Restaurant: Patachou On The Park, Indianapolis, Indiana
What’s my favorite meal of the day?
That’s right, friend’s. It’s breakfast! I love, love, love breakfast.
So, on the morning after my half marathon, I woke up in Indianapolis and was ready for a good breakfast. Cathy had done some research on great places to grab either breakfast or brunch that would have some options for me and stumbled across Patachou On The Park via Find Me Gluten Free. It had some really great reviews, so we decided that we would give this place a try before checking out of the hotel and making our way home.
We were there right when they opened on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. We entered and were told to take a seat wherever we liked. We chose a corner table with a long bench on one side that shared with other tables along that line, and a chair on the other. We settled in with the menu and soon or waitress came over to see what we wanted to eat. She said that they had a self-serve coffee bar if that was what we wanted, but both Cathy and I chose to get some caffeine through Diet Coke ($1.95…and served in the can) and water.
While she was there, we mentioned that I was medically gluten-free and she asked about the level of my intolerance just so she could be clear. We went over the restrictions with her and she seemed confident that they could provide a safe meal for me. And mentioned that they did serve Udi’s Gluten-Free Bread. Do you know what this meant? This meant that I didn’t have to just have an omelet. Now, I love a good omelet, but it seems like that’s always my go-to and these brunch places, as most don’t have gluten-free bread, gluten-free pancakes, gluten-free waffles, or gluten-free anything besides eggs. So, this was a nice change of pace.
That being the case, when it came time to order, both Cathy and I opted to go with the Broken Yolk Sandwiches, as they were items we couldn’t just get anywhere else. Omelets we could do anywhere with the fixings that were offered…but these were different. What is a Broken Yolk Sandwich? It’s two fried eggs, served runny unless you request otherwise, topped with whatever option you choose from the menu on the bread of choice. They have quite a list of them.
Cathy chose to get the Broken Yolk Sandwich with Bacon ($10.25), which consisted of two fried eggs, cheddar cheese and Indiana
bacon. For her toast, she chose sourdough…a fantastic choice for a breakfast sandwich.
As for me, I went with the plain Broken Yolk Sandwich ($9.75), which consists of two fried eggs and cheddar cheese. Naturally, I ordered mine on gluten-free bread (+$1.50). It was really the only one that was vegetarian without removing ingredients from the sandwich, which could mess with the integrity of the flavor. I was okay with this though. It sounded delicious.
Both Cathy and I opted for the fruit bowl as our side instead of a small salad. After all…who does salad for breakfast?
Shortly after the orders went in, our waitress was coming to the table with our plates of food. I must admit…the plates look fantastic. The sandwich looked amazing and filling. And it was.
The gluten-free bread that they use at Patachou On The Park is Udi’s Gluten-Free Bread. I hate that they charge more for gluten-free bread. There are so many places that graciously just offer it without the up-charge, but I, as a gluten-free consumer knows that gluten-free bread costs more than regular breads so…that’s why the up-charge is often there. It just…sucks.
Not quite sure how to eat it, I opted for the fork and knife approach. With the runny eggs, I knew it would be messy, and this actually proved to be a good option. Cathy was actually able to pick hers up to eat. Sourdough is a much sturdier bread than gluten-free bread and while mine ended up soggy, hers held together really well.
So, if you eat here…I recommend fork and knife for the gluten-free Broken Yolk Sandwich option. Trust me. It’s the best way to eat it. Each bite was awesome. Egg, bread, cheese…three of my favorite things. And not one bite lacked any of this. I even was able to give mine a little kick with a dash of Sriracha, because I love heat with my eggs regardless of how I am eating them. It was a really great combination.
As for the fruit bowl, there was quite the variety. Very ripe and sweet pineapple, peeled oranges (I appreciated this as most places leave the peel on and it’s just awkward), strawberries, blueberries, grapes. All perfectly sweet and at the right level of ripeness. I liked it. I love it when my fruit is ripe.
Overall…the food was great…it tasted fantastic. It was fresh, made in house with local products, and really delicious. My one problem with Patachou on the Park was the price. The two breakfast sandwiches and the Diet Coke cans set us back nearly $30. For breakfast!!! Now, I’ve spent that kind of money at breakfast/brunch places, but I typically get potatoes with my meal in addition to the fruit and the egg dish. So, do be prepared to pay a lot for your meal here. The food is great, so it is worth the price, but it did give me a bit of sticker shock.
It was definitely worth the visit to give the food a try, but I think next time I’ll seek out somewhere with more affordable prices and equally as good food. They exist all over Indianapolis. I wasn’t at all disappointed with the food…just the cost.
But…you do get what you pay for. And I did get good food. Bottom line…that’s the important thing.
The Celiathlete 