Tasty Indy
Hanging out with our friend Patrick (a childhood friend of Brian) in Indianapolis, Indiana was a new adventure for me. I had never been to this cool, lively city before and somehow we decided to go up the same weekend as Indy 500! This left Indy full of tourists and abandoned by a lot of natives, leaving some of Pat’s favorite place a little less busy then normal and ready for us to explore.
We saw the sites like the circle (a cool area with a big fountain and where all the bikers in town meet on Friday nights), the Indy Museum of Art (the ground are free to explore), and the Canal Walk (a canal runs through the middle of the walkway and lots of great open fields). We enjoyed playing a lot of Frisbee during the days while at night we drank at some local bars and ate some great food. We even got to listen to two great bands at the Slippery Noodle.
Our first night we ate together at a Scottish bar on Mass. Ave.–one of Pat’s favorites called Mac Nivens. They offer a bunch of different Scottish Beers and some authentic foods. Pat and I both had the grilled cheese with onions, tomato, and a spicy red pepper spread. Brian had a French dip, filled with a warm roast beef, onions, and mushrooms and a light beef broth for the sauce.
Saturday, we had brunch at a local hot spot called Taste. In south Broad Ripple there is an area with a flower shop, a pet’s toy store, an outstandingly cool record place, and our brunch place. Taste has outdoor seating and a well designed dining room with a bunch of cozy booths, large windows and a stainless steal counter. We got into line to wait to place our lunch order, (they offer breakfast but we were a bit late for that), passing displays of cakes, cookies, and bars. The guy at the cash register was very kind and pleasant and didn’t rush us through although there was a long line behind us.
Taste offers a huge selection of sandwiches and main dishes. I had the BALT (bacon, avocado, lettuce, and tomato) on crusty French bread. The bacon was warm, good, and fatty, the lettuce was a nice mesclun mix, the avocado was warmed from the bacon and acted as a spread. This was a really satisfying flavor combination. I also had a side of the green bean, tomato, and corn salad which was a fresh, crisp addition to my meal.
We shared some French fries that were fried to a great crisp crunch. It came with a house-made garlicky aioli. I thought that it was a great addition to our meal and Pat was right that the fries are the “must have” item here.
Our last night together we all cooked a big meal together at Pat’s apartment. Brian grilled up some bratwurst made fresh at the local grocery store. They had a nice thick casing, which provided a snap; the brats weren’t spiced too much, leaving a strong pork flavor. I made baked potato fries, I just slice the potato into logs and toss with olive oil, salt, whole chucks of garlic and toss it on a sheet pan in and 400 degree oven. I take them out and move them around a couple of times it takes about twenty minutes to bake perfectly.
I also made fresh lemon aid and ice tea but you can always use your favorite brand.
| Strawberry-Lemon Spiked Tea (Makes 2 quarts) | |||
| 3 Cups | Lemonade | ||
| 1 Pint | Strawberries, quartered | ||
| 3 Cups | Iced tea | ||
| 1 Each | Lemon, cut into wedges | ||
| 1 Cup | Vodka | ||
| 1/2 Cup per glass | Ice | ||
| Source: ChefsOnTheRoad.com | |||
This was a refreshing drink to have outside on a nice sunny day, shared with friends.
We can’t wait to go back and get another taste of Indy.