So Italian!, Brownsburg

My one-year old son and I were headed to Brownsburg for another reason when his chatters of discontentment from the back seat reminded me that it was his lunchtime. At 15-months old, Oliver is finally at the stage where he can eat almost anything and he is neither picky nor opinionated at this stage, so I had the luxury of picking where we would eat without fear of a protest from him.

I took a turn down East Main and looked up to see the "Now Open" sign of So Italian! so I pulled in to check it out. The place was not only "Now Open" it was brand-spanking new, having been open for business just a couple of days. The menu (available here) was extensive - lots of salads, sandwiches, wraps, calzones, pastas, and pizza. Although I settled on a couple of by-the-slices pieces of pizza, some of the other items looked great. The pastas are provided in a pick-the-noodle, pick-the-sauce fashion with spaghetti, penne, and fettuccine from which to choose and nine different sauces. The Amatricciana (onion, tomato, and bacon) and the Mushroom Ragu looked especially appealing.

While ordering at the counter I got to see the kitchen staff at work. They were getting it done but with that slightly halted style of a new crew in a brand new kitchen. Still there were glimpses of the well-choreographed movements that will surely come soon. The counter staff was helpful and when offered a question they could not immediately answer, asked someone else who they thought would know, and addressed my inquiry post-haste.

My boy and I took our seat and waited a short five minutes for our pizza to come. The slices were enormous, falling off the edges of the plate. To a non-Italian like me, this is closest to New York-style pizza. big slices, substantial but not-too-thick crust. It was evident that the flavorful sauce was made from scratch and the cheese was top-rate.

Although I didn't really have room for dessert, some of the selections intrigued me enough to press my luck. I decided on the Zuppa Inglesa ($3.99) even though the some of the other selections - Cherry Ananas, Tiramisu, and Cheesecake were equally as tempting. When the dessert arrived I was pleasantly surprised at its elegant presentation. It arrived on a plate with a dusting of cocoa and a Pollock-like zig-zag of a chocolate sauce. Upon my first bite I discovered that it tasted even better than it looked - custardy rich with the Ying Yang of sweet cherries and semi-bitter chocolate. The pizza was good but dessert was exceptional. So Italian! definitely makes the Hungry Hoosier list.

So Italian! is located at 515 East Main Street in Brownsburg. They can be reached by phone at 317-858-4777. Their hours are open Monday - Saturday 11 am to 9 pm and closed on Sundays except for some special occasions like Mother's Day.   

Comments

[Frank]

Scott, My wife and I checked out So Itialian this afternoon. A good addition to places to eat here in Brownsburg.

Had the Sausage Pizza and a house salad and a healthy salad. Excellent Ceasar dressing. The health salad had a little to much cucumber for my liking so my wife had additions to her house salad.

We definetly like the idea of being able to get good pizza by the slice since we are both trying to loose weight and it is hard to order a pizza and save half till tomorrow.

I was not aware of this restaurant when you wrote about it so I went looking for it after getting off work the other night at midnight. I drove to 888 East Main which is in the middle of the shopping center ) and could not find it. Went home and went back out today,after checking the address on the menu, and found it at 515 East Main. This is the old "Moldy Mike's" Harley Davidson shop. It has been remodeled nicely and nowhere is the smell of Moldy Mike's Harley Hogs.

My wife was also impressed with the Ladies Rest Room.
Looking forward to trying the rest of the menu a little at a time.
Thanks for the tip.
Frank

[scott]

Frank, Sorry about the wrong address. I made the change on the post. Glad you found it and enjoyed it.