The blurry camera phone view from dessert looking back to dinner.
I can admit it, the Indiana winter blahs were starting to set in. Snow was fun for a while, but we've finally had enough. This date night was going to be one to hunt for a hint that we were turning the corner. And nature did not disappoint with temperatures touching up into the 50s.
The little tidbit lead us to a new place at one of our favorite locations, The Central Canal. Downtown Indianapolis has a gem running North from White River. We have taken lovely walks down the canal for all of the seven years we've been married. It's a great place to relax, people watch, get a little exercise, or in our case to propose :).
Traveling up to the North end, we parked along 11th street at Buggs Temple. The inside has been renovated to contain both Euphoria and it's cheaper, more casual sister Creation Cafe. We opted for the nice and casual route. Spring did get the best of us and we tried to sit outside. Just a wee bit too cold so we moved in, but the great view down from the top of the hill says we'll be back later in the year.
Assuming the rest of the place lived up to the view that is. Turns out we had a great meal. The restaurant had a nice feel inside and the staff was all very friendly. Service was good and we quickly ordered the Mushroom Crostini for $8.00. The dish went solidly in the alright category for me. Not bad, yet not something I would get again. The good part to round one was that our server was very knowledgeable on the good list of beers they carried and could explain one I had not tried. That, of course, meant I had to get the Three Floyds Gumball Head for $4.00. Odd beer, but enjoyable.
Foodwise, things improved considerably with main courses. I had a Full Mother Clucker (great name) for $9.50. This was a great chicken sandwich loaded up with bacon, onions, and other delights. The chicken was moist and cooked well. The star of the dish was the bread adding good flavor and great look. The handmade potato chips were nice dipped in ranch for me. Our conversation led us to decide that they were very similar to King Taters.
That was an easy conclusion to arrive at since we both ended up getting the chips. Melinda had a Grilled Veggie Panini for $8.75 which tasted better than it looked. It did not look bad persay, her plate just lacked the pizazz of mine. However, the sandwich was quite tasty and executed well. The little veggie lover in her could have done with less cheese to enjoy the veggie flavor more. We left the restaurant for a total of $38.61 saving room for dessert in a little while. The cost was quite reasonable to me considering an appetizer and beer.
Having ate more than our fair share, we decided to stroll down the north end of the canal for a while. As always, this was a delightful opportunity to enjoy our city and a crisp evening. The canal being frozen just managed to add another piece of visual variety candy. If it was warmer, this walk surely would have been longer. Tonight though, the cold won out and we headed back to the Jeep.
A quick trip to Circle Centre Mall at the other end of the canal led to our next stop. The mall provides cheap parking to go and visit one of our standbys from our original dating days, The Eagles Nest.
This restaurant is really an unexpected gem in the city. Many people would be worried by the attire requirements and expensive dinner menu. We learned many years ago about the secret of the lounge. They have a great section of open seating available for drinks and desserts. We have never failed to find a seat on the window rotating around our beautiful city. The service is always great, they really do not mind how you are dressed, the desserts are a joy, and most importantly they never make you feel rushed.
We have split desserts or just bought drinks in the past. And in every case, they have no problems with you sitting there for the full hour it takes for the restaurant to rotate. This night, we splurged and both got desserts and someone got coffee. I had a Chocolate Zuccotto for $7.95 and Melinda got a Tiramisu for $7.95. Both are enjoyable and just contribute to the great ambiance of a live piano player and beautiful night of skyline views. Out the door entertainment cost was $25.64 with tip. If you need to impress a date, I can think of no more cost effective way in Indianapolis :).
All and all, it made for a great night for us. Total cost rounded out for us at $65.78 with tickets, tips, and parking. To me, that is a lot of enjoyment without a ton of cost. For about the costs of 3 family trips to Steak and Shake we come away with a great opportunity to reconnect to those days that originally led us to the little three year old.
To me it would have been worth a lot more, but I'm always more than happy to take the deal. In the end, another great example of what makes us love Indianapolis. Our low cost of living let's us have the free money to take advantage of great variety at less than big city prices (try the $1.50 parking anywhere else.)
