Shapiro's Deli

Shapiro's Deli (Carmel Location)

918 S. Rangeline Rd

Carmel, IN 46032

317-631-4041

Shapiro's Deli

This is one of the posts many of you have been waiting for. It is time to finally review my #1 Reuben. I had been waiting to write about this until ABW was back in Indy. We decided to go to the Carmel location on Black Friday. Of the two locations, Downtown and Carmel, Carmel is my favorite. Although it doesn't have the tradition and history of the Downtown location, it just has a cleaner feel to it. The downtown location is much older, and it seemed a little dingy. There is a third location located at Indianapolis International Airport in one of the terminals. Our fraternity chapter advisor once told me he plans his flights around to depart or arrive during meal time so he can stop and have a Reuben I have pictures of the Reuben's from both downtown and Carmel locations. Just like the last post, this is a restaurant you cannot judge service. It is essentially a Cafeteria, so you walk down the line with your tray and order as you move along. The sandwiches are made to order, so they bring you your food as it is finished. The food comes out in a very timely manner. Both locations have ample seating, and I have never had to wait for a seat. I don't have any pictures of the desserts, but they are top notch. The carrot cake is my favorite, where ABW prefers the German Chocolate Cake.I do have to be honest with my next statement and ABW agreed. Our Reuben experience was not up to par with our previous visits. Don't get me wrong, Shapiro's still is the best. But, we have had better sandwiches there. It felt like one of the times one of your friends over-hypes a movie, and when you go see it, you are disappointed. Maybe in our heads, we have this glorious idea of the perfect Reuben, and this time it just did not stack up to past experiences. If you compare the pictures, the Carmel Reuben lacked the meat of the Downtown Reuben. Also, the thickness of the bread was on the thick side in Carmel. Don't get me wrong, it was still delicious, but it has been better. The corned beef is tender and flavorful. The cole slaw is exactly how I prefer it, finely chopped veggies and just the right amount on the sandwich to add flavor, but not overpower the corned beef. The bread was perfectly toasted. The 1000 Island dressing adds a nice sweet and tangy flavor. I opted not to get the Mac N Cheese this time, as Thanksgiving was the day prior, and I had my fill. I usually split it with whomever I dine with. It is creamy and cheesy and for whatever reason, its just habit to order it with the Reuben. I did order a deviled egg. It was nothing out of the ordinary, a very typical deviled egg. 

Let me leave you with my favorite ABW story, which says a lot as I have known him for 20 plus years. It happened during my last year living in Chicago. ABW was going for a bike ride on a weekend morning. The CPD had some streets blocked off, and he was re-routed on his way to the lake. When he finally was able to get going on a street, he realized the streets were full of people. He then realized these people were dressed flamboyantly and were holding rainbow flags. It soon hit him, he was on the parade route for the Pride Parade. Embarrassed by the attention, he pedaled faster to get out of there. The problem was that the faster he pedaled, the louder the crowd cheered. And that is how ABW was essentially the "first float" in the Chicago Pride Parade

"Never EAt more than you can lift." - Miss Piggy

Road Trip Bloomington, IN: Buffa Louie's

114 S. Indiana Avenue 

Bloomington, IN  

(812) 333-3030  

Buffa Louie's

The first time we ever ordered Buffa Louie's was during the infamous 2004 Super Bowl (the one where Janet Jackson showed the world her boobie). We were freshmen at IU, living in McNutt Crone. We ordered 2 buckets of Buffa Louie's and snuck in a couple six packs of Rolling Rock Green Light (We didn't know any better, and my roommate was watching his carb intake). Ever since that night, Buffa Louie's became my favorite wing place in Bloomington. There is only one location now, located at The Gables on Indiana Ave. The location is famous, as Jazz great Hoagy Carmichael penned part of "Star Dust" there. The interior is full of IU memorabilia, from signed posters to flags and banners, it is a great place to see the rich tradition of Indiana University. There are essentially three levels of seating and the restaurant is pretty large. It is usually pretty packed when IU is hosting a basketball or football game. It is a great place to take the kids as well, as it is one of the more family friendly places near Kirkwood. My only knock on the place, is that the service can be on the slow side. By "service", I mean the amount of time it takes to get food to the table from ordering. There isn't a traditional wait staff, as it is a place where you order and then pick up your food at the counter. 

Buffa Louie's offers 15 different kinds of sauces, ranging from Buffalo Sauces (Mild, Medium, Hot, T.N.T, and Volcanic), Mrs. Louie's BBQ (Sweet Q, Mild Q, Medium Q, Hot Q, T.N.T Q, and Volcanic Q), and Exotic (Teriyaki, Honey Garlic, and Hot Garlic). It is nice how boneless and traditional wings are the same price. I ordered the Louie's Dozen (15 wings). I was able to get 2 different sauces; 10 Hot BBQ & 5 Hot Garlic and celery and bleu cheese. I wanted to try new sauces and I wasn't very impressed. I think the HOT should be a little hotter. There was a strong Garlic and BBQ flavor, but the wings lacked heat. I do like that the wings are covered in sauce. It is always disappointed to find that dry spot on a wing. I really like the curly fries at Buffa Louie's and I was remiss to not order them. The random piece of bread in the picture is their cheese bread. It was nothing special, and RFS ordered it, so I tried it. When I go back, I will make sure to order the T.N.T and the Teriyaki, which were my previous go-to sauces.

"I really believe the only way to stay healthy is to EAt properly, get your rest and exercise. If you don't exercise and do the other two, I still don't think it's going to help you that much." -Mike Ditka

Detour An American Grille: Carmel, IN

110 W. Main St.
Carmel, IN 46032
(317) 571-0091
Detour: An American Grille

Before I go on about what I hated about Detour, let me preface that with what I enjoyed. Detour is a sports bar located in the heart of Downtown Carmel. There is ample seating and many televisions. They also have a nice patio for the summertime with live music. So as a sports bar, they are great. I wouldn't mind sitting down and watching games there. To no fault fault of Detour, ESPN needs to stop showing the World Series of Poker. Its not 2003 anymore. They can fill those useless hours of the WSOP with more 30 for 30 movies. We had to ask our waiter to change the WSOP to the Monday Night Football game. More on that guy later...They have good drink specials every night of the week. Its also nice that it is family friendly, as they are catering to the neighborhood. The menu is typical for a bar and grill: sandwiches, burgers & wraps, and limited entrees. More and more bar and grills have these over bearing menus where you get lost in pages of food, Detour has a very simple menu to navigate. I just wish I would have picked something different to eat on this very simple menu.

There were four of us meeting to celebrate DJBG's birthday. RFS, JJS, DJBG, and myself. At first the hostess sat us in a corner where we really couldn't see a TV, so we asked to be moved. Our waiter came and took our drink orders as 3 of us were waiting on JJS. (Shockingly, DJBG made it on time. For those of you who know him, know that he says he will be somewhere in 20 minutes, but then shows up 3 hours later. Shameless plug for him after ripping him a little bit. He DJ's at Blu Martini on Friday nights, and he does a damn good job.) Dos Equis was on special for $2 for a pint, and I had one of those (I did say the drink specials were decent, right?). We also decided to put in an order of the fried dill pickle chips to start. It comes with a side of horseradish sauce or ranch, we got both. The pickles were lightly breaded in flour. There wasn't a whole lot of seasoning on the pickles. I did manage to eat a few without dipping in the sauces. I would have to say the dill chips are better at Scotty's. Detour has one of those eating challenges that you see on Man Vs. Food. It's called the Triple Bypass. It is 2 pounds of Italian beef, giardiniera, mozzarella & parmesan cheeses on a French Baguette with a pound of waffle fries. You have to finish the sandwich within 45 minutes to get your picture on the wall AND your finishing statistics listed in the menu. DJBG suggested I try this endeavor, I respectfully declined. There is no chance in hell I'm even going to try to attempt something like that. A: It's $35. and B: That's disgusting. I instead opted for the Single Bypass, the smaller version of the Triple bypass. It has the exact same toppings as the Triple. Now I am still searching for the best Italian beef sandwich in this city. Portillo's is by far and away the King of Italian beef sandwiches, with Al's Beef a nice second. The problem is both of those franchises are in the Chicagoland area. The closest Portillo's is in Merrillville, IN. So where does the Single bypass stack up to the Kings of Italian beef sandwiches? I just finished The Wire today. So in the words of Omar, "You come at the King, you best not miss.". Well, Detour missed. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to the sandwich, and I think that cheese ruins it. A good Italian Beef sandwich is: Gonnella brand bread, slow roasted beef, spicy giardiniera, dipped in au jus. MWF's family introduced me to this sandwich at his high school open house, and we had it catered for BWL's bachelor party. My frustration's with the sandwich at Detour start with the bread. I'm used to the bread dipped in the au jus, so its not as crispy. Instead, they give you a tiny cup of au jus to dip or pour on the sandwich. Also, when I ordered the sandwich, our waiter said, "It comes with giardiniera, which is a spicy blend of celery, carrots, and peppers. Do you want that on there?" I'm thinking to myself, "Hey Dummy, I know what giardineira is. If I didn't, it clearly says what it is on your menu, so if I didn't want it I would tell you." I was over this waiter from the second we arrived. He was awful. We asked for waters 3 times before he brought them out to us. He wasn't very timely, and DJ and RFS had to ask twice for their beers. As you can see in the picture, there isn't a whole lot of giardineira on the sandwich. I had to ask for some more, because I couldn't taste it. The beef itself was good. It had good flavor and was very tender. More often than not, the beef is too salty. They at least got the taste right. The star of the meal, for me, was the waffle fries. They were nice and crispy and had better seasoning, that lacked in the dill chips. But even the fries had their flaws. There aren't a whole lot of fries that come with the meal. Also, they gave you the same small cup for ketchup that they gave for the au jus. MWF would not like this place for that reason alone. At the time, I thought that they are looking out for your health and monitoring your portion size. Then I remembered they are offering a sandwich named after a heart surgery to relieve clogged arteries...

So for what its worth, I would go back to Detour, but not for the food. As I stated before, it is a great place to hang out with friends. I'd like to go out in Carmel more often, because I think the downtown is beautiful. I guess our problem is that not a lot of our friends live their, only their parents, so it would be awkward to go crash at their house after a night of partying. As I always say, Drink Responsibly. **Especially in Carmel. The Carmel fuzz are the worst. I've seen someone get pulled over for stopping past the stop line.**

"I went on a diet, swore off drinking and heavy EAting, and in fourteen days, I lost two weeks." - Joe E. Lewis

Tomo: Japanese Steakhouse

7141 N. Keystone Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3375
317-254-8665
Tomo Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

I knew you all were getting excited since a week had gone by without a post. Better luck next time! I just got my phone back yesterday, so expect me to tweet more pictures. I had a loaner phone from Best Buy while mine was being repaired, and it was the worst. I don't think I could ever go back to a Blackberry, especially the flip phone that I had to use for 4 days. Am I overreacting? Probably. But those of you who saw what I was working with can feel my pain. I want to also apologize for the lack of pictures. I got antsy and dove in before I took any pictures. All I have is a picture of the soup. I know I'll be back, so I will add more at a later date.

I have been to Tomo twice in the past month. I feel like Butler Basketball guard, Ronald Nored, who is all about this restaurant. There was a streak over the summer where he went multiple times in the same week. So it was not so surprising when I saw #5 and a few other Bulldogs dining there. The Teppanyaki part of the restaurant has 4 total grills, two on each side of the room. I would say that the room holds about 30 patrons, with about 10 other tables in the main part of the restaurant. The interior was a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be, as it is located at the end of a strip mall which houses a tanning salon and a smoke shop. The service both times was terrific. As soon as you sit down, you are offered a warm towel. The first time I was offered a warm towel was when I went on Spring Break with MWF's family. We flew first class from Indy to Cleveland and I was sitting by myself. I had to take MWF's lead on what to do with the towel. The food came out quickly and we did not have to wait very long for the Teppanyaki chef to come and prepare the food. For those of you familiar with the wire, it was like the time Bunny Colvin took the hooligans to Ruth's Chris. As you know the cooking at a Japanese steakhouse, is essentially a show. Almost all the classic Teppanyaki tricks were done for us: the sake fire, the onion volcano, and the egg roll into the egg toss into the hat. The only thing missing was our chef did not toss the shrimp tails into our mouths. Instead, he threw clumps of rice. All in all, both experiences were fun and entertaining.

I was overly impressed by the food. I ordered the combo of steak and shrimp both times. The meal comes with a salad, soup, grilled veggies, two shrimp, and fried rice. The salad has carrots, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, and a ginger based dressing. The soup is a clear based soup with thinly sliced shitake mushrooms. The grilled veggies are mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, and onions. The fried rice was my favorite part of the meal. I don't know why it tastes so good, but it does. It is the best fried rice I have ever had. My best guess as to why it is so delicious, is it contains the perfect mix of "yummy yummy sauce" and "Japanese Coca-Cola". If you have ever been to a Japanese steakhouse, you know what I am talking about. The dipping sauces at the table are the "yummy yummy sauce" and some other ginger based sauce. To cap off the meal, they leave a sliced orange for you. It is a nice refreshing end to a very solid dinner. I want to try the sushi sometime, but after having the Teppanyaki I find it hard to stray away from the grill.

"Women EAt while they are talking, men talk while they are EAting." -Malcolm de Chazal

Boogie Burger

1904 E. Broad Ripple Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 255-2450
Boogie Burger

It was a Friday night and my roommate asked if I had dinner plans. Now if you know KJM, the restaurant choices are pretty thin. As previously mentioned, I can say these things, as he doesn't read this blog. Having eaten at Chipotle for lunch, I had already thrown out one of his go to restaurants. Being friends with someone for 20 years, you pretty much know everything about that person. KJM's Chipotle order: Chicken burrito, no beans, extra rice, mild salsa, lettuce, and cheese. So when I offered the suggestion of going to Boogie Burger, I thought I would be able to pin point exactly what he would order when we got there. He had never been there before, and I had never visited their new location off Broad Ripple Ave. The nice thing about their old location was that you could order food while you were out on the patio of Monkey's Tale. The downside was that it was WAY too small. Both times I went it was too crowded to sit down. These burgers are on the messy side, so you definitely need room to eat. I just hope the new location is just as successful. The last restaurant there, The Red Eye Cafe, was only open for a brief period of time. We went a few times on a hungover morning, and it wasn't bad. I think the problem was that it is kind of off the beaten path and they had strange hours. Closed one day during the weekday, and they would deliver late night food. I can just assume the operating costs were astronomical. It was also pretty dark and dingy. Boogie Burger did a bang up job of redoing the interior. It is much brighter and there are more booths. They also built an outdoor patio. The downside is there is not a lot of parking. The staff was young, upbeat, and very friendly. The young lady taking our order decided she wanted to try to guess the names of the patrons before they ordered. She chose Frank for me and Brandon for KJM. I guess if that helps you get through the work day...more power to you.

So back to me trying to figure out what KJM was going to order. You see, he has a very simple pallet. So cheeseburger with ketchup, lettuce, tomato. Boy was I wrong. I said what I was going to order, and KJM said, "That sounds good, I'll have that too." Each 1/3 pound burger comes with lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo, and a pickle spear. I had mine without mayo, KJM no onion and mayo. We both ordered the Wild West Burger, which is advertised as their most famous burger. It is a single patty with cheddar cheese, onion rings, hickory smoked bacon, and BBQ sauce. I ordered their garlic fries and KJM got the onion rings. Also surprising was we both agreed on the taste of the burger. With all those toppings, the only ingredient we could taste was the bacon. Each bite had a little bit of something else, but the bacon was the star of the show. I really couldn't figure it out why. Now I love bacon, but I just wish I could have tasted the BBQ sauce or the onion rings. The garlic fries were enough for two people, so I was unable to finish them. There was enough garlic to ward off the vampires. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, because they are delicious, but you could smell them throughout the entire restaurant. They are crispy, not soggy. It is a pretty good size fry as well, not as thick as a steak fry, but larger than traditional fast food fries. The parsley gives a nice fresh taste, but it is overpowered by the large chunks of garlic. I do not recommend this place as a first date restaurant, as you will be reaching for the Altoids soon after the meal is over.

I would definitely go back, but I would probably order a different burger. PJB said that the Buffalo Chicken sandwich is pretty good as well. If I were to rank my favorite places to grab a burger in the Nap, I would go in order: 96th St. Steak-burgers, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, then Boogie Burger. I have heard good things about the burgers at The Sinking Ship, and today my coworker raved about the burger he had at 20 Tap at 54th and College. Where is your favorite place to grab a burger?

I apologize I do not have a picture. Luckily the website has many pictures. I promise when I go back, I will take a couple pictures.

"When I EAt with my friends, it is a moment of real pleasure, when I really enjoy my life." -Monica Bellucci

Moe & Johnny's

5380 N. College Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 255-6376
Moe & Johnny's

Following the IU vs Butler Men's soccer game RFS, PJB, and I decided to grab a bite to eat. Having eaten at Yats a few days prior, Moe & Johnny's became our destination. It had been a while since we been there, and I have never eaten there. I have only had a few adult beverages there. Although it is a great sports bar, and THE place to be before, during, and after Butler Basketball games, there is a reason we call it Smokey Moe's. I think I have mentioned before that this city needs to go smoke free in bars. Who's with me? Other than that, Moe & Johnny's has an abundance of TV's and tons of space to move around (with the exception the Bulldog's Final Four runs the past two years). The patio is also a great place to hang out during the nice summer nights.

For dinner I decided to go with a cup of meat chili and a buffalo chicken salad. First, the chili. It comes with an option for cheese and onions. I would compare this chili to Steak n Shake's chili. It has beans, onion, and beef. I couldn't really pin point any other ingredients. As for flavor, it was on the mild side. There wasn't a lot of heat, which is smart. When I cook my chili, I am guilty of adding a little too much heat, so it is more of a medium to hot flavor. The texture wasn't too soupy, and there was a lot of meat. During the fall and winter, I have a hard time turning a good cup of chili. I would def order this again, maybe ask for some hot sauce. The salad was amazing. It was the perfect size. I often don't get full on an entree salad, but this was not the case. The chicken fingers were nicely sauced with buffalo sauce, they had the kick I was wanting in my chili. The tenders seem like they were breaded in just flour, as it was just a light coating. They were pretty crispy The base of the salad was romaine and field greens.. There was also croutons, cheese, carrots, tomatoes, and red onions. It came with a soft and sweet dinner roll. I went with the Bleu Cheese dressing, as I am still going on my Bleu Cheese phase. Although there were two cups of dressing, one was enough for me. I'm not sure if I would get the salad again, as I can't predict a situation where I would be going to Moe & Johnny's just for food. But at least I know, if I were to order the salad, it would be enough food to hold me over. I have known only one person to order a salad at a bar, RWG. It was at Harry's on a Friday afternoon. BOILER UP, you Cobb salad eating fool!. FYI, Moe & Johnny's has an all you can eat brunch on Sundays from 9am to 1pm. I've heard decent things about this, and plan on trying it out eventually.

In case you were wondering about the soccer game, your Indiana Hoosiers prevailed 1-0. We scored with under 10 minutes left in the game. Although the score does not reflect this, IU possessed the ball for the majority of the game. Butler's keeper made a couple of amazing saves, but their scoring opportunities were few and far between. IU Futbol...so much more successful than IU Football.

"Nothing would be more tiresome that EAting and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as much as a necessity." -Voltaire

Hoaglin to Go

448 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 423-0300
Hoaglin To Go

It was a Friday afternoon, and I took a half day at work. I was going to run some errands downtown and had previously ordered take out with JBH once, and had wanted to go back. I never really eat alone, but it is a nice change of pace. Often times, you are too busy conversing and never really get the chance to relax a little bit, think, and enjoy your meal. Hoaglin is located on Mass Ave, and Michigan St. It is a quaint little bistro with about 20 or so tables. Take note of the hours, as it is not open all day. It was pretty busy, as it was the one time I went to pick up food to go. The clientele is a nice blend of workers on their lunch break, students on their laptops, moms with their kids, and a few hipsters. I'm surprised they aren't busy occupying something. I think I am going to occupy my roommate's bedroom until he lets me get cable in my bedroom. That might get a little weird though and I think he will kick me out. Good thing he doesn't read this. Back to the decor of the restaurant. I loved it. Each table had a fresh Gerber daisy in a tiny vase (I only noticed this because the ladies next to me mentioned that they always have fresh daisies). It was intimate, yet not cramped. I guess the only problem I had was that I was sharing a bench with another lady and she leaned forward and brought me with her. I didn't think that was possible as I am a pretty big guy and I had my entire weight on the bench. She wasn't an exceptionally large lady, she was just Country Strong. Right WJB?

I absolutely loved the egg salad last time I ordered it, and was debating between one of four of their chicken salads or the egg salad. I couldn't pass up the egg salad. According to Indianapolis Monthly, it is the city's best egg salad. I am going to have to agree with them. I know it is not as good as the egg salad at Lil' Guys, but it sure is close. The difference is Hoaglin's is a little more creamy than Lil' Guys. Probably has a little more mayo/mustard. The other ingredients are onion, bell pepper, and fresh dill. I chose the sourdough bread. The only problem with sourdough is that unless toasted, it falls apart pretty easily. Each bite, the bread would crumble, so it was a little on the messy side. No major complaints though, because each bit also had ample amounts of egg salad. I decided to swap out the kettle chips for a cup of soup ($3 extra). They had two soups to choose from; chicken corn chowder and black bean. I asked the waiter for his suggestion and he said the chicken complete with a caveat that one lady did not like it. I wanted some sort of meat with my meal, so I went with the chicken. I'm used to chowders being a little more creamy, this one was had a chicken stock base. It was more of like a chicken soup than a chowder. It was all white meat chicken though, and had onion, carrots, and bell peppers. It was pretty good. It was a chilly day, so it hit the spot. I promise I won't try to start a trend of soup/salad or soup/sandwich posts, but with the seasons ahead, it looks like it might be the case.

"The most important things to do in the world are to get something to EAt, something to drink, and somebody to love you." -Brenda Ueland

Site News

To all my faithful readers that have been staring at the same Lil' Guys post for the past 5 weeks, I am sorry. I have been nowhere close to keeping up with this blog as I have wanted. There is no excuse for the delay. I am going to start brand new, with all current restaurants. I had about 10 in my queue, but I have long forgotten about my experiences. My goal is to post once every two weeks. To keep myself on track, I am going to reward you, my followers. Please make sure you are following me on Twitter (@RealEAtingIndy) or on here in the top right corner of the blog. If I go two weeks without posting, I will either take ONE of you all to a meal (chosen by you with the shake function on my Urban Spoon Ap) or if you are not in Indianapolis (or if I don't know you, because that would be creepy), I will send you a gift card of some sort. I know this may get pricey, but it will keep me on track. Remember you will only be chosen if you follow me on Twitter or on the blog. I do appreciate all the reminders I have been receiving from people wanting me to post more, and I owe it to all of you to follow through.

"EAting words has never gave me indigestion." -Winston Churchill

Thanks,

EAting Indy

Sensu Indianapolis

Sensu Indianapolis
225 S. Meridian St.
Indianpolis, IN 46225
Sensu


I had a Living Social deal to use at Sensu. Speaking of Living Social like deals, I had to explain the concept to a lady at Old Navy the other day. She was completely clueless. My sister sent me a $20 for $10 Groupon to use, and I guess they have had problems processing them in their system, so I just assumed the lady in front of me just was having the same issue, then the following conversation took place:
Nitwit Consumer (NC): "Can you help me find my Groupon?"
ME: "Sure thing, just log in on your phone."
NC: "OK, I'm there"
ME: "There isn't anything under Unused Groupons"
NC: "Well, I haven't used it yet. I just downloaded the app today."
ME: "Well it should show up here. When did you buy it?"
NC: "You have to buy them?"
ME: "Yes."
NC: "Oh, what is this Asian restaurant (Sensu) Groupon? Is it good?"
ME: "Well I ate there a couple weeks ago, and I recommend if you are going to go to purchase the Groupon, as it gets kind of expensive pretty quickly."
NC: "Well I don't want it."
ME: "So DON'T BUY IT!"

Thanks for wasting my time. Back to Sensu. Imagine a Vegas restaurant/club in downtown Indy. It has a very modern and hip decor. There are huge projection screens showing nature-scapes. Although, calming, I found it rather distracting. The ambiance was very pleasant for dinner which was nice, so I do recommend it as a place for date night, just know you will be shelling out some cash. I have never been out there late night, but I assume it starts popping off around 10. DJBG raves about the place. Clubs like this have never really been my scene. Even when I lived in Chicago, I never ventured to the clubby bars, unless it was for a special occasion. The one thing that will stick in my mind as a highlight of the meal was our waiter. It was the BEST service I have had in the city since I have moved back. Since this was our first time, he kind of explained the concept of the menu. It was more like Asian fusion tapas. They serve small plates, and based on your food preferences, they cater the menu to your liking. He asked what we liked, and gave us some suggestions. He went away for a while, giving us time to dissect the menu. Before he left, he suggested the tacos and a couple of the Kobe beef dishes. I have only had Kobe beef burgers, so it was given before we even sat down, that I was going to order the Kobe beef. Those cattle have a pretty posh life, up to the time they become food. I mean they get to eat great food, get massages, and drink Sake. I bet that fire in Chicago wouldn't have happened if someone gave that cow an Old Style and a massage. When our waiter returned, we were ready to order. I decided to go with two tacos (lobster and BBQ pork, $4.50 each) and the Kobe Beef Toban Yaki ($28). I also chose the Wasabi mashed potatoes ($5), per the suggestion of our waiter. JBH ordered Chicken Satay ($13) and Pork and Kobe Beef tacos. The only downside of the meal was the mashed potatoes. I didn't take a picture of them, because I was too focused on eating the rest of the meal. After we both had a bite, we were over them and really didn't go back for more. First the color of the mashed potatoes was pea green and not very appealing. They were very heavy in wasabi flavor. Some people love wasabi, so this dish would be great for them. I don't mind it, but it was too strong for my liking. As for the rest of the meal, it was delicious. Of the two tacos, the BBQ pork was my favorite. It had a little bit of heat, but not too overpowering. The pineapple salsa countered any heat with a sweet flavor. Lobster is one thing that I never eat often, but I really enjoy. I was torn between the tacos and the clay pot lobster. I think my ultimate decision was reached because the clay pot lobster is cooked in a red curry sauce. I can't decide if I like curry or not, and I surely was not going to pay $24 for something I wasn't positive I was going to like. So I went with a lobster taco. It was good, not great. I think I was expecting a lot of lobster, but I didn't get it. For those of you who have issues with texture, this taco is not for you. The texture is soft and chewy, with the lobster, tomato, and avocado. Now for the star of the meal, the Kobe Beef Toban Yaki. The meal is served on a sizzling hot plate with a nice mixture of mushrooms and asparagus. As you can see, the beef is served rare to medium rare. Lots of pink. The longer you leave the steak on the plate, the more it will cook. I generally order my steak medium, but I was hungry and couldn't wait to eat it. The meat was so tender. It literally melted in my mouth. The knife sliced through the beef with ease and each bite was just as good as the one before. I enjoyed the mushrooms more than the asparagus. The enoki mushrooms are the things that look like they came out of a sci-fi movie. The stems kind have the texture of an angel hair pasta. The Shitake


For those of you who don't want to want to shell out the cash. Devour Downtown starts today and runs through August 21st. For $30 you can get 4 courses at Sensu. The Toban Yaki isn't on the DD menu, but another beef dish is, as are the tacos. I plan on hitting at least 2 restaurants during DD. St. Elmo's and Fogo de Chao look like the preliminary targets. Click the picture below for a list of restaurants. Happy devouring!


"I really believe the only way to stay healthy is to eat properly, get your rest and exercise. If you don't exercise and do the other two, I still don't think it's going to help you that much. "

Mother Bear's Pizza: Bloomington, IN

1428 East Third Street
Bloomington, IN 47401
Mother Bear's Pizza


I think I'm going to blog Bloomington for my next two posts. I know its been a while since I blogged Indy, but I frankly don't care. Apologies to any readers that won't ever visit the most beautiful college town in state, but hopefully I can convince you to make a trip an hour South. Football season is around the corner and the mighty Hoosiers host Virginia, South Carolina State, Penn State, Illinois, Northwestern, and we get the chance to defend the rock and keep the Bucket in Bloomington. 

Eleven people were clinging precariously to a wildly swinging rope suspended from a crumbling outcropping on Mount Everest. Ten were Purdue grads, one was an IU grad. As a group they decided that one of the party should let go. If that didn't happen the rope would break and everyone would perish. For an agonizing few moments no one volunteered. Finally the Hoosier gave a truly touching speech saying he would sacrifice himself to save the lives of the others. The Purdue grads applauded.

So Mother Bear's was an easy choice. We wanted pizza, and to be honest I'm sick of Pizza X, or Hot Box here in Indy. I wish there was a better late night pizza joint in Indy, specifically Broad Ripple. I think Za is overpriced and tastes like cardboard. I have seen way too many fights in Hot Box and their pizza is boring. I would have to throw Mother Bear's in as my favorite, if not one of my favorite pizza places in the state. Recently, my family has been getting Jet's Pizza and I am a huge fan. Now Mother Bear's is one of the Bloomington staples, like Nick's and Kilroy's. The decor seems like it hasn't changed in years, although they did expand the dining area when I was a student. It is a classic pizza parlor: dimly lit, ample seating, and a very energetic atmosphere. It is award winning, according to the blue ribbon on the door, they are the 4th in the nation. People Magazine has recognized the store as one of America's Best Pizzas. The student paper has also voted Mother Bear's the best pizza numerous time. 

WJB, RFS, and JMA were in attendance on this gorgeous Spring evening. Not surprisingly, JMA was a borderline hammered as it was the weekend prior to Little 500. It being his last as an undergrad, it was completely acceptable. Apologies to the hipster in the Newsies hat that he called a nerd while he was riding his 1960's bicycle across the street wearing skinny jeans and a scarf (note: it was 78 degrees outside):

JMA: "Nice hat..."

Hipster: "Thanks!"

JMA: "NERD!!!"

Hipster: "What the hell dude?"

With JMA not being able to read a menu, I decided to order for us. We got the Mom's Favorite special which is only available for inside dining. Comes with one 10" one topping pizza, 2 house salads or breadsticks, and 2 soft drinks for $14.50. It's a steal if you ask me. We wanted to get a specialty pizza, so we decided on the Monet: Parmesan-Garlic White sauce, mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomato &  Basil Chicken sausage, red onions, and green peppers.  Also decided to go with salads. MB's has the most unique salad topping. Yes, those are Goldfish crackers.  It also has red onions, tomatoes, and cheese. I went with the Bleu Cheese dressing, I think it is made in house. I usually don't opt for Bleu Cheese, but recently I have been in that type of mood. Other than the Goldfish, it is a typical salad, but compliments the pizza perfectly. I don't know why the pizza is so delicious there compared to other pizza joints. They just know how to do it right. I almost always leave the crust on my plate, but with MB's I eat the entire slice. The toppings are fresh and they just work well together. I'll admit I read the menu wrong as I thought there was going to be Sun Dried Tomato and Chicken Sausage, not Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage. Either way, I'm glad we tried something different. 


Most often when eating pizza, you feel pretty full and want to go into the dreaded food coma. With this pizza, I was rearing to go party afterwards. Every time I went to visit B-town, my night ended up with a some type of crazy story. This weekend, I met JMA left Sports early to meet some friends, thus leaving RFS, WJB, and JD at Sports. I get a call from him to meet him at his fraternity to go back to his house. I asked what he was doing. His response, "Riding a skateboard and listening to 80's music." He came to the house on a bicycle. We proceeded to ride back to his house with him sitting on the handlebars, me not being able to see over him, and not having any sort of balance. Needless to say, we wrecked and he face planted within seconds of us getting on the bike. After figuring it all out, we made it back to the house. Sure enough, there was 80's music blaring from the porch. Another successful weekend in Bloomington...


"You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to EAt six." -Yogi Berra

Bloomington Sandwich Co. - Bloomington, IN

118 East Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47408-3330
Bloomington Sandwich Company

The Bloomington Sandwich Co. (BSC) is my favorite sandwich shop in the state. (I only go to Shapiro's for the Reuben, whereas I have loved every sandwich at the BSC). It was a rainy Saturday afternoon and we came back to Bloomington to play in a fraternity basketball tournament (it was rained out, so lunch was our next best option). Now the BSC used to be located the square, but it has since moved to Kirkwood. The first time I ever ate at this restaurant was after I graduated college (one of my biggest regrets in college). I know I would have been a regular, if I had known that this place existed. Based on the BSC Bloomingpedia page, the BSC was started by Mike and Carole Moy in 2005. If my memory is correct, Mike is from the Chicago area. I know this because we had a conversation about the Italian Beef Sandwich on the menu, and my affinity for giardinera. The Italian Beef is only one of the reasons I fell in love with this restaurant. The first being, the Reuben... It ranks #5 on the All Time Reuben List. Here is where Mike and I have a discrepancy. I have told you I order the Reuben NY Style, with cole slaw instead of sauerkraut. Mike refers to it as New Jersey style. He said that he had some dudes from jersey come into the store and they said that the cole slaw style originated in NJ. Of course they would say that. Anyone that went to IU could spot said "dudes from jersey" from a mile a way. You know the type, with their "shirts before the shirts", Yankees flat bills, orange skin, bottle service at Sports. Because those dudes annoy me to no end, I will not let them take credit for the cole slaw on the Reuben. It will always be NY Style in my eyes, because New Yorkers are so much better. 

So why is the Reuben #5? It's not stacked with corned beef like the other Reubens on the list, but it is the total package. The meat is tender, juicy and delightfully seasoned. The rye bread is toasted to perfection. There is a perfect amount of cole slaw and 1000 island dressing, so it isn't runny and messy. The Swiss cheese is melted just right. It just tastes fresh. I honestly think I could eat about 3 of these in one sitting because they taste so darn good, but just the one with a side dish will leave you satisfied. I chose the potato salad. It is nothing spectacular, but it does the trick. Beyond the sandwiches and service, the one thing that sold me on the BSC was the tasty treat they give you at the end of the meal. It is just a sample of their many flavors of Italian Ice, but after your meal, just a sample is enough. 

Round 2

RFS and I went back to Bloomington to meet with our fraternity advisor before we went to Columbus, IN for a wedding. KM had never been there before and he is a B-town native, so we had to go. Was I tempted to get the Reuben, absolutely. I had to opt for something different. I must say that the Combo meal that the BSC offers is one of the best I have ever seen. For the price of just a sandwich, you get a 1/2 sandwich, EITHER potato salad or Cole Slaw, then pick from the following: chips and drink, fries, side salad, cup of soup, cup of chili, OR chips and salsa. I decided to go with the BSC club: Bacon, Turkey, Ham, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo on toasted sourdough bread. I went with the Caesar side salad and potato salad for my sides. Once again, the potato salad is just your run of the mill potato salad. The Caesar salad didn't wow me either, but I was feeling a salad, and hadn't had a Caesar in a while. It was just chopped Romaine lettuce, croutons, and shredded Parmesan cheese. As I stated before, the meat they use at the BSC is so fresh. Really any option you choose, you are guaranteed a freshly sliced stack of meat and fixins. The lettuce is crisp and you really get a bite of each ingredient every time. I also like how they don't put too much mayo on the sandwich. I only like small amounts of mayo on my sandwiches. I know I mentioned I would go on a Sandwich hiatus, but I had this entry queued up. Be on the lookout for Mother Bear's Pizza, Sensu, and Hotcakes Pancake Emporium. 

"I am proud to be an American. Because an American can EAt anything on the face of this earth as long as he has two pieces of bread." - Bill Cosby   

Crabby Bill's - St.Petersburg, FL

5100 Gulf Boulevard 
St. Pete Beach, FL
Crabby Bills


Night 2 of SB2K11 found us at Crabby Bill's. I have heard from many past vacationers that Crabby Bill's was the place to go for seafood. JBH's family specifically recommended it, funny because she doesn't eat seafood. The restaurant is huge. The downstairs dining area is full of picnic tables. You may be eating with strangers, but that is the fun of SB. There was a wait before we got to eat dinner, so we made use of our time on the upstairs deck. They had a gorgeous view of the beach and the sunset, as you can see here. The one problem I did have was our waiter was kind of an idiot. I think he messed up everybody's checks. In a way that is our problem, seeing we had 9 people dining, so a little more room to mess up, but he was double charging cards, mixing up orders, etc. Other than that it was a pretty nice dining experience. 

I tend to stay away from the fried dishes, but for this meal I decided not to. From a taste standpoint, fried anything usually tastes the same, often masking the true flavor of a dish. We decided to order a couple appetizers for the table. I chose hush puppies and fried pickles. The hush puppies were served with a side of honey. I had never seen that before, it was a nice touch. The honey provided a good mix of sweet with the salty corn based hush puppies. I think I have mentioned before that sweet and salty is one of my favorite combinations, like Smash and Bang (semi NSFW).  The good thing about the appetizers was that there was plenty to share. I'll admit I am a sucker for fried pickles. Now I'm not on the same level as Snooki when it comes to an affinity for pickles, but I do enjoy a good pickle every now and then (that's what she said). I would rate Crabby Bill's pickles as average. They were not seasoned and alone tasted pretty bland. The dipping sauce you see was ranch dressing. My favorite fried pickle dipping sauce is the one you get at Scotty's Brewhouse because it is a horseradish sauce. Don't get me wrong, I love ranch as much as the next guy, but sometimes its better to step out of the ordinary My bigger issue with the pickles was that they were very thinly slicked. It was more breading than pickle. At least at Scotty's, you get a thicker cut of pickle. Now for my entree. I have a complex, where I tend to order meals based on what the restaurant is named. A coworker who once said, "Ever been to The Beef House? They have amazing rolls." Granted they do have amazing rolls, BUT its not called the Roll House. You don't go to St. Elmo's for their onion rings. So i went with the soft shell crab. I would have ordered the crab legs, but I was to tired to work for my meal. With soft shell blue crab, you just eat the whole thing. As you can see, I did order some veggies to attempt to off set my trip to the fryer. As long as you are not freaked out by sticking an entire crab shell in your mouth, it has the same flavor as a regular crab.  I will be honest, its not for everybody. There were times when I had no idea what part of the crab I was eating, and to some that is kind of scary. I wasn't mad at the decision I made, but next time around I will opt for another menu item. The girls ordered a steamed seafood combo platter that looked delicious. For the record, I am allergic to shellfish (only mussels and clams), but I can do shrimp, lobster, and crab. Overall I was satisfied with the meal, and I would go back. It was a fun restaurant that had something for everyone on the menu, minus PJB, who got a salad. 

"It's okay to EAt fish because they don't have any feelings." - Kurt Cobain

The Sloppy Pelican - St. Petersburg, FL

677 75th Ave
Saint Petersburg Beach FL, 33706
The Sloppy Pelican

Adult Spring Break: Where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about a little place called St. Petersburg. 

It has been a long time since Adult Spring Break, so I will do my best to recap the places we ate. Our first night there, we ate at the Sloppy Pelican.  It was a pretty busy night as they had all you can eat snow crab night, so we had to wait a bit for a free table. So to pass the time, we consumed a fair amount of $14 beer towers. Needless to say, we were feeling pretty good by the time we were seated to actually eat. Now there were about 12-14 of us dining, but my table consisting of KM, PJB, and KSLY, had the most fun. Probably because we were in our own little world and nobody was really paying attention to the hilarity that was going on:
ME: "KSLY, what are you having?"
KSLY: "Whatever you are having."
ME: "Fish tacos"
KSLY: "Gross."


PJB ordered probably the biggest plate of nachos I have seen in a while. I mean they could have been shared with the table. He was overjoyed in his choice. They had chili, cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, jalepenos, and sour cream. I helped him eat them and they were delicious. Now at this point in our evening, anything would taste good, but I do remember everybody enjoying the meal. At one point during the meal, I looked over to see PJB just housing the nachos, and about every 5 minutes he would offer the table to try some. I love seafood, so with almost every meal during spring break I ordered some type treat from the ocean. This night I chose fish tacos, and I decided to go with the Mahi. They were amazing. They were served with cole slaw, just how I like it, rice and a crock of seasoned black beans. It was the perfect amount of food. The mahi was cooked perfectly, it has a nice char from the grill. They had a decent kick to them as well. All the dressings they had there are made in house. I had one of KM's wings (fried extra crispy, great call), and dipped it in their house ranch...delicious! 


The night died down, and the girls we were with went home to get a nice night of sleep before a long day of laying out. PJB, WJB, and I stayed out and had another beer tower or two. We ran into a group of girls who were also on SB from IUPUI. Here's the problem with them: A. They were super young and 2. They refused to drink beer. In my opinion, its kind of a turn off when you meet a girl that refuses to drink beer. Unless they have some allergy, at the end of the day, its just kind of lame. "Beer makes me fat." Oh and that frozen fruity calorie bomb you are consuming, will help you look like Kate Upton? Try again sweetheart. Bigger problem... dudes that refuse to drink beer. I had a roommate in college that hated it. Yeah we were drinking Keystone Light or Busch Light on the reg, so not the best brew around, but it did the trick on the cheap. Have yourself another Chocolate-tini DJBG.  Stay thirsty my friend. The problem we incurred at the end of the night, was we didn't know the name of the bar we were in. The Drunken Alligator? The Sassy Manatee? All we knew was that it was an adjective and an animal. Free Beach Rides really enjoyed the phone call they received when 3 dudes needed to be picked up at the Slutty Dolphin. It was a great night had by all to say the least. 


"Fishes live in the sea, as men do a-land; the great ones EAt up the little ones." William Shakespeare  

Chow Down Midtown

http://www.chowdownmidtown.com/

Just a quick post to remind you that Chow Down Midtown started on Monday and runs through June 16 (so you have a week to get out there). Sorry for the delay again. This will be the LAST time I apologize for the last of writing. I never knew how much of an undertaking writing a blog can be. I will take someone to dinner if they can figure out a way to keep me focused on posting regularly. Honestly, I blame the weather, as I will not sit inside if it is nice out. Yeah, it has been unbearably hot recently, but still it beats the snow and ice we had to deal with 4 months ago.

As for Chow Down Midtown. It is similar to Devour Downtown in that restaurants in the Broad Ripple/Tarkington Area/SoBro neighborhoods are offering prixe fixe menus. There are some great deals out there, but I can't say I am as impressed with the offerings as I am when Devour rolls around. The restaurants that stick out the most to me are Recess, Mama Corolla's, and Illinois St. Food Emporium. I've always wanted to go to Recess, because I love Chef Hardesty's concept. "I will cook whatever I want, and you eat it. If you don't like my menu, tough cookies! I'm sure there is a McDonalds nearby to make you happy." I can only imagine that was the thought running through his head when he opened Recess. That concept seems to be paying off for him.  The menu changes frequently and I have heard nothing but good things about that restaurant. So why haven't I eaten there? Well I just haven't been able to justify spending $40-$60 on myself for dinner. With the Chow Down Midtown menu, it is only $30 for three courses there. A very good deal if you ask me. I like the Mama Corolla's menu and Illinois St. because they are 2 meals for $30. Many of the other bar/grills are offering 2 for $30, but the menus just do not blow me away. If any of you go to these restaurants, let me know where you went and the how your experience was.

"Sleep 'til you're hungry, EAt 'til you're sleepy." 

3 Sisters Cafe

6360 Guilford Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46220


So this is the last post before I start my Adult Spring break entries. PJB requested I start posting more often, so here goes. If you dont know, 3 Sisters is located right outside of the heart of

 Broad Ripple... 

Home of the Rockets. 

Stick up your hands and

Empty your pockets

My older brother was trying to get me to go to 3 Sisters for a while, he had been before, but the restaurant was getting some major pub after their feature on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives (DDD). We went right before the church crowd hit on Sunday morning, so we were seated right away. Within 20 minutes, there was a wait out the door. Here is my quick take on DDD, I think Guy Fieri is kind of a d-bag. Okay, so he knows his food, I'll give him that. But his personality is a little too much for me. He is a decent chef, but a terrible host. I would watch Minute to Win It more frequently, but I just can't take his commentary. WJB did point out the fact that he stole my style in high school, where I flipped my sunglasses on the back of my head. Now, I know why I was made fun of for that... I do prefer him over Adam Richman (Man Vs Food). Now that guy is the epitome of a douche and I'm pretty sure his life expectancy is about 42. Keep up eating those 8 pound burritos bro! America can hear you getting fatter...

So let's talk food. I ordered the Thick Sliced Vanilla Cream French Toast. I haven't ordered French Toast in a while, so I went for it. I'd have to say I made a glorious choice. There were 5 hefty pieces of toast, enough for a grown man to get full. I don't know how they made the toast, but if I were to venture a guess, the toast was dipped in an egg and vanilla cream batter, then thrown on the griddle. They were savory and sweet and I always love the nice dusting of powdered sugar. My brother ordered the lemon blueberry corn cakes that were featured on DDD with blueberry compote.

The corn cakes were unlike anything I have ever eaten before. To me they tasted like something that you would eat on the prairie in the pioneer days. I think it is because I am under the impression that everyone back then ate some sort of corn meal based food. If you could imagine corn bread, with blueberries that is fried on a griddle. I'm not sure I would order them for myself, because I enjoyed the french toast so much, but I do recommend if you are in the market for something different and very filling. For dessert, we decided on the Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie, also featured on DDD. Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie you ask? Also unlike anything I have ever eaten before. If you ask anyone in my family, I love pie. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because of the pies. The crust on this pie was amazing. It was buttery and flaky and just worked well with filling. That is a breaking point for me, you have to have great crust. Graham cracker is a personal favorite. The filling was very creamy because of the goat cheese. The goat cheese was pretty mild in flavor and mixed well with the sweet and tart flavor of the blueberries. Overall it was not your typical dessert pie, it was more savory than sweet. The majority of the sweetness in the pie came from the whipped cream and caramel drizzle. I recommend this as well if you are feeling adventurous and if you have room after the generous entree.

Our service was wonderful. Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. I highly recommend trying this place out. The quality of ingredients really stand out. Most of all, I love the atmosphere. It is unique in that it was an old house, transformed into a restaurant. It really feels like you are eating at home, minus all the strangers milling around. I take that back. At our house on the weekends, sometimes strangers ARE milling around in the morning. Holla!

"I have a great diet. You're allowed to EAt anything you want, but you must EAt it with naked fat people."

Squealers Barbeque

5515 W. 86th Street 
Indianapolis, Indiana
Squealers BBQ


EAting Indy is now tweeting live. Follow me @RealEAtingIndy! Since it takes me a while to keep this up to date, you can now see where I am eating live. I promise I will get better at this. I'm thinking when I get my iPad2, I will be updating more frequently. I promise, no more sandwich/burger places for a while. I have something new in the pipeline, and I still have not even gotten to Adult Spring Break yet. Right before I left for said Spring Break, I went to lunch at Squealer's. I had a craving for some BBQ, since I was somewhat disappointed with Dick's Bodacious BBQ. Also I mentioned the delicious fried biscuits and apple butter in my previous post, so I did not want to leave you hanging. Squealers has two locations, one on the Northwest Side and in Mooresville. I used to drive by the one in Mooresville on the way to Bloomington, and it always intrigued me. My dad had always heard good things about it, but for some reason we never went. I think it is because if we were stopping in Mooresville, it was going to be at Gray Brothers Cafeteria.  It wasn't until I started working back here in Indy, that I had the opportunity to eat at Squealers. 



Now I have only been here for lunch twice, but both times I have left full and satisfied. First lets start with the service. Our waiter was very friendly. He came quick with the drinks and offered his suggestions on what to order, even though we had all eaten there before. After my first dining experience, I knew to order the fried biscuits with apple butter. Delicious. They came out warm and there were enough for our table of four to enjoy. Now if you have never had a fried biscuit, it reminds me of an elephant ear at the state fair, but not as sweet. You get a nice crispy outside, but it is nice and fluffy on the inside. These just melt in your mouth. I read somewhere that fried biscuits and apple butter are a Southern Indiana specialty. Imagine that, something fried is an Indiana specialty, like fried butter or fried bacon at the Indiana State Fair.  For my entree, I got the Squealers Favorite which is pulled pork, with cole slaw with pickle, and onion on the side. You have the option of hot or sweet BBQ sauce, and I chose a mixture of both. I just love the combination of sweet and heat. There is enough sauce where it adds a lot of flavor to the sandwich, but it allows the smoky flavor of the pork to shine through. The pork itself is so tender, the way BBQ is supposed to be. If you can recall how I like my cole slaw, Squealers is spot on. It is creamy and adds a nice crunch to the sandwich. Since I got slaw on the sandwich, I went with BBQ beans. I think the best BBQ beans are from smoke house restaurants like Squealers because they always add bits of smoked meat in with the beans and their house BBQ sauce.


Overall, I will go back time and time again. Their food is very resonably priced, and the service has never been an issue. Last time I dined, our waiter gave us all an extra punch on the frequent diner card. Moreover, the food is delicious. I will go out on a limb and say this is my favorite place for BBQ in the City. But at the same time, it can't touch Smoque. I forgot to mention, last time I went to Smoque, The Ladies Man himself, Tim Meadows, was there. For the younger generation, Principal Duvall from Mean Girls. Shoutout to RFS, who loves Mean Girls...and none for Glen Coco. 


Edible, adj.:  Good to EAt, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm.  ~Ambrose Bierce 

Cheeseburger in Paradise

4670 Southport Crossings Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46237
Cheeseburger in Paradise

It was a cold and rainy day the weekend before I went on adult Spring Break. JBH and I headed down to the Edinburgh outlet mall so I could hopefully find a new swim suit and some deep V's to take with me to St. Pete. After about a couple hours of shopping, it was lunch time. The options were to go to the Max & Erma's in Edinburgh or I also suggested Cheeseburger in Paradise in Greenwood on the way back to Indy. We decided on Cheeseburger. Hindsight is 20/20 and we probably should have gone to Max & Erma's. I love that place, probably because it brings back memories of the one on Michigan Rd. with the sweet arcade. One of my fondest memories was when we went there after our Junior High musical and I'm pretty sure we may left without paying, but we were stupid 8th graders. And there were about 100 kids plus parents there, so I think someone must have footed the bill for us. *Kids, DON'T dine and dash, its pathetic. I will admit wholeheartedly that I am a Northsider through and through. No I'm not from the Golden Ghetto known as Carmel, but actually the Northside of Indy (I had to explain that on numerous occasions in college). My coworkers know I like to razz Carmel. Stemming from my days playing CYO sports, I have not liked the Southside at all. This dislike has grown throughout my life, especially this year going to Pacers games. At one point I tweeted during the Pacers-Heat game, "I want to thank all the Heat fans for making the trek up from South Beach, now please have a safe drive home to Greenwood." So yes, my Northside bias runs deep. Well I guess I view it more as Cubs vs White Sox hatred., we are both from the same city, but we just don't get along. Anyways, its time to review Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Once we were seated, I bet JBH $5 that nobody will help us for at least 15 minutes. I am proud to say I won that bet. No drink order, not even a server stopping by to say they will be with us in a second. No contact at all for over 15 minutes. To me, that is ridiculous. The restaurant wasn't even that busy. We had at least 4 different workers walk by, and not one person said anything. Should I have stopped one of them? Probably, but as I mentioned earlier, I do not like the Southside, so I am for any reason to grow my animosity towards them. When the waiter finally showed up, we ordered everything right away, as we had enough time to fumble through the menu. I did like how they had Fresca on the menu, so I ordered one. *I created a drink during Junior Spring Break of college called the EA Special. Gratuitous amounts of flavored Rum and Fresca. **Try it if you are over the age of 21. Drink responsibly! For food, I ordered the Beach Burger (Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Dill Pickle, American Cheese) and JBH got the mini sliders. At one point, I thought the Beach Burger was actually called the Cheeseburger in Paradise, but I guess Mr. Buffet wasn't satisfied with his 4% royalty check for the naming of the restaurant, so they had to change the name (complete speculation). I substituted fries for Sweet Potato Chips. The food came out in a pretty decent time, which seemed only thing they did correctly. The patty is pretty thick and it is bigger than the bun, which is better than the alternative. I can't stand when I run out of patty and I am just left with bun. The sweet potato chips are a nice change of pace from fries. I think after 25 1/2 years, I am just bored with run of the mill fries. I just wasn't overly satisfied with my burger. I can name 10 different places in this city that have better burgers.  I think next time I go back, I will opt for the Mini Burgers. They remind me of White Castle, but with better quality meat. And am I in no way knocking White Castle. Someone once asked me, "If you could have one last meal, but you are drunk, what would it be?" Without thinking, I blurted out, "A crave case from White Castle. 15 burgers, 15 with cheese & onion petals." Please leave your answer to that question in the comments. I apologize for going off topic, but I thought I could make this blog more involved. Also, I got bored talking about an average meal from Greenwood.

Like Jay-Z, I'm on to the next one...

"Frogs have it easy, they can EAt what bugs them"