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

Mama Carolla's

1031 E. 54th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 259-9412
Mama Carolla's

Mama Carolla's ranks near the top of my favorite Italian restaurants in the city. Just a forewarning, they do maintain special hours. They are closed Sunday & Monday, and only open for dinner which starts at 5pm. They do not take reservations and will not seat you until your entire party is present. The moral of the story is plan on waiting on the weekends and make sure you invite your punctual friends. There is also a lounge to wait with a few tables and a bar. Luckily for us, we went early on a Thursday (6:30) and my college friends are prompt people. We had a party of four; @RFSchaffner, LMH, and Jim Calhoun. No, not the famed UCONN basketball coach. Jim Calhoun is a girl. Its a long story, and I did mention these are my college friends. The hostess sat us upstairs, in a table overlooking a balcony. The restaurant is a 1920's transformed house with Mediterannean and Spanish style architecture. It has a beautiful interior with what seems like original fixtures. The restaurant has a very intimate feel, so it is perfect for a date night. There was a roaring fire near the hostess stand and you just feel welcome when you walk in. During the summer there is seating on the patio, and I believe I have expressed the need for more restaurants with outdoor seating in the city. Our service was good. Our waitress knew the menu and had many suggestions for us.

Heeding our waitress's suggestion, we started with the artichoke fritters and bruschetta. The bruschetta was large slices of Italian bread, similar to Texas toast size bread. The bruschetta was topped shredded mozarella and fresh tomatoes. It was a very typical bruschetta, with notes of garlic, basil, and vinegar. The fritters were the about size of a meatball. They were filled with goat cheese and had lemon aioli drizzled on top. I have been asked many times to define an aioli. In its simplest form, think of a fancy mayo, as it is usually a blend of garlic, oil, and egg emulsion. For my entree, I ordered the carbonara with a side of tomato bread soup. The flavor in the soup was something like I had never tasted before. It had a very thick texture, but not much flavor. I had to add salt and pepper to enhance the flavor. I could barely taste the tomato, I would not order it again. The carbonara was the star of the meal. Carbonara is one of my all time favorite dishes. The dish is comprised of fetuccini noodles with an egg based cream sauce, with a little added white wine for acidity. There are pieces of pancetta, mushrooms, peas, and a dusting of parsely for a fresh flavor. I think I like how there is an ample amount of pancetta in every bite. For those of you who don't know what pancetta is, think Italian bacon, so there is a nice salty flavor to acompany the creamy sauce. I think the peas and mushrooms are added so you can convince yourself that it is a healthy meal because there are veggies involved. In all reality it is a very heavy dish. This is the first time in a while I did not join the clean plate club as the meal was so filling. The problem with cream based sauces, is that it not great the next day. More often than not, the sauce breaks when you reheat the dish. I recommend you go easy on the appetizers, if you plan on finishing the entire meal.

I'm going to leave you with an exchange between @rfschaffner and myself during this meal. He recently became a homeowner and was talking about the previous owner's infatuation with the color red. The house had many different shades of red on the exterior doors, the garage, and the mailbox post.

@RFS: "Everything is some different shade of red on the house. I can't wait to paint it. This lady was really into the color red"

@RealEAtingIndy: "Yeah, now she's really into dirt and worms."

 

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while EAting a homegrown tomato." -Lewis Grizzard

Thai Cafe

1041 Broad Ripple Avenue

Indianapolis, IN  46220

317-722-1008

Thai Cafe

The last destination to find the best Thai fried rice in Indianapolis led me to Thai Cafe in Broad Ripple. I had been told that this is the best in the City by my roommate and my brother. I had a couple days off during Christmas and JBH and I decided to give it a try. It is located on Broad Ripple Ave in the shopping center across from the high school.

Thai Cafe is bigger than Thai Papaya, but smaller than Sawasdee. The tables are close to each other, but it wasn't crowded enough that you were stacked on top of someone else. The decor is Thai inspired, just like the other restaurants. The service was quick and the wait staff is very friendly. 

Our soup came out within minutes of ordering and the entrees followed soon after. The flavor of the soup was unlike anything I have had in Thai restaurants. I seems like it has a lemongrass base with chili oil on top. The flavor develops as you eat the soup. It starts out mild then then sour, and it has a kick at the end. They also give you the crispy noodles to add to the soup. Those add a nice crunch and a little bit of saltiness. There is also cilantro and Thai basil which add freshness. I ordered the Kao Pad. It is fried rice with your choice of protien with onion, peas, carrots, and egg.  Here the heat levels range from 1 to 5. The first two times I chose 3. The last time, I manned up and ordered a 4. The 3 is how a medium should be. It has definite heat, but not over powering. I think I will stick to the four. It brought the perfect amount of heat. I broke a little bit of a sweat eating it, but it was a healthy burn. The 5 would be a little too much for me. I will have to agree with my brother and roommate and say that this is the best Thai in the city. The entire dish just worked as a whole. The peas and carrots added a little bit of sweetness to an otherwise spicy dish. The egg added texture. The rice was not as greasy as the other restaurants. I can't remember the last time I went to a restaurant 3 times in the span of a month. That is just proof how much I liked the Thai Cafe. I have a feeling that this will become like Yen Ching and the staff will know me by name whenever I come in. Apologies for the lack of pictures on the fried rice. My pictures were wiped clean on my phone and I will have to add the next time I go back. 

"If there hadn't been women, we'd still be squatting in a cave EAting raw meat, because we made civilization in order to impress our girlfriends." -Orson Welles

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

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."

Monon Food Company

6420 Cornell

Indianapolis, IN 46220

Monon Food Company

Saturday night and we were warring over where to eat. I personally wanted something on the lighter side as I knew that I had a long night of drinking ahead. I just wanted a sandwich as I shot down the idea of Qdoba pretty quickly. Well we decided on Monon Food Co. I really like the decor of the restaurant. I love the artwork on the walls. It is a very clean looking restaurant. This is the second time I have been here and  each time the weather was not nice enough to sit on the patio. Outdoor dining for some reason reminds me of Chicago. I've always said that Indy needs more outdoor patio restaurants. It was late in the evening and we were the last patrons to enter the restaurant. By the end of the meal, we had the whole place to ourselves.

 For my entree, I went with the Cajun Meatloaf Sliders. What stuck out to me was they were served on a pretzel roll. I love the change from a regular bun to something more out of the ordinary. The meatloaf had a strong spicy Cajun flavor. The pepper jack cheese was melted perfectly and the Chipotle mayo was not overpowering. I'm not a huge fan of mayo, and I appreciate how they do not load up the slider with sauce.  The meatloaf was also distributed evenly over the roll, so each bite had a bit of everything. I'd say one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to a sandwich, is at the end when you are left with a bunch of bread and no meat. As a side dish, I ordered the Mac N Cheese. I was informed that to generate a nice crust on the dish, they reheat the mac n cheese on skillet. I'd say it was pretty average. I didn't really add a lot to my meal, and it didn't help we decided to eat late in the day. The mac just wasn't that fresh. The noodles were a little on the hard side, but the flavor was there. My adult beverage for the night was a Sun King Cream Ale. Right now, I'd say it is my favorite brew. I like the light, refreshing taste.  The dessert was the best and the worst decision I made all night. I
was still pretty full, but our lovely waitress said they had carrot cake cupcakes. Now there are three desserts in this world I have a hard time turning down: Cheesecake, Bananas Foster, and Carrot Cake. The carrot cake was very moist. The cream cheese frosting was delicious and not too overpowering. The sauce you see is a caramel sauce. Presentation-wise, I'd give this a 9. Taste was a resounding 10. The carrots were very prevalent throughout, and there weren't any raisins in the cake. I hate raisins in carrot cake. I'll save those for my oatmeal cookies. Okay, now you are wondering why it was the worst decision I made. Well as I said it was Saturday night and I was already full. The result is Public Enemy #1 when you are trying to party. The dessert put me over the edge and I couldn't put down as many libations as I wanted. Oh well. Good food won over a night of boozing.

The service was perfect. Our waitress was always around, asking if we needed anything. I guess the one knock was that she gave a cheap shot to our high school alma mater, not knowing we went there. She also was very helpful in cleaning the mess I made when I knocked over MWF's Miller Lite all over his iPhone.  I swear, I only had one Cream Ale. I blame him anyways for ordering a crappy beer. And the vortex bottle only helped the beer spill out faster.

What to take from Monon Food Co.: As much as I enjoyed the sliders, order the tacos there. They are stuffed full of all sorts of delicious ingredients. The buffalo chicken and the fish tacos are amazing. Eat early, especially if you want to party, because they offer very generous servings of food and you will leave stuffed.

"To EAt is human, to digest, divine." ~Mark Twain