Review: Jellystone Burger at the Mill Tavern

It is one of my great hopes in life to at some point live near or above a friendly little local watering hole with cold beer and solid cheeseburger not unlike the McLaren's of How I Met Your Mother Fame.  That dream of mine may or may not be realized someday due to other more frivolous life plans taking priority like "finding a nice house in a good neighborhood" or "getting married".  Psssh details details details.  Until that day comes I've just decided to check out bars in neighborhoods that would be good candidates.  The Mill Tavern in Westfield is just such a place.

Located in a strip mall in a sleepy northern suburb of the Circle City the Mill Tavern is nothing if not unassuming.  If I didn't have a friend who lived nearby I probably wouldn't even know it existed.  But when you walk inside from the parking lot it is immediately noticeable that you are in more than just another bar.  The Mill Tavern is warm, inviting, and friendly.  It's the kind of place that you can tell your more sophisticated friends that you're going there in order to "build social capital in your community" instead of merely knocking a few back until you forget your snobby friends' names in the first place.  In any case a few weeks back I decided to build some of my own social capital and join a friend on a birthday outing. 

After having a couple Bud Lights (If you're out there I accept free samples Anheuser Busch people!) I decided that the opportunity to have food from a place I've never been before was too good to pass up.  The menu definitely has some bar standards on it, but my eye was immediately drawn to their specialty burgers, specifically the burger called The Jellystone.  The concept of the Jellystone burger is a simple one.  Take a standard cheeseburger and add a schmear of black raspberry jelly underneath the melted cheese.  All at once a burger that is both simple and completely ridiculous.  I had to try it.  After all according to the menu it is Kristin's fave...whoever the heck that is. 

When it arrived at my table I noticed that it was barely discernible from a standard cheeseburger.  I even thought at first that they forgot the integral jell component, but once I bit in I recognized it was there immediately.  The taste was unusual, but definitely not unpleasant.  The sweet black raspberry jelly was actually a nice compliment to the beef.  However, this burger wasn't without it's problems.  First and foremost this might have been one of the hardest to eat burger's I've ever had.  The jelly was warm and was running out everywhere from under the cheese.  I had to actually dive in with a knife and fork to keep the sticky sweet jelly from running all over my hands and dripping on my clothes.  Secondly, in the flavor department this burger was lacking something.  The menu states that you can "try it with jalapenos" but I don't believe it really needed a spicy element.  I believe it needed and extra salty element like bacon, and I would replace the mild American cheese with something with more pop like a cheddar or Swiss.  Some pickles might have been a nice addition also...though then you're starting to get into the territory of gross pregnant lady cravings.  One other thing of note: The Mill Tavern charges extra to get fries with your burger.  They were good fries, and I understand why restaurants do the "upcharge" thing but it still bothers me a bit.  I mean burgers and fries just go together.  Just include the fries.

Taste 7/10 Good starting concept, the burger was cooked nicely, and the fries were tasty.  This burger could be modified and made better.  I like the Mill Tavern overall, and if I lived closer I'd be a more frequent customer.

Value 6/10 The burger was 7 dollars before the fries were added, but I have to say the size/magnitude of the burger didn't really feel like a 7 dollar burger.  The beer prices were average for a Fri/Saturday night.  This isn't a college bar where you can get plastered for 10 bucks.  This is a nice community place with normal prices and good friendly service to keep you coming back.

Weekend Food Preview/ New York Cheesecake Cookies

This weekend is a little bit special as I will be making a jaunt to the farthest point in South central Indiana.  I probably won't be doing a lot of eating out this weekend, but if anyone knows of places to go along the I-65 corridor let me know.  Also, I wanted to give you all a little sneak peak of some things I'm working on.  I should have some good product reviews coming down the pipe with frozen items I haven't heard a lot of feedback about yet.  A couple of them are new varieties of Hot Pockets so you know that has some potential.  Also, I wanted to ask all of you a question.  Has anyone ever had Godfather's pizza?  If so where is the closest one to Indy?  Have a good weekend everybody.  To hold you over until next week here's a recipe for New York Cheesecake Cookies.  The Girlfriend and I made them last night, and despite being a Sandra Lee recipe they are pretty ballin.  One note though...the dough might be a little dry.  Just add a little water (less than 1/4 cup) and it should be fine.  Happy eatings.

The finished product

New York Cheesecake CookiesRecipe copyright Sandra Lee, 2011

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (1 sleeve)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter with the brown sugar using an electric hand mixer. Add the egg white and beat until well combined. Add to the graham cracker crumbs and blend until just combined.

In a separate medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon zest and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.

Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and place on a nonstick or parchment lined baking sheet. (If you do not have an ice scoop, then measure out the dough into scoops of about 2 tablespoons.) Flatten slightly, pressing your thumb in the center of the ball to create a small bowl shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Spoon the cream cheese into the indents in the cookies.

Bake until the filling is barely set and the cookies are lightly golden, 12 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing them and cooling completely on a wire rack.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (1 sleeve)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter with the brown sugar using an electric hand mixer. Add the egg white and beat until well combined. Add to the graham cracker crumbs and blend until just combined.

In a separate medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon zest and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.

Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and place on a nonstick or parchment lined baking sheet. (If you do not have an ice scoop, then measure out the dough into scoops of about 2 tablespoons.) Flatten slightly, pressing your thumb in the center of the ball to create a small bowl shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Spoon the cream cheese into the indents in the cookies.

Bake until the filling is barely set and the cookies are lightly golden, 12 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing them and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Deep In The Heart of Revisits: Texas Roadhouse

One of the great things that has happened since I started this blog is that it causes me to seek out new restaurants and new foods, to boldly try things that I haven't tried before (nerd points!).  However, sometimes I find it a little bit burdensome, especially when I'm really hungry, to try to think of a place I haven't been before and then travel there to try it out.  In this situation I don't think there is anything wrong with hitting up an old standby especially when it's close, has good service, has good food, and reasonable prices.  These are things that I expect when I hit up the Texas Roadhouse in Fishers.

When we arrived I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that despite being primetime dinner hours on a Saturday we were seated immediately in the bar area.  Hooray for being over 21 and not having any little dream killers children.  Our server was right on top of things from the very beginning, taking our drink orders before I could even take the first bite of one of those delicious rolls.  When it came time to order I did a couple of things I usually dont do.  I ordered a combo with a steak AND ribs, and I decided to go with a regular baked potato over the baked sweet potato and baked beans instead of chili. 

When my food arrived I was a little nervous.  I'm always suspicious of getting ribs at a chain restaurant since I've had bad experiences before at other chains (cough cough Chili's).  When I cut into the Roadhouse ribs though I have to say they were exactly what I was looking for.  The meat was tender and pulled away from the bone easily and cleanly.  They were not oversauced, and the sauce that was on the ribs was not too sweet.  My only small complaint was that they seemed to be thrown on the grill in the last few seconds to get a little char and I didn't really feel it was necessary.  Truthfully though I would have no problem taking down a whole rack of these badboys.  As good as my ribs were I thought my sirloin was even better.  I ordered it medium rare and that is exactly how it was cooked.  This was such a joy to me because so many places don't seem to be able to get it right.  I know how I like my steak.  Give me what I asked for.  The steak was perfectly seasoned and close to being fork tender.  The baked potato on the side was also good.  There isn't a lot to say it about it other than it was so large it could have used just a bit more butter and sour cream than what it came with.  I could have asked for extra and decided not to so that's on me.  The baked beans are also another bright spot for me.  They were smoky, hearty, and it has just enough of that slightly sweet flavor that makes them just right.  One more thing in case anyone from Texas Roadhouse reads this, why do you guys not have a coleslaw as a side choice?  When I'm having bbq that is what I want.  Something to think about, you guys.

Taste 10/10 I've talked before about how I don't think all chain restaurants are necessarily bad, and when I say that Texas Roadhouse is the place I have in mind.  When you nail the food like they did the name on the sign doesn't matter. 
Value 10/10 At Roadhouse you get a ton of food, it's all done really well, and the service is generally good.  On top of that you can order 2 meals with softdrinks and still get out for under $35.  Awesome.

Meet the New Mexican Restaurant, Same As the Old Mexican Restaurant: Casa Grande Review

If you've read this blog before you've probably noticed what kinds of foods I like and what kinds I tend to shy away from just based on what I've written about.  In the case of Mexican cuisine it is true that I haven't done very many (or any-I'm too lazy to check) reviews of Mexican restaurants.  However, it's definitely not because I don't like Mexican food.  It may not always be my go-to ethnic cuisine, but there are a lot of times when I just crave it.  The problem I find though is that every new Mexican restaurant I go to seems the same to me.  Yes, the decor may be different.  There may be a different special on the menu here or there. But outside of  those factors I'm usually unable to discern much difference in the food's appearance, taste, or menu offerings.  When Casa Grande opened up in Castleton on the site of an old Max and Erma's I was hoping that this time "new" eatery would actually bring something "new" to the table literally and metaphorically.

Upon walking in to the restaurant I have to say I was encouraged.  The decor, while not fancy, definitely seemed like a step up from the likes of a lot of Mexican restaurants I've been in.  It was more like the inside of a just remodeled Ruby Tuesday's than an El Rodeo or Puerta (for you Muncieites).  The service was prompt, and our server was friendly even giving my friend beer suggestions.  Once we settled in I looked at the menu and was instantly disappointed.  You could have swapped out the menu from any other Mexican restaurant in the city and you wouldn't have noticed a difference.  That being what it was I decided to go with some standby favorites of mine chicken nachos and an ala carte tamale.

Before our food arrived we were of course given a basket of fresh tortilla chips with acommpanying salsa.  I expect this, but I was also a little surprised to see that along with the salsa we were served a sauce that was a ranch dressing base that was dressed up with a spice blend by the kitchen.  It was a little spicy, and I enjoyed it on my chips.  Our food soon arrived and it was time to dig in to the main event.  There really isn't a lot I can say about my chicken nachos.  The flavors were good.  The queso was perfectly melty and delicious.  The chips were chips.  However, I was disappointed at how dry a lot of my chicken was.  It still had flavor, but it definitely lacked a little juiciness.  The tamale was much larger than I expected.  I split it with The Girlfriend and I still was not able to take down my full plate of nachos.  Unfortunately the tamale was also disappointing.  The masa was dry and there was a lot of it.  When I say "a lot" I mean there was so much it was difficult to find the meat filling.  It was also quite dry and didn't have a ton of flavor.  Without all of the sauce and cheese on top it would have been rather hard to eat. 

All in all I guess I have to say my search for a standout Mexican restaurant continues.  I will of course always take suggestions, but I have to say I'm more than a little jaded now.  I've gone to too many places expecting something that will wow me only to come away feeling about the same as always. 

Taste 5/10 Extremely average here.  I didn't hate it, but I would probably only go back if someone else wanted to go or meet there.  Some execution issues with the food.

Value 7/10  As with most Mexican restaurants you are going to get a lot of food for your money here.  Our meal was around 20 bucks I think, and I had enough for 2 meals.