Mi Abuelito: More of Everything!

 Mi Abuelito is (sigh) in a strip mall on the east side of the 8300 block of South US31, in yet another of those black holes of the business universe where each new entity soon disappears: It's been 4 or 6 different types of restaurants or bars in the last 10 years or so. Mi Abuelito has been open for about 6 weeks. There is another Mi Abuelito in Franklin, Indiana, but I dunno if the two are connected.   We stumbled upon this place after finding that the newly opened Humble Taco (review to come) had a two-hour wait:  This $$ guy despises waiting in lines, traffic jams, or on hold, and I'm glad we didn't wait....

Mi Abuelito has more of an upscale appearance than most other Mexican restaurants, very beautiful with a LOT of colorful carved furniture and wall decorations.  The artsy menu also had slighly higher prices than I expected, but it was our night out, so WTH.  The Little Woman had a 3-taco plate and I ordered the Fajitas de Lujo (de Luxe).  TLW ordered a Jalapeno Margarita to drink, and when they asked what size she wanted, she said the largest one, not knowing how big that was-- turns out it was a whopping 58 ouncea, so we shared it.  It was delicious but not overly strong, and the jalapenos added a nice zest to the tart sweetness of the margarita mix.

TLW's tacos were very, very good-- traditional with lots of cilantro and nicely browned ground beef. My fajitas were excellent, a GIANT mound of meats, including a large barbecued pork rib, mixed with a decent amount of green peppers and onions. My motto is "leftovers are for quitters", but for one of only a few times in my life I had to admit it was more than I could eat, and in fact there was so much there that it made for lunch the next day for both of us!  In sum, Mi Abuelito is a great Mexican Restaurant, not because it's radically different, but because it does all the usual dishes very well and in a big, BIG way.  iComemos!

Shakers Good Eats and Ale: New But Not Different

Shakers Good Eats and Ale, is located (say it with me) in a strip mall at Southport Road and Franklin Road.  It appears to be a part of a small chain based in Cincinnati, with the other locations simply called Shakers, and it has that appearance, sort of a bare-bones kind of the Fern Bars of old, like Bennigan's, Max & Erma's, or TGI Friday's. So, it IS comfortable and inviting. but rather lacks any sort of individual character. I imagine that it is nevertheless a welcome addition to the nearly non-existent Franklin Township dining scene, and all in all maybe not a bad one.

The Little Woman ordered a Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich ($10) and I had a Brisket Sandwich ($13), both of which came with fries. I was initially a little disappointed with the price until the food arrived-- both sammiches were HUGE and came with a large mound of breaded/seasoned fries that were quite tasty. TLW's tenderloin was thick and breaded with a very nicely seasoned fish-type breading.  She could only eat half of it, and she and I later made a nice snack of the other half.  My brisket was decent but a little soft and undercooked, lacking any smoked flavor. 

The place just opened on March 17th, the day Covid-19 restrictions began here in Indy, so they may not be completely organized yet.  Service was a little slow: TLW's $6 glass of Pinot Grigio arrived rather quickly, but when I ordered a flight of Oliver Moscatos for $8, they were unable to provide one of the varieties because they'd lost the corkscrew to open a new bottle!  ...Anyway, the place is decent, especially there on the edge of civilization, with a number of covered outdoor tables and a half-wall of TV screens.  They'll probably be well up and running... eventually!

The Tailgate: I'm in Burger Heaven!

The Tailgate, 8028 S. Emerson Avenue #V is (sigh) in a strip mall, in part of the old space where Gallagher's I was located.  It's a neat, clean little place (capacity 99, according to the fire marshal sign) with a nice bunch of TV's, including one humongous HD flat screen on one wall.  Other than that, it's your run of the mill kind of bar, except that they have a charcoal grill in the kitchen... I said, they have a charcoal grill IN THE DANGED KITCHEN!  It's vented to the outside so no one gets asphyxiated, but the grilling aromas nevertheless permeate the place, making you hungry the moment you walk in, just like the Weber Grill Restaurant downtown, but at half the price. We had just eaten, the last time I went in there, but I vowed to retu rn for something from that wondrous innovation in olfactory excitement as soon as possible.... 

Low and behold, some of The Little Woman's high school buds are regulars there, so we arranged to meat them (d'oh! I meant to say meet them, but the memory of the grill is overwhelming my typing subconscious) to watch the Colts' skin of their teeth win over Jacksonville.  I had the Bacon and Bleu Burger, which is one of their "stuffed" burgers.  It had bacon crumbles and cheese INSIDE the patty, with additional bleu cheese and bacon on top, which was AWESOME!  Really, though, the star of the show was the burger itself: grilled to perfection, with exactly the right amount of char (which I have trouble achieving at home, dangit).  The next time, and there WILL be a next time, I assure you, I will eschew the "stuffed" stuff and opt for a simple, ordinary, exquisite Tailgater, so I can enjoy all that charcoal goodness without distraction.

Sorry to run a bit long, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the beer-battered onion rings ($1.99, with the burger) with which I thought I would be disappointed, since they were big and fat, which usually means a concrete-hard coating that is not to my taste, but hallelujah!   The coating was light, crisp, and nicely seasoned, making the mild sweetness of the onion inside a nice contrast.  TLW had a Chicken Wrap (which she said was good but how could you compare it to that magnificent BURGER?!) which came with homemade coleslaw.  Coleslaw, like potato salad and onion rings, is one of those personal preference kind of tastes.  The Tailgate's slaw was fresh and very unusual in that it was made with mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip, making it more savory than sweet, and I actually liked that very much.  I can't say enough good things about this place-- The owners, Denny and Paula, are the nicest folks:  Denny makes homemade ice cream, I guess as a kind of hobby, and he was giving out free samples throughout the game, and it was deeeeelicious!  Ah, Sweet Mr. Reese of Life, I've found my Man-Cave away from home....

The Thompson House: Great Drinks, and Definitely NOT Your Ordinary Pub Grub

The Thompson House Bar & Grill, 711 E. Thompson Road, is around the corner in the same old strip mall as my home away from Home, the Green Door Lounge, but don't hold that against it-- the place is new, clean, and attractively furnished, although the rather ornate bar with a brass rail supported by brass elephant-head brackets seems a little fancy in contrast to the otherwise simple decor.  It's also next door to El Compadre Taqueria, the home of the best tacos I've had in Indy (see review), so a range of evening entertainment and dining options can be had right there in that one little commercial center.  Some of TTH's owners used to own Lizard's, a gun & knife club at Thompson & Madison that closed a couple of years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that they have taken such care with this place.

TTH is first and foremost a bar, with ten or more electronic dart boards and a couple of arcade games around the walls, as well as eight TV's scattered about the room, and a stage where live entertainment plays three (?) days a week.  The sound system for the jukebox is GREAT, which has seduced me into putting a lot of moola into playing the songs I want to hear.  Something about that speaker set-up makes it possible to hear the music AND engage in conversation with the people at your table without either drowning the other out.  Since they opened about 6 months ago, the crowd has mainly been composed of middle-class working people with a few well-to-doers, too.  There are usually at least 4 or 5 Harleys parked outside with their weekend warrior owners stopping in for only 1 or 2 before continuing their ride.  The drinks are decent and not overpriced, and they have a number of meaningful specials through the week.

All this down-to-earth ambiance makes TTH a very comfortable place to relax, which is reason enough to go there, but, OHMIGOSH, you have to try the FOOD!  It is 3 cuts above your usual pub grub:  I've been trying something different off the menu every time I visit, and have yet to be disappointed.  The best thing I've found so far is the Reuben sandwich:  fresh rye bread, homemade corned beef, and sauerbraten grilled in teriyaki sauce make it ever so tasty, every bit the equal of Gandolfo's Deli (see review) and at little more than half the price. I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention Robert's Ribs available on Fridays.... LET'S EAT, Y'ALL!  

Madison Avenue Pub- The Song Remains the Same, but a Little Sweeter

I thought I'd already reviewed the Madison Avenue Pub, 7350 S. Madison Avenue, but apparently not.  MAP was formerly The Party, which had been renovated and revamped by a group of owners that had as managing partners this guy Steve and his son Chris, who also ran Big Daddy's and The Longacre Bar & Grill. It was a nice place, but they took away much of the old place's charm and made it into a night club with snotty waitresses and sleazy bartenders.  Wellll, supposedly there was a falling out between the owners, and they forced out ole' Steve and Chris from this particular place, anyway.

The new managing partners seem like nice folks, and the pub grub we had the other day was better than decent.  I ordered a 12" pizza, which was more artisan style than pub style-- crispy breaded crust, fresh cheese, meats, sauce, and spices, for $12.  Yeah, the price is not my favorite thing about this place, for sure.  A well drink is still $4, as were the domestic drafts (I think).  They have specials, but none of the ones I've seen so far have been very enticing.  Still, it's a VERY nice place now, especially the outdoor beer garden.  I'll go back, but I'd go back a lot more if the prices came down.  Drink up!... but not too fast.

UPDATE, 04/22/2016:  The place closed a few weeks ago....  The other partners supposedly accused Steve Waugh (of Big Daddy's fame), who managed this bar and The Longacre Pub, of skimming off some of the profits.  I dunno whether that's true, but the Longacre has reopened with all new owners and Madison Avenue Pub remains closed.  The asking price is rumored to be $450,000, one likely to not get many answers.

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! 

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!        

Bailey's on Bluff- Great Decor in Great Decline

Bailey's on Bluff, in (you guessed it) a strip mall on the Northwest corner of Southport Road and Bluff Road, used to be one of the Bubbaz chain of Southside bars that came to be known for their Combat Nightlife, which is why (I think) none of them are called Bubbaz anymore.  I can't remember what it was called before it was Bubbaz, but I suspect the original owners wanted to open an upscale place to draw in the more well-to-do clientele moving into Murphy's Landing and other nearby expensive housing additions, just as Grumpy Ed's across the street tried to do before it gave up the ghost and became Robbie's Pub.  The wood paneling and bar layout of this place is gorgeous, but it hasn't been updated, or even maintained, really.  The carpet is old and smelly and worn, even more than the usual formless, colorless bar carpet.  Maybe it was the excess humidity of an unseasonably warm, rainy day in January, but the whole place had a musty, sour booze smell that I found really unpleasant.  As a result I didn't try any of the pub grub, and neither did anyone else while I was there.  Now that there is a smoking ban, bar & grilles are going to have to step up on their housekeeping now that they don't have stale cigarette smoke smell to mask the aroma of vomit, urine, and other fermenting fluid residues.

On the plus side, though, the beer and drink prices are decent, there are a number of big-screen TV's and tables set up specifically to view them, and usually at least one of the barmaids on duty is a smokin' hot babe.  But for the Geezer that I am, clean and comfortable trumps visual cheesecake almost any day, so unless they do some cleaning and renovating, Bailey's on Bluff is not on my return list.

The Party's New Face-- More Than Just a Makeover

The renovation of The Party, 7350 Madison Avenue, is almost complete, and owner Steve Waugh has really transformed the ancient former Rax Roast Beef location.  There is a DJ booth, some nice new seating in the great new bar area, and the covered outdoor patio is a thing to behold-- There are two little man-made waterfalls out front and a gas fire pit in the middle as well as propane area heaters stationed at intervals throughout the patio, and I'm told there are even radiant heating panels in its ceiling!  With all the renovation expense I expected prices to rise uncomfortably like they did at Waugh's other joint, Big Daddy's at Meridian and Pleasant Run Parkway, but so far that hasn't happened.  On Monday drafts were $1.50 + tax, the regular price for a well drink is still $3.50, and a glass of Sutter Home wine is $3.95. (They still have half-price bottles of all varieties of their wines on Sundays, too!)  There's a pretty extensive pub grub menu, too.  What's not to like?  Cheers, y'all!

Zelma's: An Eastside tradition stays fresh.

One afternoon on a crisp Fall Sunday, we went in Zelma's, 935 N. Shadeland Avenue,  for the first time in maybe fifteen years.  I remembered the place as the rather comfortable epitome of the words "greasy spoon", the type of 24/7 place that decades ago would have been frequented by the likes of Philip Marlowe.  Now, however, though she is still open 24 hours a day and probably serves a lot of late-night drunken revelers and other nefarious characters, the spoons are NOT greasy and the dining room is bright and clean.  

The Little Woman had a grilled tenderloin sandwich with fries and coleslaw while I ordered the Beef Manhattan which (in case you weren't born on this planet) is usually brown gravy over roast beef on an open-faced sandwich with mashed potatoes, but in this case it was just like they made a regular sandwich, put it down on a plate with some mashed potatoes and poured gravy over it.  I later learned one of their specialties is Fried Chicken, so I guess I wasn't exactly sampling their flagship dish, but our stuff was decent if not outstanding.  The gravy and mashed potatoes seemed straight out of the Sysco catalog but were tasty nevertheless, and the sliced roast beef was browned, which suggests to me they warmed it in a frying pan or the broiler.  However they did it, the browning added a little extra flavor to the beef.  Her tenderloin was again decent if not inspired. Both the coleslaw and my dinner salad were very, very fresh, a real treat coming from an all-night diner. The price was right, too-- less than twenty bucks for both of us. All in all, Philip Marlowe would be happy to eat there, except he'd have to put his cigarettes away and straighten his tie, because it's so clean and bright he'd want to look presentable.

UPDATE, 02/27/2014:  We visited again last Sunday, I think it was, and the food was really decent but the service wasn't so good.  They became quite busy, and the waitress (sorry I forgot her name, although she said she'd been waitressing 36 years) was not keeping up very well, and didn't look like she was trying too hard, either.  The first cup of coffee she brought me was, no joke, ice cold, must have been sitting on a warmer that was turned off.  It took her a while to get back around to me to warm it up, too.  Still, when the food came it was very good-- I had Zelma's Breakfast deal: 4 slices of bacon, 2 eggs, toast, home fries, and coffee all for just $6.50, which seriously warmed my $$ heart.  Enjoy!

Bojack's Pub- Pretty Place, Pretty Deal

Bojack's is located (say it with me) in a strip mall that runs perpendicular to E. Jefferson Street in Franklin, Indiana near the Franklin College (or is that Franklin University?  Seems like no institution of higher learning is a mere college, anymore) campus.  It's a really nice little strip mall, though, being red brick and only containing a few little upscale shops in addition to the bar, and the parking lot is bordered by a tree-lined creek, making the place almost picturesque. There is a large covered outdoor seating area, but it was hot outside. The inside of the bar is clean, classic sports bar decor, with 5 pool tables and 15 flat screen TV's.  The Little Woman and I had drifted south in an effort to find some dinette chairs to go with our kitchen table, and after stopping at Dinette Land, then going on to find that Amish Furniture Mart no longer exists and Long's Furniture was closed due to a fire or something, we decided to stop in Bojack's, one of the few Franklin pubs we've not visited.  The others (with the exception of The Tavern, which seemed a little sketchy) are all very comfortable places-- we've pondered maybe making an overnight visit, checking into one of the motels by I-65 and seeing if their shuttle might take us to town and back.  Ahh, someday....

It was 3:00 p.m. on a Saturday and the regular crowd hadn't stumbled in, yet, so I dunno what it's like later in the day,  but we ran into an old bud who now lives in Prince's Lakes who said he likes to stop in Bojack's and drink a beer on the way home when he doesn't want to do it with the rednecks in Edinburgh (opinions expressed here may not be those of the author).  The cook was late because his car had stalled in high water from a storm, so the barmaid (a comely girl with glasses and hair in a bun-- sort of a naughty librarian thing) was doubly busy and not in the mood for chit chat or taking too long to decide on your food order.  She lightened up considerably once the wayward cook had arrived and manned his duty station.  The beer special was a pitcher of draft Pacifico for $6, and it turned out to be a good sized (64 oz.) pitcher, too, so Bojack's made a good first impression on us.  But bar food is always a hit or miss proposition, so we hoped for the best and placed our orders for a 7-inch personal pizza with 3 toppings and the day's special, a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich with sweet potato fries.  Both were really good, if not great, a definite passing score for pub grub.  The pizza was like most bar pizza, but it was really fresh, and the cheesesteak meat was nicely marinated. The kicker was, though, that the price was reeeeeally GREAT!  The pizza was $2.99 and sandwich plate was $6.95, so our entire bill came to like sixteen bucks and some change.  Incredible! 

Flashbacks: A Badly Needed Oasis Re-Opens

Flashbacks, in a strip mall (ain't they all?) at Shelbyville Road and Southport Road, has been open for a couple months in the space where Brandon's was. The location is surrounded by residential subdivisions for several miles around, so it is quite an alcohol oasis amid the great suburban-sprawl wasteland that is most of Franklin Township.  The layout is basically the same as Brandon's but they've renovated it nicely, with a kind of faux-marble floor instead of just concrete, and all the exposed duct work has been painted glossy black, along with other touches which give the place a slightly more elegant look.  I met Mike, one of the owners, and he seems to be a nice, really sharp guy.  There is a lot of old Franklin Township High School Flashes memorabilia on the walls, which may be the source of the Flashbacks name, I suppose.  The decor is understated and not overwhelming so I felt really comfortable in the new place.   The drink prices are decent but not a bargain, and the food is your basic pub grub but very decent, too.  They have a good selection of draft beers, and an actual wine list(!)  I've heard the pizza is especially good there, but have yet to sample it. My bro-in-law (see his guest review of Vito Provolone's, below) absolutely loves the French Dip here.  Yet another reason to go back it is, young Skywalker.... 

UPDATE: 12/27/2012-- I went there for a family member's birthday celebration (there were 8 of us) and was totally disappointed, sorry to say.  The birthday boy loved this place, raved about its French Dip sandwich, said the meat was marinated so well and the generous cup of u jus was so tasty he would drink what was left after dipping his sandwich.  Well when his sandwich came this time, it was smaller than anyone remembered, was not as tasty, and the cup of au jus was tiny, not enough to even dip the sandwich.  My tenderloin was decent but nothing special....  When they brought the food, another person in our party, who had ordered the exact same thing I did, did not get her food until like 15 minutes after the rest of us.  On top of that, one of our party paid for her own meal with cash and yet her bill was added onto the host's check, charging us twice for the same meal. I dunno if that was intentional or just incompetent, as the wait staff seemed generally clueless.  I did not see any of the place's owners there, which was unusual, so maybe they suffered from a lack of supervision.  There was no excuse for the apparent downsizing of the French Dip, though.  I still enjoyed the relaxed ambiance there, so I'll give 'em a second chance, but only one.   ;-)

Teddy's Burger Joint: Burgers and Then Some....

Teddy's Burger Joint, 2222 W. Southport Rd, is on the back corner of a little strip mall, and if it hadn't been for a billboard I saw out on SR 37, I'd never have found out about it.  They've tried to put up little directional signs here and there, but you really have to look for the place, which is in the little mall right behind Piper's.  We stopped in early on a Friday afternoon, and at that time there was only one other customer in the place.  I thought maybe they just opened and hadn't had a chance to get a good start yet, but when we asked how long they'd been in bidness they proudly said since October of 2010!  As we got closer to dinner time, though, the crowd started rolling in....  It's primarily a family place, but they have wine, draft beer(!), bottle beers ranging from imports to craft beers to American standards, and draft root beer, too!  The decor consists of a  polished concrete floor, rustic wood, exposed duct work (think Hooters' without the girls), and a fireplace with a mix of regular tables and wooden picnic tables.  The little woman said to make sure I mention that the draft beer is reeeeally cold, something she prizes (along with blistering hot soup and steak so rare it moos when you cut it... but that's another story or two).  The burger prices seem a bit steep until you consider that they come completely dressed and include fries and sandwich-length pickle slices. I had the Bison Burger, which is offered at market price (ten-something dollars, that day), and My Love had the Philly Burger, which was $8.69 or so.   She had a 23-ounce Sun King Wee-Mac ale (see previous post about beer-tasting at the local breweries) and I had a big Flat-12 Amber Ale.  The burgers were really decent, but lacked the deadly greasy goodness of Five Guys' semi-homemade big sliders, I think in an homage to halfway healthy eating.  The Bison Burger is very, very lean, and you can also get a Vegetarian Burger, as well as healthy whole-wheat buns and such.  The grilled onions and green peppers on the Philly Burger were outstanding!  For the kids there are 3.99 burger plates and  a play room with chalkboard walls and floor as well as a big TV on a kid-friendly channel, and there is a sandbox on the outdoor patio, which also has a number of picnic tables for good-weather dining.  I liked it, overall, although I haven't had a favorite burger there yet, but they have a number of variations, so we'll be back!  Oh, yeah, they have a small stage, too, for live music on weekend nights. Whoa!  What's not to like?

Old Meridian Pub redux: Come for the Booze, Stay for the Food!

(Please see earlier post about Old Meridian Pub for more details about the place.)  I had only a smidgen of experience with the food at OMP the last time we were there, so we went for dinner on a Thursday, which is Steak Night:  You get a small filet or medium-sized sirloin and two sides for 8 bucks.  Any misgivings I might've had about eating there were immediately put to rest when I saw Steve, formerly the cook at the Gaslight Inn, come out of the kitchen.  I really don't know much about Steve--  I don't know his politics, whether he likes puppies or long walks on the beach, or any of that stuff, but I do know he REALLY can cook.  I had heard that Steve was working for the Mucky Duck, but alas, I can only assume that the ole' MD is still nearly poisoning its diners as before....  Oh well, MD's loss was our gain, as the OMP's dinner was da BOMB!  My filet was lightly seasoned and cooked to perfection, tender enough to melt in your mouth.  As I've said about some other dishes, I dunno what makes a great baked potato, but this one was equal to the best steak house potatoes I've ever had, and the macaroni & cheese (a potato AND macaroni?  Hey, it was Carb Day as far as I was concerned!), while maybe not the absolute best I've had, was darned good.  The drink specials included a bucket of 5 domestic beers for $10 and my favorite-- their house wine, a Chilean variety, for $2.50 a glass!  (Again, Schneider's take note!)  This was our best trip to OMP yet, and not our last, for sure.

An Update:  An acquaintance of ours went to OMP on a Friday and got the Prime Rib, said it was tasteless, lacked any kind of seasoning.   Although I find that hard to believe, I thought I'd note it for fairness' sake.  Apparently Steve wasn't working that night, but it seems like they would still have his recipes. Hmmmm.....

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: Another buddy just told me he went on a Friday and ordered Prime Rib, and it was the best he'd eaten in a long time!  Go figure, but knowing Chef Steve I'd say the one bad comment was a fluke, an anomaly, an aberration, a, a, a, er,  HONEY GET ME MY THESAURUS!

UPDATE, 07/30/2012:  Came to OMP after a disappointing visit to Meridian Fall Bar & Grille (see review) and again was pleasantly surprised.  Well drinks were two, two, two dollars each!  We had the Double Dog Dare, two 1/4 pound chili dogs with chips for $7.99.  The dogs and the chili were delicious (beef wieners and real chili, not coney sauce), although they were on Kaiser rolls which stood up to the massive wieners and chili better than a hot dog bun would, but which were a little more dense and bread-y than I would've liked. I looked around and noticed that the clientele was mostly 35+ in age, although I'm not sure why that is.  OMP doesn't have live music or a dance floor, but it does have great food and drink for a great price.  Cheers!

What's behind The Green Door?

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.....

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!

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.)

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!

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!

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.....