Good meals in Indianapolis!

So, off I went to Indy this past weekend, to take in the beautiful sunshine that this small town had to offer. In addition, I went to see the Jets blow a golden opportunity to get Namath off of their back, but, alas, that did not happen.

On Saturday evening, we went over to 14 West. St. Elmo's is the popular tourist place in town, but 14 West is where the Colts fans dined.

The food at 14 West was very good. Some items (Fried Oysters, Lamb, Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles) were simply outstanding. I even told my buddy, Matt, that the truffles, at $4 for 3 of them, was probably the best value dessert I have ever had at a restaurant.

The food was so good and the service so delightful, that we decided to get our pregame tailgate in on Sunday at the very same place. Boring? Possibly, but the Burger was pretty killer. American Cheese, Bacon, Mushrooms, Lettuce Tomato, Mayo...on a bun soaked in clarified butter...what's not to love about that Burger?

If you are in Indy, I highly recommend a meal there.

Onto the wines...the theme of the weekend was Syrah from around the Globe...

1) 1993 Chapoutier Ermitage le Pavillon...This was the "Wild Card." Despite Robert Parker's drinking window on this of 1996-2046, I had my doubts. And for good reason. The wine, which was in pristine condition, was flat, and uninteresting. We barely touched it.
2) 2004 Kurtz Lunar Block Shiraz...Back in August 2009, I tasted this wine for the first time, and instantly fell in love. Well, on this night, we said our vows for each other all over again. A total production of like 60 cases, this is extremely rare...and extremely good. The same Eucalyptus notes that I picked up back in August were even more prevolent on this night. There has to be some Cabernet in there somewhere. This is just great food pairing wine, and very atypical for a struggling wine region. KUDOS!
3) 2005 Charles Smith Syrah Heart...I just do not get these wines. This wine was basically Port. We decanted it for over 2 hours...and it was still Port. Pours like Syrup, looks like Syrup, tastes lie Syrup...it must be Syrup. Totally overwhelming for the food, until dessert. It was a good match for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles.

For lunch the next day, just one btl (had to save room for beer at the stadium)

4) 2007 Gramercy Cellars Syrah Walla Walla...These wines have been picking up buzz for over a year now...I bought them after some people I really trust told me to, so on blind faith, I put them on the shelves. Well, I decided to see what all of the fuss was about. This wine is OUTSTANDING! We popped and poured at lunch, and just sucked it down. I could have put a straw in my wine glass, this was so silky smooth! Is this stuff for real at this price? I am going to need some more...going to pop a Cabernet this weekend, and press my luck. Well done, Greg Harrington!