King David Dogs (Airport Location)
7800 Col. H. Weir Cook Memorial Drive, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46241
http://www.kingdaviddogs.com

King David Dogs is a favorite of mine.  It is easy to respect the tradition of these dogs and if I am downtown and need a quick lunch, King David is a go to spot for me.  We actually had a Get to Know segment with the owner Brent.

I don’t think that I can call our airport “new” anymore, but I appreciate the emphasis on local restaurants that are located in the terminals.  It was 7:30 a.m. and I was starving.  Kind David was in my terminal and I was secretly hoping they offered a breakfast dog.  Luckily, they did.

What I Got:  The Bomber; hot dog, poppy seed bun, eggs and cheese; around $5 (hey, it’s an airport…).

I stood there and watched the clerk make it.  She whipped up a cheese omelet and then placed it on the side of the dog and then added more cheese!!  The hot dog is pretty garlic heavy, which I like.  However, this was missing something for me.  I could only taste hot dog and cheese.  I could’ve used some veggies or a sauce on this.

Would I Buy It Again?  The Bomber, no. King David Dogs, yes.  I really like their hot dog, but this was not one of the better variations of it.  However, they have a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich that was quite nice (my wife had it).

King David Dogs is an Indy tradition and if you are at Indianapolis International Airport, you should stop by.

-wibia

These lists usually crack me up.  Anytime that it lists reader’s favorites, it is the same stuff year after year.  However, with the Final Four in Indianapolis, I thought that I would help out on trying to figure out where to eat.  I am well aware that many of these are quite the hike from downtown hotels, but Indy’s foot print is huge so whatever…

You are welcome to add more in the comments section as I am sure that there are some favorites that I left out.  After all, the list is only my opinion.  By the way, we have reviews for many of these places in our Review Archive, so you can check out our thoughts on them there or use the search function.  DB  and BRE also added to this list, I will  note thier picks.

After all, food is not a competition, these are just places that we like to go.

Best Restaurants of Indianapolis:

Pizza: Pizzology, Jockomo, Ale Emporium, Brozzini’s(db), Some Guys (BRE)
Fries: Taste Cafe and Marketplace, Brugge Brasserie, Five Guys (db), Capital Grille Garlic Truffle Fries (db)
Soup: Deeters, Sandra Rice and Noodle, Buda Lounge (Shrimp Wonton), Pho @ Egg Roll #1 (db)
Sandwich: Goose The Market, Hoaglin’s (db)
Taqueria: Taqueria Guanajuato, Burrito Joint, El Pastorcito, Tamale Place(db)
Sushi: Buda Lounge, I-Sushi, Naked Tchopstix.
Steakhouse: Eddie Merlot’s, St. Elmo’s, Fleming’s, Sullivan’s (db)
Cheap Eats: Sesame (Under $5.00 for lunch entree, egg roll and soup), Yats!, Scotty’s Brewhouse (Twitter coupons, ayce wings on Mondays), Tamale Place (db)
Indian: India Garden, Taj of India.
Unclassified good eats: OAKLEYS bistro, Taste, Meridian.

Situations:
Final Four 2010 Indianapolis Eats:
Downtown Indy Restaurants for the Final Four:  14 West, Euphoria, R Bistro, Buda Lounge.
Downtown Drinks for the Final Four:  Scotty’s Brewhouse, Kilroy’s, MacNiven’s (db)

Any other time of the year:
Downtown on a date (that you like):  14 West, Harry & Izzy’s (db)

Northside on a date:  OAKLEYS bistro.

I want to dress up and then step in a time machine that will take me back 20 years and have great food:  Glass Chimney (Carmel), St. Elmo’s (db)

Where do I find Chicago style pizza in Indy?  Nancy’s

I am hungry and I need to pick up a few groceries and something to eat:  Goose the Market, Saraga Super Mercado (db)

My grandma just died, where can I find her food? MCL Cafeteria, Jonathan’s Byrds (db)

I am really hungover:  Qdoba Breakfast Burrito (I know, a chain), Goldmine with all you can eat biscuits and gravy (db)

I like Man v. Food, what should be my first eating contest in Indy:  Wings, Etc.

I’m a $30k millionaire:  Northside Social.

I need to get out of here for a weekend:  Go to Bloomington.  Eat at FARM and Tallent.  Chicago:  Frontera, Everest, Blackbird, etc. (db)

I bitch and complain about the restaurant scene here and I want to start supporting local independents:  Recess (or any independents for that matter), Hoaglin’s (db)

I want a local beer:  Sun King Brewery.

It is Mardi Gras in Indianapolis:  Yats!, Papa Roux

Restaurant I wish that would come back:  Cafe Nora.

I’m commonly overlooked, and shouldn’t be:  Meridian.

I don’t get it:  Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream, Brugge (db), Union Jacks (db), Jockamo (db)

I am sick of bad hot dogs, where do I find a good one?  King David’s Dogs.

I need to satisfy my sweet tooth:  Holy Cow Cupcakes (Carmel), South Bend Chocolate (db….from South Bend)

Beer and pizza sounds good:  Ale Emporium, Pizzology, Bazbeaux (db)

I am tired of the same old menu, where can I always try something new: R Bistro, Recess.

I was never meant to be popular, but look at me now:  Bonge’s Tavern.

My boss let me off early on Friday at 2:00, where should I go?  Brugge Brasserie, Rathskellar on the deck (db)

New Brunch:  Taste or Zest!

I want to go on a romantic date in Indy, Melting Pot seems like the place to go?  Wrong.

-wibia

I have a lot of family from the state of Wisconsin and North Central Illinois, so this one is kind of humorous to me personally (incidentally, they also LOVE to send ridiculous e-mail forwards and that’s how I learned about this).

Anyway, recently FloatingSheep did this report on the number of bars in America versus grocery stores and came up with this map.  The areas in red are where the number of bars in the area outnumber the number of grocery stores.

As you can see, nearly the entire state of Wisconsin and most of North Central Illinois is shaded red.  I knew I came from good stock!  Also, the area northeast of Indianapolis (where the majority of the WIBIA staff resides and drinks) is shaded red too.  Hmm…

Anyway, the study does point out that a lot of these places have stores like a Wal-Mart Supercenter, Meijer or whatever that would take the place of multiple grocery stores (Northeast Indianapolis is infested with these), but it is still an amusing site to behold.  I’ve always known that there were a disproportionate number (compared to the town’s population) of bars in the towns my relatives are from, but this just proves that it wasn’t just their towns or my town that this applied to.

So, maybe this will make you laugh if you like to drink and have family in these areas that fit these heavy drinking qualifications or maybe it won’t make you laugh at all.  Either way, it is interesting to see how alcohol focused the Midwest is.

-IndianapolisEater

There are two WIBIA approved events coming up/going on right now!

Devour Downtown: 1/25/2010-2/6/2010

This is a great way to check out many of our city’s best restaurants for $30.  A list of the participating restaurants can be found at the Devour Downtown website.

Indiana Microbrewers Winterfest

It happens this Saturday, 1/30/2010. There will be 28 Indiana Breweries and over 200 different kinds of beer. What more do you need?  For more details, check out the Indiana Microbrewers Winterfest website.

 -WIBIA

Deeter’s Nasch & Nip
12901 Old Meridian St.
Carmel, IN 46032
http://www.glasschimneyanddeeters.com

Austrian-born Dieter Puska is a culinary legend here in Indy.  If we had a Top Chef Masters for Indy chefs, he would be on it.  Beginning in 1976, he was Chef/Owner of the Glass Chimney and Deeters Nasch & Nip.  Dieter retired in 2008, but most of the staff continued on with a short closing.

This place is old school and I can’t imagine has changed very little since 1976.  It is classic continental cuisine…dare I say an Austrian’s version of French cooking.  The kitchen is now managed by Chef Adam.  A long time Dieter apprentice, Adam has plenty of rabbits in his hat and is armed with Dieter’s recipe book.  Dangerous in a good way.

Deeter’s usually has 5+ specials.  The regular menu is great, but I usually have the best luck with the specials.

I started off with a BLT Soup.  The waitress said, “it tastes like a BLT, not sure how else to describe it…” and she was right.  The soup was seasoned well and had a nice mix of ingredients.  I really like their soup.  Dieter made the best soups in town and I would still give Deeter’s that title.  Lobster Bisque is out of sight.

They have a Hungarian Goulash of the Day.  On my visit, it was a pork goulash.  It is served with spatzel and a scoop of sour cream and was so good.  I thought that I have had good goulash before, but when I tasted this, goulash was re-defined for me.  Honestly, I would give it a 10/10.  Tender pork and so many good bites. This is why I love food.

Would I Buy It Again: Yes and WIBIA Hall of Fame.  Deeter’s is a legend here in Carmel and it is as good as it has ever been.  The crowd is usually older and richer than me (we were sitting right next to the mayor that night) but you will see suits and jeans there.  It is not a lot to look at on the outside or inside.  It is all about the food and a high level of classic service.

I worry about restaurants like this in a challenging economy, so make sure to go if you can.  Dinner for 3 was $150, including a bottle of wine @ $50.  My goulash was $19, and what a steal.  I have been to Deeter’s over 20 times and it is a true gem in this city.

-WIBIA

BBQ Chicken Salad

When Eddie Met Salad
Downtown Indianapolis, 96th St. and Old Meridian (Carmel), Pyramids
http://www.wheneddiemetsalad.com

When Eddie Met Salad is the creation of Eddie Sans, a Purdue grad and this idea was  from his senior project.  A few years later and 4 restaurants and a great lunch crowd.  They offer salads, wraps, sandwiches and soups.  It reminds me of the service model of Subway, but instead of subs, it is basically a salad bar where other people do the work.

What I Ate: BBQ Chicken Salad $6.99 (Regular)

The portion is very satisfying.  Salad is like sushi to me, for some reason I can eat a ton and walk out not feeling full at all.

Lettuce, BBQ Chicken, Cucumber, Corn, Onions Strings, Croutons, Monterey Jack, Avocado Ranch Dressing. The BBQ salad is solid, though my favorite is Eddie’s Club salad with ranch.  Eddie’s has a great ranch dressing, the avocado ranch was not very avocado-y, but it was good.

Eddie’s quality is the reason to go.  His dressings are top notch and everything always seems to be fresh.  All of the salads have a base of iceberg lettuce, but can be upgraded to mixed without an additional costs (at least I never get charged).  The menu has some interesting combinations like Philly Cheesesteak, Buffalo Chicken and sandwich called “Rodeo Beef.”  Ha!

Would I Buy It Again? Yes, I enjoyed this salad.  The menu is deep enough that I will try something else the next time I go. 

Before I go, I would like to see healthier items for signature salads.  A lot of them are ranch heavy topped cheese and croutons…

-wibia

Goodfella’s Old World Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta
13190 Hazel Dell Pkwy.
Carmel, IN 46033
http://www.goodfellas.com

Smokin’ Goodfella
Individual $10.95
(International Pizza Contest winner Las Vegas 2007)
World’s Best Pizza!  Smoked mozzarella cheese, roaster pepper sauce, fresh sausage, roasted peppers & onions.

I am really touchy about people making huge claims like (OMG, that is the best “_____” ever!!).  Really?  So you have had every one of those possible to know that it is the best ever?  So, when a restaurant touts “World’s Best Pizza”, I am extra critical.  Anyway, on to the pizza…the good news is that it was cooked perfectly and pretty to the eyes.  There was no shortage of toppings and I couldn’t wait to dig in.

I liked:
-Roasted Pepper Sauce was excellent.
-Toppings were fresh and each piece was not too big or too small.
-Basil was not listed on the menu, but that was a nice surprise.

I didn’t like:
-Topping: crust ratio was a little off.  Too much crust as I tend to learn more toward edge to edge.
-Too much green pepper (difficult to see in the pic).  In fact, just take the green pepper off.
-Pricey.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, but not that often.  For the record, it is not the best pizza in the world.  However, it was good.  On a 10 point scale, I would give it a 7.  Goodfellas has an extensive list of pizzas on their menu.  I would try something else, but would never hesitate to order the “Smokin’ Goodfella.”

Check out our other review of Goodfella’s Chicken Francese.

-WIBIA

which wich bag

Which Which
http://www.whichwich.com/

I will admit it, I wasn’t that excited when I found out that Which Wich was coming to town.  There are over 5 sub shops within 2 miles and I wasn’t sure how Which Wich could grab their market share.  A WIBIA reader let me know that it was open in Carmel, IN so I decided to stop by (thanks Erik).

Right when you walk in the door there are 10 slots with paper bags.  Each slot corresponds with what kind of sandwich you want.  Turkey, Italian, Comfort, Seafood, etc..  For instance, in the Beef section you can get:  Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Pastrami, Beef Cheesesteak and Reuben.  There are over 50 sandwiches choices and all subs are toasted.

So you grab a bag and make your selection (pic at the top), add your toppings, write your name on it.  Cashier puts it on a clothes line and you can follow the status of your sandwich as it is being made.

All sandwiches are $5.10.  Chips or cookie and drink combo is $2.50.  Milkshake and chips or cookie is $3.50

My first go and I tried the Italian Grinder (Salami, Pepperoni, Capicola).  I ran it through the garden and added caramelized onion, banana peppers, lite mayo, oregano, oil & vinegar, hot peppers mix, garlic, provolone, lettuce and tomato.  I have to admit, it was pretty good. I really liked the bread.  I would put this sandwich up against any chain Italian Grinder, even Penn Station’s.  I would say it is a 7 inch sandwich, so not too big and not too small.

I had an Oreo Shake.  It was okay.  I didn’t love it, but I wasn’t offended.   Chips tasted exactly like the Kettle Chips Salt and Pepper.  They had a great taste, but really small portion.  I would skip the homemade chips.  I also had a chocolate chip cookie, it was warm and slightly dry.  Paradise Bakery is still the best fast casual cookie.  The cookie was mediocre, I would skip this as well.

Would I Buy It Again? At first impression, Yes.  If you don’t like what you had, then you probably put a bad combination together.  My wife had the Caprese Sandwich and was disappointed, I recommend you to stick to standard sandwich options.

I liked:

• 52 Sandwiches and tons of toppings with a fixed price of $5.10
• Spam and Cheez Whiz are on the menu
• Good bread and honest portion
• Cool concept and discount card

I didn’t like:

• With 52 sandwiches, I imagine a few of these are really bad.
• House chips and cookies are average.

-wibia