Come on double digits! Number 9 is the Boathouse Grill

See how this all started here: http://bkatranch.blogspot.com/2012/01/bc-and-kathies-excellent-adventure-to.html

Number 9! We are closing in on double digits. Hard to think that half way would be after 23 sandwiches! We are still loving the challenge of completing the list and it is opening our eyes to new places to eat, new parts of town and new foods. I am grateful to the list for that. This week we headed to Boathouse Grill on west 56th Street. This is my old stomping grounds. I grew up on the edge of Eagle Creek and went to Pike High School, so I traveled 56th Street every day. The center that holds the Boathouse Grill was just farmland when I roamed that area. The Boathouse sits in a little strip center at 56th and High School Road.

"Come on with the picture taking B.C."

The list states: “Down the street from the Colts Complex, you can enjoy a fish sandwich to satisfy the biggest NFL appetite. The establishment, favored by Colts staffers, prides itself on its seafood offerings. The battered and fried whitefish fillet sandwich measures nearly a foot long and comes dressed in lettuce, tomato, onion and house made tartar sauce. The house made potato chips are a crispy complement.”

It is a good looking lunch meal! 

I must admit that I am not a fish guy. I’m not disgusted by fish (like my wife), but I would very rarely order fish and the only way that I eat it is covered in batter and deep fried. That is not to say that I have not had a lot of fish. It is one of my father’s favorite things and he is an avid fisherman so growing up we had fish from time to time. I have had it at McDonalds’ and at five star restaurants. I have had it frozen and had it fresh. I have had it in a boat, I have had it near a goat, I have had with a rope… hold on, I seem to be channeling Theodor Seuss Geisel. Let’s just say I have had fish. Entering the Boathouse the first thing you notice is the boat hanging from the ceiling. It is very cool. The whole nautical theme is cool. The next thing you notice is the smoke. It is a bar and is still a smoking allowed bar. I am not an anti-smoking zealot, in fact I am an ex-smoker, but the smoke in the Boathouse would have even been too much when I did smoke! Kathie and I trudged on and grabbed a booth. I ordered from the Fish Submarine and Kathie ordered Nachos. The staff was nice and our meal arrived quickly. The first thing you notice is the size of the thing. It is almost a foot long. I must admit that it looked really good. I quickly dunked a fry in the home made tartar sauce because if the tartar sauce wasn’t great we were going to be in for a long lunch. It was good, very good, in fact better than the sandwich. Once you get beyond the size of the sandwich it tasted like a frozen filet that you would get at any chain sit down restaurant. It wasn’t bad – it just wasn’t anything. The bread didn’t jump out at me nor did the breading on the fish, which I guarantee wasn’t hand breaded or anything like that. It was ho-hum for me. Kathie’s nachos were also nothing to write about. Canned cheese pumped onto bagged up nacho chips. They actually were below average for bar food. Overall I don’t think that I will be sending anyone to the Boathouse except for my father who will like the décor. I will be sure to tell him to sit near the front door so he can get some fresh air from time to time.

Too bad their food doesn't taste as good as it looks.

Harry & Izzy's - Number 7!

See how this all started here: http://bkatranch.blogspot.com/2012/01/bc-and-kathies-excellent-adventure-to.html

The list continues! Number 7 and we are behind the schedule to complete this task in a year, but I think we will get caught up soon! I am actually behind on my writing so you may see a double post this week! A few weeks ago we decided to head to Castleton for lunch. While I HATE going to Castleton, the area has a lot to offer both in shopping and food choices. I jumped onto the Super46 mobile site and requested what was “close to us”, (Love that option by the way, Indiana Department of Tourism!), and it returned Harry & Izzys. Cool! Harry & Izzy’s is a spinoff of the world famous St. Elmo’s Steak house. I read a little on Harry & Izzy. Harry Roth and Izzy Rosen were longtime friends that attended Old Manual High in Indianapolis. In 1946, Harry's brothers Sam and Ike purchased St. Elmo Steak House, and shortly after, invited Harry to become a partner in the restaurant. In 1956, Sam and Ike left the business, and Harry asked his longtime friend Izzy to join him as a 50/50 partner in St. Elmo. After a lifetime of friendship and building St. Elmo Steak House into a huge success, St. Elmo’s now celebrates the personalities of both Harry and Izzy in a more casual and updated environment.

I had never been to Harry & Izzy's in Castleton. I think every Hoosier is familiar with the downtown location but I believe that Castleton is fairly new. They are located in a strip center right next door to the famous Container Store! Walking in the front door you quickly forget you are in a strip mall. The décor is really nice and I even picked up some ideas for Platinum Paws on down the road.

The list sandwich is St. Elmo Prime Rib Sandwich. From the list description: “Peyton Manning’s choice to be part-owner at Harry & Izzy’s is further proof of his strategic prowess. This restaurant entices fans to stop in for a bite and perhaps some celebrity sightings. This sandwich’s meltingly tender prime rib is sliced thin and piled high on top of rich white cheddar on a ciabatta roll, with horseradish sauce on the side and a cup of au jus for dipping.”

We were at Harry & Izzy's on the first really nice weekend of our early spring here in Indiana so Kathie decided to wear her big Miami Beach wedge sandals. Well since she had not worn them for the entire winter – her feet weren’t used to it. The walk from the parking lot pretty much ruined her feet for the day, so I was hoping that the food would take her mind off of the pain!



Kathie before walking to Harry & Izzys's,  notice the smile!


Kathie ordered a little different. She chose the Spicy Meatballs for her meal (normally an appetizer) and started with a wedge salad. A really good choice! Have you ever had a meal that you just loved every bite of? One that you think about from time to time and just wish you could find it closer to home or duplicate it? For me, that meal is the Meatball Bucharest from Janko's Little Zagreb in Bloomington. Incredible! That dish is really spicy meatballs in a zesty sauce, but I digress.

Kathie received her wedge and said it was really good. It is amazing how many places offer a wedge salad yet to find a really good one is very hard. When you have something as simple as a wedge of lettuce your dressing and toppings better shine and Kathie said this was one of the best she has had. We are off to a good start, which was important given the sandal crisis that had developed.

The main courses arrived. The sandwich looked amazing on the warm ciabatta roll with the cheddar peaking out. Kathie’s spicy meatballs also caught my attention right away in the cast iron dish. I must admit that in a place like this, you expect good plate presentation and it was.

I am not a prime rib guy. I would typically never order it but I dove into this sandwich and was pleased. The bread was really over the top and then you couple it with the horseradish and au jus, it made a great sandwich. The star was without a doubt the spicy meatballs. Wow, were they ever spicy. I had one and it about floored me. Kathie ate about half the plate and loved, loved them. Overall the whole Harry & Izzy's experience was wonderful, and I guarantee we will be back someday for the meatballs for sure! For those who are wondering, no they are not as good as Little Zagreb but a close second.

And the walk back to the car!

Our Chicken Eggs are the best & the Automatic Chicken Waterer

B-Kat Ranch offers the best eggs around. There has been a lot of news of Salmonella in commercial eggs, and increased diagnosis of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum in backyard flocks. B-Kat participats in testing done at Purdue’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. The voluntary testing program, called Indiana’s Test Twelve (T-12), analyzes the eggs using a serological egg yolk antibody test. The diseases being tested for are Salmonella pullorum, Salmonella gallinarum, Salmonella entritidis, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae and avian influenza. Our eggs always score negative on all tests.

B-Kat Ranch uses (and loves) the Little Giant Poultry Founts. These dependable waterers hook up to any standard 1/2 inch NPT pipe to provide a limitless supply of clean water. In the winter we have to turn off the water supply to the chicken coup which meant that we had to lug water in buckets to the chickens. This year will be a little different. We have placed in service a 55 gallon drum attached to the Little Giant.

Welecome To B-Kat Ranch in Boone County Indiana

Hello All! This is an exciting time in our lives right now. Kathie and I spent many years living the "city" life of Indianapolis and have finally realised our dream of living in the country. Last year - almost exactly - we purchased a little piece of Boone County Indiana and started rural living. My hopes for this blog is to be entertaining and fun with a dash of knowledge thrown in!

I am an avid do it yourself person and that applies to everything! If I want to do something rather it be raising chickens or repairing the house - I am going to do it my self! I will read, ask, pester, and bother until I figure out the solution!

I hope for this blog to be a source for others that are learning new things and maybe that will save some time in the quest for knowledge.