Three Latest and Best

After a long two weeks of hibernating with cold and a work deadlines, I'm back and eating! Probably eating too much, but who's paying attention. There will be plenty of time to workout when the weather warms up!

Comfort Food at MacNiven's: After a day of sloppy snow and freezing cold, I was ready for dinner at MacNiven's. Beer didn't sound good but the the Strongbow Cider hit the spot. Inspired by the guy next to us, I opted for that wonderful, decadent, full-of-meaty-goodness French dip, a fully loaded roast beef topped with melted swiss and dipped in brown gravy instead of au jus. How can it be wrong when it's so right?

If It's Good Enough for Alec Baldwin: Hadn't been to Mikado in ages and had forgotten how much I liked the Japanese wood booths, awnings, and appealing private rooms (although their website seems to have gone missing.) Super-fresh yellowtail and mackeral were the order of the day. (Delish with the sweet spinach-sesame salad, the perfectly crunchy tempura, and the green tea and red bean paste treat at the end.) Apparently, Alec Baldwin has been in lately and wins points for knowing his Japanese food.

A Feast at India Garden: We hadn't yet been to the downtown India Garden for dinner, so a cold winter night was the perfect chance. I went with an Indian friend who educated me on what *really* to order. We feasted on the vegetarian thalia (a sampler of all the best dishes with rice, naan, and tapioca) and a loaded-with-saffron shrimp biryani. Oh, so satisfied.

Three Latest and Best

One with Everything: Earlier in the week, had light supper at Cairo Cafe at 30th and Lafayette Road. I'd forgotten how great this place was! We had one of everything on the appetizer menu and I couldn't get enough of the chunky, thick eggplant baba ganoush, the fresh hummas with a generous pour of olive oil, and the crunchy olives and pickles with sweet grated carrot. We finished our feast out with garbanzo beans, a tangy salad, creamy tatzichi and, of course, lots of warm pita bread.

Downtown Wins: I'm not one to take sides, especially when it comes to my favorite India Garden lunch buffet, but these days, the downtown location has the edge. The crispy fried nan, ever present chicken tikka masala, and my favorite paneer masala loaded with cheese, onions, and the sweet sauce all helped tip the scales. Broad Ripple, I still love you. You may have my heart, but downtown has my taste buds.

Best Black-Eyed Peas I Ever Made: Let's say that due to this cold weather I was on a beans and soup kick. And let's just say that I had half of a good sized chunk of duck ham left in the fridge. Just say, you know, for the sake of argument, that I trimmed off some funky bits, then cubed it, fat and all, and threw the pieces in with black-eyed peas, shallots, chives, and smoked salt. Duck fat is never a bad thing. And cured duck bits cooked in fat-loaded black-eyed peas cooked down to a perfect creamy consistency are not bad at all.

Oldies but Goodies

I'm about a week behind The Dish and most of my readers in some of this news, but I'm working to get caught up. Here's what I know (which is probably what most of you know at this point.)

India Garden Announces Opening: Various sources are reporting India Garden's new downtown location will be open by the end of August. Look for them right next door to Barcelona Tapas on Delaware just north of Ohio. (No word on the fate of their former location. If the rumors I've heard are true, then their landlord may have his just desserts being stuck with it.)

3rd Botulism Case: Oh, I don't even know why I'm mentioning this, but in the endless recall of Castleberry's canned chili and chili sauce, there's been a third case reported in Indiana. Apparently, either people in Indiana are the only people eating this stuff or the only ones not listening to the recalls. (Yes, I know, there's so much to be said there, but I'm not typing what I *know* you all are thinking.)

We Loved Tom's Bacon: Tom Smith, long time chef de cuisine at Oakley's Bistro, has departed for points south (Branson, MO) and a corporate cheffing gig. Brian Guntz will be the new sous chef. So, long, Tom! We'll miss your bacon!

Three-Course Menu at Oakley's: Also, at Oakley's, look for the return of their popular three-course tasting menu for $29. They tried this last year and it was a big hit. Starting this month, they'll add a nightly three-course seasonal option changed monthly. It's a great way to try some new dishes and enjoy the bounty of summer and fall for a reasonable price.

Sawasdee Doubles in Size! The wall is opened up, the framing in, and Ty says the new addition will be open by the end of next week. In case you hadn't heard, Sawasdee was able to lease the space next door and will be more than doubling seating space since this place is *always* crowded.

Log Cabins, Wine Lockers, and More!

Want to see something cool? Drive up Meridian Street to see the renovations on the former Dodd's Townhouse location, soon to be the new restaurant Meridian. Right now, the front of the building is gone and you can see the original two-story log cabin inside! The building was originally called the 7-Mile Inn reflecting it's distance from the city center. And the house was built around the original log cabin.

Wine Lockers at Kahn's: I haven't seen it yet, but am intrigued by the new Kavern at Kahn's on Keystone. Jim is advertising temperature controlled wine lockers for rent in a variety of sizes in the "U Store It Locker Room". Also, the new Kahn's has more cooler space and that means kegs! (They're advertising micro and imported kegs available.)

L'Explorateur Lunches: Not only did I miss sharing the email from L'explorateur that they're now open for lunch, but I missed sharing their first anniversary last week (and more importantly free champagne!) So, they're a year old and they're open for lunch. Perfect for summer!

Hello Bada Boomz! Mike DeWeese, owner of Buffalo Wild Wings on Maryland downtown, is closing as Wild Wings and reopening next weekend under his own concept and brand -- Bada Boomz! The Hoosier Beer Geeks broke the news on this one a couple of weeks ago. Look for his signature beer list to stay intact while the rest of the restaurant gets a makeover.

More on India Garden: From Christy Speer at the Dish, the new downtown India Garden has an ETA of late July.

Tidbits, Treats, and Leftovers

iFARM Collective pulls the plug: That didn't take very long. Looks like things weren't well thought out regarding the summer timing for opening a collective fresh produce "store". (I'm still not sure how a stand is better than the farmers market if it will run concurrent with in the summer except that it might be open more often but with a limited selection.) Additionally, rumors are buzzing downtown about the disaster that is the City Market renovation. With delays, some vendors are having financial issues and may not be able to re-open.

India Garden Downtown Closes: Sadly, India Garden has lost their lease on their downtown Illinois street location and is now closed. (Indianapolis Monthly's The Dish says the space was leased out from under them by an incoming unnamed national chain willing to spend twice the money.) Suddenly 200 business people a day won't know where to have lunch. Gone will be the funky aromas that permeated the parking garage at Market Tower. On the other hand, I won't have to worry about arriving at a Columbia Club lunch smelling like I just came from an Indian banquet. They're hoping to reopen downtown in the new few months.

Wolfgang Puck: Media Whore: Quick alert the media. Wolfgang Puck has jumped on the organic PR bandwagon, this time by removing all animals and animal products raised in confined or crated environments. While he'll be replacing chickens, eggs, beef, and pork with sustainable varieties, he's removed crated veal and foie gras from his menu. My issue? The media frenzy over a bullshit decision and the appearance that yet another chef has given in to hounding by animal rights activists. Additionally, it's yet to be clarified but I suspect when it notes "at all his Wolfgang Puck restaurants", he means a select few of his high end outposts and not the mass number of fast causal eateries and Puck's catering and restaurant operations. (Maybe someone from Puck's here in town can clarify?)

I don't suspect it will make the media when his accountants tell him how much it's going to cost to move to non-commercial animal sourcing company-wide. Otherwise, it's always good press to cut your two highest food cost and probably least popular items -- veal and foie gras. What chef wouldn't love to make a PR win from a ban of his most expensive ingredients? More from Kate at Accidental Hedonist and the voice of reason, Bob del Grosso, guesting at Ruhlman's blog.

Are you a Flexitarian? Christine Barbour is. In her latest, lovely post, one of our favorite bloggers tells all about her vegetarian ways, how she *cheated*, and why she doesn't feel bad about it! Maybe we need to chip in and get her a set of these.

James Beard and IACP Nominees Announced: Nominees for awards from the James Beard Foundation and the IACP were announced last week. Notables? In the single subject category, Braise by Daniel Boulud was recognized. And in books on food, nominees included the wonderful Heat by Bill Buford, The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and The United States of Arugula by David Kamp. For food writing awards, Lettie Teague, Eric Felton, and John T. Edge garnered nominations along with a host of other writers represented major newspapers and the main food and wine mags. And blogger Tyler Colman garnered a nomination for Dr. Vino's Wine Blog. Winners will be announced May 7.

The Mystery of the Waffle House Solved: And in case you ever wondered how your waitress at The Waffle House encodes and decodes the complicated ordering system (based on placing condiments on the plate), Slashfood has the grill cook's cheat sheet. Will that be pork chop or country ham? Well, it all depends on whether your mustard is face up or face down, ifyouknowwhatImean. No really. Mustard face down is country ham.

Three Latest and Best

Hmmm. Colder weather, more dress-up parties, and fall menus!

Butternut Squash Maple Soup at Oakley's Bistro: It's Baaa-aaaaack! There's a reason patrons clamor for this signature soup even before it goes on the Fall menu. It's quite simply fantastic. This sweet and savory classic smells like pumpkin pie before you've taken your first bite, and the spicy creaminess satisfies to the last drop. If you haven't had it before, try it. If you already love it, it's time to head in for more.

Beef Tenderloin at Midtown Grill: With a new chef and revamped menu, Midtown Grill seems to be doing just fine. At a recent cocktail party, the buffet dinner was better than your average fare -- oven roasted potatoes with sea salt, well-flavored mixed vegetables, and a *delicious* beef tenderloin in a perfect horseradish cream sauce.

Cool Fall Nights with India Garden: While the service has gone downhill at the Broad Ripple location in the past few months, the food is still perfect for these cold, dark nights. There's nothing more perfect than the Chicken Tikka Masala, nan, and a stress-free night in front of the television. Twenty-first century comfort food.