Eating BIG in Indianapolis Pt. 3

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Checking back in on Indianapolis

Well I saved todays post for this date back when I saw that Caleb Williams and the Bears would be going down to Indianapolis for week three of the 2024 season and here we are sitting at 1-1 headed down to Indy for a very winnable game. It’s early but they do look like the same old Bears so far. But even if you’re not headed down for the game this post could come in handy should you ever find yourself in or passing through Indianapolis. Is it the Midwest's best food city? No it’s not. (Note: I rank it 9/10 on my list of  the Midwest's best food cities with Chicago taking the top spot). But is there good food to be found in Indy? Of course there is! Anybody that tells you (insert city) doesn’t have good food is either an extremely picky eater or they don’t know how to find the good stuff. There’s good food to be found in every urban area of the country, if there’s people around then good food isn’t far behind and Indianapolis has 850,0000 plus people. It takes a bit of research and knowing what you’re looking for or you can just leave it to me. I’ve never led my readers astray. Here’s where I’ve ate in Indy of late. Note: previous Indianapolis eating reports linked at the end of this post. Enjoy the ride!

Pics from Indy
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Long's Bakery 

First stop for me whenever I’m in Indy is more often than not this locally loved donut shop. Long’s Bakery is a great stop even if you’re just passing thru as it’s right off I-65 and it opens early and closes late (5:30a - 10p daily). If you arrive on a weekend before noon you should be prepared to wait as they often have a line. Customers from across the city line up for their donuts the most popular of which is a glazed yeast. Local rapper Tevin Studdard released a song in 2020 called "Long's Bakery Music Video" during which he raps about eating Indy's favorite donuts. David Letterman is also a fan.

Donuts at Long's Bakery 
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Shapiro's Delicatessen

Indy is a good Roadfood city by which I mean there’s alot of fun old school spots you can stop in at. Shapiro’s Deli is arguably the most iconic of the bunch. This classic cafeteria style restaurant has been at it since 1905 and is still in the same family today as when it started. I think their Reuben is a contender for best I’ve had in big part due to the spectacular rye bread which they bake on site. The sliced corned beef is really good too but man oh man that hand cut rye bread is as good as it gets.

Rueben Sandwich at Shapiro's Delicatessen
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Working Man's Friend

If there’s one spot in Indy that can contend with the previous stops for most iconic it’s this bustling bar known for their sensational smashed burger. I first visited Workingman's Friend 15 years ago when I named it one of the best burgers in the country and it’s still up there on my list. Limited hours means it's always packed so I highly advise arriving right when they open if not right before they close. Hoosiers jam the place for their signature burger which is a double crispy smashed with a third bun in the middle. Despite heavy inflation across the country it’s still a heck of a deal at just over $8. The beer is reasonable here too as it’s still a very blue collar bar that got its name after its Macedonian founder would spot food and cash to local railroad workers on strike back in the mid 20’s. Since 1918.

Double Cheeseburger at Working Man's Friend
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Heidelberg Haus

I can’t believe I never stopped at this German amusement park until just recently. Heidelberg Haus is a family-owned German restaurant, bakery, and gift shop that's been on the east side of Indianapolis since 1968. It’s owned by a German national from Heidelberg who gained fame making pastries around the world at a young age and eventually found himself in Indy where he decided to open his own place. Walking into Heidelberg Haus feels a lot like visiting the German wing at Disney’s Epcot Center. Dining tables are scattered about the restaurant strategically placed wherever they can find the room between the bakery and the gift shop that expands throughout the property. It also has a cafe where customers can try a variety of German sausages including a delicious plate of currywurst. 

Currywurst at Heidelberg Haus

I always enjoy this German dish born in Berlin but you don’t see it too often in Chicago. Currywurst is typically just sliced sausage served with a curry ketchup for dipping. At Heidelberg Haus they give you two pieces of fried knockwurst served with their made on site curry sauce and a fat scoop of German Potato Salad which is a mayo-less recipe served warm with chunks of bacon found throughout and also a piece of buttered rye bread. As good as the Currywurst was it was second fiddle to the incredible German Chocolate cake that the owner himself still bakes. You can buy it by the slice or if your timing is right you can even take an entire cake to go but it’s best to order ahead if that’s what you want. There’s rarely a day that goes by where they don’t sell out of it. I’m not a big cake guy, I like it but I don’t seek it out but that will charge next time I find myself in Indy as I’m so going back for that and whatever else looks good in the bakery case that day. They also sell a ton of German ingredients and souvenirs which are scattered throughout the shop. This place is a gem.

German Chocolate Cake at Heidelberg Haus
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Red Key Tavern

The Midwest is littered with cool bars no matter where you are. Indy is no exception. There’s some great bars to drink at in this city and Red Key Tavern is one of my factories. This cash only establishment is one of the best bars in the country according to The Daily Meal. It opened in 1933 and was known for its rules like no cursing, no dancing, and no leaning back in your seat. While the rules have changed the inside remains very much the same. It’s got that old school feel that so many spots try to replicate but the only real way to do so is thru time and Red Key Tavern has been at for 90 years so you know it’s the real deal. Food wise the bar is known for its burgers and also its braunschweiger sandwich which is an embodiment of the tavern itself— nostalgic and straightforward. The sandwich has been on the menu as long as anyone can remember. “Braunschweiger” is a catch-all term for several types of German sausages but the version served at Red Key is spreadable, like pate, and sliced right off the log. It comes standard on wheat bread and can be toasted upon your request. You can also add onion, pickle, lettuce, tomato, or mayo. I thought it was surprisingly good.

Braunschweiger Sandwich at Red Key Tavern 
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The Pawn Shop Pub

Pictured below is 'The Big Pawn" from Pawn Shop Pub - an old Long John Silvers turned local vibes bar. The Big Pawn is a hand breaded pork tenderloin that’s sliced in half and dressed like a Big Mac. Did you know that McDonalds once tested a breaded pork tenderloin on the menu back in 2002? It went on a test run here in Indiana but I guess the Hoosiers decided they prefer the mom and pop spots like this. There’s not a ton of variety when it comes to the dressing of a BPT so this one was a standout with the special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onion on a sesame seeded bun. 

Big Pawn Breaded Tenderloin at The Pawn Shop Pub
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Wisanggeni Pawon

I first tried this Indonesian restaurant in its early stages as a ghost kitchen. Wisanggeni Pawon serves up some delicious Indonesian inspired street food. I’m not nearly as familiar with Indonesian cuisine as I’d like to be but Wisanggeni Pawon might be my favorite restaurant in Indianapolis. It’s a bit of an oddity in a city with a handful of Burmese restaurants but those are mostly found on the south side which can be an extra hour of driving going to and from downtown. Wisanggeni Pawon is ran by an Indonesian couple who ended up in Indy after a restaurant venture in the Netherlands fell thru. Well one country’s loss is another’s gain as Bambang Wisanggeni and his wife Putri Pratiwi are serving up some of the most exciting food in the city. Martabak Telor aka Crispy Beef Omelette is a savory flavor bomb of chopped beef with green onion and egg mixed with a special sauce and sandwiched between a crispy crepe that’s cut into squares for easy eating. The beef rendang is as good as I’ve had anywhere in the States. It’s rich and creamy and arrives with an array of sides like fluffy coconut rice, jackfruit gulai, steamed kale, and an omelet. But the best thing on the menu just might be the Indonesian sweet Dutch butter pancake with sprinkled chocolate, ground peanut, and cheese aka Martabak Manis. No joke one of the best deserts that I’ve ever had. I’ve never had this anywhere else but I felt like it was of a super high quality as it was just perfect. One of those dishes I'll never forget.

Martabak Telor 

Beef Rendang

Martabak Manis at Wisanggeni Pawon
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Futuro Indy 

I took a quick trip down to Indy last year to lend a helping hand I was rewarded with a Detroit style pizza just as good as any of the ones I’ve had in the Motor City. It comes from Futuro which is posted up in an old building from the old Angie’s List campus. We tried the Futuro Classic which comes with Ezzo pepperoni, housemade Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms and their house marinara sauce plus Pecorino Romano. They also do a tavern style thin and run a deep dish special but I highly suggest the Detroit style which hit all the high notes with its thick and airy dough that’s both light and sturdy with a lovely frico edge crust plus Wisconsin Brick cheese and a bright red top. Really good stuff.

Detroit Style Pizza at Futuro
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Shani's Secret Chicken 

Believe it or not Indiana has a rich tradition of fried chicken. Our neighbors to the east even have an interactive map with some of the states best fried chicken mapped out. A good chunk of those spots are south of Indy but some of the states best fried chicken is found on the west side of the city in a Pakistani restaurant. Chapati is a contemporary Indian and Pakistani spot ran by Indy resident Maisum Farid. He serves up some of Indiana's best South Asian food at Chapati which also houses Shani’s Secret Chicken where he dishes out a South Asian spin on the Southern classic. Halal Chicken is soaked in buttermilk and spiced with lots of exciting spices before a trip to the deep fryer resulting in some of the crispiest fried chicken in all of Indiana. Thumbs up for the fresh cut fries too. 

Fried Chicken at Shani's Secret Chicken 
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Julieta Taco Shop 

I’m not sure where to find Indy’s best tacos as I haven’t done enough searching around to give a real answer. But I know you can do much worse than this new school spot located at The Stutz - an iconic four-story factory building easily accessible from off the highway. Julieta Taco Shop is a tag team operation between two friends who met more than 15 years ago in Indianapolis. The co owners worked together at restaurants across the city before opening Julieta which specializes in tortillas made on site with nixtamalized corn from Mexico that’s milled and pressed by one of the owners dads. Aside from that I loved the fact I saw a spit of al pastor aka a trompo spinning. So I decided to try both the al pastor and a Taco Suadero (fried beef) which is really starting to take off at spots like Julieta across the country. I much preferred the al pastor which I ordered with a cheese skirt crust - it was crisp and has good flavor and the texture was better than most of the al pastor you’ll find elsewhere. The suadero was more like birria in that it was really just shredded meat and thus it lacked the texture and the fried beefy flavor typcially found in Mexico City’s lesser known specialty.

Tacos at Julieta Taco Shop
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Shoyu Shop at Strange Bird

To understand just how good ramen in the U.S. has got over the last decade or so take a look at our next stop - a ramen shop connected to a tiki bar in the historic Irvington neighborhood. Shoyu Shop is a made from scratch ramenya started by a graduate of The Tokyo Ramen Academy. Like any serious ramen spot they only offer a total of four bowls with their namesake Shoyu Ramen leading the way. Shoyu style  ramen starts with a sweet and salty broth made with a soy sauce base or “tare” as it’s called in ramen lingo. The tare is said to make up only about 1/10 of the liquid broth while the other 90% can vary depending on recipe. Shoyu Shop adds ‘Tori Chintan’ or crystal clear chicken stock to their house noodles along with chiyu (chicken oil) and chicken chasu (sliced chicken meat), pork chasu (sliced pork belly) and a soft boiled egg with a handful of chopped scallion. It’s a complex bowl of noodles that as recently as a decade ago would be impossible to find in Indiana. The tiki drinks at Strange Bird are also very good making for a great 1-2 punch when paired with the delicious ramen.

Shoyu Ramen at Shoyu Shop
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Vida

If you’re looking for a restaurant that’s a bit more upscale you may want to consider the tasting menu at Vida which serves a pretty good modern American tasting menu focusing on fresh and local ingredients. Executive Chef Thomas Melvin was a semifinalist for the ‘Best Chef: Great Lakes Region’ at the 2024 James Beard Awards. Vida serves up two different tasting menu options and also has ala carte selections. I tried the full tasting menu which plugs in at $135 on their website as of September 2024. The menu has completely switched since my visit in March but I had a nice dinner with a couple of standout dishes each of which were the meat forward courses of the seven course tasting. But if I had to choose between the duck breast with a carrot emulsion, confit turnip, kumquat or the Wagyu ribeye with "Robuchon" potato, preserved lemon creamed kale and truffle demi? I would take the duck as the meat had better texture. That said the ribeye paired with the rich and creamy potatoes was also a winner. Overall it was a very nice meal but I didn’t think it was quite to the level of the best restaurant in the Great Lakes Region which incudes Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois

Duck Breast at Vida

Ribeye at Vida 
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Bonge's Tavern (Anderson)

I got to cross an old spot off my Roadfood bucketlist with a bit of a detour on a recent trip to Indy. Bonge’s Tavern (pronounced bon - gees) rests in a quiet area on the outskirts of Anderson Indiana about 40 miles northeast of Indianapolis. It sits in a building dating back to the late 1800’s. Bonge’s as a restaurant dates back to 1934 when Charles Bonge took over the restaurant and spent more than 60 years manning the kitchen before selling the place in 1997. It was recently sold again and the current owner chose not to mess with its success. Customers drive from across the state and tailgate outside when the weather is warm and there’s a wait - reservations recommended. The menu is fairly small but it has all of the basic proteins including chicken, duck, lamb, seafood, and steaks.  

a peek inside 

Bonge's biggest seller is their ‘Perkinsville Pork’ as this is Indiana after all and the Perkinsville Pork is a breaded tenderloin with a Parmesan crust plus lemon butter served with the days fresh vegetable and whatever potato prep they’re making on your visit. The first thing you notice upon that first bite is the quality of the pork itself. It’s got great texture as it wasn’t bludgeoned to mush. It's got great flavor too from both the butter and the cheese. This was easily the best BPT I’ve had in these parts. The scalloped potatoes were also on point. The steak wasn’t the best I’ve had as that’s a much bigger hill to climb but it was more than just fine. I really liked all the smoke flavor they managed to grill into it. All entrees come with jalapeño cornbread and your choice of tomato soup or wedge salad served with their house blue cheese dressing. I suggest going with the salad and paying the upgrade for the real deal made on site bacon bits to go with it. Bonge’s Tavern doesn’t do carryout but they do sell pints and quarts of the soup and the blue cheese dressing to go. We finished this fantastic meal with a marvelously made sugar cake topped with berries and whipped cream. I hope to one day return during the warmer months and tailgate. Overall this was one of my favorite stops of the year. 

Dinner at Bonge's Tavern 

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If you liked this post you might also be interested in:

Indianapolis Eats

Eating BIG in Indianapolis Pt. 2

Super Eats in Indianapolis

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See ya next time @chibbqking

Elina's

-Grubbing in Chicago
Red Sauce Italian in West Town

“What’s your favorite Italian restaurant?” is a question I get asked every now and then (oftne by the old timers) and I never have an exact answer. Italian food is regional enough to where I have spots I like to go for certain dishes but I don’t have a favorite overall unless you count a spot like Johnnie’s Beef as Italian. But a trip to Elina’s late last winter had me crushing on the trendy red sauce spot pretty hard. This despite me not being a big sauce guy outside of going out for it maybe twice a year. 

Locals Favorite in West Town 

Elina’s opened on Grand Avenue in West Town back in 2022 and it’s been pretty busy ever since then. The owners / chefs honed their skills at multiple Michelin starred spots in New York City and Chicago including the ever trendy Carbone. According to one article I read the goal of them was to create a neighborhood red sauce Italian spot that both the neighbors and gourmands from across the city would like. Walking into Elina’s definitely has the feel of the type of spot they described. It’s dark, it’s slick, there’s leather booths lining the walls and Frank Sinatra is blasting in the background. The menu is a nice mix of red sauce classics that have kept customers coming back as planned. Like every classic Italian American spot your meal starts with a complimentary course - here it’s a trio of garlic bread, salami and beets all of which hit the spot. We also got a Caesars Salad to start which had good anchovy flavor and just enough sauce to prevent the lettuce from getting too soft. 

Appetizers at Elina's

As mentioned above both of the owners worked with Mario Carbone of Carbone in NYC. Carbone is known for its spicy rigatoni vodka - one of the most viral dishes in the social media stratosphere. So it’s no surprise to see a version of it on the menu at Elina’s where they add breadcrumbs to the mix giving it a nice unexpected crunch. I’m ready to say it’s my favorite red sauce pasta in town after having it a couple times. I make my own version but can’t quite nail down what gives Elina’s recipe the edge but it might be the pasta itself - it’s hard to find that shape in grocery stores around town. 

Rigatoni alla Vodka at Elina's

The menu is compact so with that you got less than 10 selections outside of the apps and pastas. Cherry Peeper Ribs, Chicken Parm, and Shrimp Scampi were all tempting but so was the Dover Sole Picatta and Eggplant Parmesan. The former is a favorite in terms of both the species of the fish and the recipe with which it’s made. Fresh flaky fish always mixes really well with lemon and butter so no complaints on that. It was exactly what I wanted. Eggplant parm was more like eggplant lasagna but that’s not a bad thing. A brick of eggplant sauced in a bright acidic marinara is more than enough for two with a pasta added on. So overall despite not being the biggest fan of red sauce Italian food I really like Elina’s for a modern day Italian spot with good energy and a dining room that fits the part.

Eggplant Parmesan

Dover Sole Picatta

Elina's
1202 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 929-2249
Website

Vietnamese Food in Chicago

-Grubbing in Chicago
Five of a Kind: Vietnamese Favorites

Vietnamese food remains one of the world’s most underrated cuisines - it certainly has its fair share of fans but it’s not nearly as popular as Chinese, Japanese or Thai food. But I think you can make the case that a good bowl of pho is more readily available than alot of other things. It seems like you can find some good Vietnamese food in not just all the major cities but also in smaller cities and towns and such. The best Vietnamese food in the U.S. is found out west in Orange County but Chicago can hold its own when it comes to finding worthy options. Just like with Mexican restaurants or Chinese spots each place will typically have something they do better than most others around town. Today’s post will focus on five specific dishes that I enjoy when the taste for Vietnamese comes calling.

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Hai Yen (Uptown)

So I think one of the reasons Vietnamese food might not be as popular is bc it can be hard to pronounce the names of some of the dishes, which is pretty stupid but so are most people. For ex. one of my favorite dishes is BÒ CUỐN LÁ LỐT or beef wrapped in betel leaves. Little logs of spiced ground beef (Bo) are wrapped in betel leaves (lá lốt) and grilled. The end result are little flavor bombs with a distinct and delicious smoky fragrance. Bo La Lot comes served a variety of ways at Hai Yen Restaurant on Argyle, my favorite spot for the Southern Vietnamese dish. I like to order the platter which is customizable due to an assortment of fresh herbs and vegetables included with each order.

Bò nướng lá lốt at Hai Yen
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The Banh Mi Spot (Logan Square) 

While it’s impossible to pick a favorite style of sandwich it’s a little easier to name the best warm weather sandwiches with Banh Mi being a serious contender. Banh Mi is a product of France’s occupation of Vietnam hence the crisp and crunchy French bread used to make them. The majority of Banh Mi contain pickled carrots, daikon, chiles, cucumber slices, cilantro, mayo, and a protein of your choice. The most popular combination of ingredients is the Banh Mi Dac Biet - a special combo of cold cut ham, head cheese, pork, chicken liver pate, and the typical toppings. It’s basically Vietnam’s version of a cold cut and I really like the version served at the recently opened Banh Mi Shop in Logan Square. It’s all about the bread when it comes to a bangin’ Banh Mi and Banh Mi Spot bakes batches with just the right texture in terms of crunch. It’s not quite as good the gold standard, Nhu Lan Bakery, but it’s good enough to be one of the best Banh Mi in the city - super fresh and full of flavor.

Bánh mì đặc biệt at The Banh Mi Spot
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Hoanh Long (Peterson Park)

Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) might be Vietnams most famous dish but it’s not the only Vietnamese soup you should be seeking out. Hiu Tieu Sate isn’t nearly as common as Pho but if you ever see it on a menu you should try it. Hoanh Long Vietnamese near Lincoln and Devon is one such spot you can taste this spicy, peanut buttery soup. It too is a regional dish out of Southern Vietnam making it particularly popular in Ho Chi Minh City. Doing a bit of research I came to learn it’s a product of Chinese immigrants. Specifically those in in the Cholon District of Ho Chi Min City’s Chinatown neighborhood which is fitting as Hoanh Long is a Viet-Chinese restaurant. According to at least one story Sa Tế - a multipurpose sauce that is used as a marinade, condiment, and dressing - resulted in a nostalgia for home and today the sauce is used in all sorts of Vietnamese dishes (Note: pretty much all Asian food can be traced back to China). The difference in Pho and Hiu Tieu Sate can be pretty minimal in terms of the main ingredients (beef broth, noodles, toppings) but it’s how the broth is made that differentiates them. Hiu Tieu Sate starts with sautéing aromatics like onion, chilies, spices, peanut butter pepper sauce and beef bones with the meat. Water is slowly added and brought to long simmer resulting in a deeply flavorful and semi spicy broth that will warm you up right on a cold winter night.

Hiu Tieu Sate at Hoanh Long 
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Pho 777 (Uptown)   

Let’s head back to Argyle for our next stop - Pho 777. I’m not sure how long this place has been open but it’s one of the older spots on the block despite having just moved to a new location across the street. The first time I ever went here it was because I saw a pic in their window for Cha Ca Va Long which is a fried turmeric fish dish with dill popular in Hanoi. It’s actually my favorite Vietnamese dish but I’ve still never had it in Chicago bc every time I go here (or call) and ask about it they tell me they don’t have it today (or any day apparently). But they do make a pretty good Bun Cha aka Bun Cha Hanoi aka Bun Cha Obama. Bun Cha is a Hanoi specialty of charcoal grilled pork patties and noodles served with a ton of herbs and a nuoc chom dipping sauce (fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, water). This regional dish gained worldwide notoriety when then President Barack Obama joined Anthony Bourdain for a bowl on his ‘Parts Unknown’ show when both of them were in Hanoi at the same time.

Bun Cha Hanoi at Pho 777
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Ocean Grill & Bar (Chinatown)

Lastly we head to Chinatown where Ocean Bar and Grill is serving up some delicious Vietnamese seafood. Something about the heat makes me crave Southeast Asian food and seafood too and this place is great for both of them. So the story goes the owner comes from California where he has seafood supplier connections he uses for here. The stir fried clams in Tom Yum sauce taste like a dish you might find in Da Nang if not Orange County. One of my favorite dishes this year. I loved the spicy nose popping broth and the clams were plump and easily extracted from their shells. I’ve only been here once but plan on going back very soon specifically for those clams. We also tried an order of razor clams which had turned out to be two massive clams topped with fried garlic and some lip licking sauces with delicious Southeast Asian components. If not for the seafood an order the Bun Cha Hanoi would’ve been the meals big hit as it was excellent but it’s the seafood that really stands out. H/T to my colleague John Kessler who wrote Ocean Bar and Grill in Chicago Magazine in May.

Clams in Tom Yum Sauce at Ocean Bar & Grill
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See ya next time @chibbqking