Zest! Exciting Food Creations (Guest Review)

Much like an older sister reluctantly dragging along her younger, whiny little brother, the Dining Duo had the pleasure of taking me to Zest! Not really, just wanted to grab your attention. They had been asking me to come along with them for lunch for quite a while now, and this past Wednesday I was actually able to go. I wasn’t much in the mood for burgers and fries, so it was back to Zest to try out the Shredded Beef Sandwich.

We arrived, after the Duo wondered exactly how to get to the place, STILL, and I was pleasantly surprised on walking in-it wasn’t yet ANOTHER corporate-based eatery, but an independent restaurant done up in its own way.

As a die-hard Mt. Dew freak, I must admit I was a little dismayed on seeing the Coke machine behind the order counter. Imagine my delight however, when I stubbornly asked what pops they had, and I was told Pepsi products. Well, HUZZAH for the good guys, I was getting Mt. Dew. Not only that, but it was self-serve fountain Dew at that. Not to say I’m addicted or anything, but I need my Mt. Dew. My blood is made of about 63% water, 10% hemoglobin, and the rest a volatile cocktail of caffeine, alcohol, Ibuprofen, and surpressed rage. I like my Dew. I was on my best behavior however (despite what the Duo may say), and stuck to just the one glass of the nector of the gods.

We sat down pretty much where we wanted, surrounded by other working folks on what I’ll presume were their lunch breaks, in a cozy little room that seemed conducive to talk. The lunches arrived soon thereafter.

Jennifer’s was the first, and even though it did look good, I couldn’t help my fifth grade sense of humor taking control and making me snicker, giggle, and I’m pretty sure guffaw at the name of what she got. If you wanna know, head on over to Zest and read the menu board for yourself. God forbid, but if you have my sense of humor, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Sheila’s was next, and to me it looked like a big old head of lettuce. I was assured there was chicken in there though.

Finally, my plate arrived. I had ordered the Shredded Beef Sandwich, with a side of Chipotle slaw. The only “bad” thing I have to say about it is I found the beef just a tad dry for my liking. It was good, well seasoned and what-not, don’t get me wrong, just not as juicy as it could have been. The bleu cheese sauce helped out. To me, it seemed a lot like Gyro type cucumber/garlic sauce. Very good. I forgot the previous review, and the Duo failed to remind me, and had to go back to the napkin dispenser for more napkins. But that is one of the things that make a sandwich good. The messier the better. The bun was great as well-crunchy outer crust, yet chewy on the inside.

The side of Chipotle slaw was the first time I had something other then regular old cole slaw, and I liked it. It has some spice and a bit of a kick to it, which I like. Of course, had I put my brain into it, I would have put some on my sandwich from the get go, instead of waiting until the last forkfull at the end. I’ll remember better next time.

Meals done, tummies satisfied, plates cleared away, the complimentary crayons left at the table called, so we left the restaurant with our artwork prominently displayed over 2 paper-covered tables. Nothing that will be displayed anywhere, I’m sure, but we had fun, and that’s really all that matters.

I left satisfied and filing a mental note away to remember this place next date night with the missus. I’m sure she’ll like it as well.

Brought to you by Rippey, self-proclaimed literary genius

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Addendum by the Duo:

1. Yes, he guffawed. Heartily. He may look older, but he’s 13 still.
2. Now will you stop whining to come along with us when we go out to lunch?
3. It wasn’t just a head of lettuce on the plate, it was the grilled Caesar salad, with marinated chicken. And it is a grilled salad with chicken, not a salad with grilled chicken. The lettuce itself is grilled. Mmmmm, tasty!
4. Sadly, Zest is only open for breakfast & lunch (unless they’ve expanded their hours) so let’s hope by date night with the missus you weren’t really meaning an evening meal. Otherwise you’ll both be disappointed.
5. And listen, we found the place, so what if we always have to drive around the block a bit?

Murphy’s Steakhouse

A new lunch place for the dining duo, suggested by Jennifer when she and Sheila were in the mood for steak. And what a great suggestion it was!

While their are choices other than steaks, neither of us gave the salads, pork, seafood or chicken choices more than a glance. We were here for red meat! The burgers& steak & Reuben sandwiches drew mild interest, but still the steaks called to us. Daily lunch specials ensure that there is always a steak available for $7.95, and most other choices can be had for only $8.95. After much deliberation, Sheila selected the filet with mushroom sauce, and J went for the special of chipotle flatiron steak. All steaks are served with choice of potato, garlic toast, and salad. Salads were fine – nothing too special here, and the claimed fabulous blue cheese dressing was merely ok. Since we didn’t choice Murphy’s because of the side salad, the so-so salad wasn’t too crucial to our happiness – we cared about the steaks.

Our steaks arrived very quickly, always appreciated during a working lunch. Sheila was immediately pleased by the sight of lots of mushrooms in her dark brown mushroom sauce. They might have been canned, but they were delicious in the rich sauce. Sheila’s filet was very tender, but she thought her medium-rare requested steak looked much more like a medium. It was still delicious! Jennifer loved the spicy kick of her chipotle steak, and the good sear on the cut was very appreciated. Jennifer also felt her steak was cooked past her request – more of a medium-well than the medium she’d requested. Next time we’ll order differently – rare for Sheila, medium rare for Jennifer.

Sheila selected the Dubliners for her potato side, which turned out to be baked potatoes, quartered length-wise, then deep fried. They were fine, but paled in comparison to the crispy deliciousness of Jennifer’s hashbrowns. On later visits, we’ll both go for the hashbrowns!

Desserts tempted, especially because of their low prices ($3.50 for blackberry cobbler!). We discussed our strategy for our next visit – splitting an appetizer (perhaps the tasty-looking onion rings?), one sandwich (the Reuben or maybe the patty melt) & then we’ll have room for dessert. Such as cobbler. Or cheesecake. Or creme brulee.

With its convenient location, free ample parking, delicious steaks, & speedy service, Murphy’s Steakhouse is definitely going to be revisited. Perhaps a dinner visit is in order, so Jennifer can sample some of the beers that are on offer.

http://www.murphyssteakhouse.com/

Food ***
Service ***
Atmosphere **1/2
Overal ***

The Rathskeller

Ach meines! Fünfzehn Minuten und kein einzelnes Nicken vom Kellner? (Translation: Oh my! Fifteen minutes and not a single nod from the waiter?) Jennifer and Sheila have enjoyed great meals at the Rathskeller, but the most recent outing fell flat. After being promptly seated by the host and given water and (yum!) warm pretzels and bread, we waited…and waited…and waited. It almost became a game. Try as they might, we could not get either waiter to look in our direction as they happily served the other patrons. Sheila finally caught the eye of the host (who looked eerily similar to a D-list actor whose name rhymes with Mustin Miamond) who got right on the task of wrangling us a waiter. To his credit, the waiter was apologetic and prompt throughout the rest of the meal. But, come on, dining during a lunch hour requires better attention than this.

On to the food! While the dining duo had plenty of time to weigh their options, they still found it difficult to choose as there are many tempting options. Jennifer thought about the Rathskeller Reuben (which was divine on a previous visit), a bratwurst sandwich (Sheila told her to not even think about splitting entrees with that choice) or the tenderloin sandwich (always a tempting option for the native Hoosier). Ultimately, she went with the tenderloin sandwich. Sheila debated, considering the Reuben (not the Rathskeller version with wurst, but a more traditional version with corned beef), and Firehouse sandwich (beef summer sausage, marinara sauce & spicy cheese), but eventually chose to go with the Schnitzel, which is breaded & served with a lemon dipping sauce.

Of course, the two dining companions planned to split their entrees! While splitting is normally a win-win situation, this time splitting the entrees ended up looking plain silly. The tenderloin on the sandwich and the pork loin cutlet for the schnitzel were the same darn thing! On a previous visit when Sheila chose the Schnitzel, she remembered it having more of a lemony punch. Even with the lemon dipping sauce, they were so similar it made us laugh at how ridiculous we looked splitting virtually identical meals. The pork is excellent with a wonderful breaded seasoning, but if you should happen to dine at the Rathskeller, be sure to choose the sandwich option if you’re in the mood for pork because it is cheaper than the Schnitzel, although the Schnitzel does come with a second side so perhaps that justifies the higher price. And the sandwich does have a bun, so if you love your carbs, it’s just another reason to select that option.

When dining at the ‘Skeller, you are provided an option of many side dishes. This is a blessing because foisting the German potato salad on everyone is just criminal. We both went with the steak fries. The fries were very well seasoned, but a bit overdone. Sheila also had a second side of sauerkraut which was quite tasty.

A major disadvantage of going to the Rathskeller for lunch during a workday is the inability to take advantage of the extensive beer list – hey, it is a German restaurant, of course it’s got an extensive beer list. And the brews aren’t limited to German varieties – they’ve got other European choices as well as typical American beers. Some day we’ll make it there when we can sample the offerings.

Located inside the Athenaeum, the atmosphere at the Rathskeller is always superb–the historic building is beautiful and if you’re lucky you’ll get to hear the waiters conversing with patrons in German. The dining duo will return to the ‘Skeller–hopefully without the long wait the next time!

Food **
Service * 1/2
Atmosphere ***

http://www.rathskeller.com/

Sky City Café

Located inside the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Sky City Café is a quick and casual lunch spot. It turned out to be a good day for the dining duo to visit Sky City Café – the blazing summer heat made the parking garage very appreciated (with FREE parking for Café visitors) and plenty of indoor seating let us stay in the cool air-conditioning. Although it would have been nice if the weather hadn’t made sitting out on their terrace so unappealing – it’s a nice outdoor seating area with views of the canal. Perhaps a return visit is in order once fall arrives.

The soups and chilis on offer all sounded very tasty, but the extreme heat made them less appealing than some of the other options. Yet another reason for a return visit. The menu board offers several salads, and hot and cold sandwiches. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to combine a half sandwich and half salad for a make-your-own lunch pair – any of the offerings can be made into your own combo. It’s a great way to try more items.

Jennifer ignored her compatriot’s advice on the lunch pair option, and went instead for the Tularosa grilled chicken sandwich. The scrumptious hot sandwich was served on grilled crusty white bread with creamy Chihuahua cheese that was super-smooth and tasty & garlic-lime mayonnaise. Plus, the kettle chips had a nice spicy kick to them!

Sheila went for a lunch pair – selecting the Silver City Caesar which had grilled chicken and a cilantro Caesar dressing along with the cold Monterey chicken sandwich, which was grilled chicken, Monterey jack cheese, fried onions & cilantro mayonnaise on toasted sourdough. The extremely generous portion-sizes were very appreciated because both salad and sandwich were fabulous – great flavors and texture contrasts. For a change, she even got a drink besides water, finding the Jones soda choice of Strawberry Lime impossible to resist.

We were back with one of our occasional dining companions (although it wasn’t for a birthday lunch – amazingly enough we just went out for lunch!), who selected the Texas smoked BBQ pork sandwich, served on an egg-onion roll. Her only complaint was with the title – the former Oklahoma resident objected to the Texas name.

The wrapped cookies and bars on display at the register were very tempting looking, but we all refrained. Prices are very reasonable – sandwich prices range from $6.25 – $8.00 and are well worth the prices charged, with their great and unusual flavors. The Southwestern/Native-American cuisine is not what you usually find in Indianapolis, and the Eiteljorg can be proud of what they offer.

http://www.eiteljorg.org/ejm_planyourvisit/skycitycafe.asp

Food ***
Service **1/2
Atmosphere ***