1933 Lounge (St Elmo)

Well, well, well.. what do we have here?  Could it really be true?  Downtown Indianapolis has a real lounge? It's true. Better yet, it's the kind of place you want to sit down and [literally] stay awhile. It's smoke free. It's not overly noisy (even when crowded!). It's beautiful. It just may be perfect. 

St. Elmo's opened its upstairs 1933 Lounge this past weekend. As an unabashed lounge enthusiast and a huge fan of the concept of enjoying an evening out without having to eat in a traditional restaurant, I braved opening night.  Call me crazy, but I just couldn't keep myself away. Maybe it was a foodie's instinct, but I just had a hunch this place would be special.  This is Elmo after all, and they take their reputation seriously.

We are ushered upstairs at the front door and immediately greeted by a lovely hostess. The host staff is comprised of lithe beauties in their own red dresses (brilliant!), making them as easy to find as they are stylish. As Elmo does, the place is staffed to the nines, completely thwarting the concept of being slammed, giving poor service, and having unsatisfied guests.

I have to take a little time to gush about the decor. I instantly fall in love with the exposed brick, beautiful wood floors and eclectic lighting. This place is big--but it feels cozy and approachable. Every seating area has it's own unique feel--antique mirrors, sideboards, chandeliers, or sconces set each area apart--but it is a very cohesive concept. I can't stop staring at everything because it is just so darn gorgeous. Ahhhh... I digress.

The signature cocktail

Back to the review! We opt for a seating area with a comfy cognac leather sofa and two great club chairs. We decide to give the place the full Monty:  appetizers, specialty cocktails, the works! Courtney and I order the French 75.  The boys order the signature Elmo Cola, which is a fancy bourbon and Coke. Then we order apps.  I am in love with their menu, because you can actually eat a full meal without ordering a bunch of fried food or super-heavy dips. Leave it to Elmo to have not one, not two, but four beef options as appetizers!

Like beef-starved travelers fresh out of India, we order all four: Filet Chops (I've only heard of this mysterious wonder), Beef Carpaccio, Filet Sliders and Mac + Cheese, and a sliced New York Strip with Parmesan Crisps.  Though we try really (really!) hard to eat like civilized folk in a high-society setting, we still manage to wolf down everything in a matter of a few minutes. The food blew all of us away. Between Courtney and Jeff we have about the two biggest and most critical beef eaters I've ever seen, so that's really saying something!

The carpaccio is the best version any of us had ever had.  The cheeky menu touts it as "pounded nirvana," and I can't disagree.  The arugula, capers, parmaggiano reggiano, and lemon were just perfect compliments to said pounded nirvana. The macaroni and cheese had a pleasant and surprising amount of white pepper, which combined with the bacon to make it zingy (and not too salty!). The sliders are always awesome (we knew that going in).  The sliced New York was topped with an herb-garlic butter sauce that was to die for.... Those little filet chops (think lamb chop but of filet mignon) were succulent and definitely worthy of the Elmo name.

We also loved our cocktails.  The French 75 has gin, St. Germain, prosecco, and lemon (I secretly think they concocted this just for me).  The Elmo Cola was cute... served with mini Coke bottles with an optional $8 shot to make a second cocktail with your leftover half-bottle.  Jeff likes those little bottles so much he just drank his straight up. The Spicy Margarita was a little watered-down at first, but they fixed it and it was great. The Russian Mule was served in a funny little copper mug.  It had the very distinctive flavor of strong ginger beer.

Our service was impeccable.  The General Manager, Chris, stopped by right away and periodically checked in to make sure everything was up to snuff.  Our server was friendly and attentive.  On night one the place seemed to run like a well-oiled machine. As a veteran of this industry I understand just how rare (and improbable) that is.  Then again, this is Elmo, and they get it right.

Filet Chops

Carpaccio

Slider w/Mac+Cheese

Russian Mule

New York with Parmesan

French 75 (aka F+F)

Sublimely Happy Foodie

 I give 1933 Lounge top marks of 5/5. It's pricey, but it's worth it. Jeff and I decided we will enjoy this prime location at least one a month, even if it is just for a cocktail and a split beefetizer.  I will absolutely take my boss the next time she is in town, because she will love me (and Indy) more afterward. The food and drinks are outstanding, the service is personal, and the ambiance cannot be beat. I will continue to rave about this remarkable downtown gem. As I told Chris (the GM), I may never go downstairs again. Cheers!

10-01 Food & Drink

The basement bar at 10-01 Food&Drink

Broad Ripple Village continues its quest for approachable fine dining with 10-01, named for it's street number on Broad Ripple Avenue.  Seeing the "coming soon" signs while their perfect-for-people-watching deck overlooking the avenue was being constructed, I've been licking my chops for a new foodie haunt in my hood. 

Tonight Jeff and I decided to give it a whirl.  Faced with a decision at the split level entry (downstairs-bar, upstairs-dining), we chose to go to the basement and feel out the newest bar scene in town. 

Dark and modern,  the basement bar already had a little crowd at 6pm (interesting...).  The cocktail list looked fantastic.  We ordered a 10-01 (Prosecco, St. Germain, fresh raspberries) and a Cucumber Fizz (Square One Cucumber Vodka, St. Germain, Soda, Lemon).  We were in a St. Germain kind of mood.  Then again, when aren't we in a St. Germain kind of mood? That special elderberry liquor has a special place in my heart and deserves it own blog post sometime soon.   The cocktails were delicious (the 10-01 was a little on the sweet side for me, but tasty). 

Cucumber Fizz at 10-01

We ordered the Warm Spinach Salad, the Petite Wedge, the Clam & Corn Fritters and the Corn Dog (Jeff had to have it).  The salads were both excellent!  The spinach salad had a warm applewood-smoked bacon dressing with balsamic and rosemary.  It was such a complex flavor that I asked the server to find out what else was in there (surely it couldn't be that simple!).  The goat cheese fritter was a nice component, as well as the shockingly chilled roasted tomato.  The salad was a thrill of warm and cold, salty and sweet, smoky and tart.  Jeff was overjoyed with his deconstructed wedge:  crispy local bacon, cucumbers, Maytag bleu, tomatoes, and a deliciously creamy dressing. 

Warm Spinach Salad at 10-01

We were so full from our enormous salads that we really didn't need any more food.  Regardless, my fritters were delicious. They were served with sauces on the side (my request): a Sriracha and a spicy lavender butter sauce that was out of this world.  The corn dog came with an herb-infused ketchup that was delicious.  The dog (homemade from local beef) was good, but Jeff thought the breading was heavy and mealy (I think all corn dogs are like that, but whatever... it's a corn dog, for goodness sake).

Corn & Clam Fritters at 10-01

We bellied up to the bar, and the bartenders (Cory and Kelly), were awesome.  They let me taste wine (the $6.50 Lucky Star California Pinot Noir wasn't too bad) until I opted for the $7.50 Rodney Strong Merlot.  They went out of their way to make our experience enjoyable while being extremely professional.  Kelly really did ask the chef about the warm bacon vinaigrette for me (I still think there had to be something else in that to give it such depth of flavor!).

Half-way through our meal, we realized it was inevitable: we would be regulars.  This place was simply too cool not to frequent.  I can't wait to eat upstairs next time and get the full dining experience, though my hunch is that we will always be "basement bar" type of people.  A note on the pricing- you can do anything from appetizers, salads and sandwiches for $7-$11 or entrees up to $30.  The wine list was well-priced, but the cocktails were a little steep.

I give 10-01 4/5 for great food, excellent service, and a very cool ambiance that Broad Ripple Village so desperately needs in its sea of microbreweries and sports bars.  Cheers!