Three Latest and Best

Mussaman Curry at Sawasdee: Holy crap this stuff is good. We popped in on Sunday to this bustling north side Thai staple on the verge of their much needed expansion. Having not been in for dinner for a long while, we queried Ty on his recommendation. (I almost always have the green curry at lunch.) He didn't hesitate. "Number 39." All I can say is Wow. Thick, rich, meaty with chicken and rich with potatoes stewing in the thickest, peanutiest, sweet curry *ever.* Oh, so good.

Chinese at Sesame on 86th: I've been looking for a decent, down-home Chinese place for a while, and may have found a passable option at Sesame, newly opened at 86th and Ditch (next to Athletic Annex. Good house made crab rangoon (with real crab in the slightly sweet cream cheese), flavorful wonton soup with a light, fluffy wonton (not hard from the freezer or can), and the kind of egg rolls I like, made by hand and with lots of cabbage and pepper. Plus cashew chicken with lots of wok-hay, that great taste that you only get from a really hot wok and someone who knows how to use it. Worth another visit for the soup and crab rangoon alone.

Cocktail Hour at Palomino: I'd been hearing good things about the after work happy hour at Palomino and I wasn't disappointed. An impressive appetizers list, half-price pizza, and a nice list of cocktails including flavored mojitos round out one of the most robust offerings of all the downtown cocktail menus. I had the berry mojito (heavy, but good with lots of fresh mint) and, of course, the signature Gorgonzola cross-cut fries. Eat 'em while they're hot! Even better? Palomino offers the same deals late night on Saturday! Perfect for late night, post bar snacking.

Two-Minute Warning: In my never-ending quest for good Mexican food in Indianapolis, I can tell you that El Arado Mexican Grill in Fountain Square is not it. It should have been a warning when I asked the server what was good and every dish she recommended was deep-fried. Not up for the chimichanga or taquitos, I opted for the flautas. The beef was pot roast. No, really, it tasted and looked just like pot roast. Good pot roast, but not Mexican food. The rice? Overcooked (the split grains looked like a pile of little X-chromosomes.) The refried beans? I'm pretty sure they came out of a can. The guac? In a world where a taqueria on the West side can blow me away with their simple, fresh, delicious and easily identifiable fresh avocado with onions, peppers, salt and lime, I just refuse to eat the pureed, green avocado-flavored slime restaurant supply houses pass off as cheap guacamole. And I'm over the Mexican places that serve it. (Frankly, I'm over the Mexican places that set up shop with a deep frier, a Sysco account, and no actual, you know, cooking. News flash: If it comes in a pre-made plastic package that you cut open in the kitchen to serve, skip it.) Any self-respecting avocado would be ashamed to have its flavor profile used in the bitter, sour gunk plopped on top of iceberg lettuce and called "avocado salad". (Of course there's no actual *real* avocado in there. It's the avocado equivalent of "cheese food". Seriously, read the label on the same product next time you're in the grocery store.)

El Arado is completely unremarkable. I'd put it on par with La Piedad in Broad Ripple (almost identical actually) and countless other usually crowded but not terribly good Mexican restaurants in town. It's back to the West side taqueria circuit for me. Simpler food but *so* much fresher and tastier.

Three Latest and Best

Road Trip to Jungle Jim's: Yes, it's the most fun you can have in a grocery store. And it says a lot about how bored we were with the sleety weather last weekend. Three of us roadtripped to Cincinnati to make a Jungle Jim's run. I found all sorts of yummy tidbits including a gorgeous fingerling potatoes, an orange fig spread, and a six-pack of Hopslam.

St. Supery Cabernet: I had forgotten how much I loved the big, velvety, black cherry finish on this luscious California cab. In a flight tasting with the Honig and Clos du Val cabs, the St. Supery was the clear favorite after it opened up. The Honig was elegant coming right out of the bottle, but failed to change over time, and the Clos du Val suffered by comparison as its stiffer, French style was flat by comparison to the giant the St. Supery grew in to.

Sushi at Ocean World: I'd forgotten how much I liked this simple but delicious sushi place on the North side of the city. Serving a very traditional style, I've always enjoyed their bento box lunch special with a hand roll, another maki, a couple of pieces of nigiri sushi, miso soup and a salad (limp iceberg lettuce with a strange ginger dressing they've had there for years.) We splurged and ordered extra maki. My favorite? Their signature asparagus tempura roll.

Three-Courses at The Oceanaire: Ok, this is four, but here's one of the best kept secrets in town -- a three-course prix fixe menu at lunch for $17.95. You get two options for each course. Me? Oysters for starters, mahi mahi with rice and vegetables, and chocolate chip cookies with milk for dessert!

Two-Minute Warning: I've had it with PF Chang's. While I used to enjoy their lunch menu -- simple Mu Goo Gai Pan and Almond Chicken, not to mention the Crispy Honey Shrimp or Chicken, I can no longer stand the blandness. It's as if they decided any flavor at all is too much for midwesterners. Maybe they get a lot of complaints. Either way, I have to spend so much time doctoring my own dishes with soy sauce and rice vinegar that I might as well cook at home. Plus, they've changed their steamed white rice to a cheaper variety. While it's still some variation of slightly sticky rice, it's not the great Asian sticky rice it should be. Maybe it's corporate cost consolidation or the constant churn of the downtown location. Either way, I won't be back for a while.

Three Latest and Best

Catering from Jazz Kitchen: I've yet to sit and eat a full meal lately, but if the catering under their latest management is any indication, when I do, I'll be in for a treat! Look for the brie sections in brown sugar caramel and the cajun shrimp with hot sauce. Actually, the brie will be gone. I will have eaten it all.

Lunch at PF Chang's: I like PF Chang's for their upscale environment and reliable Chinese-style food. However, their high turnover and chain formula often bug me. Why they think they can make it through a busy downtown lunch hour with only one bartender (when almost everyone eats at the bar) is beyond me. However, much was overshadowed by the perfectly yummy Crispy Honey Shrimp. Still better than a greasy Chinese buffet most days.

Banana Fritters at Viet Bistro: Fellow blogger Brian D. wanted to meet and made an excellent restaurant choice with Viet Bistro. But among the traditional spring rolls and excellent clay pot, dessert was the star of the show. Banana fritters with perfectly crispy batter topped with coconut, sesame and laying in a bed of perfect tapioca -- light and citrusy, not heavy and sweet. And it's always nice to put faces to names. Yum!