Broadripple Bagel Deli

During my Freshman year of college, after I was fired from my job as a lifeguard at the YMCA, my friend Tom (still a great friend) negotiated a job for me at New York Bagel Deli on Kirkwood in Bloomington. It had to be one of the greatest jobs of my entire life. An eclectic blend of college kids serving up steamed bagels and sandwiches until 2am. I fondly remember Rule #27 of the Employee Rules: Never be too drunk or too stoned to make a bagel. Our friends ate like kings and there were several occasions when Rule #27 was "almost" broken.
Upon my return to the Midwest and my part time life in the Broadripple neighborhood of Indianapolis, much to my content, I recently stumbled upon the Broadripple Bagel Deli. ( www.ripplebageldeli.com ) It's based on the original one at Miami of Ohio (same as they did in Bloomington) but because I usually avoid Ohio, for all intents and purposes, let's say it reminds me of the one we had in Bloomington over 15 years ago.
The menu is just as diverse as the employees. During my visit, I had a cute Emo-dude take my order (I emphasize cute because he was wearing glasses--everyone looks cuter in glasses--wink!) and I decided on the Aunt Pin's Bagel (plus a little feta and banana peppers to make it not-so-PETA-friendly) and it brought back such blissfully steamed memories of my bagel days at NYBD.
So people of Indy, please rejoice that you are fortunate to have such a "kosher-gem" in your area. (ok, they aren't really kosher) This place has something for everyone. You can easily appease your inner vegan or you can let your carnivore side take over. But stop in and check them out, when you get a chance.
And now I find myself quite curious if perhaps Broadripple Bagel Deli also has a Rule #27? But that's for y'all to decide.

Lovin' on Lilly's

Since my arrival in Louisville, “Lilly’s Bistro” in the Highlands, (www.lillyslapeche.com) has been on my to-do list. However, I have been skeptical because the menu looks so fabulous, I assumed it would be one of those places full of pretentious foodies and a wait staff which is continuously trying to “one-up” you on your knowledge of food or wine. Let’s just say, I was proven wrong—very wrong.

This place is an absolute MUST. R & I decided to walk in the 20 degree weather because it was less than a mile from the house and upon our arrival to Lilly’s, you would have thought we were old besties with the entire staff.

First and foremost, they have an amazing selection of Bourbons, including A.H. Hirsch Reserve (R’s fave). In addition, I always know it’s going to be a good restaurant when they have more than one Spanish wine on the list AND they also have Cava by the glass. Their wine menu was very old-world-friendly and as much as I wanted some red, my first patient was at 6:45 a.m. the next morning, so we decided to keep it safe and settle with a crispy White Bordeaux.

We purposely sat at the bar, due to someone being a giant (he always prefers to sit at the bar), where our enthusiastic bartender proudly (not pretentiously) relayed how much he loves the food and that the Chef could most likely make dirt into a gourmet meal. Lilly’s, unlike most places, admirably uses a majority of local ingredients. Almost every item on the menu comes from a local farm or at least from a local wooded area.

We started with the Chicken Liver Pâté, garnished with apples, pistachios, Dijon and cornichons. Since I like to think I am a pâté connoisseur (thanks to the love my parents instilled upon me for organ meats) I can easily say Lilly’s was silky and savory. I often think most restaurant pâté is too sweet or has an overly-gamey finish—Lilly’s had no trace of either. C’est Parfait!

We then tried my new-found favorite treat, Rabbit Croquettes = Two tiny bites of heaven. If you order them, get two servings, I promise you won’t be sorry. The rabbit was shredded and perfectly textured yet slightly spicy and came with a Bourbon sauce in which I was dipping everything, to the point I just started eating it with a spoon----All class from this end.

For dinner we took in the massive Bone-in Pork Chop wrapped in Pork Belly. Dear Lord was this thing tasty! To “try” and balance things out, we also ordered the local farmer vegetable plate which included spinach, parsnip, mushroom and butternut squash crepes. It was absolutely divine. However, we must have looked like jackals between me eating the Bourbon sauce with a spoon and R actually picking up the pork chop bone to get every last vittle on it.

Although there were plenty of temptations for dessert, including the Apple Tartin and the Artisan Cheese Plate, R kindly rolled me home because I was so full, I felt like a Manatee. After a very cold walk back to the house, we opted for a my ghetto-version of rice krispie treats, which was a bowl of rice krispies and coconut marshmallows melted in the microwave, and then I mixed in some dark chocolate chips (a budding future pastry chef, indeed) accompanied by Bailey’s and coffee.

Take-home-point is to cancel your plans for tonight and go to Lilly’s---genuine service, scrumptious food, and charming atmosphere with a superb libation selection------ and of course, feel free to call me if you need a dining companion.

Celestun, Mexico

The great beach town sans tourists and future home of my winter restaurant and beach hotel.
I have found a new favorite haunt in terms of quiet little coastal fishing villages of Latin America. In Celestun, Mexico, just 75 kilometers west of Merida, you can find everything from Scuba Diving to Flamingo Breeding. If you are looking for beach luxury and bland food, head back to Cancun but if you are looking for beach adventure and tasty eats at a very slow place, then park yourself in Celestun.
Highlights included our hotel stay at “Maria Del Carmen” on the south side of the beach front. Carmencita (a tiny round Mayan lady) told us it would be $35/night for a beach front room and to “pay me whenever you get the chance.” This transaction was definitely a steal for both parties involved. Although the rooms were modest (no tv), they were clean with hot water, air conditioning and a fabulous ocean view with private balcony.
We trekked up and down about six miles of open beach full of mostly local people although there were a scattering of Euro-Speedo-Banana Hammock-clad tourists. I fell in love with a beach front restaurant called Café Avila, which served fabulous Ceviche and Filete con mojo de ajo (Fish with garlic sauce). The fish was fresh AND seafood was the only thing on the menu—my motto: keep it simple, keep it local. Plus, we had fat little beach dude missing an eye and walking around selling yummy Elote. Doesn’t get much more authentic than that.
Night life is much more laid back in terms of partying all night long. Bars close early, so buying liquor or Mayan Moonshine from the local “liquoria” is crucial if you want to drink past dinner time. However, most places turn a blind-eye if you want to bring in a bottle and keep it below the table and we happily obliged to this rule.
You can also do anything here in terms of outdoors: sea kayaking (most popular), flamingo watching (there is a Flamingo Eco-Preserve here), scuba diving, snorkeling, wake boarding, and plenty of fishing.
The last night we had a great pizza on the terrace of a restaurant on the town square called “El Lobo.” R fell head over heels for the chica working there in her flattering skin tight mini-dress. Perhaps that’s why the restaurant was so crowded….
Although the next time we go, we’ll probably rent a car, Second class busses leave from the Merida Terminal Noreste every hour ($10 roundtrip). However, despite Celestun being laid back, the busses leave on time. Yours truly ended up chasing one down the dirt road out of town because we thought we might “just have a quick beer” before we left. We eventually caught the bus and learned our lesson!

Check out this great MSN video: Sledding Dogs

This is the funniest thing I have seen in a while. Sure makes me miss Zuni!!

Check out this great MSN video: Sledding Dogs

Merida

I wish I could say something bad about Merida but I can’t. Merida is an UNESCO town www.unesco.org on the Northwest part of the Yucatan with a large university and plenty of culture. As opposed to Cancun, it’s a town that’s easy to visit on a budget or absolute luxury.

Getting there and back is simple. You can fly into Merida or busses leave every hour from Cancun ($40/each way for first class). Spend the extra money for first class. Otherwise you will ride for eight hours on a bus, stopping in various towns, instead of the regular four-hour straight shot.

We stayed at a local hotel called Hotel Real Gran Yucatan (request to NOT stay on the traffic side). It’s mid-priced ($70-$150) and three blocks from the Gran Plaza. It had all the amenities including cocoa toiletries--you know I love my hotel sundries! It’s an open air hotel with a bar, pool, restaurant, courtyard, etc.www.granrealyucatan.com

Food = Life in Merida. Mayans love to eat. I’m a big fan of street food because it’s made in front of you, it’s usually damn good and in Merida, you can eat like a king for less than $10 anytime. Yet, caveat emptor with street food. Throughout my travels, I have gained some immunity to various parasites so my stomach tends to tolerate a lot of the germs which come with street food. It has been a long time since I’ve been sick in a foreign land, so I’m sure my days are numbered---right, Andrew Zimmern???? The best street food in Merida was at the Mercado Artisano, several blocks southwest of the Plaza. Every stand at their fish market served fresh Campechana and down the way, the Tacos al Pastor were inexplicably divine.

Ceviche was number one on my list in this town. We found a little place by the plaza on Calle 62 called Marlin Azul and we ate our weight in Ceviche and Filetes Yucateca (fish grilled with paprika, lime, cilantro, butter and tomato). Plus the staff was young, cool, friendly and knew all the “less touristy” bars to visit. Notice the photo of me chowing at the Marlin Azul and getting the info on where to find my next cocktail.

The night scene of Merida is hot! Most people eat around 8-10 pm and then full-speed bar hopping afterwards. A very unsuspecting yet favorite bar of ours was called Pancho’s. www.panchosmerida.com Not the most original name but they make the best Caiparinha in town. Although it looks like a typical bar on the outside, ask to sit in back because it’s a beautiful massive open-air bar surrounded by stone walls and lots of vegetation adorned with photos of Frida Kahlo. (Add a taco or photo of Frida Kahlo, then low and behold you can call it Mexican......)

Finally, a real treat about Merida is that they have a Fiesta del Domingo every Sunday. Streets around the Plaza shut down while food, clothing, and jewelry vendors come out in the midst of local dancing and music. Have a Marquesita and enjoy!

Feliz Año Nuevo!

Time to take on a fresh concept with my highly neglected blog. This year presents a concentration on eateries and travel in combination with a healthy lifestyle.
Although my ideal new year’s resolution would be to become a highly-functioning alcoholic, in reality, I hope to concentrate more on my studies (to help ensure I don’t kill anyone when they finally give me a license to practice), and lose the 10 pounds I have gained over the past year so I can stop ripping the seat out of my cargo pants. (yes, that really did happen a few weeks ago)
As I write this, my beloved and I are taking a second class bus from Merida to Celestun, Mexico, which is quite relaxing, despite being the only “gringos” on the bus. It seems as if the other passengers are practicing for the “local staring contest”---perhaps out of fear because R looks exactly like the son of Pablo Escobar.
It’s been an interesting adventure in getting here. For those of you who know me, when I either a) don’t get my way or b) get hungry, or c)feel like I’m getting scammed, then I can turn into a “mega-puta.” On this trip, we had to fly into Cancun in order to get to the West side of the Yucatan where the swindling began upon arrival. After arriving several hours late (tired and hungry), we tried to grab a (shared) taxi, and the cheapest taxi was $30 (each) to go 2 miles to the local Bus Terminal. As six of us piled into the taxi, I soon realized we weren’t going anywhere near the bus terminal and we were on to the hotels at the beach (10 miles from airport). (side note: My Spanish is the equivalent of an 8 year old----verb conjugation is not my strong suit---with a bunch of Spanish SAT words thrown in.) When I asked the driver what was happening, he explained that he needed to go to the hotels first---this did not bode well with me. Therefore, I began arguing with him about how it made more sense to first go to the bus terminal. (For the two Spanish speaking passengers in the taxi, this had to be hilarious because I was talking like an 8 year old while throwing in various Scrabble-words in every other sentence.) On a high note, I won my case and he then took us to the bus station with (literally) 5 minutes to spare to catch the last bus of the night to Merida.
First class bus ride to Merida = 4 hours of much-needed sleep and arriving at the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in while traveling through Mexico.

More to come about the food and hot spots in the lovely city of Merida, Mexico.