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....
Friday, September 30, 2011
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....
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