Best Places for Lunch this Lent

Image by airnos via Flickr

A lot of people I know, and I'd wager you know, too, observe Lent in one way or another, even if they just give up meat on Fridays. Knowing this widespread tradition, it's more than a little irritating when fine dining menus offer almost no fish options. (For the 2nd week in a row, our regular Friday lunch haunt has given us only one hot option -- today, reducing one dining companion to soup and a salad.) So, what places and dishes do you recommend for Lent? Any particularly noteworthy specials that some chefs roll out for the tender six weeks of spring just before Easter?

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.

Three Latest and Best

Had a good evening at the Diamond in the Rough Sale the other night and ran into quite a few of you I know. Only ordered three cases -- two of a rose prosecco that I suspect didn't last long and one of Villa Maria Sauv Blanc that's become a weeknight staple around my house. Consider it the beginning of "the season." On to three latest and best!

The Best Fish Tacos in Town? I may have to conduct a fish taco taste-off this winter, but the new front-runner is most definitely the fish tacos at Adobo Grill. Lightly breaded, tangy seasoning, and perfectly delicious. Also Scallop: My New Favorite Ceviche.

MacNiven's. Again: You know, this pub is nothing if not consistent. Popped in for a desperado dinner and beer on Friday night where the plain, Jane chicken sandwich hit the spot even though skipped the fat tire onion rings that I *love*. Even better -- met the owners while they were strategizing on new bar snacks. Word up: Deep Fried Sausage Nuggets.

Great Googely-Moogely, Neighbor: Wow, and wow again to a pal who delivered a bottle of premium Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 from Guatemala. It's the single malt of rum, and quite possibly, the best rum I've ever tasted. Thanks again!

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!

Three Latest and Best

We're at the best produce of summer so eating in has been a treat. (Plus Master Court seminar really put a dent in my schedule.) Here are my three latest and best:

Jezebel! Lately, what did I love from Country Mouse City Mouse? The Nyona Lake Jezebel -- a sweet salsa that's, well, I can't describe it. Pineapple, horseradish, grainy mustard, and orange marmalade. I ate mine with a box of crackers. (And found it at Goose, The Market)

Pizzas on the Grill: Had dinner with a fellow foodie last weekend and her treat? Pizza on the grill. The crust was cracker crisp with just a hint of that wonderful grill char. Piping hot and loaded with toppings. Perfect for the outside patio.

Clambake! Last weekend, we gorged ourselves on all the traditional fare at a clambake -- Indiana style. Jonah's Market brought the set up and left instructions. We layered potatoes and corn, clams, muscles, and king crab legs all in the giant stacked steamer. Their crab chowder was a hit, too. Not bad for a late summer Indiana afternoon -- especially with no ocean in sight. (Oh, I'm not embarassed to say the chocolate cake from Costco nearly stole the show.)

Jonah's Seafood Market at Geist

For those of you out at Geist, you've finally got your own meat and fish market to enjoy -- Jonah's Market at Fall Creek and Brooks School Road in the Flagstar Bank building on the corner. Rebecca and Brad have a terrific selection of fresh meat, seafood, pre-made fish dishes (like bacon wrapped scallops and their crab cakes and housemade remoulade) and a solid wine selection. (My favorite treat so far? The crab, chutney and cream cheese spread -- addictive.)

There's only one drawback: If you're looking for local meat, you won't find it here -- not even Viking Lamb. But, if you ask them for it, I'll bet they'll eventually find a way. Similar to a couple of other groups in town, they'll do a custom clam bake for around $50 a person. Just in time for fall!

Weekend Update

First week in July is a slow restaurant week, but here are a few updates to hold you over:

Brothers Bar and Grill: Cory at IBJ's Property Lines has updated renderings of what Brothers Bar and Grill will look like when it opens in Broad Ripple later this fall.

Top Chef Steph: My pal, Joe Gray over at the Stew (from the Chicago Trib) reports that Chicago chef and recent Top Chef winner is blogging now so fans can keep up at Top Chef Steph.

What To Eat? Grub Street offers some fish alternatives in case you're giving salmon a rest during the Wild Salmon shortage. Halibut is great but will only be in season for a few more months. They suggest arctic char, as well.

Favorite Internet Meal Ever: OK, so I'm a sucker for a great fried chicken sandwich, and this on from What Geeks Eat one looks great. Not to mention the amazing slaw -- on the sandwich. Want.

Smoked Trout Rillettes

Having mastered the onion confit from Ruhlman's Charcuterie, I'm moving on to rillettes which are, basically, potted meat cooked in fat to a paste sort of like a pate. Traditionally, rillettes were pork, but can be made of anything, really, even vegetables. In this case, I used 1/2 lb of the Ducktrap smoked trout from Trader Joe's, but this would be so great if you had fresh trout and a smoker. So, so quick and easy. I packed mine into 1 cup Platinum jars but didn't process, so they need to be eaten in two weeks. I'll take them to a party on Sunday with thin slices of baguette toasted until crispy.

Smoked Trout Rillettes

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 tbsp minced onion

8 oz (1/2 lb) boneless smoked trout fillets, skin removed and shredded (Trader Joe's has these.)

1/4 cup dry white wine (go with the most acidic you can use -- Sauv blanc instead of Chardonnay)

1/2 tsp finely minced lemon zest

1 tsp kosher salt

ground white pepper to taste

2 tbsp finely sliced fresh chives (from the front porch herb pots!)

1) Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onion and saute until soft. (Don't brown the butter or the onions.) Add the trout, wine, lemon zest -- then hold off, mix and taste before adding the salt/pepper. Adjust your acid levels adding a bit more wine/lemon if needed. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated -- about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

2) Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the chives, and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Adjust the seasonings -- it will have mellowed out a bit. Spoon into jars or a nice crock, then refrigerate until ready to serve. (Up to 10 days.)

Ryan Nelson, Seafood, and Celebrity Chefs

It's always great to see our local chefs take an active role in national organizations. Press releases are making the rounds announcing that Ryan Nelson of The Oceanaire is one of 13 nationally known chefs named to the Wild Alaska Seafood Congress of Conscious Chefs, an outreach and educational committee sponsored by the the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) -- the state of Alaska's seafood marketing arm. Sure they'll promote sustainability. All that responsible stuff is fine, but what I really want to know is when does Ryan get to hang out in the hotel bar after meeting with John Besh, Rick Bayless and Melissa Kelly! *That's* what I want to hear about. Some of the other delegates include:

John Ash, John Ash & Co., Santa Rosa, California
Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Frontera Fresco, Chicago, Illinois

John Besh, Restaurant August, La Provence, Lüke, Besh Steak, New Orleans, Louisiana

Christine Keff, The Flying Fish, Seattle, Washington

Melissa Kelly, Primo, Rockland, Maine, Orlando, Florida, Tucson, Arizona

Jason Wilson, Crush, Seattle, Washington

Wild Salmon: Responsibility and Sustainability

Two weeks ago, the Pacific Fishery Management Council announced a "total shutdown" of all commercial and recreational salmon fishing in the oceans off California and Oregon. The organization made the decision based on incredibly low numbers of chinook spawning in Northern California. The shutdown could last well into the summer.

Over at the WeLL in the cooking conference, we've been having a discussion about this decision and, more importantly, how we as food lovers play a part. We've become accustomed to ubiquitous fish like salmon year round. We buy it at Costco or Trader Joe's for $11 a pound without blinking an eye. It's the standard seafood entree on every restaurant menu. We think farm-raised just means it will have a bit less flavor. But when it comes to seasonality and sustainability, there are broader issues. When do we as food lovers begin to take responsibility for supporting sustainability? As consumers -- diners and shoppers -- we have to begin to understand the consequences of the availability of seasonal products like seafood 12 months out of the year.

The problems with farm raised fish don't seem obvious at first, but the data is a bit alarming. Studies this year have shown increasingly high levels of carcinogens, contaminants, and pollutants in many farm raised fish. (One well-publicized study released last year goes so far as to say it's only safe to eat once a month.) Farms raise environmental concerns as they mine the ocean for feed and upset ecological balances. And farm raised salmon can contain more parasites, fat, mercury, and less protein. While there's a fair amount of west coast activism coloring the argument for and against, what bothers me more is that no one is suggesting that we as eaters take responsibility. Since when did we abdicate all knowledge of what we were eating? We'll go out of our way to eat 100% grass fed, locally raised steak, but we blithely eat any fish put in front of us without regard to how far it traveled or how it was grown.

Last fall at a wine dinner, the chef was describing a seafood dish and noted it would be the last halibut of the season. A diner noted "but I can get halibut year round." The chef, a fan of seasonal and sustainable foods, gently educated the diner that while we can find it year round, halibut is a seasonal fish. As responsible sustainers of seafood, it's appropriate it be served seasonally. Why can't we see more of this? ("Ma'am, we only serve wild salmon here and it's out of season right now. We have a lovely xxx which is similar in texture to the salmon, a very mild fish that you will enjoy.")

Sadly, few chefs have the luxury of taking a stand in this tight market. Few will know that ordering salmon for the next few months (and possibly for the rest of the year) is a bad idea. Business owners just know that the woman who wants salmon is going to go down the street. We need to understand and reward those who want to help preserve the best of what we eat! Does it make it hard to buy seafood at the grocery store or Costco? Absolutely, especially when wild salmon can run upwards of $25 a pound. But education is understanding what your choice to eat salmon means for the overall food supply. The frank fact is that if wild salmon populations aren't allowed to regenerate, they will disappear. (Coho salmon is well on its way.) That $25 per pound for wild salmon you're paying now may be hard to swallow, but it's ultimately less expensive than the toxic chemicals and environmental payback coming with the $11/pound stuff.

At the heart of it is eating -- and serving -- seasonal foods. Chefs, you can help by ensuring the fish you serve is responsible (Chilean sea bass, not so much) and sustainable (serve fish that has a season). Train your staff to help educate your diners. They should understand the issues. Be a responsible member of the food community. At the very least, make sure your servers know the *honest* answer if diner asks "Is this fish wild or farm raised?" Diners, you have a responsibility, too! Expect more. Expect your chefs to put their money where their mouths are when it comes to seasonal eating. Opt to *not* buy that farm raised salmon at the grocery store. Discover some new seasonal seafoods. Ask restaurants what they're serving. Together, we can all take a little responsibility and ensure long-term sustainability while giving up little in return.

Free Hamachi Carpaccio!

Need to make your Friday just a little better? How about popping into L'explorateur for dinner and free hamachi carpaccio. Don't worry, Neal isn't losing his shirt. He'd just rather give away food than watch a perfectly decent fish suffer. From Chef:

Our seafood suppliers loss is your gain tonight and tomorrow only. Here' the deal: we were given 2 whole fish on accident, this fish is sashimi quality and cannot go back on a truck to be sold at a later date. So our supplier told us to keep it. That's right, keep it for free!

So here you have it, come in for dinner this weekend, ask your server for the hamachi carpaccio (this is rapidly became our signature dish and is the only dish on the menu that has been with us since opening day) and your server will give it to you for free. Period.

L'Explorateur
6523 Ferguson Street
Indianapolis, IN 46220
317.726.6906

Three Latest and Best

Stone Crab Claws at The Oceanaire: Even with other treats (a Thai snapper sashimi dish, shrimp with kombu and macadamias with a ginger dressing, and butter poached lobster with crispy sweetbreads, clementines and vanilla bean), the stone crab claws were the stars of a recent dinner at The Oceanaire. If you're not able to head down to the Gulf this time of year, you can feast on these beauties at home. The Oceanaire has plenty of these black-tipped Florida stone crab claws piled high on ice and served with a perfectly tangy mustard mayo. (And a huge special award to my favorite treat of the meal -- the crispy fried sweetbreads. Oh, so good.) Best wine of the night? The 2005 Mer Soleil Chardonney which I've seen making the rounds on a few dinner menus lately and good with the crab. Best pairing? The fun 2006 Scagiola Moscato d'Asti with the key lime pie -- both hit the spot.

Chili, Frito Pie, Dips, Brownies and More: As bitterly disappointed as we all were with the Colts loss, I can't say it wasn't great to send out the season attending a small gathering with a great spread. All my favorite football foods were represented: Chili (two kinds!), cornbread, dips, chips, brownies, and even all the fixings for Frito Pie! With fresh veggies, fruit, and even crunchy fresh peppers, it was a football feast (and lots of beer for drowning our sorrows.)

Food for a Winter's Night: I was on the northside the other evening and after a good workout, decided to reward myself -- with Sawasdee's Mussaman Curry. Ahh, your sweet peanutty goodness. Ohhh, your perfectly cooked potatoes and chicken. Mmm. Your comforting curry love over rice. A perfect way to stay warm.

Three Latest and Best

New Years' Eve at L'explorateur: 21 Courses. Four hours. But for New Year's Eve, it was like a L'Exploratuer's "Greatest Hits" tasting menu. 21 small bites of perfect flavors including mini versions of raw bar favorites like the hamachi carpaccio and the perfect scallop, some menu standards like the elk tartare with pickled elk tongue, and the butternut squash soup with white chocolate. But then there were the new treats -- the seared foie gras in a rich apple sauce, the braised beef stuffed in a steamed pork dumpling, the rich consomme, and the three courses of dessert. A wonderful way to ring in the new year.

Mahi Cakes at McCormick and Schmick's: This dish was so good, it makes me want to go back for lunch today! And what a treat -- three fat and crispy-edged mahi cakes on jasmine rice with a spicy, sweet Thai peanut sauce. Could have been a heavy mess, but was a delightful and surprisingly light treat instead. Bravo! (Look for it on the lunch menu.)

Dado's Apple Pie at Meridian: I don't eat apple pie often because, well, I'm picky. Too many have the wrong combination of crust, fruit, spice, and sugar. But I may have found a new standby -- the phyllo crusted, vanilla ice-cream topped apple "tart" style pie at Meridian. Ours was full of fruit and perfect with the light phyllo crust. Ask the Chef the story of the name.

Duke's Mixture

Welcome to all the new folks who popped in and checked us out for the first time yesterday! It's not usually so contentious around here (unless you count the ongoing cupcake debate). We now return you to your regularly scheduled program of food tidbits, restaurant gossip, and general kibitzing about food and wine.

Z's Oyster Bar and Steakhouse Opening: The big news last night was the formal opening of the long-awaited Z's Oyster Bar and Steakhouse. I'm already hearing good things about this outpost from Louisville restaurateur Mehrzad Sharbaiani. His Z's in Louisville is a popular success and he chose Castleton instead of downtown for his expansion. Personally, I think they'll do well in the area offering high-end steaks, seafood, and an excellent wine list. They're tucked back in a visible, but slightly odd location just south of Castleton Square Mall (on the south side of 82nd by 465).

More San Francisco Bay Closures: Word from foodie and chef friends about the SF Bay oil spill is dire. The latest business casualty is the well-known Drake's Bay Oyster Company who has announced they're closing for the season and perhaps for good. Even though Drake's Bay is up the coast a bit, strong currents are spreading the contaminants from the oil spill faster than they can be contained. Owners tried booms and other containment with no luck. I have many fond memories of Drake's Bay oyster runs for parties and dinners. We all hope they can keep the business afloat just a little longer.

Update: Local SF Bay chefs are emailing me to update that several Drake's Bay farms are reporting that tests for contaminants show limited to no affects on their oysters. Similar reports are coming in from Tomales Bay farms as well. So, good updated news in the oyster department.

Way Down in Kokomo: Spent an enjoyable Sunday brunch with winemaker Eric Miller from Kokomo Wines. Miller is a Kokomo native who is now makes Kokomo Wines out of the Dry Creek Valley in Sonomo County. We sampled from his full line including a steely Chard, a fruit-heavy Pinot, a spicy Malbec, and a very finished and smooth Merlot. Miller, who has been in Sonoma learning wine making since 1999, and his business partner Josh Bartels, also an Indiana native, set up their own shop two-years ago. Look for them locally as their distribution becomes more widespread. (And look for Eric in an upcoming "Meet the Winemaker" feature here at Feed Me/Drink Me.)

Crabby Tidbits -- and Symon Wins!

SF Bay Spill Cancels Crab Season: SF Bay foodies were starting to get excited last week with the impending opening of the Dungeness crab season schedule for this Thursday. By all reports it was going to be a banner year. But an oil spill from a tanker that hit the bay bridge last week got in the way. Commercial crabbers from San Francisco, Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay met at the Crab Boat Owners Association's headquarters in San Francisco over the weekend and voted to delay crab season indefinitely. Fisherman also voted to cancel the sport fishing season which had opened on Nov 3. SF Chron reported over the weekend and a friend sent news of the vote.

More from Cory, I mean, the Star: I would normally make a note about some of the coming establishments from Jeff Swiatek's story on downtown restaurants in the Monday Star, however, everything he covers is something Cory Schouten over at Property Lines has already reported. Cory scoops all of us on a regular basis when it comes to eateries, but in this case, he seems to have become the source. At least, the Star doesn't note anyone else they've talked to who's provided the information. Ahh, attribution. It's clearly different today in a tightly budgeted news corporation than it was when I was in J-school. (We actually had to get original sources on everything and, you know, quote them and stuff.) Sure, there's a difference between column and straight reporting, and between blogging and news. (And certainly, blogging tends to run more like a column with a hefty dose of opinion in most cases, but most of us like to verify information and give credit where credit is due.) Swiatek's article is straight business reporting which makes it a bit jarring when sources aren't cited and shortcuts are taken. Since he hasn't cited developers, restaurant corporations, or lease-holders as sources for these restaurant confirmations, nor has he included any new or different information, I can only assume the info came from Cory's blog.

The Next Iron Chef: Congratulations to Cleveland's Chef Micheal Symon of Lola fame who will be the next Iron Chef! While I love Besh's work, I think it was pretty obvious in the last few episodes -- and last night's finale -- that Symon was cooking in a clearly different style which would help separate him from his fellow Iron Chefs and challengers. Symon has gained a terrific following in the past few years with the help of writers like Micheal Ruhlman and I'm glad to see him rewarded. His no-nonsense style and frank accounts of the difficulty of the restaurant business have been refreshing in today's world of over-romanticized celebrity chefs. Nice work, Chef Symon. We all look forward to seeing you compete! (Word has it Symon will fill the clogs of Mario Batali.) Read more at Symon Says.

Closings and a Movie

56th St. Fish Market Closed: I haven't gone over there and rattled the door myself, but word has it the doors are locked at 56th St. Fish Market. With all the shenanigans and disputes with owner and managers, it's a surprise they lasted this long. On the north side, Joe's Butcher Shop and Fish Market usually carries tuna and salmon every day and with a little notice, Joe can source anything special that customers need. Some folks swear by Kona Jack's fish market and there's always Wild Oats.

Mo's Loading Dock Closed: Word also has it that Mo's Loading Dock, the casual bar and eatery at the Stutz Building has closed. Mo's was known for their fresh weekly shipments of crawfish and catfish. They'll be missed.

Meryl Streep = Julia Child: Did you read Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen? The book, which came out a couple of years ago, details one blogger's journey to cook her way through the entire classic Julia Child cookbook, Mastering the Fine Art of French Cooking. Julie and Julia is a hoot and about more than just cooking. Meryl Streep will play Julia Child (who makes her appearances in the book merely in the author's speculations about Child's early life.) Nora Ephron will direct. (More from Slashfood.)

Do We Have Any Chi-Chi's? File this under "why I love the internets". My new favorite blog: Creepy Abandoned Chi-Chi's which details, well, sad and dead locations of this late, "great" national Mexican food chain. While their salsa brand lives on, their buildings do, too! Blame Slashfood.

The Best Cedar Plank Ever

My new favorite cooking toy? A Pacific Northwest cedar baking plank complete with a shallow well for fish or vegetables and bolts in the side to tighten as the board ages. These planks are the best kept secret in cooking giving anything you cook in the oven that amazing cedar grilled flavor. After you get done huffing the smell of the raw plank, put it in the oven to preheat (which makes the whole house smell amazing so your guests can get high on the same ambrosia.) Then rub a little olive oil in the well, add your fish (salmon is great for starters), and bake away. I haven't tried chicken on mine yet, but I think it will also be great. Also with pork. It cleans up with soap and water.

So far, I've roasted corn, peppers, and onions all with great results. (Oh, and even fruit would work -- apples, peaches, or even mangos would be so good with the smokey wood flavor.) Plus, there's a great recipe on the package for halibut in a sour cream sauce. Yum! (I'm pretty sure they're available at Frasier's Gourmet Foods.)

A Whirlwind of Food

It's been a crazy few days of food and wine! I've been out and about and run into lots of folks. If you're new and just checking in here, welcome! And if you're an old friend, welcome back. Here are a few tidbits from my eatings:

Supper Club Deliciouso! Friday night, we celebrated summer (and a birthday) with 16 of us foodies and wine geeks who have a supper club together. It was crazy, flavorful fun! Every dish was *intense* from the rich peanut sauce of the super-fresh Vietnamese spring rolls to the pine nuts and raisin relish on the perfectly cooked salmon, to the ginger-toasted coconut-orange coated scallops to the crazy flavorful watermelon/feta salad, fresh blueberries and lemon pound cake. All so rich and good with all the best summer produce has to offer. The wines? Incredible. (My favorites? The rose Malbec "tinto" and the Twisted Oak Viognier) Thanks to our host and hostess and everyone who brought food and wine!

Race Party Central: If you couldn't find a party to hit on race weekend, you weren't paying attention. My favorite parts of the party circuit? The pineapple infused vodka punch, the wasabi chex mix, the ubiquitous artichoke dip, and, hey, who brought those mini-chocolate cupcakes? I couldn't stop eating them!

Catering from Epicurians: A big shout-out to Chef Brad Miller who was sauteing sweetbreads like a champ at a wine event on Sunday night. Miller, the catering group Epicurians, and the wine experts from Confreie des Chevaliers du Tastevin did a terrific job on the pairings with the six 2002 white Burgundies. The stars? The pea soup with white truffle oil (paired perfectly with the Macon-Village Les Vallon de Lamartine 2002) and the strawberry shooter with black truffle (interesting with a Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseigneres 2002). I also loved the Dauphinoise potatoes, the venison with cherries and chocolate, and the quince paste on the cheese plate.

Coho Salmon at The Oceanaire: Last night, Executive Chef Ryan Nelson of The Oceanaire Seafood Room rolled out a salmon feast with four courses featuring west coast Coho salmon just coming into season. My favorite? The delicate and so fresh starter of house smoked salmon with diced watermelon, cherry tomatoes and and ice wine vinaigrette. So perfect for high summer (and paired with a rose sparkler, natch.) The rest included a grilled coho fillet with his signature cherries, almonds and thyme, and a slow baked fillet with red verjus grapes, spaetzle, duck sausage and spinach. (The duck sausage gave the dish a hearty quality which worked with the spaetzle and made the grapes shine.) I'm pretty sure Ryan said that watermelon salad was on their regular menu so I'm assigning myself to check that out this week. What I won't do in the name of research. (Plus, any excuse for oysters is an excuse for me to go to Oceanaire.) Hat tip to GM Roddy for the spot on wine pairings. My favorites of the night? The Craggy Ridge NZ Sauv Blanc and the Benton Hill pinot.

What Foodies Don't Tell You: At two different dinners this week, foodies shared their dirtiest secret: We love McDonald's! From the fries to the McNuggets, just know that some of your high end eaters secretly crave a double cheeseburger, biggie fries, and large Coke. After discussing the finer points of the dollar menu, two well-known foodies last night made an interesting point (after confessing they eat lunch together at McDonald's almost every day.) On healthy days, they have the chicken sandwich and the fruit salad. For two of them, it's around $18 and 1000 calories. If, however, they were willing to settle for the double cheeseburger meal, large fries and 2000+ cals each? Around $9. An interesting commentary on how hard it is to eat healthy fast food. Me? I go for the fries!

Weekend Pub Crawl

I can honestly say that the Indy Pub Crawl was a refreshing and fun success! Thanks to Tom (one of the astute and brilliant organizers) for handling a lot of people with aplomb. Great work! Games were played, stickers were collected (one for each stops) and the party beads were incredibly useful for not being left behind! And the laminated clip on round-the-neck schedule with addresses was an absolute necessity.

Yes, Bugg's Temple was supposed to have been the mystery stop, but it sounds like there was no time to finalize the temp liquor license. Organizers regrouped and bused us to Basey's on West (at South street), a fairly new looking and spiffy place in the shadow, literally, of the new football stadium. It's also a baseball throw from Victory Field. It will be a great place to be on game day!

And the most delicious aspect? While the crawfish didn't make it up from Louisiana, the fine folks at The Loading Dock (in the Stutz Building) regrouped with their ultra fresh catfish. Fried and perfectly light, it was great beer food. He gets it fresh every Friday.

Catching Up with ala Mode

L'Explorateur Axes Lunches: Even though their website still touts "Now Serving Lunch," Neal tells me they've pulled the plug on lunches -- this time for real. We all know that many fine dining restaurants run lunches as a break even proposition at best, so, it's really no surprise. However, he's pulled the plug on his weekly Wednesday wine tastings, too. Does this mean trouble is on the horizon? My guess is that with a new baby, an upcoming wedding, and a building business, it falls into the "simplifying life" category. Pop in and ask to see the new Anti-Griddle.

Time for Another Restaurant Week: Sometimes, I wonder if two a year isn't one too many. While I'm all for getting butts in seats at downtown restaurants, it seems like we just finish one when the next one is coming. But get ready for summer Devour Downtown, July 9-22, where a number of downtown establishments will feature prix fixe three-course menus. Check out their website for participating restaurants.

Lousiana Crawfish Boil at Mo's Loading Dock: I received an invite for a pub crawl on Saturday but the stop that caught my eye? Well, lunch, of course, at the venerable Mo's Loading Dock. The feature? For pub crawlers, a good old fashioned crawfish boil with mudbugs flown up from fresh from Louisiana. Sure, sucking heads might not be every girl's idea of a good time, but I'm ready for a little action. Check out indypubcrawl.com for more information. See you at lunch!

Where's our Ritter's? Last week, I trekked to a meeting on the far north side and treated myself to Ritter's frozen custard. Where, o where, is our downtown Ritter's? Anyone have any Bugg's Temple updates?

Adobo Hits Downtown? Cory reports on rumors a poster here noted last week -- that we may be getting an Adobo Mexican Grill downtown just east of Meridian on Washington. Even though I can't stand their food, it would be worth it for their margaritas and excellent guacamole, especially with outside seating.