Matt986's Profile
Banh Mi in Indianapolis area?
Definitely give Saigon a try. I love their Bahn Mi Thit, the hot pork sandwich. I don't know of any place else in Indy that does them. Maybe King Wok a little farther north on Lafayette?
Baklava in Indianapolis?
There's always Greek Islands ( http://www.greekislandsrestaurant.com/ ) just south of Shapiro's or Santorini's ( http://www.greekkitchen.dine.com/ ) in Fountain Square.
What happened to Chalkies? (Indy)
Ah, Richard! My wife and I became good friends of Richard in his post-Chalkies days. First at Cafe at Ray and then at Deano's Vinos. He was one of the few people on earth that I actually looked forward to seeing. The world lost a great chef and a truly unique person last February. Richard, we all miss you and think of you often!
http://www.nuvo.net/articles/remembering_our_favorite_rabblerousers__chef_richard_cottance_/
What happened to Chalkies? (Indy)
That's too bad. I can't say that I'm all that surprised by this news. Chalkies built a reputation several years ago as a mecca for beer lovers with food that was way above and beyond what one would have expected for such a place. The smoke-free environment, at a time before the new smoking laws were in place, also added to the appeal for many people. The place was owned by some brothers, but the one whose passion it was and who made the place what it was, Marvin, was forced out by the other brothers a couple of years ago. Apparently a passion for great beer and food didn't translate into enough of a return on the bottom line. Even before that though, there was some sort of weirdness that culminated in most of the good people (the chef who made all that great food and the bartenders/servers that all the regulars loved) leaving. The place went into a slide at that point and, apparently, into a nose-dive after the brothers took over.
Story Inn, Indiana?
"but isn't there something special about this place? Food included? May be just 1 little thing."
Well, there always the possibility that you might get to meet the Blue Lady that reportedly haunts the place.....
http://www.storyinn.com/ghost/ghost.htm
Luxor Restaurant, Indy
Luxor Restaurant
1026 Virginia Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46203
http://www.cafeluxor.com/
It's on the east side of Virginia just north of the fountain (intersection of Prospect, Virginia and Shelby Streets).
Recommendations for Indianapolis south 'burbs
I'm probably way too late on this, but just in case you're still looking for a place on the south side I thought I'd throw in my $0.02.
I'll second the recommendation for Thai Spice ( http://www.thaispice.bz/ ) on County Line Road, across the street from the Greenwood Mall. I'm addicted to the "Sun Dried Beef". Everything that we've had there has been very good.
Probably our favorite restaurant in the city right now is Ichiban Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar located at:
8265 US Highway 31 S
Indianapolis, IN 46227
(317) 883-1888
It's in a strip mall maybe 5 miles south of I-465 on US 31. The easiest way to find it is to watch for the Kinkos that's up near the road (on the left hand side as you're travelling south). Everything here is top-notch. Sammy the owner/Sushi Chef runs a tight ship and it shows. Here's ( http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007709210312 ) a review from last Friday's Indy Star.
Bistro 936 was a wonderful place to have about 3 blocks from our house, but it along with the rest of Peter George's restaurants went under a few years back. A darn shame!
Restaurant Tallent, Bloomington, IN
We had dinner at Tallent in August to celebrate my wife's birthday. I have to admit that I wasn't as blown away with the meal as I thought I would be based on a lot of the reviews that I've read here. It's probably more that I had unrealistic expectations going in, but I walked away feeling a bit of a let down. And it wasn't for lack of trying since the bill (with tip) for the two of us was over $200.
We will definitely come back and have another go at it, but I'm not sure at this point if I would recommend that someone make a special trip from Indy just to eat at Tallent. If they were already going to be in the area I would whole-heartedly recommend it.
Good Spots in Indianapolis (Downtown, plus...)
BARcelona ( http://www.barcelonatapas.com/ ) a tapas restaurant at the corner of Ohio and Delaware downtown is a recent and very good addition to the downtown dining scene.
I'll always put in a plug for Elements ( http://www.elementsindy.com/ ) an R Bistro ( http://www.rbistro.com/ ), both on Massachusetts Ave as excellent dining choices downtown. Elements is a bit more formal (but not overly so). You can't go wrong with either.
Indianapolis Steakhouses
I didn't realize that Capital Grille was a chain. I can't believe that The Conrad didn't have the clout to bring in a chef that could clean up the mess left by Jonathan Wright. I guess it's easier to just farm out the food services to a chain. Pretty disappointing.
Milano Inn Indianapolis
At the risk of piling on, what the others have said is pretty much spot-on. I'm not an expert on Italian food but even I know that Milano isn't very good. A chef friend of mine got a kick out of the creativity of the kitchen, though. He was dining there with some friends and the dish he ordered called for capers. Well apparently they had run out so they substituted peas. Both are round and green, right? Makes sense to me!
Both Milano Inn and Iaria's, a block south across the parking lot, have been around for a long time and are surviving on the nostolgia factor.
Given the reason that you'll be there you probably won't even notice the food.
The one thing that I'll never forgive the owners of the Milano Inn for is covering up the beautiful hundred-plus year-old brick on the facade of the building with that crappy stucco-covered styrofoam faux Italiano abomination.
traders point creamery in indianapolis
You should definitely go. It's a great place.
Here's
http://www.tpforganics.com/
their website with all of the pertinent details.
Best Tenderloins Indy Airport/Plainfield Area
Just to make that couple of weeks seem even longer, check out Davydd's pork tenderloin website/blog:
http://web.mac.com/davydd/iWeb/Site/Pork_Tenderloins.html
Looks like you can get a reasonable sandwich in Speedway at Grindstone Charley's. I believe that the ones that they serve at Mug n' Bun are frozen so that might not be the best choice.
Carmel, Indiana
All I can say here is good luck! You're talking about the land of TGI-Chilibee's. I personally know of 2 great chefs that have attempted to serve outstanding food to the "sophisticated" Carmel market. Both failed in short order while the lines were out the door at the nearby "eatin' good in the neighborhood" place. I'm afraid you'll have to get the heck out of Carmel to find what you're looking for.
Detroit and Michigan traditions?
I don't know about that. My Slovak grandmother in Cleveland could make some mean city chicken.
This ( http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.html#citychicken ) website claims to have traced the origin to western Pennsylvania.
Here's ( http://www.chowhound.com/topics/307239 ) a thread from the Home Cooking board.
Why isn't White Castle in L.A.?
Egads!!!! Mr. Hero lives!! I lived in Cleveland back in the late 70's / early 80's and loved Mr. Hero. I always had their regular cheeseburgers. Definitely a heart-attack on a sub bun. Maybe it's time for a trip back to Cleveland.
best mexican food in indianapolis?
You've got 2 really good Mexican place right there on Michigan.
Huachinango is a new place at 79th and Michigan. It's on the left side of Michigan as you head north. It's only been open a couple of months so they just have a temporary sign up at the moment. They specialize in fish and seafood dishes but have a full range of other dishes. We ate there last night and had a great meal. Good fresh salsa and chips to start. We both had a bowl of the shrimp soup to start. A delicious spicey broth with vegetables and lots of shrimp. Very good! My wife had a whole red snapper (their specialty) preparation (they have several) and I had the carne guisada, a variation of the standard carne asada. The owner makes a good margarita, too.
Another place at 8421 Michigan Rd is Los Llanos. It's been a few months since we ate there so I can't remember exactly what we had, but I do remember being very impressed with the meal.
If you are looking for authenticity, try the new Oaxacan taqueria in the small food court at the front of the Saraga internantional grocery store. The last time we were there I had cabeza tacos and my wife had wonderful tamales. I've also had very good lengua tacos there, as well.
dirt cheap in indy
Workingman's Friend is on the west side of Indy on Belmont just north of Washington St. It's considered by many (myself included) to have the best cheeseburgers in the city. Here's a link to a write up with pictures from the LTH Forum:
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10490
You might also want to try John's Famous Stews, another Indy institution, on the southwest side on Kentucky Ave. Another write up with pictures from LTH:
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10509
I'm personally a big fan of Yats. Very hard to beat for tasty cheap grub.
My wife and I also like Ralph's Great Divide which is a neighborhood bar on New York Street just east of downtown. Famous for their hot-pot-aug (cheese potato soup) and hot-pot-pig (cheese potato soup with ham) they do great cheap steaks, decent burgers and good bourbon baked ham sandwiches. Here's a review that's a bit dated but still accurate:
http://www2.indystar.com/articles/5/066669-9245-P.html
Gotta run for now but I'll add more places as I think of them.
Is there a decent chinese place to eat in Indianapolis?
Yummy changed over to Shen Yang
http://www.indyethnicfood.com/includes/PopUp_Reviews.cfm?PopUpType=ShowReviews&ID=226&ReviewName=Shen%20Yang&RequestTimeout=30
a couple of years ago. Many of the kitchen and front of the house staff are the same as when it was Yummy. The dim sum with the carts (on weekends) is still great. It's been a while since I was there for dinner. At that time the menu was full of very authentic dishes.
Another place the OP might want to try is Great Garden in the shopping center between Lafayette Rd and 38th Street. The one time I was there for dim sum (ordered off of a menu instead of the carts) I thought that the food was good but the service was pretty bad.
http://www.indyethnicfood.com/includes/PopUp_Reviews.cfm?PopUpType=ShowReviews&ID=953&ReviewName=Great%20Garden&RequestTimeout=30
Right next door to Great Garden is Saraga the international grocery store (definitely worth a visit if you haven't been there yet!). At the front of the store is a great ethnic food court (a Oaxacan taqueria, el salvadorian papusaria, and more) amongst which is a place that serves Chinese bbq duck and pork. Great for carry out, too.
Indianapolis airport to Richmond
Shapiro's is a good choice for the food and its close proximity to the exit ramp off of I-70. It's right at the end of the exit/on ramp. Another good choice that's a bit farther, but still very close to I-70, is The Bosphorus ( http://www.bosphoruscafe.com/ ), which is a very good Turkish restaurant.
Special occasion restaurant in or near Indianapolis
The list above is very good. If the drive to Bloomington for Tallent isn't an option I would recommend Elements. By the way, they do have a website now: http://www.elementsindy.com/
What Would You Have Done?
I was going to ask if they noticed any "secret sauce" on the salad.
Att. Indy Klemm's fans, heads up!
Actually I just reread Candy's directions in the OP. If you're heading south on East St, you would turn left (east) on Prospect to get to Shelby St in Fountain Square.
Att. Indy Klemm's fans, heads up!
Yeah, they made the name change to Claus's a few months ago. I don't know why he changed the name of a business that's been successful under the name Klemm's for 80 or 90 years. Oh well, I'm just glad that they are going to stay in my neighborhood!
There's a more direct way to get there from the current store. Go to the corner of South, East and Virgina and turn right onto Virginia (rather than onto East). Follow Virgina into Fountain Square (about 1 mile) and bear to the right at the Fountain. That will put you onto Shelby St. Follow Shelby about 1 mile and it will be on your left (they broke ground on the new store about 2 months ago). If you reach Raymond St you've gone too far.
Bloomington, IN breakfast
My wife and I, on the advice of people here on Chowhound, had a late breakfast last weekend at Michael's Uptown Cafe at the corner of Kirkwood and Walnut. We both liked it very much. She had the cottage cheese pancakes and I had huevos rancheros and we split a side of bacon. Everything was very good, although I thought my huevos would have been even better with some chorizo added. We also were watching other people's food coming out of the kitchen and it all looked great. The kids in your party (and maybe even some of the adults!) would probably like the hot chocolate that we saw them serving. A big glass mug with whipped cream on top. It seems like the kind of place that wouldn't mind pushing a couple of tables together to accomodate a larger party.
Pacific Moon... good and bad news
I'm assuming that you're talking about the restaurant in Montgomery (Cincinnati)? That's too bad. I used to live very close to there several years ago and always liked it. We would do the dim sum quite often.
How's the food at China Gourmet in Hyde Park these days? I know that many people (myself included) considered that among the best Chinese in the city back in those days.
There also used to be a Chinese restaurant up near the King's auto mall that would do dim sum with the carts. Grand Oriental I believe. Do you know if that's still around?
Bloomington, IN - Quick and casual near the Bluebird
My wife and I will be coming down to Bloomington on Friday (9/22) to see the Del McCoury show at the Bluebird. (Off topic - If you like Bluegrass this will be a great show. We're friends with the guys in the opening act, a great band from Indy called The Stringtown Pickers, and Del McCoury has been going strong for 50 years.)
We're looking for something quick and casual, in that general vicinity (walking distance). Unfortunately, we won't have time for a meal at Tallent (I want to linger over every course!). We haven't been over to the places on 4th St for a couple of years, anything new over there? Laughing Planet might be a good fallback if we're really pressed for time. Anything right there on Walnut or College that's worth trying?
Also, we're spending the night there (in the hotel in the student union). I was planning on Runcible Spoon for breakfast. Would you recommend that, or is there someplace better in the area? Is there a good fallback spot in case the wait for a table is too long? IU has a home football game that Saturday, but it doesn't start until 3:30 so I'm hoping to beat the majority of the crowd.
Sliders
"nerdy collegiate types"? Surely you're not talking about the White Castle employees? If you are, you've obviously never been to the White Castle in my neighborhood!
How many of us Chowhounds are fat? [Moved from General Topics]
Male, 6'4", 195lbs. I was as high as 220 a few months ago. I shifted my diet towards high-fiber and low-fat (not a zealot about it, however!), started cycling and the weight has dropped off pretty quickly.
My wife and I have done 40 miles on several occaisons. Last weekend we could have pretty easily done 50 if didn't have someplace to be that evening. I'd like to do a 50 miler this weekend if the weather cooperates. Hopefully we'll do a metric by the end of the month.
Indianapolis Food finds
Yummy became Shen Yang ( http://features.cityguide.aol.com/indianapolis/restaurants/shen-yang/v-130551 ). I believe that several of the kitchen and front of the house people were there when it was Yummy. They still have outstanding dim sum and the dinner menu seems very authentic. They also removed the fish tanks and gave the place a fresh coat of paint both of which were definite improvements.
