Buttitta’s Pizzeria
12664 East 116th Street
Fishers, Indiana 46037
http://www.buttittaspizzeria.com

This review is a revisit for the blog but a first visit for me after IndianapolisEater reviewed Buttitta’s back in April of 2012. IndianpolisEater made the comment that after trying one of Buttitta’s specialty pizzas, he would have like a more traditional pizza better. In this revisit, I went to Buttitta’s seeking good traditional pizza a step above what you might get at a chain pizza place.

Buttitta’s is the closest place to my home to get pizza, so my plan was to stop and pick up on my way home from work on a Friday. I called at 4:30 to place an order and got now answer or recording. After arriving home and going to their web page, I found that they do not open on until 5PM and close for an Italian rest break in the afternoon from 2:30-5:00. Do they really get more orders at 2PM on a Friday that 4:30? It took extra effort to go back out on a Friday night to make this pizza experience happen.

What I Got: Large (16″) Pizza; $14.95, with sausage, pepperoni & mushrooms at $1.25 a topping. The Total cost with tax $20.24

When I arrived to pick up my order, I saw a sign on their window that said something to the order of come in and taste the difference of our pizza vs. chain pizza. The high expectations had been set. Considering that the cost for this three topping pizza was twice that of a supreme at a chain store, the pizza needed to live up to the hype including high quality ingredients. Fresh mushrooms are a must to me when ordering a pizza I had no doubt this pizza had fresh mushrooms. The crust was good and firm which is always appreciated on a thin crust pizza. That sauce was not sweet and loaded with sugar and had a more rich tomato taste to it. Although this gave the pizza a solid base, I did not like how much crust there was and want to see my sauce and cheese come out nearly to the edge of the pizza. With such a big crust, the pizza felt more like a medium. It was a large pizza box but the pizza certainly did not fill the box.

The real problem with this pizza was the toppings. Where were they? If you look at the picture, it is hard to differentiate between the chunks of sausage and the mushrooms but there was not a piece of pizza with more than three pieces of sausage with some have only two or one. It is bad when you are counting toppings to decide what piece you are going to eat. The mushrooms were spread so thin that you on occasionally got a taste of mushroom on the pizza. Nearly half the pizza did not have cheese. Between the large crust and nearly two in of pizza next to the crust where you only see sauce, this pizza had half the cheese it should have. Cheese preserves the sauce and as a result, this pizza was dry unless you were eating the portion from the middle of the pie.

What I Got: Breadsticks (8) Pizza; $5.00 + and additional $.50 for cheese.

Buttitta’s has coupons on www.coupons4indy.com and I got these breadsticks for free with the coupon and I paid for the cheese cup. Maybe I should not complain, but the when I called and ordered, I was asked what kind of dip I wanted and cheese was one of the choices I was given. The employee taking my order did not tell me there was an additional charge for anything besides pizza sauce. I don’t mind paying if I am told there is an additional cost. The cheese I got was cold and tasted like it was straight out of a can.
The breadsticks I got are not what I would qualify as breadsticks. They should have been called garlic sticks. Don’t get me wrong, I like garlic, but these sticks, which seemed to be some kind of whole wheat or multi-grain sticks, were absolutely coated in what seemed like a pasty butter to hold on chunks of garlic. It was overpowering and I did not like the texture or taste.

Would I Buy It Again? Absolutely Not! Many places, I am willing to give a second chance to but this place was so far off target and the cost being twice as much as chain pizza and not being as good was a complete disappointment. The difference I tasted was not a good one. You can get much better breadsticks for $3.99 a block away at HotBox Pizza. As for the pizza, if you want a great thin crust pizza that is of high quality and loaded with toppings and plentiful cheese in the same price range, check out these two reviews I did at Greek’s and Nancy’s Pizza in Fishers.

-EatHSE

Taco Bell
http://www.tacobell.com/

When I first heard about the idea of a Doritos taco shell, I thought why hasn’t this been done before and why did it take this long? Taco Bell had a great idea and I knew it was sure to drive traffic into their restaurants. I am not a regular visitor to Taco Bell preferring the Qdoba and Chipotle’s of the world and I am a burrito guy but the idea of a Dorito taco had me willing to make a rare visit to Taco Bell. There are two versions of the Doritos Loco Taco with the regular costing about $1.19 depending on location and the supreme at $1.49.

What I Got: Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme $1.49

The only difference in the regular and supreme version of the Doritos Locos Taco has the supreme including both tomato and sour cream. Being on a strict calorie count, I ordered the supreme to get the tomato but passed on the sour cream. Other than the Doritos shell, you are paying 50 cents more a taco just for the shell. The taco I received was fresh and the Dorito shell was crunchy. It is served with a cardboard holder to try and limit the amount of cheese you get on your hands but I found this to not really be needed as the taco shell seemed to have less cheese than a Dorito chip. The taco had the typical ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato combination a typical Taco Bell taco has on the menu.

Would I Buy It Again? Yes for the regular and No to the supreme. With all the ingredients included in a Taco Bell taco, there was little taste gained by having the Dorito shell. I cannot justify paying 50 cents more for a few tomatoes and glob of sour cream. I would be willing to try the regular again to see if the taco shells share the same consistency in cheese coating. If you like the regular taco at Taco Bell, you can’t really go wrong with this taco but I cannot say it is worth a trip to Taco Bell to try it or worth the extra money for the Dorito shell. My prediction is the Doritos Locos Taco will disappear from the menu in less than a year.

-EatHSE

Hearthstone Coffee House & Pub
8235 E. 116th St.
Fishers, Indiana 46038
http://www.hearthstonecoffee.com

For months in the Fall of 2011, I drove past the Hearthstone location in Fishers and watched its slow transformation. Opening just after this past Christmas, I have been looking forward to it giving Fishers a new local gathering place a try. Their Facebook page is active and there are constantly new photos posted showing this place to be busy in the evenings with live entertainment multiple nights each week along with trivia nights and open mic nights. For St. Patrick’s Day, Jameson shots will be the special with no minors after 4:00 PM. When the Starbuck’s drive through was packed, I decided to stop by and give Hearthstone a try for breakfast.

What I Drank: Large Tanzanian Peaberry Coffee; $2.50.

I like bold “diesel fuel” coffee with enough caffeine to get any sleep-deprived human rolling in the morning and Sumatra at Starbuck’s is usually my choice. I ask what the strongest coffee they had brewed that morning was and the Tanzania was poured for me. At $2.50, it is slightly more expensive than a Venti at Starbucks. However, I would be more than happy to pay that extra any day with the quality of the travel cup their coffee was served in. The container was firm and there was no flex to the lid making you feel like the lid would pop off at any time like a Venti at Starbuck’s. The coffee was bold but smooth and did not have any of that burnt taste you sometimes get from a Starbuck’s. The Tanzania is one of the best cups of black coffee I have had and I will go back for more.

What I Ate: Flatbread Caprese; $2.99.

The Caprese is a toasted flatbread with melted mozzarella, egg white, fresh basil and fresh tomato slice. I am a meat eater but decided to go with the healthier option since I was on my way to work from the gym. The tomato was ripe and fresh and it was toasted just long enough not to make the tomato mushy but still melting the cheese but not allow the egg to get rubbery. I really enjoyed having something different for breakfast that was somewhat healthy.

Would I Buy It Again? Yes. I enjoyed everything that I ordered and the service was friendly and local. Hearthstone fits a unique niche in Fishers providing quality drinks including some interesting specially cocktails, shoots and a wide range of coffee drinks you would find at any other coffee house while offering a limited food menu and keeping the focus to what they do best. Drinks and entertainment. One addition they could provide to their drink menu would be to add and specialize in serving good Irish Coffee. It is one of my favorite drinks and would make it a destination for many people. I sent an email to their owners to see if they offered them and they were just not on the menu or if they would consider adding Irish coffee to the menu. Their website indicates they want feedback and I think it is disappointing that I have not gotten a response. So yes, I would buy it again but will not give it a full endorsement until Irish Coffee hits their menu.

-EatHSE

Burger King
http://www.bk.com/

French Fries come in many forms and everyone has their personal preference. For instance, the worst fries in my opinion belong to Steak ‘n Shake. They are nothing more than thin skins that get cold quickly. In the 1990s, Burger King changed their fries and the coating has long been hated by the majority of people who eat their fries. Listening to customer complaints over a long period of time, BK finally decided to improve their French Fries.

What I Got: New Thick Cut Small Fries; $1.00.

BK claims that their new fries are thicker and have more flavor. My wife and I shared the 240 calorie value menu version as seen in the picture. My wife is a loyal McDonald’s French fry eater. The fries I received were hot and fresh and had more salt than what I typically get at McDonald’s. The new thicker cut adds more potato to the inside of the fry and there is more flavor to the exterior coating.

Would I Buy It Again? Yes. The change in fries at Burger King is a big improvement and combined with that flame broiled taste, I now prefer BK over McDonald’s and so did my wife. Of the Big three, her favorite is now BK while BK moves to second behind Wendy’s on my list. For both of us, McDonald’s has fallen to last on the chart. If you did not like BK’s change in the 90s and like more potato in your fries, then I think you will enjoy the change.

-EatHSE

Happy Dragon
11670 Commercial Drive, Suite 400
Fishers, IN 46038
www.happydragonfishers.com

In the last month, two new Asian/Chinese restaurants have opened in Fishers including Asia Bistro and Happy Dragon. In this first of two reviews, I take a first look at Happy Dragon.

What I Ate:

Crab Rangoon (6): $4.39.

It seemed like this Crab Rangoon was the standard fare frozen kind that was just tossed into the fryer.  I would pass on this and go with one of their many other options like their fried dumplings.

Fried Dumplings (8): $4.79.

Nice size portion for the price and fried with just a bit of crispiness but not crunch.  Dipping sauce was soy based and nothing special, yet the combination worked well.  Above average dumplings and portions size earns my recommendation here.

Shrimp Lo Mein: $5.79.

The older I get, the more I appreciate a simple, but good lo mein.  The noodles were cooked perfectly and the sauce covering was enough to provide a lot of taste without overdoing it and making it runny like you find at other places.  A good quantity of shrimp that were not overcooked and veggies had nice crunch.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes.  I enjoyed what I ordered and their large menu leaves plenty of other options to try.  Prices on average seem a bit lower than other local completion, service speed was reasonable and the cleanliness of the facility was above average.  I will be revisiting Happy Dragon after they are more established to try some other menu items and see if the standards remain high.

-EatHSE

Qdoba
http://www.qdoba.com/

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I find if I eat a more substantial breakfast, I am less likely to snack throughout the day.  The breakfast burrito at Qdoba has always been one of my favorites, so I decided to give their quesadilla a try.

What I Had:  Spicy Chorizo Breakfast Quesadilla; $7.00.

With the breakfast quesadilla, you can go small with a  ten inch shell or larger with the 12.5″ shell, which is what you see in the photo. I went with the chorizo but you can also choose to go with grilled chicken or meatless with cheese only.  As much as I enjoy Qdoba’s grilled chicken, it just doesn’t seem right for breakfast.  You can add extra meat for a small feel but that makes this menu item and even worse health option.  Eggs and potatoes are both optional and I went with just the eggs.  All of Qdoba’s salsa options are available for breakfast and I went with the Pico and their Salsa Roja.  I liked how even the quesadilla was even though it was loaded and the evenly distributed ingredients including egg, salsa, cheese and chorizo made this work.   The quesadilla never got sloppy and held up making it easy to eat.  Even when I re-warmed a piece the next day, it maintained its consistency and the spice from the chorizo and salsa really worked well for me.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, on occasion.   If the breakfast quesadilla was not so bad for you, I would get it frequently, but the high fat and sodium content makes this go into the category of a rare treat.  I split this over two days and I think it tasted even better re-warmed the next day.  I still like Qdoba’s breakfast burrito better as long as you get there when they first open in the morning and everything is fresh.  If you don’t the potatoes in the burrito are like rubber and that is when I would pass on the burrito and go for the quesadilla.

Note: Not all Qdoba locations are open for breakfast.

-EatHSE

Nutritional Facts

Total serving size (oz): 18.58 oz

Selected Items**

Shredded Cheese, 12.5in Flour Tortilla”, Pork Sausage, Eggs, Pico de Gallo, Salsa Roja,

Brewster’s Italian Cafe
11 West Merchant Street
New Buffalo, MI 49117
http://www.brewstersitaliancafe.com

Brewster’s is a small Italian Café in New Buffalo, Michigan located just north of the Indiana border a couple of blocks off of Lake Michigan.  Although New Buffalo gets dumped on with lake effect snow all winter long, it is a summer hotspot for summer vacationers and the Chicago crowd escaping the city.  The menu at Brewster’s changes every day for both lunch and dinner making each visit a unique experience.  This local owned café is a small establishment with a small indoor dining room along with tables beside the kitchen so you can watch all of the action.  During the summer, there is a private shaded patio that with the cool Lake Michigan breeze gives visitors an opportunity to dine and enjoy the environment.  The bar has a large beer selection including local brews from Michigan and a wine selection that gives diners plenty of choices.

Along with a la carte choices, which I list the individual prices of each menu item I reviewed below, you can choose the Dinner for Two if you are on a date. Dinner for Two includes smaller portions but provides a salad, pizza, entrée, and desert for $32.99.  Some entree items such as the shrimp my wife and I chose add an additional charge of up to $6 and an additional $1.50 for the specialty pizza making our diner $40.49.  I have copied the Dinner For Two description from their website below:

DINNER FOR TWO     $32.99

You each begin with a House Salad, then you’ll split a pizza, followed by your choice of one of this evening’s Entrees.  Cookies and coffee are included for Dessert  $32.99
(Please add 1 for the Classico,3 for the Chicken and 6 for the Carne or Fruitta Di Mare)

What We Got:

Gazpacho; $3.99:  Gazpacho is a raw tomato-based Spanish/Portuguese soup primarily served during the summer since it is served cold and there is a more abundant variety of seasonal vegetables to choose from.  The Gazpacho is not part of the Dinner For Two but was actually my favorite dish of the whole night.  The soup was acidic and bold, yet refreshing on this hot summer day.  The teaspoon of sour cream added a base to balance the acidity.  I am hoping our readers can point me to some Indianapolis area restaurants that serve a good Gazpacho.

House Salad:  The salad was simple with spinach leaves, a few croutons, shredded cheese (probably parmesan) and a homemade Italian dressing that works well.  The salad is nothing special but gets the job done.

Pizza with Crispy Pancetta, Baby Spinach and Scallions on a Gorgonzola Base; $11.99.

The pizza was very rich and we only ate half of it but enjoyed our choice.  The crust at Brewster’s appears to be made in a wood burning oven giving it that nice crisp finish.  I did not see a wood burning stove in the kitchen but appreciated the effort.  Although I enjoyed this pizza, I would probably save the $1.50 and choose one of their more basic pizzas leaving you with more room for your entrée and dessert.

Tiger Shrimp, Brussels Sprouts, Broccolini and a Carrot & Bacon Sofritto; $23.99:  I always have a high appreciation of Italian cooking that does not include pasta.  This dish was cooked with butter and the addition of a small amount of bacon grease giving it a rich and salty flavor.  Many people hate Brussel Sprouts but I say they just haven’t had them prepared correctly.  The sprouts in this dish were fresh and did not include the water or mushiness of thawed sprouts.  Cooked on the grill, they maintained the firmness but had unbelievable flavor.  Ingredients were proportional but the six shrimp was a disappointment for two people sharing a meal.

Dessert.  Cookie and Coffee:

I had the white macadamia nut and my wife went with the oatmeal raisin.  These might be made in house, but if I remember correctly, I think a local bakery brings them in.  Regardless, they are good cookies to go along with Brewster’s own coffee.  The coffee has a nice kick to it but not overly bold like you find at some coffee houses.  Although it is not on the menu, you can ask to buy a pound of the coffee ground or whole bean for $10 if you ask.

Would I It Again?  Yes, without a doubt.  This was my second visit to Brewster’s in a year and both times I walked away impressed and completely satisfied.  On this visit, I sat next to the kitchen and watched the operation.  The kitchen was spotless and organized.  There was a visible head chef in charge and the kitchen ran smoothly with three chefs under his direction. Yes, the chef uses a clean pan for every dish he makes and at many places, they do not do this and you end up getting food that has flavors from another dish that should not be there.  Service is outstanding in that drinks were constantly full, the table was never empty of food including the in house mad bread and oil and I never felt like anything was pushed on me by the server.  The environment is local with the smallness of the restaurant, and the Bell’s Oberon Ale Kalamazoo, MI that I drank.  If you are ever headed to Northwest Indiana or through that area of Michigan, stop by and get some great authentic Italian food for dinner or even one of their homemade deli sandwiches or frittatas for lunch.

Can a reader recommend a Gazpacho that comes close to matching theirs in the Indianapolis area?

-EatHSE

Dragon House Chinese Eatery
7260 Fishers Crossing Drive
Fishers, IN 46038
http://www.dragonhousefishers.com

Dragon House has been in a strip mall where there is frequent turnover of stores and restaurants at the corner of 116^th Street and Allisonville Road for over ten years.  About ten years ago just after the restaurant opened, I gave it a try and had a bad experience saying I would never go back.  Over time, they must be doing something right to survive in this location and have consistent recommendation word of mouth from many people who live in Fishers locally.

I arrived at just after 4:30 and no food was on the buffet.  By 4:45PM, it was fully stocked and ready for me to try at its freshest best.

What I Got:  Dinner Buffet; $9.25.

Plate 1:  Sorry for the blurriness of the picture.  Spicy Sour soup is a favorite of mine and although this was not my favorite ever, it was one of the best and I ended up have two cups.  The fried rice was what you would expect with good ratios of everything that comes in fried rice and well done overall.  The buffet had an abundance of deep fried breaded items (too many for me), but the crab rangoon was solid with good size pouches of crab.  The crab claw on the right side of the plate was a two bite treat that I got each trip back to the buffet.  Although I like dark meat chicken, I do not like it deep fried for sweet ‘n sour chicken and the lack of white meat was a disappointment.  With the fried rice, I got a fresh mushroom bourbon chicken that I enjoyed, with a sauce that was not too salty.  Overall, plate 1 was a winner.

Plate 2:  This time I tried the Egg Drop soup and although it was not as good as the spicy sour, it was still above average.  I like how there is a bowl of fresh green onions on the buffet next to the soup you can add to garnish and give your soup a little more taste.  The Lo Mein was not as good as what you can get from China Wok in Fishers, but did the job and was still above average.  The Szechuan chicken was done well and the vegetables were fresh but lacked spice.

Would I It Again?  Yes and No.  Although I liked what I had in general, there was little I loved so much that I would want to go back very often.  The buffet had too many deep fried items and not enough traditional dishes to eat with rice and that was a big problem for me.  There was also no seafood to be found and I have been to better buffets than this that at least offered fresh shrimp.  There was a small dessert bar, but they did not look appealing to me.  With these problems and a $9.25 price, I cannot recommend the dinner buffet.  However, at $7.25 for lunch that also includes dumplings not found on the dinner buffet, you can have some good soup and a good rice and chicken dish and walk away satisfied with your Chinese food craving having been met.

-EatHSE