Tabla de contenidos para June 2021 en Indianapolis Monthly

Maybe it’s the Pfizer talking, but I’m starting to see the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel. Right now, those rays of sunshine are actually coming through my office window that looks out onto Monument Circle. That’s where, at this time a year ago, people took to the street to protest racial injustice—and we know where things went from there. Today, there is colorful artwork on business windows where there was once plywood, a reminder that so much has happened in between. I’m proud to say that during this period—both in print and digitally—we produced some of the most meaningful work in this magazine’s 40-plus-year history. Others took note, too, including our peers. Recently, the magazine was an eight-time finalist in the 36th Annual National City and Regional…

For its eighth season, the city’s soccer team has returned to its original home, the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium at IUPUI. But everyone calls it The Mike. Tailgate in the parking lot just north of the stadium and you’ll be handed a free Black Acre beer pretty quickly. If your seats are in the west end behind the goal, be prepared to stand. Stomping your feet during corner kicks is mandatory. Bring a bandana, scarf, or mask to cover your face when the smoke pours out after a goal is scored. For away matches, the fan group Brickyard Battalion has watch parties all over the city and suburbs. Broad Ripple’s Union Jack Pub is among the most popular BB gathering places.…

BY NO FAULT of its own, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s farewell to music director Krzysztof Urbanski has certainly lacked fanfare. Canceled concerts over the last year included a pairing with pianist Dejan Lazic, who was here for Urbanski’s ISO debut in 2010, as well as a climax for the Beethoven 250th anniversary celebration. And his final concert of Polish music was, as they say in his native language, kaput, thanks to COVID-19. But before Urbanski steps down, the ISO hopes to sneak in a series of goodbye concerts. On June 4 and 5, Urbanski will conduct Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring pianist Garrick Ohlsson as the first guest artist in more than a year. On June 11 and 12, the orchestra’s new concertmaster, Kevin Lin, will join Urbanski for…

ARABELLA HOME 3002 E. Washington St., facebook.com/arabellahomeindy DON’T MISS Decorative ceramic vessels by Fountain Square Clay Center artist Felissa Joy. SPRING IS ALL about new life, and that’s exactly what’s happening in an otherwise shopping dead zone along East Washington from downtown to Irvington. A former liquor store in the Englewood neighborhood is home to a French-inspired, neoclassical decor shop, Arabella Home. Owner Francoise Edwards spruced up the exterior with fresh black and white paint and soft ened its edges with flower pots and window boxes. Inside, smooth music drowns out nearby traffic, the smell of Parisian perfumes tickles the nose, and locally made jewelry from Vernice Davis dazzles the eye. Upholstered furniture anchors the space filled out with arrangements of appealing little chests and quirky antiques on tables and…

Revisit REGULARS AT downtown pub English Ivy’s refer to their cozy neighborhood watering hole as Indy’s “gay Cheers.” That description has an especially inviting ring to it as the LGBTQ-friendly establishment celebrates its first Gay Pride Month under the watch of new owners Sam Scott and Jeff Roberts. “Jeff has been a bartender there since 1999,” Scott says. “He’s pretty much the face of English Ivy’s.” Both men can still be spotted behind the bar, pouring grenadine-tinged Jeff’s Cherry Colas and Bloody Marys made with horseradish-infused vodka. Scott and Roberts have also enhanced the bar menu with dishes like scallops and steak tacos, and added outdoor tables in time for this month’s festivities. “Sitting outside is huge during Pride,” Scott says. But customers can celebrate the LGBTQ community year-round—perhaps during…

BOURBON PUNCH Sun King Brewing Multiple locations, sunkingbrewing.com This springtime sipper from Sun King (stay tuned for new summer slushies) starts with the nostalgic flavors of birthday-party punch—OJ, pineapple juice, lemonade, and ginger ale. The combo gets fancied up with brown-sugar simple syrup and West Fork Whiskey’s Old Hamer Bourbon. SANGRIA SLUSHIE Just Pop In 6406 Cornell Ave., 317-257-9338, justpopinpopcorn.com The strawberry sangria is co-owner Mandy Selke’s favorite on the rotating menu of boozy slushies served in cute to-go cups at the cafe connected to the local popcorn powerhouse. WATERMELON LIME CHILL Urban Vines 303 E. 161st St., Westfield, 317-763-0678, urban-vines.com Suburban winery and brewery Urban Vines combines white wine with two of their popular slushie flavors, watermelon and Key lime pie, in this two-toned beauty. The bright colors and…

HAD YOU HEARD OF MAJOR TAYLOR BEFORE APPLYING FOR THIS MURAL PROJECT? I was familiar with who he was, but I didn’t know that he was the first African-American world champion cyclist. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO THE MURAL IN MONOCHROME RATHER THAN COLOR? Because there are no color images of him. But I paint the majority of my large-scale murals in monochrome. I believe it looks very timeless. It’s a theme I’ve done for the last several years, and I definitely see myself continuing down that path. SO HOW IS WORKING ON A GIGANTIC MURAL DIFFERENT FROM DOING MORE MANAGEABLE PROJECTS, LIKE PAINTINGS? The main thing is control. When you’re working on canvas in a studio, you have control over everything, from the concept to what the final…

MICHAEL MCROBBIE swears Mitch Daniels isn’t the problem. But it has been inconvenient trying to build a legacy as Indiana University president with the headline-making former governor nearby leading Purdue University. The Atlantic, Forbes, and CNBC covered Purdue’s years-long tuition freeze, solidifying Daniels’s reputation as a reformer in higher education. McRobbie has tackled the student afford-ability crisis at IU, too—with impressive results. His straightforward program to limit student debt saved alumni more than $138 million. It led to law changes in more than a dozen states. But Forbes didn’t mention it. Beyond addressing debt, McRobbie’s significant impact on IU in his 14 years as president happened largely under the radar. He built IU’s public health and engineering programs from scratch, doubled enrollment of minority students, improved the graduation rate, and…

VINTAGE: 1989 Resides at the Samara House in West Lafayette WHEN FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT designed the spectacular Samara House in 1955, he included plans for a set of mahogany dining chairs that incorporated the home’s winged-seed theme. The only problem? John and Kay Christian, the homeowners, couldn’t find any woodworkers skilled enough to bring Wright’s vision to life. More than three decades later, a craftsman at Purdue named Gary Carter gave it a try, and the chairs have been an eye-catching feature there ever since. Today, Samara is a museum. The National Park Service recently awarded it $1 million for restoration, but up to six visitors at a time can visit while improvements are being made. Which happens to be the exact number of chairs at the dining table, still…

“I once installed a paver patio that sank in the middle and became a mud pit for the four years I lived there. Turns out, the proper foundation is important.”—DANIEL COMISKEY, DEPUTY EDITOR “I painted our front room a deep shade of orangered, and one night, fire trucks roared up outside. After some confusion, we realized someone had just seen my red walls through a window and called 911.”—MEGAN FERNANDEZ, EXECUTIVE EDITOR “I always thought I could easily change out my bathroom faucets (one of which just broke and is currently being operated with a flathead screwdriver). It didn’t take long living in a house built in 1926 to determine that plumbing issues are best handled by professionals.”—ANDREA RATCLIFF, SPECIAL SECTIONS DIRECTOR…

BOOKING IT Ten essential tomes on Indy sports history. COUGAR TOWN John Mellencamp’s Hoosier progressivism, revisited. COOKIE MONSTERS How to grab your Crumbl Cookies in style. Ain’t That America Editor’s note: Michael Rubino’s online essay about John Mellencamp’s song “Pink Houses” and its connection to the current infrastructure debate had a lot of readers exclaiming “Uh-huh!” Thank you for writing this. That song was the first thing I thought of when Buttigieg made his statement about racism built into our highways. JENNIFER DORSEY Via Twitter Nice. I was at a concert in Colorado where Mellencamp explained “Pink Houses” and people walked out. It was great. MICAH LING Via Twitter Yep. Federal and state transportation policies have a long history of adversely impacting minorities. KEN AVIDOR Via Twitter Timely, well written,…

Electric Slides Wanted Step comfortably into warm weather in a pair of Ipanema sandals from the Brazilian flip-flop maker of the same name. Your sole mate exists in some combination of the line’s colors and styles, all with a geometric design inside that replicates the iconic mosaic sidewalks along Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Every pair is lightweight yet sturdy and made with 100-percent recyclable vegan materials. You’ll surely find yourself humming the famous song—and it’s not a bad earworm to have all summer long. $24 and up. Good Neighbor, Bottleworks District, 850 Massachusetts Ave., shopgoodneighbor.com…

NOT MANY FOOD VENDORS HAVE YOUR STYLE. I ask myself, “Is that someone I’d trust handling my food?” Style definitely affects a customer’s thoughts on what’s being served to them. WHERE DO YOU POST UP? We [Road Dogs] are on Monument Circle whenever Mother Nature allows us. AND WHERE DO YOU GO OFF THE CLOCK? I love the Canal to relax, reflect, and gather my thoughts. WHAT IS IN YOUR ARSENAL FOR THE JOB? I like to wear things that are very comfortable, being that my occupation can be physical from time to time. Some soft cotton joggers and a fresh, white, fitted T-shirt may not get me on the runway, but it will get me through a long, hard day. MUST BE NICE TO BE OUTSIDE ON THE CIRCLE…

Road Trip The fourth restaurant from the FoxGardin team and owner Jake Burgess, Smoky’s Concession Stand (actually a sit-down establishment with a courtyard and live music stage) delivers on casual comfort foods. Light and crispy fried chicken arrives with a sweet, just-hot-enough honey. Ribs are fall-off - the-bone tender. And who can turn down the Munchie pizza, with its BBQ ranch marinara sauce, pepperoni, roasted chicken, mushrooms, and white-cheddar Cheez-It crumbles? (If you’re living that cauliflower life, you can order your pizza on a plant-based crust.) The roomy courtyard, along with a large garage door inside that turns the dining room into an indoor/outdoor experience, will be welcome sights for people looking to reenter the restaurant scene after a year of COVID-19 restrictions. 732 S. Main St., Lapel, 765-534-4111, foxgardin.com…

THE OWNERS of Monterey Coastal Cuisine spared no bell nor whistle in designing this sexy addition to Carmel’s Main Street. At the entrance (a heavy copper door with a small porthole window), guests adjust their eyes to the dreamy slates and wood tones, as well as the textured fabric wallpaper, the squiddy light fixtures floating down from the ceiling, and the actual aquatic life bobbing in the aquarium that is built into the paneled wall behind the host’s head. There are dining cubbies lit by chandeliers that look like driftwood dripping with ice crystals. Walls are whitewashed brick or covered in muted, color-blocked murals that conjure misty seascapes. And the dining room’s ceiling is a busy topographic map of beams and dropped panels hanging at various levels for both acoustics…

THIS PAST YEAR, I was asked to serve on a hiring committee for a new Quaker superintendent. Quakers don’t have bishops or cardinals. We have superintendents, who, in addition to being underpaid, lack the power to effect the growth and change we expect of them. Still, it was my task, along with seven other hopeful souls, to find the one person suited for the job. For people who value simplicity, Quakers can complicate things. We had to coordinate with three separate committees, report regularly on our progress, rob Peter to pay Paul, all while making employment among Quakers seem like a delightful way to spend one’s life. We did all of that without lying, at least outright. This wasn’t the first time I’ve hired someone. In fact, hardly a week…

TAKING A BREAK AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURSE OF RIPPING A DERELICT BATES-HENDRICKS HOUSE APART, GOOD BONES STAR MINA HAWK SHARES SOME GREAT NEWS WITH A FEW OF HER CASTMATES SEASON 7 IA HAPPENING,. IT'S OFFICIAL. SITTING ON A TAILGATE IN RIPPED BLACK JEANS AND WORKBOOTS, SHE HOLDS UP HER PHONE AND WIGGLES THE EMAIL AT THEM. The guys make some sounds of mild enthusiasm. It’s merely a formality—they expected it. They just happened to learn about the extension of their TV careers in the unceremonial sett ing of a sidewalk, milling around a folding table and an Igloo cooler of water bottles. This is the extent of amenities on the Good Bones set. This and the porta pott y—now that gets Mina excited. “It took us six seasons to…

Ashley C. Ford Author Ashley C. Ford recently moved back to Indy from Brooklyn to participate in the everyday lives of her friends and family. “But I didn’t think much about how hard it would be to practice safe gathering during a pandemic,” she says. Her memoir (p. 66) documents her relationship with one of her closest confidantes: her father. “Luckily, there are lots of places in Indy to take walks together,” she says. Lou Harry When Krzysztof Urbanski joined the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, freelance writer Lou Harry called his name a spell-checker’s worst nightmare. Joking aside, though, Harry has enormous respect for the work of conductors, and he loved looking back on Urbanski’s career here (p. 18). “What happens during a concert is just a small piece of a…

WHILE YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR CONCERTS TO RETURN, A “NEW” DOWNTOWN VENUE MATERIALIZED. The TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park represents a major makeover at the site of the former Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn, which hosted “Weird Al” Yankovic as its final show in August 2019. Construction that began before the pandemic has added a permanent stage, a fixed-seating area for 2,500 attendees, and a canopy above that seating area. The venue has an overall capacity of 6,000, including some general-admission lawn seating. FANS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN SEATS BEFORE INDEPENDENCE DAY. Australian pop-rockers 5 Seconds of Summer will headline the first concert at TCU on June 16. Ten more performances by touring acts are scheduled for 2021, but Carolene Mays-Medley, executive director of the White River State…

COEXIST Taking the work-from-home concept seriously, the new G Bloc (1) mixed-use development marries one- and two-bedroom urban lofts with sleek coworking digs, conference rooms, and a private fitness center available through tiered memberships. 841 E. 64th St., 317-449-2300, gbloc.site SHOP Dressing up or dressing down, Lark & Lily Boutique (2) displays a true passion for fashion at affordable prices. Consider the full collection of cute summery tops, flirty skirts, stylish accessories, and whimsical tees. 6358 Guilford Ave., 812-718-6574, larkandlilyboutique.com EAT Family-owned (of course) Dad’s Kitchen (3) holds court from the storied corner of Westfield and Guilford, cooking up Spanish and American favorites like Western omelets, New York–style sandwiches, quesadillas, tacos, and Peruvian specialties. 6336 Guilford Ave., 317-986-6209, dadskitchenindy.com RECHARGE Not for the needle-phobic, Vitality IV Bar (4) infuses water-soluble…

Swoon Bowl Game Los Angeles–based Day & Night Cereal Bar has transformed the former Johnny Rockets inside Greenwood Park Mall into a shrine to the breakfast-food aisle. The menu includes cereal mashups (available in bowl or shake form) like the Beehive, a blend of Honey Nut Cheerios and Honey Bunches of Oats, and the Cinnamon Toast Crunch-y Mucha Lucha. One of the more playful hybrids, Unicorn Breath, combines Fruity Pebbles and Lucky Charms in a sweet concoction that turns its milk pink. 317-893-4230, dayandnightcerealbar.com…

ASAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT (6414 E. 82nd St., 317-576-0556)…

THE YEAR WAS 1922. In Indianapolis, author Kurt Vonnegut was born, Indiana Avenue was a hub for the local jazz scene and the 10th running of the Indianapolis 500 took place. Meanwhile, 10 local women came together and established the Junior League of Indianapolis (JLI) to promote voluntarism. Now, as JLI prepares to celebrate 100 years of service, our mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers is more crucial than ever. Philanthropy and service have been JLI cornerstones since the very beginning. Founding member and first president Charlotte Scott Moxley had a goal to equip and maintain the occupational therapy department at Riley Children’s Hospital. The project was one of JLI’s major endeavors for nearly…

TEXTURAL LAYERS The Good Bones decorating trick that’s easiest to copy is overlapping textiles in bedrooms and living rooms. NEUTRAL WALLS Bold colors are bad for staging. Most buyers can’t imagine a room looking different than the way it’s presented. BARN DOOR WITH MODERN HARDWARE Big sliding doors are hanging on as a design trend when paired with matte-black rails and handles. DOUBLE-STACK KITCHEN CABINETS Open space above a cabinet is Mina’s pet peeve. If you see it on Good Bones, it probably means the rest of the cabinets haven’t arrived yet. SHAKE SHINGLES OR FISH-SCALE SIDING These add decorative sections to the exterior. VARIATION IN SIDING Two Chicks mixes up the width of the boards and vertical/horizontal orientation. COLORFUL EXTERIOR Pretty blues and aquas are favorites, but crazy choices…

NEW & UPDATED Aroma ……………………………. 85 Iozzo’s Garden of Italy …… 86 Modita ……………………………. 86 California Burger …………… 95 DOWNTOWN INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square Amberson Coffee & Grocer COFFEEHOUSE The cinderblock shell of a former service station houses this neighbor-hood 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…