Xoco
449 Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/xoco.html

I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago and found myself unexpectedly free from a scheduled business dinner.  It was a perfect chance to change out of the suit and hit Xoco.  This is Rick Bayless’ take on Mexican street/market food.  The place opened in 2009 and I’ve tried on a couple of occasions to eat there but was driven away by long lines or the joint being closed (no service on Sundays or Mondays).  Rick Bayless to me is friggin’ genius.  He doesn’t seem to be the maniacal self-promoter like Bobby Flay, but he has a command of the genre that dwarfs Bobby.  I watched an Iron Chef America “Battle” several years ago where Bayless and Flay squared off.  When Bayless eventually lost to Flay the look in Rick’s eyes said, “What the !@#$ am I doing here?”  I haven’t watched that show since.

The literal translation of Xoco is “little sister”, which is an obvious tip of the hat to Frontera and Topolobampo the two cornerstone restaurants of Bayless.  Xoco is located next door to these two so you really have an entire block of ridiculously good Mexican food.  Xoco is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with extended dinner hours for those late-night cravings.

What I Got: Chips and Salsa to begin, Torta Choriqueso, Classic Mexican Sipping Chocolate and Churro with Chocolate dipping sauce; ~$18.00.

Let’s start with the chips and salsa; great, hearty, slightly thick chips with both a red roasted pepper picante and a Salsa Verde.  Great salsa!  I make green salsa all the time and wish mine were this good, little specks of charred peppers and tomatillos with a good kick of heat and an herby cilantro finish.  I killed the basket.

The Torta Choriqueso as you probably guessed was house made Chorizo with roasted poblano, house Jack cheese and a tomatillo salsa.  The sandwich was served on a wonderful crusty bun that gave way to a spongy, light interior.  The Chorizo had just that hint of crispiness that I love with a salty/spicy richness.  Really good.

I finished with the Churro.  The ordering process at Xoco is more cafeteria style in that you order at the counter and then walk down the line to get your drinks and food.  The hostess told me that she’d keep an eye on me and would deliver the Churro when I finished my Torta so that it would fresh and hot.  I really appreciated that.  The Churro was indeed hot and covered in a cinnamon/sugar mix.  Pretty standard presentation but the Chocolate dipping sauce took it to a new level.  The sauce was dark and slightly bitter, but as you  dipped the Churro the cinnamon/sugar mixed with the Chocolate sweetening the sauce with every successive dip.  Pure unadulterated evil genius.

Finally, I had the Classic sipping chocolate which is the traditional  Chocolate mixed with 2% milk.  I don’t like coffee and in general don’t drink anything that is hot.  Yeah, I’m weird.  However, I’d drink one of these twice a day if it were of this quality; rich, creamy, chocolate.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes!  Can’t wait to get back there.  The entire meal cost me about $18 in downtown Chicago.  Amazing.

-Smokin DB

Dianna’s Diner
5015 East Stop 11 Road
Indianapolis, Indiana 46237

My wife and daughter were out of town and I didn’t feel like cooking a few weeks ago, so I was looking for someplace new.  I had a really stressful day of work and was just looking for some comfort food.  What better place to find that than a diner?  I recalled that Dianna’s Diner opened in the former home of a Huddle House Hamburger stand, so I gave it a shot.  Nestled between a Ritter’s Ice Cream and a Speedway station at Emerson and Stop 11, the surroundings aren’t exactly picturesque but you can’t eat scenery, right?

What I Had:  Beef Manhattan.

The menu is full of the typical diner fare including breakfast served all day, but I saw the sign for that night’s special and I knew that I had to have it.  In my mind, there is no more comforting food than something with mashed potatoes and slopped with gravy.  Okay, okay…Mac and Cheese, you’re right.

Classically served on white bread over mashed potatoes with a side of green beans, this was a really attractive plate.  The mashed potatoes first got my attention and they were good.  Clearly re-constituted from buds, they were still light and buttery.  The beef itself was sort of dull.   A deli-style thin cut, it wasn’t the highest quality but there was a good amount of it and it was hot and satisfying.  Gravy is literally the glue that brings this dish together and this was just the right viscosity and color.   With a peppery bite, I liked it.  The beans were outstanding.  Cooked with salt-pork they were delicious.  Clearly the only thing in the offering that swerved away from what I would describe as institutional food.  But you know what, it hit just right note with me.  I was full, satisfied and happy.

Would I Buy It Again?  Sure!   Just goes to show you that you don’t have to be eating the latest from Bobby Flay, John Besh or one of the other so-called celebrity chefs to have a meal that actually changes the trajectory of your day.

Next time:  TURKEY Manhattan.

-Smokin DB

Good Morning Mama’s Cafe
1001 E. 54th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46220
http://www.goodmorningmamas.com

Good Morning Mama’s is a breakfast and lunch only place owned by the same folks that run Mama Carrolla’s Italian restaurant.  Open just 8:00 a.m.  to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday thru Sunday, this place just has to do it right to stay in business.  We tried to get in on a Sunday morning several weeks ago and the wait was crazy, so we passed.  The opportunity presented itself for a late lunch during the week so my wife and I took it.

Once inside I was surprised that the place is pretty darn big.  With the outside patio seating, Good Morning Mama’s can handle a crowd.  I liked the vibe of a dressed-up old gas station with clean, retro décor.

What I Had:  The Full Boat; $8.99.

I was in the mood for breakfast at nearly 1:00 p.m., so I was happy that breakfast is served all day.  The Full Boat consists of two eggs your way, fried potatoes, biscuit with sausage gravy and choice of meat.  Make mine bacon please.  The eggs were perfectly cooked over-easy and the fried potatoes mixed chunky, crispy planks with soft buttery rounds…nice.  I think there were five or six strips of tasty thinly sliced bacon, not a skimpy strip or two.  The sore spot was on the separate place of biscuits and sausage gravy.  The gravy was fine, sort of standard issue sausage gravy as it was good but not anything outstanding.  The biscuit short-circuited the entire plate by being dry and hard.  Not even the hot gravy could soften this thing.  It was late in the day and that may provide a bit of cover for the stale biscuit, but I am surprised that the cook put this thing out for consumption.  It had to be hard to miss how badly this thing was past due.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, with hesitation.  Let’s face it, it should not be a stretch for any professional kitchen to deliver a competent breakfast.  While this breakfast was good, the fact that a biscuit of this vintage made it to my table makes me wonder if they are really paying attention, particularly if you only serve breakfast and lunch.  I’ll give this place another try and report back.

-Smokin DB

Notre Dame Stadium
University of Notre Dame Campus (God’s Country)

Yep, I’m reviewing a hot dog from a game at Notre Dame.  I have to give credit to my wife who suggested that I do so.  If you think about it, for those of us who attending sporting events, eating at those events can complete the experience.  My dad has been a Notre Dame season ticket holder since 1964 and I went there for Grad School.  There is just no way that I could attend a game and not eat a hot dog.  If I missed the hot dog my experience, not to mention my stomach, would be somewhat empty.

It is not lost on professional and amateur teams that the food served at the venue can enrich the experience of the fan and not coincidentally create a tremendous revenue stream.  Some teams stick to the basics and focus on executing them well.  Others offer a veritable food bazaar with local ethnic options or wild combinations.  Whether it be the Polish at U.S. Cellular Field, the 5-way Chili at Great American Ballpark or the simple dog at Notre Dame, as usual, I’m always ready to eat.

What I had:  Do I even have to say?

Before Notre Dame Stadium was renovated in 1997 the hot dogs were cooked in each concession stand.  There was huge copper kettle boiling like mad filled to the brim with, you guessed it, hot dogs.  The dogs were slapped on a fresh bun, wrapped in a foil-lined paper wrapper and piled high in steam bins waiting for me and tens of thousands of others to devour.  The weight of the dogs would crush the steamy buns and they would sometimes get a little mushy but still be delicious.  I don’t know the brand of the dog but I’m guessing that it’s a Vienna from Chicago.  Now the dogs are cooked elsewhere, a commissary on campus I think, and then delivered to each stand.  Still wrapped in foil, they continue to steam and the bun is tissue paper soft.  The condiment bar consists of yellow French’s Mustard, Heinz Ketchup and bins of diced onion and bottled pickle relish. 

At Notre Dame nothing and I mean NOTHING is without tradition and ritual even eating friggin’ hot dog.  I buy two prior to going to my seat, load them with mustard and onion and shove them in my pocket.  I’m typically too fired-up to eat them so I take in the pageantry, the national anthem and probably most of the first quarter before I pull out the first.  The bun is soft, steamy and crushed a bit from my pocket of course.  The dog itself is everything a dog should be; a snappy skin breaking way to a juicy, slightly spicy and peppery interior.  Perfection does not have to arrive on Royal Daulton China.  Sometimes it comes in a paper lined foil wrapper.

Would I Buy It Again?  Do I have to say it?  Of course I would.

-Smokin DB

Maker’s Mark Bourbon House and Lounge at Indiana Live Casino
4300 N. Michigan Road
Shelbyville, IN 46176
http://www.Indianalivecasino.com

I’m not a big gambler.  As most of you can surmise, I’d rather spend my money on good food and drinks.  That being said, I’ve been to the Indiana Live Casino a few times with friends and generally had a good time.  Since we had a babysitter, my wife and I decided to at least try to act like adults, go to a nice restaurant and try to talk about something other than the frequency and quality of our kid’s bowel movements.  I can’t tell you exactly why the Maker’s Mark Bourbon house and Lounge was even on our radar, but we made reservations and away we went.

The décor is stylish and relaxing.  I’m sure the walk-up business is big so I was glad to have made reservations as the place was nearly full.  And here comes my bitch:  is it possible to for people to wear something other than a crappy hoodie to a decent restaurant?  I know it’s Shelbyville but seriously.  When I’ve made an effort to dress well, I hate being surrounded by people in gear that looks as if they just came from cleaning out their gutters.  There was a guy three tables away rocking the Guy Fieri look.  I am talking the spiky white hair, visor, shorts with flip-flops and even the stupid sweatband on the arm.  Dude!  I know this blog is strictly about what I ate, but I just had to get that off my chest.  We now return to normal programming:

What I Had:  King Crab Legs, 1.5 pounds of ‘em.

Okay, let me back up a bit.  We started off with a nice bread basket with good quality butter.  I ordered the old-school Baby Iceberg Wedge Salad which comes with Blue Cheese Dressing, Blue Cheese crumbles, bacon, grape tomatoes and crispy onions.  I gave up red meat for lent so hold the bacon please.  It was Blue Cheese Overload.  A little blue goes a long way and I thought this was overdone. 

So yeah, I ordered the King Crab Leg Special.  One rule that I try to follow is to know where the hell you are eating.  By that I mean don’t go to a Mexican joint and order a plate of spaghetti.  It may be on the menu but you are just looking for trouble if you order it.  Seafood at a steakhouse is, for me at least, a grey area in terms of this rule.  Most decent steakhouses have a good surf & turf option, so they have the capability to handle seafood with a degree of competence.  My intention was to order the butter poached halibut but for some reason the King Crab Legs special just struck me and soon they were sitting in a pile in front of me.

Served split in half with the obligatory drawn butter.  They were not very good.  To begin when they are served split the crab naturally cools off very quickly and while crab salad is great, cold crab is not.  I found the meat to be a bit mealy in spots and honestly several pieces we just flat out cold.  As in, not cooked properly cold and it was very disappointing.  I didn’t send them back but I should have. 

My wife loved her steak, by the way.

Would I Buy It Again?  Not a chance.  The King Crab Leg special was $49.99 tag on an extra four bucks for the salad plus beer and this was a meal that was very nearly as expensive as it was unsatisfying.

-Smokin DB

Review: Augustino’s
8028 South Emerson Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46237
http://www.augustinosindy.com

Italian food.  What’s not to like?  Sure there are tons of red-sauce emporiums around but there are also the more adventurous places that can take the world’s second most influential cuisine (Yeah, France at least you are number one at something other than being annoying) to new heights.  I’m easy; I like ‘em both.  Honestly it’s going to take a couple more visits for me to tell you with any certainty where Augustino’s fits.  I’ve had a few of my south-side brethren speak highly of the place so I decided to give it a try for lunch.  The décor is very comfortable and actually felt more fine-dining than strip-mall storefront.

What I had: I read in Indianapolis Monthly that the Italian wedding soup was good so I started with that and shared the Toasted Ravioli appetizer with my wife.

Before I get to those I have got to say something about the bread basket delivered to our table.  It was fantastic.  Hot and crusty with just the right amount of reluctance before giving way to reveal a wonderful spongy interior.  A slather of butter and I was very happy.  The Toasted Ravioli arrived and the too uniform appearance leads me to believe that they are not house-made and rather than toasted in a pan, I’m guessing deep fried.  Nonetheless, they were tasty, half with a beef filling and half with cheese., served with Alfredo and Marina served with a swirl in the same bowl for dipping.  Nice.

A cup of wedding soup was next.  My wife is a former regional manager for a high-end food manufacturer and one of the best things they made was Italian Wedding soup.  I think that Augustino’s is buying this soup. It was good but again, I just didn’t think it was house-made.

For my entree, I ordered the “Supreme Sausage Sandwich.”  If you’ve read more than just a couple of my reviews you know that I am a sausage junkie (Yeah, I just wrote that).  This really is a knife and fork sandwich for a couple reasons:  first, it is piled with sliced sausage coins, peppers, onions and cheese on that awesome bread and is just impossible to pick up and second, it was as hot as the face of the sun.  It was also really good.  I could have used a bit more sausage but that’s just me.  The pepper/onion mix tasted as if it was simmered in the generous marinara giving it a nice spicy bite.  Did I mention this was really good?

Would I Buy It Again?  Sure. The food was really well prepared, attention to detail was evident and it tasted good.  I do want to return for dinner so that I can see what else this kitchen can do.  I can’t remember what I paid for it but it was worth it so who cares?

-Smokin DB

India Diner
8810 South Emerson Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46237

I love Indian food.  I really didn’t start eating it with regularity until about ten years ago, but once I discovered this cuisine, I was totally hooked.  The dichotomy of creamy dairy based sauces that are also, in some cases, fiery hot is delicious.   The number of spices and techniques involved also make it a cuisine that has an infinite number of variations keeping dishes interesting and adventurous

Unfortunately, I found most of the Indian in Indianapolis to be on the boring side.  A dumbed down version devoid of the heat and complex flavors of the really good Indian that I have eaten elsewhere.  I primarily eat Indian at lunch via the ubiquitous buffet (My daughter has some food allergies so this is my best chance to eat Indian).  I get that you are trying to hit the lowest common denominator with this type of service but really, the blandness of dishes that I was experiencing was killing me.  Then I tried India Diner.  Yep, just a couple doors down from the newly expanded Brozinni Pizza.

India Diner is your typical store-front Indian joint; clean but somewhat dull interior dominated by a long buffet line.  What’s on that line makes it anything but typical.  It’s Indian food with the spiciness and depth of flavor that I crave.

What I Got:  I usually graze these things, sampling small bites of a variety of dishes on the first pass and then absolutely destroy it on subsequent trips and there was no breaking from routine here.  First trip was red onion chutney that was great.  I also got Lamb Vindallu, Vegetable Pakora, Dal Makhni, Palak Paneer, Tandoori Chicken and finally Punjabi Curry.  I don’t eat a lot of lamb but this was exceptional.  Tender and moist with a brilliant red sauce of yogurt and spices.  Heat was medium for me, but far beyond the Vindallu I’ve had elsewhere in the city. Pakora is a breaded fried fritter and this was really good, not greasy but again with a nice hit of spice, not heat, just spice. Dal Makhni is a vegetarian lentil based curry that is less about dairy but still manages to be creamy and full of flavor.  Palak Paneer also vegetarian is spinach cooked with a mild, slightly dry Indian cheese that I have had many times.  The danger here is the cheese, in spite of swimming in a very mild yet complex sauce, can get tough and dry.  But not here, where it’s really good.  The Tandoori Chicken with the to-be-expected Chicken Tikka (yeah, I killed this on trip #2) is great as well as it was correctly spiced and not overcooked.  The unexpected star of the show was the Punjabi Curry.  I’ve never seen this preparation before.  Vegetable Pakora was in a sauce that was neon yellow.  The flavor was citrusy with a bit of heat that hit late and then the curry spice from the Pakora.  I asked the server about it and he said they just started to have this on the buffet.  It was fantastic.  The tip-in for me is that at India Diner they bring fresh hot Naan right to the table rather than having it on the buffet where it tends to either dry out or get soggy.

Would I Buy It Again?  Oh yeah.  With a drink you are getting of India Diner for around ten bucks and you are eating, as least in my mind, a fairly authentic representation of Indian food.

-Smokin DB

Antonio’s  Italian Ristorante
1105 Goshen Avenue
Elkhart, IN 46517
574-295-8424
http://www.antoniositalian.com

In all honesty, this is more of a love letter to one of my favorite restaurants in the world than a straight-on review.  Paul Cataldo and his family own this place tucked near downtown Elkhart.  If you’ve never been to Elkhart (and why would you?),  it’s an odd place.  Lots of guys who made huge money in the recreational vehicle or manufactured home business and the folks who work in those factories.  The haves and the have nots, with little middle class.  Toss in a road system that seemingly was created without use of a compass and well, you’ve got a strange place.  I don’t know why Paul’s father Antonio landed in Elkhart, but I am certainly glad that he did.

The food is outstanding.  The family hails from Calabria so there are plenty of authentic and original  pasta and seafood dishes on the menu.  The pizza is awesome as well.  Paul Cataldo is a national champion pizza chef and has represented the USA more than once internationally as a member of the USA Pizza Team.

While the food is great and the atmosphere cool and relaxing, the best part of a trip to Antonio’s is being treated truly like family.  I cannot count the number of drinks and food that Paul has given me over the years.  He is a kind and generous man who cares about his customers like family.  Not a cliché, it’s true.

Here’s a great story about Paul:  when my wife and I were married we naturally had the rehearsal dinner at Antonio’s.   We told Paul the date, time and number that would be attending.  We never discussed a menu.  Never had a tasting.  We just showed up and ate and had a wonderful time.  He’s amazing.

What I Got:  Penne Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Clams, $12.95.

Clams are really difficult to prepare correctly.  One second of over-cooking and they are pencil erasers, chewy and tasteless.  These were perfect.  Tender and sweet in a creamy tomato sauce that was light enough to let the crispness of the Vodka and bite of the crushed red pepper shine through.  Just great.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, a thousand times over.  The dinner comes with a house salad that is a mix of greens and includes fresh mint.  That’s a cool and tasty addition.  Get the house dressing and you’ll love it.  I have to say as well, Antonio’s has the best breaded mozzarella sticks in the world.  Don’t be an idiot, order them. 

Still not convinced, how about the price?  $12.95 for a plate of Penne and Clams with Vodka Sauce that you will not be able to finish.  $4.99 for a pile of Mozzarella sticks that you better be sharing.  Yeah, the place is cheap too.

I love this place.

-Smokin DB