Flavors of the Southeast Side

By: Claire Norton

Christina and Andy Cao are two of the newest individuals to bring an excellent dining experience to Fountain Square. This couple has successfully delivered the perfect combination of delicious food, sophisticated yet comfortable atmosphere, and great service with Naisa Pan-Asian Café. Located at 1025 Virginia Ave, this restaurant opened on April 3, 2009 after months of preparation, which have certainly paid off.

Bright walls compliment the simple, modern furniture in this sleek, clean space. Not only is Naisa Café a great place to bring friends or co-workers for lunch or dinner, but will also be a place to see new art with walls that soon will serve as a gallery.

The menu is rich with choices for those who enjoy Pan-Asian cuisine. Each meal comes with a seafood cheese wonton and your choice of soup, making each meal completely satisfying. The owners pride themselves on using as many fresh ingredients as possible and that choice certainly pays off for the diner. The hot tea service comes to the table with loose leaf tea so one can brew her drink to perfection.

I’ve already enjoyed three dishes that are reason enough to keep going back: the Shrimp with Garden Veggies, the Kong Pao Shrimp, and Fried Rice. However, with such a large menu I’ll be sure to try something new next time. Menu and hours can be found online at www.naisaCafé.com for those excited to try the next great restaurant to hit Fountain Square.

Flavors of the Southeast Side

By: Claire Norton

It’s small, but it’s hard to miss. Painted with a vibrant pink and orange, the tiny carryout-only Bravaro’s Pizza is located at 1324 South East Street.

Bravaro’s certainly was not established for its ambience, but ambience means little when delivery and carryout are the only options. My husband and I picked up a medium cheese pizza, deciding to play it safe with an unknown-to-us eating establishment. Once we exited the building and climbed back into the car we realized we probably didn’t have to play it quite so safe. The heat of the pizza steamed our windows and the smell permeated everything, promising we were in store for a treat. As soon as we got home and walked through the door we cracked open the box and were greeted by a thick crust, generously topped with cheese and a slightly sweet sauce. It was a pleasing pizza to say the least.

Pizza is considerably standard fare, but I can only imagine the other standard fare Bravaro’s offers is just as satisfying. In addition to pizza, their specialties include Philly Cheesesteak, lasagna, gyros, spaghetti and Fettuccine Alfredo. Standard appetizers such as breadsticks, wings, French fries, and elephant ears are also on the menu.

Bravaro’s is open Monday-Thursday from 4-11 pm, Friday and Saturday 4-2 am and on Sunday from 4-10 pm. Call 317.624.9111 for carryout and delivery. Delivery is free in certain locations with an $8.00 minimum order. Visit their website www.bravarospizza.com for more information about their menu and specials.

The Bosphorus

The Bosphorus

By: Claire Norton

There is nothing standardized or homogenized about Bosphorus Istanbul Café. This Turkish restaurant, with an abundant menu of appetizers and entrées, is tucked away in a distinct building along 935 South East Street in Indianapolis. Its location just outside of downtown makes this a perfect place for lunch during the workweek or a nice escape during the weeknights and weekends.

Inside, the staff welcomes you in as if you are dining in their home, and not their business. The atmosphere cultivated here makes dining at Bosphorus a true evening out, whether on your own or with a group of friends. Perhaps it’s the environment or perhaps it’s simply the quality of the food, but I’ve only had great experiences and great meals here.

While it’s easy to fill up on the multitude of appetizers alone the entrées can’t be overlooked. Meat entrées are abundant (The Bosphorus Special is particularly wonderful: a mixed grilled combination of chicken kebab, doner, shish kebab and Adana kebab) but vegetarians have plenty of options to pick from as well. Particular items of note are the hummus and the borek. Of course, those looking for gyros and kebabs won’t be disappointed either.

Two can dine simply, sharing an appetizer and an entrée for approximately $30.00 and leave satiated. But two can also indulge a bit more and enjoy appetizers, full entrées and a perfect desert (I’d recommend the Baklava) for around $50.00.

Bosphorus is open for lunch and dinner. Hours and full menus can be found online at www.bosphoruscafe.com.

Retraction

In the September/October edition of the Southeast Square News the title for the Snack Shoppe article on page 9 was an error. The business is located in the Fletcher Place neighborhood, not the Fountain Square neighborhood. The Southeast Square News apologizes for the mistake.