Indianapolis Eats

My work takes me to Indianapolis occasionally (and about to be more often), so of course, I was on the search for good, local eats during my recent trip. Well, Indianapolis did not disappoint.

The good food started with a Mixed Slate plate of 3 meats and 3 cheeses and a La Gallete Monsieur Seguin with walnut, goat cheese, and apples from Cropichon et Bidibule for lunch.

It was a little slice of France on Massachusetts Avenue, and it very much reminded me of Cleveland's Le Petite Triangle in the Ohio City neighborhood.

Dinner that same evening led us to the highly recommended Mesh Restaurant. I can see why. We had a remarkable meal there.

We started with the Tuna Tartare ($14)...

...and the Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel ($10).

The tartare was fresh and flavorful, but nothing unique. However, that strudel was simply heavenly and it left us Googling recipes to try and recreate that dish at home. It's a "don't miss" dish at Mesh, in my opinion.

I was torn between several of the entrees, so I let the server suggest one from my top picks. I had the Seared Diver Scallops with fresno chile jam and a shrimp and spinach risotto ($28).

Not only was it gorgeous on the plate, it was packed full of interesting flavors, and the unusual pairing of spicy chiles and scallops worked so well together that it had me licking the plate.

I ended the meal in dessert nirvana. You know that I'm a "savory" over "sweet" girl any day of the week, but I was tempted by the Salted Caramel Pot de Creme. It was hands down one of the BEST desserts that I've ever had. It may have caused some moaning at the table. It was that good. We love this place so much that I signed up for their free VIP Card. The restaurant group owns several establishments, and once you spend $1,000, you receive a $100 gift card.

Thankfully, they also own Bru Burger Bar, where we dined the next night. Seriously, I don't think that I've had a burger that good in all of Cleveland. I know that's a bold statement, because we have some fantastic burgers, but this was better.

Last, but not least, we had lunch from BazBeaux. They've been voted as "Indy's Best Pizza" since 1986. The pizza was quite good, and I highly recommend it if you're looking for pizza in the area.

I have several more restaurants on my list to try in Indianapolis, and I look forward to exploring the city more. However, nearly all of these will be repeats! The only one that I probably don't need to do again is Cropichon. Mesh and Bru Burger are MUSTS.

Cropichon et Bidibule
735 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-737-2772

Mesh Restaurant (also located in Louisville, KY)
725 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-955-9600

Bru Burger Bar (multiple locations)
410 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204

BazBeaux (multiple locations)
329 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-636-7662