Review: Drake's

Castleton. An indy neighborhood where there is shopping, traffic, and very few good food options or independent restaurants to satisfy all those shoppers and rat racers. It's sad really, but everyone who lives or works on Indy's North side knows that Castleton, food wise, has fast food and chains but little else. There are some notable exceptions like a couple of sushi bars and the Castleton Grill, but if you want a good sitdown meal you don't have a lot of options. That brings me to today's review which is a place that is trying to change that landscape a bit...Drake's.

Drake's is located in the strip mall on 82nd right before you get to the green bridge, and right behind the old Music Mill (now the not so impressive Brewstone). Drake's certainly isn't anything revolutionary. Their menu basically consists of burgers, chicken, salads, and the usual appetizers, and interestingly enough sushi. While the sushi certainly sets it apart I didn't try it on this particular visit so I can't really comment. What I did try was their fried pickles (annoyingly called frickles on the menu) and their Tavern Burger.

The fried pickles were delicious because well...fried pickles are always delicious, but here at Drake's I thought they were even a little better than the ones I've had elsewhere. First of all these pickles were cut lengthwise instead of in to chips which I think made them more crispy during the frying process and the pickles weren't so overwhelmed by the breading. The breading itself was also very well seasoned, appeared to be hand battered, the breading didn't slough off when you took a bite, and the sauce they served with them was different and better than the typical ranch you get at most places. Definitely had a mild but nice litle extra kick. My only quibble was that the cost of this app was 8 bucks which seemed a little high, but it's probably comparable to other similar restaurants.

The Tavern Burger was something I wanted to like was more than I actually did. The concept sounded great. Thick burger, pepper jack cheese, spicy remoluade sauce, and grilled onions.  It was served with either fries or tots and I chose tots.  When the burger came to my table it certainly looked big and appealing, and I could definitely tell it had all the elements just like the description stated. However, what was missing was something you can't see. Flavor. Despite the grilled onions, and sauce, and cheese it was just kind of bland. It wasn't as if the condiments were covering the flavor of the meat because I wasn't getting the spice I expected from the cheese or the sauce either. I will say that it was a very juicy burger even though it was cooked to well done without an option as to how it could have been prepared. The bun was toasted and was ok but it may have been a bit too large. I also wish the onions had been grilled and caramelized a little more. I think just a couple more minutes would have let them add that nice sweet flavor they can contribute. The tots were tasty and well seasoned, but they were your basic tater tots.

Even though maybe the burger was only a little better than okay I will say I liked eating at Drake's quite a bit. It was a nice day so we walked in and seated ourselves in front of the bar area and right near the open "garage doors" that make up the front of the restaurant. I like the semi al fresco dining experience a lot more than places that have patio seating under umbrellas. Our server was nice and service was prompt. I think Drake's is definitely worthy of another shot especially if I can gather some friends that will share some of that sushi with me.

Rating 6.5/10

A New "Best Burger in the City" at Fat Dan's Deli

Sobro. That's the annoying portmanteau of a phrase that people use to describe the area just south of Broadripple's main drag. When you get there you'll probably find a couple things 1. Annoying hipsters everywhere (You're a 25 year old man. Your handle bar mustache just makes you look like a moron.) and 2. a lot of cool independent restaurants with good food and good beer. Just in case you couldn't figure it out by my parenthetical commentary I go for the latter rather than the former. Over the weekend I decided to make the trek down there from my home on the far North side to find a gem known as Fat Dan's Deli.

As some of you might know Fat Dan's used to be located right on Broadripple Ave and is known for a being a place known for Chicago favorites such as Italian beef and real Chicago style hotdogs. After disappearing from that location for a few months they have reopened with a vengence at the new location at 54th and College across from the Fresh Market and right next door to Twenty Tap.  While the former location had limited seating and you ordered at the counter the new restaurant is much larger, has a bar area with good craft beers on tap (as well as the Chicago favorite Old Style), and table service.  The last time I visited Fat Dan's I got the dipped Italian Beef with melt-your-face gardinera and it was fantastic so this time I wanted to try something different. I had heard good things about the burgers so I wanted to see for myself.

I decided to go with the Wells St Fat Burger with an order of "The Best Fries in the Universe". This version of their "Fat Burger" line included grilled onions, bacon, bbq sauce, and gorgonzola cheese. At first you might think those are some pretty assertive flavors to put on one burger, and you'd be right but man it works in a great way. The onions had that wonderful sweetness, the bbq sauce added tang, the bacon was fairly thick and had a wonderful smokiness and great chew, and the gorgonzola probably would have been out of place on most burgers but here it was necessary to not get covered up by the other flavors. A slice of  Swiss or American would have just faded into the background.  Also, the burger itself was excellent and cooked perfectly to medium just as I asked. That in and of itself is a rarity in this city.  The fries, served in a giant pile on butcher paper with your sandwich, are easily a big enough portion for 2 or 3 and are absolutely delicious. They are not only the great fresh cut, double fried, variety but they are also perfectly seasoned. I also liked the addition of some cottage fry pieces in with the regular french fry cut variety.  The burger was $8.50 and the fries were $3.75. A little on the high side, but well within reason for the great quality you're getting. There are plenty of restaurants charging twice or 3 times that much for burgers that are of lesser quality.

Rating 10/10 Perfect score. I rarely hand those out, but this is literally a can't miss. The service was great. The burger is the best in the city. The fries are the best in the city. And it won't break the bank. Get there asap.

Your Favorite Burger

I've probably written on this blog more than once that food can be a highly personal thing.  We each have our own likes, dislikes, and preferences and certainly this blog is an outlet for my opinions on all those things.  However, if I ask you what you're favorite hamburger joint is and you tell me 5 Guys  you are objectively wrong. Sorry. Of course that's not really a slight against 5 Guys Burgers and Fries which I do enjoy. It's a slight against you for not going out and exploring your local restaurants and food scene enough to know what a truly awesome medium rare burger with perfectly crafted toppings (see: The Local) tastes like.  Ladies and gents burgers are NOT just fast food anymore.  Tons of local restaurants are elevating the concept to another level. Are there still problems with not cooking the meat to the right temp or even *gasp* using frozen patties? Sure there are, but explore what's around you.  You'll probably be pleasantly surprised that for the same 10 bucks you spent to get a burger, fries, and drink from 5 Guys will buy you a burger that is just a little more special and definitely more tasty.

Catching The Burger Wave: Boogie Burger Review

"Eating seasonally." I think the general consensus of that term is the one that foodies, hipsters, and foodie hipsters most often employ and that is using ingredients in cooking that are currently in season and therefore taste fresher.  I can't disagree, but I think about that phrase in a different way also. When I say I'm eating seasonally I mean that there are certain types of food that I just associate with a time of year or a type of weather. As you can probably ascertain from my last few blog posts warmer weather to me means old school red meat hamburgers.

I don't know what it is.  I think I first and foremost associate hamburgers with warmer weather due to the grilling out factor. In fact I did have some fantastic outdoor grilled burgers on St Patty's at KTP's Bar in Broadripple (sorry folks it's a  private member's only establishment).  The combination of brown sugar, bacon, and green onion mixed into the meat was truly a winner despite any reservations you may have about such a concoction being overly sweet.  And while you may not get the chance to try those burgers there is a place in Broadripple that is making some truly badass burger creations that make for the perfect Spring/Summer lunch or dinner.  That place is Boogie Burger.

Truthfully, I've been wanting to try Boogie Burger for a long time.  Despite their new location being a stones throw from my friends' house where our group often hangs out I've just never made it in for a visit until now.  Man was I missing out.  As you walk in you are greeted a friendly face at the counter who is surrounded by a plethora of burger choices on the wall menu.  I went back and forth for a bit, and settled on one of my favorite combinations, the mushroom and swiss.  I also ordered a side of their garlic fries because I've heard good things and that it was kind of a signature item for them.  My order was ready in short order and my buddy and I ventured out on their patio to enjoy our burgers in this wonderful Spring weather we've been having. 

Everything about my burger and fries were absolutely phenomenal.  The burger was juicy, and the size of the patty was ample.  The swiss cheese was melted to gooey perfection. The mushrooms were in abundance on the top of my burger instead of just a couple of slices hiding underneath the bun that you sometimes get at other chain burger joints.  Speaking of the bun it was soft and pillowy and just the right size for the burger.  And although my burger was fantastic make no mistake I thought the real star of my meal was the garlic fries.  I know that is unusual since most of the time places have fries that are barely worthy of mention.  However, Boogie Burger's garlic fries are made with their fresh garlic parsley mix and are not to be missed.  Trust me on this one.  This is not fries tossed in garlic powder or garlic salt.  This is real deal fresh garlic, and it really delivers on smell and flavor.  Granted I am a big garlic fan, but honestly if you like flavor you should be a fan of these fries.  If not you should probably go read some pinko vegan blog about tofu.  All kidding aside, go to Boogie Burger andorder the garlic fries and please yourself now.  Brush your teeth and use some mouthwash to please your significant other later.

Taste 10/10 It took me awhile to make my first visit.  I assure you the time between now and my next visit will be much much shorter.

Value 10/10 The price of my meal with a burger, fries, and drink was around 11 dollars.  Some of you might say that's a bit steep, but the fries are easily a large enough portion to split (that's what we did actually) and the food tastes great.  If you're willing to pay that at Five Guys paying it at Boogie Burger, which I actually liked more, feels like a steal.

Fast Food Review: Culver's

When you go out to grab lunch during a workday it's really easy to get stuck in a rut.  Out of all the times I've went out to lunch in the past 6 months (usually only about once a week) I've probably went to Taco Bell for a plurality of them.  I do like Taco Bell, but let's face facts I go there because it's quick and cheap.  The other day I decided I had enough of the same old same old and decided to not only try some place different but some place I had personally never been to before.  That place is Culvers.

If you're unfamiliar with Culver's they are a Wisconsin based regional chain that has a diverse menu, but one that primarily focuses on their signature "butter burgers".  The butter burgers are fresh ground beef smashed thin on the flattop with crispy edges on a butter toasted bun.  Despite hearing from my co-worker that Culver's serves up a mean fish sandwich also I decided I was in the mood for some red meat.  I decided to go with the double mushroom and swiss burger combo that comes with a drink and Culver's crinkle cut fries.

The first thing I did when I unwrapped my burger was take note of it's appearance.  After all people do say if your food looks good it's more likely to taste good. That is exactly why Sarah Jessica Parker has nothing to fear from cannibals, but I digress. In this case I noticed the size of the burger, with the double patty, was definitely an ample portion and the crispy edges were evident.  The 2 slices of swiss were nicely melted, and the bun looked pillowy and soft.  What turned me off a little was the way the thin sliced mushrooms seemed to be few in number and scattered haphazardly.  Luckily there were more mushrooms on top of the bottom bun and the flavor and aroma of them came through nicely.  There was no mayo or extra "mushroom sauce" here that sometime come on other burgers of this genre.  They were not needed.  The mushrooms here complemented the nice flavor of the meat, and muddling that with sauce would have been a crime.  The crinkle cut fries were also a nice change of pace.  While I'm not putting them on the same level as my favorite fries that are always fresh cut they were crisp and had good potato flavor.  The medium portion size was also larger than I expected.  I should also point out that I tried Culver's own root beer, and while it was good I wouldn't be able to differentiate it between other mainstream brand.

Being a guy that likes fast food from time to time I can't believe I've slept on Culver's for this long. It might still be fast food but they are doing it at a higher level than almost every other fast food burger joint.  I'm looking foward to my next visit, and maybe I'll try some custard next time.

Taste 9/10 Probably my favorite fast food burger.  Could have used just a few more mushrooms. Crinkle cut fries were good, but not as good as fresh cut variety.
Value 9/10 My double mushroom swiss combo cost $7.62 including tax.  Considering how much I enjoyed it that's pretty good in my opinion.  You get enough food that there is no need to upsize. It might be a little more expensive than a medium combo at Wendy's, McDonald's etc but it's not by much.

All Around Good Ish Review: The Local

"Hey, hey, hey. *What* is going *on* here?", a great high school principal was once famous for saying that. And if you think about it it makes sense to ask that question in more contexts than just wanting to find out what Zack's latest scheme is.  It actually probably makes more sense than journalism teachers that say you should start your articles with an "attention grabbing quote". (See what I did there?) But in any case that is precisely the question I asked myself when over the weekend The Girlfriend and I rolled up to The Local Eatery and Pub in Westfield to grab a bite to eat.  For people that are less food knowledgeable (not any of you readers I'm sure) The Local could be a slightly confusing place.  Is it an upscale pub? That is certainly in the name.  There is a full bar.  There are a lot of flat screen TVs. But wait, I thought this was a serious restaurant right? I mean there are menu items like mac 'n cheese with bacon lardons and a cheese steak made with braised beef tounge.  Those are definitely things foodies tend to wet their pants over. If it's a serious food place though is it stuffy and uptight, or can you eat in a relaxed atmosphere?  The truth is that is why I think I found this place to be so special.  It's all of those things.  I can have a beer and watch football.  I can eat some seriously bad ass food, and I don't have to feel like a pretentious d-bag to do it.  Let me talk a little bit about why and maybe you'll realize why you should get your butt into this place the next time you get a chance.

When The Girlfriend I arrived at the restaurant I have to admit it looked a little unassuming.  It's at the back end of a kind of strip mall in what used be a really crappy run-of-the-mill bar for 40 somethings.  However, when we walked inside we were impressed with the modern interior while still feeling welcomed in a casual restaurant/pub kind of way.  We were told there was a 30 min wait without a reservation, but we were able to quickly find a seat in the bar area as it was first come first serve.  The restaurant was busy so we took some time to look over the menu and we decided to start with the baked goat cheese appetizer and ordered the bbq bacon burger (my entree) and the fish and chips (for The Girlfriend).

The baked goat cheese came out first and it gave us a little hint of what the dining experience was going to be like.  The goat cheese was served fresh out of the oven in a dish of olive oil and roasted garlic.  It was served with a small loaf of fresh baked bread.  The flavors worked beautifully together and everything, including the bread, had a degree of freshness in its taste that is damn hard to beat.  I think my  favorite part was that the roasted garlic had become quite soft in the olive oil and I was able to cut it and spread it easily on my slice of bread along with the goat cheese.  Goat cheese is something that I see used on Food Network all the time, and up to this point my experience with it had been limited.  However, after trying this appetizer at The Local I would probably knock down a defenseless Alex Guaraschelli to get some more.

I know that in reviews where I really like what I had I can sometimes be prone to hyperbole, but trust me that is not the case when I say that the bbq bacon burger that I had at The Local was maybe the single greatest food item every conceived or prepared anywhere by anyone in the history of all mankind.  Ok I jest slightly, but seriously this mother $*!#@ is so good that I'm surprised Al Gore hasn't claimed to invent it yet.  Every aspect of it was nailed.  As I've lamented before I'm often incredulous when restaurants ask me how I want my burger cooked because it's usually going to come out medium well anyway.  Not the case here.  I asked for medium rare.  The waitress gave a wry smile as if to say "I'm glad you ordered it the right way" and that is exactly how it was cooked.  The meat itself had a ton of flavor, but all of the other elements only added to it.  The house made bbq sauce was the right note of tang without being sweet or overpowering. The carmelized onions added a natural sweetness, and the bacon was of the perfect type that allowed you to bite into it without sloughing off of the burger itself.  And oh yeah the fries that came on the side where of the hand cut variety and perfectly crisp.  Delicious.  The Girlfriend's dinner choice was just as good.

I was a little bit surprised when she decided to go with the fish and chips because she usually isn't a fish person (or a Phish person you dirty hippies), but she said she just felt like it would be good.  She was right.  The portion size was impressive with 2 very large white fish fillets and the same fries I mentioned above.  She said she couldn't believe how fresh the fish tasted so I had to try a piece (or 3).  She was right.  I've never had F&C that tasted quite like that.  The breading stayed on, but the fish was very tender and flaky.  The house made tartar sauce was distinctive also in a very good way.

Also, I don't always comment about service, but I feel obligated here.  Our server for the evening, Taylor, was extremely good at her job.  Despite being very busy in the crazy bar area side of the restaurant she tended quickly to our every need and made herself available for any questions if we had them.  If the owners of the restaurant are reading this know that you have a very good staff member there.

Ok ratings time, but let's face it these are practically  a formality at this point.

Taste 10/10 If this was Spinal Tap and these ratings went to 11 I would give it here. Why? Because this one was 1 better.  I'm not kidding the burger jumped to the top of my list of favorite burgers, and I can't wait to go back and try some other menu offerings.
Value 10/10 This is really the icing on the cake.  You can go to The Local and have a great, not good, great meal for a price that doesn't make it just a "special occasion" place if you have an average budget.  The Girlfriend's F&C was 12 bucks, and my burger was 11.  The app was more expensive at $9.50, but if we had forgone that we could have got out for under 30 bucks.  Win.

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. 

Burger King Still Sucks: New BK Fries Review

I don't know if I've ever voiced this opinion explicitly on this blog, but Burger King flat out sucks and has for a while.  You might be saying, "Hold up it didn't make your list of overrated fast food restaurants. What gives?" I'd say you're right it didn't.  To be overrated there has to be some perception out there that it's good.  Burger King is long long way from that.  Every time I go there I see dirty restaurants, few customers, slacking, poorly dressed employees who aren't even wearing clean cohesive uniforms, long waits in the drive thru and burgers that have shrank more than Obama's approval ratings.  It's so sad because I remember BK being one of my favorite places in fast food when I was a kid.  The charbroiled burgers were always especially enjoyable.  I think BK management has recognized their company's slide, but are there efforts enough to reverse the trend?

If I had to answer that question with one word I would say no. Their most recent effort the new BK fries are trying to be presented as some kind of savior for the company. I understand why they are trying considering how bad their old fries were, but in my opinion there just isn't a lot new or enjoyable about these.  The only, and I mean ONLY, discernable difference was the size.  They are slightly thicker than the old fries.  There you have it.  That's it.  They could have gone with new seasoning, fresh cut, the appearance of fresh cut (Wendy's), but they didn't do any of that at all. Burger King seems to think that the idea of being new also means better.  I assure you this is not the case.

Besides the fries I decided to try one of their new BK Toppers burgers.  I went with the cheeseburger that comes with bbq sauce and onion rings, The Western BBQ Cheeseburger.  It was honestly one of the worst "new" menu items I've ever had. The cheese was not melted, the onion rings were cold, the bbq sauce was barely there and had no flavor.   If the burger had 2 patties or if it was a dollar cheaper I may not have hated it as much, but as it is I consider it a total ripoff. 

Taste 0/10 I will not be going back to Burger King again. Period. Unlike Hardee's they have shown me nothing that proves they are really trying to improve their brand.  They have bigger problems than just the menu or the food, but considering they haven't solved those yet I see no way they can pull off a top to bottom overhaul

Value 0/10 Even if it was free I don't think that would be good enough.  Too many other choices in fast food that are competitively priced with much much better quality.

In My Own Back Yard Review: Courtney's Kitchen

"When another man's grass looks greener water your own yard." The songwriter who penned that line definitely wasn't talking about restaurants, but that doesn't mean I can't be a shameless hack who uses other people's prose for my own purposes.  What I'm talking about precisely is that fact that I've often lamented the fact that I've traveled all around the Indianapolis metro area to eat at various restaurants, but I far too often neglect some of the restaurants that are in my adopted home town of Noblesville.  I don't really have a good explanation for why that is.  Partly it is due to the fact that I try to seek out things I hear about from other people and in doing so I forget that there are some pretty cool places right near by.  What is the first place on my Noblesville eating adventure? It's a little place just off the Noblesville downtown square called Courtney's Kitchen.

This photo courtesy of Urbanspoon

The Girlfriend and I arrived early on a Saturday night for dinner at Courtney's, and when we arrived the small restaurant was empty but filled up quickly after we sat down.  A good sign for sure.  While the outside of the restaurant looks rather unspectacular the inside was warm, comforting, and nicely decorated with black and white photos of people and sights from around the town.  Courtney's is a family run business and the message is conveyed nicely.  The menu is simple and consists mainly American comfort food classics and a variety of sandwiches.  In fact, a banner at the front of the restaurant proclaims the excellence of their breaded tenderloin sandwich.  I decided to put that claim to the test.

While the breaded tenderloin may very well be the state sandwich when you order one at a restaurant I've come to find out that you can never be exactly sure what you're going to get.  Fresh? Frozen? Thick? Pounded thin? Heavy breading? Light breading? Panko??? Any of the preceding can have their merits, but truth be told each Hoosier has their own preference.  I tend to prefer fresh hand-breaded tenderloins in their non-pounded-thin form. I usually always get pickles, sometimes mustard, sometimes mayo.  On this particular night I decided to go with pickles and mayo, but unfortunately my sandwich arrived with mustard instead.  I'll give the waitress a pass here due the fact that I enjoy mustard as well, but still it was somewhat frustrating.  This particular tenderloin comes pounded thin and is almost the size of the plate. Not my preferred style, but the flavor was still really good.  The meat was juicy, the breading wasn't too thick, and you could tell it was fresh and hand pounded and breaded before being fried.  A winner in my book.  The sandwich is normally served with chips but I upgraded to fries for an upcharge.  I was glad I did because the fries were fresh cut, nicely fried, and seasoned wonderfully.  While I wish places would just scrap the chips and include fries in the price I didn't mind it here because Courtney's is actually a place doing exceptional fries.  Not enough places do that. 

The Girlfriend got the special that was the pan fried chicken that was served with veg, mashed potatoes, and a dinner roll.  The pan fried chicken was juicy and nicely seasoned, but I think we were a little surprised it was served as chicken cutlets rather than actual on-the-bone chicken.  The gravy on the mash had a little bit more of a peppery kick than most. I really really enjoyed it, but The Girlfriend was less than thrilled. Personally, I thought it was something that sat it apart from other cream gravies.  The Girlfriend was also a little disappointed that she was served green beans as her veg when she ordered corn.  Other than those couple little quirks service was friendly and fairly good.  We thought about trying some of their homemade ice cream or pie, but we were really both too full to be able to eat it.  If you've had the dessert at Courtney's please leave a comment.

The more I eat out in Noblesville the dumber I feel for ignoring a lot of these places for so long in favor of places a more considerable distance away.  Noblesville may not have a ton of non-chain choices, but what is there that I have discovered so far has been on point.  I'm going to make sure there are more of these reviews to come in the future.

Taste 9/10 If I peg my ideal breaded tenderloin sandwich as a perfect 10/10 this was easily every bit of a 9. It was a different variety than what I normally like, and it didn't come with the exact toppings I requested and it still won me over.  That's hard to do.  Also, don't forget the fries were excellent.  Why are more small places not making their own fries.  It's such a huge positive difference from other places.  It sets the restaurant apart in a great way.

Value 8/10 The Girlfriend and I both ate dinner (a lot of food here) with sodas for $23 dollars before tip.  The upcharge on the fries and cost of the sodas drove up the ticket a little bit.  All in all you can't complain about bang for your buck here though.

I Admit I'm Late to the Food Truck Party: Scratch Truck Review

Better late than never could easily be a cliched phrase I shout happily after the hapless Indianapolis Colts fire head coach Jim Caldwell and defensive coordinator Larry Coyer.  However, since (unfortunately) that day is yet to come I'm compelled to use it when I describe finally paying a visit to one of the vendors on the Indianapolis food truck scene, Scratch Truck.

In case you've been living under a culinary rock for that last 3 years or so food trucks are basically mobile food vendors that have the goal of serving high quality cuisine at various points around the city using social media to get the word out about their menus and locations.  Scratch Truck describes their culinary point of view as being "modern mobile comfort food".  More generally food trucks often boast of making cuisine superior than what is available at many restaurants.  On this point I have to confess I was rather skeptical for a couple of reasons. 1. Food trucks, for better or worse, are a food trend which has a tendency to put me off because these kinds of things sometimes live off their own hype rather than substance. And 2. Being that I live in the northern suburbs of the city and work in Castleton, I haven't had many opportunities to visit a food truck and taste for myself. Their strategy is usually more focused on areas with higher foot traffic like downtown and Broadripple.  Fortunately, for me I saw on the tweeters that Scratch Truck was going to be set up near my office in Castleton, and I decided I had to treat myself to a special birthday lunch.

Photo courtesy scratchtruck.com

As I walked up the first thing I did was examine the menu and the truck itself.  The truck was visually eye catching and looked in every way professional.  The menu was posted on whiteboards which indicates that they change it up based on what they have that is fresh and available.  I've read other reviews on the internets about Scratch's chicken cone so I decided to go for something a little bit different.  The Scratch Burger was described as a "1/3 lb custom ground burger, bacon marmalade, arugula, and gorgonzola cheese served on a fresh, soft, toasted roll". (Ron Swanson voice) That sounded delcious!  For an extra charge I decided to pair it with their poutine fries.  The poutine fries were hand cut, twice fried french fries topped with chicken gravy, fresh mozzarella cheese, and herbs. 

After I placed my order I was asked how I preferred my burger to be cooked.  I gave my answer as "medium", but seeing as how often my "medium" burgers come out more like "well done" at Indy restaurants I was tempted to roll my eyes.  However, when my burger arrived I was pleasantly surprised that my burger was cooked perfectly as I requested.  Not only was my burger cooked perfectly I have to say this gets the honor as my favorite burger in the Indy area.  The portion was ample.  The meat was perfectly seasoned.  The bacon marmalade added an element of saltiness and sweetness that I've never experienced on a burger before.  The gorgonzola was evident and blended in perfect harmony with the arugula and marmalade.  I was impressed by how much these normally very assertive flavors were used so subtly here.  You were able to taste each one individually without being overwhelmed by any single element.  That's my benchmark for great food.  This burger required no additional condiments, a rarity among burgers and another sign of excellence. 

The poutine fries were also incredibly decadent and delicious.  The gravy was not too thick or thin.  The fries were perfectly cooked. The herbs added flavor.  However, what really brought this dish home was the one thing that poutine purists would probably dispute, the fresh mozzarella.  While they may not have been cheese curds these mozzarella pieces were fresh, soft, flavorful and melted just enough by the heat of the gravy and fries to ooze just perfectly over each bite.   My only regret is that the gravy and cheese kind of took away from the crispiness of the fries a little bit.  However, this is not a complaint or criticism.  This is how poutine should be. Personally, I think regular crispy fries are more my bag baby (Hooray dated pop culture references!).  Even if you feel the same way I would still encourage you to try the poutine fries.  They are one of those really good "food experiences".   Let's get to the ratings and put a bow on this bad boy.

Taste 10/10 Absolutely everything I want in a burger and nothing I don't. Delcious fries.  Of course I can't speak about every food truck in the city, but Scratch Truck has set the bar high.  My preconceptions about what type of food I could get from a mobile vendor have been blown away. I hope they bring their business back up to my neck of the woods sooner rather than later.

Value 8/10 This is the part of the review where it starts to get a little tricky.  Normally if I went somewhere and paid $12.81 for a burger, fries, and a Diet Coke I would probably be pretty livid.  That's a fairly big pricetag for lunch and for a burger in general.  The difference?  This is no "burger in general".  This is a one bada$$ meal the whole way around.  At a more "premium" price such as this I couldn't eat it all the time, but at least when I do there is no doubt I'm getting a "premium" product.

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.

Burger Time (And I Don't Mean That Oldschool Videogame) Review: Houlihan's

Just in case you never noticed before the DUDE part of Random Dude Eats Random Food is more than just some word that rhymes in a blog title.  The truth is that I'm a guy and sometimes a guy just wants a damn hamburger.  But in my travels I seem to find a really good burger a little hard to come by.  Granted I've had some solid burgers, but none that rise to the level of the place with the little green door with the neon sign that says burger (If you get that cultural reference...good on ya).  That is to say, I can't find one that really sticks in my memory as the go to place for ground beef.  When I went with friends to Houlihan's a couple of weeks ago my primary motivation was the half-priced drinks, but was burger an added bonus or just a waste of money I could have used to buy more cheap booze?

First, before I get to the food, I want to voice a couple of impressions I had about Houlihan's as a restaurant.  Upon entering I have to say that my first thought was that this place is trying way too hard.  I mean, come on, it's a chain causal restaurant with a "'s" on the end of it's name.  Stop trying so hard to look cool with the semi-open kitchen and somewhat retro decor.  Just because you don't have all kinds of crazy crap on the walls doesn't make you that much better than Applebee's, Chili's, etc etc etc.  Looking at the "good Lord we have everything under the Sun" menu with no clear direction only reinforced my skepticism.  Add to that there was only 1 server working the entire bar area, on what was a busy Friday night, then you might begin to understand why Houlihan's had a lot to overcome to impress me.

I looked over the menu and decided on the Burger 72.  It has apparently had a quite a bit of press on the local and national blogosphere lately being reviewed at both Would I Buy It Again and Serious Eats.  To break it down it's an 8 oz burger with an garlic and herb fried mushroom cap, parmesan, horseradish and watercress on a challah bun.  I ordered mine medium, and despite the time it took our food to come out, I was pleasantly surprised.  Hell, maybe I was just craving some ground beef.  I don't know, but I do know that it was cooked  properly and was way better than any other chain burgers I've had in a while.  I was suspicious of the watercress seeing as it was a pretty unusual burger topping, but I actually to found that it added a nice contrast to all of the richness of the cream, cheese and beef.  The two aspects I were disappointed in were the size of the mushroom cap and the horseradish.  I had my sights set on a larger portabello mushroom cap almost covering my burger patty.  Even if my expectations in that regard were inflated (I'd mainline mushrooms if I could) I still thought it was smaller than it should have been.  It did add a nice flavor element however.  The horseradish on the other hand not so much.  Maybe again this is a personal taste preference that others don't share, but if you tell me something has horseradish it in something there better be enough to give me more than a little kick.  This kick was more Mike Vanderjagt style, off the mark and not coming through when you needed it the most.  The fries were pretty standard, but they did taste very fresh and crisp.  Delicious.

Taste 8.5/10 The quality of the burger alone might have been worthy of a 9+ in my opinion, but the toppings needed to come through here.  Not at the upper limit of it's complete potential, but I'll probably get it again the next time I'm at Houlihan's.

Value 5/10  It was a good burger, but for 10 bucks for a burger and fries it should be.  Not a great value.  Average I'd say.  The drink specials are a really good value especially for a place that isn't primarily a bar. 

Review: TATA Cuban Cafe

I have been chastised from time to time on this blog for not going to enough places that are anywhere but the North side of town.  Whether it's bad or not is debatable, but it is true that I usually don't do a lot of driving to go eat somewhere unless I've heard it's something exceptional or if my regular travels take me that way.  Last weekend I was in downtown Indy for a friend's  wedding so I decided to step out of the box a little and find something interesting to eat.

The Girlfriend and I were staying at the Hilton just off of Monument Circle, and while we were lucky enough to get an early check in we hadn't really had time that morning to really eat much for breakfast or lunch.  We knew that if we didn't eat we'd be pretty hungry before food was served at the reception.  I had run some ideas by The Girlfriend, but neither her nor I were really feeling any of the close by options (pizza etc).  Also, being that the heat was quite oppressive and we were dressed in nice clothes we didn't want to have to walk too far just to get food.  Just about the time we had resigned ourselves to starving until the reception I decided to take a short walk to hotel parking garage to get our mini-umbrella in case of a pop-up shower.  On my journey I spied TATA Cuban Cafe right across from the parking garage on Market St and knew I had to stop in.

From the outside it looked quite dark and I was a little unsure of whether or not they were still open for the day, but I decided to head on in anyway and I was pleasantly surprised.  The inside of the restaurant was small but comfortable and elegant.  Had circumstances been different I would have suggested we dine in, but given the circumstances I told the nice lady at the counter my order would be to go.  Being that this was, in my estimation, a pretty authentic Cuban restaurant I immediately searched for the Cuban sandwich on the menu.  Sure enough it was the first item listed.  I quickly made up my mind to go with the classic combination of roast pork, ham, pickles and mustard pressed between to pieces of hearty bread. 

I stood there waiting on the counter for longer than I expected for my sandwich to come out, but I saw that there was a lot of tlc being put into my single sandwich.  Each layer was carefully constructed and the ham was freshly charred ever so slightly on the flat top.  Maybe it was just the heat, but I could have swore my mouth was literally watering when I saw that bad boy go into the sandwich press.  It was politely boxed up for me with 2 Diet Cokes to wash it down and I walked it back to our room to enjoy.

Maybe The Girlfriend should be a professional hand model.

I was a little worried at first that the sandwich itself  cost over 8 dollars without any sides included.  However, when I opened up the box I realized that the size of the sandwich was more than enough for two people to have a nice lunch.  As you can see from the picture the sandwich is quite thin do to being pressed in the traditional style, but in my opinion it really intensifies all of the wonderful flavors of the sandwich just a little bit more.  All of the flavors and textures work in perfect balance.  The mustard livens up the pork products and the bread and butter pickles add just the perfect amount of sweetness.  In fact, The Girlfriend said that she usually doesn't enjoy pickles in any form on a sandwich but she enjoyed them in this case.  The bread was that great combo of crunchy and soft.  Delicious.  Hopefully I'll have a little more time to explore the rest of the menu on my next visit.

If you're thinking the sandwich looks small there is another 2 pieces underneath

Taste 8.5/10  Wonderful in it's simplicity.  If you've never had a Cuban sandwich before give this one a shot.  Also, if you work downtown and you haven't dropped in here for lunch you're missing out.
Value 7/10  With one sandwich and 2 cans of Diet Coke our total bill came to just over 12 dollars.  For a two person lunch that's pretty good in my opinion for such quality food.  If you're ordering for yourself 1 sandwich would probably be a little much in both quantity of food and price.

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.