Indice dei contenuti per February 2021 in Indianapolis Monthly

One of the things that I love about magazines—and this one in particular—is the diversity of story types and ideas and perspectives that come together to form a whole. In the business, we call this a “general interest” publication. That’s an industry label applied to content created for an educated, non-specialized audience. That’s you! Here, “interest” means “appeal,” but instead I like to think of it as “being of benefit” to the reader. Enrichment. Unfortunately, in a broad sense, general interest has given way to specialization over the last decade or so. Like others, I tend to gravitate toward stories that reflect my worldview or cater to my existing tastes. But, if I’m being honest, I tend to learn more and experience a much higher degree of growth—cultural or intellectual…

For many readers, the beautiful cover of our December “Best of Indy” issue was the icing on the (cup)cake. “Congratulations to Savor V. Those cupcakes look delicious.”—DIANE LOVETT, via Facebook “I need to get a copy of this!” —AMANDA KINGSBURY, via Facebook “So many things I can’t wait to buy.”—ALEISHA CLONTZ, via Facebook “I love seeing things bloom for wonderful people like this.”—MOLLY MARTIN, via Facebook WHICH “BEST” WINNER ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO VISITING? LOOK FOR OUR NEXT POLL ON TWITTER. FOLLOW US @INDYMONTHLY FOR DETAILS.…

If you want to see Siberian tigers frolic like housecats, visit after a fresh snow. The felines rip around their enclosure doing what their keepers call “zoomies.” Winter is also a great time to see slovenly penguins. It’s molting season, meaning the normally sleek-looking birds shed feathers the way huskies shed hair. If the cold starts to bite, the Zoo’s best warming station is the Deserts Dome, where the temperature hovers in the low to mid 80s. Seasonal truncated hours mean cheap tickets. Consider arranging face time with your favorite beasts. For instance, during the cold months there’s much less competition to book, say, a Premium Sloth Encounter, which is exactly what it sounds like.…

YOU DON’T HAVE to look far for evidence of Bloomington writer Michael Koryta’s success: A new crime novel, Never Far Away, comes out this month (February 9), and two of his other books were recently made into films. But a COVID-19 backlog means film release dates are up in the air, so it may be awhile before audiences find his stories in a movie theater. “Everything this year is in flux,” says Koryta, who lives part of the year in Maine, the setting of his latest book. “It feels like being in a holding pattern, just circling and waiting to land. I’m keenly aware that with the real suffering of 2020, it’s meaningless. That said, I’d love to see it on the big screen instead of a computer.” The film…

LOUIS VUITTON The Fashion Mall, 317-575-1968, louisvuitton.com DON’T MISS The chance to at least smell a $200 Île Blanche Fragrance candle “brimming with ocean mist and sun.” LUXURY-LOVERS were gifted a new oasis over the holidays from Louis Vuitton: a stand-alone store. The designer house’s first and only in Indiana opened inside The Fashion Mall, upgrading from the large space it had at Saks that was often referred to as a store within a store. The new spot moves into the former home of Burberry with its latest leather goods, shoes, accessories, candles, and luggage (but no clothing). The façade is Gaston beige limestone inscribed with the emblematic monogram-and-flowers, and inside, the store celebrates the savoir-faire of the iconic house. Parisian artwork and curated furniture turn the space into an…

FOR HOMEBUYERS wanting proximity to downtown, Fountain Square’s sizzling popularity isn’t cooling off any time soon—it even appears pandemic-proof. Last year saw nearly 100 closed sales above $300,000, 21 more than the previous year, and a nearly 10 percent increase in both price per square foot and sold price. Realtor Jason Hess believes one of the best aspects of living in Fountain Square is the potential views of the skyline. “The big trend we are seeing now with builders in the area involves lavish rooftop or outdoor entertaining areas and carriage homes. Anything looking downtown carries a premium,” he says. When this house was built in 1900, features like a rooftop deck would be out of the question. Now completely remodeled by Benchmark Design Homes, the white and black façade…

ANTHONY ARTIS first got hooked on his craft during a 1992 visit to Ghana. “I saw the people there carving drums from solid logs,” he says. “I had never seen anything like it. I thought, I have to try something like that!” It would be several years before the professional musician finally could. Thanks to a Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis in 1999, Artis was able to study African slat-style drum-making under a master craft sman from Ohio. He proved to be a natural. Today, Artis combines carpentry, blacksmithing, leatherwork, and even macramé to create authentic ashiko, dùndún, kenkeni, and bata drums, which he sells online under the name Amoah’s African Drum Works. The instruments cost between $350 and $800, and sets are $1,200. He…

Revisit THE TERM “blessing in disguise” can sometimes feel more like a coping mechanism than a true statement. But Kountry Kitchen Soul Food Place coowner Cynthia Wilson will make you a believer in the concept. Her year started with a devastating fire that did irreparable damage to the restaurant she and her husband, Isaac, opened in 1988, a neighborhood favorite and celebrity destination (former President Barack Obama visited in 2008). As they were making plans to rebuild as a 15,000-square-foot restaurant and event center, COVID-19 hit, forcing another pause. After a few months, they reopened for carryout and catering, working out of a nearby commercial kitchen space. Customers came back in force to pick up top sellers like fried catfish and smothered pork chops. “It was so heartwarming to see…

WHEN I WAS 12, I was hired by The Indianapolis News to deliver newspapers to 26 homes and businesses in Danville. One of my more colorful customers was the sheriff of Hendricks County, Russ Carmichael, who lived with his wife in the county jail a block south of the courthouse, a not-uncommon practice in those days. The side yard was enclosed by a tall chain-link fence, housing the sheriff’s dog, a German Shepherd named King, whose presence was intended to discourage jailbreaks. The fly in the ointment was King’s affability, encouraged by the sheriff’s habit of letting the inmates feed him, causing the bonds of affection between the guard and the guarded to deepen. Ironically, the sheriff’s plan worked as intended, for while the dog was reluctant to bite a…

SNICKERDOODLE A solid replica of the grandma-adjacent cookie with the cinnamon sugar coating on top The sweet nostalgia of this cookie, the epitome of high school home ec projects and holiday cookie exchanges, comes through in Elevate’s crumbly shortbread-like version. We did detect a tingly aftertaste—faintly mushroomy?—that might make you reach for your cup of tea. VEGAN CHOCOLATE CRINKLE Dense and brownie-like under a crunchy mantle of sugar The first bite is a mouthful of fudge-y sweetness. On the second and third and fourth bites, you pick up on the lurking darkness of cocoa. PEANUT BUTTER Thick and crumbly with visible chunks of peanut Wow. These might be the best peanut butter cookies we have ever tasted—sweet and salty, with a tinge of nap time. ICED LEMON Deliciously moist and…

DOWNTOWN INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square Amberson Coffee & Grocer COFFEEHOUSE The cinderblock shell of a former service station houses this neighborhood coffee spot with grocery cases, outdoor seating under the awning, and a drive-up window. In addition to expertly poured vanilla-date lattes and a signature Summer Dandy with Onyx Coffee Ecuadorian espresso, plum reduction, and oat cream sweetened with maple syrup, the shop offers a small daily selection of baked goods, like a tasty “bisquet” grilled up with fig jam and butter, and a scone enriched with Asian pears and maple. Heartier fare comes in the form of an avocado toast topped with goat cheese crumbles or an equally fine toast with ricotta and poached nectarines. 401 S. College Ave., 562-293-8962, ambersoncoffee.square.site Bazbeaux PIZZA We…

Take-home and delivery options (p. 48) have changed the way we live in the Age of COVID-19. Here, the local products and services our team couldn’t live without: “Indy’s Community Food Co Op is one of my main go-tos for groceries. I started placing orders for delivery in April and now pick up my produce, meat, eggs, and other local products at a site a mile away from my house. It’s been an easy, convenient means of getting fresh food without having to set foot inside a store.” —ANDREA RATCLIFF, SPECIAL SECTIONS DIRECTOR “In another life, I would have never considered eating sushi outside of a sushi bar, but I have ordered multiple containers of carryout nigiri and spider rolls from my neighborhood sushi bar, Kasai.” —JULIA SPALDING, DINING EDITOR…

PRIVATE EYES Are remote-learning apps harvesting your kids’ data? RABBLE ROUSING We interviewed the new owners of the east side’s Rabble Coffee. LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE Check out some of Indy’s best local subscription services. Virtually Perfect I hollered with laughter when I read Phil Gulley’s December column on his Quaker Zoom meetings. I have a friend who comes up with many conspiracy theories, but Phil’s are much more fun. ANN DEUPREE Grand Rapids, Michigan The New Hoosiers Thank you Indianapolis Monthly for highlighting the growing Burmese population in Indianapolis. The photo essay in the December issue was great. LUN KHAM Indianapolis I live in this area, and I really want to know what my Chin neighbors cook in their garages sometimes, because it smells delicious. KEVIN SPIND Indianapolis I was…

Q: A FRIEND FROM OUT WEST COULDN’T GET OVER HOW MANY INDIANA HOUSES HAVE BASEMENTS. ARE THEY A RARITY AROUND THE COUNTRY? A: Basements are as common as potholes in Indiana, but many parts of the country can’t have them. In much of the South, the water table is so high that if you tried to dig one, you’d wind up with a small lake. In the West, the soil can expand and contract so dramatically that basement walls would quickly crack. And in other locales, such as Texas, bedrock sits close to the surface and you’d need dynamite to blast out that subterranean rec area of your dreams. But in Indiana (and much of the Midwest), stable soil conditions make it easy to dig one. Because foundations in areas…

From Inhabit Living, the Irvington makers of Wall Flats, comes a new line of Ikea cabinet covers. Inhabit spin-off company Tailored Design Co. lets DIY homeowners customize a Godmorgon bathroom vanity (purchased separately) with less than an hour of assembly. The tricky part is choosing from Tailored’s nine modern options, each available in multiple finishes. The beauty of these covers is that they can be changed out for different styles and textures when you later decide another reno is in order to keep your restroom looking like the best room. $110 and up, tailoreddesign.co…

YOU’RE WELL-KNOWN AS BLAIR ST. CLAIR, A TWO-TIME COMPETITOR ON RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, BUT WHAT’S YOUR STYLE OUT OF DRAG? Comfortable. Trendy. Fun! I wear a lot of oversized street/urban type of fashion. YOU’VE REPRESENTED INDY VERY FASHIONABLY ON TV. It’s ridiculous when people say Indy lacks fashion. Fashion here varies depending which side of town you are on. AND WHERE ARE YOU? Chatham Arch, near Mass Ave, where there are a lot of young professionals. I tend to find myself dressing business-casual, but comfort is still my priority. SO WE’RE REALLY DOING FANNY PACKS AGAIN? It’s my secret weapon! I call it my Mary Poppins bag because I keep everything inside. I got this one at H&M for under $20 and use it daily.…

NOT ALL HYBRID products catch on. When was the last time you used a spork, for instance? But there’s nothing gimmicky about Heartland Fragrance loofa soap, which incorporates the scrubby material all throughout a glycerin bar. The exfoliation factor blows other bars out of the water, which is especially important during the peak dry-skin season right now. Deflaking makes skin softer on its own, and the loofa glycerin soap moisturizes at the same time for a double whammy. Glycerin is said to be good for sensitive skin, but the sea-coral texture isn’t for babies once the loofa is exposed after a few washes. It’s unisex and comes in lots of scents, including a warm and woodsy Mighty Good Man—but who’s to say he wouldn’t enjoy cucumber aloe? BUY IT $8…

LISBON, OHIO DISTANCE 334 miles DRIVE TIME 5.5 hours IRONICALLY, the first generation addicted to smartphones is now revolutionizing the “unplugged” culture. Untethering themselves from their Wi-Fiand social-media highlight reels, Millennials have managed to make it cool to disconnect. Getaway Beaver Creek ($99 to $299 per night, getaway.house/pitts burgh-cleveland), with its fetching black cabins nestled in the woods, offers an idyllic digital-reset location. Getaway “outposts” are scattered across the United States with new two-person and four-person cabins—none with Wi-Fi or a TV, and all dog-friendly. The closest one to Indianapolis is Beaver Creek in eastern Ohio (aka, Escape From Pittsburgh/Cleveland on its booking website). You’re close to arriving when you reach a windy country road, which spits you out onto an even windier gravel lane leading back to a plot of…

Road Trip As its name suggests, South Bend’s new southern-concept spot, Fatbird, makes a mean fried chicken. The supper-table staple appears in two of chef Alain Helfrich’s five early-menu “plates,” plus a lighter poached and chargrilled vinegar chicken basted in Alabama white sauce. It pairs nicely with a side of long-cooked beans and a laminated biscuit, following a Vidalia onion–and–buttermilk dip starter and a Sweet Dibs cocktail of date-infused bourbon, Corazon bitters, and smoked paprika. “We wanted this to be an approachable atmosphere,” says Jordan Mullins, one of four owners (including chef Helfrich) of the restaurant located inside one of the prime downtown spots, next door to the lavish Morris Performing Arts Center. “There is a lot of fine dining around us,” Mullins says. “This is something that everyone could…

YOU GREW UP IN THE SMALL TOWN OF LEBANON, WHICH ISN’T EXACTLY KNOWN FOR ITS STARTUP CULTURE. HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR WAY TO A CAREER IN TECH? I was an Orr Fellow after college, and I worked at Rose-Hulman Ventures for a couple years, which is where I learned about ExactTarget. I joined ExactTarget in 2004 and it changed my life. I moved to London and later San Francisco. By the time I came back to Indy two years ago, we had been acquired by Salesforce and I’d been gone for about a decade. Last year, I decided to start Mandolin. MANDOLIN LIVESTREAMS CONCERTS, WHICH HAVE BEEN ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE TO STAGE LIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC. WAS IT A LOVE OF MUSIC THAT MADE YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR CUSHY…

CAPRIOLE GOAT CHEESE The award-winning Greenville creamery will ship gift orders of its stunning goat cheeses—like the $75 Deluxe Ripened Collection—in temperature-safe packaging that keeps the precious freight properly chilled. capriolegoatcheese.com ROSIE’S PLACE COOKIE TINS The same gooey butter cookies that are impossible to resist on the front counter at Rosie’s Place send a sweet message when arranged by the dozen inside cute shippable pails. rosiesplace.net SEND A FRIEND LASAGNA The name says it all. Choose from meat, cheese, or veggie (there is even a gluten-free option), and a homemade tin of warm, bubbling love will be dropped off within days. sendafriendlasagna.com BOARD AND YOU This New Albany–based company with a Fishers satellite offers charcuterie delivery, from tiny grazing boxes to elaborate meat-and-cheese feasts. boardandyou.com…

LAST SUMMER, 18 BLACK ARTISTS gathered to create a large-scale Black Lives Matter mural on the surface of Indiana Avenue, an area of Indianapolis born from segregation. The stretch and surrounding community was once home to a third of the city’s Black population and a thriving cultural scene highlighted by a vibrant hub for jazz, particularly Black jazz. At its height, from the 1930s to the 1940s, “Funky Broadway” was comparable to districts in New Orleans and Kansas City. More than 30 jazz clubs featured national acts and nurtured local talent like Wes Montgomery, who went on to become one of the most influential guitarists of his time. Burlesque, cabaret, and drag shows also drew crowds, which spilled onto a street lined with Black-owned restaurants, shops, and professional offices. Despite…

Julia Spalding As restaurants in Indy recalibrated for COVID, dining editor Julia Spalding tracked the changes, from the golden hour of pop-ups to the heartbreaking closures. In this month’s cover story (p. 48), she unpacks the sudden evolution of takeout dining. “It has been the perfect pivot while everyone is stuck at home,” she says. “But I can’t wait for the day when we can all sit down and eat together safely.” Joe DePaolo Freelance writer Joe DePaolo is no stranger to cop stories. Prior to his piece about the Lawrence Police Department (p. 45), he once spent time with the New York Police Department baseball team. “I found a terrific character who’d sit next to me in the dugout and give me hilarious quotes,” DePaolo says. “But a few…

NFL Combine THE NFL GETS PHYSICAL. Despite the regressive, cattle-market feel of the Combine, it’s a relatively new idea. In fact, prior to the 1970s, teams didn’t even give potential draft picks physicals. (Which makes sense if you’ve seen 1960s photos of pros smoking in the locker room at halftime.) But after the New York Jets started inviting college seniors to team HQ for physicals and interviews in 1976, other teams followed suit. Eventually Tex Schramm, president and general manager for the Dallas Cowboys, suggested that teams work together to make the process more efficient. WHY INDY? While we didn’t yet have an NFL team, the city was home to National Football Scouting, Inc., and in 1982, NFS conducted the first National Invitational Camp in Tampa. Three years later, the…

A CENTURY AGO, after years of welcoming immigrants, the U.S. government hung a “no vacancy” sign on the doors of the American dream by passing the Emergency Quota Act, inspiring Indiana’s own Cole Porter to use his art for activism in the form of a rare protest ballet, Within the Quota. The 1921 law capped the number of immigrants based on country of origin and targeted Southern and Eastern Europeans, among other “undesirable” factions. It was deemed an effort to save the American culture and workforce—familiar rhetoric used by the Trump administration, which saw the rate of legal immigration into the United States halved during its tenure. Like modern immigration laws, the Emergency Quota Act inspired a wave of pro-immigration activism, and Porter, who was born to the state’s wealthiest…

THE THREAD Day-to-night dressing is out and bed-to-desk is in. The one-piece Go Soft wear HOODED UNION SUIT starts as pajamas, then can be worn solo all day as loungewear until it’s time to throw on something over it for a Zoom meeting or a run outside. The close-to-the-body cut makes it easy to layer, and the pockets come in handy even around the house. Plus, the garment-washed fabric feels relaxed from day one. But sorry, there’s no trap door. $119, Toolbox Men’s Supply Company, 750 N. College Ave., 317-602-7778, toolboxindy.com…

SNACK It took five years for the owners of Popakernel (1), a Black-owned business, to perfect their candy caramel corn. With more than 15 available flavors, you’ll want to grab one, two, or a few free, pre-packaged samples on your way out. It might be your only chance to try mac and cheese popcorn. Ever. 1630 S. Green St., 317-531-3369, popakernel.org SHOP Women of all ages can find the latest trends at Ella Mae’s Boutique (2). The cozy, modern shop carries sizes up to 3X and specializes in comfortable, affordable apparel—$40 cardigans, $30 lounge pants, and $8 leggings. Participate in live shopping shows each week by asking to join the private Facebook page. 19 N. Green St., 317-939-0151, ellamaes.com INDULGE Grab a well-rounded breakfast (i.e., a Danish or a filled…

Cranial sacral therapy might not sound sexy, but at a certain age, wellness procedures become as desirable as spa treatments. Fishers-based Knead TheraPeace combines such bodywork with massages and makes house calls, even bringing along a private chef, adding up to an unconventional date for Valentine’s Day. Knead’s massage modalities include Thai yoga bodywork to increase range of motion, neuro reset therapy for releasing excessive tension, and active isolated stretching, a form used by pro athletes and entertainers. Cranial sacral therapy, or CST, is a type of bodywork that relieves compression in the bones of the head, sacrum, and spinal column to treat headaches and neck pain, among other issues. Unlike a typical massage, Knead incorporates several types during a session. “We send our therapists around the country to train…

With a history that dates to just after the Civil War, the Italianate flatiron building that anchors Mass Ave’s southern end provides the perfect backdrop for sipping a pre-Prohibition elixir and pondering the city’s past. Prime Hospitality Group had exactly that in mind when it opened The Exchange Whiskey Bar on the second floor of the Hammond Block building last fall. Modeled after the original South Bend location, the high-ceilinged lounge outfitted with comfy, clubby furniture offers panoramic views of the skyline and a bar stocked with more than 450 whiskeys from around the globe. Brown liquors are de rigueur in such vintage shakeups as the Scofflaw, a 1920s Parisian mixture of bourbon, vermouth, and grenadine that taunted American tourists who couldn’t drink back home. 301 Massachusetts Ave., 317-943-5000, exchangewhiskeybar.com…

AS A BIOLOGY and finance double major at Purdue, Jesse Rice was jealous of the house parties his friends were going to in Bloomington. “IU has this great basement party scene that West Lafayette doesn’t,” he says. “When I moved to Broad Ripple after school, everyone was talking about it. I knew I wanted to re-create that one day.” While it took him a few years, with stints in Chicago and Bloomington itself, as well as jobs in banking, Rice finally got the party started. In 2016, he and a former colleague opened Black Circle Brewing, the funky industrial hangout in Midtown known as much for its metal-band bookings as its excellent ales and porters. Along with the hard-rocking music and the beer, Rice started offering weekly drag shows and…

LIVE PD, A&E’s hit series that followed patrol cops across the country and chronicled their interactions with civilians in real-time, has been off the air for months now. But whether he’s knocking out the weekly shopping or filling up his gas tank, Lawrence Police Department Officer Charlie Kingery still gets recognized plenty from his appearances on it—even while wearing street clothes. “I’ve ruined any chance that I have of ever going undercover,” Kingery jokes. You don’t blend in when you’re Charlie Kingery and you can, and frequently do, dance in public like you belong on the stage at Chippendales. The officer’s impromptu dance-offs with local residents became a fixture both on the program and social media, where his clips regularly went viral. According to the Lawrence PD’s Deputy Gary Woodruff,…

As convenient as the apps are, third-party delivery services like Uber Eats and Grubhub take a chunk of profit from businesses already hanging on to thin margins. When possible, retrieve your food order in person (many restaurants have streamlined their curbside method) or take advantage of these Indy-based delivery options. CLUSTERTRUCK Online and app The best app, the best variety, the best kids’ menu, the best reuseable containers. A tad expensive, but there’s a points-reward system, and the food is cooked in ClusterTruck’s kitchen once a driver is available, which means it always arrives hot, fresh, and fast. Delivery area: downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, Broad Ripple, Fishers, and Carmel; clustertruck.com FAST TRACK Online and phone A bicycle-only delivery partner for downtown favorites Subito and Poke Guru—and it doesn’t gouge them…

You first served in public office in 2017, when a caucus of Republican officials appointed you to replace retiring state Sen. Luke Kenley. Then your inaugural run in an election was one of the country’s most closely watched House races of 2020. What was it like jumping into that fire? Well, I’ve been in politics for a decade now in a lot of different national, state, and local races. Even if I wasn’t campaigning for myself, I understood the challenges and what needed to be done. And I knew the people on the ground here, so that really helped. How are you feeling about splitting your time between Indiana and Washington, D.C.? I’ve worked out of town for many jobs before, so I’m used to that. You become more efficient.…

INDIANA HAS BEEN home to thousands of talented potters, but not many of them ended up with work on Antiques Roadshow and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The four Overbeck sisters, who began making vases in Cambridge City in 1911, rose to national prominence for their unique glazes and hand-etched Art Nouveau designs. Margaret Overbeck—who studied in the art pottery mecca of Zanesville, Ohio—founded the business, but died in a car accident in its first year. Her sisters Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary Frances carried on the craft until the last of them passed away in 1955. Today, their work can fetch as much as $40,000 per pot, and one of the largest collections of them is in the Cambridge City Library. This one, created by Elizabeth and Hannah, sits…