Bin Wine Cafe

Decor: Contemporary decor

Wait Staff: Nice. Good ability to give recommendations based on described tastes. Was also willing to give me the gazpacho as a seperate item eventhough it wasn't something on the menu that could be ordered individually.

Drinks: Consuelo Mary...their spiciest bloody mary. Very good and spicy without being a drink that is a novelty item.

Food:
Gazpacho -- the best I've had since I was in Andalusia. Just perfect.
2 eggs scrambled -- very good...but how hard is it to make eggs
Hanger Steak -- also very good
Onion hash browns -- this was very interesting....around the edges and top and bottom, where it was browned the most and crunchy, I really liked it. On the inside, the onion flavor was slightly overpowering.
White toast -- with strawberry preserves. Excellent.

Total Bill with Tip: $50...for the two of us.

Overall: A great place. Reminds me of Hoaglin in Indy a little bit, but better. A very good, reasonably priced, hearty meal. So much food for what we ended up paying.

1559 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-486-2233

Nobu Fifty Seven

Decor: Asian/Japanese theme

Wait Staff: Very nice. Willing to call your cell while you wait for a table or seat at the sushi bar.

Drinks: Sapporo

Food: Spicy Tuna Roll, California Roll, Black Cod with Miso. The rolls were standard fare. Not anything that you could get somewhere else. The Black Cod with Miso is the most spectacular piece of fish I have ever had. It is literally unbelievable. The cod is topped with the Miso, which is carmelized on the top for flavoring. It literally is so good, I considered ordering another.

Total Bill with Tip: $49.00

Overall: A great place if you can get in, which can be very frustrating. If you know you are going to be in town, then plan in advance and get a reservation. You can't even rely on getting a seat at the sushi bar by just showing up. If you are, plan on going there and putting your name in and doing a bit of shopping close by or have a drink at the bar. The main dishes are definitely worth the trouble, however.

Nobu 57
40 West 57th St
New York, NY 10019
212-757-3000
www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/nobu57/

Rosie O'Grady's

Decor: New York Times Square Big Gigantic Deli decor. Nice outdoor seating though. Good for people watching.

Wait Staff: Slow.....still waiting for my refill. Not once, but twice did I see people sit down and then get up and leave because no one would take their order.

Drinks: Lemonade

Food: Pastrami on Rye

Total Bill with Tip: $22

Overall: This is one of those places where you get a substandard sandwitch for $14.95 and get charged for refills. Everything is too expensive for what you get. Unfortunately, it's on the main drag in Times Square and easy to get in.

Rue 57

Decor: Stylized french brasserie/bistro. Very loud, lots of people hustling and bustling. Great outdoor seating when you can get it.

Wait Staff: Always good. Always nice and friendly.

Drinks: Stella

Food: Steak Au Poivre with pomme frites. Always good. I love this dish here because the sauce on the steak is very peppery and hot, which adds a great flavor to the steak.

Total Bill with Tip: $58.00

Overall: I continue to enjoy this place when I go to NY. It always has a great after work atmosphere and when I'm traveling alone is a great place because both the wait staff and other patrons enjoy talking and chatting with anyone around. There have been quite a few times when I've met people there and ended up going to another bar or two with them.

Rue57
60 W 57th St
New York, NY 10019
www.rue57.com

City Tavern

Decor:
See Below

Wait Staff:
See Below for general comments. This time we had a lousy table. Only four seats for four of us plus Jackson. Right by the window.

Drinks:
Bombay and tonic -- Way too much gin. The second time I've had a drink here that was overpowering. I'm sticking with bottled drinks here.


Food:
Spicy tuna roll -- Good but still wierd. The tuna wasn't ground, but a single piece of ahi tuna inside with the spicy mayo.
Grouper--Just ok. Not bad at all, but not good. Probably made better by the fact that I drowned it in lemon juice.

Total Bill with Tip:
Unknown....

Overall:
Bad experience this time on multiple levels. From the cramped seating, to the bad gin and tonic, to the marginal grouper.

City Tavern
415 Lakeshore
Culver, IN 46511
1-574-842-3300

Decor:
Japanese standard sushi type place. General bamboo tables and chairs.

Wait Staff:
Very nice and accomodating. Very helpful. No arguments or eye rolls when unexpectedly asked to switch from carryout to dine in. Even after packing it all in to go containers.

Drinks:
One massive, canned Sapporo

Food:
Spicy Tuna, California Roll, Yellowfin Roll. All very good. The spicy tuna was good and hot, like I like it. The yellowfin roll was good except I wasn't a fan of the carrot in each one, so I removed it each time.

Total Bill with Tip:
$28.00

Overall:
Very good. I liked the fact that things were spicy enough. The best part is that it's right in Broad Ripple, open till Midnight...a perfect place to hit on the way to the Vogue.

Naked Tchopstix

6255 N College Ave

Indianapolis, IN 46220-1926

(317) 252-2555
www.tchopstix.com