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Megan Fernandez

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Counter Culture: Taco Trucks

Real taco trucks do not have Twitter accounts. They don’t attend food-truck festivals, charge more than $2 per taco, or shadow the 9-to-5 crowd and Broad Ripple partiers. Which is why you didn’t know that Indy has real taco trucks. They’re all on Washington Street, and you have to go to them, each a no-frills wagon parking in the same rutted lot every day, usually from 11 a.m. or noon until around midnight. The menus posted on the side of the truck stick to the street-food standards—tacos, tortas, and quesadillas in variations of asada, pastor, pollo, lengua, cabeza, and chorizo; maybe some nachos and burritos, and the odd loaded fries or beans-and-rice special. The best of the bunch, El Taco Veloz (2475 W. Washington St.), has been around the longest—five years—and makes good on its name (“fast taco”). Go with the pastor, seasoned pork roasted in the truck on a vertical spit (as it should be, but rarely is in Indy) and served with a spicy, smoky salsa made from five chiles—or five something. We could have pressed the owner for clarification, but it’s not that kind of place. It’s the kind of place where you pay $1.65 for each palm-sized, double–corn-tortilla taco and scoot your white plastic plate and Styrofoam cup of crisp cucumber water down to the end of the counter and eat standing up, trying to chat with the husband-and-wife owners in Spanish before finally ordering dos mas. Other taco trucks on Washington: Taqueria Morales (2200 E. Washington St.), tacos $2 each, huge quesadillas $5 each, a little on the greasy side; Taqueria El Bohemio (4002 E. Washington St.), tacos $1.75 each, deadly hot habanero salsa, cheese between the double layer of corn tortillas; and Tacos al Carbon (on East Washington Street about halfway between I-465 and Washington Square Mall), tacos $1.75 each, expansive menu, a rare greaseless chorizo taco. Take cash.

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Cycle Citizen: Mayor's Bike Ride

Did you know that Indy is a certified Bicycle-Friendly Community? And that there are free group rides to join nearly every night? Such organized rides are a great way to break out of your biking rut. This summer, we’re doing a different ride each week. Follow along, or better yet, put on a helmet and join us!

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Inside Track: Easy Riders

Racing teams aren’t the only ones who have to think about fuel conservation at the track. Fans logging marathon days at the Speedway should pace themselves, too. One way to save energy is by taking advantage of free pedicab rides from infield parking spots to the stands. Dozens of bike-pulled chariots line up on Hulman Drive—they’re off today, but will return Wednesday and stay through the 500. The IMS has contracted Circle City Pedicabs to provide lifts on the house for the last few years, and owner Tony Ostler now brings in help from Lone Star BikeCAB in Texas (the company is owned by a Hoosier) to keep up with demand. “It’s constant, nonstop,” Ostler says. “But our drivers love riding bikes. They’re cyclists. They take vacations on their bikes.” Make sure to get your driver’s card if you want to call ahead and arrange a return ride back to your car. And don’t forget to tip. 

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An Orange Coke and a Smile

Based on the lines forming at Coke Freestyle machines around the city, you’d think the bright-red boxes were dispensing gold coins instead of Orange Diet Coke and Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. The touch-screen design lets you choose from 22 drinks and then add a flavor, resulting in new sodas like Grape Mello Yello, Raspberry Lime Hi-C, and Heidi Klum’s choice—not to mention a test of patience while the person in front of you tries in vain to create a Freestyle suicide. The machine holds inkjet printer cartridges of flavorings—not syrups—that add up to more than 100 choices and so much time gleefully considering your options that your food might get cold. Called “the Ferrari of coke machines” (because the case was conceived by a company that designs Ferraris), the Freestyle is charming local soda swillers at Firehouse Subs, Pita Pits, Burger Kings, Moe’s Southwest Grills, and the Pei Wei at Glendale. Just do everyone a favor and figure out what you want to drink before you go out. 

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Bowled Over: Best and Worst

Stuff we loved, stuff we didn’t, and stuff we’ll never forget:

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Inside Hennessy's Hip-Hop Weekend

Think you don’t like cognac? Then you weren’t in attendance at one of the Hennessy parties this weekend. The company’s mixologist, Jordan Bushell, blended a roster of fruity cocktails that made believers out of us. Whether paired with lime juice, pineapple juice, maple syrup, nutmeg, and heavy cream, or in a glass with Madeira, apple cider, and cinnamon, Hennessy came away a winner.

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Airport Flash Mob

Maybe round up a bunch of stuff that you might have missed, like the airport flash mob

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My Super Job: Benjamin Utecht

Name: Benjamin Utecht

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Dine Like Jimmy Fallon

Looks like he ate Recess out of seared Spanish sardines.

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Ryan Gosling, There You Are!

Just when you thought the blond-coiffed heartthrob actor couldn’t get more adorable … yes!

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RUMOR HAS IT: Madonna Parties, Cher Sneaks In & More

Super City sources heard that Madonna has rented out a somewhat unlikely palindromic restaurant in Broad Ripple for a bash (it better have spicy fried chicken for Nicki Minaj), and Cher was trying to rent a house in Carmel for mega money … Ryan Gosling threatened to dethrone Jimmy Fallon as toast of the town as word of his bar-hopping kept tweeters up late on Tuesday night. Kilroy’s and Scotty’s Brewhouse debunked the rumor that the shoulda-been Sexiest Man Alive visited their joints, although a source close to the actor’s team indicated that he had been downtown. Maybe someone meant to tweet that they had seen Colts general manager Ryan Grigson or Jon Gosselin. Damn you, autocorrect! … Julio Iglesias and Reggie Wayne were spotted on the Circle enjoying the balmy Wednesday … New England Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco hit up the Starbucks inside Barnes & Nobles at the IUPUI Campus Center, across from University Place Hotel, where the Patriots are staying … Miss America Laura Kaeppeler, who will be a guest at the Taste of the NFL Saturday night, needed a cop’s help hailing a cab outside Palomino last night, and evidently the cop thought the taxi driver needed help knowing that his fare, who wore a supersized crown, was Miss America. 

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Janet Napolitano and the Pope Walk Into a Bar…

Super Bowl security is no laughing matter (it’s actually as serious as a visit from the Pope), but today’s press conference to discuss the issue sure turned giggly. Led by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, the midday briefing started out like a recital of a PowerPoint presentation. And then, just as Napolitano was sitting down after […]

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This Hombre? He's the Al Michaels of Mexico

“That guy is famous in Mexico,” my husband said Sunday when we were out and about in Super Bowl Village. He was pointing to a distinguished-looking man without a coat having a smoke outside of Circle Centre. Being Mexican, my husband recognized the man as the guy who calls the NFL games on TV in Mexico. Yes, that’s right—futbol isn’t the only type of football with a big fan base south of the border.

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Forbes Writer Predicts Another Super Bowl in Indy's Future

The Zipline is just getting warmed up, and Madonna hasn’t even been spotted yet, but already one expert is calling a victory for Indianapolis and raising the specter of another Super Bowl coming to town.

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Video: Overheard at the ZipLine Opening

Word is that the ZipLine in Super Bowl Village is a fast rush, not a gentle glide. Hey, this is Indy. Speed is what we do. Here, other comments from those who squealed through a maiden ZipLine voyage today, in a ceremony marking the opening of the fly-by to the public.

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