Indianapolis Monthly - April 2023 Edition

34

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

From expert-favorite heirloom tomatoes to the best down-and-dirty gloves to a crash course on sustainable gardening, these smart tips go straight to the root of the goal: your best planting season yet.

EDITED BY MEGAN FERNANDEZ

44 BRANCHING OUT

In the far-west suburbs, the designer-and-carpenter pair behind Haste Woodcraft now resides in a modern farmhouse that reflects the family’s homesteading pursuits and doubles as showroom for their exquisite custom cabinetry.

BY BAILEY BRISCOE

52

THE BIG CURE

The state’s top three architects are doing something unusual: Working together. Usually competitors, the trio dedicated their respective talents to the new IU Health hospital—because a project shaping the future of downtown deserves no less.

BY LILI WRIGHT

The Haste homestead kitchen was crafted with love.

Photograph by HATSUE

JOINT PAIN? MAKE A MOVE!

The things that move you and keep you moving through life are everything. So, if you’re suffering from joint pain and want to get back to going with the flow, the Franciscan Health Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is your best move.

Get in touch to find your flow again.

BEST

GOOD LIFE

19 WANTED

You’ll want to get all dolled up once you set eyes on this party of five.

20

TRENDING

We can’t get enough of Viva Magenta, Pantone’s perkypink color of the year.

21

SHOP TALK

Meet the dad–daughter duo putting their best feet forward.

22

REALTY CHECK

A reborn 1950s ranch or a church–turned–condo with stained glass? The choice is yours—for a cool million.

23

BODY + SOUL

Rumble Boxing takes a swing at boring fitness routines.

24

TRAVELER

THE DISH

27

SWOON

The glorious fresh pasta made of stone-milled semolina flour at Angelo’s Italian Market is a tribute to its beloved namesake.

28

FIRST BITE

Helm Coffee pours in an erstwhile garage in Garfield Park, Aspasia Bake Shop pampers gluten-free eaters, and a trick for perfectly cooked steak.

29

FOODIE

Michael Conley, the new executive chef at Windsor Park’s cinema-side Brasserie, is ready to show off his range.

30

TASTE TEST

The humble ham sandwich hits new heights in our seven selects.

32

REVIEW

Chef Ricky Hatfield’s The Prewitt opens inside a landmark Plainfield theater. 70

RESTAURANT GUIDE

The Ritz-Carlton Chicago isn’t your mother’s hotel anymore.

80

BACK HOME AGAIN

A tour of the city’s best eats, from fine dining to favorite dives.

I have big ideas for my small retirement home. Just don’t tell my wife.

Effective medical treatments and preventive measures can help keep your body flexible and in good working condition. Four Indy–area orthopedic specialists discuss joint health, offering tips and advice to maintain the moving parts of your physique.

JOSEPH RIBKOFF

IN THE NEXT ISSUE ...

Decorators’ Show House

Get an inside look at the 62nd anniversary Decorators’ Show House and Gardens, sponsored by St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild. This year’s host property is a 6,670-square-foot brick Tudor completed in 1928. Learn about the features and history of the house, and see how participating designers and landscapers interpreted their areas and applied their signature styles to the interior rooms and outdoor spaces.

Hometown Stories

We’re highlighting the top qualities, improvements, and attractions of small towns and cities around Central Indiana. Read up on a handful of locales to find out what makes these communities special to residents and visitors alike.

INTERIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Megan Fernandez

DESIGN DIRECTOR Brittany Dexter

LIFESTYLE EDITOR Christina Vercelletto

DINING EDITOR Julia Spalding

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Robert Annis, Alicia Garceau, Jeana Harris, Terry Kirts, Suzanne Krowiak, Amy Lynch, Sam Stall, Adam Wren

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Margo Wininger

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Tony Valainis

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS HATSUE, Danielle Johnson, Ryan Johnson, Curt Merlo, Ryan Snook, Chloe Zola

PUBLISHER Ivy Bayer

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES David Gerdt, Nancy Oliphant

SPECIAL SECTIONS DIRECTOR Andrea Ratcliff

IndianapolisMonthly.com/advertise-with-us

SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Laura Kruty

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Vu Luong

BUSINESS

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Missy Beiting

BUSINESS COORDINATOR Erica Birkle

PUBLISHED BY CINCINNATI MEDIA, LLC, A SUBSIDIARY OF HOUR MEDIA, LLC

CEO Stefan Wanczyk

PRESIDENT John Balardo

EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING OFFICES

Indianapolis Monthly 8909 Purdue Rd., Suite 130 Indianapolis, IN 46268 317-237-9288

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HATSUE

A Japanese-American photographer in Cincinnati, HATSUE focuses on product and food photography and stop-motion animation. She creates images that demand attention with striking colors and illuminating sparkle. One example is Best Bets (p. 17). She’s a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.

ANDREA RATCLIFF

As a kid, special sections director Andrea Ratcliff watched her dad toil on veggies he started from seed, as well as on flowers and ornamental grasses. Her green thumb shows in the tips in our cover story (p. 34). She calls her garden style chaotic good. “I don’t mess with soil amendments, but I favor beneficial native plants and try to eradicate invasive species.”

WE NAIL THE CONCEPT

Woodstock Custom Homes specializes in low maintenance, custom designed homes for main level living with indoor/outdoor, open concept floor plans that include jaw-dropping architectural detail... and all in just the right blend of luxury and size for you. If this sounds like what you’ve been searching for, keep reading.

We currently have premium lots in Hamilton County’s most sought after neighborhoods like Reserve on South, Grassy Branch at Bridgewater, Sagamore, and Brookside... along with several quick move-in opportunities already underway. However, if you have additional time, we can help design a very unique home worthy of your dream lifestyle. It all starts with a conversation.

NIKO VERCELLETTO

He crafts healthcare content strategies by day, but Niko Vercelletto also enjoys writing on fitness gear and wellness for Tennis, CNN, and others. He took on Body + Soul (p. 23) after training for a year in boxing. These days, the goal is to stay on his feet in the combat sport Muay Thai—and improve his fowling game, another topic he covers this month.

To learn more about Woodstock and see examples of our lifestyle home design, visit WoodstockCustomHomes.com or visit our new, fully-decorated model home in Noblesville’s Sagamore neighborhood. 16392 Grand Cypress Drive is open every Saturday & Sunday 12-4.

CIRCLE CITY

SPEED READ

Oliver’s Twist

Bloomington’s Oliver Winery went big and went early into the sweet-vino game. Now, they’re poised to lead the Moscato trend nationwide.

LOW-HANGING FRUIT. Sweet wine has traditionally been seen as unsophisticated by oenophiles. Moscato, low alcohol and with a heady, fruity aroma, evoked particular disdain, especially if bubbly.

UNTIL … 12 years ago, when Drake sang of ordering lobster and a glass of Moscato. Then Kanye name-dropped it and Nicki Minaj launched her own brand. Faster than you can say clinkclink, twentysomethings couldn’t sip enough of the light white wine. To the surprise of many, Moscato proved versatile and worthy of a wine-lover’s rack.

MELON-MINT MANIA. Each spring for the last four, the Oliver vintners trotted out a new flavored Moscato. This year, Melon Mint—with a hint of bubbles— was greeted with fanfare, joining lemon, cherry, and blueberry. “The choice came from consumer feedback, but the main driver was the taste,” says Rob Warren, director of winemaking at Oliver. “The juiciness and crispness of a slice of watermelon comes through. Then, subtle mint and layers of cucumber and lime add complexity. We knew it would be wildly popular.”

THE REAL DEAL. Setting Oliver Moscato apart is an ingredient you may take for granted: fruit. “Whether juice, concentrate, extract, or essence, fruit is far superior to artificial flavoring,” notes Warren. “We held many exhaustive tastings comparing our competitors’ wines to ours.” At the end of the day, it’s taste that makes most people buy a wine, not celebrity campaigns or quirky bottles. “It costs more to use real fruit, but it’s well worth it,” adds Warren.

OUR SECRET IS OUT. We may like to think of Oliver as our hidden gem, but it’s the 28th largest winery in the country, sold in 42 states. Sweet Red is the numberfour sweet red wine in the United States; Blueberry Moscato is number two in flavored Moscato. Texas is their third largest state by volume, with Florida and Arizona quickly catching up. “Continued expansion will come from more points of distribution and partnerships with national retailers,” shares Julie Adams, Oliver CEO.

BUT THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. “Our brand is a mainstay here in Indiana and in the heart of the country, and we want to keep it that way,” insists Adams. Oliver Sweet Red, aka Soft Red, has been the top-selling wine in our state for longer than two decades. Blueberry Moscato is a close second.

NEW LABELS FLOAT INTO VIEW. “As we move into markets farther from Indiana, we wanted to bring the spirit of the winery alive in our packaging,” explains Adams. Bill Oliver, the son of the founder, is an avid balloonist, and the winery has flown hot air balloons around Bloomington for decades. The new branding prominently features, yes, a hot air balloon. “It’s fresh and aspirational, but most importantly fun, like wine should be,” Adams says. Melon Mint Moscato is the first to hit shelves with the new look.

RIPE FOR GROWTH. Lovers of Oliver’s Apple Pie and Peach Pie wines will be happy to hear that Key Lime Pie is coming this summer. While not Moscato, those are the fruit-forward, flavorful wines that are growing in popularity. “We’ve seen the demand for sweet wines increase nationwide, especially among millennials,” says Adams. One reason is that they feel less intimidating

to new wine drinkers. “Sweeter-style wines that are well-balanced are definitely a key to our future,” Adams says.

CREEKBEND IS HOLDING ITS OWN . The beloved Creekbend wines, made from fruit grown in Oliver’s own vineyard, aren’t going anywhere. “These wines are an expression of this place that we call home, and we are always very proud to show customers what we can do with grape growing in Indiana,” Adams says. Creekbend fans know the collection has run the gamut from traditional varietals like Pinot Grigio to unique hybrids, such as Cabernet Doré. “While our Creekbend collection is smaller in scale right now, sold mainly to our winery visitors, that’s a result of really understanding and accepting what grows and ripens consistently well in southern Indiana,” Warren says.

WINE SNOBS NEED NOT APPLY. Increasingly, wine drinkers are less interested in wine ratings and competitions than in value and less-traditional options. “They look for a wine that fits their lifestyle and with a flavor that piques their interest. They want to enjoy a glass in everyday moments, over ice, in a wine cocktail,” Warren says. “We are in the business of making wines for everyone.” —CHRISTINA VERCELLETTO

WE MAY LIKE TO THINK OF OLIVER AS OUR HIDDEN GEM, BUT IT’S THE 28TH LARGEST WINERY IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND SOLD IN 42 STATES.

INDY ELEVEN BALLOON WEIGHT

ALTHOUGH Indy Eleven’s inaugural game was still six months away, the soccer team’s “First of the First” event at The Rathskeller on October 1, 2013, was an electrifying night. “That was the first time there was a sense of fandom and real community around what was becoming Indy Eleven,” recalls John Koluder, the team’s spokesperson. The excitement included the arrival of German goalkeeper Kristian Nicht, the first player signing on. At least 1,000 people packed the Biergarten. “To have that many come out to support a team that hadn’t yet played a single game, and to give a hero’s welcome to a player they’d never heard of … it was a special evening,” adds Koluder. “Plus, any time Chuck Lofton emcees, it’s a pretty big deal. Turned out he’s one helluva soccer fan.” At the end of the night, Koluder grabbed a balloon weight as a keepsake. indyeleven.com —CHRISTINA VERCELLETTO

VINTAGE: 2013

Resides with an Indy Eleven staffer

ARTIFACT

Photo by TONY VALAINIS

Dog Days Are Over

AS INDIANA DOG BREEDERS EXPAND ACROSS THE “PUPPY MILL BELT,” CAN PURDUE’S CANINE CARE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM CHANGE HOW HOOSIERS GET THEIR PUPS?

BY MICHELLE MASTRO

HERE IN the Hoosier state, an insidious industry has taken hold. Concealed in pens lining the sides of nondescript pole barns, puppies are being bred en masse by commercial dog breeders—or, depending on whom you talk to, puppy mills. Indiana isn’t the only state with that dubious distinction. Ohio, Missouri, and Iowa also consistently rank high in the stretch of the Midwest called the “puppy mill belt.” But Indiana boasts one major difference. It’s the only state in the country with a university program now working with commercial dog breeders to teach them how to elevate their canine care standards.

At Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the Canine Care Certified program (CCC) is pushing dog care far above state and federal regulations. In fact, the program aims

to create the gold standard of what consumers can expect from commercial dog breeders, doing the ethical and scientific homework for buyers of dogs. Get a dog from a breeder with the CCC seal, and you know your new buddy came from a reputable and responsible breeder.

And yet, it can be a slippery slope delineating careful commercial dog breeders from puppy mills. The CCC was actually created back in 2013 in response to requests from Indiana Amish dog breeders who had been publicly criticized. “They knew they were doing things people weren’t happy with,” says Dr. Candace Croney, director of Purdue’s Center for Animal Welfare Science. Those breeders were meeting with the Indiana Board of Animal Health and invited Croney to attend. She was skeptical of their motives at first, but she went. It soon became clear that the breeders were raising dogs in

ways “that would make the average person feel uncomfortable,” she says.

The dogs were oftentimes kept in runs or in enclosures that didn’t look that different from cages. Many of these were too small for the size of its inhabitant, and the dogs didn’t get enough time outdoors. Though the dogs were physically healthy—most of those Amish breeders did arrange for routine veterinary checks—they looked fearful even near their primary caretakers. “That was worrisome to me, and so that was when we started our work,” Croney says.

It wasn’t the kind of work people envision, of saving half-starved dogs with matted fur from chicken-wire cages. If that had been the case, Croney would have taken no part.

“But to me, this was a lack of understanding of what a dog needs to be well,” she says. To be fair, the science of animal welfare is still relatively new. Even 10 years ago, a veterinary

student may have struggled to find a course that covered it, Croney says. “It’s not surprising that the Amish, an underserved community, would have trouble getting this info,” she says.

After seeing the breeders’ facilities, Croney created the CCC’s original care standards—40 pages worth. Working with Purdue, breeders can now receive behavioral plans, guidelines for working with vets to screen for congenital health issues in dogs, rules about nourishment, and best practices for mental stimulation. An independent third-party auditor reviews the dogs and facilities every 16 months to ensure compliance. The program is so rigorous that only 100 breeders in Indiana have passed through to certification. And while that’s a great start, those cooperative breeders are in a distinct minority. Hopefully, participation will grow as more potential puppy parents understand the meaning of the seal and start asking for it.

Still, animal activists say the CCC’s work isn’t enough to curtail irresponsible breeders. Janie Jenkins, president of Chicago-based Stop Online Puppy Mills, says she appreciates the work Croney has done with CCC. “The kennels she works with are doing the program voluntarily, which is wonderful,” she says. But she points out that the problem of puppy mills is ballooning across Indiana.

Many of them are hiding in plain sight on the internet. For example, Puppy Find, Lancaster Puppies, and Puppy Finder add a smokescreen of legitimacy to what truly are the kinds of places you picture when you hear “puppy mill,” Jenkins says. Recently, posing as a buyer, she asked to see where her future pet was being kept. Again and again, she was told that would be impossible, instead directed to photos online. And when she was ready to buy, she learned the puppy would be delivered to her. Both responses are red flags that the seller doesn’t want you to see the breeding conditions. “Always go and see the mother dog and how the puppies live,” she insists. Eventually, she traced one breeder to a location in Warsaw, Indiana, where she found more than 250 breeding dogs in a barn.

“Puppy mills are everywhere

in Indiana. They’re in LaGrange, Elkhart, and Shipshewana, and way down south in Daviess County,” says Jenkins. “And they are factoryfarming dogs in much the same way as chickens and pigs are factoryfarmed.” Too many people wrongly assume that puppy mills are illegal. “They are absolutely legal, registered by the state as USDA commercial dog farms,” Jenkins says. The Warsaw breeder she tracked down was, in fact, USDA licensed. That sounds reassuring, but in reality it’s a low bar.

The cities of Carmel and Bloomington have adopted ordinances banning sales of dogs at pet stores with the dual goal of hindering puppy mills and encouraging adoption from overflowing animal shelters. Meanwhile, a bill is wending its way through the State Legislature, which would prevent municipalities from enacting those bans. (Ordinances already in place before January 1, 2023, would still be enforceable.) Indianapolis recently proposed its own such ordinance that would ban most retail sales of dogs (as well as cats and rabbits), except when doing so in partnership with local animal rescues. That bill also adds notable consumer protections, such as pet shops being required to microchip the animals they sell, disclose full medical histories, and provide refunds to customers, including for vet bills, if a pet dies or gets sick within a certain amount of time, or turns out to have a hereditary condition with significant health impacts. Critics of the bill see it as hiding the dirty laundry of retail pet sales, while supporters note that if pet stores disappeared, it would only drive the demand online, increasing business for unscrupulous puppy mills. At press time, Indiana House Bill 1121 was still under consideration.

Irresponsible dog breeding has led to the development of orthopedic complications in puppies, a condition usually reserved for senior dogs. Megan Cantrell, practice manager and certified pet trainer at Indy Pet Core, a standalone rehab facility, is seeing hip dysplasia in pups who are barely a year old. It’s a particular issue with ever-popular golden retrievers and the more than a dozen types of doodle dogs (poodle mixes), among the most-wanted “designer” dogs being sold in Indiana now.

But behavioral issues are a wider concern that can affect all breeds alike. “If the puppy’s mom is highly stressed, she is more likely to genetically pass on behavioral issues to her puppies, even if they don’t have a genetic propensity to a behavior problem,” Croney explains. If a dog is raised in an environment where interactions with humans create fear and stress, then the parents are going to model those behaviors to the puppies.

That’s why Croney is doing the hard work of continuing her research into canine welfare best practices and training responsible breeders— despite the risk of being confused with the villians. “We are told all the time that we are helping puppy mills,” she says. “Absolutely not. Puppy mills are bad. I agree with that 100 percent.” Nor does any dog lover want to contribute to puppy mill cruelty in the process of bringing home their new family member. “How to solve this problem is what Candace Croney is trying to figure out,” Jenkins says. “She is endeavoring to improve the welfare of animals.” The work is a long time in coming, and still has quite a way to go. Unfortunately, research-based studies of the type that can inform and bolster efforts like CCC take a long time.

Illustration by CURT MERLO

“PUPPY MILLS ARE EVERYWHERE IN INDIANA. THEY’RE IN LAGRANGE, ELKHART, AND SHIPSHEWANA, AND WAY DOWN SOUTH IN DAVIESS COUNTY. THEY ARE FACTORY-FARMING DOGS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY AS CHICKENS AND PIGS ARE FACTORY-FARMED.”

9/11 Memorial Stair Climb

A MANNER-FESTO FOR PAYING TRIBUTE ON APRIL 28.

This Old House

Q : MY DAD THINKS HIS 1922 HOME SHOULD BE NAMED A HISTORIC SITE. HOW DO I FIND OUT IF IT MAKES THE CUT? A: If his domicile qualifies, it’ll join a long list of august edifices. The National Register of Historic Places lists 2,090 Indiana sites, of which 424 are districts. If you add in the individual structures within those, the total is goosed to 58,000. To nab a spot, a building at least 50 years old is nominated, by anyone from the owner to a municipality to a local group, at in.gov/dnr/historic-preservation. Approval can take a year. But your dad’s place isn’t a shoo-in. Aside from being old enough, it needs to be a good example of an architectural style; the home or birthplace of a historical figure; or verified as having been used for a notable purpose—say, as a stop on the Underground Railroad. If not, his abode will be a hard sell.

—SAM STALL

Have questions? Send them to hoosierist @Indianapolis Monthly.com.

The route through Lucas Oil Stadium’s lower level equals the 110 floors of the World Trade Center, taking at least an hour. This National Fallen Firefighters Foundation fundraiser is part of FDIC, the biggest firefighting conference in the world. Arrive for the opening ceremony. A Pipes & Drums Corps leads you to the starting point. Pick an NYPD, Port Authority, or EMT badge with a photo of a 9/11 hero, whose story is online. Bring tissues. The radio noise from the towers on 9/11 plays as you begin. The first 100 may carry an air tank in homage. Winded? It’s OK to put it down. Stop at any point; just ring the bell and read your hero’s name.

We’ll probably hear the drone of sirens more often this spring, as the National Weather Service says last year was an unusually quiet one nationally. But try telling that to southern Mississippi, where the alarms went off a nerve-wracking 161 times.

Central Indiana tornado warnings in 2022

ask THE HOOSIERIST

ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN JOHNSON; PHOTO COURTESY MASON PHOTOGRAPHY

(1) Presidential Egg Roll April 1

The only Easter egg roll in Indy returns to the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site

This free family favorite promises prizes, including ones for the most festively dressed participant and best-decorated wooden spoon, and a photo op with The Bunny itself. The fun will go on rain, snow, or shine. bhpsite.org/events

(2) Pacers vs. Knicks

April 5

Yes, they’re the underdogs. The Pacers haven’t prevailed in this matchup since 2021, but that’s all the more reason to cheer our team on at Gainbridge Fieldhouse gainbridgefield house.com/events

(3) Jurassic Quest April 14–16

You’ll think it’s the set of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster instead of the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center. That’s how authentic the walking, roaring, life-size reptilians are. You can even ride one, and cuddle with equally realistic baby dinos. tickets .jurassicquest.com

BEST BETS

THIS MONTH’S CAN’T–MISS EVENTS

(4) Clue

April 19–May 20

This play at the Indiana Repertory Theatre is based on the movie and classic board game of the same name. Yes, Colonel Mustard is still around. It’s a must for whodunnit fans, or anyone who likes to laugh. It’s hilarious. Let the games begin! tickets.irtlive.com

(5) Graham Nash

April 23

The founding member of The Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash is coming to Carmel’s The Center for the Performing Arts in “Sixty Years of Songs and Stories.” The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, at 81, has a new album coming out in May. thecenter presents.org/tickets-events

(1) BENJAMIN HARRISON PRESIDENTIAL SITE (2) TONY VALAINIS (3) ADOBE STOCK (4) ADOBE STOCK (5) TASHA BECKWITH

Illustration by HATSUE

Love Nest

Peek-a-boo, we’re sweet on you … all five of you. From the 7-inch-high “mother” to the tiniest little lady at a mere 1 inch, these exquisite Nesting Dolls were made of linden wood in Russia. The floral design catches the eye with intricate, wood-burned outlines, gold foil highlights, and teeny, glittery red blossoms dotted with royal blue. Since these are handmade, no two sets are precisely alike, and the largest one is signed on the bottom by the artist. Whether they wind up adorning a great-room mantle, a child’s bedroom shelf, or a kitchen breakfront, these dainty dollies will catch compliments. $70. Monon Toys & Crafts, 317-749-1567, 6510 Cornell Ave., monontoys.com —CHRISTINA VERCELLETTO

Photo by TONY VALAINIS

PANTONE’S COLOR OF THE YEAR IS VIVA MAGENTA, SO EVERYTHING’S JUST ROSY. BY STEPHEN

(1) Herend Yorkshire Terrier $310 Mischievous Cat $100. Charles Mayer & Co., 5629 N. Illinois St., charles mayer.com

(2) Four 18-inch dripless Taper Candles $30. Anthropologie, The Fashion Mall, anthropolo gie.com

(3) The waterproof Baby BoggBag is a personal-size, outdoor-fun tote. $70. Civvies, 1134 E. 54th St., shop civvies.com

(4) Rose + Frankie dinosaur hoop earrings, handmade in Indiana. $14. Lux & Ivy, 1051 E. 54th St., luxandivy.com

GARSTANG

(5) Nicolette Mayer acrylic vanity tray $99. Surroundings, 1101 E. 54th St., surroundingsantique-store .business.site

(7) Pink sapphire and diamond ring in white gold. $1,900. Windsor Jewelry, 16 N. Meridian St., windsor jewelry.com

(8) Blush Lacquers vegan artisan nail polish in Plastic Hearts dries to a glossy finish. $10. blush lacquers.com

(9) Acrylic painting, titled “Laura,” by Herron grad and Indiana artist Molly K. Fish. $250. instagram.com/ molly_kfish

(6) ’90s-style Ugg Jella clear slide sandal with logoembossed strap. $90. Nordstrom, The Fashion Mall, nordstrom.com

( SHOP TALK )

A Perfect Pair

FATHER–DAUGHTER SNEAKERHEADS ARE KICKING THE INDUSTRY’S MALE-CENTRIC HABIT OF THE FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY IN STYLE.

BY KATIE MARPLE

AFTER YEARS of going sneaker shopping together, IU senior Abby Vitale and her digital-marketer dad, Andrew, came to see that the business is not only male-dominated, but caters to men. “Buying women’s sneakers, especially limited runs, can be an uncomfortable process. Our goal is an easier experience with a feminine touch,” Andrew says. The demand for hard-to-find styles in women’s and kid’s sizes is growing. “Our customers tell us what they want us to carry,” Andrew says. The offerings, including the women’s sneaker of the moment, the Nike Dunk Low Panda, are updated on the daily. Not only are the Vitales giving the ladies and littles It shoes, they’re giving back. “Breast cancer has touched too many families. We donate 5 percent of our profits to the National Breast Cancer Foundation,” Andrew says. Trends are fickle, but Andrew reports that the Jordan 1 and the Nike Air Force 1 are always sure sellers. Like those classic fan favorites, sharing success with family never gets old.

THE BASICS

An online and popup shop focused on women’s and kids’ kicks, duds, and accessories in elusive styles and sizes.

Shoppes

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT OUTFIT FOR OUR PHOTO SHOOT?

Green is my favorite color. It means health, wealth, and growth.

Plus, the cutout gives the dress a unique twist.

TELL US ABOUT SHE. XPERIENCE SHOPPES. It was created out of the need to connect Black women in my community with resources to help sustain their businesses.

I brought 25 Black-owned businesses to Circle Centre Mall, 24 of which had never before operated in a brick and mortar.

THE SOUNDTRACK TO YOUR LIFE WOULD INCLUDE …?  I’m Every Woman. It’s all in me! —K.M.

Lilac Blonde lilacblonde.com

$12, ankle, $9 (2) Hands & Heart Hoodies: adult $60, kid, $50 (3) Toddler Jordan 1s, $100 (4) Howl & Hide belt bag, $100

You Look Like a Million Bucks

LOOKING FOR A HOME WITH EVERY BELL AND WHISTLE IN THE $1 MILLION-ISH RANGE? CONSIDER YOURSELF SPOILED FOR CHOICE. BY JEANA HARRIS

LOCATION, location, location. House shoppers first and foremost tend to want to buy in a great area close to plenty of amenities. Both of these properties check that box, but that’s where their similarities end.

Longtime Naptowners will recognize this Park Avenue grand brick beauty as the former Phoenix Theatre from 1983 to 2018, though its history dates to 1907, when it was built as a church. Now converted into three luxury condos, touches of its liturgical past remain as jawdropping features. In the master suite, rainbow-tinged sunbeams pour through the arched stainedglass windows. Exposed brick and beams appear throughout, balanced by high-end finishes to create an elegantly industrial aesthetic. A rooftop balcony offers unbeatable views of Indy’s skyline. If you want to get out and paint the town, leave your wheels behind in the two-car garage—complete with a hydraulic lift—and make the easy walk to Bottleworks or Mass Ave.

If city life isn’t your endgame, head north to desirable Meridian Hills to find a 1950s ranch that’s been renovated from top to bottom and sits on nearly an acre. The main-floor living space feels fresh and energizing with its bountiful flank of windows along the front and back of the house. Design choices favor hardwood, marble, and glass for a vibe that’s sleek and cool. A walk-out basement, complete with a full kitchen, offers a great space for entertaining. The party can spill into the expansive backyard or continue on the covered deck.

Pack a Punch

A NEW FITNESS HOT SPOT IN CASTLETON COMBINES BOXING WITH A NIGHTCLUB ATMOSPHERE. BY

NIKO VERCELLETTO

WHETHER YOUR favorite exercise routine is jogging on the Canal, biking the Monon, or a Pilates class, any workout can get stale. When you’re ready for a fresh one, you now have a new option. The classes at Rumble Boxing North Indy have a unique spin to them, merging high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with boxing.

“We want to make fitness fun. This location has loud, intense music, a group setting, and colorful lights,” says general manager Kaelyn Mason. “Each class is planned and timed to music, so it’s one big party.” A party with water-filled, teardrop-style boxing bags, that is.

Rumble opened its doors in October; four more are on the drawing board. The trainers are all Indy locals with deep experience in HIIT, group exercise, and boxing. Each 45-minute class is broken down into 10 three-minute “rounds”

that alternate between strength exercises and bag work. No two classes are the same. Each one focuses on different combos of boxing and cardio exercises to suit the group.

Don’t fret if you have zero boxing experience. “Boxing can be intimidating. That’s why, before every single class, we go through a breakdown of the six punches [jab, cross, left and right uppercut, and left and right hook],” Mason says. “We also teach rolls and slips, so people who do have some technical boxing experience can still enjoy the classes.” The sessions run around punching techniques, not kicking, which makes for a different workout than kickboxing.

If you’ve never put on a pair of boxing gloves, you likely don’t have any. Rumble sells them for $90. Hand wraps (optional, but recommended, as when tied properly, they help prevent injuries) run $25. Rental gear is available too. And newbies get their first class free.

( TRY IT )

Cry Fowl

This new fowling set may just become your backyard best friend.

TIRED OF the same old barbecue games? We’re looking at you, cornhole. If so, you may want to give Evansville–based Escalade Sports’s Fowling Set a try. The love child of bowling and football, fowling rhymes with the former.

The goal is to knock all your opponent’s pins down with a football. Remove all 10 in one shot? You win, unless the other player can tie it up with one last throw. The same applies if you are skilled (or lucky) enough to get a bonk, when the center red pin is knocked off the board but the rest remain standing. It’s the fowling equivalent of a split.

The sturdy set even has an air pump. The rules are simple, and despite the constant threat of a sudden-death win, the game is relaxing. It packs up fast if you want to take it tailgating at the 500—which is where fowling was invented by the Michiganders who opened the Fowling Warehouse. Who doesn’t love throwing a football in the spring sunshine? $200, playfowling.com or the Fowling Warehouse, 1125 E. Brookside Ave. —N.V.

BODY+ SOUL

Chicago, IL

DISTANCE

180 miles

DRIVE TIME

3 hours

Putting on the Glitz

THE RITZ-CARLTON CHICAGO RELAUNCHES ITSELF FOLLOWING A SPARKLING

$100 MILLION RENOVATION.

BY DYLAN LEE HODGES

FRANK LLOYD Wright

called Chicago the “national capital of the essentially American spirit.” The RitzCarlton (ritzcarlton.com), positioned high above the iconic Chicago Water Tower, reflects the same resiliency Wright attributed to the Second City. The Water Tower Place (shopwater tower.com) hotel development has always catered to a status-conscious crowd, earning a reputation for being a bit stuffy. But fresh off a $100 million renovation by awardwinning design firm BAMO, the landmark Gold Coast property has been transformed into a light, airy, yet still luxurious new era.

The newly contemporary art and design draws inspiration from the city’s architecture. “Flying Wave,” a dazzling floating sculpture, is made from four types of handblown glass in blue hues reminiscent of Lake Michigan shores. Soaring 19-foot walnut “fins” smartly partition the cushy lounge,

handsome lobby bar, and Italian steakhouse Torali (toralichicago.com) from one another while drawing the eye up to the skyscrapers from the rooftop view just beyond the greenhouse-inspired cafe. The scene is drawing locals and out-of-towners, making the hotel feel plugged in, not buttoned-up. The 434 rooms offer high-end residential condo ease; even the smallest have a sofa and desk beside picture windows overlooking the lake and Navy Pier (navypier.org). In the bathroom, more spacious than what most downtown Indy apartment-dwellers are used to, you’ll find an engulfing terrycloth robe and perfectly pillowy slippers. If it weren’t for the property’s enviable location between Michigan Avenue and the Museum of Contemporary Ar t (mcachicago.org), you’d be hard-pressed to find a reason to leave. A cosseting base to retreat to when exhausted from exploring the city is the ultimate perk. If you have a perception of the Ritz-Carlton, you’ll leave Chicago with a new one.

IF YOU GO

BROWSE The landmark Architectural Artifacts (architectural artifacts.com) is reopening in July at 1065 N. Orleans St. as a hybrid antique shop and eatery.

POSE Interactive art museum Color Factory (colorfactory.co) takes visitors to Willis Tower through a multi-sensory, vibrant maze of 15 distinctly Chicagoan spaces.

CRUISE Hop aboard the First Lady (cruise chicago.com) for an architecture tour. The 90-minute sail is best taken around sunset.

Head to Cincy by May 14 to take in MEMORIES & INSPIRATION: THE KERRY AND C. BETTY DAVIS COLLECTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ART at the Taft Museum of Art. The 60 20th- and 21st-century works were curated by the postal worker and news producer pair with the goal of preserving cultural memories in the Black community. taftmuseum.org

TRAVELER

based on thescreenplay by

Clue Jonathan Lynn

written by additional material by Sandy Rustin

Hunter Foster & Eric Price let the games begin!

APRIL 19 - MAY 20

Invited to dinner by a mysterious host, Mrs. Peacock, Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, and the rest of the usual suspects roll the dice at a gloomy mansion where blackmail and murder are on the menu. As the players become victims, the plot thickens and the noose tightens. With thrills and chills, twists and turns, and lots of laughs, it’s going to be a night they’ll never forget…and neither will you!

| 317.635.5252

ImagesProvidedBy ErinFeldmeyer,ErinKayPhotographyLLC

SWOON

Chow Bella

Named in honor of the beloved family  patriarch who passed away in 2021 at the age of 99, Angelo’s Italian Market in Fishers cranks out half a dozen or so stuffed, sliced, and bronze-cut extruded pastas. “Fresh pasta cooks a lot faster than dried, some in as little as two minutes,” co-owner Chris Marra says of the dreamy inventory made daily from stone-milled semolina flour. The pastas pair nicely with an equally impressive selection of housemade sauces, meatballs, and focaccia. Look for pasta-making classes to join the lineup soon. 11649 Maple St., Fishers, eatangelospasta.com —AMY LYNCH

Photo by TONY VALAINIS

PINCH OF WISDOM

“If cooking steaks to the right doneness intimidates you, try ribeye tips. Set the steak out for 30 minutes, cut to one-and-a-halfinch cubes, season, and sear in a hot pan before finishing in the oven to your desired temp.”

Ship Shape

HELM COFFEE BREWS A PROGRESSIVE-MINDED CUP ON THE EDGE OF GARFIELD PARK.

BY TERRY KIRTS

HOUSED IN a long-abandoned garage on bustling Shelby Street, Helm Coffee is the dreamchild of 2016 Olympic rugby team captain Jillion Potter and her wife, Carol Fabrizio, who formerly worked for USA Gymnastics. They opened last September, warming the Garfield Park structure’s cinderblock and cement with colorful murals and open-air tables. Helm’s specialty is single-origin beans and custom blends finished on a roaster just steps from the brewing counter.

A well-edited menu lets that coffee shine in pour-overs, drip cups, and a knockout maple brown sugar cold brew, while lattes and chais enriched with housemade nondairy milks broaden the choices. A portion of merch proceeds benefit Indiana Youth Group and the ACLU, and the limited hours (8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday) leave the space available for events, which have included yoga, art pop-ups, and fundraisers for reproductive healthcare. 2324 Shelby St., helmcoffeeroasters.com

( NEW IN TOWN ) Made With Love

A gluten-free bakery and cafe in Zionsville takes the cake.

AFTER PERFECTING her gluten-free baked goods at home during the pandemic, Eva Tomlinson opened Aspasia Coffee and Bake Shop last October, a radical departure from her 25-year career in trade compliance. At the Zionsville cafe decked out with high-backed chairs and elegant couches to evoke a European bistro vibe, Tomlinson uses a flour blend that she created herself to convert traditional cupcake, cookie, and bread recipes into gorgeous creations that fulfill her mission to make glutenfree taste good. “But first and foremost, we want to provide a safe space for anyone with celiac disease to order whatever they want without having any concerns about what they’re eating,” she says. 3091 U.S. 421 N, Zionsville, 317-3442169, aspasiabakeshop.com

—AMY

PASTA PERFECT Serving elevated modern Italian food, Vicino will move into the empty Hedge Row American Bistro on Mass Ave … ALL TOGETHER Byrne’s Grilled Pizza plans to open a sister restaurant, Gather 22, in Herron-Morton … AS PRESCRIBED In February, The Fashion Mall became the site of a Chicago-based Doc B’s Restaurant … EXTRA CHEESE After a 19-month closure, the southside Brozinni Pizzeria is back in operation.

( THE BUZZ )

LYNCH

—Paul Dickens of Paul’s Kitchen, the private chef and caterer who opened an upscale complete-meal food truck this spring

Show Stopper

IN HIS ROLE AS THE NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF AT KAN-KAN CINEMA AND BRASSERIE, MICHAEL CONLEY HAS RANGE. BY JULIA

SPALDING

AT

A YOUNG AGE

, Michael Conley became the designated cook for his mucholder siblings. “They were always busy with classes and stuff, so I was making eggs and sandwiches for them when I was like 9 years old,” says the self-described “military kid” who was born in Georgia and lived in Vermont before settling down in Indiana. While attending traditional powwow gatherings around the state with his mother (“She’s fully Native American,” Conley says), he landed a gig cooking buffalo burgers, fry bread, and walking tacos for a food truck vendor at the age of 12. It was a humble but solid introduction to the food-service industry for the recently appointed executive chef at Kan-Kan Cinema and Brasserie, the Windsor Park miniplex theater and Euro-style bistro that opened in 2021.

Earlier this year, he replaced his boss, Abbi Merriss—freeing up the James Beard–lauded chef to focus on Brasserie’s sister restaurant, Bluebeard. Conley says working with Merriss influenced his own approach to running a kitchen. “She taught me that the best way to work around people is to treat them like family,” he says.

That’s a good philosophy to adopt, but Conley plans to bring his own personality to the menu as well. He wants to introduce a rotating fish, for example. He’ll always offer a pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan option. And there will be plenty of movie tie-ins. For a throwback screening of Lilo & Stitch, one of Conley’s favorites (and, coincidentally, a story about family), he created a Filipino/Hawaiian dinner. “I want to do more events where we combine the creativeness of our team with the creativeness of the movie into a whole experience,” he says.

FAVORITE THINGS

(1) Dawson’s on Main in Speedway. “When you go in there, it’s like Cheers. Everybody knows your name.” (2) Saffron. “It has this velvety texture. You can put it in a dish, and people have no idea what that flavor is.” (3) Alton Brown. “He went to the same college I went to. He would come back and talk to us every quarter or so.” (4) Psych. “It’s a TV show. They did detective stuff, but they were always eating these incredible handheld foods on the beach.” (5) Vermont cheese. “Especially the white cheddar.”

FOODIE CONLEY PHOTO BY TONY VALAINIS

TASTE TEST

Ham It Up

SIX STANDOUT HAM-AND-CHEESE SANDWICHES THAT THINK OUTSIDE THE LUNCHBOX. BY

AMY LYNCH

Peyton’s Pigskin

Ripple Bagel & Deli loads ham, bacon, smoked cheddar, lettuce, and barbecue sauce onto a chewy steamed bagel for a satisfying sandwich that would make #18 proud. 850 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-2578326, ripplebageldeli.com

Ham & Brie

Peppery arugula and onion jam jazz up ham from Ossain Smoked Meats and Tulip Tree Creamery Trillium stacked inside a demi-baguette at Rail Westfield. “There’s just something about warm baguette, ham, and melty cheese that holds a special place in our hearts,” says owner Toby Miles. 3400 Nancy St., Westfield, 317763-1376, railwestfield.com

The Chubby

Diet saboteur Fat Dan’s Deli piles hot, hickory-smoked ham onto this monster that also contains marinated chicken, hand-cut French fries, slaw, lettuce, tomato, sautéed onions, giardiniera peppers, cheddar, and provolone. 5410 N. College Ave., 317-600-3333, fatdansdeli.com

the hootenanny

In the vein of a croque monsieur, this French beauty at Landlocked Baking Company layers Smoking Goose City Ham and Becker Farms eggs onto a soft brioche bun and drenches the whole thing with a generous ladle of cheesy dill Mornay sauce. 120 S. Audubon Rd., 317-207-2127, landlocked bakingco.com

pitt twist

A native of Pennsylvania, Hoagies & Hops owner Kristina Mazza introduces Hoosiers to authentic East Coast hoagies such as this meaty stack of (Philly-based) Dietz & Watson ham, provolone, creamy coleslaw, and potato chips on Italian rolls sourced from Liscio’s Bakery in South Jersey. 4155 Boulevard Pl., 317-426-5731, hoagiesandhops.com

the Goose

The crowd-fave namesake at Goose the Market boasts paper-thin slices of dry-cured Italian ham with springy fresh mozzarella, basil, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and cracked black pepper all arranged artfully on a toasted Amelia’s baguette. 2503 N. Delaware St., 317-924-4944, goosethemarket.com

Screen Gem

PLAINFIELD’S NEWEST RESTAURANT, THE PREWITT, BRINGS STAR POWER TO A VINTAGE MOVIE THEATER. BY JULIA SPALDING

LIKE A GOOD movie trailer, the buildup to The Prewitt’s November grand opening really pulled us in. It promised innovative cuisine, live entertainment, an elegant setting with a rich backstory, and a glint of Old Hollywood glamour. In a world … where new, under-resourced restaurants have started thinking small and minimalistic, this golden oldie was going big-budget, casting Plainfield’s 96-year-old movie palace in the lead.

It’s a late-career comeback for the old landmark. The two-story Spanish-style structure began life as Prewitt’s Motor Sales, peddling Goodrich tires along the National Road. It became a movie theater in the 1920s, went by a few different names, and had sat unused for years when local buyer Keller Huff

Restaurant Group purchased it in 2021 with a plan to convert it to a fine-dining venue. According to executive chef Ricky Hatfield, it had seen better days. “There were dirt floors, no drywall, and parts of the building were in total disarray from sitting vacant,” says the prolific chef who was working at Bottleworks Hotel (and previously Ellison Brewing Co., Skyline Club, CharBlue, and Peterson’s) before taking on The Prewitt’s lineup of elevated quirkiness.

The transformation of the building (and the one next door, a former First National Bank built in 1909 that owners Doug Huff and Patrick Keller connected and incorporated into the redesign) took nearly twoand-a-half years to complete. The end result is grand and impressive, the dining room framed in brick and a soaring, blacked-out ceiling. Glazed tilework decorates the lobby

THE PREWITT

121 W. Main St., Plainfield, 317-2035240, prewittdining .com

HOURS

Tues.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

VIBE

Remastered classics

TASTING NOTES

Playful but stick-tothe-ribs dishes with high-concept plating.

NEIGHBORHOOD

Downtown Plainfield

MUST-ORDER

Short rib eggrolls, Ora King salmon, and the Sticky Foot date pudding with caramel-corn ice cream. Finish with a Prewitt Old Fashioned subtly sweetened with popcorn simple syrup.

3 STAR RATING

wall, which leads to a separate bar, the perfect cozy spot to nurse a Smoke on the Water cocktail. But with tables arranged on a tiered floor, facing a stage that replaced the original movie screen, there’s no denying this was once a movie theater—a small-town haunt that locals nicknamed the Sticky Foot. “People spilled popcorn and dropped their gum on the floor,” Hatfield says.

The menu has plenty of drama as well. Starters include crispy pork belly with compressed soy-cured pineapple, oysters on the half shell alongside housemade mignonette and hot sauce fermented on-site, and an inspired short rib eggroll served with house kimchi and ringed in wasabi aioli and furikake sprinkles. The “Main Features” range from a roast chicken with ranch dust, bacon jam, and PBR beer cheese fondue to a noble brown sugar–brined pork porterhouse.

There’s also a delicate plank of Ora King salmon served on a bed of roasted kale with a tangy swoosh of sauce gribiche and a dusting of fennel pollen. The butterscotch-barbecue short rib shares the plate with crispy polenta and snap peas. One of the chef’s favorite dishes, the wagyu corndogs, come with yellow tomato ketchup and pickled mustard seeds—a wink to the traditional concession-stand condiments. Hatfield says he wasn’t going for kitsch, but he did want to “invoke that feeling of eating at a movie theater.” The references are subtle, as in the amuse bouche he sends out, a scoop of straight-up truffle butter decorated with crunchy tuilles of seasoned, ground-up popcorn. The Prewitt Old Fashioned adds popcorn simple syrup to the bourbon and Jamaican bitters. And caramel corn garnishes the Sticky Foot dessert, Hatfield’s dreamy play on sticky toffee pudding that comes with whiskey anglaise and caramel-corn ice cream.

Not everything on the menu is as wellexecuted. The beets in the beet salad are bland and criminally under-roasted, oddly tossed with sections of grapefruit and a basil-spiked mousse. A disappointing duck “porchetta” needed more crackle in its skin. And a $14 Sunday brunch pastry basket underwhelmed with its past-their-prime “local” baked goods and a weird scoop of jam that tricked me into popping a whole star of anise into my

mouth. None of which has hurt business, it seems. One Friday evening, our server informed us as soon as we were seated that their reservation load required parties to linger no longer than two hours. Indeed, by the time we took our last bites of Sour Patch Pie (a raspberry meringue tart), the room was packed.

If that sounds off-brand for a town whose high school mascot is a Quaker, you probably haven’t been to Plainfield in a while. The Hendricks County town is in a state of redevelopment that includes the construction of a $37 million performing arts center across the street from Hatfield’s restaurant. You don’t have to be Steven Spielberg

to visualize how that storyline will play out. But for now, The Prewitt is the hottest ticket in town.

Opposite page: A succulent portion of Ora King salmon served with its extra-crispy skin intact; and the Smoke on the Water cocktail. Right: oysters with mignonette and house-fermented hot sauce; and the Sticky Foot, a Hoosier riff on sticky toffee pudding.

Executive chef Ricky Hatfield and the marquee lit up, with the old-school ticket window intact and menus on display where movie posters once hung.

Photography by TONY VALAINIS

→ From the most coveted heirloom tomatoes to the best gardening gloves to a crash course on sustainable gardening, these down-and-dirty tips weed through the overwhelming advice and go right to the root of your goal: YOUR BEST PLANTING SEASON YET.

Editedby MEGAN FERNANDEZ

Howdoes your Gardengrow?

Writtenby TERRY KIRTS, AMY LYNCH, ANDREA RATCLIFF, SAM STALL, AND CHRISTINA VERCELLETTO

Hello, Dahlia

→ A flower expert’s guide to gardening’s prettiest clip art.

BIG, BOLD, AND BURSTING WITH color, dahlias have made a comeback. Krysty-An Spartz of Artisan Acres Estates in Noblesville tends to numerous—“I’ve stopped counting,” she admits—varieties on half an acre. But a small plot (or even a large pot) can yield a steady supply of bouquets for you and your neighbors once they start blooming in mid-summer. Yes, some dahlias can be a little fiesty, but first-timers still have luck with this cousin of the zinnia. “‘Learn as you grow’ is my motto,” Spartz says. Follow her steps to dahlia success:

→ START EARLY. Dahlias have a relatively short flowering season for Indiana. To enjoy the blooms of your labor longer, pot them now. Leave the soil dry, and they will put out shoots early, getting a head start.

→ FIND YOUR PLACE IN THE SUN. Once our May frost-free date has passed, plant them outside in full sun. Dahlias must get at least six hours of sun a day. If your garden is part sun, don’t despair. Dahlias can be left to grow in pots.

→ DIG UP SOME DIRT. Soil with good drainage is essential for dahlias to thrive. Unless you’re near the White River, where the soil is sandy, you’re likely dealing with clay soil, which is not dahlia-friendly. To check, squeeze a handful. If it feels moist and heavy and looks dense, it’s clay, and you’ll need to amend your garden with organic matter. Don’t be intimidated. It’s common practice around here, and any nursery can walk you through it.

→ CHOOSE WISELY. Dahlias come in more than 40 varieties. Ball dahlias aren’t finicky, reach a nice height of up to 4 feet, and add fun to your garden as floating balls of color. Pompons are also a safe bet for beginners. The giant Dinnerplate variety is impressive, but it needs to be staked. If you’re willing to keep up with the tying so that they don’t fall over, those showy stunners are hardy, as well.

→ WATCH THE WATER. Dahlias are tubers, not unlike potatoes, and so can quickly rot if overwatered. A good soaking once a week will do it. In a heat wave, though, watch the leaves. If they’ve gone lax, your dahlias need a drink.

→ STRATEGIZE FOR NEXT SPRING. While Dahlias are technically perennials, they also originated in Mexico. They can’t survive a Midwest winter. That means you’ll need to dig

them up at the first sign of frost. Store them in a cardboard box or in paper bags in a dark, dry spot at 40 to 50 degrees. A garage, shed, or unheated porch is ideal. Of course, you can just consider them annuals, and spring for new tubers every year.

→ EAT ONE. Spent tubers are edible. After unearthing them, wash, peel, and crunch. They taste like a cross between celery, radish, and potato.

The Giant Bloom

→ If your yard isn’t right for dahlias, consider Spartz’s second-favorite flower: Roald Dahl English shrub roses ( davidaustinroses.com ). They do fine in part sun, showing off ruffled blossoms in hues of apricot and lemon.

TV Guide

Where to start, from an HGTV expert.

→ KAREN E LAINE, THE GREEN THUMB on HGTV’s hit show Good Bones, went solo last fall with a spinoff pilot, Good Bones: Better Yard. Her well-considered step-bystep guide for beginners focuses more on “reality” than “TV.”

FIRST, DREAM. What does your perfect garden look like? Feel like? Smell like? Let your mind wander, and take notes.

MEASURE YOUR SPACE. What do you have to work with? If your space doesn’t match your dream, return to step one and conjure up a new dream.

THINK. What help do you need? What resources? Laine assures that most gardening center staff is happy to give advice.

OBSERVE. Before you look at a seed catalog or take a hosta from your mother, sit in your yard and observe the windiness, the sun pattern, spots where moisture gathers, and critter traffic. “Different plants like different things,” Laine says. “I put two lavender plants next to each other in full sun. One died and one lived. I failed to observe that one would get all the runoff from a pond.”

START SMALL. “If you start too big, you’ll feel frustrated and fail. If you start small,

Help and Learn

→ Local organizations welcome volunteers in their gardens and greenspaces.

you’ll succeed and want more,” Laine says. And then map it out. Decide where you will put things based on sun exposure, drainage, and the quality of soil and compost. Decide if you will do a raised bed, pots, or traditional plots.

CHOOSE PLANTS. Finally, the fun part. But where do you start? Laine recommends asking friends and neighbors for seeds. “People who grow tomatoes they love are seed-savers,” she says. And most plants sold in stores are just fine, in her experience.

FIND AN ADVISOR. Laine recommends going to a few different nurseries and asking staff for their specialties, particularly if you have your heart set on a certain variety, like peonies. “You’re looking for information you can digest,” Laine says. “If they’re talking over your head or talking to you like you’re an idiot, it’s not the right place for you.”

TAKE YOUR TIME. There’s no rush.

BREATHE. “You can do this,” Laine says. “Google what grows well in Central Indiana. Find a master-gardening club, and ask the members your questions.” Plus, Laine speaks of microbes in soil that are said to promote happiness when you breathe them in. So literally take a deep breath, too!

TAKE JOY IN EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE. “Even just the dreaming. That’s beautiful,” Laine says.

DIG IN Growing Places Indy accommodates volunteers to weed, seed, harvest crops, clear debris, and more from April through October. They'll work around your schedule and availability. No gardening experience is required, only enthusiasm.

Sign up for three-hour shifts at growingplaces indy.org.

SOW AND SIP

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail provides tools and a quick orientation before Landscaping and Lagers on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. through the summer season, giving participants a chance to mulch beds, clean out planters, and socialize. Join in as many or as few times as you like. For info, visit indycultural trail.org.

SERVE IN THE CITY

Get to work with a view of the downtown Indianapolis skyline by registering for open volunteer sessions in the IUPUI Urban Gardens

You might harvest vegetables, plant a tree, or do a food-waste audit. If you’re lucky, you'll get to take home some of the yummy fresh produce.

Register at sustainability .iupui.edu.

FEED INDY

Individuals, corporate groups, and harvest teams can pitch in at Indy Urban Acres on a variety of projects, immersing themselves in working farm operations. The organization gets organic produce into the hands of local families. Learn more about hands-on volunteer opportunities at parks-alliance.org.

“Gardens are great for mindfulness. I call it the monkeys chattering. When I’m in the garden, they are as entranced as I am. There is no place else for my mind

Five Plants and Projects to Avoid

Not all garden endeavors are fun and rewarding. These should be carefully considered —if at all.

WATER FEATURES. Pat Sullivan, owner of Sullivan Hardware & Garden, says that up until a few years ago, pretty much everybody wanted a pond. Not anymore. It takes a lot of effort to dig one in Indiana’s tough clay soil; lots of cash to trick it out with pumps and filters; and regular, extensive cleaning and maintenance to keep it running. All for something that, even if you care for it properly, typically looks kind of meh. “Most times the pond looks pretty trashy,” he observes. “It’s a lot more work than most people think.”

CREEPERS. Plants that make new sprouts by spreading out their roots in all directions are called rhizomes by botanists, creepers by gardeners. Dottie Wright, a longtime employee at Dammann's Garden Company, says that pretty much all creepers are highly invasive. Once you innocently plant a flat of, say, English ivy, fall clematis, chameleon plant, or trumpet vine in a remote corner of your property, you’ll spend every summer for the rest of your life trying to keep it from taking over the entire yard. Just don't plant them at all.

AZALEAS AND RHODODENDRONS. “Every spring, the garden centers get these. They're beautiful, so people get sucked in. But they usually don’t do well,” Sullivan says. They like acidic soil, which Indiana lacks. You’ll have to shovel in pH-adjusting soil supplements. And one bad winter and they're a goner.

TEA ROSES. They look great, but typically bloom just once a year and require pruning, much watering, and soil amendments. Plus, they’re vulnerable to disease. Instead, consider the tea rose’s country cousin, the shrub rose. They typically have more thorns and are far less showy. But they’re hardy, don’t require nearly as much care, and bloom pretty much continuously during the warm months. “It’s definitely not your grandma’s rose,” Sullivan says, “but they have a lot fewer problems than hybrid teas.”

RAISED BEDS. If you’re cursed with crappy soil, putting a wooden or metal frame on the ground and filling it up with compost, peat moss, and manure is a good workaround. However, Purdue extension horticulture specialist Karen Mitchell advises checking your dirt before taking this complicated, expensive step. If it’s loose, crumbly, and black, you likely don’t need a raised bed.

Contain Your Enthusiasm

Amy Mullen,lead designer and self-professed “plant geek” at Spotts Garden Service, offers insights on creating container gardens that thrive in urban settings and other small spaces.

MAKE IT DRAIN. Use a pot with holes for drainage. Otherwise water will collect in the bottom and drown the plants. If you’re growing veggies, use self-watering containers. Those have a water reservoir at the bottom so the plant can drink at its own pace, and you can see when the reservoir is empty and it's time to water.

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPS. Terra cotta pots are heavier and less likely to blow over, but plastic, concrete, or fiberglass is fine. Bring ceramic pottery containers inside for the winter to prevent cracking.

PAY DIRT. Don’t use regular dirt out of your yard—it doesn’t have good drainage. Use a potting soil or potting medium that water moves through easily. Make sure the roots of the plant are completely covered. Leave an inch of room between the soil and the top of the container so rain won’t wash it out.

SPRING AHEAD. If you can store your pots intact through the winter, reuse the soil next year. Just take out the top third and refresh it with compost or new potting mix.

SEEK SUN. Consider the amount of sun your plants will get throughout the day. On cold days, it’s more important for the soil to warm up than the plants to get enough sun.

CHILL OUT. “The earlier you put out plants, the hardier they need to be. Pansies are the toughest—they can actually ice over and come out of it fine. Bonus: they come in a zillion lovely colors. Cool-weather spring crops include lettuces, radishes, peas, and

arugula. A general rule of thumb: If you can eat the leaves or the roots of the plant, it’s probably a cool-weather crop.

HAVE PATIENCE. Waiting until after Mother’s Day to plant gives you a much bigger selection to choose from. To grow tomatoes in a container, you want to look for “bush” or “determinate” varieties and use a cage for support.

H2-OH! Once you get everything planted, water until it comes out the bottom of the container. After that, stick your finger into the soil up to the second knuckle. If it feels cold or wet, it’s fine. If it feels hot or dry, it’s time to water. Also, if you see standing water in your pots, tilt it out. Too much water is just as bad as no water.

Planting a Chef’s Garden

→ US Foods division chef Tyler Herald, formerly executive chef of Patachou Inc., has plenty of suggestions for building a cooking garden that you’ll tend throughout the years.

START SMALL. Rather than ordering everything you see in a seed catalog or the local garden center, consider a plot of herbs along a sidewalk or in a flower bed. Many herbs are drought-resistant and perennials. You can always work up to row plants.

WORK WITH YOUR SPACE. While squared-off garden plots are impressive, you can easily work in plants along a fence, in a large pot on your porch, or along a stone or gravel path. No need to get a tiller or break your back spading up your whole yard.

CHOOSE HIGH-REWARD PLANTS. A single cherry tomato plant can often produce all you need for salads and sauces, and zucchini, peppers, and cucumbers offer bountiful harvesting for several weeks in the heat of summer. And kale and chard will continue to sprout new leaves even after you’ve cut enough for your dinner.

AIM FOR EARLY PRODUCERS. You’ll be less likely to get impatient and let your garden go to weeds if you bulk up on things that are ready early in the season. Radishes, peas, lettuce, and spinach can all be started inside and are ready just a few weeks after the last frost, meaning your Instagram will be full of pics of your harvest by June.

REMEMBER THE CLIMATE. Most of Indiana is in Zone 6, meaning certain plants grow well here, while others won’t have a long enough growing season or will burn up in our hot summers. Carrots, eggplants, and cabbage grow especially well here. Artichokes and avocados? Not so much. Most seed packets and labels on plants will let you know.

CONSIDER THE SUN.

Most high-yield veggies flourish in full sun, while others, such as tomatoes, require sustained daytime temps to be able to ripen. Don’t make the mistake of planting where trees or your neighbor’s house will shade the plants. You may get a beautiful green plant without any veggies to harvest.

AVOID FUSSY VEGGIES. While asparagus may be an early-season garden prize, it takes a few seasons before you can cut spears, and it’s prone to pests and changes in weather. Leeks require banking with soil to get usable white flesh. And corn takes lots of acreage and needs consistent watering. Leave these to the pros.

SKIP THE FRUIT. Except for rhubarb, which is a perfect perennial that seeks little attention, most fruit crops like strawberries and raspberries, need a good amount of care in covering or pruning. Fruits

tend to produce a lot in a short time, so unless you’re willing to can or freeze in abundance, you’ll find what you need at markets.

BEWARE OVERPRODUCERS. You may think you’ll be able to use all that kohlrabi or tomatillos, but unless you’ve got foodie neighbors or are having nightly dinner parties, it’s often best to stick to plants that produce just what your family needs.

LEAVE IT NATURAL. One of the easiest ways to get some delicious additions to your dinner is to stop weeding or mowing in small patches of your yard. You’ll likely be able to forage some wild onions,

tender dandelion greens, or succulent purslane that will add some real pizzazz and cache to your salads and garnishes for dishes.

LEARN YOUR NEEDS. Chefs quickly learn what they’ll need for the meals in their restaurants, and you’ll figure this out readily yourself. The key is enhancing your dishes with just-harvested ingredients, while saving yourself a few dollars. Take notes after the first year about what you used most, and scale back what you didn’t use as much. The point is not to have the vegetables needing your attention, but for being tasty companions to the cooking you’re already doing.

How to Give Away Produce

→ Rule of thumb: If it’s not good enough for your family, it’s not good enough to donate. But if the bounty is fresh, pest-free, and ready to eat, these charities will happily take it.

SECOND HELPINGS. Accepts garden donations both large and small, and with very few stipulations. “We have some safety requirements around prepared food, but nothing for garden produce,” says marketing and communications manager Emily Martin. “We’ll take anything we can get.” Drop off your bounty at Second Helpings headquarters, 1121 Southeastern Ave., any time Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

GLEANERS FOOD BANK OF INDIANA. Does not itself take garden produce, but many of

Vine and Dandy

→ Experts pick these heirloom tomatoes for their salads and BLTs.

its “pantry partners” (smaller food banks with which it shares resources) certainly do. If you’d like to find one near you, check out the agency’s list at gleaners .org/findhelp. Be sure to call your pantry of choice for its hours and needs, instead of just showing up with a trunkload of zucchini.

HUNGER INC. FOOD PANTRY. Has served the Perry Township and Beech Grove area since 1983, and they’d be happy to serve up your garden surplus, too. “We are always looking for fresh produce to serve to our neighbors in need,” says Hunger Inc. president Tom Brown. The pantry, located at

1416 E. Epler Ave., is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

AMPLEHARVEST.ORG.

Most charities on this list are fairly large and well-known, but churches and neighborhood organizations also welcome spare produce. This national clearinghouse provides an online list of groups that accept garden goods in Indianapolis (or Carmel or Bloomington, for that matter). Just go to AmpleHarvest’s site, type in your locale, and you’re off to the races. Remember, however, not to just show up with your haul. Call ahead to make sure they want it and ask for delivery instructions.

YELLOW PEAR

“I like my vegetables easy. It produces prolifically, has a sweet taste, and seems to sidestep nearly all the ills that can befall larger heirlooms, like blossom end rot.”

—Amy Mullen, Spotts Gardens

PINEAPPLE

“Known for its excellent flavor, particularly among bi-color tomatoes, Pineapple is mildly sweet with low acidity, somewhat fruity, and includes a hint of citrus. Its flavor improves towards end of season.”

—Dottie Wright, Damman’s Garden Company

CHEROKEE PURPLE

“Delicious, surprisingly hardy, and doesn’t get set upon by pests.”

—Karen E Laine, GoodBones

“They’re meaty and sweet enough to bite into like an apple.”

—Eric Neylon, Tinker Street

PINK BUMBLEBEE

“It’s a cherry variety— pinkish red with a swirly yellow pattern. Super productive and reliable, adorable, and fun to say. Highly Instagrammable.”

—Kate Franzman, The Patachou Foundation

SUNGOLD

“These low-acid tomatoes are super sweet, prolific, and great for both salads and a vibrant sauce when roasted.”

—Terry Kirts, Indianapolis Monthly food writer

BEEFSTEAK

“Just give me a big, juicy beefsteak to slice up for a BLT and I’m happy.”

—Amy Lynch, Indianapolis Monthly food writer

GREAT WHITE

“In the world of rainbows and tomatoes, white is the hardest to find.”

—Tyler Herald, US Foods

In a Pickle

So much more than a quaint retro craft, preserving garden vegetables is a fun, entry-level kitchen project that can up your home-cooking game in less time than you’d imagine.

RHUBARBOYSTER MUSHROOMSCUCUMBERSBABY CARROTS OR BEETS SEASON

Early to late spring, autumnEarly spring to winterSummer to autumnLate spring to winter

Most farmers markets and grocery stores, starting in May

WHERE TO FIND

Freedom Valley Farm ( freedomvalleyfarm.com )

Farmers markets, grocery stores, or your green-thumbed coworker

HOW TO CUT

3/4-inch coinsLeave whole or cut large mushroom caps in half

Distilled white or cider vinegar in a 2:1 ratio with water

Thyme, rosemary, orange, yellow mustard seeds, vanilla bean

Mad Farmers Collective ( madfarmersindy.com )

3-to 4-inch spearsLeave whole or cut large vegetables in half or quarters

PICKLING MEDIUM

Sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar

OPTIONAL AROMATICS

Thyme, rosemary, garlic, shallot, peppercorns

Dill, onion, garlic, shallots, mustard seeds, ginger

Rosemary, thyme, garlic, fennel, oregano

One week to 2 monthsAt least an hour of steeping2–5 days4–6 weeks

Garnishes and sauce for pork or seafood, ice cream, and desserts

This favorite Hoosier “vegetable” that’s often relegated to pies stands up especially well to pickling and can add acidity and an aromatic complexity to a number of dishes. For best results, clean the stalks as you would celery, slice them, and cover in a brine of vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. (Oh, and keep the brine, which will take on a gorgeous blushing red color.) Store in the refrigerator for several months.

CURING TIME USES

Charcuterie boards, wild game, with pickled berries

Eat out of hand or chop for your favorite salads and recipes

NOTES

Trim off any hard stems and wash thoroughly. Pre-salt mushrooms but save any liquid that comes off for the oil mixture. Bring oil to 170 degrees and cook a large amount of mushrooms for 10 minutes, until they shrink and are submerged in the oil. Add vinegar, reheat to 170, cook for 5 minutes, and steep in the liquid for an hour. Store in the refrigerator. The oil and vinegar will separate, so be sure to mix them frequently.

Salt liberally and place in a crock or other tall vessel with a weighted plate on top. A natural brine will develop. You do not need to skim the top unless there is a lot of particles. Make sure pickles are submerged in their own liquid, and store in the refrigerator. Or, cold pack them in sterilized pint canning jars with new lids and rings in a large stockpot with dishtowel on the bottom. Consult websites for sealing temperatures.

Crudite platter, sliced on sandwiches, with grilled meats

Feel free to leave a small portion of the tops on, as these will pickle as well. Use a plastic sealing bag that is much larger than the amount of vegetables you’re pickling. Bag will expand with air, so “burp” the bag by cutting the corner of the bag and then reseal. Once cured, store in refrigerator for several weeks. This method can be used for cabbage, onion bulbs, fennel, radishes, turnips, and other crunchy vegetables.

Play Dates

April 8 (and ongoing)

→ Do you have questions about rain gardens, pollinator gardens, compost systems, water catchment system, or rain barrels? Plots to Plates, a 98-plot community garden run by the Carmel Clay Schools Green Team, has the answers. Get the dirt at their informational Donuts and Dirt events every second Saturday at Carmel Middle School.

Mid–April

→ A few weeks after Garfield Park Conservatory’s Spring Bulb Show comes a less well-known but far quirkier tradition known as Keep What You Pull day. Area residents plus a few highly motivated outsiders gather at 10 a.m. on a weekday to dig out this year’s expended tulip bulbs. As the name of the event suggests, you keep whatever you pull, presumably for transplanting into your own home’s landscape. If this sounds like fun, sign up via gpcons@indy.gov and you’ll be notified a few days before the event. The date is somewhat iffy, because the Garfield Park staff typically won’t pick the exact day until maybe a week in advance.

May 1–13

→ The ISBVI Annual Spring Plant Sale is the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s also your chance to nab everything from hanging baskets to scented geraniums to more than 20 varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomato varieties. Sale hours are weekdays

noon– 5 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The Indianapolis Ukulele Club will provide entertainment on Saturdays.

May 6–7

→ If you want to jump the gun on Mother’s Day, take mom to the Indy Urban Acres plant sale in Tarkington Park. Your purchases of vegetable plants and flowers go toward supporting Indy Urban Acres, four sites around Indianapolis that cumulatively grow more than 60,000 pounds of produce annually. The produce is distributed to area charities, and Urban Acres acts as a clearinghouse for instruction in vegetable gardening.

May 12–13

→ At the Conner Prairie Heirloom Plant Sale,select from a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes and peppers, plus more-or-less conventional herbs and flowers. Conner Prairie’s gardening experts will be on hand to help you pick from such options as early jalapeño peppers, cherry peppers, and large red cherry tomatoes.

May 25–28

→ Turns out President Benjamin Harrison’s wife Caroline was quite the gardener. You can get a sense of her work at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site Garden Party, a free event at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. Guests tour 10 different sections, including the Historic Peony Garden, offering 26 species of “heritage” peonies popular during the 1800s. Visitors are encouraged to

pack a lunch and picnic on the grounds. Hours are 5–6:30 p.m.

June 7

→ Take an up-close look at five Indianapolis gardens during the 27th annual Indianapolis Garden Club Walk, sponsored by the Indianapolis Garden Club. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

June 17

→ Lebanon-based Shalom House offers its Shalom Annual Garden Tour, featuring seven Boone County residential gardens, four of them in Lebanon, two in Whitestown, and one in Zionsville. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and tickets cost $15 in advance and $18 the day of (kids under 12 get in free). Visitors can set their own pace, touring the gardens in whatever order they see fit. Proceeds go to area hunger-relief programs.

June 25

→ The Irvington Garden Club Garden Tour gives nosy horticulture fans a chance to poke around in various Irvingtonarea backyards. A $10 ticket gets you access to these hideaways, the maps to which are printed on the back of the ticket. You can walk the route, but biking or driving isn’t frowned upon.

July 3

→ If you’re a fan of slightly more challenging scents, then The Great Garlic Gathering at Garcia’s Gardens might tickle your olfactory passages. Every year the tiny microfarm at 11717 42nd Street opens its garlic harvest to the public, who can assist with the digging. Be advised that July 3 is just a notional date and could change. The garlic will be harvested when it’s ready, and not before.

Through October 30

→ On Saturdays at 1 and 3 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m., visitors can also take guided tours of The Garden at Newfields, accompanied by an expert staffer. You’ll learn the history of the Oldfields estate, and bone up on both its original landscape design and current plantings. Meet at the Garden Entrance Pergola.

Classic Rock

→ I BOUGHT A CONDO LARGELY BEcause I didn’t want to deal with yard work. Then I realized the sizeable plot of garden running the length of my home was up to me to maintain. And if it’s not picture-perfect, the HOA gives me side eye.

Remember last summer, with its Death-Valley temperatures and five(or was it six?) week drought? There I was, watering flowers in that heat when I got home from work. If I waited until it cooled off, mosquitos ambushed. On Saturdays, I pulled weeds, which sprouted happily through the weed-inhibiting mulch. When the

wind blew, said mulch migrated to my walkway and driveway. On Sundays, I swept it back into the flower beds, useless in its mission.

This spring! Nice Big Rocks: drought-proof; immobile; weed occluding. I tracked down an expert: Jacques Schindler, landscaping veteran at Allisonville Home & Garden by Sullivan in Fishers. How does one make a “prett y” rock garden? Is it really nomaintenance? (Please say yes, Jacques.)

“Nothing is zero maintenance,” Schindler began. He must have seen my face, so he quickly added, “But rocks are about as low-maintenance as it gets. They can be beautiful and outstanding.” And you’re not on a flora timeline; it’s never too late in the year to rock and roll. Here, Schindler’s tips:

DON’T SKIMP ON LANDSCAPE FABRIC. You’ll need to lay down fabric—never plastic—before the rocks. The thicker, the better. The rolls Sullivan’s sells last five to 20 years before needing to be replaced.

HARD CHOICES. For areas directly adjacent to a home, go with rock between 1.5 and 2.5 inches in diameter. It’ll stay put, hold its own

Never Weed Again

YANK ’EM OUT

“I’m old-fashioned when it comes to weeding. I find it therapeutic to just pull them as they come up, but I also subscribe to smothering larger areas with layers of newspaper or cardboard if you’re creating a new bed or have weeds in your vegetable garden. Here at the school, we can’t use herbicides, so we have a recipe for a homemade weed killer made with vinegar, castile soap, lemon juice, and salt.”

—Elizabeth Garvey, Horticulture Teacher and Landscape Consultant at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

DUCK AND COVER

“Plant a container garden! Weeds are only an issue in containers if you’ve used soil from your backyard, which is a no-no anyway.” —Amy Mullen, Lead Designer for Spotts Garden Service

“For both raised beds and inground beds, lay down normal weedblocker (landscape fabric) and then cut holes where starts or seeds would be planted. Over the winter, we lay down both weedblocker and straw.”

—Jessica Davis, Director of IUPUI Sustainability

“Cover your crop with mulch. This helps retain moisture and reduces weed growth.”

—Shalise Lee, Community Impact Director for Growing Places Indy

against weeds, and not look out of scale. River rocks, which come in an array of shapes, sizes, and shades, are a good bet. Lava rocks are having a moment, but they’re lightweight for their size, so can shift.

FORGET CACTI. Rocks and cacti = my kind of garden! Schindler let me down easy, but alas, we get too much rain, and they wouldn’t survive our winters. At least, not without effort on my part. Nevermind.

PLOP A POT. Potted flowers can add a pop of color with minimal effort. With a phone pic of your new rocky outcropping taken on a sunny day at noon, Sullivan’s can point you to the most drought-resistant flowers that will thrive in a pot in that level of sunlight. Miracle-Gro Potting Mix is non-negotiable if you want to vibrant, easy-care posies, says Schindler. Cheaper “potting soil” often harbors weed seeds.

GO PRO. Know your stone options and tap a hardscaper to do it right. Stone Center of Indiana over on the northeast side, Schindler’s go-to, can help with both.

APPLY HERBICIDE

“Pre-emergents are your friends. In early spring, crabgrass control should be on everyone’s radar. It’s an annual weed that sprouts from seeds every year, giving you the opportunity to apply a pre-emergent to your lawn and get ahead of it before it has a chance to germinate. For garden beds and garden spaces, starting clean every year is your best bet. You can sanitize your beds if you don’t want to use chemicals to get the weeds out. Just make sure to remove all the old plant materials so seeds don’t remain and reroot.”

—Carey Grable, Home Horticulture Educator with Purdue Extension Services Marion County offi

PLAY HIDE AND SEEK

For weeds and dandelions, the best solution is to first remove them as much as possible. Once your bed is weeded, you want to ‘disturb’ the soil to get the weeds that you may not be able to see. You can do this by using a rake to push through the soil and reveal hidden weeds. This helps you remove them at a younger stage than when they’re more mature.

—Autumn Hodge, Impact Coordinator for The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis

Lifestyle editor Christina Vercelletto takes a stone-faced approach to landscaping.

Gardening Biology

Associate professor of biology Xianzhong Wang teaches urban and suburban gardening at IUPUI with a focus on sustainable practices—and he walks the talk as an avid gardener in Carmel himself. Here’s a crash course.

PICK SOME BRAINS. Even an experienced gardener like Wang can learn from others. That’s why he gardens at Plots to Plates, a large community garden affiliated with Carmel Clay Public Schools, in addition to his own backyard. “Gardeners grow different kinds of vegetables. Everyone seems to have different ways to grow healthy and productive vegetables,” Wang says. “I share what I know and learn what I don’t. That is why I enjoy talking to fellow gardeners.”

LEAVE IT TO NATURE. Wang saves bags of raked leaves in the fall and uses them as ground cover in flower and vegetable gardens the next year, saving the debris from the landfill and conserving water because the leaves reduce evaporation from soil on the garden beds. Decomposed leaves become high-quality organic fertilizer, providing nutrients to plants and improving soil structure.

STRADDLE THE SEASONS. “One can always make a lot more efficient use of garden space,” he says. Even in the USDA Hardiness Zone 5 or 6, Wang says we can grow three seasons of vegetables in one year: spring, summer, and fall. He starts spring veggies and herbs, such as lettuce, cilantro, and cabbage, in pots in early March and transplants them in April.

Spring vegetables can also be directly sowed in March or as soon as the soil is workable. Some summer plants, including tomatoes and peppers, can be started in pots in April. Others, such as cucumber, should be started in late April or early May. Once spring vegetables are harvested in May or June, potted summer plants can be transplanted to the garden. In early to mid-August, start fall vegetables in pots while summer varieties are still growing in the garden. Move seedlings of fall vegetables to the garden after summer harvest in late September or early October. Fall vegetables are similar to spring plants—they are all coolseason vegetables.

START FROM SEEDS. “Starting your own seedlings is a lot easier than people think,” Wang says. Get your feet wet with tomatoes because tomato seeds are easy to germinate and give you a huge variety of options when started from seeds. Wang likes Old German for an heirloom, Big Boy or Whopper for a hybrid, and Sungold and Sun Sugar for cherry tomatoes.

FREEZE SEEDS. Seeds last longer if you store them in a freezer. “I’m still using seeds I saved 10 years ago. Some gardeners think the low temperature will kill the seeds, but it will not,” Wang says. Never store seeds in a garage.

GO FUNDAMENTAL ON FERTILIZER. Wang is skeptical of claims made about many expensive products in the market. “I’m very suspicious of the benefits of these products. Just use chicken manure or cow manure and compost,” he says. Invest in reasonably priced fertilizer instead of hype.

TRY VEGETABLES IN A POT. Containergrown vegetables need more frequent care than those in the garden. In the hottest part of summer, you might have to water them every day, and if you go on vacation, you may need a plant-sitter. Growing vegetables in a pot, however, is a good option for those who don’t have space for a garden.

FEAR NOT THE FALL FROST. Autumn vegetables like Brussels sprouts, spinach, and cabbage will survive the first few frost events. They can last until mid-November outside in Central Indiana. “After a few frostbites, they will taste a lot better—sweet and less bitter,” Wang says.

SQUASH THE SQUASH. It takes up a lot of space, so if you’re short on acreage, lose this one first. Space-eaters like pumpkin and corn are not good options for small gardens, either.

BUY NATIVE. Exotic flowers available online can be tempting, but they might turn out to be invasive species. “We have a lot of invasive plants that weren’t here even a few decades ago. It’s very bad for native plants and local ecosystems,” he says.

BEFRIEND THE BEES. A variety of different flowers help honeybees. Mix in different plants like butterfly bush, sunflowers, lavender, coneflowers, and Rose of Sharon to supply nectar and pollen throughout the summer and fall. These plants also benefit wild bees and other native insects, which are an integral component of healthy ecosystems.

TRY HIS FAVORITE FLOWER. Wang sings the praises of crocus for the wide variety of colors and early flowering time. This spring harbinger will bloom year after year. Plant crocus in the fall for spring flowers.

SKIP THE STATE TREE. The tulip tree is beautiful and stately, but Wang says it grows too tall to be a good garden tree. Also avoid silver maple, Norway maple, and Bradford pear varieties. Instead, try redbud, red maple, sugar maple, or other smaller native trees.

Gree n Acres

How to navigate Cox’s Plant Farm, Hendricks County’s megacenter. Good luck leaving.

→ THE INDY AREA BOASTS A WIDE ARRAY OF GARDEN centers—big and small—but the mother of all outdoor outlets lies in rural Hendricks County. Cox’s Plant Farm (6360 S. County Rd. 0, Clayton, 317-539-4632, coxsplantfarm.com) is a roadtripworthy destination for all manner of tools, supplies, accessories, and, of course, plants. The main store alone houses seeds, soil mixes and additives, weed- and pest-control treatments, manual implements and power equipment, wood stains and applicators, ceramics and planters, lawn ornaments and decorative items, garden clogs and hats, and just about anything else you may need to use in your yard. And that’s before you even take a single step into the maze of greenhouses with abundant fruit, vegetable, and herb varieties, as well as annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. Here are a few suggestions for navigating this filled-to-the-gills 20-acre plant paradise:

MENTALLY PREPARE.

Before you go, decide on a strategy. Are you a list-maker or spreadsheet geek? Start recording specific items you want to purchase and grab a copy of the annual plant catalog to ensure they carry the species you seek.

LEARN THE LAY OF THE LAND.

Upon your arrival inside the mint-green building, cashiers at the massive front desk can provide initial guidance. Staff members stationed throughout the property are prepared to point wayward shoppers in the direction of hostas, hydrangeas, or hyacinths. Warning: Attempting a quick tour on your own is an adventure reminiscent of a journey through a labyrinth.

Garden Gloves

GRAB A CART.

Or two. You might think you’re going in for just a flat of impatiens or a couple tomato starts. Pay no mind to such silliness and think on a grander scale. You will find more garden goods than you can hold in two hands. If you have a truck or SUV, drive the big car.

BUDGET YOUR TIME.

This isn’t a 20-minute, in-and-out errand you’re running. Plan for an hours-long visit and make a day of it. Bring water and snacks. Locate the restrooms before you need them (west side of the building, near the ceramics). Take rest breaks by test-sitt ing the patio furniture and porch swings for sale in the showroom.

TRACK YOUR RESULTS.

Did you grow a 40-pound watermelon? A 22-pound squash or 4-pound turnip? Take your overgrown veggies back to Cox’s and have them photographed on the store’s scale to secure bragging rights on their Facebook page.

Garden Works Tool

Grip gloves

Made of elasticized cotton and textured latex. $10. The Forest Flower Home & Garden Shop, 3205 W. 71st St., theforestflower.com

GOOD FOR Traction, breathability, and ventilation

Bellingham

The Bamboo Gardener Gloves

Rubber-palmed with a sustainable bamboo rayon shell. $11. Dammann’s Garden Center & Greenhouse, 4914 Rockville Rd., dam manns.com GOOD FOR The environment

Burgon & Ball

Love the Gloves

Made of stretch polyester mesh, a padded palm, and leather trim. $30. Habig Garden Shops, 1225 E. 86th St., habiggardenshop. weebly.com

GOOD FOR Comfort and style

Mud H2O Waterproof Gloves

With a no-nonsense microtexture and double-coated palms. $13. Sullivan Hardware & Garden, 6955 N. Keystone Ave., sullivanhardware.com

GOOD FOR Wet, muddy tasks

Hestra Job Gloves

Made of stretch denim and goatskin leather.

$27. Snakeroot Botanicals, 1052 Virginia Ave., 922 E. Westfield Blvd., snakerootbo tanicals.com

GOOD FOR Multitasking and protection from the weather

Barebones Classic Work Gloves

Made (ethically in Pakistan) of cowhide leather and chemicalfree dye. $25. Stomping Ground, 1625 Nowland Ave., stompingground indy.com

GOOD FOR Your conscience

Your Own Private Patachou

How to re-create the restaurant group’s plot along the Monon Trail.

→ IF YOU’VE EVER EATEN KALE OR TOMATOES AT PUBLIC GREENS OR CAFE

Patachou, there’s a good chance Kate Franzman grew it. The director of agriculture for Martha Hoover’s restaurant group tends to a pair of plots that keep the kitchens in veggies and herbs and serve as education spaces for kids. “We try to do things people can replicate at home,” says the 10-year gardening guru. Here are some of her tips for growing a copycat garden.

PLANT A LASAGNA GARDEN

No, not oregano and garlic. Put down pieces of cardboard over a plot of land, then cover it with wood chips, kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, and other stuff that quickly (well, fairly quickly) decomposes into a rich growth medium for veggies. It doesn’t look that great, but the products of such a setup will definitely taste great. “Think about the process of things breaking down in the woods,” Franzman says. “The soil is really healthy, and it all happens in the middle of nowhere with no human beings. You’re just recreating that in your yard.” And the materials are free.

EMBRACE THE WILD SIDE

While Franzman loves the tidiness of straight,

even rows, she also creates an area where plants can grow bushy. These habitats are also beneficial for bugs and hummingbirds.

ADD FLOWERS

Marigolds not only look and smell wonderful, but they are a pest deterrent.

MAKE A BEAN TRELLIS

Plant scarlet runner beans at the base of a trellis in May, and the vines with little red blooms will cover it and create a tunnel effect by midsummer. Monon Trail users love to take photos at Patachou’s installation. “Everyone stops and asks me what’s on the trellis,” Franzman says. The purple speckled beans will be ready to harvest in the fall.

The Seeds of Knowledge

If you have a gardening problem, the Purdue Extension Services will help solve it.

→ PURDUE EXTENSION SERVICES HAVE been around as long as the university itself. Carey Grable, home horticulture educator in the Marion County office, describes a few of the services available.

DEEP KNOWLEDGE. First, Purdue is responsible for providing research-backed information. We maintain an encyclopedic database of reference materials and publications that cover a variety of gardening-related topics. We’ve been transitioning more out-of-print materials into digital, although they’re still available for anyone who prefers hard copies.

ON CALL. We also maintain the Marion County Master Gardener Answer Line (317-275-9292) and email (marioncountymg@gmail.com). The Master Gardeners who staff the phone line and the email address will field questions, find answers and provide information directly back to you. We get a lot of questions about tree problems, and can get people connected with certified arborists when appropriate.

VISUAL AIDS. Many of our seminars and workshops went virtual during the pandemic, and we’ve continued those opportunities for online learning. We host virtual lunch-and-learn sessions for the general public via Zoom on the last Friday of each month.

THE DIRT. People can visit our demonstration garden on the Indiana State Fairgrounds by the DNR building. This All-American Selections garden is a way to introduce new plants to the public, largely annual plants and vegetables, but there are some perennials. We had 16,000 visitors during the State Fair last year

BRAIN TRUST. A big part of what we do is offering Master Gardener programs twice a year. After completing the training course, you volunteer in the community as a Master Gardener intern, after which you become a Certified Master Gardener. The program is an avenue by which local gardeners can become educators and leaders in their communities, helping disseminate info back to the public in useful ways. (The program costs $180 and requires 40 hours of training across 13 or 14 weeks.)

A custom, water-borne finish was applied to the white oak cabinets to achieve a natural look and show off the lines of the rift-sawn wood cut.

A designer-andcarpenter duo beams with pride over their new home base.

HE AREA surrounding the Haste family compound is sparse, on a county road west of Danville where houses grow fewer and farther between and asphalt turns to gravel.

At a fork in the road, the words “Haste Residence” are etched into a swinging wooden sign. An arrow directs visitors to the top of the hill, where they’ll find a modern, black-and-white house with a peaked roof, metal siding, and the kind of wraparound porch you want in a country homestead.

That porch also lends a view of Haste Woodcraft. Last year, the Haste family—Halle, Paul, their two teenage sons, and a pair of dogs— moved out of that building and converted it to the headquarters of their woodworking business. Their new home, which is considered next door by rural standards (about 250 meters away), shares a main driveway with the workshop and spotlights the full range of cabinetry they build—from classic styles to niche projects.

“Our house kind of acts as a showroom now,” Halle says with a laugh. When clients ask to see their living space and the products on display, she says, “Sure, come on in!”

While you’re definitely in the sticks, you’re not walking into a traditional farmhouse. Sure, there are dogs to greet you and a little shiplap, but there are also steel elements, an open staircase, and a giant Giotto quartzite countertop with an organic, abstract veining pattern.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The walls alongside the liveedge oak dining table display family photos and an arrangement of handmade Uganda and Rwanda baskets crafted by women in Africa; open shelving near the kitchen’s apron sink provides a sunny spot for houseplants; Halle Haste walks past the island with her curly companion Larry, a mini goldendoodle; and the woodand-metal exterior includes a staircase leading to a sunken walkout patio off the basement.

Ceiling beams throughout the home were constructed using three pieces of wood with a hollow center to make them more lightweight.

BELOW: A pop of bubblegum pink adds a touch of feminine flair to the laundry room.

A massive, open-concept first floor captures the best of the Hastes’ business—wooden beams, a shiplap fireplace, and custom, rift-sawn white oak cabinets. The live edges on the mudroom bench, rounded corners of the window trim, and even small details that require a trained eye to notice are Haste Woodcraft specialties.

One of the standout pieces is a 14-foot white oak dining table with a live-edge design that seats 13 people comfortably. Paul calls it The Last Supper table, a biblical reference to Jesus and his 12 disciples depicted in the da Vinci painting of the same name. Even the best handmade furniture is typically pieced together in strips, yet this table is one continuous piece of wood. Darker, bowtie-shaped inserts are inlaid throughout to prevent cracking and splitting and also to break up the uniformity. Taking the DIY spirit to the next level, the Hastes also harvested their own tree for the project. Halle chose to flank one side of the table with a pair of benches made in the same style, and the other with modern, black metal chairs.

While the building and craftsmanship are attributed to her husband, aesthetic decisions come courtesy of Halle, whose design expertise goes beyond arranging furniture or choosing paint colors. The visual elements elevate the family’s home beyond modern farmhouse to a style she calls “understated luxe.”

“I like to get creative,” she says. “I draw up what I want, and the guys make it.”

That’s why the walnut headboard in the primary suite was installed at the perfect height for Halle to rest her head in the evening, lit by the glow of the TV. Just about anything in the space—from the matching nightstands and built-in storage benches to the wet room arrangement in the bath—originated in Halle’s sketchbook.

Perhaps her best work of art is the kitchen, which is the showstopper guests see as soon as they step through the front door. The rift-sawn white oak is a current hot commodity, according to Halle. Floor-to-ceiling Haste Woodcraft cabinetry conceals the stainless-steel appliances. A large kitchen island stretches across the center of the space. Intersections of rich veining in the countertop add warmth to the light-and-bright kitchen. Additions like push-to-open lower cabinets and drawers with a special insert for pots under the stove are necessary functional elements. At least for an avid home cook.

“I spend all my free time in the kitchen,” Halle says. “Or so it seems.”

A sizable pantry displays an impressive blueprint and includes more than enough shelves to accommodate Halle’s canning supplies, as well as dry goods, serving dishes, baking and cake-decorating equipment, and even a coffee station. The Hastes used to practice homesteading, when they had more time and fewer projects. These days, they’ve scaled back to activities like fermentation, beekeeping, and butchering.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The mudroom inside the entryway offers storage for guests’ coats; Paul Haste taught himself welding skills to construct the open staircase; and a vintage kilim rug from Turkey adorns the bath.

While Halle enjoys hunting and other outdoorsy pursuits almost as much as the men in her home, she needed one room in the house to contrast with the masculine energy. That’s how retro bubblegum-pink cabinets became the obvious choice for the laundry room.

Downstairs is the sons’ hideout, with entertainment fixings like a kitchenette, Ping-Pong table, and a fluffy sofa. Sometimes the Haste parents know the teens are home only by the sound of voices floating up from the basement through the staircase—echoey acoustics in that area can result in competing soundtracks from movies played downstairs and TV shows upstairs. They have no regrets about the urinal in the boys’ shared bathroom, though.

The Haste residence is full of chic details, some of which they duplicate for their clients. But their personal property is the physical manifestation of the couple’s combined skills, and nothing can top that. Halle put it on paper, and Paul built it.

Up next? Their new-build vacation home in the Florida Keys. And hopefully many more client projects around Indianapolis.

ABOVE: The Hastes commissioned Erin Barrett of Sunwoven to create the custom wall hanging over their walnut bed.

LEFT: The wet room’s alternating pattern of matte and glossy subway tile lends subtle visual interest.

The Big Cure

When Indiana University Health set out to build a massive new hospital at 16th Street and Capitol Avenue, they could have gone the usual route and hired a large, out-of-state architecture firm with enough resources to handle every aspect. Instead, they asked Indiana’s three largest firms to join forces and re-create the muscle of a behemoth company in the aggregate. Prognosis? A long life.

Photo by TONY

Interview by LILI WRIGHT

THE DREAM TEAM

Alan Tucker, president of CSO Architecture; Bill Browne, Jr., owner of RATIO Design; and Keith Smith, principal at BSA LifeStructures

NO ONE WANTS to go to the hospital. But when you must, what kind of facility would give patients, visitors, and medical staff the best possible experience?

What should the ideal city hospital look like in a postpandemic, 21st-century world? These questions were so big that when IU Health decided to replace the aging Methodist and University hospitals with a new facility under one roof, leaders turned not to one architecture firm but three, a team of local rivals, who agreed to collaborate instead of compete.

Creating a new firm, CURIS Design—a collaboration between BSA LifeStructures, CSO Architects, and RATIO Design—the state’s three largest architecture firms have teamed up to design a hospital to last a half century or more. The numbers are staggering: Four towers, 16 stories, 44 acres, 864 beds, 2 million square feet. That’s equivalent to a pair of Indianapolis airports or Lucas Oil Stadiums. Surrounding the hospital will be a medical office building, parking garages, utility spaces, and classrooms for the Indiana School of Medicine to relocate from IUPUI. The plan also incorporates a rooftop terrace, dual helipads, retail shops, outdoor seating with landscaping, and a series of walkways and tunnels that connect to nearby buildings. All designs will be LEED Silver–certified with transparent street-level entries.

Sound expensive? It is. The initial price tag of $2.68 billion was ramped up 60 percent in January when the design was expanded from three towers to four and costs were adjusted for inflation and skilled-labor shortages, raiusing the price tag to $4.29 billion—making it one of the biggest construction projects in the state’s history. This budget does not include the cost of the medical school move, estimated at another $230 million, or demolishing and upgrading parts of Methodist Hospital.

IU Health says streamlining and modernizing the facility will ultimately save $50 million annually by reducing duplication, an important bonus as Indiana was ranked seventh in the country for hospital costs.

But there’s even more at stake than medical care and costs when the glass doors slide open in 2027. Urban planners predict that the complex will become a lively hub of commerce, traffic, and employment that creates a powerful ripple effect of urban renewal in the surrounding neighborhood—flower shops, restaurant, condos, hotel, everyday services. In this way, the new hospital may cure more than its patients, offering fresh hope, energy, and investment for the northwest corner of downtown.

YOUR THREE FIRMS ARE USED TO COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER. HOW DID YOU COME TO COLLABORATE?

BROWNE : Each of us was contacted individually to look into whether we would be willing to team with each other on this project. IU Health had an interest in keeping this as local as possible. They reached out to the three largest firms in the state and asked us to come together and see if we could form ourselves together as a team.

TUCKER: To the outsider, it seems like something unique, but we work in a highly collaborative industry. We compete with each other but, as our industry has developed in the last 30 years, we often find ourselves collaborating more and more with other professionals. When we come together, our whole focus is on the best interest of the project, the best team, and the best outcome.

SMITH: BSA has worked with RATIO and CSO in the past. At our core, the three of us are very similar—we care about the profession, the community, our clients, and successful projects. Despite the fact that we live in different firms, our core values are very similar.

DID IU HEALTH’S DECISION SURPRISE YOU?

BROWNE: We knew that this dialogue was already out there, but that doesn’t mean that’s what they’re going to act on. I commend them for letting this happen. So many clients would go to some 2,500-person firm to deliver the project. Our firms are demonstrating that this can happen here.

SMITH: It’s to IU Health’s credit to let firms come together in the community they already live in and do a project of this significance. I find that innovative in itself.

HOW DID YOU DIVIDE THE WORK?

BROWNE: We wanted to build on the strengths of each group. Keith’s firm has done lots of hospital work. Alan’s firm has led a lot of very large projects, like the airport, with more than 30 consultants, so that administrative and production capability is what their firm brought to the table. Our firm is seen as a design leader. We’ve pooled all our resources and put it into a single team.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT, WE SAT DOWN WITH THE LEAD ARCHITECTS OF CURIS DESIGN. Bill

TUCKER : With joint ventures, we need team members to lose their individual identity, leave RATIO, BSA or CSO behind and become CURIS, where they are really working as a new firm. Once you get everybody in that mindset, it puts the real focus on the project. Another 25 percent of our team is made up of eight diverse partners, what we call XBEs—minority-, woman- or veteran-owned.

SMITH: The three of us firmly believed that the capacity and expertise existed in the Indianapolis community. Three firms together were stronger than three separate firms.

HAVE YOU ENJOYED THE PROCESS?

BROWNE: It’s been wonderful getting to know them in this way. We’ve become partners on this project, unlike we would have anticipated.

TUCKER: Three years ago, if someone told people that the three of us would come together in this joint venture, they probably would have said, “Nah, that’s not going to happen,” but it has been a wonderful process. We can all learn to build better individual professionals and firms so when we leave the project, we can serve the community better.

SMITH: In some ways, a joint venture is like a marriage. A project of this magnitude and this duration and time, sometimes you need your partner to pick up a piece for you. The other firms are very quick and very willing to do that. I’ve always appreciated that.

HAVE THERE BEEN ANY DISAGREEMENTS? HOW DO YOU SOLVE THEM?

BROWNE: Dueling pistols! We haven’t really had any. We’ve developed a consensus approach to answering questions or moving in a particular direction. It has not been adversarial.

THAT’S IMPRESSIVE AT A TIME WHEN PEOPLE CAN’T EVEN LISTEN TO EACH OTHER.

TUCKER: We see opportunities. CSO and RATIO formed a joint venture to pursue the Elanco project after this. It opened everybody’s eyes that at times we view each other as competitors, but we can also be allies. This town has had that history, going way back to Circle

Centre, the airport. Bill, you on convention centers—getting local partners together and doing these large community projects.

SMITH: I hope as people watch this, they realize the expertise and talent that’s in the Indy community for other projects. There are other good firms in town. Hopefully, people notice that.

BROWNE: When we formed the joint venture with Elanco, we ended up competing with national firms, and it was heartening to see that we could keep the project locally based. To Keith’s point, we want people to see that we have this kind of capability locally, to do high-quality, high-powered, big projects and deliver in a very responsible way. There’s a tendency for people to think, “I have to go 50 miles and get a new briefcase to do the work,” instead of just going across the street.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE SCOPE AND VISION OF THE PROJECT.

BROWNE: IU Health had been working on this for a number of years. They have been working with an executive

architect, HOK (the largest U.S.–based architecture firm), for some 20 years. There was a framework established for the size, scope, and scale of this hospital. We were brought in to start from that baseline. The hospital is over 2 million square feet. There are three towers that are 16 stories tall. These are large floorto-floor heights so this building ends up being taller than just counting the number of stories. Its footprint is close to two city blocks.

TUCKER: It’s probably two airports or two Lucas Oil stadiums. It’s double what those projects were from a manpower requirement.

SMITH: If you put our footprint on top of the existing Methodist campus, you’ll see that it’s much more compact. It’s going to bring efficiency to the medical operations. It’s a huge building, but it’s a contraction over the patient/staff experiences that exist today.

WILL CURRENT METHODIST BUILDINGS BE DEMOLISHED?

BROWNE: That is yet to be determined. The way the CONTINUED ON PAGE 68

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ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

BY LORI ROBERTS

JOINT EFFORT

You hear a lot about the body’s various joints. People may worry aloud about flexibility or complain of aches and pains from twisting an ankle or overworking an elbow while playing pickleball. But really, what would we do without these critical anatomical connections? For starters, we wouldn’t be able to bend.

“We’d be pretty stiff if we didn’t have joints,” says Dr. Kile Carter, a primary care sports medicine physician who runs the walk-in clinic at Central Indiana Orthopedics.

The human body has 360 joints that work behind the scenes, keeping you in motion and allowing you to perform routine daily activities like walking the dog or kneeling down to play with a grandchild. But problems can develop in joints that cause pain

and reduce mobility, particularly when they are injured or wearing down from age or overuse.

Joint health is an integral part of overall wellness and physical fitness. When something goes wrong, the trauma can result in life-altering consequences. Nobody wants to live with pain. In most instances, no one has to. Medical professionals have an arsenal of therapies, medications, and surgical procedures to minimize joint pain and get you moving again.

“Most people, through the help of physical therapy or different medications, can get back to a very functional level with minimal to no pain,” says Dr. David Foulk, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Community Health Network. “It might not be as perfect as it was when they were 16 years old, but they can live with it and they function very well.”

BY LORI ROBERTS

Indy-area orthopedic specialists offer tips and advice to maintain the moving parts of your physique.

Remember life without pain?

Community Orthopedic Specialty Care

If you’re living with bone, joint, or muscle injury, pain is part of your daily routine. But with the help of Community Health Network Orthopedic Specialty Care, it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Community’s specialists offer comprehensive care for a wide variety of orthopedic issues, from acute sports injuries to chronic conditions that just won’t go away. With multiple, convenient locations and appointments often scheduled within a few days of contact, it’s easy to take the next step toward a healthier, more comfortable life.

Learn more about Community orthopedics at eCommunity.com/ortho , or call 317.621.2727

ANATOMY LESSON

Joints are defined as the areas in our bodies where bones meet. Most of us know we have these connections in our knees, hips, and elbows, but there are also joints in our spine, pelvis, and other areas of the body that aren’t necessarily known for a large range of motion. Joints are controlled by the muscles around them, which turn into tendons that attach to bones. When the brain tells the leg to move, the joint-adjacent muscles expand or contract as necessary.

Many different components work together to enable a joint to move freely. The ends of bones are covered in a tissue known as cartilage, a smooth material comprised of collagen fibers stacked in a grid pattern. The cartilage acts as a cushion for bones and provides a slippery surface for them to rub against each other. It is fed by synovial fluid, which keeps it healthy and alive. But when cartilage is injured, it cannot repair itself—a design flaw in the body’s blueprint.

“One of the unfortunate things about the human body design is that it doesn’t regrow cartilage,” says Dr. Clayton Strong, an orthopedic surgeon with Hancock Regional Hospital. “If we could regrow cartilage, we’d never have to worry about it.”

Joints are also surrounded by stabilizing structures that hold them in place and keep us from falling apart during activity. Some joints, like the knee, have ligaments surrounding the bones, as well as a cartilage disc called the meniscus that cushions the

joint. When joints are working well, we don’t pay them much mind. But when the joint becomes injured or cartilage begins to wear away, we may start to notice pain and stiffness. Fortunately, local orthopedic specialists have multiple treatment options to repair and restore joint health.

“We can fix it to get it to heal so you can keep what you have,” says Dr. Kyle Ritter, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in shoulder and knee health at Hendricks Regional Hospital.

PAIN POINTS

Most joint discomfort can be attributed to one of two causes—injury or arthritis. Injury occurs when you move the joint in the wrong direction or exert pressure at an angle that the joint isn’t meant to handle. Ligaments or cartilage can tear, and bones can break. Arthritis, on the other hand, is the term used to describe joint pain and swelling occuring as cartilage breaks down.

One of the unfortunate things about the human body design is that it doesn’t regrow cartilage.

DR . CLAYTON STRONG , HANCOCK REGIONAL HOSPITAL

ORTHOPEDIC CARE BUILT AROUND YOU.

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Common joint injuries include dislocations, fractures, sprains, and tears to the connecting ligaments. Carter sees plenty of these at the Central Indiana Orthopedics walk-in clinic, thanks in part to a thriving youth sports industry in Indiana, as well as adults who forget they’re no longer 22.

“Tendon ruptures can become more common when you have the 45-year-old guy who thinks he can still play college basketball,” Carter says.

When you injure a joint, you may notice pain and swelling in the area of the trauma. Many injuries respond well to a RICE protocol—rest, ice, compression, and elevation for a few days. Pain can be managed with overthe-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If the discomfort continues after a few days or it is preventing you from completing your regular daily activities, it’s time to see a doctor.

DR . DAVID FOULK , COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK

A primary care physician or orthopedic specialist can treat injuries with a combination of physical therapy or anti-inflammatory medications. Surgery is often not necessary unless the injury has affected the structure of the joint or endangers its stability.

“Even an ACL tear, a torn meniscus, or a rotator cuff tear can be treated conservatively at first,” Foulk says.

Granted, a young athlete pursuing a competitive sport will likely require surgery to fix a torn ligament and restore stability to the joint. An older patient who wants to continue an active lifestyle may want to consider an operation as well. Ligament injuries may heal over time, but surgery to repair or replace a torn ligament can often bring the joint back to its full functioning potential.

There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to treatment options. Technology continues to improve, and certain therapies show promise in healing damaged tissues, Foulk says. A procedure called MACI cartilage repair uses a patch grown from a patient’s own cartilage to repair damaged knee tissue. The procedure isn’t available for everyone, but it’s an option for certain injuries.

“This is very exciting,” Foulk explains. “The technology is getting better and better every year.”

Even an ACL tear, a torn meniscus, or a rotator cuff tear can be treated conservatively at first.

Offering Leading Comprehensive Services Including State-of-the-Art Orthopedic Surgery

Central Indiana Orthopedics has been leading the way in patient-centered orthopedic care for over 70 years. As the first orthopedic practice in central Indiana to utilize Mako SmartRobotics™ robotic-arm assisted technology in total and partial knee replacements and total hip replacements, we have once again set the standard for expert orthopedic surgical care.

SERVICES

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With this state-of-the-art robotic tool, our surgeons have been able to help over 2,000 patients experience better outcomes, less pain and faster recovery from joint replacement surgeries.

In addition to benefitting from this precise, less invasive surgical procedure, our patients can find the following comprehensive services at our Fishers location.

• Outpatient Surgery Center

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Enjoy compassionate, comprehensive orthopedic care all under one roof. Scan the QR code or visit ciocenter.com/fishers to learn more or schedule an appointment.

• Sports Medicine

• Walk-In Clinic for Sudden Injuries (no appointment needed)

• Work-Related Injuries

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Arthritis is more of a chronic condition that builds up over time. That beautiful cartilage we’re born with doesn’t stay shiny and slippery forever. It can break down and become rough and pitted. It may even disappear completely, leading to bone-on-bone pain that can be debilitating.

“The longer you live, the more likely you are to wear out your joint cartilage,” Carter says.

Certain risk factors play a role in arthritic joints. The number-one factor is genetics, Ritter says. Most arthritis patients have a strong family history. The number-two factor is previous traumas. Those bumps and tears can leave calling cards of damage behind. Even the best surgeon cannot necessarily restore a joint to its original perfection, although surgical techniques are constantly improving.

“Every year we’re getting a little bit better, but we’ll probably never get to the point where we can get the joint as good as what the man upstairs put together,” Ritter says.

Surgery is rarely the first line of attack and is sometimes unnecessary when it comes to treating painful joints, though. That’s why doctors may first recommend physical

Reconstructive Hand to Shoulder of Indiana

Respected Nationally, Providing Care Locally.

Reconstructive Hand to Shoulder of Indiana provides comprehensive care for all conditions involving the upper extremities from shoulder to fingertips. All of our physicians are board certified Orthopedic Surgeons with additional fellowship training in care of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. With on site diagnostics and occupational therapists, our team is structured to provide the highest quality care in the most convenient setting. Dedicated to providing an accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan that considers your unique circumstances, RHSI will get you back to doing what you enjoy as quickly as possible. Included in the spectrum of conditions we manage are:

• Fractures, dislocations, tendon problems

• Arthritis of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder

• Nerve compression disorders

• Congenital deformities, tumors

• Deformity and dysfunction from old injuries

• Rotator cuff injuries

• Microsurgical reconstruction

• Vascular disorders of the hand

Left to Right: Lance Rettig, M.D., Dale Dellacqua, M.D., Michael Pannunzio, M.D., Alex Meyers, M.D., and Sebastian Peers, M.D.

therapy, which focuses on strengthening the muscles around the joint and correcting problematic movements. Some patients respond to steroid injections that are meant to reduce painful inflammation around the joint, or viscosupplementation, an injection of fluid that can reduce the associated swelling.

When conservative measures no longer relieve pain, it may be time to consider joint replacement surgery, where the surgeon removes worn material and tissue and replaces it with a metal and plastic implant. Joint replacement surgery can successfully restore movement, and most patients are glad they chose the procedure. The trick is knowing when it’s time to take this particular action. Nobody wants to sign up for surgery, but sitting in a recliner because it hurts to walk is not a sustainable strategy.

“I tell everybody you kind of know when it’s time,” Ritter says. “Sometimes it takes family members to point out that you don’t go on walks anymore or you stay home all the time.”

While most arthritis is known as osteoarthritis, where the cartilage breaks down

over time, some patients may experience rheumatoid arthritis, a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks cartilage. Newer medications can slow the progression of the disease and restore mobility.

“We’ve come a long way in treating it,” Strong says.

EXTENDED MAINTENANCE

Ideally, our joints stay healthy for as long as we need them. Fortunately, there are a few things we can do to maintain joint health. Perhaps the most important strategy is to move the body.

“We want people to keep moving,” Ritter says. “A big part of what I enjoy doing is figuring out how people can stay active. Sometimes it’s a matter of modifying our activities. Instead of being a marathoner, maybe we do more cross training.”

Bone health is central to joint health. Women in particular can experience osteoporosis, a weakening of the bones that can leave them vulnerable to breaks. Regular

A big part of what I enjoy doing is figuring out how people can stay active. Sometimes it’s a matter of modifying our activities. Instead of being a marathoner, maybe we do more cross training.

DR . KYLE RITTER , HENDRICKS REGIONAL HOSPITAL

bone-density scans can diagnose problems and open the door to treatments. Over-thecounter supplements that promote bone health don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny and research, but most physicians tell their patients that it doesn’t hurt to try them.

Other safety precautions include keeping the home free of barriers or fall hazards. The area rug that looks so pretty on the floor might not be a good idea when you’re stumbling over it in the dark. Falling is not normal, Strong points out. If you’re falling down often, you should talk to a doctor about strategies for regaining strength and balance.

“People fall down all the time,” Strong says. “It’s not OK to fall down all the time. You’d be surprised at how many people will tell me, ‘Yeah, I fall down a lot.’”

Kids should be doing at least three different sports throughout the year, so they’re putting different stress on different parts of the body throughout the year. Do a variety of sports and let your kid figure out what to do.

Finally, if you have a child or teen who you believe is destined to be the next big sports star, consider pulling back. Year-round training can overwhelm a growing body.

“Don’t focus on one sport only,” Carter says. “Kids should be doing at least three different sports throughout the year, so they’re putting different stress on different parts of the body throughout the year. Do a variety of sports and let your kid figure out what to do.”

DR KILE CARTER , CENTRAL INDIANA ORTHOPEDICS

Choose a leader in joint replacement surgery

Talk to an orthopedic specialist about hip or knee replacement surgery

What if a common joint surgery meant walking with little pain and more confidence? If you have been living with joint pain and thinking about joint replacement surgery, talk with an orthopedic specialist. We’re ready to listen and work with you on a care plan. From presurgery to recovery, we connect the dots of your care.

CONTINUED

PAGE

plan was conceived, they were going to go south of 16th Street and purchase 40 acres and build a brand-new campus. The neurosciences building, the research building, and a parking garage on that side of the street will remain. They are building the hospital, parking facility, a school of medicine, and a central utility plant, and there is space for more buildings in the future. As far as north of 16th, they are still evaluating what buildings are going to serviceable and what buildings are past their useful life. We’ll have to see how that plays out.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE SOME OF THE VISIONARY ASPECTS OF THE HOSPITAL?

SMITH: So much of what goes on in healthcare today is around staff and patient experience. The hospital has been laid out in a fashion that’s very efficient, but also very pleasing from a design standpoint. A lot of the technological aspects are cutting-edge—even evolving as we are designing. This will be a medical facility that is unlike anything else in the community today.

BROWNE: The current Methodist campus is a rabbit warren of buildings and spaces, and it’s challenging from a wayfinding standpoint. This building is highly organized and intuitive. We’re also consolidating a lot of clinical services into one location. If a patient needs to access several different services, they won’t have to jump around a widely spread-out campus.

TUCKER: Flexibility of future use is top of mind to everyone so that as healthcare evolves over the next 40 or 50 years, this space can adapt with trends.

WHAT ARE SOME ASPECTS INSIDE?

BROWNE: We’re trying to make this an approachable building, where people feel comfortable. We’ve tried to make sure it has a lot of daylight and that it’s

not imposing, despite its scale. We’ve tried to create warmth and intimacy and make it easy to get around. Obviously, the operation is a big part of it: How are you greeted and handled? IU Health is working that out carefully so patients are handled in a hospitality instead of institutional manner.

SMITH: Sometimes good healthcare design requires simplicity—wayfinding, registration, helping your family participate in your healing process. No one wants to be here, but if you have to, let’s make it as enjoyable and easy as possible.

WILL THIS REDEFINE HOSPITALS LIKE INDY’S AIRPORT REIMAGINED ITS KIND?

SMITH: This is healthcare at the highest level of acuity. It’s not your local doctor down the street from your house. It’s an academic medical center. People will find it easy to use and a pleasant facility, like the airport, but due to the fact that it’s a hospital, there will be some complexity to it that’s different.

TUCKER: I’m excited about the way that this thing has been designed, especially from the exterior. It will respect privacy and medical needs, but much like the airport, it is well-day-lit, transparent, and focused on views. This will be a little different take on a hospital, much more transparent and pleasant than what has been done in traditional architecture.

HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL COME INTO THE BUILDING ON AN AVERAGE DAY?

BROWNE: I was told 4,500 staff and 5,500 other people coming in on a daily basis. It’s a lot of movement.

THAT’S THE SIZE OF GREENCASTLE, WHERE I LIVE.

TUCKER: To put it in perspective, 2 million square feet is the equivalent of a 70-story office building that we’ve got in 16 floors. You have similar problems as you do with an airport—people, traffic, parking, people movement, vertical transportation, escalators, product movement, service, restaurants, deliveries. It’s a mini-city.

WHAT KIND OF RIPPLE EFFECT WILL IT HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY?

BROWNE: It will have a huge impact on

the neighborhood around Methodist. You’re talking about almost 80 acres with the two parcels north and south of 16th. Many city blocks all effectively owned by IU Health. People in the hospitality business will want to build a hotel because people will be coming from all over the region. Housing is already going up. If the staff can live close, walk to work, and get groceries and dry-cleaning services, those are the kind of things that will likely happen in the future.

TUCKER: The backfill of the old hospital is going to produce (free) ground as they take some of those buildings down. To get continuous ground for redevelopment in a key part of downtown is a one-time opportunity to make a difference.

SMITH: When this facility is done, it will attract high-quality researchers and physicians to the city and state that maybe are not here yet today. Yes, the community will benefit, but the whole state will benefit.

BROWNE: IU Health thinks about this “health district,” they don’t want to gentrify it. They want to maintain some neighborhoods that are there now and improve it to support those people and those coming in. There is a real dance that needs to occur so development is responsive to both the future community and existing community.

CAN EACH OF YOU SAY SOMETHING THAT YOU’RE PROUD OF ABOUT THE WORK YOU’VE DONE.

TUCKER: This is such a community asset. As an architect, you try to leave a physical legacy. These are the projects you want to do when you go to architecture school. That’s why I got into the profession.

BROWNE: The thing that’s always important to an architect is leaving a beautiful building in place, one that does what it’s supposed to do, but also creates a lasting landmark. A lot of the landmarks in our city are made of Indiana limestone, and that’s the material that will be gracing this building. All of us are doing the very level best we can to make sure this legacy will last and have that kind of impact in our community.

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DOWNTOWN

INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square

Agave & Rye

NEW TACOS High-concept tortilla concoctions with names like the Filthy Fajita, Swipe Right, and the Spicy Kitty add to the party atmosphere at this vibrant chain awash in neon, chandeliers, performance wallpaper, and pops of graffiti. A la carte tacos get backup from starters in the form of either Big Munchies (such as Birria Irish Nachos and Mac N Cheese Beignets) or Little Munchies (including elotes plated half off the cob). Tequila and bourbon dominate the house cocktails mixed behind a bar festooned with colors and lights, and the desserts are portioned for sharing. 336 Delaware St., 463-257-8226, agave andrye.com $$$

Aroma

INDIAN Familiar tandoori and tikka masala staples mingle with heartier, more elevated offerings at this elegant pan-Indian spot. 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. A full bar and an artful array of desserts help round out a special-occasion meal. 501 Virginia Ave., 317602-7117, aromaindy.com V $$

Ash & Elm Cider Co. Restaurant and Cider Bar

GASTROPUB A long-awaited move to the historic former Ford Assembly Plant building on East Washington Street not only brought Indy’s premier cider-maker a few blocks closer to downtown but also ushered in a full menu of snacks and dinner dishes created by chef Tracey Couillard. Start with a cider slushie or a cidermosa (peach, mango, or guava) to enjoy with tangy, rich deviled eggs or crisp, light elote fritters with a bright cilantro crema. Then move to a flagship cider such as the semi-sweet

or tart cherry for the main courses, including a standout roasted chicken breast with a crispy hasselback potato, hanger steak with chanterelles, or pan-fried walleye. But don’t pass up the apt apple-cheddar melt or the burger of the moment, lavished with crab dip or garlic scape pesto. 1301 E. Washington St., 317-600-3164, ashandelmcider.com

$$

Beholder

CONTEMPORARY A former car-repair shop sets the stage for daring performance art that has featured pig-skin noodles and granita-topped uni designed to melt on the tongue, as well as buttermilk fried chicken with wildflower honey. The labor-intensive cocktails are spot-on. 1844 E. 10th St., 317-419-3471, beholderindy.com V $$$

Bluebeard

CONTEMPORARY Bluebeard opened in 2012, and crowds still roll in for chef Abbi Merriss’s take on seasonal comfort food. Start with the bread baked next door at Amelia’s—it’s especially delicious slathered with anchovy butter—and build your meal from the ever-changing menu of small and large dishes. Fried morels may show up on a spring picnic plate, while winter nights call for a comforting butcher-shop Bolognese. 653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580, blue beardindy.com V $$

Easy Rider Diner

DINER Chef Ricky Martinez oversees this colorful Fountain Square diner that connects to the HI-FI music venue. The daylight menu applies Latin flourish to breakfast and brunch dishes, including a chorizo omelet with roasted tomato salsa, queso, and lime crema, shrimp and grits, and a waffle flight. For dinner, Martinez spotlights fried chicken and steak sandwiches, along with an appropriately indulgent late-night lineup of garbage can nachos and Cubanos available from 10 p.m. until the entertainment next door calls it a night. 1043 Virginia Ave., 463-224-0430, easyriderindy.com V $$

Fat Dan’s Deli

MEAT AND POTATOES Brisket cooked for 14 hours is a mainstay of the made-from-scratch menu, as is the house corned beef. Get an order of tender

smoked wings and some tots for the table, served no-frills on a spread of craft paper. Whatever you do, don’t miss the plump Vienna dogs that will transport you straight to Wrigleyville. 410 E. Michigan St., 317-600-3008, fatdansdeli.com $

Gallery Pastry Bar

CONTEMPORARY The second location for the popular Broad Ripple bakery and brunch spot specializes in European-inspired pastries, brunch, dinner, and cocktails. 110 S. Pennsylvania St., 317820-5526, bar.gallerypastry.com $$

Harry & Izzy’s

STEAKHOUSE Craig Huse’s casual alternative to big brother St. Elmo holds its own as a clubby hangout worthy of destination-steakhouse status itself. The marbled bone-in ribeye sizzles in its juices, a smart umami-rich pick among the high-quality (and high-priced) Midwest-sourced prime cuts. The menu expands to thin-crust pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and seafood selections like pan-seared scallops. 153 S. Illinois St., 317635-9594, harryandizzys.com $$$

King Dough

PIZZA Chewy and with just the right flop in the middle, the pizzas are bona fide craft, from the dough to the quality toppings. Standouts include the Stinky Pete with wild mushrooms, gorgonzola, and plenty of garlic and herbs. Burgers, including one made from chorizo and topped with manchego cheese, play surprisingly close second fiddles to the pies. Cocktails concocted from boutique liqueurs and aromatics are reason enough to drop in, and they make for perfect sippers while you wait for your pie on the patio. 452 N. Highland Ave., 317-602-7960, kingdough pizzas.com V $$

Livery

LATIN This place feels like a hidden urban treasure, especially when the mezcal cocktails are flowing and the partially open kitchen is sending out plate after plate of contemporary Latininspired fare. Favorites have included a salad tucked inside a folded manchego crisp, meltingly tender steak fanned over a block of polenta, and a silky tres leches cake to die for. Snag a spot on the upper-level deck for a real treat. 720

Very Good Good

Brunch Outdoor seating Reservations V

$$$$ $30 and up

$$$ $20–$30

$$ $10–$20

$ Under $10

Recently opened establishment.

Open for more than five months but making its first appearance in the guide.

Recently revisited and reevaluated.

Restaurants included in this guide are selected at the discretion of the Indianapolis Monthly editorial staff based on food quality, innovation, atmosphere, service, value, and consistency. IM does not accept advertising or other compensation in exchange for dining coverage. Price symbols indicate the average cost of a meal per person (without tax, tip, or alcohol). Due to limited space, this list does not cover every evaluated restaurant. For a more comprehensive guide to Indianapolis dining, visit IndianapolisMonthly.com/Dining. Feedback? Please email TheDish@IndianapolisMonthly.com.

N. College Ave., 317-383-0330, livery-restaurant .com $$

Love Handle

SANDWICHES Daily lunch and brunch features such as schnitzel and waffles and a pulledchicken Hot Brown are the main draw at Chris and Ally Benedyk’s cheeky sandwich shop. The chalkboard menu also offers side options in the form of braised greens and potato salad with roasted tomatoes. 877 Massachusetts Ave., 317384-1102 $$

Milktooth BRUNCH This diner-style cafe has a playfully gritty vibe. The early-morning counter service featuring pastries and coffee gives way to a full-service brunch menu with daytime craft cocktails. 534 Virginia Ave., 317-986-5131, milk toothindy.com V $$

Nesso

ITALIAN Highly stylized seafood and meats paired with small pasta courses and shared a la carte sides add up to a sumptuous dining experience inside the Alexander hotel. Pass around a plate of prosciutto-wrapped prunes or crab arancini, but keep the tortelloni and sea bass all to yourself. 339 S. Delaware St., 317-643-7400, nesso-italia.com $$$

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

STEAKHOUSE While nightly specials at this stately steakhouse include innovative seafood and poultry options, supper-club classics abound, from the succulent, fat-marbled ribeye to a delicate petite filet, all served on sizzling-hot plates. 45 S. Illinois St., 317-633-1313, ruthschris .com $$$$

Shapiro’s Delicatessen

DELI Slide your tray along and take your pick of kosher comfort foods at this downtown institution. Hot pastrami and corned-beef sandwiches on rye have drawn long lines for more than a century. The Reuben contends for the city’s best, and heartier fare such as potato pancakes, stuffed cabbage, and matzo-ball soup are perennially satisfying standbys. Load up on a massive wedge of pie, or you haven’t really had the proper Shapiro’s experience. 808 S. Meridian St., 317-631-4041, shapiros.com $$

Siam Square

THAI Soothing red and green curries—redolent of coconut milk, Thai chili paste, and fresh veggies—play strictly by the book. The same goes for the fresh shrimp-and-chicken spring rolls packed inside a filament of rice paper, and the crab Rangoon, fried crisp around the fluffiest sweet cream-cheese filling. 936 Virginia Ave., 317-636-8424, siamsquareindy.com V $$

Social Cantina

MODERN MEXICAN This Bloomington import’s festive vibe runs on perky street tacos, ricebased bowls, and tequila-bottle bling. The chips and salsa flight—the mound of housemade hot-and-crispy tortilla chips comes with two salsas, queso, and guac—is a straight-up table-pleaser. But for a more foodie-forward starter, the ahi-stuffed avocado is a creamy fusion bomb with bright, tropical salsa and a sweet soy glaze that leans Asian. The tacos are fussier than their humble forerunners served from carts, but tasty. Vegan options and substi-

tutions abound. The tequila flex—more than 100 bottles, plus two on tap—is impressive, but not surprising given that Social Cantina comes from the same restaurant group that conceived The Tap, whose beers are also featured on the deep list of adult beverages. 148 S. Illinois St., 317-218-3342, thesocialcantina.com V $$

Spoke & Steele

CONTEMPORARY At the sleek lobby restaurant of Le Méridien, French classics with fusion touches imagined by chef Joel Scott Johnson include a spiffed-up bouillabaisse with wasabi tempura cod, steak tartare with fennel and watermelon radishes, and a Niçoise salad with fried potatoes standing in for the traditional tuna. Entrees feature hearty pastas, steak au poivre lavished with bone marrow butter, and chicken paillard accompanied by broccolini. A perfectly cooked burger made with Fischer Farms beef is crowned with Colby and shaved garlic. 123 S. Illinois St., 317737-1616, spokeandsteele.com $$$

St. Elmo Steak House

STEAKHOUSE Since 1902, this stately house of red meat has served as the unofficial ambassador of downtown Indianapolis—the walls carry decades’ worth of celebrity photos, the burnished bar hearkens to an earlier era, and the servers remain starched and bow-tied. The drill remains the same as well: a generous martini; a shrimp cocktail with that infamously hot sauce; the bean soup or tomato juice; the wedge; and one of the legendary steaks. 127 S. Illinois St., 317635-0636, stelmos.com $$$$

Sweetgreen

SALADS A California import with locations across the country, this bowl-based eatery assembles oversized salads and healthy grain dishes. The decor is bright and spartan, and ordering is Chipotle-style at a long counter. Customer favorites include a roasted chicken Harvest Bowl with wild rice and the vegan Shroomami with tofu, portobello, beets, cucumbers, and kale tossed in miso sesame ginger dressing. 157 E. New York St., 463-220-4400, sweetgreen.com V $$

Taxman CityWay

GASTROPUB Soaring ceilings, rustic candelabra lighting, brick walls, and a 3,000-square-foot beer-garden patio make this one of Indy’s most welcoming drinking spots. The gastropub menu includes some of the city’s best frites, served with more than half a dozen sauces or loaded with bacon, beer cheese, and scallions. Liège waffles are topped with hearty add-ons like fried chicken and rosemary-scented maple syrup or cheesy shrimp and grits. 310 S. Delaware St., 317734-3107, taxmanbrewing.com $$

Tinker Street

NEW AMERICAN Reservations are a must, so snag whatever date you can get and hope there’s a warm-night seat on the twinkling patio. Then settle in for small plates such as surprisingly light and flavorful chickpea ravioli with vegan ricotta and a host of colorful garnishes. Or try one of the always-vegan soups or a seasonal salad such as a refreshing mix of greens with asparagus, pickled rhubarb, and tangy blue cheese. Fall-apart pork belly with kimchi, forbidden rice, and a duck egg is perhaps the star of the main dishes, though shrimp and grits with green-tomato chow-chow and a refreshing halibut with carrot soubise are excellent

bets. 402 E. 16th St., 317-925-5000, tinkerstreet restaurant.com V $$$

Tony’s Steaks and Seafood

STEAKHOUSE Elegantly presented oysters, mussels, and calamari tossed with pepperoncini and cherry tomatoes top a list of mostly seafood appetizers, but don’t miss what has to be one of the city’s biggest crab cakes, mounded on a swath of tangy mustard aioli. A special seasoning blend of paprika, sea salt, and pepper means New York strips and bone-in prime ribeyes have an especially flavorful char while being perfectly lush and tender inside. 110 W. Washington St., 317-638-8669, tonysofindianapolis .com $$$

Upland Brewing

GASTROPUB Bloomington’s Upland Brewery brings its casual-dining experience to Indy’s near southside, with an open-concept dining room and a popular dog-friendly patio. The Upland repertoire gets proper representation in the wall of taps behind the bar. You can casually sip a flight of sours and snack on smoked chicken wings, or get busy with dishes plucked from the chef’s rotating seasonal menu. 1201 Prospect St., 317-672-3671, uplandbeer.com V $$

World Famous Hotboys

ADDED CHICKEN Fountain Square’s landmark Peppy Grill has a new life as this modern hot chicken shack, a California import. The chicken sandwiches, made with 100-percent halal meat cooked in peanut oil, follow the Nashville Hot credo—coated in a spicy crunch, dressed up with slaw, pickles, and a piquant ranch-based sauce, and tucked inside an appropriately squishy bun. 1004 Virginia Ave., worldfamoushotboys.com $$

EAST

INCLUDES Beech Grove, Irvington

10th Street Diner

VEGAN Surprisingly familiar and hearty plantbased takes on diner classics occupy the entire menu at this rehab of a former pawn shop, a comfy backdrop for enjoying such tasty fakeouts as a gooey and satisfying seitan Reuben, a “chicken” pot pie, and house chili that rivals your favorite con carne version. Showstoppers include the many-layered lasagna with plenty of fresh veggies, a bright tomato sauce, and a tangy “cheese” concocted from tofu and cashews. Arrive early, before the day’s supplies run out. 3301 E. 10th St., 463-221-1255 V $$

Landlocked Baking Company

CAFE What began life as a production bakery along Irvington’s tucked-away Audubon Road has expanded into a full-service daytime spot serving sandwiches and plated entrees. The menu keeps things brief, with a special focus on the array of fresh-baked carbs. The LGBT is a BLT enhanced with guacamole and tangy fried green tomatoes, and the focaccia grilled cheese includes local ham and cheese, plus pickled peaches. Gorgonzola grits topped with poached egg and hot honey, crispy-skinned confit potatoes, signature lattes, and a brunchy cocktail

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Mayfair Taproom

FAMILY PUB Housed in a 120-year-old structure with a colorful past, this eastside hang has the timeless feel of a well-loved neighborhood pub. Walk-ins can relax over pints of beer at the bar, right next to a family-friendly dining room with window-seat booths and local art on the walls. The menu is brief and sandwich-heavy, with equal love given to the thick and cheesy Mayfair burger and daily vegan breakouts like the spicy seitan sloppy Joe and the massive bean burger. 2032 E. 10th St., 317-419-239 V $$

Natural State Provisions

CASUAL Customers order at the counter and find a table inside this former microbrewery reinvented as an endearingly kitschy eatdrinkery. The food is rooted in homestyle Arkansas cooking from co-owner Adam Sweet’s native state, heavy on the deep frying and sweet-tea brining. Order a Sling Blade cocktail, get a side of collard greens with your fried bologna sandwich, and don’t miss the daily soft serve ice cream flavor. 414 Dorman St., 317-492-9887, naturalstate provisions.com $$

Steer-In

DINER Wear your stretchiest pants here. SteerIn’s classic Guy Fieri–approved short-order fare includes breaded tenderloins, beef and noodle dinners, and beer-battered fish sandwiches. The Twin Steer burger is a Big Mac knockoff that pairs deliciously with a side of battered and fried

onion rings. Rib-sticking breakfast platters are served all day. Wash it down with a legit vanilla Coke and take home a towering slice of coconut cream pie for later. 5130 E. 10th St., 317-356-0996, steerin.net $

NORTH SUBURBAN

INCLUDES Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville

101 Beer Kitchen

CASUAL The energy is high and the flavors are forward at this Ohio import. In a dining room that combines the best parts of a craft brewery and an unfussy family haunt, crowd-pleasing dishes like loaded tater tots, Andouille sausage–spiked shrimp and grits, and brown-buttered pierogies have lots of moving parts, complex but more fun than fancy. The Yard at Fishers District, 317-537-2041, 101beerkitchen.com $$

9th Street Bistro

BISTRO In a snug cafe off Noblesville’s town square, owners Samir Mohammad and Rachel Firestone Mohammad create meals worth lingering over, from a lamb shank slow-smoked to buttery tenderness and served on top of fresh pappardelle pasta to a housemade burrata that makes several appearances on the menu. Hyperlocal ingredients fill out thoughtful seasonal dishes, such as butternut squash bisque and duck confit toast. Chef Samir’s rotating Fried Thing of

the Day (from tofu to artichoke hearts) should not be missed, and neither should the rustic desserts. 56 S. 9th St., Noblesville, 317-774-5065, 9thstbistro .com $$$

1933 Lounge

STEAK AND COCKTAILS This clubby cocktail lounge offers a younger, sexier take on finedining institutionSt. Elmo Steak House. The twist here is that the black-vested servers deliver Oysters Rockefeller and 45-day dry-aged ribeyes to diners tucked into noir-lit corners where no one can see their faces melt into a brief ugly-cry at that first bite of incendiary shrimp cocktail. The Yard at Fishers District, 317-758-1933, 1933lounge.com/fishers $$$

Anthony’s Chophouse

STEAKHOUSE The interior of this swanky heavy hitter along Carmel’s Main Streethas the polished gleam of a new Vegas hotel, with an upper-level lounge containing the salvaged mahogany bar from The Glass Chimney, a fine-dining legend. The food has equal flourish. Lobster bisque with a hunk of tempura-fried meat begins a meal that might include a cowgirl ribeye, a flight of filets, or a domestic Wagyu smashburger. Black-suited servers and wellcomposed cocktails keep the high-dollar meal running smoothly. 201 W. Main St., Carmel, 317740-0900, anthonyschophouse.com $$$$

Auberge

FRENCH Brick Street Inn’s classic French bistro installed talented chef Toby Moreno (The Loft at Traders Point Creamery, Plow & Anchor) in early 2022 and immediately sent him

to Paris, where he trained in the kitchens of famed chef Alain Ducasse. Moreno has added that continental know-how to the vintage dishes he makes fresh with as much local produce, meats, and cheeses he can. That translates to an impressive plate of buttery escargot topped with croutons, seasonal salads, and a deeply flavorful French onion soup with a rich broth. Seafood stars among entrees, especially crispyskinned roasted cod with browned-butter sauce, though diver scallops with asparagus puree, showered with herbs and toasted almonds, also impress. Quiche of the day is a solid choice, as is the house burger, made with Angus steak and slathered with a tarragon aioli that’s especially good on a side of pommes frites. Old-school cocktails are even better when enjoyed on the streetside patio. 175 S. Main St., Zionsville, 317733-8755, auberge-restaurant.com $$$

Ben’s BBQ Shack

BARBECUE Ben Hoffman gained a following for his old-school barbecue technique (smoked with hickory and cherry wood with no assist from electricity or gas) when he parked his trailermounted smoker outside Grand Junction Brewing Co. a few days a week. When a 300-squarefoot shack on Westfield’s main drag became available in 2020, he snatched it up and turned it into a prep kitchen and walk-up window. Standard sides like baked beans and cole slaw are available, but as you would expect, the meat’s the star of the show. There is no way to go wrong, whether you order the juicy, flavorful brisket or shredded pork by the pound, or a smoked pork belly sandwich with jalapeños and onions. The only mistake you might make is waiting too long

to place an order. Your best bet is to order on the website in advance. 124 E. Main St., Westfield, bensbbqshack.com $$

The Cake Bake Shop

ELEGANT The fairy tale continues at Gwendolyn Rogers’s second tribute to layered cakes and buttercream icing, a pristine Carmel expansion dripping with chandeliers. There are hints of the twinkly, cottage-like Broad Ripple original in the white-on-white-on-white decor, but Cake Bake 2.0 is polished to a brilliant sheen, and the patisserie menu has expanded to include delicate fare like Chicken Velvet soup and frites. 800 S. Rangeline Rd., Carmel, 317-257-2253, thecakebake shop.com $$

Chao Vietnamese Street Food

VIETNAMESE Sourcing the beef and pork for its noodle bowls, tacos, and pho from Fischer Farms, this strip-mall eatery delivers fresh, flavorful dishes. Shrimp spring rolls come with a rich and complex dipping sauce, and a bracing green papaya salad is refreshing. Pork-belly tacos are highlights among the lighter choices. A full list of coffees, bubble teas, and unusual bubble waffles make this a great place to bring the family for an intro to one of the world’s great cuisines. 7854 E. 96th St., Fishers, 317622-8820, chaovietstreetfood.com $$

This Westfield addition to the local craft brewery scene would be dazzling enough for its mod fixtures and bocce ball court that spans the family-friendly outdoor space. But the menu is as daring as it is easy to pair with the house

brews. Tender lamb ribs with chimichurri are a standout small plate, and deeply caramelized brussels sprouts with hunks of bacon are some of the best in town. 303 E. Main St., Westfield, 317-804-9780, fieldbrewing.com V $$

Flight Burger

NEW BURGERS Opened as a Burgerim franchise in early 2020, Grant and Dallas Miller’s friendly strip-mall burger spot in Carmel features a surprising array of traditional and alternative burgers, best enjoyed in small flights to experience the variety. Start with wings tossed in one of several flavorful sauces and dry rubs, then move on to the all-Wagyu beef burger in traditional or slider sizes. The Western has the nice addition of bacon, barbecue sauce, and beer-battered onion rings, but some less-traditional flair comes in the form of a Greek lamb burger topped with tzatziki, or a salmon patty garnished with grilled pineapple. Impossible patties are available for many of the burger options, and beers from Big Lug Canteen and Centerpoint Brewing, as well as wine-based margaritas and boozy shakes, help to complete the full experience. An intriguing early-morning menu offers breakfast sandwiches, burritos, and burgers, as well as cake doughnuts and doughnut hole–like cinnamon bites. 650 W. Carmel Dr., Carmel, 317-669-2256, flight-burger.com V $$

The HC Tavern + Kitchen

CONTEMPORARY

The term “tavern” hardly captures this swank addition to the Huse Culinary Group/St. Elmo family. A hit among starters is the lobster “cargot” with lumps of lobster meat

in garlic butter and melted Havarti. Chops include the supper-club darling steak Diane with mushroom cream sauce and horseradish mashed potatoes, though equally regal is the Wagyu meatloaf enriched with pork and veal, sauced with a truffle mushroom demi-glace. The Yard at Fishers District, 317-530-4242, atthehc .com $$$

Noah Grant’s Grill House & Oyster Bar

CONTEMPORARY The sushi list is solid at this surfand-turf spot, but even better bets are super-fresh oysters and savory short rib wontons to nibble on while you explore the voluminous menu. It’s hard to go wrong here. Entrees range from fish and chips to coconut-crusted mahi mahi to internationally inspired dishes like Korean bibimbap. 91 S. Main St., Zionsville, 317-732-2233, noah grants.com $$$

NORTHEAST

INCLUDES Broad Ripple, Castleton, Geist, Herron-Morton, Kennedy-King, Keystone at the Crossing, Meridian-Kessler, Nora, SoBro

Apocalypse Burger

BURGERS The Patachou crew repurposed its shuttered Crispy Bird location into this modernday diner. The focus is on a handful of burger variations and clever greasy-spoon sides like Old Major bacon–loaded fries and blocks of fried macaroni and cheese washed down with canned wine. For dessert, it’s a toss-up between Ding Dong cake or a root beer float. 115 E. 49th St., 317426-5001, apocalypseburger.com V $$

Aroma

INDIAN See Downtown listing for description. 4907 N. College Ave., 317-737-2290, aromaindy .com V $$

Festiva

MEXICAN This lively Latin spot on the east side puts a gourmet flourish on south-of-the-border fare. The menu includes tacos, plus an old favorite: poblanos stuffed with housemade chorizo and queso. 1217 E. 16th St., 317-635-4444, festiva indy.com $$

Half Liter

BARBECUE In the airy back half of the complex that houses its sister event center, Liter House, owner Eddie Sahm’s Bavarian-themed barbecueand-beer hall has all the rollicking energy of Oktoberfest with the laidback charm of a Texas brisket pit. 5301 Winthrop Ave., 463-221-2800, half literbbq.com $$

Late Harvest Kitchen

CONTEMPORARY A luscious comfort-food menu delivers top-shelf versions of family-table dishes, such as chunked kielbasa (on a base of mustard spaetzle browned in dill butter) and braised short ribs. Dessert is all about the sticky toffee pudding. 8605 River Crossing Blvd., 317-663-8063, lateharvestkitchen.com $$$

Petite Chou

FRENCH-INSPIRED The sweet-or-savory crepe dilemma is no contest: dessert. The brown-sugar

version delivers gooey caramelized filling, velvety bananas, and sugar that crystallizes as you eat. 823 E. Westfield Blvd., 317-259-0765, petitechou bistro.com V $$

NORTHWEST

INCLUDES College Park, Lafayette Square, Traders Point

Amara Indian Cuisine and Bar

NEW INDIAN Southern Indian and Indochinese specialties abound on the menu at this northside Asian eatery with a surprising selection of spirits and wines. Butter chicken, tandoori items, and familiar curries are solid here, but forgo more typical Indian dishes in favor of a variety of small plates such as eggplant and kale chaat dressed up with chutneys, crispy Manchurian cauliflower or mushrooms, and “juicy drums of heaven,” a platter of chicken drumsticks in a rich, tangy sauce. Don’t miss the playful fusion twist on saag paneer with spiced greens that comes topped with burrata. A full range of dosas includes smaller, fluffier uttapam dosas served with hearty rasam soup and two sauces. The latest restaurant from the owners of Aroma in Fountain Square and SoBro, this is a nice alternative for a leisurely lunch or an elegant dinner out with some of the most colorfully plated Indian food in the city. 1454 W. 86th St., 317-884-6982, amaraindy.com V $$

Oakleys Bistro

CONTEMPORARY The meticulously plated fare at Steven Oakley’s eatery hails from a culinary era when sprigs of herbs and puddles of purées provided the flavor, and every single element on the plate served a purpose. The presentations are wild, with menu descriptions giving little more than clues as to what might arrive at the table. Heads-up on anything that appears in quotes, such as a creative “Coq au Vin.” 1464 W. 86th St., 317-824-1231, oakleysbistro.com V $$$

SOUTH SUBURBAN

INCLUDES Bargersville, Greenwood

Pizza & Libations

PIZZA The personal-sized pies are presented on thin, fermented crusts at this Bargersville establishment run by the folks who own the neighboring Taxman Brewing Company. But the menu has surprising range. Shared plates include a jumbo ball of fresh burrata oozing over caramelized onions and blistered tomatoes, delicate beef carpaccio, and a version of octopus in squid-ink sauce that is not for the faint of heart. Chase your bites with sips of the When in Rome bourbon cocktail that has hints of lemon and basil, or pick anything off of the extensive spirits menu that includes a section dedicated to prosecco spritzes and trending aperitifs and digestifs. For dessert, do not pass up the baseballsized scoops of buttery-sweet housemade gelato in creamy, complex flavors such as raspberry,

chunky pistachio, and a lovely Italian stracciatella rippled with slivers of shaved chocolate. 75 N. Baldwin St., Bargersville, 317-771-3165, pizza andlibations.com V $$$

SmockTown Brewery

BREWERY Brother-in-law duo Mark Sublette and Ken Johnson’s Old Town Greenwood brewery and Attic Hardware walk-up speakeasy do double duty for day drinking ambers and porters or sipping Old Fashioneds in the evening on the second-story veranda. Hot Pink Pepper Catering adds some beer-worthy eats, including snackable fried pickle spears with a kicky dipping sauce, Everything pretzel bites with Scottish-ale beer cheese, and a meaty flatbread. But don’t pass up the rich and well-dressed short rib nachos, with all of the garnishes and a bright cilantro-lime crema. Slider combos and tacos are also great for staving off the munchies, but save room for some cinnamon-dusted fried biscuits. 223 W. Main St., Greenwood, 317215-4836 $$

WEST

INCLUDES Avon, Brownsburg, Plainfield, Speedway

Hoosier Roots

COMFORT Blink and you might miss this tuckedaway gem serving family-style mains and side dishes in a roadhouse setting. Chef and owner Greg Stellar runs the tiny kitchen, assembling sharable portions of house-smoked salmon, herb-crusted roast beef, beer-can chicken, and other rib-sticking classics. Diners take their seats at long community tables or smaller patio tables on the enclosed porch, or belly up to the little bar for something slightly more potent. At lunch, the menu is a streamlined selection of sandwiches and soups (including chicken velvet). Don’t miss the mini cakes—Texas chocolate or honey lavender with bauchant icing. 26 E. Main St., Pittsboro, 317-892-0071, hoosierrootscatering.com $$

Rick’s Cafe Boatyard

SEAFOOD You don’t have to be a Parrothead (though it helps) to appreciate the pontoon-life allure of Eagle Creek’s waterside restaurant, with its breezy dining room on stilts over the Dandy Trail boat slips. The menu gets creative with all of the casual-dining tropes, mixing smokedsalmon nachos and chicken cordon bleu fingers in with the jumbo shrimp martinis and oyster shooters. It serves all of the pastas, burgers, steaks, and entree salads you’d expect from a place that draws big crowds. 4050 Dandy Trail, 317-290-9300, ricksboatyard.com $$$

A Quaker Dream Home

grown and gone, our primary house is bigger than we need, so I’d like to sell it and build a smaller house befitting simple Quakers.

I’ve been checking out architecture books from the library and hiding them under my mattress so my wife doesn’t see them. She likes our house and wants to live here until we die, but I am not deterred. I’m going to build a new house if it kills me, which it probably will since all my projects involving sharp tools invariably end with substantial blood loss.

Our new house is going to be one room measuring 20-by-30 feet. It will have a fieldstone exterior and wood interior walls, floors, and ceilings. Covered porches will run the length of all four sides. We will have just enough electricity for lights, refrigeration, cooking, and a well pump. Our electricity will come from solar panels and a bicycle my wife can ride to recharge the batteries on cloudy days. There will be four windows on each long side. In between the windows will be shelves for our books. A woodstove will be centered on one of the short sides of our house. Flanking the woodstove will be two alcoves for sleeping. When we get cold, we’ll move closer to the fire. When we get hot, we’ll go outside and sit on the porch.

tangled cord that won’t reach the nearest chair. Nothing about talking on the phone will be easy.

There’ll be no need for closets, since we’ll only own two outfits each, just like Ma and Pa on Little House on the Prairie: an everyday outfit and a Sunday outfit. We’ll wash those in a tub next to the woodstove. I’ll have my wife plant a big garden so we can grow our own food. In the summer, I’ll sit on the porch and watch her hoe the weeds. In the fall, I’ll watch her cut and stack firewood for the winter ahead. I get excited just thinking about it.

This new house of ours won’t be in a subdivision with pesky HOAs that don’t allow gardens or solar panels. They also tend to frown on untidy lawns, which I plan to have in my retirement. Wildflowers, trees, and weeds will grow in abundance since I won’t have a garage to store a mower. Once someone builds a garage, they fill it with all sorts of tools that encourage all kinds of work. If something can’t be fixed with a screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, or a hammer, it won’t be in our house.

EVERY TUESDAY, my wife and I deliver groceries to people at risk of homelessness, on the theory that one fewer expense can avert fiscal ruin. Experts say 40 percent of Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless, which seemed high to me until the people who work with the homeless told me it’s true. One of them said if my wife and I lost our jobs and couldn’t pay our mortgage, we’d be homeless, too. I didn’t mention that we own three houses. We worry about many things, but homelessness isn’t one of them.

Lest you think we’re rich, I should mention that we bought all three of our houses cheap and fixed them up. We buy houses the way we purchase cars—used and flawed, but ripe for renovation. With our sons

We’ll be going to bed as soon as it gets dark, so there’ll be no need for lamps, and therefore no reason for additional electrical outlets, which lead always to foolishness—televisions, radios, computers, and all manner of annoyances. To that end, we’ll be ditching our cell phones and returning to the wall phone we abandoned years ago. It will have a rotary dial that raises blisters on your index finger and a short,

I haven’t mentioned it to our son just yet, but we’ll probably be building our house in his back field underneath his maple trees. His farmhouse sits on nine acres, and he’ll never even know we’re there. Plus, he has a big barn with lots of room for my motorcycles. If you’re a simple Quaker, it pays to know someone with a barn where you can put your stuff.

For reasons I don’t understand, my wife is opposed to my plans. Not just opposed, but irritated, and now I’m afraid she’ll give me the heave-ho and I’ll be homeless, delivering food to myself every Tuesday.

Illustration by RYAN SNOOK

Philip Gulley is a Quaker pastor, author, and humorist. Back Home Again chronicles his views on life in Indiana.

I’M DOWNSIZING. BETWEEN THE WASHING TUB, ROTARY PHONE, AND ELECTRICITY-GENERATING BIKE, MY NEW HOUSE WILL BE A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN. BY PHILIP GULLEY

Weddings at the Indianapolis Central Library

Ritz Charles | Garden Pavilion at Ritz Charles | Coxhall Gardens | Indianapolis Public Library | Artsgarden Lindley Farmstead at Chatham Hills | The Bluffs at Conner Prairie | Artisan Acres Estate