A Good Breakfast Isn't Hard to Find: Rosie's Place Review

"Yes. It's homemade."  Those are the words that are printed on the backs of the some of the shirts that the waitstaff at Rosie's Place in Noblesville.  In today's world that is undoubtedly a bold statement.  Far too many restaurants, chain and local, use frozen, pre-made, and pre-packaged ingredients.  Though we lament this fact it does leave an opening for restaurants like Rosie's Place to use their homemade items as a selling point.  The question is do they live up to their own words?  After my breakfast today I believe that answer is yes. 

Rosie's Place is a breakfast, lunch, and bakery spot located right on the town square area of downtown Noblesville.  Before we even set foot inside the restaurant The Girlfriend and I both commented on how nice the downtown area of Noblesville is and lamented the fact that we don't venture there for lunch/dinner as much as we should.  When we finally stepped inside of Rosie's we noticed immediately what a warm and inviting feel the restaurant has.  It's small enough to feel cozy, but not so small it's hard to get a table or move around.  Also, I don't know much about interior design, but I think most people would agree that the hardwood floors and semi-distressed looking brick walls were a nice touch.  Additionally, before you're seated at Rosie's you get to check out all of their delightful homemade baked goods near the cash register which always gets my mouth watering.  We were greeted warmly by the staff, and seated promptly.  This is a big plus in my book considering how crazy places like this can get on Sunday for breakfast.

After we were seated the first thing I noticed was that the menu we were given was imprinted with Fall 2011.  It was a nice touch to know that even a small cafe like this cares about being seasonal.  After looking over my options I decided I was in a "savory breakfast" mood and decided to go with a bacon, mushroom, and cheddar omelet with a biscuit and their country potatoes on the side.  The Girlfriend went with the biscuits and gravy.  When out food arrived I noticed quite a few pleasant surprises.  First of all I have said before how biscuits can make or break a breakfast place for me, and seeing as how Rosie's is also a bakery they had more at stake here than most.  Rosie's won the day though because the biscuit was just great.  It was light and fluffy yet substantial enough not to crumble.  If I had any slight criticism it might be that my biscuit may have been sitting around for a bit before it was served, but the taste was not affect by this since I found it to be delicious.  Rosie's even went the extra mile here of bringing me homemade strawberry preserves when I asked for jelly instead of just bringing me crappy Smucker's packets.  Major cool points. ::makes salute motion:: The omelet was equally delicious and I could tell that I was getting fresh mushrooms and fresh real cheddar cheese.  One forgets how much this adds to a dish after having subpar canned mushrooms and pre-packaged shredded cheese on so many occasions.  The bacon was perfectly cooked and plentiful.  Also, I want to give big props to Rosie's for actually using fresh diced red potatoes as their country potatoes instead of the same old boring frozen homefries.  One note though is that my potatoes were slightly under-seasoned. They were begging for some more salt and pepper and perhaps they could have been just slightly crispier.  The Girlfriend was equally pleased with her B&G.  I gave it a little taste and I have to agree.  The sausage gravy was the perfect consistency and the flavor was spot on.  We both left the table satisfied as well as full.

Taste 9.5/10 Just a fantastic restaurant experience overall.  I love finding places like this.  I'm excited to go back and give their pancakes, baked goods, and eggs benedict a shot. This is a Noblesville gem.  Don't sleep on it if you live in the Northern suburbs. Also, how does Rosie's ultimately stand up to their claim of "Yes. It's homemade"? I'm pretty sure the only think not made in-house was the butter for my biscuit.  'Nuff said.

Value 9/10 Without including drinks (coffe and soda) our ticket would have been around 13 or 14 dollars.  I know some people may ask how is that a good value since I can make breakfast at home?  My answer is that unless you're spending a ton of time and have some great recipe's you aren't doing what Rosie's is doing. You're getting a lot in terms of food and dining experience here for a reasonable price.



P.S. If anyone has been to Rosie's and had the pies or baked goods leave a comment.  I'm thinking of getting a pie from a specialty bake shop for Thanksgiving, but I haven't decided where from yet.


Interior pictures courtesy urbanspoon and google.

Beverage Review: Mt. Dew Game Fuel Modern Warfare 3 Edition

UAV online!  If you're as big of a nerd as I am, or if you watch G4 on occasion you might know that next Tuesday is the launch date for one of the tentpoles of the video game industry, the Call of Duty series, specifically Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.  While I am freakin' psyched I realize that this is not a technology or video game blog so I'll just go ahead and assume most of you don't rat's. What might interest you, however, is that the video game company is sponsoring a product tie-in. Moutain Dew, the lifeblood of gamers everywhere, is producing a limited-time flavor called Moutain Dew Game Fuel Tropical.

This is certainly not the first go around with videogame/softdrink cross-promotion.  Moutain Dew itself has had success in the past with "game fuel" flavors produced for the release of games in the Halo franchise as well as World of Warcraft.  Speaking from personal experience the WoW Game Fuel cherry flavor had a very pleasant citrus taste I preferred over other Moutain Dew varieties.  When I saw the new Modern Warfare Game Fuel I had to see how the new product stacked up.

photo courtesy lunaticoutpost.com

The first thought that ran through my head when I picked up the new Dew was the terrible experience I had with the last Mountain Dew product I reviewed on this blog.  What a freakin' trainwreck.  The new Dew wouldn't have to go far to do better than that.  On first glance I noticed this new Dew was green like regular Dew, but slightly darker in color similar to the Distortion flavor they offered a while back.  Once I tasted it I have to say the "new flavor" was a bit hard to place.  I could tell it wasn't the same formula a regular Dew, but the difference was more subtle than I expected.  There was a hint of lime that  I found enjoyable though. If we're being honest most the flavor really isn't the point here is it?  Hell no!  If you're sucking down green soda called "game fuel" it's because you want the caffeine charge required to stay up all night laying waste to hordes of foul mouthed 12 year olds in online simulated combat! Okay, typing that out made it sound more lame than I had intended.  Nonetheless, the point is that Game Fuel has all the caffeine you need (121 mg) to stay up all night occupying your mom's basement and having a blast fake shooting fake people on the internet.

UPDATE: I was in the gas station today, and I saw that they are indeed selling the cherry citrus flavored Game Fuel.  I bought one, and I can confirm it's still money.  Pick one up.  Don't sleep on it.

Taste 6/10 I found the flavor nice, but almost too subtle.  The cherry citrus WoW Game Fuel from a couple years ago was more enjoyable by quite a bit.

Value N/A It costs the same as every other bottle of pop.

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.

Weekend Food Preview/ New York Cheesecake Cookies

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

The finished product

New York Cheesecake CookiesRecipe copyright Sandra Lee, 2011

Ingredients

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

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

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

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

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

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

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Ingredients

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

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

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

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

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

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

Deep In The Heart of Revisits: Texas Roadhouse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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