Have you been to one of the top 100 highest grossing independent restaurants?

I have dined at two on the list: #45 St. Elmo Steak House and #51 Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn. I last visited St. Elmo's a couple years ago. My parents took me to Frankenmuth on one of our annual summer vacations; I was somewhere in the teen years.

Don't think that being near the top is all that great. You may be #2, but you'll still end up in bankruptcy.

I'll be heading to Baltimore in a few weeks, so maybe I'll check out #52.

Friday Night Dinner

One of The Wife's former coworkers came to town on business for the weekend. We used the opportunity to dine at one of Naptown's best oldest and most distinguished restaurants, St. Elmo Steak House. St. Elmo, along with several other restaurants, is participating in Devour Downtown by offering a three-course dinner for $30.

The Wife and I chose the same dishes for our meal. We started off with the appetizer that St. Elmo is most famous for, the shrimp cocktail. It's every bit as fiery as everyone says it is and certainly not for the squeamish.

Our main course was the filet mignon, accompanied by redskin mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. The filet, cooked medium, was delicious. The potatoes were mainly creamy with a few meaty lumps. The vegetables on my plate were mostly green beans, with a couple carrots and mini cherry tomatoes for good measure. Our waiter assured us there was no salmonella anywhere on our plates.


Our dessert was chocolate pots de creme, which is similar to a rich pudding. It was topped by fresh blueberries and a sprig of mint. A rich, sweet end to a delicious meal.

let's go Outback/Chili's/Lonestar/Friday's tonight

The NYT has an article on something that must be anathema to the celebrated chefs of NYC: the chain restaurant. We are quite accustomed to them here in Indianapolis, and they've sounded the death knell for many locally-owned restaurants. I must admit, though, I completely enjoy the buffalo chicken sandwich at Max & Erma's.

What about you? Do you celebrate or curse the chains?