New European Food: Duck Fat and Deep Fried Bacon

Grills and Girlfriends - the perfect day out.

It's been a while since I had a free day in Indy and armed with camera and Partner (Girls Day out going coed today) we headed down to Broad Ripple. He'd flown into Indy last night, as once in a while he can get a cheaper airfare for a business trip from here compared to Mordor International Airport.

I was looking forward to it, not just because I get to catch up with friends but because a little bird (I think it was Rodan) told one of my friends about a new burger place that not only has really great burgers, but they have battered and deep fried bacon AND fresh fries cooked in duck fat.

And they have Poutine, which if you've been to Quebe, and had the wonderful russet-y fries covered with cheese curds and salty brown gravy, you know what I mean. But today, we were on the bacon quest.

317 BURGER 915 E. Westfield Blvd., Broad Ripple IN 317-251-1317, facebook.com/317beer

They had outside seating but we went into the tap room, as it was uncrowded, cool and quiet, most of the folks outside. There is also a restaurant area, casual but elegant, with faux-leather walls, linen-shaded sconces, and high-backed wooden booths upholstered in actual white-and-tan cowhide. (hey, it IS a burger place). It's nice enough you could bring a date here (and order her Pork Love - pork tasso ham, Cajun sausage, bacon, provel cheese and remoulade.)

Pork Love is just one of 9 specialty "burgers" plus BLT's (including a half-pound version), salads and a daily special. Partner had the Parthenon Burger which was a gyro blend with feta, casaba sauce, and bacon on a pita bun. Tam had the special, chili cheese burger. Definitely a knife and fork burger. I went for "build you own". When you can add Goose the market jowl or lamb bacon to your burger (in addition to smoked and peppered bacon) as well as cheddar and garlic aioli (and a bunch of other toppings) what's not to love? Though next time I'm going to try the one with beef, pineapple, jalapenos, swiss, bacon and bbq sauce. The specialty burger doesn't come with fries but you can add an order of their special duck fat fries.

I ordered my burger medium, and the ground steak was perfectly cooked. The burgers weren't giant sized, but they were giant sized on flavor (if you want sawdust tasting fluff on a big bun go to your typical fast food place or chain restaurant). And the fries? Look, I normally don't like fries that much, but these were cooked in duck fat. What more can I say?

I noticed there were less ducks in the canal, perhaps word is spreading.

Looks like the bar is very well stocked and there were a number of beers on tap in the taproom.

The service was great, the atmosphere very warm, but frankly, they had me at bacon.

Country fried bacon (and yes that's a bowl of peppered gravy).

Every time you bite into it a cardiologist whimpers.

Yes, that's applewood smoked bacon dipped in a light batter and fried into crispy planks as big as chicken tenders. The batter was just the right amount of crisp, without being too thick, and they weren't greasy at all. Even better, they come with a dish of fresh hot, peppered gravy to dunk it in.The onion straws were really good, but they'd seen their match when a plate of those bad boys showed up at the table.

We enjoyed the meal and the restaurant thoroughly. It was probably for the best that I didn't notice, at the bottom of the menu, tater tots and mac and cheese or I would have left the restaurant on a dolly.

No, we don't eat like this all the time. I lost 48 pounds after a fall blew out my knee and have kept it off and plan to continue to do so. So I look at these meals as special events, those times with friends that don't come as often as we like but are all the more special for it. When you can share good food and laughter and conversation with those who know you so very well and love you anyway, it doesn't get a whole lot better.

Full to the gills, we said goodbye to the owner/manager (not sure) who had made sure we enjoyed our meal, and headed out to walk it off down the Monon Trail.

This picture for my friend Sherry.

I had a specific route in mind and Tam looked at me with a grin, reading my mind. Rene's Bakery. Because, even though I had eaten most of a cow and a pig today, there are Rene's croissants and I don't live anywhere close enough to make a regular stop here.

It's a small but popular place, even having a little canine hitch and bowl of fresh water out front so you can step off the trail with your pet and take home a treat.

I took home a couple of these for Sunday breakfast. I make good pastry, but these croissants are incredible (and a chocolate cookie may have leapt, lemming like, from the counter into my bag for my bagged lunch Monday.)