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Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

I had the privilege of dining at Wolfgang Puck's Express for lunch one day back in February. This was my first time at Wolfgang's. The menu is a bit limited but you really can't expect much at an airport. The concourse space doesn't really allow for a big kitchen.

I've always heard you can judge a chef by the soup he or she makes. So I wanted to test that theory. I sampled and then ordered his butternut squash soup. I made the mistake of thinking this would be an appetizer. As the main dish I ordered his famous burger with fries. For a beverage I ordered a bottle of Perrier.

The soup arrived first along with the bottle of water. The soup was served with a slice of bread. Honestly the bread didn't taste fresh baked. It tasted like something you'd get out of a bag. What can you expect? There really isn't space for making and baking your bread fresh at the restaurant. I'd expect that level of service at his full service restaurants. But the soup was outstanding. I've never had butternut squash before. I really didn't know what to expect. But the soup was bursting with flavor. It was so rich and tasty. I can't wait to try it myself. The soup was large and filling. This would have made a perfect lunch by itself. Which is probably why it was priced at just under $10.




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A short while after my soup was completed the main course was delivered. It was his famous burger and fries. It is a burger and fries. How good can it be right? I wanted to this his recipe without masking the dish with mustard and ketchup. So I took the spear out of the one half and put the two halves together and ate it just like that. The bun was better than a fast food bun or something you'd get from the grocery store. I still hoped for more but as was the case with the bread that came with the soup you really can't expect fresh baked at an airport. The toppings were fresh and the burger was very tender and juicy. I am not sure what kind of sauce it had on it but it was a perfect fit. It really brought the bread and meat together. No clash. Just a perfect combination of layers. I find it hard to get excited about fries. Maybe because I've eaten too many of them and you can't really have great fries just bad ones. His fries were pretty good. You could eat them without ketchup but as is the case with me and fries I could have done without them. They were better than fries served at most places.




http://www.flickr.com/photos/rofl_indy/3373696451/sizes/m/

It was an expensive lunch. I never spend $24 on a lunch not including gratuity. Had the soup size been smaller I could comfortably say I'd do it again. In reality I'd only order one or the other. Before a trip I'd probably go with the soup and Perrier again.

Service at Wolfgang Puck's Express as top quality. The food was fresh and delicious. You'd never know you were dining in an airport. I just wish this was land side where I could go back more often. I'd say right now that this was the best airport restaurant I've ever been too. I'd highly recommend it before your next trip.