I feel like I have finally joined some secret club now that I finally finished The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This book absolutely cracked me up. The humor is very dry and British, which is right up my alley. And it was all crazy and made no sense at all. And I am definitely looking forward to reading more of his books which I wasn't expecting going into this. I saw the movie years ago when it came out in the theatre, so I did keep hearing Alan Rickman's voice in my head as Marvin. I literally found myself laughing out loud every few pages.
I got the chance to try two new restaurants when my step-father was here a few weeks ago. He spent his teens and early 20's in Miami, so I had a feeling he would be interested in Taste of Havana which opened almost two years ago. (so I'm a little slow when it comes to trying new places!) It's a tiny little place in Broad Ripple run by a father and daughter of Cuban heritage. The daughter was working there on the Friday night we went in, and she was incredibly friendly and helpful. Ted got the regular El Cubano with a side of black bean soup, I got the Pan con Lechon with a side of yellow rice, and we shared a side of fried plantains. I had a taste of Ted's Cubano, and it was delicious and exactly the way I imagined a Cuban sandwich should taste based on everything I've ever heard or read. He said it tasted very authentic, including the bread, which is something that most places get wrong. The black bean soup was fine, but nothing outstanding. My sandwich, which was described as mojito marinated pork with onions and a little mayo, was amazing! The pork was tender and incredibly flavorful through and through. There were just the exactly right amount of onions and truly just a little mayo which gave it a nice extra bit of flavor and moisture. It came with a little cup of the marinade/sauce for dipping, so that flavor was able to soak into the bread, and it all was absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious. The yellow rice was tasty, but again, nothing truly outstanding. Both of our sandwiches were large and cut into two long triangles. I was only able to eat half of mine, so the other half went to work with me the next day, and let me tell you that it was every bit as tasty day-old and cold! I didn't care for the plantains at all. They seemed more like they had been caramelized in a skillet rather than fried, so they were soft rather than crisp, which is what I had expected. At the end of the meal, they bring you a free shot of Cuban coffee sweetened with sugar. I don't like coffee, but I decided to try it anyway... I guess I was feeling adventurous. Of course, I didn't really care for it, but it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. About two-thirds of mine got passed over to Ted who absolutely loved it. Again, he said it tasted exactly like what he remembered always having in Miami. I definitely will be eating here again!
The next day we visited another new restaurant, St. Joseph Brewery, which really did only open a few months ago. Ted had read about the grand opening when they were here back in May and thought it looked interesting since it is in a former Catholic church located in the downtown area. They really have done a nice job of converting it, and the architecture is stunning. They have maintained the gothic arches and the original woodwork, but painted the walls a simple white and replaces the stained glass windows with regular glass. Consequently, it feels expansive, light, and bright. If it weren't a restaurant/brewery, it would make a perfect bookstore space... I'm just saying. After seeing some women at another table who were sharing several appetizers, we decided that seemed like a pretty good idea and did the same. Our first item was poutine which I have heard about a lot, but neither of us had tried it before. French fries covered in brown gravy, fried cheese curds, and bite-sized bits of grilled steak. Who could find fault in that??? I didn't love it quite as much a I thought I might, but it was quite tasty in that lovely salty, crunchy, creamy way, and surprisingly, it wasn't as heavy as I expected. Next up was my choice of Rock Shrimp Fritters, described on the menu as sweet potato, corn & cilantro, served with a zesty chili-lime aioli. I was picturing a hush puppy type fritter with bits of shrimp in it, but it was much more like the scallion pancakes you get in Chinese restaurants, only with lots and lots of shrimp pieces. The aioli was more like a tartar sauce, and there were smears of chili oil on the plate. So, faced with this thing that was nothing like what I thought it was going to be, I really liked it. I still feel a bit confused about how to explain it, though, because in the actual eating of it, the texture was a little strange and the flavor didn't quite seem to be there. The after-flavor, though, that flavor that lingers after you have finished your bite? That was perfect! Delicate with lots of really perfectly cooked shrimp taste. I would definitely get these again. Ted's pick was the Crispy Beef Short Ribs, described as being served with an orange & ginger-sesame glaze and spring onions. I was really disappointed here, because I expected something crispy on the outside and melt-in-you-mouth on the inside. They weren't crispy, and the meat was good but not as tender as short ribs I have had in the past. And the glaze was good, but the flavors listed on the menu were not exactly how I would have described it. Both of these appetizers came with three pieces, so I ate two of the shrimp fritters and one spare rib while Ted did the opposite. Ted had a seasonal Summer Session Rye beer (ale?) that he liked and described as being perfect on a hot day. I don't like beer, so I stuck with water. I was disappointed to see that they didn't have a house-made root beer, because those are usually fun for me to try. I felt it everything was a bit pricey, but all in all, it was a beautiful space with good food, so I could see coming here again if I am looking for somewhere to eat downtown.
I think I'll stop here and talk about the rest of my progress in a separate post. Lots to say this month!
