Puck's

The restaurant is inside the museum, at ground level, just to the right of the main entrance. The room is beautiful, with sleek paneled walls and soaring glass windows that look out over the garden. The decor has a mid-century modern elegance—clean lines done in cream, beige and brown. It feels like a Hollywood fantasy airport lounge as imagined by Cary Grant. As first I thought it was weird that there was no art displayed in the room—we're in an art museum, after all—but then I decided that the smooth uninterrupted tableau would be a soothing change from an afternoon of art-gazing. The dining room chairs are upholstered, wide, and cushy, although some diners might find them a tad to slung-back for comfortable dining. The only off note was that Puck’s shares space with the IMA Café, which is closed at dinner time. The two rooms are separated by a half wall, but from our vantage point, we could see into the big empty space filled with cheap cafeteria tables and chairs. It broke the mood of the room.

The meal started with a diverse bread basket sporting sculpturally interesting, crispy (although slightly burned) parmesan flatbread and some very good rosemary olive bread, served with butter. We quickly moved on to appetizers. Our friend Allen ordered one of the specials: creamy cauliflower soup. The flavor was rich yet delicate, with just a touch of sweetness. The soup was oddly thick, though—almost like whipped potatoes. I could literally pick it up with my fork. Dave got the smoked salmon pizza with crème fraiche and caviar. This is one I’d order again. The rich buttery salmon was complemented nicely by the dilled crème and crackery crust. The little dollop of caviar in the middle was too small to enjoy more than a bite or two, but heavenly for those two bites. I tried the roasted beet appetizer, which was served as four little sculptures of beet, goat cheese, baby greens and walnuts. I love beets and I love goat cheese, so I found no fault with this dish. It was delicious. (Just don’t drop the beets in your lap. Those stains don’t come out.)

There was a rather lengthy wait for entrees. Unfortunately, the entrees were a step down from the appetizers. Allen got the New York strip, which was cooked to order and beautifully presented, but not nearly the best strip any of us has had. Overall it was good, but a little on the bland and chewy side. Dave ordered the duck breast. The server warned us that duck is generally tougher than beef (true) but this duck was tougher than most. The meat was flavorful, though, maybe even leaning a bit to the gamey. I ordered the crispy quail, which was served with an Asian flair. The chunks of crackly fried meat were excellent (though watch out for the little birdy bones), served in a honey teriyaki style sauce and dotted with a spicy pineapple salsa. The middle of the plate was heaped with a shredded salad that was unpleasantly bitter (and this is a girl who likes her Brussels sprouts and dandelion greens). I’m sorry I don’t have more details about other entrees or side dishes. I was assuming the menu would be online, but alas, not so.

I was the sole dessert person, and had trouble making up my mind between the huckleberry financier, the chocolate cake, or the apple tart. I settled on the apple tart and wasn’t disappointed. The round pastry bed was perfect –crisp and buttery. The apples were tart and firm and the caramel ice cream was so rich I couldn’t finish it (and I love caramel ice cream).

The wine list is a mid-sized and interesting one, with lots of European selections and unique grape blends. A lot of it was unfamiliar to us. We ended up ordering a Medoc. We’re more of a California-style fruit-forward gang, so this wine was good, but a little too subtle and tannic for our tastes. This is where a sommelier would have been a real help.

Our server was enthusiastic and good natured, but not very knowledgeable about the wine list or the details of the dinner menu. She tried to be helpful but often fell short. At one point, she offered to ask the chef the ingredients in the pineapple salsa after I asked out it, but never returned with an answer. Service was prompt, though, and aside from the minor wait for entrees, everything moved smoothly, including our directive to split the check 2/3 and 1/3.

Because of the price and our lukewarm response to the entrees, I don’t know if I’d make this a regular dinner spot. I’m looking forward to trying it for lunch or Sunday brunch, though. I would also love to come after work on a Thursday for their happy hour, where they have drink specials and undoubtedly above average bar food.

Also note that the hours are rather limited, so I’ve listed them below. A reservation would be a good idea, especially on weekends.

Hours

Lunch
Tuesday - Saturday
11:30 am–2 pm

Dinner
Thursday - Saturday
5 pm - 9 pm

Brunch
Sundays
11 am–3 pm

Location

Indianapolis Museum of Art
4000 Michigan Road (38th and Michigan)
Indianapolis, IN 46208
955-2315

Ratings

Food/Beverages:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Price: $$$$