By David Searls
Indianapolis has many fine restaurants.
Whether your culinary tastes run to five-star elegance, top-quality comfort food or hip, neighborhood charm, you'll find it in the Hoosier capital. As the nation's 12th-largest city,
Indianapolis consistently ranks among the country's cleanest and safest city centers. So feel free to take a stroll to work off the dessert and coffee course after dining at these fine dining establishments.
St. Elmo's Steak House
Whether your appetite is more in line with the 14-ounce fillet or the 32-ounce prime rib, you'll find deep satisfaction at this landmark downtown steak house, which has been in existence since 1902. Expansion efforts over the last decade have added five new dining rooms and an award-winning wine cellar holding thousands of bottles. Professional athletes, touring rock stars and visiting celebrities have all discovered the sophisticated charm of St. Elmo's.
St. Elmo's Steak House
127 S. Illinois St.
Indianapolis, IN 46225
(317) 635-0636
stelmos.com
Dunaway's Palazzo Ossigeno
Named to the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, the building that began life as a bottled oxygen and hydrogen manufacturing plant has housed Dunaway's Palazzo Ossigeno since 1998. Within its seven distinct dining areas enjoy lunch, dinner, pastries and the award-winning wine cellar. Try the Dunaway's Tuna Nicoise or the Porterhouse Pork Chop Tagleata. Reservations are accepted at lunch and recommended for dinner. Take in the skyline view of the city on the open-air rooftop patio, a seasonal attraction, and the live entertainment Wednesday through Friday.
Dunaway's Palazzo Ossigeno
351 S. East St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 638-7663
dunaways.com
H2O Restaurant and Sushi Bar
When ambiance, menu creativity and proficiency in the kitchen are a better harbinger of quality than price, there's H2O Restaurant and Sushi Bar. This affordable sushi, seafood and vegetarian eatery features a contemporary warehouse atmosphere and two culinary school grads as co-owners and chefs. From the maki-roll menu, try the T (tuna) and A (avocado) Roll. The miso soup and seaweed salad with octopus also can't be ignored. After dinner, investigate the scrumptious expanded dessert menu, which proves the meaning behind the website promise that H2O is "where truffles meet ice cream and the rest is bliss."
H2O Restaurant and Sushi Bar
1912 Broad Ripple Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 254-0677
h2osushibar.com
R bistro
Chef/owner Regina Mehallick's second career as a professional chef took her to culinary school in Charleston, South Carolina, and then to stops in England, Scotland, Ireland and Sicily, then on to her own R bistro in downtown Indianapolis. The menu changes weekly, but if it's available, try the seared scallops with pears poached in red wine for starters. Move on to the pan-seared duck breast, sauteed kale, sweet potato cake and pomegranate sauce. For dessert, how about the red velvet cake, chocolate truffles or gourmandise with walnuts, fruit and biscuits? R bistro is open for lunch during the work week and for dinner Wednesday through Saturday. Hours vary seasonally.
R bistro
888 Massachusetts Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 423-0312
rbistro.com
About the Author:
David Searls is a Cleveland-based writer with hundreds of articles, columns and essays to his credit. Since 1984, his work has appeared in publications as diverse as "People," "Cleveland Magazine," "PaintPRO" and "Concrete Decor." Warner Books published his horror novel, "Yellow Moon." Searls graduated from the School of Journalism at Kent State University.
Photo Credits:
wine image by Fotocie from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
