April 11th - Omega Restaurant

On April 11th, I went to our usual Sunday morning brunch with my family. However, we went to a very unusual place. The old Ground Round (and old IHOP) was turned into a bright and cheerful family restaurant. The food was good, but not fantastic. However, their prices are really fair. You get a ton of food for the price.
I ordered scrambled eggs with feta, but most of my family ordered pancakes and loved them. They are huge! And you can get the 2 by 2 by 2 - 2 huge pancakes, two eggs any style and 2 pieces of bacon or sausage. Plus your choice of toast. And all of that is for about 6 bucks!

April 10th - Khoury's Meditteranean Grill

On April 10th, we had a lot going on in the morning, so we were heading to pick up lunch. I of course wanted to visit a local place that wasn't too far. So I convinced Brian we needed to try Khoury's. We drive by it all the time, since its on Broad Ripple Ave just west of Keystone. So we went inside. Every day (except maybe Sundays) they have a $5.99 lunch buffet. Since I heart Greek food, that is of course what I got. Brian ordered the Magic Chicken Sandwich. He said it was really yummy.
They also offer hooka rental in the bar area. We didn't get one (because it was noon on a Saturday), but someone else did and it looked like fun.
Maybe another time...

April 3rd - Union Jack's

Sorry these are out of order, but I realized that I haven't discussed Union Jack's yet. And honestly, that is a crime against this delicious local place. Union Jack's has 2 locations - one in Speedway on Crawfordsville Road, and one in the heart of Broad Ripple. We visited the Broad Ripple location on Saturday the 3rd to watch the Butler Bulldogs play in the Final Four over some Chicago Style deep dish pizza. Although all of their food is very very good, the reason why we go is their pepperoni deep dish. In my opinion, it is the best you can get in Indy. It takes 40 mins to cook, but it is worth every minute. They also have a very extensive domestic, import and microbrew beer list that is very reasonable in price.
We personally enjoy the Broad Ripple location because of its close proximity to home, their garage door style windows that open to the Broad Ripple strip, and their no smoking policy. The Speedway location still has smoking, so they do not allow people under the age of 18 to patronize their location. But if the westside location is closer to you, and you don't mind the smoke, the food is the same. Incredibly delicious, and reasonable in price.

April 7th - Sakura

On April 7th, my husband and I went to arguably the best sushi place in the city - Sakura. Located on Keystone and 71st Street, this inconspicuous little restaurant is almost always packed. The walls are lined with signatures from famous people throughout the years (Ahmad Rashad, Bob and Tom, the Andrettis, etc) who have come to feast on authentic Japanese goodness. This place doesn't have the habachi tables that so many Japanese restaurants use as their focus. Here, the focus is fresh sushi, and a few traditional entrees such as teriyaki chicken, tempura, udon and negimayaki.
We got a side salad, the tempura appetizer, and two rolls a piece (california, shrimp tempura, Rock n' roll, and their specialty - soft shell crab). Our food was delicious and super filling. And we walked out of there with a tab of $30 (before tax and tip) and happy tummies.
Definitely something I recommend for someone looking for authentic Japanese food. If anyone wants company when they try it out, let me know! I'll happily join you!

End of March

So, I got some business from my friends. They are telling me that, even though they aren't official followers, there are people who are reading my blog, and they were upset that I hadn't written anything this month. So! Thank you for telling me! I honestly thought that no one was reading, and that I was doing this in vain. Apparently, I was wrong. So THANK YOU FOR READING! Even if you are a lurker!

So here's a background on what I've done this month...

Marco's - very popular place! Apparently, especially popular with the gay culture (didnt know!). Pretty decent food, and lots of it! Brian thought it was a little too pricey, and we had to wait forever to be seated. Our waitress was also really nice, and really helpful. Overall it was pretty decent.

Brickhouse Burgers - this is a new restaurant where Damon's used to be off of Kentucky and 465. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME HERE. The service is terrible, we waited for more than a half hour to get our drink order, they poured the most nasty Guinness I've ever tasted in my life, and Erin got sick off of the food. There was pretty much no redeeming value to this place.

*Scotty's Lakehouse - this is a new location in the Scotty's local chain. Its on Brookschool and Fall Creek near Geist Reservoir. They have a condensed version of Scotty's huge menu from other locations, and they have Sunday brunch by Cafe' Patchou. I had the "Hippie with a Benz" omelette. It was very good, but very very overpriced. Lucky for us, there was a huge party going on so it took almost an hour to get our food. They felt so bad they comped our meal. It probably wouldln't happen again, and I'm not sure I'm willing to pay as much as they wanted me to in the future. But I will probably go by there this summer to try out some of their burgers!

I don't have much more to review. Unfortunately, I'm on both a diet and a budget, so I've been eating at home and taking my lunch pretty much every day. But every time I try something new and local, I will make sure to keep you updated!

Thanks again, lurkers!

March 2nd - Tegry Bistro

I decided I really wanted sushi for lunch. Unfortunately, I was sick of the sub-par sushi they serve at Marsh, and they closed a great local Japanese restaurant down the street - Daruma. So instead, I decided to try a new Asian bistro down the street called Tegry Bistro. Brian even decided to join me! We walked in, and the place is beautiful. Very fancy for a lunch spot. We were seated, and we ordered the chicken teriyaki / California roll bento box to share. It came with delicious miso soup, a salad with sweet ginger dressing, and the bento box. In the bento was the teriyaki chicken, a 4 pc California roll, a small serving of steamed rice, some mixed veggies (broccoli, carrots, squash) and some orange slices. All of that food was $10.99. It really was a delicious assortment, and I was glad Brian and I shared it.
Aside from the fancy decor, the only other complaint is that the Tegry Bistro is probably not a good place to go for lunch when you only have a half hour to eat. Go see them when you have a little bit more time to enjoy the food, instead of worrying about being late getting back to work.

February 27th - 14 West

Brian and I celebrated our "second" anniversary this weekend. I picked 14 West as our restaurant because they are local, and they also have a local only part of their menu. On the local only menu, they serve 4 items where everything on your plate came from farms in Indiana. They also talk a little about the farms, where they are located, and how the farmers raise their produce.
Anyway, this place is not only a local jewel, but the food is absolutely fantastic. It may just be the best food I have ever had in my life.
We started off with the crab cake. Although Indianapolis isn't known for its crab cakes, this one was incredibly delicious. It had tons of crab, and just a little bit of cake. But it didn't stop there. The crabcake had a poached egg on top, and sides of applewood smoked bacon, and sauteed mushrooms. But my very favorite part was the amazing hollandaise sauce that the chef put between the egg and the crabcake. I swear, its the best hollandaise I've ever had in my life!
After that, we shared a caesar salad. The dressing was perfectly blended. Not too sour, not too salty, and definitely not too anchovi-ey. Perfect. And the best part of our salad was the parmesan crustinis that they put in the middle of the salad. So when you got a bite of food, it went lettuce, cheese crustini, lettuce, crouton. Delicious! And just the way this cheese girl loves it!
For our main dish, I chose the local pork chop covered with brie and blackberry compote, served with a side of vanilla apples. The pork was cooked perfectly, and the vanilla apples were an excellent touch to bring out the flavors of the dish. It was just too big for me to finish! But I was really glad I ordered it. Brian got a USDA Prime Grade center cut filet, with a side of parmesan peppercorn frites. He let me have a couple of bites, and man - that was one good steak!

For dessert, we ordered a Viennese Apple Strudel, in honor of the trip to Germany we are taking this fall. They wrote "Happy Anniversary" in caramel around the plate, and it was really really good. It was the most authentic tasting strudel I've had here in the Midwest.

This was definitely a place I will go again. We may have to wait for another special occasion to do so, but I will definitely look forward to the day we can go again. Who would've thought that a "local" place would be better than those expensive steakhouse chains?

February 21st - Bagel Fair

I was on a NY kick this weekend, and I mentioned to Brian that I didn't think any bagel shops in this city really had a good authentic NY style bagel. The ones that are hard on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. Anyway, he totally disagreed with me and told me that Bagel Fair in Nora was where my dream bagel could be found. We walked into Bagel Fair, and I wasn't too impressed with what I saw. Lucky for me, my eyes were quickly overruled by my stomach. Bagel Fair's Everything Bagel was THE BEST Everything Bagel I have ever had in my life. No exaggeration. They cover every inch of the outside with all the delicious Everything Bagel ingredients that are required - poppy, onion, salt, sesame, etc. And the outside was crispy and crunchy, but the inside... Pure bagel heaven. And actually, pretty inexpensive. We got two bagels, both with cream cheese (or schmear, if you're gonna be a New Yorker about it!) for less than $5. Try to get that kind of quality goodness at one of those crappy bagel chains. And no one can hold a candle to Bagel Fair's Everything...
Makes me want another one right now!

February 20th - Shapiro's Deli

Saturday afternoon, I needed a deli. A New York deli. So, I convinced Brian that we had to go to the most New York-like deli in Indianapolis - Shapiro's. For those of you from the city, Shapiro's is an Indianapolis staple in the deli scene. Their sandwiches are huge, their bakery items fresh, and their potato salad tastes like it came straight from NYC. In fact, so is their pastrami. Literally. They bring it in from Brooklyn. Which is the only reason why I can accept the fact that they were out of pastrami on a Saturday afternoon - the truck with the delivery must be stuck in a snow drift between here and there. So we shared a corned beef sandwich instead. (I wanted a reuben, but I conceeded to corned beef alone for Brian's sake.) Remember how I said the sandwiches were huge? I wasn't kidding. The thing was gigantic, which made me really glad I split it with my hubbs. My half of the sandwich with a kosher pickle spear and some potato salad, my NY deli craving was cured.

February 14th - Valentine's Day at Pizzaology!

My husband and I, being the romantic people we are, decided to go out for pizza on Valentine's Day. We decided to try out a new pizza place at 131st Street and Hazel Dell called Pizzaology. Let me tell you, it was totally worth the drive up there. They have all kinds of great pizzas to choose from, and after they're baked to New York Style perfection in their 800 degree oven, I swear I took a bite of a slice in Little Italy. Their atmosphere is an upscale design, making you think of a restaurant in SoHo, but their wait staff wears jeans, t-shirts and sweatshirts so you know you are in fact still in a pizza place. Speaking of the wait staff - I haven't found friendlier or more helpful waiters and waitresses in a LONG time. They really know their stuff, and they want to make sure you pick the pizza (or appetizer or entree) that you're going to love. And trust me, we did. We had their formaggio un salumi platter for our appetizer (yummy cheese and salamis... how could you go wrong?), and their four cheese pizza. Absolute heaven. We will definitely drive up there for pizza again sometime. And for a huge 13 inch pizza for $13, we may come out even better off financially after the gas up there! $13 to feed two? Almost unheard of these days!

Anyway, definitely try it out. Especially if you're a NY style pizza lover like me. Sometime soon I'll have to eat at and review a good local deep dish place for you Chicago style fans. A couple come to mind, but for some reason, so does England... Hmmm... =P

Feb 13th - Broad Ripple Brew Pub

Broad Ripple Brew Pub is a classic Broad Ripple staple. If you haven't been there, you definitely need to try it out. They brew all of their own beers on draft, plus have a ton of variety in bottles and cans. I had their Oatmeal Java Stout called Replic Ale. It was so delicious, I actually sat, sipped and enjoyed by beer thoughout my meal instead of downing it like the sorority girl I am. They also have really good food. My favorite is the cheese crock and homemade soft pretzels. They also have great burgers, fancy food, and vegetarian and vegan friendly dishes. Although it has been said their servers can come across as a tad bit arrogant, I think they have ever right to be proud of their restaurant. I know I would be!

February 10th - Murphy's Steakhouse

I had high expectations for this place, based on its reputation in the city - plus the fact that they had Murphy's Irish Stout on draft! Unfortunately, they didn't quite live up to the hype in my book. As my husband says, "we got what we paid for". They're currently running a special of 2 filets for $25. You get soup, salad, filet and side. But all of it tasted very... vanilla. It didn't wow me by any stretch of the imagination. And the atmosphere is very... old. It seems like it hasn't been updated in years, and neither have the clientele. Although it was nice to visit a place where the staff really does know their customers (by name!), it didnt make up for everything else.

I doubt I will go here again in the next 30 years. Maybe after that point I'll fit in more.

Feb 6th - Grady's Champion Deli

On our way to the Home Show on Saturday, we wanted to stop and get lunch. Not too far from the fairgrounds at Fall Creek and Keystone is a local place called Grady's Champion Deli. It used to be an old Arby's restaurant, but now it is home to something (in my opinion) MUCH better. I was a little hesitant at first to try this place. I had in my head that it was going to be dirty, dark and small. I was completely suprised that reality was not as I had thought. Grady's makes their soups and sandwiches with lots of love and care. And they put lots and lots of delicious deli meat in their sandwiches! They also make homemade potato chips to serve with your sandwich. They also give you a side of "special sauce" which looked like Thousand Island, but tasted like a flavor explosion. The best I can compare it to is a tangy, flavor filled mayonaise, but that doesn't do this dip justice. I know that we will go to Grady's again. It is so close to home, and a perfect lunch spot. If you go to the fairgrounds anytime soon, make sure you stop by for a bite! I know we will be there soon to try out some more of their lunch-worthy treats.

February 4th - Shallos

We had our monthly Indy RAT (Riders Association of Triumph) Pack meeting at Shallos in Greenwood. I really enjoy that place. They have a very unique menu to fit with their VERY extensive beer collection. You can have swamp nachos (spicy cajun style nachos) with an Abita beer from Louisiana. Or you could have the jerk chicken with a Red Stripe from Jamaica. Or, you can be like me and make a meal out of their home-made potato chips with a delicious ranch dip. I paired that with a Left-Hand Milk Stout. Not a very healthy combination, but I did sneak a few bites of Brian's Chicken Ranch salad. So I did get a few actual nutrients in my dinner last night. But even if I didn't, I definitely got some tasty food last night.
Also, just because they have an extensive beer menu does not mean Shallos is a bar. They have really done a great job at making Shallos kid and family friendly. There are lots of cool antiques and pictures on the walls, and they have a pretty good children's menu available. The kid thing doesn't really apply to me, but I know it does to some of you. So be sure to grab your kids and head over there one night when you don't feel like eating at home.

February 2nd - Greek Islands

I've been having a really rough time lately, so my husband (being the sweet man he is!) wanted to take me out for one of my favorite cusines - Greek! We went to Greek Islands, because they have a really good Devour Downtown menu. Appetizer, two soups or salads, a combination platter to share, then individual desserts. All of this food for $30! They also had a special where you could add on two glasses of wine for an additional $10. (Brian let me have both.=D) Our appetizer was saganaki - of course. If you know me, you know that cheese is my lifeline. And they set it on fire?!?! How cool is that? After our salads, we split the combo platter. I tell you, there was enough food for 3 people on that thing! There was gyro meat with tzaziki sauce, moussaka, a tiropita, a spanikopita, pasticchio, and a dolmathes. Plus sides of greek potatoes, greek green beans, and rice. Sooo good! I have to say, I think their tiropita was the best I've ever had in my life. Then there were the desserts. Brian wanted baklava, and so I got the rice pudding. I have never had rice pudding, but I really enjoyed it. Brian's baklava was really good. But we had so much food, he couldn't finish it. So I had to take one for the team! HA!

Anyway, I was a very happy lady when I walked out of that restaurant last night. Made me feel like I had a little bit of sunshine through my clouds lately. Thank you, Greek Islands!

January 30th - Bella Vita downtown

So I went to a new to me place this week. Bella Vita on Geist opened a location downtown at Circle Center. It used to be one of my favorite restaurants downtown - Bertolini's. So I was really excited that a new Italian place opened there. And I wasn't disappointed. We decided to try it out during Devour Downtown, and I'm glad we did! The food was really good but definitely pricier on normal occasions than I would like to pay. Also, the service is less than stellar. It seemed like they were all kind of stuck on themselves, and stuck up. But don't get me wrong, their food was really good. I got raviolis (of course!), and we got the crab and lobster flatbread appetizer. So definitely try to get down there this week, and get a good deal on some really nice and fancy Italian food!

January 21st - Fat Dan's Chicago-Style Deli

Ever since DynoJax closed down a few months ago, my heart was aching for a good Chicago Dog. Our friends were talking about Fat Dan's Chicago-Style Deli in Broad Ripple, but every time we tried to go for lunch, they hadn't opened yet. Lucky for us, we went for dinner last night. And it was really a great experience. The place is decked out with Cubs stuff, and the menu is full of tasty Chicago-style delicacies like Italian beef sandwiches, and Vienna Beef hot dogs. I, of course, had to have my fav - a Chicago dog without sport peppers. It was amazing! They even used the great poppyseed covered buns that are a Chicago dog requirement! Brian tried their wings and said they were full of flavor, with just a bit of spice. Not overpowering, but definitely delicious. The other really cool thing was that Fat Dan himself helped us. Don't let his name fool you, he's not fat at all. But he makes some mean Chicago food! He was really friendly, explaining how they stay open for the bar crowds into the wee hours, and sometimes he doesnt make it in to open for lunch as early as he would like. Especially since he just opened in September and doesn't really have too many employees. Completely understandable in my book! I will definitely be back! Next time, I may go for his brisket, or a Payton's Grilled Cheese. Who knows? But I definitely know I'll be back and try as many of Fat Dan's Chicago-style menu items as I can!

January 17th - Sapporo

If you want a local alternative to the Japanese mega-chain with the blue roof, you should head to Sapporo in Castleton. They do all kinds of fun little tricks and games while they're cooking the food in front of you. And they also have a better variety of veggies (think broccoli and carrots added in with the onions, mushrooms, zucchini and sprouts of the mega chain). There is also an amazingly huge coi pond with a bridge in the restaurant. It definitely adds to the at home Japanese style. Also, their sushi is very good. And they run sushi specials regularly. Definitely one of our family favorites!

January 16th - Brockway Pub

One of my favorite Irish pubs in the city closed its doors just before Christmas. Which really stunk for me, since my favorite local / Celtic band had gigs booked there throughout the month of January. Anyway, when I heard another local Irish pub had booked Mother Grove to play on Saturday the 16th, I knew I had to be there. Plus, it was my girl Erin's birthday. What better way to celebrate than with good music, good friends and a good pint?
We all headed over to Brockway Pub in Carmel, and honestly, we were not disappointed. Although we just got some appetizer-like bar food, it was actually pretty tasty! Their Dublin Pub chips are really good. Almost as good as the Dublin Pub's chips in Dayton, Ohio! We ended up watching the Colts win the first round of the play-offs, while listening to great music! It really was a good time. I hope Brockway books them to play more often! I would love that place to be my new weekend hang out!

January 14th - Fireside Grill

On January 14th, we went to a "new to us" restuarant to met some friends. So we went to this nice little place on the Southside called the Fireside Brewhouse. It has an upscale bar feel to it, kind of like the RAM or a super nice Scotty's. They have a pretty extensive bar menu (I ordered a Beamish, and it was heaven. You can't find that in very many places!) The food was VERY tasty! We all ordered something different. Between the four of us, we got to have very different flavors. We had the kickin' chicken (Chicken breast crispy fried or blackened. Topped with onion straws, jalapeno jack cheese and chipotle-mayonnaise*), the Fireside Classic burger with Velveeta cheese!, the parmesan crusted tilapia, and I had the fireside chop salad. My salad was just how I like it, covered in bleu cheese crumbles with a steak on top! All of our food was very very good. And it was the perfect atmosphere to hang out and catch up with friends! It would also be a pretty good date location.

* Description taken from the Fireside Brewhouse website

January 13th - Midday Deli

I apologize for my gap in blogs. I was on vacation in Vegas! But trust me, I had to pay for it today. Not only am I exausted from all the excitement and late night travel, but I was completely swamped at work today. So much so, I didn't get a chance to run out and pick up lunch until 2:30! Lucky for me, Midday Deli was still open. It is a very cute little deli near Park 100, tucked behind the Squealers. Anyway, they make the best soups, and they make them fresh every morning! They also have the freshest fixin's for salads and sandwiches. Today, I wasn't feeling soup, so I ordered a delicious turkey sandwich. I know, boring. But I changed it up with lettuce, cucumbers, and sprouts! I don't know about you, but I always think my food tastes healthier with sprouts. If you aren't in the middle of a health kick but want something delicious, you can have a reuben, chicken, tuna or egg salad, or even grilled cheese! Some days they have a grilled cheese and tomato soup combo as their daily specials. Love this place! Everything tastes so good, and the employees are super friendly. A little warning, though. They're only open for lunch 11-2:30 Monday through Friday.

January 9th - Claude and Annies, Taylor's Bakery

We recently received a $10 gift certificate to Claude and Annie's in Fishers. Man, their fried chicken is AMAZING! The breading is incredibly delicious, and it came with a baked potato and broccoli. It used to be seperated into a bar and a restaurant. Now they have combined it together. Which I am not a fan. The bar allows smoking after 9pm, and it really smells up the whole place. I do not like to smell smoke while I'm eating. Keeping the bar seperate would definitely help that out.
But based on the food and the friendly service, I will still come back. I'll just be sure to go for lunch instead of dinner!

After lunch, we stopped by Taylor's Bakery on the way home. Taylor's is definitely an Indianapolis staple. They make any kind of baked treat you can imagine: donuts, cookies, cupcakes, wedding cakes, coffee cake, brownies, baklava, candy corn, peppermint bark, and the list can continue. They're really good at what they do. So good, in fact, they opened a second location in Fishers.

January 8th - Taj of India

Part of my resolution is to visit somewhere I have never visited once a week. Well, not only did I try a new-to-me restaurant, but I also explored a type of food that I've never eaten before - Indian food! I've always had a preconceived notion on what Indian food would taste like, but I finally decided to try it out for sure. Our lovely friends invited us to meet them at Taj of India, in Castleton, and I was excited to expand my culinary horizons.
We walked in and ordered. Brian and I shared a paneer pakora appetizer, and the chicken mahkani entree with garlic naan. It was actually really pretty good! I was impressed at how interesting and tasty the food was! The chickpea batter on the cheese was very unique. I expected something heavy and hummus tasting, but instead it was a very light batter. The chicken makhani was really tasty, and I could've eaten the garlic naan all day long! Also, I was happy to see the best indicator of good ethnic food - there were Indian people eating there too! I would definitely recommend this place! Thanks to Caroline and Trent for introducing us to this place!

January 7th - WB Pizza

So it was so snowy today that I got stuck on the side of the road in my neighborhood. So my hubby was good to me and picked up WB Pizza. He even got half of it with mushrooms for me! I think WB Pizza is really really good. They put lots of cheesey goodness on it. And they braid the crust! So its pretty and delicious!

January 6th - Peak Performance Fitness

I know a lot of people are looking to lose weight and get healthy in 2010. And although it may seem like I'm going in the opposite direction going out to eat all the time, but I'm keeping on track. I've been working off those holiday lbs at Peak Performance Fitness on 62nd and Binford. It really reminds me of Average Joe's Gym from Dodgeball. Its a family owned gym, full of all the necessary things for getting into shape: tons of cardio machines including elliptical machines, treadmills, bikes, rowing machines and stair steppers. They also have all the weight lifting machines and free weights you could want, including a special area only for women so us shy gym gals don't have to worry about being oggled by the "meat heads". =D There are a few of those there too, but trust me, they're mostly too busy getting bigger to say anything to anyone else. But when they do, they're really nice. Everyone is! Especially the trainers and the teachers. They have all kinds of fun classes: yoga, pilates, spinning, and Zumba! I haven't had the guts to try Zumba yet, but I really want to some day. Maybe thats the "new thing" I'll try next week! And, if you need them, they also have childcare and tanning. Can you tell I really like it there? We've been members since October, and we're really glad we joined there. There are all kinds of "Globo-gyms" nearby, but we want to stick with our own little "Average Joe's"!

January 5th - Gyro Stop

I work at Park 100, and there is a little, family owned lunch spot that I had to try out. So I went to the Gyro Stop, and I was definitely suprised. It is, by all intents and purposes, a small, family owned shop. The only employees are the owners, a husband and wife team. Although their lunches aren't as fresh as a pita chain I love, the flavors are incredible. I got the #6 lunch combo, the chicken gyro wrap with a side of hummus. It was the best hummus I've had in a LONG time. The chicken was full of Mediteranean flavors, and the lettuce was topped with delicious tsaziki sauce. It was definitely worth the $7 and change I paid. I will definitely have to visit this place again!

Anyone know of any other delicious local lunch spots on the Northwest side of Indianapolis that I should try?

January 4th - Inner Peace Yoga Studio

On January 4th, I didn't go to any local restaurants. But I did go to yoga class at Inner Peace Yoga Studio. I really like their yoga classes. They teach you difficult positions without making you feel stupid, and they really try to make sure you "get" everything they're trying to teach: the asanas AND the mental and spiritual side of yoga as well. I really feel both relaxed and energized when leaving class. And for someone with very little patience like me, thats something special.

Anyway, come check them out! They have 6 week sessions for $90, and the new session starts January 11th. And if you're a new customer, I'm pretty sure they're running a special. So call them up and find out!

January 3rd

January 3rd, I did not get to patronize any local places. On the 3rd, we were lucky enough to have my parents treat us to lunch and dinner. However, not at any local places. Maybe next time.

January 2nd - Boogie Burger, SweeTies

January 2nd, I worked my part time job at Easley Winery (another great family owned and operated business in this city!), so I just made a quick bite for lunch before heading downtown. However, after work, we went to one of my absolute FAVORITE little places in the city - Boogie Burger in Broad Ripple. I swear to you, they have the best burgers in the city. Everything tastes so fresh, and they really make an amazing burger. I usually get the Blue Moon - a burger topped with lots and lots of bleu cheese. YUM! Brian usually gets the BBQ cheeseburger. Although sometimes we order King David hotdogs, too. (King David is an Indianapolis hotdog company that has a location downtown. Haven't been there yet because they're only open for lunch during the week. But one of these days this year, I'm going to get a King David dog from the source! They're AWESOME!) Anyway, sorry for the tangent. Back to Boogie. This trip was no different. Got my Blue Moon, but also got their delicious garlic fries. Oh man, those are so good! Be careful not to eat them on a first date or something, because they literally have straight garlic cloves and parsley on these fries.

After dinner, I needed something sweet, so my husband took me over to SweeTies on Broad Ripple Ave. They have everything a sweet tooth like me could want! They have fresh baked cookies, HUGE brownies, and any imaginable cupcake flavor you could dream up. I got an oatmeal cookie, and a cotton candy cupcake! The oatmeal had a little too much nutmeg in it or something (I'm not a huge fan of nutmeg), but the cupcake was amazing! Light and airy, just like cotton candy should be! Especially mixed into a cupcake. You should definitely try SweeTies out yourself!

Both places are A+ establishments in Broad Ripple! You should try them out!

January 1st - Cinema Grill

On New Years Day, my husband and I went to Scotty's Brewhouse for lunch. I know you Indiana folk are saying "Thats not a local place! Its a chain!" Well, it is, but keep in mind that it is currently an Indiana only chain. But since they do have 4 locations (and planning on opening more) you are right, I'll move on to dinner.

We had dinner on New Years Day at the lovely, charming, city jewel known as Cinema Grill. We watched "The Blind Side" had cheese pizza and chicken fingers, and got to watch an amazing movie while eating tasty food at this local, one of a kind, "dinner and a movie" place. Love it!

The Resolution

So... After a rough economic 2009 in Indianapolis, I realized too many of my favorite local businesses closed their doors this year. It made me think. Could I have done something to save these businesses? If I would've patronized this place more frequently, could I have helped them succeed? This brought about my resolution for 2010 - and the purpose of this blog. My goal is to frequent local businesses almost exclusively this year. I want to do my part to help these businesses stay open. Therefore, I resolve that in 2010, I will do my part by patronizing local restaurants, bars, stores, etc, and I will visit a new business every week. I will keep a record of it on this blog. You all can help me stay on track, and can help me with reviews and critiques of the places I visit. And I'm always up for suggestions on new jewels in this city that I may not know.

Thanks, guys! And happy 2010!