was perfect. I would get this again in a minute. It has everything that makes me crave something—crunch, saltiness, tanginess, smooth cheese and the savory flavor from the spinach. Makes me want to go pick up an order right now actually.

Anyway, a great place to grab lunch—and I could order off the appetizer menu for days. But what do you guys like here? Maybe next time I will delve deeper into the menu.

Canal Bistro

6349 N. Guilford Ave

Indy 46220

317/254-8700

http://www.canal-bistro.com/

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