Last week I had a quarterly medical appointment downtown. The news was decent, so no immediate worries there. However, due the time of the appointment I reached out to some old friends to see if they wanted to meet us a Shapiro’s (Foodie Hall of Famer). That worked out, so we worked it in, and bah gawd, Shapiro’s did it again! I love this place, and every time I am there I hear Thornton Melon’s voice in my head repeating the line “I hate small food.”
Now going in you have to understand I skip breakfast the day of lunch here, and generally eat a small dinner or skip it too. That being said, I present you with the Reuben, matzo ball soup with noodles, chips, and a pickle.
Shapiro’s Lunch
The Reuben: Corned beef (has to be over a half pound?), sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian Dressing all stacked on our house-baked, hand cut rye, then grilled to a golden brown. I love this sammy. And if you’re not a rye fan (I wasn’t for years), try this rye. It’s very mild.
The Soup: Hand-rolled matzo balls cooked in chicken broth with added carrots, peas and thin egg noodles. This soup is good for my soul.
They claim the sandwich has won awards nationally, and I for one fucking believe them. Fantastic lunch. If you’re in downtown Indy and don’t mind dropping $25ish-$30ish for lunch, I highly recommend it. If you can, meet up with friends. I don’t get to do that much anymore, and I’m sure glad we did! Thank you guys.
For personal reasons, this past Friday I had to be back home in Terre Haute. That always means, if I can fit it in, lunch at my favorite bar Charlie’s (A Foodie Hall of Fame founding member). The menu features the Tweety burger (named after the founder), and it is specifically offered with a monthly specialty version. This month’s version is named the Yellowstone, and it features the griddled half pound burger topped with melted provolone, pulled pork, onions rings, and Beezer’s hot BBQ sauce (a locally produced fantastic BBQ sauce). I ordered it medium with a side of onion straws because I thought they would compliment the flavors of the burgers, and I was not wrong. Frame of reference, 90% of the time I’m ordering tots.
Charlie’s Yellowstone Tweety & Onion Straws
To say this meal was anything but a 10/10 would be a grave injustice. It was superb. I order my burger medium, and it usually comes cooked close to that with a perfect sear. They nailed it this time! This was gooey, saucy, deliciousness as the flavors melded perfectly. Strongly recommend!
The only fault was on my end as I was traveling and driving, so I could not enjoy it with a pitcher of ice cold beer. It’s a tradition from my fraternity days that is often overlooked now at alumni gatherings, but back in the day it was a pitcher per dude at the table. However, we old now, so it might a good thing that is no longer the standard.
As said in an earlier post, we’ve been trying to get back to being adventurous when it comes to trying new places and getting out and about. I told my wife I wanted to take her to a new-to-us place I had heard rave reviews about in Indy foodie groups, so we headed to Indianapolis and the eastside of downtown to Futuro, a Detroit style pizza place.
The building is kind of weird, It looks as if it was assembled from two stories worth of shipping containers. You order at the counter on the ground floor, and wait for your food. Seating is available outside (too cold for that) with one table downstairs and the majority of tables upstairs. Cans of beer and soda, water, etc are available.
Normally in this situation I would order a basic pizza (pepperoni, sausage, maybe shrooms and peppers) just to try it out, but based on reviews both the wife and I decided to try something different. I went with the Meatball Garlic, and she ordered the Bacon Basil. We both wanted an order of breadsticks, so we added those as well – garlic butter dipping sauce for me and cheese sauce for her. Holy hell!
Futuro Breadsticks
Yes, those breadsticks are the length of a pizza box. Yes, they normally come four to an order, but in my unbridled fatassery I was buttery cheesy fingers deep into one before thinking about a picture. Oops. Wife for the save on the picture. These are baked in a blend of garlic butter, Pecorino Romano cheese and Italian seasoning and are served having a softer but not doughy texture with a delectable flavor. We only had one each based on we were told to expect individual pizzas on the heftier side. Strongly recommend trying them unless you’re one of those “Ewww carbs” types, then you should just skip this whole joint.
Meatball Garlic: Housemade Meatballs | Crushed Garlic | Pecorino Romano | Housemade Red Sauce
Bacon Basil: Spinach | Bacon | Red Onion | Ricotta | Fresh Basil | Hot Honey Drizzle | Pecorino Romano | Housemade Red Sauce
We each had a piece of each and ended up stuffed! Two completely different flavor profiles, but would have no problem ordering either one again. I loved both and so did the wife. But look at those dabs of Ricotta on the Bacon Basil! Are you kidding me?!? Those really added something as did the hot honey drizzle. Fantastic! As for my Garlic Meatball, the meatballs were delicious and everything blended well with the very good housemade red sauce. It tasted a little more like a traditional pizza, but in a good way. One of the things I really enjoyed is how carmelized or seared, if you will, they get the outer crust. This really adds something. It would be great with an ice cold frothy beer. Definitely doing that next time! Once again, I can’t recommend this place enough.
The aftermath is we both brought home half a pizza and a breadstick. I couldn’t wait, so we were back at it late Sunday morning for an early lunch. Even reheated, both pizzas were still very good – as were the breadsticks. I will have no problem bringing home leftovers in the future. And since I tried several items and adored them all, Futuro is a first ballot Foodie Hall of Famer!
This blog will feature posts about food and booze, because I tend to enjoy both. Everything from home cooked meals to dining out, and when dining out, an amateur review.
When it comes to food, I’m not one of those look at food as fuel types. I look at it as pleasure. Honestly, I love to eat – everything from expensive eateries (fine dining) down to breakfast at the Waffle House (also fine dining from a certain point of view). One of my old coworkers once told a story about me that sums it up. Nate rolls in about 8 am with coffee, and is hitting up everyone by about 8:30 to plan lunch. Truth. I look forward to every meal.
I also like to cook, but so does my wife, and she’s territorial, so I took it outside. If I am sharing something I made, it will probably be from the grill or smoker. I love to cook and/or experiment with both, and am not bad at either.
Booze. I’m a known bourbon guy, but I don’t discriminate. Honestly, at this age, I like to have just one or two good pours, beers, glass of wine, or mixed drinks at home as opposed to going out. Having a bourbon on the back porch, maybe with a cigar, while working the grill is so relaxing (radio-n8 playing of course – shameless plug noted). Expect posts that maybe highlight when I do this – with notes and pictures on how everything turned out.
We live in a place that is pretty much inconvenient for all family and friends. That being said when we invite people over I want them to know when they show to expect great food and drink. It will be worth their trip. Hence, we are experimenting more with cocktails. We always have decent bourbon, beer wine, and other liquor, but sometimes a buddy might want to try a smoked maple old fashioned and his wife a martini. We’re both getting better at being able to provide and maximize this experience. I really believe in hospitality and being able to provide my friends and family with a good time. So… when they get the invite, it’s worth their time to accept and come out to the lake.
One of the other things I will be doing is traveling to try new restaurants and food. Being a shut-in through the cancer and covid has reignited my sense of adventure (and gluttony) a little bit. Also, being a member of various social media foodie groups has added fuel to the fire. We’ll be taking road trips to try new, and perhaps, out of the way places. For example, there’s a place in Evansville that serves a two pound taco. Just knowing that means I have to go down there eventually and fuck that thing up. I mean… it’s a moral imperative. Traveling to try new places on the weekends will be a good break, and getting out of the house to have a little fun is overdue. Might as well share those experiences.
That brings us to the “Foodie Hall of Fame” sidebar (see left side of blog). These are places I just love. Great food that I crave. Probably no little to real value to any of you rather than you might take note, and maybe try the places for yourself. I would recommend trying some of them, and the list will grow. This accolade will cover all price ranges and/or perceived quality and will be updated as necessary with accompanying blog post explaining reason for the selection. Current listed members will be explained when I make a return trip. Enjoy!
