Chicago Hot Dog Co.

8320 N. Michigan Rd.

Indianapolis, IN 46268

(317) 808 - 5980

Chicago Hot Dog Co.

As you must know by now, I lived in Chicago for 2 years after college before moving back here. I always get pretty excited when a new Chicago style restaurant opens in Indy. Recently I had heard a rumor that Fat Dan's in Broad Ripple is moving to SoBro and becoming more of a restaurant/pub with multiple beer taps. When I heard that Chicago Hot Dog Co. was opening near work, it took no less than a few weeks for me to stop by and try it. The restaurant is located just south of 86th St on Michigan Rd. in front of the License Branch. I really hope that this place is successful as this area has become a black hole for restaurants. Just within the past year or so another hot dog place has opened and closed across the street from Chicago Hot Dog Co. The restaurant was pretty busy at lunch time. They have an order window and a pick up window. The staff was very friendly and patient. The menu consists of hot dogs, burgers, chicken sandwiches, Italian Beef, and salads. I think all the main menu items can be prepared Gluten Free. The decor in the restaurant brings back memories of my days in Chicago. It has pictures of the skyline, the El, and just has this feel that you are getting working class food in a working class restaurant. They have a good price point on their menu items. I got a Chicago Dog, Italian beef, and a soda for around $10.

I compare all my Chicago dogs and Italian Beef sandwiches to my favorite Chicago Style restaurant, Portillo's. I have found places around here that do a comparable Chicago Dog, but nobody comes close to the Portillo's Italian Beef. The Chicago Hot Dog Co. ranks up there with the Chicago Dog. So the restaurant does a justice to the Chicago Dog. What's in a Chicago Dog you ask? Well it starts with a poppy seed bun, then a Vienna Beef hot dog, covered in onion, relish, sport peppers, tomato, celery salt, mustard and a dill pickle. People think that it is overkill, but I think all these flavors work well together. A Chicago dog plays with all your tastebuds, with its mix of sweet, salty, bitter, and sour flavors. Personally I eat the dill pickle first because it just gets too messy. The only place I could find error in this hot dog was that someone was a little heavy handed in the celery salt. You just want to taste a hint of celery salt as it can be overpowering. The Vienna beef hot dog had a nice snap to it. I will come back for the hot dogs. Back in my heyday I could put down a Chicago dog, an Italian Beef, and some krinkle fries. This time around I had to try both a dog and the Italian Beef, not enough room for the fries. The Italian beef was pretty good. I always order mine with hot giardiniera (blend of hot peppers and veggies). You can get the sandwich prepared dry, wet, or dipped. I went with dipped this time. This was probably another mistake I made. They use a crusty French bread as the base of this sandwich. The au jus helps break down the bread a little bit so it isn't as tough to eat. I should have gone with wet instead. The dipped style left the sandwich a bit too dry for me. Trust me, this is not a dainty sandwich. You will get a little messy. The key to eating an Italian beef sandwich is to lean over your plate a little bit so you don't drip that wonderful au jus on yourself. The last thing you want to do is head back to the office with a nice au jus stain on your shirt. The beef was pretty tasty. It was tender, sliced thin, and had great flavor. They use a good blend of spices. I could taste salt, pepper, oregano and some other flavors I could not pinpoint. The hot peppers add a little heat and some crunch to the sandwich. If you recall my Detour post, they did not give me enough giardineira. I will give the beef another go round one day, but the hot dog was the best part of my meal.

 

"The only time to EAt diet food, is when you are waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

Punch Burger

127 E. Ohio Street

Indianapolis, IN

317.426.5280

Punch Burger

I usually wait a few weeks or months for a new restaurant to find its identity and work out the kinks. After reading the feature in the Indy Star, I decided to break my rule and try Punch Burger. What sold me was the idea of fresh and local ingredients from here in Indiana. The first thing I noticed was the was the bright menu board. It was very easy to navigate. First they list the specialty burgers for those people that like decisions to be made for them. Next are the options to build your own burger. There are three bun options, three meat options, toppings, cheeses, sauce, and extras. You also have your choice to get a grilled cheese, if a burger isn't up your alley. I really enjoyed how this restaurant knows its identity. They want to do burgers and do burgers well. They aren't gimmicky. The menu is very reasonably priced. For around $18, we got 2 burgers, 2 sodas, sweet potato tater tots, and waffle fries. We went on a Monday night and the staff was very inviting. They were patient as we went through the menu, deciding what to order. It wasn't very busy, but you will have that a new restaurant especially downtown. I picture Punch Burger gaining steam through the winter with the Pacers season starting soon. Punch Burger is located at Delaware and Ohio, so 3 or so blocks North of Bankers Life. The restaurant is very bright and clean. It has the feel of a classic diner, with modern accents. There seems to be a fair amount of seating. It wasn't crowded and our food came out quickly, so they can turn tables pretty fast. They also have wine and beer on tap, mostly local breweries, and PBR for you hipsters.

I decided to build my own burger. I started with the pretzel roll (extra $.40), Angus beef patty, lettuce, tomato, grilled red onion (you can opt for raw), house made pickles, pepper jack cheese, and spicy aioli. I like the pretzel roll as it has the strength to hold up to a loaded burger. As juicy as this burger was, it did not make the roll soggy. They butter both sides and grill the bun to a golden brown to give that extra defense against any sauce or juice that can break up the bun. Grilling the bun also gives a nice crispy texture. The burger is 1/3 lb of Angus beef from Fischer Farms in Jasper, IN. At first, I thought that I might want to double the burger, but it was actually just the right size. We both left dinner feeling comfortably full. You do have the option to adding a patty for $2. This was one of the juiciest burgers I have had in a while. It had the perfect amount of fat. It was juicy not greasy. I did not feel disgustingly full after eating this burger. You can tell the patty is formed by hand as it is pretty rough looking. The toppings worked well together. I ate a few of the house pickles by themselves. They were crunchy and had a kind of sweet, kind of sour flavor. The spicy aioli was great. It had a creamy flavor, but added just enough heat. It was a perfect mild heat. They do have Sriracha if you are looking for hotter. The sweet potato tater tots ($2) were awesome. They were cooked just the way I like them, a crunchy outside and soft inside. You could see the tiny diced sweet potatoes. Next time, I would ask for a few sauces for dipping. The waffle fries ($1.50) were average, but I feel like we didn't get that many in a serving. You get more bang for your buck with the tots.

I will definitely go back to Punch Burger. I overheard a patron say, "This place is much better than Boogie Burger." I would rank Punch Burger up with Twenty Tap, and ahead of BRU, Bub's, and Boogie Burger.

"I'm in 'an open relationship' with EAting healthy" -Unknown

The Brockway Public House

12525 Old Meridian St.

Carmel, IN 46032

317.669.8080

The Brockway Public House

This past weekend we decided to switch up our regular Broad Ripple bar scene and drive up to Carmel to watch the Notre Dame game at Brockway. This was out of the norm for me in particular as I would prefer to watch my teams from the comfort of my own couch. This can be attributed to outbursts of not so family friendly language, especially with Tommy Rees under center for the Irish. Case in point, there was a family sitting behind us and I may or may not have dropped an F bomb during a surefire Miami touchdown (I didn't think kids were allowed in the place, but I guess they have to sit away from the bar area). Within a few minutes I wasn't overly impressed with TV setup. The larger TV's were kind of high on the wall and it was not a very comfortable eye level. Luckily, the bar was not crowded and we were able to get a couple high top tables next to a lower TV. When we asked if the channel could be changed to NBC before game time, it was a 10 minute fiasco that took 2 different waiters to figure out how to operate the remote. If I ran a sports bar, channel changing would be one of my first areas of training. After that our service was pretty fair. Our waiter checked on us regularly and we rarely had to wait for drinks or food. In a throwback to my Chicago days, I ordered an Old Style. Our waiter said that is something that is reserved for the regulars and nobody else really orders it. He was shocked that this was my first visit. The bar has a nice patio, but it was too cool to be out there. Another throwback to my Chicao days was the tableside beer taps that charge per ounce poured. I would definitely go back, the issue is transportation back and forth to Broad Ripple. Drink Responsibly my friends.

We got an appetizer sampler to start that had fried cheese, fried mushrooms, and homemade potato chips with marinara and ranch for dipping. The mushrooms had a beer batter and were too big to eat in one bite, but impossible to cut into bite size pieces without losing the breading on the mushroom. I did not really care for these. The chips were average. They had more substance than a regular potato chip and lacked seasoning. The fried mozzarella were my favorite of the three. These were hand breaded in a bread crumb mixture and had a great crunchy texture to accompany the gooey, melted cheese. I apologize for not having a picture of me Reuben. I thought I took a picture of it, but didn't. Luckily this Reuben did not crack the Top Ten Reuben list, so I don't feel as bad. The Reuben was pretty average. The only flavor that shone through was the sauerkraut. I really wanted it to have more 1000 island dressing. The meat was juicy and there was a good amount of corned beef, but it left something to be desired. I feel like all Irish food is pretty heavy. I guess you need a heavy meal to give you a nice base for the Guinness and Jameson. FYI, Irish Car Bombs are on sale there on Saturdays. Again, drink responsibly. I would like to go back when it is nicer and sit on the patio and try something different for dinner. I was told that the fish and chips are delicious.

"May the enemies of Ireland never EAt bread nor drink whiskey, but be afflicted with itching without the benefit of scratching."

Bub's Burgers & Ice Cream

201 W. Main St.

Carmel, IN 46032

(317) 706- BUBS (2827)

Bub's Burgers & Ice Cream

 

The first time I ever ate at Bub's was 2 summers ago during an ambitious ride north on the Monon from Broad Ripple. I had just purchased a new bicycle, and we wanted to go on a ride. We thought it would be a good idea to go to Bub's for lunch, as it was getting much press from its feature on Man VS Food. It is a little over an 8 mile ride down the Monon. We decided it would be a good idea to make it a tradition after this trip. I'm sad to say that the tradition came to an end this year, as the other 3 of my friends that partook on this inaugural trip have since moved away from the Circle City. Nothing will compare to the first time riding down there as it was around 100 degrees outside and humid. 3 out of the 4 of us ate the "Big Ugly" 1lb burger. The other ordered the 1/4 lb hot dog. We were all successful in finishing the Big Ugly so we got our picture on the wall. Shockingly, the ride home took less time than the ride there.

My most recent trip was on this past Labor Day. The restaurant was as busy as always, it seems to have a pretty steady flow of patrons no matter what time or day it is. It doesn't hurt to be located right off the Monon and in Downtown Carmel which has hundreds of visitors a day. We even got there at 11:30. Luckily it was a nice day out and we could sit on the patio. Actually, I have never eaten inside, it has always been on the patio. There are a good amount of picnic tables out there to accomodate large groups. Our service was great. The food came out quickly and our waitress was very friendly. I have never had any issues with the restaurant. My only caveat is be prepared to wait to be seated. They do not take reservations unless you book the party room. Luckily during the summer time there are games outside to keep the kids occupied. They also line up patio chairs so you have a place to sit. It is a great place to people watch.

This time around I ordered the 1/2 lb Elk burger. Elk is healthier for you as it has less fat, cholesterol, and calories than beef. All the burgers come with your choice of cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomato, and onion. I went with the pepper jack cheese. I also ordered a side of sweet potato waffle fries with marshmallow sauce for dipping. The burger was cooked to a perfect medium, which as far as you want to go with game meats. If I have learned anything watching cooking shows, it is to cook game meats to medium rare. Each bite was juicy and flavorful. I have always felt that a good burger can stand up on its own without any condiments. This holds true with the Bub's burger. This was also the first time I have had elk. I really couldn't tell too much of a difference between my elk burger and JBH's beef burger besides the elk tasting a bit sweeter than the beef. The buns are baked locally, specifically for the 3 different sizes of burgers. The bun was toasted and had a wonderful buttery flavor. The sweet potato waffle fries reminded me of Thanksgiving. These were a perfect blend of sweet and salty. The fries were crispy thoughout. I find that sometimes sweet potato fries are usually on the soggy side, but not these. I was full after my meal, but not uncomfortable. It helped cure any lingering hang over effects I was feeling from the wedding I went to that weekend.

Of all the burger places I have written about Bub's falls somewhere near the middle of my favorites. It is a good burger with a fun atmosphere, perfect for families. I just think there are better burger joints that offer a more grown up taste.

"EAting is really one of your indoor sports. you play three times a day, and it's well worth while to make the game as pleasant as possible." - Dorothy Draper

Napolese

114 E. 49th St.

Indianapolis, IN

(317) 925-0765

Napolese

I've been waiting to write about Napolese for a while. I wanted to get a few visits under my belt before formulating my opinion. My conclusion is that Napolese is my favorite pizza in the city. The service and the food has always been top notch. I also love the neighborhood. I have always loved the homes in the area, and the whole block at 49th and Penn just really comes out of nowhere. The businesses are really part of the neighborhood. The only issue I have is that it gets pretty busy and you often have to wait for a table, as they do not take reservations. There are two sides to the restaurant and a patio. I have only sat in the main dining room and the patio. When I walked in, the first thing i noticed was the pizza oven. I enjoyed being able to see how the pizza was being made from start to finish. There are a few bar stools in front of the cooking area. It reminded me of Noble Roman's pizza growing up where you could watch the pizza artists through the window. You get a sense of how fresh the ingredients are as you can see the chefs chopping, rolling out the dough, and assembling the pizza. The key to a good wood fired pizza is the movement of the pizzas in the oven. You do not want to keep the pizza in the same place as it will burn. On the contrary if you add a pizza to the oven, you do not want to place it where you removed the last pizza as it will not be as hot. It becomes an art and the chefs at Napolese are pros.

When you are seated, you are brought a mixed sampling of olives. Only within the past few years have I become a fan of olives. These are pitted and can be eaten by themselves or to accompany any part of your meal. Not only does Napolese have the best pizza in the city, I'm convinced their double chopped salad is the best as well. I always add a few olives to the wonderful blend of ingredients. It is a base of romaine lettuce. The salad also has shredded mozzarella, gorgonzola, roasted peppers, crispy pancetta, thick sliced pepperoni, white corn and chickpeas. It is dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Each bite has something different and each ingredient works well with each other. It is a symphony of flavors. The ingredients aren't listed on the menu, but believe me, you will not be disappointed.

I feel like the pizzas change season to season. We went in the beginning of summer and they had this pesto based pizza with ham, pineapple, and jalepeno. When I went a few days ago, it was nowhere to be found. Luckily the Hamaker's corner pizza is a regular on the menu. It is pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and provolone. It is a pretty basic pizza in comparison to the others on the menu. The pepperoni is thick cut and has great flavor. There are pretty decent sized pieces of sausage which give the pizza a mild spicy taste. The button mushrooms bring a wonderful, earthy flavor. The other pizzas I have had are the broken yolk, which is the margherita pizza with an egg cracked in the middle. This might scare off some, but it is so unique that we had to try it. I feel like this pizza would be better around brunch time. Elliot's pie is pancetta, potatoes, and gorgonzola. This wasn't my favorite, but it was still very good. The potatoes dried out in the cooking process. I just enjoy how everything is so fresh, which is probably why certain pizzas are available depending on the season. Since Napolese has the same owner as Cafe Patachou, you know you are getting the best, freshest ingredients. This restaurant is a great example of farm to table dining.

"Want to learn to EAt a lot? Here it is: EAt a little. That way you will be around long enough to EAt a lot." -Anthony Robbins

The Friendly Tavern

290 S. Main Street

Zionsville, IN 46077

(317) 873-5772

The Friendly Tavern

 

My coworkers were kind enough to go out with me to lunch on my birthday. I was craving wings and I had not been to The Friendly Tavern in a few years, probably since college. This post is another semi-dedication to @ArtWalter to who makes The Friendly, a "must eat restaurant" when he is home. Since our palettes are pretty much the same, I had to ask for a recommendation. I knew one was going to be the wings, the other suggestion was the shaved prime rib sandwich. I'll get to the food later, but. There are essentially two dining areas, one with the bar, and an elevated area with larger tables. Our service was okay, but a little on the slow side. I guess that would be our fault for having 8 people come to lunch during peak hours. It was better the first time, the second time it took a while to get our checks. The food was so good, it overshadowed the lackluster service.

As I mentioned we got the wings. We went with two orders for the table the first time we went. We got "The Friendly's Famous Wings" and the Honey Apple BBQ Chicken wings. Both wings were superb. @ArtWalter was not wrong when he said that these were the best wings he has ever eaten. The Famous Wings are breaded and un-sauced. You get to choose 2 sauces. We went with the hot sauce and bleu cheese. Even without sauce, these wings amazing. I do like how you get to control the sauce. Often times the sauce will take away from the crispy wing, but not these. Each wing had plenty of meat, was seasoned well, and there were a copious amount of them. Both orders were enough for the table to have a fair share. The Honey Apple wings were pre-sauced, but they were still very crispy. This was a good contrast to the spicy wings. The sauce was unlike any other type of BBQ sauce. It was sweet, tart, and very mild. This is perfect for those who do not like heat, as these have no heat. The wings are what prompted Round 2 the following week. My coworker, Matt, and I were so spellbound by these wings, we ONLY order the wings. Maybe I just can't eat like I used to, but a whole order of wings is pushing it for one person. I think we both agreed that it would be best to split an order the next time through.

I will forever trust Artie when it comes to food. The prime rib sandwich was a piece of beauty. Although I find Adam Richman annoying, I had been watching his "Best Sandwich in America" show. I am going to steal his rating scale for this sandwich, his "B.I.T.E. Scale" if you will. The "B" stands for the bread. It was crusty, yet soft, the two things I look for in bread. The "I" stands for interior. There was a good amount of shaved prime rib. It was so thin that each bite was tender. The grilled onions and mushrooms added good earthy flavor. You can't have a good steak sandwich without melted cheese. The cheddar bound everything together, encapsulating the ingredients so each bite contained all the aforementioned goodness. There was a side of horseradish sauce, I only used it sparingly. I would have preferred an au jus of some sort, because near the end of the sandwich, it was a little dry. The "T" stands for taste. This was a very tasty sandwich. I prefer it over any other steak sandwich I have ever eaten, your move Penn Station... The "E" stands for eating experience, and I have already spoken to how the service was slow, but I will not let that keep me going back.

I promised Artie that he would be able to guest post on The Friendly, so be on the lookout for the first entry not written by your's truly. He was also the most recent winner of "Lunch on EAting Indy"

"Everything I EAt has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don't EAt has been proved to be indispensable for life. But I go marching on" - George Bernard Shaw

Boathouse Grill

6225 W. 56th St

Indianapolis, IN 46254

317.328.8812

After golfing on a Sunday afternoon at Eagle Creek, our foursome decided to go to dinner at The Boathouse Grill (not to be confused with Rick's Cafe Boatyard). My coworkers and I used to go there more frequently before our office moved. It is located near 56th and Lafayette Rd. It is a bar and grill with a more nautical theme. There is a big paddle boat hanging from the ceiling, and other types of water themed memorabilia. The decor that stuck out to me was the beautiful fish tank above the bar.

Our service was good but a little on the slow side, but nothing that was unbearable. The food came out quickly, but we had to wait a little while for our drinks. They do have a nice side patio. Now that all the bars are smoke free in the city, you also don't have to worry about dining in a cloud of smoke, which was my biggest issue with this restaurant. On the plus side, they do offer freshly popped popcorn.

If you remember my post from around Super Bowl time, Boathouse had a sandwich listed in the Super 46 sandwiches in the state. It is their fish sandwich. I had eaten it before and it is one of the better fish sandwiches I have ever had. I know its hard to say that a fish sandwich in the middle of the country can be that good, but Boathouse pulls it off. I apologize for the dark picture, but my phone was running out of juice (it also doubles as a GPS on the golf course). Boathouse uses some sort of whitefish filet breaded in a beer batter. First off, the filet is huge. I think I have mentioned my pet peeve of when the meat portion is smaller than the bun. The fish is edge to edge on a crusty French bread. The fish was very crispy yet flaky. There was not an excess of batter, it was pretty even throughout. A good way to tell a fish is fresh, is that it doesn't have a fishy smell or taste. The sandwich is loaded with tomato, lettuce, onion, pickle and a side of tartar sauce. I don't really use a lot of tartar sauce as I try to limit extra fat on a deep fried fish sandwich. I do add a little malt vinegar instead. I decided to go with onion petals as my side. The petals were nicely sized and there was a heaping portion to accompany the sandwich. The batter was different than the beer battered fish. It was flour and bread crumb based I think I was channelling John Daly instead of Tiger Woods for my post round meal. It was nice that I didn't have to do anything the rest of the day, because I had a belly full of deep fried goodness.

"If you can EAt with mates or friends or family, I mean it's such a brilliant thing isn't it? If you feel reallly rubbish and you have a nice bit of food it make you feel good, you know?" - Jamie Oliver

Road Trip: Bloomington, IN - Hinkle's Hamburgers

206 S. Adams

Bloomington, IN 47404

(812) 339-3335

Hinkle's Hamburgers

I was down in Bloomington again to coach in the IHSAA State Track Meet. I had driven by Hinkle's Hamburgers numerous times while I was in school, but I had never actually eaten there. It is located southwest of campus off S. Adams St. If you take Kirkwood west past the cemetery, veer to the left and the restaurant is on your right. Hinkle's is the epitome of a dive restaurant. It is not very big and it seems the decor hasn't changed in years. The menu is the same as you would find in a concession stand. I think this is what gives the restaurant its signature "No Frills, Classic Food" flair. It has a couple of seats at the counter, about 7 or so table tops, and a few benches outside. I think only recently they started accepting credit cards. When you walk in, there are about 5 or so employees behind the counter. The place was pretty busy when my brother and I arrived. We were unable to eat inside the dining area, so we went to the picnic tables outside.

 

We each got a double cheeseburger meal (burger, fries, soda) for $6. I went with grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato on mine. We also ordered a side of the fried pickles ($3). The price couldn't be beat. If you look at the specials menu, you can see the 3 hamburgers for $5. I think they really know the target market of Bloomington townies and college students on a budget. I mean "townies" with the utmost respect. Having to put up with college students 9 months of the year, you deserve great restaurants like Hinkle's. I really wish I would have tried this place out when I was an undergrad, as you can't beat the price. Also, this would have hit the spot for many a hangover. I know when you see these pictures, you will think the burger is pretty unappealing, but tell me the last time you went to a fast food joint and the burger looked like the burger from the commercials. The fries were typical. The fried pickles were spears not chips. I was hoping they were hand breaded, but to my disappointment, they came out of a bag in the freezer. The freshest part of the meal was the burger. The beef is ground fresh daily. It was about the size of a McDonald's patty in thickness and area. The flavor was more along the lines of a White Castle burger, but with much better meat. This can be attributed to the steamed onions. I saw the chef cover the burger with a stainless steel cover to melt the cheese faster. I guess it was a good thing I was only coaching, not running in the meet, because this meal sat heavy. Although on numerous occasions this year, I had to explain how important it was to not eat junk before the meets.

I have long said that Bloomington is a food mecca. Hinkle's just extends my theory. My brother overhead some kids talking about where they wanted to eat after the meet. I was very disappointed to hear that their options were Olive Garden, Bob Evans, and Applebee's. Please, do yourselves a favor. If you ever go down to Bloomington, stay away from the chains. You will not regret your decision.


"I want to keep fighting because it is the only thing that keeps me out of the hamburger joints. If I don't fight, I'll EAt this planet." -George Foreman

Revolucion

1132 Prospect Street

Indianapolis, IN 46203

(317) 423-9490

Revolucion

 

If you haven't been to Fountain Square recently, I suggest you make the trip. Once you get past all the construction going on, there are some great places to dine and hang out. Growing up the only thing to do there was go to duckpin bowling. Now the area is on the up and up. Just last night I had a delicious beer from Fountain Square Brewery. Other restaurants I recommend are Siam Square and South of Chicago Pizza and Beef. For now lets focus on Revolucion. First and foremost, its a tequila bar that serves food. I say this because you need to be 21 to enter. Sorry parents, leave the kids at home. They have a wide array of tequila. I try to stay away from the stuff because when I drink tequila, it stirs up foggy memories of college, specifically a prairie fire shot on my 21st birthday. When we dined there, there were 2 large parties seated. It seemed like it was a very relaxed restaurant as patrons were moving tables to accommodate their own parties. Also, you have to order the food at the bar. There isn't a waitress walking around taking orders. We did have a bartender check on us in the middle of dinner, but that was it. Our food came out quickly, but I must say, having never been there before, the order process was somewhat confusing.

We had our hesitations with the food, only because the last time my brother recommended a Mexican restaurant, it was the worst food I have ever had (El Sol de Tala). That place was also one of the inspirations for me starting this blog. Needless to say, my brother redeemed himself with this suggestion. We started off with chips and guacamole. The chips were made in house and made from corn tortillas instead of flour. The guacamole was great. It was cool and creamy, with small diced tomato, onion, cilantro, with a hint of lime. It tasted very fresh.

The other side I ordered was Patatas Bravas. The last time I had this was at BBI and I loved it. This version was not as good. They are deep fried potato wedges with a chipotle sauce drizzle. The potatoes were good, but the sauce did not do a whole lot for me. It lacked the smokey flavor of a chipotle pepper. It was more like a spicy tomato paste with vinegar to thin out the sauce. I wish it had more of a creamy texture and flavor.

We ordered two different kinds of tacos (you get two tacos per order): carne asada and tacos de papas. The carne asada tacos just came out with a side of pico, a deep fried tomatillo, and a lime wedge. For those of you used to the Doritos Locos Tacos, you will be disappointed. This is a bare bones, typical street taco. The corn tortillas are double layered, due to the fragile corn tortilla. The beef was tender and finely chopped. It had nice seasoning, a good balance of salty and spicy.

The taco de papas tacos were a little more traditional, in that there were some toppings. The tacos consisted of roasted potatoes, corn, poblanos, queso fresco, and crema. This taco was my favorite of the two. It also came with a side of pico, lime wedge, and deep fried tomatillo. All the ingredients just worked well together. The poblano is a milder pepper, with a little heat. Queso fresco is a white cheese with a mild, creamy flavor. The corn added a sweetness, and the potatoes added some body to the taco. I generally prefer protein in my tacos, but these veggie tacos were delightful.

The pico added a freshness, but if you wanted to add any sort of heat, there are squeeze bottles of hot sauce. I know I got negative feedback when I talked about the squeeze bottle salsa from Acapulco Joe's, my readers were weary of anything that came from a bottle. I must persuade you to give these sauces a try. Each sauce was unique, and I could not recall which one was my favorite. The sauce that did stick out was orange based, as it reminded me of an orange creamsicle. It was hot and sweet and added an fresh citrus flavor to the taco.

I am looking forward to my return trip to Revolucion. I have been searching the city for good tacos since I had the best tacos of my life in Austin, TX this past winter. Although these tacos were not on par with Torchy's Tacos, they were very delicious. Next time you have a craving for a taco, don't "Live Mas". Live Local. Seek out a Taco Food truck or head out to Fountain Square. You will not be disappointed.

 

"The chief pleasure in eating does not consist in costly seasoning, or exquisite flavor, but in yourself." - Horace

 

Road Trip: Bloomington, IN - Janko's Little Zagreb

223 W. 6th St.

Bloomington, IN 47404

(812) 332-0694

Little Zagreb

I have been pretty excited to come back to eat at Janko's Little Zagreb. I never had the pleasure of eating there during my 4 years at IU. This is mainly because as a college student, the only time I really got to experience the nicer restaurants is when my parents came down to visit, as most of my money went to the Busch Light fund. Now that I am all grown up, it has been a treat to go back down and finally go to the expensive dining hot spots. As I have mentioned before, Bloomington is a food mecca. There are endless dining options for every palette. Little Zagreb is renowned as one of the best steakhouses in the state. I always pictured the restaurant to be a pretty classy joint, but it is the exact opposite. It is very casual. There are two dining areas which seat a fair amount of people. We were seated in the further dining room which is near the grill and food prep area. This was a unique experience in that you rarely see the food actually being cooked. The decor is typical of Bloomington in that the walls are full of IU memorabilia. The tables are covered with the old school red and white checkered table cloths. You kind of have a nostalgic feeling when you eat there, like you are eating in the past (minus the LCD tv's on the wall). The restaurant sponsors IU athletics, so you may have the pleasure of rubbing elbows with the past and future IU legends. My friends and I have been running to Todd Lindeman when we go down there. I recommend making reservations during home football weekends, Little 500, Graduation, or any other big weekend down there. Our food came out quickly, our water was always full, and our waitress was very knowledgeable of the menu.

My logo creator had never eaten at Zagreb before and he is planning on moving this summer, it was a perfect opportunity to dine there. @RFSchaffner and I had eaten there before, so we kind of knew what was good. Since there were 3 of us, we decided to get the most bang for our buck. We ordered the sirloin dinner for 3. It is over 3 pounds of sirloin, rolls, and salad. We also opted for the half order of spicy meatballs. Just a forewarning, they are surprisingly more spicy than any meatball I have ever had. You get about 8 or so in a half order. I couldn't really pin point where the heat came from. When I make my own spicy marinara, I use sriracha (or Sir ChaCha as it has been commonly referred to amongst my group of friends), and the sauce reminded me of that same flavor. I decided to get creative with my food, and I made a mini meatball slider with half a roll and a meatball. The rolls were warmed on the grill, and had a nice crusty outside and fluffy inside.

I would have to say that if there was a downside to the meal, it was the salad. The dressing was good, but the lettuce is just an average hand torn ice berg lettuce salad. We were all talking how a wedge would have been better, but you also don't go to Zagreb's for the salad. I'm pretty sure the dressings are made in house, I went with the Bleu Cheese. I think there could have been more Bleu Cheese crumbles in the dressing.

The star of the meal was the steak. We kind of had a bet before the steak came out. I was convinced the steak for 3 would be 3 different sirloin cuts. The other two said it was going to be one big steak. They were right. Our waitress did mention that there is a smaller piece of sirloin that could be cooked to a different temperature than the main cut. We ordered the main cut to be cooked medium, the small cut medium rare. It was a test to my butchering skills to divvy up the steak between us. I know you are supposed to cut against the grain of the beef to have more tender bites, but with a steak that large, I had to go against traditional methods to get equal pieces. The steak was tender, juicy, and flavorful. I'm sure it was only seasoned with salt and pepper. My only issue was there was a little more fat than I had expected on the cut. It was only along the outer edge of the steak, so it was easy to trim. We had a good amount of steak left over, so we left it for our wonderful host to reconstitute into a steak sandwich. We didn't have room for dessert, but the options sounded amazing. We ordered them to go. I went with the lemon berry cake with Mascarpone cheese. We all ordered a different dessert. All were very good, and I recommend that you order a dessert if you go. Our waitress said that the lemon berry cake and the chocolate mousse cheesecake were her favorites. She said that the lemon berry was more of a morning food and she could eat it for breakfast. I'd have to agree, it tasted like a blueberry muffin with a cool creamy center. The chocolate mousse was more rich and decadent. The NY style was your typical cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust. When I go back, I'd like to try the steak burger.

You have 3 days to take advantage of the Groupon for a steak dinner for 2:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/jankos-little-zagreb

"Not EAting meat is a decision, EAting meat is an instinct." -Denis Leary

 

Cafe St. Tropez

110 W. Main St. STE140

Carmel, IN, 46032

(317) 581-9559

Cafe St. Tropez

I want to first explain why it has been so long since I last posted an entry. I have been spending my nights coaching high school track. It has been the most rewarding and fulfilling thing I have ever done. It has also taken up most of my free time. Our season is coming to an end, so expect to hear much more from me. I also ended up buying a Groupon for Foodie Indy. It is a deck of playing cards with $10 gift cards to 52 local restaurants. You have to spend a minimum of $30 at each restaurant, but dinner for 2 usually ends up costing that much anyways. This is going to give me a larger base of restaurants to choose from. Maybe I'll start treating my followers to meals from the deck of cards, as the cards expire at the end of the year.

Since I failed to blog in a two week span, one of my followers, Melissa, won a meal on EAting Indy. We went to Cafe St. Tropez in downtown Carmel. It is located in between Bub's and Detour, overlooking the Monon. They have a little patio, but it was a cool evening so we ate inside. The restaurant is not very big. The interior is kind of a blend between a coffee house and a quaint cafe. The decor was nice, somewhat fancy. I felt a little underdressed as I came after a workout and was wearing sweat pants. It didn't really matter as we were the only ones in the restaurant. Near the end of our meal, a couple walked in, but it was just 4 of us in the restaurant for the majority of our dinner. Our service was average to good, but it is hard to ignore the only patrons in your establishment. The food came out quickly and our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu. Not to downplay her, but the menu only consists of appetizers, paninis, and a small breakfast menu. I was torn between the egg salad and the chicken panini. Our waitress recommended the panini. Price was the biggest issue. My sandwich was $10.50 and it only came with a salad. If I am going to pay that much for a sandwich, I at least want to feel satisfied. They also offered a dinner menu with a couple full size entrees, but those were priced at $19.99. I was still hungry after the meal. Luckily we went to Huddles Frozen Yogurt afterwards.

The panini was on sourdough bread. It was made up of chicken breast, taleggio cheese, greens, and a pesto sauce. It was very fresh and did not lack taste. The cheese was smooth and smokey. The bread was perfectly toasted. The pesto kept the chicken from drying out. The salad left something to be desired. It was just field greens, tomatoes, with white balsamic dressing. I just thought it was pretty boring. I probably will not make it back to St. Tropez Cafe as I could get more for my money elsewhere.

 

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

Hotcakes Pancake Emporium

Hotcakes Emporium Pancake House & Restaurant
8555 Ditch Road
Indianapolis, IN 46260
http://www.hotcakesemporium.net

I have eaten at Hotcakes Pancake Emporium a few times since it has opened. I am torn between whether or not I like or love this restaurant. This is solely because the quality of food differs every time I go. The thing is, every time I go, I tell myself that I want to try something new. But every time, I keep going back to the same dish. I'll elaborate more later. Also, the service is different every time, but the one constant is that there is usually a wait. They do not take reservations, which was kind of a downfall for us a couple weeks ago, when 8 people were trying to eat. I assumed since we were going later on in the morning, we would be able to get in there pretty quickly. We were promised a table in 15 minutes, but it ended up being closer to 30. There was a group of 12 women celebrating a birthday in front of us. We, ourselves were out celebrating RWG's bachelor party. I think it is a blessing that I can actually remember this bachelor party, as compared to the last one we threw for BWL. Let's just say, this go round was infinitely more tame than the last one. Ask any of the 16 guys involved, and they will attest that was one of the wildest weekends ever. I swear I lost about 2 years off my life that weekend. I wish I could go into detail, but by law, we are not allowed to talk about that weekend.

As I mentioned before, I have been here about a handful times and have ordered the same dish. It is the Mediterranean Skillet. It consists of 2 eggs cooked to your style, gyro meat, green bell peppers, onions, feta cheese, and has browns. You also get your choice of bread (Toast, English Muffin, or Pancakes). As you can see I have opted for an English Muffin and Pancakes. Before I delve into the skillet, I should talk about the pancakes. For a place called "Hotcakes Pancake Emporium", the pancakes are pretty average. Granted, I have only gotten the plain pancakes with butter. My mom has had the fruit pancakes and was satisfied, which says a lot because she is VERY picky. The skillet is quite a conundrum for me. The first time I ordered this dish, everything was cooked perfectly, but it was under-seasoned. I had to add a fair amount of salt and pepper to bring it to my taste preference. Also, I do not put a lot of salt on my food, so for me to think it needs salt says something. I used to always order my eggs cooked over medium. I like the yolks to be somewhat runny, but also cooked a little bit. More often than not, the eggs usually come out over easy, so pretty runny. So now, I order them over hard hoping they err on the side of cooking them over medium. It has worked out pretty well. The next two times, I ordered the skillet, everything was flawless. There were ample amounts of meat, hash browns, veggies, and feta cheese. Each bite had everything and the seasoning was great. The last time I went, the hash browns were over cooked, leaning on burnt. There wasn't a lot of feta, and my over hard eggs were over cooked. The edges of the eggs were pretty crispy and un-appetizing. My history with this dish is comparable to a haircut. When its good, its good and it makes you happy. When its bad, it leaves you disheartened, but you know that the day will come where you have to go back to try again, knowing that there is potential for it to be amazing.

Previously I said we were there for a bachelor party breakfast. Our waitress felt it necessary to tell us that the other waitresses were jealous because she go the table of hot guys. First of all, Duh. Secondly, yes in comparison to the rest of the middle aged men and families there, we were the only table of guys there. RFS brought that to my attention on the ride home. For the lady readers out there, please translate what this meant when the chesty hostess said the following to RFS, "Wanna here something messed up? I wrecked my Audi last week." WJB came up with the following: She said she wrecked her Audi for two reasons. 1. To impress him in saying that she had an Audi and 2. She needs him to pick her up. What are your thoughts?

"What good are fans? You can't EAt applause for breakfast. You can't sleep with it." - Bob Dylan

Lil' Guys Sandwich Shop - Chicago, IL

2010 N. Damen
Chicago, IL
773.394.6900
Lil' Guys Sandwich Shop

Of all the sandwich shops in the city of Chicago, Lil' Guys is my favorite. It is the home to the second best Reuben I have ever eaten. There are two locations, but I have only eaten at the one located in Bucktown. The first time I ate there was when AHG came to visit within the first couple months of living there. I should probably explain that it is also a pizza joint, My Pi. They have pretty good thin crust pizza which is not as common as you would think, as Chicago is known for their Deep Dish style pizza. The first time I went I ordered a slice of pizza, as we were hungover and it was a better option than a sandwich. Luckily I went back for the sandwiches. Since I like this restaurant so much, it was part of my victory lap of restaurants of Bucktown with ABW and WJB. This is one of my favorite stories from living up there. I promise I'll get to the food afterwards. When ABW moved up to Chicago, we decided to go to dinner one night, and we heard there were some decent Mexican restaurants not to far from me. The thing is, there are literally 3 Mexican restaurants within 100 yards of each other: Arturo's Tacos, Lazo's Tacos, and Marisco's Cancun. When we got to the corner of Western and Armitage, we walked by each one about 5 times. We had no idea which one was the good one. Arturo's was too busy, Lazo's looked kind of dirty, and Marisco's was empty, but it looked the nicest. We chose that one. I think it was empty because it was terrible. The only other time I have had worse Mexican was here in Indy at El Sol de Tala. We came to find out that Arturo's was the best of the 3. So on my Tour de Bucktown, we started at Lil Guys. We each ordered the Reuben and we made it a meal with pasta salad and a drink. I was pretty full after, but ABW insisted we keep on with our tour. We then walked to Arturo's. I ordered a Chicken taco, as I was pretty full. WJB got a taco and ABW got a taco and a torta, a Mexican sandwich. Now there is a McDonald's across the street. ABW told us that he recently took down a double cheese in 30 seconds. We thought it would be a good idea to see him try the feat again. He finished in 47 seconds. On the way home, we stopped at the Map Room, and had a Bell's Oberon to top it off. That was the most food, in the most different restaurants I have ever seen someone consume in my life. And it was an amazing way for me to bid farewell to my home for 2 years.

Now for the good stuff. The thing about the Reubens at Lil' Guys is they have two kinds. One is called the Reubenesque, a typical Reuben you can get any day of the week. I have had it and it can hold its own. I usually wait until Fridays or Saturdays, as this is the only day you can order the Ultimate Homemade Reuben. Every time I go there, I want to move the Ultimate Reuben to number 1 on the list. It is made with made from scratch Rye bread. It is a Rye flat bread, and as you can see from the picture, it looks like a taco when it is all said and done. The flat bread is soft, but has a crusty outside. I love how it is made to order. You really don't see that anywhere else. You have to give them 15 minutes to make the sandwich, for that reason only. I recommend calling it in before you go there. The corned beef is cured and cooked on site. The corned beef is the reason I would move it to #1. Of all the Reuben's I have ever eaten, this is the only one where the meat is so tender, it literally melts in your mouth. The beef is sliced very thin, essentially shredded. The seasoning of the beef shines through as well. Every bite has a good mix of salt, pepper, and other spices they use for curing (usually mustard seed, ginger, juniper berries, sugar, cloves, and ginger). The Reuben also has sauerkraut and swiss cheese, 1000 island served on the side. This time my brother and I decided to split the Reuben and the Egg-Salad-A-Rama. It is the best egg salad I have ever had. The texture is what does it for me. It is light and fluffy, so it is a good option if you are craving something on the lighter side. It is served on Hawaiian bread, which is what they call their house bread. It is about a quarter of a loaf of Hawaiian bread, so it is a very generous portion. It is topped with Romaine lettuce, tomato and onion. They have pretty good side dish options. The only one I haven't liked is the Vinaigrette potato salad. I almost always go with the pasta salad. It has Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion. The sauce is olive oil based but the flavor mostly comes from the other ingredients marinating in the oil.

I have eaten there the past two weeks and nothing has changed. The ONLY problem I have with this place is there isn't a whole lot of places to sit. They have a couple tables outside, but they are for two people. There is a bar top with about 5 stools and a table or two inside. We were lucky enough to live close enough to walk there. There are about 7 spots in the parking lot, and they are all a tight squeeze. I have seen numerous cars back into the lamp post. Since Chicago is only about 3 hours away, I know many of you frequent the city. I highly recommend stopping by sometime.

BRU Burger Bar

410 Massachusettes Ave

Indianapolis, IN 46202

(317) 635-4BRU(4278)

BRU Burger Bar

I've come to the realization that I go on food kicks. After my delicious burger at Twenty Tap, I followed that with trips to Boogie Burger and BRU. All three were equally amazing, but unique in their own right. It would be hard to pick a favorite of the three. I will say that the service at BRU was spectacular. Our waitress, Jackson, was happy, friendly, and helpful from the moment we sat down. She asked if we had ever eaten here before and the proceeded to explain the menu. "We are known for burgers and beer. All the meat is organically farmed and we strive to use the freshest ingredients." The only question I had about the menu was; which is better, fries or onion rings? she said "They are both good but, our onion rings are cooked to order. We have slices of onions sitting in a bath of buttermilk, then they are hand breaded and fried." I was sold. We did not have to wait very long for our food to come out either. Jackson would come check on us to see how we were doing and kept our refills coming. (I opted out on the beer because they were out of the only beer I wanted.) The restaurant itself is moderately sized. The only other time I had been was when we stopped in during the Super Bowl, but it was a 2 hour wait. On a Monday during dinner, we came right in and sat down. I know weekends are pretty crowded and you will have to wait to be seated at a table. The good thing about BRU is that they have a huge bar. It spans pretty much 3/4 the length of the restaurant. If you don't get a table, you are likely to find a spot at the bar. I would describe the restaurant as classically modern or hipster fancy. The art on the wall in front of me were old pictures of Mass Ave. (fancy) but they had a colorful mural of a city (hipster) on the wall near the restrooms.

I mentioned I ordered the onion rings. They were as good as advertised. The only problem was there were only 5 rings. I just wanted a few more as they were so tasty. The rings were perfectly fried to a golden brown and they use a PBR based batter (so hipster). For my main course, I decided on the Blazing Saddles burger. The burgers are a blend of three cuts of meat. BRU uses a mix of sirloin, chuck, and brisket. This combination results in an ideal ratio of fat and lean meat. The burger was cooked to slightly more done than medium. It was juicy and a tad messy, but that is expected with a burger. Burgers are not a dainty food item. This burger was topped with habanero cheese, roasted jalepenos, chipotle remoulade, and garden (lettuce, tomato, onion). At first glance, you would think that this is an extremely spicy burger, but it was more on the medium side. It had heat, but was not too powerful. I couldn't pinpoint where the sweetness came from, but later I learned they add a tomato jam. The chipotle remoulade added a smokey and creamy flavor. The roasted jalepenos added freshness. I think the roasting cuts out some of the heat from the jalepeno. I asked Jackson to bring both the house ketchup and BBQ sauce. The ketchup was unlike any ketchup I had ever eaten. It was much thicker in texture and it had a sweet, tangy flavor, that had a little bit of a kick at the end. The BBQ sauce was sweet and smokey and also had a little kick. The sauces complimented the saltiness of the onion rings. To top things off, Jackson comped our dessert because it was JBH's birthday. We were so full from the meal, she even packed it in a to-go dish for us. We ordered the chocolate mousse. It was hard to tell how good it was because we did not eat it until a couple hours later. I do remember there being nice big chunks of dark chocolate.

I will definitely go back. There were a couple more menu items that I would like to try including the Mexicali burger and the patty melt. There is a nice sidewalk space in front of the restaurant, and my co-worker and I are convinced they will use it as an outdoor dining space. This will also alleviate some of the wait for tables.

"A grown man is so secure with himself he will go flip burgers to make sure his baby can EAt." -Madea

Twenty Tap

5408 N. College

Indianapolis, IN 46220

(317) 602-8840

Twenty Tap

New blog followers, but old friends @Jamielinenberg & @BWL1285 asked @Pbarmann and myself to go with them to try out Twenty Tap on a Saturday night. I have been wanting to go there for a while. First, because they have a great selection of craft brews as well as I have heard that the food is amazing. Twenty Tap is located on the Northwest corner of 54th and College, which qualifies it as SoBro (South Broad Ripple). Last summer I read an article in the Indy Star about how SoBro is an up and coming neighborhood, with trendy boutiques as well as a foodie haven. What the article left out is that it is a mecca for hipsters. What's a hipster you ask? A hipster is a man or woman in their 20's to 30's that love vintage fashion, skinny jeans, indie-rock, thick rimmed glasses, side swept hair, and anything else that goes against mainstream popular culture. For example, the restaurant is called Twenty Tap, but in all reality they have 31 beers on tap. I should be more accustomed to the hipster subculture, because I lived in Bucktown in Chicago, but for some reason hipsters still annoy me. To prove my point on how hipsters do not care about social norms: Twenty Tap has two restrooms, one for men and one for women. I was waiting in line for the men's restroom, and this hipster comes up to me and says:

Hipster: "Hey bro, is this the line for the men's room."
EAting Indy: "Yes. A guy just walked in there."
Hipster: "What about this one, is it open? (Pointing at the women's door)
EAting Indy: "I don't know, its the women's restroom."
Hipster: "F*** it, I'm going to piss in there. They have a toilet too."
EAting Indy: "Sweet, make sure you flush and put the seat down."

Twenty Tap is a good place to eat. I only say eat because the bar area is pretty small, so it is not the best atmosphere to grab drinks with friends, unless you are waiting for a table in the dining room. To give you a visual, when you walk in you are looking at the restaurant side. To the left, is the bar side. There aren't many tables in the bar area. Also, two dart boards take up some space. I can't really remember how many tv's they have there. Probably not a lot because hipsters don't like sports, but they love throwing darts. We had to wait for about an hour to get a table in the dining room. Luckily we were able to snag a table and order some beers, as well as an order of cheese curds. The only time I have ever had cheese curds was at Culver's. These were infinitely better than Culver's. Imagine tiny pieces of mozzarella cheese, breaded in a beer batter. These reminded me of something you would get at the state fair, specifically because of the breading. Each bite was crispy and oozing with cheese. I honestly have been dreaming about these heavenly morself of cheese. Twenty Tap offers a few selections of aiolis for dipping. We went with horseradish, chipotle, and roasted garlic. My favorite was the chipotle which was smokey and had a little heat. I expected more horseradish flavor and a bit of a kick, but it was lacking. It had the heat of a mild cocktail sauce. The garlic aioli was very garlicky, something that would scare vampires away. This is a dip you do not want choose on date night. Well, at least early on in your relationship.

The burger was one of the best burgers I have had in the city. I went with the Tex: smoked provolone, bacon, bbq, and caramalized onions. I think all burgers are cooked medium well, as I was not asked how I would like it cooked. What I liked the most was how it was not a super fatty burger. I know the burger isn't supposed to be inherently healthy. But is was comforting to eat a burger that wasn't oozing with grease. From top to bottom, this burger had it all. The bun was soft but toasted. The toppings just worked together. The bacon added saltiness, the onions were sweet, the cheese was smokey, and the bbq sauce was a mix off all of those flavors. Each bite was a perfect sampling of all the fixins. I usually don't expect a lot out of fries, but the fries at Twenty Tap are amazing. They may be pushing the salty end of the flavor spectrum, but there are other seasonings involved. I tasted black pepper and hints of garlic. They are thicker cut, not as thick as a steak fry, but larger than a shoestring. The only part of the meal that missed for me were the house pickles. The pickling spice was more sweet than acidic. I couldn't tell if the spice that stuck out was all spice or clove, but it reminded me of a Thanksgiving pie. I know pickles should not remind someone of Thanksgiving, but the only time I ever cook with cloves or allspice is during Thanksgiving.

The service was a little on the slow end, but this was because it was a Saturday night and it was very busy. I wasn't too angry with the service, because sometimes it is just nice to hang out and relax with good friends. Also, we were having a debate on how the prefix bi- can be confusing. As in, "Lets meet bi-weekly." This can be confusing as it means: twice a week as well as every two weeks. I've only used it as every two weeks. For example, "I should be blogging BIWEEKLY, or else I have to take one you to lunch."

"Let the stoics say what they please, we do not EAt for the good of the living but because the meat is savory and the appetite is keen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson