Together on Tuesday: Favorite Restaurants

This week our "Together on Tuesday" topic is about our favorite restaurants.  Everyone has to eat, and chances are sometimes you eat out.  So we are discussing where we like to eat out and why? Is there a favorite menu item? Do you know the staff? Do you like it because it is quiet or because it is kid friendly? If it's a food chain do you like the convenience of being able to find one anywhere you travel? Unlike some of our other topics, I had no problem answering these questions.  I bet some of you who know me really well will be surprised to see that Applebees is not on my list below.  For those of you who don't know me that well, let's just say my husband and I ate there probably twice a week when we were first married.  We were regulars, had our regular waitress, and the whole bit.  Once my son Sam was born (oh and by the way-he was almost born at Applebees because my water broke there) we stopped going as much.  We actually don't eat out much at all these days.  But when we do we like to go to....

Bazbeaux Pizza: This is not a family favorite, this is a mommy favorite.  I do believe Bazbeaux is a great family restaurant, but my husband has a cheese allergy so we do not eat pizza out all too often.  I first started going to Bazbeaux when I worked for a mortgage company in Broad Ripple.  We would go there for lunch quite often because the food is delicious, it is well priced, and it was with in walking distance.  One of the biggest things I missed when I started staying home were those Bazbeaux lunch dates with my co workers where we were able to get a break from the daily grind of our jobs and just be normal people, friends even.  Now, I go to Bazbeaux with my dearest friends at least once a month (okay, that's a stretch because now most of us are mommies and it's hard to get everyone together).  It has a great atomosphere.  The food is delicious.  Besides wonderful pizza, they have amazing salads.  My personal favorite is the spinach salad.  The dressing is so yummy!! I also like the fact that I can order it up however I want with out getting any eye rolling from the server.  (Mushrooms-yuck!).  They also have a great beer selection-which I didn't discover until I started visiting with my friends as there was no drinking on my part with my co-workers during the work day.

Max and Ermas: Yes, a chain restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants.  Surprise.  You saw the bit about Applebees above, rigtht?  I started going to Max and Erma's when I started working again.  It was close to where I worked, and I really liked their soup and salad lunch combo.  Again-another yummy salad that I can "customize" easily.  If you can't tell, I'm a picky eater, and I usually like to "edit" the contents of typical salads offered at most restuarants. Anyways, I also love the chicken tortilla soup.  It is spicy and cheesy.  What more could you want from a soup?  Oh and it has tortilla chips for a little bit of crunch.  Max and Erma's also is a great place to take kids.  My kids can find something they like off of the kids menu, and the atmosphere of the restaurant also keeps them entertained.  If they eat a good dinner, we usually let them take advantage of the icecream bar.  It's built into a "bath tub" and is only $1 if you purchased a kids meal.  So to sum up, I like the price, the convenience, the food, and the atmosphere.  I just wish there were still one open close to my house.  Now it truly is a treat to eat at Max and Erma's because it is a little bit of a drive for us to get there.

Thai Orchid: This is an interesting choice because we really don't eat at this restaurant.  We order carry out.  I first tried this restaurant with one of my close friends, and we were both amazed at the amount of food we received for the price when we ordered the lunch special.  It was amazing.  There was the entree, a small salad,  a small bit of soup, an eggroll, and a wonton.  The food is delicious.  I have to admit, I'm not that brave when it comes to trying new things.  So, I can say that I have had my fair share of fried rice dishes from various Thai restaurants, and theirs is one of the best I've had.  The reason we do carry out from Thai Orchid is not because it has a horrible atmosphere or anything of the sort.  (It's actually really nice, quiet, and serene).  It's just that our kids do not eat Thai food.  It would not be fun for any of us to take them to a restaurant where they don't eat.  So, it's usually a treat to ourselves when my  husband and I order carry out from Thai Orchid, and just make something for the kids at home. 

Cheesecake Factory: Okay, another chain.  I know.  It's one that I like every once in a while.  Let's be honest here-I do not like the wait that comes with eating at the Cheesecake factory.  When I want a quiet night out with my husband, this definitely would not be the place to go. If there isn't a long wait, then it's a fun place to go with my kids because it's noisy, and they like looking at the paintings on the ceiling and walls. That being said, I think the food is great.  The portions are huge, but that just means I'll have some yummy leftovers.  I always have to remind myself to save room for the dessert because let's face it, that's what I really came for.  The variety of entrees on the menu and for dessert is more than enough.  I really like the "small bites"  menu they have.  I can order two or three small plates if I can't decide what I want to have for dinner (which happens to me a lot because I'm an indecisive person), and I get to have a nice meal and left overs for another dinner or lunch later in the week. 

Now, I know there are plenty of other delicious restaurants out there with wonderful menus, staff, atmosphere, and a local flair.  Too many for me to touch on in one blog post.  My husband and I love a good steakhouse, and we are blessed in Indy and the surrounding areas to have lots of those around.  I thought I would also just say, that we would love to see Chi-Chi's come back.  I mean seriously.  This is another place we ate at once a week...maybe more.  I'm not just talking about during the early years of marriage either.  My family frequented Chi-Chi's since I can remember.  We had a lot of great memories there.  My best friend and I would go there with one of our favorite teachers during our middle school years all the way through college and beyond.  I miss it-we miss it. Best darn margaritas ever.  R.I.P. Chi-Chi's.   Okay, enough of that.  I thought it would be fun to mention a place we love to eat when we are away from home.  We have the extremely wondeful blessing of being able to visit family with a home on Martha's Vineyard.  One of our favorite places to go is called "The Right Fork" diner.  It is tiny. Very tiny.  There is probably more outside seating than inside seating. It doesn't look like much from the road, but they have the best darn buttermilk pancakes that I've ever had.  The bacon is real. It is thick and cooked to perfection.  That's saying a lot because breakfast is my favorite meal. It also doesn't hurt that is surrounded by an airstrip that is dedicated to small aircrafts only.  Mainly two bi-planes that are used for tours and flying lessons.  The kids love to sit outside and watch the planes take off and land literally yards from where we are eating. We can (and do) ride our bikes from the house to the restaurant, which is also another bonus.  If you ever go to the Vineyard, you will be enticed to go to "The Black Dog" for it's breakfast and views of the water. It is a tourism icon for the island.  I wouldn't miss that, but don't forget to visit "The Right Fork" to get a taste of something special the vineyard offers, something local, something not known to many.  Now, don't forget to head over to see where Danielle, Nancy, and Charlotte like to dine.