Every time I get the opportunity to, I visit a city's central market. It's always fun to see what different places have.

And, I love community gathering spaces. I think these are crucial to cities and towns, and I feel like it's these places where you can get a real pulse for the community.

The Indianapolis City Market feeds the community and our guests by offering distinct foods, products and services in an environment that preserves and perpetuates Central Indiana's agricultural, architectural and cultural history.

Indianapolis City Market has a number of merchants.

Need something different for supper tonight? Maybe a unique gift for a friend or colleague? Or perhaps the finishing touches of flowers, wine or candles to accent your upcoming dinner party? If you're looking for artisan products or authentic ethnic foods, come to the Indianapolis City Market. You'll find rich coffees, teas and authentic ethnic cuisine... locally-designed jewelry and accessories... scented oils and fresh flowers—everything you need to craft a memorable meal, event or gift-giving moment! 

You can get everything from tamales, cookies, spices and soups to juice, deli sandwiches, carrots and jewelry.

There's also a second floor, which has a tap room.

Reminiscent of your favorite neighborhood pub, Tomlinson Tap Room offers an intimate atmosphere as comfortable as your favorite chair—a perfect respite after a long day at work or as a weekend spot to gather with friends. From the moment you step inside Tomlinson, it's clear this is no ordinary pub. For starters, it features only tapped Indiana craft beer by the pint or the growler fill! With its interior design crafted from reconditioned materials—and the historic setting of the Indianapolis City Market as its backdrop—Tomlinson Tap is the ideal place for craft beer enthusiasts to unwind and enjoy full-flavored brews that are both traditional and distinctive. As you appreciate the art of craft beer, you can craft another Hoosier tradition: good times with good friends.

And, of course, there are actual farmers with local food:

Perfectly situated in the heart of the Midwest, Indianapolis is ripe with farmers offering outstanding produce, dairy products, meats and more! And we bring them straight to you with the Original Farmers' Market at the Indianapolis City Market. From fruits and vegetables and meats and cheeses, to baked goods and unique spices and herbs, you can find in-season, fresh foods that have been selected at their peak. As you fill your basket with good-tasting, healthy foods, you'll support the local growers dedicated to providing you with the freshest foods available.

We decided to snack a bit and try some macarons from the sweets shop.

For mine, I chose the champagne with chocolate and raspberry. Very tasty.

Also, did you know Indianapolis has a canal that runs through it? So cool!

Where's your favorite place?

While I was visiting the southern part of Indiana, I made the trip with my friends Maggie and BJ up to the state's capital. I'd never seen Indianapolis before, so YOLO, right?

If you look up good restaurants in Indianapolis, at the top of almost every list is Milktooth. Conde Nast even called it one of the best restaurants in the world! Bon Appetit also had great things to say.

Milktooth is the first restaurant of chef/owner Jonathan Brooks and his wife Ashley. It has grown from a passionate commitment to great local ingredients and an inspiration to connect childhood food memories with unconventionally creative morning fare. Daybreak meals became nourishing family time to Jonathan and Ashley after their son was born and Jonathan took over as Chef de Cuisine at Recess. With an ever expanding love and pride for Indianapolis they invite you to come enjoy a great cup of coffee, a cocktail, a pancake, or perhaps some sweet tea fried chicken (OUR STORY).

So, when we arrived, there was a line out the door and a very cramped entrance way - no surprise. They anticipate this and have a coffee bar open for those waiting.


There's no seating there, but you can at least get a drink or pastry to keep yourself occupied. I ordered a "gold front" which came with black tea, turmeric, ginger, coconut, cardamom, honey, steamed milk.

And, I also got a homemade poptart - strawberry and kumquat. How cool is that?

It took a little while to get my drink, but once I did, I went outside to the tables and precariously had a sip. It was very different, but light and smooth.

Most people would agree a great breakfast deserves an excellent cup of coffee. Milktooth boasts not only a staff of talented and dedicated baristas, but also, Indianapolis’ first ModBar espresso machine. In partnership with La Marzocco, Fort Wayne based ModBar, has created an espresso machine that is truly the pinnacle of style and technology. 

By placing almost all of the machinery underneath the counter, ModBar has created a no-barrier, espresso experience unlike any other. While most all espresso machines create a ‘curtain’ in which the barista is hidden behind, the ModBar opens up the ‘stage’ and invites patrons to witness and be a part of the hand crafting of every beverage. 

The ModBar has been engineered and outfitted with every luxury an espresso machine can be afforded. It is equipped with features such as a digital interface and adjustable pressure profiling. This allows our baristas to have full creative control, bringing out flavors in the coffee that would otherwise be lost. 

Milktooth is also Indianapolis’ premier multi-roaster coffee program. Just like a great bar would change the beers on tap, we are constantly searching for the best coffee beans from the best coffee roasters in the country. This commitment to the best roasted coffee, equipment and baristas is what makes every single cup special and unique. Whether its a Toddy cold brew, a crunch berry cappuccino, an authentic Vietnamese iced coffee, or one of our pour over options, your morning cup will be sure to please all the senses.

The poptart was cool - not overly sweet but more like a pastry and jam. I was into it.

Then, our names were called, so I brought my goodies back inside before being seated at a table near the back. The interior is "chic and airy" - bright, lots of white and hip succulents and foodie books line the wall.


Their menu has some phenomenal sounding items. Strawberry Dutch baby pancakes, house pastrami cured salmon on house rye bialy, fried chicken wings with coconut curry rice. And then there was this:

Cranberry walnut & TP Caerphilly cheddar grilled cheese with black truffle honey and a local sunny duck egg. The bread was thick, with a nice crunch to it, and the cheese was plentiful and just oozing out all over. It was all covered in this sweet, yet umami flavored honey that meshed that sweet and salty together beautifully. And, just to top it off, a sunnyside egg that just makes it more "breakfast-y." Easily one of the most creative, delicious grilled cheeses I've ever had.


Grade: A

Lic's Deli & Ice Cream is a well-known ice cream joint in Evansville.

Because there were a few of them, I found the nearest one and went through the drive-thru. I ordered a chocolate chip cookie dough scoop. 

This was less of the "dough" part and more just chocolate chips. That's my favorite part! But, the ice cream itself was this nice vanilla bean, which was a great base. Overall, though, the dough part of the cookie dough would have kicked this up an extra notch.


Grade: B

While in Evansville, we stumbled upon the cutest restaurant.

The Dapper Pig has a focus on local food and piggy decorations.

The Dapper Pig in Evansville, Indiana, offers you delicious American food made from locally sourced ingredients. With more than twenty-five years of experience in the kitchen, our expert chefs give you a farm-to-table menu with an artisanal flair. Everything about our business is focused on maintaining the integrity of our local community. 

Located in the old historic district, our restaurant was created by restoring an old building and bringing it back to life as a local restaurant dedicated to superior ingredients and food. From the on-site bakery to a full bar, every part of our restaurant draws from our local surroundings. Even our owner and most of the staff call this neighborhood their home.

The menu features cool, homemade sodas, sandwiches, and salads for lunch.

So, I went for the b.l.a.t., which is a bacon, lettuce, avocado, fried green tomato with roasted garlic and basil mayo on foccacia. I also got a side of the cold salad, which had quinoa, strawberries, feta cheese and honey.

The sandwich was good, though a bit cumbersome to eat. I with the foccacia wasn't so thick, and I wish I could taste the mayo more. Otherwise, it could be a bit dry and rough to eat. BUT, the flavors are good.

The cold salad side was great. I've never had quinoa in a sort of sweet dish, and it was really pretty good. Nice texture, slight sweetness, all delicious.






















Grade: B

When a restaurant has "comfort food" in the name, I'm already on board.

Walton's International Comfort Food has a sort of "adventure" them in both decor and menu items.

The menu features everything from Alabama Chicken and catfish fiddlers to rice bowls and pastrami sandwiches.

For an appetizer, they brought out popcorn, which was interesting. A little stale, but lots of butter.

For my entree, I ordered a rice bowl with chicken. It's served on a bed of rice with mixed stir-fried vegetables and I got it topped with teriyaki sauce. The vegetables were mostly just cabbage, so that was a bit of a bummer, but it's still a good, simple meal. The chicken was good, the teriyaki was a little runny, but soaked up into the white rice, it's all good.



Grade: B

Evansville, Indiana, is known for a regional specialty: brain sandwiches.

Really. And one place in particular does it "best." Hilltop Inn is known for its brain sandwich, made with fried pork brains.

The Hilltop Inn was built in 1839 and served as a stagecoach stop for weary travelers and business men on the route from the Wabash River (New Harmony Area) to the banks of the Ohio River. The inn consisted of a saloon and a dining room on one side and a general store/feed store on the other. Sleeping rooms were located on the second and third floors. The main entrance (Now sealed up) was located in the center of the building, opening onto a stairwell that allowed people to enter the building without entering the saloon or the general store. 

The inn was purchased by the Marx family in 1905 and became known as "Geo. J. Marx Saloon" and later as "Marx Tavern". In the 1950's George began leasing out the bar and restaurant to other individuals. When Willard Robinson leased the business, a name change occurred and became "Robby's Hilltop Inn". Don and Lanette Snyder purchased the restaurant in 1999.

So, I ordered a brain slider so I could try it. It comes with white onion and pickles and is served on a mini hamburger bun. So, what's it taste like? Fried. It just tastes all fried with a soft inside. It wasn't all that repulsive; it just wasn't especially exciting.

There was a table next to me with a woman who had been eating brain forever, as its a old-school tradition, and she liked it. Either way, not as bad as you'd think.

Grade: B

When we stumbled upon this chocolate shop, we couldn't help but wander inside.


Stephen Libs Finer Chocolates makes these little eggs that are filled with all kinds of delicious things. I got one with salted caramel of course.

Wow. So good.

Also got this box of chocolates which included an assortment of caramels, nougats, old-fashioned turtles, butter toffee, nut clusters, cremes, peanut butter, meltaways and more. I friggin' love a box of chocolate because SO MUCH VARIETY.

Anyway, these were great. Extra creamy chocolate. Tons of delicious things. Too easily to spend tons of money.

Let's just take a moment here to talk. Did you know there are movie theaters that look like this?

And, you have a menu where you can order delicious items and they come refill your drinks?! I got mozzarella sticks here and a drink - even though I wasn't hungry - because this legitimately feels like royalty.