Tag: Indy
2022 Week 26 – AMPed Up
I checked out a couple of new lunch spots while working in Downtown Indy these past few weeks. The AMP at 16 Tech was our spot for lunch while conducting a site tour in the area for an upcoming Board Meeting (we typically rotate these around the city). The AMP is a food hall with stalls made from converted shipping containers. It’s unique to the city, and the various shops add a lot of variety to the location. I ordered a cheesesteak from Mambo’s, and while not the same as Hoagies and Hops, it was a nice sandwich that hit the spot. When looking at Mombo’s website, I found out they have a location in City Market, so I’m going to have to check that location out too.
My other “new” lunch spot was Turchetti’s Delicatessen in Fountain Square. I’m calling it “new” because I visited pre-covid when it was a carry-out spot with very limited seating. During this visit, I sat in the new Bistro area that had seats for about 2-dozen and a decent-sized bar. They bill themselves as a Soccer Bar, so I’ll need to re-visit when the Soccer season starts back up, and check it out for myself.
My new job allows me to work from home on Monday and Friday so I’ve been trying to spend some of my lunch money locally (as well as eating at home). One of those local spots has been Wild Ginger on 116th St. It’s a nice family-run sushi shop with fresh food and great service. I’m finding myself there at least once a week lately.
That’s it for this week. I’ll be curious to see what’s happening in Downtown Indianapolis in the upcoming days after the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe vs Wade. There have been several (peaceful) protests this weekend & the politicians return in early July for a 30-day Special Session. I can imagine there will be a lot of things going on around the State House during that time!
2022 Week 12 – Where There’s Smoke…
There was a HUGE warehouse fire at the Wal Marl Distribution center in Avon last Wednesday afternoon. All 1000 employees made it out safely, but the debris field stretched for miles as hazardous particulate in the smoke dropped from the sky miles to the north.
Amazingly enough, there was ANOTHER warehouse fire in the area the next day, but this fire started from welding sparks falling into foam insulation during construction.
Hot on the heels of the latest Daylight Saving Time (DST) change, the Senate passed legislation to end it. It still needs to be passed by the House, so we’ll see if it will happen. It’s not the first time the U.S. has tried ending it. At the end of 1973, Nixon signed a law that would end DST.
The experiment was supposed to last for two years, but it only lasted eight months, and Congress reverted to standard time in the fall of 1974.
https://time.com/6157915/daylight-saving-time-history/
I was running errands the other day & saw that the Saraga International Grocery store in Castleton (and old abandoned Target) had had a facelift. A nearby billboard is saying they are opening this Spring. It’s no Jungle Jim’s (in Cincy), but it’s better than anything else in the city. I hope the nearby ethnic stores aren’t impacted too much when this place opens.
And finally… The Wall Street Journal has an interesting video on Youtube called “What America’s Supply-Chain Backlog Looks Like Up Close.” The Video was posted in October of last year, but it’s pretty interesting and shows what’s been going on at the shipping ports in the U.S.
2021 Week 9 – Indy Tacos
Finally stopped in to check out Indy Tacos (2196 E 54th St, Indianapolis) this last week. I’ve driven by several times & keep seeing it brought up on the Indianapolis Reddit page & decided now was the time. They have a nice selection of items and the prices are very reasonable for the quality. I opted for 1 Chorizo and 2 El Pastor tacos. I thought I might as well try out their chips and salsa while I waited.
No sooner did I grab a seat and take my coat off the food came out. I was not expecting that! You’ll need to be the judge yourself but I thought the tacos were perfect and the chips/salsa was some of the best I’ve had in a long time. The salsa was nice and cold and the chips were super fresh. They also provided some green and red squeeze bottle salsas. I’ll warn you, the red is HOT! If you’re in the area and want a quick bite it’s worth a little detour off Keystone to try this place out! Their Instagram page is here.
If you’re looking for a new local podcast you should check out the series from the Indy Chamber CEO Michael Huber. The Michael Loves Indy podcast has interviews from area influencers, such as Aaron Renn, former Mayor Greg Ballard and Michael Kaufmann. 10 episodes are currently available.
And finally, I’ve been a Mac user for quite a while now & thought I’d seen it all. The following video has some tips and tricks I never knew existed. Enjoy!
Indy – Nick’s Chili Parlor
After visiting Saraga the other day we worked up an appetite and needed to fill our bellies. I fired up Google Maps on my iPhone and looked for any places in the area that I might have starred as something to check out. It just so happened that Nick’s was on my list and right down the street!
Nick’s is different in a lot of ways. You order cafeteria style, which makes a lot of sense since you can slap together a chili dog and a bowl pretty quickly. Fried items and burgers appear to be brought out to the table once prepared. The dining area is open and bright from all the windows. The menu has items other than chili related fare. Some notable mentions are fried tenderloins, burgers, and tamales.
Nick’s tagline is “home to the ‘Not Yet World Famous’ 5-Way chili”. Since that’s the way I like to get mine at the Cincy chains I thought I would give it a try for comparison.
We ended up ordering a couple of 5-way Chili bowls and 2 chili dogs with everything. The 5-way is served in a deep bowl and is mostly chili with a little pasta in the bottom. It’s also a lot easier to eat than the competition because of this configuration.
The Chili Dog was a full sized hot dog served in a steamed and quite substantial. A couple of these would be a meal.
The Chili itself has a nice depth of flavor. I thought it needed a little salt and a few dashes of hot sauce and after adding that it was quite delicious.
The service was fast and friendly and the restaurant was very clean. I don’t spend a lot of time in this area of the city but I wouldn’t hesitate to come over here from downtown for a chili dog.
Nick’s Chili Parlor
2621 Lafayette Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46222
http://www.nickschiliparlor.com
Indy – Saraga International Grocery
I decided to take the boy on a little trip to the NW Side of Indy to check out a place that’s been on my to-do list for a while. We’re HUGE fan’s of the Jungle Jim’s stores in Cincinnati and visit often when in the area. Until now I haven’t really found anything remotely close in comparison in Indianapolis.
Nothing can really beat JJ’s but we were pleasantly surprised with the Saraga experience. The store is mostly grouped by country of origin and it has a nice selection of cooking equipment too. While waiting in line we saw a couple of people carrying out a multi-tier wedding cake, I didn’t expect that at all.
The produce, meat, and seafood departments were VERY impressive and they were the most crowded areas of the store. The produce department was awesome and everything looked fresh and clean. The seafood area had HUNDREDS of seafood selections both fresh and frozen. Finally, the meat department had hard to find items like whole pork shoulder, pork belly, and sliced short ribs. Next time I fire up the BBQ I’m going to visit Saraga for the meat.
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- Mixed Mushrooms
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- Rambutan Fruit
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- Dragon Fruit
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- King Mushroom
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- EXTRA Fancy Fruit Cake Mix
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- Sriracha Beans!
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- Banana Sauce
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- Palm Flowers in Brine
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- Round Scad Fish Sauce
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- $70 box of tea?
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- Passion Fruit Drink with Basil Seeds
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- What we brought home
Along the back part of the store are rows and rows of refrigerator and freezer cases stocked with items from all around the world, especially asian foods. If you’re looking for a speciality ingredient for a recipe there’s a good chance you’re going to find it here.
We got caught up in all the snacks from different countries and ended up with a handful of favorites and new things to try.
Saraga International Grocery has a lot of online reviews and was a very popular place on Saturday afternoon. If you’re into checking out foods form around the word it’s worth checking out Sagara. If you’ve been there or end up going there let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Saraga International Grocery
3605 Commercial Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46222
http://saragafood.com/main/store-locations/
Indy – Henry’s Coffee Bistro
I’ve driven past Henry’s Coffee Bistro many times when working downtown. I had some work to get done before visiting one of my clients and needed somewhere to work for a while. Since I was driving down East St it seemed like a good time to check out Henry’s. The free parking on the north side of the building was a big plus since there was NO street parking to be found in the area.
I was a little surprised that the place was empty at 9:30 am and so was Mike the lone employee behind the counter. We had a pleasant conversation and he proceeded to tell me about the place and some of their offerings. I settled on a sausage and egg croissant and an Americano coffee.
The Bistro has a nice variety of food and drinks and the walls are covered with interesting artwork that can be purchased. The location on East Street just south of Mass Ave, and adjacent to the Nestle Inn, makes it a little hard to find the first time (if you’re not familiar with the area).
The sandwich was much bigger than I was expecting and it hit the spot. The coffee was served in a large ceramic mug and was perfectly prepared. Before I left another small group came in for what looked like a meeting/interview but other than that the place was pretty quiet and not busy at all. I hope it’s just because of the inclement weather we were having at the time because I’d hate to see this place go out of business.
I’m always looking for nice little places to tuck into and get some work done between meetings, or just to get out of the office and have a nice change of pace. I’ve had my share of meetings at the Coffee Chain’s and will always choose something local if I have the option. The vibe and atmosphere are always better.
Henry’s is open for breakfast and lunch daily and I’ve been told the place is pretty busy for Brunch on the weekends. If you’re in the area check it out and let me know what you think!
Henry’s Coffee Bistro
627 East St, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Best Of – Downtown Indianapolis Lunch
Good morning! I’m starting a series this year called “Best of”. This will be a Top-10 sort of list based on a random subject of my choosing. I’m open to suggestions or requests so if there’s something you want me to cover feel free to post a comment below.
This time I’m going to focus on the weekday lunch in Downtown Indianapolis. None of these are fancy but they’ve proven to be consistently good and are locked into the rotation of places I go on a regular basis (with the exception of one that just got added). These are in no particular order and it’s certainly not a complete list.
Often called an Indianapolis Institution this cafeteria style establishment turns out some of the best pastrami sandwiches around. Their house made rye bread is a great complement to the tender and smoky meat piled high inside. Prices are on the higher end of the spectrum and the staff can be a little abrasive, especially during the lunch rush. This is a place that’s nice to visit once in a while for a filling meal and a little people watching while you eat.
This Indianapolis Startup is turning the food delivery business on its head by offering a large selection of favorites from many area restaurants delivered to your door quickly and efficiently. All of the food is made to order in their central kitchen and delivered only within a 6-minute radius to help ensure your food is hot and fresh when you get it. My only complaint, and it’s not just Cluster Truck, is the bicycle delivery riders are some of the most unsafe riders I’ve ever seen. Running red lights, riding against traffic on one-way streets, and constant close calls with pedestrians in crosswalks. It gives recreational cyclists a bad name with motorists and make it’s unsafe for everyone.
Only about a year old this place is located inside the Flat 12 brewery on Dorman Street (near east side). They specialize in “Authentic Pennsylvania Hoagies”. I’ve had many Cheesesteak Hoagies here and they’re legit. From the house made shaved Top Round to the bread shipped straight from PA this place makes a mean sandwich. It’s been known to cause me to want to take an afternoon nap on occasion.
Ralph’s, like a lot of hole in the wall places, is a little rough on the outside and you’re not going to know what to expect on your first visit. The building has no windows and the parking is a little tricky because of the one-way street the building is saddled up against. They have an outstanding version of creamy potato soup, a hamburger club sandwich, and one of the best slices of coconut cream pie you can get in the city. Service is always fast and friendly and it’s reasonably priced.
The first Sahm’s restaurant opened at 116th and Allisonville in 1986 and they have continued to grow over the past 30+ years. I’ll always remember them for the pasta salad and coffee cake of which only the coffee cake is still on the menu. They have several locations around central Indiana as well as a few spinoff locations called Rockstone and Big Lug a pizza and brewery respectively. The Sahm’s location downtown, just north of the One America parking garage, includes a Rockstone menu and does a great lunch business.
If someone didn’t tell you about Pearl Street Pizza you’d probably miss it as it’s in an alley, aptly named Pearl Street, that’s just south of Washington between Meridian and Pennsylvania. Their lunch special of a speciality pizza slice, salad and drink is one of my go to lunches when the weather is nice for a little walk from the circle. You can be in and out for under $8 in about 15 minutes if you’re pressed for time. As I’m writing this post I learned Pearl Street will be opening a Fishers location in the coming months. I hope they have the same lunch specials as they do downtown!
Truth be told I’ve only been to Subito once but it was a very good experience. It’s a SMALL place with a loyal following. On my visit the owner, Chuck, was taking each order and knew a lot of the customers by name. He was super helpful and you could tell he was putting a LOT of effort to make it not only a good experience but a memorable one. They have a rotating soup selection that I hear is really good. On my visit I had a Cuban sandwich with a side of Macaroni Salad. Both were outstanding. Unfortunately the weather turned cold and I have not ventured down to Virginia Street since. Another visit needs to happen soon because I’m craving that macaroni salad.
I’ve reviewed Wildwood before and it remains one of my top lunch spots downtown. If I could figure out how to open one of these in Fishers I would. They feature a different sandwich daily and I’m not aware of them EVER repeating a combination in the 2+ years I’ve gone there. This is a place I have to hop in the car to get to at lunch but it’s worth it for the food, not to mention the cool little market with a great variety of speciality items. I’ve made my share of impulse purchases to take back to the office. View their daily sandwich creations on Instagram.
When I’m craving a Mission Style Burrito or the cheesiest Chicken Quesadilla you could ever imagine I hit the first floor of the Salesforce Tower and pop into Fast Burrito. The food is fresh, the portions are huge, and the prices are reasonable. This is a true alternative to the other fast casual burrito chains. Their daily specials draw a steady crowd every day.
This chain of sandwich shops has a premier location on the east side of Monument Circle. It’s a very popular place at lunch time often with a line 20+ deep to the front door. They have a decent selection of customizable sandwiches and salads at a mid-level price. A bonus for the location is plenty of outside seating around the Solders and Sailors Monument, especially when the weather is cooperating.
Honorable Mention – Jimmy John’s
I’m not a fan of big chains but when I need something to eat and I need it quickly It’s hard to go wrong with an occasional sandwich from JJ’s. The downtown location can typically deliver a sandwich in less time than it would take for me to walk to the location 3-blocks away. Like I mentioned above regarding Cluster Truck JJ’s delivery cyclists can be reckless and downright dangerous at times so heads up if you’re near Meridian and Washington.
So that’s the first of what I hope to be many “Best Of” lists to be published this year. It was actually kind of hard to narrow the list down to what I did as there are a LOT of great places to eat lunch downtown. I already have a few drafts I’m working on that cover such things as Coffee Shops, Pizza Shops, and Grocery Stores. Look for those in the coming months. Enjoy your week!
Wildwood Market – Fountain Square, Indianapolis
I’m always looking for something different for lunch when working downtown. One of the many things I love about Indy are all the dining options. It seems like a new one comes online every week so it’s fun scoping them out and adding to them to the rotation. I had lunch with a foodie friend in Fountain Square a couple of months ago. While driving up Virginia Ave, on our way back downtown, we spotted Wildwood Market and had to stop.
If you’re familiar with Locally Grown Gardens in SoBro you should have an idea what to expect at Wildwood. It’s a similar concept where an old Service Station type building has been repurposed as a neighborhood mini-market. What makes these places different from the chain stores (7-11 or Village Pantry) is they specialize in locally sourced items and products with ingredients you can pronounce.
From a sheer number of items, and variety, this place is amazing. Dry goods, meats, cheeses, frozen items, and fresh bread, this place is a MUST VISIT to get all the goodies for your next picnic. Also a good place to pickup holiday treats for the foodies in your life.
A short while back Wildwood started offering a rotating sandwich and salad of the day for lunch. Priced at around $8.00 each and full of all kinds of interesting flavor combinations it was an immediate hit for me! In fact I’m going out there at least once a week to grab a sandwich and eat it on site (several seating options) or back at the office when things are hectic. Wildwood Market posts today’s specials on their Facebook Page every day around 11am so you have something to think about for the next hour.
Today’s Lunch Sandwich: Pastrami, Peppered Smoking Goose Bacon, Cabot Extra Sharp White Cheddar, Roasted Poblano, Creamy Red Pepper Vinaigrette, Mixed Greens On Rye Bread.
Photo from the Wildwood Market Facebook Page
Pair that with a bag of McClure’s Spicy Pickle potato chips and an Oatmeal Pecan Carmel Cookie for dessert you have a great meal for around $12.50 (enough to split with a friend if you’re a light eater).
A word of warning. The sandwiches and salads are first-come first-served and when they’re gone they’re gone. I always try to get there by 12:30pm and have yet to walk out empty handed. I really need to start trying the salads as they have some great combinations as well but I can’t quote get over how good those sandwiches are!
Wildwood is open Mon – Sat 10AM – 8PM. They do a special breakfast dish as well as lunch on Saturday.
Have you been here? What did you think? Post your feedback below.
Wildwood Market
1015 Virginia Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46203
