Scholars Inn

02/16/09

The Scholars Inn, Indianapolis provides excellent food but the service need some work.

by jurczak1 at Citysearch

I have been waiting to visit the new Scholars Inn in Indianapolis for some time and Valentines Day seemed the perfect excuse. The food was excellently prepared and the dishes thoughtfully conceived but the service lacked polish and the seating was dreadful.

Because the food was so good the service had much to live up to and it appears the bar was set too high. The table provided was at the end of an empty row of three tables on the isle near the kitchen. When I asked to be reseated, I was told by the waitress that my 8:00PM reservation was not enough to allow me a better table. While I believe the waitress was mistaken (the couple who eventually did sit down in the other table would not have known a bad seat from a good one) I was still stuck by the inappropriateness of the rejection. The service did improve slightly but I had to repeatedly ask for silverware and my coffee came ten minutes before the desert.

If that seems like nit picking it is because the food was good enough to deserve flawless service. The Valentine?s Day menu was a slightly altered and limited version of the daily menu with a few notable surprises.

The American caviar parfait could confuse with it?s simplicity but it is clear the chef used a deft hand in assembling the components. The balance of the dish relied on a potato fritter and sauce to tie the creme fraiche, caviar and smoked salmon together. My wife?s lamb and chutney pastry was a study in how to balance spicy, sweet and savory components to produce a wonderful overall effect.

These courses were indicative of the overall meal to come. It is difficult to write enough good things about the food presented. All of the dishes were well conceived and executed. An understanding of the fine nuances of the cuisine was apparent in each. I only wish I had not ordered the filet which was too simple a preparation for this menu.

The Scholars Inn, Indianapolis provides excellent food but the service need some work.

• Pros: Food that will surprise and delight.
• Cons: Is thre a secret handshake to get a good table and service that lives up to the food?

01/10/09

Good foot, but...

by Stephanie987 at Citysearch

I went to "SI" last night for dinner, which was very tasty. However, we were seated next to the noisy kitchen. The place was empty and for some reason we were stuck there!! The Sicilian flatbread appetizer was good, but not $12 good. I ordered the roasted chicken and my husband had the pasta. Both were quite tasty.

But again, the whole time, all we heard was the kitchen staff joking around and talking. I had my leftovers to go and to my dismay, they didn't box the whole meal! I had tons of mashed potatoes, chicken and a creamy sauce. When I went to reheat it, I only had a piece of chicken!

C'mon people!!

I suggest a door to the kitchen and more thought when boxing up the $20 meal.

11/20/08

overpriced simple plates

by ninjaaaaa at Citysearch

Honestly I don't care how much I spend, but if I am going to spend a fair amount it's because I'm hoping to have my palate satisfied.

Not so much......

Service was not bad not great, but the food was boring. Anyone could make this stuff. Toooooo much oil and butter or salt.

When I was young and couldn't cook I would pour hot sauce on everything. I feel like they live by the same theory