Need some advise on Indianapolis.

Fellow eaters,

I'm spending the weekend in Indianapolis and need some help finding a great place to have both dinner and brunch.

Thanks in advance....Mark

crispybacon wrote:Fellow eaters,

I'm spending the weekend in Indianapolis and need some help finding a great place to have both dinner and brunch.

Thanks in advance....Mark

Well, what do you like? Def. hit shapiros for lunch- old school killer deli. Better than anything we have in Chicago, better than most in NY.

Beyond Chicago, NYC and possibly Milwaukee, Indy has to be the most well-covered city on the board. Have you tried a search of the word "Indianapolis" in "Beyond Chicago"? I'm very fond of John's Famous Stew. A bowl of the spicy with a High Life makes for an excellent brunch.

By the way, I like Shapiro's and think you should try it. However, I think reasonable people can disagree about its allaged superiority over similar places in Chicago and NYC. I do. I actually think that, apart from the bread, most of the actual Jewish deli stuff is good but not great. What I think sets Shapiro's apart is the way hayseed Indy has melded into the Jewish deli by way of stuff like mac n' cheese, homemade pies, greens and such. It's like a southern meat and 3 place married Manny's or Katz's.

JeffB wrote: It's like a southern meat and 3 place married Manny's or Katz's.

Jeff,

That's the best description of Shapiro's that I have ever heard/read.

crispybacon wrote:Fellow eaters,

I'm spending the weekend in Indianapolis and need some help finding a great place to have both dinner and brunch.

Thanks in advance....Mark

You can check out the menus for
a couple reliably-good places downtown:

Elements
http://www.elementsindy.com/

R Bistro
http://www.rbistro.com/menu/

I say the Elements menu with
Giant Sea Scallops, Walleye
and Venison looks tasty.

Though the Rabbit Pot Pie
at R Bistro could be good.

For Brunch, I often go to Cafe
Petite Chou in Broad Ripple.
http://www.cafepatachou.com/
Their ratatouille crepe and
fresh pan au chocolat are
really good.

The new place on the north end
of the Canal Walk might be a good
place to check out:
Tavern at the Temple
http://feedmedrinkme.blogspot.com/search/label/Bugg%27s

Another Brunch/Lunch option, also in
the Broad Ripple area, is Brugge Brasserie:
http://www.bruggebrasserie.com/brassin.html

"Duck confit with dried cherry and lambic compote,
spicy mustard and crispy fried leek on fresh-baked
French bread, with frites."

There's also a Dim Sum option (but closed on Sunday):
Shen Yang
3902 Georgetown Road (North of 38th St.)
http://www.indyscribe.com/restaurants/dim_sum_at_shen_yang.html

Then there's always: L'Explorateur

I may well be too late with this, since you are presumably there already, but I'll offer two tips. First is to second the Brugge Brasserie recommendation (hanger steak, for example). Then, you may want to take a minute to visit Trader's Point Creamery:

http://www.traderspointcreamery.com/

a very nice, picturesque organic dairy on the fringes of Indpls, also with some food on the premises.

Good luck.

However, I think reasonable people can disagree about its allaged superiority over similar places in Chicago and NYC. I do.

Right, I think Shapiro's is a very good deli at the mild end of the deli spectrum, befitting its midwesternness. However, if mild isn't what you like, you won't rate it as highly as these others. On the other hand, if you think Manny's pastrami is too salty, you may love Shapiro's.

It's all good and not a zero-sum game.

continuing the discussion regarding the indianapolis food scene.......perhaps scubachef knows something about the newly opened and much anticipated Bugg's Temple?located downtown on the canal in a historic old church.
any news on Meridian?located in the old Dodd's Townhouse space or Z's oyster bar on the northside?
thanks.

dug wrote:continuing the discussion regarding the indianapolis food scene.......perhaps scubachef knows something about the newly opened and much anticipated Bugg's Temple?located downtown on the canal in a historic old church.
any news on Meridian?located in the old Dodd's Townhouse space or Z's oyster bar on the northside?
thanks.

Meridian Restaurant and Bar looks to open soon; still workers puttering about. I'm actually mildly-intrigued by it's prospects...the signage is nicely subtle and contemporary.

Brugge didn't do all that much for me on my one and only visit; snotty "alternative" waitstaff, average charcuterie plate, okay mussels. You can find much better frites at Taste...and they only offer the one...rockin'...aioli(you can order from a plethora of middlin' sauces at Brugge). Notice I make no mention of the beer.

I've actually got part of a Shapiro's corned beef sammy in the fridge right now...for snackin' on later.

also, whilst out n about last minute Spanksgiving shopping...bought gallon sweet(and unsweet) tea at McAllister's cuz everyone raves about their tea:

...walking in I was expecting a local chain vibe, but this place is like McDonald's went deli...taco salad *and* pastrami on rye? Heaven!

The latest on Meridian:
http://feedmedrinkme.blogspot.com/
Wednesday 12/5 Post

I haven't been to Bugg's yet myself,
but the take-home message that I've
gotten is that the place is quite smokey
(in that they smoke their own meats),
very meat-centric and maybe a bit
too pricey, but definitely worth
checking out.

Another on my radar screen
is the re-opening of El Sol de Tala.
I took a look at a menu in progress
just before they closed down
and it looked very good. If that
is what will be available after the
re-opening, it could really revitalize
the place. They expanded their
focus to include a broader spectrum
of Mexico - including the South (mole).
Think Adobo Grill or Sol de Mexico (Chicago).

do i unsterstand correctly that "elements" has changed hands?
new owner?
new menu?
new satff?

any updates on the indy food scene?

dug wrote:do i unsterstand correctly that "elements" has changed hands?
new owner?
new menu?
new satff?

any updates on the indy food scene?

I'm not one to keep restaurant score, in general...so can't help you out with possible doin's at Elements.

However, L'Explorateur is supposedly moving from it's hidden-away location in Broad Ripple to a hopefully more advantageous location downtown.

dug wrote:do i unsterstand correctly that "elements" has changed hands?
new owner?
new menu?
new satff?

any updates on the indy food scene?

I was actually at Elements last night.
Same staff. Same menu (that
changes periodically anyway),
but I do believe there has been
a change in ownership, and that
the chef (Greg Hardesty) will be
transitioning out/consulting. Not
sure how this will change things
in the long run. Everything was
good last night. But having hit
all the major contenders in town
recently, Oakley's Bistro is still
consistently the best, hands down.
Just wish they had a better location.

SCUBAchef wrote:

dug wrote:do i unsterstand correctly that "elements" has changed hands?
new owner?
new menu?
new satff?

any updates on the indy food scene?

I was actually at Elements last night.
Same staff. Same menu (that
changes periodically anyway),
but I do believe there has been
a change in ownership, and that
the chef (Greg Hardesty) will be
transitioning out/consulting. Not
sure how this will change things
in the long run. Everything was
good last night. But having hit
all the major contenders in town
recently, Oakley's Bistro is still
consistently the best, hands down.
Just wish they had a better location.

I soooo need to try Oakley's Bistro. The s/o's younger brother recommended it(and we almost ate there the night he-the younger brother-changed his mind and introduced us to El Jaripeo...I won't bore anyone with the serious cellphone negotiations as to where we were to dine that night). Oakley's Bistro's online menu reads pretty tight. Good to know it gets LTH rec's, too.

thanks guys,oakley's bistro is getting some good buzz and i will make it a point to dine there on my next visit!
what's going on at the airport?who has committed to that project[st. elmo's,king david dog's?]?
i understand that palomino has openend their sidewalk cafe[perfect place for people watching,hoosiers are a colorful people ] and they are preveiwing a new spring menu as well as preparing for copper river salmon season.btw i hear that they are looking forward to a complete much needed cosmetic renovation some time after the christmas holidays.
and a place that needs no cosmetic renovation at all ,love to the seedy but fabulous peppy grill on virginia ave. one of my favorite dive's[i mean that in the most kind and caring of ways]!
i still would like to know if anyone has reveiwed bugg's temple,z' oyster bar or the newly renovated S.I.?
appreciate any "dish"!