Ah, St. Elmo - my favorite restaurant in downtown Indianapolis.  I had rare pleasure of being able to eat at St. Elmo on my actual birthday this year!  Normally we’re only in Indy in August, but this year we had an event in March as well.  My birthday conveniently fell on the day of the event we knew we’d be finished early with, so I was able to secure a reservation for us at St. Elmo.  On my birthday!  Super exciting! 

World Famous St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail

We both started out with the insane shrimp cocktail.  It’s insane because the cocktail sauce is horseradish with some red stuff.  It’s a delicious challenge.  I didn’t finish all of my shrimp, but Lance was happy to help. 

Lance and I were in Indianapolis for an event in March and we decided to give Harry and Izzy’s a go for dinner since it was an easy walk from our venue.  I’m glad that we did, because the last time we ate there we were pretty rushed since our dinner was before our shift began.  This time, we had the option to be more leisurely. 

French Onion Soup

It was super chilly when we were in Indy this time, quite a change from our normal August trips!  I needed to warm up after the walk, so I started off with a bowl of French Onion soup.  I love a good bowl of the stuff and this did not disappoint.  It was rich and velvety with a nice crouton and cheese.  It was also hot so it fit the bill!

We saved St. Elmo for Sunday since it was the best day for everyone’s schedules.  We went with our frequent dinnermate Brian and another friend, Nicholas.  It was Nicholas’s first visit to the great St. Elmo and we were looking forward to indoctrinating him.  We had a great table back in a little alcove of the restaurant so it was relatively quiet for our post-weekend chats and laughter.  There were also windows which make photography a bit easier.  Just want we wanted. 

The bread here is awesome.  Nice, dark pumpernickel, onion loaves, and my personal favorite, the cheesy crispy things.  These cheesy crispy things are perfect for dipping in both the cocktail sauce and the navy bean soup.  And if you happen to ask for a basket of just cheesy things, they’re happy to comply.  Not that I did this.  Oh no…

Oceanaire was one of the new restaurants I picked for GenCon 2011.  It’s almost sacrilege in my household to admit this, but I get tired of steakhouses.  For some reason Indy has quite a few of them and not many restaurants with other cuisines!  I picked Oceanaire since I thought it would be a nice change and a good place for Lance and I to celebrate our 5th GenCon together.  I admit that I was a little nervous to try a fish place in Indianapolis, Indiana, but I’m really glad we did try it out.  We were joined for this meal by our great friend Brian. 

The menu changes often and Lance was smart enough to grab me a printout on our way out since all three of us ordered daily specials.  Thanks, Lance!  None of us were particularly hungry, so we dove straight into the entrees, skipping appetizers even though there were tons of delicious ones on the menu.  I’d love to eat here again when I had a raging appetite. 

Whole Grilled Florida Pompano
Charred Tomato Salsa, Tortillas & Lime
I had never had Pompano before, but it’s hard for me to pass up the very rare occasions when I get to order a whole fish.  I’m glad that I was trained in the eating of a whole fish many years ago so that I didn’t make too much of a fool of myself! 

The fish was extremely delicate and the whole entrée was the chef’s take on a fish taco.  Due to my appetite, I mainly just ate the fish but everything was grand.  I was surprised at how delicate the fish was, both in texture and flavor. 

Ah, Weber Grill.  We first went to Weber in 2009 with a crowd of people and a fixed menu.  We enjoyed it so much that we’ve been back every year since.  One of the great things about Weber, aside from the food which is just plain old GOOD, is the price.  It’s significantly more reasonably priced than the fancier places in town.  It is louder than the fancier places, but not in an obnoxious sort of way. 

Our meal started with delicious pretzel rolls and cheddar butter.  Sadly, I wasn’t feeling super hungry, since our dinner break was in the middle of a 14 hour shift, so I only ate a bit of one of the rolls.  They’re super yummy, though.