Paradise Cafe and Bakery

Located in Clay Terrace, we visited Paradise on recommendation of a friend (based primarily on the cookies). We went for lunch, and while we waited in the quickly-moving line, we nibbled on free little cookie bites. Nice appetizer!

Reasonably priced, I went for the sandwich and salad combo. Leave it to places like this to take any nutritional value a salad might possess (thank you for using Romaine lettuce instead of iceberg) and dousing it in fatty-fat dressing. I chose the Southwest Ceasar salad, which was essentially lettuce and cruched tortilla chips swimming in a spicy dressing. Good, but I had requested “just a little bit” of salad. I would hate to see what a normal amount looks like.
At any rate, it was tasty, and all of their salads are hand-mixed on the spot, so at least you know they’re fresh.

For my sandwich selection, I went for the Southwest Chicken sandwich, which scored much better than the salad. I really like that they slip a slice of jicama in some of their sandwiches, making for an unexpected bit of crunchy texture. The bread was soft and hearty, what you’d expect from a bakery.

As for dessert, each lunch comes with a chocolate chip cookie…gooey and warm, just the way I like them. After the big salad and the hefty half-sandwich, though, I probably shouldn’t have had the cookie, even though I managed to (sigh) choke it down for the team.

Karen enjoyed her pasta salad (a whole lotta carbs, let me tell you) and her tuna sandwich. We liked that you could get any salad with your combo, and you weren’t limited to specific choices as with other similar franchises. Karen also enjoyed her cookie, by the way. I wasn’t the only one.

As for originality, I guess there’s not a whole lot you can do to make a sandwich any more interesting or innovative. Paradise seems to have a few more creative offerings than competitors, so they get three stars, but overall nothing really wowed me. I’d most likely visit again (going for the turkey cranberry sandwich next time or, if I’m feeling particularly decadent, the ham and brie panini). A word to the vegetarians, however…make sure you verify whether or not certain soups contain chicken broth or vegetable broth. Employees aren’t always certain, so make sure you speak with someone who knows for sure…

14550 Clay Terrace Blvd
(317) 575-8600
http://paradisebakery.com/
★★★
$
2005-07-27
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Uki Japanese Restaurant

Located in an unassuming strip mall in front of Sam’s Club and Menards on E 96th St, we tried Uki on a whim one evening when we didn’t want to cook and we felt like having a meal that wouldn’t “greasify” us. So sushi it was.

The waitstaff was very friendly, and (as with most sushi bars) the chef was very chatty with the patrons at the bar. The patrons themselves were entertaining enough to listen to…

The salad (first criteria for a sushi restaurant) was just all right. The dressing had a much more distinct ginger flavor and texture than other restaurants in the area, and was less creamy. We both prefer the creamy dressing, but it was tasty nonetheless. Just not my favorite. The miso soup was also fine. There’ s never much variation there.

The sushi, on the other hand, was phenomenal. Since I couldn’t have raw fish (stupid rules of pregnancy) I ordered a California roll and a spicy tempura asparagus roll. However, either I made a mistake or the chef did, because I received the spicy asparagus roll (utterly fantastic) and something with spicy tuna. I had to (sniff!) give it to Chris, and he traded the California roll that had come with his shrimp tempura box dinner.

The California roll, though a staple, was also excellent. The pieces were cut on a diagonal, making it slightly less classy to try and fit the whole piece in one’s mouth at once, but it was worth the hampster cheeks. Both a good and a bad thing, it seems most sushi restaurants have “Americanized” the size of their rolls and you can eat dinner and still leave feeling very full.

Chris’s tempura shrimp and vegetables also came with a California roll (which we traded), two pork dumplings, and rice. The tempura was perfectly light and not at all greasy, and the dipping sauce was an ideal blend of sweet and zesty. We fought over the sweet potato, but he eventually won since he did order it, after all.

I know this will become one of our sushi staples. It’s close to home, the food is excellent, the service is friendly, and if they would just change the salad dressing, I’d say we’d have four stars.

7035 E 96th St
317-595-0839
★★★½
$$
2005-07-13
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Three Sisters Cafe

Beloved by the Birkenstock crowd. Lots of health-conscious choices on the long menu. Many vegetarian and vegan sandwiches and entrees as well. The Korean selections are definitely worth trying, specifically the bi-bim-bap, which I have the hardest time selecting against. Emily loves the berry cobbler. If you’re dining in the wintertime, order some hot tea, because the quaint olde house can be a bit drafty. Service is very friendly, but can be a bit too leisurely paced if you aren’t in the right frame of mind. The three sisters are beans, corn, and squash, if you were wondering.

Sunday brunch is great if you get there early enough to avoid the long wait, and the pancakes are excellent, as are any of the egg dishes (and the accompanying potatoes).

I would also reccomend any of the homemade soups or salads (the one with cherries and brie and walnuts is the best possible way to make a salad more fattening), and if you’re ordering a side or house salad, go for the creamy seven herb dressing.

6360 Guilford Ave
(317) 257-5556
★★★½
$$
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The Music Mill

Alas, such high hopes for the Music Mill. It’s that store that looks like a big shiny box just past Keystone at the Crossing, and I’d read several sterling reviews of the food. Apparently these diners had far different experiences from what we encountered.

To his credit, our waiter was very friendly. The problem was, he was working alone that evening and seemed fairly stressed. To be expected, seeing as how he had two large tables (ours being one of them) among his other clients, and our dining companions were less than discreet about their displeasure.

We started out on a high note, though. We dined on a Thursday (half price appetizers), so we were little piglets and ordered both the bacon-wrapped scallops (awesome, but what could possibly not be awesome if wrapped in bacon?) and the Yuzu sesame fries. The sauce on the fries was borderline too salty for a teriyaki-type sauce, but the fries themselves were great. Not soggy, not too greasy. Our friends also tried the corn fritters with maple sauce, and I totally wish we had gotten those instead. There would have been no sharing, and I would have licked the plate.

Unfortunately, it was mostly downhill from there. I tried the Imperial chicken Suzza, a house specialty. Take my advice: don’t try it yourself. The “thin crust” that wraps the “nine inch pie”? Yeah, we call it a flour tortilla. The “Parmesan-coated crust” that was supposed to come with my Suzza? Not there, but I did get some sort of sweet and spicy Asian glaze with the frozen peppers, onions, and chicken pieces.

Another friend ordered the Roasted Vegetable Foccacia Suzza, and here’s a word of advice that should have tipped her off: pesto and salsa just. don’t. mix. Plus, the “roasted vegetables” came straight of your grocer’s freezer and were overcooked to borderline mush before being placed between the aforementioned tortillas. Granted, she was borderline rude about not enjoying the dish, but I can’t entirely blame her. I would have felt ripped off, too.

Chris’s New Orleans Mufaletta sandwich was pretty tasty, although he felt so greasy after eating it he said he needed to take a shower. it came with homemade potato chips which weren’t bad, but when the highlight of the dinner is the chips, something’s not clicking.

Other mishaps included incorrect orders being brought out (two wrong sandwhiches at various ends of the table, a sausage wrap that should have been chicken, etc). Again, I realize the waiter was swamped, but there were some major miscommunications between our table, the waiter, and the kitchen, and there were just too many of them to be ignored.

Had it been just the two of us (and had I not been the one to choose the restaurant), perhaps it wouldn’t have seemed so bad. However, it was not the best experience we had, and the quality of the food was such that we probably won’t be too willing to give this place a second chance. Unless they wrap everything in bacon and serve it with a side of corn fritters.

3720 E 82nd St
317-841-1850
http://www.themusicmillvenue.com
★½
$$$
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Gelato Da Vinci

I first sampled this gelato while working at Zoobilation. There, I tried the mango (something fruity and refreshing), but this evening I was feeling particularly decadent and opted for the slightly more fattening “Tuscano Turtle”. Yikes. Three scoops of delicious Creme Brulee gelato (all flavors are made on the premises each day, by the way), hot fudge, caramel, and pecans. A rare splurge, even for me.

Chris tried the cherries and almonds gelato, equally as tasty. Every flavor, from the creamy gelatos to the lighter, fruiter sorbets, are homemade fresh and without any artificial ingredients.

This gelato is a tasty alternative to your typical cup of ice cream (even if we’re talking Ben & Jerry’s) and the owners are very friendly people. They’re pretty excited about their business, and if you can brave the construction road blocks at the Fishers location, it’s totally worth it. Plus, they’re open until 10pm on weeknights, so it makes for a great later-evening treat.

12660 E 116th St
317-913-9100
http://www.gelaodavinci.com
★★★
$
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MacNiven’s Pub

The sting has worn off since MacNiven’s took over the space previously occupied by Brother Juniper’s, and how lovely to discover that pub food can, in fact, be tasty and not heinously overpriced!

We went on a whim with two out-of-town friends on a beautiful afternoon, so the atmosphere was open, breezy and (understandably) not crowded. We were given our choice of seats, and the waitress was quick to grab drinks. Sadly, no one opted for beer (though if I wasn’t pregnant at the time, I so would have picked something out of the 120+ options they offer.

I went for the grilled chicken sandwich with schezuan sauce and steak fries. Typical, nothing special, but tasty. If anything, I would say it was even a wee bit on the greasy side, but consider the source of that comment: any oil is too much oil, when you’re me. I think most normal people would find it just right. The fries in particular were chunky and crisp on the outside…just the way I like them.

Chris ordered the roast beef MacHatten, which was a slice of thick white bread topped with about half a pound of mashed potatoes (anyone for carbs?!) and a heap of thinly-sliced, lean roast beef. The entire plate was covered in brown gravy, something that just doesn’t get made at our house. I can vouch for how good it was (I helped), and it just right. Not too salty, just enough zip.

Jaysun went all traditional and ordered the fish n chips. A little one the greasy side, but what do you expect? He seemed pleased with his food, except for the fact the was charged extra for an additional dish of tartar sauce.

Louisa’s veggie club sandwich was probably the hit of the table, and the spicy aioli, she said, was excellent. Avocado, sprouts, bell peppers, red onions, and more all topped white toast and came with a side. She tried the sweet peppered neeps (mashed turnips) and enjoyed them a lot. They gave her a very hearty portion and she wasn’t able to finish, but she gave her approval.

One of my favorite parts of the meal was visiting the ladies room. Who are the two sexiest Scottish (or played a Scot) men you can think of? Yep…the walls were covered with photos of Mel Gibson as Braveheart and Sean Connery as 007. Chris said the men’s room also had Bond photos, but in there it was more about the cars and the picture of Halle Berry. To each his own.

All in all, I’m glad we tried MacNiven’s and sorry we waited so long to do so. For a pub, they also offer a surprising number of vegetarian dishes, and I came thisclose to trying the vegetarian haggis. Maybe next time, as I’m certain there will be a next time. Well done!

339 Massachusetts Ave
(317) 632-7268
★★★½
$$
2005-06-05
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Sullivan’s Steakhouse

Thanks to a gift certificate from Chris’ work, we were able to enjoy our 2nd anniversary dinner, compliments of someone else. We probably wouldn’t have gone to Sullivan’s otherwise, but it was fun and every bit as “old boy’s club” as they make themselves out to be.

We started with the iceberg wedge (and yes, there was lettuce underneath the gallon of bleu cheese dressing), which, surprisingly, had some flavor. The sourdough bread was, as Chris would say “good nasty”. Chris ordered the 16oz strip steak (melt-in-your-mouth goodness), and I committed the cardinal sin of steakhouses: I ordered fish. My mahi-mahi was excellent with avocado-jalapeno salsa on the side. We probably could have passed on the broccoli with Béarnaise sauce (nothing memorable) but the horseradish mashed potatoes were awesome…made with all sorts of things we don’t usually eat at our house (like butter and real sour cream). We put in our dessert order early so we could enjoy the Grand Marnier souffle, and thank goodness we saved room…excellent, orange-y, and creamy.

All in all, this was a fun evening and a good excuse to get dressed up (and wear the new sparkly jewelry I received…thanks, hon). The service was attentive (four people asked us how we were doing with our food before we even had a chance to taste any of it) and friendly. I don’t know if we’d visit again (without a gift certificate) but it was a pleasant way to spend an evening with the one you love.

Update: We returned about a year later on a Wednesday evening to find the atmosphere a lot less smarmy than last year, and not nearly as bad as, say, The Oceanaire, another expense-account competitor downtown. Our server stayed out of the way, but he was friendly and helpful in guiding us to selections that would fit our tastes that night exceptionally well.

Emily ordered a filet which made her do that thing where she rolls her eyes back in enjoyment. I had the Cajun rib-eye, and oh my lord was it char-licious… absolutely awesome char and so perfectly melty-tender inside. It was a lot salty and not so peppery at all, but absolutely delicious, let’s be clear on that. At our waiter’s counsel, we forewent the hash browns (probably more greasy than we wanted) in favor of the potatoes au gratin (greasy, but with the added bonus of cheesiness). Lumpy shards of potatoes in oozy, creamy, cheesy—you get the point. Delicious, of course. The creamed spinach was just what you’d expect: it was good, but didn’t exactly stand out. Dessert tipped me into slightly-uncomfortably-overstuffed territory, but the deep-dish apple pie was worth it. Sweet, tangy, buttery crust falling over the rim of the soufflé dish, and cinnamon ice cream. Delightful.

The “anything goes” bar, as described by our waiter, did not have Harp lager. I’ve been trying to get a Harp at a restaurant for months around this city! Help! The next restaurant that has a Harp for me might just get an extra star or something.

3316 E 86th St
(317) 580-1280
http://www.sullivansteakhouse.com/indianapolis/
★★★
$$$$
2005-06-02
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A 2 Z Cafe

This Breakfast and Lunch joint has a Mediterranean flair and a pretty well-rounded breakfast and brunch menu, and after passing by and reading several other reviews, we decided it was time to try it out for Sunday.

We arrived just after 9am and managed to beat the other churchgoers; we would have had to wait for a while had we gotten there much later. Our waitress was friendly and seemed to manage her tables well, so we were offered a warming cup of coffee just moments after sitting down. One other little touch I really liked: they set a caraffe of ice water on the table, so we didn’t have to keep asking for refills.

Chris went for the omelette special (bacon, tomatoes, portabella mushrooms, basil, and goat cheese) and was pleased. It came with a dish of fresh fruit (including mangoes!) but nothing else. At the very least, we thought it should come with breakfast potatoes or toast.

My Eggs Benedict was a special treat. I don’t get to order this very often (usually because it doesn’t work as well with Egg Beaters, but I splurged) and it was worth the wait. While the Canadian bacon was a little on the salty side (yes, I know…it’s supposed to be salty, but this was a little much), the sauce wasn’t overwhelming and my dish did come with potatoes and fruit as well.

The breakfast and brunch menu is pretty typical…lots of omelettes, eggs several ways, some French toast and crepe options, and everything we saw looked tasty. The lunch menu was intriguing as well, with several seafood and pasta dishes that certainly warrant a visit at a later hour.

★★★
$$
2005-05-03
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Iaria’s

Pronounced “eye-REE-ahs.” Saying anything else will earn you funny looks. A noisy, bustling, busy old family-owned hole-in-the-wall filled with happy people. Killer eggplant parmesan (an indicator dish, if you ask us). Also serves pizza and lots of pasta.

Update 4/29/2005:
We visited Iaria’s again after a hankering for Italian hit, and it was so much better this time! The dining room was still noisy, but the food was much better than I remembered it.

The minestrone soup that is included with all entrees is fantastic and was just what we needed to warm up after coming in from a cold, crummy spring evening. My spinach ravioli and meatballs were excellent. The standard tomato sauce (the smooth kind, not the chunky marinara) must have, as Chris put it, “had some crack in the sauce, it’s just. that. good.”

Chris’s chicken marsala (the old standby) was also delicious…a little sweet, but not too sweet (I like it sweet, Chris likes it more savory). The mushrooms were meaty and hearty, so he seemed pretty happy. As much as he tried to only eat half and take some home, he failed and managed to finish.

Jon ended up in the Clean Plate Club after ordering eggplant parmesan (his old standby) and Christine enjoyed her mushroom ravioli and inappropriately large sausage.

Our waitress was friendly and attentive, even with a full dining room. We enjoyed the evening immensely and I’m looking forward to our next return trip.

317 S College Ave
(317) 638-7706
http://www.iarias.com/
★★★½
$$$
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Hoaglin To Go Cafe & Marketplace

I truly wanted to like Hoaglin To Go Cafe & Marketplace. We had sampled some of their offerings previously at an Indianapolis Originals event and were blown away. Their sun-dried tomato and pesto torte is something they should well be proud of, and the chocolate cherry bread pudding is way better than my own! Naturally, I was looking forward to trying more of what they had to offer.

The restaurant is bright and colorful, and quite conscious of its trendiness. A large deli case shows off baked specialties, salads, and other edible concoctions. I ordered one of each of the day’s specials to take with me: one vegetable lasagna and one portabella stacker.

A dime bought me eight minutes at the parking meter, but that time expired nearly three times over while the bustling staff tended to tables. In fairness, I did come in at five minutes to noon on a Friday, but it was quite surprising that assembling two boxed lunches could take twenty minutes, especially with no place to sit while I waited.

Each lunch came with a “field green salad,” which was nothing more than a pile of iceberg lettuce, a few slices of cucumber and roma tomato, and mostly-oil-on-the-side. The vegetable lasagna was rich, savory, and cheesy. Its flavor was shaded more by mushrooms than other vegetables, and the parmesan shavings topped off the lasagna brick with a satisfying saltiness.

The portabella stack was tasty enough, but rather insultingly small, considering the 3-inch-diameter mushroom accompanied by the same measly “field green” salad. This is a silly $8.50 lunch special. Not quite vulgar, but close. It had some cheese on it or whatever, but did I mention that it cost $8.50?

Dessert was a treat, but the key lime pie unfortunately did not make up for disappointment of the preceding lunch. Again, we have tasted excellent samples of Hoaglin’s other offerings, and we will give it another try - but not carry-out next time - maybe brunch is a better match for us. And it will have to wait until this credit card bill clears, freeing me from having to look at this Hoaglin’s receipt.

448 Massachusetts Ave
(317) 423-0300
http://www.hoaglinfinecatering.com/
★★
$$
2005-04-05
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