Thursday Round Up

Ahhh, fall and it's turning cold -- time for more cozy evenings at great downtown local spots like Old Point Tavern and the Chatterbox. Last night, I plowed through my daily mound of newspapers (New York Times food section was all "Rachel Ray", Ugh) sipping a cold beer and eating a hot meal at OPT outside as late evening faded into night. Mass Ave was packed at 7:oo p.m. with foot traffic, tourists, diners and shoppers. People browsed in stores like At Home in the City while restaurants like OPT, MacNivan's, and Bazbeaux were packed with folks trying to make 8:00 p.m. curtain times. From my corner table vantage point, I could see people in suits hurrying home, some stopping in for an afterwork drink, and others walking dogs after a long day away. Last night, my little corner of Mass Ave. could have been almost any other city in the country -- a smaller, quieter neighborhood of New York City, for example -- and it made me somehow feel more at home in Indiana.

With no travels recently, here's a blog round-up for Thursday:

Scott Hutcheson is just back from the exclusive Hotel Bel-Air where he was treated to the kitchen table and some primo celebrity watching!

A Woman on Wine: Local sommelier Lisa Cunningham challenges us to remember our best food smells -- and practice drinking that wine!

And the Accidental Hedonist reminds us that there's no such thing as a pretty good omelet. Also, a winter squash recipe the Hedonist actually likes, and a knockout looking pumpkin milkshake recipe.

Menu Notes: Ahhh, it's fall and the butternut squash maple soup is back at Oakley's Bistro! And in the fine tradition of "What's for Supper?", Chef Regina (instead of Grandpa) tells us what's for supper of at R Bistro this week.

• Soup of the day
• Proscuitto, ricotta salata and spinach strudel
• Local leaves with Gala apples, red grapes, toasted pecans, and Danish blue cheese tossed in poppy seed dressing
• Alaskan halibut cake with house-made tartar sauce
• Mixed leaf salad with mustard balsamic dressing
• Pan-seared scallops with pumpkin risotto and sage butter
• Slow-braised duck leg served with Beggermana's stew and onion ginger chutney
• Medallions of beef shoulder in bourbon butter sauce with roasted sweet potatoes and apples and fennel slaw
• Butternut squash, goat cheese and spinach stack
• White chicken chili with tomato salsa
• Camembert trifle with black mission figs
• Ginger pear crisp with vanilla ice cream
• Apple custard tart
• Chocolate Truffles
• Mont St. Francis goat cheese with fruit and biscuits