Tabla de contenidos para June - July 2020 en Indianapolis Monthly

Lili Wright • When freelance writer Lili Wright heard Indiana Beach might be closing (p. 54), she was curious why two corporate owners had failed after the local Spackman family had kept the park running for decades. While she was reporting, a buyer emerged. “He should take a lesson from the Spackmans,” Wright says. “The family created a beloved park, and they did it by keeping things personal.” Craig Fehrman • In February, freelance writer Craig Fehrman was planning a publicity tour for his first book. “Then by March,” he says, “I realized it wasn’t going to happen. The coronavirus changed everything.” Returning to normal will take bold action, which is why Fehrman was excited to interview Dr. Aaron Carroll (p. 90) about the crisis. “Carroll has been one of…

Cut drying time Ditch disposable sponges Choose passive power Add a reusable filter Learn the ropes Replace plastic bottles THE THREAD SNAPPY HOUR No judgment if you’re drinking a little more than usual these days. Take a cue from Meryl Streep and pour one into a Match martini glass. The actress tippled with the fine Italian pewterware in a viral video in April when she joined a boozy online musical tribute to composer Stephen Sondheim. The vessel is pricey, but you’ll need a special glass to toast Indy’s bicentennial this month. Later, add a bathrobe and you’ve got a Halloween costume. $105 each at Addendum Gallery, Carmel, addendumgallery.com…

Prep Talk The unofficial definition of compound butter in the culinary industry is “delicious butter mixed with other delicious things and whatnot.” The result is a spread saturated with flavor, and nobody’s better at dreaming up its uses than resourceful chefs like Abbi Merriss at Bluebeard (653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580, bluebeardindy.com), who serves anchovy butter with slabs of chewy, grilled Amelia’s bread, or Kathleen Tracy of Movable Feast (5143 E. 65th St., 317-577-9901, feast317.com), who makes basil, lemon-cilantro, and chipotle compound butters for her menus and takeaway refrigerator. Summer is the perfect time to make your own strawberry compound butter by combining one stick of salted, softened butter with six to seven ripe, smashed berries. Mix with a fork (or food processor) and serve on toast or biscuits. Or, form the butter…

FOUR DAYS. That’s how long Bae Latin Food functioned as a normal, pre-pandemic restaurant—the kind of spiffy enterprise its owners, childhood friends who grew up in the same apartment building in Venezuela, had always envisioned. Instagram photos from the March 13 grand opening show a full staff beaming in their crisp uniforms and customers crowding the counter. You see the two Hamilton County–based proprietors, Alberto Araujo and Michel Beauperthuy (whose third business partner, Luis Daniel Beauperthuy, lives in Portugal), pose proudly at Bae’s gleaming entrance, smiling like they’ve just won the Publishers Clearing House. It’s like flipping through a slideshow from a more innocent time, before COVID-19 and its restrictions forced restaurants across the country to pivot hard, scramble for federal aid, and make the excruciating decision to close their…

AS I SIT in my home writing this, we are two weeks into Governor Eric Holcomb’s quarantine, with God only knows how many weeks to go. I’m forbidden from visiting my customary haunts as pastor—hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and the homes of the sick and elderly—so I’m organizing closets, cleaning my office, and tinkering on my motorcycles in the garage. One hates to think about such things, but in the event that I get the coronavirus and die, I’ve made provisions for my motorcycles, as one would a child or pet. Dave Helton will inherit my 1979 Honda CB650, which is in pristine condition. Dave’s been a wonderful friend, utterly dependable, and will therefore receive a motorcycle consistent with his nature. I’ve made arrangements for Brian Ritchie to get…

DOWNTOWN INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square Bazbeaux PIZZA As some of Indy’s most celebrated restaurateurs open pie places all over town, we haven’t forgotten where we first found artichoke hearts and goat cheese on our ’za. Bazbeaux has changed little since 1986, when it opened in Broad Ripple, and it hasn’t really needed to. Flat crust baked crunchy. Toppings you won’t find at Domino’s, like pine nuts and prosciutto. And the cheese—mounds of mozzarella blended with provolone and pecorino. 333 Massachusetts Ave., 317-636-7662, bazbeaux.com Beholder CONTEMPORARY A former car-repair shop just outside Woodruff Place sets the stage for a daring piece of performance art that has featured pig-skin noodles, and granita-topped uni designed to melt on the tongue as well as buttermilk fried chicken with wildflower…

The only thing harder than getting 200 people to answer a series of questions and sit for photos is getting 200 people to answer a series of questions and sit for photos during a pandemic. But somehow our small team of reporters and photographers—led by deputy editor Daniel S. Comiskey—managed not only to overcome that obstacle, but in doing so captured a moment in time. The cover story—“200 Voices” (p. 59)—was conceived sometime in January as a way to celebrate the city’s bicentennial. As the editors sanded off the rough edges of the idea, we made one list of wishes and another where we tried to anticipate worst-case scenarios. No one in those early idea sessions was worried with, say, social distancing. The phrase probably hadn’t even been coined yet.…

STEPHANIE PIERSON-HUTSON’S car is full of little dog butts, alien heads, and hanging tree snakes. “I’m an artist, but I feel more like a truck driver,” says the owner of Pond Scum Ceramics, who has been traveling the country on the art-fair circuit for 25 years. The Fishers-based ceramicist is popular at those events for a reason: Her creature-covered light-switch covers, clocks, and magnets bring a smile to the face of most people who see them. When she began her career at the Herron School of Art, she was fixated on all things aquatic. “Everything was a fish bowl, a fish sculpture, or a mug with a fish on it,” she says. “I’ve evolved.” Today, the artist handcrafts all sorts of functional animals, including wall-mounted dog butts—for hanging Rover’s leash—and…

On the Market INFLUENCED BY Southern architecture, this northwestside property sits atop a wooded knoll and has five porches for enjoying incredible views over the 15-acre lot—from fields and pastures to the forested hillsides of Eagle Creek Park. Thanks to a nearby conservation easement, wildlife roams the land. The owners often find white-tailed deer sleeping in their shrubs. It’s the kind of shelter that makes you want to stay in place. The home was built in 1989, though it appears much older thanks to a painstaking attention to historical accuracy. Chandeliers and sconces were handmade to replicate those that would have existed 200 years ago, and the main staircase is a copy of one inside Louisville’s historic Locust Grove home. Nearly all of the interior woodwork is warm quarter-sawn walnut.…

Patachou, Inc. owner Martha Hoover did not waste time responding to the restaurant industry’s pandemic breakdown. Within a week of the COVID-19 state closures, Apocalypse Burger was conceived during a family Zoom call, and by 10:30 that night, Hoover had filed for trademark protection of the name. This carryout pop-up that will sell “revenge burgers” and “spite snacks” took up residence in the Meridian-Kessler building that once housed Patachou’s Crispy Bird fried-chicken bistro. Don’t let the dystopian branding fool you; Apocalypse Burger’s menu promises a double-smash with Malvarosa cheese and barbecue aioli as well as a fried Hen of the Woods mushroom sandwich, duck-fat french fries, and enough Underwood canned wine to survive the end of the world as we know it. 115 E. 49th St.…

Check out GENERAL AMERICAN DONUT COMPANY’s full description on page 128.…

SUMMER WITHOUT Indiana Beach would be hard to imagine for Ed and Sylvia Ward. The couple met as teenagers on the boardwalk after Ed’s shift at the bumper cars. Years later, their five children all worked at the resort. And last summer, though Ed had sworn off roller coasters—he’s 62 and has had open-heart surgery—he took two grandkids on the Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain. “It felt like being shaken in a paint can,” he says, laughing. “I was very glad when it was over.” Like many people in Monticello, the Wards have warm memories of the 376-acre amusement park that juts into the Tippecanoe River: fireworks, dancing, tacos, Skee-Ball. Though they didn’t go as often in recent years, summer didn’t pass without at least one trip to Indiana Beach.…

“I’ve been watching P90X videos on YouTube, but they’re surprisingly ineffective when you don’t do the exercises.” —DANIEL S. COMISKEY, DEPUTY EDITOR “WFH leggings and a desk-side resistance band are great for a quick, mid-day stretch.” —ALLISON EDWARDS, SPECIAL PROJECTS ART DIRECTOR “That old Vitamaster exercise bicycle that I bought a few years ago as a vintage novelty? During quarantine, I found out it’s a pretty good workout, even though it looks like Jane Fonda’s long-lost Peloton.” —JULIA SPALDING, DINING EDITOR…

Convention Jeopardy Expected to draw a total of 150,000 fans, gamers, and cosplayers to Indy from all over the world in June and July, Pop Con, Comic Con, and the big one, Gen Con, were among more than 700 conventions booked for 2020. But as the masks change from mythical to medical, Indy’s convention business is becoming increasingly unsteady. TOURISM IS AT A STANDSTILL. Visit Indy was expecting to surpass even last year’s record-breaking numbers of 30 million visitors from around the globe coming to Indianapolis, which generated $5.6 billion in economic impact. But as big events such as Gen Con cancelled due to COVID-19, it quickly became apparent that it was going to be a disastrous year. Tourism, as senior vice president of marketing Chris Gahl puts it, “has…

When graphic designers Sara Jean and Joey Potts moved to Indy from Chicago last year, they were blown away—and inspired—by our community’s support of small businesses. So when the coronavirus hit their restaurant and brewery clients hard, they created the Local Love League collection of T-shirts and tote bags to help hurting hospitality workers. All proceeds go to a couple of relief funds, and with United State of Indiana donating its labor to print the shirts, a generous 73 percent of the retail cost winds up in the charity coffers. All you have to do is wear your heart on your sleeve. $20, localloveleague.com…

Jargon Watch Lively city neighborhoods that balance residential, commercial, and community spaces in modern ways are emerging as popular areas to call home. People want the dynamic feel of urban living on a smaller, quieter scale. This “urb suburb” model, also known as “hipsturbia,” has its roots in Brooklyn, while the evolution of Broad Ripple Village into a dynamic area with transit, residential density, and the Monon Trail lifestyle has transformed it into one of Indy’s first urb suburbs, says Milhaus vice president Brad Vogelsmeier. The real-estate developer designed its Red Line–adjacent, 100-unit MK apartment building on College Avenue to fit the trend (Ambrosia’s next restaurant concept is in the works there), and Milhaus is working on another urb suburb nearby with Kite Realty Group: the big Glendale makeover. The…

Coming Soon KRISTINE BOCKMAN was already planning a cafe and bistro that wouldn’t price anyone in her SoBro neighborhood out of enjoying scratch food. In our new COVID-19 reality, her budget-minded menu will likely be a welcome relief for food lovers who are eager to get out but light on funds. “We don’t want to be this fancy, snobby place,” says Bockman. “We want everything to be approachable and affordable. So nothing on the menu will be over $10.” GoldLeaf Savory & Sweet will be open seven days a week for coffee, espresso, and takeaway snacks like breakfast sandwiches, adult “lunchables,” and quick breads. They’ll start service at 6 a.m. with alternatives to gas-station grab-and-go coffee and food. Dinner will be available Thursday through Sunday, with a changing menu of…

Pier 48 Fish House & Oyster Bar Hot with browned butter or chilled with mayonnaise? There are two types of lobster-roll people, and the divide runs deep. Fortunately, downtown Indy’s boat-to-table restaurant does not discriminate, serving its market-price roll both ways. Each version packs bits of lobster meat into a housemade toasted bao bun. They run small, so maybe order one of each? 130 S. Pennsylvania St., 317-560-4848, eatpier48.com J’s Lobster Truck Owner J. Wolf, who relocated his Chicago food truck to Indianapolis last summer, focuses just as much on the roll as the lobster. His New England–style bun leans toward buttery brioche, served warm with chilled claw and knuckle meat inside. A drizzle of warm butter, swipe of mayo, and dash of Old Bay finish the roll. Look for…

What has the coronavirus crisis taught you about the people of Indianapolis? “We can panic and hoard with the best of them.” John Oreovicz, 55 Freelance writer Lives in Speedway “That it’s not as impossible for people to come together as the 2016 election made it seem. On our neighborhood Facebook page, many are offering to get groceries for elderly people or help with childcare. I’ve seen Indianapolis come together to help other communities facing disaster, but this is the first time I remember us doing so locally.” Katie Schluge, 40 Stay-at-home mom Lives in Meridian-Kessler “I think it has taught all of us to recognize the things we’ve taken for granted. Hopefully, we’ll appreciate them more when life returns to some degree of normal.” Dedee Northway, 46 CEO of…

AS SOMEONE WHO RESEARCHES THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN TRACKING THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS FROM THE BEGINNING. WHEN DID YOU FIRST START WORRYING ABOUT IT? Well, the first thing to say is that I’m also just a citizen. I don’t have access to special reports or data. I remember hearing about this at the beginning of January. At that point, the news coverage was mostly focused on China, and there was still hope that China might contain it. I write a column for The New York Times, and my pieces from that period tried to convey: Hey, there’s this virus, here’s the data about it, here’s what we know about its spread. I got more worried in February. In the third week of that month, I was on a…