OUR SCENE | TRAVEL
Indiana Panorama BY CARLA WALDEMAR | PHOTOS BY CARLA WALDEMAR
I love to visit college towns, where often the M.O. is left of normal, and Bloomington—home of Indiana University—more than fills the bill. Bonus: The stroll-worthy campus—which could double as a nature preserve—hosts two notable museums. The Estehazy serves as Art 101 with its globe-spanning collection, ranging from the Dutch Golden Age to Henry Moore; from Rodin to Picasso. The Lilly Library, its neighbor, houses nearly 500,000 rare volumes, stretching from hand-written Medieval tomes to Action comics. Ogle a Shakespeare folio from 1623. The original manuscript for “Huckleberry Finn.” Lincoln’s childhood math book. A Gutenberg Bible. Orson Welles’ love letters to Rita Hayworth. That’s the icing on the cake. What originally lured me to Bloomington is its Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center—the only one in the USA, and frequently visited by the Dalai Lama himself. It was established in 1959 by his elder brother, who was invited to teach at IU. Visitors are welcome to approach the center’s glittering altars, where golden Buddha statues pose with serene smiles. Then examine intricate sand paintings composed in his honor. Spin prayer wheels. Photograph the sky-scratching stupa column
outside. Linger for a picnic on the spacious grounds (admission free; tours available). To continue the experience, return to the ethnic restaurant row on campus for a bowl of dumplings in Anyetsang’s Little Tibet cafe. You’ll find breakfast worshipers at quirky Runcible Spoon. “It’s like dining in your college professor’s home,” locals say—except my profs failed to invite me for a veggie Benedict or smoked salmon hash. My beloved Mrs. Forbes, who taught Latin at the U of M, may have preferred a jaunt to Osteria Rago, where everything Italian is homemade, from a parade of pastas to the chilly affogato coffee, standing in for dessert. Anyone—everyone—with foodie credits will reserve a table at Elm, a sophisticated newbie in an elegantly restored grocery store. Train-style booths parked in front of the kitchen let diners spy on the cooks’ antics, or snag a seat under the soaring ceiling to explore a Beard-worthy menu. Start with an asparagus tart bathed in black hollandaise, then swerve to a side of Brussels sprouts livened with miso yuzo aioli. I swooned over my entrée of Moroccan lamb with chermoula, watercress, fennel and mint. My companion’s chicken sandwich also proved State of the Art. No room for dessert? Well, you can always squeeze in that trio of truffles. Continue on page 88
86 LAVENDER JUNE 2-15, 2022
