Scotty’s Brewhouse 1 Vermont Ave

A hub for several Indy events, everyone has been there, everyone loves it. Enter Scotty’s Brewhouse and you will be greeted with old gas burning lanterns, solid brick interior, hand-made bar, tables and stools, friendly faces and ice cold beer. Scotty’s Brewhouse has a Fusion Atmosphere which is a blending of two unlike items that actually work well and complement each other. So, to try and describe this type of atmosphere becomes very difficult. A sports bar? Kind of. A trendy club? Kind of. A casual burger joint? Kind of. A place to kick back on the patio, have an ice cold beverage, eat a great meal and be taken care of by some of the best servers in the industry? Dead on.

ZING Restaurant, 543 Indiana

ZING is a small plate dining experience.  Rather than offering individual starters and main courses, ZING serves dishes that are designed for sharing among friends and are brought to the table steadily and continuously throughout the meal. You will be enticed by the many flavors and textures created by Chef Chris.  Much care and detail is taken with each plate design.  Bring friends and enjoy great conversation in ZING’s relaxed and comfortable smoke-free atmosphere.  Enjoy a carefully selected bottle of wine or one of their many lagers and ales.  If you’re into martinis choose one of the delectable specialty martinis.

BARcelona Tapas, 201 North Delaware

BARcelona Tapas creates a traditional authentic Tapas Bar atmosphere including warm décor and the traditional hanging of the Serrano hams.  The service reflects a traditional tapas experience as you might find in Madrid, Barcelona or Seville.

Oceanaire, 30 South Meridian

As sleek as a 1930s ocean liner, yet as relaxed as a dinner on the shore, Oceanaire provides the perfect setting to enjoy ultra-fresh seafood, flown in daily from around the world. Sip a Sidecar in the lounge, sidle up to the oyster bar, or kick back in a horseshoe booth before diving into steak-cut Alaskan halibut or seasonal favorites like fresh Copper River salmon or hard-to-find delicacies like true Dover sole or blue-fin tuna.

St Elmo Steak House, 127 South Illinois

St. Elmo Steak House has been a landmark in downtown Indianapolis since 1902. It is the oldest Indiana restaurant in its original location & has earned a national reputation for its excellent steaks, seafood, chops & professional service.

Palominos, 49 West Maryland

Palomino is a vibrant restaurant, bar and rotisserie famous for its style, hardwood fired Mediterranean cooking and versatile, imaginative menu.

McCormick & Schmick’s, 110 North Illinois

Connected to the downtown Indy Hilton, the menu at McCormick & Schmick’s is printed twice daily and features more than 30 varieties of fresh fish and seafood from both U.S. and international waters. Other menu highlights include tempting pasta, poultry and beef specialties to tempt any palette.

Claddagh Irish Pub, 3835 East 96th

Claddagh re-creates the rich traditions of the great pubs of Ireland here in America.  They present an authentic “pub house” experience based on the “craic” of Ireland – a fun, friendly and exuberant atmosphere. The recipes are prepared on the premises, using only the finest ingredients and they promise to stay devoted to Traditional Irish Fare and remain passionate about the perfect pint.

Adobo Grill, 110 East Washington

Adobo Grill brings contemporary fine Mexican cuisine to downtown Indianapolis. By using traditional cooking methods and ingredients such as jicama and cactus, Adobo Grill showcases the regional cuisine of Mexico. The chef’s unique approach uses the cooking styles of several regions in Mexico and the freshest ingredients to create flavorful dishes with flair.

Weber Grill Restaurant, 10 N. Illinois St.

Enjoy delicious burgers, barbeque, steaks, seafood and more grilled over charcoal on authentic Weber Kettles.

Harry & Izzy’s, 127 S. Illinois St.

Harry & Izzy’s is an independent; upscale American Grill located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. Its ambience exudes class and sophistication in a comfortable setting. While the lively bar is Harry & Izzy’s focal point, unique dining rooms incorporate dark woods, lush fabrics and a deep color palette.

Fogo De Chao Churrascaria, 117 East Washington

A rare treat for Indy, this internationally-renown Brazilian steakhouse serves the best of South American cuisine, along with a full bar, extensive wine list and a low-lit wall mural.

R Bistro, 888 Massachusetts Ave

The R bistro concept is a classically simple one: fresh local ingredients, menus that change weekly to take advantage of those ingredients, and a chef/owner with European training.
Scholars Inn, 725 Massachusetts Ave

A gem among downtown Indianapolis restaurants, Scholar’s Inn offers American cuisine with a twist, a trendy atmosphere, and a location on the hippest avenue in Indy. Scholars Inn features various specials several nights of the week including half priced martinis on Thursday evenings.

Agios, 635 Massachusetts Ave

Named the best Italian in downtown Indy and provides a memorable, upscale dining experience. The innovative chefs pair creative recipes with fresh, flavorful ingredients for an end result of creative and tasty fare. The list of appetizers alone is enough to entice customers; with unusual selections such as Baked Apple and Gorgonzola Empanadas, Asparagus Tempura served with garlic mayonnaise and Baked Goat Cheese with warm flat bread.

Rathskeller Biergarten & Kellerbar, 401 East Michigan

Set in the historic, 19th century Athenaeum Building downtown, The Rathskeller is reminiscent of both a quaint inn tucked in the Bavarian hills and a lively beer hall in Munich. Voted Best German Restaurant in Indy every year, even a true German feels at home here. From Jäegerschnitzel to Filet Mignon, the award-winning menu features authentic German cuisine as well as steak, seafood, chicken, pork and vegetarian entrees. The Rathskeller also features an extensive wine and beer menu.

Rathskellar, downtown Indy.

Those of you who think you are happy by the ocean, and never need to see another portion of the US or winter climate in your life… I urge you, think again. If seeing my “snowfall in Indy post” a couple months ago wasn’t enough – let me walk you down the time-line of my life over the past month and attempt to share with you the ecstatic-ness that I feel over my recent move to the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.

As I sit in my gorgeous (but small) studio in downtown Indy looking over the Murat building while my home-made dinner is cooking and Pandora magically guesses at and plays my favorite music — I’m sipping a glass of Monogamy – Cabernet Sauvignon (my wine counter-purchase to @danmonaco’s favorite, Ménage a tois), and thinking about how lucky I am that this move has gone swimmingly well for me. I can’t think of a time in my life in the past – that I have felt more adventurous or independent. As my friend Ben always says, your better days are ahead of you. I never knew how true that was until now – because I bet it only goes up from here!

I miss my family and the salty smell of Sunset Cliffs, but I wouldn’t choose to be anywhere other than where I am right now. I think a large part of my ability to appreciate this city is that I have lived sea-side for so much of my life. I had my time to appreciate the countless grains of sand and the white wash.  But I’m finding this city also has so much to offer, and the best part is – I haven’t even seen the tip of the iceberg yet. There is still so much left to discover and experience.

I learned this week from my doorman (who I am slightly obsessed with – have you seen ABC’s Samantha Who?) that Indianapolis has the highest number of Monuments than any other city in the US (outside of Washington DC of course). This city is the second biggest city in the Midwest (next to Chicago) and I think it’s a hidden treasure because it’s #2 on both those lists. I’m so lucky to have found myself in this mini city – and the fact that it goes unnoticed to many California’s and New Yorkers makes me like it that much more.

Another find of mine – Downtown Zionsville, where I work, might as well be a movie set for how quaint and adorable it is. Unique places to lunch, a Bentley dealership, art galleries, friendly faces everywhere, little boutiques and cobblestones streets…

By the time this post is winding down, I’m still nursing my wine, eating my pasta – and sitting on my kitchen counter w/ my laptop (because I don’t exactly have all my furniture purchased yet). I can’t wait until the summer when I can roam downtown without getting in my car, and Saturdays can be spent poolside or at the Rathskeller with friends.

Indy has welcomed me with open arms, and I would gladly get on my knees and beg you to make a change like this in your life. Those of you who have remained in the same city for most of your adult lives, move! Do it. It’s hard, it’s an adjustment, expensive, and scary – and also could be the most rewarding experience you may ever have.

indy

A friend of mine  (@ntimpani) who just made the move from our home town of San Diego to New York City for grad school at NYU (holler) suggested to me today that we write a book on survival methods for women who move across country.

Just 5 months into her move and 2 weeks into mine in – We’re thrilled to be in our brand new cities, with brand new weather, a brand new job/school, a brand new social circle and network and essentially – a brand new life.

Now – could I write a book on how to help others cope with culture shock? Not sure I would want to attack that task just yet – but could I contribute a few words of advice that might get someone through a rough afternoon? Absolutely… (or at least I’ll be able to in a few weeks/months when these growing pains are over!)

A truth we have book been faced with is that no matter how happy you are to be where you are – you’re always going to miss where you came from. No matter how confident you are in the choices you’ve made to uproot your life – it’s still terrifying. There’s just no way around it.  There will be hard days. But I’m not writing this post to tell you about hard days. I’m not writing to tell you about what I miss. You all know San Diego’s gorgeous skyline, countless activities and constant t-shirt weather. You’ve all seen Ron Burgandy’s backdrop and I don’t need to tell you about what I’ve left behind.

I want to tell you what I’ve gained.

Tonight, when I left work I had an extremely friendly co-worker (people are ridiculously nice in the Midwest…) telling me to drive safely (and with my CA license plates – it’s fair that they are worried.) Fact – I have yet to figure out what exactly “whiteout conditions” means. I’ll Google it when I’m finished writing this post… deal? That 30 minute drive home into downtown Indianapolis was exciting. Call me crazy – but it snowed today and the homesick feeling just up and leaves. Yes, mom and dad – I’m driving carefully, and yes my little car is holding up just fine. At least when the weather is bad here – you know the drivers around you know what to do (can’t say that much for San Diego in the rain!) And in the words of my best friend, “I feel sorry for people who never get to experience snow fall in a city.”

Now, I’m sitting at Starbucks, downtown on Mass Ave (yes I checked in on foursquare) watching these two college kids in beanies write their names in the powder that’s fallen on the sidewalk. I have a 3 block walk home in the freeeezing cold, but it’s snowing – and I have gloves. It’s gorgeous. It’s my city to learn – and it’s hard, when everything that means home to me absent from this Midwest city, it’s very hard. But everyday this transition will get easier, everyday this city will feel more and more like home and everyday it snows I will love this city a little bit more.