Rally’s
http://www.rallys.com 

I drive by a Rally’s on my way to work every morning and for the past few months, I’ve seen signs outside of the location advertising their new entries into the fast food market with their semi-upscale (for a fast food place) Cold Creations dessert line.  I went out to dinner at another place recently and on my way home, I was looking for something simple for dessert that wouldn’t require me stopping at Dairy Queen or one of the specialty ice cream shoppes (think Cold Stone Creamery, etc.), so I decided I’d spin by Rally’s and try out one of the desserts that I’d seen on my drive by so many times.  I like Rally’s, especially the fries, but it’s not exactly the first place I think of when I think dessert, so this was quite a step outside the box for me.

What I Got:  Apple Pie Layered Sundae; $3.69.

First impression as I pulled up to the menu board was that it was incredible how expensive these Cold Creations were.  I expected something similar to a McDonald’s sundae in the $2.00-$3.00 range, but when I saw the Rally’s sundaes pushing the four dollar mark, I was kind of taken aback.  That said, I was still willing to try and when they handed me my sundae, I understood the price because this sundae was exceptionally large.  So large, in fact, that Rally’s served it with two spoons in case you want to share it with someone, but since we all know that I’m a hog and a glutton, there would be no sharing here (plus, there was no one else with me).

After they handed this to me and I made note of the size of the entire sundae, I more closely inspected this sundae and was reminded of how I am always amused of how fast food restaurants take their ingredients on hand and just re-purpose them to make a “hot, new offering”.  Taco Bell does this all the time and when you look at this sundae, it’s exactly what Rally’s did as well.  There’s nothing wrong with it and in fact, if you can keep doing it without backlash, it’s actually ingenious.

They took one of their standard fried apple pies, split it in half, warmed it up and then put it as the base of the sundae.  On top of that, they put a couple scoops of ice cream and then topped that with whipped cream and a cherry.  On top of the entire creation, they added in a drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  I’m guessing they had all of those on hand, so this “new” creation is actually a thing of genius, because I doubt anything here is new at all.  And yes, I’m aware that “nice” restaurants do this too, but I just seem to notice it more from fast food joints.

Anyway, when I took my first heaping spoonful, I’ve got to say that I was quite impressed by this.   What made it so impressive was the simple step of heating up the apple pie, because the warm apple pie turned this basically into Apple Pie a la mode and when you think of it that way, it was delicious.  The apple pie was just a standard thing, but when re-purposed as an upscale dessert, it just all worked well in perfect harmony.  The ice cream wasn’t particularly wonderful or tasty, but it was definitely a semi-creamy version of vanilla and when you mix the “heat” of the cinnamon with the sweetness of the caramel drizzle, it made for a great combination on its own. Adding the apple pie and whipped cream to the mix just topped it all off and made this a solid dessert.

Would I Buy It Again?  I’m not going to make many special trips to Rally’s for desserts, but if I’m ever in the neighborhood of one and looking for something other than (or in addition to) their delicious fries, I would definitely buy this one again.  It’s a simple, yet tasty fast food spin on an American classic and with that, Rally’s has got a winner here.

-IndianapolisEater

DMK Burger Bar
2954 North Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
http://www.dmkburgerbar.com/

I believe it was a few months ago when I was just sitting there on a Monday night, watching Triple D. I hear Guy get out of the car, when he starts saying something like “I’m here in Chicago, about …. ” describing his position in the city. Those who watch the show even occasionally know what I’m talking about. This time, he said “about eight blocks away from Wrigley Field,” and I perked up. It just so happened that I was headed to a game in early May with a group — including IndianapolisEater. It also just so happened that DMK Burger Bar was on the way to Wrigley from our hotel, so I was definitely going to hit it up.

First of all, LOL to that YouTube being a person videotaping their TV. I love those. Anyway …

What I Got: The Ron Santo Burger; $10.00. Also, Parmesan and truffle fries; $4.00.

This burger is a special that is only available during baseball season. Plus, it has Italian beef on it. Finally, it’s Ron Santo. So, yeah, having been a born-and-raised Cubs fan, I was certainly going to get this. The description of the burger: “A grass-fed beef patty, Italian beef, fontina cheese, au jus and giardiniera.” It was all there for me, but I felt like I was slightly short-changed on the Italian beef. I could be wrong, but it just didn’t come through in a strong way for me.

I’ve never been to a place that stressed this “grass-fed beef” so much. The walls had “grass-fed beef” written on them and our bartender said it several times while speaking with us. Anyway, the burger patty was an absolute home run. They cooked it to medium and it was outstanding quality — among the best I’ve ever had. Also, the bun was perfectly tasty while not being overwhelming enough to take anything away from the burger.

On to the fries. I wanted the gravy fries, but they were out of gravy. The Parmesan and truffle didn’t overly excite me, but I really wanted to try the fries based upon the reviews I had read — where people just raved about them. And rightfully so, because the flavor of the fries themselves was wonderful. Crunchy outside with a warm potato inside and well-seasoned. The parm and truffle didn’t really do it for me, but it didn’t stop me from eating the fries either. I’m guessing if you enjoy this flavor these fries would be a huge hit.

There’s also an extensive craft beer menu. Being strictly a Bud Light guy, I asked what would be closest and the bartender directed me to Victory Prima Pils, a German Pilsner for $6.50. It was good. I don’t really have much more to say on it, because — as I said — I pretty much only drink Bud Light and the craft beer thing isn’t my scene.

As for the atmosphere, I really liked it. There was a bar with probably 20 seats and probably about 15 four-top tables and that was about it. So it’s kind of a hole in the wall, but really modernized and clean inside. Also, every server there was knowledgeable on the menu, both food and drink, from what I could tell. It would appear ownership and management stress this, along with telling everyone the beef is grass-fed.

Would I Buy It Again? Yes to DMK Burger Bar, no to what I got. Again, I enjoyed my meal and have no regrets. But next time I’m going — and I will be going again — I’m going to get something else. Hopefully they have the gravy for the fries. Burger numbers 1, 4 and 7 from the menu are definitely on my list. The one member of our party who went with me got the guac-aoli burger (which has chorizo crumbles on it) and a side of bleu cheese and bacon fries and was raving about his meal. In all, I’m really looking forward to my next visit and highly recommend this place.

-Show

Domino’s
http://www.dominos.com

According to our friends at dictionary.com, the definition of “artisan” is as follows:

“noun
1. a person skilled in an applied art; a craftsperson.
2. a person or company that makes a high-quality, distinctive product in small quantities, usually by hand and using traditional methods: food artisans.

adjective
3. pertaining to or noting high-quality, distinctive products made in small quantities: artisan beer.”

So, judging by this, Domino’s is clearly setting the bar high for its new-ish Artisan pizzas that they are advertising.  As you can see by the box above, they feel that their creations are so ideal that there are no substutions allowed on the pizza.  You have to like what they give you or else you are hosed, because they are not going to add or subtract any ingredients.  Kind of a funny premise, especially for a takeout/delivery chain, but I’m not one to complain and spurred on by the fact that I qualified for a free Artisan pizza through a giveaway on their Facebook page, I was willing to give one a shot.

What I Got:  Italian Sausage and Three Pepper Artisan Pizza; mine was free, but they are regularly $7.99 if you carry them out.

To quote Domino’s definition verbatim, this pizza is “Parmesan-Asiago cheese and sliced Italian sausage complemented by a trio of roasted red, green, and banana peppers, on an artisan-style crust, topped with a dash of oregano. (13” x 9” rectangular pizza. Serves 2).”  I’ll leave the serving size estimate alone because I already know I’m a large eater, but I can confirm (as can the picture) that all those other ingredients were on there.  One thing I will note is that prior to me tasting this, all I could smell was the banana peppers as it sat in the box, so the banana pepper taste was looking like it was going to be quite strong.

As I took my first bite, my estimate that the banana pepper taste was going to be strong was inaccurate.  It was present, but it wasn’t particularly strong.  It did add a nice bit to the pizza though because the Italian sausage, which can ordinarily be quite spicy, was not really spicy at all (it was kind of fun to see the sausage in chopped up link form as opposed to crumbled sausage form like you see on a typical pizza).  Neither were the red or green peppers, although I will note that those two peppers along with the banana peppers were fresh and brought some crunch to the pizza and that was something I did not expect.  In my past experiences with Domino’s pizzas, the vegetables on the pizza are usually canned or cooked so much that they have no crunch whatsoever.  Having that additional crunch on there was a nice and welcome change of pace because this pizza definitely needed it because the crust was so doughy and had no crunch at all.  In fact, it was as if I was eating a soft sponge and when you mixed all these ingredients together, the only impression that I was left with was “blah.”  The pizza lacked heat, it lacked crunch from the crust and everything else was pretty much just standard Domino’s stuff.  The sauce was sweet, which was nice and the cheese had a slight saltiness to it from the parmesan, but other than that, there was nothing particularly memorable about this pizza.

Would I Buy It Again?  Calling this pizza an artisan pizza is an insult to artisans and since I’m a food review blog artisan (note the sarcasm), I’ll say that I would not buy this again.  This pizza, while not overwhelmingly horrible, was just too boring and not worth another purchase because it did not deliver any sort of real heat or spice like you’d think it would based on its ingredients.  Frankly, I’d rather have a Tombstone frozen pizza than this.  They have a crunchier crust, have different varieties (I can switch toppings, unlike Domino’s) and are generally cheaper than this one.  Perhaps the other varieties of Artisan Pizzas that Domino’s has are better, but this one is not worth your time and I don’t know if trying any of the other options would be worth my time either.

-IndianapolisEater

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

Steak ‘n Shake
http://www.steaknshake.com/

It had been a while since I’d treated myself to a gluttonous pile of cheese, meat and bread. When I saw a page of coupons for Steak ‘n Shake with this new concoction (which, let’s face it, happens like six times a year), I couldn’t say no.

What I Got: 3D Grilled Cheese Steakburger and fries; $4.99 (due to having a coupon).

The billing: “This rising star takes taste to new heights and delivers a stellar show of savory satisfaction.”

Ah, alliteration. It tastes so good. But we aren’t grading on a sixth-grade English class scale. Onto the food.

This thing has a sourdough bun with two steak patties. The three cheeses are American, Swiss and Pepper Jack. There was also a sauce (I found “California Sauce” on Google) on there that was suspiciously close to Thousand Island.

Before we actually dive in, allow me an aside: I understand that the pictures you see in ads aren’t always (read: never) close to what you actually get, but this was a huge discrepancy. Look at this picture and compare it to mine.

As for the burger itself, I obviously loved the meat and cheeses. Again, glutton. But overall, I had a few issues.

I know that I will have plenty of dissenters here, but when I think about a grilled cheese, I don’t want the bread being much bigger than the cheese (or meat). The sour dough bun here, especially considering Steak ‘n Shake uses the smash method on its burger patties, was just too much bread for me. Also, this bread was soft and barely even grilled. Where are my classic, I-ate-this-when-I-was-a-kid char marks on the bread? I had PB&J bread, in terms of texture, on this thing.

The sauce didn’t work at all for me either. I don’t know if I felt like they tried to get too cute or if it was a simply a mismatch. It just didn’t feel right.

Would I Buy It Again: Nah, I’ll pass. The above comments might make it sound like I hated this. I didn’t. The cheese and meat blended very well together and it’s possible this recipe can be done properly if I gave my local Steak ‘n Shake another shot. It’s just that I really didn’t dig the sauce in this combination, I still can’t see how they can appease me with that amount of bread and I have things I’d rather get there (spoiler alert). This sandwich definitely doesn’t suck, but I feel like they could have done better.

-Show

To my detriment or not, I follow a lot of random stuff on Twitter and Facebook.  On my Facebook feed a few minutes ago, this article on the “10 Quintessential American Meals” popped up via Skyline Chili’s news feed.  At first I laughed and thought no way, but sure enough, I clicked on the link and there it was at #5 on the list of ten best American meals.  I realize that chili is what they are focusing on and I agree that chili is a quintessential American meal and belongs on the list, but the best example they could come up with was Skyline Chili?!

Now, I like Skyline Chili a lot and have done reviews on their 4-Way Chili and also on their Cheese Coney Dog here on the blog and gave them both positive reviews and said how much I liked them.  That said, not even I am dumb enough to think that what I was eating was one of the ten best meals in America.  Totally absurd and I think most, if not all, people would agree with me that Skyline Chili does not belong on this list as the best example of chili.  I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I’ve actually eaten the best chili in America and name the place that provides it, but what I am going to say is that I know if I did eat the best chili in America, it wouldn’t be at Skyline Chili.

Anyway, just some food for thought (like the pun?) today to hopefully entertain you on a random Tuesday.

-IndianapolisEater