Joe's Crab Shack

On June 2nd, I met up with an old high school friend and her boyfriend to catch up on life. We had decided to meet at Joe's Crab Shack, a place I had often passed by but never stopped to eat at. I had of course, seen the commercials of the place, but I put little value into those-commercials always over exaggerate not only the quality, but the quantity of whatever they're advertising anyways.

None the less, I'm a huge seafood fan and wanted to try the place, and my friends were kind enough to indulge.

The outside of the place is fun, looking very much like some falling apart shack on the beach side, complete with aluminum bits and cheap neon signs. The inside is much the same, looking more like someone bought a fisherman's shack and added a bar and kitchen. It was very atmospheric.As soon as you walk in, you notice a huge shark in the middle of the open restaurant, with a shirt hanging from its mouth. Directly to the right is a small shop, which sells funny t-shirts (one says something along the line of going to Joe's and getting crabs).

The giant shark, and our waiter Mike.

We are promptly seated at a booth, the place is practically empty which doesn't surprise me-it is a week day and after the lunch rush. The table is decorated by little fun knickknacks laid underneath the table.

Who are these people? I have no clue, but they are forever immortalized under a restaurant table.

There are also directions on the walls, from photos to license plates to signs, it just a random collage of stuff.

Our waiter (Mike) finally comes over. As every-other waiter on the planet, we're asked if this is our first time here, and for once my answer is yes. He explained to menu, the bucket on our table (bellow) gave us some bibs (also bellow) and silverware (yep, that's bellow too). He then wrote is name down on a napkin (which is really just a roll of paper towels they give you, smart!) took our drink orders and left us to 'hmm' and 'hah' over the menu.

Bucket for shells and paper towel napkins

Silverware, moist towelettes, crackers and shell rippers (yellow things)

You know it's gonna be good if the give you a bib.

Conversation was had and when our waiter came back, we ordered. Now my dish by default came with sausage, which I hate. When I asked our waiter if I could substitute, I was given options and so substituted my pig intestines with shrimp instead. I ordered the New Orleans and my friends decided to split a crab boil, with garlic herb seasoning.

My New Orleans

 Your dish comes out in a pot, complete with lid to keep the steam in. There's a plate inside, if you want to pull your dish out, otherwise you can just eat out of the pot-which is what I did.
The crawfish was awesome! Wonderfully seasoned, tender, large and all the tails curled (which means they were 'fresh' upon cooking, aka-alive) and there was a lot of them! The shrimp was just a good and still in the shell and HUGE. You can't really see them in the picture above, but they were almost the same size of the crawfish.

Everyone's dish also comes  with a cob of corn, seasoned the same as the rest of the dish, and small, whole, red potatoes that lay in the bottom of your boil. I ate these last, as they soaked up all the flavored juices at the bottom of the pot and melted in your mouth.

My friend's dish, after they grabbed a section each

The crab isn't separated legs/claws that I've seen else where. Instead, you get the whole 'walking' section of the crab.

Needless to say, my friends and myself demolished it, without the bibs. Halfway through our meal, something amazing happened...

Music blares on, and every waiter/waitress breaks out into dance. 

Yeah, pretty awesome in my opinion.

The meal was very tasty, but I didn't walk away stuffed. It was also on the pretty expensive side. My dish and tea came to $23. While the food was awesome, I can also get a 20oz steak, 2 sides, a salad, and a drink for the same cost and come away with leftovers. Admittedly, I can see why my dish cost so much (crawfish isn't exactly native to Indy) but for that price, I was expecting more then what I got. They come out with a huge pot, and if you take your dish out of that pot, it's not as much as you'd think. None the less, the service was great, the food was awesome, and we sat for several hours after our meal talking at our table.

The place for once, is a great place for anyone-families, kids, couples, friends, whatever and whoever. The only person I wouldn't bring would be someone who doesn't like seafood. While there are hamburgers on the menu, it isn't what the place is known for.

Joe's Crab Shack
2307 Post Dr
Indianapolis, IN
317-895-0433
www.joescrabshack.com

Zydeco's

Zydeco's is located in downtown Mooresville. A little hole in the wall restaurant, it's easy to miss. The place is small but long, and incredibly popular. Myself and my usual food buddy went along. I had been craving some good Cajun food all month and needed a fix. If it wasn't for my GPS, I would of missed the place. I had heard of the restaurant via google maps, I had typed in my address and used the 'search near by' button for 'Cajun' and this place popped up.

Zydecos', the green neon sign proudly declares. It practically screams Louisiana, all the way down to the screen doors.

Apparently the place is pretty popular. There were two huge parties there, the kitchen and waiting staff were short one and so it was a while before we were seated. BUT they did the one crucial thing that prevented a bad situation from getting worse-they explained to me (the customer) that they were busy and short people, keeping me informed of the situation. This prevents the customer  from getting angry at being seemingly ignored. It was extremely appreciated!

Lights and jazz music, I feel like I'm really in the sweet south.

 The place is overly decorated with mementos of the south without being overly tacky. Instead the crowded and decorated building just adds to the atmosphere of Louisiana and gives patrons something to look at and discuss while waiting for their meal.

A dressed harlequin, perched on a street light and brightly colored...and too far for my crappy camera to get a good quality photo

The waiting staff is nice and friendly, making you feel more like an old friend that's been gone a while then a business opportunity. They were genuine, knowledgeable and had good timing. Even as packed and rushed as they were, no party was forgotten or neglected, a rare talent indeed!

Trivia cards are available on each table, allowing you to quiz the rest of your party on their knowledge. A novel and genius idea!

 Fresh bread and what I suspect is home made butter is on the house and wets the appetite. It also serves as a good pallet cleanser, dipper or something to take the bite out of the spiciness that Cajun food is known for. I could easily of filled up on the stuff! The bread was moist and warm on the inside, cool and crunchy outside and the butter was soft, melts-in-your-mouth-not-on-the-bread-knife wonderful!

Gumbo: chicken, sausage, rice, vegetables and liquid awesome.

 What Cajun meal would be complete without a bowl of gumbo? Of course I ordered a bowl! It was wonderful, flavorful and blended nicely. I usually go for the seafood gumbos, and I'm not a fan of sausage, at all. But this? This made me rethink my hate of sausage. I could like sausage if it all came tasting like this gumbo did.
The portion looks small, and it is. The bowl is deep, but all together it's a small serving. In my opinion, this is preferred. I don't want to fill up on the sides or appetizers, I just want something to warm my taste-buds up for the main play!

My friend's salad

 Salad. There's nothing much I can say about salad. It's leaves...with dressing. I rarely order salads because of this...they're boring.

My friend's dish, Ya Ya Chicken

 Ya Ya Chicken was my friend's order. He chose well. Seasoned with rosemary and garlic, the chicken breast is laid atop white rice and jambalaya, garnished with chives and what I think is paprika seasoning. The chicken practically melts in your mouth and he was able to just pull parts off, no need for a knife or even fork cutting!

Jolie Blond Pasta

 Jolie Blond Pasta: rotinin pasta (curly noodles of various colors) , tasso alphreadeaux (kind of like a fettuccine sauce) and crawfish tails, garnished with chives and what I still think is paprika powder which gives it a nice kick! At first I thought the pasta was baked and it appeared dry but when I mixed it...

Jolie Blond Pasta after stirred

Defiantly not dry! A nice, creamy cheese-like sauce hides beneath that pasta, and oh if it isn't good! The crawfish tails were excellent, and they certainty didn't hold back on them either! I actually had to take home leftovers! The serving size of the main dishes dwarfs the size of the side dishes, understandably. It was cheesy, well blended, fresh and just enough of that spicy kick. I liked that the powder on the size let me experiment with the level of spiciness.

The food is great, you get to keep the mardi gras necklace that binds your silverware, a fully stocked bar and nice staff, what's more to want? Apparently this place has it's own mini-store which I briefly passed on my way to the ladies room. They sell seasonings, Zapps (a special kind of potato chip) and fun variety of other misc. items.

The place is apparently always crowded though, so if you have a party more then 2, I'd call ahead for reservations. This isn't a place I'd take the kids either, not only is there too  much temptation to 'touch' stuff, but the menu doesn't cater to kids-there isn't a mac-n-cheese menu and spicy stuff usually doesn't mix well with kids.

The only negative thing I have to really say about this place is that it is a little on the expensive side, even for me. Cup-o-Gumb: 4.85, Pasta: 18.60....admittedly a little expensive, but everything here is very authentic and worth it to treat yourself or satisfy that craving.

Our waiter, Lestra, was also very awesome, so a definite shout out to her! She was running herself ragged but we were well taken care of and we never saw the bottom of our glasses! Again, the staffing is very friendly and genuine.

A little side note, the website (below) has something called the 'CajunCam' where a web-cam is placed in the restaurant, facing the bar and you can spy on people, I mean see if they're busy...yeah. Creepy, yet satisfying to my voyeuristic desires.

Bottom line? I'm going back, this time for the soft-shell crab!

Zydeco's
11 E Main St, Mooresville, IN, 46158
317-834-3900
I recommend parking across the street in the large parking lot designated for downtown patrons. Back alley and street level parking is pinch for crunch.
http://www.zydecos.net/

5/26/11 EDIT

I shot the owner, Deb, the link to my post about her restaurant, here's her reply!

Hey Slash!
Thanks for the kudos, some additional info for you...
We do have a kids menu, I print them up with some games and coloring stuff so the kids don't get bored. Everything from chicken strips (we don't make) to gator.
My husband Carter  makes all our meats, the sausage in your gumbo and the tasso in your Jolie were made right here! Monday is smoking day. We also make our own roux and use fresh trinities for everything. The only thing on the menu we don't make here (with the exception of a few things on the kid's menu) is the chocolate cake, it is from Atkins bakery in Noblesville and I don't think we could do anything near as awesome as their cake.
A little more Zydeco's trivia, all the original artwork in the restaurant is Carter's, he was quite the artist till I brought him to Indiana and down to my level....
Lets see...Tuesday Jerome was stuck on 39 and Wednesday Becky sprang her ankle so you could have been here either day, if you were here on Tuesday 30% of your ticket went to PAK rescue in Monrovia (where we adopted 2 of our babies) and Wednesday 25% went to Relay for life so either way, THANK YOU!!!! If you were here on Tuesday we will only be open for "benefit Tuesday's"  till the end of June. I am moving them to Wednesday after that but will continue the benefits through 2011.
Again, thanks for the kind words, you write very well. Hope to see you soon!

Peace,
Deb
Queen of the Moon

Good Earth (Store)

Good Earth is an all natural foodstuffs store located in Broadripple. It is my absolute favorite place to buy herbs, trail mixes, grains and misc. strange items I can find no where else. It's all local produce and whole-sale, so it's dirt cheap. I sadly lack any pictures, but today I bought ~3-4lb of 3different kinds of trail mix and ~1lb of yogurt covered almonds for $17, not a bad deal in my opinion.

This place specializes in herbal and natural foods and also contains a wide variety of gluten free products, from flour to pre-made pasta noodles and cereals. It's a two story building, the first floor is mainly cooking ingredients and dry goods, while the top floor sells earth shoes, cosmetics, soaps/cleaners (all eco friendly), teas, misc. non-traditional medical tools (such as ear candles) and an apothecary of herbs. They have a complete list of herbs sold by the counter, but they carry just about everything, even specialty cooking rubs. I usually buy a wide range of herbs for my home-made teas and a few cooking experiments.

All in all, a great place to shop for those looking for the organic, specific, unusual/uncommon, healthy or just wanting to support local sellers.

Good Earth Natural Food Company
317-253-3709
6350 Guilford ave, Indianapolis, IN, 46220
www.good-earth.com
Located in Broadripple, right over the rainbow bridge. Parking in behind building and free for customers.
They usually close around 7pm, so plan ahead.

EDIT: Bella Villa

I went back to Bella Villa and got more photos!
Original post: http://indianapolisfoodies.blogspot.com/2011/04/bella-villa.html

Four Cheese pasta that friend got. Once again, so much cheese that he had to take it home.

Olive Oil dip for bread.

My Frutti de Mare, before the stirring!

The Journey

There is one restaurant I could eat at everyday and never get tired of. Called 'The Journey', it's a buffet style restaurant that's a little bit more on the pricier side. $25 a person for dinner is pretty steep until you realize what you get: Prime rib, sword fish, high grade sushi, calamari and much more (see link below for complete menu). It's like going to an upper scale restaurant, not knowing what you want and being able to sample everything on the menu. Thanks to this place, I've been able to try duck, swordfish and many other foods that I would normally not order with the fear that I wouldn't like it and have wasted my money.

Bellow is just my first plate, which consists only of sushi. I love sushi, so this place is great as a fix for a cheap price as any sushi lover will tell you. It's also a great way to have friends try without the pressure of 'oh, if I don't like it, what to do now' and 'but I don't want to share' on either end.

The service is always really great too. They don't bother you, but your glass is never empty either. I do recommend that if you want to try it out, you show up early rather than late, there's usually always a wait. Make sure to check their menu too (link below) as it changes for lunch (which is cheaper, but doesn't have as much) versus dinner. They also do reservations for large parties, but it's a minimum of 10 I think?

The place is done in sailboat theme, I wouldn't recommend the place for kids. There's isn't a lot of 'child friendly' foods (such as mac-n-cheese) and for $25 a pop, it seems like a waste to me. A good place for a date, business lunch (which is very frequently seen), or a get together for friends. 

Dress is very diverse, I've seen from suit-business to construction-jeans. 

One thing to note is that this is a very 'grab it yourself' place. Things such as extra napkins, soup spoons and chopsticks are left out in the open and it's not considered rude to grab them yourselves if you need/want them. The waiter/ress is only there to clear plates and refill your glass, which is appreciated. 

Website: http://thejourneyin.com/index.html

Information: 7155 E 96th st, Indianapolis, IN, 46250 

                  Right by Starbucks, in front of Sam's Club

Phone: 317-578-9933

Bella Villa

On March 24 my friend and myself were originally going to go to Bucca de Beppo in downtown Indianapolis, however there was an 3hr wait as we had gone during the dinner rush. We walked around and had decided to go to PF Chang's when we came across an apparently new restaurant- Bella Vita.

The restaurant has its menu posted outside, and has many of the dishes that Bucca offers. We decided to try it out. The interior is wonderfully designed and darkly lit, has mural painted on its walls, a waterfall cooling system for the wine, a wooden stove and open kitchen. It had a wonderfully traditional feel for an Italian restaurant. I plan on returning for more food, if not to get more pictures of the interior. 

I ordered Sweet tea, Frutti de Mare (fruit of the sea) and my dish came with either a side salad or soup. I chose the soup (which was the soup of the day) a beef vegetable. My companion order a 4 cheese bow-tie pasta dish.
You of course received bread with dipping oil as part of your meal.

The bread was wonderful. Crunchy and well seasoned on the outside, soft and melting on the inside. The oil was fresh with light seasoning that made for a wonderful tease and a good pallet cleanser.

When the soup came out, I was at first disappointed. It looked very small but I was surprised when my spoon nearly sunk to the bottom.

It tasted fantastic. The beef was tender and nearly melted in my mouth, and seemed as if it had been cooking all day long. It was pleasantly spicy which made it an interesting meal and had enough to it that I had something besides broth on every spoonful.
The portion was perfect, enough to be filling but not to the point were I wasn't going to be able to eat my main dish.

My main dish was wonderfully presented.

(You can see the dipping oil in the corner of both pictures)

The photo is after I stirred it up. It was again wonderfully spicy without being over whelming, blended well and the flavors complemented each other well. It was colorful and pleasing to all the senses. The meal was very filling and I could of went home with left overs but just couldn't leave the dish!

My friend was equally pleased with his meal. He took his meal home, and for once the cheese was almost too much for him! A miracle to be sure.

Our waiter (Mark) was perfect-friendly without being over whelming and was wonderful in his suggestions. I never saw the bottom of my glass and he knew what questions to ask and when. This is a skill hard to acquire.

My ticket came out to $24, not bad for pasta, bread, soup and drinks. (I paid $30 with the tip, he was worth it!)

This a great place to go for a date, dinner with friends and family or just to enjoy the food. A wonderful stumble!

Location of Bella Vita:

Bottom level of Circle Center Mall

49 W Maryland, Indianapolis, IN, 46204

Phone: 317-822-9840

site: http://www.bellavitaatthemarina.com/home.htm   the pictures here are not of the facility at the mall
mall: http://www.simon.com/mall/tenantdetail.aspx?id=163&tid=71764&cid=4853   just general info

Introduction

Welcome to my site. Here I will post anything dealing with food in the Indianapolis area and it's surrounding metropolises. Restaurants, stores, recipes, maybe even news.


Pictures will be provided when possible, along with discussion, description, pricing, location(s) and so on. I may even have others post there own opinions of the subject.

Well, let's begin. I am Slash, it'll be a pleasure I'm sure!

Suggestions are welcome and feedback is encouraged!