Indulge In Indy

It’s been a long time.  I’ve been a little preoccupied with another culinary endeavor.  What, you ask?  I’m in the process of opening a food truck!  Yep, I decided to get in on Indy’s latest craze.  Truth be told, I’ve dreamed of owning a food truck for years.  And now, the time is finally right.  So early next month, Mac Genie will be hitting the streets!  We will be serving gourmet macaroni and cheese in just about every flavor combination you can imagine.  Everything will be made from scratch using my original recipes.  I’m really excited and I hope you are too!

As for this blog, I will continue to post (regularly now).  You will still see some restaurant reviews, but also expect more product reviews, recipes and cooking tips.  Just like Mac Genie, I’m looking forward to the change to the blog and I hope you will too.

If you’d like to stay up to date with Mac Genie, you can follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

I’m giving away one Wisconsin Cheese gift basket to a lucky reader!  How could it be you?  Follow me on Twitter and tweet me your “best” cheesy joke.  Not a Tweep?  You can still enter by leaving your joke in the comment section of this post.  The cheesiest joke wins!

Submit your cheesy joke by 11:00 tomorrow morning.  For Twitter entries to qualify, you must follow me and mention @tweet2tj in your tweet.  If you enter via comment, be sure I have a way to get in touch with you tomorrow.  Multiple entries are allowed.

The winner will be announced here and on Twitter tomorrow at noon.  I’ll contact the winner right away and the basket will be shipped overnight to arrive in time for your Race Day celebration!

Speaking of Race Day, the folks at Wisconsin Cheese have created some recipes using the cheeses featured in the gift basket.  Yum!

Continue reading →

One of my favorite bloggers put up a post about her top food indulgences and it got me thinking about my own secret food shames.  So here they are, in no particular order.  Now they aren’t secrets anymore! Continue reading →

I had the opportunity to check out Indy’s newest hot spot, Sensu, at their grand opening a couple Fridays ago. I’ll share my initial impressions, but stay tuned for a “true” review once they have been open for a few months.

Sensu's Main Bar

For those of you who haven’t yet heard of Sensu, it’s an Asian fusion restaurant in the evening that becomes a night club later on. Sensu is located in what used to be Have a Nice Day Cafe in downtown Indy. The first thing you notice when you walk in is that this is definitely not Have a Nice Day!

Downstairs Seating at Sensu

Epic Hospitality Group completely transformed the space into a swanky club that looks more like something you would find in Las Vegas or L.A. than in Indianapolis. Downstairs is the main bar, dance floor, VIP/private rooms and a 51 x12 foot video wall. Upstairs is for dining and lounging, with more seating, a sushi bar, and plenty of room for watching people on the dance floor below.

Private Room at Sensu

Due to the crowd, and perhaps some opening night mis-steps, I was able to sample only a few bites of food. What I did have was excellent. There were numerous sushi rolls and small bites like Spicy Tuna Poke on Crispy Wontons, Toast & Jam (shrimp toast with tuna jam), and Creamy Spicy Crab. There weren’t any menus, so I can’t comment on Sensu’s “Bang for Your Buck” value. But I will return and do a complete review soon.

Sensu's Spicy Tuna Poke on Crispy Wontons

Sensu's Toast & Jam

I can say that their drinks are priced on the high end, but the glasses are large and the pours are generous. I had the Great Pear Martini, made with Grey Goose Pear, Triple Sec, ginger syrup and lemon and lime juices. It tasted exactly like a frosty, juicy pear and I can’t wait to have another.

I’m looking forward to a complete meal (and another Great Pear) at Sensu sometime in the near future. Stay tuned!

Tasting Glenlivit with a true Scotsman at Sensu

I love the idea of Devour Downtown–over 40 downtown Indy restaurants with special tasting menus for either $30 per person or $30 per couple for two weeks twice a year.  What’s not to like?  Hold that thought…

Let’s start with what there is to like.  Most of the menus include an appetizer, entree and dessert for far less than what you would typically pay.  So it’s a great opportunity to try a new restaurant, or to have a meal at a favorite restaurant for a great price.  So, what’s not to like?

After dining at many restaurants during the past 3 or 4 Devours, I’ve decided that just like everything else in life, you get what you pay for.  Most restaurants offer smaller than usual portions.  That in and of itself doesn’t bother me.  But it has been my experience, and that of many others I have spoken to, that the service is also “smaller” than usual.  I have had more than one server be borderline rude when I asked for the Devour Downtown menu.  And even if they are pleasant, there just seems to be an attitude that Devour is something they must simply put up with twice a year.  So, you get what you pay for–smaller portions and less service.

The real problem with this is that you’re not getting the full dining experience of the restaurant.  And if it’s your first visit, you could easily decide that it would not be worth it to go back to that restaurant and pay regular menu prices.  To be fair, some of the restaurants have figured this out, and they go out of their way to offer the full experience despite the reduced price.  Capital Grille is one.

All of this being said, I still like Devour Downtown and think it’s a great thing for this city.  But if you go, and don’t have a great experience, I urge you to give the restaurant another try.  Generally speaking, most restaurants are “worth” their regular menu prices.  Personally, I’d rather pay more for an excellent dinner than pay less for a “just okay” one.

What do you think?  Leave a comment to tell me about your Devour Downtown experience.