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

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

10-01 Food & Drink
1001 Broad Ripple Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46220
http://www.1001fooddrink.com/

I was excited to see 10-01 open and really looking forward to giving it a try.  With a prime footprint in Broad Ripple Village, I was looking forward to actually eating good food that overlooks Broad Ripple Avenue.  I like the idea too, as it is comfort food with a twist.  However, after the meal, I am not sure if I liked the twist.  My brother EatHSE was also along for the party, so let’s get this started.

What I Got:  First up, Mac and Cheese.  Four Cheese blend with Nueske Bacon; $6.

I didn’t like this at all.   As I mentioned, most Mac and Cheese at restaurants is horrible and this was no exception.   This mac was very oily and not very cheesy.   The bacon was fine, but this was messy and just flat out bad.

Next, Flatbread Pizza with Andoullie Sausage in a ancho basil sauce; $8.

Better, but still pretty bad.   This needed onion or something else on it.  One slice of sausage on each piece and the crust was really soft in the middle.  The ancho flavor was heavy and I liked that, but that is about it. 

For my entrée, I tried the Fried Chicken; $14. 

Half Chicken, Bourbon gravy, Fontina Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli.  I have to admit, I actually liked the taste of the fried chicken.  It was half of a chicken, but I will assume that the chicken was about a week old at slaughter because it was pretty small.  I would struggle these days to eat half of a rotisserie chicken, but I polished this off without a problem.   I liked the mashed potatoes and gravy too. White gravy with a little sweetness of the Bourbon.  Everyone else at the table liked my dish as well.  Notice the omission of the buttermilk biscuit.  At this point in the meal, I was so unsatisfied that I didn’t even care about the biscuit. 

Would I Buy It Again?  No.  I usually don’t give a flat out No after my first visit, but there were so many issues here.  My brother’s portabella burger was flat out bad and I had a taste of wild mushroom fettuccini and I didn’t like that either.  Service was akward, ill paced and not really even friendly.  I like the fried chicken, but that is all I can say.  The menu repeats itself a lot and needs to be more seasonal.  It was 97 degrees that night and I didn’t want meatloaf or a meatloaf sandwich. 

Just like their neighbor of La Jolla, I really want to like this place, but the grub is not to the level that it needs to be.  Is it worth a try?  Sure.  I imagine that there are a few items on the menu that fair better than the ones that I ordered. 

-wibia

P.S.  Thanks to Indianpolis Restaurant Scene for the outside picture.

N’awlins Creole Café
1118 N State Road
Avon, IN 46123
http://www.nawlinscreolecafe.com

I enjoy Cajun/Creole food quite a bit and am always looking for a new place to go.  I stopped by N’awlins Creole Café based on the recommendation of a trusted friend and I was really looking forward to this.  It was all-you-can-eat catfish night for $13.99 and I was tempted to give that a try, but I decided to stick to one of the standard menu items.

What I Ate:  Crawfish Etouffee; $9.99.  It is served with a side (I choose mac and cheese) and a salad.

The salad was straight iceberg with cheese and a slice of tomato.  I tried their ranch dressing and to be honest, I could make this at home and I really didn’t see how this fit into the meal.  Nothing special here, so let’s move on.

When I ordered the etoufee, they asked me on a scale of one to ten how spicy I would like it and I said six.  The crawfish etouffee was a sneaky heat on the back end of the bite.  There wasn’t a lot of flavor going on here and the consistency was thinner than I like it.  The etouffee was served over a bed of rice that was under cooked.  A few pieces stuck in my molars.

The Mac and Cheese was better, but still off.  It needed salt and was cooked too long and the noodles did not hold their shape.  My dining partner got the Jambalaya and I found that to be bland as well.  Service was also hit and miss.  It was slow enough to cash out that after about ten minutes, I asked the server to bring my check.  My water was empty most of the time as well.

Would I Buy It Again?  No and it pains me to say it.  This could be a cool place, but between the inattentive service and lackluster meal, the only reason that I would go back is that they are an independent in a city of chains.

-wibia

Bender’s BBQ Pit
7035 East 96th Street, Suite P
Indianapolis, IN 46250
www.bendersbbqpit.com

When I saw the coming soon sign go up for this place a few months ago, I got really excited because I’ve always been disappointed by the lack of locally owned barbecue joints on the northeast side of Indianapolis (Fishers/Castleton area).  There’s always been my mainstay at Black Diamond, but that one is a bit of a hike for me and a bit farther south.  When I saw this was opening on East 96th Street, I was hoping my desires for this type of barbecue joint would be fulfilled.  They opened as a carry-out only joint, but just moved a few doors down in the same strip center within the past week to add a dining room option.

So, armed with a $25 Indianapolis Perks gift certificate, a huge appetite, a free Saturday and a glowing review from Random Dude Eats Random Food, I decided to give Bender’s my first ever visit.

When I first took a look at the menu (they have it available on their website; FYI, it changes weekly so make sure to check the website before going), I noticed that their prices were very affordable.  Since I had a $25 certificate, I knew that I would be able to sample a wide variety of the menu in order to try to find my favorite items and/or their best items.  In order to break this down, I’ll review this menu item by item.

What I Got:  1/2 slab Baby Back Ribs combo (served with two sides; my sides were macaroni and cheese and brisket hash); $14.99.  Add Pulled Pork; $3.  Add 1/4 chicken; $3.  Cole Slaw side item; $1.50.  Baked Beans side item; $1.50.

1/2 Slab of Baby Back Ribs:  When I got these, I was given the option of sweet, mild or spicy barbecue sauce.  I chose their spicy sauce and as far as terms of taste, it wasn’t too spicy, but it was the kind of spice that you didn’t notice initially but were hit by at the back end.  As for the ribs, well, I’ve got to say I was disappointed.  The ribs were tough, gummy and lacked a smoked flavor.  They definitely did not have that “fall off the bone” quality as it took some work to get them off the bone.  Maybe I just got a bad batch, but I would not recommend these.

Macaroni and Cheese:  I’ve lamented on this blog before about how hardly anyone seems to get macaroni and cheese right and so has wibia, so when I ordered this, I didn’t have high expectations.  Well, not only did they surpass my expectations, they hit this one out of the park.  The macaroni and cheese was creamy (but not too creamy) and was tender with a strong, but not overpowering cheese flavor.  Honestly, the only thing that upset me about this was that I wish I had more.  I would definitely recommend this.

Baked Beans:  These were just standard run-of-the-mill baked beans.  They had bacon and onions in them, but nothing about them was memorable.  I’m sure they were homemade, but they still reminded me of something that you would get out of a Bush’s baked beans can.  Too bad, because I really do like baked beans and I would love to recommend good ones, but in this instance, I can’t.

1/4 Smoked Chicken:  I’m sure you can figure out which one in the plate above is the smoked chicken.  That said, the picture is about as dry as this chicken was.  It lacked any sort of smoke flavor and it was really tough and dry as well.  The skin was crispy and kind of flavorful, but the meat was dry and chewy.  If you could just eat the skin, you might be happy, but eating the chicken would ruin it for you.  Not recommended.

Brisket Hash (top of the plate):  This was the one I was most curious about because I’ve never heard of Brisket Hash before.  Bender’s Brisket Hash is made of soft potato chunks, cooked onions and beef brisket and after listening to them talk about it in the restaurant, this is clearly the menu item they have the most pride in and I can see why.  When I took my first bite, I thought to myself that this was weird, but in a good and appealing way.  Soft, chewy and all ingredients perfectly complimented each other.  I’ve never quite tasted anything like this before and I can honestly say that I liked it quite a bit.  Much like the macaroni and cheese, I would definitely recommend this.

Pulled Pork (bottom left of the plate):  I was really excited about this one because of Random Dude Eats Random Food‘s review.  Unfortunately, I was let down.  Maybe I got a bad batch (is this a running theme or is this just the way all of their meat is?), but this was not really all that tender and didn’t have any smoke flavor (another recurring theme).  Actually, it didn’t have much flavor at all.  I had to douse it in my Famous Dave’s Georgia Mustard sauce in order to make it somewhat tasty.  Major disappointment and unfortunately, I can’t recommend this either.

Cole Slaw:  Much like the baked beans, this was pretty run-of-the-mill too.  The cole slaw was crunchy, which was nice, but that was about it in terms of making it memorable.  It had a white watery base, which doesn’t bother me at all, but outside of the crunch, I can’t really recommend this unless you have a craving for cole slaw or are one of the barbecue types that feel cole slaw is the mandatory side item for pulled pork.

Would I Buy It Again?  Most likely not.  I really, really wanted to like this place because of my aforementioned desires, but I just can’t do it.  The prices are great, but the majority of the food is just average at best.  It’s a nice husband and wife team that own Bender’s and I really hope they succeed because it is nice to have locally owned options, but I am seriously doubting that they get my business again.  Please don’t let that stop you from giving it a shot though because maybe you’ll get better batches of food (assuming they don’t run out; they were running out of everything the night that I went) and if you do, you may become a frequent guest.  When you do go though, make sure you order the Brisket Hash and/or Macaroni and Cheese.

That said, I’ll be sticking with my old reliable Black Diamond.  Back to the old drawing board for a Fishers/Castleton barbecue joint.  This stinks.

-IndianapolisEater

Zacky’s Hot Dogs
1315 South Rangeline Road
Carmel, Indiana  46032
http://www.zackyshotdogs.com/

There are a handful of people that know that I write this blog and I got two calls in the same week from friends that told me that I have to give it a try.   I like a good hot dog from time to time and I was pretty amped to give it a try.

What I Ate:  Chili Dog and Mac and Cheese and a drink.  Around $7.00 with tax

The Vienna Beef hot dog had chili, raw onions and cheese on it.  It was a normal sized dog and bun.  I have to admit, I didn’t think that it was anything to write home about.  It surely wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t anything about it that I haven’t had before.   I would be interested to know if the chili is homemade.  There was so much cheese on this, I could barely taste the chili.

The mac and cheese was pretty tasty.   I added a little salt and pepper and I really enjoyed it.  It had a little bit of a browned crust on it.  I can’t say that I would run there only for the mac and cheese, but I have no reservations in ordering it again.

Would I Buy It Again?   No to the chili dog, but yes to Zacky’s.   They are extremely friendly and this place reminds me of the million hot dog places in Chicago and Northwest Indiana (my ‘hood).  They have an Italian Beef sandwich and that is on my radar for next time.   They also have a lot of different hot dogs with bacon, blue cheese, Mexican dogs, etc.  You can get pretty crazy here.

-wibia

The Capital Grille
40 W Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com

As an esteemed member of “the press” (HA!!), WIBIA was invited to preview The Capital Grille’s summer wine event called “The Generous Pour.”  Being the selfless person that I am, I offered to cover this event and give everyone else a night off.  I mean, who has the time for free five-course wine dinners?  I’m practically a saint.  I’ve never dined at The Capital Grille before, so I’ll have to make some comments about the food.  In an effort to keep your attention, I’m just going to spill the details – quick and dirty-like.

The Generous Pour

July 12^th through September 4^th

$25.00 with the purchase of a meal and try as many of the featured wines as you like

Whites
Marquis de la Tour, Cremant de Loire Brut, Sparkling Wine

La Caña Albariño, 2010

Chateau St. Jean Belle Terre Chardonnay, 2008

California Reds
Freemark Abbey, Cabernet Bosche, 2003

Chalk Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Byron Pinot Noir, 2009

International Reds
Conte Brandolini, Vistorta Merlot, 2006

Tarima Hill Monastrell, Alicante, 2009

Dessert
RL Buller, The Portly Gentleman, Port

My wife and I arrived for the preview night of “The Generous Pour” to be greeted by extremely friendly and attentive staff.  We were given canapés and French brut to hold us over while we were briefed on the premise of “The Generous Pour.”  Master sommelier George Miliotes greeted us via live webcast and explained the choices for the wine list.   Suffice it to say, The Capital Grill has put together a stellar list of wines for a very reasonable price.

Following the briefing from George, we were seated in the main dining room and given choices from a fixed menu of TCG’s most popular items; each paired with two wines from the list.  By this point, I believe we are supposed to be experiencing what the average diner could expect if paying for their dinner.  While the extremely attentive service is not usually my cup of tea, it was very well done and tasteful at all times.  At no point did I feel like we were receiving preferential treatment just because they knew we were essentially scoring their every move.  I watched the other diners around us very closely and they all received the same kind of attention that we were getting.

Enough about that…on to the food and wine!

What we got:  Getting a clear picture of the wine bottles in a dark restaurant was nearly impossible.  I apologize for the lack-luster photos.  Wine pairings are in parentheses.

Appetizers:  Fried calamari with hot cherry peppers.  Prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella with tomato salad. (La Caña Albariño and Chateau St. Jean Belle Terre Chardonnay)

Mains:  10 ounce filet with bordelaise jus (Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche and Tarima Hill Monastrell).  Bone-in, kona rubbed sirloin with caramelized shallot butter (Chalk Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Conte Brandolini Vistorta Merlot).

Sides:  Lobster mac & cheese and sautéed spinach.

Dessert:  Flourless chocolate espresso cake.  Strawberries with ice cream and port/Grand Marnier reduction.

The appetizers were great.  Honestly, I could’ve stopped here and been blissfully happy.  My wife loves fried calamari and we get it often.  I was initially a little put off by the lack of dipping sauce, but I quickly realized that marinara or sweet chili sauce would’ve been woefully unnecessary.  The hot peppers, which I typically detest, were excellent and perfect with the surprisingly crispy and “un-rubbery” texture of the calamari.  The mozzarella dish was delicious as well, albeit a little cold.  The cheese had already started to firm back up, but the flavor was excellent.  The aggressively oaked and buttery flavors of the chardonnay worked well with the prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella and the crisp, tropical brightness of the albariño paired nicely with the spice of the calamari.

Our main courses arrived in traditional steakhouse fashion; steaks are front-and-center on the plate with shared sides that are dished out by the wait staff.  For the record, I didn’t want the filet.  I really wanted the bone-in sirloin, but I have a pathological aversion to ordering the same items as my fellow diners.  The wife wanted the sirloin, so I was stuck with the filet.  Fortunately, the filet was paired with the more expensive wines so it worked out fine.  My steak was slightly overcooked and a little under seasoned, but I’m not the kind of person to send back an order, especially a steak.  I would’ve been more inclined to complain if I had actually been paying for the meal.  My wife’s sirloin, on the other hand, was perfectly cooked very flavorful.  I didn’t pick up a lot of the coffee flavor from the rub, but the rich onion sauce really made for a great steak.  By this point in the meal, I was bordering on being uncomfortably full.  The lobster mac and cheese was excellent.  The rich, creamy sauce was studded with lots of claw meat and I genuinely wish I had been able to eat more.  The spinach, on the other hand, was nothing to write home about.  Baby spinach sautéed with whole garlic cloves, ‘nuff said.  The wine pairings didn’t have any real logical connection for me, but they certainly were delicious.  The Cabernet Bosche was rich, velvety, and dreamy.  Being the most expensive wine in the bunch, I would expect no less.  On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, the Monastrell was bright, acidic, and lively.  The real star of the main course pairings had to be the Chalk Hill Cab.  This wine was just jaw-droppingly aggressive…so much so that the Conte Brandolini Melot barely registers in my memory.  There was really nothing good or bad about it.  It just simply couldn’t stand up to the fireworks going on in the Chalk Hill glass.  Unfortunately, we did not get to sample the Pinot Noir on the list.  Neither of us ordered the corresponding entrée and we’re just not big enough pinot drinkers to ask them to uncork the bottle just for us.

The desserts were nice, but definitely very typical for the American steakhouse scene.  You’ve probably had desserts just like these elsewhere, so I won’t belabor the point.  The port was certainly appropriate for the dessert course, but we’re just simply not into fortified wines.  It was rich with lots of caramel and raisin flavors, but with the sweetness and alcohol content it tasted a little medicinal to me.  It was good enough that I found myself taking a couple of sips, but again it’s really just not my thing.

Conclusion: The Generous Pour is an incredible value.  The big WIBIA question doesn’t really apply to a free preview, but would I go back and pay a total of $50 for two wine flights filled with unique and costly wines?  Hell yes.  That’s a great deal.  The meal, on the other hand, is a whole different situation.  I would’ve killed to see the total bill for our meal.  I’m relatively certain that we would’ve passed the $200 mark, maybe more.  Granted, there is NO WAY I would’ve ordered that much food to begin with, but I just know that even a modest meal for two would probably qualify as a “special occasion dinner.”  The stipulation of The Generous Pour is that you must purchase a dinner, so keep that in mind.  I don’t think you can just go and split a couple of appetizers and qualify for the $25 wine tasting.

If you love wine, you really can’t go wrong here.  This summer tasting series was designed to expose customers to wines they wouldn’t typically order or even find on a menu in a restaurant for the lowest cost possible.  In that respect, The Capital Grille has succeeded.

-Indy Food Geek