Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2016 i Indianapolis Monthly

The first time I took my husband to the small town where I grew up, I drove him past the picturesque buildings, pointing out the library where I ruled reading tournaments and the Rexall drugstore on Main Street that made old-fashioned chocolate milkshakes. Then I rolled down my window and yelled in an exaggerated drawl to a woman jogging past, “Woo, girl, lookin’ good!” My husband was shocked. “Do you know her?” he asked, aghast. Of course, I replied—she was my oldest friend. He came of age in a city, so this whole interaction was outside the norm. I, on the other hand, would have been surprised had I not seen someone I knew well enough to tease along the route. I was reminded of that episode recently during a…

He defends retailers against pyros suing for their own negligence—like lighting fireworks on their heads. JOHN BROOKE was fresh out of law school and starting his general practice in Muncie when one of his first clients invited him to a fireworks convention. “I thought he just wanted a drinking buddy in Chicago,” says Brooke. Instead, the client, who owned a string of fireworks stands, introduced him to the pyrotechnics industry. “Guys from all over the country told me that they used lawyers all the time, but spent half of their money teaching them about the business,” Brooke says. A fuse sparked in Brooke’s mind. Twenty-seven years later, he is one of the world’s foremost fireworks attorneys, representing retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and hobbyists in 48 states and 22 countries. Keeping up…

Ricketts Indigo goes beyond the blue with hand-dyed coasters, p. 34. In just her third year as an independent florist, Meg Connelly of Meg Catherine Flowers has blossomed into the go-to floral designer for the city’s trendiest hangouts, including Milktooth and Wildwood Market. But her ability to create earthy, textural arrangements also appeals to brides, who especially love her custom flower crowns ($125 and up), made with a gorgeous mixture of foliage or baby’s breath and garden roses. Talk about a blooming business. 760-420-9432, megcatherinefloral.com…

WHERE’D YOU GET THAT KIMONO? A flea market in Soho in New York City. I gravitate toward clothing that looks like art. WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO SHOP FOR THOSE UNUSUAL ITEMS? The Toggery, near 62nd and Keystone, is where I’ve bought the coolest pieces in my closet. I’ve found big designers there, like Tory Burch. AS THE OWNER OF STYLE RIOT, A STYLING COMPANY, WHAT FASHION FAUX PAS MAKES YOU CRINGE? Clothing that doesn’t fit, whether it’s too big or too small. We need to love our bodies and accept them as they are. Wearing clothes that fit appropriately is the best way to feel great about yourself. SUMMER-WARDROBE STAPLES? A lightweight, flowy black tank dress, a great wedge, and a crisp, white buttondown with or without sleeves. DO YOU HAVE…

Swoon A FEW MONTHS AGO, if you wanted to eat your feelings with a plate of Liz Maci’s intricately embellished lemon porcelain cookies, you had to special-order a batch—in shapes ranging from a snowflake to a baby’s onesie to the state of Indiana wrapped in a red-icing ribbon. Now that she has teamed up with daughter Abby (who also serves as the director of digital strategy at Well Done Marketing), Lemon Tree Cookies is expanding its portfolio of petite pastries and making them available at retail outlets such as Fresco Italian Cafe on the canal and Wildwood Market in Fountain Square. Baking out of Indy’s Kitchen, the duo whips up a range of treats, most of which are too pretty to stash inside a cookie jar. Among the snickerdoodles and…

THE EAGLE 310 Massachusetts Ave., 929-1799, theeagleotr.com The main event at this downtown watering hole has a gentle, peppery heat that sneaks up (and builds with a dunk in chili-infused honey). The $18 whole chicken includes two wings, two legs, two thighs, and two breasts—the only way to go. GEORGIA REESE’S 14 E. Washington St., 986-7883, georgiareeses.com The three-piece Hot Chicken supper entree includes a moist triumvirate: leg, thigh, and breast—fried to a crisp and brushed with spicy chili oil. The smaller, darker pieces retain the highest concentration of heat. But the breast offers a rare, tasty ratio of tender meat and crackling skin that tingles the lips. BIG LUG CANTEEN 1435 E. 86th St., 672-3503, biglugcanteen.com More like chicken tenders in shape and size, mild and hot versions of…

Several months ago, my wife and I decided to begin attending the Danville town board meetings. Nothing much ever happens, but it’s a good opportunity to stay current on the gossip. We have a local newspaper, The Republican, but if you want to get the dirt on people, you can’t count on Betty Bartley at the paper to shovel it. You have to wallow with the hogs in the trough. At a recent meeting, a newcomer to our town stood to complain about a house being built next door to him. “I moved out here from the city last year to have privacy, and now there’s going to be a house right next to me,” he said, then asked the town board to close the gates, after just squeezing in…

POPULATION 21,497 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME $53,819 DISTANCE FROM THE CIRCLE 25 MILES AVERAGE HOME PRICE $155,980 IT’S TEMPTING TO start calling Greenfield “East Irvington.” The physical similarities are there—leafy streets, a Rockwellian mix of historic homes, a centrally located park, independent businesses. The Mug, a destination restaurant in Greenfield, just opened a second location in Irvington. And both places sit on the Pennsy Trail, which will eventually connect Greenfield and Indianapolis. Residents in this agricultural community love the easy access to Indy—it’s a low-traffic straight shot to downtown or the north side. (They lament the lack of good day care and a modernized public pool, though.) But increasingly, Indy folks are enjoying the quick access to Greenfield, too. The foodie crowd is checking out justopened Griggsby’s Station gastropub, helmed by…

AFTER CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS AND READING the headlines, the news about cancer is not all bad. Cancer death rates have dropped 23 percent since their 1991 peak, mainly due to people kicking the smoking habit, and according to the American Cancer Society, death rates continue to decline for lung, breast, colorectal, and colon cancer. But cancer remains a scary prospect. Many people know someone who seemed perfectly healthy until he or she was diagnosed with a deadly cancer that had silently spread through the body. Catching cancer earlier may mean better and more successful treatment, experts say, even if the cancer is still silent. “Some of the literature does support that early detection saves lives,” says Dr. Kent Hansen, a board-certified radiologist and CEO of Northwest Radiology. “Someone with a…

WHEN THE WEATHER turns warm, I am reminded of the Watson’s girl. You remember the Watson’s girl, right? Also known as Jennifer Eichler, she hawked swimming pools, spas, and billiard tables in popular regional TV commercials. Perhaps her most memorable spot was the one where she peeled off a trench coat to reveal a black bikini. “It’s gonna be hot,” she’d say, “and you’re gonna need a pool.” I was struck not by her sultry tone but by the notion that anyone might need a pool. We need food and shelter, but a pool? Seriously? When I was a kid growing up in our un-air-conditioned home, I would take a nightly swim in the bathtub. I remember practicing my strokes in place, but that lasted only as long as I…

A decade ago this month, Tony Stewart shared what it was like to wreck a racecar for IM’s “My First Time” issue. Now you may be seeing a “last” for the Columbus native and resident instead. This year’s Brickyard 400 on July 24 likely will be the final time the driver burns rubber around the oval under the NASCAR banner—Stewart says he’ll retire from the stockcar series (but not racing altogether) at the end of the 2016 season. He’s taken the checkered flag twice there. Can he make it a third?…

Check out the Liberty Bell 7 capsule at the Children’s Museum’s new Beyond Spaceship Earth exhibit, p. 28. HE’S FAMOUS THANKS TO A MICROWAVEABLE SNACK FOOD. Jim Gaffigan’s road from small-town Indiana to the big time is long and winding and lined with Hot Pockets: A routine about them propelled Gaffigan into the common vocabulary of college kids and made him one of the most in-demand comics. In 2012, Pollstar pegged him as one of the top 10 touring comedians in the U.S. GAFFIGAN WAS BORN IN ELGIN, ILLINOIS, BUT GREW UP IN CHESTERTON. “The closest thing to the entertainment industry was probably that we had a marching band,” he told The Wall Street Journal in 2013. The youngest of six, Gaffigan announced at age 5 that he wanted to…

THE THREAD GRAND OPENING Broad Ripple beauty emporium Eva Maison will celebrate the launch of its Fashion Mall location with a party on July 20. Makeup artists and champagne will be on hand. TRENDING Accessories for your accessories, ranging from fur bag bugs by Fendi to pom-pom keychains on totes at Carmel City Center’s 14 Districts Weekend. DISCOVERY Salon and boutique Kindred – The Boheme Collective (301 S. Rangeline Rd., Carmel) feels like a mini Anthropologie, selling artful home decor, potted succulents, and slip dresses. Get the Hot List of great buys in local boutiques every Wednesday at Indianapolis Monthly.com…

EACH BLUISH HUE of Rowland Ricketts’s textiles and wife Chinami’s fabric represents two spans of time: several centuries of indigo-dyeing tradition, and the previous year of the couple’s life. Rowland, an artist, and Chinami, a weaver of yardage for kimonos and Japanese sashes called obi, color their cloth with indigo they grow on their Bloomington farm. Planting, harvesting, drying, composting, and making the dye takes nearly 12 months. The couple learned time-honored, sustainable techniques in Chinami’s native country of Japan, where Rowland was teaching English when he developed his indigo interest. Their vibrant works earned them a Martha Stewart American Made award in 2014. Of course, there are cheaper, easier ways to dye. (Your blue jeans are made with a synthetic, petroleum-based product.) But to Rowland—an associate professor of textiles…

Flavor of the Month Born on the Calabrian coast of southern Italy, the spreadable salami ’nduja is made of ground dried hot peppers blended with fresh pork before curing. Unlike a traditional salami, which is fermented long enough to transform into a dry, coarse product, ’nduja (pronounced en-DOO-ya) is referred to as a “young” cure and consumed while still in paste form. That unique nature means it can be served straight up alongside other cured meats and cheeses on a charcuterie board, as they do at Bluebeard, or mixed with diverse flavors and textures to enhance other menu items. At Late Harvest Kitchen, ’nduja is whipped with butter, and then rubbed under the crispy skin of roasted chicken. On Spoke & Steele’s Naughty Grl’d Cheese, Smoking Goose ’nduja sits atop…

PEOPLE SURELY THOUGHT they were witnessing some kind of secret drug deal when the silver Saturn Vue pulled up in front of a downtown office building. The driver rolled down his passenger-side window, leaned over, and said, “Are you Julia?” “Yes. Are you Ron?” In response, the driver simply handed over a large brown paper bag. “Here you go,” he said. Then, as swiftly as the Vue arrived, it slipped back into the flow of lunch-hour traffic. The entire transaction took less than 15 seconds. It was painless, anonymous, and Ron didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would judge me for the contents of that bag: plastic containers stacked to the fold, steaming with starchy, cheesy grub from the base of Guy Fieri’s food pyramid. But even as…

MY WIFE AND I were married for 14 years before we owned our first home and the land it sat upon. Years earlier, when the house had been built, a surveyor had cut a small divot in the curb, marking the boundary with our neighbor to the west. I didn’t discover it until the tenth year in our home, so I mowed well into our neighbor’s property all that time, believing it was ours. Then a new neighbor moved in, a man more exacting than his predecessor, and pointed out my error. It’s not a pleasant feeling to have land taken from you, even when it was never yours to begin with. My sons had an especially difficult time adjusting, since the false boundary comprised one of their sidelines in…

POPULATION 30,590 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME $58,625 DISTANCE FROM THE CIRCLE 19 MILES AVERAGE HOME PRICE $178,889 Sources Population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015. Income: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010–2014. Home price: recent home sales. FIRST RULE IN Plainfield: Don’t bother Meryl Streep. The actress is known to pop into town while visiting in-laws who live in the area (most recent sighting: Stone Creek Dining Company). Some locals sneak a photo, but no one disturbs her. Stone Creek didn’t even mention her visit on social media for free publicity. On celebrity treatment alone, Plainfield earns its small-town bona fides. But the Hendricks County community has a pretty airtight case anyway in its genuine downtown. Wait, you didn’t know Plainfield has a downtown? Oh, yeah. The west end of strip-mall-heavy U.S. 40 gives way…

How to Make Friends Hang Out at Falls Park The green space (299 Falls Park Dr., fallspark.org) acts as the de facto town center. In the mornings, it’s full of trail runners, pet parents, and folks sipping coffee, trying to work themselves into Monday, and on select summer Fridays, it shows outdoor movies. Bring extra popcorn to share. POPULATION 4,219 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME $54,293 DISTANCE FROM THE CIRCLE 35 MILES AVERAGE HOME PRICE $164,356 WITH ITS MIX OF HISTORIC preservation and of-the-moment businesses, Pendleton feels more like Meridian-Kessler than somewhere so far north on I-69. The centerpiece is Falls Park—more on that in a minute—but a short stroll from its chattering waterfall sits State Street and its smart, under-the-radar blend of lively storefronts in turn-of-the-century buildings. One of those houses…

James Alexander Thom Freelance writer James Alexander Thom has spent enough of his life in the Indiana State Parks to have moss growing on his north side. So he had plenty of background for his essay on the 100th anniversary of the parks (“Deep Roots,” p. 84). “I’ve done as much research for my American history novels out in the field as I have in the archives,” he says. Thom’s books have sold more than 2 million copies. Wil Foster Freelance photographer Wil Foster grew up in Australia, where individual fireworks shows are banned. So getting close to the explosives at Ravenswood’s Independence Day bash (“Total Blast,” p. 82) was both terrifying and exciting. “I had seen them from afar, but being three feet away was surreal,” he says. “Definitely…

“Symphony” is a little misleading. There’s a Mozart show (July 8–9), but also a Billy Joel/Elton John tribute (July 22–23). Oh, and Toto. Yes, “Africa” Toto (August 19–20). Take the tram from the parking lot to the gate, or bring a wagon for your picnic. It’s a trek. Save the vintage metal cooler for IMA Summer Nights peacocking. Check the event’s Facebook page for deals and prime tables, especially a day or two out. Don’t forget a corkscrew. But if you do, someone nearby will lend you one. Watch where you aim that bug spray. You’re surrounded by Smoking Goose salumi. Before you go, Google “Portlandia outdoor movie YouTube.” The dance floor will fill up. Eventually.…

“GET YOUR POPCORN and peanuts, your red lemonade and chewing candy!” food vendors shouted to throngs of pleasure seekers spilling from the looping streetcar just yards from the entrance to Riverside Amusement Park. From the moment the venue debuted in May 1903, the park became a must-do for Indy residents in the summer—a steady influx of entertainment beckoned year after year. Two attractions, though, debuted that first season: the Double Eight Railway ride and the Laughing Gallery hall of mirrors. Soon, others followed. The Old Mill—a water parade of boat-cars ferrying visitors through painted indoor scenery illuminated by electric lights—opened the next year; the Thriller roller coaster came in 1913, and the Skyrocket, another coaster, took off in 1924. The latter two remained popular for decades, as did the merry-go-round…

Inside Look FACT: KIDS LIKE space. We know it, you know it, and the Children’s Museum knows it. Which is why the venue has revamped its planetarium into the new permanent exhibit Beyond Spaceship Earth, which opened at the end of June. The $8 million upgrade was built with insight from Indyborn astronaut David Wolf (pictured), the institution’s scientist-in-residence. As with all things at the museum, interactivity is key. Here, a few ways your kid’s imagination can escape Earth’s gravity. 1 SEE MORE THAN STARS. A typical planetarium contains a projector and not much else. Beyond Spaceship Earth combines a planetarium with an exhibit, which features real space vehicles and equipment around the theater. 2 TOUCH A SPACE CAPSULE. The theater currently showcases the Liberty Bell 7 (left), which was…

DECORATE 716 Massachusetts Ave., 737-2109, decorateindy.com DON’T MISS Tabletop outdoor grills by French company Vacances in the back room ($85). THINK YOU COULDN’T live in less than 2,000 square feet, as residents filling new downtown apartments by the thousands are doing? You just need the right furniture (and a cute patio grill). Mass Ave’s new store Decorate packs four exposedbrick rooms with slimmed-down pieces, nothing oversized and blocky. Owner Amy Peterson is, yes, the wife of former mayor Bart Peterson, but more important, a downtown resident herself and past owner of a boutique in Michigan. She picked out the item everyone swoons over: a metal-frame club chair upholstered with plump rows of distressed leather. It’s like a designer took the front seat of a muscle car and fattened it up…

SLACKLINE TRAINING * BALANCE YOGA CENTER This dynamic yoga practice—performed on a suspended line—boosts spatial awareness, balance, core strength, and concentration. Sound like your worst nightmare? The grass is only a couple feet below in case you get wobbly. 404 W. Main St., Carmel, indybalance.com DOWNTOWN BOOT CAMP * FIRE EYE FITNESS If variety pumps you up, you’ll enjoy this program’s assortment of obstacles, ranging from steps at the War Memorial and the hill at White River Trail to logs and sandbags at Veteran’s Park. The calorie-blasting class rotates among downtown locations all summer. 1029 Fletcher Ave., 491-5831, fireeye.fitness AQUA ZUMBA * MONON COMMUNITY CENTER Prefer to shake it in private? Dive right into Aqua Zumba at the Monon Community Center. The small class size, combined with the fact that…

If you envied little Ricky Schroder’s access to a slew of arcade games inside the Stratton Mansion on the 1980s hit Silver Spoons, and then grew up—but didn’t really grow up—you might never leave Tappers Arcade Bar in Fletcher Place. Game over. The 12-tap bar opened in early April to serve local brews with a sidecar of nerd-stalgia. Tappers doesn’t offer food, but encourages carry-in, and although lines for some of the games may appear long, patrons are good about taking turns. Pinball costs 50 cents a pop, but the rest is on the house—a dream come true for anyone who, back in the day, had a Galaxian habit but had to go cold turkey when Dad’s $5 ran dry. 501 Virginia Ave., 602-6411…

For more on CHAPATI (4930 Lafayette Rd.), see page 140.…

EARLY IN THE MORNING on November 17, 2010, Steve DeBrota received an urgent call. The assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District in Indiana was attending a Department of Justice convention in Washington, D.C., the kind of event filled with Powerpoint slides and a blur of indistinguishable meetings. But for DeBrota, a Butler alum who had been in his job for nearly 20 years at the time, the day would stand out in his memory. The person calling from 600 miles away shared some of the most sickening details he had ever heard, in a line of work where sickening details were routine: prosecuting child pornography. The call came from a longtime friend, Indiana State Police lieutenant Chuck Cohen, a 16-year veteran of the force in charge of the Internet…

CHANCES ARE, YOU last visited Franklin to catch a movie at The Historic Artcraft Theatre and grab a bite at The Willard next door, if you could even score a seat. Roadtripping for a flick became a tradition for city-dwellers enchanted by the theater’s vintage setting and quirky pre-show, which includes live skits and standing for the national anthem. In the last couple of years, though, downtown has boomed. Indy’s Gray Goat Sports opened a location there, next to a coffee shop and a bistro. The Marshmallow Monkey’s elevated taste in furniture, lighting, and gifts comes as a surprise—you don’t see chic copper bar stools in many small-town boutiques. Those spots keep company with a candlemaker, pizzeria and taproom, two toy stores, a clothing shop, and more businesses in well-preserved,…

POPULATION 15,892 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME $44,709 DISTANCE FROM THE CIRCLE 28 MILES AVERAGE HOME PRICE $139,546 YOU MAY RECALL Lebanon from its 2015 mayoral election, when the farnorth town made national news by electing 26-year-old Republican Matt Gentry. (This was no fluke—he got 65 percent of the vote.) It’s too soon to cast judgment on Indiana’s most visible Millennial-run city, but early returns are strong. Home prices are mirroring the trend throughout Boone County: up. The Big Four Trail that already connects Lebanon to Thorntown is being expanded. And the revitalized downtown square, in disrepair for years, is springing back to life with a diversified mix of cafes, salvage outlets, pizzerias, a leather shop, a talent studio, candy stores, and specialty shops. “There were tumbleweeds downtown four years ago,” says…

DON’T LET THE FACT that the Ravenswood neighborhood’s fireworks display is just downstream from the White River Yacht Club fool you— the proceedings are more raucous than refined. The pyrotechnics launch from a spit of city-owned property called Ravenswood Overlook in the tiny community. Almost every homeowner throws a party, sometimes with live bands and almost always with a bonfire. So many boats crowd the river that in some spots, you could walk from bank to bank without getting your feet wet. After the fireworks, the flotilla breaks up, but the partying— on land and afloat—rages on. “Some of the houseboats stay lashed together,” says area resident Lynne Boone. “It can get pretty tricky when they’re going down the river three-wide.” Especially if (as in years past) one of them…

JUNE 24–26 SHADES STATE PARK CHAUTAUQUA Tom Resnowski and the Lafayette Symphony Brass Band will both play outside as visitors enjoy a campfire and s’mores. Live birds of prey will show off their wings and talons. And as with almost all of the centennial events this summer, plenty of birthday cake and ice cream will be on hand. JULY 3 58/100 CELEBRATION AT PAYNETOWN STATE RECREATION AREA This Lake Monroe hotspot will host games and crafts to celebrate 100 years of the parks and 58 years since the state filled the lake. The fireworks over the water the next evening should be pretty cool, too. JULY 17 TURKEY RUN STATE PARK CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION In addition to the live music playing in Rocky Hollow Canyon, Hoosier storyteller Bob Sanders will perform…

HOTELS & RESORTS THE ALEXANDER 333 S. Delaware St. 624-8200, thealexander.com INDOOR MEETING SPACE: 16,500 sq. ft. NO. OF MEETING AND EVENT ROOMS: 18 HOTEL ROOMS AVAILABLE: 209 BAYMONT INN & SUITES 9790 North by Northeast Blvd., Fishers 578-2000, baymontinns.com/fishers INDOOR MEETING SPACE: 588 sq. ft. NO. OF MEETING AND EVENT ROOMS: 1 HOTEL ROOMS AVAILABLE: 138 CARIBBEAN COVE WATERPARK, HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER 3850 DePauw Blvd. 872-9790, caribbeancovehotel.com INDOOR MEETING SPACE: 16,000 sq. ft. NO. OF MEETING AND EVENT ROOMS: 12 HOTEL ROOMS AVAILABLE: 344 CLARION HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER 2930 Waterfront Pkwy. W. Dr. 299-8400, clarionwaterfront.net INDOOR MEETING SPACE: 22,000 sq. ft. NO. OF MEETING AND EVENT ROOMS: 10 HOTEL ROOMS AVAILABLE: 143 CONRAD INDIANAPOLIS 50 W. Washington St. 713-5000, conradindianapolis.com INDOOR MEETING SPACE: 15,000 sq. ft. NO.…

DOWNTOWN INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square 1913 Restaurant UPSCALE COMFORT Farm-table standards get a glossy do-over at this hotel restaurant tucked just off of the polished marble lobby of the Omni Severin. The dining room, all dark lacquer and leathery browns, feels a bit stuffy, but diners easily warm up to a menu that includes a root beer–cured pork chop topped with bacon marmalade, and half a chicken roasted to a juicy, rosy hue and plated with succotash and a little pan of sweet-corn “milk” for dipping. The sides—such as macaroni-andcheese pie and sauteed brussels sprouts—get passed around the table, and vintage cocktails come courtesy of skilled mixologists. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. 40 W. Jackson Pl., 634-6664, omnihotels.com/hotels/indianapolis sev erin/dining/1913-restaurant B’s Po Boy CAJUN Known…