The name Shapiro’s likely conjures piles of pastrami or peppered beef bookended by slabs of thick-cut rye bread. But the next time you drop in at this landmark centenarian deli, you might want to save room for dessert. Long known for its towering cakes and prize-worthy pies, the bakery at Shapiro’s has been expanding its […]
Tucked into the quaint but somewhat intermittently desolate heart of old Greenwood on Madison Avenue, the Blind Pig (147 S. Madison Ave., Greenwood, 317-882-7892) draws in a pretty dedicated clientele of regulars for live music and nightly beer quaffing. (And if you can get beyond the now somewhat jarring smell of indoor cigarettes in “smoke-’em-if-you’ve-got-‘em” Johnson County, it’s one of the better places to cheer on IU as it heads into the Sweet 16.)
If the old rule about eating only at international restaurants where the natives eat is true, then Sichuan Chinese Restaurant (11588 Westfield Blvd., Carmel, 317-844-7559) must be one of the most authentic ethnic eateries in central Indiana. Stopping in on a recent weeknight at this storefront eatery in a slightly timeworn Carmel strip mall, we were the only people not chattering away in Chinese or some other Asian language. Clearly this is a favorite among immigrants longing for a true taste of home.
But even if you do not speak Cantonese or Mandarin, you can get a pretty inspired array of stir-fries and noodle dishes with plenty of chili oil, that ubiquitous Sichuan staple, to wake the palate. Feel like some “rabbit dices” or the “pork kidney stir fry”? Then ask for the Chinese menu, and you will have over double the choices, some of which are translated into English and many more of which are written out in Chinese on the back of the menu.
Having come to love Dan Dan noodles from other area Sichuan restaurants, we ordered them as a starter, along with more ubiquitous crab Rangoon, no doubt a popular item on Sichuan’s lunchtime buffet. The noodles looked like so much dry spaghetti until we stirred up the dark, rich, sinus-clearing sauce from the bottom. The crab Rangoon were generous, not-too-greasy wontons stuffed with a fresh-tasting filling that actually did seem to contain a little crab.
For entrees, we went for one of the house specialties, scallops in garlic sauce (which promised that no garlic would linger in the customer’s mouth), as well as Mongolian chicken and an eggplant dish our waitress recommended from the Chinese menu. The big, meaty scallops did indeed have a spicy sweet sauce that, while redolent of garlic, lacked the bitter pungency of other Asian dishes we had eaten. Slices of white-meat chicken in a drier sauce with crisp slices of sweet onion made for a nice contrast, and the delectable, not-too-viscous sauce on tender strips of eggplant drew the two dishes together deliciously with plenty of white rice. With a short selection of Asian beers and a friendly staff standing by to tend to your needs (and not look askance when you ask for a dish that natives might eat,) Sichuan is definitely worth forsaking your neighborhood takeout for the drive north to Carmel.
The crabcake was an inauspicious start. Ensconced as we were in the dark-paneled Fireplace Room of Dunaway’s Palazzo Ossigeno, with gentle flames licking the intricately carved hearth and the candelabra twinkling, we were looking for some evidence that this shrine to Indy’s industrial past—which made a splash when former St. Elmo co-owner Jeff Dunaway opened the sleek eatery in 1998—still had some culinary chops. The appetizer did little to restore our faith: a flat puck of over-mixed crab, its too-smooth exterior wearing an insipid remoulade. At $13, it almost seemed a crime.
The only sign on its exterior simply says “Open.” And “humble” may not begin to describe the barebones storefront for what is becoming a cult favorite pizza takeout and delivery in the Holy Rosary neighborhood. But Humble Pie (1039 S. East St., 317-686-0900) is indeed back in business after a brief hiatus earlier this year. Based in Greencastle, where DePauw students in the know have been getting stromboli, pepperjack breadsticks, and custom pies for their late-night study fix since November of 2009, Humble Pie quietly opened its Indianapolis outpost in December of 2011. It is the brainchild of David and Damien Gibson, father-and-son Greencastle natives with decades of experience in the pizza industry (David has owned a Domino’s Pizza in Greencastle). The Indianapolis location, which the Gibsons hope to expand (or offer in-store dining at a nearby location), had to close in late December when a fire destroyed the family home. But the Gibsons more than met their promise to open in the spring, coming back online on January 25.
We figured it was time to check it out. Currently, Humble Pie’s delivery area is small, so we ordered ours for pickup and headed south of downtown. We didn’t get out a ruler, but the 14-inch Greek pie, to which we added slightly spicy “Chicago” sausage, certainly seemed bigger, loaded as it was with artichokes hearts, real-deal Kalamata olives, baby spinach, Roma tomatoes, and tons of feta. A fairly sturdy, flavorful crust might have been a bit crispier, but this was worlds beyond the average neighborhood pizza takeout. But what impressed the most? The generous house dinner salad with spring mix heavy on mizuna and chard, topped with portabella mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, red onions, green peppers, and Monterrey jack cheese. At $6, it was something the Gibsons could brag about, but these humble owners are more about providing their customers with a quality meal.
Few things disrupt the normal order of life like a fire. For local diners, the most jarring aspect of the August 2011 blaze that destroyed the kitchen and large swaths of the roof at The Aristocrat Pub & Restaurant was not the $3 million damage assessment, nor the heroic restoration effort that would ensue. It was that their beloved haunt would be shuttered for months. Late-night quaffing expeditions had to be moved. Sunday brunch plans were wrecked. Would the pub ever regain the lovably rustic charm of dark wood and stained glass?
Whether the restaurant menu is more out of 1913 or 2013 is an issue of some debate. Would our great grandparents really have ordered something called a “Pigwich” or called for their cheese plates, meats, and produce by farmstead producer? Were they really starting off their meals with bacon flights? No matter.
Whether the restaurant menu is more out of 1913 or 2013 is an issue of some debate. Would our great grandparents really have ordered something called a “Pigwich” or called for their cheese plates, meats, and produce by farmstead producer? Were they really starting off their meals with bacon flights? No matter. This was a hotel lunch menu to be reckoned with, offering everything from a small plate of free-range deviled eggs to its sole big offering, a “mess” of fried bluegill. We had to request one of those bacon flights from the dinner menu, but our somewhat deliberate, though utterly accommodating waitress made sure we got our strips of bacon served upright from a peg board on wooden skewers. She even brought us some extra barbecue sauce and a slightly sweet buttermilk dressing to go with them. With a loaf of warm soft bread with a crunchy herb crust, this was a stick-to-your ribs starter our forefathers probably wouldn’t have scoffed at—even if the bacon could have been one notch crispier. A darling short-handled copper bowl of “canned” tomato soup offered a rich, authentic tomato flavor, though an actual aluminum soup can of homemade soda crackers on the side seemed a tad flat.
Jumping in only partway on the house-made pickle plate trend, 1913 offers a board of some homemade items (crisp but slightly under-pickled wax beans with a hint of tarragon) and some out of the jar—Sechler’s quite serviceable bread and butter pickles. Perhaps the star here were some wonderfully sweet preserved Sweet 100s cherry tomatoes which offered up a much-needed taste of summer. These juicy little flavor bombs showed up on a hearty chop salad with tender local chicken, yet more bacon (this one from Gunthorp Farms) and Fair Oaks Farm cheddar, all tossed with crunchy greens and a nicely restrained buttermilk vinaigrette. This alone could have been a satisfying lunch. But then we wouldn’t have tried the house “root beer” ham shaved thin and served on thick-cut slabs of bread with no shortage of butter. The bread might have sent this hefty sandwich a bit over the edge, but the ham was definitely a treat, along with light and crisp fresh potato chips, which gradually won us over
While being a successful restaurateur often means fussing over the smallest of details and logging late hours poring over the books in the back office, many restaurateurs like to get away from time to time to take a break and see what ideas they can bring back from the larger world of food. One local restaurant owner with a serious case of wanderlust is Ed Rudisell, who somehow manages to rack up impressive frequent-flyer miles despite his responsibilities at hit restaurants Siam Square (936 Virginia Ave., 317-636-8424) and Black Market (922 Massachusetts Ave., 317-822-6757), as well as his soon-to-open Vietnamese banh mi emporium Rook (719 Virginia Ave.). Most recently, he returned from a trip to Thailand with his wife, Sasathorn.
Not so long ago, you could mark the start of spring by the crowds of Corona-sipping customers lounging on the patio at La Jolla in Broad Ripple. Not exactly known for its cutting-edge cuisine, this watering hole with its iconic al fresco deck along Broad Ripple Avenue was the place to hang in warmer climes. So when it closed last year, it was pretty certain someone would come along and make it a hit again. Unfortunately, recent ownership changes have left some doubt in the minds of locals about whether this is a viable business address. Last spring, when record temperatures should have drawn throngs to what was then The Night Porter, the place was practically deserted, perhaps owing to its bar menu light on local brews and its dinner offerings, which ranged from a build-your-own grilled cheese to a burger to little else.
Though the unseasonal weather outside didn’t exactly feel like winter, Saturday marked the opening of the 2012-13 Indy Winter Farmers Market at the Platform, the newly renamed west wing of City Market. Market goers were treated not just to the harvest’s best produce and some of central Indiana’s finest farm products, but they also got to see the renovation of the once-barebones space with new partitions and rustic wood walls. It’s a collaboration of the City of Indianapolis and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) that is helping to revitalize the City Market complex, making it the home of such organizations as Growing Places Indy, The Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc., and the Winter Market. With former City Market food vendors relocated to other parts of the market, shoppers had more space to mill about, with a few vendors spilling out into the courtyard along Market Street. Among new vendors to the market this year is Brownsburg-based Petit Pain, offering up baguettes and their signature blue cheese and walnut boule, all prepared by artisan baker Mark Brouwer. Be sure to stop in next week to get your sweet potatoes, squash, Brussels sprouts, and meats for your Thanksgiving table. A full list of this year’s vendors can be found at https://www.indywinterfarmersmarket.org/vendor-list.
The only good thing about winter’s approach? Our favorite spiced cocktails begin popping up around town. Ginger, allspice, and chai add warmth to some of the city’s best wintry elixirs. Bourbon, amaretto, grenadine, and bitters helped put the iconic Sicilian from The Ball & Biscuit (331 Massachusetts Ave., 317-636-0539) on our list. Aromatic St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, alongside simple syrup perfumed with pink peppercorns and ginger, forms the backbone of the bourbon-based Winter’s Tale at Late Harvest Kitchen (8605 River Crossing, 317-663-8063). Omni’s Severin Bar (40 W. Jackson Pl., 317-634-6664) offers a Ginger Ale Cup with Hennessy cognac, maraschino, herbal Benedictine, ginger syrup, and Perrier. Last winter’s best-named local cocktail, the Gun in the Glovebox, makes its return at The Libertine (38 E. Washington St., 317-631-3333), reviving the frothy combination of spiced rum, vermouth, the myrrh-and-saffron–scented spirit Fernet, and vitamin-rich orange juice. And Bluebeard (653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580) shakes up an autumnal version of the Kilgore Trout with chai-infused rum, amaretto, and orgeat.
From J. B. Andrews, bar manager at Bluebeard
1 1/2 oz. chai infused spiced rum (instructions below)
1 oz. Amaretto
1 oz. orgeat (Wilks and Wilson or Fee Brothers)
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz. Averna amaro
Combine all ingredients, except for the Averna, in cocktail shaker. Shake for 10 to 12 seconds. Strain over ice into a high ball or tiki glass. Carefully float the Averna on the top of the drink.
Chai-infused Spiced Rum:
375 ml Crusoe or other spiced rum
2 bags Hubbard and Cravens or other chai tea
Place the tea bags in the bottom of a French press. Pour rum over the top. Let steep for 15 minutes. Press the tea bags to ring out the rum absorbed by the tea. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer or cheese cloth to strain out tea particles.
For local fans of Top Chef, watching episodes can inspire bouts of metropolitan envy. Where, people might wonder, do our own hot culinary upstarts—our Harolds and Hungs—conspire to plate their next great dish? How far would we have to drive to taste them?
