Perk Up Cafe

A friend and I were meeting this week to discuss a book, discuss blogging, and to just chat. Therefore, we needed a place that was quiet, convenient, and offered light fare and drinks. I chose Perk Up Cafe for our meeting and it ended up being exactly what we needed. Check out their website at: Perk Up Cafe.

Perk Up is located right off the Monon in Broad Ripple on Cornell Ave. It's a couple houses down from La Piedad and right around the corner from Rene's Bakery. It's always very peaceful and it feels nicely removed for the sometimes craziness of the main Broad Ripple roads.

Decor:

Perk Up is really nicely done. Very comfortable, cozy, and clean:

There's also a really nice deck that wraps around the building and faces the Monon:

Service:

You head up to the counter if you need coffee, snacks, or sandwiches at Perk Up:

The owner, Kim, and the young lady who served me later in the day (we were there almost four hours) were both very pleasant and had great energy and passion. If you order a sandwich, they bring the plate out to you with a smile.

Food:

I ordered a veggie panini with grapes on the side (other choices were chips or cottage cheese) for lunch:

I thought it was really nicely done. It had avocado, fresh veggies, and cheese. It was tasty and a perfect portion-size for me. The bread was crisp, the cheese melt-y, and the veggies flavorful. I would order it again.

Later, I ordered a chai/coffee drink called "The Dirty Hippie." It was described as a chai with a shot of espresso in it. I've never had a drink like that, but I was assured it was one of the most popular drinks. I actually liked it.

Pricing:

I'm not going to lie. The prices at Perk Up are a little high. My sandwich was about $7.75 and my drink was $5.22 with tax (all specialty drinks are $4.79 before tax). You can get any size for that $5.22  (small, medium, or large).

Verdict:

I love the location and the the ambiance of Perk Up. The food was better than good. If the prices weren't so high, I'm sure it would be a weekly destination. As it is, I'll probably make my way there about once a month. I would give it a 4 out of 5.

Devour Downtown 2010: Dunaway's Palazzo Ossigeno

For our second Devour Downtown foray for the summer 2010 season, my husband and I chose Dunaway's Palazzo Ossigeno.  It has one of the most expensive regular menus I've seen in Indy, so the $30 per person special event pricing made it more enticing. Unfortunately, I did not take my camera, so I don't have pictures for you, but I felt I had to write about this experience.

Decor:

The rooftop on this place is fantastic, and while the inside has some charming spots, the building is starting to look worse for the wear. There are water stains, and buckling dry wall areas. I even noticed dust and accumulated spider webs on the walls. I have to admit, for a restaurant of this price range, I expected a little nicer. Granted, we were sitting on the second floor which seemed to be a little more "cafeteria-like" than other parts of the restaurant.

Service:

The service actually started out pretty well, but after about the third course, things started to go really weird. For one, the young lady that was serving us started complaining (loudly!) about the other patrons of the restaurant to the people in the booth next to us. She said something like, "It's like this is some people's first visit to a restaurant" and lots of other not-so-flattering things. I understand getting peeved off and having crappy experiences, but your job is to be a waitress. AND Dunaway's is supposed to be a nice place, you should not be dogging the restaurant guests to other tables! Bad, bad, bad. After that, she just seemed frazzled and distracted. It was very awkward.

Food:

I loved most of what I had (caprese salad, house salad, and goat cheese manicotti), but I didn't like the blueberry crisp. Interestingly, at the beginning of the evening, the waitress told us it was warm with a scoop of vanilla gelato on top. When we got it was room temperature, with a sea of melted white foamy stuff on top. When we asked the waitress what that was (even though I would bet my house it was melted vanilla gelato), she said, "Uhmmm, uh, that's, uh, creme anglais." I'm sorry, but I know what creme anglais looks like and tastes like and for a good cook, creme anglais in not the most difficult thing to make. That was NOT creme anglais. The chef even came out to ask us about it. I explained it tasted off. He said he was surprised cause everyone else raved about them. However, he sent out two pistachio creme brulees.  That was nice and they were awesome.

Another not so happy thing: The waitress asked if we wanted any coffee with our dessert, so I asked for a decaf coffee. It came with no spoon and no cream. When I asked for it, she said, with a look of near-despair on her face, "Yeah, but I'll have to go downstairs to get it." Okay. Fine. Go downstairs to get it. It did finally come, but I thought that was odd. At this point, I'm feeling more like I'm at some bad diner rather than a fine dining establishment.

Pricing:

Even with Devour Downtown pricing, we ended up paying $103 (including tip) for our dinner. Granted, I had a $12 cocktail and my husband had a $10 glass of wine. Based on the service, I wouldn't say this was reasonable at all.

Verdict: Never again. I actually attempted to go to Dunaway's for Devour Downtown last year as well. There were 6 of us and we treated poorly. It was as if they were humoring the Devour Downtown guests and didn't really care about them. I don't like giving scathing reviews, but Dunaway's deserves no better.

Devour Downtown 2010: Bella Vita Restaurant

I love the summer Devour Downtown event in Indianapolis. It gives me an opportunity to try restaurants I normally wouldn't for much less money than during the rest of the year. During this event, downtown restaurants offer special menus and pricing (such as 2-for-$30 and a 3-course-meal for $30 per person) so that patrons can try their restaurants. I've participated for at least the past three years. Check out the restaurants and menus being offered this year at the official website: Devour Downtown.

On the first day of the event this year, my husband and I went to Bella Vita. He had researched the menus and chose a location which had a variety of vegetarian options but was also a place we haven't been to yet. He chose Bella Vita which is located at Circle Center Mall in downtown Indianpolis. Here's the link to Bella Vita at Circle Center.

Decor:

I found the decor and interior of Bella Vita to be very nice, plenty of tables and booth space, a large, clean open-fire oven and prep area, bubbling but unobtrusive water features, and soft lighting made for a lovely ambiance.

Service:

Unfortunately, on the Monday night that we attended, there were not many patrons, but it led to us getting plenty of attention. When we entered the restaurant, the hostess was very pleasant and seemed genuinely excited to see us. In years past, I have had the experience of not being treated that well when the staff finds we are at a restaurant for the Devour Downtown promotions. Thankfully, this was not the case at Bella Vita. The table service was great and we really felt taken care of.

Food:

Bella Vita, if you haven't guessed by now, is a finer Italian restaurant. The Devour Downtown menu provides three courses from a pre-set menu which can be seen here: an appetizer to share, an entree for each person, and a shared gelato dessert (it was either caramel or chocolate on the day we went).

Surprisingly, our meals also came with bread and flavored olive-oil and salads.

The appetizer we chose was the Bruschetta alla Bella:

There were originally five of those, but they so delicious I didn't think of taking a picture until there was only one left. The tomatoes were fresh, there was an ample amount of garlic and seasoning, and the bread was perfectly toasted. Sill soft, but crispy on the edges. DELISH.

For my entree, I ordered the Penne Meditteranean which featured penne with kalamata olives, pine nuts, tomatoes, feta, and spinach:

It was tasty and fresh, but a little tangy for me. I admit, I am not the biggest fan of feta so that's more an issue with me, not the dish. It was well-prepared and the pasta was perfectly al dente.

My husband ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana:

I am not going to lie: I ate half of my husband's dinner. I loved this dish. The sauce was lovely, the eggplant well-made, not overly fried or greasy, and as you can see, there's enough cheese for a batallion of mice. My cousin has a rule about cheese: "If you don't put enough cheese, no one will like you." Bella Vita did not break that rule!

The eggplant parm also came with a side, and while I can't remember all of them, we ordered the garlic mashed potatoes that were sublime. I am sorry I didn't have more. I could only manage a couple bites 'cause I was too busy demolishing my husband's dinner.

The gelato we had for dessert (caramel) was good, not great, but not bad. My husband ate most of it so he may have a different opinion!

Pricing:

The pricing for our meal for 2 for $30, but my husband got wine, I got a diet soda, and with tip, we ended up paying about $56.  I enjoyed everything and Bella Vita seemed a little nicer than the norm, so I thought it was fair.

Verdict:

A win. I was pleased and will definitely keep them in mind for future downtown dinners. I would give them a 4 out of 5.

Stir Crazy Restaurant

I generally make it a point to avoid chain restaurants at all costs. I will make an exception now and again for the sake of expediency or if it comes recommended by someone whose food tastes I trust. Stir Crazy, located at Castleton Mall in Indianapolis fell in to the latter category. Stir Crazy reminded me a lot of P.F Chang's, except they seemed a little less high brow, a little more casual. Stir Crazy differs from P.F. Chang's in that they offer a "make-your-own-stir-fry bar."

Decor:

Here are a couple (dark) pictures of the interior:

As you can see, there's lots of black and red, it's a large space with plenty of tables and booths, and a large bar in the front of the restaurant. All in all, it's nice, not spectacular, probably not where you'd want to propose or have a special dinner, but nice.

Service:

Our server was very pleasant, very attentive, and gave us good tips on what to eat. We had two kids at the table, and before they even arrived, made sure there were crayons and a color-able table mat available. It was a good touch.

Food:

I ordered from their "Right Portion and Price" menu which offers scaled-down sizes of several of their entrees with a fried spring roll. I got the Buddha's Teriyaki Bowl with brown rice. It's a mixture of vegetables in a teriyaki sauce.

I was surprised at how good this was. Lots of veggies, well-seasoned, very fresh-tasting. I did not expect food this quality. I finished the whole plate!

I like my food spicy, so I asked if there was any hot sauce available. I got this:

It had sriracha, chili-garlic sauce, and Chinese mustard. I loved that they had this available. Well done, Stir Crazy!

I had a really nice drink to go with my meal, a mango spritzer (non-alcoholic):

My husband ordered from the "all-you-can-eat" stir-fry bar and was also very pleased with his dish:

My husband's drink, a strawberry lemonade, had promise but was way too sweet. Once he had seltzer added to it, it was much better:

Pricing:

I felt the pricing was more than fair (although you might say the drinks were kind of expensive, but I felt they were in line with other places). Here's the receipt from our visit and you can see for yourself:

Verdict:

It was an experience that exceeded my expectations and that is always a plus for me. I'd go back, even if it is a chain. The food was good, the service was good, the prices were good. 'Nuff said!

Huddles Frozen Yogurt

Huddles Frozen is a new frozen yogurt at 86th St. and the Monon. It's in the same plaza as the Whole Foods/Target. You can see their website at: Huddles Frozen Yogurt. They offer an interesting twist on the frozen yogurt plus toppings concept that is offered by other yogurt places in town (e.g., Yogokiss and Zoe's Yogurt Village).

Decor:

The place is really cool-looking. Super-clean, a little modern, very interesting. I loved this wall they had:

There's also an assortment of Colts gear for sale:

You can see there are big-screen TVs (3 in all). There are also a few tables inside and seating outside along the Monon:

Service:

There really isn't too much service here, as you do everything yourself.  You grab a (huge) cup and get in line. Then you serve yourself as little or as much yogurt you want from one or more of 10 yogurt dispensers along the wall:

After you get your yogurt, you move on to the toppings bar where you also serve yourself. This can be crazy if you have kids with you, they're eyes get as big as saucers when they find out they can put whatever they want in their cups. After you select your toppings, you get your cup weighed and you pay. That's it.  There were a few employees around to help direct and so on, they were all helpful and pleasant.

Food:

These yogurts are really good. They have a changing menu, including premium, sugar-free, non-fat, and sugar-free/non-fat. I've tried the peanut butter/cookies & cream swirl (it's delicious, these must've been premium flavors as they were decadent) and the cake batter/red velvet cake swirl (these had to be premium, too, also very delicious). I tasted a bit of my friend's mountain berry and it was insanely good. I would do just that next time.

The toppings were what you would expect, an interesting thing I saw were self-serve (of course) dessert syrup topping bottles (in several flavors including caramel, key lime, vanilla, chocolate, etc.). Also, they had red velvet cake as a topping.

I forgot to take a picture of mine until I'd eaten a bit:

As you can see, I have a waffle cone bowl (which you can find where the line starts). I had the peanut butter/cookies & cream swirl with crushed Oreos/marshmallows and caramel syrup. I couldn't finish the waffle bowl and I wouldn't get it next time as the yogurt is really the star of the show.

Pricing:

You pay by weight at Huddles, $0.45/ounce. The waffle bowls are $1 extra. The size of the bowls are HUGE so it can be really easy to over-serve yourself. Take less than you think you want, you can always get more later because you're paying by weight. Ounces add up quickly!

Verdict:

The yogurts are awesome, the toppings are good, it's a lot fun of getting everything yourself and making your own concoctions, and there's Colts gear in the room. I love it. Huddles is definitely going to become a dessert stop for me.

Pure Eatery

A friend and I met for lunch in Fountain Square several days ago and spontaneously decided to try out Pure Eatery. I'd heard about it from another friend, and seeing as it was new, independently-owned, and touted local, organic ingredients, we decided to give it a try.

Decor:

The space is very large, spare, with plenty of bar-height and regular tables, plus a couple of booths. It was nicely done, not too much, I felt it kept with the idea of simplicity that the owner is trying to project.

Service:

Pure is a place where you place your order at the counter and then grab your utensils/napkin and get a seat (similar to Taste Cafe and Marketplace). Your food is brought out to you when it's ready.  Everyone was friendly and someone did come to check on a couple of times, too.  The place was not too busy so that may have been the reason for the extra attention (that and the fact that they are brand new to the scene).

Food:

Here's a view of their menu board (these change so they may not be the same if you go there):

My friend and I both ordered the Caponata Flat Bead (marinated eggplant, red onion, roasted red peppers, and provolone on flat bread). We chose different sides (for a small extra charge). I got a asparagus salad, my friend got the gazpacho.

My plate:

The sandwich was pretty good, though a little bland. Both my friend and added salt and pepper to it. The ingredients seemed nice, but nothing out of this world. The asparagus salad was a disappointment, especially after being recommended at the counter. It was too vinegar-y or acidic, and not balanced well. The asparagus didn't have much going on either, so they didn't bring much to the party. I ate a couple pieces and couldn't finish it.

My friend's plate:

The standout of the day was the gazpacho. It was well-seasoned, wonderfully flavored, fresh, and light. If Pure can manage to create more dishes with the verve of the gazpacho, they'll do well.

Pricing:

The sandwich, side, and a drink set me back about $13.00 (incl. tip). I don't think that's outrageous, but it wasn't a steal either.

Verdict:

Pure Eatery is doing upscale sandwiches and sides, kind of like Taste when they first opened. I felt wholly underwhelmed by the experience. If I want a good sandwich, I'd go to Goose The Market or Taste Cafe and Marketplace first. All in all, I'm glad I tried it, but I probably won't go back until someone tells me they've really upped their game.

Symphony on the Prairie

A summer outing I always love is heading to Conner Prairie (a fantastic place on its own) to see the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (one of the very few full-time symphony orchestras in the country) play for the Symphony on the Prairie series.

Picture a wide expanse of gently sloping lawn which has this at its base:

The sun sets behind the grand stage and I can honestly say that I feel I am somewhere else completely.

Here's a shot of people hanging out right before the music started:

One of the most fun things is that people come early and bring wine, beer, and food to have picnics during the event. Here's PART of our spread!

My friends and I went to the John Denver tribute a couple weekends ago and I can say that I was blown away. The music was masterful and expertly played. The singer (John Curry) that came to sing the John Denver songs was almost a perfect vocal (and physical!) match. It was a magical evening.

Check out this link for the Symphony on the Prairie for the rest of the season's schedule and ticket/venue information.

Trust me, this is a summertime event worth checking out. It's one of the nicest things Indy has to offer.

Indianapolis International Film Festival

Monday, a friend and I decided to check out the Indianapolis International Film Festival. I was tired that day from a weekend of poor sleep and wanted to skip it, but decided if all I had to do was park my butt in a theatre chair, I could do it.

And I am really glad I did.

The Indianapolis International Film Festival which lasts from July 15 - July 25 (so you still a few days to get out to see some of the films!) is being hosted at the IMA (which is a wonderful place just on its own).

My friend and I saw Fish Out of Water which was wonderful. My brief synopsis is that it is documentary exploring the way the Bible (specifically seven verses from the Bible) are used to repudiate homosexuality and the validity of those claims. Very interesting stuff. I came away with a much more lovely understanding of Jesus Christ, Christianity, and the Bible than I had going in. As a person who likes to study world religions, it was fascinating for me in that regard.

Unfortunately, this film is no longer being aired, but it looks there are still several great ones on the schedule.

Tickets for the time we went (3:15 pm) were $5 for students and $10 for regular admission.

Check it out! I think you'll enjoy it.

Yogokiss

After my visit to Jasmine Thai, I had to stop by at the place next door: Yogokiss. It's a frozen yogurt place right next door. They usually have a few different flavors and a couple made of soy (usually caramel and vanilla). They have a toppings bar with all the usual suspects like sprinkes, cookie dough, oreo bits, etc., and they also a wide variety of gorgeous fruits.

Decor:

Sorry for the dark picture, but you can see the place is fun, very spacious, areas to hang out. The owner encourages people to write on little pink hearts and leave messages on the walls. There is also a wall of magazines, plus comfy couches, and free wi-fi to encourage people to stick around.

Service:

I've never had anything but kind service here. The owner and staff are happy to let you sample the flavors and explain the process. They also allowed me to take pictures in the restaurant (I always ask).

Food:

Here's the toppings bar. Unfortunately, I skipped all the healthy looking fruits and ended up with coconut, peanuts, and reeses peanut butter cup bits on sugar-free, fat-free frozen yogurt. Oh! I was also able to add bits of oatmeal waffle cone for free. I was not sad about it:

The yogurt was not screaming chocolate, but very subtle. It's a sugar-free, fat-free yogurt so it is a but watery and thin and there's little richness to the mouth feel. But it's pleasant. Certainly, if you want a decadent, creamy ice cream experience, this isn't the place for you.

Pricing:

I ordered a small with three toppings for about $4.15 after tax. As I have a smaller appetite, I generally share this size with my husband. I find it in line with other ice cream and yogurt places for this size and amount of toppings. Not cheaper, not more expensive.

Verdict:

A fun place, nice for hanging out, decent yogurt, great toppings. If you're right there and are looking for a sweet treat that's not going to be a calorie bomb, it's the place for you.

Jasmine Thai

I was out running errands and happened to be by 96th St. around lunch time. I love Thai food and generally like Jasmine Thai, so I ventured there for their lunch specials. They are located at 96th St. between Allisonville Rd. and Keystone Ave. (closer to Allisonville) at 4825 E. 96th St. in the River Ridge Crossing strip mall:

Here's the restaurant front:

Decor:

Pleasant, you'll see some of the typical Thai restaurant hanging fabric art and the cat with the waving paw. Not exceptional, not terrible. It was clean and tidy, and I'm happy with that for a strip mall restaurant.

Service:

Pretty fast, attentive service. I've been to Jasmine Thai probably 10 times and service has never been an issue. All the waiters and waitresses are pretty good. Drinks are refilled quickly and they seem to accommodating, but then, I've never had any really odd requests beyond, "Can I have some salt?"

Food:

The lunch menu is a smaller version of their evening menu and all entrees come with a side of your choice of spring roll, salad, or soup (Thom Yum). The lunch entrees are priced at $6.99-$7.99 and feature the more popular Thai dishes (such as the curry dishes, the popular noodle dishes like Pad Thai, and others such as Pad Kra Prow).  I am a pretty light eater, so the lunch portion of the red curry with extra vegetables I ordered is enough for 2 meals.  I also had the spring roll (1 is served with a bit of sweet and sour sauce) as the appetizer.

The flavor is very good, not overly sweet like some curries can be. It's not the best red curry I've ever had and I felt it was lacking some essential ingredient that I couldn't put my finger on. It was almost there...but not quite. I ordered medium on their 5 point scale (mild, medium, medium hot, hot, Thai hot). The veggies were cooked to the point of being crisp-tender, and I liked that. As for the spring roll, it was a little rubbery. I wondered if had been pre-cooked and then re-heated. It had some shredded cabbage and carrots in it and was pleasant at best. I'd go with the Thom Yum soup next time.

Pricing:

I ordered a diet Coke with lemon along with my meal and the total was $9.53, $12.00 after tip. I felt that was reasonable for the amount of food I got.

Verdict:

Since I've already told you I've been here about 10 times, you can bet I'll be here again. This is my second favorite Thai restaurant in Indy and it's the closer one to my home (My favorite is Thai Spice across from the Greenwood Mall). I would say it's very good Thai food.

The Good Stuff Italian Cafe

As it is DAY 1 of my newest venture into the blogosphere, I thought I'd start as I mean to go on: with a review of a restaurant. It's a place we heard great things about from friends. They said it was a hole-in-the-wall place with great, authentic Italian food.

It's located at 4709 North Shadeland in Indianapolis in a little strip mall. I have to admit, there's really nothing else around but a church across the street. They've been open two months and I hope they get a bunch of word of mouth traffic cause foot traffic is going to be hard to come by.

Decor:

Very basic, recently brought up to snuff. It is a rather small space, probably seats 15-20. Nothing to write home about, but not dirty or anything. Lots of light (which I like).

Service:

The service we received was really fantastic. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. We were the only two in the place at the time, but I still think the owner/chef went beyond his duty to be a good host. I'm a service snob so when I get it, I like to acknowledge it.

Food:

The menu is pretty basic, offering a few daily specials (there was a lobster ravioli, a sausage lasagna, a meatball sub, and perhaps another item) and pizzas, subs, house salads, and some Italian dishes (such as spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli, lasagna, manicotti, stuffed shells, tortellini and some dishes with their alfredo sauce--which is supposed to be outstanding). There are also a few desserts, a couple of which are imported (bomba and canolli) from Italy.

I ordered a small salad (basic, but very fresh and tasty) and the stuffed shells ($7.99 for dinner portion + $1.00 for salad):

My picture is not the greatest (I'm looking at new digital cameras as we speak, if you have any recommendations, please send them my way!), but the food was nicely presented in a very "home" kind of way (note the dinnerware). The sauce was fresh and light, slightly sweet, not acidic at all. There were herbs and larger pieces of tomato, which I liked. The shells were hand stuffed with fresh, creamy ricotta, also well-studded with fresh basil and oregano. The bread sticks were fluffy and a bit crisp on the outside (and dusted with parmesan and oregano, as you can see). I was able to eat one shell and one breadstick. I probably could have eaten more, but I'd already eaten a salad and was anticipating dessert, so, I decided to take a to-go box.

My husband had a small salad and one of the specials of the day: the sausage lasagna (~$8.00 for the dinner portion + $1.00 for salad).

He loved it and said "it was robust in flavor and very fresh and home-style." I trust he's telling me the truth cause he polished off his entire plate. 'Nuff said.

For dessert we actually ordered both the imported desserts (the Italian Canolli--which we brought home and have stuck in the fridge 'cause we're stuffed, and the Italian Exotic Bomba): both were $3.75

This was a "bomba" of passion fruit sorbet (the lightest color), mango sorbet (the orange-y one), and raspberry sorbet enrobed in white chocolate, drizzled with dark chocolate. We had the owner cut it in half for us cause they are huge. The sorbets in this dessert are some of the nicest I've had. The passion fruit was tart/tangy/sweet just like passion fruit should be. The sorbet was so creamy I almost wondered if there was any cream in it, but there wasn't. The mango was a touch floral and had a very bright and true full-on mango flavor. The raspberry portion was very small, but it did have a nice raspberry flavor. If I closed my eyes and tried each flavor, I'd definitely be able to tell you what they were.

Pricing:

On the whole, the pricing here is more than fair for the portion sizes and quality of the food. We spent $35 for the both of us including a couple soft drinks, salads, entrees, and desserts. My husband tipped about $8 on the bill because the service was just so good--friendliness goes a long way! So really, about $27 including tax. Not bad at all. AND I have lunch for tomorrow!

Verdict:

A place I'd visit again. There were enough vegetarian options and the people were so nice. I'd love to see them survive and thrive in this wretched economy. Was it the best Italian food I've had? No. BUT, it was certainly very good, very fresh, and very well-priced. Give it a shot. Invite me.