Well Marilyn Chambers sure ain't there, but sometimes pretty wild stuff happens in The Green Door Lounge, on the backside of the strip mall at Thompson Road and Manker Street. The Door is best loved by hardcore bar goers-- it kind of reminds me of a 60's bowling-alley lounge, certainly smaller than Marcus Schrenker's old living room but maybe only a little bigger than Bernie Madoff's prison cell, with a giant mirror on one wall to make it seem bigger, cheesy Wayne's World basement-type wood paneling, a small bunch of tables & chairs (no booths) and the bar along the other wall. That's all there is: no pool table, no stage or dance floor, no food, just a place to sit and drink and talk with your friends (or yell, depending on what song is playing on the juke box). It does, however, have an unpretentious, undefinable ambiance that makes you feel comfortable there for reasons I have yet to discern. Especially during the day and to some extent all night, The Door draws people of all ages and from all walks of life, lured in by the cheap, stiff drinks, no-nonsense bartenders who git'r done, and the prospect of seeing old friends. The Door stays open later than most other bars and clubs in the area, so it's a place of last resort when you don't wanna go home. Like Times Square, most southside party folks pass through there at least once in a while, in order to have that last drink, or make that last try to hook up with someone, or to have that last cup of coffee in a futile effort to sober up before trying to get back to the house....
UPDATE, 03/22/2013: Green Door has been bought by Art & Tina, a couple of the partners who own the Gaslight Inn. They've given the place a thorough cleaning (Geez, I always thought those wall sconces were dimmed on purpose!) and put in two big flat-screen TV's that were actually manufactured in this decade. Art hates paying credit card fees, so like the Gaslight, the Door is now cash-only but with a $2 ATM available. So far none of the good parts have changed, including the potency of the drinks! Hopefully they won't go the way of the Gaslight's weak-assed wells. The Door has already had a number of good beer and drink specials, though, so I'm hopeful!
UPDATE, 09/27/2013: Happy Days! They're once again accepting credit cards. I believe they don't open until like 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon on weekdays, but they do open at noon on the weekends. Credit card fee is now 50 cents per tab, better'n before.....
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Old Meridian Pub-- A New Old Standard
The Old Meridian Pub, at Old Meridian Street and Epler, recently opened in the building that for years was Smith & Dale's, then SmithDale's, then Mann's Tavern, although you'd never know it after the complete update it received this time. The old place was dumpy but small and cozy. After many years, Smith & Dale's' owner fell on hard economic times and sold out, after which it went through a couple of new owners who each renovated it, but not in a good way as far as I'm concerned: It went from comfortably well-lit to a dark and grungy little place that you only went to at the the end of your night (see a review of The Green Door for more on this phenomenon).
Now, however, I think I've found my new go-to place: The new owners are somehow related to famous old bar owner Red Taylor (of several Red's Corner(s) and The Hideaway fame) but apparently don't suffer from Red's cheapskateness (cheapskatery?) and completely gutted the place. They removed the drop ceiling, tiled the bar area, and carpeted the dining areas so it has a modern, comfortable, airy feel. The bar area is lit by cool hanging light fixtures that resemble old radio vacuum tubes (ya see, boys and girls, before there were transistors, the radios all had tubes. Huh? What're transistors? Oh, never mind! I'm old, okay?). The old game room is now an extra dining/party room. There are 6 big-screen TV's around the place, and the new sound system is GREAT! They had one of DirectTV's music channels going, and it made the new computerized juke box seem for a time unnecessary.
I'd heard a nasty rumor that the drink prices were sky-high, but they were quite reasonable: pints of domestic draft (which were good and COLD, other lesser bars TAKE HEED) cost $2.50 and glasses of Santa Angelita wines, of Chilean vintage, were $3.50 (Schneider's TAKE HEED!). We'd just eaten so we didn't order a meal, but Jeanie the bartender shared her cheese balls & ranch dressing appetizer with us. It was deeelicious, perfectly cooked (Yes, Virginia, you can screw up deep-fried cheese-- I've seen it done, but not here, thank Heaven). I really can't say enough good things about this place, although it sure looks like I've tried given the length of this post, huh? I just hope they advertise and get the word out so all those nice renovations don't go to waste....
UPDATE, 07/21/2014: Old Meridian Pub closed, dangit, but it has been bought and rechristened The Corner Pub. The old place had like 6 owners or something, one who was drunk all the time and as I understand it got barred out of his own bar, and as I understand it, the rest apparently couldn't agree with the managing partner on anything. There is just one new owner, so we'll see how she does with the place... fingers crossed!
UPDATE, 08/14/2014: I'm happy to say the Corner Pub is basically the Old Meridian renamed. Most of the same employees are back, including Steve the chef, so the food and booze is still good and reasonably priced. Hallelujah!
Now, however, I think I've found my new go-to place: The new owners are somehow related to famous old bar owner Red Taylor (of several Red's Corner(s) and The Hideaway fame) but apparently don't suffer from Red's cheapskateness (cheapskatery?) and completely gutted the place. They removed the drop ceiling, tiled the bar area, and carpeted the dining areas so it has a modern, comfortable, airy feel. The bar area is lit by cool hanging light fixtures that resemble old radio vacuum tubes (ya see, boys and girls, before there were transistors, the radios all had tubes. Huh? What're transistors? Oh, never mind! I'm old, okay?). The old game room is now an extra dining/party room. There are 6 big-screen TV's around the place, and the new sound system is GREAT! They had one of DirectTV's music channels going, and it made the new computerized juke box seem for a time unnecessary.
I'd heard a nasty rumor that the drink prices were sky-high, but they were quite reasonable: pints of domestic draft (which were good and COLD, other lesser bars TAKE HEED) cost $2.50 and glasses of Santa Angelita wines, of Chilean vintage, were $3.50 (Schneider's TAKE HEED!). We'd just eaten so we didn't order a meal, but Jeanie the bartender shared her cheese balls & ranch dressing appetizer with us. It was deeelicious, perfectly cooked (Yes, Virginia, you can screw up deep-fried cheese-- I've seen it done, but not here, thank Heaven). I really can't say enough good things about this place, although it sure looks like I've tried given the length of this post, huh? I just hope they advertise and get the word out so all those nice renovations don't go to waste....
UPDATE, 07/21/2014: Old Meridian Pub closed, dangit, but it has been bought and rechristened The Corner Pub. The old place had like 6 owners or something, one who was drunk all the time and as I understand it got barred out of his own bar, and as I understand it, the rest apparently couldn't agree with the managing partner on anything. There is just one new owner, so we'll see how she does with the place... fingers crossed!
UPDATE, 08/14/2014: I'm happy to say the Corner Pub is basically the Old Meridian renamed. Most of the same employees are back, including Steve the chef, so the food and booze is still good and reasonably priced. Hallelujah!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Pat Flynn's Irish Pub and Murphy's Steakhouse: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly
We ventured away from Indy's Southside to the State Fairgrounds to watch my wife's great niece compete in a gymnastics meet, but as it turns out we arrived two hours before her part of the program, so we went in search of a cocktail or two nearby while we waited. Pat Flynn's at 52nd & Allisonville Road (I think) is in a little strip mall and looked really inviting from the outside.... the inside wasn't bad, either, with lots of real-wood paneling and a substantial well-stocked bar. There was a rather peculiar smell in there, though, and not a pleasant one. Now, I've been in a lot of smelly bars, but the smells can be differentiated between those of the remnants of good times past at one end and beginnings of a ptomaine incubator at the other, and Flynn's seemed to lean toward the incubator end. From my seat at the end of the bar you could see behind the bar, and the view wasn't pleasant-- I mean, how much time and effort does it take when you're clearly not busy to pick up a handful of bottle caps, a fork, and some dirty napkins off the floor? The barmaid had a cold, and she was constantly wiping her nose with the back of her hand-- she made a big deal of washing her hands before giving us our check, but I wished she'd done so before making our drinks! Still, there were a number of regulars streaming in who really seem to love the place, and a few minutes later a pub crawl from a Hurling Club arrived, so maybe we just hit them on a bad day. The Hurling Club was not a drink-till-you-puke organization as I had first thought, but was a sports team- Hurling is an Irish sport that is like a cross between field hockey and Lacrosse I guess. On the plus side, the place has a good selection of draft beers: Guinness, Smithwick's, Bass, Stella Artois, and Bud Light. The drink special was also good: Bombay gin for $3.25, although my bill included a 50-cent upcharge for having it "on-the-rocks".... WTH? This barbaric practice unknown to us southside savages, Kimosabe!
We fell in love with Murphy's Steak House, on Keystone just south of Fall Creek Parkway, almost as we came through the door. It is the epitome of the old Sinatra-era steakhouses, with a dim, heavy wood ambiance and delicious meaty aromas that put you in a hungry swoon even if you've just eaten, as we had. We had drinks at the elegant bar behind the dining area while we lustfully checked out the menu like sailors at sea reading a Playboy. I broke down and ordered us an appetizer of fried lobster bites, which, to quote my hip young niece, were THEBOMB.COM. Drink prices were nothing special but the food was quite reasonable for such an upscale casual steak restaurant-- entrees range from $15 to about $30, and we each decided to each try a $21.95 two-entree Combination Dinner when next we visit. Oh yes, there will be a next visit... and there will be BLOOD! (Although not much, 'cuz I get my steaks medium well.)
We fell in love with Murphy's Steak House, on Keystone just south of Fall Creek Parkway, almost as we came through the door. It is the epitome of the old Sinatra-era steakhouses, with a dim, heavy wood ambiance and delicious meaty aromas that put you in a hungry swoon even if you've just eaten, as we had. We had drinks at the elegant bar behind the dining area while we lustfully checked out the menu like sailors at sea reading a Playboy. I broke down and ordered us an appetizer of fried lobster bites, which, to quote my hip young niece, were THEBOMB.COM. Drink prices were nothing special but the food was quite reasonable for such an upscale casual steak restaurant-- entrees range from $15 to about $30, and we each decided to each try a $21.95 two-entree Combination Dinner when next we visit. Oh yes, there will be a next visit... and there will be BLOOD! (Although not much, 'cuz I get my steaks medium well.)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Wanamaker Revisited: Gusto! and Brewskies
We started out at Brewskies, which is on Southeastern Avenue in Wanamaker (ain't everything?). It was a Friday evening and there was a big, big, crowd packed into a bar area not much bigger than Tammy Faye Baker's dog house, and just about everyone there was smoking, including the bartender and the waitress. They have those activated charcoal ceiling fan add-ons (which you've probably seen if you've been in many bars-- they look kind of like big plastic wheels spinning overhead) to combat the smoke, but I'm sorry to tell you and Eddie the Wheel Salesman that those things don't work worth a darn, as far as I'm concerned. We had to leave after one beer just to be able to breathe. The crowd was friendly, though, with several folks recognizing us as newcomers and welcoming us to the place, which like several other Wanamaker establishments (like the Ordinary and Wheatley's fish fry) is something of an icon of the neighborhood. The patrons were mostly of our own age group (40+) and appeared to be good solid citizens. The beer and drink prices were decent, too. We didn't get to see the family dining area, but the food smelled good.
After a couple of deep breaths of cold, clear winter night air and a short drive with the windows down, we passed up The Gold Mine (I'm sorry, we were in there about 6 months back and the place was dirty and kind of smelled, and the 2 cars parked outside on this Friday night told me things probably haven't improved), and arrived at Gusto! (the exclamation point is part of the name) which is on Southeastern in the same little 50's mall as the One More Lounge (see past posts). Gusto!'s crowd was smaller, younger, and kind of smart-looking. The owner (Tim? sorry if I don't get his name right) said all of their food ingredients are fresh and never frozen, and the food looked and smelled delicious, though we didn't eat because we'd just come from the Hibachi Grill. The drink prices were good, and Tim poured a tasty new concoction of his own making for the 6 or 8 people at the bar to sample (for free!) that was called an Orgy, or Orgasm, something like that-- a combination of Red Bull and some French liqueur with a name similar to the drink, which I also can't remember. I peeked in on the family dining room and it looked very homey and comfortable. We had a great time, and definitely plan to come back for the food. Ah, you Wanamakerites, or Wanamakerers, or whatever you are, you're a lucky people to have such great institutions devoted to beer, fish, pizza, and meat!
UPDATE, 06/30/2013: The Marion County non-smoking ordinance has probably cleared the air inside Brewskies by now, but I saw where they were cited for having illegal gambling machines. Heck, that'll be a selling point for some folks!
After a couple of deep breaths of cold, clear winter night air and a short drive with the windows down, we passed up The Gold Mine (I'm sorry, we were in there about 6 months back and the place was dirty and kind of smelled, and the 2 cars parked outside on this Friday night told me things probably haven't improved), and arrived at Gusto! (the exclamation point is part of the name) which is on Southeastern in the same little 50's mall as the One More Lounge (see past posts). Gusto!'s crowd was smaller, younger, and kind of smart-looking. The owner (Tim? sorry if I don't get his name right) said all of their food ingredients are fresh and never frozen, and the food looked and smelled delicious, though we didn't eat because we'd just come from the Hibachi Grill. The drink prices were good, and Tim poured a tasty new concoction of his own making for the 6 or 8 people at the bar to sample (for free!) that was called an Orgy, or Orgasm, something like that-- a combination of Red Bull and some French liqueur with a name similar to the drink, which I also can't remember. I peeked in on the family dining room and it looked very homey and comfortable. We had a great time, and definitely plan to come back for the food. Ah, you Wanamakerites, or Wanamakerers, or whatever you are, you're a lucky people to have such great institutions devoted to beer, fish, pizza, and meat!
UPDATE, 06/30/2013: The Marion County non-smoking ordinance has probably cleared the air inside Brewskies by now, but I saw where they were cited for having illegal gambling machines. Heck, that'll be a selling point for some folks!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Beer & Wine Tasting-- Cheap Weekend Entertainment!
Last Saturday we engaged in what is becoming a little (adult) family tradition: A serial beer and wine tasting! There are a number of microbreweries and wineries around town, but the easiest circuit for us as Southsiders is just short of downtown-- We start at Sun King Brewery, 145 N. College Street, then proceed to Easley Winery, just across the street. After that we go around the corner to Flat12 Bierwerks at 202 N. Dorman Street, about 6 or 7 blocks away. Sun King and Flat12's tastings are free and Easley's tasting is just $2 or so.
We first heard about Sun King before they opened, from two different guys who were plumbing contractors for the new brewing equipment. They both took a liking to the owner, perhaps partially because he offered them free samples, which they both said were GREAT, and they weren't lyin'! The tasting room ain't much, being a roped-off portion of the brewery floor with a humongous wall of beer taps at one end of the room. The friendliness of the servers and the yummy goodness of the beer, however, make up for any shortcomings in ambiance. They have four house brews: Sunlight Cream Ale, similar to many mainstream American beers; Osiris, a strong pale ale; Wee Mac, a Scottish-style brown ale; and Bitter Druid, an ESB . I love all of them: Sunlight is smooth and mild, while the others are full of bold flavor. When you go in for the tasting they give you 4 raffle-style tickets and two bottle caps. The tickets may be used for 2-ounce samples of any of the house beers, and the bottle caps must be used for samples of either of two wildly variable temporary offerings: last week they had Java Mac, a coffee-infused version of Wee Mac that I didn't really care for, and Colts 444 Malt Liquor, which I found to be absolutely delicious-- rich and smooth, nothing like the malt liquors you get in cans. A 64-ounce growler of beer to go can be had for between $6 and $13 depending on the variety of beer.
You've probably heard of Easley Winery, since a couple of their wines are available in most local grocery stores, usually either the sweet red or sweet white. The Little Woman and I prefer the drier reds, though, and Easley makes several tasty ones: a couple of Merlots and a really tasty Chambourcin, to name but a few. The place has an informal but classy ambiance, with a rustic exposed-brick tasting room and a nicely furnished party room that would be great for a small wedding reception or similar event. A music trio plays in the party room sometimes on the weekends, and you may purchases glasses or bottles of wine for consumption there.
Flat12 Bierwerks is a quirky gem of a place: there is usually a food trailer (Byrne's Grilled Pizza, oh my!) and sometimes one or more food trucks parked outside the outdoor patio/deck area, and the tasting and vending rooms are kind of delightfully wood barn-like. You can sample any of six or more rotating beer varieties and/or purchase pints and drink them while sitting in some funky chaise lounges made from old shopping carts. Where Sun King's beers are bold and straightforward, Flat12's are subtle and more complex, even the stronger ones. Flat12's servers are friendly and eclectic, and the only thing that keeps you from wanting to stay there all day is that it gets kind of crowded sometimes. I can hardly wait for Spring and the chance to eat and drink outside on the patio. One of these days we're gonna do the circuit on a Friday so we can also do Ralph's Great Divide restaurant/tavern either before or afterwards. More on that whenever it happens..... Prosit!
UPDATE: 06/05/2012-- Recently we added the Fountain Square Brewery to our rounds, since they just opened a few months ago. The bar area is nice, on one side of a cavernous room that had only a few tables. A bicycling pub crawl group(?) we had just met at Flat12 came into FSB and brought their bikes with them, as there was room enough for all of them and enough space left over to throw a frisbee in there. One wall has some very beautiful art-deco style murals of FSB's various brand logos. The tasting wasn't free but was pretty reasonable, like $5 for a six-glass sampler. I found all their beers tasty but rather lacking in carbonation, probably by design, but which was a bit disconcerting to an old bubbly-beer drinker like meself. I think that was made up for, however, by the fact that all but one or two of their varieties have pretty high alcohol content, which is good, but if you're driving, BEWARE THE UNINTENTIONAL BUZZ! Nasdrovye!
We first heard about Sun King before they opened, from two different guys who were plumbing contractors for the new brewing equipment. They both took a liking to the owner, perhaps partially because he offered them free samples, which they both said were GREAT, and they weren't lyin'! The tasting room ain't much, being a roped-off portion of the brewery floor with a humongous wall of beer taps at one end of the room. The friendliness of the servers and the yummy goodness of the beer, however, make up for any shortcomings in ambiance. They have four house brews: Sunlight Cream Ale, similar to many mainstream American beers; Osiris, a strong pale ale; Wee Mac, a Scottish-style brown ale; and Bitter Druid, an ESB . I love all of them: Sunlight is smooth and mild, while the others are full of bold flavor. When you go in for the tasting they give you 4 raffle-style tickets and two bottle caps. The tickets may be used for 2-ounce samples of any of the house beers, and the bottle caps must be used for samples of either of two wildly variable temporary offerings: last week they had Java Mac, a coffee-infused version of Wee Mac that I didn't really care for, and Colts 444 Malt Liquor, which I found to be absolutely delicious-- rich and smooth, nothing like the malt liquors you get in cans. A 64-ounce growler of beer to go can be had for between $6 and $13 depending on the variety of beer.
You've probably heard of Easley Winery, since a couple of their wines are available in most local grocery stores, usually either the sweet red or sweet white. The Little Woman and I prefer the drier reds, though, and Easley makes several tasty ones: a couple of Merlots and a really tasty Chambourcin, to name but a few. The place has an informal but classy ambiance, with a rustic exposed-brick tasting room and a nicely furnished party room that would be great for a small wedding reception or similar event. A music trio plays in the party room sometimes on the weekends, and you may purchases glasses or bottles of wine for consumption there.
Flat12 Bierwerks is a quirky gem of a place: there is usually a food trailer (Byrne's Grilled Pizza, oh my!) and sometimes one or more food trucks parked outside the outdoor patio/deck area, and the tasting and vending rooms are kind of delightfully wood barn-like. You can sample any of six or more rotating beer varieties and/or purchase pints and drink them while sitting in some funky chaise lounges made from old shopping carts. Where Sun King's beers are bold and straightforward, Flat12's are subtle and more complex, even the stronger ones. Flat12's servers are friendly and eclectic, and the only thing that keeps you from wanting to stay there all day is that it gets kind of crowded sometimes. I can hardly wait for Spring and the chance to eat and drink outside on the patio. One of these days we're gonna do the circuit on a Friday so we can also do Ralph's Great Divide restaurant/tavern either before or afterwards. More on that whenever it happens..... Prosit!
UPDATE: 06/05/2012-- Recently we added the Fountain Square Brewery to our rounds, since they just opened a few months ago. The bar area is nice, on one side of a cavernous room that had only a few tables. A bicycling pub crawl group(?) we had just met at Flat12 came into FSB and brought their bikes with them, as there was room enough for all of them and enough space left over to throw a frisbee in there. One wall has some very beautiful art-deco style murals of FSB's various brand logos. The tasting wasn't free but was pretty reasonable, like $5 for a six-glass sampler. I found all their beers tasty but rather lacking in carbonation, probably by design, but which was a bit disconcerting to an old bubbly-beer drinker like meself. I think that was made up for, however, by the fact that all but one or two of their varieties have pretty high alcohol content, which is good, but if you're driving, BEWARE THE UNINTENTIONAL BUZZ! Nasdrovye!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Mexican Buffet & Grill-- Mongolian No More, or is it?
I used to be a big fan of this place's predecessor, Oriental Buffet & Grill/Mongolian Barbecue, in the Wal-Mart Center in the 7200 block of S. US 31-- The old place had all kinds of food, not just Asian, and my wife especially liked the crab legs, which were as good and cheaper than most seafood restaurants'. Imagine my horror, then, when I drove by the other day and saw that "Oriental" had been replaced by "Mexican" in the name on the sign. A few guys in my office coincidentally went there the other day and were likewise shocked by the recent conversion, but they ate there anyway and were quite pleasantly surprised, especially this one pragmatic (see "cheapskate") individual who was ecstatic about the value for the money spent, something like $6.99 for the lunch buffet.
With that glowing review, we just had to go and see for ourselves, the Little Woman being a big fan of Mexican food. As we entered we were greeted by the same Asian hostess that had seated us when it was Oriental, and many of the servers were the same folks from the old place as well, including several Hispanic employees. Some of the food on the buffets (the food bars are still huge) were suspiciously similar to the previous establishment's, too: Their "Chile Lime Chicken" looked and tasted very similar to General Tso's, and the "Burrito and Asada Barbecue" appeared to have the same meats as the old Mongolian Barbecue, minus the bean sprouts and water chestnuts. Hmmm, I had a professor once that said that native Mexican peoples were descended from ancient Asians who crossed into North America eons ago when there was still a land connection between the two continents.... Could this be the source of the mysterious similarities between the old and the new, here? Is that perhaps why you often see large numbers of Latinos gathered at the local Chinese buffets? Or is it just because both cuisines are cheap and plentiful?.... You decide! Anyway, the food was decent but not outstanding in my opinion, but I'm not the connoisseur of Mexican food my wife is-- Heck, I was IN Mexico for 26 days once, and when I got back I swore I would never again eat any RED or GREEN food ever again, but of course that wore off, eventually. The Divine Mrs. Barfly reeeeally liked the taco bar they had there as well as the Burrito & Asada Barbecue, so who am I to disagree? You certainly won't mistake this place with a nouvelle cuisine restaurant-- The decor is showing its age even with the added Mexican touches, but there's plenty of food for your dollar, for sure.
With that glowing review, we just had to go and see for ourselves, the Little Woman being a big fan of Mexican food. As we entered we were greeted by the same Asian hostess that had seated us when it was Oriental, and many of the servers were the same folks from the old place as well, including several Hispanic employees. Some of the food on the buffets (the food bars are still huge) were suspiciously similar to the previous establishment's, too: Their "Chile Lime Chicken" looked and tasted very similar to General Tso's, and the "Burrito and Asada Barbecue" appeared to have the same meats as the old Mongolian Barbecue, minus the bean sprouts and water chestnuts. Hmmm, I had a professor once that said that native Mexican peoples were descended from ancient Asians who crossed into North America eons ago when there was still a land connection between the two continents.... Could this be the source of the mysterious similarities between the old and the new, here? Is that perhaps why you often see large numbers of Latinos gathered at the local Chinese buffets? Or is it just because both cuisines are cheap and plentiful?.... You decide! Anyway, the food was decent but not outstanding in my opinion, but I'm not the connoisseur of Mexican food my wife is-- Heck, I was IN Mexico for 26 days once, and when I got back I swore I would never again eat any RED or GREEN food ever again, but of course that wore off, eventually. The Divine Mrs. Barfly reeeeally liked the taco bar they had there as well as the Burrito & Asada Barbecue, so who am I to disagree? You certainly won't mistake this place with a nouvelle cuisine restaurant-- The decor is showing its age even with the added Mexican touches, but there's plenty of food for your dollar, for sure.
Monday, November 7, 2011
There're only a few alcohol oases in Franklin Township....
We started out at Brandon's in the relatively new strip mall at Southport Road and Shelbyville Road, but it was closed, as in forever-- there were the ominous signs on the door that spell out an ignominious end for a business, such as one that said "DO NOT ENTER THIS PROPERTY OR REMOVE ANY ITEMS WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE LANDLORD", and others from companies laying claim to the bar equipment inside.
Suffering from drinkus interruptus, we continued on to the only other area in Franklin Township to drink (except for one new Mexican restaurant on Franklin Road), the little town of Wanamaker. First stop was the locally famous New Bethel Ordinary, on the main drag in downtown. Wanamaker used to be named New Bethel, and sometime during the early 20th century, I think it was, the name was changed for reasons I was not immediately concerned with because I was THIRSTY, damnit! NBO is a great little place to eat and drink, with a small bar section separated from a larger family dining room. It really seems like an old-time saloon, but I couldn't find anyone in there who knew the history of the joint. I couldn't complain, though, because the beer was reasonably priced, with quite a selection of microbrews from around the region. NBO is best known, however, for its pizzas- they're kind of a tavern-style pie, but with an incredibly abundant layer of cheese and toppings that seems at least a couple inches thick. Their other dishes are good, too, if I can remember correctly the few times I didn't have pizza. You can't beat the NBO for a comfortable, small-town atmosphere that's less than 20 minutes from downtown Indy.
We didn't make it to Brewski's or the Gold Mine this trip because we stayed for more than one at NBO. Instead, we finished up at the One More Lounge on Southeastern Avenue just northwest of downtown New Bethel, er, Wanamaker, just up the road in one of those old small U-shaped shopping centers from the 50's or 60's, at the back of the U. The sign is so small you might miss it if you're not looking for it. It's a small, comfortable, vaguely scary little place with lots of biker memorabilia on the walls and ceiling. I get the impression that they don't see many new customers, because both times we've gone in there everyone turned to look at us as if we'd just landed a flying saucer out in the parking lot, and the second time we came in, about 6 months after the first time, several folks after some scrutiny remembered us! On the wall there was a White Pride Ride advertised on a poster which featured a motorcycle flanked by a US flag and a Confederate flag. By way of introduction one of the regulars gave us a tour of the place which included a party room that has a stripper pole they use on "amateur nights", whenever that is..... And yet, the folks there are genuinely friendly, as if they're gonna give ya the benefit of the doubt until you show 'em different, so after a bit we were gettin' along with everyone. Add to that the fact that the beer was good and cold and cheap, and I didn't wanna leave! At least not till all my songs had played on the jukebox, anyway.....
Suffering from drinkus interruptus, we continued on to the only other area in Franklin Township to drink (except for one new Mexican restaurant on Franklin Road), the little town of Wanamaker. First stop was the locally famous New Bethel Ordinary, on the main drag in downtown. Wanamaker used to be named New Bethel, and sometime during the early 20th century, I think it was, the name was changed for reasons I was not immediately concerned with because I was THIRSTY, damnit! NBO is a great little place to eat and drink, with a small bar section separated from a larger family dining room. It really seems like an old-time saloon, but I couldn't find anyone in there who knew the history of the joint. I couldn't complain, though, because the beer was reasonably priced, with quite a selection of microbrews from around the region. NBO is best known, however, for its pizzas- they're kind of a tavern-style pie, but with an incredibly abundant layer of cheese and toppings that seems at least a couple inches thick. Their other dishes are good, too, if I can remember correctly the few times I didn't have pizza. You can't beat the NBO for a comfortable, small-town atmosphere that's less than 20 minutes from downtown Indy.
We didn't make it to Brewski's or the Gold Mine this trip because we stayed for more than one at NBO. Instead, we finished up at the One More Lounge on Southeastern Avenue just northwest of downtown New Bethel, er, Wanamaker, just up the road in one of those old small U-shaped shopping centers from the 50's or 60's, at the back of the U. The sign is so small you might miss it if you're not looking for it. It's a small, comfortable, vaguely scary little place with lots of biker memorabilia on the walls and ceiling. I get the impression that they don't see many new customers, because both times we've gone in there everyone turned to look at us as if we'd just landed a flying saucer out in the parking lot, and the second time we came in, about 6 months after the first time, several folks after some scrutiny remembered us! On the wall there was a White Pride Ride advertised on a poster which featured a motorcycle flanked by a US flag and a Confederate flag. By way of introduction one of the regulars gave us a tour of the place which included a party room that has a stripper pole they use on "amateur nights", whenever that is..... And yet, the folks there are genuinely friendly, as if they're gonna give ya the benefit of the doubt until you show 'em different, so after a bit we were gettin' along with everyone. Add to that the fact that the beer was good and cold and cheap, and I didn't wanna leave! At least not till all my songs had played on the jukebox, anyway.....
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
That Place in Greenwood-- Dr. Jekyll by Day, Hyde at Night!
I think the official name is now just That Place, since technically it's not in Greenwood now that they moved into the big strip mall on Emerson north of County Line Road. That's a good thing if you're worried about being stopped by the cops-- The Indy Metro PD is much busier and more thinly spread than the Greenwood constabulary just across the county line, so if you're headin' north you might not even see one copper on your way home. That Place is a Big Place which looks like it could seat maybe 400 people (wait a minute, the Fire Marshal's sign may read 252, if I remember right. Anyway, it's big.) It's a true sports bar, with something like 13 satellite TV screens including a movie-sized projection screen on the wall behind the big ol' bandstand, tuned to every kind of sport imaginable. They have NTN game consoles, too, so you can play trivia quizzes if that particular screen isn't being monopolized by card game players. Damn that Texas Hold'em! There is something for everyone, like pool tables, arcade games, and a side room that has a two-lane miniature bowling alley! (Remember duckpin bowling? Yeah, it's kinda like that.) There is a humidor if''n you like your seegars, and a wall of maybe 15 draft beer taps with brews ranging from the usual Americans to exotic imports and local microbrews (the Sun King Oktoberfest is yummy!). During the day the spaciousness of the place is rather intimate, like being one of the special insiders who get to roam Disneyworld when the park is closed. At night, though, That Place is a happenin' place, as in if you aren't careful how you speak to people or whom you bump into, somethin' might be happenin' to YOU! It gets pretty crowded, and although the high ceilings may mitigate the cigar smoke, the lack of acoustic padding combined with the hard non-carpeted concrete floors make my conversations go something like "HUH? WHAT?" and that's when the band's not playing. (But then, that's how most of conversations go anyway.) I understand, though, that you young people kinda like that sort of atmosphere, right? Ha! Hey, the bar food's good all the time, at least.....
LJ's-- an old traditional watering hole.
LJ's, on Meridian Street south of Sumner (I think) is what you see in your mind when you think of "old fashioned dive bar." It's kind of dark inside, has a big mirror behind the bar, and has a small dance floor and bandstand for use on the weekends. Larry Johnson, the namesake owner, sadly passed away recently, but last I heard his wife and a couple regulars who became investors are now running the place. Larry renovated what used to be Lucky's, or Fonza's, or Doc Gainey's, or one of those names, some years ago when he bought it-- put in a number of new fixtures, new restrooms, and a deck/beer garden out back. The restroom renovation was a little too ambitious: they put two urinals and a stall in a space smaller than my bathroom at home-- being a 6-footer, when I sit down and close the stall door my knees touch it, and once a drunk at the urinal rocked backward and stepped on my foot! Otherwise the place is pretty comfortable, with decent beer and drink prices, cheap if not memorable pub grub, and fairly friendly service. The crowd varies from blue-collar types to some upper middle-class golfer types. All in all I like the place, but it just doesn't inspire me like some others....
Friday, September 30, 2011
Dimitri's-- The Toyota Camry of Restaurants
Dimitri's just opened at US 31 S (East Street) and Thompson Road. There is another Dimitri's in Columbus, IN just off I-65 that we used to visit for a little road trip occasionally on weekend days when the little woman didn't wanna cook breakfast, so I guess they've become a chain with this new location. It is one of those Mediterranean restaurants, like the ubiquitous 4 Seasons or Lincoln Square Pancake House, that are known primarily for their breakfast menus. They're the restaurant equivalent of the Toyota Camry-- reliable performers at a good price, but not as exciting as some others. This Dimitri's opened in what used to be a Denny's, but the new owners have renovated away any greasy trace of that chain in this location: They competely gutted the place, walled the interior in rich wood boardroom-type paneling, laid down thick carpet, and put in octagonal tray ceilings that must be some sort of Greek tradition. I had a Greek omelet that was HUGE, with really fresh and tasty gyro meat and feta cheese. The prices were very good considering the humongous portions, and the waitress was a gracious Southern lady (Southern USA, not Greece) who provided great service. O-PAH, y'all!
Update: Ate lunch there on May 4, 2012 and it was reeeeally good. Portions are huge. I had the Grilled Chicken Pesto Pannini Sandwich, which was dressed with mayonnaise and red peppers. It seemed fairly healthy, except for the mayo, of course. Still a fan, Dimitri!
UPDATE, 09/27/2013: Sadly, the Dimitri's at East Street & Thompson Road has closed, story from the employees being that the place was really making money so the landlord raised the rent to some outrageous level. They always seemed to have a big crowd in there. As I said, there was another Dimitri's in Columbus, IN, but I haven't been by there to see if it's still open. Sigh....
Update: Ate lunch there on May 4, 2012 and it was reeeeally good. Portions are huge. I had the Grilled Chicken Pesto Pannini Sandwich, which was dressed with mayonnaise and red peppers. It seemed fairly healthy, except for the mayo, of course. Still a fan, Dimitri!
UPDATE, 09/27/2013: Sadly, the Dimitri's at East Street & Thompson Road has closed, story from the employees being that the place was really making money so the landlord raised the rent to some outrageous level. They always seemed to have a big crowd in there. As I said, there was another Dimitri's in Columbus, IN, but I haven't been by there to see if it's still open. Sigh....
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
All American Hot Dog Co-- A David to the King David Goliath
The All American Hot Dog Co. is located at 5558 Madison Avenue. I give the exact address because you might miss this little place if you don't know exactly where it is, in an ancient little string of shops (too old to be called a strip mall, even) next to the Big Lots store. There is a kind of sandwich-board guy who stands out front trying to get your attention during the day, but he simultaneously waves signs for three different shops on the same stick, so as you drive by you might see only the sign for Chad's Barber Shop or Cash for Gold and completely miss the one for AAHDCo. It doesn't have the big-city ambiance of King David Dogs downtown, but it has the same high-quality of meats and variety of topping combinations that KD does, and at a lower price. There's no dining room, but there are two umbrella tables out front where you can sit when the weather's not too bad. The Cajun Sausage dog was new to me; it had a nice (not hot)spiciness, that the proprietor said was close to a Cincinnati metwurst, but the metwursts I've had were never this good. My wife had the Chicago dog, which was as good as any we've had in the Windy City, and finally, the proprietor (I think he said his name is Dave) is as nice a business owner as you'll ever meet. I came in right at opening time t'other day, and he'd been late getting in, so he was still cookin' up his first batch of dogs for the day. He apologized for the wait and gave me a card for a free meal! Oh, and don't get me started on the TATER TOTS! I dunno how he fixes 'em but I've never had restaurant tater tots (or any other tots) that were so danged gooooooood, just like everything else I've had there. I know hot dogs ain't exactly health food, but maybe that's why I like 'em so much-- guilty pleasures are the best ones!
UPDATE 12/18/2011: THIS PLACE HAS CLOSED, DANGIT! MAYBE HE'LL OPEN UP SOMEWHERE ELSE-- WHERE ELSE CAN I GET MY BOUDIN DOG???
UPDATE 12/18/2011: THIS PLACE HAS CLOSED, DANGIT! MAYBE HE'LL OPEN UP SOMEWHERE ELSE-- WHERE ELSE CAN I GET MY BOUDIN DOG???
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Crowbar: A Phoenix Has Risen.
It's been a year or so since we visited The Crowbar Inn, in Trafalgar, IN on State Road 135 just north of SR252. That last time it was a real challenge even for such seasoned adventure drinkers as ourselves: the only vehicles out front were about 4 motorcycles, and not your garden-variety Shriners' Goldwings, either-- they were choppers of the type usually ridden by guys wearing either denim vests with gang colors on the back or those t-shirts that read "IF YOU CAN READ THIS, THE BITCH FELL OFF." Well, I was packin' heat (although I dunno what use Sterno would be in a bar fight), so we went on in. ...And we were somewhat pleasantly surprised! It was dumpy but comfortable on the inside, although you wouldn't have wanted to eat there due to the grunginess. The floor had carpet that puffed up little dust clouds when you walked on it, at least the parts that didn't stick to your shoes. Shortly after that the Health Department actually closed the place down and the bar's operator defaulted on her lease, so it reverted to Brian, the son of the folks who founded the place years ago....
Which is the best danged thing that coulda happened to the place: Brian spent 3 months and I imagine a substantial sum remodeling the ole' Crowbar, and it is now a FANTASTIC place for ordinary non-biker folks to eat and drink, a great cross between a roadhouse bar and your basement rumpus room.. Three big-screen TV's can be seen from anywhere in the place, there are 4 choices of some of the coldest draft beer around, and the food, beer, and drink prices are amazingly reasonable. On this night, tacos were 25 cents and wings (like 5 varieties) were 3 for a buck, and both were deeeeelicious! Brian has hired a guy who knows how to cook and ain't afraid to try new stuff. Anyway, the next time you drive (or bike, or bicycle) from Indy to Brown County, plan a stop along the way at the Crowbar: it's easy on yer eyes and yer wallet, whatever's in it!
UPDATE, 09/05/14: Went there with The Little Woman and had a great time. We split a grilled tenderloin sandwich and 4 hot wings (now 50 cents each). That was one of the best if not THE best grilled tenderloin I've had-- it was only moderately pounded out, but was still tender and nicely browned. They had seasoned the meat deliciously, and the lettuce and tomato were farm-fresh. Dang that was good!
Which is the best danged thing that coulda happened to the place: Brian spent 3 months and I imagine a substantial sum remodeling the ole' Crowbar, and it is now a FANTASTIC place for ordinary non-biker folks to eat and drink, a great cross between a roadhouse bar and your basement rumpus room.. Three big-screen TV's can be seen from anywhere in the place, there are 4 choices of some of the coldest draft beer around, and the food, beer, and drink prices are amazingly reasonable. On this night, tacos were 25 cents and wings (like 5 varieties) were 3 for a buck, and both were deeeeelicious! Brian has hired a guy who knows how to cook and ain't afraid to try new stuff. Anyway, the next time you drive (or bike, or bicycle) from Indy to Brown County, plan a stop along the way at the Crowbar: it's easy on yer eyes and yer wallet, whatever's in it!
UPDATE, 09/05/14: Went there with The Little Woman and had a great time. We split a grilled tenderloin sandwich and 4 hot wings (now 50 cents each). That was one of the best if not THE best grilled tenderloin I've had-- it was only moderately pounded out, but was still tender and nicely browned. They had seasoned the meat deliciously, and the lettuce and tomato were farm-fresh. Dang that was good!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
What Makes a Good Bar? Schneider's and The Shanty
Like the Darden Corporation (Olive Garden, Carraba's, etc.) and other commercial chains as well as numerous individual entrepreneurs, I've been pondering what magic formula produces a great bar or eatery, and two places I really like to frequent unfortunately do not immediately reveal their secrets of success. Schneider's at Meridian School and S. Meridian Street (State Road 135) has been there for years without significant changes. It's in an old strip mall and has your standard old wood decor with IU and Notre Dame memorabilia on the walls. In a way, though, the aged (but not outdated) atmosphere is part of the place's charm. I'm told that the place is a big hangout for Catholic parishioners of St. Barnabas Church, but other than the occasional haggard "I have 6 kids, Kill Me NOW!" look that I see on some of the customers, I can't pick 'em out. There are few other places, however, that have a such a big crowd where everyone seems to know everyone else. That kind of clubby chumminess makes you feel at home even if you don't really know anyone there. The food is decent and drink prices are reasonable if not a bargain, except for wine, about which I'll whine: $5.95 for a glass of Barefoot in a neighborhood bar means they really don't want to sell wine, doesn't it? But other than that, I love the place!
The Shanty, a little farther down the road in another strip mall at County Line Road and Meridian, is another little place whose charm is difficult to discern and yet we always have a good time there. We used to drink with Heath, the proprietor, at Shigg's some years ago, but beyond his possessing a more than passing familiarity with a typical bar's contents, I did not believe Heath would know anything about running a tavern when he opened The Shanty, but he has happily proved me wrong. The place is light and airy, with light wood & green trim (reminding one of the19th hole at a golf course), and big windows. The staff is friendly, the pub grub is good, and the drinks are very reasonable, with lots of good specials. The clientele, also, reminds me of a bunch of middle-class folks who've just come in off the links at the end of nine holes, and they're congenial if not the glad-ta-see-ya backslappers you meet at Schneider's. I would drink at The Shanty every day I drink (which is NOT every day, I swear!), if it wasn't so darned far from my house. :-'( Waah!
UPDATE, 12/18/2011: Heath, the Shanty's proprietor, fell victim to the occupational hazard of bar owners everywhere-- easy access to free booze. There was apparently a nasty scene between Heath and the Indiana Excise Police, which resulted in the bar being closed down and Heath being arrested for Public Intoxication (in a bar?) at 11:00 AM on a weekday (As Rex always said, if you don't start early you cain't drink all day!) The bar is now called Good Times, not to be confused with 4 the Good Times, a gun-and-knife club near Fountain Square. Good Times apparently retains all the goodness of the old Shanty, so I have great hopes for the new management.
The Shanty, a little farther down the road in another strip mall at County Line Road and Meridian, is another little place whose charm is difficult to discern and yet we always have a good time there. We used to drink with Heath, the proprietor, at Shigg's some years ago, but beyond his possessing a more than passing familiarity with a typical bar's contents, I did not believe Heath would know anything about running a tavern when he opened The Shanty, but he has happily proved me wrong. The place is light and airy, with light wood & green trim (reminding one of the19th hole at a golf course), and big windows. The staff is friendly, the pub grub is good, and the drinks are very reasonable, with lots of good specials. The clientele, also, reminds me of a bunch of middle-class folks who've just come in off the links at the end of nine holes, and they're congenial if not the glad-ta-see-ya backslappers you meet at Schneider's. I would drink at The Shanty every day I drink (which is NOT every day, I swear!), if it wasn't so darned far from my house. :-'( Waah!
UPDATE, 12/18/2011: Heath, the Shanty's proprietor, fell victim to the occupational hazard of bar owners everywhere-- easy access to free booze. There was apparently a nasty scene between Heath and the Indiana Excise Police, which resulted in the bar being closed down and Heath being arrested for Public Intoxication (in a bar?) at 11:00 AM on a weekday (As Rex always said, if you don't start early you cain't drink all day!) The bar is now called Good Times, not to be confused with 4 the Good Times, a gun-and-knife club near Fountain Square. Good Times apparently retains all the goodness of the old Shanty, so I have great hopes for the new management.
Windows on the World: The End of a Tradition
Windows On the World is a little eatery that I never got the opportunity to visit, and ten years ago today it ceased to exist. At that same time, 2,977 other people also never got to eat and drink there, or anywhere else ever again. Just as the one episode of Band of Brothers that deals with the Holocaust is titled Why We Fight, so should the tragedy of Windows on the World's demise remind us what the Global War on Terror (GWOT) is all about. I know there is some controversy as to whether Operation Iraqi Freedom is rightfully part of GWOT or not, but I do know a goodly portion of the young men and women who joined the armed forces right after 9/11/01 did so with the aim of achieving just what was accomplished a little while ago when the evil (or misguided, or crazy, or whatever adjective similar to evil you want to use) Osama Bin Laden was killed. And to state the obvious, the GWOT ain't over, folks. I'll take my soapbox and go home, now....
Monday, September 5, 2011
Tequila's Mexican Restaurant & Bar: Great Mexican Food or Latest "Black Hole" Victim?
Have you ever noticed those buildings that seem to be whirling vortexes of failure, sucking whatever businesses start up there into oblivion after a few months? And it doesn't matter what kind of business, either.... There is a location on Stop 11 Road (if you're not in/from Indy, I'll have to explain the Stop roads system to ya. It's a weird historical thing) just east of Madison, that began life as a fast food joint of some kind, 'cuz you can see the remnants of an old drive-thru window, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. It's been a Mexican restaurant like 4 times, a buffalo wings place twice, and an Asian grocery twice. It's a Chin grocery now, although having not been by there in a couple days, it may be closed again.
Well, Tequila's, in the strip mall at Madison & Edgewood, is in sort of the same kind of location: It began as Hennesey's Bar & Grille (don'tcha just love that final "e" they added onto to Grill to make is sound classy?), then was Tonix Bar & Grill, then it was Shigg's Diggs Bar & Grill (which lasted like 5 or 6 years and might have survived had the managing partner not sold out and gone back to South Dakota. I mean, how bad did it have to be here that he longed to return to the Badlands???), and now it is Tequila's, although when it first opened it had menus labeled "El Dorado Mexican Restaurant" which was itself a defunct venture in another black hole in the old Steak 'n' Ale (wasit?) at 21st and Shadeland. I don't know if Tequila's owner was the previous owner of El Dorado or if they just bought menus from there-- the place seems to be kind of cobbled together from auctions of other bankrupt restaurants' equipment. When it first opened there were no barstools, but now they have 4 of them in a fancy sort of ultramodern upscale style (with a cushy kind of suspension, like the driver's seat in a big ole' Kenworth) and 2 more-pedestrian models that look like they came from Bed, Bath, and Beyond's showroom. The bar and dining room nevertheless are fairly comfortable, even if the place is a little dark. I kind of like that, really, after the bright colors and Playskool type furniture they have at other Mexican restaurants like El Meson.
Will all that said (HEY, WAKE UP THERE!), the food at Tequila's is quite good. Our first visit on the day they opened was a train wreck, but 3 subsequent meals have been really satisfying. I don't really know what makes good salsa, but Tequila's has some of the best, and the chips it comes with are fresh and warm. All of the food is fresh and tasty, with generous portions and NO skimping on embellishments like guacamole and goat cheese. The service was attentive, too, and they usually have at least one waitress who has won a wet t-shirt contest or two (not that I was lookin', dear! Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop pinching me!) The drink prices are decent, with specials like import beers for 2 bucks and mixed drinks for $4. My Skinny Margarita (tequila & soda with a twist of lime, so named because it has no carbs. Seriously!) was in a decent-sized tumbler (which looked like the kind of glassware you'd buy at Old Tyme Pottery) and was pretty darn stiff, made with Sauza tequila and not the Bellows El Cheapo stuff most places use.
The problem with Tequila's is that THE FOOD IS THE SAME as any other good Mexican joint! It may be authentic and may taste good, but there isn't much difference in the food from one to the next. I know, I'm overstating it: the Burrito Joint, at Tibbs & Morris, for example has really authentic roadside stand-style Mexican food that is tasty and somewhat different, and if the wheels aren't stolen off your car when you come out, you might actually prefer it to the more upscale places. But that is one of only a few exceptions to the rule that Tequila's tastes like El Sol de Tala which is like El Meson which tastes like El Jaripeo and Little Mexico and all the other freakin' authentic places, which doesn't include Mi Amigos (which you know must be run by Anglos or they would've named it Mis Amigos. Maybe it's supposed to be Mi Amigo's so they can butcher the grammar of two languages simultaneously) or Roscoe's Tacos because those two are by no stretch of the imagination authentic, no matter how good their food may be. My challenge to all Latino restauranteurs, as if they'd ever read this, is to take just a little step off the beaten path of traditionality and MAKE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. In the words of Frank Bartles & Ed James, thank you for your support.
UPDATE, 10/05/2011: THE BLACK HOLE PHENOMENON CONTINUES-- TEQUILA'S IS CLOSED!
Well, Tequila's, in the strip mall at Madison & Edgewood, is in sort of the same kind of location: It began as Hennesey's Bar & Grille (don'tcha just love that final "e" they added onto to Grill to make is sound classy?), then was Tonix Bar & Grill, then it was Shigg's Diggs Bar & Grill (which lasted like 5 or 6 years and might have survived had the managing partner not sold out and gone back to South Dakota. I mean, how bad did it have to be here that he longed to return to the Badlands???), and now it is Tequila's, although when it first opened it had menus labeled "El Dorado Mexican Restaurant" which was itself a defunct venture in another black hole in the old Steak 'n' Ale (wasit?) at 21st and Shadeland. I don't know if Tequila's owner was the previous owner of El Dorado or if they just bought menus from there-- the place seems to be kind of cobbled together from auctions of other bankrupt restaurants' equipment. When it first opened there were no barstools, but now they have 4 of them in a fancy sort of ultramodern upscale style (with a cushy kind of suspension, like the driver's seat in a big ole' Kenworth) and 2 more-pedestrian models that look like they came from Bed, Bath, and Beyond's showroom. The bar and dining room nevertheless are fairly comfortable, even if the place is a little dark. I kind of like that, really, after the bright colors and Playskool type furniture they have at other Mexican restaurants like El Meson.
Will all that said (HEY, WAKE UP THERE!), the food at Tequila's is quite good. Our first visit on the day they opened was a train wreck, but 3 subsequent meals have been really satisfying. I don't really know what makes good salsa, but Tequila's has some of the best, and the chips it comes with are fresh and warm. All of the food is fresh and tasty, with generous portions and NO skimping on embellishments like guacamole and goat cheese. The service was attentive, too, and they usually have at least one waitress who has won a wet t-shirt contest or two (not that I was lookin', dear! Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop pinching me!) The drink prices are decent, with specials like import beers for 2 bucks and mixed drinks for $4. My Skinny Margarita (tequila & soda with a twist of lime, so named because it has no carbs. Seriously!) was in a decent-sized tumbler (which looked like the kind of glassware you'd buy at Old Tyme Pottery) and was pretty darn stiff, made with Sauza tequila and not the Bellows El Cheapo stuff most places use.
The problem with Tequila's is that THE FOOD IS THE SAME as any other good Mexican joint! It may be authentic and may taste good, but there isn't much difference in the food from one to the next. I know, I'm overstating it: the Burrito Joint, at Tibbs & Morris, for example has really authentic roadside stand-style Mexican food that is tasty and somewhat different, and if the wheels aren't stolen off your car when you come out, you might actually prefer it to the more upscale places. But that is one of only a few exceptions to the rule that Tequila's tastes like El Sol de Tala which is like El Meson which tastes like El Jaripeo and Little Mexico and all the other freakin' authentic places, which doesn't include Mi Amigos (which you know must be run by Anglos or they would've named it Mis Amigos. Maybe it's supposed to be Mi Amigo's so they can butcher the grammar of two languages simultaneously) or Roscoe's Tacos because those two are by no stretch of the imagination authentic, no matter how good their food may be. My challenge to all Latino restauranteurs, as if they'd ever read this, is to take just a little step off the beaten path of traditionality and MAKE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. In the words of Frank Bartles & Ed James, thank you for your support.
UPDATE, 10/05/2011: THE BLACK HOLE PHENOMENON CONTINUES-- TEQUILA'S IS CLOSED!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Louisville, Kentucky-- The Hungry Drunk's Paradise.
We went there for a little weekend getaway, so I thought I'd give you the skinny (I'm not cool enough to say 4-1-1) on the Derby City's gastronomy and libations. Think of it as Indy's reeeeally Far South Side. Val Kilmer's character Doc Holliday in the Kevin Costner movie about Wyatt Earp (was the title Wyatt Earp? Hell, I can't remember) says something like "Suh, I am NOT an acoholic, I am a drunk. There is a difference!"
Doc would love Louisville, which is a GREAT town in which to eat and drink until you CAIN'T take NO more. Louisville is reputed (by the book 1000 Places in the US & Canada to See Before You Die) to have more restaurants per capita than any other city in the USA, and I believe it-- I dunno if it's because there is a semi-famous culinary school there or what, but there seem to be bistros on every corner downtown and in several other areas, and most of them are individually owned, not chain stores. We got a reduced-rate room at the Seelbach Hilton (Priceline.com, baby!) and walked to Eddie Merlot's for a snack and a glass of vino. I always feel you should get the local flavor when traveling, which generally means avoiding chain franchises, but we had a coupon and I wanted to see how the 'Ville's Eddie's compares to the EM's in Indy. The place seemed comparatively small, but it has the Wall O' Wine like in Indy, and I was unable to see all of the main dining room from the bar, so maybe I was mistaken. The artisanal cheese & fruit appetizer we had was THE BOMB. It had the smokiest Jarlsberg and the freshest Roquefort I've ever eaten ("What's that smell? It's either really bad meat or really good cheese!") The cheapest wine there is like $7.50/glass, but even that is O-so good!
Friday evening we hit Fourth Street Live! in the early afternoon. It's a downtown collection of bars and eateries (and a bowling alley?) that line the street (which is closed to vehicles) with a large roof over the street, kinda like The Strip in Las Vegas, maybe? The places are trendy and many are chain franchises, like Ri Ra Irish Pub, TGI Friday's, J. Gumbo's, Red Star, and Maker's Mark Bar & Grille, to name but a few. One place, Tengo Sed Cantina, is the most in-your-face tribute to combat nightlife I've ever seen. It is primarily a large room that has NO CHAIRS, just bolted-down stand-up height tables, a bar, and a bare concrete floor, I guess so there's no furniture to break and you can just hose down the mud, the the blood, and the beer after the night or the fight is over.
We ate at Maker's Mark, which of course has a giant selection of bourbons. They have what looks like an Ikea-inspired decor and serve what appears to be "nouvelle" quisine, which to a simpleton like me means "expensive, tiny portions" in English. We did have a great night drinking there a couple years ago, though. Every so often they have Distillers' Tastings, where for something like $10 a person you can sample from six or eight tables manned by representatives of the distilleries themselves, and they don't skimp on the samples. The President of Wild Turkey was there to introduce Russell's Reserve (his name is Russell, duh!), and a member of the Van Winkle family handed out samples of Pappy Van Winkle's bourbons. The Maker's Mark guy was just a salesman, but he was the nicest of 'em all, even let us take home some of the cool glassware (with their trademark wax on the bottom of the glasses).
I'm trying to remember where we ate brunch on Saturday (we never rise before 10:00 on vacation).... Oh! It was Dish on Market, in the 400 block of W. Market St. It's one of the myriad trendy bistros downtown, but they serve breakfast until 3:00 PM and the prices were unexpectedly reasonable. They have outdoor tables in front, but it was already too darned hot for that. I had a western omelet with a side of REAL country ham (if you're not from the South you may not know what that is, and if you aren't from the South but DO know what that is, you probably don't like it) and they were both deeelicious.
Our first beer of the day was supposed to be at Sergio's on Story Avenue, which supposedly has some outrageous selection of beers from all over the World, but DANG, he wasn't open at 1:00 in the afternoon, so we went next door to Johnson's. The sign doesn't say Pub, or Bar, or Tavern, just Johnson's, and when we got inside I still couldn't tell what kind of place it was. The sign outside did say "NEWLY REMODELED" , but that was some kind of fortune-telling sign, I tell you what. The front door was standing open, there was NO air conditioning on on a 90-degree day, and there was one old man at the bar drinking a can of Coke and wondering why he was sweating. There were junk furnishings and nick-knacks sitting around everywhere, as well as crates of stuff like dish soap with prices of $1.89 EACH on 'em. A box on the bar displayed unwrapped glue sticks, 8 for a Dollar.... My wife read my mind and asked the grizzled lady behind the bar if they were open, in reply to which she displayed great coordination by grunting and nodding simultaneously. I swear I thought I heard "Dueling Banjoes" playing in the back somewhere.... I will say that, true to most Louisville establishments, they had very, very cold bottled beer. With the oppressive heat, however, I was sweating more than the bottles, and looking up at the ceiling I prayed for the motionless ceiling fans to begin spinning on their own to give us relief, no matter what amount of dust or dead insects cascaded down upon us as a result. We skedaddled after one beer.
We had dinner reservations for 4:30 (we're middle-aged, don'tchaknow), so we had time to visit two other little jewels in the Butchertown area: Big Al's Beeritaville and the Rush Inn, both on Mellwood Avenue. Big Al's looks kind of dive-like from the outside, but inside it was nice varnished wood (think Hooters') with lots of University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Green Bay Packers (huh?) memorabilia lining the walls. The staff was friendly and the regulars sitting around early on a Saturday afternoon were of the middle-middleclass type. Louisville seems chock-full of these true almost British-style neighborhood pubs, and that ambiance is furthered by the fact that you often will see children in them, at least during the day. (I guess the ABC laws are different there than in Indy). A neatly dressed 15-year old boy came in with his pool cue and drank a Coke while he shot a few games with one of the regulars before he left. Big Al's has a nice big outdoor beer garden, too, but we'd just come from Johnson's and knew that it was just too danged hot for that. The beer made up for the hot day though, being ice cold and reasonably priced. I had a Kentucky Ale Light, made by a microbrewery in Lexington (I think). The "Light" kind of reminded me of the Johnson's "Newly Remodeled" sign, as the nutrition info on the bottle was closer to the composition of Guinness than Bud Light.
The Rush Inn is an old but well-maintained little place in a grey stone building with lighted awnings, located at the corner of Mellwood and Brownsboro Road. It has tons of New York Yankees memorabilia (I say again: huh?) all over the place. The manager/bartender/cook made me a bourbon and Coke using Maker's Mark without even asking me, and if I read the ticket right he charged what I would consider to be a well drink price. The juke box is, get this-- FREE! Incredible! We've never eaten there, but every time we go, he is cooking a burger that smells so good I have to get a napkin to wipe the drool from my chin. Next time,come hell or high water or high cholesterol, I'm gettin' me one o' them burgers. What a place!
At 4:15 we sadly waved farewell to the Rush Inn and headed for Pat's Steak House, about a mile away on Brownsboro Road. To summarize Pat's for an Indianapolite, it is a little like St. Elmo's but not as expensive and it has a distintive Irish atmosphere. The place is all thick carpet and old wood, and the waiters wear green sport coats and carry a towel over their arm to dust off your seat. The steaks are hand-aged right on the premises, and they are to die for! My wife and I shared the biggest filet mignon I've ever seen, 18 ounces worth, for something like $53. The only drawback to Pat's is they accept cash only-- we sat near the cash register and saw several bills over $500 rung up. No wonder we saw an armored car show up later on. The do have an ATM machine right there, though.
As we started for home on Sunday, we ate a late lunch at Clarksville Seafood on Eastern Boulevard in (duh) Clarksville, Indiana. I dunno why, but Kentuckiana has a large number of seafood places, and Clarksville Seafood is one of the best, if you like good cheap fried seafood in a relaxed casual dining room, or to go. You can get a heapin' paper basket of nicely seasoned fried fish, clams, or oysters with fries for a little over seven bucks, and don't forget the fried onions-- they're not just rings, or strings, but kind of a combination of both, and you get enough for two folks for like $3. Apparently a deep fryer is the only cooking apparatus the place owns-- for something different, try their deep fried hamburger.
For some reason everyone I know in Indy has eaten at Kingfish (four or so locations, but the one on River Road is the chain's flagship restaurant), which is good food at a reasonable price, although the service can be spotty at times. My favorite (actually a photo finish ahead of Clarksville) is Mike Linnig's on Cane Run Road on the far southwest side of the Derby City, a family business open since 1925. Mike's used to be a bare-bones casual place like Clarksville, but some years ago they remodeled, with a nice indoor dining room in addition to the outdoor picnic tables and little screen houses. They have a big selection of fish and other seafood, and the food & beer prices are really reasonable. If you eat outside, you generally go up to the inside front counter to put in your order and then they call your name out on the PA when it's ready. Years ago the PA system was so bad that you had to give them a name that was really distinctive, like "Maximillian" or "Heathcliff" so you could recognize it when they made the announcement. They finally got a new PA system a few years back after they announced a tornado warning and six people stood up to get their orders. BA DUM BUM, I'll be here all week, folks....
Doc would love Louisville, which is a GREAT town in which to eat and drink until you CAIN'T take NO more. Louisville is reputed (by the book 1000 Places in the US & Canada to See Before You Die) to have more restaurants per capita than any other city in the USA, and I believe it-- I dunno if it's because there is a semi-famous culinary school there or what, but there seem to be bistros on every corner downtown and in several other areas, and most of them are individually owned, not chain stores. We got a reduced-rate room at the Seelbach Hilton (Priceline.com, baby!) and walked to Eddie Merlot's for a snack and a glass of vino. I always feel you should get the local flavor when traveling, which generally means avoiding chain franchises, but we had a coupon and I wanted to see how the 'Ville's Eddie's compares to the EM's in Indy. The place seemed comparatively small, but it has the Wall O' Wine like in Indy, and I was unable to see all of the main dining room from the bar, so maybe I was mistaken. The artisanal cheese & fruit appetizer we had was THE BOMB. It had the smokiest Jarlsberg and the freshest Roquefort I've ever eaten ("What's that smell? It's either really bad meat or really good cheese!") The cheapest wine there is like $7.50/glass, but even that is O-so good!
Friday evening we hit Fourth Street Live! in the early afternoon. It's a downtown collection of bars and eateries (and a bowling alley?) that line the street (which is closed to vehicles) with a large roof over the street, kinda like The Strip in Las Vegas, maybe? The places are trendy and many are chain franchises, like Ri Ra Irish Pub, TGI Friday's, J. Gumbo's, Red Star, and Maker's Mark Bar & Grille, to name but a few. One place, Tengo Sed Cantina, is the most in-your-face tribute to combat nightlife I've ever seen. It is primarily a large room that has NO CHAIRS, just bolted-down stand-up height tables, a bar, and a bare concrete floor, I guess so there's no furniture to break and you can just hose down the mud, the the blood, and the beer after the night or the fight is over.
We ate at Maker's Mark, which of course has a giant selection of bourbons. They have what looks like an Ikea-inspired decor and serve what appears to be "nouvelle" quisine, which to a simpleton like me means "expensive, tiny portions" in English. We did have a great night drinking there a couple years ago, though. Every so often they have Distillers' Tastings, where for something like $10 a person you can sample from six or eight tables manned by representatives of the distilleries themselves, and they don't skimp on the samples. The President of Wild Turkey was there to introduce Russell's Reserve (his name is Russell, duh!), and a member of the Van Winkle family handed out samples of Pappy Van Winkle's bourbons. The Maker's Mark guy was just a salesman, but he was the nicest of 'em all, even let us take home some of the cool glassware (with their trademark wax on the bottom of the glasses).
I'm trying to remember where we ate brunch on Saturday (we never rise before 10:00 on vacation).... Oh! It was Dish on Market, in the 400 block of W. Market St. It's one of the myriad trendy bistros downtown, but they serve breakfast until 3:00 PM and the prices were unexpectedly reasonable. They have outdoor tables in front, but it was already too darned hot for that. I had a western omelet with a side of REAL country ham (if you're not from the South you may not know what that is, and if you aren't from the South but DO know what that is, you probably don't like it) and they were both deeelicious.
Our first beer of the day was supposed to be at Sergio's on Story Avenue, which supposedly has some outrageous selection of beers from all over the World, but DANG, he wasn't open at 1:00 in the afternoon, so we went next door to Johnson's. The sign doesn't say Pub, or Bar, or Tavern, just Johnson's, and when we got inside I still couldn't tell what kind of place it was. The sign outside did say "NEWLY REMODELED" , but that was some kind of fortune-telling sign, I tell you what. The front door was standing open, there was NO air conditioning on on a 90-degree day, and there was one old man at the bar drinking a can of Coke and wondering why he was sweating. There were junk furnishings and nick-knacks sitting around everywhere, as well as crates of stuff like dish soap with prices of $1.89 EACH on 'em. A box on the bar displayed unwrapped glue sticks, 8 for a Dollar.... My wife read my mind and asked the grizzled lady behind the bar if they were open, in reply to which she displayed great coordination by grunting and nodding simultaneously. I swear I thought I heard "Dueling Banjoes" playing in the back somewhere.... I will say that, true to most Louisville establishments, they had very, very cold bottled beer. With the oppressive heat, however, I was sweating more than the bottles, and looking up at the ceiling I prayed for the motionless ceiling fans to begin spinning on their own to give us relief, no matter what amount of dust or dead insects cascaded down upon us as a result. We skedaddled after one beer.
We had dinner reservations for 4:30 (we're middle-aged, don'tchaknow), so we had time to visit two other little jewels in the Butchertown area: Big Al's Beeritaville and the Rush Inn, both on Mellwood Avenue. Big Al's looks kind of dive-like from the outside, but inside it was nice varnished wood (think Hooters') with lots of University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Green Bay Packers (huh?) memorabilia lining the walls. The staff was friendly and the regulars sitting around early on a Saturday afternoon were of the middle-middleclass type. Louisville seems chock-full of these true almost British-style neighborhood pubs, and that ambiance is furthered by the fact that you often will see children in them, at least during the day. (I guess the ABC laws are different there than in Indy). A neatly dressed 15-year old boy came in with his pool cue and drank a Coke while he shot a few games with one of the regulars before he left. Big Al's has a nice big outdoor beer garden, too, but we'd just come from Johnson's and knew that it was just too danged hot for that. The beer made up for the hot day though, being ice cold and reasonably priced. I had a Kentucky Ale Light, made by a microbrewery in Lexington (I think). The "Light" kind of reminded me of the Johnson's "Newly Remodeled" sign, as the nutrition info on the bottle was closer to the composition of Guinness than Bud Light.
The Rush Inn is an old but well-maintained little place in a grey stone building with lighted awnings, located at the corner of Mellwood and Brownsboro Road. It has tons of New York Yankees memorabilia (I say again: huh?) all over the place. The manager/bartender/cook made me a bourbon and Coke using Maker's Mark without even asking me, and if I read the ticket right he charged what I would consider to be a well drink price. The juke box is, get this-- FREE! Incredible! We've never eaten there, but every time we go, he is cooking a burger that smells so good I have to get a napkin to wipe the drool from my chin. Next time,come hell or high water or high cholesterol, I'm gettin' me one o' them burgers. What a place!
At 4:15 we sadly waved farewell to the Rush Inn and headed for Pat's Steak House, about a mile away on Brownsboro Road. To summarize Pat's for an Indianapolite, it is a little like St. Elmo's but not as expensive and it has a distintive Irish atmosphere. The place is all thick carpet and old wood, and the waiters wear green sport coats and carry a towel over their arm to dust off your seat. The steaks are hand-aged right on the premises, and they are to die for! My wife and I shared the biggest filet mignon I've ever seen, 18 ounces worth, for something like $53. The only drawback to Pat's is they accept cash only-- we sat near the cash register and saw several bills over $500 rung up. No wonder we saw an armored car show up later on. The do have an ATM machine right there, though.
As we started for home on Sunday, we ate a late lunch at Clarksville Seafood on Eastern Boulevard in (duh) Clarksville, Indiana. I dunno why, but Kentuckiana has a large number of seafood places, and Clarksville Seafood is one of the best, if you like good cheap fried seafood in a relaxed casual dining room, or to go. You can get a heapin' paper basket of nicely seasoned fried fish, clams, or oysters with fries for a little over seven bucks, and don't forget the fried onions-- they're not just rings, or strings, but kind of a combination of both, and you get enough for two folks for like $3. Apparently a deep fryer is the only cooking apparatus the place owns-- for something different, try their deep fried hamburger.
For some reason everyone I know in Indy has eaten at Kingfish (four or so locations, but the one on River Road is the chain's flagship restaurant), which is good food at a reasonable price, although the service can be spotty at times. My favorite (actually a photo finish ahead of Clarksville) is Mike Linnig's on Cane Run Road on the far southwest side of the Derby City, a family business open since 1925. Mike's used to be a bare-bones casual place like Clarksville, but some years ago they remodeled, with a nice indoor dining room in addition to the outdoor picnic tables and little screen houses. They have a big selection of fish and other seafood, and the food & beer prices are really reasonable. If you eat outside, you generally go up to the inside front counter to put in your order and then they call your name out on the PA when it's ready. Years ago the PA system was so bad that you had to give them a name that was really distinctive, like "Maximillian" or "Heathcliff" so you could recognize it when they made the announcement. They finally got a new PA system a few years back after they announced a tornado warning and six people stood up to get their orders. BA DUM BUM, I'll be here all week, folks....
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Party: It's Good to Drink in God's Green Room!
The Party, (see updates below due to substantial renovation and changes) on Madison Avenue just south of Southport Road, is a great old place-- emphasis on "old." It's an old Rax Roast Beef restaurant, its patrons tend to be kind of old, and the ambiance is old school bar fly, with neon beer signs, nascar picture mirrors, etc. It's an understatement to say that you don't go to The Party to hook up, unless you're like 70 years old, but if you just want a comfortable place to drink on a budget, this is your place. It's a true neighborhood bar, and it's kind of like drinking in someone's living room. Everyone knows everyone else. They have pitch-ins on holidays and regular patrons' birthdays, and frequently the regulars bring in DVD's or VHS tapes of their favorite movies and everyone watches them on the 1980's model TV behind the bar. The juke box is one of the best in town: it has a little bit of everything, with fairly current stuff you wouldn't expect in a place full of old guys. Joe the owner is known as something of a cheapskate, but he doesn't skimp on the booze in his drinks, and the standard pub grub is good, plentiful, and cheap. A good stiff drink here is the Big Jack, named after a beloved six-foot, 400-pound regular who recently passed from God's green room to his Big Show: a beer glass filled mostly with vodka, then just a splash of diet tonic water (Jack was watching his weight, y'know), and a lime wedge just for color. !Salud! (That's Spanglish for "Le's drink, y'all!)
UPDATE, 03/21/12: The Party has been sold and is being renovated, although it remains open. Rumour is that Steve Waugh, owner of Big Daddy's (which I'll review when I accumulate the cash I'll need to drink there) is the new owner. He did a bang-up job of renovating the bar that became Big Daddy's, but I fear what that same kind of expenditure will do to The Party's prices.
UPDATE, 06/05/2012: The renovation is in full swing, with a large outdoor beer garden under construction, a humongous Crown Royal mirror (something like ten feet by 12 feet) behind the new bar, and one of those new computer juke boxes replacing our beloved old one. As it is, it's awfully noisy in there at times, and most of the lovable old geezers have fled, so it is hard to tell what the crowd and the ambiance will be like when construction is finished. On the plus side, they haven't raised the prices yet, so it's still one of the cheapest places to drink on the South Side....
The Gaslight Inn: Haunted (for Real!)
The Gaslight Inn, 2280 S. Meridian Street, is a little boutique bar masquerading as a neighborhood watering hole. The truth is that only a few of its patrons come from the surrounding neighborhood, which is kind of sketchy. Most of the folks that go there are businessmen and working stiffs who stop in on the way home from their jobs downtown, or friends of the owners, high-school buddies Art and Joe. There's nothing fancy about the place, just a clean comfortable bar in an ancient building that supposedly used to house a mortuary-- it's right next to a Catholic cemetery and a Jewish cemetery. Perhaps that's why the place is supposedly haunted, with customers and employees reportedly having witnessed unexplained phenomena whenever it's really quiet. We saw the door to the basement close all by itself, t'other day, and it wasn't due to gravity or wind currents, not that I could tell, anyway. (See below for some more ghost stories.) Regular beer prices are good, and the pub grub is GREAT! Steve the cook knows his stuff, and they often have good beer and food specials-- the all you can eat catfish on Fridays is the BOMB! $4 glasses of decent wine are the norm, as I write this. As a practicing drunk (I'll get it right one of these days), I'm not a big fan of the rather weak mixed drinks here (though I order 'em all the danged time, anyway!), but they do often have good drink specials as well as specials on buckets o' beer. As I said, the neighborhood is just a little bit sketchy, so lock your car and take your keys just to be safe.
UPDATE, 04/14/2012: Steve the chef is no longer at the Gaslight, but the new cook, Scott, is apparently really talented, foodwise anyway (dunno if he can play the piano, sing, or dance). We recently had a $5.99 lunch shredded-pork burrito and the Famous Reuben Sandwich that were DEEELICIOUS, so I think Scott knows his stuff, too.
UPDATE 06/11/2012: They've repainted the interior a bright blue with deep blue trim, which makes the place look bigger, for some reason. ...Turns out Scott used to be the restaurant and catering manager for the American Legion post in Greenwood, IN, which is a pretty big operation. The story I heard is that he was fired from there for conflict of interest after some family members asked him for part-time help with their restaurant. I dunno if that's true, but the Greenwood post's loss is certainly the Gaslight's gain! I had some New-Potato Salad catered from his kitchen there at a recent function, and it was incredibly scrumptious, depending how you like your potato salads: It even had bacon and little slices of Spanish olives in it,as well as some delicious seasoning I couldn't decipher. Wow!
UPDATE 02/11/13: Some recent Gaslight ghost stories:
1) Tom, a 6'6" regular patron, was sitting at the rather isolated far end of the bar Friday 02/07/13, and had been expounding upon how the stories about the Gaslight being haunted were a lot of horse sh*t, and John (the name they've given the ghost, who is supposedly a former owner of the building) was just a figment of everyone's imagination. A few minutes later Tom suddenly said "Ow!" and hopped off the bar stool. He said something had just bit or slapped him on the back of the neck. When they looked at his neck there were three strip-like welts there like he had been scratched with fingernails. My Little Woman came in the bar just after this happened and she witnessed the welts. I later talked to Tom personally he said the story is true-- he said the pain happened all at once, like a from a whip rather than a scratch. Tom said he still doesn't believe in ghosts, but he admitted he could find no explanation for what happened, as there was no one sitting anywhere close to him.
2) Tim, brother of one of the owners, said he was the first customer in the place at 11:00 a.m.on a recent Saturday and went in the restroom prior to sitting at the bar. He went over to the urinal and while he was um, in the middle of his business, the automatic towel dispenser rolled out a paper towel. The dispenser has a motion sensor on the bottom at which you have wave your hand to get it to activate, and Tim was alone some 12 feet away from it. Before Tim finished up, the dispenser activated two more times! No one's seen the dispenser do that before or since....
3) Joe, one of the owners, came in to open up the bar on Monday 02/11/13 and went upstairs to get something from storage. The rest of the upstairs has seating but is used for special occasions; so it has speakers connected to the juke box, but they are almost always turned off and Joe hadn't yet turned on the juke box, anyway (see where this is going?) Suddenly the upstairs speakers started blaring some sort of punk rock song (I didn't know that genre still existed!) Joe went downstairs to turn off the juke box and saw the "now playing" screen indicated that it was a song from the band named "Gaslight Anthem"! Cue the TWILIGHT ZONE theme song, boys!
The Mucky Duck: Drink Don't EAT!
Now, I went to the Mucky Duck about a month ago, so maybe things have changed since then, but I doubt it because things haven't changed too much since it opened. This place used to be Bobby Joe's Beef & Brew, which was primarily an upscale restaurant that had a good bar, but after Bobby Joe passed away and the place became the Mucky Duck, it has sort of flip-flopped: It's a GREAT bar that has something vaguely resembling restaurant food. The best thing I can say about MD's food is that the drink prices are very reasonable.... I've eaten there like 4 times, and it has been BLAH or BLEAH every time. I had french onion soup that had been made with RED onions, and they asked me what kind of cheese I wanted because they were out of Swiss and Provolone. The fried pickles were giant wedges that resembled marital aids, and they weren't fried enough-- the center was just lukewarm pickle. A grilled tenderloin sandwich had the blandest, least-seasoned meat I've ever had. The lackluster food quality is strange considering that the Mucky Duck is owned by the same people who own nearby JT Johnston's restaurant, which has great food!
The good news, though, is the Mucky Duck is a great place to drink-- the drink prices are really quite reasonable, the comfortable corporate boardroom-style decor of the old Bobby Joe's remains, and the Duck has expanded on BJ's original outdoor patio and tiki bar which overlooks a fairly large man-made lake. The staff, too, is really friendly and their service is EXCELLENT! Except for the cook, of course.
Price: $$ Service: ***** Food: ** Overall: ****
UPDATE: 09/08/12-- Went for drinks out on the covered patio because the weather was so nice. The special was $3.50 for a 32 oz. draft Coors Light, which I thought was a pretty good deal. I ordered the Pub Fries for $6.75-- waffle fries in a baking dish, covered with melted cheese and chives, sour cream on the side. The quantity of food was very good, but it could've used just a little seasoning, even just salt & pepper. Still, it was passable.
The good news, though, is the Mucky Duck is a great place to drink-- the drink prices are really quite reasonable, the comfortable corporate boardroom-style decor of the old Bobby Joe's remains, and the Duck has expanded on BJ's original outdoor patio and tiki bar which overlooks a fairly large man-made lake. The staff, too, is really friendly and their service is EXCELLENT! Except for the cook, of course.
Price: $$ Service: ***** Food: ** Overall: ****
UPDATE: 09/08/12-- Went for drinks out on the covered patio because the weather was so nice. The special was $3.50 for a 32 oz. draft Coors Light, which I thought was a pretty good deal. I ordered the Pub Fries for $6.75-- waffle fries in a baking dish, covered with melted cheese and chives, sour cream on the side. The quantity of food was very good, but it could've used just a little seasoning, even just salt & pepper. Still, it was passable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)