Found in Fishers

Our Can't Miss Indy Hits

Seems it's about time we start expanding Found In Fishers to include some of the great things to see and do in around our little neck of the world. So without further ado...and in no particular order...here are some of our best recommendations for things to see and do when you find yourself in the Indy area next time.

Canal Walk: Dating back to the 1800s, the Canal Walk in downtown Indy is home to walkers, runners, lovers, sight-seers...well, you get the idea. The walk stretches north from White River State Park to 11th Street. You can walk, rent a paddle boat or take a ride in a old-fashioned gondelier. Be sure to check out the USS Indianapolis National Memorial which is open 24/7, 365 days a year. Just a short walk from the memorial you can enjoy a bite to eat at the Creation Cafe & Euphoria. Other sites to check out along the canal include the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial, Indiana History Center and the Indiana State Museum. Be sure to bring your camera for some great shots of downtown Indy from all along the walk.

Mass Avenue: Known as the city's Arts & Theatre District, Mass Ave (Massachusettes Avenue) features an eccletic mix of shops, restuarants, pubs and performing arts venues. Beginning at the intersection of Delaware and New York streets, Mass Ave takes off at a  45-degree angle...giving the street it's marketing tag line of "45 degrees from ordinary". We like Comedy Sportz, a family-friendly comedy club...except for its late-night shows and adults-only holiday show.

And for those who'd like to avoid the city you might want to check out downtown Noblesville. Unlike so many of Indiana's small downtowns, Noblesville's downtown district has managed to attract and maintain a vibrant business environment that includes galleries, a wide variety of dining establishments, antique stores and much more. During the summer and fall you'd likely to catch a live music performance on the historic downtown square, take in a parade or enjoy a street dance. Among our favorites is the Noble Tea & Coffee Company where you can sit indoors or out and enjoy a fresh-brewed beverage and free wifi, or Matteo's Ristorante Italiano, where we guarantee you'll be blown away by the food, service and ambiance. And I'd be remiss without mentioning one of my favorite spots in downtown Noblesville: Carmack's Cigar Shop where we regularly solve the problems of the world while enjoying a wide variety of top-quality handmade cigars.

If you happen to have a favorite Indy-area destination or activity be sure to share it with us. And check back next week for more of our can't miss Indy hits.

Escape from pizza purgatory

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Pizza.

Pizza who?

Exactly! Pizza who, indeed...especially living in central Indiana. Or as we like to call it: Pizza Purgatory. Since relocating to Fishers nearly five years ago we've been on a quest to find a great decent acceptable edible pizza. I feel like King Arthur and Patsy riding around the countryside in search of the Holy Grail while my squires bang coconut halves together. It's all been a bit pointless and quite silly.

You see, living in northwest Indiana we took great pizza for granted. But not any more. So while I've been up in Chicago this week I ordered a sausage & mushroom pie -- with double dough -- from John's Pizza in Munster, IN. Tonight I'm picking up a classic Chicago deep dish at Gino's East. If you've never had deep dish think of an upside-down pizza with the cheese on the bottom. What makes Gino's even more unique is that rather than crumble sausage on it, there is a solid layer of meat spread across the dough. Pardon me while I wipe the drool from the corner of my mouth...

To date, the best we've found in central Indiana is -- and all of you pizza purists must forgive us our sinful ways -- is Papa Murphy's take and bake. How sad is that? So we're asking for your help. Send us the name of your favorite central Indiana pizzeria and we'll check it out. The one that gets the highest rating from us will earn it's referrer our undying gratitude and a one-of-a-kind Found in Fishers gift. So whaddya waitin' for? Recommend already...recommend.

Good eats El Rodeo style

What's your favorite restaurant, be it in the Indy area or elsewhere? We've got more than our fair share of eateries that help us keep our bellies full. So beginning here and now we plan to share them with you. So crank up the mariachi music and belly up to the salsa bar, 'cause Found in Fishers is dining Mexican today and there's no better way to kick off the new year than with a visit to El Rodeo.

El Rodeo has locations throughout the metro area, as well as a few other central Indiana cities. Each is designated by a number...such as El Rodeo #12. Don't even ask what number ours is; it's located at the intersection of 116th & Olio on the east side of Fishers. The menu is typical Mexican fare that's been appropriately Americanized. We'd love to see a few more authentic Mexican offerings, but in the meantime El Rodeo has a lot to offer.

The place is packed most nights, with weekends the busiest. No reservations so we suggest getting there before 5:30 p.m. or after 8...unless you don't mind a bit of a wait. Service is remarkably fast and efficient. Chips and salsa are nice and fresh and very plentiful, and meals are served faster than you can sing "Ay, ay, ay, ay, canta y no llores..."

The value for the prices charged are good, with the lone exception being the occasional combination plates listed on the back of the menu. Our favorites include the nachos al carbon, an appetizer that makes a plentiful meal, and includes lots of grilled steak and shrimp served on a bed of fresh chips with salsa, sour cream, guacamole and melted queso. Other dishes we frequently order include steak and chicken fajitas, carne asada, carnitas tacos, and their burrito/enchilada combos.

Expect the average tab to be $9-$11/person with a non-alcoholic drink. El rodeo has a decent bar and great outdoor sitting area that's not too bad thought the view leaves everything to be desired (it's the side of the neighboring Walgreens).

Operation Pointersauras: Happy Birthday Mark!

Today is the big day. It's Mark's 18th birthday and we want to make it a memorable one. Thursday night while thinking about what Mark might want for his birthday, Juan came up with a great idea.

He and Mark have watched numerous Food Network shows like Man vs. Food, Top Ten Places to Pig Out and more. John went on the website to see if one of the top 10 pig out places was close enough to travel to in a weekend and on a whim.

Sure enough, Pointers Pizza in a suburb of St. Louis. We're are on it. The Pointersauras is the world's largest deliverable pizza. Ten pounds of fun! 28 inches! Originally we thought it might be fun to actually enter the contest but we couldn't get there in time. The contest is only at 3:00 and you must register 24 hours prior to eating. If two people can eat 10 pounds of pizza in 1 hour they get $500. Only 16 teams have one so far however since Mark has a concert band competition this morning and won't be back until after noon, we cannot make it to see if anyone is competing but we will definitely go and order the big one!

 It was a long day but well worth it. Twelve hoursti  St. Louis and back in the same day to get the pizza, eat it, and make a quick stop at the Gateway Arch. It was all worth it when we got in the car and Mark said, "Well, I can cross that one off my bucket list." A birthday to remember.

A Taste of Indy - Shapiros

Juan and I decided it was time to start enjoying life in Indianapolis. We've been so busy the last couple of years adjusting and running with the kids that we weren't enjoying the area. In an effort to change that, we decided to get out a bit. Where else to start but with eating.

After a long week of work, we both decided going out to dinner would be a great idea. Many of you know my favorite sandwich is a Reuben so we set out to go to Shapiro's, the famous Indianapolis deli just south of the Lucas Oil Stadium construction site.

When we walked in there was a large group of students from Purdue, but the line moved quickly and there is plenty of seating in the deli. When I got up to the counter, I took a tray and was amazed at the sight.

The deli is set up similar to a traditional school lunch line. Immediately after the trays were the desserts. It was unbelievable. Four-inch high cheesecakes, large slices of carrot cake, a variety of pies including cream pies piled high with fresh whip cream. The desserts looked awesome and I just couldn't pass up the cheesecake even though it was not on my Zone Diet.

Next up were the side dishes. I took a mustard potato salad, Juan took chips. The entree choices were plentiful. The meatloaf and potato pancakes were tempting, but I just couldn't pass up the Rueben Sandwich piled high with a full half-pound of corn beef prepared on site. Shapiro's also bakes their own rye bread. Juan took a plain corned beef sandwich.

Sandwich at Shapiro's are huge. There was no way I could eat the whole thing so I brought half home. To give you an idea of many sandwiches this famous deli sells each day, they steam 300 pounds of corn beef, 100 pounds of pastrami, beef and turkey, and make 150-200 loaves of rye bread each day. Oh yeah...they also quarter 1000 pickles. The next time you're in town, put Shapiro's on your list of must-eat-at places. Sandwiches and plated meals avearge $8.50-$10.50. Sides are a couple of bucks, and pie ranges from $2.70 to $5 a slice. Our tab for 2 sandwiches, 2 sides, and 2 slices of pie: $32. Not cheap, but it's worth every penny. We give it 4 out of 5 forks!