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