Dinner at Culinary Dropout

Mrs. K and I braved the freezing temps last Thursday night to escape our week-long self-imposed lockdown to enjoy a night out including dinner at Culinary Dropout, 1320 E. 86^th St., Indianapolis. We had recently attended Happy Hour there and wanted to get a feel for their dinner offerings.

We arrived at about 6 p.m. and the parking lot had only one space for us to glide into. It seems the weather was not keeping folks from having dinner out! Culinary Dropout a large restaurant, and the place was mostly full when we arrived.

We were taken to our two-top table in the bar/lounge area by a very friendly hostess, who asked if we had been there before and chatted for a short while about the bad weather and the good crowd. Soon, our server Julianne was with us, informing us of the evening’s special dishes and cocktails. She took our drink order – Chardonnay (Duckhorn “Decoy” 9 ounces for $21) for Mrs. K and a Sauvignon Blanc (The Crossings 9 ounces for $19.50) for me. Time to peruse the menu, available here.

Culinary Dropout has what I would call a $$ and ½ $ menu. There are dishes priced from $15.50 for a Dinner Salad (Butternut Squash and Kale) up through Sandwiches ($18 to $26) and on into Entrees ($21 to $41). Each category has a varietous selection to choose from and we were tempted by more than a few.

When it came down to ordering, we chose wisely, I think. My wife ordered the Shaved Prime Rib Dip ($26) which came with a House Salad. She asked Julianne if she could have it on a hamburger bun instead of the hoagie roll as was usual, and it was no problem with a small upcharge. I chose Roasted Salmon ($29) which came with couscous.

As we waited for our food to arrive, we enjoyed the background sounds of a musician who was set up near the front of the building. (Music is offered Thursday/Friday/Saturday evening and at Saturday/Sunday brunch). His guitar and vocal performance brought a nice ambiance to the restaurant.

Restaurant manager James Long was making his rounds, visiting tables and greeting his guests. We had met James on our previous visit and he had a ready smile and lots of info about the menu, the restaurant, and the future of Fox Restaurant Concepts, which is the umbrella company out of Arizona that administers a string of various establishments throughout the country, including Culinary Dropout and Flower Child, which is across the parking lot at this site.

Our food came fairly quickly for such a busy night. Mrs. K’s plate consisted of a bun stacked high with thinly Shaved Prime Rib, dressed with horseradish sauce, and a pickle on the side. A bowl of warm au jus accompanied her meal. My salmon was served perfectly prepared in a small bowl with the fish portion seated atop a mound of couscous dressed with an herb pesto, with added bits of butternut squash and crispy Brussels sprouts.

Both were very delicious – we sampled each other’s meals as always and Mrs. K made sure I had a good portion of her sandwich as it was more than she needed. A shared plate of Mississippi Mud Pie (a repeat from our last visit) finished the meal.

Culinary Dropout Restaurant this evening was a delightful experience. We sat adjacent to a man’s birthday celebration and a team of workers’ evening out together. Everyone was having a good time. The help was friendly and accommodating. Julianne was especially attentive. Our server from our last visit, Devlin, even came by to say hello and ask how we were doing.

Overall, we felt welcome and I thanked James L. for his hospitality, and the great style of wonderful food matched with wonderful service that he and his team have fostered at Culinary Dropout in Nora.

Ken Klingenmeier offers this series of columns, called “A Seat at the Table,” wherein he reviews Indy-area restaurants – specifically their Happy Hour offers. Keep reading The Reporter for future restaurant reviews.