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Indianapolis Dining
Restaurants
Uncle Max Shapiro always said, "Cook good. Serve generously. Price modestly." That sensible formula has worked well for Shapiro's Delicatessen & Cafeteria since 1905. With its linoleum floors and fluorescent lighting, this is not one of your fancy-schmanzy restaurants. Everyone in Indianapolis knows that Shapiro's is the place to go for breakfast or lunch if you're hungry. A perfect lunch here starts with Matzoh ball soup, then corned beef on rye (enough meat on this sandwich to feed a family) and a slice of oh-so-decadent cheesecake. Ah, better than eating kreplach with an angel!
In carnivorous Indianapolis, where it seems there's a steakhouse on every corner, St. Elmo Steak House has been a dining fixture since 1902. You can see this history in a gallery of photographs on the walls of the lounge and dining room. Along with high, tin-plated ceilings and densely-spaced tables, the pictures create a unique dining atmosphere. Try the signature shrimp cocktail with fiery horseradish sauce, then a cup of navy bean soup, followed by a 14-ounce rib eye steak.
With antique tile floors, polished woodwork and massive Ionic columns, Mo's, A Place for Steaks is the avatar of an upscale steakhouse. Steaks range from an 8-ounce filet to the signature 24-ounce rib eye; all are served with a choice of soup or salad. Side dishes such as mashed potatoes with white cheddar cheese or Doc Towns' jalapeno hash browns cost extra. Fresh fish also makes a splash at Mo's--try the Leto swordfish or Australian lobster tail. The strawberry shortcake with whipped cream is an excellent finale.
In 1894, the imposing brick building at the corner of Michigan and New Jersey was known as Das Deutsche Haus, a cultural center for the city's large German community. Rechristened the Athenaeum during the "Halt the Hun" era of World War I, it now houses the Rathskeller. This charming German restaurant is, you might say, the best place for wurst. You can enjoy a dinner of kassler ripchen (smoked pork chop) and a stein of beer in a dining room of brooding Teutonic elements, including carved woodwork, stuffed animal heads and a massive fireplace.
Once the manufacturing headquarters of the Indiana Oxygen Company, the Art Deco building of Dunaway's Palazzo Ossigeno was saved from the wrecking ball and moved several blocks to its current location on East Street. The restaurant (its name means "Oxygen Palace") opened in 1998. Dunaway's has a mixture of Northern Italian and American dishes, such as steak al forno, lobster ravioli and grilled quail. Desserts include a buttermilk panna cotta and house-made gelato.
Designed to resemble the sleek Art Deco décor of a 1930's ocean liner, The Oceanaire Seafood Room offers the best seafood in Indianapolis. The menu changes daily to reflect fresh catches, but you'll always find a wide selection of premium seafood, from steak-cut Alaskan halibut and line-caught swordfish to wild salmon. All of Oceanaire's fish is simply prepared: brushed with sea salt, virgin olive oil and lemon, then grilled or broiled. The oyster bar has an ever-changing selection of East Coast and West Coast mollusks.
The gentrified urban neighborhood of Massachusetts Avenue has an abundance of restaurants and a corresponding paucity of parking spaces. Here you'll find R bistro. Chef and owner Regina Mehallick changes the menu weekly based on the availability of locally produced foods. Her various interpretations of duck are consistently delicious.
Innovative renderings of American cuisine are always on the menu at Scholars Inn Gourmet Cafe & Wine Bar, another Massachusetts Avenue favorite. Lemon-thyme chicken, pine nut-crusted salmon and eggplant Napoleon are among the house specialties. The dessert menu offers more than 30 temptations, and the fresh breads--made at the restaurant's bakery in Bloomington--are remarkably delicious, especially when topped with a bit of olive tapenade.
In Indianapolis, a pilgrimage to the Danielli Restaurant and Art Gallery is a culinary, rather than religious, event. The quiet, upscale restaurant at the Canterbury Hotel resembles an English pub, with mahogany walls, framed artwork and soft, classical music. Service is formal and well-paced. Try the scallop chowder and the Dover sole, prepared tableside.
As the name signifies, Loon Lake Lodge has a North Woods lodge theme. From the float plane perched atop the roof to the trophy fish mounted on the lounge walls, this place resembles a hunting and fishing lodge somewhere in the North country. The menu offers a wide selection of fresh seafood and also some game dishes.
Bazbeaux was the nickname given to a court jester by the French king, Louis XI. After Louis' death in 1483, Bazbeaux moved to Florence, where he worked as a chef for the great Renaissance ruler, Lorenzo the Magnificent. Today, Bazbeaux's tradition of whimsical culinary innovation lives on at Bazbeaux Pizza in the canalside village of Broad Ripple. The crusty pies are topped with a wide variety of interesting ingredients. Try the Tchoupitoulas pizza with Cajun shrimp, roasted red peppers, fresh garlic and andouille sausage. During warm weather, enjoy al fresco dining on the rooftop or the patio.
If you're looking for a cheerful, vibrant restaurant with a varied menu, try Porcini-crusted sea bass, peppercorn tuna steak and three-mushroom risotto are among the samplings of "Euro-American eclectic cuisine." Vizion also has an extensive wine selection showcased in a two-story glass wine tower. Décor in the dining room and lounge is bright and trendy.
A strip mall on the Northside houses the best Moroccan kitchen in Indiana, El Morocco Restaurant. Traditional dishes of lamb, couscous, seafood and vegetables are on the menu. Beer and wine are available; this is one of the few places where you can sample Moroccan wines. Persian rugs and intricately designed tiles decorate the dining room. Visitors with decrepit knees or hips should be advised that the tables are low and require some careful maneuvering.
For diners with expansive appetites and expense accounts, Eddie Merlot's can prove to be an interesting indulgence. The Prime-beef steaks are large, as are the side dishes. House specialties include a peppercorn filet mignon, a Cajun-style rib eye and Chateaubriand for two. A half-dozen seafood dishes are also on the menu, including a dish of pan-seared scallops with ragout of mushrooms. The elegant dining room features framed, oversize abstract art and massive wooden columns resembling champagne glasses.
Sangiovese Ristorante Italiano has seven dining areas, each with a warm, cozy atmosphere. Seated in a quiet little room before a fireplace decorated with a boar's head and an antique blunderbuss, you can imagine you're in a villa somewhere in the Tuscan countryside. The menu offers a risotto and ravioli of the day, such classic pasta entrees as lasagna ala Bolognese and a number of veal and seafood dishes.
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