Tom+Chee: A Great Concept Squandered

I happened to be up on the northwest side the other day when I spied this Tom+Chee place and remembered reading about it. It is part of a chain featured on the TV show Shark Tank, and which (I think) is based out of Cincinnati, which would explain why they have a sandwich called the ARMAGOETTAN, or something like that. If you haven't heard of it, goetta is like scrapple, ground up parts of the pig and cow which you would rather not know about but which actually taste really decent, rather like sausage. The meat or quasi-meat is mixed with an extender, which in goetta is steel - cut oats. I chose that sandwich because I was in the one place I've ever seen goetta available outside the Cincinnati area.

The place has a simple exposed brick wall and chalkboard-menu type decor which is reminiscent of a deli.  I purchased a BLT+CHEE and a bowl of creamy tomato basil soup for The Little Woman to go, and I had chunky tomato basil soup as well as my ARMAGOETTAN sandwich and a medium iced tea, all for only $27! (Holding up my SARCASM sign here.) If the price wasn't bad enough, the food certainly was. I mean, with all that gourmet cheese they supposedly use, you would think it would produce a rich, flavorful experience.

But it just doesn't... For all the greasiness and cheesiness, both sandwiches were rather bland and just okay. Same for the soups-- I'm sure there must have been some basil in there somewhere, but I couldn't taste it, and they could have used at least a FEW spices. Campbell's from the can has a better flavor, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper. I love the concept of this place, but to say the execution was disappointing is an understatement. Cue the WA WAAAAA horns, Charlie Brown.....

Greek's Pizzeria: What the Heck is a "Lotto" Pizza?

Greek's Pizzeria is actually a chain, but since most of their locations are in Indiana I guess I can consider it a local restaurant, right? No?  Well, by golly, it's my blog and I'll write if I want to....  We went to the one located in a you-know-what kind of building on the southwest corner of Emerson and Stop 11 Road, a very simply but pleasantly decorated place with red and white checkered oil cloth tablecloths.  They serve beer and wine at what looked to be more than reasonable restaurant prices, and the pies are not outrageously expensive, either.  TLW got the small (9") Chicken Fajita Pizza for like $6.95 and I opted for the Saturday special, a 12" Lotto pizza for eleven-something bucks. A Lotto pizza? The waiter/manager explained it is where you just kinda say "Hit me!" and they make a pizza with a little of this and a little of that, whatever strikes the chef's fancy.  I had mixed feelings about it, but what the heck, how bad could it be?  You know what they say about sex and pizza! (Read the Aunt Polly's post if you don't remember da joke.)

The great thing about her Chicken Fajita pizza was that even though it had spicy chunks of grilled chicken and jalapeno slices, it still tasted like pizza, unlike Pizza Hut's Mexican Pizza which tasted like a big taco.  The white sauce was good and the jalapeno's were not hot, just enough to nicely flavor the pie.  My Lotto had two pieces that were green pepper & onion, two that were chicken and bacon, two sausage and black olives, and two fajita chicken & bacon.  All were quite good.  I like how they didn't skimp on the cheese but you could still taste the red sauce, which was just a little sweet for my taste, although it went well with my Diet Pepsi. "WHAT? No beer? What kinda barfly are you?!" you might say.  This is one exception to my drunken ways-- no beer, no wine, NUTTIN' tastes as good with pizza as a good ole' cola.  I guess we won the lotto wit dis place! (Insert groan here.)

Aunt Judy's Country Kitchen: Comfort Food Worth the Trip.

Aunt Judy's Country Kitchen is in Franklin, Indiana, in the same strip mall in the 300 block of E. Jefferson Street as Bojack's Pub (see post), but to call the building a strip mall doesn't really do it justice: It runs at a right angle to the street, along a wooded creek.  It's a brick building which fits in nicely with Franklin University next door and stately houses nearby, so right away Aunt Judy's has more class than your usual home-cooking diner.  The pale yellow walls and brown wood tables & chairs inside make it seem like your Mom's (or your aunt's) kitchen, and all the tables have a little vase with a fresh-cut sunflower from JR Parker Flowers, the other business in the building (like maybe Judy is the J in JR? Hmm...) that completes the homey atmosphere.

The Little Woman had her usual Grilled Tenderloin sammich and I got one of the day's specials, fried Alaskan Pollock with fries.  The Tenderloin was near-perfect for our tastes, pounded out thin and nicely browned, with crispy fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion. The fish was so lightly breaded and fried that I was surprised it held together so well on my fork, yet it melted in my mouth!  That Judy knows how to fry stuff... my fries were cooked just right, though I suppose there was nothing remarkable about them.  We met several locals at different times that night who extolled the virtues of Thursday night at Aunt Judy's, when folks come from miles around to sample their Fried Chicken, which is to die for, they said, so DANGIT, we're goin' back!   

Aunt Polly's Pizza: The Original is Back!

Aunt Polly's Pizza & Subs has been around for at least the 24 years I've been in Indy, in various locations. When I used to work late shift it was on E. Michigan Street, I think, and they had the best cheesy bread and sandwiches you get at that hour, and at one time they were open 24 hours a day....  At some point, however, the business was sold, then went outa bidness, I think, but now the original owners are back and operating out of a small storefront location at 5339 E. English Avenue (which is in a building with two other storefronts, but I don't think that qualifies as a strip mall... or does it?), so their current business is strictly take out or delivery.  Their delivery service is amazing-- they will deliver anywhere in the city for a $10 fee.  They're open 3:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. or later, most days.

Everyone seems to be at least a little bit particular about how they like their pizza, so I will describe the HUMUNGOUS 18" works pizza we had and you can make your own determination.  They make their own pizza dough, and the crust is fairly thick yet kind of light and just a little chewy, which is not The Little Woman's favorite, but she didn't have any trouble wolfing down a couple pieces.  The cheese is deliciously tasty but there isn't a lot of it-- you could easily see areas of sauce exposed around the edges, so if you're expecting The New Bethel Ordinary's inch-thick layer of cheese you'll be disappointed. I liked that you could really taste the sauce that way. The Works has pepperoni, sausage, onions, and green peppers in decent amounts. It was a good, balanced pizza experience, so we'll probably order from there again. It's been said that pizza is like sex:  when it's good, it's VERY good, but when it's bad, it's still pretty damn' good!  I hope to try one of their famous sandwiches, next time.  Mangia! 

Guerrero's: Not Different, But Good.

Guerrero's is (say it with me) in a strip mall on the northeast corner of Madison and Edgewood Avenues. It just opened in the space occupied previously by Tequila's, and before that it was my beloved watering hole, Shigg's Digs, so it remains to be seen whether the Black Hole Phenomenon will suck this place under, too. They kept Tequila's rich dark-wood decor, which I like, although I suppose it does kind of make the place seem a little dark.  The service was excellent, with chips and salsa brought to our table almost as soon as we were seated.  TLW had the taco 'n enchilada combo plate and I ordered Camarones ala Diabla, wondering if I'd have to drink a gallon of milk with it like I did with the same dish from El Compa (see post). She said the crunchy taco was perhaps the best she's ever eaten, especially the shell, which was light, crispy, and flavorful.  She had it down before I could filch any of it, but she took pity on me and gave me part of her enchilada. (Actually, she almost always gives me part of her meal.  That's why I've been on the cover of OFG* magazine.)  The ground beef in it was especially tasty, very well-seasoned.  My Camarones dish was more substantial than El Compa's, having onion and tomato mixed in with the shrimp and sauce, but though decent, it just wasn't quite as delicious. It didn't set my lips ablaze either, which was a good thing.  The food was good even though it was standard Mexican fare, and the price was reasonable, so we'll probably be back soon.  !Andale!

*Old Fat Guy

El Compadre Taqueria: Some LIke It Hot!

The last couple times we've stopped in at the Green Door Lounge (see post), which doesn't serve much in the way of food, someone has come into the bar with a bag of tacos from El Compa Carniceria & Taqueria, in the same strip mall as The Door at 711 E. Thompson Road.   Taquerias are generally little lunch counters either attached to or inside of a Latino Market, kind of like the snack bars you old people used to see inside those ancient corner drug stores when you were kids, or so I'm told, anyway. Some have tables and chairs where you can eat, and others like El Compa are strictly to-go.  The tacos these good ole' boys were bringing in were FANTASTIC traditional Mexican soft tacos-- corn tortilla, chunks of tasty marinated and seasoned beef with cilantro and lime juice.  When I later saw that they have $1 tacos on Tuesdays, I had to stop in and pick up lunch for The Little Woman and myself.  I got her 3 tacos and the Camarones ala Diabla platter for me.  The guy warned me that the platter is very spicy: "Bring it on!" I said.  He smiled and said since we like spicy food, he would give me some hot salsa for the tacos as well as the green sauce he'd already put in the bag. I think heard evil laughter echoing behind me as I left the store....

The Camarones ala Diabla was a simple collection of shrimp in the devil sauce, with (I think) rice and beans on the side.  I say "I think" because the sauce wiped out most of the rest of my memory of the meal-- it was oh, SO tasty, but it was also oh, SO SPICY HOT!  Now, TLW shares my love of spicy food, but she took one bite and immediately ran to the kitchen to fetch us some milk and maybe a fire extinguisher.  Thankfully she had more milk standing by when she tried a little of the red salsa on her taco, because it set her lips on fire.  I think it was even hotter than the Diabla sauce....  I finished my meal because it was sooooo delicious, but I drenched my tongue in milk and it was still burning for several minutes afterward.  TLW very graciously gave me one of her tacos, and we ate them with the verde sauce, which was tasty but also had a little kick.  I think the whole meal cost like $11, so it was well worth it.  We'll definitely go back, but we'll go green, in regard to the sauce, anyway.  !SALUD!

The Corner Pub: Only the Name Has Changed, and That's Great!

The Corner Pub, at the corner (duh) of Old Meridian Street and Epler Avenue, used to be the Old Meridian Pub(see post), which was one of my favorites until squabbles between the multiple owners caused it to be sold. I'm happy to say, though, that the new owner has pretty much kept everything the same.  Steve is back in the kitchen where I like everything he cooks but the chili (which tastes good, it's just not my idea of chili, being more like Brunswick Stew).  Most of the other former employees have returned as well as a new one, Esther, who has probably tended bar at more establishments than I could name.  There was a good crowd in there on the Friday afternoon we visited, including a group of firefighters celebrating a retirement.  I dunno if they were 2 or 3 drinks in and just having a good time, or if 20 years of sirens screaming in their ears has left them all hard-of-hearing, but we listened with amusement to 6 or 7 boisterous, bellowed conversations all at the same time.  It made for quite a festive atmosphere, and hopefully this will be the norm for this nicely reborn watering hole.  Cheers! 

Becky's Village Restaurant- A Great Experience for Earth Explorers.

Becky's Village Restaurant is in downtown Willshire, Ohio, a tiny little burg on the way back to Indy from Van Wert.  It was Sunday morning... before the churches let out, I hoped, but when we got in there it was already quite busy-- must've been a lot of folks who attended the early service!  I was dressed in my traveling clothes, shorts and a t-shirt, so maybe that gave me away as an outsider?  Every head turned to look at us quizzically, like they'd just seen us park a space ship outside.  Seeing that we appeared harmless, however, they soon turned back to their own conversations, although I did see one lady immediately don a tinfoil hat to ward off our energy beams (jk).

It was a pretty simple, straightforward diner menu.  I had a breaded chicken breast sandwich, and The Little
Woman ordered her staple grilled tenderloin sandwich.  I thought the wait would be lengthy given their booming business, but both orders arrived promptly and were excellent!  The fries were julienne cut, my favorite, and they were cooked just right, too.  Real brewed iced tea topped off a great little meal that was beyond reasonably-priced, something like eleven bucks for both of us.

The best part of the quaint, simple decor was a big clock on the wall that appeared to have been made out of a carnival Big 6 wheel.  I reeeeeally WANTED that wheel!  I was thinking about offering to buy it when I saw a group of townsfolk outside with torches and pitchforks, testing the hull of our saucer, so we just teleported the hell back aboard and got outa there....  We may yet return to study these Willshireans, though!

The Library Indy: "Casual Fine Dining" is NOT an Oxymoron

The Library Pub & Restaurant, 2610 S. Lynhurst Drive, has been there for years but, just like Ralph's Great Divide (see post), I had always been curious about the place but it was never open whenever I drove by, so I wondered if it was still a going concern.  Turns out it is-- I received an Amazon Local deal in my email where you could purchase a $60 food voucher for $30, so I leapt, er, lept, er, jumped at the chance.  Their website, www.library-indy.net  lists prime rib as their specialty as well as a "come as you are" atmosphere.  Having read that, I was really surprised at the elegant decor inside and out.  There is a circular drive with a portico at the entrance and a little fountain in the middle of the circle.  The building is set up rather like a grand old house, with a high-ceilinged entrance hall that has stairs to the second floor and a large chandelier lighting the way.  The first-floor dining room has blonde-wood floors, french windows, and antique-looking wood tables without tablecloths.  It seemed a little odd seeing folks in shorts and t-shirts in this grand setting, but it made me feel really comfortable, after a bit.

The atmosphere was impressive, but it only hinted at how good the food was:  The Little Woman and I shared the Chef's Cut Prime Rib (16oz), which the waiter thoughtfully divided for us, along with the sides, onto two plates.  I'm not a big prime rib guy, but I've had a number of them over the years, and this one was perhaps the best I've ever had-- seasoned and cooked perfectly.  The sauteed green beans were the best non-Southern style ones you could ever find, shaking one of my core beliefs that bacon grease is an indispensable ingredient in green beans. The only less-than stellar part of the meal was the baked potato-- I thought it tasted great, but TLW pointed out that it had a mealy texture that indicated it might have been left over from lunch, which I suppose is a little cut-cornery for a $$$ establishment. All in, though, this $$ guy didn't feel bad about having to fork over that extra $ for the quality food presented, and that's saying something!

We adjourned to the bar after dinner, and the bartender was quite friendly and attentive in spite of being really busy.  She said that a lot of locals don't seem to know about the place because it's in a commercial area that primarily serves airport travelers, with 20 hotels within a 2-mile radius.  Indeed, while we were there a number of hotel shuttles came and went with groups of businessmen in various states of attire and sobriety.  They have an outdoor patio where you can eat and drink, but it was kind of a warm day, so as TLW's niece once said, when it's hot I DON'T do "OUTSIDE"! We like this place so much we signed up for one of their customer club cards, because just like AHNOLD, we'll be baaaaaach!  Have I already used that one?  BAAAH!  It's hard being original, even with yourself, sometimes....

The Grove: Much Like Beech Grove Itself

The Grove Sports Bar & Eatery, 3206 S. Emerson Avenue in Beech Grove, is much like the city of Beech Grove itself: medium small, tidy, and comfortable.  The city grew up (if I have the history right) around the repair shops of the Big Four Railroad (officially called, uh, the Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad, I think), which became one of Amtrak's main repair facilities, so most of the houses in the older part of the town are modest Cape Cod-types or similar, although there are some upscale areas on its fringes.  The Grove is kind of like that-- three decent sized rooms, one with two pool tables, another with a bunch of tables and three or four electronic dart boards, and the bar itself which is fairly big.  It has some nicely paneled walls in addition the painted concrete block, but there are no windows, so the regulars had the door propped open for most of the nice Spring day.  They had some pretty decent beer and drink specials, including some REALLY decent prices on a new liquor product, which tasted terrible to me, but HEY, that's the "adventure" part of adventure drinking, right?  The bartender that day was one of the best bartenders I've ever seen.  Angel (not the same Angel who worked at the Colonial, who is also a good one) has a knack for making everyone feel like she wants to hear what they have to say, and that's a special talent in the bar business, where every nattering drunk acts like Goober the time he grew a beard-- They think they're George Clooney, Jerry Seinfeld, and Josh Groban rolled into one.  In short, we had a great couple of rounds there, after which we adjusted our Terminator shades and said "We'll be baaaaach...." 

Kenny D's in Miramar Beach, FL: Old-Fashioned Fried Goodness

Two friends of ours planned to invite a bunch of us to attend when they were going to get married in Gulf Shores, Alabama, but then found it too hard to find accommodations there during Spring Break season and switched to Desitin, Florida....  Whoa!  NOT Desitin; that was kind of rash, sorry-- it was Destin, Florida. So we all made plans to go there for the wedding, but then they decided to get married here in Indy so that certain important family members could attend, and thus the trip to Destin became a sort of communal week-long party honeymoon, with the wedding couple and some friends and family in a big rental house while The Little Woman and I shared a condo next door with another couple.  

I'm a cheap bastard, but on vacation I rather like to eat out every meal and let someone else do the cleaning up.  One guy in the Big House, however, fancies himself a gourmet chef (and we discovered he's not far wrong) while the female of our roommates and TLW love to set up housekeeping wherever we go and do some cookin', which they're perty danged good at, so we ate most meals at "home" or next door. We did manage to eat out at least once every other day, however, so I relished those occasions all the more 'cuz I LOVES me some adventure eatin'.

We first hit Pompano Joe's which is (like everything else in Miramar Beach) on Scenic Gulf Boulevard, a family friendly bar/restaurant which is right on the beach and epitomizes every touristy beach bar & grill you've ever seen or envisioned, with the de rigeur driftwood and surf board decor. The food was decent and not cheap but not outrageous, although the price of drinks was stiffer than the drinks themselves.  We did get a small pitcher of Yuengling for $9.50, though, so that wasn't too bad.   A dozen raw oysters on the half shell was $12.49, and for $11.49 we had the Oysters Rastafella, six baked oysters topped with spinach, cheddar-jack cheese and Parmesan bread crust that, alas, sounded better than they tasted (Uncle Bubba's in Savannah can still breathe easy knowing that their baked oysters are still DA BEARS as far as we're concerned). The ambiance of the place was nice and comfortable, though!

We walked about a mile up the road to The Whale's Tail, a small simple place that's also on the beach.  It was like 73 degrees and sunny out, although there was a breeze.  TLW and I were in shorts and t-shirts and were still burning up from our walk, I guess, but the restaurant staff were all dressed in long pants and sweat shirts, while one female patron in long jeans and a tank top was rubbing her arms for warmth and made her boyfriend go to the car and get her jacket.  Sheesh!  That's what Winter in the Mid-West will do to us, I suppose....  We both had Shrimp Po-boys, which were very good, the shrimp fried just right.  The price was decent, too, although I was shocked, SHOCKED to find that they don't serve oysters.

We took a drive toward Desitin proper (d'oh! Destin, sorry-- my typing a little rusty... and rough, and itchy), and stopped at a fancy-lookin' place called Captain Dave's or something like that, but it didn't open until 4:00, so we back-tracked a block to Kenny D's for lunch.  It's an old-fashioned diner-looking joint, all silver and neon on the outside but shaded by big palm trees.  There is an old phone booth outside by the walk (they still exist!) which had no phone but was maintained there apparently so patrons can autograph it (or maybe, as one of my buds opined, it was there so cell phone users could have a quiet place to talk on the phone and not disturb the crap out of the people around them.)  The indoor decor was very simple, with corrugated metal ceilings and just a few nautical items here and there-- I think I saw an oar on the wall somewhere, along with several Certificates of Appreciation from the Destin Snowbirds Association, which was I hoped was a good omen, an endorsement by the locals. 

The sign out front said "Best Burger on the Beach" but the menu lists a BUNCH of Cajun dishes of all kinds. Andre our waiter, a short, wiry man of about 30 in jeans and a t-shirt who looked he might have just retired  from the Thoroughbred Jockey circuit, was either Cajun or French by his heavy accent and outward air of indifference, although he turned out to be quite attentive in an unobtrusive way.  We had a dozen oysters on the half shell for $10.99 which were FANTASTIC.  I dunno how one restaurant's raw oysters can be any better than another's but these seemed fresher and juicier than others'.  She had a shrimp po-boy and I had an oyster po-boy, and they were both excellent-- possibly the best fried oysters I've ever had, lightly breaded and delicately fried.  A happy hour pitcher of domestic beer (Yuengling counts!) was, get this, $6.99!  Oh yeah, the fries with the sammiches were very good, too....  The flavor and portion size for the price were enough to warm an old $$ guy's heart!  Bon Appetit, y'all!

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant: Good Food; Value, Not So Much.

We were going out for our 9th wedding anniversary, and a friend had very thoughtfully given us a sizable gift card to Oceanaire Restaurant, but we had eaten there several years ago and been sorta underwhelmed by the seafood and overwhelmed by the price tag, over $150 for the two of us. So when we saw on the back of the gift card that it was good for any Landry's-owned establishment, I checked out McCormick & Schmick's, 110 N. Illinois Street.  It's part of a chain, but there's only one in Indy, so I feel comfortable reviewing it.  The menu appeared a somewhat less expensive $$$ than Oceanaire's, and had much the same kind of food.  

I'm a $$ kind of guy, remember, so if you want me to fork over that additional $ ya better WOW me, and sadly, M&S did not.  It was good, mind you, it just wasn't $$$ good, especially since we had to come downtown and pay to park (although I think they do have valet parking available, so never mind the paying part).  I had the Ultimate Mixed Grill- grilled shrimp, stuffed shrimp, seared scallops, and a chunk of grilled salmon, with roasted red pepper mashed potatoes and green beans for $32.99.  Little Mama had the Shrimp Trilogy: fried shrimp, stuffed shrimp, and shrimp scampi with butternut squash orzo serving as the pasta for $26.99, and we split a $7.99 chopped side salad with blue cheese. 

The huge cup of blue cheese dressing that came with the salad and the orzo were the real highlights of the meal, not the seafood.  The orzo was freaking awesome, very plump and tasty, and the little cubes of squash made me thankfully forget I was eating squash.   The light buttermilk breading of the fried shrimp made it very tasty, too.  The grilled shrimp was overcooked, dry and tough, while the scallops and stuffed shrimp seemed underdone but tasted okay.  I know it's better to under cook than overcook scallops, but the very concept of "seared" implies that the top and bottom of the scallop ought to be browned just a bit, and these things were not browned at all-- they looked like they'd been broiled or baked.  Finally, the salmon, mashed potatoes, and green beans were decent but uninspiring.  With two glasses of wine our bill came in just under $100, and to me the bottom line is that Red Lobster is almost as good and a heck of a better value.  Oh yeah-- Mama always said to try to say something nice about everyone, so I will say the service was impeccable, not $$$ impeccable but DANGIT THERE I GO AGAIN, SORRY!

Baked to Perfection Bakery & Deli: Who Needs Cupcakes When You Can Have a Great Sandwich??

Baked to Perfection, 112 E. Fifth Street in Delphos, OH, is in an old storefront on the edge of downtown. Delphos is a fairly small town, so you could just drive around a bit once you get to the center and you'd probably find the place.  We've eaten there twice now, and the sandwiches are so good and reasonably priced that even a cheapskate like me was very pleased.  As we entered we could see the proprietor spreading a ridiculously thick layer of frosting on a red-velvet sheet cake.  I'm not much of a cake person but that had me wanting some. I think that's kind of the philosophy of this place:  it something is worth doing, it's worth OVERdoing.  Last time I had the Black & Blue Burger, and it had so much good, strong-tasting blue cheese melted on it that the meat was actually a little overwhelmed, so I had to scrape some off (but of course later ate it with a fork!).  

This time I had the Canal Club (the historic Miami & Erie Canal runs through Delphos) and she had the Panini Reuben.  Mine was pretty much your standard club, except it was maybe 2 1/2 inches thick with only top and bottom pieces of whole wheat toast.  Her Reuben, however, was a little work of art: a decent pile of delicate corned beef and sauerkraut with just the right amount of Thousand Island dressing between two pieces of marble rye, all held together by an enormous amount of melted Swiss.  She added her own touch of a little mustard, and when she let me have a bite, I was in Cheeeeeeeesy Heaven!  Check it out  at www.bakedtoperfection.net 

Eva's Pancake House & Restaurant: A Welcome Surprise!

Eva's Pancake House & Restaurant is a mini-chain, with 3 locations.  We happened upon the one in Pendleton, IN on SR 67 just down the road from the prison while on the way to visit The Little Woman's brother in Delphos, OH (You may recall her aversion to Interstate Highways and my driving on them), and at the time I didn't know there are also locations in Anderson and Muncie.  From the outside I wasn't expecting much.  It is just a tidy little brick building painted pale yellow, and the decor inside is kind of 80's vintage paneling and booths (think Jerry's, if you remember them).  TLW has embraced my penchant for adventure eating, but I think even she was having her doubts about the place.

Ah, but when the food arrived our opinions instantly changed:  Her tenderloin sammich was huge, thick, thickly breaded and very well seasoned.  In short, I was envious even though she shared some of it with me. I ordered the lunch special, an Italian Steak Sandwich with chicken noodle soup for (I think) $6.79.  Since I'm sorta doing the low-carb thing, I asked for it without bread (but of course I didn't turn down the fries TLW offered me, for shame!) and I added a side salad.  It turned out to be cheese steak smothered in melted mozzarella and seasoned with some kind of seasoning that gave it a delightful Italian flavor.

 In sum, I think we've found a new rest stop on the way to Dave's house.  Maybe next time we'll invite one of those nice young hitch hikers in tan or orange jump suits to come eat with us... or not.   I don't think we could fit on of their rakes in the car with us.

Teppanyaki Grill and Buffet: Ordinary Asian, But Done Well.

I went to Teppanyaki Grill & Buffet in the Cherry Tree Shopping Center (a really BIG strip mall) for lunch with about 12 colleagues.  There seem to be two basic forms of Asian buffets- one which feels like it was built in Shanghai in the 1940's and hasn't been updated since, and the other a streamlined-looking modern cafeteria with Asian-style furniture and a few other Far-East decor items.  Teppanyaki is one of the latter, with thick carpet, colorful blue and pink indirect lighting, and drop-spotlights giving it quite a pleasant atmosphere. It's one of those where a waiter or waitress takes your drink order and then you go get your own food, and man was there ever a lot of food: all sorts of Asian dishes as well as a whole steam table of American-style food for the xenophobes who get dragged there by their more adventurous spouses/family/friends.  It even has pepperoni pizzas. I hope I don't sound racist by telling you that our waitress was a teenaged little Asian girl with her hair worn so that a long strand fell on either side of her face, resembling the heroine of every anime film I've ever seen (which ain't many).  Memory was not her superpower, though, because she had to ask me twice what drink I'd ordered and then still brought me sweet tea instead of unsweet.  She was so polite, though, that I didn't have the heart to try to correct her again, and used it as an excuse to enjoy the guilty pleasure that is Sweet Tea....

I was a little disappointed in the more common Asian dishes.  The General Tso's Chicken was sweet and had very little heat to it, and the peppery chicken and shrimp likewise were not very peppery. A notable exception was the hibachi chicken, which was not spicy but had a delicious smoky flavor.  They do, however, have an impressive array of seafood that to me was better than most other Asian buffets.  There was baked fish, fried fish, salmon, cold mussels on the half-shell pre-dabbled with a sweet pepper sauce, steamed mussels on the half-shell, and baby clams on the half-shell, to name but a few.  I'm told they have a Mongolian-style grill to order bar in the back, too, but I didn't see that and had already loaded my plate(s), but I'll have to try that sometime.

UPDATE, 07/14/2014 (Sort of)- Went to the Teppanyaki at 38th/Moller Road, and the food was completely different from the one in Cherry Tree Plaza.  It wasn't bad, really, but everything tasted strange to me, even the staples like General Tso's Chicken-- it was vaguely sweet with almost NO heat, quite unlike the General Tso's  I'm used to, and, sadly, not to my liking.  I'll stick with the Cherry Tree one....  

Pollo Michoacano: Down Home Mexican Food

I was running around for work today and happened upon Pollo Michoacano, 2134 W. Washington St.across from George Washington High School in Indy, which is NOT in a strip mall, yahoo!  It's just a block or so away from the hub of Little Mexico, Belmont & Washington.  Some folk consider that part of the 'Hood, but I felt reasonably safe, during the day at least.  Anyway, it's in kind of an old building but has been nicely renovated, with lots of bright colors on the inside, typical of many such places. The inside was generally very clean; I couldn't see into the kitchen, but the waitress station was pristine.  Pollo Michoacono sort of translates to Michoacan-style Chicken, but I have yet to find anyone from Mexico that can tell me exactly what the difference is between the cooking in the various states of Mexico, other than the fact that those along the coast have lots of mariscos (seafood), and I discovered myself that Hidalgo, having been colonized by British Miners, favored many English dishes, the most prevalent being pastes (which in English is "pasties") baked pastry shells filled with cheese, meat, and vegetables, like an empanada only more stuffed. But I digress.... 

 It was early in the day (like 9:00 a.m.), which surprised me they were even open that early,  and they weren't very busy.  I ordered a Quesadilla Mediana with beef to go for $5.99;  it was big enough for us to split for lunch and it was GREAT!  They used a corn tortilla for the outside, which is not my favorite for tacos, but it was toasted just right for a Quesadilla.  The meat was very done and nicely seasoned, and there was a lot of cheese inside.  They gave me a little cup of tomatillo (green) sauce and one of pepper (red) sauce, as well as lettuce and a dollop of sour cream to compliment it.  Both sauces were home-made and very tasty; the red had quite a bit of fire to it, which makes Daddy very happy.  I'm pretty sure my next round of errands will somehow necessitate my going by there again....  Mmmm.  

The Peppy Grill: New Life for a Fountain Square Institution

I have no idea how old the ridiculously tiny Peppy Grill, 1034 Virginia Avenue in Indy, really is.  When I came here 23 years ago it had been owned by Jerry Wyman and later his ex-wife Mary for many many years, and they ran a pretty tight ship.  At that time it was one of very few Southside eating establishments that was open all night, so it was a hub of activity in the wee hours, with a mixture of hungry cops, thieves, repo men, drunken night club goers, and early-shift factory workers all sitting down across from each other in order to get some good basic diner food.  (They gave cops a 50% discount except during the hours of 3 to 5 a.m., when the cops were asked not to come in because they frightened away the drunks.  A small bit of corruption, I suppose, but hey, bidness is bidness and ya gotta respect that, y'know?) Alas, at some point Mary retired and sold the place, and thereafter it suffered a long, slow decline as it passed from one lazy or inept owner after another.  The last time I tried to eat there was about 2 years ago, when I sat there for almost 30 minutes without anyone lifting a finger to help me, so I left and never went back.

A Facebook post saying the Peppy was under new management brought me back, however, and on a Saturday morning we journeyed to Fountain Square.  At 10:00 in the morning the place was full of twenty-something hipsters, and if they're the new face of Fountain Square, I'm all for it. Vive La Renaissance!  There was only one waiter and he didn't seem terribly experienced, but he was hustling.  She ordered a Grilled Tenderloin Sandwich along with (so glad they're back!) Sour Cream Fries with Ranch dipping sauce, and I had a Western Omelet.  The service was a little slow, but the waiter guy and the owner, who called herself Grandma Suzy, kept our coffee cup and iced-tea glass filled while we waited.  I dunno what kind of coffee they used, but it was darned good, and the tea seemed to have been brewed rather than poured out of a jug from Sysco.  Since tenderloins are an Indiana tradition, everyone has their own idea about which is the best.  This one was big,  pounded thin and very well browned, which is just the way I like it, and the omelet was chocked full of onions, peppers, and tomatoes, very tasty.  Our total bill was like $23, not too bad for a $$ guy like meself.  The jury's still out on whether this current iteration makes it, but it is still nice to see the Peppy Grill full of semi-satisfied people again, even if they're not gypsies, tramps and thieves!        

Coals Artisan Pizza-- Best in the Derby City?

I've been told that Coals Artisan Pizza, 3730 Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, KY (or is it in St. Matthews? It's certainly close to downtown St.M) in the upscale shopping complex that has grown up around the old Vogue Theatre, is the closest to true New York style pizza you'll get in that fair city.  I dunno if that's true, since Louisville has a LOT of pizza places, but I do know I love Coals' pizza even if it isn't "Louisville Style", which as I understand it is the piling on of toppings without any extra cheese or sauce. (Bearno's is supposed to be a good example of Louisville style, which I always loved.  There was a Bearno's here in downtown Indy for awhile but I believe it has closed).  

Coals has a coal-fired brick oven that supposedly operates at almost 1000 degrees, which produces a delicious toasty, crispy crust in about four minutes.  It's thicker than the cracker-thin crust you get at Donato's or with Pizza Hut's Thin 'n Crispy, yet it is every bit as toasty and crisp.  The array of gourmet toppings you can get in both red and white pizza is quite varied, and several combinations of toppings are named after Louisville neighborhoods.  We had lunch there and I had the Clifton, which is a red pizza with a combination of onions, peppers and cheeses as well as Italian sausage that had me singing its praises, much to the dismay of other diners because I don't sing very well.  Some of the user reviews in TripAdvisor said this place is pricey, but the lunch deal was really decent-- a 10" personal pizza and a large side salad for $8.95  The salad was extremely fresh, and it was showered with diced cubes of mozzarella cheese.  Some reviews said the tables were too close together, but I didn't find it to be any worse than Cracker Barrel!  The orgasmic climax to this, my dream pizza experience was that they have a FULL BAR!  Woohoo!  What's not to like?  Huh?  Huh?  Mangia!

The Galt House Hotel: A Grand Deal on a Grand Hotel

The Galt House, 144 N. 4th Street in Louisville, KY right on the Ohio River, garners more respect and admiration from me every time we stay there.  It's listed in most directories as a 3.5 star hotel, which baffles me because it has every amenity you could want except for an indoor pool.  The nearby Hyatt is listed as 4 stars, and it is nowhere near as nice the the GH, as far as I'm concerned.  If you're ever planning a weekend visit to the Derby City, the Galt House is really the place to stay.  It is older but impeccably maintained and several areas have recently been renovated.  Because GH caters primarily to business travelers and convention visitors, you can really get a deal there during holiday periods when neither of those groups travel much.  The last time we stayed there was during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, and this time we checked in on New Year's Day for two days.  Both times, we got a really great price ($53 per day + $13/day in taxes and fees this last time through Priceline.com vs. the advertised price of $114/day) and both times they upgraded us to a suite at no extra charge, which had a sitting room w/TV, a big bedroom with TV, and an elegant glass-door shower big enough for 4 people! The only drawback to being there New Year's Day was that the place seemed virtually empty except for that boy riding his big wheel and the two little twin sisters in matching dresses, whom we passed often in the hallway....  I thought at first we had no warm water, but it turns out there were so few guests that it just took a long time for the hot stuff to be drawn up to our 3rd floor room from the boiler! After running the shower for about ten minutes we finally had all the steamy goodness we needed.  

GH has 2 bars:  Al J's, which is inside the huge glass conservatory which serves as the 3rd floor bridge between the hotel's two towers, and Jockey Silks, an intimate little place on the 2nd floor of the East(?) Tower.  Al J's has a view of downtown and the river, and the bar is actually a saltwater fish tank with several varieties of fish that swim back and forth under your drink.  Jockey Silks is low-ceilinged, wood-paneled, and has an impressive array of Bourbons.  They're not cheap, but they're reasonable considering their convenient location in the hotel.  We always stop in at one or the other for a nightcap before retiring to our room.

There are three restaurants, four if you count Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse, which is not part of the hotel but is directly accessible from it.  Rivue is the $$$$ upscale penthouse restaurant that has relaxing live music and two parts of the dining area that rotate, giving you an alternatiing view of the river and the skyline.  The food there is excellent, too.  The other restaurant is on the Third Floor and is $$ for us cheapskates-- we've never eaten there, but the food looked and smelled delicious as we walked by.  Fnally, there is Thelma's, a 24/7 snack bar in the conservatory next to Al J's, which has coffee, soft drinks, pastries, and sandwiches.  If you go down to Thelma's in the wee hours, you might see an old, only slightly disheveled homeless man sitting in one of the unoccupied chairs tucked away in a corner.  He wears a once-grand trenchcoat and sits quietly, sipping his cup of Thelma's coffee or dozing. They never run him off and he never makes a sound, an unwritten charitable agreement between them, a mark of true Southern Hospitality.  God bless y'all!.

The Country Diner: True to Its Name.

The Country Diner is on SR 11 in Walesboro, IN, between Seymour and Columbus.  That is, I think it's in Walesboro, 'cause that's the last "Entering" town sign we saw on our way northbound before arriving there on our way back on January 3rd from a New Year's Day trip to Louisville.  (Hey, if Word don't call it a run-on sentence, it ain't one!)  It's a little yellow-tan concrete block building kind of in the middle of nowhere. We'd been hungry ever since leaving the Derby City, but every one of the little independent places I'd looked for on the way were either closed for good or didn't open until later in the day (I was especially peeved that Youa-Carry-Outa in Sellersburg wasn't open for lunch. What better lunch could you have than Chinese food prepared by redneck white people?)  

The Country Diner was thus a welcome little tropical island in the middle of miles of frozen countryside suffering record low (-15) temps, at least we thought it would be. After parking our truck in the lot with all the other trucks and SUV's (not a single car to be seen), however, we discovered the concrete block walls were not well insulated, as everyone in there huddled at their tables still wearing their heavy coats. I sighed a bit, thinking I would see my breath hang in the air; I didn't, but I still felt cold.  "Coffee, STAT!"  I cried, but the 19 to 21 year-old Norma Jean Baker lookalike waitress only smiled blankly.  When the coffee did come, though, it was quite good.  We suddenly discovered that in sitting down at the one open table in the place (which was the longest one in the room) we were poaching on the local Liars' Bench, because a really old guy came in and sat right down with us, looking at me as if we were Native American warriors and he expected the cavalry to arrive at any moment.  Luckily another small table in the corner opened up, and the waitress smiled with relief when we offered to move. Soon afterwards the cavalry did arrive, in the form of 5 more geezers in Carhartts and gimme caps who proceeded to the Liars' Table and began making all kinds of noise, but it was kind of entertaining to see 6 near-cadavers so animated.

The menu was your basic diner grub:  sandwiches, soup of the day, chili, burgers, and tenderloins with fries or tater tots.  She had a grilled tenderloin and I had a bacon cheeseburger, and though maybe they were nothing special they were quite good, especially since we'd been hungry all morning.  The tenderloin was rather thick, not pounded out paper thin like most places, which made it more like a pork chop sandwich.  The bacon burger was 'way decent, with bacon cooked just beyond limp and meaty so that it was just crispy enough to be good on a sandwich.  The thing that struck me most about the food was it was all so danged fresh-- soft buns, fresh crispy lettuce, just-ripe tomatoes and onions.  Add some grease and salt and you would've had the equivalent of a Five Guys burger....  Oh, yeah, the fries were the big crinkle-cut kind, like twice the size of White Castle fries, so they were THE BEST FRIES I've had in a long time. The only bad thing about the place (besides the frigid temp) was that they don't accept credit cards... but they will take checks!  For you younger folk, a check is a piece of paper issued by the bank-- Oh, never mind!  Anyway, I'm telling ya we'll be going back there sometime, y'all!

UPDATE, 02/25/2014:  The check we wrote to the place took 2 and 1/2 weeks to clear our bank in Indy!  I dunno if they wait till they get a bunch of checks before they go to the bank, or the overland stage from Seymour to Induhnaplus failed to stop there in Daleville or what, but I think that's the longest delayed check I've ever gotten from inside the Hoosier State!  It was worth it to have as a souvenir of a fun time, though....