Scratchtruck
Various Locations
Indianapolis, Indiana
http://scratchtruck.com/

I have been to Scratchtruck a myriad of times over the last six months.  I will post it on Twitter, but a review has never graced the long form blog.  They actually know me on a first name basis.  I usually go when they are at Upland Brewery Tasting Room every Thursday and Saturday night.  It is truly one of the best food and beer combos in the business right now.

What I Ate: 

Visit #1

Scratch Burger (1/3 lb custom ground burger, bacon marmalade, arugula and gorgonzola cheese served on a fresh, toasted soft roll) with fries; $8.00.

I really like this burger.  I am not sure what the grind ratio on it is, but I don’t think that it is 80/20, as it is crazy juicy.  To be honest, they could dial back the grease a little bit, but that it the only flaw.  I like the egg bun that it is on and the arugula gives it a little bit of pepper that I love in a burger.  The gorgonzola adds a level of richness that is a welcomed addition.

Visit #2

Scratch Royal (Pork Shoulder, Tilamook Cheddar, BBQ sauce carmelized onion and Mac and Cheese ) with fries was a special that week; $9.00.

It was amazing and should probably be on the regular menu.  Gotta love Mac on a sandwich.

Visit #3

Scratch Grilled Cheese (Munster & Colby Jack cheese, red wine braised short rib, carmelized onions and arugula, served on toasted honey white bread) with fries; $9.00.

This is my favorite thing on the standard menu.  They have a menu that rotates and one that has new items that change every week.  Check out their website for schedule and menu.  I am not 100% sure this should be called a grilled cheese.  The sandwich does have enough butter on the bread to remind me of my butter loving grandma, but it is really about the braised short rib.  It is a really good sandwich.

Would I Buy It Again?  YES.  Great service and outstanding food.  The fries are some of my favorite in the city.  They have killer poutine fries that are lights out.    I haven’t had a bad meal here and I doubt that I ever will.  My only recommendation would be more towards Upland’s side to where I think that it would be cool if they had suggested beers based on what you ordered on the truck.

Regardless, if it is Thursday night, I am usually trying to find a reason to make it to 49^th and College to partake in this magical combination.  I love the Upland Tasting Room as I think that Upland’s seasonal beers are there best work.  Dragonfly IPA (their most popular beer) is probably my least favorite beer from them, and I am a big IPA fan.

Either way, good honest food the way that it should be.

-wibia

Moon Dog Tavern
4825 East 96th Street
Indianapolis, Indiana  46240
http://www.moondogtavern.com/

Bar food can tend to be pretty boring and uniform.  What I mean by saying that is that what you can get at one bar, you can pretty much get at another bar with the same taste and quality and frankly, bar food is not worth reviewing in most cases.  That said, I was at Moon Dog Tavern on a Saturday night and perusing the menu and when I saw a section in the menu proclaiming “The Legendary Panini”, I knew that I had to give one a try to test out the claim.  Call it a marketing ploy or whatever, but I fell for the self-proclaiming legendary status hook, line and sinker and ordered one of these legends for my own personal consumption.

What I Got:  Panini Primavera with Ruffles-like chips; $9.25.

In the menu, the Panini Primavera is listed as being composed of “Fresh spinach, portabella mushrooms, artichoke hearts, red onions, roma basil sauce and our delicious blend of mozzarella, provolone and white cheddar cheeses.”  I can confirm that all of those were there and yes, I know there was not any meat in this sandwich.  I guess I felt like being a healthy-ish vegetarian.  I say healthy-ish because I poured down about twelve Coors Lights and a chocolate martini after this sandwich, so that pretty much cancels any aspirations of healthy out.  And yes, I am aware that consuming a vegetarian sandwich and a chocolate martini bring my level of manhood into question.  LOL.

Anyway, the real question here is not about my drinking ability, diet choices or manhood, but instead how did the sandwich turn out?  Well, for a vegetarian sandwich, it wasn’t half bad.  The panini was pressed (obviously) and the bread added a nice crunch to what turned out to be a soft and gooey interior of the sandwich.  All of the veggies wilted together and formed a soft vegetable “compound”, but I will say that I could taste all of them with each bite.  What made this sandwich a winner though was the plethora of cheeses throughout.  With each bite, the cheese oozed everywhere and added a nice creaminess to the entire mix.  The soft veggies, mixed with the hard bread and the gooey cheese made for an appealing combination.  That said, this sandwich was slightly oily because of the bread, which I assume was buttered prior to the panini press, and also the cheese which secreted a lot of oil. Also, it lacked more of a “salty” component to balance out the oil and goo of the cheese and vegetables, so I added a squirt of mustard and we were back in business.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yeah, I would.  The sandwich definitely had a couple flaws (needed salt and was slightly oily/greasy), but all in all, it was a tasty sandwich.  If you are a vegetarian, need a change of pace from a meaty behemoth or at least want to dupe yourself into thinking you are being healthy prior to a mass consumption of alcohol, this sandwich is a winner and definitely one that is worth ordering.  Not a Legendary sandwich, but a fairly tasty one.

-IndianapolisEater

Fat Dan’s Chicago-style Deli
815 Broad Ripple Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46220
http://www.fatdansdeli.com/

Fat Dan’s has been around for a while and this was my first trip, although IndianapolisEater has done a prior review and gave the Italian Beef sandwich a great rating. It was a quiet lunch with my pal from Indianapolis Restaurant Scene, who is on a first name basis with Dan. The place is small, but comfortable om the inside. A Chicago Deli, the walls are filled with Cubs memorable. A born White Sox fan, I was a little out of my element.

What’s I Ate:  Chicago Italian Beef and Fries; $7.50 + $2.75

You can customize your order here to have it wet, dipped or the au jus on the side. The standard is dipped. There is really not a lot to say here about this sandwich, as it was pretty straight forward. What I look for in an Italian Beef is good quality beef and a that doesn’t fall apart right away.  This one delivered at the highest level. It needed a touch of salt, but that was my only compliant. There was a ton of beef here, I was stuffed after this and the fries.

The cheeseburger was really good as well. A fattier grind than the standard 80/20, this would be great after a bender in Broadripple. A really good burger and it makes you never want to get a chain burger again. Except for Culvers of course.

The handcut fries were fried in peanut oil. The fries are all different sizes. Fresh fries and beer, hard to beat. My only compliant is that an order of fries are too big. I would like a smaller size in case I am dining alone.

Would I Buy It Again? Yes, big time. To be honest, one of the better Italain Beefs that I have had. The food was top shelf and I barely scratched the surface of the menu. There are a ton of smoked meats on the menu and I am going that direction next time. Local beer is on tap as well. Fat Dan’s is rumored to be moving soon and I will surely follow wherever he is at. Good stuff here.  My only compliant is that it is a bit pricey and would like a cheaper fry option.  $12 for lunch is a lot, but it is a mighty fine treat.

-wibia

Monon Food Company
6420 N. Cornell
Indianapolis, Indiana  46220
http://www.mononfood.com

Monon Food Company has a prime location in Broad Ripple, a solid following and has made it past the first year.  I have been there a few times as I have a group of friends that are regulars.   They have a taco menu and a regular menu that has everything from sandwiches to entrees.   On my first trip, I tried the fish tacos.   Great in concept, but something was not on point and I couldn’t put my finger on it.  This time, I went for the sandwich side of the menu.

What I Ate:  Pulled Pork Sandwich; $7.69.  Potato salad was $1.50 extra and I scammed some Mac and Cheese from my girlfriend.

Upon arrival, it looked good, smelled good and the produce was fresh.  I thought that it was odd that lettuce and tomato were on a barbecue sandwich, but whatever.   The barbecue sauce was Kansas City-ish style.  Not that hot or sweet and pretty thick.  I wonder if it is made in house.  The sandwich wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t memorable at all.   I surely have had worse, but I have had better as well.  The pork was pretty lean, I barely could find any fat at all. It was a kind reminder that if barbecue is not the core of the business, I should skip it.

The potato salad was fresh, but again…I didn’t love it either. The mac and cheese was worth the price of admission.  The keep it pretty basic as a side.  My only complaint is that it could be cheesier and less oily.  It all depends on what cheeses they are using and they weren’t listed on the menu.

Would I Buy It Again?  It is a toss up.

Here is what I like:  Great location, locally focused, casual, interesting menu, honest pricing, most sides are really good, feels healthier than most places, good service.

What I don’t like:  The food could be a step better.  I have been there three times and liked everything that I have tried (excepts the chips and salsa, which were embarrassing), but nothing is memorable.

The bottom line, it reminds me of so many restaurants here.   Good and trying to do the right thing, but it would be awesome if…

-wibia

Petite Chou
823 Westfield Boulevard
Indianapolis, Indiana  46220
http://www.cafepatachou.com

Patachou is consistently ranked among the best places for breakfast, but I always forget they serve dinner at Petite Chou in Broad Ripple and in Carmel.  To be quite honest, Patachou is really not my thing.   Mostly because when I want to go out for breakfast, it means that I am hung over.   With that being said, a bowl of fruit and a $13 omelet is not my go to hangover remedy.  Just for the record, a BLT from Zest and a Diet Coke can cure any bender from the night before.   Back to the review.

This is my first time at Petite Chou.  My girlfriend and I wanted a beer and fries, but Brugge was packed, so we walked right in on a Saturday night.

What I Ate #1:  Warmed Mushroom Duxelles; $6.95.  Locally grown mushrooms, shallots, wine cream (picture above).

I was a big fan of this in every way possible.  In fact, I am still craving it.  The mushrooms were served over two slices of their baguette.   What I liked the most was the attention to how the mushrooms were cooked.  Not too hard, not too soft.   The dish needed a little salt, but otherwise no complaints.   This was excellent and quickly one of my favorite dishes in Indy.

What I Ate #2:  Petite Chou Burger with Frites; $12.95.  Indiana chuck, brioche bun, aioli, leeks, mushrooms and brie.

For dinner, I went with the burger.  Mostly, because I still really wanted fries.   The burger was cooked to a perfect medium.  I really enjoyed the burger, but it was really rich.   Maybe the combination of a rich appetizer and the burger was too much, but I couldn’t even finish it.  I would’ve liked some additional leeks on it, but just my preference.

The fries were excellent as well.  The aioli is one of the best in the city and they were cooked perfectly.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, easily.   A $13 burger has to be top shelf for that price and it delivered.   The mushroom duxelles were excellent and service was great.  No complaints and one of the better meals I have had in Indy.  They have fried chicken on Wednesday nights.   I am going to give that a try and report back.

-wibia

Fox and Hound English Pub and Grille
4901 East 82nd Street
Indianapolis,  Indiana 46250
http://www.foxandhound.com/

I will be the first to admit that I am pre-disposed to a negative bias to Fox and Hound.  Those biases mostly have to deal with the beer and the temperature it is served at, but since I was there recently for a birthday party, I decided to grab my dinner there as well.  In the past, I don’t know that I’ve ever had anything other than your typical bar appetizers, so on this visit, I was willing to give some of their actual food a chance.  After my review of the Mile High Club Sandwich, I’ve been on a big Club-ish sandwich kick, so I decided to go with something similar to that that is marked on the Fox and Hound menu as a “Fox Fave.”  Well, we’ll see about that.

What I Got:  The Black Forest; $8.49.

According to the menu:  “A giant Bavarian pretzel roll topped with grilled turkey, applewood bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and honey mustard dressing. Served with crispy fries.”  I can confirm that all of that was on the sandwich, although the side of crispy fries was a PATHETIC serving size.  It was as if I ordered a Happy Meal size fries order from McDonald’s…it was that freaking small.  Probably better for my health in that respect, but it was annoying.  What was also funny about this is that on the back page of the menu, there is a glamour shot of this sandwich and let’s just say that the glamour shot is not anything close to what you see above.  In fact, when this arrived, I was just about ready to add one more thing to my list of stuff that I dislike about this place, but I decided to at least give the sandwich a shot.

I’m glad I did decide to give it a shot too, because this baby was pretty good.  I think this might be the first time in my life that I’ve ever had a pretzel roll (weird, because I’ve eaten a hell of a lot of sandwiches in my life) and I can honestly say that I liked it a lot.  It was a bit harder than your typical roll and it also had a slightly salty taste.  When you mix that with the relative freshness of the veggies on the sandwich, it makes for a nice mix.  What I also appreciated was that the turkey was warmed on the grill, along with the soft and chewy bacon, and all in all this made a nice mix. It was incredibly juicy and when  you added the gooey-ness of the melted cheese to the equation, this made for a perfectly juicy and greasy delight.  When you mix this with beer, you’ve got a winner and I can see why they mark this sandwich as a favorite on the menu.

As for the fries, well, they were fine and pretty much standard stuff.  They were thick cut and despite the comical/insulting portion size, they were still decent and I have no complaints about their taste.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, I would.  I still have issues with Fox and Hounds’ handling of their bottled beer temperatures (tip:  order them by the bucket and have them ice the beers down so that when you need one, it will actually be cold), but I have no issues with this sandwich.  I would recommend it to anyone as a unique take on a Club-ish sandwich.

-IndianapolisEater

Tavern on South
423 W. South Street
Indianapolis, Indiana  46225
http://www.tavernonsouth.com/

Tavern on South got a good amount of press when it first came out.  Some mixed reviews in there, so I thought that I would give it some time to get on their feet.    I like the location as there is ample parking right outside.  The restaurant itself is very nice.  Good pictures of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and it is approachable.  You can feel equally comfortable wearing a suit or wearing jeans.

What I Ate:  Tavern Smoked Bison Burger; $11.50.  BBQ Glaze, Bacon on a Brioche Roll.

Let’s make this quick:  I didn’t like it.    Bison is a bit dry compared to 80/20 chuck.  I thought that the BBQ glaze was a nice touch, but there needed to be about two to three times as much on there.  The produce left a little to be desired as well.   The tomatoes were pretty white, the lettuce was a day past fresh.

However, I will admit that that smoked bacon was very flavorful.   They could make a killer BLT with this.

Would I Buy It Again?  Maybe.  The menu doesn’t excite me.  However, I like the restaurant, they have a good beer list and the service was good.  I will give it another try and report back.

-wibia

Rock Cola 50s Cafe
5730 Brookville Road
Indianapolis, Indiana 46219
http://www.rockcolacafe.com

We’ve certainly spent a fair amount of time maligning the Super 46 Sandwich competition that was put on this year by the state visitor’s bureau.  As you may have read in a magazine or on this blog, a bratwurst won the “sandwich” competition and frankly, we all know that is absurd.  I/we have had a lot of the sandwiches that were in the contest, but I wanted to do a review of a sandwich that I had never had, so that led me to a part of town where I have literally never been and to the Rock Cola 50s Cafe for the second place finisher of the Super 46 contest.  In my mind, this was technically the winner of the contest since it was an actual sandwich.

This is a small joint with a 50s design motif and everything is made on a flat top grill right in front of everyone.  There’s probably only about 8-10 tables along with a counter to sit at and this place could accommodate at most 35 people on a good day.  To continue the 50s design motif, they walls are filled with 50s trinkets and signs everywhere.  My favorites were the nuclear fallout shelter sign, the old Coke machine and the Bic pen distribution machine.  All in all, this was a 50s diner to a “T” (think the Happy Days diner).  My friend and I sat at the counter, so we got to see everything made right in front of us.

What I Got:  Mile High Club Sandwich with fries/drink combo; $5.99 + $2.99 = $8.98.

I hope my superior iPhone photography skills can do this sandwich justice, because it was huge.  I didn’t have my measuring tape out, but from top to bottom, this thing was every bit of at least five inches tall.  The menu says that you need to unhinge your jaw to eat this one and they certainly were not lying.  It was piled high with turkey, honey-baked ham, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, American cheese and hickory smoked bacon.  All of this was stacked on three healthy sized pieces of Texas toast.  Basically, this was everything a Club Sandwich is supposed to be with the added bonus of the fact that it was HUGE.  The funniest/most amusing part about it is that this sandwich, along with all others at Rock Cola, is stabbed through the heart with a huge steak knife in order to hold them together and/or allow you to slice them.

I’ll be the first to admit that when eating a typical Club Sandwich, I’m not really expecting a lot because it’s a hard sandwich to screw up.  It’s meat, veggies, bread and cheese and that’s it.  It’s pretty simple…except that some places screw simple things up.  Happily, Rock Cola 50s Cafe did not do that and this was honestly one of, if not the best, Club Sandwiches that I’ve ever had.  There’s nothing overtly special about the ingredients and they taste as you’d expect them to, but they all mesh together perfectly (keep in mind, I ate this in the middle of February, yet the veggies were still “fresh”) and create what I would classify as a hell of a sandwich.  The best part about this is that while it is huge, I didn’t really feel weighed down or bloated after eating it.  Not sure if that says I have a ridiculous appetite (I do) or that this sandwich is made so perfectly that it takes you to some sort of utopia where you don’t feel sick after eating a monster amount of food, but it’s a utopia that I’d like to visit often.

The fries were just standard, good tasting crinkle cut fries that were deep fried in oil that is probably older than I am.  I’m not making fun of that because that’s how you get “flavor” into oil and it adds even more nostalgic feel to this place.

Would I Buy It Again?  Absolutely, no question about it.  This was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had.  To say something like that about something as simple as a Club Sandwich just proves how good it was.   I just wish this place was closer to my house and more convenient for me to get to because as I sat at the counter watching everything get cooked, I saw about five to six different menu items that looked so good that I wanted to eat my hand.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about this place and it’s going on the recommended list because it’s all I’ve been able to think about for the last 24 hours.  It’s a dive and it’s got simple ingredients with a fairly simple menu, but they do it so unbelievably well.  Hopefully with the publicity they have gotten from the contest, this place will be around for a long time to come because this is the kind of small diner that every city should be proud to have and obviously is since it has (at the time of this writing) a 100% approval rating on Urbanspoon.

-IndianapolisEater