Twenty-tap has 38 taps

Hmm. Where to eat Friday night?

We've been enjoying Indianapolis so much the daily posts have fallen away. After a perfectly acceptable stroll through the Indianapolis State Museum, we met up with friends and headed north to SoBro, the realtors' title for the area south of Broad Ripple. There's some information in the pages section about other places in the neighborhood. We went to Twenty Tap, a beer and burgers place that now has 38 taps. Why not call it 38 Taps? The cost of stationery, I'm guessing. And Twenty Tap, or 20Tap, just works alliteratively as well as branding.

We finally got to share the huge plate of deep-friend cheese curds with a crowd large enough to enjoy them and put a proper dent on the gigantic plate of lava-hot liquidy cheese with garlic and chimmichurri aioli, and an embarrassingly gravy-soaked boat of vegetarian poutine. Oh my. The vegetarian udon across the table looked amazing, and was apparently good enough that it was not shared. The menu has been updated: more variety and sandwiches but they have not lost their burger focus and the service was attentive without making anyone feel rushed. And on Thursday, we waited 20 minutes for a table, but then were left to enjoy the wrap-around booth that could have easily accommodated 10.

But the beers! The list is religiously updated daily. We had Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, Two Brothers Monarch, Rogue Brutal IPA, and Schlafly's Firkin American Pale, which is a "real ale" version of the dry-hopped APA: natural carbonation and a ton of sediment done with 19th century precision.

Twenty Tap     5408 N. College Ave       317-602-8840

Twenty Tap, with 38 beers on tap (I know, I know; the name stuck before the number of taps was finalized). Many of the beers are Indiana local brews, with regional Michigan, Chicago, and nearby offerings supplemented by others from the coasts, Colorado, and Europe. Beer types range from hoppy IPAs to lagers, stouts, ciders, and oddities. Selections change often.

Twenty Tap also has great food with something for everyone. They have an impressively good selection of burgers, including traditional beef, veggie, chicken, and turkey burgers. We like the Wrath and the Tex, but the classic is a simple, outstanding cheeseburger—and all are good with homemade, crispy fries. The blackened whitefish sandwich packs a spicy punch, which is nicely tempered if you have the good fortune to enjoy the sweet potato bisque as the soup of the day. The entrée salads or the simple side salad are always fresh and take advantage of seasonal produce. The cheese curds are decadent, and they’re large enough to share … try to finish an order yourself and you'll likely be too full to eat anything else! Twenty Tap takes pride in sourcing local ingredients, and prices are affordable.

Museums and Attractions

Indianapolis has several nice museums, a few within walking distance of the conference hotel.  The Indiana State Museum (where one publisher will host a party on Thursday night) is a nice space on the canal.  As its name implies, the museum focuses on all things Indiana--displays about natural history, history, commerce, and famous Hoosiers.  Not all exhibits are Indiana-related:  we geeked out over a Star Wars exhibit last spring.  The architecture is quite nice, featuring Indiana limestone, and sections of the exterior showcase each of Indiana's 92 counties.

The museum has an IMAX theatre and several decent and reasonably priced restaurants.  The old L.S. Ayers Tea Room is an historical replica of the tea room in the original flagship department store (like Macy's or Marshall Fields).  Many people can't stop raving about the chicken velvet soup, which is a little rich for us.  The Market Cafe features locally grown, casual dining options.

Indiana State Museum with the Canal Walk in foreground

Next door is the Eiteljorg Museum of western art.  We've never actually been there (not sure why), but we hear it's a decent museum with exhibits focusing on the West and Native American art.

Nearby is the White River State Park, connected to the canals and featuring lots of green space and an outdoor concert space.  The Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens (indoor botanical gardens) are open year round.

Baseball fans will appreciate Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians, a AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  While tours are not available until April, when the season starts, a nice view of the ballpark is visible from the JW Marriott.

IMA Sutphin fountain

The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is within driving--not walking--distance.  The IMA is worth the trip, and rumor has it another publisher is hosting a party there on Friday evening.  The IMA is free unless you'd like to see one of the special exhibits, and it recently opened a design wing featuring modern and contemporary furniture, housewares, and so forth.  We really enjoyed a special exhibit featuring Ai Weiwei (one of the best exhibits we've seen anywhere), and we often stop by to look at the Asian art, Georgial O'Keefe paintings, Japanese prints, and a Calder mobile.  The grounds of the IMA are quite nice, especially during spring and summer months when everything is in bloom.  Visit the Lilly House and gardens, the greenhouse, the nature park featuring trails.

View of the IMA glass atrium entryway

The Children's Museum is also a drivable destination.  It features the usual science, cultural, and nature-related exhibits, and it's great if you've brought your children with you or if you want to bring out the child in you.  The gift shop has a large selection of educational toys.

Curious Dino peeks into the Children's Museum