About Me
My name is Kristen, and I am a self proclaimed food expert for the Indy Restaurant Blog.  It is my job to travel around this great city and critique and complement some of the best restaurants in this city.  I report my findings to the Indianapolis Dining Guide which is where you come in.  You can take my suggestions and eat at these wonderful restaurants.  You will find my recommendations in the blogs below! 


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Carrabba's Announces New Desserts
Posted Monday, December 8, 2008 by kristen hanschu
Carrabba's recently launched a new line of mini-desserts and the cannoli is among them.  You can even make these delicious desserts in the comfort of your own home.

Carrabba's Mini Cannoli Recipe

Cannoli Mix

1½ cups            ricotta cheese
½ cup               powdered sugar
½ teaspoon       vanilla
¼ teaspoon       cinnamon
½ cup               mini choc chips
1 cup                Mascarpone cheese

Mix ricotta cheese and powdered sugar in a mixer with a wire whip until smooth (5 minutes)

Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.  Add vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate chips.  Mix on low speed until blended

Stop the mixer and add the mascarpone.  Mix by hand with a wire whip until blended.

Place mix into a piping bag to serve.

To serve mini cannoli:

Pipe cannoli mix into a tall shot glass about halfway full.

Layer a tablespoon of crumbled cannoli shells.

Pipe cannoli mix to the top of the glass.

Top the mix with a teaspoon of chopped pistachios.



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Carrabbas New Desserts!
Posted Tuesday, November 25, 2008 by kristen hanschu
Hope you are getting ready for the holidays and not getting overwhelmed!  Just wanted to let you know that Carrabba's is proudly offering Mini Desserts this season.   Mini desserts are a huge trend this year, and they are a great addition to any holiday celebration that wants to sport some forward food fashion. Carrabba's "Bacino" (little kisses) are small guilt-free versions of our favorite desserts that allow guests to enjoy a few bites of something they love, or share several different flavors with friends and family. With mini portions come mini price tags - you can get any "Bacino" for only $2.25, and take home the glass for only $1 more.

Mini desserts are also great to make at home for holiday parties. If any of your readers want to make them from scratch, I've provided our Carrabba's Mini Cannoli Recipe and details on our mini desserts (including a picture) below.

Bacino - "Little Kisses"

That's just what Carrabba's mini desserts are like; sweet, bite-sized versions of our favorite desserts, made fresh daily.

We know that many guests crave a taste of something sweet at the end of their meal. When large parties dine with us, guests like to order several full-sized desserts and share with the entire table. We discovered that guests wanted that same experience even when dining in a smaller group. Our mini desserts allow guests to enjoy a few bites of something they love, or share several different flavors with friends and family.  Either way, mini desserts are a fun way for guests to end their dinning experience on a sweet note.

Examples of mini desserts featured on the Carrabba's menu are Zabaglione, Tiramisu, Mini Cannoli, Chocolate Coconut Mousse and Chocolate Espresso Mousse. Other mini desserts will be available at varying times.  If you are doing any reader contests, I'd be happy to provide you with Mini Dessert coupons so they can try out the desserts.

Visit www.carrabbas.com to find your closest Carrabba's location.




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Goodfella's Pizza
Posted Friday, July 18, 2008 by kristen hanschu


Goodfella's Old World Brick Oven Pizza
Location:
9641 Olio Road
McCordsville, Indiana
317-336-6666
http://goodfellas.com/


My husband and I are from a small town Northeast of Indianapolis.  Our town has very few good restaurants. What our town does have are 1,000 pizza restaurants to choose from and they just keep on coming. (Seriously we can get any kind of pizza within a 15 mile radius. Ok, maybe not 1,000, but at least 15.)
One of the best restaurants of Indianapolis is Goodfella’s Restaurant Old World Brick Oven Pizza.  It has become our favorite Italian restaurant. It just opened last year and it is absolutely wonderful! I just crave the wonderful Italian cuisine.
It was voted World’s Best Pizza Restaurant in 2007. Goodfella's is real NEW YORK ITALIAN!!

My husband and I start off with their chopped salad and house balsamic vinaigrette dressing, which we split. Then on to the main course, the pizza. We order the Old World Brick Oven Pizza, which is a thin crust type of pizza.   We order the works with pepperoni, sausage, extra cheese, meatballs and prosciutto. YUMMO!
Check out the menu guide to see all the wonderful choices they have to offer.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the hot Italian bread with dipping sauce is scrumptious, but be careful not to fill-up on the bread. Side note: they do not serve bread before 5:00.
They also have wonderful pasta. My kids love their spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce on the pizza and spaghetti is so fresh. It is like eating fresh squeezed tomatoes.
The service is wonderful. The waitresses and waiters are always friendly and helpful in ordering. They also have full bar and their Cosmos are my fave!  I would highly recommend this wonderful Northeast Indianapolis Italian restaurant!


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Uncork Your Creativity: Name that Ruffino Wine
Posted Wednesday, July 16, 2008 by kristen hanschu
We have an exciting new announcement from Carrabba's Italian Grill.  Do you know your wines?  Would you consider your self to be a wine connoisseur?  This is a fantastic opportunity for you to win big with Ruffino and Carrabba's. 

Carrabba’s Italian Grill invites consumers to help name a new, Carrabba’s-exclusive, limited-edition baby Super Tuscan wine debuting this fall from Ruffino.  This is a fun opportunity for one winner to receive a $1,500 epicurean prize package including:

A case of the exclusive Ruffino wine
A catered 2008 holiday celebration for 12
A year’s worth of Carrabba’s dinners in 2009

Entries can be submitted online at www.Carrabbas.com until July 31, 2008.





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The Best of the Best
Posted Wednesday, April 23, 2008 by kristen hanschu
This past Monday, my fiance and I had the privelege of dining at one of my favorite italian restaurants, Carrabba's Italian Grill.  I have not been here in years and this delightful visit made me realize what I was missing.

We were promptly seated upon arrive in a nice, quiet booth.  Although the food was amazing, one of the best parts about dinner was the service.  Our waitress, Kristen, was sweet, knowledgeable, and gave us wonderful suggestions.  It was Brian's first time to Carrabba's and Kristen was able to guide us through the menu to decide what we would enjoy the most. 

Brian started off with a Sam Adams Summer lager. Kristen brought him a sample of Italian beer, since he had never had it, to see if it suited him better.  I ordered a Sauvignon Blanc which was light, crisp, and went perfect with the dinner.

After drinks were served, we received the bread and dipping sauce.  This is truly unique to Carrabba's.  The bread is always fresh and hot, and the wait staff ensures that you have plenty to eat.  Kristen went over the day's specials and informed Brian of popular dishes he might want to try as a first timer.

For dinner, Brian decided on the Pollo Rosa Maria which is a grilled chicken breast stuffed with fontina cheese and prosciutto.  It is topped with mushrooms and complimented with a delicious basil lemon butter sauce.  The chicken was grilled to perfection and the combination of flavors was brilliant.  I opted for the Lobster Ravioli.  Stuffed with tender Maine lobster in a white wine cream sauce with diced tomatoes, this dish was to die for. 

Unfortunately, we were not able to try any of the dessert because our meals were so filling.  In the past, I have tried the Tiramisu.  This dessert encorporates lady fingers dipped in liqueur laced espresso, layered with sweetened mascarpone, Myers’s Rum, and chocolate shavings.  There were a few others that we wished we could try as well but our stomachs would not allow.

Carrabba's definitely gives a whole different take on Italian food.  This Italian Grill tops the charts with incredible dishes, unique flavor combinations, and outstanding service. 


Carrabba's Italian Grill




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Barley Island Noblesville
Posted Monday, March 24, 2008 by kristen hanschu
Barley Island in Noblesville is one of my new favorite local pubs.  This quaint restaurant is by far the best brewery I have ever been to.  After receiving a $10 off coupon in the mail a few weeks ago, my fiancé, a few of our friends, and I decided to give it a try.  We tend to gravitate towards pubs, especially ones with live music.

Barley Island has got it all.  They have everything from fresh brewed beers that change monthly (and sometimes weekly) to great food and great prices.  I started off with a nice Flat Top Wheat and Brian had the Dirty Helen Brown.  Both were great and we were shocked by the cheap price that accompanied it. 

For dinner, I got the chicken sandwich with homemade kettle chips.  The sandwich was cooked to perfection and the chips that came with it were to die for.  Brian’s hamburger was right up there with Red Robin.  Our friends had the pork sandwich, which we were told was the house specialty, and indeed it was. 

Another selling point for Barley Island is they have great local bands that play every Thursday to Sunday night.  These bands range from country to rock and all have a fun, inviting sound.  We will be going back soon since we can’t seem to get enough of this place.




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Italian Food
Posted Tuesday, March 11, 2008 by kristen hanschu
Buca de Beppos has been a downtown Indianapolis restaurant staple since 1979. Known for their great food as well as huge portions, this is the place to go for  food. Recently remodeled, the  place feels warm and cozy, yet not cramped and closed in. It's a wonderful atmosphere where you can truly relax. Calming mood music plays in the background, and we were delighted to be serenaded by the likes of Bobby Darin, Dean Martin, and "The Chairman of the Board" Frank Sinatra. I was impressed at how knowledgeable and extremely helpful our waiter Brian was. The other wait staff that I observed seemed to be just as exceptional. The establishment was absolutely spotless.
Complimentary Bread with a nice thick Italian crust is served, and is accompanied by a wonderful Garlic Pesto Butter. The parmesan on the table seemed to be of good quality as well. Many  items have small or large portions to choose between. The small portions are anything but, and the large portions are enormous. Larger portions also include your choice of fresh tossed salad, Caesar salad, or homemade soup.


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Yummy Tex Mex
Posted Tuesday, February 12, 2008 by kristen hanschu
As I stated before, by no means am I the expert in restaurant critiquing.  But I must say that my new favorite place to go is Indianapolis' very own Alculpolco Joe's.  Staying true to its name, it is everything the name makes it out to be.  If you like Mexican food, you will like this place.
   
There is so much to try here, your mouth will be watering once you take a look at their extensive menu.  We started off with the chicken avocado soup.  This soup is perfect for chilly winter weather when you just want to curl up next to a fireplace with a comforting, warm meal. Each bite holds a variety of textures and flavors such as chewy, shredded chicken and smooth chunks of avocado. Additional tastes of garlic and onion add flavor to this delicious soup.
   
They have green chile rellenos have a wonderful warm flavor when roasted, which is perfect for a chilly evening. They are stuffed with cheese, dipped in an egg batter and fried.  The flavors and textures blend perfectly together. Queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese) is a traditional choice for this wonderful dish.
   
I ended the evening with the sopapillas.  It's a classic Mexican snack made with a little sugar to sweeten it. Usually "sopes" as they are sometimes called are topped with meats and veggies, but these sweet versions are topped with fruit.
   
Another fine Indianapolis Menu Guide find.  This wonderful little downtown Indianapolis restaurant is the cat's meow!
   
This commercial for Best Tex Mex says it all:




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Sushi Restaurants Indianapolis
Posted Tuesday, February 12, 2008 by kristen hanschu
 
I would not call myself a sushi connoisseur by any means, but I have been to enough sushi restaurants in the country to have an opinion on which are the best.  I would have to say that out of all the sushi restaurants in this great country, my favorite would have to be one that I found in the Indianapolis Dining Guide.  It is an upscale place called Sushi on the Rocks.  It is a spin off of another restaurant by the name of Yummy Chopsticks.  Sushi on the Rocks is by far the best downtown Indianapolis restaurant there is.
One of the delicious rolls
It has a unique blend of modern decor with a touch of traditional Japan.  There are many menu items to choose from.  You can order anything from chicken teriyaki to seaweed salad.   They have the most exciting selection of rolls as well.  I suggest trying either the spicy tuna roll or the volcano roll.  They have over 40 to choose from, so there is one for everybody.  Everything is prepared extremely well and fresh.  Of course, lunch is lovely too, and that's when I was here. The menu is extensive, offering a la carte sushi, Korean and Japanese dishes, and sandwiches and salads with an Asian bento box.
      
Next time you are in the mood for sushi, try this place and enjoy!  You can find this lovely place at 235 South Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46225.


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The Best Steak's In Indy
Posted Tuesday, February 12, 2008 by kristen hanschu
Indianapolis is known for its beautiful downtown area, nice mid-western people, and of course, the food!  This city has some of the most fantastic restaurants in all the region.  I do have to say that out of all the steak houses and rib places in the city, the best one is by far Flemings Steak House.
 
I originally found this place in the Indianapolis Menu Guide and have to say that it was worth every penny.  It is a bit on the pricey side, so if you are looking for Burger King pricing, stay away from here.  Known, for its excellent service and fine wines, Flemings Steak House was everything it was even better than I could have imagined.  My company and I arrived and were promptly greeted by one of the hostesses.  She knew that we had a reservation and seated us right away.  Once we sat down we were blown away by their wine selection.  The waiter came quickly and went over it with us in detail along with the evenings specials and appetizers.
   The Indianapolis Steak House
I started off with a salad, and my friend began with the lobster bisque.  We Flemings Steak House followed these up by two of the most incredible steaks.  We ordered a fillet  mignon with mashed potatoes and a porter house with the vegetable medley.
   
Of course dessert was offered, and quickly accepted on our end.  We were so full after the meal that we decided to split one of these succulent desserts.  We went with a tradition cheesecake, but there was nothing traditional about it.  It was nothing short of fantastic.  It came with three different kinds of sauces that you could tell were prepared by one of the best chefs in the business.
   
So next time you are looking for steak in Indianapolis, look no further.  Stop at Flemings Steak House and you will not be disappointed.


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