Twenty Tap

Beer flight

Monday nights are usually relatively uneventful. For Jeff and I, they usually mean a $3 pint at the Broad Ripple Brewpub and then some sort of easy dinner (out or on the grill). We were both craving burgers, and one of our friends mentioned that Twenty Tap had the best around. Twenty Tap is the relatively new brainchild of BR Brewpub Brewer Kevin Matalucci and his wife, Tracy, a caterer.  This concept is all about the craft brew, having (you guessed it) 20 draft options on any given night (and many from Indiana).

I was skeptical, as I had already heard plenty of mixed reviews. Walking in, I noticed a clean, bright, almost spartan eatery.  It could certainly use a little help in the ambiance department.  Our hostess was friendly and our server was great at recommending beer. Jeff ordered a flight of 3 (2 IPAs and a Pilsner for shock value), and Josh ordered an IPA.  Courtney and I decided to give the wine list a whirl. I drank the Angeline Pinot Noir (a steal for $7/glass) and Courtney had a Malbec. We were both pleased, though we wanted more selections. I know it's all about the beer, but a great wine list will go a long way to convincing the non-craft-beer crowd that this place is well worth it.

Oh holy cheese curds

What blew us all away was the food. I was instructed by the same friend to order the cheese curds. Even though I protested on account of calorie intake, he made us swear to order them. We did, and I must say they made the whole thing worth it even if everything else ended horribly.  They were the best cheese curds (possibly the best fried anything) I have ever eaten.  A la Brugge Brasserie, there is a plethora of homemade aiolis for dipping (we preferred the roasted garlic to the horseradish, but both were good). I also asked for grainy mustard, which I loved with the curds.

The Wrath with a side salad

Jeff and I split a burger called The Wrath (Bacon, Mushrooms, Onion, Lettuce, and Creamy Ale Bleu Cheese Sauce), and we chose a side salad instead of fries to go with it. At $9 it was a steal, and it's been a long time since I've had a better burger.  The bleu cheese ale sauce was terrific, and the beef (they use a combination of 3 cuts of beef) was juicy and full of flavor. The side salad that came with shockingly good, and featured romaine, shallots, fennel, mozzarella, and a punchy lemon vinaigrette.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Josh ordered the Grilled Chicken sandwich with prosciutto, arugula, provolone, and fig jam.  It was out of this world; the fig jam added just enough subtle sweetness to the peppery arugula and smoky provolone. The fries that came with it were tasty.  They weren't quite as addictive as Brugge, but they were definitely good. 

Ambiance.... ehhhh?

Twenty Tap gets a 4.5/5.  It scores extremely high marks for food quality, freshness, and taste, as well as great service.  I would love to see them kick up the ambiance a few notches and add more variety to their wine list.  I wouldn't trace any of that, though, if it meant sacrificing food quality or beer selection. I think Twenty Tap will do extremely well if they keep this up. Cheers!

CDM #3: Marco's

For our second ChowDownMidtown meal, we tried Marco's at 54th and Keystone.  We made a reservation for four, and we were promptly seated in the bar at our request.  Marco's is well-known for it's Tuesday night filet mignon special ($14.95), but it has new ownership as of recently, so ChowDownMidtown presented as a great opportunity to try their 3-course 2/$30 menu.

We ordered a bottle of the Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc, but that was out of stock so we got a bottle of Oyster Bay which was a fair substitute (I was disappointed since I had never tried the Frenzy and Oyster Bay is everyone's house Sauvignon Blanc these days).  The wine was served in painfully small glasses.  In my humble opinion, it is a true annoyance when a full pour of wine completely fills the glass (no room to swirl the wine properly or even just get a little sloppy with your hand gestures).

The CDM menu included 2 appetizers for the four of us, so we chose the Calamari and the Fried Mozzerella.  The mozzerella was particularly good, as it was fresh Buffalo Mozzerella (not the typical fried string cheese on most menus).  We then had salads, which were requisite.  The only perceptible difference between the Greek and house salads was the presence of one calamata olive and one small nugget of feta. No big deal I suppose.

For entrees, three of us ordered the Parmesan Pork Medallions, while Courtney ordered the Veal Marsala.  The veal wasn't the best version of Marsala either of us had had, but it was fine.  The Parmesan Pork was delicious, but very heavy.  It was served on a bed of fettuccine with a light tomato cream sauce, which was tasty but their wasn't enough sauce for even half of the pasta (which is fine for the waistline I suppose but disappointing nevertheless).

All in all, 2.5/5.  Service and atmosphere were standard.  The food was marginal (some good, some fair, some disappointing).  I salute them for participating in CDM, but it seemed like they were caught in a minor identity crisis between fine dining and a casual neighborhood joint.  Cheers!

CDM #2 Aristocrat Pub

Our third ChowDownMidtown meal was at the Aristocrat Pub.  They had a 2/$30 menu, but we went with three people so my borhter had a regular menu experience while Jeff and I split the CDM menu.  Service was great!  Vincent showed up to a lovely table on the patio.  The Aristocrat is pleasantly surprising.  Though it is right on College Avenue (just North of 52nd), it is so well landscaped that you feel as though you are in a lovely courtyard (with some random traffic noise, but still). 

Our server, Will, was knowledgeable about the local craft beer on tap (Flat 12 Hlaf Cycle IPA for Jeff) and the CDM menu.  We started with the beer cheese crock with Granny Smith apples and pretzel bread, which was delicious.  It didn't bowl me over, but it was tasty, and we were very hungry and happy with the satisfying starter.  Jeff ordered a Cajun Greens Salad as his entree, a hearty composed bowl of corn, black beans, cajun grilled chicken, tomatoes, feta and mixed greens.  This is a man salad (and Jeff thoroughly enjoyed it).  

Cajun Greens Salad-Aristocrat

Ryne ordered a burger with grilled onions and cheddar, and it was definitely enjoyable (and looked amazing).  I was disappointed in my Portabella Ravioli.  The pomodoro sauce was poorly seasoned (too much pepper for the delicacy of the sauce, and the wine wasn't cooked out of it so it had a bitter, hot flavor) or a good match for the ravioli, which was undercooked.  This was a failure, but certainly not the worst thing I've eaten.

Dessert was a dense Guinness Chocolate Cake with a fudge-like ganache frosting and raspberry sauce.  It was satisfying, if a little on the dry side).  All in all, 3/5.  We will be back, but we won't hurry.  The Aristocrat's service and atmosphere was very nice and the prices were fair.  The inconsistent food left something to be desired.

CDM #1: Ripple Inn

Ripple Inn's Caesar Salad

The Ripple Inn has taken a lot of heat from critics since the beloved Broad Ripple Steakhouse closed just a short year ago.  I have been wanting to try it for myself now for quite some time, and what better opportunity than a prix fixe , three-course, $30 menu courtesy of ChowDownMidtown?  Rumor has it they hired new superstar Executive Chef Joseph Davey (of Chicago's 3-Michelin-star Alinea fame).  Let's see what he's got for Indy!

Service started off very slowly as we waited to order, waited for wine, waited for the first course.  That's where the complaints end and raving begins.  We ordered three spectacular courses (all different, so we could taste).  The minestrone I ordered had smoked chicken and a surprising broth flavored with miso and nutmeg.  It was like opening a gift from your uncle (you love him, but you don't expect to love the gift) and it being the most thoughtful gift you've received that year! Jeff's caesar salad had whole white anchovy fillets, radicchio, and a lovely dressing with long strands of lemon zest.

The entrees were also noteworthy.  My salmon was cooked to a perfect medium (upon request) and complimented by a briny cured olive tapanade, tomato vinaigrette, lemony sorrel, and a bed of arugula.  Jeff's roasted chicken had 2 unctuous sauces--demi-glace and piccata--and a ratatouille of beautiful spring vegetables.

Plank-Grilled Salmon, Tapanade, Olive Gel, Sorrel-Ripple Inn

Dessert was a "last but not least" type of moment.  My chocolate pot de creme was rich (not too sweet) with salty candied hazelnuts, vanilla bean mousse and cat's tongue's tuiles (strange but a surprising herbaceous touch).  Jeff had a lemon tart that looked like (in his words) "strawberry Stone Henge meets a crashed lemon-tart UFO," and (in my words) "a party on a plate."  There was unbelievable lemon curd with homemade crust, pound cake, dried and fresh berries, pretzels, M&Ms, and chantilly cream.  See what I mean?  Party!

My favorite part of the meal was what I didn't order.  Gnocchi pomodoro was on the entree list, so Jeff asked our server if I could have a tasting portion.  Not only did they oblige this request, but it was phenomenal!  The gnocchi was seared (a la the Meridian), the pomodoro was rich a developed with oregano and mirepoix, and there was a basil "pudding" that added a nice zing.  The manager and our server (Melinda) were so nice to accommodate my little gnocchi obsession.

Taster of Gnocchi Pomodoro-Ripple Inn

To sum up:  Slow service was more than compensated for by a very attentive and accommodating staff--just don't be in a hurry.  The food was daring-lots of molecular gastronomy from Chef Davey that I hope Indy people will embrace!  The value was incredible, but I owe that mostly to ChowDownMidtown ($115 with tax, tip, and a bottle of New Zealand pinot noir).  I give it 4/5.  Only the speed of service could improve, and in some cases there was too much on the plate.  Coco Chanel once said, "When accessorizing take off the last thing you put on."  Certainly establishments featuring haute cuisine could often take a cue from this.  Nonetheless, we will be back, and probably often.  Cheers!