Aristocrat Pub & Restaurant - Indianapolis, IN

I am not a foodie.  I'm not some hipster douchebag with my jeans rolled up like manpri's, some clever form of facial hair combined with some thick framed, non-prescription glasses.  I don't sit around waxing philosophical about the culinary world as if I am a food expert.  Don't get me wrong, I am all about culinary innovation, but I also recognize if my dessert wasn't prepared with liquid nitrogen so I spew a fog of vapor out like a dragon with each bite, then it doesn't mean my dessert isn't cool or good.

I am about real people cooking real food and sharing their love and passion through their menu and ambiance.  I am about supporting hard working individuals that work tirelessly to provide for their families instead of corporate conglomerations that seek to profit while watering down the American culinary experience. 

Despite my aversion often times to the trendy parts of town, I found myself recently in the Broad Ripple section of Indianapolis.  Broad Ripple is often considered the youthful, trendy part of town.  The nightlife in Broad Ripple is the place to be generally.  So with some trepidation I set out to find my kind of place in what I feared would be a hipster stronghold.  On north College Avenue, I spied the Aristocrat Pub & Restaurant.  The signage proudly advertised the place had been in operation since 1933.  That sounded like my kind of place.  I was a tad concerned it may be a hipster enclave since it resides next door to a vinyl record shop, however I promised to give it a shot. 

What's that?  Vinyl records are vintage, you say?  They are and I have plenty of them from my younger years, however I know what they are and how they sounded back in the day.  Not this new trendy way of listening to albums by kids who never smelled the aroma of a freshly opened vinyl album.

Inside the pub, I was greeted by a wealth of warmly-stained woodwork.  I elected to seat myself at the bar.  The bar was well lit and bright, which helped showcase the beautiful woodwork, which includes wooden booths and an all-wood square beam ceiling right out of the 1930s period.  The bar itself was an expansive u-shaped wooden monster allowing for plenty of seating and showing off the 60 beer taps available.  I was at a seminar so I wasn't able to sample the selection, but I took a look and there is something for any beer lover.  Stouts to lagers to IPAs to cider and beyond. 

Some of the Aristocrat Beer Selection

The menu provided by my attentive bartender was ample, however not overcrowded.  It was an eclectic mix of international and American cuisine.  I decided to try the egg rolls as an appetizer.  The portion was large with three full egg rolls and fairly priced at $9.  The egg rolls at the Aristocrat also have chicken in them.  Large chunks of chicken actually and they are served with two different sauces.  The soy-ginger and sesame-garlic sauces are similarly Asian, yet distinct in texture and flavor.  I spent time sampling back and forth and I like the soy-ginger the best in the end.  It was salty with a good bite from the ginger and the sesame-garlic was good, but seemed a little too thick and sweet for me.

The veggies in the egg roll were crisp and fresh and the chicken was juicy.  Everything played well with the sauces.  My only criticism was that the middle portion of each egg roll wrapper was a little soggy.  I would have preferred the wrapper a bit crispier.  All in all, the dish was great and the meal was off to a good start.

Egg Roll Appetizer

I chose a sandwich for my entrée and decided to go with the Smokey Reubenson, a cleverly named twist on a traditional reuben.  The Smokey Reubenson consists of smoked turkey breast and swiss cheese piled between grilled slices of marble rye.  The sandwich also gets a generous slathering of a tangy slaw.  The portion was large and everything worked fairly well together.  The turkey had some crispy signs it spent some time on the flattop and the cheese was equal parts ooey and gooey.  The slaw was crisp and finely chopped, although I didn't care as much for the dressing.  It was essentially a 1000 dressing, however it was a bit bland without much bite or flavor to it.  The dressing certainly didn't ruin the sandwich, however the side of kettle chips stole the show.

A heaping mound of kettle chips came with the sandwich and they were delicious.  The chips were warm and extra crispy as a good kettle chip should be.  The chips showed evidence of a salty, garlicky, peppery adornment on them making them impossible to stop eating.  I definitely considered ordering some on the side to take home.  The bartender told me the chips were not made in the restaurant, but sourced locally from a small batch chipmaker. 

The Smokey Reubenson

All in all, I was very impressed with the lunch I had at the Aristocrat.  The sandwich was ample to eat alone and was affordable at $9.  If you crave a wide selection of domestic, craft and international beers paired with a solid menu of food, then I think you will enjoy the experience.  The staff was also knowledgeable about the menu and took great care of me, checking in often and refilling my drink regularly.  The current staff are doing a good job of maintaining the traditional appeal of a place that has been around 80 years in an area where the new seems to be preferred over the old.  The distinct lack any signs of hispters present during my lunchtime visit let me know they have been doing things right for some time.  As a matter of fact, the two gentlemen dining on my side of the bar were old enough to have dined at the bar when it first opened.  Hopefully I will be dining there in another 70 years as the tradition continues.

Hank's Smoked Brisket - Indianapolis, IN

There once was a man from Texas.........who moved for a job in Indianapolis.........He stayed for decades and when he retired........He shared his love of BBQ brisket.

Smoked Spareribs All Sauced Up

Okay, so no one ever said I was a poet, but a limerick seems fitting when you talk about Hank's Smoked Brisket.  After growing up in Texas, Hank moved to Indianapolis over three decades ago to work as a supervisor in manufacturing.  After spending his entire career with the same company, he retired and began to think of his next adventure.  Hank had a passion for slow-smoked barbecue.  His friends and coworkers always looked forward to being invited to dine whenever he made it.  After some encouragement from said family and friends, Hank decided to share his barbecue with others.

Just across from the Crown Hill Cemetary on the northwest side of Indianapolis, you will find Hank's Smoked Brisket.  Sitting on the end of a commercial strip building on Martin Luther King Junior Drive, Hank serves up Texas-style brisket and other barbecue on a daily basis.  It was designed to be more than a part-time job originally, but Hank said he couldn't keep up with the demand on a part-time basis so he expanded to full-time.  You can sample Hank's barbecue for yourself Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 9pm and on Sunday from noon to 5pm. 

When I said Hank cooks Texas-style barbecue, I wasn't kidding.  Several times a year, Hank drives down to Texas and loads up on mesquite wood, which he hauls back to Indy to fuel his smoker.  As a barbecue competitor myself, I am always interested in trying new places.  And so on one Tuesday recently, I found myself up in the area around lunchtime and decided to drop in.

Just stepping out of the car, I could smell the intoxicating aroma of sweet smoke in the air.  I was drawn to the building to explore what flavors would compliment the smells.  Hank was positioned behind the window, working alone as he helped each customer.  A row of four or five chairs sit in front of the glass windows across from the order window, however there are no tables.  Hank's is designed to be a carryout location.

The menu is simple, yet offers a full range of slow-smoked meats.  Chicken, ribs, pulled pork, brisket, pork loin, smoked sausage and corned beef are all offered after been smoked in mesquite on Hank's seasoned pit.  Meals can be ordered as sandwiches, as meals including sides, and by the pound as well.  For my first time at Hank's I wanted to sample several meats, and my only disappointment was that the menu is structured in an easy way to do that.  The menu would be truly complete with a sampler dinner that would combine more than one meat option to allow people to try multiple options.

While I was mulling over the many options, Hank made some small talk and offered up a sample slice of smoked corned beef.  It was reminiscent of a pastrami without the juniper and other specific spices that combine to transform corned beef into pastrami.  The meat was hot, smoky, tender and juicy.  The smoke note wasn't overpowering and the corned beef flavor was able to shine through.

Without an option to sample more than one meat in one meal, I skipped any sides and just ordered a sliced brisket sandwich and a half slab of spare ribs.  I opted to allow Hank to apply the sauce on the ribs for me and sauce on the side for the brisket before heading off to the car to dine.  The ribs set me back $10.75 for a half slab and the brisket sandwich was $9.  With a soda, it was just over $20 total.  The prices are fair individually and I think if Hank would add a combo meal to the menu so people can affordably sample several meats, it would be a welcome addition.

I first nestled in to sample the brisket sandwich, knowing it should be Hank's speciality since it's the namesake and what Texas barbecue is known for.  The brisket did not disappoint.  I was able to try a bit without sauce on it and found it to be simply spiced and thoroughly tender.  The brisket still had a slight tug to it when you went to pull it apart, showing that it was tender, but not overcooked.  The sauce complimented it well, with just enough savory complexity to make it work with the meat.

Smoked Brisket

The ribs were next on the agenda and they are three napkins to the bone kind of ribs when sauced.  They are full spares as well so there is plenty of meat to be had.  The flavor of the ribs and the sauce were very good and I enjoyed them.  The particular set of ribs I had on that were perhaps just a tad undercooked as they didn't pull cleanly from the bone, but I had no complaints with the flavor profile.

Hank's is a must try if you appreciate barbecue in Indianapolis.  It's not a big flashy place in a high rent area.  It's one man, taking his passion for barbecue and plying his trade in retirement to do something he truly loves.  His passion for serving others great food is evident from the moment you set foot in the door all the way through the last sauce, soaked napkin you wad up.  If you head there for lunch, you may want to plan a little nap time after your meal because you will be fully satisfied when you are through.  Here's to hoping Hank will continue to serve quality Texas barbecue in Indianapolis for many years to come.  I have plenty more to try on the menu on my future visits.

Hank's Smoked Brisket Menu

Goose The Market - Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis is known for lot's of things.  Whether it is the great sports teams in the capital city, the Indy 500, or the canal downtown, Indianapolis typifies a midwestern, All-American city.  When people think of Indianapolis, the majority of folks wouldn't consider the town to be on the cutting edge of locally sourced foods and charcuterie.  Yet just east of downtown in a neighborhood in the midst of revitalization, sits an establishment trying to introduce these concepts to the Indianapolis community.

Goose the Market is a little mix of everything that involves fine food and wine.  From their large selection of deli meats, cheeses and charcuterie to their basement wine cellar allowing patrons to sample fine wines, the establishment has built a solid following over time.  Recently, the market has also added a smoker trailer to allow them to cater parties with fine smoked and grilled meats.

Not only is Goose the Market a spot to pick up fine meats, cheeses and wines, but they also offer a delicious selection of sandwiches and gelati.  After hearing so many great things about the market, I thought it was time to check it out for myself.  And so I went and found a quaint and inviting shop with locally sourced meats, cheeses, specialty drinks and gelati.  I scanned the menu and settled on the Goose Sandwich.  The Goose has thinly sliced prosciutto, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and served on fresh Italian bread.

The Goose Sandwich

The sandwich is simple and fresh.  It is the freshness that makes it delicious.  The crispy exterior of the bread yields to a soft, velvety feel from the cheese.  The fragrance of the fresh basil permeates the sandwich to awaken your senses with each bite.  The prosciutto is buttery and salty and delicious.  Each bite of this simple sandwich was exquisite except for the last bite as I knew it was all over and I wanted more.

The Goose Sandwich

Rather than sink my teeth directly into another sandwich, I thought I would sample my way around the menu a bit more.  While my sandwich was being made, a slim stick of meat caught my eye in the deli case.  I ordered up a lamb stick to sample.  The stick had a nice snap to the casing and inside was a sweet, smoky lamb stick.  The smoke flavor was not overpowering and the spices complimented the lamb well.  Once again, however I had a sinking feeling when I ran out of meat after just a few bites.

Smoked Lamb Stick

I decided to complete my meal with some gelati.  The menu selections change for the gelati from time to time, but on this particular day I found two of my favorite flavors to sample.  I got the creme brulee and pistachio.  The gelati was very dense and rich.  Both flavors were excellent and true to their advertised tastes. 

Creme Brulee and Pistachio Gelati

All in all, Goose the Market is a gem in a city that is just learning to recognize the importance of locally sourced and farm-to-table goods.  The prices may seem steep, but the old adage of you get what you pay for definitely fits.  For fresh products with quality ingredients you have to pay more.  And to support a local couple who operate a business to support so many other local farmers and vendors is worth every penny.

Sandwich Machine - Indianapolis, IN

Up on the northeast side of Indianapolis on Pendleton Pike, sits a long-standing sandwich shop.  One that reportedly serves the best sandwiches in the world.  This little known fact was echoed to me by a co-worker.  Now when you potentially have the best of any single thing in the entire world right in your own town, you have to check it out.  And so it went on one weekday lunch when I found myself on Pendleton Pike with my stomach aching for lunch.  My boss, my coworker and I all clambered in to try the best sandwiches in the world.

The decor inside is typical of a dive sandwich shop that is more than 30 years old.  Paper signs advertising sandwiches, Coca Cola, and other treats are sprinkled throughout the dining room.  We ordered at the counter and then found a seat among the laminate-coated booths that looked to have been removed straight from a 1970s A&W root beer stand and then dropped right in place.

As for food, the menu seemed pretty standard.  A range of submarine sandwiches were on the menu along with hot dog creations, hamburgers, and Indiana's state fried dish, the pork tenderloin.  If the sandwiches were indeed the best in the world, then my money was on the fact that the best sandwich should be Indiana's own tenderloin.  I ordered the big tenderloin since the menu advertised it as the most popular item.  I also opted to get sour cream and chives french fries as my side.  Figuring I should try one more menu item, I ordered a coney dog.

After sitting for a few minutes, I heard my name called and went to grab my lunch.  I fully expected to round the corner and see the food tray glowing with a halo of awesomeness since this would indeed be the best sandwich in the world.  I will say that while it didn't have a glorious glow emanating from it, I remained optimistic.

At least until I tried everything.  In typical dive fashion, nearly everything on my plate was made in a fryer.  The big tenderloin was in fact big, but at the cost of the flavor and texture.  My version of the world's greatest sandwich, would have had the tenderloin being hand breaded and pounded by hand to perfection before being gently fried and seasoned with just the right amount of salt and pepper.  This tenderloin was about 1/16 of an inch thick and was folded under itself several times, but it was devoid of all flavor.  In fact, the sandwich was so thin the entire thing tasted very similar to a fried cardboard box.

The Big Tenderloin with Sour Cream and Chives French Fries

Since the sandwich was clearly not the best in the world, and likely not even the best in a one square mile radius, my hopes lied in the french fries.  They weren't as I expected since my theory was that sour cream and chives french fries would be traditional fries served with a side of sour cream and chives.  Isn't that what you would assume as well?  Well you and I would both be wrong.  Instead, the fries were frozen french fries that were supposed to be flavored with sour cream and chives.  The fries didn't taste like anything in the end, unfortunately since the fries were cooked in the same fryer as everything else under the sun.  The end result was strike two.

The last glimmer of hope lied in the coney dog.  I love chili dogs.  Hands down one of my favorite diner treats.  With anticipation I cracked open the Styrofoam container protecting its precious cargo and then my hopes of a nice finish to the meal sank.The coney sauce, while it may have been tasty, immediately resembled a deep red wallpaper paste slathered on top of the hot dog that was not at all visible under the pile of sauce.  Ever adventurous, I tried a bite anyway and found the hot dog hidden within.  It was a steamed or boiled dog that was certainly not bun length or plump.  The wallpaper paste texture was a good precursor to the flavor.  It pretty much tasted like paste you added some chili pepper and beans to.  

Needless to say, the coney dog was strike three.  I can't say this place was the purveyor of the worlds best sandwiches and I honestly struggle to see how they have survived for over three decades.  I never wish bad things on local, family-owned restaurants, but it is hard to have much positive to say.  Perhaps the one glimmer of goodness is that the prices are fair.  The big tenderloin was $4.79, the fries were $1.79 and the coney dog was $1.56.  The food wasn't inedible and if you are craving a quick, cheap meal from a fryer then you will likely enjoy this place.  If you are looking for the world's greatest sandwich though, then keep on searching.

Ann's Restaurant - Franklin, Indiana

Within steps of the Johnson County courthouse, on the southwest side of the downtown square in Franklin, Indiana, sits Ann's Restaurant.  The restaurant came to life in 1952 and was originally called Alta's Restaurant, after the owner Alta Spicer.  The original 13-seat diner was open 24 hours a day back then.  Ann Daugherty became partners with Alta in the 1960s and eventually took over the business after Alta retired. 

Ann's Restaurant - Franklin, IN

Ann's has a traditional decor inside and a simple diner-style menu.  To the more sophisticated diner, the decor would seem dated and boring, however for a small-town diner the decor is fitting.  The menu also looks like you would expect.  Good prices for homestyle foods and breakfast served anytime.  Pictures of local landmark buildings in Franklin adorn the walls and the din of customer conversations is occasionally broken by the sound of a ringing bell to alert the servers when an order is up.  A small, three-stool bar sits just outside the kitchen area.

Dining Room of Ann's Restaurant

Arriving for lunch, I chose not to order breakfast items, but settled on a burger and fries instead.  My meal also came with an additional side, coleslaw in my case.  I also added a cup of ham and bean soup.  The soup was designed to come out before my meal arrived, however it didn't show up until I got my entree.  Large chunks of processed ham were in the loosely, creamy broth along with an abundance of beans.  Despite containing ham, the soup seemed to be lacking a dose of salt to help bring out the flavors.  More importantly, the soup needed to be skimmed to remove the fat from the batch.  Small orange bubbles of fat were seen floating lazily in my bowl.

Ham and Bean Soup

When it came to my entree, I surveyed the menu and locked in on a meal filled with pork.  I am such a sucker for anything that used to have a snout while it was alive.  I ordered the sausageburger and fries.  The burger is a half-pound patty of ground sausage grilled on the flat top to crispy perfection.  The warm, toasted bun had 360 degrees of sausage showing like a UFO of meaty goodness.  The hand formed patty had great flavor and was easily the highlight of the meal.  I am also a fan of crispy fries and the ones with my meal were crispy, krinkle-cut fries that were well cooked.  

The coleslaw that came with my meal was cold and crisp.  It was a creamy style of coleslaw and while the crispness of the cabbage was refreshing, it was laden with mayo.  It was just sort of flat.  I added some salt and pepper in an effort to liven it up, but there was just too much mayo.

Sausageburger and Fries

The prices at Ann's are far, despite not being what I saw posted on their website before I came to dine there.  Online my burger was listed at $4.25 yet mine cost $4.79.  The fries and coleslaw set me back another $2.40.  The cup of soup was $1.75 online, yet it totaled $1.99 when I ordered it.  All told the prices were still fair, but if the rates have be raised it would be smart for the restaurant to change the website to reflect their new pricing.

Another positive note is that my server was wonderful.  She checked in often and had a pleasant demeanor.  She knew the menu well, could recommend dishes, and always made sure I had what I needed.  Overall, Ann's is a decent diner-style establishment in a small town.  Though they have hours limiting them breakfast and lunch only it is worth a stop to try the sausageburger.  I can still feel my heart beating in my chest. 

The Greek Islands Restaurant - Indianapolis, IN

When you're from Indianapolis and people come to visit, the classic thinking is that you have to take them to Shapiro's Deli.  No one will argue that the food at Shapiro's is good, but who wants to take people to be herded like cattle through a cafeteria line to buy an overpriced, overstuffed sandwich?  Not me.  When folks come to visit me there are a few places that I always try to take them and one of my favorites is one door south of Shapiro's on Meridian Street.  That place is The Greek Islands restaurant.

This is my blog and I get to decide what it's about and I decided at the start this blog would be about good (or bad if I have to point it out) food cooked at locally owned restaurants.  And that is exactly what you get at The Greek Islands.  Great food at good prices cooked and served by an army of relatives.  Brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, you name it.  After their parents came from Greece and originally opened the restaurant, siblings Angela and George Stergiopoulos carry on the tradition.  Angela runs the back of the house and churns out spectacular authentic Greek cuisine, while George is eager to greet you at the door as he runs the front of the house.

The restaurant itself is a converted house and so there is limited seating.  If there is a Colts game in town, I would call ahead and the lunchtime crowd is a mix of all financial strata, but arrive at noon and you'll likely be waiting.  The weekends are extra fun as the restaurant brings in a belly dancer on Friday and Saturday evenings to entertain the crowd.  When the weather permits, there is also an outdoor dining area.  All of this stands as a testament to the success of the restaurant and I must remind you that if you do have to wait for a table, good things come to those who wait.

I don't go to Greek Islands for the decor or the belly dancers, but instead I go for the food.  The food is one part fresh ingredients, one part authentic recipes, and four parts of chef Angela's love and passion.  I am convinced that no one else would be able to create the culinary flavors she constructs in each heavenly bite.  All of the traditional items are on the menu from gyros to souvlaki and from pasticchio to moussaka.

Combo Platter with Pasticchio, Moussaka, Gyro, and Tiropita

One of my all-time favorites is the Kreatopita, or meat pie.  Spiced ground beef and feta cheese is wrapped snugly in a delicate blanket of phyllo dough and baked to crispy perfection.  The pie gets a light coating of tomato sauce and is served with Greek potatoes and green beans.

Kreatopita with Greek Potatoes and Green Beans

Let's talk about the potatoes for a second here.  These potatoes are huge wedges that are firm, yet still cooked through and they are cooked in a garlicky, oily concoction that is so amazing.  I could very easily eat about six potatoes worth of these on every visit.

The real treat is the Saganaki.  No, it's not a japanese drink.  It is the most delicious cheese you will ever have the pleasure of tasting.  Angela takes Graviera cheese and grills it to form a nice crust on both sides and then it is flambeed with some Ouzo tableside.  The server will pour on the alcohol and light the dish while the whole dining room yells "Opa!"  After a fresh lemon is squeezed over it, you cut off a piece and pinch it between a pillowy, soft piece of pita bread.  The cheese oozes out of the pita as you bite.  Let me tell you, this is a truly religious experience.

A good Greek meal wouldn't be complete without a little dessert and if they haven't run out by the time you sit down to eat, Greek Islands offers several delicious options.  Baklava is of course a staple.  The crispness of the phyllo dough and the crunch of the walnuts is covered in a honey syrup when baked that would make anyone feel diabetic after a piece.  If that's the price to be paid, however I am all for it.  Chef Angela also prepares Rizogalo, a rice pudding with the recipe straight from her mother, and Galactobouriko, a custard-filled phyllo dish.

Baklava

The bottom line is that Greek Islands is run by a family that cares about Indianapolis, cares about each other and is passionate about serving quality food.  I've never had bad food or even the hint of poor service there and I always waddle away stuffed and happy.  You may not think Indianapolis is known for Greek food, and perhaps you are right in the grand scheme of things, but Greek Islands has been getting it right for years now and I look forward to dining there again and again for years to come.

House of Tokyo - Greenwood, IN

Lemme preface this post by saying that I was a bit conflicted about making this post and I can't necessarily say why.  Part of me says, 'hey man the blog is about good food so if it's good food then let's tell folks about it,' and part of me says, 'yeah but this isn't unique food because they have these places everywhere.'  Well I am writing about it anyway.  So take that.  I mean there are lot's of chop, chop, build the onion flaming volcano places, but this one isn't a chain and it's damn good eats.  Family owned and people in Greenwood love it so much that the local grocery stores carry their salad dressing.

House of Tokyo

Husband and wife, Hei and Den Duong are the proprietors of House of Tokyo and at any given time at least one of them is there.  They watch over every part of the experience to ensure that customers are happy  and things run smoothly.  They are certainly not absentee owners and on my recent lunchtime visit they were visible and watched over each station closely.

At face value it may seem easy to write House of Tokyo off as just another Hibachi grill place, but I think that would be selling the place short.  And more importantly discounting the hard work put in by the Duong's to make the restaurant excellent and to be excellent members of the community.  The decor is nice.  Upscale and modern would be a good way to describe it and the place is very clean.

The food is tasty.  They offer a wide range of sushi items, a full menu of hibachi dishes, and they have a full bar.  As with all restaurants in this style, you sit around the grill and watch the chef prepare your dish for you.  When I am looking for entertainment, I head to a play or sporting event so I am not the biggest fan of having to see someone bang their spatulas on the grill and flip shrimp tails into the pocket of their chef's coat.  Just cook the food already.  I often equate the bigger the performance, the less quality the finished product will be.  But if you're into all the loud clanging of metal so you can't talk to the people you came to dine with, then maybe House of Tokyo isn't for you.  Our chef was masterful in his preparation of our dishes, but used minimal flair.  That's my kind of guy.  He is definitely talented, but used his talent to focus on the preparation and not on the show.

My Chef du Jour

I ordered a bit of a surf and turf style when I decided on the Yakiniku, or the new york strip steak and shrimp.  All of the dishes came with fried rice, which was prepared on the grill and grilled vegetables.  The shrimp were a good size and not overcooked so they hit the plate hot and juicy.  The steak was cooked to perfection.  Just a little bit of pink left in the middle and a nice sear on the outside.  I skipped the vegetables so I could focus on the carnivorous concoction in front of me.  

Yakiniku (Steak and Shrimp)

All of the meals start with a garden salad and a cup of soup.  The soup is a traditional broth soup with tofu, mushrooms and green onions.  Very tasty.  The salad seemed plain to me at first.  It was essentially a bowl full of green lettuce that was coarsely chopped and covered in a thousand island looking dressing.  What seemed simple became incredibly complex once I took a bite.  I understand why they sell this dressing in stores.  I could drink it, pour it over everything, and even bath in it if that would be deemed socially acceptable.  It's light and tangy with a flavor that is oh so umami.  

The prices at House of Tokyo are fair, too.  My whole meal set me back $12.95 and I was delightfully full.  Our chef was polite and competent in his craft.  I was entertained with our server, though as he seemed to have more important things to do.  A group of nine co-workers all went together and he told us that we needed to order our drinks and meals faster because he was very busy.  We all laughed it off, but that was the only hiccup in a very fine meal.

It's not everyday that I crave Hibachi dining, but when I do I will go to House of Tokyo.  My food philosophy is to find restaurants that are locally owned and good members of the community serving good food.  The Duong's are the poster children for that in Greenwood and they are definitely worth checking out.

The Eagle's Nest - Indianapolis, IN

Disclaimer:  If you have been reading all of my posts thus far, you have undoubtedly suspected that I have tastebuds like Guy Fieri or Rachel Ray.  Fear not.  While all of my posts thus far have been of excellent places that I enjoyed, I do actually have bad meals and I am willing to document them.  So don't feel the need to punch me in the face (as I often feel about Rachel Ray) because I do speak the culinary truth as I see it.  So read on.

Recently I had the need to find an upscale restaurant in downtown Indianapolis to celebrate a special occasion.  Normally, my go-to restaurant in Indy is St. Elmo's.  You can't get a better steak in the city and the shrimp cocktail there is unbelievable.  But, this isn't about St. Elmo's.  Always seeking a new food experience, I chose The Eagle's Nest restaurant high atop the Hyatt Regency hotel.

The Eagle's Nest sit at the very top of the 23-story hotel and boasts a unique way to view the downtown Indianapolis skyline.  It is a revolving restaurant and according to the staff, it is the only revolving restaurant that moves counterclockwise.  While I can't verify that bit of trivia, I can confirm that the dining room does indeed revolve.  The decor is simple and tasteful and the views are outstanding.  You complete one lap around the city in about 45 minutes.  The view is impressive, allowing you to overlook the state capitol, Lucas Oil Stadium, Victory Field, and other tall buildings like OneAmerica Tower and the Chase Tower.

We went to The Eagle's Nest during Devour Downtown.  Devour Downtown is a bi-annual food festival in Indianapolis where many of the top restaurants in the city offer a fixed price menu to encourage new patrons to try them out.  After we were seated, we reviewed the Devour Downtown menu and the full menu.  To my surprise, the full menu left quite a bit to ask for.  I found the menu to be fairly limited.  Just a couple of appetizers, a few salads, and a handful of entrees.  After reviewing the menu, I decided that we may as well order from the Devour Downtown menu.

We ordered an appetizer of shrimp cocktail to start the meal off.  We received four large shrimp served cold with fresh lemon juice and a wasabi cocktail sauce.  To be honest, this was the best part of the meal.  Given the price tag, it was a little disappointing that the meal went downhill from there.  The shrimp were cold and meaty.  The fresh lemon juice was refreshing and the wasabi cocktail sauce was excellent.

For my first course, I selected a bowl of lobster bisque.  I love lobster bisque and in my lifetime there have been two places that have served me an exceptional bowl of the creamy, savory soup.  My absolute favorite bowl came at the Flagstaff House restaurant on Flagstaff Mountain overlooking Boulder, Colorado.  That bowl was orgasmic and will likely never be topped.  I also got a great bowl at the Capital Grille in Indianapolis.  And so when I am presented with the chance to sample another bowl and to chase the remembrance of that ultimate bowl of bisque from the Flagstaff House, I always give it a shot.

Upon arrival, I noticed that the bowl had a good presentation, but one thing was missing.  The aroma.  I was missing the aroma of seafood that generally comes with a bowl of bisque.  Undaunted, I dug in and took my first spoonful.  The soup wasn't too hot, but it wasn't too warm either and I quickly learned that my soup would be made up of shredded, miniscule pieces of lobster meat.  No big claws.  No chunks of meat.  Just little stringy pieces that almost felt gritty in your mouth.  This bisque tasted more like a tomato soup with some lobster flavor dumped in.  In my pursuit of lobster bisque nirvana, this dish ranks well below any of the others to date.

Next came the entree.  The Devour Downtown fixed menu offered the choice of Prime Rib, Chicken Cordon Bleu or Halibut.  I chose the Cordon Bleu.  The presentation looked tasteful with a large portion of chicken, some lightly cooked asparagus spears and a helping of mashed potatoes.  It was obvious that the chicken was handmade from a large chicken breast, pounded thin and hand breaded.  The cheese and ham inside looked plentiful. 

The presentation was once again, the best part of the dish.  The mashed potatoes were molten with an internal temperature of somewhere in the neighborhood of molten lava.  I imagine the flavor was closer to molten lava as well.  Even the addition of some salt to the dish would have helped the potatoes.  I like asparagus and these spears were good, yet very large.  The chicken was a little dry and lacked a complexity of flavors.  At this point, I was happy to be eating here during Devour Downtown because the full price of this meal would have put me on the verge of being angry instead of simply disappointed.  The Chicken Cordon Bleu, for example, is $32 on the regular menu and my entire meal for Devour Downtown was fixed at $30.

And finally I reached dessert.  I will say that the service at The Eagle's Nest was good.  We never waited long between entrees and our drinks were refilled quickly.  Dessert was a ricotta cheesecake served with Amaretto nectarines.  The cheesecake was creamy and the nectarines were soft, but the Amaretto flavor wasn't present.  The cup of coffee that accompanied the dessert was, however delicious.  And needed to keep me awake, since the sensations of this meal didn't do much to keep me motivated.

Overall, I see The Eagle's Nest as one of the many restaurants surviving on a great view and their old reputation.  We all know the places with a tired menu and uninspired decor that still make money because people always remember when it was such a great place.  The places where our parents went for their anniversaries.  The Eagle's Nest is that place.  We had to arrive at 5:15 p.m. for our Saturday night meal because we weren't allowed to have a later reservation.  Yet most of the restaurant remained empty when we left at 6:45 p.n.  Between that and the overpriced menu with uninspired food, I don't think I'll be able to head back.  If I need a birdseye view of downtown Indianapolis, I'll rent a hot air balloon or just look out the window while I fly into the Indianapolis airport.