Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Indianapolis Monthly

AS A PRODUCT of a small town, I appreciate the growing trend of people leaving the big city to live out their Mayberry fantasies. That’s the basis of freelance writer Lili Wright’s piece on quirky Vevay, Indiana, which, she writes, has a dead goat for a mascot, a theme song of sorts, and high-profile transplant in the form of a reality TV star tattoo artist (p. 58). That doesn’t quite add up to Marfa, Texas—yet. But, when it comes to real estate, the experts say that you want to get in early. Many of you are at least thinking about such a move. A Gallup poll conducted toward the end of 2020 revealed that moving to a rural area or small town appealed to nearly half the respondents, and a…

( BUZZWORTHY ) Star Performance Philip Gulley’s December column on five Hoosiers who have given him hope after a lousy year cheered up quite a few readers. Thank you, Philip Gulley. This is an encouraging end to a very discouraging year. Peace to you and your family in 2022. JEFFREY WELLS Via Facebook Whew. I loved this. I’m sure we could all come up with five people who have made a positive difference in the world. Great idea. LIZ FLAHERTY Via Facebook Thanks for a little hope at year’s end. INGRID SAXMAN Via Facebook Nice to have a light in this dark time. MINDY MAIER CUNNINGHAM Via Facebook Main Street Mansions Our January cover story on Indiana’s small-town estates—particularly the writeup on the Matthews Mansion—also found a large audience online.…

Skip the hot dog stand and check out the new concession options, including barbecue, tacos, and Chick-fil-A. Or grab a cold one from the selfservice beer cooler. Just scan your credit card, walk through the turnstile, and help yourself to a can. Smart sensors take care of the rest. Everything still costs three times as much as it should. Seats in the lower levels are new, so you can leave the portable cushion at home unless you’re up high. If you want to stretch your legs, new bars on the north and south ends provide a respectable view of the court—maybe too good if your team is losing.…

(1) Emily Nussbaum March 3 The New Yorker’s hilarious television critic speaks at the Shelton Auditorium on Butler University’s campus. butlerartscenter.org (2) Edge of Innovation March 3–6 At the Indiana Repertory Theatre, Dance Kaleidoscope performs three boundary-pushing works, including David Hochoy’s “iconoGlass.” dancekal.org (3) NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament March 17 & 19 In addition to hosting the Big Ten Basketball Tournaments this month, Gainbridge Fieldhouse welcomes the first and second rounds of March Madness. ncaa.com (4) Darius Rucker March 18–19 The former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman plays new country tunes as well as a few poprock songs from the old days at the Murat Theatre. livenation.com (5) Brundibar & Vedem March 18–20 At The Toby, the Indianapolis Opera stages these two stories about the Nazi concentration camp Terezin. indyopera.org T…

WHEN DAVID and Carrie Schoenbaum uprooted their family during the Great Recession and headed east from SoCal, they didn’t foresee that renovating the only house in Zionsville they could afford at the time—a foreclosed, flooded fixer-upper—would spark a love for updating homes. Fast-forward a decade: The couple has transformed the former space of Ballerinas & Bruisers into Wildwood Home Company, a decor shop disguised as a breezy abode. The open floor plan lets shoppers enter via a sun-soaked living room, then flows into a kitchen of vignettes featuring dreamy reactive-glazed stoneware, pinewood charcuterie boards crafted in Europe, and marble accessories. Signs of Carrie’s coastal upbringing abound, from handwoven seagrass baskets to throw pillows in muted blues and greens. Intentionally, the atmosphere is relaxed. The design-curious can get tips by pulling…

BODY WISE MOVE ASIDE, lunges. The stretch revolution has arrived. Boutique stretch fitness studios like StretchLab and Stretch-Zone, whose celebrity endorsements include former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Gwyneth Paltrow, have opened recently in shopping complexes in Carmel, Zionsville, and on the north side of Indianapolis. One frequent question has also popped up: Why pay to stretch? The answer lies in our bodies’ limitations, according to Jordan Matthews, general manager of StretchZone’s Zionsville location. Typical solo stretches—like ones you may do before a workout—are hindered by your “stretch reflex,” the body’s way of preventing us from extending ourselves to the point of injury. That’s where assisted stretching comes in: As you relax on a padded table, a trained professional guides your body through a set of stretches that…

Raw Bar by Slapfish, which made its debut in December as a seaworthy annex to Mass Ave’s original Slapfish, focuses on East and West Coast oysters, lightly battered calamari, steamed mussels, and an oldschool, cold-smoked fish plate. The traditional New England lobster boil brings out a whole steamed lobster alongside fries, slaw, and a buttery, split-top bun for custom lobster-roll assembly. But this tower of ice-packed seafood will turn heads as it feeds the table. 339 Massachusetts Ave., 317-757-2696, slapfishrawbar.com…

TRADITION MAY DICTATE BOURBON, SUGAR, AND FRUIT GARNISHES, BUT THE MUDDLED HISTORY OF THIS DRINK THAT’S OFTEN SYNONYMOUS WITH “COCKTAIL” MEANS THE OLD FASHIONED IS RIPE FOR IMPROVISATION. Cognac Old Fashioned Ball and Biscuit Wisconsinites and other upper Midwest drinkers prefer brandy in their supper club Old Fashioneds, and the option with Pierre Ferrand 1840 cognac at Mass Ave’s king of cocktail bars comes closest to this slightly sweeter spin. 331 Massachusetts Ave., 317-636-0539, ballandbiscuit.com Walk the Line West Fork Whiskey You can opt for a dessert-worthy peanut butter version or a barrel-aged revision with spicy chocolate bitters, but, true to its name, this fruitier rye version with a pomegranateblack cherry syrup walks the line toward a Manhattan, even getting served up in a coupe glass without ice. 1660 Bellefontaine…

ART WHEN IT COMES to paintings, sculpture, and ceramics, most of the best dealers pulled out of antiques malls and set up shop on the internet years ago. Online auction houses dominate the landscape now, and Central Indiana is lucky to have several of them. Ripley Auctions (2764 E. 55th Pl., 317-251-5635, ripleyauctions.com) owner Dan Ripley got his start selling ceramics and art glass, and his business remains an excellent source for those as well as 19th-century European paintings, among other things. Wickliff Auctioneers (1054 Summit Dr., Carmel, 317-844-7253, bidwickliff.com) and Jacksons Auction (617 E. North St., 317-797-2117, jacksons-auction.com) both specialize in Indiana painters, including the impressionists of the Hoosier Group. And relative newcomer Black Art Auction (1497 N. Harding St., 317-986-6048, blackartauction.com), owned by gallerist Thomas Pegg and operated…

WHEN BEN SOLOMON, former curator of decorative arts at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, opened his furniture shop in Broad Ripple nearly 50 years ago, it was the first of its kind in the city, dealing in high-class European antiques. Today, Solomon Paris Antiques and Interior Design (1103 E. 52nd St., 317-475-0203, solomonparis.com) does more interior design business than sales of vintage tables and chairs. But the selection of antiques there is still immense, and several shops have followed suit. R. Beauchamp Antiques (16405 Westfield Blvd., Westfield, 317-896-3717, beauchampantiques.com) boasts a huge collection of antique furniture, with rare pieces dating to the 1700s, including English, French, Italian, and Dutch furnishings. Victorian Antiquities & Design (630 15th St., Logansport, 317-244-5511) specializes in the Victorian era and Aesthetic Movement, while Europa An…

PEOPLE COLLECT just about everything—stamps, license plates, photos of creepy Santas from the early 1900s. Vicki Cooley, owner of Born in a Barn (302 N. Heaton St., Knox, 574-772-3802, borninabarn.com), even has a customer who collects vintage bedpans. But Cooley’s most popular collectibles—even more popular than bedpans, if you can imagine—are advertising, clocks, and mechanical toys. The latter is growing in demand, due to their “nostalgic factor.” At Wheeler’s Antiques (107. W. Main St., Centerville, 765-855-3400, wheelersantiquescenterville.com), steel Buddy L trucks, tin toys from the early 1900s, and old comic characters barely touch the shelves before they’re snatched up. You’ll also find a fair number of toys at the annual Indy Ad Show, which takes place April 29–30 at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Lebanon. More than 250 vendors will…

Tansu Chest (late 1800s) Kasnak Restorations “Last June, we received two crates—an antique chest on a chest. It was very stinky and compromised by nicotine and mildew damage. It looked like a code red project. Asian pieces are a different animal, and we had to be very careful with the incredibly thin wood and paper lining. But as we began cleaning, I became more encouraged, especially when I saw the unbelievably high-quality Brazilian rosewood. We retouched the color loss with a mixture of lacquer and pigment, tightened the hardware, and made two little rosewood pins for the door closure. We finished by polishing with a mixture of beeswax and turpentine to give it a deep, rich glow. About 30 hours later, we came out with a fantastic piece.” —Bob Kasnak,…

Victorian Furniture SPopular in the 1980s, it’s back. This time around, settees and wingbacks look modern with whitelinen upholstery or in a deconstructed state, thready and frayed. A Statement Piece SFor modern marketlovers, collections are a bit passé. They’re choosing one big object of industrial or architectural salvage, or a generously sized basket in good condition for storage. Bare Wood SStrip and sand furniture with oven cleaner (Google it!) It’s a fresh alternative to paint. Indy-made Barkeepers Friend gets rid of water stains. Leave it looking natural, finished with sealer, wax, or oil.…

SUSAN SALAZ As a teenager, Susan Salaz could often be found wandering the Southport Antique Mall, and her fondness for vintage treasures remains today (p. 42). Salaz was surprised to learn about the Hoosier connections to some of today’s most highly-prized antiques. “A few weeks ago, I had no idea who Miriam Haskell was,” she says. “Now I’m combing through all the nearby jewelry cases in hopes of finding her creations.” ROBERT ANNIS Contributing editor Robert Annis spent several days at the dig site with the paleontologists who found the Children’s Museum’s new sauropods (p. 11). But that’s not even his closest connection to the Dinosphere. One of the paleontology labs is named after his greatuncle, R.B. Annis. “He was a genius who started a foundation to fund projects like…

( SPEED READ CONTINUED ) NEW DIGS After years running a dinosaur dig site nicknamed the Jurassic Mile in the Wyoming Badlands and collecting thousands of new specimens, The Children’s Museum was faced with a dilemma: What do we do with it all? The museum decided to close perhaps its most popular exhibit, Dinosphere, for several months while it added more than 7,000 square feet of new experiences, including two huge dinosaurs that will greet visitors as they enter the space. DINO MIGHT The finds at the Jurassic Mile site were massive. Researchers have discovered more than 1,000 dinosaur and plant fossil specimens, including the two sauropods that will welcome visitors into the new Dinosphere. Both dinosaurs are about 70 feet long and believed to be among the largest creatures ever to…

What was the first thing you wanted to focus on when you took over last May? Making sure we honored all of our commitments that were already in process—including, of course, revamping the Dinosphere. I was its original project manager when it opened in 2004, so that’s one of the things I was very focused on. I wanted to make sure we were on track to open the new space in 2022. How is it changing? We knew the Cretaceous creatures we displayed were very popular, but we also wanted to feature the Jurassic. So we did it the hard way. We actually leased land out west so we could be part of the process of uncovering the animals and getting them out of the ground. When you enter the…

YOU’RE KNOWN FOR BOLD, CHIC LOOKS. WHERE ARE YOU HEADED IN THIS ONE? The Indy Opera or a day at the office. The boardroom doesn’t have to be boring. AN OUTFIT ISN’T COMPLETE WITHOUT A hat. BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRAZILIAN AND AMERICAN FASHION? Brazilians, both men and women, dress up more, with the latest accessories. Here, it’s more relaxed. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU KNEW WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER? The longer I live, the better my personal fashion sense gets. I know myself, what I like, what I feel good about. I’m at the top of my game at 58.…

THE HEAT is on at Focus Studio and Spa (917 N. Delaware St., 317-449-2020, focusstudio andspa.com) inside Integrated Health Solutions. Tucked into the downtown office that treats injuries with dry needling and cryotherapy is a sanctuary for an indulgent body treatment. The Infrared and Deep Cleanse Facial experience with a licensed aesthetician costs $68, a hot deal for an hour of pampering. First, the individual infrared sauna cocoons you in 145-degree relaxation for 30 minutes. Then, still in your robe, patter over to the spa room, where Focus owner Sunday Behrens lavishes on hot towels, facial masks, and shots of steam, opening pores so all the good stuff soaks in. She massages your scalp in blissful quiet while the exfoliator, pH-balancing tonic, and collagen moisturizer go to work. An infusion…

A 1906 GRAIN elevator towers over the neighboring homes and businesses on the edge of downtown Greenfield. Wrapped in new metal siding, it looks like a shimmering spaceship or a country skyscraper. Surprisingly, it houses The Depot, a family restaurant with some endearing history. Open since last summer as a dining destination, the 116-foot landmark recently upgraded its kitchen and expanded the original menu of wings and burgers to include brown sugar–marinated pork chops, 12-ounce ribeyes, and the signature appetizer, a plate of jumbo Tater Kegs stuffed with cheddar, bacon, and chives. Customers can take a seat at the bar and order an old-school cocktail or sip Jason’s Sweety Iced Tea while marveling at the meticulously preserved interior, a cool mix of salvage and vintage. Most spectacularly, the rough timber…

FOODIE WHEN Tim Williams, an orthopedic surgeon with a passion for good food, moved to Indianapolis 14 years ago, he asked around for restaurant recommendations. What did people suggest? “They told me to try Bonefish Grill,” Williams says. “So it took me a while to figure out what was going on.” He had to seek out gems like Regina Mehallick’s tiny R Bistro and the late Greg Hardesty’s prix-fixe spot, Recess. Over time, he discovered Milktooth, Love Handle, and (most notably) Bluebeard, whose owners and chef would become the subjects of his first Back of House video in April 2020. “I’ve never done anything like this before,” Williams says of the beautifully produced series of sitdowns with restaurant folk. Instead, he works at the Franciscan Health Center for Hip &…

Which Indiana artists are in highest demand right now? “Of course, T.C. Steele never goes out of style. But some of the early 20th century Brown County artists like Will Vawter, E.K. Williams, and Adolph Shultz are very popular lately as well. All three of them didn’t produce much for various reasons, so their work is rare. Their style appeals to people today, too—bold color and thick paint. Those paintings tend to range from $5,000 to $25,000.”…

How can you tell if what appears to be an old piece of furniture is an authentic antique? “Look for subtle signs of wear, and whether the wood has been hand-cut. With antique hand-sawed pieces, the wood is very rough—if you turn a piece over and look underneath, you should be able to tell if it’s factory made or hand-cut wood. If it has drawers, you can look there, too. Do they look sharp? Or do they look like they’ve been pulled out for 100 years? That’s the romance of it—that someone else used this.”…

INSIDE Edward E. Petri Company Jewelers (20 N. Meridian St., 317-636-5007), just south of Monument Circle, you’ll find Charlie Walker working at an antique bench. The company’s third master craftsman takes pride in using the original owner’s century-old tools that the eccentric Parisian brought from his former employer, Tiffany & Co. in New York. Edward Petri, once known as the “Cartier of the Midwest,” created showstopping pieces that are highly valued—and hard to come by—today. But you can step back in time at his shop and even find a small selection of fine estate jewelry among Walker’s designer pieces. For a dazzling variety of heirloom jewels, Petite G Jewelers (5609 N. Illinois St., 317-255-5555, petiteg.com) offers one-of-a-kind period pieces and coveted vintage brands like Cartier, Schlumberger, and Boucheron. Although the…

HAND-CRANK EGG BEATERS. CorningWare casserole dishes. The “good” silverware that only came out for the holidays. There’s something comforting about old kitchenware. Mixing up a batch of cookies in a bowl just like Grandma used to have makes it feel like she’s there with you. Telling you to make buttercream frosting this time. And asking why you don’t call. They say everything old is new again, and in kitchenware, it’s the midcentury-modern aesthetic—especially Pyrex. You can find some of the tempered glass dinnerware at 3 Stray Cats Vintage (111 S. Main St., Kirklin, 765-426-0794, 3straycatsvintage.com), a retro shop specializing in items from the ’50s and ’60s. Noblesville Antiques on the Square (20 N. 9th St., Noblesville, 317-678-8150) has Pyrex as well, including some rare items (a set of four pink…

DOWNTOWN INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square Aroma INDIAN Familiar tandoori and tikka masala staples mingle with heartier, more elevated offerings at this elegant pan-Indian spot that opened in the former Rook location in early 2021. Lunchtime lamb and chicken rolls in crispy flatbread wrappers stand out, as do hearty chaat dishes dressed up with yellow peas, yogurt, and chutneys. An impressive lamb shank is the highlight of the chef’s specialties and easily feeds two or more. A full bar and an artful array of desserts help round out a special-occasion meal. Opt for the orange pudding, a creamy, lightly sweet rice pudding served in an orange shell with a chocolate tuille. 501 Virginia Ave., 317-602-7117, aromaindy.com Ash & Elm Cider Co. Restaurant and Cider Bar GASTROPUB…

“A couple of years ago, I purchased a Herman Miller executive desk by the George Nelson office. The desk came out of the Eero Saarinen–designed Irwin Union Bank and Trust in Columbus, Indiana. It even has the original wicker privacy panel.” –Todd Urban, Design Director “Rose colored glasses—literally. I inherited my grandma’s pink etched crystal cordial glasses, and I only have four left that haven’t broken.” –Christina Vercelletto, Lifestyle Editor “A 100-year-old oak desk sits in my home office. The drawers don’t work and the chair is uncomfortable as hell, but it looks gorgeous. It’s a great desk as long as you don’t have to use it.” –Daniel Comiskey, Deputy Editor “I was obsessed with the Fisher Price Little People universe as a kid, and I still have a few…

Q: IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, INDIANA WAS HOME TO MORE CAR MANUFACTURERS THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER STATE. WHAT HAPPENED? A: Yes, Indiana was locked in a wheel-to-wheel race with Michigan for control of the nascent auto industry in the 1920s. Unfortunately, while Detroit-based outfits like Ford and GM worked on perfecting mass production and economies of scale, most of their Indiana competitors remained boutique operations that put out a relatively small number of vehicles. The names of those Hoosier cars are still legendary: Cord, Auburn, Duesenberg, Stutz, Marmon, and Studebaker. While Hoosier car companies made lots of interesting vehicles, their lack of scale bit them in the bumper when the Great Depression hit, driving pretty much all of them out of business (except for Studebaker, which survived into the 1960s).…

ON MARCH 5, an exhibit about Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, the first Black world champion athlete, opens at the Indiana State Museum. And while the show contains lots of fascinating material from the Indy native’s cycling career, his track-racing bike is the highlight. On loan from the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in California, Major Taylor’s 20-pound Peugeot was state-of-the-art in his day, but it’s a tank compared with some modern carbon fiber bikes. Even so, he broke several world records on it, and it’s the only known bike in existence attributed to him.…

Bring a little zen into your living room with SurcleWood’s mod lamp, handcrafted by Bloomington’s Julie Jackson, one of the few women in Central Indiana’s maledominated woodworking industry. Reminiscent of the rocks she gathers from the wooded creek near her home, the smooth handturned walnut ovals appear suspended in midair, casting playful shadows that shift throughout the day. Pieces in Jackson’s collection—which also includes maple salad bowls, elegant vases, and red oak pendant earrings—are sustainably made from reclaimed or fallen wood and polished with eco-friendly materials. River Rock Lamp, $220, surclewood.com…

STREET SAVVY QUAFF One of four of brewer Eilise Lane’s edgy-yet-approachable taprooms, Scarlet Grove Public House & Pizza Pub (1) provides local hopheads a cozy spot for sampling the brewery’s portfolio of stouts, IPAs, and more whimsical pours, such as their Sammy Terry kölsch. A partnership with Beech Grove Pizza Company next door means a perfect pairing of suds and slices. 704 Main St., 317-982-7579, scarletlanebrew.com NOSH The colorful, gothic-themed murals and fluffy-yet-chewy crust at Beech Grove Pizza Company (2) set it apart from nearby pie chains. Make sure you add some parmesan-showered breadsticks to your order, and come hungry for the Ron Swanson with double bacon, pepperoni, ham, and salami. 702 Main St., 317-222-4169, beechgrovepizza.com RECHARGE The former Merchants Bank branch at the corner of Main and Seventh streets…

THE SEASONAL orange-ginger latte and salted turtle mocha at Samantha Stratton’s Silver Linings Coffeehouse would be worth the drive to Beech Grove on their own. But it’s the generous pour of local history that is the real draw to this spot that Stratton, whose family has been in the area since the early 1900s, opened last October. She filled the space with local ephemera like the vault from the storefront’s original Merchants Bank branch in the 1920s, and the family photos and local newspaper clippings that cover an entire wall. Among the menu mainstays, bowls of oatmeal dressed up with blueberries and nuts will get your day started right, as will goods from 4 Birds Bakery. 700 Main St., Beech Grove, silverliningscoffeehouse.com…

REVIEW IF YOU BELONG to a certain generation of good-time Charlies in Indianapolis, the big brick corner-piece building just off Fountain Square’s main intersection might bring back wine-soaked memories from its past life as the cavernous, unfancy Deano’s Vino. Owner Dean Wilson’s $5 Wednesday-night wine tastings alone achieved legendary status in the aughts. But if you came of drinking age in a different decade, the same address might take you back to techno dance nights with featured DJs and live entertainment—the main draws of 1110 Shelby St.’s most recent occupant, Pioneer. A gourmet restaurant by day and music venue by night, it featured a stage as well as tables that scooted aside after dinner to make way for standing-roomonly events. Last October, a new venture, Wine Market & Table, moved…

What is it about the quality and detail in antique hardware that makes it so appealing today? “Antique hardware was made using a lost wax process, with a mold, which gives more detail than any machinefabricated hardware you find today. Our most sought-after hardware is glass doorknobs. Many people remember them from when they were growing up, so it’s a bit of nostalgia, and they’re simply beautiful. It can be difficult to match some glass doorknobs exactly, and the antique knobs use a different spindle than modern doors. Fortunately, we have conversion kits available so you can still use your antique doorknob in a modern door.”…

MARSHALL STUDIOS RECORD PLAYER “This was made in the 1960s in Veedersburg, Indiana, by the famous furniture maker Marshall Studios. After Marshall Studios went out of business, there was a big auction. Everything that didn’t sell went into a trailer for a while. A friend of mine bought everything from the trailer and packed it into his house in Cottage Home. He invited me over, and I saw the record player. It blew my mind. I paid $500 for it, but that was me not knowing what it was worth yet, wanting it enough to throw a solid number at him. Turns out, only two of them were ever made. So what is it worth? It’s hard to put a number on it. But a pair of Marshall Studios lamps…

What are some things to consider when investing in vintage jewelry? “You can always tell a fine piece of antique jewelry if it’s as nicely made on the back side as it is on the front. Remember, it was all forged and made by hand, so I always turn it over first. When I do the jewelry buying at market, I also look for a maker’s mark and the history—collectors will ask about that, and if there’s a provenance, you’ll pay a premium.”…

Why is silver plate flatware so inexpensive? “Utensils are hit or miss. Sometimes, there are nice flatware sets in a box. But usually, old silverware is worth $1 per piece. People buy it and repurpose it for jewelry, for example. If you’re looking for sterling silverware, you’re going to have trouble finding it. People aren’t selling it; they’re hoarding it in their homes because they know it’s worth something.”…

SPRING ARRIVES this month, a season not heralded by the calendar, but by the emergence of green, the song of morning birds, and the rising smell of leaf rot as the snow departs and the earth warms. If I were deaf and blind, I would still know spring by its fragrance. Unless I had COVID-19 and couldn’t smell, which was the aspect of the pandemic that frightened me most. Whenever I imagined having it, I never thought of lying in the hospital hooked up to a respirator, gasping for breath, but of sitting in our kitchen oblivious to the comforting aroma of home. When I was a kid, my friends and I would ask one another, during conversational gaps, “If you had to lose one of your senses, which one…