Dates to Save for Food/Wine Events

That last weekend in April is starting to look a little crazy! Not only is Thursday, April 24 Dine Out for Life night, but the rest of the weekend is a star-studded food and wine fest!

Midwest Cabernet Experience
Friday, April 25
One of the best catalog tastings of the year, this one is all collector cabs and worth every penny! 75 Cabs all $30 retail and above (plus a spread from the Montage). Benefits Riley Heart Center at the Riley Hospital for Children. $75 in advance/$100 at the door. Collectors Club tix (cabs that retail for $100 or more) $125 in advance/$150 at the door. Get tickets at Kahn's or through Riley Hospital.

Chef's Alliance Dinner
Sunday, April 27
Don't miss the annual Chef's Alliance Dinner hosted by Chef Ryan Nelson of The Oceanaire. As he's done for the past three years, Nelson brings together some of his top peers to cook an 8-course feast benefiting Riley Children's Hospital. Look for Chefs Nicole and Eli Anderson (H2O Sushi), Tony Hanslits (The Chef's Academy), Regina Mehallick (R Bistro), Greg Hardesty (Elements), Karl Benko (nee Peterson's), and James Beard nominee Dave Tallent (Restaurant Tallant) and Marc Urwand and Deidra Henry (Taste Cafe and Marketplace). $125 per ticket. Contact a participating chef or their restaurant for tickets.

April in Paris
Sunday, April 27
This yearly benefit for Ivy Tech is a perfect showcase for culinary students and diners alike. Seven courses at The Fountains Banquet Center in Carmel. $125 per person. Information and tickets online.

Sunday. Sunday! SUNDAY!

...or random day of miscellany:

How bored have I been? So bored I've been making my own crackers. Sure, I accidentally left out salt and my first batch tasted like communion wafers, but with a little practice, crackers are pretty easy! Using the basic recipe from Bittman (1 cup flour, 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp salt), just pulse in a food processor for a few seconds. I divided the dough into sections and added herbs, black pepper, and poppy seeds. Roll them out flat -- and thin, score with a sharp knife for break points, and bake on a pizza stone at 400 for 12-18 minutes. (You can also cut them out, trim them into squares, or make them fun shapes.)

Champagne on Sale: Couldn't help but notice that the flyer for Kahn's this weekend was loaded with deep discounts on good 'poo (champagne, that is.) If you need to stock up, now is the time to do it. Jim has great prices on Veuve Cliquot Brut (around $30 a bottle), Moet White Star (around $26 a bottle), and even 1999 Dom Perignon (around $100 a bottle). They usually have a good selection of French and American sparklers along with proseccos and cavas as well, especially with New Year's Eve right around the corner. Buy by the case for an even better discount.

Speaking of New Year's Eve: Have you made your dinner reservations yet? New Year's Eve is a great chance to enjoy a fine restaurant and have a truly great meal instead of running around to parties. (Maybe I'm just hanging out with more grown-ups.) Either way, we're going to try L'Explorateur again this year while others I know are planning on Jazz Kitchen with Cynthia Layne, Chanticlair, RBistro and even The Oceanaire.

Whey-Fed Pigs: Did I mention that Trader's Point is feeding their left-over whey to happy porkers for whey-fed pigs? Traditionally prized in Italy as the source for the best prosciutto, I'm hoping at least one local chef will do a taste test for us. (Christopher Eley says it will take 14 months so we can schedule it for Spring 2009.) Can you really tell a difference? I think I'd like to find out!

Quiz Answer: What percentage of alcohol is 120 proof? That quiz was my Christmas gift to you! Remember it as half -- 120 proof is 60 percent pure alcohol. 90% of you got it right.

Diamond in the Rough

Had a great time at the annual Diamond in the Rough sale at its new location -- the Kahn's on Keystone. It was a little difficult to maneuver with tasting stations and food set up on both the main store floor and in the new banquet room on the 2nd floor, but all-in-all it seemed to go well. True to its name, there was a lot of rough, and a few gems. At least, we think we found a few. There were some deals -- and some oddities -- and we managed to order three cases. With the number of cases available printed for most lots this year, it gave us a better idea of what we might get. However, we also put our order in late in the evening, so who knows. We tasted mainly reds and mainly cabs, shirazs, and Italians. We ended up with a slightly high end Chianti which I actually liked. (We surmised that most people drink too much cheap, crappy chianti and don't think of it as quite a lovely wine.)

Our take? Great deals on:
Rufus Stone McClaren Shiraz 2000

Carmen Reserve Shiraz/Cabernet

Cecchi Villa Cerna Chianti Resva 2001

BTW, for those who wanted to know, Arthur Black took 3rd with only 4 points separating the first four positions. He is on track to be one of the youngest master sommeliers in the United States when he takes (and passes) his exam next year.

Update: Several people have emailed (and one commenter noted) to remind me that Jim doesn't fill orders first come/first serve. They'll even split cases as need be if orders exceed availability.

Wine events -- Wine Wednesday Edition

October seems like it must be Wine and Food Month! Check out some of these fine wine events to meet and mingle with your fellow geeks of the grape.

Sunday, October 14
New Member Induction for La Chaine des Rotisseurs

Yes, Virginia, Indianapolis does have its own chapters of many well known international fine dining and wine societies, including the Conferie La Chaine des Rotisseurs. (Recently made more visible with their dinner on Top Chef Miami.) Contrary to what many believe, they're not all full of food snobs and snooty wine professionals -- it's actually a very fun group of people who are just plain passionate about all things good -- edible and quaffable things, specifically. Plus, this local chapter (called a "bailliage") of food and wine lovers, chefs, and professionals thinks it's fun to get all dressed up to eat and drink a few times a year! I think it will be fun, too! For more information, check out the website or contact Jim Arnold, the local chapter president.

Thursday, October 18
Kahn's Diamond in the Rough Sale

It's almost time for one of my favorite sales of the year -- the Diamond in the Rough Sale. This one features tastings of usually 50-100 wines that distributors are pushing out at heavy discounts. They may include tag ends of small vintages, label changes, discontinued wines --all sold by the case -- which makes for great fun sussing out some real hidden treasures. Go with a friend to split cases. It's also perfect for picking up some great wine bargains for holiday parties. This year, it will be in the new event room at the Kahn's on Keystone. And there's usually a spread of good food, too!

6:30-9:00 p.m.
Kahn's on Keystone
$20 in advance; $25 at the door

Monday, October 22
2008 Elegant Vintages Wine Auction Preview Party

If you've been around the Indianapolis wine scene for a while, then you're probably familiar with the bi-annual Jacoby Agency/Prudential Elegant Vintages Wine Auction to Benefit the Indianapolis Zoo. The auction isn't until next year, but the chairs and committee are previewing the wines donated so far at a special preview party at Trader's Point Hunt Club. (And in past years, there are usually some *amazing* wines on display at this event. ) Also in attendance will be San Francisco-based wine expert David Reynolds who will serve as auctioneer for the 2008 sale. For more information on the auction or to donate in time for display at the party, post a comment and I'll put you in touch with the event chairs.

Monday, October 29
iMOCA Wine Dinner @ L'Explorateur

Neal and I contacted each other about the same time when the piece ran in Food and Wine over the summer. A Chicago chef had recreated dishes for a wine dinner based on art from the Art Institute. What a brilliant idea! Not short on creativity, Neal is creating a menu with dishes based on iconic works of contemporary art in Indianapolis including some fun cutting edge pieces and more iconic works everyone will probably recognize. It's a nice twist on the wine dinner emphasizing what we all know -- that design and art are all around us even in food. Don't miss this creative and inspiring event at L'Explorateur. And it benefits the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art.

6:30 p.m.
Make reservations via opentable.com or by calling 726-6906
$100 per person

Diamond in the Rough Sale

If you get your fill of those big catalog tastings in the spring, Kahn's Diamond in the Rough sale is always a nice change. This is a catalog tasting that's more like a game than a sales pitch (although, hey, it's a sales pitch.) Jim Arnold sets up 75 or so wines for tasting that distributors are ready to liquidate at high discount. This includes wines that are overstocked, discontinued, have label changes (or problems), and even tag ends of small case lots from some of the smaller houses. (Ask me about the case of Vinum Red Dirt Red we scored last year.) Discounts are heavy and if you really look, you'll find some good buys. (A couple of years ago I scored a lovely case of Chateau Potelle Cab. The issue? All the back labels had come off.)

They sell by the case only and there's no guarantee that they'll be able to fill your whole order on some wines. But it's still great fun to look for your own diamond. It's also a great way to stock up for holiday parties or go with a wine drinking friend and split your order! This year's new venue should prove interesting (at the Kahn's store on Keystone) and your ticket price includes a good spread of food as well.

Diamond in the Rough wine sale
6:30-9:00 p.m.

@ Kahn's Superstore on Keystone

$20 in advance/$25 at the door.

Three Latest and Best

Even with the heat, what's best about this time of year? The long evenings where everyone seems ready to cram in the best of summer the week before the kids go back to school. Most of us think of August as "the hot month", but even the weather seemed to take a back seat in the past few days as we enjoy the best the sunsets have to offer. Welcome to Three Latest and Best: Long Summer Nights edition.

Dinner at Ruth's Chris: What do I love most about being a grown up? Nights like four of us had on Saturday when an impromptu dinner (after a day at the pool) turned into a leisurely supper of cocktails, snacks, steaks, and fine wine. The filets were great (all ordered differently prepared -- hint: get the roasted sweet peppers), the mashed potatoes hit the spot, and the noble bread pudding that arrived swimming in sauce was the perfect end. The wine? A 2004 Caymus Cabernet -- Napa cab goodness.

Bread from Jungle Jim's: The weekend found me in Cincinnati for a quick commando raid on Jungle Jim's. (We didn't have much time.) It seems like I try something new every time I go there and this was the first time we'd raided the bakery. And oh, what a raid it was! The bread was so delicious looking, we opened it in the car! The best? The olive rosemary and the cheddar jalapeno. Tip -- have them slice it for you fresh before they bag your loaf.

Sunday Night at Bella Vita: I'm not a regular at Bella Vita by any means, but as far as restaurants on lakes go, this one can be pretty darn good. The food? Expensive but edible. The service? Surprisingly efficient although it wasn't crowded. And the deck? Perfectly suited for watching the comings and goings of life on Geist. It was pleasantly uncrowded which we attributed to weather, school starting, and the algae scare, but we enjoyed it immensely! Say what you will about the bars and "beach" (and those oh-so-tacky neon lighted palm trees), but we had a blast. (Yes, I did play corn hole. Try not to faint.) Here's a special shout-out to Jim Arnold and his lovely wife (and their entire party) who looked terrific in their summer whites! After dinner, we piled back in the boat and headed out to the lake to watch the spectacular sunset. Hail to long summer nights!

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.

More from the Star on the Kahn's Split

The Star has more today on the split between Jim Arnold and Joe Husar including what will happen with Kahn's Katering and the Carmel store. Apparently the spilt was fueled by Husar and Arnold's differing opinions on the image and brand of the Kahn's name. From the Star:

Kahn's Katering made its name providing upscale, personalized high-end services. But the new Kahn's Fine Wines & Spirits store on Keystone, which Arnold built recently to replace an older store just blocks away, didn't reflect that image, Husar said.

Arnold didn't return a call seeking comment.

Husar said Kahn's Fine Wines & Spirits resembles a big-box superstore, with wide aisles, neutral colors and fluorescent lights. "Catering has been growing for a long time, and my mindset had been to keep staying along the lines of the premium quality, high-end store, and I felt that the superstore was the opposite direction," Husar said. "How do you tie in a superstore with premium catering?"

It's too bad they didn't get a chance to talk to Jim since he obviously has a different opinion and has high hopes for the new store on Keystone. Frankly, I'm not sure I agree that the high end Carmel Store and more casual warehouse-style Keystone store couldn't have co-existed quite peacefully under the Kahn's name. As a customer, I appreciated the difference. Those of us who live downtown don't trek up to the Carmel store on a regular basis just because it's nicer. Husar says he hopes they'll still remain golfing buddies. I suspect regardless of their personal issues, both will continue to grow their businesses.

Monday Tidbits

It's spring and change is in the air. A few interesting tidbits for your Monday morning.

Jim and Joe Break Up Kahn's; Call It Splitsville: Jim Arnold sent a late Saturday email announcing the business separation of he and his business partner, Joe Husar. Jim is selling the Carmel store to Joe and Joe will retain the Montage, Kahn's Katering, and the Carmel store. Jim will keep the new store and deli on Keystone -- the original Kahn's. The Carmel store will have a new name -- not yet announced -- effective immediately. By all reports, the split is amicable. Or at least as amicable as these things can be.

Darden Trims Smokey Bones Chain: Chain restaurant parent company Darden is having a hard year. First, there were the national headlines over a norovirus outbreak at a local Olive Garden. Then the closing of several restaurants in their Bahama Breeze chain. Now comes an announcement that they will close 57 Smokey Bones restaurants, including the remaining 7 in Indiana, and put the rest of the chain on the market. This could be good news or bad. It could be a signal that the chain restaurant market is hitting a saturation point in popular test markets like central Indiana, or it could be that they have a hit with Smokey Bones, want to trim the fat (so to speak), and put a profitable chain on the market to raise cash. At least one Smokey Bones restaurant has already been closed locally. Darden also owns the Red Lobster restaurant chain as well as Rocky River Grillhouse which recently moved into the Castleton Smokey Bones location.

Taste of Tango? Argentinian Food Downtown: In the "Well, this should be interesting" category, a local realtor has bought a derelict building on East Washington and says he plans to open an Argentinian restaurant by late July. No word on who will be cooking this Argentinian cuisine, the style of restaurant, or even if the building's renovations will be done in the next two months. We'll keep an eye on it. (via Property Lines)

Downtown Farmer's Market Opens Weds: The City Market renovations are still woefully behind schedule, but the Farmer's Market downtown will open right on schedule this Weds at lunchtime. Look for 40 or so vendors, suited business people enjoying lunch, and an overall good time every Weds through the end of October. The Downtown Farmer's Market is on Market Street between Alabama and Delaware.

Rose' for the Summer! A few summers ago, I rediscovered rose'. Yes, it's pink. But it's not the pink rose-in-a-jug we remember from our parents in the 70s. Today's rose's are light, dry, and the perfect early wine for late summer afternoons. Good Grape has more with some recommendations on what to try.

Weber Grill Hiring for Late July: Ads in local papers are looking for servers, FOH and BOH staff for Weber Grill saying they'll open in late July. Chicago-based Weber Grill will be opening on Illinois in the same three-block area as St. Elmo's, Ruth's Chris, and Capitol Grill.

Tidbits Tidbits

Haven't had a lot of time to track down some of these so consider them all food for thought!

Whither a Wine Bar? We keep hearing someone is putting a wine bar in at 25th and Delaware in those spiffy new live/work condos. While it's great that there will be another food and beverage stop in there -- along with the new market, The Goose --our only question? Where will people park? No word yet on an ETA. Share if you have the info!

56th St. (Fish) Market Closed -- Unverified but we're hearing 56th Street Market (formerly 56th St. Fish Market) is closed -- or closing. Lots of backstory here, but we haven't been back since they screwed up an order a couple of months ago. Looking for fresh fish? I hear good things about Kona Jack's fish counter (although I've not personally had a good experience there). And don't forget about Joe's in Carmel.

Pre-ordering Champagne for Intermission -- Going to Indianapolis Opera's performances of Falstaff this weekend? Here's a little tidbit to share. Before the opera starts, you can pre-order your champagne for intermission. Skip the long lines by pre-paying the lobby bartenders for your glasses of bubbly. They'll be waiting for you as soon as intermission starts.

Midwest Cabernet Experience -- Speaking of this Friday night, don't forget Midwest Cabernet Experience. This is one of the best tasting events of the year with over 100 collector Cabernets and the signature Kahn's feast. And it's all for a good cause benefiting Riley Children's Hospital. Tix are $75 available at Kahn's and Riley's. Buy them in advance. The price goes up to $100 at the door.

Bugg's Temple is Hiring -- And in the "finally" category, it looks like Bugg's Temple may actually open this spring after all! Local papers are advertising an upcoming job fair with positions for the coffee shop, Ritter's Custard, and restaurant all available. I'll be eager to see how they did on the renovation since the building looks great from the canal with lots of windows.

Big City Deli open at Kahn's on Keystone

Kahn's new deli -- Bit City Deli -- is finally open at their new Keystone location. Look for a wide array of traditional deli sandwiches from Rubens to cheese steak (and a Cuban sandwich that looks promising) and everything in between. They also offer a wide variety of deli and vegetable salads and daily soups like chili, Boston clam chowder, and chicken noodle.

With the high end gourmet deli at the Carmel store, taking a more traditional approach further downtown sounds like a good idea. I'll try to pop in for lunch or dinner in the next couple of weeks and report back. Plus see your Kahn's email for a coupon good this week and next.

Wine Roundup

'Tis the Season: It's winter and that means the endless round of charity wine events are starting up. The first of the season? The WFYI Indianapolis Wine Fest, Friday, Feb 9, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. It's a fun night if you're up for a crowded catalog tasting with a listings book, 50 tables, a few hundred wines (good and bad) and lots of lines for 1 oz pours. $50 for main floor tix; $100 for the connoisseur's area. (If you're tired of the crowds and want to taste some decent plonk, spring for the $100. It's for a good cause.)

Vote for The Good Grape! Regional wine-guy Jeff Lefevere who runs the excellent wine blog, The Good Grape, is a finalist in two categories for the American Wine Blog Awards -- Best Overall Graphics and Best Overall Site. While you didn't see Jeff's blog mentioned in the latest Indianapolis blog round ups (at Intake or Slashfood), he's doing amazing work in the world of wine and getting great notice. From Jeff:

The Best Overall Site is a pretty good one because I'm in the company of a guy named Alder Yarrow from Vinography.com that is the closet thing the Wine Blogosphere has to a celebrity and with Eric Asimov who writes for the freakin'
New York Times.

Vote for Jeff's blog at Tom Wark's Fermentation Daily Wine Blog. Other categories include best wine blog podcast, best blog writing, best winery blog, best single subject blog, and best wine reviewing
blog.

Want! Special Riedel for Oregon Pinot: Oregon pinot noir makers and glassware magnate Max Riedel have announced the design of a new glass specifically for Oregon Pinot Noir. While the Zinquisition is completely right that it's BS such a small "appellation" should get its own glass, and the affect of the glass is suggestive at best, I *love* the idea. It's exactly the obscure kind of kitchenware that I need most. Of course, Zinquisition is correct in that it's a gimmicky PR move by the Oregon pinot noir makers and Riedel and that it could open a very sad door to many more unnecessary regional glasses (Mt. Veeder Cabernet, anyone?), but I still want it!

For the curious, what makes the Oregon pinot glass special? From the release via Zinquisition:

"... [it's a] large-bowled, tulip-shaped glass that flares out gently at the top. This glass was presented along with 11 others in a workshop similar to the first. Tasters agreed that the slightly narrower opening of this glass seemed to focus aromas. Its flared lip reproduced the mouth-feel tasters had experienced with the Grand Cru Burgundy glass. Every single workshop participant agreed that the new glass offered Oregon Pinot [N]oir lovers the best of both worlds."

We're Number One! It's no surprise to many in the wine business or who have researched wine trends in the past few years, but at least one new wine and spirits industry study says the US will be the world's biggest consumer of wine and the world's second biggest importer by the year 2010, cracking 3.8 billion bottles a year. (Currently Germany and the UK are the biggest importers in the world.) The study predicts overall wine consumption will be up worldwide and that China and Russia will crack the top 10 in consumption in 3 years also.

Our Beloved Kahn's: Ahhh, Kahn's. The new store on Keystone isn't quite up and running, but is open and staffed with lots of folks to help. The biggest problem? No prices! The beer cooler was stocked when I was there but the amarones weren't unpacked. Ask for help and you'll get it. Still lots of the same knowledgeable folks. When it's stocked and finished, it's going to be great! (One tip: At the other store, there was a stop light so you could pull out of the parking lot and onto Keystone. Here? No such luck.)

This and That: Kahn's, Winter, and Beer

A New Kahn's Opens! Finally! Kahn's has announced the grand opening of their new superstore on Keystone! Look for free special tastings and events every night from Monday, January 29 through Saturday, February 3 including beers, wine, bourbons, and ports.

Devour Downtown Winterfest: Hoping to drive some winter diners to eat, eat, eat, the IDHRA has set the dates for a winter downtown restaurant week -- January 22-February 4. As usual, more than 20 restaurants will offer $30 prix fixe meals for diners that week. It's always a great way to try something expensive for a good price including St. Elmo's, Oceanaire, or even the Conrad's du Soleil. Call for reservations! See their website for a list of participating restaurants.(Update: Scratch Du Soleil. They're not participating.)

Tasting with the Hoosier Beer Geeks: So, in recognition of all the...well, recognition, there have been a few updates with the Knights of the Beer Roundtable! Hoosier Beer Geek is now a group blog (not that that makes any difference to you readers, but it's interesting to us, um, geeks). Additionally, we're now formally scheduling two tastings a month, the 2nd and 4th Thursdays, and so you, our readers, can join us! We're trying to keep one at a local brewery or brew pub and the other at a local bar with a good list such as MacNiven's or Deano's. Our next tasting? Join us this Thursday at Broad Ripple Brew Pub. Check Hoosier Beer Geek details.

Updates on Restaurant Delays

The lovely Ms. Speer has an update on some long awaited restaurants in today's Dish from Indianapolis Monthly:

--We checked in (again!) with the folks at Au Bon Pain (because last we heard, the opening date for the new location on the Circle was November, and while the construction looks to be making progress, November's days are numbered and we still don't have our tomato Florentine soup and we're starting to think we might never get our tomato Florentine soup ...). This time, we got a tentative open date of December 1. Tentative being the operative word, of course. Sigh. But it has been delays a-go-go in the restaurant biz this year, with tardy openings for Buggs Temple, Barcelona Tapas and Stone Creek (all of which are now slated to open sometime early next year), and--this just in--Harry & Izzy's (St. Elmo's casual sister restaurant, to be located on the corner of Illinois and Georgia streets). Construction delays have pushed that opening back until March, says St. Elmo general manager Chris Clifford. 'Course, some things are worth the wait ...

Not mentioned, but also long-awaited, the new Kahn's on Keystone Ave. Early on, Jim Arnold was shooting for a Thanksgiving opening, but it looks like it will be closer to Christmas. Still, with a new deli, big box wines, and expanded space, we can hardly wait!