Holy Cross

About 2 miles east of the convention center is a revitalizing area with five of our favorite places. Many call this Downtown East, and what used to be the Scottish neighborhood on the inside of the highway is called Lockerbie. The neighborhood is divided from downtown by I-65 and I-70, so you may opt to take a taxi. From the Convention Center, it's a two mile walk past the farmer's market to Maxine's to Sun King, under the highway out to Smoking Goose, Flat 12, to browse Midlands, where you can ask them to call you a cab back to your hotel if you prefer a Saturday morning walk. The #8 bus connects the Convention Center to Smoking Goose.

Food and Wine magazine recently gave a shout out to Smoking Goose, an artisan butcher shop and purveyor specializing in sausages and smoked meats.  It’s located in downtown Indianapolis across the street from Flat 12 Bierworks in an old industrial neighborhood—and, as Michael likes to say, it’s better than we deserve.  You may not be able to make it to Smoking Goose itself (it may not be practical to buy a pound of raw duck and port sausages, although the pastrami and corned beef would make a good snack between sessions), many local restaurants throughout the state showcase products from Smoking Goose.  If you see it on the menu and you’re a meat eater, try it! Do not pass up on the opportunity to enjoy the amazingly good charcuterie paired with a local cheese from Trader’s Point Creamery, Capriole, Jacobs and Brichford, or even Ludwig Farmstead in Illinois.  Or the bacon.  Or the aforementioned sausages and cold cuts.  And if you’re in Indy for a while, consider taking one of their butchering classes.

The other alternative is to visit Goose the Market, the deli owned by the same company.  This is a tiny space with no seating whatsoever, but if the weather is nice, you can sit outside to enjoy a really good sandwich.

Maxine's Chicken & Waffles 132 North East St. 317-423-3300
Maxine's is excellent soul food. We've tried to sample the rest of the menu but keep ordering chicken wings and waffles. The greens are really good: fall apart tender and vinegary. Maxine's used to be open late night, but the website now shows it closing most nights at 8, so check the website for updates.

Sun King Brewery 135 N. College Ave. 317-602-3702
Sun King's Osiris Pale Ale is a major part of the local beer scene and been noticed by the national micro-brew community, winning numerous awards at competitions local and national. This location is the main brewing facility and only offers tastes of the week's freshly brewed beer, growler fills, kegs, and cans. Look for Sun King around town, and it's worth the trip for beer geeks and hop heads.

Smoking Goose 407 N. Dorman St. 317-638-MEAT
Smoking Goose supplies smoked meats to better restaurants in Indianapolis and further afield to Chicago, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, and Louisville. They usually have three or four styles of (pork) bacon plus lamb, beef, and duck bacon, as well as a variety of sausages, cured meats, and charcuterie.

Flat 12 Bierwerks 414 N. Dorman St. 317-635-BEER
Flat 12 is the new up-and-coming brewer downtown, offering a wider variety of bigger beers--higher alcohol, bolder flavors, experimental barrel aging, and more. This facility is the main bierwerks and brewery. Pints are available for purchase, tastes are generously offered, and growlers are filled. There is a great outdoor beer garden if the weather cooperates, and it gets quite busy on Friday and Saturday nights with local hipsters and hopheads.

Food trucks frequently set up on Dorman Street. If you find Scratch, consider yourself lucky and buy whatever is the day's special.

Midland Art & Antiques Market 907 E. Michigan St. 317-267-9005
A great antiques market in a former warehouse: if you take my suggested Saturday morning walk from the convention center east, browse here while you wait for your taxi to arrive.