Three Latest and Best

The Salty, Fried, Bar Snacks Edition

Crab Cakes at Ruth's Chris: These luscious, moist little delicacies are one of the best items on the Ruth's Chris new bar menu. Look for most plates to range from $8-10 and their new dishes make for a nice change from the standard appetizers. Don't forget the deliciously snacky chips standard at the bar (and better than Capital Grille's.)

Mini-BBQ at Weber Grill: Sure, the bun was a little dry, but the pulled pork was luscious on this $2 mini. Choose from brisket, chicken, or pulled pork. Comes with a small pot of their weirdly sweet beans and a giant pickle spear.

Onion Rings from Capitol Grille: While I always regret not getting a full order of the lobster mac-n-cheese for myself, the onion rings were equally fine. Well battered, perfectly crispy, and served in a tidy, paper cone. Not a bad choice at all for a bar snack in a steakhouse.

Two Minute Warning: In the seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time category, there's the super cheap McCormick and Schmick's bar menu. Let me just spare you the disappointment. Skip it. Skip it all. Skip the smells-fishy-from-a-mile-away crab dip and the dry-as-sawdust mini crab cake "bites". Skip the smell-the-grease-across-the-room wings. All for $1.95. Seem too good to be true? It is.

The Best Summer Cocktails -- Part I

The search for the best summer cocktails is on. What are they and where to find them? Earlier this week, newsgoddess Kate Shepherd and I set out to see what downtown bars could put their money where their liquor was. We saved a few popular spots for Part II (including venerable favorite Palomino). Look for them in the next few weeks!

First Place -- The Stoli Doli at Capital Grille. I was a little skeptical. Isn't pineapple infused vodka so Sullivan's five years ago? But at Kate's recommendation, we stopped in to give this perfect summer cocktail a try. Light, fruity, just sweet enough, and served straight up in a martini glass, this one was a winner. (Kate's comment: "sneaks up on you." More than one or two will make you "tipsy beyond belief.") $11.95.

Runners Up: There's a fine line between a summer cocktail and a fruity martini list, but most of these sweet treats fall firmly on the summer cocktail end of the spectrum.

Arnold Swartzenegger: McCormick and Schmick's take on the Arnold Palmer but with Ruby Red Absolute, Level 1 vodka and fresh squeezed orange juice, $7.50. Kate: "nice blend of lemon and sweet" RW: "all fresh squeezed. Love the grapefruit."

Basil Grape Refresher: Also from McCormick and Schmick with muddled basil, white grapes, vodka, lime, and ginger ale, $7.00 This one has potential if you like herb infused drinks. RW: "Gingerale makes this super sweet, maybe too sweet" Kate: "A bit too herb-y for me. Refreshing but way too much basil."

Worth A Try:

White Mango (left) and Citrus Mango Heat with a jalapeno garnish

Citrus Mango Heat (McCormick and Schmick) with jalapenos and soda, but not sweet or mango-y. Lots of pepper heat/kick, $8.50."Light, refreshing with a kick, pepper cuts the alcohol" "If you're looking for mango drink, keep looking." "soda fizz and slight heat of the pepper are really unique"

Lemoncello Sangria (Weber Grill). Tempted by rumors of their sangria, we decided to give this white sangria with lemoncello a try, $7.50. "good zesty blend of lemon and wine"

Mojito (Capitol Grille), $12.00. The bartender said they had one so we thought we'd give it a try. It was...um...slightly strange. Good, topped up with Mumm, but strange. "Not for the traditionalist" "Would be good on a hot day" "Lime, mint, and champagne, good but odd."

Pomegranate Mandarin Sangria (Weber Grill) Anyone order a Kool-Aid? This super-sweet red sangria was too cheesy for me. The cruncy diced apples on top were nice, though. $7.50

White Mango (McCormick and Schmick) This super sweet cocktail seemed like basic mango puree and vodka. Too sweet and sticky, even for summer. $8.50

Newsflash: Shiner Bock at Weber Grill

Hey, kids! Not much would get me to Weber Grill, but they have Shiner Bock on tap! They also have Shiner Bock and Shiner Hefeweizen in bottles. (Possibly the first in Indiana!) Look for it through July 4 as part of their Bourbon and Barbeque fest. If it tests well, they may have it for the rest of the summer. I love Shiner especially in the summer and just in time for my birthday! For many of us, that familiar yellow label is as American (or Texan) as apple pie and July 4 all from our favorite Spoetzl Brewery.

Thanksgiving in Indianapolis: Eating Out

Just a few folks for Thanksgiving this year or simply don't want the hassle of cooking this year (or the leftovers?) For travelers and locals alike, eating out can be a great option. Haven't made plans yet? Here are some of the local restaurants open on Thursday and serving the classic turkey and dressing (or something close, at least.) As always, it's worth it to call the restaurant directly as reservations may be required, they may be booked, or they may have changed their hours or plans. Most of these restaurants have a traditional meal or buffet planned for a fixed price and some are offering limited other options or their full menus. Call ahead to find out what's for supper, especially if you have several folks in your party. Eating out is so popular that you'll be surprised more restaurants don't offer it! Thanks to Traci Cumbay for a few of these. Reservations for the rest are still available on opentable.com or by calling the restaurant directly.) (And a shout-out to Kate Shepherd who asked me to post on the topic!)

Conner Prairie offers a full traditional Thanksgiving buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $24.95, reservations required.

McCormick & Schmick's downtown is offering a traditional holiday menu along with its full menu. 12:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Capital Grille at the Conrad is offering traditional turkey for $40 as well as their full dinner menu.

Weber Grill is offering a grilled Thanksgiving feast, $28.95. Check out the menu.

Palamino is open all afternoon and into the evening. No word on a special menu.

Danielli at the Canterbury is offering seatings for Thursday. No word on the menu.

Maggiano's Little Italy on 82nd is open and offering a delicious-looking Thanksgiving treat available for eating in or ordering ahead for takeout. Details and menu on the website.

Kinkaid's Chophouse in Carmel is listed as open and accepting reservations. No word on their menu.

Ted's Montana Grill -- both locations offer a traditional meal as well as salmon and prime rib. 12:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., $30 for the turkey.

Three Latest and Best

Tidbits from The Goose: This smart little market and its chef, Christopher Eley, give me hope for food in Indianapolis. With so much good stuff to try, I thought I'd start out slowly working my way through the cheese and meat cases. Before tackling the salumes or bacons, I started with some thinly sliced prosciutto. Oh, and a nice slice of that cocoa cardamom crusted goat cheese. They have fine looking Sennett Farm dry aged beef and maybe this is the year that I finally learn how to roast a really great chicken, inspired by the Gunthorp birds he stocks. Next time I'm in, I'm having a sandwich -- maybe the one with foie gras.

Best Risotto Ever: Last winter, I decided to slow down and learn to make great risotto. It requires patience, a lot of stock, white wine, some good stuff to add, and a little luck. The technique isn't that difficult to master but for me, the results are sometimes inconsistent. But with practice, my risotto gets better --creamier, with a better finished rice consistency and flavor. Last week, with great mushrooms from the farmer's market, I could think of nothing better than risotto, and with some shallots, lots of butter, and good arborio, I think I made some of the best risotto I've every made. Big chunks of shiitake, tangy white wine, and lots of freshly grated Parmesan. Oh, so good.

Camembert Polenta at Woodstock: Kudos to the dinner committee and wine masters of the local chapter of the international Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. The food and wines, in fact, the entire event at Woodstock was just outstanding. And while the incredible Burgundies were the stars of the show (holy moly, that 1990 Vogue?! Wow. And wow again!) the food easily held its own. There were moments of brilliance throughout the meal, not the least of which was the one item that had us all licking our plates -- the camembert polenta! The incredibly creamy and flavorful white polenta was just soft enough to look like mashed potatoes but solid enough to stand up to the mushroom and classic wine sauces on the plate. Chef Denis Destaic executed a well-thought out menu (including a tricky but brilliant fish course). He also let the quality ingredients (like Indiana duck, Broken Arrow Ranch Axis free-range venison, and cheeses from Artisanal in NYC) shine. Bravo to all (or en Francais, Encore!)

Two-Minute Warning: Why, O, Why Weber Grill, do you make me feel so dirty? Every time I darken your doors, I feel like I need to take a shower. Is it the way I feel taken advantage of with your blatant advertising/branding/decor? Or is it the thick smell of BBQ "smoke" that permeates that whole neighborhood now? (A friend who lives in the Block Building said "My whole apartment smells like this now -- all the time!") Either way, we stopped in for dinner earlier in the week based solely on TV availability for watching the game. I can't say it was disappointing because I had low expectations -- and they were not exceeded. My 1/2 BBQ chicken was what I was craving -- meaty and good -- and, personally, I like a lot of sweet BBQ sauce slathered all over the skin. But the rest was pretty bad. The burger was crispy/burnt on the outside and rare in the middle. And what should have been simple and easy BBQ sides were not. (Beans -- too sweet and overcooked and cole slaw weirdly Asian and vinegary.) The cornbread was another super-sweet abomination and the fries (which my companion had to return because they were cold) tasted like they'd been fried in fish-and-chips flavored oil. Both times. For a place that's supposed to be a high-end chain, it didn't deliver, and while others will say, "it's perfect for the tourists," I say, "even tourists deserve better." They deserve at *least* a Cheesecake Factory.

Three Latest and Best

After the last month's whirlwind of eating, drinking, and people, I've been hibernating! Ahh, sweet, blessed silence with no obligations of events, cocktails, or dinner. I'm *almost* ready to jump back in the fray, but in the meantime, here are my three dishes or ingredients of the week (and one two-minute warning):

Guacamole: Whether it's the simple diced avocado salad from El Maguey or my own tomatillo loaded, limey goodness, I am in love with avocados this summer. A little salt, a little acid, add some onion, pepper, and even tomato and with a boat load of cilantro, you're in business. And just remember, it's all *good* fat.

Mashed Potatoes: Most people either grew up in a mashed potato family or didn't. I didn't. We were a white rice family (because my parents lived in the south for a long time) and then later, when my mother discovered the microwave or they'd grill steaks every night, we were a baked potato family. My only exposure to mashed potatoes were the terrible kind we got with school lunches -- no wonder I didn't like them! A friend in the same situation but married to a dedicated mashed potato eater gave me a hint: Use the *good* instant kind, doctor them up with bacon, butter, and sour cream and they'll usually never know the difference. After the excellent mashed potatoes I gorged on at Ruth's Chris last week (which were real, natch), now I'm craving them but who wants to spend the time making the real deal? I know, instant mashed potatoes are so declasse, but doctored up, they've satisfied my own little mashed potato craving. I can hardly wait until winter for mashed sweet potatoes (which sadly, I'll probably have to do by hand.)

Corn, Sweet, Corn: I've enjoyed the hell out of fresh corn this summer. I like corn on the cob but get sick of picking it out of my teeth all the time. So, my favorite technique has been to boil water, drop in the cob, quick cook it -- that is less than five minutes, until it turns bright yellow, then cut the corn off the cob and mix it with butter and a little sea salt. Mmmm. Sweet, crunchy goodness. Makes a helluva mess, but hey, I have to clean the kitchen some time, right?

Two Minute Warning: This isn't a full two-minute warning, but just a general note about Weber Grill. I was expecting something else, maybe another nice-ish steakhouse, but was surprised to find it's the Cheesecake Factory of downtown. If you try to go on, say, a Saturday night, expect to find a restaurant full of tourists wearing shorts and golf shirts, holding souvenir bags, and stacked like cord wood in the front entry way, waiting area, and even outside. You'll know them by the plastic buzzers they're holding while they wait endless hours for a table. (The wait was close to two hours the night we were there.) They take reservations, but 9:00 or later was the first they could take us the day we called. The bar is not really conducive to drinking or waiting (unless you can get a table and then you might as well eat), so don't expect to sit and cocktail while you're waiting your two hours for a cheeseburger. With so many fantastic steakhouses downtown ready to fill that craving for meat, we left the tourists to their wait lines, and opted for steak somewhere a little more upscale. And, we got a table right away.

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.