Chatham Tap

A few weeks ago, we met some friends at Chatham Tap on a Friday evening.  We got there pretty early--around 6pm--and subsequently didn't have to wait for a table.  If you've been to Chatham (the original one on Mass Ave., of course--the one up north is a pale imitation of the original's glory), you've probably hovered in the entrance waiting for someone to give up their table.   It's just what you do there.  It's tiny and the tables are jammed together, and it's loud and busy, but while those issues might annoy me at other bars, at Chatham it's just part of the charm.

Don't get me wrong--it's not the place for groups larger than 6, or really over 4 if you don't want to wait for ages.  But if it's you and your date and a friend or two, it's great.

We mostly went for drinks, but Chatham has a great food menu, too, so we opted to have dinner there.  I got a build-your-own pizza (small $7.49) with rasher bacon (add $1).  It's my standard, and so good.  They've got a great puffy, doughy crust, the sauce is light and fresh, and the rasher bacon (i.e. smokey ham) is meaty but feels healthier than pepperoni or sausage.  This time my pizza could have been cooked for another minute or two--the crust was right on the border of  being undercooked, and I like my cheese with a touch more color--but it was still super good and satisfying.

Tim got the St. George's Philly ($7.49)--corned beef and grilled onions (like a cheese steak) with a mozzarella-dill mayo mix that makes a sort of sauce.  The bite I had was pretty tasty, and Tim very much enjoyed it.  It came with a few side options, and he chose homemade chips.  They could have used a touch of salt, but were otherwise solid. 

If you're there late at night, you've got to get the garlic cheese chips ($6.49)--crispy, salty fries topped with a garlic ranch sort of sauce and shredded cheddar (not melted--sounds odd, but it's perfect).  The montauks ($7.49) are also a favorite of ours--slices of french bread topped with rasher bacon and Gouda, which is in turn topped with pan-seared tomatoes and basil.  Sounds odd, but it's tasty.

Website:  Chatham Tap

Bluebeard: Revisit

My first visit to Bluebeard was so good that it inspired me to start this blog.  We've been wanting to go back for some time, but other restaurants (and the hefty price tag that came with our first visit) have always deterred us.  Lucky for us, spring is a time of many celebrations for Tim and I--first his birthday, then our anniversary, and now my birthday--which means more excuses for eating at nice places, and that we've had the opportunity to go to a few of our other favorites recently.  And so, when deciding where I wanted to go for my birthday, since we'd cycled through our other favorites, Bluebeard was selected.

I started with their version of a Dark & Stormy ($8--I kind of like that drink, if you hadn't noticed).  Ginger beer, rum, lime.  This one had a nice peppery ginger beer and a good dose of lime to balance it out.  Pretty top-notch.

We knew we wanted to share some things, so we started with a small Duck Confit Caesar salad:  escarole, radicchio, carrots, celery, fennel, olives, boiled egg, and croutons ($7).  The picture to the right is about half of it, since we were sharing.  It was a really good salad, but they were super heavy-handed with the anchovies in the dressing, and subsequently the whole thing tasted like them.  The duck confit's flavor was completely lost, and instead it tasted almost like tuna.  It was incredibly tender and still yummy, but it just wasn't very duckish.  Again,  I'll stress that I enjoyed the salad very much--it was just kind of strange.

We were there on a Sunday, and they have an abbreviated "bar menu" that day, so the mains were primarily sandwiches.  We each got one and shared.  I opted for the Paesano: smoked brisket, bbq sauce, cheddar, grilled onion rings, pepperoncini, and a fried egg ($14).  As you can see, it was an open faced sandwich, and thank goodness as it was nearly impossible to eat neatly with a knife and fork so there's no way I could have picked it up.  Very messy!  The brisket was super tender and the bbq sauce was great--not too sweet, not too spicy, not too smokey.  Just right.  The pepperocini gave it a nice kick.  The onions were a bit unwieldy, and the egg was pretty unnecessary, but even so this sandwich was our favorite of the night. 


We liked Tim's "Smokey Burger" less.  Our waiter really sold it, saying it was one of the best burgers he's ever had.  Granted, we have some high burger standards after Room Four and Scratch Truck and Twenty Tap, but Tim's a sucker for burgers and the description sounded great. It was a combo of beef, lamb, and pork and was topped with lettuce, provolone, and jalapeno mostarda ($18).  I think there was also some fennel on there (slices of the fennel bulb), along with pickles.  It was okay.  The meat was great, but it was a touch under seasoned (at least if held to Room Four standards of seasoning).  The cheese provided zero flavor.  The mustard wasn't very pronounced, and the fennel, while intriguing, ended up just falling off and being messy.  Tim said he was "disappointed," and I'd have to agree.  Again, not a bad burger, but it just pales in comparison to the ones I've mentioned.

 We also split an order of that night's version of poutine ($15), since we will order poutine anytime we see it on a menu.  This version was a sort of Mexican twist--the fries (their standard house fries, crispy and well-seasoned) were topped with a sort of chorizo gravy, jalapenos, queso fresco, cilantro, avocado, and an egg (yes, another fried egg).  On this occasion, the egg was helpful in giving the whole thing a bit more 'sauciness' because the chorizo gravy wasn't super saucy.  It was very rich but the spice of the jalapenos and chorizo cut through a bit.  I should have asked for no cilantro--I probably would have enjoyed it more--but it didn't distract me too much.  Not my favorite poutine ever--and arguably not poutine, really--but pretty tasty.  Tim enjoyed them even more than me, but I do enjoy a good smothered french fry and this was no exception.

 Because we were celebrating my birthday, Tim graciously said we could get dessert.  We opted for the rhubarb cake with lemon curd 'terrine' and a blueberry sauce.  It was topped with whipped cream and some micro greens.  I would never have known that the cake had rhubarb in it if not for the descriptions--it just tasted like a very firm vanilla cake with white buttercream frosting--but the lemon curd was spectacular.  It was the perfect tart compliment to the sweet cake, as was the blueberry sauce.  I don't quite get the micro greens--I mean, I'm sure they wanted to be edgy/add earthiness or something, but I think it missed the mark.  It was more of a distraction.  Still, overall, a yummy dessert.

 This visit was no where near as impressive as the first.  There was some great potential there, but we were let down by a few items.  I don't think we are likely to return on a Sunday, but definitely want to try it for a regular dinner service again.  It's a huge menu that's always changing, so we'll be back.

Website:  Bluebeard

Sakura: Photo Update

One of my first posts on this blog was for Sakura.  Last week we took the kids there again, and had another great experience.  It remains my favorite sushi place in town, for sure.

We ordered pretty much the same thing as always, and I've already given my review for those items here.  However, I didn't post pictures back then.  So I'll do that now!

These are the super awesome gyoza.  They come five to an order--we managed to devour three before I remembered to pull out the camera.  They're nicely golden on one side and so yummy, with a great green oniony-pork flavor.  But that dipping sauce is the star.  The chili oil floating on top is what makes it so addictive.

This picture is HALF of the chicken cutlet order our boys shared.  Our waitress was particularly great this time and loved the boys.  She was impressed that they like miso soup, and when we mentioned that they especially love the tofu, she made sure there was a ton of extra tofu in their bowls!  She also brought the cutlets out already divided onto two separate plates (as seen above), a really, really nice touch (they've never done that for us before).  They halved the rice and the veggies, too. 

And, of course, four of Tim's and my favorite rolls are above.  Starting at the top, Bob's roll has asparagus tempura and smoked salmon.  At 3 o'clock is my absolute favorite, Florida Mix roll (tuna, salmon, crispies, roe, etc.).  At the bottom is the New York roll--shrimp, avocado, spicy sauce.  And to the left is the Texas roll with its jalapeno masago.  Mmmmm.  So good!

Recess

Aaaaah, Recess. Last year, the week before our wedding, Tim and I treated ourselves to a meal at Recess.  It was our first time to venture over there, despite the number of times we had been to Room Four, and we were crazy impressed.  So when we were discussing where to go for our first anniversary, I immediately suggested we go back.  I'd love to make it an annual tradition, if we can.

I started my meal with a Robert the Bruce by Three Floyds Brewery ($3.50).  Tim and I enjoy a glass of wine now and again, but we're primarily beer people (well, he's a beer guy--I prefer mixed drinks, but have come to appreciate certain types of beer since we started dating).  Robert the Bruce is my usual choice when visiting Room Four--that, or Founder's Porter--and the incredibly reasonable prices they have on these semi-local beers is yet another thing to love.

Our first course that night was striped bass ceviche.  Over the past few years I've come to really enjoy ceviche.  I have finally gotten past my squeamishness over the fact that it's not, technically, cooked (although the citrus juices do cook the fish).  The bass, cut into pretty small pieces, was well-seasoned and bright from the lime juice.  The avocado component listed in the description (see the picture of our menu at the top, by the way) was more of a smooth puree, and it added a nice richness.  The tomatoes and micro greens also gave the whole thing a freshness.  I removed all of the cilantro--sorry, it's just gross--but if you enjoy that type of thing, there was plenty sitting decoratively on top.  The chips were small but there was a good fish-to-chip ratio.  Overall, a great starter.

Our second course was halibut, and it was perfectly cooked.  I'm telling you, they do right by fish at Recess and Room Four.  I mean, look at that picture.  I could eat it again right now.  It sat atop an "orange thyme jus"--a lovely broth with an interesting kick of the aforementioned orange (we could see bits of the rind in there).  And in the broth there was bacon adding smokiness, plus asparagus, carrots, and pearl barley.  It was just lovely and light.  Oh, and those green things on top?  Sunflower sprouts!  What?!  I know!  They were kind of like an enormous bean sprout, but because of their size they had a lot more texture and were almost more like spinach.  Really good.  Really, really good.


Third course was beef ribeye, perfectly cooked to medium rare and sitting on top of a yummy bed of mashed potatoes (or 'potato puree,' if you want to get fancy).  The interesting aspect of this dish was the "cauliflower salsa"--I can only guess what was in it, but it was salty and herb-y and texturally really interesting.  It's the green and white stuff in the picture.  Super interesting.  Between the meat and potatoes were mushrooms and ramps.  I've heard tell the legend of the ramp and was excited to finally try them.  I don't think there were many on there, but it was enough to impart an delicate green-oniony flavor to the dish.  Yum.  And there was a great sauce, I think made with the mushrooms and ramps.

  
Finally, we get to dessert.  I wasn't insanely excited by that night's offering, but of course it won me over once we got it.  Unlike most of the world, I'm generally not much of a "chocoholic," so I was unexcited by the promise of chocolate honey ganache with raspberry glazed bananas and hazelnuts.  But the end result was a great balance of flavor and texture.  The ganache itself was dark and rich (as you would expect pure chocolate and cream to be--it looks like a brownie in that picture, and it was a good-sized piece).  The raspberry glazed bananas took bananas to a whole new level...they maintained some of the texture of a banana, but tasted like the incredible raspberry sauce they had been tossed in.  And the hazelnuts added a needed nutty crunch.  A bite of chocolate, whipped cream, banana, and nut was close to perfection.  And again, this is coming from someone who would usually not choose a chocolate dessert.  Great end to the meal.

I won't wax on any further about how great this place (and Room Four) is.  You know I love it.  You know I think you should go!


Website:  Recess

Black Market

Tim and I went to dinner at Black Market with some friends last weekend.  It's another great local place that changes its menu with the seasons and usually has some interesting specials.  We also kind of dig the communal table thing, even if it *is* supposedly passe now.  (Have you seen the episode of Portlandia that makes fun of communal dining?  If not, check it out). 

They have a pretty extensive beer selection, and some pretty tasty cocktails as well.  I tried the Tornado Warning, which is basically a Dark & Stormy made with the traditional Black Seal Rum and Black Market's own house made ginger beer, plus a bit of lime.  It was super good, and although I generally like more lime in my stormies, this one still had a nice balance of flavors--not too rummy, not too gingery.  There was something interesting around the rim of the glass, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was!  Not straight sugar, that's for sure.  But it was good, so I can't complain.

Tim and I opted to split a few dishes rather than each ordering our own stuff.  We started with one of that night's specials, mozzarella sticks with tomato sauce ($10, three to an order).  First of all, these were the longest mozzarella sticks I've ever seen!  Each one was at least a foot long, deep fried, and oozing with delicious melted house made mozzarella.  They make good cheese at Black Market.  We've had their fresh mozzarella before in various incarnations and are never disappointed.  The tomato sauce was great, too--very fresh.  Sorry no pictures, but we gobbled them up too quickly!

We shared the Duck Confit & Tator Tot Salad ($11) next...pictured is just half of the salad, because I didn't whip out the camera until after we had split it.  It's not very pretty in that picture, but man, it was tasty.  The duck was meaty and tender, and the apples provided a nice tart contrast.  There was also a bit of bacon and roasted tomatoes, and blue cheese which brought it all together.  The tator tots were homemade, more of a potato croquette sort of texture, but acted as a slightly crunchy element.  Those sat on top of an interesting aioli sort of dressing...it was tangy and tasted good when it was mixed in, although the greens were already dressed with some sort of vinaigrette.  You can see one of the tator tots and the aioli in the above pic.  So that was a bit confusing, but it tasted good, so again, I'm not going to complain!

Tim and I decided to try the Beef Barbacoa ($25) as our main.  Overall, the flavor profile was great, but we did have a few complaints about this one. Here is the description:  "Beef Barbacoa. quajillo-puya chile broth / grilled tortillas & lime."  Barbacoa is generally slowly cooked, fall-apart tender, shredded meat, so Tim and I both imagined it'd be mostly meat with a bit of broth, and that it'd essentially be a make-your-own taco situation since it came with tortillas.  What we got was soup.  And it was almost more of a pot roast type meal.  Broth (awesome, flavorful, meaty and spicy broth, but still, broth), chunks of meat (and a few pieces of bone), carrots, potatoes, chickpeas...yeah.  Not exactly what we had imagined it would be.  Come on, people, how about some accurate menu descriptions!  Also, even though we told our waitress we'd be splitting it, they didn't put it into two bowls for us.  I don't expect that every time I split something--that would get obnoxious--but if the entree is a soup?  Come on, throw us a bone (or a bowl, as the case may be).  So it was nearly impossible for us to both eat at the same time.  Again, it did have great flavor, but it was a downer, for sure.  Not the way to end a meal.

I've always had more luck with the starters at Black Market than the entrees.  The only entree I can remember loving is the pork schnitzel that used to be on the menu all the time.  Hopefully they'll bring it back some day!  In the meantime, I'll stick with the starters.

Website:  Black Market

Room Four: Quick Revisit

A few weeks ago, Tim and I popped into Room Four for dinner and I had one of the best meals I've had since...well, probably since the last time I was at Room Four.  Hey, guess what!  I like Room Four!

We started by sharing the truffle potato leek soup with grilled salmon ($10).  It was so, so good.  The leeks gave it that distinctive leekish mild-onion flavor and the potatoes were partially blended to give it a velvety quality (along with some cream, I'm sure).  It was peppery and the salmon had a slightly smokey grilled flavor (thanks to the char marks on it).  Actually, the char marks may have been my least favorite part--I wanted to taste the soup itself and felt the smoke was too dominant--but Tim said he really liked that aspect.  Different strokes for different folks!  I didn't taste much truffle, but it wasn't much of a loss as I've decided I'm not a huge fan of truffle (some people just don't jive with the flavor of truffles, and I think I'm one of those).  And yes, we've had a version of this soup before, only with different fish.

For my main, I had pan roasted hake, a fish  I'd never had before but ended up loving.  It was served in a brown butter sauce that also had capers and olives in it, and sat on top of some fennel and 'crushed' potatoes ($17). The hake itself was well seasoned and had a bit of color on it from the pan roasting.  It was cooked through, but remained so tender and juicy!  And that brown butter sauce...man, I need to learn to make it at home.  Killer.  It was luxurious, and with the tangy brined olives and capers it was completely addictive.  The potatoes and fennel (and I'm pretty sure spinach, also--it's been awhile so my memory's fuzzy, but I think I see it in the pic) combined with the fish to make a perfect buttery, briney, creamy, potato-y, fennel-y bite.

Website:  Room Four

On The Road: Portland, Maine

Clam Chowdah

No posts for over a week.  Sorry about that!  But my family has been on a road trip to the East Coast for Spring Break, so no local Indianapolis dining has occurred lately.

Fried Clams

I will share a few pics of food from our trip, though.  In particular, two of the best meals we had were in Portland, Maine.  We only spent one day there, but loved the little bit we got to see.  We'd like to return, and when we do, these restaurants are likely to be on our To Do list.

We stopped at the Fisherman's Grill for lunch.  It was located away from the docks, but had great reviews on Yelp, so we decided to give it a try.  So glad we did!  Tim and I split some clam chowder, an order of the "Best Fried Clams Ev-ah!" (as the sign out front boasted), and a lobster roll.  The chowder was flavorful with a strong potato-onion base and lots of clams.  The fried clams were, indeed, some of the best I've ever had--very tender, and accompanied by the best (probably house-made) tarter sauce I've ever had. 

Lobstah Roll

And the lobster roll--oh, man.  I'm not normally a big lobster fan.  I think it's often overcooked when you get it here in the midwest.  But this was sweet, perfectly cooked and tossed in a light coating of mayo, and was overflowing from a buttery bun with just a touch of lettuce for freshness.  Not cheap, but worth it.

Charlie Noble

Also in Portland was The Blue Rooster Food Company, a sandwich shop that had opened just a few days prior to our visit.  We were looking at the menu of the neighboring Mexican restaurant when the owner/chef himself, Damian Sansonetti (apparently a bit of a local Chef-lebrity, although we didn't realize that at the time) popped his head out and invited us to try his place.  It's a sandwich shop, but no ordinary one.  There were several interesting options on the menu, but I felt like going a bit (theoretically) lighter so I opted for the "Charlie Noble" sandwich--brined turkey sliced deli thin, brussels sprout slaw, and a horseradish mayo.  It was pretty delish, with the slaw and horseradish giving the turkey a bit of a kick. 

Tator Tottine

Tim and I also split the "Tottine," a twist on the Canadian favorite poutine (fries topped with gravy and cheese curds), this time made with tator tots.  We were fighting over who had eaten more and whose turn it was to hold the box they were in, so I'd say those were also a hit!
 
 Neither location has a working website, but the links above should give you all the info needed if you happen to be planning a trip to Maine!