Chatter doesn't really matter at Lakehouse

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Conversation seems to be as outdated as Styrofoam and Infusion Restaurant at a new eatery with ties to the Scotty's Brewhouse chain.
The latter gave way late last year to Scotty's Lakehouse, where the packaging is biodegradable and the booths have televisions. Sometimes two. Ours had one big and one little, which I guess meant I could catch a tennis match and a "Law & Order" repeat instead of talking with my steady date.
It's number six in the string of Indiana restaurants for the Scotty's Brewhouse organization. And the space is now as dark as its business past. Black walls and a black ceiling absorb the glow from low-wattage fixtures and neon signs.
Two months after opening, Scotty's Lakehouse is filling the parking lot that so many previous restaurant owners have watched tumbleweeds blow through. Looking around the slick, busy dining room, I took a moment to envy the savvy that gave Scott Wise a restaurant empire before he hit 30. (He's got more up his sleeve. Wise will add his own label to his restaurants' Indiana-focused taps when Three Wise Men gets under way as a brewing operation.)
Scotty's Lakehouse wants attention for its burgers and its environmental bent. For example, the box you take your leftovers home in is biodegradable.
But we didn't need one for the chipotle onion straws ($6) we ordered, which got too acquainted with the hot oil it was cooked in and showed up in a lifeless sprawl. Tasteless and heavily battered, the straws spelled regret. We should have ordered the dill chips.
Burgers were better. Unless you want a double (and that's crazy talk for patties this thick), any of the 15 burgers costs $8. Turkey is an option, as are elk, bison and something called faux-lafel. Served on shiny egg buns, the burgers are big and really good. I tried one topped with blue-cheese coleslaw, fries and garlic mayo. And another with beer cheese and jalapeno.
House fries ($3) are thick-cut and served with a trio of sauces -- garlic mayo, chipotle ketchup and Sun King beer mustard. If I had closed my eyes and dipped, I wouldn't have been able to tell you which sauce had made it onto my fry. Maybe ordering them with truffle oil is a better bet. They're also available with cheese and bacon or with the same oozy, sharp and delicious beer cheese that was on my burger.
Mac and cheese ($5) comes in three combinations. Served in a small skillet, mac 2 looked like it'd been sitting under a heat lamp for a while, or maybe I'm giving too much credit to our server's lack of interest. Dry rotini, Gouda, goat cheese and bacon shared skillet space with too many onions.
Scotty's rounds out its menu with salads and a few non-burger sandwiches, and it serves breakfast on the weekends with offerings from Patachou.
After leaving the restaurant, I tossed my leftovers into the back seat. Did I feel better that I'd be able to compost the wrappings? Not really, but I did look forward to the next day's leftover-burger lunch. On my patio. With a magazinConversation seems to be as outdated as Styrofoam and Infusion Restaurant at a new eatery with ties to the Scotty's Brewhouse chain.

Indy Star

Conversation seems to be as outdated as Styrofoam and Infusion Restaurant at a new eatery with ties to the Scotty's Brewhouse chain.

The latter gave way late last year to Scotty's Lakehouse, where the packaging is biodegradable and the booths have televisions. Sometimes two. Ours had one big and one little, which I guess meant I could catch a tennis match and a "Law & Order" repeat instead of talking with my steady date.

It's number six in the string of Indiana restaurants for the Scotty's Brewhouse organization. And the space is now as dark as its business past. Black walls and a black ceiling absorb the glow from low-wattage fixtures and neon signs.

Two months after opening, Scotty's Lakehouse is filling the parking lot that so many previous restaurant owners have watched tumbleweeds blow through. Looking around the slick, busy dining room, I took a moment to envy the savvy that gave Scott Wise a restaurant empire before he hit 30. (He's got more up his sleeve. Wise will add his own label to his restaurants' Indiana-focused taps when Three Wise Men gets under way as a brewing operation.)

Scotty's Lakehouse wants attention for its burgers and its environmental bent. For example, the box you take your leftovers home in is biodegradable.

But we didn't need one for the chipotle onion straws ($6) we ordered, which got too acquainted with the hot oil it was cooked in and showed up in a lifeless sprawl. Tasteless and heavily battered, the straws spelled regret. We should have ordered the dill chips.

Burgers were better. Unless you want a double (and that's crazy talk for patties this thick), any of the 15 burgers costs $8. Turkey is an option, as are elk, bison and something called faux-lafel. Served on shiny egg buns, the burgers are big and really good. I tried one topped with blue-cheese coleslaw, fries and garlic mayo. And another with beer cheese and jalapeno.

House fries ($3) are thick-cut and served with a trio of sauces -- garlic mayo, chipotle ketchup and Sun King beer mustard. If I had closed my eyes and dipped, I wouldn't have been able to tell you which sauce had made it onto my fry. Maybe ordering them with truffle oil is a better bet. They're also available with cheese and bacon or with the same oozy, sharp and delicious beer cheese that was on my burger.

Mac and cheese ($5) comes in three combinations. Served in a small skillet, mac 2 looked like it'd been sitting under a heat lamp for a while, or maybe I'm giving too much credit to our server's lack of interest. Dry rotini, Gouda, goat cheese and bacon shared skillet space with too many onions.

Scotty's rounds out its menu with salads and a few non-burger sandwiches, and it serves breakfast on the weekends with offerings from Patachou.

After leaving the restaurant, I tossed my leftovers into the back seat. Did I feel better that I'd be able to compost the wrappings? Not really, but I did look forward to the next day's leftover-burger lunch. On my patio. With a magazine.

 

 

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