The Indiana State Fair harbors a bonanza of options (and a nonstop source of amusement), and with that comes a litany of both must-munch and don’t-dare food and drink products. Here, a grandstand-meets–Midway rundown of the best and worst (wurst?) for your palate at this event, an annual since 1862. All the offerings are not created equal. Fair enough? We think so.
We’re less than two weeks away from the third annual Dig IN, and we’ve been doing our research to find out what to sample and who to meet. We dug in deep last year, zeroed in on the don’t-miss dishes, and got the lay of the land. Here is what to expect from this year’s Indiana-centric food, wine, and beer event at White River State Park Celebration Plaza, taking place on Sunday, August 26.
Some people get excited about the Midway rides. Others can’t wait to see the farm animals and monster trucks. But last week’s opening day at the Indiana State Fair put us in a state of deep (fried) thought. For some of us, it’s about the food. And though the concessionaires try to outdo themselves every year with ever more outrageous dishes (spaghetti ice cream, deep-fried peanut butter cups, raspberry doughnut chicken sandwiches), we have our perennial favorites. Want to know which IM staffer has a thing for Hot Wisconsin Cheese? Here, we tell all.
Italian Spaghetti Ice Cream at the Indiana State Fair, one of this year’s buzzed-about newcomers. With a flavor reminiscent of strawberry shortcake, the frozen treat consists of a pile of creamy, noodle-shaped vanilla gelato; a “red sauce” of syrupy pureed strawberries; chocolate malted milk “meatballs”; and grated white-chocolate “cheese.” Points for creativity, and the kids will love it.
If you can’t get the city’s visionaries to attend your dinner party, go to theirs instead. Chew on This events are intimate dinners hosted by some of Indy’s biggest thinkers, and anyone can attend for just $20 (food included). Organized by Indiana Humanities, the events have been taking place—and selling out—for a couple of years, and the next one, Aug. 22, is filling up, too. As a main course, Indiana Humanities is serving up conversation about the Pan Am Games, held 25 years ago this month, a time when the city found itself at a critical crossroad. The table talk will focus on “what we decided to do in that era to bring the city back, what worked, what didn’t, and how we can carry it forward in the post-Super Bowl era,” says Brandon Judkins, programs director for Indiana Humanities.
Gummy rats, bacon soda, and a five-foot-tall Spider-Man offering candy ropes are just some of the goodies encountered when entering Monument Circle newcomer Rocket Fizz (52 Monument Circle, 317-822-3499). The shop, a chain with most of its locations in California, is stocked wall to wall with glass-bottled sodas, colorful candies, and even childhood pranks, like mustachioed disguises and plastic vomit.
If you’ve been getting your fusion tacos at a food truck lately, you might want to consider going back to an old-fashioned restaurant with four walls. Just don’t expect it to be a very big restaurant. That adorable closet of an eatery on Westfied Boulevard in Broad Ripple that’s been everything from a fair-food outpost to the former home of Boogie Burger is now La Chinita Poblana (927 E. Westfield Blvd., 317-722-8108), the cutest, tastiest little tradition-bending taqueria you’ll ever check in at on Foursquare.
Chopsticks in the basket of plastic cutlery, a menu for bubble teas, and a new palette of purples, greens, and yellows will cue you in that this is no ordinary taqueria with carne asada and pollo-stuffed tortillas. Creative chef George Munoz, who hails from Chicago and earned his degree at the Washburne Culinary Institute, knows contemporary taco lovers want something just a bit more inventive. But he hasn’t abandoned Latin flavors by fusing them with Japanese eggplant, Thai basil, and curry. He’s simply taken them to the next level.
Take his fish tacos. For these well-stuffed bundles, he blackens tilapia with a coating of yellow curry so that the flaky, almost creamy fish takes on just the right amount of heat. With a tempered chipotle mayo and pickled Napa cabbage, this is an enviable mix of crunchy and tangy flavors that’s darn near perfect with the restrained sweetness of a strawberry-lime agua fresca on the side. Plenty of crispy, dark bark on his “red-braised” pork carnitas lend lots of flavor to one of the more traditional treatments, but the marinade has a slightly sweet, slightly briny quality that would make it at home on a Thai table. With just the right amount of a cooling avocado crema, this could star at just about any small-plates innovator up the street.
To add a bit more space to the decidedly cramped storefront, Munoz removed the indoor seating, though counters work well for standup munching, and there are plenty of tables just outside. The counter clerks will pass your order out the window.
Last week, I heard about a restaurant opening in the small town of Batesville that was worth the drive. So on Friday, I headed to The Butcher Shoppe & Grill at Walhill Farm (857 Six Pine Ranch Rd., Batesville, 812-934-2600) to see what the fuss was about. The restaurant is housed in an 11,000-square-foot chicken coop–turned–Bavarian-style lodge (not kidding). Instantly, you’re struck by its eclectic state, from the wall of vintage menus and the display of horse bits to the chairs made of bourbon barrels and the giant taxidermy ocean fish. This is no ordinary food spot off the interstate. Yes, I see barrels and I’m in the country—but instead of dreading that ho-hum experience, I’ve found a treasure.
Daniel Jones, Jim Ailes, David Pentzien, owners of Chatham Tap (8211 E. 116th St., 317-845-1090; 719 Massachusetts Ave., 317-917-8425) have announced plans to open a beer-meets-flatbread concept this September in the now-shuttered Agio space (635 Massachusetts Ave.).
I’m no stranger to the allure of candy. I spent my high school days scooping up chocolates and sugar-coated treats at the local candy store (and sampling between customers). Many of my colleagues at IM feel the same. We had a sweet time preparing for our July 2012 Global Eats issue. Check out some photo outtakes here from the Japanese candy spread.
