Friday Updates and Some Link Love

Spent the early part of the week in a rainy Boston and am heading to points Texas and Oklahoma next week for work and a wedding. Posting may be a bit sparse, but you people will all be out in your gardens, right? Here are just a few tidbits you might find interesting as we cruise in the long holiday weekend. (Long for me, anyway. Viva la day off!)

* Local Food Podcasts: Too Many Cooks may be gone, but Chef Daniel Orr has teamed with WFIU public radio for a new podcast, Earth Eats. Each week, Chef Orr talks about seasonal recipes, local producers, and the bounties of Indiana.

*A Seder's Delight: Local blog Wolfsong Enterprises has changed its name to Wolfsong Diner and is still your go-to source for Kosher delights and reports on great Seders and other Jewish celebration meals.

*Chef's Alliance: Don't forget the Chef's Alliance dinner with some of central Indiana's best chefs next Sunday, April 19. including Dave Tallent, Karl Benko, Ryan Nelson, and Regina Mahallick. Alas, I will miss it as I'm out of town, but it's always a fine way to spend a Sunday night. (Maybe, I'll grab a cab from the airport for the afterparty.)

2009 Chef's Alliance Dinner Announced

Chef Ryan Nelson sent the news over yesterday. He's schedule the 5th annual Chef's Alliance Dinner for Sunday, April 19 and put together a fantastic line-up. One of the best dinners of the year, this event is one night when local chefs partner to both celebrate food and raise money for the Riley Children's Foundation. Nelson organizes the dinner and hosts at the Oceanaire each year.

Who's cooking? Last year's line up returns with Chefs Greg Hardesty, Tony Hanslits (Chef's Academy), Eli and Nicole Anderson (H2O Sushi), Karl Benko, Regina Mehallick (RBistro), Marc Urwand and Deidra Henry (Taste Cafe) and, of course, Dave and Krissy Tallent (Restaurant Tallent). Book your space now. This dinner will sell out.

6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 19
$150 per person
For tix, call Sheryl Parks, 317.955.2277

Thursday Bits and Pieces

Image via Wikipedia

Some Thursday shout-outs! for a few of you:

*Kudos to the folks at Mo'Joe Coffee who we hear have the java flowing for reporters and other folks behind the Cosmopolitan fire lines this morning.

*A huge shout-out to Chef Ryan Nelson at The Oceanaire Seafood Room for the fantastic seafood last weekend. Mussels and clams and shrimp, oh my!

*Thank you thank you to Brent, Tony and the crew at King David Dogs for helping me spread the tater tot love!

Three Latest and Best

Bourbon Salmon Reuben at The Oceanaire: Ignore the lunch specials at your peril. The wild salmon in a sweet glaze sat happily with a mound of sauerkraut on thick, toasted pumpernickel -- a tasty new take on an old favorite.

Dinner in The Ripple: Celebrated a friend's birthday at Broad Ripple Steakhouse Saturday. If, like me, you haven't had a meal there in a while, it's still how I remember, reliable and delicious. The maple walnut salmon would have been too sweet on its own, but was perfect with salty red potatoes. And sure, it's not in season but the asparagus was cooked perfectly and hit my spring craving for veg.

Brunch at Elements: I've been meaning to try it for weeks and finally made it to Sunday brunch at Elements. The simple menu has something for everyone including salads, whole plates, a three-course prix fixe, all in the Elements style. The eggs Benedict were a treat -- rich hollandaise coated two perfectly soft-poached eggs, a tender slice of steak, and toasted brioche. Perfect from our sunny perch.

Taste of Elegance 2009!

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Taste of Elegance pork competition. I was a judge this year along with Chef Tony Hanslits (Chef's Academy), Casey Kenley (dine magazine), Chef Brandon Hamilton (last year's winner), and our man in pork and past president of Indiana Pork from Muncie. (Who I must apologize in advance to for not writing down his name.)

I didn't stay for the awards, but I can share:

1) The quality of all 11 entries was very high. I'm not talking about 11 dishes with 3 or 4 really good. We, as judges collectively had 7 or 8 dishes we'd ranked very highly.

2) The judges, while all experts, did not come to consensus right away on the top 5 or 6 dishes. I mean this to say that it wasn't one of those situations where we all agreed on 1, 2 and 3, then had to decide the rest. We averaged our five scores and ranked accordingly.

3) There was less than a point separating the top 3 scores. There was about half a point between 1 and 2. Was it close? Oh, yes. Even down to fifth or sixth place.

4) There was a wide variety of preparations, cuts, cooking styles and more. Ironically, the biggest failures were the most traditional prep. It's interesting to see how innovative cooking techniques (or well executed but less common classic preparations) won out consistently over the tired and true grill, roast, or "pulled-pork"-style braise.

So, without further ado:

Chef Par Excellence (First): Ryan Nelson, Oceanaire Seafood Room
Pork Sweetbreads (with caul fat on a bed of lentils, working with one of the most difficult parts of a pig, this dish was tender, perfectly seasoned with a well-balanced richness.)

Superior Chef Award (Second): Jeff Bane, The Chef’s Academy
Butter "Scotched" Pork (Holy Crap, I've never had meat the texture of this dish. It was so tender, it was unreal. It was like pork confit.)

Premium Chef Award (Third): Steven R. Masch, Mudsock’s Grill, Noblesville
Yuctan-style Roast Pork in Banana Leaves with Habernero Mint Gastrique (Perfect flavor combinations all centered around the starring-role pork.)

People’s Choice Favorite Entrée: Greg Schiesser, Indiana Downs
Ginger/Cherry Braised Pork and Crispy Pork Streudel (This might have been my personal favorite -- loved the texture and crust on the pork, the cherry/apple compote, and even the pastry streudel.)

People’s Choice Best Display: Jeff Bane, The Chef’s Academy (With his "Scotched" pork display)

Then, a note about the wine pairings. We judged the wine pairing award (won by Indiana Downs) separately and thank goodness we did. Chefs were only given a few minutes to pick an Indiana wine provided (we were told) by the winemakers. Winemakers?! Why on Earth would you not have whites ready at serving temperature? Why on Earth would someone not be opening and tasting these bottles? (One wine was corked and undrinkable!) If Indiana winemakers want to be taken more seriously as producers of quality products, they need to start acting like it and ensure their wines are served properly. (Only one white of the 8 or so we were served was even remotely cold.)

Even with the weather, it was a great turnout by all -- and of course, my favorite piggy ice sculpture was back! I had a blast (thanks for asking me!) and congratulations to all the chefs who braved the weather to come out. Pictures of the dishes, the chefs and crews, and more at Flickr.

Last Minute Opening: Oceanaire Cooking School

Ahh, last minute cancellations. After turning folks away all week, Chef Ryan Nelson has four slots open for his quarterly cooking class at the restaurant tomorrow. He'll be demonstrating five dishes including his signature crab cakes and chocolate mousse. (Not *together*, silly.) You'll even get to eat your results -- paired with wines. Class starts at 11:00 a.m.. Call the Oceanaire to nab these last slots. $100 per person.

Oceanaire Turns Five

The press release doesn't note the day, but does tell us that The Oceanaire Seafood Room has served 135,000 crabcakes since they opened their doors five years ago this week. Chain or no, Chef Ryan Nelson has become an important part of the cheffing community in Indianapolis and consistently produced terrific meal with incredible seafood. There's no denying these days that the Oceanaire has become one of our consistently best restaurants. (And Nelson has built the Indianapolis location into one of the Oceanaire's top grossing locations nationally.) Congratulations to Ryan and his entire team!

Friday Foraging -- Promotions, Babys, and BW3

Am venturing out to a few new spots today. In the meantime, here's a little snack to hold you over until supper.

*Congrats to Michael Brown, the newly-promoted assistant GM at The Oceanaire.

*Know Nolan Smith over at Crossroads Vintners? Make sure you congratulate him and his lovely wife Erica on their new baby -- Hugo! Welcome to the big, wide world!

*All work on the new BW3 downtown is stopped until they sort out that bright, yellow facade with the city. (There may also be some issue over the windows and internal bathroom layout.)It's been a minute-by-minute drama ending with a all-stop yesterday. More at Property Lines.

*If you love Edibles in Irvington, then you know co-owner Kevin Edwards. Sadly, he lost his sister in a car accident two weeks ago. You have lots of fans here, Kevin, and we wanted to pass it on. (Thanks to Indieats for the pointer.)

Three Latest and Best

Blue Fin Tuna Celebration: Popped in to Oceanaire for lunch on Friday and Ryan shared some of his blue fin tuna bounty with us. The treat? Finely diced tuna belly tartare with a light soy vinaigrette. So perfect. Nearly as good? The big chunks of tuna in the grilled fish tacos. (Plus, those great black bean refritos with real deal cohito.)

It's Good to be the Pope: I hadn't been to Bucco di Bebbo in years, but it was perfect for a wedding-shower lunch at the Castleton location's Pope's table where the domed ceiling makes across-the-table conversations a snap. We feasted, family style, on salads, calimari, pasta, and light gnocchi in a tomato cream sauce. The sweet and tangy pitchers of sangria hit the spot.

Saturday Night Wine Fest: Here's a shout out to wonderful friends, the Ruby's, who depart next week for Ohio. The good news? They'll be close to Lola and plan to become Michael Symon devotees. The bad news? We'll miss Laura's excellent dinners and Michael's wine prowess. Last night, we celebrated with a 1972 Chambertin (Le Clos Saint-Jacques.) For a wine nearly as old as me, it still had a lot of life left in it (although the mold on the cork under the capsule worried us for a minute.) A light, plummy color, this wine still had all the best qualities of a good Burgundian pinot noir, round fruit and a strong spicy finish. We enjoyed it for the pleasant last hour of its life just before it fell off. Cheers to the Ruby's. We'll miss you!

Kermit Lynch Dinner

This time of year, you could fill in a wine tasting or dinner every night of the week. If you're into Kermit Lynch's French imports and love seafood, don't miss tomorrow night's wine dinner at The Oceanaire. Rob Henke of Kermit Lynch Wines will be there. Here's the menu from Chef Ryan Nelson who says there are four spots still open!

Passed Appetizers: House Cured Salmon, Alaskan King Crab, Kumamoto Oysters,

2007 Domain Du Salvard Cheverny, Loire Valley

First Course: Marinated House Made Cocconcini

2007 Trinquevedel Tavel Rose, Rhone Valley

Second Course: Golden Potato Puree

2004 Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er 'Chaumes,' Cote De Beaune

Third Course: Seared Foie Gras

2006 Nicole Chanrion Cote De Brouilly, Cru Beaujolias

Fourth Course: California Sturgeon

2006 Brunier 'Telegramme' Chateauneuf Du Pape, Rhone Valley

Dessert: Summer Peach Soup

2003 Domaine Champalou Vouvray Cuvee Moelleuse, Loire Valley

Tuesday, July 15, $100 (tax and gratuity not included), call the Oceanaire for reservations.

Chef Greg Hardesty Wins Battle Lamb

Congratulations to Lungs for Life and The Chef's Academy who put together a terrific fundraiser on Sunday afternoon. Cooking for a Cause featured six local chefs working with a secret ingredient revealed just before cooking started. Chefs had 90 minutes to prepare three dishes using a beautiful, fresh lamb from the fabulous Knudsons at Viking Lamb. We judges were stationed in kitchens and Chef Tony Hanslits and Wish TV's Joy Dumandan did a great job emceeing the entire event with cameras rolling. (I really liked how they video running with commentary the whole time. The kitchens were a little warm so guests could easily watch the chefs and action from the cooler rooms.)

Competing chefs included Greg Hardesty (formerly of Elements), Neal Brown (L'explorateur), Ryan Nelson (The Oceanaire), Brandon Hamilton (Trader's Point Cafe), Jason Alexander (Chef's Academy), and Tommy Thompson (Fireside). Tommy and Brandon were last minute pinch hitters as flooding kept a few folks busy at home.

Judges included Bob Whitt (White River State Park), Paige Horrigan, Patty Denton (Too Many Cooks), Gary Bravard (Too Many Cooks), Terry Kirts (Indianapolis Monthly), Dennis Dunn (Elements), Dave Poole (St. Elmo's), and Jake Brenchley (Scholar's Inn). We even had guests at our judges table who got to taste alongside.

We only tasted six dishes at our table (one from each chef) but the stars were a cornmeal crusted fried green tomato with seared lamb loin from Neal Brown, a potato "risotto" with cheese, red pearl onions, and cherry tomato with lamb chops (Ryan Nelson), and lamb tenderloin seared and served on a bed of spring vegetables with basil oil and a red wine demi glace (Greg Hardesty.) We didn't get to see the whole spectrum but we hear it was close. Greg Hardesty was the overall winner with Ryan Nelson second.

Congratulations to the organizers, chefs, and all their crews who came out on a Sunday afternoon to support a great cause. (Plus, Greg took home a tasty $1000 check.) And the rest of you, make sure you put this event on your calendar for next year. It's sure to become one of the year's best.

Three Latest and Best

Bar Snacks at Harry & Izzy's: Maybe it was the second bottle of wine. Maybe it was the delightful company including Arthur Black and wine blogger Jeff Lefevere. Either way, that perfectly fried calimari with the sweet spicy sauce hit the spot. Also, crunchy sesame crusted chicken fingers with a salty, gingery crust. As bar food goes, perfect.

Sweet Chili Mussels at Meridian: OK, I admit it, I was expecting the more traditional preparation when it came to mussels, but these sweet, chili-laced beauties are a delightful surprise. The thick, rich sauce works its way into the meat of these little goodies. Bonus, the huge chunk of garlic bread soaking up sauce at the bottom of the bow. (And they bring you a hot towel after your mussel orgy. These people think of everything.)

Fanstastic Wines at The Oceanaire: Speaking of wines, we recently mined the list for some good ones at The Oceanaire. My favorites? A Domaine Roger Champault sancerre rouge and a Pasanau Priorato. Red, spicy, and still dry. Delicious.

SI Martinis, Salads at The Goose, and Happy Hour at Oceanaire

New bar menu at The Oceanaire: While you can still get half-price price oysters and shrimp cocktail, look for a few other specials on the new bar menu at Oceanaire including a tuna tartare o' the day, house cured salmon, fish and chips, and mussels with pork belly and leek. 3-6 p.m. every day.

SI (Scholar's Inn): Look for a summer menu and a new martini list (which looks a lot more like the old, familiar pre-"SI" martini list.) Half-price martinis every night. Wine geeks, half price bottle night is back on Mondays. They'll open for lunch starting June 16.

Salads at The Goose: Chris Eley sends out an RIP for soup and welcomes in salads for summer. Fresh and local with all kinds of tasty bits sounds like a fine way to celebrate when the sun comes out again.

Devour Downtown Starts Today

Hey, kids, it's the summer version of Indianapolis restaurant week. Starting today and running through June 15, most of the restaurants downtown have $30 prix fixe menus. It's a great way to try something outside your budget, or get a great deal at a place that's one of your favorites. We did a little preview last week and here are a few tips:

Capital Grille: I still think the steakhouses offer some of the best deals for Devour Downtown. In most cases, you're getting an entree that would be $30 on its own plus an appetizer and full size dessert. Capitol Grille has a dry aged 10 oz Kona crusted sirloin that's pretty damned great. (Also look for their half roasted chicken, their 8 oz filet, and grilled salmon in a sweet citrus glaze ("Atlantic" farmed salmon, but what are you gonna do.) My tip for Capital Grille? Add the suggested wine pairings from Greg Van Winkle, their in-house wine guy. Just say yes to the Hess Collection Block 19 Cuvee from Mt. Veeder with the filet, the Terrazas Malbec Reserve Mendoza with the Kona-crusted sirloin, and the Iron Horse rose and the I'M Sonoma Chardonnay with the salmon and chicken respectively (or frankly, just on their own. I loved that I'M chard.)

The Oceanaire: Oceanaire's summer menu is always a treat and this one is no different. Ryan has a real talent for elaborate salads with fresh fruit, crunchy veg, and cured seafood. Look for a frissee salad with in house smoked or cured salmon, goat cheese, grapefruit and fennel and my recommendation for a main course, a scallop dish with mushrooms, bacon and a little "something" that turned out to be mint. They scale their dessert portions down for this menu which is smart since everybody gets one. Keep in mind that Oceanaire's menu may change -- over a two week period, they sometimes switch it up.

Other tips:

14 West: I love their pretzel bread and they'll have sangria by the pitcher if you want to sit outside.

Claddagh: Two eat at Claddagh for the $30 price with one appetizer to share, choice of shepherd's pie or fish and chips and a dessert to share.

J. Gumbo's: Mike Deweese may struggle with concepts, but the guy knows his beer. Beer fans will note this $30 menu includes beer pairings with each course. Elbow Room's menu also comes with a glass of house wine.

R Bistro: Regina's going old school with a brined, spiced BBQ pork loin, cornbread and cole slaw. That sounds so good to me right now.

Be sure to check out the full list of restaurants at the Devour Downtown website or make reservations via Opentable. Most of them have menus online with specials for restaurant week. Check out the menu at the Harrison room at the Columbia Club. It says call for reservations, so I'd say if you've been wanting to check it out, go for it!

Soft Shell Crab at The Oceanaire

For about a nano-second, as usual. In season, soft-shell blue crab only usually lasts through July.

Cooking for a Cause: Battle Secret Ingredient

Mark your calendars for Cooking for a Cause, on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at The Chef's Academy. There have been a spate of "Iron Chef-style" cooking challenges lately, but this one looks to be one of the best if the sheer talent involved is any indication. A benefit for Lungs for Life, the event will feature 6 of the city's best chefs making 3 dishes with a secret ingredient. Chefs will have 1½ hours to prepare 3 dishes incorporating the unknown delicacy which will, of course, only be revealed just before the competition. Guests at the event will be able to view the chefs through the kitchen windows and organizers even tout commentators! ("I wonder what he's going to do with those cuttlefish eyeballs.") Judges award points, you know how this works.

Event starts with a brunch at noon and final awards by 4:00 p.m. And the lineup?! Cheftestants include:

Chef Eli Anderson, H2O Sushi, Indianapolis

Chef Jason Anderson, Chef’s Academy Instructor, Indianapolis

Chef Neal Brown, L’Explorateur, Indianapolis

Chef Dave Tallent, Restaurant Tallent, Bloomington

Chef Greg Hardesty, Elements, Indianapolis

Chef Ryan Nelson, Oceanaire Seafood Room, Indianapolis

General Admission tix are $100. If you want a seat at the chef's table for the up close tasting and action: $250. Reserved Table (seats 8) for $700 or the Chef’s Table (seats 6) for $1300. For tickets or information, contact Heather at 317-578-3521. Tickets are already going fast for this one.

This Week: Fogo de Chao

Steak on a Stick: New downtown Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao is soft launching all week. Look for a little preview review after tomororw night. (They're taking reservations for the weekend.)

She Said Yes! Congratulate Chef Ryan Nelson from The Oceanaire who's newly engaged to his charming girlfriend. Good for you, you crazy kids!

Election Day, Again: Don't forget, no alcohol sales today, even at your favorite watering hole, until 6:00 p.m. when the polls close. Vote early, vote often!

Midwest Cabernet, Chef's Alliance, April in Paris

It's a big food and wine weekend with some of the biggest events of the year. The Chef's Alliance dinner is sold out and folks are still looking for tickets. If you have tickets and can't attend, please post how to reach you. I'll connect you with some buyers.

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
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. SOLD OUT

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.

Deadliest Catch, King Crab and Oceanaire

As long as we're talking about Alaskan King crab at The Oceanaire, I'll throw in this tasty little tidbit. If you've watched the Discovery Channel show Deadliest Catch, you'll be familiar with the F/V Time Bandit, one of the crab fishing fleet the show follows. Recently, an Oceanaire corporate exec along with three chefs (from Seattle, Dallas, and Minneapolis) joined the Time Bandit crew in the Bering Sea on one of their expeditions and came away with 40,000 pounds of Alaskan King crab clusters for the restaurant company. (The boat can hold 120,000 pounds of king crab at once.) Once the crab is processed, it's sold in "clusters" of the shoulder, three legs, and a claw. A new season of Deadliest Catch premiers this week.

Alaskan King Crab is a highly sustainable species due to strict fishing guidelines and practices. Legal Alaska King Crab is male crab only, with minimum size requirements. No female or juvenile crab can be retained.

Three Latest and Best

Cocktails at Agio: The food may be off its mark these days, but Ron at Agio on Mass Ave is still one of the best bartenders in town. When I say "extra lime" with my G&T, Agio is a place that consistently gets it right.

Fish Tacos and King Crab at The Oceanaire: Yesterday for lunch, I went in for the fish tacos, but came away wowed by the fennel and smoked salmon salad piled high with juicy, piping hot chunks of Alaskan King crab claw meat. Why don't we eat crab hot more often? So sweet and good -- and perfect with the salty smoked salmon and spring crunchy freshness of the fennel. And yes, the fish tacos were great, too. (But why is it the Valrhona chocolate mousse that keeps me coming back? Why, why why?)

Pork Belly at Shanghai Lil: Monday, a few of us food folks popped in to Shanghai Lil to preview a few new menu items and get an updated take on the place. My biggest problem with this northside upscale Asian restaurant? They don't market themselves more! We had a family style feast including a wide range of new dishes owners are likely to try as specials. For dim sum you can't go wrong here with the buns, dumplings, and cakes. Don't miss the seafood "puffs" -- possibly the best version of crab rangoon I've ever had. (Next time, I'd skip the wasabi shu mai, though. I love wasabi and these were a bit much even for me.) The best of the new offerings? While the fried whole fish in a traditional sweet and sour sauce was great, the star was the pork belly braised "clay pot" style in a thick, rich broth served in shell shaped envelopes of Asian dumpling dough. Fantastic!