Chocdoc - Inching to Indiana

[Kerry Beal]

@alleguede and I are heading off to Indianapolis next week to attend the RCI (Retail Confectioners International) Expo.  We will be staying at the same hotel where the Expo is being held - and my assumption is that lunch will be probably be candy at the show.  We will arrive later in the day on Monday and leave early on the Thursday morning. 

 

We would welcome suggestions for likely 3 dinners while we are in town. And perhaps a good breakfast for the morning that we leave. Doesn't need to be fancy - just good! Extra points for good and within walking distance of the Westin if we feel the need for a stiff drink after a hard day of flogging EZtempers.

 

We'd love to meet up with any one local while we are there.

[Anna N]

 I had almost forgotten that you were heading off to Indianapolis.   I hope you will take us all along for the ride showing us what you do and what you eat along the way!   Will you be checking out any thrift stores? 

[Kerry Beal]

Of course I will be taking you all along! 

 

Right now I'm starting my lists of all the things we need to take - we learned a bit about what was extraneous when we went to Lancaster and hope to be more efficient this trip. 

 

Our first stop will be Buffalo for breakfast with @patris - a number of goodies have been shipped to her - including a big container of Gold Medal Vanilla, some sorbtol - and a pair of pliers that can theoretically power through the heaviest fish hook with minimal strength required on my end.

 

Hope the drive down allows some time for thrift shopping - @alleguede is remarkably tolerant of those sort of stops.

 

The other issue I have to work around - getting back Thursday and heading out to NYC on Friday for the Fine Chocolate Industry Association meeting.

[Deryn]

The Energizer bunny still has nothing on Kerry. Wow! What a schedule. Wishing you safe trips both/all ways. Sell loads of EZTempers!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

5 hours ago, Deryn said:

The Energizer bunny still has nothing on Kerry. Wow! What a schedule. Wishing you safe trips both/all ways. Sell loads of EZTempers!

 

...an Energizer chocolate bunny.

[huiray]

Ah, just saw this.

 

Any kind of food would do for you, would that be true? Do you have objections to chains (e.g. Capital Grille)? Price limits? I see you will be driving down, so you will be mobile even though you say you would give "extra points" for walking-distance places from the Westin. How far will you walk? (1+ mile/30 minutes?) Will you have a map (or be able to call up Google Maps, say) or a GPS? Would you "cab it" and back, if desired?

 

ETA: How much interest would you have in "local stuff" or eats that tend to be thought of as "Indianapolis"?

 

I'm not very up-to-date on downtown places, although I have some preferences amongst them; and anyway many of the better places are OUTSIDE of downtown, hence my questions. There are also lots of chain places (upscale chains included) downtown, almost no "mom-and-pop" or independent ones; they tend to be just beyond the immediate downtown area, and further afield.

 

ETA2: Oh, regarding the desired breakfast - what time?  Since you are driving, how late into the morning will you allow?

 

ETA3: I've sent several PMs to you. Please have a look at them.

Edited June 16, 2016 by huiray (log)

[Kerry Beal]

So - as you say - any kind of food - but do prefer independent to chain most of the time, but an interesting chain with interesting food...

 

I can certainly drive for dinner - prefer not to drink and drive - in the interest of a good meal I could bring my mini cocktail shaker and make a negroni when I get back.

 

What food is local to Indy - I'm totally ignorant on that score - and would love to discover new things?

 

I'm thinking 8 am or so for breakfast - long drive back and heading out the next day so I'll need the evening to prepare meals for the rug rat for the duration of my NYC trip.

[huiray]

OK - Milktooth doesn't start its good stuff till 9 am, whereas Love Handle starts at 8 am.

 

Indy food? Pork Tenderloins, Southern Fried Chicken Indy Style...comes to mind.  Perhaps you might be interested in a blast from the past eating in what could pass as one's Great-Grandmother's House --- at Hollyhock Hill, for example, with lace doillys and chicken fried in lard. Or with Hot Water Corn Bread at Mississippi Belle.  :-)

 

Regarding good chains downtown – Oceanaire is actually fairly good for seafood, if not exactly cheap; while Capital Grille is good for steaks and whatnot (with an interesting wine bar next to it in the same hotel at ground level) while you could pig out on protein at Fogo de Chao.  But for "old school charm" and a decent Midwest steak and a fierce shrimp cocktail - the local institution St Elmo's might be an idea.  But, really, there are many options otherwise, as I also suggested in my PMs, including walking along Mass Ave. but that is a hefty walk from the Westin; while other places around Fletcher Place/Fountain Square are even further away by foot.  There are other decent hotel restaurants in the immediate downtown area.

 

ETA: Embedded in links for various places including localities. 

P.s.: If you drive, then any and all of these places become available for exploration, of course - but in some cases parking might be an issue. Cabbing it is an alternative, maybe one way, then a leisurely stroll back.

P.s.2: If you wander over to Mass Ave there are various places to get some fancy cocktails and grab a bite or two. I might be inclined to pop into the (recently relocated) Libertine, myself...

P.s.3: If one wanders over to Fletcher Place (where Milktooth is) I might be inclined myself to head for Bluebeard, but there are various other places there and in Fountain Square, including eclectic and "ethnic" places. There was a recent article from a Noo Yawk-fixated (Brooklyn, actually) reporter on the "scene" there, with rejoinders later from various Mid-West chefs. See here and the subsequent posts for some info...

Edited June 18, 2016 by huiray (log)

[Kerry Beal]

So many choices - so little time.

 

Pork loin sandwiches a must have - lard fried chicken I'd love - doillies maybe not! Is lard frying Indy style chicken?

 

Cornbread - sweet?

Edited June 16, 2016 by Kerry Beal (log)

[huiray]

13 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Cornbread - sweet?

 

Not really. The ones I'm referring to are these on the right of the pics here and here.

 

Lard-fried chicken – well, the ones at Hollyhock Hill are probably amongst the last places around where it is done that way. I'm not sure I'd call it specific to Indy.

Edited June 16, 2016 by huiray (log)

[Kerry Beal]

So more like fritters or hush puppies?

[huiray]

I guess.

 

Hot water corn bread.

Edited June 16, 2016 by huiray (log)

[huiray]

If you are interested in a NY style Jewish Deli then you might like to swing by Shapiro's.

[Kerry Beal]

In our way - first meal breakfast with patris - Sweetness 7 in Buffalo.

 

 

[JohnT]

Kerry, not trying to be funny, but your breakfast depicted above looks quite revolting.

 

Did you actually enjoy it?

[patris]

29 minutes ago, JohnT said:

Kerry, not trying to be funny, but your breakfast depicted above looks quite revolting.

 

Did you actually enjoy it?

 

I don't presume to speak for Kerry, but I will say that the company was a far sight better than the food!

[Kerry Beal]

 

Dinner thanks to Chick-fil-a passing through Dayton. 

Edited June 21, 2016 by Kerry Beal (log)

[IndyRob]

St. Elmo would be the classic place to go if you want to drop a lot of money on a steakhouse.  That's where all the sports figures seem to end up. There's also a Brazilian steakhouse (Fogo de chao?) that I've heard good things about.  A local informal favorite from way back is Acapulco Joe's for Mexican.  But I'm not up on the downtown area as I haven't worked down there in many years.  There's also the warehouse district on the southeast side of the circle for drinks/late-night wildness.

 

The Fountain Square area is spawning a lot of interesting options.  That's not too far, but probably a drive of a mile or two.  And Broad Ripple has something like 80 restaurants, mostly independent.  A nice place to walk after you drive there.

 

I believe there's a farmer's market on Wednesday on Market Street in front of the City Market.

 

Sorry we couldn't have cooler weather for your visit.

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

8 hours ago, JohnT said:

Kerry, not trying to be funny, but your breakfast depicted above looks quite revolting.

 

Did you actually enjoy it?

I think that I had the best of the 3 dishes - the Huevos rancheros - nothing like any that I've had before however.

[Kerry Beal]

 

All ready for the hordes

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

@Alleguede and I went out to find the post office and have a little look around the downtown after we finished at the trade show yesterday - this impressive monument appears to have been the location for a very large Yoga-in (like a sit-in but with yoga). Not quite sure what that was about but it was very colourful.

 

A little later in the day we were picked up by @huiray and left downtown for one of the many lovely little neighbourhoods that seem to make up Indianapolis to have dinner at Recess. The menu is determined daily by the chef based on what looks good from the market and his suppliers. They offer a prix fixe menu, al a cart and and and wet bar. 

 

 

I started with the seared tuna with shitake and a spicy miso broth.

 

 

@Alleguede chose sashimi.

 

 

@huiray went prix fixe and his first course was a lemon thyme chicken soup.

 

 

Next prix fixe course was lake superior whitefish.

 

 

@Alleguede and I opted for the hamburger they were offering as part of hamburger week. 

 

 

Last prix fixe course was beef tenderloin. 

 

After dinner we toured some interesting neighbourhoods - getting out for a walk at Broad Ripple village. Lots of interesting looking eateries there. We were surprised to see young 20 somethings playing bingo in one of the bars.

 

Then a stop for a night cap on Mass avenue at Libertine. 

 

 

A girly drink of some sort for @Alleguede

 

 

A manly drink for @huiray and myself. 

 

 

Should have left the flash on the phone - was only able to get one half way decent picture of the devilled eggs. This one was marinated in beet juice and topped with horseradish - note to self - when consuming this - don't eat the horseradish off the top first not realizing what it is.  

[suzilightning]

21 June is International Yoga Day.....

[Kerry Beal]

Well then - that explains it! And me without my yoga mat.

[Kerry Beal]

 

Pork Tenderloin sandwiches at Coaches a few blocks from the hotel.

[suzilightning]

and I wish I could figure out how to post my picture of Sinder, one of our black cats, in her washing yoga pose.........