Liter House 5301 Winthrop Avenue. (revisit)
I visited this place solo about 2 months ago. Pat was out-of-town and he didn’t seem too excited about their menu. He considered it too nouveau or something. I just think it had more embellishments than he would have prefered. That is just the way restaurants conduct their business anymore. It takes a lot of bells and whistles to make someone pay 9 or 10 dollars for a sausage sandwich.
Their smokehouse is finished so I was looking forward to some smoked meats. They have a few items and they also have the occasional special. The first thing I noticed was “burnt ends” for $8. I think burnt ends are some of the best part of the brisket. It comes from the second cut of the brisket which is also the fatty part. If done correctly, and that includes a proper trim they are delicious. Moist and tender with just enough fat to be flavorful. They are also not too common around here.
They serve theirs with a side of pickles and Crystal hot sauce and they were excellent. It was a nice size portion that I couldn’t finish.
The other thing that jumped out at me was fried smelt. I have a thing for smelts and they are even harder to come by than burnt ends.
Another nice amount well worth the 10 buck price tag. The offered a garlic mayo which was all right but I would have preferred a cocktail sauce or a plain old tartar sauce. Another plate I enjoyed but couldn’t finish. My eyes were bigger than my stomach but I did take home dinner.
Their beer garden isn’t quite finished but I expect it will be hopping once warm weather arrives once more. Imagine a nice Spring day munching on a plate of dry rubbed smoked wings and drinking a Big Lug beer under a warm Hoosier sun. Sounds good doesn’t it.
Jimmy’s Diner 3301 Shelby Street
About 2 years ago this place was doing business as Ma and Pa’s Diner. It was just sold and re-opened as Jimmy’s on August first. Pat goes by it regularly and told me about it last week. We decided to try it out with our buddy Jimmy, who has lunched with us a couple of times.
I didn’t make a copy of their menu and I honestly can’t remember too much of it. They serve breakfast all day and the menu starts out with JJ’s Special. Two bacon, 2 sausage, 2 eggs and potatoes. With a half order of biscuits and gravy and choice of pancakes,waffles or French toast for $9.75. That I remember. That and a double cheese burger and fries sell for $5.75 and on Fridays they have all you can eat Flounder for $14.
Pat couldn’t wait to try the B&G.
The biscuits and gravy were pretty good. A decent tasting gravy ( that could have used more sausage) over a ready-made biscuit. The pancakes were of the usual mix variety. Tasty but nothing to get overly excited about. The hardest thing for me to review are breakfast foods. Most biscuits are pre-made and the pancakes come from a mix. There are a few exceptions but this holds true for most joints. For breakfast the execution is everything. People are as finicky of their eggs as they are of their steaks. Most folks will let it slide over a med rare steak ending up more medium but don’t dare break the yolk on their over easy eggs. For my breakfast the preparation was flawless. The eggs were beautiful and the bacon had the proper crisp. As for the sausage I commented to the owner how I liked it and he told me that when he opened up he was using a fresh sausage but folks complained. They didn’t like the pinkness of the meat;so he went back to the pre-cooked patties the previous owner used.
As you can see the potatoes are crisp and brown. The other potato option was a home fry. If they are as crisp as these that would be the way to go.
Don’t expect anything fancy or pretentious here just expect some good cooking.
Emmy’s Pancake House & Grill 7508 Beechwood Centre Rd. Avon In.
If gluttony were a punishable offense Pat and I would both be locked up. Either one of our meals would have been enough for us to split. However the belly wants what the belly wants.
Emmy’s is that place that exists all over the nation. A large menu featuring breakfast as well as lunch or dinner and they will serve whatever you want when you want it. Oh yeah and the prices are reasonable and the portions are huge.
For whatever reason breakfast food always sounds so enticing anytime of day so Pat and I both decided on omelets. 
I think that all of their egg dishes offer a choice of pancakes or toast. Pat,as usual,gets dry toast and I opt for pancakes. That way he can taste my cakes and still tell his wife he ordered dry toast. Shrewd.
These are the pancakes that came with my meat lovers omelette. Very light and tasty. Everything you would want in a pancake. They add a bit of vanilla to their syrup;which I think is interesting. Too much of the syrup may be overwhelming. However in “normal” amounts it provides a nice change.
This omelette is filled with ham,sausage and bacon. As an up-charge I added sausage gravy to cover. It was great. The eggs were nicely prepared but a purist might suggest that they were over done. However they probably haven’t tried to rock out a 5 egg omelette. I thought that it was an excellent dish. The gravy was nice,very civilized with small pieces of sausage in it. I would have to try it over biscuits to judge it properly. I will definitely second Pat’s comment on the hash browns. Wonderfully crisp and brown and delicious.
Both of our omelets were $8 and my gravy add-on was $.79. An amazing price for a great amount of good food. As I said joints like this exist all around our country, not as many as in the past but they are out there and this is one of the best. Worth the drive.
Downtown Ollys 822 N. Illinois
Well here we are at Christmas Week already. Since Pat and I both have other stuff to do we realized that Monday would be the only day we could get together to break bread before the Holiday. We further decided that breakfast would fit our schedules much better than lunch. And no joint says breakfast to us like Ollys. During the week they offer a special of 2 eggs, your choice, with bacon or sausage and toast for $2.99. Pat and I have both taken advantage of the special on many occasions. Pat with his wife,Fran, while bike riding. Me after “working” out at the gym. In addition we stop in after lunch for adult beverages when we dine in the area. It was one of those times;last week;we discovered they had changed their menu. So it was due for a re-visit anyway.
Pat won’t have his usual epic note this week since he forgot his pad. Being the Holidays I made an Administrative decision and gave him a pass. Anyone reading this blog regularly knows Pat’s eating habits. He likes his food simple. For his breakfast he ordered a special and a half order of biscuits and gravy. His standard breakfast special is scrambled eggs, crisp bacon and dry wheat toast.
Another thing about Pat and his food when he is hungry he doesn’t mess around. He started eating while I was still picking up my phone.
For me I ordered a full biscuits and gravy with 2 over easy eggs perched on top.
I believe they serve the largest biscuits and gravy in town. For the half order they use 3 biscuit halves and on the full order 5. The amount of gravy they pour over is almost excessive. It is definitely some of the best if not the best in town.
I also got a side of bacon. I went ahead and got mine crisp like Pat;normally I don’t care. One comment on the bacon. I nearly always order bacon because they always do a fantastic job with it. It is consistently well done;as in properly cooked not over cooked. I think the prices are just as nice as their food. A half order of biscuits and gravy is $4.50 and a full is $5.95. A side of 4 slices of bacon is $2.50,I think. I know ala carte eggs are $1.50 each. So I feel that for the quality and amount served this joint is a great place to try for breakfast or lunch. Keep in mind they are open 24/7 serving food. So Pat and I liked this place last year and we like it even more now.
Pearl Street Pizza Pub 65 E. Pearl Street
I don’t usually go out at night. Especially on Saturday night. However I decided to make an exception this Saturday night. I had plans to meet some friends at a new joint on Mass. Ave. I really wanted to check this particular joint out.
When I go downtown I always take a bus;or a cab. Parking is insane, and expensive. Bus fare is cheap and even cab fare is reasonable compared to driving. However I had no idea that there were two events going on at the Stadium and the Arena. So long story short I decided to head to Pearl Street. Pat and I have been there before, before the blog and we had talked about going back. Well I just jumped the gun.
I know from earlier experience they can make a good pie. I ordered an 8 inch deep dish pizza. The basic price is $8.75. For meat it is an extra $ 1.50 and $1.00 for veggies. That makes a sausage and mushroom deep dish pizza pie $11.25. I think that is pretty expensive. Another reason I prefer lunch. They do offer a cup of soup or a salad for an extra $1.99 with a pizza.
The soup they had for the day was a spicy chicken with gorgonzola.
A smooth soup with a bit of a bite and a touch of bleu cheese funk from the Gorgonzola. I found it to be a very good soup. What I enjoyed most about it was the bleu cheese component was added as a garnish so the taste wasn’t changed by heat.
Now the pie. I thought it was delicious. The dough was fluffy and bread like around the edges. With a nice buttery top
crunch and the bottom with the all the good stuff in it was nice and crisp. I think every part was great. From the sauce to the sausage and mushrooms I thought it was a fine piece of work.
I think this place is a wonderful choice for a pizza and beer. Right smack dab in the middle of the down town loop. It sits on Pearl Street. That is the alley that runs from Meridian Street to Penn. on the North side of the Century Building. In that area called the Wholesale District. So if your are in the area and have a hankering for a pie and beer this is as good as you will find.
The Garfield Park Eatery & Coffee 2627 Shelby Street
Well the Garfield Inn is gone, no more, kaput. In its place is an eatery/coffee shop. The new owners have done a major remodel of the old tavern. From a well-worn bar to a cozy little parlor with bright walls and comfortable seating.
The old bar is still in use and behind the bar where there once were bottles of booze now sets an impressive array of coffee machines and the various supplies necessary for today’s coffee service. You order at the bar and they bring your food out to you. By the register they have big jars with cookies for $1.25 each, as well as other confections. The cookies we tried were pretty good. Mine was a chocolate chip that had a bunch of other stuff in there,like coconut and raisins. As you can see the menu is rather small and they don’t offer hamburgers. Although they did have one as a special, with fries.
Pat ordered a breaded tenderloin, with fries for $7.95
I ordered the special. Pasta Bolognese ( $7.45 ) and a cup soup ( German Sausage ) for $3.25. Unfortunately it was very bland. It was a brothy soup with potato, red beans, onion and potato as well as sausage and cabbage. First thing the amount of sausage was rather small, as was the rest of the ingredients. The idea sounded fine. The execution was way off.
As for the pasta, to me it didn’t fare much better than the soup. A Bolognese is a classic. It is characterized by the use of chopped onion, carrot and celery (a mirepoix). I think what makes it a classic is the melding of the veggies with a red sauce and the reduction of beef stock and wine in the sauce. Not to mention the judicious use of nutmeg and milk or cream at the finish. What I was served was a multi colored rotini covered with a hamburger and tomato sauce with a definitely tart and tangy after taste. So guys lunch didn’t go over real big with me.
I think their idea of a coffee shop is very viable for this area. They offer free WiFi and all the espresso and latte stuff that made Starbucks rich. And even though I am no longer able to drink coffee I can still appreciate the idea of a good coffee shop. And the prices appear to be more than fair. So hopefully they’ll get the wrinkles worked out. Maybe breakfast is their forte. They scratch make the biscuits and gravy and on week ends they serve breakfast all day long. If I lived closer I’d try breakfast. I would pass on the pasta though.
A Taste of Memphis BBQ – 3705 N. Illinois Street
A lot of folks know of Taste of Memphis as a food truck. Well now it’s a brick and mortar joint as well. They took over a building that has housed a few restaurants over the years and turned it into a commissary. They cook their food there; and sell it both on premise and in their truck. I stopped for some carry out today, they had their smoker fired up and I could not resist.
My eyes were bigger than my stomach, so to speak, and I ordered a rib tip dinner with mac & cheese and greens. And a pulled pork sandwich and a smoked sausage sandwich. Even though there would only be my wife and I eating, I wanted a good representation. Besides left overs are fine.
I order the tips with sauce on the side. I wanted to check out the meat naked. It was indeed an excellent job of smoking. Moist and tender with both a beautiful bark and smoke ring. My better half and I were both very pleased. I only had a bite of the mac & cheese. It was pretty good. The wife seemed to enjoyed it more than I did. The greens were very good. Deep flavored and peppery. They gave up a great pot liquor. Now would be the time for the jiffy.
When they do a pulled pork or smoked sausage sandwich they add the sauce and then top it with coleslaw. I think that is a great way to eat some smoked pig. Of course you will find some folks that want all that on the side. I thought it was great. The pork is what you would expect from folks that know their way around a smoker as they do. The sauce was both sweet and a little hot. And with the creamy slaw. A great combo.
Normally I don’t order sausage at a BBQ joint. It is usually a sausage that has already been smoked and then smoked some more, sauced and sold. I’m not sure why I did but I am glad I did. This link was good size and very tasty. It reminded me of Big Red Hots. Nice texture and great flavor. Clara liked it even more than I did.
So folks if you liked it for lunch; at the truck. Now you can get it any time at the Mother Ship. Like maybe dinner carry out. Pick it up on the way home. Everyone can use a little smoked pig in their life.
Ich liebe Wurst
Well as the title suggests I just love sausage. The Heidelberg Haus Café has been on Pendleton Pike since 1968. It has been primarily known as the place to go for wonderful German cakes and cookies. As a matter of fact, Pat and I stopped in there a few months back for some cookies; after a less than mediocre lunch at Papa’s, across the street. A lesser-known fact is, they also offer lunch. Sausage lunch. Their small menu offers nothing but various types of sausage. They buy their sausage from Claus’, formally known as Klemm’s. which is THE place to go for authentic German-made sausages. Their plates are pretty straightforward. One or two sausages; depending on the type you order, with a portion of the German potato salad and a piece of rye bread and butter. Pat chose frankfurters. Two long pieces slightly smoked pork sausage, that were boiled, prior to serving. He and I have both had sausages from Claus before, so we knew what to expect and we were not disappointed. However, we made the same mistake we’ve made too times before. We started eating and then remembered pictures. So are pictures are not the best we have published.
My eyes were bigger than my stomach, so I ordered two bratwurst. These beauties were slightly fried so there was a slight touch of fat on the outside. The slight resistance of the casing and the smoothness of the sausage inside maked for a delicious pairing. The German style potato salad also made for a great accompaniment. Creamy, with a slight hint of vinegar, it didn’t try to compete with the meat to fill you up. I only ate one sausage, deciding to take the other home in order save room for dessert.
When we first walked in, we were told that Thursday was national Black Forest day. So to honor the celebration. They were selling slices of black forest cake at 1968 prices. One dollar. So in honor of Black Forest day we had to try a piece. And it was multiple layers of rich chocolate cake and real whipped cream. I had to stop and brush away a tear, just thinking about the last bite.
So,there’s not much more I can add. If you like good German sausage served to you, at a good price.( Both plates of sausage totaled less than $18. ) then the Heidelberg Haus Café is the place to go. Even if you can take or leave sausages but if you have a hankering for THE BEST German confections in Indianapolis, then get out to Pendleton Pike.You won’t be disappointed
Way South of Chicago
I’m sure most foodies in Indy have heard of South of Chicago in Fountain Square. That’s the place that serves Chicago style pizza and Italian beef sandwiches;sandwiches so authentic you can smell the lake with every bite. Well I don’t know about the lake part but ,yes Ma, the beef IS as good as everyone says it is. Pat has been there numerous times,but I had to wait until I had bone fide functional teeth before I could give it a try. Naturally we both had beef sandwiches with cheese. I took mine with hot peppers Pat without. The sandwich is huge. It probably weighs close to 2 pounds. It is most definitely not a hand-held sandwich. At least not until you eat some of the meat out first. The au jus is also the real thing,juice from the roasting meat;not just some beef base and water. That leads us to the proper way to order. You can get it wet; that’s when the bun is lightly wetted with the jus or dipped; the whole thing is submerged in the au jus. I think there is a third option;but I can’t remember what it is. Nor can I recall what else they serve beside the beef or a beef and sausage combo. Oh and pizza. What sort of Chicago style joint would it be without pizza. The pizza might be great but on this day cow was king. A big Gonnella hoagie roll stuffed with tender,slow roasted beef just dripping with beefy goodness. And how much does such a tasty treat cost;you ask. Why 8 bucks. That’s right eight dollars. And it comes with a pack of chips,and it is big enough for two cheap people to share. It is times like this that makes you proud to be an America.
B’s Po Boy 1261 South Shelby
To anyone who has been to New Orleans, you know that the ubiquitous Po’ Boy is the quintessential handheld treat from the city noted for its food. In Indianapolis, you will find an authentic example at B’s Po Boy in Fountain Square. It is located on Shelby Street across the street from the Fountain Square Brewery; which is quite convenient. They buy their bread direct from Leidenheimer, a New Orleans bakery, and it is the real deal.A little crisp on the outside and a little chewy on the inside, a nearly perfect bite. Some of their filling options are not typical of what you would find in Louisiana. They offer barbecue pulled pork, chipped roast beef (which they cook off themselves), sliced ham (which they don’t cook themselves) and homemade chicken salad with a dressing of mayo and Creole mustard. They also offer the usual suspects; andouille sausage, fried shrimp, barbecue shrimp and fried oysters.
I ordered a half andouille sausage and a half oyster. Pat ordered a half ham and we both shared an order of sweet potato fries.The andouille sausage was really quite good, good spice background without being overwhelming. What I couldn’t figure out was the fact they get it from Ireland. I never met a Cajun leprechaun before, but hey, this is an international economy. But as good as the sausage was my hands-down favorite were the oysters. They buy fresh select , lightly bread them and perfectly fry them. On the other hand, Patrick’s ham was merely okay. It was just a good deli style ham.The sweet potato fries, although a “store-bought” product, they were top-notch shoestring cut taters.They dress their sandwiches with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle and mayonnaise. But obviously you can eliminate anything you want. They also offer red beans and rice and chicken, sausage gumbo; as both a side $3.50 or as an entrée for nine dollars and $10. Their sandwiches are priced at six dollars for a half and nine dollars for a whole. It seems more than reasonable, because they don’t seem to skimp on the portions. And if salad is your thing , they also offer three entrée salads. I’ve no idea how big they are but they seem to come loaded with stuff.They also offer scratch made beignets. If you are not hip to beignets just think Hoosier fried biscuits, only lighter.
As for refreshments. They offer both bottled and draft beers. And since they are right across the street from the Fountain Square brewery what would be better to wash down andouille sausage and fried oysters, then a cold pint of Hop For Teacher;I think the name says it all.I know this would hardly qualify as a heart healthy lunch; but if I have but one life to live let me live a sated one.<a
