Broad Ripple – IndyScan.com

Indy – Northside Kitchenette

I’ve wanted to try this place out for a while now and had the opportunity to go 2-days in a row over a recent weekend. Northside Kitchenette is owned by the same people who run the next door Northside Social (one of my favorite north-side restaurants for a date night).

The first day we went around lunch time I had the “kitchen’ette’ sink” ($12) which features a 1/2 order of Biscuits and Gravy topped with breakfast potatoes, bacon crumbles, two eggs over easy and cheddar cheese. This was a really good play on the type of skillet dishes you can get at other places but this was in a bowl with enough gravy and sauce for 2 orders. I really liked this dish. It was rich and filling enough to leave me full for most for the rest of the day. I totally spaced taking pictures but it’s worth checking out if you’re hungry. My son ordered the same as me and the girlfriend ordered the Eggs Benedict ($11) (sauce on the side). Everyone was happy with their dishes and each said they would order the same again.

The next day we had the opportunity to return, and we did! This time I went for the Eggs Benedict (also sauce on the side because a bad sauce can ruin an otherwise delicious dish) and my date ordered a half-order of their brioche french toast ($6). A couple of libations were in order and we tried the Raspberry Bellini ($9) and Hibiscus Mimosa ($10) the latter of which included a delicious candied hibiscus flower in the bottom of the glass. Both were well balanced and very refreshing.

Eggs Benedict, with perfectly poached eggs, Pork Belly, and Avocado

Just about all of the dishes come with roasted, and quartered, potatoes. While delicious in the “kitchen’ette’ sink” (because of all of the sauces) they were strongly seasoned on their own. We definitely tasted cumin and, I think, rosemary. I appreciate the aggressive seasoning, which is unusual in most potato sides, but it was a little much on their own so I opted for fruit on the second visit. The fruit cup was delicious and contained a great mix of pineapple, grapes, and berries.

I’m really happy with the quality of the food at Northside Kitchenette. Everything tasted fresh and the portions were just right for my appetite. Being able to get seated right away on a weekend is a BIG plus in my book. They had a steady rotation of customers and the service on both occasions was attentive and just right. I’m happy to drive down from Fishers every once in a while to enjoy a nice breakfast/Brunch/Lunch at this place.

What’s your experience with Northside Kitchenette? Any other places I should be checking out on a Sunday morning?

Northside Kitchenette
6515 N College Ave
Indianapolis IN 46220
http://www.northsidekitchenette.com

Broad Ripple Farmers Market

One sure sign of summer is the sight of the various Farmers Markets around town. I’m fortunate to be in close proximity to several during the week and check them out as often as I can. Last Saturday was no exception.

After getting rained out at an Indian’s game the night before I found a break in the clouds long enough to make it down to the Broad Ripple Farmers Market. This one is always well attended and has a great mix of vendors selling everything from bread to veggies to Hickory Syrup (good stuff).

Picked up some veggies for a Farro Salad I was making for a cookout later that evening & even bought some breakfast. All in all it’s worth the trip to the Village. If you can’t find what you want there’s a produce stand on Allisonville and another farmers market on Binford Ave.

Broad Ripple – Boogie Burger

Between work and an after hours activity I found myself driving on Keystone Avenue looking for some food (I was especially hungry since I worked through lunch). My plan was to stop at Sakura for some sushi but at 6pm (on a Thursday night) the parking lot was packed so I sought out an alternative…

As I drove down Broad Ripple Avenue I approached Boogie Burger and I turned in, remembering it was on my Urbanspoon Wishlist. With only a few cars in the parking lot I figured I would not have to wait long to eat.

Upon entry to Boogie Burger I was greeted by the friendly staff and, since it was my first time here, they helped me with the menu. Being a sucker for a Mushroom & Swiss burger I picked the “‘Shroom” ($6.09) and an order of beer battered onion rings ($3.19).

I had just gotten settled into my chair, and was enjoying the 80’s music, when my order was called. That was fast… A little too fast… The ‘Shroom burger looked good and was dressed as I requested (lettuce, onion, mayo) and it was overflowing with mushrooms. The onion rings looked good as well. Nice sized order and not greasy looking.

This is where my normal review is going to differ. I like to pass on good experiences and normally skip negative reviews. This time I’m going to tell it like it is and by now you’ve probably guessed it’s not going to be positive…

There is no way this burger was cooked to order unless they threw a patty on the flat top when my car pulled into the parking lot. With as much as this burger had going on it was bland. I mean no seasoning bland. The mushrooms were nice and earthy and had a hint of seasoning but not nearly enough. The patty was cooked through with a very minor hint of pink in the middle. The produce was fresh and the cheese melted, so no complaints there.

I guess I was expecting more… More flavor for sure… I ate the entire thing so it was not awful.

On to the onion rings. These were thick cut and beer battered. I was careful on the first bite not to pull the onion out of the batter as that seems to happen more times than not. The sweet onion inside was cooked through and soft enough to bite through. The flavor of the batter and onion was great but after my third ring we hit a snag… As you can see in the picture the remaining rings had fused together during the cooking process and, this is the bad part, the batter was still raw in the middle. The three rings I had were good and I would order these again without hesitation (if they were separated and cooked through). But a dollar a ring is a little much. Yes that’s mustard on the side, please don’t judge me… (ha).

Boogie Burger is nicely decorated on the inside with bright decor and quite a few seating options, including outdoor seating. It’s kid friendly, clean, has free refills (who doesn’t offer that anymore?), and it’s in a good location. The service was friendly, no complaints about that.

I want to like Boogie Burger and I love supporting local business. For a place that touts itself as a premium burger place they need to watch the quality control. Maybe my burger was supposed to taste the way it did but I can’t help but think the salt/pepper was just forgotten during the cooking process. The onion rings should not have gone out the way they did, especially when it’s obvious that huge mass was going to be under cooked.

Did I make a big deal about this meal when I was there? No. Would they have taken care of it? I think they would have. Am I going to give Boogie Burger another try? Yes, and I’ll and will write a follow-up post about the experience.

Broad Ripple – Ripple Bagel & Deli

I was roaming around on a Sunday morning last weekend doing a little Broad Ripple photography and found myself wanting something for breakfast. Since I was in the area, and there were not that many options given my limited time I decided to check out Ripple Bagel & Deli.

My first impression was this place is loud and full of energy. Filled with mostly 20-30 somethings I was a little “old” for the scene but the wait staff kicked in and requested my order almost immediately (probably an attempt to get this non-hipster out of there before I scared the kids off). Not having the opportunity study the menu I took a chance and opted for the ‘Morning Mess’ ($5.65).

The Morning Mess is a freshly steamed everything bagel with bacon, scrambled egg, Sriracha cream cheese (special of the day) & 3 melted cheeses. I’ll be the first one to admit it was a mess.

The bagel and ingredients were all fresh but it was pretty difficult to eat this thing due to the heat (temperature) and the slipperiness of the contents. Every bite on one end resulted in the ejection of more and more of the middle on the other end. Finally defeated I grabbed a knife and fork and proceeded to put this mess to rest.

While the Morning Mess was tasty it was VERY heavy. I was feeling that sandwich for hours and to be honest it was a little too much. I liked the concept and I loved the Ripple Bagel & Deli‘s atmosphere and food selection. I’m planing a return trip where I’m going to take a little more time to study the menu and find something that’s tasty and won’t feel like a 3-pound rock in my gut.

By the way, when I was there the staff was handing out samples of the “Indiana Chili”. It was really good and had little pieces of elbow macaroni and beans in it. I think that might have been why it’s after the Hoosier state.