Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers
This edition of “Excited about Eating” takes us to the downtown district of Indianapolis, Indiana. Downtown Indianapolis is more modern than we expected, with professional sports teams, hotels in all price ranges, and restaurants featuring almost every cuisine. We chose three of our best experiences to be included in this edition. Dora here. Want to know the coolest part of Indy? An intricate maze of sky bridges and walkways that allowed us to wander through downtown without ever having to brave the wind and 30 degree temps! And, for Pete’s sake, there’s a four-story mall!
Our first evening we visited Rock Bottom. During our visit, a fire department instructors conference was taking place at the convention center so the restaurant was decked out in fire department paraphernalia.
Dora here. Imagine that. Isn’t that why we were in Indy? Lol. Even bursting with fire personnel, we didn’t wait long for a table, and our server was friendly and knowledgeable, even recommended a couple spots for ice cream later.
I chose the Chipotle Brisket Barbacoa Pizza with honey chipotle BBQ sauce, mozzarella and asiago cheeses, beef brisket and pineapple salsa. The pizza was outstanding, and the sweet pineapple salsa took this dish to a new level.
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| Chipotle Brisket Barbacoa Pizza |
Dora here. I stole a piece of hubby’s pizza, and I totally agree! I opted for their famous Classic Mac’n Chicken, creamy spiral macaroni and cheese loaded with chunks of chicken and chased with a bit of a kick from Tabasco and Paprika. Awesome, and just the right portion size for me. Some of the best Mac’n cheese we’ve ever tasted.
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| Classic Mac’n Chicken |
I would rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant that serves outstanding food.
**
For another dinner, we dined at Weber Grill, the first location outside of the metro Chicago area. One thing that makes this restaurant unique is that all cooking is done over authentic giant Weber Charcoal grills.
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| Weber Grill |
Since there was so much on the menu that we wanted to try, we chose the three meat BBQ Combo with Hickory BBQ Ribs, Beef Brisket, and Black Angus Meatloaf served with a sweet and tangy Hickory BBQ sauce, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Mac N’ Cheese. The ribs were BBQ competition quality, tender but not fall-off-the-bone. The brisket was tender and had deep smoke favor, and the meatloaf was smoky with great texture. The sides were equally good; the mashed potatoes full of favor and the mac n’ cheese firm and cheesy. Dora here. Only one word: yum!
I would rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.
**
We’d read good things about Pearl Street Pizzeria in the Warehouse District and couldn’t wait to try it. This locally owned back-alley restaurant is in the heart of downtown and just a couple of blocks from Monument Circle, Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium.
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| Pearl Street Pizzeria |
For dinner, we shared a twelve inch deep dish pizza, meatlovers on half with sausage, pepperoni, bacon, ham and mozzarella, and just pepperoni on the other half. This pizza would stand up to any deep dish pizza we have eaten in Chicago. The meatlovers side was full of meat and the entire pizza had just the right amount of cheese and sauce. The crust was firm and the pizza was not greasy. So tempting, we dug into it before taking a picture. Sorry.
Dora here. Not a fan of real saucy pizzas or thin crusts, so whenever I can talk Ernie into deep dish, I’m all over it and this pizza was perfect! Just the way I love my pizza. Heads up, though. The place is small, and it was jammed and really loud. Get there early if you don’t want to wait to sit or order one to go. 🙂
I would rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.
Excited about Reading ~ No Other Love by Bella Andre writing as Lucy Kevin
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| Purchase Link |
The cover story:
Come for a visit to Walker Island where you’ll find stunning Pacific Northwest ocean views, men too intriguing to resist…and five close-knit sisters who are each about to find their one true love.
Morgan Walker, makeup artist to the stars, never thought she’d leave New York City to come back to Walker Island. But when she is tapped to headline her own TV makeover show, she decides it’s the perfect time to launch her organic makeup line made from flowers and plants grown on the Walker family plot of land. While she’s really excited about getting to spend a few weeks with the sisters and grandmother she doesn’t see nearly often enough, she’s equally worried about the possibility of seeing Brian Russell again. Because even though they broke up seven years ago, she’s never been able to forget him. Not for one single day…
When Brian gets the opportunity to work with Morgan on planting her new garden, he immediately jumps at it. Seven years ago, he thought he was doing the right thing by letting her go to pursue her dreams and see the world. But he’s never stopped loving her, and now that she’s finally back, he’s determined to do whatever it takes to convince her that they belong together…forever this time.
Morgan Walker, makeup artist to the stars, never thought she’d leave New York City to come back to Walker Island. But when she is tapped to headline her own TV makeover show, she decides it’s the perfect time to launch her organic makeup line made from flowers and plants grown on the Walker family plot of land. While she’s really excited about getting to spend a few weeks with the sisters and grandmother she doesn’t see nearly often enough, she’s equally worried about the possibility of seeing Brian Russell again. Because even though they broke up seven years ago, she’s never been able to forget him. Not for one single day…
When Brian gets the opportunity to work with Morgan on planting her new garden, he immediately jumps at it. Seven years ago, he thought he was doing the right thing by letting her go to pursue her dreams and see the world. But he’s never stopped loving her, and now that she’s finally back, he’s determined to do whatever it takes to convince her that they belong together…forever this time.
My takeaway:
NY makeup artist Morgan Walker finally has the career she’s always dreamt of, but fame and money aren’t as exciting anymore. She misses her family, Walker Island, and…Brian. With the offer of a new network show, she heads home to cultivate the ingredients for a brand new line of makeup, and discovers that her feelings for Brian are still very much alive. Science teacher slash football coach, Brian let Morgan walk away once, but vows not to let her leave again without fighting for their love. He didn’t want to be the one who held her back from success, didn’t want her to resent him.
Brian was more than willing to roll up his sleeves and dig in although his role was primarily to supervise the two interns who volunteered to help with the garden, Natalie, a girl who excelled in science and could make it into any college she applied to, and Tad, a football jock. It was sweet to watch their budding romance and how it parallels Morgan and Brian’s, with some of the same issues and questions.
I enjoyed my return visit to Walker Island and getting reacquainted with the Walker sisters. I liked everything about this book, especially the romance and the uber sweet ending. It’s a fast read, perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon in a hammock or squeezing in while waiting in the car pool line. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I purchased this copy of No Other Love. This review is strictly my opinion, and I received no compensation.
