Three Wise Men (beer only)

There is a new brewery in Broad Ripple, and it is not playing around.  Three Wise Men brewery--the latest brain-child of Scott Wise-- is a departure in many ways.  It has a hunting-cabin meets warehouse vibe, and I mean that in only the best way.  Lots (lots!) of unfinished pine and maple meets antler coat hooks, modern lighting, black accents and stainless fixtures. The staff is uncommonly friendly and welcoming (and very young!).  We sit at the bar, where in only the few months since opening a band of all-too-comfortable regulars hold the fort.

The beer is awesome.  I've tasted most if it.  The Golden Zoe IPA is super hoppy, the Double IPA is a little bit smoother.  The Naptown Brown is nutty and rich with just the right amount of barley.  And then there's the Two Lucys:  probably one of my all-time top 5 beers. That's right- ranking right up there with Guinness, High Life, Newcastle, and Hoegaarten (I have an eclectic beer palette, what can I say? Jeff is the true connisseur- I just know what I like). It's a 4.5-6.0% alcohol blackberry wheat that is NOT just for the fruity beer crowd.  Trust me--the entire male contingent of my flag football team is obsessed to the point of near-concern.  It is very mild on the fruit (even though it looks like they pureed blackberries right in the glass) and pretty darn high in alcohol for anything trying to pose as a wheat beer.

On this review, I'm not going to get into the food.  There is so much to love that the food needs it's own dedicated post.  But trust me when I tell you that the beer is absolutely worth the trip.  Though they are nice about letting you taste, there are samplers available so you can figure out which beer fits your fancy before you commit to a pint (or 3).  They also have some pretty great specials ($2.50 pints of Wednesdays and $6 growler fills Monday-Thursday) that make drinking their brew one of the best deals in town.  I'm anxious to hear what you all think, so let me know!  I give the beer 5/5 (food to be reviewed later).

Cooper's Hawk Winery

I work at Keystone at the Crossing.  While I attempt to avoid chains (or patronize local chains like Patachou), this part of town is Chain City, USA.  That said, every now and then I succumb.  This time, it was such a beautiful day (rare recently) that I had to find a patio.  Cooper's Hawk fit the bill! 


The entrance experience was strange.  I accidentally walked in the wrong door and right into a entire staff training (it was pretty early for lunch- about 11:15am).  Instantly, I felt as if I were intruding, but the manager took the reigns and offered me the Cabernet Sauvignon they were tasting and made me feel right at home.  Well done! They showed me to a table on a well-appointed, SoCal feel patio (chocolate rattan and stainless steel chairs, light and dark inlaid wood table tops, black market umbrella).  


My server, Lindsey, was incredibly knowledgeable and guided me through their enormous wine list; I wasn't going to have wine with lunch, but after my complimentary tasting you didn't have to twist my arm.  After a taste their Blanc de Blancs ( I couldn't resist), which was amazing, she recommended their wine of the month (and you know how I feel about specials).  This lovely Verdelho Chardonnay was stainless steel fermented, with medium body and crisp notes of peach and pear and nice acidity.  It is off-dry, reminiscent of a great French Chenin Blanc. I chose it for the food pairing, as it was absolutely perfect with what I ate (see below). 


I had a half-sandwich/soup combo: Triple White Grilled Cheese and Lobster/Crab Bisque with a side of Asian slaw. The sandwich was delectable--not your grade school version at all.  Vermont white cheddar, aged Swiss and creamy goat cheese layered with balsamic caramelized onions and truffle oil on toasted sourdough.  Heaven for me includes one of these (daily).


The bisque (and I am not heavy soup girl, but it was their specialty) was mind-blowing.  A luxurious velvety broth with the perfect texture (it just coated your spoon- not too thick or thin) gave way to small morsels of crab, lobster and shrimp with mirepoix (the classic french trio of carrots, onion and celery).  The mark of a great soup is that the star--seafood, in this case--is allowed to shine. This could not have been better.  The Asian Slaw was lovely but not remarkable- it provided a much needed palette-cleansing crunch to the rich soup and gooey sandwich. I should note that they also served me a pretzel bread loaf with airy, easily spreadable butter.  I certainly didn't need it (so much food!), but it was a great accompaniment value add.


Much to the dismay of my small business bias, Cooper's Hawk gets a 5/5!  The service, food, ambiance and price were outstanding and far exceeded my expectations.  My bill was $24 with a tax and a 25% tip, not bad for bread, lobster bisque, half sandwich, Asian slaw, 2 tastes of wine and one great glass of chardonnay. 

A Good Old Standby (everyone needs a few)

The beloved Brewpub--the Broad Ripple Brewpub, of course. Owned by tall, British, bearded John Hill.  Brewers of a wickedly-strong India Pale Ale (sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not, but it's always strong).  The regular patrons are for the most part incredibly witty, quick to throw down in a verbal spar, at either end of the political continuum (though most are liberal), strongly in favor of legalizing marijuana (liberal and conservative alike), and almost as strongly committed to their neighborhood establishments.


There are patrons, like my Jeff, who were literally there on their first day of business 15 years ago and just kept coming back. Jeff actually drank their first pint of beer (IPA of course) from flagship bartender Corky Aiken, incredibly apropeaux.  There are people who accidentally stumbled upon the establishment (like me), played one game of darts with the regulars, and got hooked on the trash talking and cynicism in the dart room and came back for more.  There are also many families who dine at the pub, because though the beer can be a little unpredictable, the food is always good.  It's the best hippie bar food anywhere (it's the place to dine if you want to avoid fried food in a pub--not an easy task).


On this particular evening, we met our friends Courtney and Josh for dinner.  No dart room, no shooting the breeze with the regulars, just dinner. Our server, Jess, was attentive, and the patio made for great people watching.  I prefer the patio to dining inside, as I find the ambiance in the dining room tired and dark (and I find carpet in restaurants gross). This night happened to coincide with the first annual MayIndyTweetup, which was an awesome event (to be written about later) chock-full of Ripple Rats in the streets. Our vantage point on 65th Street near Cornell couldn't have been better.


In my opinion the specials at the pub are always the best bet.  In my stint as a server in fine dining (lots of good stories to be blogged about in the future), our Chef was always most excited about the specials.  Daily specials are a way for cooks to flex their culinary creative muscles.  Let's face it- very few people chose the industry to man the fryer or throw beef patties on a flat-top. So I always take a hard look at the specials, because I feel there will be more effort, more thought, and more creativity put into them than the regular menu favorites.  I could be wrong, but I'm generally not disappointed.


This evening the weekly specials list (on the back, bottom part of the menu) was filled with great options.  I chose the Thai pizza, Courtney and Josh had the hand-breaded Red Hook Ale pork tenderloin (it was so big the brought and extra bun and each had a full sandwich), and Jeff went with his old standby pub fare--a banger + mash and green peas.  All of it was delicious, none of it surprising, and it was extremely affordable.  We started with the Ploughman's Platter, which is a large portion of tasty herbed hummus, veggies (even jicama!), cubed cheddar and fresh pita bread.  Sausage is optional, we opted out this night.


My Thai pizza was notable because though it was small (I think 7"), it was mighty.  The peanut sauce used as a base was perfectly spicy, the grilled chicken and peppers added a punch, and the cheese (not typical in Thai or any Asian food) was actually a nice way to round out the texture and salt-content of the dish. (Not that I have ever complained about cheese.)  I would order it again. I should note that I am frustrated that they took my all-time favorite dish off the menu- the Thai Peanut Pasta (Jenny-style). Bummer.  At least the specials menu still rocks it out!


I give the Brewpub a 3.5/5.  Food was above average, service was adequate, prices were excellent.  I wasn't wowed, but then again, the Broad Ripple Brewpub doesn't have to wow me, it is my neighborhood pub and all I ask for is consistency.  Everyone needs a good old standby, and this is one of mine. Cheers!