NASCAR and Chocolate Port in Indy

Sheik and Zelda

Earlier this year, my brother told me that he and his family would be moving from Indianapolis to Canada at the end of summer.  Since my first, and only, experience of Indianapolis was in the dead of winter (insert hyperlink), I thought it would be nice to go back in the summer before they left.  Since I had planned an extended weekend away from work, I had even more time to enjoy the city and my fam.  I ended up flying into the airport on Friday afternoon.  I remembered how good the popcorn was the last time I was there, so I was sure to pick up two bags (buffalo ranch and smores, yum yum!) before meeting my sister-in-law at passenger pickup.  We drove to their home in Carmel to relax for a bit and play with their dogs before dinner.   That evening, she took me to Drakes, a local restaurant that served both pub food and sushi.  This concept confused me and for a few seconds I considered ordering both fried pickles and sashimi, but ended up sticking to the Japanese portion of the menu with some edamame, fried dumplings, and a crag Rangoon roll.  The dumplings were delicious, but everything else was just ok.  I guess it goes without saying that you shouldn’t order sushi when you aren’t near the sea…  at least all my fish was cooked.

My brother got in from his business trip that evening and the next day was dedicated to exploring the Indy Wine Trail!  For my birthday this year, I was gifted a couple bottles of wine from their local wineries.  I really enjoyed them and was looking forward to spending the sunny day outside.  From my research, I learned that there were 7 wineries on this path not far from Indianapolis.  Our goal for the day was to explore 3 of them:  Cedar Creek Winery, Mallow Run Winery, and Chateau Thomas Winery.  We got to Cedar Creek in the early afternoon when it wasn’t very busy yet.  Other than a bachelorette party (or maybe birthday party?), we had the tasting room to ourselves.  It was a very cute setup with a decent size tasting room and lots of little trinkets to peruse.  I have an interest in wine and was prepared to ask lots of questions around where they get their grapes and what types of wine they make, but was quickly shot down because the woman who was helping us said she was new and had no idea how to answer my first few questions.  I spent an hour or so tasting a few of their wines, but ended up only buying two bottles of the same chocolate raspberry port I had on my birthday.

All suited up

Our next stop was Mallow Run Winery.  The tasting room there appeared to be the same size, but it was a lot busier.  We ended up sharing a bottle of the Picnic White with a small cheese platter on the deck until the crowd cleared enough that we could get a spot at the tasting counter.  This definitely seemed like a more popular spot and I believe they have concerts and other events there as well.  Aside from the one white wine, I was not impressed with their selection either.  I think it’s important to note that neither of the two wineries at this point charged for their tastings.  It was only the last spot, Chateau Thomas Winery that charged a $5 tasting fee; however the employees working the tasting counter there seemed much more knowledgeable and engaging.  Their shop was also the nicest and had the largest selection of wine trinkets to look explore.  In appearance, they were less vineyard-y and more warehouse, but still a nice stop along the way.  After a full day of tasting, we got dinner that evening at Boombozz Pizza and Taphouse. They had a fun ambiance and pizza hit the spot after drinking all that wine.  The only thing that made the day better (or worse depending on your opinion) was going to see Magic Mike XXL that night with my sister-in-law and her friend.

Sunday was the highlight of my trip.  I came across an internet coupon deal for a NASCAR style racing experience at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  I purchased three coupons for all of us and we arrived around 11:30 am to check in.  The check-in line was about 6 people deep and the two girls processing the paperwork were moving very slowly.  About 20 minutes later, we were ready to go.  Because of the rain the night before, we could not use the tunnel under the track.  This meant they had to wait for all the cars to finish their racing experience from the time slot before opening the gates and letting us all across.  Fortunately, we only had to wait about 5 minutes.  As part of the ride-along experience (I was not going to drive!), I had to suit up in a fireproof jumpsuit and put on a helmet.  They had freshly-washed little cloth beanies to wear under our helmets to prevent lice/other germs.  Once we were all suited up, we took turns in the 2 ride-along cars going around the track.  One of the best parts was trying to jump into the car through the window with my short legs.  I got in eventually and a guy game by to buckle me up before my 5 laps around the track began.  It was so exhilarating!  We passed by several of the other drivers and by the end of lap 2, my head felt like it was going to vibrate off my neck, haha.  I felt completely safe and really enjoyed the whole  experience, as did my family.  Later that day, my brother picked up their dogs and we all went to the river walk area downtown to walk along the canal before going to dinner.  It was a very nice set-up; I’m only surprised there weren’t more bars and restaurants similar to San Antonio. 

Getting in the car

My flight left in the early afternoon on Monday, so I only had time to get brunch and pack.  After sitting on the outdoor deck at Bub’s Café for approximately 15 minutes, I had 4-5 mosquito bites and I  really bad drink (who puts beer in a bloody mary?).  We moved inside for the rest of the meal and I thoroughly enjoyed my Elk Sausage and Biscuits as my last meal in Indy.  I’m very glad I had a chance to experience the area in the summer, it was way better than freezing in the winter. 

Indianapolis in the Snow

This post is very much delayed, and I wanted to get it up before my next trip, but that did not happen.  A few months ago, my brother and sister-in-law moved to Indianapolis.  I was starting to itch for a trip, so I decided to fly out for a quick weekend getaway.  Being from Boston, I decided that it could not possibly be any colder out there than it has been here.  For the most part, I was right, but I still had to bundle up all weekend and try to scurry from one place to the next in the shortest amount of time possible to avoid the frigid cold.

 

After a layover in Philadelphia, I landed in Indianapolis in time for a late dinner on Friday evening.  My brother drove us from the airport out to his place in Carmel to drop off my bags and play with his two shiba puppies, Zelda and Sheik, for an hour before we ate.   That night we had dinner reservations at The Northside Social.  I’m not entirely sure if reservations were needed; by the time we got there around 9, there were a lot of empty tables.  The service was good and our waiter was patient and friendly.  We all ordered cocktails to start and shared the calamari app.  I love places that serve drinks in funky glasses, so this place was right up my alley.  My brother ordered the Moscow Mule, and it came in a tin cup.  For dinner, I ordered the gourmet mac and cheese.  It was delicious, but too big of a portion for me to finish in one sitting.

 

Our plans for Saturday were somewhat thought out beforehand, but not entirely.  One of my to-do’s for the area was visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Unfortunately, there are no grounds tours scheduled during January and we were only able to drive by and snap a quick picture before moving on.  This alone is enough of a reason for me to come back when there is nicer weather.  It looked like a huge venue from the outside.  Around noon, we made our way over to the Museum of Art.  Though I could have stayed much longer, my stomach reminded me that we had not eaten lunch yet.  Going to the museum of any kind on an empty stomach is a bad decision.  Amazingly, admittance is free, so I did not feel so bad after only stay a couple hours.  You can easily spend multiple days exploring the exhibit halls and looking at the art.  This is a huge museum and a great way to spend a few hours!

 

We headed downtown to a wine and tapas bar called Tastings for lunch and a drink (I was on vacation after all).  Upon entering Tastings, I noticed two things.  #1 was the wine “vending machines” located throughout the restaurant, and #2 was the incredible art hung up on the walls.  Since there weren’t many people there, we chose to sit at one of the high tables over the lounge chairs.  Within moments, our server came over and explained the menu and the vending machines.   After perusing the price of a tasting per bottle (easily averaging $8), I decided to just order a glass of the sparking Shiraz.  It was delicious and the perfect accompaniment to the many apps and flatbreads we devoured.  The food was great, but a meal here is not cheap.  Our lunch was expensive!  Fortunately, a bottle of sparkling wine and dessert were free because my roaming eyes would not leave one of the prints up on the wall, and I ended up buying it.  The artist, Leanne Laine, has an amazing talent for wine inspired works.  They are incredible!  My print is proudly displayed in my living room right now.

 

After lunch, we worked off the calories by strolling around the mall and hitting a book sale at one of the shops going out of business.  The cold weather kept us from doing too much and we headed back home to relax before a late dinner at Harry and Izzy’s.  I heard from multiple people that I needed to eat the shrimp cocktail at St. Elmos while I was in town.  Harry and Izzy’s is a sister restaurant of St. Elmos and they also had the famous appetizer on their menu.  We ordered a round of martinis to accompany our meals and I bit into the most ground horseradish I’ve ever had in my life.  I am not usually a fan of shrimp, but the sauce was so overwhelming, I did not actually taste the shrimp itself.  If you like horseradish, you will definitely enjoy this dish.  All of our food came out in a reasonable amount of time and was good.  This is a high quality restaurant and the food (and bill) reflect it.  Post- dinner drinks were had nearby before calling it a night.

 

Because the cold weather continued all weekend, Sunday morning was spent drinking coffee and playing with the puppies.  After unsuccessfully searching for a brunch place, we headed out to Kilroys for lunch and a Bloody Mary.  The drinks were good and cheap, but the food was just average pub food.  This would be a good place to watch a game and eat some nachos.  My flight was scheduled to leave at 4:50, but I wanted to get out earlier because another storm was moving in. 

 

I’ve decided that since the weather forced us indoors for most of the weekend, I will have to make a return trip in the summer and give Indy a second chance.