Address: Louie’s Wine Dive, 701 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis
What to get: 4-pork gnocchi
Price: $14
Anna’s take: The ambience alone of Louie’s Wine Dive in Broad Ripple already has me yearning to go back. The little wine bar is at the corner of Broad Ripple Avenue and College Avenue with an open concept of exposed brick walls, exposed wood and plenty of wine bottles displayed throughout the restaurant. I started my dining experience with the pineapple tuna nachos. This gluten-free app stacked a thick nugget of sesame-encrusted tuna, a chunk of pineapple, wakame and sriracha aioli atop a corn tortilla chip. The plate is sharable, with five delicately balanced nachos, but you won’t want to share after tasting.
For my main course, I ordered 4-pork gnocchi, which is essentially pasta made out of potatoes, so it also is gluten-free. The plump little dumplings were warm and doughy. If comfort had a taste, it would be gnocchi. The dish is complemented with a house-made ragú and, as its name suggests, highlights pork. There’s bacon. There’s Italian sausage. There’s prosciutto. There’s pork shoulder. The meal is hearty and warm, and Louie’s Wine Dive definitely doesn’t skimp on the portions. The 4-pork gnocchi comes with a serving of focaccia, which I opted to use as an edible spoon to sop up the leftover sauce. Seriously, do not let that stuff go to waste.
To top it off, I tried the beignets, which are dusted with powdered sugar and served with a side of warm rum butter. Six beignets will run you seven bucks, and $3 of that goes to Riley Hospital for Children.
Suggested pairings: Argiano’s Non Confunditur Cabernet blend from Tuscany. A glass is $14. It isn’t overly tannic. Fruity notes of the wine counter the savory taste of the pasta. A bottle is $52.
