The North End Barbecue & Moonshine

Awhile back, Tim and I met some friends at The North End Barbecue & Moonshine.  We'd heard good things, so we were excited to try it.

North End is owned by the same folks as Late Harvest Kitchen, which is  favorite of one of our friends.  We had a pretty good experience there (see my review here), so we wanted to like North End.  Our experience was middling.

I started with a cocktail--The Ginger Baker ($10)--bourbon, all-spiced rum, lemon, ginger syrup, and cracked pepper.  It was pretty refreshing and I liked the warmth that the ginger and pepper gave it.

For my meal, I ordered the Carolina Pulled Pork dinner ($11).  It came with two side, so I selected mac & cheese and cornbread.  The pork itself was fine--not the best ever, but pretty good.  However, it needed sauce, and none of the housemade sauces were satisfying to me.  They had a yellow mustard sauce that was tangy and mustardy (shocking!) and the best option available so I used it, but it wasn't perfect.  The other sauces weren't my cup of tea, either.  The others at the table agreed, especially Tim, who had gotten the chicken--he said none of them went with the chicken at all (though he said it had decent flavor on its own).

The cornbread's highlight was the maple-bourbon butter on top--soooo good--but sadly the bread itself was super dry.  The mac & cheese, however, was the best part of my meal.  The noodles were a bit al dente, with a nice cheesy sauce that was topped by "rib jam."  I have no words to explain what rib jam is--just look at it in the picture and know that it was delicious.

So, there were good parts and bad parts to our meal.  I'd probably go back, but only if friends wanted to go.  I can't see Tim and I going there on our own with so many other awesome places to visit and better, cheaper BBQ available elsewhere in town...unless the craving for that mac & cheese becomes overwhelming, of course.

Website:  The North End Barbecue & Moonshine

General American Donut Company

Mmmm, donuts.  I love the things.  Which is why I was SUPER excited to learn that Indy would be jumping on the fancy-donut trend with the opening of General American Donut Company.

I finally got down there for the first time about a month ago.  It was a week day, and late morning, so the donuts on display were looking a little worse for wear.  And yet...I had to have them.

I tried two that first day--Black Raspberry Key Lime and Salted Caramel.  Holy crap.  The Black Raspberry Key Lime ($3) was outstanding.  Tons of jelly in the middle, a lime glaze over the top that was tart enough to offset the sweetness of the jelly...amazing.  LOVED. 

The Salted Caramel ($2.50) was also super good.  It was a traditional yeast donut, but with a salted caramel frosting that was clearly homemade (note: I've seen other pictures of this donut where the caramel was not as dark).  Salty and sweet, always a great combo!  I will add that the first donut was so filling that I just had a few bites to taste the caramel one--had to save it for later.

Also got a small regular coffee--it was reasonably priced, and very strong.  They serve Stumptown Coffee, which is NOT local, but was pretty good.  Tim would probably like it better than I did, as he enjoys an extremely strong cup of coffee black (I had to load mine with milk and sugar).

The next time I went, I picked up three for Tim and I to share.  Pickings were more slim that day, so I got another BRKL that was even better than the first, plus a Maple Bourbon Bacon ($3) and a Snickers ($3).  The Maple Bourbon Bacon was good, but essentially tasted like any other maple glazed donut you might get for $.50 instead of $3, so we likely won't get it again.  The Snickers was pretty tasty, though--again, a yeast donut, coated first in caramel and then in chocolate glaze and sprinkled with chopped peanuts.  We both really liked that combo.

But...but!  There are SO many others I want to try!!!  The Creme Brulee, the Coffee and Cream, the Coconut...all super intriguing to me.  If only it wasn't a solid 20 min drive from my home, I imagine I'd go here way too often.  Scratch that.  I guess it's a good thing it's a solid 20 min drive from my home.  The expense is also a deterrent, but on the plus side, they are large, filling donuts, so you could get away with just picking one...if you can resist the rest.
 
    
Website:  No website that I could locate, but they do have a Facebook page.

Biscuits Cafe

Biscuits Cafe!  Yay!  This Mexican restaurant with a breakfast focus has become a favorite of ours since we moved near Broad Ripple.  We've been a number of times in the past couple months--with kids, without, with guests, without...doesn't matter.  We'll go.  I shall recount two of said visits in this review.  Apologies for the lack of prices, but the menu isn't online--suffice it to say, it's all very reasonably priced.

Biscuits can be crazy crowded--there are a lot of tables jammed in there, and those tables stay pretty full--but somehow, we've never really waited for a seat (knock on wood).  One always seems to open up just as we arrive.  Definitely a plus in our book.
 
Our very first visit, we took a friend.  We all got some coffee, and it was super good.  Flavorful, but not too strong.  Good start!  I was wanting something sweet, so I opted for a Belgian waffle with strawberries.  SO. GOOD.  Fresh strawberries on there!!!  Yes, they are covered in a strawberry syrup, but they are totally fresh.  It gave the whole thing a slight tartness that counterbalanced the sweet waffle and syrup.  I am hooked, and have ordered it again, since.  Love. 

 Tim got the spicy biscuits and gravy--yes, spicy.  They're slightly pink from the spice.  Pictured is a full order--it's at least 3 full biscuits, which was almost too much for even Tim (he can put away some biscuit and gravy).  He liked it.  I would personally want a bit more sausage in there, but it was tasty.

On one of our next visits, Tim got a skillet--there are potatoes under there, along with peppers, eggs, and sausage gravy, and it's topped with tons of melty cheese...he enjoyed, but said he'd actually opt for what I ordered next time.

What'd I get?  Oh...just the breakfast burrito.  The ENORMOUS breakfast burrito!!!  This thing was huge!  You have a choice of sauces on this and various other items--Lovely Sauce (the most mild, a red sauce), Red Sauce (medium heat), and Green sauce (with tomatillos, it's a bit tangier and the most spicy).  I love a good salsa verde, so I opted for the latter.

Inside the burrito was chorizo, beans, potatoes, and cheese. Pretty dang tasty.  It was served with rice and beans (for breakfast!).  Delish, but needless to say we skipped lunch on this day.  So. Full.

On subsequent visits, we've tried a few other things, including actual lunch instead of breakfast.  Tim tried their chilaquiles with steak and Green Sauce and gave it the thumbs up (next time he's thinking of trying them with pork); I got a Torta de Jamon (a ham sandwich) that included cheese, beans, jalapenos, onions, and lettuce on a pillowy bun.  It was supposed to include avocado, too, but sadly it was left off.  Normally we get great service here, but on this occasion our waitress was nowhere to be found and I was hungry, so I just ate it without.  I imagine that it'd be even better with, though.  Mmmm.  Avocado.

Website:  No website, so here's their Urbanspoon page...Biscuits Cafe

Union 50

Last month we had a friend visiting, so we took him out to eat with some Indy friends.  None of us had been to Union 50 yet, so we decided to give it a go.

Union 50 is another fancy-pants new place owned by the guy who also owns Mesh on Mass and Bru Burger.  It's got a revolving menu and attempts a tapas thing (which Tim hates, and when it's this expensive, so do I).  There are "Petit," "Bistro," and "Grand" sized dishes, plus fancy fries and charcuterie boards.

T and I opted to start with some of the fries ($5)--a small order of Manchego & Bacon fries, with our choice of dipping sauces (we opted for beer cheese for me, and spicy grain mustard for him).  They were pretty good!  The bacon and cheese were mostly on the top fries, but some of those toppings did make their way down to the rest.

For my main, I got a Grand item--"Tasso Ham and Shrimp" with crispy polenta and Tasso Ham gravy.  It's been awhile, so I'm afraid I can't remember what else was in there.  Those brown cubes in the picture are the polenta, which were indeed crispy on the outside, and firmly creamy on the inside.  This exact version of this dish doesn't appear to be available anymore, but they have something similar for $20.  It was an okay portion--several large shrimp in there, and good flavor--but pretty pricey for the amount in my opinion.

It has been awhile since we were there, so Tim and I are struggling to remember all the components of his dish...pretty sure it was slow roasted, shredded duck over some waffles (pic to the left).  He enjoyed it but didn't feel it was enough food for him.  No price for this one since it's no longer available and it has just been too long!  Shame on me for taking so long to post.

My overall impression of the places lasts, though--to me, it feels like it's trying too hard to be hip.  Kind of feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be...it's a higher-end restaurant, but it also considers itself a bar, AND it has live music events...how about some focus?  Additionally, if you want to do tapas-style, make them a bit more affordable.  Ugh.  I doubt we'll return, unless it's at a friend's request.

Website:  Union 50

Sahm's Place

Back during Chow Down Midtown, Tim and I took the kids to Sahm's Place for brunch.  We initially went with the intention of getting the Chow Down breakfast specials, but opted for regular menu items once we got there because they sounded pretty good, too.

I started with coffee, and it was pretty typical coffee.  There is no price on the website and I have no idea what it cost--it's safe to say that it was probably in the $2 range, though.  Of note is the fact that our server was excellent.  She kept my cup topped off without me having to ever flag her down, which is always appreciated.

For my meal, I got the Eggs Benedict (One Egg version; also available in a Two Egg version--$6.99 for the one egg).  The Benedict itself was pretty good, although not as memorable or as well-balanced as Tulip Noir's.  The hollandaise just wasn't as tangy or flavorful, the ham not as plentiful or impactful.  Still, it was good, and the egg was properly runny.

The dish came with a side of fruit (nice and fresh!), and a choice of hashbrowns or cornbread casserole; I chose the casserole, and it was a bit sweet, a bit savory, and all around pretty satisfying.  There was a huge amount--it's very filling, and I couldn't finish it.

Can't remember what Tim got, but I *think* it was the Biscuits and Gravy ($5.49).  Whatever he got, he enjoyed, I know that!  The kids got the Kids Scramble and the Kids Omelet ($2.99 and $3.99, respectively).  They enjoyed them, and I thought they were reasonably priced.

Tim and I had been to Sahm's one other time, for dinner, and enjoyed it.  For some reason, we just never got back over there before this brunch.  But, now we live much closer, and I can see us going back occasionally.  It's a nice casual spot, family friendly, with good food.  Thumbs up.

Website:  Sahm's Place

317 Burger

A few Sundays ago, Tim and I were out and about running errands and decided to randomly pick someplace in Broad Ripple for lunch.  We drove past 317 Burger and realized it was new and burgers sounded good to us, so we opted to give it a try.

It was a fairly nice day so several people were sitting out front, but we wanted air conditioning so we headed into the bar.  We were the only ones in there.  Which doesn't mean that much, at a new place on a Sunday afternoon, but...

We quickly reviewed the menu, and I opted for the Spicy Tuna Burger ($12)--it just sounded good that day.   I've had the tuna sandwich at Boogie Burger (whole piece of tuna, citrus-y and awesome), and the tuna burger at the now-defunct Scotty's Lakehouse (spicy and teriyaki-ish and packed with flavor), so I was excited to try another.  Sadly, this one was just 'eh.'  It came with avocado, arugula, and wasabi aioli, but somehow none of those things had any flavor.  Not enough wasabi to make up for the rest of the bland.  Also, it had a slightly strange texture.  It was made from diced tuna like the Scotty's version, but this was much more tightly pressed and bound with something  that gave it a mealy texture (flour? I know it sounds odd, but that's all I can think of that would make it feel like that). I wasn't overly impressed.  I think Tim liked his burger--he customized it with duck bacon and gouda ($10)--but it wasn't anything extraordinary to write home about, either.

The highlight was the poutine we shared.  They served up hand-cut, thick steak fries topped with cheese and the gravy on the side.  You poured the gravy over the top so that the cheese (appeared to be some curds and some shredded) would melt.  I guess this was so they didn't get soggy?  Unfortunately, the fries were thick and not overly crisp to start, so it didn't really help.  But the flavor was there, and we enjoyed them.  For the price ($5), it was a very generous serving.  We couldn't even finish them (which is saying quite a lot).

My verdict is that this place is only so-so.  Perhaps it's finding its footing; perhaps I would have enjoyed a true burger more than the tuna.  Either way, I'm not particularly excited to go back.  Frankly, we probably won't return.  This town just has way too many truly GOOD burgers to get a mediocre one.

Website:  No real website that I could locate, so here's the 317 Burger Facebook page.

Canal Bistro

Back on Memorial Day, I met up with some girlfriends from high school.  One was visiting from out of town, and wanted to go to Brugge, but alas, it was closed when we arrived.  So our group hiked towards the canal in Broad Ripple, and ended up at Canal Bistro.

I had never been there before, despite having walked by it a bazillion times over the past 15 years or so.  My friend knew it was a Mediterranean place, and that's all the rest of us needed to know--we were game to try it.

We split some hummus ($6) to start, and it was clearly made in-house--very good, with none of the fake citric acid taste of the store bought stuff.  It was drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with paprika, tomatoes, and parsley.  It was, of course, served along side some pretty decent pita bread.  Great start.

For my main, I opted for the Chicken Shawarma platter ($15).  When I used to work in Evanston, IL, we'd occasionally go to a Mediterranean place that served shawarma that was incredibly flavorful and tender, and I've been seeking something similar since then.  This was it.  It was very much how I remembered it--thinly sliced pieces of very well seasoned chicken, a little crispy on one side.  So many memories!  And so tasty.  It came with rice, a little block of feta, some onions, a few olives, and a garlic dipping sauce (not pictured).  I found that mixing a bite of the chicken and rice with the feta and garlic sauce made for a pretty awesome bite.

I believe the other ladies enjoyed their meals, as well.  I think the other meals selected were veggie kabobs, beef kabobs, and the gyro platter.  They all looked really good!  The setting was lovely--a beautiful night, not too hot, sitting along the canal.  I will definitely need to go again.

Website:  Canal Bistro