UPDATE The Stacked Pickle - West Carmel

Stacked Pickle

4335 West 106th Street

Indianapolis, IN 46032

317.876.0981

Website: www.stackedpickle.com/west-carmel.html
Type of Food: American Pub

 

 

As promised in my January 26th blog post, I returned to Stacked Pickle to give it another shot once it had been open for a while and been able to adjust to its newest location.

 

I was pleasently surprised that the staff seemed calmer, and more assured in their positions, and the food came out well prepared and in a timely fashion.

 

Overall, I am glad I took the second trip around, and would encourage you to give them a try!

Ocean World - NW Indianapolis

Wednesday May 8, 2013

Ocean World Sushi

 

1206 W 86^th Street

Indianapolis, IN 46260

317-848-8901

Website: www.oceanwordlsushi.com
Type of Food: sushi/Japanese

Price: $3.00 - $30.00

Date Potential: Fun lunch with friends

Dress: casual

Appetizers: 4/5 stars

Entrée: 4/5 stars

Atmosphere: 2/5 stars

Atmosphere

Ocean World, is a fun eclectic style, that would remind you of an “Under the Sea” prom theme. The restaurant itself is wonderful but can get a bit loud during its busiest times since most of the tables are quite close to each other. Ocean world has great food and speedy service, and is for sure a great lunch or early dinner spot.

 

Service

The wait staff is speedy, polite, and is able to answer almost any questions you may have about the different rolls and options they offer. They are attentive to needs, as water glasses were never empty and courses were served right after each other without much wait time.

 

Food

Since we dined on sushi, we started the meal off with soup. The miso soup served, in my opinion, is one of the better versions I have had in Indy. It comes out piping hot, but not scalding, and has just the right amount of flavor added to the broth.

The sushi was excellent, and I discovered one of my new favorite rolls in town, called the Mardi Gras roll. While this roll does have some cooked portions, it was executed perfectly, with just enough spice to avoid having to use the wasabi provided, as I sometimes do. The best part about this roll … it was the special of the day! I have seen a theme at Ocean World that they do not shy away from putting some of their best rolls on special, which says a lot about the management and chefs.

 

Overview

Overall I would go back to Ocean World time and time again, it was a great find!

 

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The Gift of Cake

So I feel bad I haven't been able to post a review in the last two weeks due to my traveling schedule. So  I wanted to give a gift to you all, that I recently received myself, for being amazing and reading my food ramblings :)

The gift is called "Mug Cake" .... and its easy as 3-2-1!

1. Grab a coffee mug (any size)
2. get a boxed mix of angel food cake, and a boxed mix of your other favorite (I chose devils food)
3. mix the two boxed mixes together in a Ziploc bag
4. take three Tbs. of mix and put it in the mug
5. take two Tbs. of water and put it in with the mix
6. STIR (found out this is a VERY important step lol)
7. microwave for 1 minute on high

finally ... enjoy a single serving cake treat anywhere there's a microwave! (for thos of you watching calories ... WHY ARE YOU READING THIS BLOG?? ha! just kidding! ... this treat is only 3PP on weight watchers).


Enjoy my friends!

Amber Indian - Carmel, IN

Wednesday April 17, 2013

Amber Indian

12510 North Meridian Street

Carmel, IN 46032

317-580-0828

Website: http://www.amberindianrestaurant.com/
Type of Food: Buffet / Indian

Price: $3.00 - $15.00

Date Potential: lunch or dinner with friends

Dress: Casual

Entrée: 3/5 stars

Atmosphere: 2/5 stars

Atmosphere

The Amber Indian is not the place to visit for ambiance, lovely table linens, or a fancy night out. You will enjoy the food and the service, but do not expect to walk into this restaurant situated in a Carmel strip mall and be overwhelmed by ambiance.

 

Service

The service was friendly, speedy, and made the dining experience a pleasurable one. The wait staff and manager seem to understand the fine line between making sure a customer has what they require to enjoy the meal and standing at the table every 5 minutes and interrupting the evening. Overall, the staff was exactly what I hope for when I dine out.

 

Food/Drinks

My dining companion and I came for dinner, and therefore ordered off the traditional menu rather than sampling the lunch time buffet. I prefer to go to Indian restaurants for the lunch buffet, because I enjoy sampling as many dishes as I can, but our meal was wonderful. I ordered the Aloo Gobhi, which is a dry dish made with potatoes, cauliflower and Indian spices. It is yellowish in color, due to the use of turmeric, and occasionally contains kalonji and curry leaves. I chose to accompany this dish with basmati rice and garlic naan. The flavors blended together well, and the dish had exactly the amount of spice I was looking for (I ordered mine with medium spice). The food was warm at the table, cooked well, and presented nicely. I had no complaints about the food and would happily eat there again.

 

Overview

Overall I enjoyed my trip to Amber Indian and would happily return, maybe next time to sample the lunch buffet. The food and atmosphere may seem simple in presentation but combined with the outstanding wait staff and the flavors of the dishes served, this restaurant is a new favorite.

 

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Sabbatical - Broad Ripple, IN

Wednesday April 10, 2013

Sabbatical

921 Broad Ripple Ave

Indianapolis, IN 46220

317-253-5252

Website: http://www.sabbaticalindy.com/
Type of Food: Small Plates

Price: $6.00 - $33.00

Date Potential: 2^nd Date

Dress: Casual to Business Casual

Entrée: 3/5 stars

Atmosphere: 2/5 stars

Atmosphere

Sitting on porch of this restaurant was nice on a mild spring evening. My dining partner and I were given the chance to people watch, as well as enjoy each other’s company without the typical “bar scene” of Broad Ripple Ave. You can tell the restaurant is still working on finding its niche and style, as many areas still have the original La Jolla decorations and signs posted.

 

Service

The servers were nice and knowledgeable, but this is not a place to go if you have limited dining time. There were not many patrons inside or out - I believe we counted 15 in total - yet the food service was extremely slow.

 

Food/Drinks

We sampled a plate of bread and truffle butter, grilled chicken skewers in Thai peanut sauce, and pulled pork sliders. Overall I would give the win to the pulled pork sliders. The bread and truffle butter was a nice treat but nothing to rave about. The chicken was well cooked, and the peanut sauce was well made but was a bit thicker than I was used to and could use a bit more heat for the Thai food crowd. The pulled pork sliders were two rolls with nicely cooked pork and onion straws on top. The meat was tender and the onion straws added the crunch and salt needed to round out the dish.

 

Overview

Overall I would return to Sabbatical, as their food was decent and they have a large selection of craft beers and wine. However, I would save this specific spot for more of a light appetizer course or a mid-day stop to relax rather than a full meal, as acquiring a large amount of food from this establishment could break the bank.

 

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Delhi Palace - Indianapolis, IN

Wednesday April 3, 2013

Delhi Palace

 

2654 Lake Circle Dr

Indianapolis, IN 46268

317-824-1600

Website: N/A
Type of Food: Indian Buffet/Dining

Price: $2.00 - $17.00

Date Potential: Dinner/Lunch with friends

Dress: casual

Appetizers: 4/5 stars

Entrée: 4/5 stars

Atmosphere: 2/5 stars

Atmosphere

Delhi Palace is not a place to go for incredible decorations or a fine dining experience. When you walk into this somewhat hole-in-the-wall restaurant located in a strip mall, you will not have high expectations for what you will discover inside. However, the food is worth it!

 

Service

During the lunch buffet, the wait staff is almost nonexistent after you have been seated. Occasionally a waiter will come around and refill your water, but if you are expecting someone to “check in on you” this is not the restaurant for you. During dinner service the wait staff is a bit more attentive, but they still are quite scarce between the time you order and the time you are served.

 

Food

For those unfamiliar with Indian cuisine, I recommend starting with the buffet. Grab a coupon from Coupons 4 Indy to receive a dollar off, and you will have the chance to taste small portions of all the wonderful dishes this restaurant has to offer. The garlic naan is a MUST try!

If you are there for dinner, grab your dinner coupon, and make sure to order exactly what you are hoping for. During dinner you will have to go a bit more ala carte to get different flavors, but the food is worth it and you will not be disappointed by the portions. I like the samosas as an appetizer and palak paneer with garlic naan for an entrée.

 

Overview

Overall I am a fan of Delhi Palace. I would not recommend it to friends who, like me, appreciate a full dining experience with an attentive wait staff. However, if you are in it for the food, give this place a try!

 

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Stone Creek - Zionsville

Wednesday March 27, 2013

Stone Creek Dinning

4450 Weston Pointe Dr #15

Zionsville, IN 46077

317-873-9700

Website: http://www.stonecreekdining.com/Zionsville/
Type of Food: American Dining

Price: $6.00 - $30.00

Date Potential: Third Date for good conversation

Dress: business casual

Appetizers: 3/5 stars

Entrée: 4/5 stars

Atmosphere: 3/5 stars

Atmosphere

Stone Creek in Zionsville is hidden in a strip mall next to a dental practice. The outside is not terribly impressive, but the inside is lit for a romantic mood. I did not like that the dining spaces felt closed off from the rest of the restaurant - almost sectioned out at different points - and the tables were pushed a bit close together. Overall, though, the restaurant was clean, and not terribly loud.

Service

Our waitress was helpful; however we did have to request the early bird menu, as we arrived at 5:30 and they do not simply provide it to you at the table. The staff was helpful and courteous. We did have errors on our bill that caused a delay in our ability to pay and leave; however, they were corrected.  

Food

The starters - fresh bread with dipping oils and salad - were a good starting off point. The oil had a sun-dried tomato flavor to it, which made it a bit different than the oil at other restaurants. The salad was crisp and light, and offered a large selection of dressings you would not find elsewhere. For my entrée, I chose the bone-in pork chop which was accompanied by mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley.  The pork chop was cooked well, but mostly bland in flavor. The mashed potatoes were delicious, and the vegetables were steamed well. Overall I would say it was worth the lower price I paid; however, at full price I would have been disappointed.

Overview

I would go back to Stone Creek to enjoy the Early Bird specials and half-priced wine on Monday night. However, I would not mark it as a must-eat attraction for Zionsville.

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