Scholars Inn Bakehouse

Carl Klutzke : This is an interesting place, a bakery spinoff of the Scholars Inn restaurants downtown and in Bloomington. They're definitely catering to a particular clientele, something along the lines of "college students with lots of money" (which I find ironic, since those two attributes were mutually exclusive in my experience). Parking was inconvenient: I parked at a meter along College, but it was pointed out to me that there was some free parking elsewhere, apparently on the other side of Broad Ripple Avenue. We ordered at the counter and the sandwiches were brought out to us in baskets. Seating consists of lots of two-person tables and a few upholstered couches: we pulled three tables together for the six of us without difficulty. The chips were of the kettle-cooked variety, and pretty tasty. The rye bread had a strong, hearty flavor, which shouldn't have been a surprise at a place that called itself a bakehouse. The kraut and dressing were good, the beef okay, and the cheese was as inconspicuous as is typical. I had the half sandwich, and I didn't go away hungry. I didn't get a chance to try the pickle: just as I was about to try it, a busperson appeared, loudly asked "How's lunch?", and grabbed all of the empty or nearly-empty baskets (mine included) before anyone could object or even reply. This was repeated periodically until the table was cleared. Overall it was a pretty good meal in a nice place at a decent price, but if I return while the same busperson is on duty, he may get a fork jabbed in his hand. (2005-03-11)