We are introducing a new feature to the Takeover. On occasion we are going to take some of the food we had at the various restaurants and attempt to re-create it at home. This way we can truly appreciate (or expose) the quality of the food served at some of the restaurants that we have visited. Last night was our first venture, and we chose to prepare a main dish of Italian beef, with pasta salad, jalapeno poppers and mozzarella balls appetizers. If any of you followers would like to try some of the recipes or have any questions, please leave us a comment and we will do our best to get back to you or answer any questions you may have.
We will start with the appetizers. Ashley made some mozzarella balls (think mozzarella sticks but in round form) and home made marinara sauce. These were the hit of the meal, as they were demolished no more than five minutes after their grand escape from the pan. The breading was flavorful and delicious, as was the cheese itself. The homemade marinara sauce was something that added to the flavor of the cheese without competing, a sign of a wonderfully designed dish. I think all in attendance would agree that these mozzarella balls were better than any we had ever eaten at any restaurant.
Nick showed up with home made jalapeno poppers. These were jalapeno peppers stuffed with a wonderful mix of sausage, cheese, garlic and onion all baked together. These were a nice spicy compliment to our meal, adding a bit of that "zing" feeling to our palate. These poppers contained much more flavor than any this critic has ever tasted at a commercial chain restaurant.
Finally, Beth made a pasta salad (without olives!) for all of us to enjoy. Her initial fear of having leftovers was quickly quashed by our hungry mouths. The mix of pepperoni, pasta, carrots, onions and everything else blended perfectly and gave us a less spicy alternative for those eaters who prefer calmer food items.
All of these appetizers led us up to the main dish. Sarah and I hosted last night so we had the honor (pressure?) of making a main dish that could compete with the wonderful appetizers that we had just gorged ourselves on. To create our Italian beef Sarah and I placed a roast, pepperocinis, Italian salad mix and Italian Giardiniera into a crock-pot© and slow cooked it for 13 hours or so. Once the meat had tenderized a bit, I used a couple forks to pull the meat apart and allowed it to cook a little bit longer. The result as a tender mix of meat and vegetables, simmered in a flavorful sauce. We had the meat straight off the plate, but I would recommend having it in sandwich form with some crispy Italian rolls as bread. The meal went very well with a nice wine, but depending on your personal preference I think that a nice IPA would complement the beef perhaps even better. The Italian beef we had was slightly different in form than what we had at Fat Dan’s Chicago Style Deli, and therefore is hard to compare. However, they both were great in their own distinctive ways, and I would highly recommend the both the slow cooker recipe and the sandwich presented at Fat Dan’s.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Red Lion Grog House
This week we went to Red Lion Grog House in Fountain Square. According to our waiter, they have only been in business for a little over a month. The Red Lion promised the "very best in Ole' English cuisine," and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed.
As always, we started with a couple of appetizers. We went with Chips and Curry Sauce, Spicy Fried Shrimp, and a Banger, which I found out was a sausage. All very good. Aaron and Laura really enjoyed the Spicy Fried Shrimp.
The appetizers came quickly, but we were waiting a while for our main dishes. Later to find out Tuesdays are usually slow days, so they only had one cook in the kitchen. They made up for it (more on that in a minute).
Because we were eating English cuisine, I decided to go with the Fish and Chips, because what is more English than that? Oddly enough, Beth, Wyatt, and Laura also got the Fish and Chips. I was very happy with my decision.
Other dishes were Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, and Stuffed Portobello. I wish I would have asked everyone how they liked their foods, but I was too busy eating and enjoying mine. Like most places, the conversation slowed when the food came, which leads me to believe everyone like theirs.
Like I mentioned earlier, the food came out of the kitchen a little slower than we would have liked. Our waiter came and explained the problem, and asked for forgiveness. I guess we looked like we wouldn't give it, so he brought out two brownies with ice cream and a home-made espresso sauce, on the house! Delicious!
I would give them a good grade, but what really set this place over the top, was my to-go order. Ashley was not able to join us because she had to work. So I ordered her a Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich. Not only did they keep everything separate so the bun wouldn't get soggy, they put all the toppings for her salad in separate containers! Very unexpected.
The Red Lion also won't break your bank. The most expensive plate was $12.99. Everything was very reasonably priced. All-in-all, it was a fun evening, with good food and friends. I would recommend this place to anyone.
Urbanspoon rocks!
As always, we started with a couple of appetizers. We went with Chips and Curry Sauce, Spicy Fried Shrimp, and a Banger, which I found out was a sausage. All very good. Aaron and Laura really enjoyed the Spicy Fried Shrimp.
The appetizers came quickly, but we were waiting a while for our main dishes. Later to find out Tuesdays are usually slow days, so they only had one cook in the kitchen. They made up for it (more on that in a minute).
Because we were eating English cuisine, I decided to go with the Fish and Chips, because what is more English than that? Oddly enough, Beth, Wyatt, and Laura also got the Fish and Chips. I was very happy with my decision.
Other dishes were Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, and Stuffed Portobello. I wish I would have asked everyone how they liked their foods, but I was too busy eating and enjoying mine. Like most places, the conversation slowed when the food came, which leads me to believe everyone like theirs.
Like I mentioned earlier, the food came out of the kitchen a little slower than we would have liked. Our waiter came and explained the problem, and asked for forgiveness. I guess we looked like we wouldn't give it, so he brought out two brownies with ice cream and a home-made espresso sauce, on the house! Delicious!
I would give them a good grade, but what really set this place over the top, was my to-go order. Ashley was not able to join us because she had to work. So I ordered her a Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich. Not only did they keep everything separate so the bun wouldn't get soggy, they put all the toppings for her salad in separate containers! Very unexpected.
The Red Lion also won't break your bank. The most expensive plate was $12.99. Everything was very reasonably priced. All-in-all, it was a fun evening, with good food and friends. I would recommend this place to anyone.
Urbanspoon rocks!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Fat Dan's "Chicago-Style" Deli
This past week, the Tuesday Night Takeover crowd dined at Fat Dan's "Chicago-Style" Deli. Fat Dan's is a small establishment located in Broad Ripple on the main drag. It promises Fresh Deli sandwiches, Vienna Sausage Dogs, Italian Chicago-Beef, In-house smoked ribs, brisket, pork, wings, and much more. Along with great tasting food was the service given to us all by Fat Dan himself. His tasty comfort food along with hospitality turned our evening into a wonderful experience.
For starters, do not leave without trying something "from the smoker" part of the menu. It's difficult to explain how much flavor is created from smoking wings all day. The aroma from the smoker is like a drug telling my brain to eat more and more. The smell is unforgettable and a great attribute to Fat Dan's deli.
As a group, everyone should try the seasoned fresh hand-cut fries. The fries are delivered resting on a large plastic sheet in the middle of the table. Plates aren't always necessary! and I thank Dan for reminding us of that. It personally brought a smile to my face and allowed me to forget, temporarily, about the stress and congestion a work day sometimes brings. After eating your body weight in fries, pick from the variety of beers Fat Dan has on tap. There are enough for all personal pallets. Whether you are an Old-Style fan or one who prefers a double hop - IPA, Fat Dan will provide.
I can not stress enough how the service at Fat Dan's was in perfect balance with the great tasting food. And most importantly, it was easy on our wallets. This is a place we will return, especially during the Cubs Season! If you're interested, check out http://www.fatdansdeli.com/. Cheers Fat Dan!
For starters, do not leave without trying something "from the smoker" part of the menu. It's difficult to explain how much flavor is created from smoking wings all day. The aroma from the smoker is like a drug telling my brain to eat more and more. The smell is unforgettable and a great attribute to Fat Dan's deli.
As a group, everyone should try the seasoned fresh hand-cut fries. The fries are delivered resting on a large plastic sheet in the middle of the table. Plates aren't always necessary! and I thank Dan for reminding us of that. It personally brought a smile to my face and allowed me to forget, temporarily, about the stress and congestion a work day sometimes brings. After eating your body weight in fries, pick from the variety of beers Fat Dan has on tap. There are enough for all personal pallets. Whether you are an Old-Style fan or one who prefers a double hop - IPA, Fat Dan will provide.
I can not stress enough how the service at Fat Dan's was in perfect balance with the great tasting food. And most importantly, it was easy on our wallets. This is a place we will return, especially during the Cubs Season! If you're interested, check out http://www.fatdansdeli.com/. Cheers Fat Dan!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Brugge
As we were about to go to Boogie Burger as our Tuesday Night Dinner, it was packed and no room for the 7 of us to sit in there, we decided to go to Brugge for dinner instead. Brugge is known for its 
fries(they call frites) and different sauces they provide with the fries. We decided instead of getting meals, we would get two of the biggest fries choice they had. Which was call L'Enorme. We probably should have known by the name of the size that it was going to be a huge amount of fries. But we didn't think it would be this big when we received them. To go with the frites we decided to enjoy one of their famous beers, Tripple de Ripple. It was pretty good. But really strong, of course!
After devouring the fries, well not all the fries (way too many for us to finish both fries), we decided to go over to Brothers and enjoy each others company a bit longer. They have specials on Tuesday nights of $2 beers. That was really nice. So we had a beer or two there just hanging out. It was something a little different than our usual Tuesday Night Dinners. We have to mix it up a bit to make it more interesting! A couple people couldn't make it to dinner due to work, but that didn't stop the rest of us from getting together on our Tuesday Night.
fries(they call frites) and different sauces they provide with the fries. We decided instead of getting meals, we would get two of the biggest fries choice they had. Which was call L'Enorme. We probably should have known by the name of the size that it was going to be a huge amount of fries. But we didn't think it would be this big when we received them. To go with the frites we decided to enjoy one of their famous beers, Tripple de Ripple. It was pretty good. But really strong, of course!After devouring the fries, well not all the fries (way too many for us to finish both fries), we decided to go over to Brothers and enjoy each others company a bit longer. They have specials on Tuesday nights of $2 beers. That was really nice. So we had a beer or two there just hanging out. It was something a little different than our usual Tuesday Night Dinners. We have to mix it up a bit to make it more interesting! A couple people couldn't make it to dinner due to work, but that didn't stop the rest of us from getting together on our Tuesday Night.
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