Table of contents for October 2022 in Indianapolis Monthly

Man of Words “SOMEWHERE IN the San Joaquin Valley of California, I remember that dipping sauces brought us here.” That was the beginning of Daniel Comiskey’s first great story for this magazine, a piece where he embarked on an eight-day, 5,000-mile, 18-wheel odyssey across America with a long-haul trucker named Charci. This month marks the end of that journey at Indianapolis Monthly, an amazing 17-year run in which our outgoing deputy editor’s hair turned from jet black to silver as his body of work evolved from silver to gold. Later, Daniel went on a much less glamorous trip to Southern Indiana to spend time with a down-and-out former porn star; sunned himself on a yacht off the coast of Florida belonging to notorious Ponzi schemer Tim Durham before the dirtball…

Q: IF PLACES LIKE RISING SUN AND GARY CAN HAVE A CASINO, WHY NOT DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS? A: As with most gambling-related issues, it’s a little shady. According to Ed Feigenbaum, editor of Indiana Gaming Insight, when the state Legislature first authorized riverboat gambling in 1993, it placed them in communities near Chicago and Louisville, hoping they would suck in out-of-state cash instead of just cleaning out Hoosier pockets. Proposals to give a casino to Indy have been routinely quashed by legislators, because the folks who control the Indiana Statehouse are mostly from the sticks. Few in Marion County would bother driving to Anderson or Terre Haute for their slot machine fix if the same thing could be had at, say, Union Station. Sorry to say, the odds of Indy getting a…

What’s your favorite film? I grew up loving To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s funny, because I usually ask other people what their favorite movie is. I ask because knowing what kind of film inspires or entertains them gives me insight into what makes them tick. Whether it’s a Western or a musical or horror, it’s helpful to know what sort of film really triggers that person. Public interest in awards shows like the Oscars has dropped off precipitously. Have you seen anything similar in the movie festival world? We’ve had a lot of issues over the last couple of years, but I’m not sure it had anything to do with lack of interest. COVID shut down the theater industry, and it forced us to cancel events and do virtual gatherings.…

TO STAY in shape, you can a) hit the treadmill at the gym. Again. Or b) hit Ultimate Ninjas, a 10,000-square-feet “ninja camp” modeled on American Ninja Warrior. For fans of the NBC reality show in its 14th season—and plenty of others—it’s no contest. The facility, which opened this past spring, is helmed by series veterans Jesse Labreck, the first woman to hit the buzzer in stage one; Michael Silenzi, five-time Las Vegas finalist; and Brian Parache, Season 11 competitor. Classes vary in difficulty, with options geared even to future Olympians as young as 6. (A movement is underway to add ninja to the Olympics as part of the pentathlon.) So regardless of your level of experience, you can build strength, agility, and endurance as you jump, climb, traverse, and…

FOR THE PAST 30 years, Zach Wilks has worked in restaurants at every level, from busboy to front-of-house manager, eventually settling in behind the bar. He was one of the original owners of Mass Ave’s Ball & Biscuit cocktail bar and helped create the Wilks & Wilson line of bottled pre-Prohibition elixirs. Most recently, he ran the bar program at Anthony’s Chophouse in Carmel, pouring bespoke Negronis and smoked Old Fashioneds worthy of the high-end restaurant’s Butcher’s Reserve steaks. At the same time, this seasoned mixologist amassed a vinyl collection in the thousands and perfected his guitar skills as a “couch musician,” as he calls himself. Eventually, his two passions would make him uniquely qualified to take on a ground-breaking project, The Cradle at Monon 30. As vice president of operations…

(BUZZWORTHY) Lofty Ambitions Our August cover story, “The Future of Downtown,” inspired a lot of commentary from readers on social media. There’s so much going on downtown, but we’re still missing the mark. Many cities have an identity. What’s ours? We still haven’t figured out what we want to be when we grow up. MEL MCMAHON Via Facebook How about making Monument Circle a pedestrian-only zone as a start? WOLFRAM HART Via Twitter I’d like Matt Gonzales’s pitch for a kidcentric downtown to happen. I like to build parks and am annoying about advocating for families. A lot of those surface lots should be playgrounds. LAURA GIFFEL Via Twitter West Side Story Tony Rehagen’s July profile of Lafayette Square developer Fabio de la Cruz attracted some shoppers eager for a…

THE BALD EAGLE was sitting on the side of the road in Brown County. It could barely stand, its head and shoulders slumped. The talons clenched tightly. Rescuers initially assumed it had been hit by a car and was stunned, so they shifted the bird to a cardboard box and transported it to a nearby rehab center in Nashville. The bird offered no resistance. Dehydrated, it had clearly been on the road for hours, possibly all night. When veterinarians drew its blood, they realized the problem wasn’t a car at all, but a scourge that’s threatening a bald eagle population that was finally recovering in Indiana: lead poisoning. Kathleen Hershey, president of Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators in Hope, Indiana, has seen a lot of this lately. Many American bald eagles now have…

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THE BRICK boutique with its black awning and wrought-iron handrails has been a staple in Butler-Tarkington for decades. Since proprietor Pamela Ellis took the reins from Jeanne Rush, owner since 1979, she’s mixing things up. While customers (many have been regulars for years) will still find the mainstays they’re looking for, Ellis has elevated the inventory, incorporating styles and brands geared to every age and aesthetic. The shop is home to several local lines, one being Marjorie Renner’s elegant handbags crafted from natural materials, such as mother-of-pearl, fine leather, and tropical wood. Other standouts include Joseph Ribkoff draped moto jackets and French Kande statement jewelry. On a recent visit, the legendary customer service was on full display, with staff helping a shopper choose a Frank Lyman mother-of-the-bride dress and measuring…

Purple Reign Rebecca Sabalones grew up in the Louisville area enjoying the Filipino foods her cousins and aunts would prepare at family gatherings. It wasn’t until she went to college in Hawaii that Sabalones, whose father is from the Philippines, got in touch with her roots—literally. Since late spring, the Noblesville resident has been baking up a side business called Ube Love that includes a product line of pancakes, ice cream sandwiches, and chocolates based on the purple yam, or ube, as it’s known in Asia. The dried ube powder and extracts Sabalones uses for her sweet treats add a stunning violet hue to the baked goods she sells at local pop-ups and the Philippines Cultural Center (4141 S. East St.), including a regal vegan ube cupcake that’s surprisingly buttery…

TINKER STREET A beet-based small plate is always in the rotation at Tinker Street. Over the summer, cubed braised beets were arranged around a creamy orb of burrata, smoked peaches, candied walnuts, and chile de arbol oil, with thick slices of Circle City Sweets baguette for scooping. 402 E. 16th St., 317-925-5000, tinkerstreetrestaurant.com OSTERIA BY FABIO VIVIANI One-third of the bruschetta trio at this Market District–attached trattoria is a gorgeous tumble of roasted golden beets on a cloud of whipped goat cheese, sitting tidily atop grilled artisan bread. 11505 N. Illinois St., Carmel, 317-689-6330, osteriacarmel.com NESSO Under shingles of brittle Montasio aged cheese and arugula dressed in lemon vinaigrette, chunks of red and golden beets are lavished with dots of lemon goat cheese and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. 339…

DOWNTOWN INCLUDES Fountain Fletcher, 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 long-awaited…

COCA-COLA VENDING MACHINE VINTAGE: 1948 Resides in the Indiana State Museum COCA-COLA and Indiana go way back. Terre Haute–based Root Glass Company designed the soda’s iconic bottle, and the first vending machine to distribute the beverage was made by Muncie’s Glascock Brothers Manufacturing Company in 1929. That device was a glorified ice box, though. F.L. Jacobs Company of Indianapolis saw an opportunity to manufacture a more sophisticated one. They received one of the first licenses to produce Coca-Cola vending machines like this one, and made them until the early 1950s. “We’re very much a supporter of Coke’s success, and that’s part of our story,” says Indiana State Museum curator Damon Lowe. “People may not know it, but a lot of things can’t happen without Indiana.”…

ALYSSA GAINES received her first standing ovation at 13 years old. As a girl growing up on the east side of Indy, she frequently attended poetry open mics and performed in musical theater. But she never expected her first big break to take place at the Library of Congress. Gaines traveled to Washington, D.C., in 2017 to compete in a national poetry slam and earned a perfect score despite being one of the youngest contestants. “It was a crazy, overwhelming moment where I first realized the power in my words,” Gaines says. “From that moment on, I started honing my technical skills.” Gaines returned to Washington, D.C., this past May, five years later. Just a 15-minute drive from the site of her first standing ovation, Gaines performed at the Kennedy Center…

THE THREAD A tree grows in Chatham Arch. In opening THE BOTANICAL BAR’s brick-and-mortar shop, founder Victoria Chantel sets out to establish a “happy, healthy space where plant people meet.” Among the curated offerings are the popular “Swiss cheese” houseplant, money trees, succulents, air plants, and Momma Pots Gemstone porcelain planters in cheery hues. 1103 N. College Ave., 317-319-9591, thebotanicalbarindy.com…

A NEW EVENT space and cocktail bar has joined the recent improvements to Greenwood’s downtown area. Folktale is the latest project from Mark Henrichs, who owns and operates adjacent sister restaurant Revery. The restaurateur embarked on a mission in 2021 to revive the property, which includes a 19th-century Colonial mansion that sits on nearly two acres. With a gorgeous main reception room that shows off restored crystal chandeliers and three elegant staircases, the home makes for a picturesque wedding site, but it also hosts outdoor cocktail hours during the warmer months. Guests can grab a craft cocktail from Tavern at the Tale, order dinner from Henrichs’s Dashboard Food Truck, and enjoy cozy patio seating with a historic backdrop. There’s something magical about sipping a blackberry bourbon lemonade within the wrought-iron…

OVER THE COURSE of a leisurely dinner at The Fountain Room’s July grand opening, we watched through the floor-to-ceiling windows as no fewer than three different beaming couples posed for professional photos in front of the bronze double doors of the Bottleworks boutique hotel next door. The 1931 landmark’s majestic entrance is set against a sugar-white Art Deco façade, the centerpiece of the 12-acre, mixed-use Bottleworks District that opened last year after a $300 million revamp of what was once the largest Coca-Cola bottling plant in the world. Today, wrapped in glazed terra cotta and strung with twinkle lights, it stands as one of downtown’s most stunning step-and-repeat backdrops. “We knew we wanted to take advantage of that great view of Bottleworks,” says Blake Fogelsong, owner and director of operations…

NOVEMBER IS FAST approaching, and with it our biennial opportunity to rid Congress of its whack jobs. Theoretically. In reality, we elect the same whack jobs over and over. In 2020, 94.7 percent of U.S. representatives kept their positions, and 83.9 percent of the senators were retained, even though 82 percent of Americans favor term limits. If everyone who wanted term limits voted against incumbents this November, we’d have a new U.S. House of Representatives by January 3, 2023. If we voted against every incumbent U.S. senator for the next four years, we’d field a new team of those by 2026. In the Hoosier State, Indiana senators serve only four years, so we could shed the current state legislature in just two elections, a cheerful thought that fills me with…