Chao Vietnamese Street Food with Ebony January 6, 2024
Posted by Kenny Norman in north.Tags: Chao Vietnamese Street Food, dinner, pork, shrimp, smoothie, Vietnamese
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So I went to check out on Friday, January 5, 2024. We had this planned for a few months, and after Noelle recommended it, Ebony wanted to check it out. The place is on 96th Street in the same plaza as Great Clips. We both liked it. I forget exactly what Ebony got, but she said it was delicious. I had sooooo many questions and Ebony and I both know I was being a tough customer. Our server was a good sport and played along. He was very energetic. I don’t recall the exact name of what I got, but it had pork, noodles, bean sprouts, lettuce, and a LOT of shrimp. I also removed the cucumbers and something that was pickled. The lemongrass marinade was barely noticeable once diluted thoroughly, and the sauces added some extra tang to the pork and shrimp. I also got a berry smoothie, which our server didn’t recommend because of the seeds, but I didn’t mind the seeds. The food was delicious and incredibly filling. Ebony and I both decided we would return at some point. And honestly? If this restaurant were open later than 8:00, then I bet I would return sooner!
Welcome to Umi December 5, 2023
Posted by Kenny Norman in north.Tags: buffet, Castleton, lunch, pricey, Umi Seafood Buffet
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I decided to check out Umi Seafood Buffet in Castleton, as I had wanted to ever since they opened. It wasn’t too bad. Lunch price is cheaper than dinner price, and I had a coupon. Their buffet had a few things you don’t usually find on most buffets, but that aside, it wasn’t super special. Definitely a place I would return in the future, but only on an occasional basis, and probably not poised to become a favorite, though it was nice. And the appearance on the inside is really flashy and shiny!
Benyue with Ebony October 26, 2023
Posted by Kenny Norman in north.Tags: Benyue, Castleton, Castleton Square Mall, Dim Sum, dinner, golden cream buns, side dishes
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In early September, right after Labor Day Weekend, I tried Benyue restaurant in Castleton with Ebony. It was one of the restaurants on our bucket list, and given how Castleton doesn’t have quite the dining options for me that it used to, I was even more curious to try it. This was a Dim Sum restaurant, and I was unfamiliar with the concept. Basically, they had moderately priced entrees from $10-$15, with $6 side dishes people could add on. I added on four and Ebony added on three. Therefore, the bill was a bit higher than I would normally go, but it was nice to try some things like pork buns, egg rolls, and two others, one of which I can’t recall. (But I DO recall it wasn’t worth getting again.) One side that stood out was the golden cream buns. They tasted amazing, with golden filling that made them taste like a cake. Ebony and I actually agreed on how amazing they tasted, and we rarely agree. The place was surprisingly not too packed on a Friday night, but at least that meant we got immediate seating. Given the wide range of options available, Ebony and I agreed we would return at some point.
Trying Bento Cafe October 25, 2022
Posted by Kenny Norman in north.Tags: Bento Cafe, dinner, Fishers, takeout
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I tried Bento Cafe on October 24 after karate and got takeout! It was alright, but not special. Menu was large, prices were good…but the food wasn’t that flavorful. It has NOTHING on Tian Fu or Journey. That said, people specifically recommended the Bento Boxes for sushi, which I didn’t get because I’m not much of a sushi person.
My Letter to Famous Dave’s August 1, 2020
Posted by Kenny Norman in north.Tags: complaint, congregating, COVID, dinner, Famous Dave's BBQ, Noblesville, safe, waiting area
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Hi-
I went to the Famous Dave’s near Hamilton Town Center in Noblesville, IN. I was alarmed that not only was the waiting area still there, but also about 20 people were congregating there, shoulder to shoulder, waiting for their tables for 30 minutes or more. In this COVID-filled environment, that doesn’t seem smart and it worries me. Further, the restaurant was using the regular plastic menus and this location had no outdoor seating. All of this worried me. Of note is that since dine-in reopened for Indianapolis on June 1 because of COVID, I went to the other two Famous Dave’s BBQ locations in Indiana on Michigan Road and on US 31 in Indianapolis. Both of those locations had no waiting room, had no people congregating, used paper menus, and made outdoor seating available. Both of those locations seemed safe and took protocol given the COVID-filled environment. Also, I’ve been to 32 restaurants since dine-in reopened for Indiana on May 22, and this is the first time I’ve done dine-in at a restaurant where I didn’t feel safe. I could maybe look past the non-disposable menus and lack of outdoor seating option, but why was there a place for people to cluster and congregate in close quarters? That does not seem safe.
-Kenny Norman
Supporting small businesses finally May 23, 2020
Posted by Kenny Norman in north.Tags: 20% off, 25% off, Atlas Supermarket, Blondie's Cookies, BlueWall VR, BRICS, Broad Ripple, Canal Bistro, Chris' Ice Cream, Climb Time, Flying Cupcake, hometown merchandise, India Garden, Indiana Beach, Indianapolis, magnets, Marsh, Parthenon, Roselyn Bakery, sale, small business, stickers, Super China Buffet, support, T-shirts, The Shop, Tian Fu, vintage Indiana clothing, Visit Indy
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So, to be perfectly honest, I don’t often support small businesses unless they serve something edible. Generally, for a small business to get my attention, they either need to be cheaper than a chain or offer something unique that a chain won’t offer, and for me, the easiest way to do that is with food. It’s easy for Parthenon, Canal Bistro, Super China Buffet, Tian Fu, India Garden, BRICS, Chris’ Ice Cream, Flying Cupcake, and Blondie’s Cookies to get my attention with their delicious food and snacks. Places like Climb Time and Bluewall VR also get on my radar because they give me a good source of physical activity and entertainment.
But now, I have my first small business that I like that’s not about food or physical activity! It’s a store called “The Shop” in Broad Ripple. (They could really use a less generic name.) They sell all sorts of hometown merchandise and some vintage Indiana clothing. That’s a niche market I can’t get from Old Navy or Aeropostale, and the kind of stuff they sell is the kind of stuff I want to buy! They have t-shirts, stickers, magnets and other things that feature the Indy logo, designs from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana colleges like IU or Butler or Purdue, or logos of long-closed Indiana businesses, like Marsh, Roselyn Bakery, or Atlas Supermarket.
Indiana Beach looked like it would be closed forever for a few months, and they even got an Indiana Beach t-shirt, which is what initially attracted my attention to their store. I first checked them out on March 7, and I went back there on May 16. Their t-shirts are a bit pricey, but they have a 20% off sale the first Saturday of every month, bringing their merchandise pricing down to the higher end of “normal.” Further, on May 16, they had their five-year anniversary sale, where everything was 25% off! It doesn’t get better than that.
They use very soft t-shirts, like the kind of blended cotton Old Navy or Aeropostale would use, so these t-shirts are unbelievably comfortable. They release new designs semi-regularly, so I’ll probably go back there in a few months for their monthly 20% off sale. Also, a few months ago, they had a special sale where they had “Visit Indy” t-shirts for $10 apiece. I hope they do that sale again, as I would definitely buy another 10-20 of those shirts.
Discovering “The Shop” April 2, 2020
Posted by Kenny Norman in north.Tags: Broad Ripple, gift items, gift shop, Indiana, Indiana Beach, Indianapolis, magnets, Market Square Arena, Marsh Supermarkets, Roselyn Bakery, small business, stickers, T-shirts, The Shop, Union Station
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I found this nice little store in Broad Ripple a few weeks ago called “The Shop.” They showed up on my Instagram feed advertising a commemorative memorial Indiana Beach t-shirt. I went there to check it out, and sadly, they sold out of that particular t-shirt and it sold out fairly quickly. That said, they had some nice stuff in there. The t-shirts are a bit pricey at $25, but the designs are neat and the fabric is soft. Also they have 25% off almost everything on the first Saturday of the month. They had a bunch of Indiana-related designs, from places that have shut down years ago (Marsh Supermarkets, Market Square Arena, Roselyn Bakery, Union Station) to current sports teams.
They carry more than shirts- there are also glasses, magnets, stickers, and other small gift items. I really liked it and would love to go back some time. I’ve even bought a lot of stuff from their website, including their $10 Indy hospitality tee, which was a very good deal! And the one time I went in there in person, I got two of those Indy hospitality tees when the Indiana Beach ones were sold out. This is a neat little place. I really like small businesses when they have something special or unique to offer, and this place certainly does!
Time to try Thai Station January 25, 2020
Posted by Kenny Norman in north.Tags: chicken, dinner, good service, highly recommend, Keystone at the Crossing, moderately priced, no wait, noodles, rice, shrimp, Thai, Thai Station
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On January 4, Ebony and I had decided to try Thai Station off 86th street at Keystone at the Crossing. We have a list of new restaurants and we’re slowly working through them. We do one every six weeks or so. Ebony spotted this place a few months back on her way to take her niece to Dave & Busters. She thought Thai Station looked interesting and asked me if I wanted to have dinner there sometime. There was no wait for seating at dinner, which was nice. The wait staff was incredibly attentive and very polite. I think the longest gap between check-ins was 10 minutes. I had shrimp dumplings for an appetizer. I had five in a pot, and they tasted heavenly. They were warm, steamy, rich, moist, flavorful, soft, chewy, and seasoned. All in all, the dumplings were worth the extra $8. For my main entree, I ordered off the fried rice section of the menu.
I chose chicken as my meat and asked to have no tomatoes. The fried rice also had carrots, onions, and green onions. I also added shrimp for an extra $3. All the flavors of the aforementioned ingredients mixed together to give the rice an unusual but pleasant flavor. I think the entree cost $13, but portion sizes were quite generous! There’s also a scale of mild, medium, and hot with all the entrees. I, of course, ordered my entree mild. Ebony got a chicken noodle dish with the spicy scale on medium, and she said that may have been a bit much of a kick for her. She did enjoy it, though, and the waitress was nice enough to agree to get our picture before we left! We have other restaurants on our list to try, but the food, portions, service, and prices at Thai Station were all so wonderful that we agreed we’d go back there again! I highly recommend it.
Testing Tandoor & Tikka November 11, 2019
Posted by Kenny Norman in news, north.Tags: affordable, Castleton, chicken tandoori, delicious, dinner, Indian food, Tandoor & Tikka
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Ebony and I went to Tandoor & Tikka last week in Castleton. That place was amazing! I got a full meal with side and drink for only $13, and it was delicious! They had quite a few options from the menu. The food tasted fresh and not too spicy! For the record, the spice level varies, and I COULD have gotten a spicy entree like Ebony did, but I don’t like spicy food. I got a rice bowl with Tandoori Chicken and a Tikka Masala curry. I added corn, cilantro, carrots, and mushrooms as my toppings with a yogurt chutney. It tasted amazing and it was quite filling. I also had a side of naan and a Sierra Mist, and their drink machines have flavor shots, so I added some strawberry flavor to my drink for added tastiness. We ordered at the counter and it was mostly self-service, which I didn’t mind. The only thing I DID mind was that their heat was broken, and it was cold outside, so I really hope they get that fixed.
Chef Mike’s is closing September 12, 2019
Posted by Kenny Norman in news, north.Tags: Abuelo's, Chef Mike's, chicken, closing, family restaurant, restaurant, steak, Traders Point
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I received some sad news today when I found out Chef Mike’s was closing. I really liked it there. They gave me a generous supply of coupons so I could get half-price steaks every month. The staff knew me and the service was wonderful. They opened in 2009 and we first discovered the place in 2012. I went there to celebrate finishing my job at the Indy Star call center. I went there a few times with Bridget in 2015 and 2016 when she was having rough times. I went there twice with Andrew and Candice and all their kids in the past year. I will miss that place…and their delicious chicken and steaks.
They recently upgraded their space from their original location at 71st street & 465 to a newer, bigger place- the old Abuelo’s restaurant at Traders Point. And by “recent,” I mean they just moved last December. So they’ve only been there nine months before closing. This is sad. I’ll be there one last time to use up the final half-price steak coupon they gave me. They released this statement at 7:00 a.m. this morning:
Thank you to all of our loyal customers over the past 11+ years. We have enjoyed meeting you, serving you and just being a place where we knew your name. Chef Mike turned 70 and has decided to retire at the end of the month. We will close our doors for the last time on Friday, September 27th. Stop by to wish Mike and Cathy well! Plus have all of your favorites while you still can. We will honor your coupons through the end of the month. Don’t miss our last Beer Dinner on the 17th at 7 pm! It will be the best one yet!
Chef Mike will be continuing his catering business. So keep him in mind for business lunches, picnics, holiday parties, graduations and weddings. He also has a traveling grill, so can bring some of your favorites right to you.
Chef Mike looks forward to spending more time with his grandkids, being home a LOT more and maybe even golfing.
We will miss you and can’t thank you enough for your support!
KNormIndy 