mesh on mass avenue

another amazingly satisfying meal at mesh!. mesh is by far one of my favorite local eateries in the indianapolis area. this time i was going in celebration of my birthday, and with my fiance therefore trying new items on the menu. we were seated promptly which was amazing because it was mother's day. the staff was attentive and prompt. we began our delectable journey with the mushroom strudel. this was the first time my fiance had been to mesh, therefore he was instantly shocked by the prices- which to some may seem a little high but i feel are easily attainable for the quality and quantity your receive. the mushroom strudel was $9. that's another thing i love about mesh, the pricing is similar to european's in that they don't use the .99 or .79 crap which is really just a buffer to make the food seem cheaper. (side note: i've spent much time traveling in europe and therefore have attained a knowledge of the culinary style.) when the mushroom strudel arrived my mouth dropped to the floor. i was expecting a little patty sized cake of mushrooms in bread and cheese. however i was surprisingly greeted by an aroma of local wild mushrooms with fresh made goat cheese in a flaky phyllo dough. it was almost the size of a 6inch wrap filled entirely with wholesome goodness. the strudel sat among a creamy but refreshing tomato bisque aside the most perfect frisee salad with a lemon vinaigrette. it reminded me so much of the food i had while traveling in southern france. replicating this dish by serving it aside the frisee salad with the vinaigrette, i was in heaven. this could easily sustain as a lunch course, for 9 dollars i was delightfully surprised. then our main course came. the menu may seem a little odd, but the staff is very friendly and understanding when answering questions. because my fiance is less adventurous than i we ordered steak frittes. this is simply steak and fries. however at mesh it is a prime cute peppercorn crusted 12oz steak whose juices cover you palette with the first bite. aside a pile of hand cut french fries with a fresh parmesano crust. there are fancy dipping sauces included such as a horseradish mayo, however they are served on the side and can be substituted for a simple ketchup that they make in house. we decided to split this each having a serving of a 6oz steak, which although quite a battle neither of us could finish or portions and ended up with leftovers, which could easily serve another person. i ended the meal with my special birthday treat. a bread pudding with white chocolate hand made cherries and raisins bathing in a bourbon whiskey sauce and glaze with homemade vanilla ice cream. with is normally 7dollars however it was my birthday so it was free! please do not normally attempt this meal. we sat for a good fifteen minutes trying to leave however we were so pleasantly filled that we just sat there and enjoyed the urban atmosphere. do not let the appearance fool you. mesh is simple, delicious, with an upscale twist. in the end its all about the food and mesh trumps all.


-----24 nov, 2011-----

fusion deliciousness!. mesh is a fusion restaurant, combining high class dishes with the comfort of soul food, i had the slow braised sandwhich which was amazingly delicious and the fries are to die for.

horrible. made a mother's .... horrible.
made a mother's day reservation and they misinformed us about the available menu. did not attempt to accommodate us. horrible service. left. never going back.

love the food and decor!!! but service is lacking!!!

high quality. my boyfriend took me here for my birthday at my request. the overall experience was very good. we got there 20 minutes early, yet they were still able to seat us right away on a friday night. the fish tacos appetizer was amazing, very fresh with a creamy cilantro sauce that made it a bit messy. i had the short rib slow cooker sandwich that came with sweet potato chips. i loved my sandwich. it had a big mound of meat and was covered with provolone and other toppings. my bf had the amish chicken, which was also good. his portion was perhaps a bit smaller than we were expecting. the goat cheese ravioli that were served under the chicken were so good.

by signing up for their email club, i got a coupon for a free birthday dessert. the bf tried the chocolate marjolaine that everyone on urbanspoon seems to rave about. i went with the bread pudding. his was too rich for my taste; i'm definitely glad that i went with the bread pudding that was drizzled with a sweet caramel sauce and served with vanilla ice cream.

servings aren't enormous, but we definitely left feeling stuffed since we had an appetizer, complimentary bread, entrees, and desserts. with a couple of beers, the total tab was under $70. for the quality of food, this was a very good deal.

fancy. good food & great atmosphere. if you are looking for a nice dinner out for a special occasion, this is the place to go. they have good food & have private booth seating upstairs. very pricey...so be prepared to spend a lot.

mesh's fish tacos disastrous. i've been going to mesh since it began. been there for brunch, lunch and dinner many times with groups or just me and my partner.

we decided to try the fish tacos on the lunch menu. a total disaster. not only are they over-priced but the alleged "tacos" are actually more akin to french crepes. as soon as you try to pick them up, the fish contents and the 'taco' falls apart, dissolving into a tasteless 'mush.' the waiter apologized and said others had complained and the chef had been told. well, i guess the chef 'didn't get the message': crepes in the french style are not tacos! i've had fish tacos in other establishments which are far superior. it's a great dining place but 'ditch the fish tacos' !


-----29 jan, 2012-----

improve wait and reception staff. what is it with mesh? when you do get the attention of your waiter, chances are, he or she may disappear for long stretches and appear clueless. i would vote down both the wait staff (i've had too many negative experiences with friendly but inept and inattentive wait staff) and the immature reception people who sound like my 14 and 15 year old nieces and nephews.


-----29 jan, 2012-----

improve standards of reservation and host staff. can mesh do better than barely-out-of-teen girls with high pitched rapid "valley girl voices" to take reservations and also the same, greeting you at the front desk? twice now, my reservation, confirmed by phone with name and cell, have been lost by these girls. when i arrived with my party of six, although the reservation had been made 24 hours in advance, they had no record of it. i was livid and said to whom i made the reservation; as it turned out with much apology, they took us on the fact that my name was in their system, having been there no less than a dozen previous occasions. on another occasion with the party of four, about five months later, the same snafu. this time i demanded to speak to the manager and explained it was not good pr for them and that others had made the same complaint several times. the mgr was at a loss to say what went wrong, gave us two rounds of free drinks in compensation and after a fifteen minute wait, got us in. clearly someone is not overseeing the duties of these young staff persons.


-----29 jan, 2012-----

great food marred by noisy venue. mesh's offerings are consistently good. when the owners took over the former failed "scholars inn" and transformed it for the better i will admit, still, the designers failed to take into account the high decibel level of noise which makes conversation impossible; this is a consistent complaint i've heard from many friends who dine there. you practically have to yell at your dinner companion to be heard.


-----12 dec, 2011-----

relatively consistent but amateur reception. i've been to mesh no less than a dozen times both for its sunday brunch and for many dinners. despite the liabilities of the poor acoustics which renders conversation almost impossible due to the high level of noise, their offerings are consistently good, in particular my favorite, "steak frites."

if i offer any criticism, it is in the crucial area of reception and welcome. i can't count the number of times we've been greeted by a sullen or indifferent host at reception who creates the impression when a guest walks in, of 'oh, what do you want?' surely considering this isn't some cheap dive, the cunningham group should train its staff more effectively. a cold or indifferent initial experience has the potential to turn off diners. it is unfortunate that in the (much-needed) re design of the former scholars inn, no consideration was made for the terrible noise level. overall i would offer this:

train your waiters and receptionists better. some truly seem as though they are bewildered teenagers even though i know they are much older.

awesome! i had a fantastic zin to start. delicious beet salad next. kung pao calamari was so tender with just the right amount of spice. i had the buttermilk cauliflower which may sound drab for some but it was so flavorful it was amazing. my husband was torn on a few dishes so he asked for a recommendation. it was the curry. wow. so full of curry and spice and full of seafood. they also have this bread that is crisp and tender at the same time with sun-dried tomato oil that is so fresh it makes you want more. if you like flavorful food you ha e to come here.

a little over-rated. food service ridiculously slow but nice atmosphere. not sure if it's worth another try.

food was amazing! calamari, crab cakes, steak frites- very delicious!! but what made it was our amazing waiter, matt! thank you for a great experience!!

fabulous!. i don't know why it took us so long to eat here... we had been here for drinks and discussed going for dinner or lunch, but only recently did we actually go. last weekend we went for dinner and the mushroom goat cheese was amazing - i could eat it for a meal, for brunch, or for ,lunch!
this past sunday we went for brunch and i ordered the omelette. it was very tasty as well as the potatoes. i also ordered a bloody mary and it was one of the best i have ever had. we'll be back!

celebrating the end of finals last evening for our son. started the evening with 3 of their creative signatures drinks. they did not disappoint!appetizer of calamari was outstanding. teriyaki slaw was a perfect bite with crunchy calamari. i had steak frites and fries which were fantastic! flavor was deep and delicious. they had me with the aioli! my husband had the lamb. it was flavorful and tender. son had duck confit. duckidant! directors cut cabernet sauvignon is a favorite at home so we were happy to see on menu. server was super nice and attentive and ambience was superb! we had heard mesh was slipping a bit... not true! definitely on pointe tonight! wonderful kick off to our holiday!

white cheddar bacon burger is perfect. two pieces of thick bacon criss cross a medium beef patty on a soft brioche bun with lettuce, tomato and onion.

brunch is where it's at. crab hash browns are bomb and devil eggs are a must ❤ wonderful service and friendly staff. beautifully decorated. ask for rewards card because they also go towards stone creek.

always an excellent choice. i recently recommended mesh on mass as the perfect date night dinner. i can't wait to get some feedback because i know it will be great! the food is always creative and perfectly seasoned. the servers are top notch. the back patio is perfection when it's available.

resturant was busy for a thursday night. sat at the bar. bartender did not tell me any of the specials for dinner, nor the drink specials. they were busy enough to be not purposely inattentive.

the mushroom appetizer was a great concept. the philo dough was flakey, but the portion kept closest to the cooking element had burnt, and added a very overwhelming flavor to the dish. the mushroom filling was quite good, though very thick. the greens served with the dish were very heavily salted, to the point that it overwhelm the rest of the dish. i think this dish is an excellent concept by the chef, and just need to be executed a little better by the kitchen team.

i changed my order from the scallops to the dinner special, which had both scallops and fish. there was a nice crust on both sides of the scallops, with the middle of the scallop being cooked to the medium point. the fish was brazed expertly, and was light and flaky. the brussel sprouts and greens were cooked properly also, but had been very heavily salted, and again overwhelm the whole of the dish. the brussel sprouts had been slightly overdone, and had a burnt flavor on them, even though they themselves had not been burned. again, the brussel sprouts were overly salty.

this establishment will continue to grow, and their expertise should continue to rise. as they continue to grow and mature, i look forward to revisiting this restaurant in another year, and see what improvements the chef has made.