Review: Asia Bistro

Hello dear readers...those of you that are still here after my lazy ass hasn't posted for over a month anyway.  Well, for those of you that have stuck around I wanted to take a little time today to share with you a review of one of my favorite types of cuisine, take-out Chinese.  I've written about it on here before, and you might remember that my unabashed favorite is Hong Kong Cuisine at 126th and Highway 37.  Sometimes though when you see a new place open up it's at least worth trying to shake things up a bit.  That's what I did with Asia Bistro.

Asia Bistro is located in the plaza at 116th and Allisonville between Marsh and Little Caesars.  I believe the shopping center is Fishers Station maybe? One of you feel free to correct me in the comments if I'm wrong. In any case I decided this place was worth a go for Chinese takeout because it is on my direct route home from work, and if it was as good as Hong Kong it would be endlessly more convienient for me when picking up dinner.  However, I knew that was probably going to be a tall order.

When I walked in I saw the usual setup.  Depiste having "bistro" in the name it was more or less the same as every takeout place you've ever been to with the same menu.  To keep consistent and to make good comparisons I ordered my usual dish, chicken with garlic sauce, while opting for an egg roll as my side along with fried rice.  I also picked up an order of steamed dumplings.  The first thing I noticed when I opened up my container was that it more or less looked like the same dish I get from Hong Kong, but the awesome garlicky smell wasn't there.  Unfortunately, the lack of smell carried over to lack of flavor.  When I order something with "garlic" in the name I expect to be punched in the mouth with the flavor of it.  Here it was barely noticeable at all.  There was slightly more heat (not very much) than the same dish at Hong Kong, but it didn't really translate to more flavorful food.  The veggies and chicken were cooked alright, but without the sauce being right it just wasn't enough.  The fried rice was also inferior.  While not as stale and "neon yellow" as I've had at other places it wasn't better than my standard.  The dumplings were good.  The meat inside was juicy and the wrapper on the outside had a good texture, but Chinese takeout places around here have yet to even come close to matching the delicious dumplings served at First Wok in Muncie, IN.  They just do them better, and their dumpling dipping sauce has a big kick.  Not just soy in the cup.

I have to say I was really disappointed here.  I so badly wanted this place to exceed my expectations so it could become my new go-to.   Also, I believe they deliver which isn't something any other Chinese places in the area are doing.  Unfortunately I don't think the food was good enough to ever make me go back.  Ratings time

Taste 5/10 Not great.  Not horrible. Not worth going back.

Value 3/10 With food that isn't as good as my favorite and similar prices the value score has to suffer a bit.

Fast Food Review: Hardee's Steak and Egg Burrito

If you have read this blog for awhile you probably know that I make no secret of the fact that Hardee's is one of it not my favorite fast food restaurant.  They were a company that used to be an absolute loser of a chain with bad service, bad food, pretty much bad everything.  But here's the interesting thing.  They recognized that they sucked and totally turned the corner.  They downsized and focused their remaining stores on doing more food fresh and from scratch than any other fast food chain in the business.  The results are pretty tasty.  If you don't believe me go out for lunch today and get their chicken tenders.  However, even before their revamp Hardee's was known for their breakfast menu.  They're still putting out favorites like from scratch biscuits, but when I saw they were promoting a steak and egg burrito I figured, in the interest of science, it was worth a try.

As you can see from the picture (I used the pen to give perspective) that the burrito is a nice size.  It's bigger than the dollar menu sausage burrito from McDonald's, but smaller than a Qdoba monstrosity.  Certainly nothing to be disappointed about.  However, when I cut it open I was at first a little bit alarmed at the lack of steak I saw in relation to the amount of scrambled egg, but when I took a bite I discovered that there was actually more steak in the burrito than I really even expected.  It just seemed to be hiding out in the back and in the folds of fluffy egg.  The steak, while a little on the chewy side, also had a nice flavor.  It was as though it had actually been seasoned!  Also present were a melted cheddar cheese and a queso cheese that was a nice surprise.  In the words of Anthony Bourdain I'm a total egg slut so I was also happy with the warm fluffy folded eggs inside that were present in a generous portion.  However, you might notice that one or two things are missing that would make this a really great breakfast burrito.  I think some salsa (which is only available if you ask I found out later) and maybe an extra element of potatoes or hashbrowns inside would have made it a little bit better.

Taste 7/10 Definitely an above average breakfast burrito that you can get quickly on your way to work in the morning.  It might be missing some elements, but let's be honest it's not trying to be the giant Qdoba breakfast burrito here.  It's trying to be Hardee's, and in that regard I think it does it's job quite well.  If you're someone who likes a good breakfast burrito give this a shot. Maybe pick one up in the morning on your way to a holiday celebraish, you guys.

Value 8/10 At $3.63 with tax it is not the cheapest thing on the Hardee's breakfast menu.  In fact depending on if the special is running you might be able to get 2 bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits for less. How is it a good value then? Well #1 it's steak, and it's not a total ripoff like Taco Bell's steak items, #2 it was pretty tasty and a lot cheaper and quicker than going to Qdoba, #3 I'm not a big eater in the morning, but I would venture to guess that people would think this filling enough.

In Search of A Good Burger Review: The Stacked Pickle (Fishers)

Ok, I know I'm kind of late to the party on this one being that The Stacked Pickle has already been an existing restaurant in Carmel for some time and even the newer Fishers location has been open for quite a while now.  Even though I drive by it every day on my journey to and from work I have never once been inside.  I'm not sure why that was the case.  It's new and relatively close to my house.  Usually that alone is good enough for me to give it a try.  I think far too often that when we're deciding where to eat I have a tendency to forget about new places and fall into going to the old ones like warm comfortable blanket.  It is also the case that I have been pretty down on bar/pub food lately.  The last few of these establishments I've been to the food really hasn't been satisfactory.  I was really hoping to pull a Staind  and break the cycle (OMG late 90's pop culture!!) this time.

The Stacked Pickle in Fishers is located in an expanding strip mall on the corner of 116th and Allisonville.  It's conveniently located and has ample parking which is always nice.  My buddy and I went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon prior to a hellish fun day of Christmas shopping.  I was surprised at how empty the place was considering all the people that seemed to be out and about.  When we walked in there was no hostess in sight and no sign indicating what we should do so we grabbed a table.  It felt somewhat awkward when the hostess finally showed up and gave us our menus after we were already seated.  The interior is done in a lot of stained wood and the bar is featured promiently.  I have a feeling it's a pretty fun place to go at a later hour on a weekend. But since the reason for this journey was grub and not partying like a certain college basketball team that is undefeated and beat #1 Kentucky let's focus on the food.

The menu was pretty much what you'd expect.  Standard offerings of wings, sandwiches, and burgers.  I had a little trouble deciding, and considered ordering the breaded tenderloin, but I decided that I was in need of some cow in a bad way.  My buddy got the tenderloin, but I chose the patty melt with the standard side of battered fries.  When my food arrived I was definitely pleasantly surprised.  The swiss cheese was nicely melted, the onions perfectly grilled as to bring out their natural sweetness, and my burger was perfectly medium just as I had asked.  I'm so used to being asked how I want my burgers cooked and still getting a well done patty I almost went into shock when seeing that it was cooked correctly.  Furthermore the patty was very juicy and tasted incredibly fresh.  Even the rye bread that it was served on was incredibly tasty.  It was thick cut and had that distinct rye flavor that added a nice extra element.  The only mistake was that the Thousand Island dressing that was supposed to come on my sandwich was left off, and it took me a while to flag down our server to request a serving on the side.  The fries were just what the menu stated they were.  Standarded battered fries.  Nothing special here, but they were tasty.  If they had some sort of special seasoning it might bring them up a bit.

Normally I would just go into the taste and value ratings here as I don't often comment on service, but in this case I feel compelled to make an exception.  Now make no mistake our orders were taken, our food was brought out, and our drinks refilled in a reasonably prompt manner, but one of my pet peeves (especially in a not-that-busy restaurant with multiple servers) is not getting our checks when we're ready to go.  My friend and I waited an extremely long time after we had finished eating to get our checks while our server was having a lengthy animated conversation with the hostess.  Our server then walked right by us with our empty plates, and she was not prompt in returning.  Certainly didn't put a damper on the meal per se, or even prevented me from going back (definitely going back for the tenderloin) but it was annoying and fixable.   Alright enough of that.

Taste: 9/10 Not just a good patty melt, but a great one in my opinion.  Some special fries away from a 10 I would say.  I was kind of annoyed at the lack of TI on my patty melt, but it was supposed to be on there and the server did address it even if she was a bit hard to flag down.

Value 8.5/10 Of course I opted for a Diet Coke instead of a beer which kept the cost down some, but the meal was right around 10 bucks.  There was plenty of a food, and it was delcious.  I've paid 10 dollars for much worse meals in the past. 

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.

What Applebees Might Be Like If Applebee's Didn't Totally Suck: C.R. Heroes Review

The Girlfriend and I have determined as of late that Saturday night will be our night to go out to a sit-down restaurant, but sometimes I have a hard time deciding on place or a type of food I desire to try.  In the interest of this blog I try to steer us toward new places, or places that don't get a lot of publicity. C.R. Heroes is definitely one of those places.  You might have heard about it if you read about it on one of the other Indy food blogs around like I did, but if you don't read those other blogs you're probably as lost right now as I was when I watched the Mission Impossible movie for the first time.  Don't worry because 1. Jon Voight's character was the bad guy the whole time (I don't want to hear SPOILERS from anyone. That movie is old.  Get over it.) and 2.  C.R. Heroes is a small place place with some good comfort food classics.

In true Random Dude Eats Random Food tradition C.R. Heroes is one of those one off places located in a strip-mall on 96th St. East of Cumberland Rd.  Yes, that would be the other side of Cumberland Rd. and not where all the other strip-malls and restaurants are located.  I also found it quirky because of the words "family pub" on the building under the name of the restaurant.  Those usually aren't two words that work together, but based on what I had read I was willing to cut them some slack.

As we walked in the first thing I noticed was the over the top "hero" decor and theme of the restaurant.  One side dedicated to real heroes such as astronauts, military personnel, firefighters and police, and the other side dedicated to to pretty much every comic book hero or character you can think of including Casper the friendly ghost for some reason.  After the decor I noticed that the hosts doing the seating looked pretty young like they  might be in high school, and ours seemed a little frazzled.  He wiped down our table and the seats of  the booth which I could definitely have done without, but it really wasn't that big of a deal.  The menu was quite expansive with a large selection of salads, sandwiches, burgers and several comfort food staples such as chicken 'n noodles, turkey manhattan and even chicken and waffles.  It was a bit overwhelming.

To take some time to decide what we wanted we decided to go with one of their signature appetizers of the big soft pretzel.  We each got one, and they were big, fresh, soft and delicious.  I'm a bread junky and if you set a soft pretzel with butter and salt in front of me I'm going to be ecstatic.  The flavor was complemented nicely with the ranch sauce served for dipping.  It wasn't something I had tried with a pretzel before, and it made the cheese sauce look weak by comparison.

For our main courses she got the hand breaded tenderloin and fries, and I decided on the grilled cheese cheeseburger.  I was immediately jealous of the tenderloin.  It looked enormous yet not pounded too thin.  I tore off a piece for tasting and the meat was flavorful and juicy.  The breading seemed unique also in that it seemed like cornmeal may have been a component.  As far as my grilled cheese cheeseburger I admit to falling victim to a gimmick.  It was a burger with bacon and cheese served between 2 grilled cheese sandwiches instead of buns.  I had never seen that option on a  menu here in Indiana before so I had to try it out.  Honestly it is much better in theory than practice.  The burger itself was juicy and nicely cooked, and Ron Swanson would have appreciated the generous portion of bacon.  However, it was really just too much bread and the overwhelming amount of cheese made it very rich.  I really could have used a spicy or tangy sauce on there to cut the richness just a bit.  We both thought the fries weren't really anything special, and I left a lot of them on my plate.  The menu described them as  "seasoned fries" and I was expecting something a little more aggressive I guess.  Also, I thought they were just a little mushy.

Truthfully, I can't wait to go back to C.R. Heroes.  The execution of most of our food was spot on and delicious and it really screams "my kind of place".  There were so many other things I wanted to try (Italian Beef), and they also have drink specials nightly and a separated full bar area.  Also, I was impressed with how busy the place  was considering I've never seen one advertisement for this place.  Word of mouth still works folks.

Taste 7.5/10  I felt very pleased after eating here.  I enjoyed everything, and you could tell some love and care was put into the food.  Only wished for better fries and sauce on my burger.  Next time I should try their homemade chips.
Value 8/10  We both had large meals that we enjoyed quite a bit and with Diet Cokes and an app we still only spent 30  bucks before tip.  That's a win in my book.

Sweet Treat: Yogi Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt

One of the things we love and sometimes love to hate here at RDERF (I'm tryin' it out) are food trends especially those involving dessert.  If you have been eating your way around the greater Indianapolis area you might have noticed one of the newest burgeoning trends, self-serve frozen yogurt shops.  The idea is pretty ingenious from a business model perspective.  You let your customers select their flavor from a bank of various soft serve machines, they fill their own yogurt cup, they add their own toppings and pay a single cashier according to the weight of the yogurt+toppings.  It minimizes the labor and equipment required, but is there a sacrifice in taste or flavor?

When I went to Yogi the first thing I noticed, other than the barebones setup, is that the place was fairly new and certainly popular.  The amount of Fishers trophy wives soccer moms with their herds of children was certainly staggering.  It was almost like I didn't belong.  Nonetheless I soldiered on and got a cup of the cake batter flavored frozen yogurt.  When it came to toppings I thought things went a bit haywire.  The amount of topping choices was a bit overwhelming.  I didn't know what to chose between the various types of dry fruity cereal, chocolate chips, fresh fruit and sauces.  I ended up with fresh blueberries, cheesecake pieces and white chocolate chips.  These were all things I liked, but the flavor combination didn't really work.  Of course that is no one's fault but my own, but it would have been nice to have at least some suggested flavor combinations available.  Also, I found the blueberries really lacking in sweetness.  As far as the yogurt itself was concerned I didn't enjoy it at all.  While allegedly flavored like cake batter I couldn't discern any noticeable flavor whatsoever when I got a bite that didn't include any of my topping choices.  I found this particularly disappointing because I have really enjoyed froyo at other places in the past such as Incredible Yogurt in Muncie, IN.

Yogi's isn't on UrbanSpoon yet so if you want to check it out for yourself it's located at 12660 E 116th St Fishers, IN.

Taste 4/10  Decidedly meh.  It may be worth another shot with a different froyo flavor than cake batter, but I don't see myself rushing back.  People have told me Huddles is a better similar yogurt shop so I may try that.

Value 4/10  I didn't find it particularly expensive, but I would have much rather spent a similar amount on some other ice cream, froyo or dessert.

Review: Yats

If you're into food there is probably at least one place that you can think of that all of your friends have told you to go to so many times you almost tuned it out.  Even if you're open to trying new places or new types of cuisine you might just get tired of hearing how good a place is.  For me that place was Yats.  I had heard the hype from almost everyone I knew, and I had read the hype out there on the interwebz.  Much like ESPN's coverage of almost any sporting event I was afraid that Yats had no hope of living up to its reputation.  I was wrong.

Etoufee

Maybe it has something to do with this being one of my first experiences with Cajun/Creole food.  Maybe it had something to do with the rock bottom price.  I don't know what the reason, but Yats really really made an impression on me.  Never had I gone into a restaurant with such elevated expectations and had every one of them met and exceeded.  As for the meal itself I had the Chili Cheese Etoufee with crawfish.  It consisted of very fresh tend pieces of crawfish mixed into a delicious creamy roux served over rice.  I don't remember having a dish where I thought the flavors were more spot on.  You could taste the chili spices, you could taste the seafood, you could taste the cheese but no one thing completely overpowered anything else.  A serving size at Yats is a healthy portion, but there is no doubt I could eat Rosie O'Donnell's weight in Chili Cheese Etoufee.  Also, if you think maybe Yats isn't for you because you aren't a fan of spice I promise if you get the etoufee you will not be bothered by any excess heat.

Drunken Chicken

The Drunken Chicken was likewise a masterful dish.  It consisted of pulled chicken, garlic, tomato puree, and red pepper.  Be forewarned this dish is much spicier than the etoufee, but The Girlfriend admitted that even though it was a little more spicy than she would normally go the flavors were so good it didn't matter.  I wholeheartedly agree.  Actually I agreed so much I ate her leftovers before she got the chance.  Sorry sweetheart.

Each dish at Yats is also served with two pieces of their French bread, and it could easily be a just a throwaway side item.  Not here.  Each piece is perfectly crunchy and crusty on the outside and soft inside.  Also, each piece is slathered with a magical spread that makes it extra special.  Next time I go I will take them up on their offer of paying 50 cents for extra bread.  I suggest you do the same.

A couple more notes FYIs you might want to have before making the trek to the restaurant:  1.  You want to make sure you get there early enough to make sure they aren't out of your favorite dish.  At Yats when their out of something it comes off the menu period.  2.  The menu varies from day to day to some degree.  The etoufee is one of their best sellers so that is one of the mainstays, but the other 5 or 6 items on the menu tend to rotate.  You can check their website for the daily menu before you head out.  3.  Don't expect any frills.  Your entrees are served on Styrofoam plates and you eat with plastic utensils, but if that gets in the way of enjoying the food you're probably reading the wrong blog.

Taste 10/10  I came in with high expectations and was still blown away. I am going to become a new frequent customer.
Value 10/10  Very few places with food that unique and that good are places that you can afford to go back to on a regular basis.  Yats is the exception.  Two sizable entrees with bread and two soft drinks ran us only 14 dollars total.  Incredible.  That's fast food pricing for fantastic food.

Nickel Plate Bar and Grill

If you're like me you probably at times find yourself fascinated with restaurants you drive by on a semi regular basis with out really a good reason why.  Maybe it's the exterior appearance or just the desire to one day stop on that route and eat food rather than continue on your soul destroying morning or afternoon commute.  Regardless of the reason The Girlfriend and I found ourselves at the Nickel Plate in Fishers hoping to find a local independent restaurant with at least a some solid bar food and nice atmosphere.

In regards to the atmosphere the bottom line is this place looks cool.  It's all brick and situated right next to the "train station" near downtown Fishers.  It's all brick with windows on one side of the restaurant that can open to create an open air dining experience on nice days/night.  I was hoping that we would get seated in that dining room, but to my surprise the hostess told us the only open tables were in the bar area so that's where we were seated.  I could have swore I several open tables in the main dining room, but I was hungry and didn't really want to bring it up after we had already been seated.  Also, I found it bizarre that the hostess was rolling the silverware in napkins at the hostess station when each party was seated.  This created the illusion of a wait when none existed and I imagine that more than one party walked out that night not wanting to wait.  After these couple of hosting issues I thought the service was better than average.  I never had to ask for a drink refill and even got one after my meal was finished and plate cleared.

The menu at the Nickel Plate is much like the decor, bare bones and far from fancy.  If you're in the mood for something more fancy than a salad, burger or sandwich you should probably look elsewhere.  There is a handful of "dinner entrees" on the menu and they may or may not be good, but I don't think that is really in this place's wheelhouse.  As I had a hanchorin (red neck colloquialism drink 2) for a cheeseburger I decided to go with their specialty burger called the Lionel (train them get it?) which was 1/2lb of ground beef, cheddar, bbq sauce and 2 slices of bacon.  The Girlfriend decided to go with their breaded tenderloin which apparently is considered a house specialty.  I was happy when the waitress asked me how I wanted my burger cooked.  Far too many places just go ahead and cook them well or mid-well.  I appreciate a place that says get it cooked how you like it because our beef is good enough quality that you don't have to worry about it.  I was happy that my burger was indeed not cooked to death when it arrived in front of me.  However, I was a little disappointed that the patty was no cooked consistently being that one end of the patty was medium, the center was nicely mid-rare and the back half was what I would consider rare.  The toppings were very good.  The bacon consisted of two large satisfyingly thick slices that made their presence known on the burger instead of just being an afterthought.  The cheddar was nicely melted and had some bite.  Also, I was at first concerned there wasn't enough bbq sauce on my burger (it's one of my favorite toppings) but there turned out to be plenty hidden under the cheese. All-in-all a solid burger and one I would probably order again.

The Girlfriend wasn't nearly as pleased with her tenderloin.  While it was quite large and looked like it was hand breaded in house she found it way too salty.  She did not finish the sandwich.  Since I didn't taste it for myself I asked her later how she would rate it on my scale and she said 6 or 6.5 out of 10 so I guess I'll just have to take her word for it.  Each of our meals included a choice of side and we both decided on the fries.  We were both somewhat disappointed.  Sure there was nothing wrong with them, but there was also nothing memorable about them.  Why do so many places seem to not put care into the quality of their sides and fries in particular.   If I get good fries somewhere that sticks out in my mind more than anything else.  It's an opportunity for restaurants to set themselves apart and be memorable and not that many decide to do so.  Also, back in my day we used to walk up hill both ways  to get good fries.  Okay my old man esque rant is done let's get to the results.  Dim the lights! (American Idol reference drink 3!)

Taste 7/10  I was looking for a better than average cheeseburger and that's exactly what I got.  It didn't blow me away, but I'll probably be going back to try one of the sandwiches or other specialty burgers at some point.
Value 7.5/10  Not including tip we got out of there for under 20 bucks for the two of us which is always good in my book for a meal that I found better than average.

Sahm's Restaurant and Pub

Sahm's has been a well known name in the local restaurant business for some time now.  Though this review concerns their flagship location  at 116th and Allisonville Rd. they have several different locations across the city.  I selected it as the place to go for dinner with The Girlfriend, my parents and her parents not only because it's a well known local place, but also because I was hoping that it would provide the right combination of nicely prepared food and laid back atmosphere. Thankfully it seems as if I was correct on both accounts.

Our party of 6 decided to dine at Sahm's on Saturday night and despite not having a reservation they were able to accommodate us with only a short wait.  Although with the way tables  are arranged inside with many of the seats being part of a booth having a party larger than 4 was more difficult than it otherwise would be.  Nevertheless, after we were seated we had our drink orders taken promptly and even though I chose not to partake on that evening there is a full bar service available.  As far as the menu was concerned it primarily focuses on American comfort cuisine.  It's large enough to have something for almost ever taste, but not so large as to be overwhelming. There were also several chef's specials listed for the Saturday night we were there so that was the direction I decided to go.

One of my favorite foods and hands down my favorite fish is grouper. The problem is that in Indiana it just isn't on very many menus, and typically if it is the price is borderline outrageous.  That was why I was excited to see the fried grouper fillets, accompanied by baby carrots and roasted red potatoes,  as one of the chef's specials for the evening.  I was at first concerned that I would be disappointed by the portion size, but I quickly learned that is not something to worry about at Sahm's.  For the $14 price tag I was served three nice sized grouper fillets and plenty of carrots and potatoes along with a Caesar salad to start. The salad was pretty standard fare, but I did enjoy the homemade croutons that were clearly made out the bread that was also served with the meal.  The fish, while fried, was cooked perfectly.  The fillets were moist and flavorful.  I would happily order them again. The potatoes were basically your run of the mill roasted red potatoes, but being the total potato-slut that I am I still enjoyed them quite a bit.  The carrots on the other hand definitely seemed like a throwaway side.  They were buttered, but they didn't taste like they had  been imbued with any other flavors.  I think a little sweetness added to them would have went a long way.  The complimentary bread that was served with the meal was very good, and you could tell it was fresh baked in house. I love bread that is soft on the inside with a nice outer crust and that was the case here. All six of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals, and I think I will definitely be making a return trip perhaps to try some of their barbecue.  Let's get on to the ratings

Taste 8/10:  I enjoyed my entree thoroughly as well as the bread, but the sides held it back from being an overall great meal.
Value 8/10:  If I can find grouper on a menu for $14, and I found it thoroughly enjoyable it's a good value.

Dragon House Chinese Eatery

Getting Chinese food is one of my true pleasures in life.  Most of the time I like to get takeout, but I can enjoy it in all of its forms as long as it's tasty at a decent price.  The girlfriend and I have been looking for a good Chinese buffet in the area.  I have tried Super Chinese Buffet in Noblesville...not good.  I've also tried 8 Chinese Buffet in Castleton...okay but I don't always feel like driving down to Castleton.  We both decided that Dragon House Chinese Eatery in Fishers (116th and Allisonville) was worth a shot.  I had heard good things about their non-buffet menu items from Indy Restaurant Scene.  It was time to learn if they put the same quality into their buffet items.

The restaurant looks unimposing.  It's just in an average strip mall next to a Kroger.  You go in and you can either order off the menu or order the buffet.  We both got the buffet and it includes drink for around 10 bucks a piece.  More than reasonable in my opinion.  I also noticed that based on how many phone calls were coming in the place must do a brisk carry out business.  I found that unusual for a restaurant with a buffet so I hope that boded well for the quality of the food.

The selection of items on the buffet is not large by any means.  A couple of soups,  a small selection of fried items like egg rolls and crab rangoons and a small salad bar and several hot dishes.  I was skeptical at first because I thought if 2 or 3 of the dishes are bad then that is pretty much going to be all there is to choose from.  However, it turned out I was quite wrong.

For my first selections I decided to try some staples along with some things that just looked tasty.  I decided to go with an egg roll, fried rice, sweet and sour pork, pork with mushrooms and a little bit of their own sliced bbq pork.  As soon as I looked at the food I knew that the small amount of items on the menu was an advantage and not a hindrance.  Everything was really fresh and really tasty.  Without having to worry about so many dishes it really lets them make food for a buffet that is the same quality you would get if you were eating takeout or a sit down meal. The egg roll was the best I've had on any buffet.  I love egg rolls, but on buffets they usually get soggy.  These were crisp and delicious.   There was also significant care put into the fried rice.  Instead of the usual neon yellow flavorless stuff this was fresh and you could actually tell that it started with quality white rice then flavored and turned into a fried rice dish.  The pork and mushrooms was okay, but really nothing to write home about.  Pork and mushrooms in a brown sauce.  You've had it before.  Likewise with the sweet and sour pork.  I thought the real star was the bbq pork.  It was sliced thin and had the traditional sweet glaze on the outside.  It was very tender and flavorful.  I've seen spare ribs on other menus, but they aren't like this.

For round two I decided to try out some of the potstickers along with some of the general tso's chicken.   The potstickers were good and had nice flavor, but I'm always going to be a fan of the thicker dough style dumplings and those just don't seem to show up on buffet menus.  The sauce that went with the potstickers cold have used a little more spice, but I know my tolerance for heat is higher than normal and they want to make it palatable to more people.  The same goes for the general tso's.  I will give them props for having it taste fresh and not like out of the bag frozen chicken nuggets.  Also, it had a flavor profile that was more savory than sweet.  In my opinion it shouldn't be just a second version of sesame chicken.  I could have used a little more heat, but overall I was happy.

As far as dessert goes it's usually just something I go ahead and skip at Chinese restaurants.  I find their desserts to usually be bland and without much sweetness.  That was the case here as well for most of the dessert items.  They were the usual straight-out-of-the-box cakes and cookies.  However, something original on the hot bar intrigued me.  Fried coco milk.  I'm a big fan of coconut and I know not everyone is, but regardless you need  to give this a try.  The outside is fried crisp like in a tempura style, but the inside is creamy almost like the consistency of a thick pudding or sugar cream pie.  The flavor is not overwhelming coconut, but it does have a nice subdued sweetness.  I'm going to go back just so I can end my meal with one of these.

Taste 8.5/10  Easily some of the best tasting/best quality food I've had at a buffet.
Value 9/10  If the girlfriend and I can go out and have a meal we liked this much for right around or under $20 then I'm a happy happy man.

Thumbs Up For Texas Roadhouse

Since moving down to the Indianapolis metro area I've tried to adopt a general rule of not going to chain restaurants because usually the food and experience isn't as good or as interesting as so many of the cool independent places around.  Also, I tend to think writing and reading about chain restaurants is even less interesting than eating there.  I mean if you're reading this blog you probably know what going to Chili's is all about.  However, there are always some exceptions to every rule and I think chief amongst them in this case is Texas Roadhouse.

Texas Roadhouse might be a HUGE chain, but it's still a chain none the less.  Are there things to complain about in this regard?  Sure.  If you go on a Saturday night be prepared to wait.  These places are popular and waits of 40-45 minutes are not uncommon.  Waiting doesn't bother me personally if I know I'm going to get a good meal at a good price and I would probably just waste more time thinking of and traveling to another restaurant anyway.  The places are also loud in terms of volume and decor.  When you get past all of that what it really comes down to is the food.  I had their country fried sirloin, mashed potatoes and baked beans.  The country fried steak was juicy and I could tell from the shape and the breading that it was definitely not something that just came in a bag and was dropped in the fryer.  You could tell there was care put into making it.  That isn't something you can say about a lot of chain restaurants.  Likewise the mashed potatoes were delicious and the baked beans had a unique spicy and sweet taste.  What's the real kicker in all of this?  My girlfriend got a ribeye and our bill still only came to 30 bucks.  You can't beat that.  Texas Roadhouse may not be the most inventive or high brow place in the world, but they know what they do and they do it right.  That's all I ask and will continue to go back. 

(Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I hadn't anticipated writing about the meal until after we were finished, and I just wanted to do a quickie review.)

Photo courtesy douglasathas.net

Review: Hong Kong Cuisine

I have lamented on this blog before about how there was a lack of good takeout Chinese food in close proximity to where I live.  However, after my recent experience I have to change my tune a little bit.

Ever since I moved down here I've been searching for a place that was a good as First Wok in Muncie with little success.  Great Taste Chinese was close to my apartment, but after the last meal I had there lacked quality along with getting my order wrong in the first place I decided I wasn't going back.  Chinese buffets can be okay, but unless I drive down to Dragon House in Fishers or 8 Chinese Buffet in Castleton I'm not really a fan.  That left Hong Kong Cuisine.  It was a little bit farther to drive and get takeout, but at this point it was worth a shot.

It has been my experience that when it comes to takeout Chinese food that people tend to get almost the same thing every time.  I'm no different.  My preferred dish is the chicken with garlic sauce and that is exactly what I got.  I have to say up front that this is the best version of the dish I've had in recent memory.  All of the ingredients seemed really fresh.  The chicken was moist.  The vegetables, especially the broccoli, had that nice snap to it that I prefer.  The sauce had a very nice intense garlic flavor and an adequate amount of heat.  It wasn't so spicy that it would put off those with a more tame palette, but it was not at all bland or sugary.  Also, there was a nice mix of veggies and not an overwhelming abundance of fillers like onions or green peppers cough...Great Taste...cough.  The fried rice which can at times just be a throwaway side seemed much fresher and more natural in color than I have gotten from other Chinese places in the past.  It included juicy chunks of pork as well that were quite tasty.  The meal also came with an egg roll that was nicely crisp with good flavor and was complemented well with duck sauce.

We also decided to order an additional side of crab rangoons.  The portion that was given to us was quite large...probably enough to serve 3 or 4 people in reality.  Each one was quite large in size and came with the typical red sweet and sour dipping sauce.  I wouldn't call them exceptional, but I would say they were good for being the usual crab rangoons.  I'm still yet to get the dumplings...maybe next time.

Taste: 9/10  As far as good takeout goes I can't imagine getting a much better meal than this.  It was exactly what I wanted.  No more, no less.  The flavors and freshness were spot on.  This is going to be my new regular place for Chinese to go.  I have also heard good things about King Chef.  I'll have to make a trip there at some point to see how it compares.

Value: 9/10  The girlfriend and I got two combos (entree, fried rice and egg roll) and a separate order of crab rangoon for 15 bucks.  Considering how good the food was, and the fact that we both had enough left over to eat the next day I would have easily paid 20.

Britton Tavern

I live on the far North suburban side of Indy, and as I am wont to do I often seek out places to enjoy a good cocktail and music with friends that doesn't require traveling to downtown or Broadripple.  That place often ends up being Britton Tavern (14005 Mundy Drive, Fishers, IN 46038).  It's a big modern upscale bar with ton's of TVs, good live music, and with $2.75 23 oz. Coors Lights on Saturdays it has the best weekend drink special around.  Up until a couple of weeks ago one think I had not experienced though was their food.

I was there on a Saturday night with my friends to see one of the best local bands around, Through Being Cool.  I was hungry and I decided the time was right to expose my palate to a taste other than that of The Rockies.  I had the Patty Melt with my choice of side being tater tots.  The girlfriend got the bbq wings of which I sample a few as well.  I apologize in advance for not having very many pictures, but I didn't think about doing a review until I was done eating.  The patty melt was pretty much what would expect when ordering this dish.  The burger was flavorful and juicy and cooked through without being dry.  The cheese was melted and delicious and there was just enough caramelized red onions to add a little kick but not overpower the meat or take away from the texture.  It was also served on an interesting kind of marbled rye toast that had a sturdy texture that held up to the meat without becoming soggy.  Where was the sandwich lacking?  The dressing.  Maybe I'm alone on this one, but every good patty melt deserves it's fair share of 1000 Island dressing as a topping.  It was barely noticeable at all on my sandwich.  Maybe they think most people prefer it that way, but not me.  Now about the tots, I really thought they drove this dish home.  Britton is the only place I've ever heard of even having tater tots as a non-breakfast side item, and it was nice to have something different in texture than just fries.  The tots were fried very crisp and you definitely get a big portion of them.  Thumbs up all the way.

The wings that the girlfriend got however are a different story entirely.  My initial reaction to them visually was that they looked great.  Their size was above average and they gave you plenty in a single order.  However, my first problem with them was that when they were served they were right out of the fryer and way too hot to eat.  Normally that would be okay, but after we let these wings cool down the skin became soggy and not crisp which is a texture with chicken I can't get past.  As for the flavor the bbq sauce they put on the wings was so cloyingly sweet it was impossible to have more than 1 or two wings.  That is saying a lot coming from a guy that typically loves his bbq more on the sweet side.  As you can see from the picture, with the girlfriend and I both eating we still failed to finish the plate of wings.  This is something that NEVER happens with wings.  Anyway lets get to my ratings for this excursion.

Taste:  8/10 for the burger, 3/10 for the wings

Value:  10/10 for the Saturday beer special, 7/10 for the patty melt.  I can't comment on the wings since the gf paid for those on her tab and she didn't tell me anything about the price, but I'm guessing they were fairly pricey and you could do better with all the wing specials around at various places with better wings.

Randomness:  I'm giving points for this place being a non-chain and for them having tater tots, but this place is pretty well known on this side of town.  6.5/10