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STRONG WOMEN | ESPRESSO MARTINIS

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A Guide To Your Best Friend’s Best Life

AVAILABLE AT

02 2026 ON THE COVER

TAILS OF THE CITY

GIVE ME STRENGTH

Our guide celebrating Indy’s pet scene includes advice on keeping your furry companions happy and safe, plus inspiration for fun outings. Here’s your roadmap for living your best pet-loving life.

Resistance training has long been recommended for health reasons, but a new wave of passionate female powerlifters say the sport has benefits that extend well beyond fitness.

E DI T E D BY C H R I ST I NA V E RC E L L E T T O

BY E V E BAT E Y

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

PHOTO BY ANGELA JACKSON

Illustration by Mallory Heyer

Jaclyn Wall, Jennifer Lofton, and Hannah Giere train at Indy City Barbell.

02 2026

ISSUE 6

WANTED

SPEED READ

Data center development in Indiana has drawn opposition across the political map. We examine the pros and cons.

Make LOVE, not war, with this Lego replica of Robert Indiana’s iconic sculpture.

SHOP TALK

THE HOOSIERIST

Our Indiana expert addresses rumored armadillo sightings in the Hoosier state.

Julian James Bespoke Leather Goods showcases handmade backpacks, bucket bags, clutches, and more.

MY LOOK

UNSPOKEN RULES

A manner-festo for sampling craft beers at the Indiana Brewers Guild’s Winterfest.

Consignment shop owner Amanda Newman combines classic clothing brands with artisan jewelry.

ASK ME ANYTHING

City-county archivist Jordan Ryan discusses the history of Greenlawn Cemetery.

TRAVELER

California’s City by the Bay boasts an inviting oceanfront park perfect for biking and bird-watching.

ARTIFACT

An 1860 presidential campaign badge features an image of Abraham Lincoln.

BEST BETS

Five can’t-miss events this month.

BODY+SOUL

A new diagnostic test developed by Indianapolis medical giants can help identify or rule out Alzheimer’s in patients with cognitive symptoms.

98 RESTAURANT GUIDE

A tour of the city’s best eats, from fine dining to favorite dives. 4

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

T H E DI S H

SWOON

Three Dolls Cafe & Cakery serves up baked goods like iced cinnamon rolls from its Elevator Hill storefront.

FIRST BITE

INItaly Pizzeria & Bar brings Neapolitan pizzas to Pendleton, Clayton’s Country Bar two-steps into downtown, and Clarissa Morley extols the soothing properties of pie.

FOODIE

The new owner of Illinois Street Food Emporium honors consistency at the Butler-Tarkington mainstay.

TASTE TEST

Perk up with five variations on the espresso martini.

REVIEW

Bóveda inside the Fishers Test Kitchen dishes out intimate Latin- and Spanishinspired dinners.

104 BACK STORY

LED sculpture Gavin–Divergence stands sentry over Broad Ripple Village.

PHOTOS BY TONY VALAINIS AND JES NIJJER

G O OD L I F E

C I RC L E C I T Y

VOLUME 49

E DI T OR’S NO T E

All the Rage

Wild at Heart LOV E IS I N the air this month. In February, we observe Valentine’s Day with a tribute to our most loyal and devoted companions—canine, feline, leporine, and otherwise (p. 42). I have mentioned my best beau in here, a schnauzer mix named Irving (see page 46 for his exact breed combo). At Andrea Ratcliff age 12, he is mostly retired from a long and storied career as a Houdini-level escape artist with Editor-in-Chief advanced mastery of skills such as scaling fences, dashing through doorways, wriggling out of harnesses, and unhooking leashes. Thankfully, I always captured him soon after he sped off untethered through the neighborhood, but I could have used the sage advice from lost-dog rescuer Kherri Clements (p. 47) back in his freewheeling heyday. Our cover feature, joyfully curated by lifestyle editor Christina Vercelletto, also includes tips on finding a pedigreed dog walker, bathing cats (good luck!), immortalizing your BFFs, and keeping skunks and rabbits as pets. And one of my favorite kitties in the city, Alice’s Garden mascot Jimmie, makes an appearance among an adorable menagerie of shop pets (p. 48). His equally friendly (and gorgeous) sidekick King is not pictured, but he too enjoys getting some good pets and scritches from customers. Elsewhere in this issue, we show our adoration for Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE sculpture, now available in Lego format (p. 23); meet the new owner of ButlerTarkington standby Illinois Street Food Emporium (p. 33); build an itinerary for a San Francisco getaway (p. 26); salute strong women pushing their physical limits (p. 52); and raise a glass to a host of espresso martinis (p. 36).

Macy Lethco

Christina Vercelletto

Changyu Zou

Freelance writer Macy Lethco, an Indianapolis transplant, lives in Broad Ripple with her husband and German Shorthaired Pointer pup, Van (p. 43). When not hosting dinner parties and backyard pizza nights, she pursues creative fixations and collaborates on events like the Epicurean International Food Festival, with the goal of gathering folks together for new experiences and deeper community.

Lifestyle editor Christina Vercelletto championed our cover package on Indy pets (pg. 42), inspired by the spoiled-rotten Pomeranian and the aptly named feline— Big Chungus—who run her home. Her work was frequently interrupted by demands for belly rubs and more Fancy Feast. Her new challenge is resisting a floofy stray cat with sad eyes who stares through the back door.

Illustrator Changyu Zou specializes in editorial and conceptual storytelling. For this issue of Indianapolis Monthly, she explored data center development in Indiana (p. 11), creating the illustration highlighting the juxtaposition of Indiana’s vast open spaces with the powerful information and technology boom of the 21st century.

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

“The many cheap souvenir mugs with cheesy sayings that I’ve been given over the years. They’ve outlasted my relationships with most of the gifters. ‘Virginia is for Lovers,’ anyone?” —Christina Vercelletto, Lifestyle Editor

“My bathroom scales—especially after the holidays.” —Nancy Oliphant, Account Executive

( CONTRIBUTORS )

OUR FEBRUARY BODY+SOUL (P. 28) HIGHLIGHTS DEMOLITION DEN, A CATHARTIC SPACE TO UNLEASH FRUSTRATIONS ON INANIMATE OBJECTS. WE ASKED THE IM STAFF WHICH ITEMS THEY WOULD MOST WANT TO SMASH IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

“My in-laws couldn’t maneuver stairs very well, so we put in a chairlift. According to them, it was installed incorrectly. It was too fast, then too slow, and they could never get it to work. Ten times out of 10, it was all user error. I heard about it several times a day. The chairlift has since been removed and given to someone else. I refuse to ever install one again.” —Vu Luong, Production Director

“Anyone who tells me to ‘smile!’” —Julia Spalding, Features Editor

PUBLISHER Ivy Bayer

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrea Ratcliff EXECUTIVE EDITOR Julia Spalding LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Christina Vercelletto MANAGING EDITOR Camille Graves DIGITAL EDITOR Clay Maxfield EDITORIAL INTERN Livia Wininger

Art | production DESIGN DIRECTOR Margo Wininger PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Vu Luong EDITORIAL ART DIRECTOR

Maura Broderson ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR

Christiana Bertsch

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SALES DIRECTOR Holly Whitney ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Sarah Anderton, Amy Cecil, Jena Jennings, Nancy Oliphant OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

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FEBRUARY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS IN THIS ISSUE

61 // HEART HEALTH With the observance of American Heart Month in February, now is a perfect time to monitor cardiovascular health and take steps to reduce disease risk factors. Local physicians and health professionals provide tips to help you get started.

69 // READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS What are the city’s favorite restaurants, shops, personalities, festivals, and hot spots? We asked, and our audience answered. Find out who took top honors in our annual Readers’ Choice poll, which encompassed a wide array of categories—from the premier White River State Park attraction to the best independent art gallery.

85 // SCHOOL GUIDE

Let us help you make educated choices about where to send your kids to school. Our annual list details test scores, tuition rates, and contact information for public, private, and charter schools, as well as enrollment numbers, room and board fees, and degrees offered at statewide colleges and universities.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE ...

FACES OF INDY: Our annual Faces of Indy profile section introduces local business leaders with vast experience and expertise in industries such as real estate, health care, finance, education, retail, travel, residential design, and restaurants and hospitality. Find out more about what makes them outstanding in their respective fields.

BIG TEN BASKETBALL FAN GUIDE: March Madness returns to Indy as the Circle City plays host to the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Get details about the game schedule, special events, and fun attractions to visit during the championships.

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SPEED READ

The Data Center Rush

It seems like every tech company wants a piece of Indiana these days, with the giants from Silicon Valley buying up land to construct buildings packed with IT equipment. But while the Hoosier state has typically welcomed outof-state business, local data center development has drawn opposition across the political map. Read on to learn what’s at stake. Illustration by C H A NGY U Z O U

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

( SPEED READ CON T I NUE D ) THE IT INDUSTRY NEEDS DATA CENTERS

INDIANA IS AN APPEALING TARGET FOR BIG TECH. Land is far cheaper in places

like Indiana than it is where most of these companies are based, and many of the tracts these corporations purchase are unused or blighted. That’s one of the reasons Democratic Indianapolis city-county councilman Ron Gibson is cautiously supportive of data centers that seek to gain a foothold here, saying, “If your choice is a lot where people dump trash or a building from a company that promises to give back to the community, which will you pick?” Indiana’s lack of regulations is another factor, says Bryce Gustafson, a spokesperson for Indiana consumer and environmental advocacy organization, the Citizens Action Coalition. “In Indiana, people don’t usually fight back when big business comes in. Just look at our history. But this time, something’s changed. People are not backing down.”

house, which places a notable burden on local power companies—and in locales that already have data centers, that’s resulted in skyrocketing electric bills for everyone in the region. “I could not get AES to promise me that rates would not go up across the grid for customers,” Hart says, and Gustafson reports similar equivocation from Duke Energy, which also powers much of Central Indiana. Then there’s cooling, as all those computers and equipment get remarkably hot. Most data centers use vast amounts of water to bring temperatures down. This seems like it wouldn’t be an issue in verdant Indiana, but Newton County, Georgia, which has comparable rainfall, tells a different story. It’s expected to experience a water deficit by 2030 due to an influx of data centers in the region. THE BUILDINGS BUZZ. Data centers built in heavily populated areas like Indianapolis are also accused of creating noise pollution, mainly from the fans used by those cooling systems. When Hart investigated Google’s plans for the data center in his district, he discovered that noise from the proposed center would be “80 decibels all day, every day. That’s basically the volume of a vacuum cleaner, but, remember, it’s all the time.”

THE LOCAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF DATA CENTERS REMAIN UNCLEAR. Gibson’s fellow councilor Michael-Paul Hart, who describes himself as “a conservative Republican,” successfully opposed Google’s efforts to bring a data center to his district, in part by comparing the tax benefits residential development would bring to the tract sought by the tech company. “Data centers employ very few people,” Hart says, “so we wouldn’t be seeing much in the way of economic benefits. And the other issues they bring are just too big to ignore.” ALL THOSE COMPUTERS ARE HOT STUFF.

Data centers use a tremendous amount of energy to power the devices they 12

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

NOT ALL DATA CENTERS ARE CREATED EQUAL. Gibson argues that while heat, water, and noise issues may be true for some data centers, it’s unfair to paint them all with the same brush. “When a data center is proposed in their area, people need to research that company and look at the plans instead of kneejerk opposition.” But that’s not always an option. Many companies make land purchases anonymously and refuse to disclose their plans. Others require city officials to sign multiple nondisclosure agreements before sharing a proposal. “Many people are surprised to learn that Indiana laws don’t require these companies to be transparent,” Gustafson says. “This is the first time

they’re realizing that the people who are writing pro-business legislation might not necessarily have their best interests at heart.” JOBS AND TRAFFIC DON’T WEIGH IN.

While data centers might differ in scale, noise, and consumption, one thing is consistent: After the work of construction is done, the fortress-like buildings employ only a few people, typically as janitorial or security staff. That’s good news for residents wary of additional cars on their streets, but it also means the impact on jobs is low. OBSOLESCENCE IS A REAL CONCERN.

“Think of how different tech was five years ago. Now 10,” Hart says. “Companies in China already have technology light-years better than what we’re putting into data centers now.” Anyone who remembers the roomsized computers in the 1970s knows the truth of this statement—a 17-year-old iPhone packs more power. “Things are getting smaller and more efficient at an incredible rate,” Hart says. “By the time a lot of these data centers are built, they could be as obsolete as Washington Square Mall.” DATA CENTER OPPOSITION IS QUICKLY BECOMING A POLITICAL LITMUS TEST.

“People are looking past party divisions to vote for people who promise to protect them from data centers,” Gustafson notes, citing a November election in a conservative part of Virginia in which a Democrat unseated an incumbent Republican via an antidata center platform. Gustafson travels around the state as an organizer for Citizens Action Coalition and says the issue is one of the first things raised in town halls for current and prospective candidates. Gibson agrees, yet says he’s still in support of a data center in his district. “I know it’s a risk to speak out in favor when so many voices are against. But if I can help my community move from blight to opportunity, it’s worth the risk.” —EVE BATEY

ILLUSTRATION BY CHANGYU ZOU

TO SURVIVE. Without data centers, you wouldn’t have websites, apps, streaming services, video chat, or AI, all of which require significant computing resources. Data centers house the hardware necessary to keep those services—and many, many others—up and running. Every tech company either occupies space in one or, as in the case of big corporations like Google, Amazon, and Meta, builds their own.

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( UNSPOKEN RULES )

Winterfest A MANNER-FESTO FOR THE CRAFT BEER EVENT AT THE INDIANA STATE FAIRGROUNDS ON FEBRUARY 7

Northern Bound

Q: I THOUGHT I SAW AN ARMADILLO ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IS THAT POSSIBLE? AREN’T THEY A DEEP SOUTH THING?

A: If you mean deep Southern Indiana, then you’re correct. The nine-banded armadillo—the state mammal of Texas—started colonizing our state in the early 2000s. Enabled, like so much else, by climate change, it is now spotted as far north as Indianapolis. There’s likely a limit on how much farther up the animals can march, however. They lack fur and insulating fat, and their naturally low body temperature makes them particularly vulnerable to hypothermia. The cat-sized prolific diggers can ride out brief cold snaps in their burrows, but a long stretch of icy weather will do them in. And yet, the DNR has received a few confirmed reports of armadillo sightings as far north as Elkhart County, so maybe they’re tougher than we think. — S A M S TA L L

THE STATE STAT

33 in.

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

The largest one-day snow dump in Indiana history, on the town of Salem in January 2004. New Whiteland earned an even more dubious honor in 1994, when it registered the state’s all-time low temperature of -36 F.

ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN JOHNSON

ask THE HOOSIERIST

Support local brewers by taking a minute to chat. Consider going even if you don’t like beer. Canned cocktails and ciders are also offered for sampling. Don’t bring a pint glass. You’ll get a 3-ounce commemorative glass; brewers won’t pour into anything else. Make a pretzel and mini-bagel necklace with a ribbon. It’s tradition and handy for soaking up the suds. Leave a good tip at the coat check, run by adult day services nonprofit Joy’s House. Grab a designated driver: They get free coffee and soft drinks. No takers? Plan on a rideshare. Locate the restrooms on the map before you need one. Expect lines for obvious reasons.

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ASK ME ANYTHING

that historians were looking for 10, 20, maybe even 100 years ago. You get to help scholars, neighborhoods doing research about their area, and genealogists. You’re doing detective work. Every week we have a moment when we scream with joy because we found something we thought was lost forever. It’s fun.

How did you become involved in the Greenlawn Cemetery project? Nobody here at the city could do cemetery compliance. I used to work for the person who oversaw all of the historic cemeteries throughout the state in the State Historic Preservation Office. The Department of Metropolitan Development hired me as a contract archivist and then-Deputy Mayor Judith Thomas brought me in to work on Greenlawn. Then I was made part of the full-time staff, and the Greenlawn work became an official part of my job. I have multiple cemetery projects, but the Greenlawn excavation is the biggest.

GREENLAWN CEMETERY, THE CITY’S FIRST PUBLIC BURIAL GROUND, HAS BEEN CARVED UP, BUILT UPON, AND PAVED OVER THROUGHOUT THE DECADES. RECENTLY, HUNDREDS OF ITS OCCUPANTS WERE DISINTERRED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE HENRY STREET BRIDGE PROJECT. RYAN IS A KEY FIGURE HELPING THE CITY NAVIGATE THE LEGAL, HISTORICAL, AND ETHICAL MINEFIELD THAT DISTURBING SACRED GROUND CREATES. BY S A M S TA L L

For readers who haven’t followed this, why is Greenlawn Cemetery so important? It was the first public cemetery in Indianapolis, and back in the day, it covered at least 25 acres. We only have about 1.5 acres involved in the Henry Street bridge project. The thing that makes Greenlawn interesting is that it dates to the city’s very beginning, before even Crown Hill Cemetery, which opened during the 1860s. Prior to that, just about everybody was buried together at Greenlawn. Black and white. Young and old. Rich and poor. They all wound up there.

What, exactly, is your job? My HR-official title is administrator of public records, which means nothing to anyone. It’s for both Indianapolis and Marion County, so the title we’ve been using with the public is city-county archivist. That seems to be more accessible to people than government jargon. I help collect, manage, and make accessible government-related records for 45 different agencies, including city offices, county offices,

How is it possible that such a signiﬁcant cemetery could be “forgotten” and built over? I try to remind people that we shouldn’t think about it in terms of today’s values. You have to put yourself in the moment it happened. And in the moment this happened, professional anthropology didn’t exist. There weren’t even any laws governing the care and maintenance of cemeteries until the Historic Preservation Act in the 1960s.

Jordan Ryan, city-county archivist

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

and some quasi-governmental and municipal corporations.

How’s that going? We have an almost 150-year backlog of records management, archiving, and collections ahead of us. Indianapolis is just over 200 years old, and my position has had only one predecessor. It’s a huge project, and I won’t finish everything. All I can do is leave it better than I found it. But it’s nevertheless amazing. You find stuff

“THE THING THAT MAKES GREENLAWN INTERESTING IS THAT IT DATES TO THE CITY’S VERY BEGINNING, BEFORE EVEN CROWN HILL CEMETERY, WHICH OPENED DURING THE 1860 S . PRIOR TO THAT, JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY WAS BURIED TOGETHER AT GREENLAWN.”

Since a lot of these people were buried in the 1830s, ’40s, and ’50s, you may not have had any of their family left by, say, 1890 to give a damn. The city was growing and industrializing, so then who’s to stop them from building on top of the cemetery? I’m not defending what happened, but it helps to remember it was a different time.

with them. But the gravestones are often heavily damaged or gone. We have to decide if we’re doing new stones, and if so, see how many people we can identify so we can put a name on the stone. We need to build a biographical sketch of each set of remains. We’ve got years of genealogical research ahead of us to figure all this out.

So then, cemeteries like this get erased more often than we realize? Every city erased a cemetery during this era of growth during the Industrial Revolution. Yes, these kinds of erasures are much more common than we would like to think.

How long will it be before the Greenlawn dead are reinterred? I think it’s going to be a long process because of the sheer number of remains. There’s a lot of analysis and documentation that has to happen, per state law. The State Historic Preservation Office has to approve a burial plan before we can even begin.

How often did you visit the Greenlawn excavation, and what did you see? I went to the excavation probably once a week to work with the principal investigators. Or if there was a really interesting discovery, they might call me and let me know just so I could see it for myself. We officially wrapped the excavation in October, so we’re not out there anymore. If you go now, it just looks like dirt being prepped for a road. We ended up finding 1,709 grave shafts. Most shafts contained full, partial, or isolated remains. That is a lot. And I don’t even know how many thousands of artifacts we have. Everything from glass coffin viewing windows, to coffin hardware, to rings inscribed with initials, to dolls buried with children. What happens to the remains and the objects that were uncovered? The remains will be relocated. The artifacts people were buried with will all go back into the ground

What kinds of stories will emerge with the people you’ve found? It’s been really interesting to see all of the names that are on the headstones and footstones. It’s going to be an amazing anthology of the first 40 or 50 years after the creation of Indianapolis. If your family has lived in this city for a long time, you may have a relative who was buried there, but they’ve been covered up for so long that they’ve been erased by time, by development. It’s our duty to uncover their identities and reassociate them with their names and biographies. This is a huge community engagement opportunity, as well as for all citizens who potentially have ancestors there. We’re going to find the earliest Indianapolis politicians. We’re going to find the guy who worked at the local tavern. We’re going to find the blacksmith. We’ll find the people who literally made this city. I think this project is a gift, both to me and to the city.

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FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

Abraham Lincoln campaign badge VINTAGE: 1860 Resides at The Indiana State Museum

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

THE PRESIDENTIAL election of 1860 saw Abraham Lincoln seeking his ﬁrst term with the country deeply divided over slavery. This campaign badge bears a tintype—or tinted metal—photograph taken by Mathew Brady on February 27, 1860, in New York City, the day Lincoln gave a speech at Cooper Union. Lincoln remarked that the success of the speech and Brady’s photograph helped him win the presidency. The roughly 2-by-3-inch brass-framed pin, part of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, was made in Boston. The pin was mounted onto a canvas circle covered with white silk ruffles and a pink ribbon (lost to time). Such badges were made in far fewer numbers than today’s mass-produced buttons. In 1860, photographs were a new tool in politics that helped make Lincoln more familiar to the public. (In keeping with 19th-century custom, after announcing his candidacy on May 9, Lincoln largely stayed at his home in Springﬁeld, Illinois, while others traveled to speak on his behalf.) His election on November 6 was the only one in U.S. history that led to states immediately seceding. — C H R I S T I NA V E R C E L L E T T O

PHOTO BY TONY VALAINIS

ARTIFACT

PHOTOS COURTESY: (1) ADOBE STOCK EDUARD; (2) LIVE NATION INDIANA; (3) CIVIC THEATRE; (4) PACERS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT; (5) CLAY MAXFIELD/INDIANAPOLIS MONTHLY

THIS MONTH’S CAN’T–MISS EVENTS

(1) Pre-Dating Speed Dating

February 1 The world’s largest speed dating company comes to the Living Room Theater just two weeks before Valentine’s Day. Two groups (ages 24-39 and 42-59) will rotate through as many as 12 potential matches; the rest is up to them. pre-dating.com 20

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

(2) Blue Man Group February 6–7 Your inner Tobias Fünke will be thrilled to learn that the decadeslong social experiment turned music/comedy powerhouse is landing at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre for an evening of interactive live theater. murattheatreold national.com

(3) The Great Gatsby February 15 Award-winning playwright Simon Levy’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic cautionary tale of wealth and excess comes to Carmel’s Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts with a special “relaxed” performance intended for those with sensory sensitivities. thecenterpresents.org

(4) New Edition February 19 The all-star group behind 1980s R&B hits like “Candy Girl” and “Cool It Now” is back on the road with The New Edition Way Tour, which hits Gainbridge Fieldhouse with guests Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton. gainbridgefieldhouse.com

(5) Purdue Boilermakers

v. Indiana Hoosiers

February 20 The latest chapter in Indiana’s longtime rivalry plays out at Mackey Arena, when our two biggest universities battle for basketball supremacy. Purdue is the current Big Ten favorite, but diehard fans know anything can happen with Hoosier hoops. purduesports.com I l l u s t r a t i o n b y H AT S U E

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02 2026

SHOP TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 MY LO OK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

G O OD L I F E

TRAVELER . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 B ODY+SOUL . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

WANTED

Snap to It Thinking about making it a low-key Valentine’s Day this year? Cozy up with the Lego Art LOVE set, a display-worthy, adult-friendly build that turns Robert Indiana’s iconic sculpture into a conversation piece sized to sit atop an end table, a desk, or a shelf. It uses crisp red, blue, and green bricks to shape the familiar letters, giving a nod to Newﬁelds along with a modern touch to your home. The project pairs perfectly with wine and vinyl for a relaxing, romantic evening. $80. The Lego Store, Castleton Square Mall — C H R I S T I NA V E R C E L L E T T O P h o t o b y T O N Y VA L A I N I S

FEBRUARY MONTH 2022 2026 | IM

MY LOOK

Julian James Bespoke Leather Goods ADDRESS

1060 N. Capitol Ave., Suite 6-102 HOU RS

Mon–Wed, Fri 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Sat 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

( SHOP TALK )

Leather Legacy

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Consignment Shop Owner WHICH STYLES DO YOU GRAVITATE TO?

DESIGNER TRACY JAMES MAKES LUXURY ACCESSORIES AT SURPRISINGLY GOOD PRICES. BY E V E B AT E Y

Understated looks like Eileen Fisher and Ralph Lauren. I add ﬂair with jewelry, especially artisan and Native-made turquoise. DO YOU HAVE A METHOD TO COLLECTING PERFECT PIECES?

Buy only what you love and what ﬁts you right now. Less is more. It’s almost easier to dress with less to choose from. WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO STORE?

I rarely shop retail, but if I do, it’s Nordstrom Rack. scouted (1) Snap Wallet, $45 (2) Studded Sling Bag, $333 (3) Cinch Bucket Bag, $350 (4) Envelope Card Wallet, $45 (5) The

Take Out in gold, $350

HOW DO FURNISHINGS IMPACT A SPACE?

I believe your home should reﬂect you. I love color, meaningful collections, and things that tell stories. —LIV WININGER

PHOTOS BY TONY VALAINIS

W H E N ASKE D what the most expensive item in his Stutz Building shop is, Tracy James pauses before pointing out a black backpack made from a buttery hide. “That’s around $500,” he says. In a world where logoed mass market totes go for double that or more, the number is shocking for a piece sewn by the designer himself. “I’m selling to our community,” he explains. “There’s no reason to gouge on prices.” The North Central High School grad started sewing when he was all of 5 years old, but switched his focus to the performing arts in high school. In the midst of a marketing career, James—dissatisfied with what was in stores—decided to make his own leather work bag. Suddenly, people were asking him to make them bags, too. A startup was born. Today, the eponymous business—Julian is James’ middle name—is a showcase for his own designs. Yet most of his sales are custom work. “I’ll make whatever you want, and I can help you refine your vision,” he says. Those bespoke pieces might cost a bit more than what you see on the floor, but James believes it’s worth it. “You’re getting exactly what you want, and it’s a quality piece that you can pass on.”

Amanda Newman

PROVEN EXPERTISE for uncertain markets.

A Division of The Natio nal Bank o f Indianapo lis

317-261-1900 | www.NBofI.com | Indianapolis Not FDIC Insured – No Bank Guarantee – May Lose Value

San Francisco DISTANC E

2,255 miles FLY T I M E

5 hours

Highway to Heaven A NEWLY CREATED PARK ON THE EDGE OF THE CONTINENT IS SAN FRANCISCO’S LATEST TOURIST TREAT. B Y E V E B AT E Y

DAY TRIP 26

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birds. The feathered denizens are such a mascot that local roastery Andytown Coffee (andytownsf.com), which boasts four outposts along the coast, has a drink named after the tiny breed—the Snowy Plover is a mix of sparkling water over ice, espresso, brown sugar syrup, and house-made whipped cream. Head north along the shoreline to the ruins of the Sutro Baths (nps.gov/goga/learn/ historyculture/sutro-baths.htm), a popular public bathhouse in the early 1900s that was destroyed by a 1966 fire. What remains has become home to wildlife including raptors, mussels, and the occasional sea otter. When it’s time to wind down, duck into Park Chalet (parkchalet.com), an indoor/ outdoor restaurant and bar in the coastal defense headquarters used by the Army during World War II. Or walk up Lawton Street to The Rusty Ladle (rustyladle.com), SF’s only restaurant solely devoted to soup, where a bowl of Bodega Bay Style Clam Chowder will quickly counteract any Pacific chill.

IF YOU GO FLY United Airlines (united.com) offers a daily nonstop to SFO, making a trip to NorCal almost as easy as one to Chicago. RIDE Self-driving

taxis from Google sister company Waymo (waymo.com) are ubiquitous, providing fast and solitary conveyance. STAY Since 1937,

the art deco Ocean Park Motel (ocean parkmotel.com) has welcomed visitors to its cedar-paneled, dog-friendly rooms just steps from the beach.

HOWARD PARK’S ice trail offers a skating experience a rink can’t match. Glide over gentle hills and around bends as you make your way along the loop. A picturesque frozen pond is accessible from the trail. An area is designated for learning broomball, a game like ice hockey played in rubber soled shoes. 219 S. St. Louis Blvd., South Bend —CHRISTINA VERCELLET TO

TRAVELER PHOTOS COURTESY SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL; DAY TRIP PHOTO COURTESY HOWARD PARK/FACEBOOK

SAN FRANCIS C O is the second-most densely populated city in the U.S. (New TRAVELER York takes the crown), yet it’s still famous for its parks: Golden Gate Park is known the world over, and its Bay-facing Crissy Field is a frequent location for TV, movies, and commercials. Its newest outdoor recreation space, Sunset Dunes, made its debut in 2025 after voters across the city agreed that cars should be booted from a crumbling, sand-obstructed road next to the Pacific Ocean, with a walkway taking its place. Now cyclists and pedestrians share four divided lanes. Benches, public art, and even a piano dot the 2-mile stretch bordering Ocean Beach, as well as a skate park and signs directing visitors to nearby shops, restaurants, and coffeehouses. The beach itself is an important habitat for the western snowy plover; the dunes provide nesting areas for the endangered

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( LET LOOSE )

Break Time

Early Warning A BLOOD TEST DEVELOPED IN INDY COULD CHANGE HOW NOT ONLY HOOSIERS BUT THE WORLD APPROACHES COGNITIVE DECLINE. B Y E V E B AT E Y T H E U.S. is in a dementia crisis. According to a recent BODY +SOUL study published in Nature Medicine, by 2060, diagnoses of cognitive decline are expected to hit a rate of 1 million a year—double what they were in 2020. That’s one of the reasons the FDA’s approval of a new test from local drug company Eli Lilly and Swiss medication company Roche is such a big deal. Developed with help from scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine, the test, called the Elecsys pTau181, uses blood-based biomarkers to determine the likelihood that someone with dementia symptoms has Alzheimer’s disease or if they’re suffering from another disorder. Past research—much of it done at IU’s 35-year-old Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center—revealed that people with Alzheimer’s have increased levels of a protein called phosphorylated 28

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

tau (often abbreviated as pTau or p-tau) 181 in their blood. In the past, specialists checked levels of that protein using expensive and invasive measures such as a spinal fluid test, but the Elecsys pTau181 is just a standard blood test that can be ordered by a family doctor for patients over age 55 with cognitive symptoms. Results are back in about a day. The test isn’t a one-and-done diagnosis, however. If the test is negative for pTau 181, the doctor must investigate for other potential causes of dementia symptoms. If it’s positive, the patient is referred to a neurologist for further Alzheimer’s testing. Meanwhile, IU School of Medicine has received a five-year, $16.5 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to research the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s. That means within the next few years, Indy won’t just be the birthplace of the accessible Alzheimer’s test—it might also be home to the disease’s most cutting edge treatments.

G O AH EAD. Rage against the machine, the dying of the light, or anything else that happens to be pissing you off. The Demolition Den is a place to unleash all those pent-up frustrations in an environment where visitors are encouraged— they insist, actually—to let go and break stuff. “Everyone who comes here is going through something,” says operations manager Sam Farrar (whose wife Darah is the owner). “We also rent out the whole place for corporate events, team-building activities, and parties.” The experience is equal parts recreation and stress relief. After suiting up in helmets, gloves, and coveralls, guests are turned loose with a baseball bat or a golf club to spend the next half hour smashing the bejesus out of old TVs, defunct printers, glassware, and other expendable items. Sessions are $50 per person; beer and soft drinks (and axe throwing) are available. It’s a surprisingly good workout. When all’s done, you’ll likely feel exhausted. But less stabby. 5060 E. 62nd St., 317-8687477, demolitionden.com — A M Y LY N C H

ILLUSTRATION BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN

Find a safe space in Eastwood to release all that tension.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2025

Guests to our fall Indulge dining event at Carmel’s Hotel Carmichael were greeted by a fully restored Ford Bronco worth over $300K. Inside, champagne and cocktails flowed while professional photographers captured the evening. During dinner, attendees were treated to surprises including custom coolers, gifts, and games. View photos from the event at indianapolismonthly.com/indulge.

THANK YOU!

SPONSORED BY

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02 2026

C H E E R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 T H E F E E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

T H E DI S H

P I NC H OF W I S D O M . . . . . . 32 F O OD I E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 TA S T E T E S T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 R E V I E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

SWOON

Sweet Spot

An old black-and-white photo hangs on the wall just inside the door at Three Dolls Cafe & Cakery, the tiny bake shop that mother-and-daughter owners Amber Krouse and Townsend Welton opened last October in Elevator Hill. If something feels familiar about the century-old image—of a man in a long white apron beneath the awning of Shissler’s Confectionery, where ﬁve-cent root beer, candy, light lunch, and something called Muscadine Punch are among the offerings—it’s because the photo was taken next door, and the man in the photo is Krouse’s great-great-grandfather. The location was a natural, if historic, ﬁt for Three Dolls, a former caterer and food truck that now pairs decorated cakes, brown butter cookies, and these iced cinnamon rolls with savory comforts, including a fried chicken biscuit dripping with house-made hot honey. 1008 E. Washington St., 463-388-1889, threedolls-cafe-cakery.square.site — J U L I A S PA L D I N G FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

PINCH OF WISDOM “Pie is an inherently communal dish— and it’s hard to stay angry at someone when they’re offering you pie. If you’re trying to build a new relationship or patch a damaged one up, start with pie.” –Clarissa Morley, owner Pots & Pans Pie Co.

EVOO, My! FROM NAPLES TO PENDLETON, INITALY PIZZERIA & BAR PUTS ITS DOUGH FRONT AND CENTER. BY J U L I A S PA L D I N G AN I N T I MAT E, window-lined dining room among Pendle-

ton’s sweet storefronts and storybook homes, INItaly Pizzeria & Bar is one of those places that answers the question: How far would you drive for a really good pizza? Part of chef Catello Avagnale’s family of Italian dining spots that includes Catello’s Italian ArtCuisine, INItaly is all business when it comes to its ingredients and presentation. Pies like the Pulcinella (featuring mozzarella and homemade meatballs with dollops of ricotta) emerge from the Naples-style tiled domed oven, their toppings arranged with near-mathematical precision. The dough, fermented for 24 hours, delivers a crisply blistered crust that is both chewy and airy. It is also the inspiration for some delicious riffs on the pizza food group. That includes a plate of puffed montanarine, pillows of fried pizza dough topped with sauce and cheese; a selection of pinched-off deep-fried pizzas similar to calzones but lighter; and a burger nestled inside a bun made from leopard-spotted pizza dough fired in the oven. 107 E. State St., Pendleton, 765-221-1049, initalypizzeria.com

( CHEERS )

Rhinestone Cowboy

Clayton’s Country Bar brings comfort food and late-night honky-tonk energy to the South Meridian Street nightclub strip. A MASSIVE black cowboy hat trimmed in glowing bulbs lights up the corner of downtown’s Maryland and South Meridian streets, signaling that Indianapolis has a new spot to pull up a chair and grab a PBR tallboy. Clayton’s Country Bar—set inside the historic Morrison Opera House building that housed Hard Rock Cafe from 1999 to 2019—looks and feels like a slice of Nashville’s glittering Broadway Street (aka the Honky Tonk Highway). Created by Bedford, Indianaborn country singer Clayton Anderson, the bar opened in September, leaning hard into its raw and rootsy charm. License plates line the walls, live music ﬁlls the room most nights, and the vibe is unapologetically twangy. 49 S. Meridian St., claytonscountrybar.co — J. S .

TALL DRINK Run by certified holistic health coach Gina Montgomery, Gina’s THE FEED

Juice Bar, formerly of Broad Ripple, has claimed one of the spots inside the updated Factory Arts District, with plans to open early this year. LOOPED IN After 18 years rolling from festival to festival, the owners of the Hometown Mini Donuts food truck have opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Pittsboro. — J. S .

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MORLEY PHOTO BY TONY VALAINIS

( R OA D T R I P )

FAVORITE THINGS

Now Serving

WILLIFORD PHOTO BY JAY GOLDZ. BOOK COVER COURTESY OPTIMISM PRESS

A NEW OWNER USHERS IN ILLINOIS STREET EMPORIUM’S NEXT ERA. BY B R I A N G A R R I D O “I’V E BE E N eating here since I was a kid,” says 25-year-old FOODIE Matthew Williford, the new owner of Illinois Street Food Emporium, one of Butler-Tarkington’s longest-standing and most familiar neighborhood spots. The native Hoosier grew up nearby in SoBro, attended Bishop Chatard, and then graduated from Purdue University. He went on to work at C-SPAN’s West Lafayette office but eventually realized he preferred community over cubicles. “It was lonely,” he admits. “I wanted to build something tangible that connected people.” In the summer of 2024, his broker notified him of an opportunity to buy the Emporium. He leapt. “I’m not changing what people love,” he says. “I’m enhancing by working with local farmers and producers. Familiar but better.”

Since he took ownership in September 2025, his mother has started stopping by for a weekly lunch, his old high school friends have popped in to congratulate him, and he recognizes faces from the communitybuilding efforts he organized as a teenager. “Owning a business like this is about stewardship and being a good neighbor,” says Williford, who notes that his sense of purpose deepened during the pandemic. “Covid hit when I graduated high school. It shaped how I think about isolation,” he says. “It made me realize how important places like this are.” When he’s not behind the counter, the former competitive swimmer still swims laps or hikes with his longtime girlfriend. “I love places that make Indy feel like you’ve escaped the city without really leaving it,” he says. “That’s the feeling I want people to have when they walk in.”

(1) Traders Point Creamery.

“Five minutes from 465, but it feels like the country.” (2) Fitness Farm. “Walking trails, farm animals, and peace.” (3) Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. “A reminder that good service is about connection.” (4) The North Central High School pool. “Where I swam competitively and still go to clear my head.” (5) A good Malbec. “My go-to red. My girlfriend and I went to North Carolina’s Biltmore Estate and discovered the wine at its tasting room.”

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

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P h o t o b y J E S N I JJ E R

TASTE TEST

Vicino

The Baristo offers customers a choice of Tito’s vodka or Patrón barrel select reposado tequila to complement espresso freshly drawn for each order, along with rumbased cold brew liqueur and a splash of vanilla syrup. 350 Massachusetts Ave., 317-7982492, vicinoindy.com

But First, Vodka ESPRESSO MARTINIS PACK A POWERFUL ONE-TWO PUNCH OF BOOZE AND CAFFEINE. HERE ARE A FEW OF THE BEST SPOTS TO GET THE BUZZ. BY A M Y LY N C H

Astrea

At this posh rooftop perch, vanilla-infused vodka tempers espresso to create a creamy mouthfeel. Cold brew coffee liqueur, demerara sugar simple syrup, and cinnamon bitters all play strong supporting roles, and Hubbard & Cravens Firenze beans cap each sexy beveled coupe. 17 W. Market St., 463303-0400, astrearooftop.com 36

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The Ball & Biscuit

Part of the original 2018 menu, the Espressotini keeps the coffee front and center, blending vodka, Caffé Amaro, and simple syrup with a nitro cold brew concentrate selected speciﬁcally for this purpose. It’s so popular, founding partner Kendall Lockwood even teamed up with friend Casey Whitley to create a canned variation. 331 Massachusetts Ave., 317-636-0539, ballandbiscuit.com

The Alchemist

This cozy Kennedy-King neighborhood lounge infuses Meili Vodka with vanilla beans for its Last Espresso Martini, working in sustainably sourced espresso, coffee liqueur, and handcrafted dulce de leche syrup for a velvety caramel ﬂavor proﬁle. 1660 Bellefontaine St., 317-6830957, thealchemistindy.com

The Vault

Hubbard & Cravens coffee beans ground fresh to order provide the foundation for this classic Espresso Martini, a mélange of vanilla vodka, espresso liqueur, Kahlua, and agave. Pro move: Ask the bartender to throw in a splash of Bailey’s Irish Cream. 1542 S. East St., 317419-2030, vaultindy.com

Bóveda chef Levi Kinney’s intimate dinners have included a two-part prime ribeye presentation plated with Romesco and a potato croquette.

BÓVEDA

bovedaﬁshers.com VIBE

Latin-inspired small plates

Table Talk

TASTING NOTES

LEVI KINNEY’S SPANISH-INSPIRED CHEF’S DINNERS GOT OFF TO A DELICIOUS START AT THE FISHERS TEST KITCHEN. B Y T E R RY K I RT S “EVERY MEAL should

tell a story,” chef Levi Kinney says as he sets REVIEW out plates of succulent, tender red aguachile in the tiny Tasting Room of Fishers Test Kitchen, where the concept was originally launched. The guests have reserved one of 10 seats at Bóveda, an intimate, twice-weekly dining experience that the longtime rugby player from Cathedral High School and Wabash College kicked off early last autumn before relocating to a new home. The lightly cured, almost silky shrimp sitting atop a tangy toss of charred red cabbage curtido with pickled Fresno 38

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chiles aren’t just a first course. They tell of Kinney’s time studying abroad in Spain to better what he calls his “horrible” Spanish and a rugby tour in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, where he spent his days off falling under the spell of flavors he’d never tasted in the Midwest. They also tell of his unlikely journey from a hardscrabble childhood in a trailer park in Jackson, Michigan, to operations director at the restaurant incubator on the northeast side, with stops at Michelin-starred restaurants along the way. And they tell of his ambition to fuse classic French techniques with world flavors to create refined yet soulful dishes. Since spring of 2021, Kinney has operated Gordito’s Rust Belt Tacos & Tortas, also at

Chef’s kitchen dinners featuring Spanish and Latin ﬂavors with seasonal Midwestern ingredients and classic French techniques MUST-ORDER

A regularly changing menu of meticulously composed dishes such as preserved summer Romano beans with charred rainbow carrots, a prime ribeye with the cap cooked separately to temp, and Basque cheesecake with mulled pears and a cinnamon toast–inspired tuile for dessert 3-STAR RATING

+++ P h o t o s b y T O N Y VA L A I N I S

Fishers Test Kitchen, where brisket and pork belly burnt end tacos pay homage to the fare Mexican immigrants ate while working in Midwestern factories. But landing his own concept was the culmination of a culinary odyssey with plenty of twists and turns, including early jobs as a “proud fry cook” at Claddagh Irish Pub, multiple positions at Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, and bartender at Sun King Brewery. From these humble beginnings, Kinney, who gained his kitchen know-how entirely on the line, was lucky enough to stage at Washington, D.C., legends Bresca and Jônt, which hold one and two Michelin stars, respectively. In 2019, he made a short-lived bid to own and operate Moe & Johnny’s, the beloved SoBro watering hole, a part of his story and a legal snarl he may prefer to leave in the past. “The cards just didn’t fall in our favor,” Kinney says. The sheer diversity of Kinney’s kitchen experience made his dinners at Bóveda all the more enjoyable for their seamless flow and chill vibe, commitment to regional ingredients, and vibrant plating. And there’s just enough storytelling from the unassuming Kinney, who never steals the show. He speaks lovingly, for instance, of a humble-sounding plate of “carrots and beans” on a mid-November menu, which includes some of the last Romano beans of summer, preserved to use in colder months. He flavors them gently with the tannic sweetness of tamarind and pairs them with robust roasted rainbow carrots and a knockout sauce of ginger, apple, turmeric, and coconut milk, flavors that lean more Asian than Latin American. A crackly, light-as-air square of coca bread, a focaccia-like bread popular in Catalan, comes topped with Honeycrisp apples, a nod to Southern Michigan, and earthy rosemary. With a quenelle of partially cultured butter, it’s a dreamy intermezzo. While the Test Kitchen’s private table was meant to feature a revolving cast of local chefs and upstarts for private meals and cooking classes, the fact that the space is somewhat underused led Kinney to brand it and upgrade the lighting, seating, and service pieces last summer. The small staff—including sous chef Robert Parsons, another rugby player from Brookville, Indiana, whom Kinney “saved from a warehouse job”— learned to do everything within the tight confines to make diners feel at home. The longer the meal progressed, the 40

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A chorizo-andchicken panade with Brussels sprouts (left) and surprisingly airy focaccia-like coca bread (below) were stars of Bóveda’s fall menu.

more diners can see the science of food at work in dishes with intricate components. A chicken thigh, for instance, gets deboned, stuffed with a rich panade of chorizo and sourdough and stored in refrigeration under a fan that dries the skin to ensure a crackling crispness, especially when brushed with fat under high convection heat for the last few minutes. It’s a dish that’s inspired by Kinney’s time apprenticing in the D.C. dining scene, though he dresses his with Brussels sprouts spiced with dried chiles, seasonal acorn squash, and an aromatic chicken jus reduction. Similarly, a prime ribeye has its well-marbled cap, or spinalis muscle, removed from the tender eye so neither part overcooks and diners get a taste of two sides of the steak, both perfectly rare and melting. A stately potato croquette, a smear of classic Spanish romesco, and a lush pan sauce complete the elegant dish you won’t see in a steakhouse.

Occasionally, Kinney’s desire to emphasize constituent flavors gets the best of a creation, as in a gazpacho-like golden beet and butternut salmorejo inspired by ones he had in Andalusia, though the bracing tartness of sherry vinegar dominates. And while a bit of the wow factor of his Basque cheesecake’s well-browned exterior is lost in presentation, Kinney makes up for it with a judiciously spiced pear compote, a maple–white chocolate ganache, and welcome crunchy bits of a cinnamon tuile. And his final story. “The tuile recalls cinnamon toast,” Kinney says, “one of the ‘struggle meals’ we made in Michigan when we didn’t have much and wanted something sweet.” Kinney has since announced plans for a freestanding location for Bóveda, but right out of the gate, he found a sweet spot to showcase both his culinary prowess and his roots, which make a delicious, inspiring pair.

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Pets!

ILLUSTRATIONS BY Mallory Heyer

OF THE

To say we like animals here at Indianapolis Monthly is quite the understatement, so we couldn’t wait to dig into creating this guide celebrating Indy’s pet scene. You’ll find expert advice on keeping your furry companions happy and safe, inspiration for fun outings, and an introduction to sweet and sassy local shop pups and felines. Hear from devoted pet parents whose best buddies changed their lives. (You may want to grab the tissues.) We reveal how to bathe a cat without losing an eye and the life of a mischievous skunk—We’ve got our eye on you, Kipper. Whether your heart belongs to a big ol’ mutt or you’re thinking of rescuing a rabbit, here’s your roadmap for living your best pet-loving life.

EDITED BY

Christina Vercelletto

WRITTEN BY

Eve Batey, Jeana Harris, Amy Lynch, and Sam Stall

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Scan here for our online exclusive showcasing Indy’s favorite petﬂuencers.

Pointer to a New Life

This Broad Ripple couple thought a big move was what they needed. Turns out, it was a dog. AFTER A FEW years together, my husband and I settled into a comfortable groove. We had lived in several different cities in our twenties, but during the pandemic, our life became routine. Food delivered to the porch, self-checkout at the grocery store, headphones in. Although we’d moved to Broad Ripple for its walkability, we found ourselves driving short distances for takeout. While life felt under control, it lacked the sense of purpose and adventure we craved. We considered moving to a larger city, scanning home prices (yikes!) and job opportunities, wondering if a change in location would spark inspiration and deliver a thriving social life. Eventually, though, we realized many of our existential questions boiled down to being a bit bored. We weren’t quite ready for the kids conversation but needed some external accountability—something to force us out of bed early, be more active, and introduce new experiences. While I never identified as a “dog person,” my perspective began to shift as my partner presented well-researched arguments for why a puppy would be the right kind of challenge. The breed he had his heart set on was a German shorthaired pointer. They’re smart, quick learners, agreeable, and loving, and typically live long, active lives, retaining a goofy, puppy energy as they age. We continued discussing what it would look like to take on this shared responsibility, which felt like the next step in our life together as a couple. A moment from a vacation, when we observed a couple at a cafe with a sweet GSP lying at their feet, felt like a sign. Somewhat of an ambitious choice for first-time dog owners, a GSP is a high energy breed, a challenging blessing that we were committed to

embracing. Our first winter with our puppy consisted of cold, early morning hikes, middle of the night potty breaks, and lots of obedience training. As we’d hoped, he caught on quickly, putting himself to bed when he started recognizing the sound of the TV turning off at night, but we didn’t make it out of the puppy stage that easily. He spent months recovering from a parasite, unable to play with other dogs, as we wiped his little paws every time we came inside and cleaned up countless messes in the house. All the effort felt worth it the first time Van, our active boy, curled up on the couch beside us after a long day of play. We marveled at his little snores and took pictures every few minutes. Fast-forward two years, and he cuddles on the couch with me every evening. Van has brought so much meaning to our lives. He reshaped our days as we learned new skills, grew our patience, and pursued new activities. We researched dog behavior and instincts, learning training methods and compassion as we practiced with him each day. He became an instant conversation starter with neighbors and strangers alike, and his eager, curious temperament made us more open, too. And forget regular walks—I picked up running. He helped me train for my first half-marathon, bouncing around as I laced up my running shoes and whining whenever he felt my pace was too slow. After visiting my parents’ house for Christmas and seeing his enthusiasm for off-leash running, we decided to buy a house with a small yard. We moved just a few streets away from our first apartment in Broad Ripple so we could still take advantage of nearby places to hike, run, and play with him. Van has made every morning better, bounding down the hall, toy octopus hanging from his mouth, checking every window for squirrels. He’s made every evening sweeter, greeting me at the door with his tail wagging when I come home from work. He’s made us more present in our daily lives and given us the structure, excitement, and inspiration we were seeking. — M A C Y L E T H C O

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Pets!

NO BUNNY LEFT BEHIND

THE VOLUNTEERS at the Indiana House Rabbit Society in Fountain Square spend their days patiently explaining a concept that “casual” rabbit enthusiasts often have a great deal of trouble grasping—namely, that keeping a rabbit is a very different experience from owning a cat or dog. While the average human possesses almost intuitive insight into what canines and felines are like, they often don’t realize—until it’s too late—just how different rabbits are. They are highly sensitive, frequently mischievous vegetarians with strong feelings about everything from rugs, to their things being moved, to the bunny pecking order. Dawn Sailer, president of the group’s board of directors, has spent years gently disabusing eager rabbit owners of the idea that the animals are content to sit in cages looking adorable when they’re not being cuddled. The truth, she says, is that bunnies need space, exercise, care from an exotics vet, and—most surprising to potential adopters—lots of fresh produce. A rabbit needs a daily “green salad,” as Sailer calls it, which means their people should spend more time in the produce section than the pet food aisle. Rabbits also like to chew and dig, “redecorating” whatever part of the house they deem theirs. Carpeting always takes heavy abuse. Then there’s the matter of handling them. Children especially often learn the hard way that prey animals who are scooped up suddenly by much larger creatures bite. This is how many rabbits wind up surrendered to shelters. Still, for the right person in the right set of circumstances, sharing the company of a rabbit can be deeply rewarding. Sailer says they’re gentle souls capable of forming ﬁerce bonds with patient humans— and even being empathetic. That is, as long as you understand that they’re not starter pets and, reminds Sailer, “They don’t like to sit in a cage.” Think you’re ready? You can see the adoptable Bunny of the Day at indianahrs.org.

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Adventures in Cat Grooming BATHING A CAT sounds about as pleasant and sane as sticking a fork in an electric outlet. But at PurrSnips (purrsnips.com), a cat-embracing salon on the northeast side, owner Sarah Shelley has turned this most chilling of feats into a science. And occasionally, so she swears, a pleasure. Shelley worked with dogs for years and admits that grooming cats is a far sketchier affair. Cat bites are much more serious than dog bites because their fangs trap bacteria in deep puncture wounds. “When I started, all I heard was how I don’t want to groom cats,” she recalls. “They’re called ‘career enders.’ If they get a tendon or give you an infection, your livelihood is over.” Knowing that cats usually lash out because they’re scared, she redesigned the entire grooming process to feline sensitivities. That

means no dogs, no ringing phones, no bright lights, no noise. And each client and their feline(s) have the place to themselves for the duration of their appointment. Cats are taken one at a time into a bathing room scented with calming pheromones. Everything, down to pre-positioned towels and exactly-warm-enough water, is controlled to prevent nasty surprises. Pro tip: To a cat, all surprises are nasty surprises. “The goal is to not hurt or startle,” Shelley says. “Those are the two things that make even a good cat flip out.” She first wraps kitty in a wet, warm towel, then carries her to the washing tub. Believe it or not, many cats, once soaked, seem to enjoy the experience, says Shelley. Some regulars even purr through the blow dry. The cost? $115–150, depending on coat type—a relatively small price to pay.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

A Tale of Two Skunks IT’S A GOOD thing Tammy Mirante is a hardcore animal lover, because she’s taken to a critter that most don’t find that endearing. She shares her home with her husband, her three kids, two golden retrievers, a pair of Chihuahuas and, most notably, two skunks. The brothers, named Kipper and Remy, arrived two years ago after an acquaintance who was a skunk rehabilitator (yes, that’s a job) asked if she wanted to adopt one, knowing of her outsize love of animals. In the end, she took in two. “They’re rescues from a fur farm,” explains Mirante, who lives in Fortville. One of the retrievers embraced the new playmates instantly; the other can take or leave them. The Chihuahuas recoiled in horror—and stayed that way. To this day, they perch on the couch to avoid fraternizing with the irksome fart squirrels. Mirante trained the

boys, who had their scent glands removed at the farm, to do their business on pee pads. That process is not so different than with puppies—lots of praise and treats, which for skunks can be berries or raw, unsalted nuts. Kipper, Mirante says, is

A full warning display involves a tail in the air, which in the wild means they’re about to hit you with a massive dose of regret. “like your toddler who is into everything, all the time.” Remy, though, is nearly as skittish as the Chihuahuas, fleeing at the sound of unfamiliar voices. Skunks typically weigh 7 pounds or so, but the portly fellas, good eaters both, tip the scales at 15 pounds. They sleep all day, throwing their considerable weight around at night. All night.

Pets! The real drama begins when they get annoyed, perhaps by the smell of vinegar or citrus, or by their food bowl taken to be cleaned. “They stomp! And then they throw their butts at you,” Mirante shares. A full warning display involves a tail in the air, which in the wild means they’re about to hit you with a massive dose of regret. Skunks are intelligent, playful, and cute. But does Mirante recommend one as a pet? Maybe, for someone who’s home a lot and can handle the nocturnal activity. But she’s sure of this: It’s a long-haul commitment. “They’re more work than a child, really,” she says. “And that’s coming from a woman with three.” CHEERFULLY CHUNKY

Kipper, top and center, is the fearless one, often happily walking on a leash. Remy, near right, is curious, but cautious.

STROKE OF CREATIVITY Grabbing a well-composed, in-focus photo of a

family pet can be as difficult as getting a clear shot of Bigfoot. It’s no surprise then that Karen Seltzer, the artist behind Best in Show Pet Portraits (bestinshowpetportraits.com), has a waitlist. Working out of a Broad Ripple home studio she shares with a 35-year-old turtle, Spotty, and cat Terra, she immortalizes pets in heirloom-quality art. Working from a handful of photos, Seltzer renders an oil painting with a unique representation of a client’s companion. Why commission a canvas when they already have photos? It’s simple, says Seltzer. “Paintings capture a pet’s personality a lot better than any phone pic.” FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

Pets!

The Perfect Winter Day Beat cabin fever and have a howling good time with your pupper.

STOP AT: Centerpoint Brewing Broad Ripple (6320 Guilford Ave.) Calm canine companions are welcome anywhere in the taproom. Dog-friendly snacks and water bowls abound.

START AT: City Dogs Grocery (1028 Virginia Ave.) Browse and stock up at this general store for pets. Don’t miss the toys— as if he’d let you.

DIP INTO: BRICS (901 E. 64th St.) Warm up with cocoa or coffee while your pal laps up a Doggie Dip, a cup of whipped cream with peanut butter drizzle.

VISIT: Three Dog Bakery (444 Massachusetts Ave.) When they said all dogs go to heaven, they were surely talking about this wonderland of woofworthy treats.

HIT: Wildﬂower Pet Spa (6150 Hillside Ave.) Is he a bit sticky from all the goodies? Pamper that pooch with a bath and styling session.

HEAD TO: Pins Mechanical Company (856 Carrollton Ave.) Dogs are warmly greeted at this old-school game mecca of duckpin bowling, pinball, Giant Jenga, and more.

WIND DOWN AT: Sully’s Grill (6955 N. Keystone Ave.) Dogs riding in shopping carts—and sharing a Bavarian Pretzel Stick in the cafe—are a common sight at Sullivan Hardware.

THEY SAY IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY?

Hide treats to be sniffed out in P.L.A.Y.’s Celebration Snufflemat on his gotcha day. The squeaky candle detaches as a bonus toy. $40. petplay.com

FLUFFY, ALOOF … AND SECRETLY NEEDY?

“Do cats ever get lonely? Mine couldn’t care less when I leave for work.” Yes. “While cats are generally more selfsufficient than dogs, they benefit from social interaction, even if they pretend otherwise,” says Kerry McHenry, DVM at the Cat Care Clinic in Nora. Still, assuming you spend quality time with your feline friend when you’re home, leaving a healthy adult cat to go to work is fine—if he has an enriching environment. It might include a window perch, a climbing tree, a puzzle feeder, and/or toys she can play with on her own. That will help prevent negative behaviors stemming from stress. Cats don’t need “kitty daycare,” but resist thinking of them as autopilot pets, urges Dr. McHenry. “They’re complex, social creatures with needs that we sometimes underestimate.”

ALL ABOARD!

The newest form of doggie daycare just pulled up.

ASK A PUP, “Wanna go for a ride?” and he’ll likely sprint to the door, a ﬂurry of tail-wagging excitement. Indeed, Tanya Hedegard’s doggo Scotch inspired her to launch Indy Pup Bus (indypupbus .com) in October 2025. The adventure—an off-leash romp on four fenced-in acres at Webster Family Farm in Pendleton—includes pickup and drop-off. “The staff was clearly obsessed with dogs in the best way,” says Angela Tellus of Carmel. “Hershey came home tired and happy.”

I GOT IT FROM MY MAMA

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Ellie

Eugene

Irving

Lucy

Peach

Mass Ave

Fountain Square

Pike Township

Castleton

North Central

49% Greyhound 23% Saluki 21% Whippet 7% Supermutt

26% Shih Tzu 19% Bichon Frisé 17% Pomeranian 15% Lhasa Apso 13% Toy Poodle 10% Maltese

65% Miniature Schnauzer 17% Rat Terrier 10% Supermutt 8% Standard Schnauzer

33% Australian Shepherd 27% Rottweiler 13% Supermutt 8% Pembroke Welsh Corgi 8% Golden Retriever 6% Shih Tzu 5% German Shepherd

100% Pomeranian

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Rat terrier, really? A purebred from a rescue? DNA reports always hold surprises.

Pets!

When a Dog is Lost Learn what to do now—because you won’t be thinking straight if your fur-child goes missing.

IT WAS -2 degrees at 3 a.m. on January 20, 2025, when I let my Pomeranian, Peach, out. I watched at the door. She stepped off the porch into the snow—then something caught her eye, and she trotted out of sight. Odd, I thought as I threw on a coat and boots. In the two minutes it took me to get outside, she vanished. For three hours, I trudged around my North Central subdivision, frantically calling her. As the sun came up, I gathered a search party: my adult kids, a family friend, and a neighbor. The latter, a hunter, looked for her tracks in the snow leading away from my house but didn’t find any. We combed the neighborhood until we couldn’t feel our faces. My instincts in those initial hours may have made matters worse. “Resist calling your lost dog’s name,” says Kherri Clements of On The Run Lost Dog Recovery in Hamilton County. “When do we yell our dog’s name? When he’s done something wrong. He’ll think he’s in trouble.” Dogs who’ve been out for even a short time can revert to survival mode and instinctively run, even from family. “If you spot your dog, but he doesn’t come right away, quietly sit down and toss out treats,” suggests Clements. If your dog is microchipped, let the company know he’s lost. If you can’t find the records, go to petmicrochiplookup.org. Regardless, file a lost dog report with shelters and veterinarians within 20 miles. Most important, Clements insists, is not only posting to your social accounts and the Nextdoor app but also hanging flyers within a 2-mile radius. Peaceful Souls Animal Rescue & Recovery (peacefulsoulsanimalrescue.com) recommends brightly colored signs with a big photo of your pet. Write only “Lost Dog,” “Do not chase,” and your number. Never include your dog’s last known location or offer a reward. Why? That encourages people to search. “If dogs feel like they’re being hunted, they get farther away and better at hiding,” warns Clements. But do ask neighbors to check their video doorbells for sightings, encouraging them only to “be on the lookout.” After the second subzero night passed and a third was approaching, I was resigned. Peach had either been taken by a coyote or frozen

to death, and it was my fault. I put away her food bowl because I couldn’t bear to see it. My daughter made eggplant parm, urging me to eat. I picked at it, reassuring her that I was OK and she could go out with her friends. But that night I sobbed so loud and so long that my son, a hardboiled sort, texted his sister. “Mom crying. Idk what else to do. Can u come home?” She did, with a friend’s idea: Put Peach’s bed outside. Skeptical, I laid the pink plush cushion she liked to nap on at the far corner of my icy porch. I woke the next day to a call from a neighbor: “I think I saw Peach, running, a block west!” As I flung open the door, Peach was just stepping onto the porch. Her fur was caked with ice and had dried blood on it, but she scampered over with the same “pick me up” expression she always wore. Panicked dogs, I have since learned, default to navigating by scent. Peaceful Souls confirms that a bed, blankie, or an item of clothing from the hamper can act as a beacon. Was that what guided Peach home? Our vet speculated that based on the nature of her wounds, an owl tried his luck carrying her off. But I’ll never know where she was or how she found her way back. Clements cautions against relying on an AirTag to find a lost dog. “A real GPS that communicates with satellites requires a subscription.” If you want to go that route, Clements likes the Life360 Pet GPS Tracker. But first things first: Never let your dog out alone—not even if it’s 3 a.m. and bitter cold.

IF YOU SEE A STRAY

Post the sighting to indylostpetalert.com, noting the day, time, and cross streets. If the dog comes to you, go to a vet or animal shelter for a free microchip scan.

— C H R I S T I NA V E R C E L L E T T O

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

Pets!

RETAIL ASSOCIATES

Dug

Jimmie

Saffron

Watt’s Blooming, 615 Massachusetts Ave. This lovable Tibetan terrier—at best guess, says ﬂorist Amy Watt—was one-third of an enthusiastic welcome wagon after he was adopted in 2018, but sadly, shop cat Mac passed a few months ago. Still, along with fellow canine Clover, Dug soldiers on, excelling at schmoozing with guests, modeling ﬂower crowns, and posing for photos.

Alice’s Garden, 3205 W. 71st St. This handsome moggy wasn’t in good shape when he snuck into the westside nursery last summer. Fortunately, Jimmie bounced back to health and now spends his nights in a cozy bed on a high cabinet surveying his adopted kingdom. Owner Kathy Barger says the “lovable brute” is strong-willed, insisting on poking around in all the bags and boxes.

Irvington Vinyl & Books, 202 S. Audubon Rd. Friends of the shop discovered this eastside street cat hiding in a nearby hedge with her tiny kitten about a year ago. Both mother and daughter have since settled nicely into the airy record store digs where they enjoy interacting with customers between bouts of chasing each other around bins, hiding in cubbies, and dozing in the sun.

Scrapper

Stuart

Sweet Potato

Pen and Pink Vintage, 2610 Shelby St. Named for Indy blues guitarist Scrapper Blackwell, this affectionate orange tiger cat appeared during the pandemic at 6 weeks old. Owner Laura McPhee is sure he arrived via the “cat distribution system” of internet legend. He comes running when the shop door bells jingle, hoping for head scratches, cooing, or—joy!—a warm lap to sit on.

Bike People, 414 Dorman St. Stewie has been a furry ﬁxture since Bike People opened in January 2025. Owner Matt Martin says this gregarious shih tzu and mini-schnauzer mix is “the friendliest shop dog in the city paws down!” He should know; the dog belongs to his sons, Miles and Julian, and lives with the family in the Cottage Home district.

Tomorrow Bookstore, 882 Massachusetts Ave. A tiny gray stray tabby with a big voice, Sweet Potato came in off the street in 2024 and never left. Bookstore owners Julia Breakey and Jake Budler officially claimed the curious and vocal feline, but she remains ﬁercely independent, socializing only as much or as little as she feels like.

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PHOTOS PROVIDED

Say hi to these four-legged greeters when you stop in at these animal-loving businesses.

Pets!

BEST FOR

IF REQUESTED

UNLIKELY TO

PRICE POINT

KEEP IN MIND

Pet Staycations

WORTH THE WALK

Even the most fervent pet lover occasionally has to leave their furry, scaled, or feathered family member behind. We break down your options.

An expert helps you ﬁnd the right walker for your pupper.

BOARDING FACILITY

VET’S OFFICE

HOUSE SITTER

KIND NEIGHBOR

Healthy, wellsocialized dogs with current vaccinations who do well in group settings

Pets with special needs that require daily medical care beyond standard pilling (for example, daily sub-q ﬂuids)

Uncommon domestic pets; dogs or cats that are stressed out in unfamiliar situations or have socialization challenges

Fish, reptiles, birds, and healthy cats who will only be left behind for a couple of days.

Most also provide minimal daily medical care such as supplements and oral medication (often for an additional fee). Some offer grooming.

Daily updates and photos via email or text; medical testing and monitoring

Walking and socialization for dogs; boxcleaning for cats; cute photos and regular updates

Mail and package pickup

Send daily updates unless speciﬁcally requested; take dogs out for nonfacility walks/ socialization

Offer group play or socialization; accept lastminute holiday guests

Groom or wash your pet; complicated medical care; household chores

Help you again if you fail to thank them profusely and/or bring them a small gift

Under $100/ night per pet

Likely the most expensive option; ﬁnal price dependent on your pet’s medical needs

Depends on number of pets and breadth of expectations, but typically less than $50/night

A debt of gratitude; reciprocation likely expected

It can be well worth the money if your pet is elderly or inﬁrm.

Unlike vets and boarding facilities, a sitter isn’t required to be insured—ask if they are before booking.

Do not expect your neighbor to clean up pet waste, scoop the cat box, or perform other unpleasant tasks.

Dogs with separation anxiety often do best in boarding facilities, as they are never alone.

IF DOGS made the rules, we’d never leave them. But that’s not how it works, which is where a dog walker comes in. But identifying the ideal midday companion for your pet isn’t easy. Esta Denny, founder of Indy’s Furry Godmother (furrygod motherindy.com), has seen it all. These are the questions she’d ask if she were hiring a walker for her own dog: How long have they been walking dogs professionally? “You want a walker who views this as a job, not a hobby,” Denny says. A top-notch walker can provide references from past clients to confirm professionalism. Are they insured? Insurance companies offer pet walking businesses specific policies that cover injuries to your dog—and unexpected damage or harm your pet, however well behaved, might cause. “You do not want to be on the hook if something goes wrong when your dog is with a walker,” Denny says. Are they flexible? Some dogs need to go to a park and run; others struggle with socialization, Denny points out. “Your walker should accommodate your dog’s needs and schedule, not vice versa.” FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

Pets!

Lost and Found As with many of life’s best experiences, when it comes to pet parenthood, timing is everything.

LET ME TELL you about my first pets. And then my last. It all began with Skeeter, a battle-scarred tomcat who sauntered into my childhood home and gamely tolerated my affections. That is, until the fateful afternoon when he sauntered back out—and never returned. Then came Snoopy. We’d moved into a house at the very end of a windy road in Sullivan, Indiana, surrounded by fields of corn stubble. Snoopy was the type of pooch you’d expect to find hanging about such a place: a wildly, exuberantly vicious farm dog who didn’t have many friends. Only a select few, including me, could safely lay a hand on him. I liked that. It made me feel like I belonged to an exclusive club. The only bad thing about Snoopy—at least to me—was that he didn’t live long enough. But that’s the deal we make when we live with pets. The part of the contract we don’t talk about. Each time I lose one, I swear I will never face that pain again. And each time, after the worst of the mourning has lifted, I rediscover that the decision is never really mine to make. Because I don’t seek out my animal companions. They find me. Gracie, a terrier mix I encountered by chance, proved that. My elderly neighbor’s collie needed ear mite drops, but the weather was bad, so I offered to pick the drops up. A shelter was running an adoption event at the store and Gracie, sharing none of my practiced indifference, barked at me from her cage until I finally walked over—just to quiet her down, of course. She lived to 18, an excellent run for a dog, though not nearly long enough. After her came Trudy, a stray cattle dog mix who wandered into my yard as a puppy. It was

easy to ignore the fact of our eventual parting as it was so far down the road. But her allotted 14 years were gone in a flash. Trudy’s passing forced me to face an unwelcome truth: I wasn’t young anymore. The thought of loving and then having to say goodbye to another companion was unbearable. So I declared, with somber finality, that I really was done. Specifically, I declared this to my ex-wife, who nodded knowingly but said nothing. Some days later, she casually mentioned she had something she wanted to show me. “Something” turned out to be kittens living under a shrub beside her house. She placed a black and white puffball in my hands. When she asked me if I wanted him, I immediately said no with the conviction of a man who absolutely meant it. But it wasn’t up to me: The kitten promptly curled himself up in the crook of my arm. Today, Arthur still curls up, making sure he’s touching me, every night. And Lenny—his shrub mate—sleeps nearby. I didn’t go looking for them. I never do. But pets keep finding me, as if they know something I forget in the grief of every farewell: that love doesn’t stop just because it hurts. And maybe that’s the quiet blessing of all the animals who have wandered through my life. None of them stay long enough, but every one stays long enough to matter. — S A M S TA L L CLOSE AT HEART

PEACEFUL PASSINGS. Instead of having your pet spend her last moments in a veterinary clinic, consider turning to Lap of Love. The end-of-life veterinary team offers in-home hospice care and euthanasia. Several IM staffers have used the service and say the hardest day was made a little easier thanks to the doctor’s genuine concern and kindness. lapoflove.com

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

Lynee Walters of Bliss Glass creates beautifully colorful glass pendants incorporating a pet’s ashes, each priced at about $50. All are crafted in her Mooresville home studio. blissglass.com

Pets!

RESCUE MISSION

Here’s why adopting dogs and cats matters more than ever. A PERFECT STORM OF challenges has created a crisis situation for local pet adoption agencies. From municipal animal shelters like Indiana’s largest, Indianapolis Animal Care Services, to prominent, privately funded organizations, such as IndyHumane, the same struggles appear across the board: financial shortfalls, limited human and infrastructure resources, and simply too many helpless animals in need. Donna Casamento, IndyHumane chief executive officer, says that they receive calls for assistance from other shelters nearly every day. The bulk of requests come from IACS. Because IACS is required by ordinance to take in stray dogs and owner surrenders, it’s continuously beyond capacity in both space and staffing. “We pull animals from them and often help with medical cases as they don’t have a veterinarian on staff. We have an awesome medical team here, so we’re fortunate to be able to help out in these situations,” she says. With dogs, specific breeds are not so much a hurdle as size is. Though a major percentage of canines-inwaiting are pit bulls and pit mixes, “large dogs are the population we struggle the most to find homes for,” Casamento says. Additionally, the winter months are difficult on already-stretched staff. For example, in frigid temperatures, dogs can’t be temporarily moved outdoors while their kennels are cleaned, so the inside of the shelter

becomes more crowded and chaotic. Cold weather fostering is extra impactful, and it doesn’t need to be a longterm commitment. Stays from a few nights to a couple of weeks can be arranged. Foster parents report back on temperament or behavior challenges, information that Casamento calls “invaluable.” Meanwhile, cats bring their own challenges. “We no longer have the resources that would allow people to just take a cat to a shelter

Fostering doesn’t need to be a longterm commitment. Stays from a few nights to a couple of weeks can be arranged. like they used to be able to,” says Dawn Benefiel, executive director for Indy Neighborhood Cats. “IACS can tell them, ‘No, sorry, we’re full,’ and that shouldn’t be. We need to have an openadmission shelter for cats.” Because cats are “prolific breeders,” Benefiel says the primary focus for free roaming cats in the community is trapneuter-return. This method of controlling feral cat populations has seen more than 13,000 cats fixed in the last seven years thanks to Indy Neighborhood Cats’ program.

At the time of this writing, the organization was on track to fix 2,400 cats in 2025. Additionally, it provides support to folks caring for outdoor cat colonies. “Every cat we keep out of a shelter leaves a spot for an animal that truly needs it,” Benefiel says. For those who want to assist but can’t adopt or foster, “financial support is the biggest help for us,” Casamento states. IndyHumane relies on donations, grants, and revenue from its spay/ neuter clinic, as it doesn’t get tax dollars. Or consider donating time. Volunteers pitch in with everything from playing with cats to doing laundry. Casamento loves the Parent & Me program, which allows parents to volunteer alongside their kids (ages 8-plus). “It teaches them philanthropy, and you’re doing something wonderful for the community and these animals,” she says. Learn about volunteering at indyhumane .org/get-involved/volunteer and indyneighborhoodcats .org/volunteer.

Give Hope a Home WINTER ISN’T loosening its grip any time soon, unfortunately, but what better way to warm your heart than with the love of a newly adopted shelter pet? You don’t have to wait for a publicized adoption day. Each county’s humane society website shows current adoption hours as well as available pets. Or consider either of these special happenings hosted by IndyHumane: »EMERGENCY PAW-JAMA PARTIES: The need for

these short-term foster events spikes during extreme temperatures. Keep an eye on the weather and watch IndyHumane’s Facebook page. Be ready to go by filling out the fostering paperwork in advance at indy humane.org/foster. »100 DAY CLUB: The

patient residents in this club have waited 100 days or more to find their forever families, so their adoption fees are waived. Visit indyhumane .org/adopt/ adoptables100-days to see these hopeful forever friends.

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GIVE ME

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STrENGTH

BY EVE BATEY P HOTOS BY ANGE LA JAC KS ON

RESISTANCE TRAINING HAS LONG BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR HEALTH REASONS, BUT A NEW WAVE OF PASSIONATE FEMALE POWERLIFTERS SAY THE SPORT HAS BENEFITS THAT EXTEND WELL BEYOND FITNESS. PUSHING BACK

KRISTINA LUND IS AMONG THE NEW LEAGUE OF INDY WOMEN FINDING THEIR PLACE IN LOCAL LIFTING GYMS FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

“Lifting weights changed my life,”

HEAVY LIFTING

NAZ SALMAN IS AN AWARD-WINNING POWERLIFTER AND GENERAL MANAGER AT INDY CITY BARBELL.

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

Kristina Lund tells me from a College Park coffee shop. The 48-year-old Harvard Business School grad is about as far from the stereotype of an ironclanking musclehead as you can imagine: Once the CEO of electric service company AES, Lund spends her days as an executive in the power industry. But her off hours are spent demonstrating another sort of power in the gym. The mother of two has been a competitive weightlifter for almost three years and says the experience has been transformative. “It’s incredible how your life shifts when you go from focusing on how you look—or how small you can get—to how strong you can be,” she says. Powerlifting, as the sport became known in the mid-1950s, focuses on excellence in three specific movements: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. Other movements performed by competitive powerlifters beyond the three key lifts are called accessory work; they’re typically in service of the big three. The sport has always been more welcoming to women than other strength-based pursuits, says sports history expert Conor Heffernan. In the 1940s, for example, Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton was a barbell-hoisting fixture at Santa Monica’s famous Muscle Beach, even arranging weightlifting competitions for her fellow female athletes. But as the fight for women’s equality grew more heated in the final decades of the 20th century, so did pressure for women to be slighter and slimmer. As we sought space in the halls of power, fashion, and society, folks ranging from Jane Fonda to Kate Moss suggested we should take up less. But in recent years, something’s started to change. More women are stepping away from group exercise classes, CrossFit-style high-intensity workouts, and so-called “toning” routines, trading hours spent in the cardio zone for iron-pumping programs. Almost all of them say they’re fitter than ever—but that’s not quite the point. This isn’t a story about how these women shed that pesky baby weight, or how they stopped overeating, or even how they got a butt like J-Lo’s. This is how they learned to stop caring about all that garbage. And how I did, too.

DRIVING FORCE

Maria Yim is only 26, but her athletic resume would be the envy of someone twice her age. A competitive dancer in middle and high school, she was a Division I rower for the University of South Florida as an undergrad. She lifted weights as a student athlete, but it wasn’t until she moved back to Indy in 2024 that lifting became her main fitness movement. When she looks back on her early teens, she remembers facing pressure “to be the ideal shape, the ideal weight,” but rowing showed her another way to live. “A lot of that conditioning of how to view my body, how to view other women’s bodies, broke when I was surrounded by these other powerful women,” she says. The local weightlifting community has provided Yim with a similar support system. “Some of my biggest social circles started coming through at the gym. Some days, my workouts are 90 minutes of lifting and another hour of just yapping.” That barbell-based camaraderie also brings Hannah Giere back to the gym. The 39-year-old development manager

shares, “Before weightlifting, I didn’t have any sort of athletic life. I was sort of the consummate nerd.” In late 2019, she reached a pivotal point in her life: “I had moved houses, had a new job, and was really unhappy with my body.” She joined a small gym on the east side that offered group exercise classes. “I wasn’t really enjoying it, but I felt like that was what I had to do to lose weight.” One weekend, the gym hosted a class on deadlifting, “and I was immediately smitten. I felt full of strength and power. I was over the moon.” Architect Jennifer Lofton (age 50) and IT professional Jaclyn Wall (42) were in the same deadlift class as Giere. Lofton joined the gym “because I knew I needed to do something. I couldn’t really keep up with the cardio classes, but I did what I could do,” including calorie counting and other dietary changes. “But I was still the same size, which frustrated me at the time.” Meanwhile, Wall was taking high-intensity interval training classes after a life playing intramural team sports. “I was trying to

LUND (ABOVE) AND JACLYN WALL (LEFT) PREPARE THEIR BODIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR POWER MOVES.

A lot of that conditioning of how to view my body, how to view other women’s bodies,

broke when I was surrounded by these other powerful women. FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

GYM BUDDIES (CLOCKWISE) JENNIFER LOFTON, JACLYN WALL, AND HANNAH GIERE LIFT TOGETHER REGULARLY.

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

I love the effort and process of weightlifting. But what makes me accountable and keeps me coming back are

these women, my friends and teammates.

lose weight and get my health in check,” she says. All three remember that when the deadlift instructor, Melissa Gustafson, entered the room, they suddenly saw another way to live, a life in which they could switch focus from burning calories or dropping pounds to getting as strong as possible. The trio started working out together soon after, a tradition that continues to this day. “I love the effort and process of weightlifting,” Wall says. “But what makes me accountable and keeps me coming back are these women, my friends and teammates.” In 2021, they entered their first powerlifting competition together; in the years since, the three of them have amassed a slew of medals. “In just a few years,” Lofton says, “I went from sitting on the couch and feeling not so great to state and national records in powerlifting. I’m pretty proud of myself for that.” As the weight they lifted ticked up, the societally imposed noise about their weight on the scale turned way down, Lofton, Wall, Giere, and many of the other women I spoke to for this story told me. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t experienced that phenomenon myself. I suspect I’m not alone when I tell you I was raised in a world that emphasized aesthetics over performance. “Your body takes after your father’s side of the family,” I remember my mom telling me as she gestured at a photo of my sweetly round Swedish grandmother. “So you’re always going to have to watch out.” I wanted to be thin to please my mom, to satisfy the world, to fit into the clothes I saw in magazines. Sometimes it was easier to be thin than others. The pandemic, which coincided with my first job as a food journalist, was definitely one of those “other” times. As the world reopened and an expectation to occasionally don something other than sweatpants returned, I started running endless miles on

the treadmill and eating one meal a day (typically an elaborate restaurant experience tied to my reporting) to get what I thought of as “back into shape.” One day, the owner of my gym told me he’d been watching me—but he didn’t offer the praise for my speedy decrease I expected. “I’ve seen you take your body back down to the studs,” he said, gesturing at what I imagined to be an admirably ever-widening thigh gap. “It’s not my place to tell you what to do next. But you should think about it.” A few days later, I took an imaging test for a story in this very magazine, and the results floored me: My body fat percentage put me in the “obese” category because my muscle mass was so very low. I was still spinning from the interaction with my gym owner and the body scan chaser when I heard about Casey Johnston. Like me, Johnston was a journalist who’d counteracted her sedentary profession with running and food restriction. A little more than a decade ago, she started strength training after hearing that it might help her change her body composition; like everyone else in this story, she swiftly fell in love with lifting as a sport—and the pursuit of power goals (aka more plates on the bar) superseded her interest in being smaller or thinner. She’s since written a beginner weight training book called Liftoff: Couch to Barbell and a memoir called A Physical Education (find both, as well as her newsletter, at shesabeast.co). “My personal background primed me to be especially vulnerable to the media ecosystem, which is very focused on losing weight, only eating 1,200 calories a day, and doing your cardio,” Johnston tells me over video chat from her Southern California home. “Like so many women, that shaped my entire understanding of what my relationship with my body, food, and exercise should be.” “I found this new way of seeing myself and my body in lifting weights,” she says. “I realized that the relationship between food, exercise, and rest could be a constructive feedback loop instead of a destructive one” built around punishing workouts and eating less, always less.

“I love food. I can’t imagine a life where I just say no to it,” says Naz Salman, an award-winning powerlifter and the general manager at Indy City Barbell, arguably the area’s most popular strength training gym. “We FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SUPER POWERS

GIERE AND WALL (TOP), AND EMMA MANNS (BOTTOM) FIND A RARE KIND OF FELLOWSHIP AT THEIR LIFTING GYM.

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

We can take that energy we spent on feeling bad about our bodies and put it toward things that

GLISE PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY RACHEL GIESE

really matter. have a lot of women who come in here; it’s the standard thing: ‘I want to be a size 2.’ But then they get a barbell in their hand, and everything changes. They forget about being small. They want to be strong.” Emma Manns (25) has been a personal trainer for five years, and says she went through that transition herself. “I wanted to be skinny my whole life. In fact, I was told I needed to be skinny, between societal norms and selfimposed pressure.” In 2019, she started lifting. “And I felt this confidence that I've never had before. I felt like I could take up space in an area without feeling like I have to, you know, not take up space. It was incredible.” I know, it’s hard to believe. How can trading a sweaty spin class or an hour on the elliptical for the squat, deadlift, or bench undo generations of societal conditioning? Admittedly, it’s not that simple. Photographer and graphic artist Rachel Giese started powerlifting in 2012 as a high school athlete, cofounding a weightlifting club and competing in local meets. But when she went to college, she says, “I stopped doing it because I was afraid I’d just be known as ‘that powerlifter girl.’ I didn’t want to be seen as strong. And as I got older, I thought, ‘What the eff was that? I am that powerlifter girl.’” “It seems so juvenile now, as a 32-year-old woman,” she says. “But there are these voices in the world, and inside us, that want to keep us weaker. It’s hard to drown them out sometimes. But when you get in the gym, and that

FORM AND FUNCTION

DIAGNOSED WITH SCOLIOSIS IN HER TEENS, 28-YEAR-OLD HANNAH GLISE MCCURDY IS NOW AMONG INDY'S POWERLIFTING ELITE.

weight is moving and those endorphins are flowing … you can’t hear them at all.”

For me,

that voice also said, “They’re all going to laugh at you.” After following Johnston’s Liftoff program, I was pulling my old body weight or more in most lifts—and I’d gained 25 pounds, which for the first time in my life thrilled me instead of filling me with despair. I was ready to transition from my lovable but limited gym to somewhere more serious, but looking at the social media activity of my nearest iron spot, I was terrified. Most gyms’ weightlifting content involves someone pulling a bar packed with the plate equivalent of a Volkswagen bug, while I was just happy to hoist the bar, forget the plates. I have a near-pathological fear of looking stupid, and based on the evidence provided to me on Instagram, my weak, 54-year-old self has no business in those hallowed halls of iron. Wall can relate to my fears. “I was intimidated by the gym before I started

lifting in this group,” she says, “I didn’t know what to do, if I had the right form, or if I was going to hurt myself.” But what she found at the gym surprised her. “People who are passionate about lifting respect anyone who’s putting in the work and trying,” she says. “I’ve seen less misogyny and men posturing around women at the gym than I have in most other spaces.” Eventually, Lund promises, those worries will fall by the wayside, where many female lifters’ anxieties about body image and eating have also fallen. “One day, you realize no one is looking at you. They’re too busy with their own stuff,” she says. “The more women that can take up space in the sport, the more women who’ll [turn] their backs on disordered eating, ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,’ being tiny—all that brainwashing,” Giere says. “We can take that energy we spent on feeling bad about our bodies and put it toward things that really matter.” FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

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The Heart of the Matter With the observance of American Heart Month in February, now is a perfect time to monitor cardiovascular health and take steps to reduce disease risk factors. Local physicians and health professionals provide tips to help you get started. BY DEVON DEAN FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

HE STATISTIC ATOP THE American Heart Association website is alarming: Every 34 seconds, heart disease claims another life. As the world celebrates a month more commonly associated with the emotional aspects of our hearts, February is also American Heart Month. With heart disease remaining the leading cause of death in the U.S., medical professionals use this month to raise awareness and remind people to pay attention to their cardiovascular health. “Nearly half of adults have some form of risk,” says Riverview i> Ì V iv i` V> vwViÀ À° À V Marcotte. “Risk rises with age and is higher in men early on. Native, Black, and Hispanic Americans are also at higher genetic risk.”

First Steps It’s no secret that heart health can impact every aspect of the body. According to the American Heart Association website, following their Life’s Essential 8 habits (listed below) can reduce the risks for heart disease, dementia, cancer, kidney disease, and more potentially fatal diseases: EAT HEALTHY : Emphasize fruits,

vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins

BE ACTIVE: At least 150 minutes

per week of moderate exercise, such as walking or biking QUIT TOBACCO: No smoking or vaping SLEEP WELL: 7–9 hours per night MAINTAIN WEIGHT: Healthy BMI and waist circumference CONTROL CHOLESTEROL: Keep levels within target ranges MANAGE BLOOD SUGAR:

Prevent or control diabetes MONITOR BLOOD PRESSURE:

Aim to stay below 120/80 mmHg

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

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half of adults have some “formNearly of risk. Risk rises with age and is higher in men early on. Native, Black, and Hispanic Americans are also at higher genetic risk. —Dr. Eric Marcotte, chief medical QHƂEGT YKVJ 4KXGTXKGY *GCNVJ

AHA Indiana spokesperson Tim Harms says February is a great time to start making changes because it’s still near the beginning of the year when people are looking for ways to make and keep lifestyle-related New Year’s resolutions. “Change can seem daunting, so we encourage people to focus on small steps,” says Harms. “For example, when it comes to eating healthier, it could be cutting back on the number of sugary drinks each week, or adding a fruit or vegetable each day, or switching to whole grains. Small changes add up over time.” / iÃi viÃÌÞ i Ã vÌÃ >Ài Ã } wV> Ì for people who have a family history of heart disease. When it comes to genetic predispositions, knowledge is truly power. “Genetics matter, but they are not `iÃÌ Þ]» Ã>ÞÃ À° i À}i >Þ] > cardiologist with Franciscan Health. “Certain inherited conditions, such as high cholesterol or cardiomyopathies, V> Ã } wV> Ì Þ VÀi>Ãi À Ã v undetected. That’s why we place a strong emphasis on cardiovascular genetics and work closely with a dedicated cardiovascular genetic counselor.” Lolay says genetic testing, along with tailored screenings, can be the key to halting damage before it’s too late. “Even when genetic risk is

”

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Early symptoms are often subtle “and easy to dismiss—fatigue,

decreased exercise tolerance, shortness of breath, chest tightness, or unexplained changes in stamina. —Dr. George Lolay, cardiologist with Franciscan Health

”

“Our Go Red for Women movement, which started in 2004, is designed to Ã«iV wV> Þ i « Ü i ÀiV } âi heart disease as their leading health threat,” says Harms. “Research shows women continue to be undertreated for cardiovascular problems compared to men. They are less likely to be treated for high cholesterol with statins, which have been shown to lower the risk for heart attacks and strokes. They also are less likely than men to be prescribed blood-thinning drugs to prevent or treat blood clots as treatment v À >ÌÀ > wLÀ >Ì ] À Ƃ wL°»

Listen to Your Heart present, targeted lifestyle strategies, precision medical therapy, and ongoing monitoring can dramatically reduce lifetime risks,” he says. Whether or not you have a family history of cardiac disease, screenings are a must for adults. “Start checking your cholesterol by age 20 and blood pressure annually,” says Marcotte. “Early detection prevents heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. People with average or higher heart risk should talk to their doctor about a calcium score screening with a CT scan.” Despite promoting lifestyle changes and early screenings well beyond Ì Ã Ì ] Ƃ Ƃ vwV > Ã Ã>Þ Ì iÀi is still plenty of work to do to raise awareness beyond February. “The alarming trend we see in Indiana, as well as across the country, is a rise in conditions that contribute to heart disease and stroke,” says Harms. “A greater percentage of people, including young people, are being diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity.” Alongside rising diagnoses nationwide is an equally alarming trend: an increase in the number of heart attacks in women aged 35-54.

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

The symptoms of a heart attack can often manifest differently in women and men. The common denominator is chest pain, although Harms says it presents more subtly in women. “Some women having a heart attack describe upper back pressure that feels like ÃµÕiiâ } À > À «i Li } Ì i` >À Õ ` them,” he says. He goes on to describe symptoms less often associated with a cardiac event, such as anxiety, shortness of breath, upset stomach, shoulder, back, or arm pain, and fatigue. “Early symptoms are often subtle and easy to dismiss—fatigue, decreased exercise tolerance, shortness of breath, chest tightness, or unexplained changes in stamina,” says Lolay. “Symptoms may not look like the dramatic chest pain people expect.” Lolay stresses that if something feels off or you’re feeling overtired without any clear reason, it’s time to see a doctor. “Preventive cardiology is not about waiting for a crisis; it’s about listening to your body early and responding intelligently.” To that end, part of the American Heart Association’s awareness push this month includes equipping people of all ages to be ready to respond to a crisis. “The

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Nation of Lifesavers initiative aims to train at least one person in every household in CPR so that we have a chance to double the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest by 2030,” Harms says. “Right now, the survival rate is around 10 percent. By empowering more people to act in the event of a cardiac emergency, we can save more lives.” Since 1949, the AHA has raised more than $6 billion for cardiac research. “We’re very blessed to have the support of millions of individuals across the country, as well as countless corporate sponsors,” Harms explains. “They entrust us to make an impact at both the national and local levels.” ƂL ÕÌ nä «iÀVi Ì v Ì i w > V > ÃÕ«« ÀÌ Ì i «À w Ì ÀiVi ÛiÃ Ã

divvied up between research and public and professional education.

Moving Forward Those fundraising efforts are paying off, as new treatments and options Ì w } Ì i>ÀÌ ` Ãi>Ãi > ` ÌÃ À Ì causes are coming to life. “Recent advances include GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, that have been shown to cut cardiac events by 20 percent,” says Marcotte. “RNAbased lipid therapies and improved arrhythmia devices are also making huge differences in people’s lives.” Prevention and precision care also Ài>« Ì i Li iw ÌÃ v iÜ ÀiÃi>ÀV ° “We now have highly effective lipid-

lowering therapies, improved blood pressure strategies, advanced imaging, and personalized risk assessment tools that allow us to intervene earlier,” says Lolay. The integration of lifestyle medicine, nutrition, exercise, sleep optimization, and stress management into traditional care remain the biggest factors Ì Ã w } Ì° º7 i V L i` with modern pharmacology and data-driven monitoring, we can often slow, halt, and in some cases partially reverse disease progression,” he says. “Heart disease is no longer something we simply manage after the fact. With the right approach, it’s something we can often stay ahead of and stop before it’s too late.”

“Go get a vascular screening. You don’t realize how important things like that are.” – Jephrey Vascular disease can occur quietly — with nearly invisible symptoms — until it becomes a serious threat. That’s why Community Health Network Heart and Vascular Care oﬀers multiple, non-invasive vascular screenings. Make getting a vascular screening a priority. It could help safe your life. Schedule your vascular screening today at eCommunity.com/vascularscreen

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

Championing Women’s Heart Health: Heather Harris at the Helm “It is important to me to chair this AaL TVxN IAJ] Va A o`A^^ yA{ rc the American Heart Association, to my community and to my own family.”

Heather Harris

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“Go Red for Women is a movement that really inspires yc`Na rc rA]N Aa VarNnNor Va rUNVn cya UNA^rU AaL rA]N AJrVca ¶ Harris says. “And that’s so important. In my `crUNn¸o TNaNnArVca AaL rUN TNaNnArVca INScnN UNn yc`Na did not discuss their health - and often put the health needs of crUNno INScnN rUN`oN^xNo xNaro ^V]N c 0NL AnN JUAaTVaT rUAr narrative. µ ^V]N rUN SAJr rUAr rUN NxNar

While Go Red for Women was launched in 2004, the American Heart Association launched a $75 million Go Red for Women venture fund in 2024 to help ^^ rUN `AooVxN TAk Va SsaLVaT for women’s health companies that translate science into real clinical action.

“Women’s health and women’s UNA^rU nNoNAnJU nNA^^{ TNro cxNn^cc]NL cn Vr¸o acr SsaLNL Ar the same levels that traditionally crUNn VoosNo V`kAJrVaT rUN TNaNnA^ kcks^ArVca AnN SsaLNL 3c UAxN rUAr xNn{ rAnTNrNL AaL okNJV J nNoNAnJU TcVaT rc women’s heart health is really important to me,” Harris says.

This year’s Go Red for Women JA`kAVTa Va aLVAaAkc^Vo Js^`VaArNo ca nVLA{ NI with the 22nd annual Go Red for Women luncheon.

{NAn¸o ^saJUNca rc IN rUN IVTTNor in terms of attendance, the most fun and the most money raised. aL yAar rc `A]N Aa V`kAJr on women’s health.”

µ :N¸xN Tcr Aa AÀ~VaT leadership team,” Harris says, “and we’ve set some very AÌVrVcso TcAô yAar rUVo

3c ^NAna `cnN AIcsr oskkcnrVaT Go Red for Women, visit www. UNAnr cnT¦VaL{TcNonNL

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Creating a community of lifesavers

Reaching girls with STEM programs Educating women about heart disease and stroke

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Heather Harris Barnes & Thornburg Go Red for Women® Chair

Aly Bove

Chrissy Ryan

Natera Circle of Red Co-Chair

Ryan Fire Protection Circle of Red Co-Chair

Show your support by volunteering or donating today! Contact Allie.Tribble@heart.org for more information. #ArVcaA^^{ okcaocnNL I{

Media Sponsors

© Copyright 2025 American Heart Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. All rights reserved. Go Red for Women is a registered trademark of the Association. The Red Dress Design is a trademark of U.S. DHHS. Unauthorized use prohibited.

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Here are the results.

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

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CITY LIFE

Downtown Landmark

Place to Take a Visitor

College/ University

WINNER

Butler University RUNNERS UP

Indiana University Indianapolis Marian University Purdue University Indianapolis University of Indianapolis

Convention WINNER

Gen Con RUNNERS UP

FDIC International Indiana Black Expo National FFA Convention PopCon Indy

Downtown Construction Project WINNER

Circle Centre Mall renovation RUNNERS UP

Georgia Street redesign Shinola Hotel/ Gainbridge Fieldhouse development Signia Hotel/ Indiana Convention Center expansion White River State Park expansion

The Rathskeller/ Athenaeum RUNNERS UP

Indiana State Capitol Indiana War Memorial Madam Walker Legacy Center Soldiers & Sailors Monument

Month of May Event WINNER

Indianapolis 500 (Race Day) RUNNERS UP

500 Festival Mini Marathon AES 500 Festival Parade Miller Lite Carb Day Rev

Parade WINNER

AES 500 Festival Parade RUNNERS UP

Circle City Classic Parade Indy Pride Parade Irvington Halloween Festival Parade 6W 3DWULFN·V Day Parade

Park WINNER

Eagle Creek Park RUNNERS UP

Fort Harrison State Park *DUÀ HOG 3DUN Holliday Park

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

Mass Ave RUNNERS UP

Fountain Square Indianapolis Motor Speedway 1HZÀ HOGV White River State Park

Podcast WINNER

Crime Junkie RUNNERS UP

Echoes of Indiana Avenue Edge of Indy Gen X Women Are Sick of This Shit Get IN.

Phil Sanchez (WISH) Anne Marie Tiernon (WTHR)

TV Sportscaster WINNER

Pat McAfee (ESPN) RUNNERS UP

Anthony Calhoun (WISH) Chris Denari (Pacers) Chris Hagan (FOX59) Dominic Miranda (WTHR)

TV Weathercaster WINNER

Angela Buchman (WTHR) RUNNERS UP

Radio Station WINNER

WTTS 92.3 RUNNERS UP

B 105.7 The Fan 107.5 Q95 WFYI 90.1

Radio Talk Show Host WINNER

Kyle Long (WFYI) RUNNERS UP

Tom Griswold (Q95) Jake Query (The Fan) Dave Smiley (WZPL) Terri Stacy (WIBC)

Sean Ash (WTHR) Todd Klaassen (WRTV) -LP 2·%ULHQ (FOX59) Brian Wilkes (FOX59)

White River State Park Attraction WINNER

Downtown Canal Walk RUNNERS UP

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art Everwise Ampitheater IMAX Indiana State Museum

WINNER

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Angela Ganote (FOX59)

Climbing Gym

RUNNERS UP

WINNER

Daniel Miller (FOX59) -XOLD 0RIÀ WW :7+5

RUNNERS UP

TV News Anchor

North Mass Boulder Hoosier Heights Climb Time Indy

College Athletics (Statewide) WINNER

Indiana Hoosiers RUNNERS UP

Butler Bulldogs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Purdue Boilermakers

Current Colts Player WINNER

Jonathan Taylor RUNNERS UP

DeForest Buckner Daniel Jones Kenny Moore

Current Fever Player WINNER

Caitlin Clark RUNNERS UP

Aliyah Boston Sophie Cunningham Kelsey Mitchell

Current Indy Eleven Player WINNER

Jack Blake RUNNERS UP

Aodhan Quinn Brem Soumaoro Romario Williams

Current IndyCar Driver WINNER

Conor Daly RUNNERS UP

Scott Dixon 3DWR 2·:DUG Alex Palou Alexander Rossi

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Current Pacers Player WINNER

Tyrese Haliburton RUNNERS UP

Bennedict Mathurin T.J. McConnell Andrew Nembhard Pascal Siakam

Golf Course WINNER

Personal Training/ CrossFit Gym

Yoga Studio

Distillery

Karaoke

WINNER

Invoke Yoga & Pilates Studio

Hotel Tango Distillery

RUNNERS UP

%RG\ 2XWÀ WWHUV

RUNNERS UP

American Muscle Factory ARC Fitness CrossFit Zionsville Taylor Made Wellness

Crooked Stick Golf Club

Pickleball Courts

RUNNERS UP

WINNER

Brickyard Crossing The Fort Golf Resort Purgatory Golf Club

Indianapolis Pickleball Club

Health Club/Gym WINNER

Fishers YMCA RUNNERS UP

Hancock Wellness Center Indianapolis Healthplex LivRite Ozwell Fitness

Hiking Trails WINNER

Draft Beer Selection

WINNER

Tick Tock Lounge

Twenty Tap

LGBTQ+ Bar WINNER

(QJOLVK ,Y\·V RUNNERS UP

'RZQWRZQ 2OO\·V *UHJ·V Metro Tini

Aristocrat Pub & Restaurant Hotel Tango Distillery Milktooth

Ale Emporium The Bulldog St. Joseph Brewery & Public House The Tap

Neighborhood Bar

Running/ Biking Event

Brewery

Drag Entertainer

WINNER

Guggman Haus Brewing Co.

RUNNERS UP

The Friendly Tavern Loom 2JDUD·V 6DP·V 6LOYHU &LUFOH

RUNNERS UP

24/7 Dink Pickle on Penn The Dink House

500 Festival Mini Marathon RUNNERS UP

CIBA N.I.T.E. Ride Drumstick Dash Run(317)

Splash Pad

RUNNERS UP

Eagle Creek Park Holliday Park Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve

Forest Park Aquatic Center Hummel Park Mulberry Fields

Tarkington Park

Indoor Entertainment

Tennis Courts

WINNER

Indianapolis Racquet Club

RUNNERS UP

Kismetic Beer Company Metazoa Brewing Co. Sun King Brewery Upland Brewing Co.

Canned Cocktail WINNER

Hi & Mighty RUNNERS UP

Cardinal Spirits Mom Water West Fork Whiskey Co.

RUNNERS UP

The Back Nine Golf Indy Synchro Water Show Speedway Indoor Karting

Carmel Racquet Club Indianapolis Healthplex Pearson Automotive Tennis Club UIndy Tennis Center

Pat Yo Weave

WINNER

Red Key Tavern RUNNERS UP

Kitt St. Clair Queer Bodies Alive Tia Mirage Hall Vicki St. James

New Bar

Happy Hour

Astrea Bar Ellis 6DKP·V 7DYHUQ & Sports Bar West Fork Social House

WINNER

Tipsy Mermaid RUNNERS UP

Astrea Bocca The Commodore Spoke & Steele

WINNER

Daisy Bar RUNNERS UP

No-Frills Watering Hole WINNER

Hotel Bar

Alley Cat

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

Dance Club

Sundry & Vice (Bottleworks Hotel)

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

- &O\GH·V 3OXPS·V /DVW 6KRW Shi-Kay Lounge 7D\ORU·V 3XE *ULOO

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

Bloody Mary

Imbibe Tick Tock Lounge

RUNNERS UP

WINNER

NIGHTLIFE

8th Day Distillery Four Finger Distillery West Fork Whiskey Co.

RUNNERS UP

Fort Harrison State Park

Pins Mechanical Co.

Cityoga Handy Yoga The Hot Room YogaSix

*UHJ·V

Tini RUNNERS UP

8 Seconds Saloon Howl at the Moon Metro The Patron Saint

Astrea (InterContinental Indianapolis) The Cannon Ball Lounge (Hotel Indy) Plat 99 (The Alexander) Spoke & Steele (Le Méridien Indianapolis)

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Place to Play Games

Sports Bar

Wine Bar

WINNER

$OH (PSRULXP

Pins Mechanical Co. RUNNERS UP

16-Bit Bar+Arcade The Garage Pinheads & $OOH\·V $OHKRXVH Tappers Arcade Bar

Speakeasy WINNER

The Commodore RUNNERS UP

Nowhere Special Thieves 7KH 9DXOW

Solely Wine

RUNNERS UP

7KH %XOOGRJ The District Tap The Hangar 6DKP·V 7DYHUQ & Sports Bar

)R\W :LQH 9DXOW Mass Ave Wine :HVWÀ HOG :LQH 9DXOW Wine & Rind

Trivia Night

Winery

WINNER

8QLRQ -DFN 3XE

'DQLHO·V 9LQH\DUG

RUNNERS UP

*XJJPDQ +DXV Brewing Co. Mayfair Taproom Metazoa Brewing Co. :KLWH 5DEELW &DEDUHW

Easley Winery 0DOORZ 5XQ :LQHU\ Peace Water Winery 8UEDQ 9LQHV

FOOD AND DRINK Bagels WINNER

Sidedoor Bagel RUNNERS UP

Bagel Fair Bearded Bagel Ripple Bagel & Deli 6KDSLUR·V Delicatessen

Barbecue WINNER

Beer WINNER

6XQ .LQJ 3DFKDQJD RUNNERS UP

Bier Brewery 6DQLWDULXP Metazoa Brewing &R 3XSS\ 6OXPEHU 3DUW\ Taxman Brewing Co. Deadline Upland Brewing &R 6RXU 5HVHUYH

Breakfast

%LJ +RIID·V 6PRNHKRXVH

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

Bar-B-Q Heaven %HQ·V %%4 6KDFN .LQJ 5LEV 3D 0D·V Backyard BBQ

Another Broken Egg Cafe Good Morning 0DPD·V Le Peep 5XWK·V &DIH

&DIH 3DWDFKRX

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Brewpub

Burger

Butcher Shop

Chef

WINNER

:RUNLQJPDQ·V Friend

.LQFDLG·V Meat Market

Stephen Oakley, Oakleys Bistro

RUNNERS UP

Bru Burger California Burger .XPD·V &RUQHU 6PDVK·G %XUJHU %DU

&ODXV· *HUPDQ Sausage & Meats -RH·V %XWFKHU 6KRS 0RRG\·V Butcher Shop Old Major Market

Jonathan Brooks, Beholder Thomas Melvin, Vida Samir Mohammad, 9th Street Bistro Tyler Shortt, Tinker Street

WINNER

Coffee Shop

Doughnuts

WINNER

Tinker Coffee The Firehouse

RUNNERS UP

Upland Brewing Co. RUNNERS UP

Bier Brewery & Taproom Broad Ripple Brewpub Guggman Haus Brewing Co. St. Joseph Brewery & Public House

Business Lunch WINNER

Bluebeard

Brunch

RUNNERS UP

WINNER

The Capital Grille Garden Table Goodness Gracious Kitchen & Cupboard +DUU\ ,]]\·V

Milktooth RUNNERS UP

Borage The Oakmont Petite Chou Bistro & Champagne Bar Yazsh

Casual Restaurant WINNER

Bodhi RUNNERS UP

Gather 22 Julieta Taco Shop Love Handle Mayfair Taproom

RUNNERS UP

Best Friends Coffee & Bagels Blue Mind Coffee Roasting

THANK YOU! We are honored to have earned your trust as the experts in fitness. SCAN FOR MORE INFO

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Carmel

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MOVE BETTER 74

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

Keystone at the Crossing

&DOYLQ )OHWFKHU·V Coffee Company Illumine Coffee

Deli Sandwiches Goose the Market RUNNERS UP

*UHLQHU·V Hoagies & Hops NY Gourmet Deli 6KDSLUR·V Delicatessen

/RQJ·V %DNHU\ -DFN·V 'RQXWV Pana Donuts Parlor Doughnuts 5LVH·Q 5ROO %DNHU\

» Personal Training » 30 minute sessions » Degreed and Experienced Trainers » No Contracts

(317) 660-5188

FEEL BETTER

LOOK BETTER

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Farmers Market WINNER

Commission Row Vida

Broad Ripple Farmers Market

Fish & Chips

RUNNERS UP

WINNER

*DUÀ HOG 3DUN Farmers Market Irvington Farmers Market Noblesville Main Street Farmers Market Zionsville Farmers Market

&DSOLQJHU·V Fresh Catch

Fine Dining Restaurant WINNER

St. Elmo Steak House RUNNERS UP

$QWKRQ\·V Chophouse Beholder

WINNER

Gluten-Free Selections

Hidden Gem Restaurant

*DUFLD·V +RW 'RJV

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

Chatham Tap Cheeky Bastards Red Lion Grog House Steer-In

WINNER

Indiana State Fair

Garden Table

Che Chori

Bay Area Bistro Birrieria Iturbidense Books Bourbon & Bacon The Bull Grill/ Soul Kantina

RUNNERS UP

3 in 1 Restaurant Fire and Ice Cafe Goodness Gracious Kitchen & Cupboard +DUU\ ,]]\·V

Goodness Gracious Kitchen & Cupboard Tlaolli 7XUI·V .LWFKHQ The Vault

Fried Chicken

Gourmet Market

WINNER

Hotel Restaurant

The Eagle

Food Festival or Event

RUNNERS UP

Food Truck

Goose the Market

RUNNERS UP

+LV 3ODFH (DWHU\ Hollyhock Hill Kountry Kitchen Root & Bone

Heidelberg Haus -RH·V %XWFKHU 6KRS Saraga International Grocery

Epicurean Rev Swing Zoobilation

WINNER

The Fountain Room RUNNERS UP

'HDQ·V 6WHDN & Seafood 7KH (DJOH·V 1HVW Nesso Spoke & Steele

FLOWERS, PLANTS, & GIFTS FOR EVERY OCCASSION TRUSTED BY INDIANA FOR GENERATIONS Flowers mark the moments that matter most: ƬƺǼƺƫȸƏɎǣȒȇɀ٦ ƬȒȇȇƺƬɎǣȒȇɀ٦ ȸƺȅƺȅƫȸƏȇƬƺ٦ ƏȇƳ ǼȒɮƺ٫

We’re honored to be recognized as a Readers’ Choice Winner, and grateful to the community that has trusted us for generations to bring beauty, care, and intention into their lives.

THE MCNAMARA FLORIST COMMITMENT From premium flowers and thriving plants to thoughtfully curated gifts and expertly designed events, we are committed to quality and care in everything we create. IȒȸ Ȓɮƺȸ ɀƺɮƺȇ ƳƺƬƏƳƺɀ٦ our promise has remained the same: exceptional products, excellent value, and memorable experiences.

317-579-7900 | MCNAMARAFLORIST.COM CARMEL, FISHERS, FORT WAYNE, GEIST, GLENDALE, GREENWOOD, LUDLOW, AND WILLOW LAKE WEST FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Ice Cream

Pastries

WINNER

Pizza Joint— Thin Crust

+DQGHO·V Homemade Ice Cream

$PHOLD·V

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

Cafe Babette &LUFOH &LW\ 6ZHHWV Leviathan %DNHKRXVH 5HQH·V %DNHU\ 'HOL

RUNNERS UP

BRICS Lick LiftOff Creamery The Scoop

Oysters

Pizza Joint— Thick Crust

WINNER

Bazbeaux RUNNERS UP

%UR]LQQL 3L]]HULD %\UQH·V *ULOOHG 3L]]D Jockamo Upper &UXVW 3L]]D .LQJ 'RXJK

Romantic Restaurant

1RDK *UDQW·V *ULOO +RXVH 2\VWHU %DU

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

0DPD &DUROOD·V

Bluebeard Bocca *HUDOGLQH·V 6XSSHU &OXE /RXQJH 6WUDQJH %LUG

Ale Emporium New Bethel Ordinary 6DP·V 6TXDUH 3LH 8QLRQ -DFN 3XE

RUNNERS UP

Futuro

WINNER

7KH (DJOH·V 1HVW *HUDOGLQH·V 6XSSHU &OXE /RXQJH 1HVVR 3HWLWH &KRX %LVWUR &KDPSDJQH %DU

Small Plates

Steakhouse

WINNER

Bluebeard RUNNERS UP

'LYY\ Modita 3ODW 7DSDV f

Soul Food WINNER

+LV 3ODFH (DWHU\ RUNNERS UP

Bar-B-Q Heaven Kountry Kitchen 0LVVLVVLSSL %HOOH 3D 0D·V %DFN\DUG Barbecue

St. Elmo 6WHDN +RXVH RUNNERS UP

$QWKRQ\·V &KRSKRXVH %\QXP·V 6WHDNKRXVH &RPPLVVLRQ 5RZ /RQH 3LQH

Tenderloin WINNER

The Friendly Tavern RUNNERS UP

$ULVWRFUDW 3XE 5HVWDXUDQW /RXJKPLOOHU·V 3XE (DWHU\ 3DZQ 6KRS 3XE Steer-In

THANK YOU INDY GREAT COFFEE STARTS WITH GREAT PEOPLE

READERS’CHOICE 76

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Veggie Burger

Wings

WINNER

Broad Ripple Brewpub

Ale Emporium RUNNERS UP

RUNNERS UP

&KDWKDP 7DS )DW 'DQ·V 'HOL The Friendly Tavern .H\VWRQH 6SRUWV 5HYLHZ

10th Street Diner %DE\·V Good Vegan Bad Vegan Twenty Tap

SHOPS AND SERVICES

View From Your Table WINNER

Antique Store

5LFN·V &DIH Boatyard

WINNER

0LGODQG $UWV $QWLTXHV 0DUNHW

RUNNERS UP

$VWUHD The Dining Room DW 5+ ,QGLDQDSROLV 7KH (DJOH·V 1HVW 7KH /RIW 5HVWDXUDQW DW 7UDGHUV 3RLQW &UHDPHU\

RUNNERS UP

Architectural $QWLTXHV RI ,QGLDQDSROLV

0DGLVRQ 6WUHHW Salvage Southport Antique Mall

Auction House WINNER

&KULVW\·V RI ,QGLDQD RUNNERS UP

$HWKHU (VWDWH 6HUYLFHV (DUO·V $XFWLRQ &RPSDQ\ Huber Auction Group :LFNOLII $XFWLRQHHUV

Auto Dealer WINNER

Tom Wood Automotive Group

RUNNERS UP

Barber Shop

%LOO (VWHV Automotive Ed Martin Automotive Group 1DSOHWRQ Automotive Group Ray Skillman Auto Group

WINNER

Auto Repair Service WINNER

Tyler Automotive RUNNERS UP

Beck Service &HQWHU 'RZQWRZQ &DU &DUH &HQWHU 0HDUV $XWR 3URIHVVLRQDO Automotive Inc.

Black Orchid %DUEHUV RUNNERS UP

4:59 Barber Lounge &RPPLVVDU\ %DUEHU %DULVWD )DWER\·V Barber Shop

Bicycle Store WINNER

Bicycle Garage Indy RUNNERS UP

%LF\FOH +RVSLWDO )UHHZKHHOLQ· &RPPXQLW\ %LNHV ,QG\ &\FOH 6SHFLDOLVWV 0DWWKHZV %LF\FOHV

C AT E R I N G • E V E N T S • C U R AT E D P I C N I C S

Offering Comforting Breakfast & Lunch

24 N. RANGELINE ROAD, CAR MEL (317) 564-0454

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

&KLOGUHQ·V &ORWKLQJ 6WRUH WINNER

&DUWHU·V 5811(56 83

Hey Little Diddle Little Tulip Tree Lunch Money Boutique Roman & Leo %R\V $SSDUHO $FFHVVRULHV

Simply Chic The Toggery 5HVDOH %RXWLTXH

)ORRU &RYHULQJV WINNER

%ODNOH\·V )ORRULQJ 5 8 1 1 ( 5 6 8 3

%URWKHUV )ORRU Covering -RVHSK·V 2ULHQWDO 5XJ ,PSRUWV 0F&RRO·V )ORRULQJ

&ORWKLQJ &RQVLJQPHQW

)ORULVW

WINNER

$PDQGD·V Exchange

0F1DPDUD )ORULVW

5811(56 83

Newman & Co. &RQVLJQPHQW 6HOHFWLYH 6HFRQGV

5 8 1 1 ( 5 6 8 3

)ORZHU %R\V )ULGD·V )ORZHUV *HRUJH 7KRPDV )ORULVW 3RVK 3HWDOV

)XUQLWXUH 6WRUH

*LIW 6KRS

WINNER

.LWWOH·V )XUQLWXUH

Silver in the City

5 8 1 1 ( 5 6 8 3

Copper Creek Canyon )RXQGU\ +RXVHZRUNV RG Decor

6DOW $VK 6RDS &R Stomping Ground 7ZLVWHG 6LVWHUV 8QSOXJ 6R\ &DQGOHV

+DLU 6DORQ *DPH 6WRUH WINNER

WINNER

Rae Luxury Hair

9DON\ULH·V 9DXOW

5 8 1 1 ( 5 6 8 3

Bobby Cooper .LVV .LVV %DQJ Bang Salon 0'* 6DORQV Witch Hazel

(OI ¶1 0RRQ 0RRQVKRW *DPHV 6DOWLUH 7R\V *DPHV Toy Pit

+RPH $FFHVVRULHV 6WRUH WINNER

Chatham Home 5 8 1 1 ( 5 6 8 3

$GGHQGXP *DOOHU\ &KDUOHV Mayer & Co. Decorate +RRVLHU 6LVWHU

,QGHSHQGHQW %RRNVWRUH WINNER

&XULRXV 6TXLUUHO %RRNVKRS 5 8 1 1 ( 5 6 8 3

*ROGHQ +RXU %RRNV .LGV ,QN &KLOGUHQ·V %RRNVWRUH /RXGPRXWK %RRNV 7KH :KLVSHULQJ Shelf

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IM | FEBRUARY 2026

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Independent CD/ Record Store

Jeweler

0HQ·V &ORWKLQJ Store

Nursery/ *UHHQKRXVH

WINNER

Reis-Nichols Jewelers

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

Irvington Vinyl & Books Luna Music Square Cat Vinyl Take Care Records

Metalmark Fine Jewelry Moyer Fine Jewelers Petite G Jewelers Windsor Jewelry

A. Mina Ltd. Fine Clothier & Tailors Dant Heritage Clothier & Home J. Benzal Menswear

Medi Spa

1HLJKERUKRRG 6KRSSLQJ 'LVWULFW

Indy CD & Vinyl

WINNER

Frances+Parke

Interior Designer WINNER

Revkah Design RUNNERS UP

Dare 2 Design Savvy Decor Tiffany Skilling Interiors Whittney Parkinson Design

WINNER

Radiant Skin RUNNERS UP

Ageless Aesthetics Body Bar MD Kurr Aesthetics and Med Spa Renova Aesthetics

WINNER

Main Street Zionsville RUNNERS UP

Broad Ripple Village Carmel Arts & Design District Fountain Square Mass Ave

Allisonville Home & Garden by Sullivan RUNNERS UP

&R[·V 3ODQW )DUP Country Harmony Home & Garden Center 'DPPDQQ·V *DUGHQ Center & Greenhouse 5RVLH·V *DUGHQV

Outdoor/ 2XWÀ WWHUV 6KRS WINNER

Moving Water 2XWÀ WWHUV The Outdoorsman Sport Shop REI Co-Op

Pet Adoption/ 6KHOWHU WINNER

IndyHumane RUNNERS UP

Biscuit Factory Animal Rescue Every Dog Counts Rescue The Love Pet Project 5RELQ·V 1HVW RI ,QG\

Rusted Moon 2XWÀ WWHUV RUNNERS UP

FlyMasters of Indianapolis

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Pet Boarding/ Daycare

Plant Store

Veterinary Care

WINNER

$OLFH·V *DUGHQ

Zionsville Country Kennel

RUNNERS UP

Broad Ripple Animal Clinic

Wedding Dresses

RUNNERS UP

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

Camp Bow Wow Furry Godmother Indianapolis Downtown Doggie Pet Palace

The Botanical Bar Grounded Plant + Floral Co. Root 31 Snakeroot Botanicals

Sporting Goods Pet Supply Store WINNER

Three Dog Bakery

WINNER

'LFN·V 6SRUWLQJ Goods

RUNNERS UP

Bark & Bone City Dogs Grocery Paws Stop Pet Food & Supply 6SHFN·V 3HW Supplies

Academy Sports + Outdoors Athletic Annex Rally House Soccer Village Carmel

Thrifty Threads Zodiac Vintage

:RPHQ·V Clothing Store WINNER

Marie Gabriel Bridal

City Way Animal Clinics Clayton Family Veterinary Care Eagle Creek Animal Clinic Shelby Street Animal Clinic

RUNNERS UP

Vintage Clothing Store WINNER

Broad Ripple Vintage Naptown Thrift Nuova Vita Vintage

Lily + Sparrow Lola Blu Boutique Verve Vintage Charm

Bella Bridesmaids Blue House Bridal 1DQF\·V %ULGDO Boutique The Wedding Studio

ARTS AND MUSIC

Wine Shop

Artist

WINNER

.DKQ·V )LQH Wines & Spirits

RUNNERS UP

Justin Vining

RUNNERS UP

Liberty James RUNNERS UP

Cork & Cracker Grapevine Cottage Tasteful Times Vino Villa

Walter Knabe 6KDXQW·H /HZLV Kwazar Martin Koda Witsken

PķŐŚ UĹŊĩŅĩšš ĩĔŬŧż

(;&/86,9( -(:(/5<

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Arts Festival

Comedian

WINNER

Talbot Street Art Fair RUNNERS UP

Art Squared Broad Ripple Art Fair Butter Penrod Arts Fair

Author WINNER

John Green RUNNERS UP

Ashley C. Ford Philip Gulley Leah Johnson Sarah Layden

Dave Dugan RUNNERS UP

Megan Gailey Alex Price Dwight Simmons Gwen Sunkel

First Friday Destination WINNER

The Stutz

Charity Festival/Event WINNER

Tonic Ball RUNNERS UP

Circle City Classic 3UHVLGHQW·V *DOD Circulate Start With Art Swing

Church Festival

RUNNERS UP

WINNER

Factory Arts District Harrison Center Murphy Arts Center Tube Factory Artspace

French Market, St. Joan of Arc Parish RUNNERS UP

GreekFest, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Italian Street Festival, Holy Rosary Catholic Church SausageFest, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Strawberry Festival, Christ Church Cathedral

Concert Venue WINNER

Cover Band WINNER

Living Proof RUNNERS UP

The Big 80s Big Rosco & The Hammers The Janeways My Yellow Rickshaw

Free Attraction

Everwise Amphitheater at Whie River State Park

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

Fishers Event Center Old National Centre Payne & Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts Ruoff Music Center

*DUÀ HOG 3DUN Monument Circle Morris Bicentennial Plaza Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park

Downtown Canal Walk

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Haunted House WINNER

&KLOGUHQ·V 0XVHXP *XLOG +DXQWHG +RXVH RUNNERS UP

+DQQD +DXQWHG $FUHV ,QG\ 6FUHDP 3DUN 1HFURSROLV 8QGHUJURXQG 7KH 7KLUWHHQWK +RXU

Holiday Light Display WINNER

:LQWHUOLJKWV DW 1HZÀ HOGV RUNNERS UP

&KULVWPDV DW WKH =RR &KULVWPDV 1LJKWV RI /LJKWV &LUFOH RI /LJKWV

$ 0HUU\ 3UDLULH +ROLGD\

@indy_brunch_ couple @seedoeat

)LVKHUV $JUL3DUN ,QGLDQDSROLV =RR

/DQGPDUN .H\VWRQH $UW &LQHPD /LYLQJ 5RRP 7KHDWHUV

Independent Art Gallery

Jazz Club

Monument Circle Event

WINNER

Mural

+DUULVRQ &HQWHU

7KH -D]] .LWFKHQ

&LUFOH RI /LJKWV

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

*DOOHU\ )RUW\ 7ZR .XDED *DOOHU\ /RQJ 6KDUS *DOOHU\ 7XEH )DFWRU\ $UWVSDFH

7KH &DEDUHW &KDWWHUER[ )HLQVWHLQ·V DW +RWHO &DUPLFKDHO

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Instagram Account WINNER

@bff.indy RUNNERS UP

@cityofshay @garththegolden

Kid-Friendly Attraction WINNER

Movie Theater

&KLOGUHQ·V 0XVHXP RI ,QGLDQDSROLV

WINNER

RUNNERS UP

&RQQHU 3UDLULH 'RZQWRZQ &DQDO :DON

$ODPR 'UDIWKRXVH .DQ .DQ &LQHPD

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RUNNERS UP

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IM | FEBRUARY 2026

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Museum WINNER

Indianapolis Museum of Art DW 1HZÀ HOGV RUNNERS UP

Eiteljorg Museum Indiana Medical History Museum Indiana State Museum Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

Music Festival/ Event WINNER

Indy Jazz Fest RUNNERS UP

Carmel Jazz Fest Chreece

*DUÀ HOG 3DUN $UW & Music Festival Music for All National Festival

RUNNERS UP

Hoosier Dome Melody Inn Slippery Noodle Inn The Vogue

Open Mic Night WINNER

Melody Inn RUNNERS UP

%RRNV %UHZV Helium Comedy Club Irving Theater Red Lion Grog House

Place to See Local Bands WINNER

Hi-Fi

Water in Dripping, River by Zheng Lu

Fonseca Theatre Footlite Musicals

Pumpkin Patch

Walking Tour

WINNER

Tuttle Orchards

Public Artwork

RUNNERS UP

WINNER

Anderson Orchard %HDVOH\·V 2UFKDUG 'XOO·V 7UHH )DUP Russell Farms 3XPSNLQ 3DWFK

Crown Hill Cemetery and Arboretum RUNNERS UP

Marmon Wasp tribute by Arlon Bayliss 3DOODGLVFRSH E\ %ORFNKRXVH 6WXGLRV Taking Flight by -DVRQ .OLPRVNL

Theater Company WINNER

Crown Hill Foundation Tours RUNNERS UP

,QGLDQD /DQGPDUNV Indianapolis :DONLQJ 7RXUV ,QG\ :DONLQJ 7RXUV Irvington Ghost Tours Through2Eyes

Indiana Repertory Theatre RUNNERS UP

Actors Theatre of Indiana IF Theatre

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FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

! !"## Community Choice Award Winner: Best Public Schools Best Pre-School Best Learning/Tutoring Center Learn more at LTschools.org

Now Enrolling Early Childhood for 2026-27 HIGH ABILITY KINDERGARTEN • Coming in 2026 •

Follow the QR Code to Read our Annual Report.

SCHOOL GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

School Guide Are you weighing education options? We did the homework for you. Here are the stats on Central Indiana public, private, and charter schools, as well as information for your prospective college student.

MSD PIKE TOWNSHIP

ENROLLMENT: 10,674. ILEARN: 13.7%. pike.k12.in.us

Pike High School ENROLLMENT: 3,188. SAT: 13.2%.

SCHOOL LIST P U BL IC, CH A RT E R , P R I VAT E , & COL L E GI AT E E N T I T I E S TH ROUGHOU T CE N TR A L I N DI A NA All school information, except private school tuition, is from the Indiana Department of Education. Enrollment ﬁgures, ILEARN proﬁciency rates for grades 3–8 (English/ language arts and Math), and SAT benchmark rates for grade 11 (Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) are from 2025, unless otherwise noted. Graduation rates are from 2024. For more info, visit doe.in.gov or, for more school data, visit inview.doe.in.gov.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS MARION COUNTY BEECH GROVE CITY SCHOOLS

ENROLLMENT: 2,790. ILEARN: 17.4%. bgcs.k12.in.us

Beech Grove High School ENROLLMENT: 914. SAT: 13.8%. GRAD. RATE: 86.5%. bgcs.k12.in.us/

school/beech-grove-high-school

MSD DECATUR TOWNSHIP

ENROLLMENT: 6,485. ILEARN: 14.8%.

INDIANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF (PK-12)

ENROLLMENT: 311. ILEARN: 4.3%. SAT: 0%. GRAD. RATE: n/a. deafhoosiers.com

INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ENROLLMENT: 21,055. ILEARN: 14.3%. myips.org

Arsenal Technical High School

myips.org/crispusattucks

George Washington High School ENROLLMENT: 729. SAT: 0.8%. GRAD. RATE: 87.3%.

myips.org/georgewashington

Shortridge High School ENROLLMENT: 1,206. SAT: 9.2%. GRAD. RATE: 90.2%. myips.org/

shortridge

MSD LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP

Decatur Township School for Excellence (7–12) ENROLLMENT, ILEARN, SAT & GRAD. RATE: n/a.

Lawrence North High School

INDIANA SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED (PK–12)

ENROLLMENT: 93. ILEARN & GRAD. RATE: n/a. SAT: 0%. in.gov/isbvi

ENROLLMENT: 3,391. SAT: 7.6%. GRAD. RATE: 88.3%. warren.k12.in.us/o/warren-central-high-school

MSD WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

ENROLLMENT: 11,391. ILEARN: 30.6%.

SAT: 25%. GRAD. RATE: 88.6%. nchs.cc

ENROLLMENT: 1,269. SAT: 2.6%. GRAD. RATE: 95.6%.

ENROLLMENT: 2,517. SAT: 5.2%. GRAD. RATE: 86.9%. lawrencecentral.ltschools.org

fc.ftcsc.org

Warren Central High School

North Central High School ENROLLMENT: 3,682.

ENROLLMENT: 1,974. SAT: 7.5%. GRAD. RATE: 95.7%. decaturproud.org/central-high

ENROLLMENT: 3,438. SAT: 22.5%. GRAD. RATE: 98.1%.

MSD WARREN TOWNSHIP

ENROLLMENT: 11,915. ILEARN: 11.6%. warren.k12.in.us

Crispus Attucks High School

Lawrence Central High School

Franklin Central High School

ENROLLMENT: 602. SAT: 40.1%. GRAD. RATE: 98.3%. speedwayschools.org

msdwt.k12.in.us

Decatur Central High School

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP CSC

speedwayschools.org

Speedway Senior High School

myips.org/arsenaltech

ENROLLMENT: 16,747. ILEARN: 18%. ltschools.org

ENROLLMENT: 11,413. ILEARN: 31.3%. ftcsc.org

SPEEDWAY SCHOOLS

ENROLLMENT: 1,776. ILEARN: 48.7%.

ENROLLMENT: 2,360. SAT: 2.6%. GRAD. RATE: 80.2%.

decaturproud.org

decaturproud.org/excellence

GRAD. RATE: 94.8%. phs.pike.k12.in.us

ENROLLMENT: 2,799. SAT: 11.2%. GRAD. RATE: 89.5%. lawrencenorth.ltschools.org

PERRY TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS

ENROLLMENT: 16,243. ILEARN: 25.7%.

perryschools.org

Perry Meridian High School ENROLLMENT: 2,455. SAT: 20.2%. GRAD. RATE: 94.9%.

perryschools.org/ph

Southport High School ENROLLMENT: 2,431. SAT: 13%. GRAD. RATE: 90.1%.

perryschools.org/sh

MSD WAYNE TOWNSHIP

ENROLLMENT: 16,146. ILEARN: 12.9%.

wayne.k12.in.us

Ben Davis High School (10–12) ENROLLMENT: 3,315. SAT: 8.6%. GRAD. RATE: 78.4%.

bdhs.wayne.k12.in.us

Ben Davis University High School (10–12) ENROLLMENT: 375. SAT: 16.2%. GRAD. RATE: 100%. bduhs.wayne.k12.in.us

BOONE COUNTY Lebanon Senior High School ENROLLMENT: 1,070. SAT: 21.3%. GRAD. RATE: 94.2%.

lhs.leb.k12.in.us

Western Boone Junior-Senior High School ENROLLMENT: 756. ILEARN: 37.1%. SAT: 28.6%. GRAD. RATE: 99.2%. weboschools.org/webo/home

Zionsville Community High School ENROLLMENT: 2,338. SAT: 61.8%. GRAD. RATE: 94.7%. zhs.zcs.k12.in.us

HAMILTON COUNTY Carmel High School ENROLLMENT: 5,239. SAT: 61.6%. GRAD. RATE: 96.5%. ccs.k12.in.us/chs

Fishers High School ENROLLMENT: 3,590. SAT: 57.4%. GRAD. RATE: 98.8%.

fhs.hseschools.org FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SCHOOL GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Hamilton Heights High School

Brownsburg High School

ENROLLMENT: 3,355. SAT: 38.9%. GRAD. RATE: 99.5%.

Whiteland Community High School

ENROLLMENT: 710. SAT: 29.7%. GRAD. RATE: 94.7%.

hhschuskies.org

bhs.brownsburg.k12.in.us

cpcsc.k12.in.us/o/wchs

Hamilton Southeastern High School

Cascade Senior High School

ENROLLMENT: 2,144. SAT: 27.7%. GRAD. RATE: 87%.

MORGAN COUNTY

ENROLLMENT: 3,504. SAT: 55.4%. GRAD. RATE: 95.7%. hhs.hseschools.org

ENROLLMENT: 537. SAT: 25.5%. GRAD. RATE: 94.6%. chs.mccsc.k12.in.us

Noblesville High School

Danville Community High School

ENROLLMENT: 148. ILEARN: 13.1%. SAT: 0%. GRAD. RATE: 92.9%. eminence.k12.in.us/o/jshs

nhs.noblesvilleschools.org

hs.danville.k12.in.us

Martinsville High School ENROLLMENT: 1,284.

Sheridan High School ENROLLMENT: 344.

Plainﬁeld High School

SAT: 23.7%. GRAD. RATE: 86.5%. msdofmartinsville

ENROLLMENT: 1,856. SAT: 41.2%. GRAD. RATE: 93%.

.org/martinsville-high-school

plainﬁeld.k12.in.us/o/plainﬁeld-high-school

Monrovia High School ENROLLMENT: 489.

ENROLLMENT: 3,291. SAT: 41.6%. GRAD. RATE: 97%.

SAT: 20.5%. GRAD. RATE: 96.3%. scs.k12.in.us/shs

Westﬁeld High School ENROLLMENT: 2,948.

SAT: 50%. GRAD. RATE: 91.8%. whs.wws.k12.in.us

HANCOCK COUNTY Eastern Hancock High School ENROLLMENT: 371. SAT: 26.5%. GRAD. RATE: 77.5%. easternhancock.org/page/high-school

Greenﬁeld-Central High School ENROLLMENT: 1,413. SAT: 22.3%. GRAD. RATE: 81%.

gchs.gcsc.k12.in.us

Mt. Vernon High School ENROLLMENT: 1,470. SAT: 34.1%. GRAD. RATE: 94.2%. mvhs.mvcsc.k12.in.us

ENROLLMENT: 853. SAT: 43.8%. GRAD. RATE: 92.8%.

Tri-West Senior High School

ENROLLMENT: 613. SAT: 46.9%. GRAD. RATE: 90.7%.

hendricks.k12.in.us/o/twhs

JOHNSON COUNTY Center Grove High School

ENROLLMENT: 2,956. SAT: 35.4%. GRAD. RATE: 94.3%. cghs.centergrove.k12.in.us

Edinburgh Community High School

Eminence Junior-Senior High School (6–12)

SAT: 16.5%. GRAD. RATE: 74.2%. mhs.m-gsd.org

Mooresville High School

ENROLLMENT: 1,372. SAT: 23.7%. GRAD. RATE: 95%.

mooresvilleschools.org/schools/ mooresville_high_school

SHELBY COUNTY Morristown Junior-Senior High School (6–12) ENROLLMENT: 333. ILEARN: 39.2%.

ecsc.k12.in.us

SAT: 14.3%. GRAD. RATE: 100%. shelbyeastern.org/o/mjsh

Franklin Community High School ENROLLMENT:

Shelbyville Senior High School

ENROLLMENT: 232. SAT: 18%. GRAD. RATE: 81.8%.

ENROLLMENT: 1,068. SAT: 23.7%. GRAD. RATE: 94.8%.

New Palestine High School

1,531. SAT: 19.9%. GRAD. RATE: 76.5%. franklin schools.org/franklin-community-high-school

ENROLLMENT: 1,254. SAT: 31.4%. GRAD. RATE: 92.9%.

Greenwood Community High School

Southwestern High School (7–12)

nphs.newpal.k12.in.us

HENDRICKS COUNTY Avon High School ENROLLMENT: 3,523. SAT:

42.3%. GRAD. RATE: 96.5%. ahs.avon-schools.org

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

shs.shelbycs.org

gws.k12.in.us/o/gchs

ENROLLMENT: 264. ILEARN: 10%. SAT: 13%. GRAD. RATE: 87.2%. swshelby.k12.in.us/swhs-home

Indian Creek Senior High School

Triton Central High School

indiancreekschools.com/high-school

nwshelbyschools.org/o/tchs

ENROLLMENT: 1,229. SAT: 20.9%. GRAD. RATE: 95.9%.

ENROLLMENT: 652. SAT: 21.5%. GRAD. RATE: 98.8%.

ENROLLMENT: 472. SAT: 31.7%. GRAD. RATE: 87.1%.

SCHOOL GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Waldron Junior-Senior High School (6–12)

Christel House Academy West (K–8)

ENROLLMENT: 323. ILEARN: 23.9%. SAT: 2.5%. GRAD. RATE: 90.7%. shelbyeastern.org/o/wjsh

ENROLLMENT: 485. ILEARN: 8.1%. chindy.org/

James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School (7–8)

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Charter schools are public schools that are granted control of their own curricula by the state, under an agreement that they will meet certain performance standards. Many are aimed toward speciﬁc educational purposes, and all are tuition-free. This is not a comprehensive collection; for a full list of institutions authorized by the Indiana Charter School Board, visit in.gov/icsb/icsb-schools.

academy-west

ENROLLMENT: 587. ILEARN: 6.6%. jrpla.org

Christel House DORS (9–12) ENROLLMENT:

KIPP Indy College Prep Middle (6–8)

1,062. SAT: 0%. GRAD. RATE: 36.8%. chdors.org

ENROLLMENT: 372. ILEARN: 7.5%. kippindy.org/ schools/kipp-indy-college-prep-middle

Enlace Academy (K–8) ENROLLMENT: 686. ILEARN: 12.4%. enlaceacademy.org

Herron High School (9–12) ENROLLMENT: 981. SAT: 41.6%. GRAD. RATE: 94.1%.

herronhighschool.org

Herron Preparatory Academy (K–3) ENROLLMENT: 428. ILEARN: 40.2%. herronprep.org

Herron–Riverside High School (9–12) ENROLLMENT: 388. SAT: 15.4%. GRAD. RATE: 82.4%.

MARION COUNTY

herronriverside.org

Andrew J. Brown Academy (K–8) ENROLLMENT: 435. ILEARN: 11.6%. paramountindy.org/andrew-j-brown-academy

Avondale Meadows Academy (K–4) ENROLLMENT: 332. ILEARN: 9.1%. avondalemeadowsacademy.com

Avondale Meadows Middle School (5–8) ENROLLMENT: 192. ILEARN: 6.6%.

Hope Academy (9–12) ENROLLMENT: 31. SAT: 14.3%. GRAD. RATE: n/a. hopeacademyrhs.org

Indianapolis Metropolitan High School (9–12) ENROLLMENT: 194. SAT: 0%.

ENROLLMENT: 349. SAT: 2.2%. GRAD. RATE: 78%. kippindy.org/schools/legacy

KIPP Indy Unite Elementary (K–5) ENROLLMENT: 721. ILEARN: 8%. kippindy.org/ schools/kipp-indy-unite-elementary

Paramount School of Excellence Brookside (K–8) ENROLLMENT: 843. ILEARN: 40.6%. paramountindy.org/brookside

Paramount School of Excellence Cottage Home (K–5) ENROLLMENT: 381. ILEARN: 48.7%. paramountindy.org/cottage-home

Paramount School of Excellence Englewood (5–8) ENROLLMENT: 270. ILEARN: 32.5%.

GRAD. RATE: 44.6%. indianapolismet.org

paramountindy.org/englewood

Irvington Community Elementary School (PK–5) ENROLLMENT: 966. ILEARN: 12.9%.

Purdue Polytechnic High School Broad Ripple (9–12) ENROLLMENT: 229. SAT: 31.1%. GRAD.

ics-charter.org/irvington-communityelementary-school

avondalemeadowsms.org

KIPP Indy Legacy High School (9–11)

Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School (7–12) ENROLLMENT: 309. ILEARN: 0%. SAT: 8.6%.

Irvington Community Middle School (6–8)

GRAD. RATE: 81%. catas.tindley.org

irvington-community-middle-school

Christel House Academy South (K–12)

Irvington Preparatory Academy (9–12)

ENROLLMENT: 513. ILEARN: 9.1%. SAT: 9.1%. GRAD. RATE: 95.5%. chindy.org/academy-south

ENROLLMENT: 966. SAT: 18.8%. GRAD. RATE: 75.3%.

ENROLLMENT: 966. ILEARN: 12.2%. ics-charter.org/

ics-charter.org/irvington-preparatoryacademy

RATE: 96.7%. pphs.purdue.edu/broad-ripple

Purdue Polytechnic High School Englewood (9–12) ENROLLMENT, SAT & GRAD. RATE: n/a. pphs.purdue.edu/englewood

Tindley Genesis Academy (K–6) ENROLLMENT: 368. ILEARN: 7.3%. genesis.tindley.org

Tindley Summit Academy (K–6) ENROLLMENT: 312. ILEARN: 6.7%. summit.tindley.org

Visit Today 4-Time National Blue Ribbon Award Recipient • Nearly 20 Dual Credit Classes • More than 30 AP Classes, including AP Capstone • More than 100 years of Catholic education

GOCATHEDRAL.COM/VISIT FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SCHOOL GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

HAMILTON COUNTY Options Charter School—Noblesville (6–12) ENROLLMENT: 183. ILEARN: 0%. SAT: 0%. GRAD. RATE: 67.6%. optionsschools.org

Options Charter School—Westﬁeld (6–12) ENROLLMENT: 248. ILEARN: 3.9%. SAT: 0%. GRAD. RATE: 70.8%. 1optionsschools.org

HANCOCK COUNTY Geist Montessori Academy (K–8) ENROLLMENT: 291. ILEARN: 25.2%. gmacademy.org/

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Graduation rates, ILEARN proficiency rates for grades 3–8 (English/language arts and Math), and SAT benchmark rates for grade 11 (Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) are listed if provided by the Indiana Department of Education. Enrollment figures are from 2025, and graduation rates are from 2024. Tuition rates are for 2025–26 (for one full-time student in grades K-8), unless otherwise noted. Many schools offer discounts for multiple students from the same family, as well as several types of financial aid (including vouchers and scholarships). Regardless of their financial situation, all parents are encouraged to apply.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS (NORTH) Bishop Chatard High School ENROLLMENT: 762. SAT: 43.6%. GRAD. RATE: 93%. TUITION: $13,000 archdiocesan rate, $15,700

non-archdiocesan rate. bishopchatard.org

Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School ENROLLMENT: 829. SAT: 78.2% GRAD. RATE: 94.7%. TUITION: $22,580 (2025–26). brebeuf.org

Cathedral High School ENROLLMENT: 1,136.

non-active parishioners, $9,600 non-Catholic. sldmﬁshers.org/about

St. Luke Catholic School (K–8) ENROLLMENT: 584. ILEARN: 58.2%. TUITION: $6,797

(2026–27). gocathedral.com

active parishioner, $10,344 inactive and nonparishioner. stluke.org/school

Christ the King Catholic School (K–8)

St. Maria Goretti Catholic School (K–8)

SAT: 52.9%. GRAD. RATE: 96.3%. TUITION: $19.650

school. cks-indy.org

ENROLLMENT: 476. ILEARN: 57.1%. TUITION: contact school. smgonline.org/school

Guerin Catholic High School

St. Matthew Catholic School (PK–8)

ENROLLMENT: 382. ILEARN: 73.3%. TUITION: contact

ENROLLMENT: 794. SAT: 68.2%. GRAD. RATE: 98.4%. TUITION: $17,250. guerincatholic.org

Immaculate Heart of Mary School (K–8) ENROLLMENT: 431. ILEARN: 66.9%. TUITION: $6,700 parishioners, $11,000 non-parishioners. ihmindyschool.org

Our Lady of Grace Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 414. ILEARN: 50.4%. TUITION: $8,500.

ologs.org

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School (K–8) ENROLLMENT: 665. ILEARN: 72%. TUITION: K, $5,000;

grades 1-8, tithing through the parish (must be a church member). school.olmc1.org

St. Joan of Arc School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 228. ILEARN: 35.6%. TUITION: $7,842 parishioners, $8,060 non-parishioners. sjoa.org/school

ENROLLMENT: 374. ILEARN: 27.4%. TUITION: $7,000

active parishioners, $8,350 Catholic, $10,300 non-Catholic. saintmatt.org/school

St. Monica Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 366. ILEARN: 14.2%. TUITION: $5,830

active parishioners, $9,250 inactive and nonparishioners. smsindy.org

St. Pius X Catholic School (K–8) ENROLLMENT: 504. ILEARN: 64.7%. TUITION: $6,796 parishioners, $9,342 inactive and nonparishioners. school.spxparish.org

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 230. ILEARN: 44.1%. TUITION: $7,200 parishioners, $9,765 non-parishioners. staindy.org/school

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS (EAST)

St. Lawrence Catholic School (PK–8)

Holy Spirit Catholic School (PK–8)

ENROLLMENT: 216. ILEARN: 10.8%. TUITION: contact

ENROLLMENT: 434. ILEARN: 21%. TUITION:

school. saintlawrence.net/school

contact school. school.holyspirit-indy.org

St. Louis de Montfort Catholic School (PK–8)

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 213. ILEARN: 27.5%.

ENROLLMENT: 567. ILEARN: 70.7%. TUITION: $6,900 active parishioners, $8,000

5(*,67(5 6800(5 ˊʼˁˁʸ˅ ˂ʹ ʥʣʥʦʟ ʥʣʥʧ ˔ˡ˗ ʥʣʥʨ Ϣʵ˘˦˧ ˆ˨ˠˠ˘˥ ʶ˔ˠˣ˦ ˜ˡ ʼˡ˗˜˔ˡ˔ˣˢ˟˜˦ϣ ʼˡ˗ˬϠ˦ ʶ˛ˢ˜˖˘ ˔˪˔˥˗ ˂˃ʸˁ ˧ˢ ʴˁˌ ˃˥˘˦˖˛ˢˢ˟ʠʫ˧˛ ˚˥˔˗˘ ˦˧˨˗˘ˡ˧ ˇ˂ˇʴʿʿˌ ʼˀˀʸ˅ˆʼˉʸ ˖˔ˠˣ ˘˫ˣ˘˥˜˘ˡ˖˘ ʸˋ˃ʿ ˘˪ ˧ˢˣ˜˖˦ ʙ ˜ˡ˧˘˥˘˦˧˦ ʺ˅˂ˊ ˜ˡ˧˘˥˘˦˧˦ ʙ ˕˨˜˟˗ ˖ˢˡ˙˜˗˘ˡ˖˘ ʵʸʶ˂ˀʸ ˬˢ˨˥ ˙˨˧˨˥˘ ˬˢ˨ʔ

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SCHOOL GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TUITION: $8,100 parishioners, $8,600 non-

parishioners. ollindy.org/school

St. Michael Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 174. ILEARN: 38.9%. TUITION: contact

school. school-stmichaelsgrﬂd.org

St. Philip Neri Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 279. ILEARN: 5.6%. TUITION: $7,950

(2024–25). stphilipindy.org

$4,325 non-parishioners; grades 1–8, $6,975 parishioners, $7,500 non-parishioners; grades 9–12, $9,325 parishioners, $9,850 nonparishioners. lumenchristischool.org

Nativity Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 373. ILEARN: 32.9%. TUITION: $7,000

parishioners, $8,300 non-parishioners. school.nativityindy.org

St. Simon the Apostle Catholic School (PK–8)

Our Lady of the Greenwood Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 309. ILEARN: 37.2%.

ENROLLMENT: 722. ILEARN: 66.5%. TUITION: $6,891

TUITION: $6,372 parishioners, $7,239 non-

parishioners, $12,230 non-parishioners. school.saintsimon.org

parishioners. ol-g.squarespace.com

St. Therese Little Flower Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 328. ILEARN: 18.2%. TUITION: K–grade 7, $7,537; grade 8, $7,630.

littleﬂowerparishschool.org

Scecina Memorial High School ENROLLMENT: 455. SAT: 16.8%. GRAD. RATE: 88.2%. TUITION: $12,605 Catholic, $15,370 non-Catholic

yet Catholic-educated, $16,270 non-Catholic. scecina.org

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS (SOUTH) Central Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 248. ILEARN: 10.9%. TUITION: contact

school. centralcatholicindy.org

Holy Name Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 269. ILEARN: 34%. TUITION: contact

school. school.holyname.cc

Lumen Christi Catholic School (PK–12) ENROLLMENT, ILEARN, SAT & GRAD. RATE: n/a. TUITION: K, $3,800 Holy Rosary parishioners,

Roncalli High School ENROLLMENT: 1,119. SAT: 47.9%. GRAD. RATE: 83.9%. TUITION: $12,250

Catholic, $15,700 non-Catholic. roncalli.org

St. Rose of Lima School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 121. ILEARN: 27.4%. TUITION: $6,255 parishioners, $7,435 non-parishioners. saintrose.net/school

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS (WEST) Cardinal Ritter High School (7–12) ENROLLMENT: 608. ILEARN: 14.9%. SAT: 17.1%. GRAD. RATE: 96.3%. TUITION: junior high, $7,875;

high school, $12,055 Catholic, $14,755 nonCatholic (2026–27). cardinalritter.org

Holy Angels Catholic School (PK–6) ENROLLMENT: 70. ILEARN: 0%. TUITION: contact school. holyangelscatholicschool.org

Providence Cristo Rey High School

St. Barnabas School (PK–8)

ENROLLMENT: 266. SAT: 12.1%. GRAD. RATE: 84.8%. TUITION: $300-500 (average family contribu-

ENROLLMENT: 474. ILEARN: 52.2%. TUITION: contact

tion). cristoreyindy.org

school. school.stbindy.org

Sts. Francis & Clare of Assisi Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 426. ILEARN: 71.5%. TUITION: $6,700 (2026–27). ss-fc.org

St. Jude Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 515. ILEARN: 58%. TUITION: $6,700 parishioners, $9,800 non-parishioners. sjsindy.org/school

St. Mark Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 513. ILEARN: 46.9%. TUITION: $6,800.

school.stmarkindy.org

St. Roch Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 269. ILEARN: 60%. TUITION: $5,850

parishioners, $7,450 non-parishioners. strochindy.org/school

St. Christopher School (PK–6) ENROLLMENT: 206. ILEARN: 37.5%. TUITION: $6,900

parishioners, $7,500 Catholic, $8,000 nonparishioners. sites.google.com/stchrisindy.org/ st-christopher-school

St. Malachy Catholic School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 511. ILEARN: 67.2%. TUITION: $6,541

parishioners, $7,454 non-parishioner. stmalachy.org/school

St. Michael–St. Gabriel Elementary School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 291. ILEARN: 6.8%. TUITION: $7,685. indyarchangel.org

St. Susanna School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 300. ILEARN: 55.9%. TUITION: $7,040 Catholic, $8,116 non-Catholic. saintsusannaschool.com

LEADERS. SCHOLARS. ARTISTS.

CHANGEMAKERS. THIS IS WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.

NOW ENROLLING AGE 3 - GRADE 8 Learn more at orchard.org/visit or scan the QR code.

SIERRA KRICHIVER ’21 Majoring in astrophysics at Princeton University Orchard will always have a special place in my heart. Through dedicated teachers, an emphasis on community, and opportunities for personalized attention, Orchard gave me the foundation I needed to succeed in high school and beyond.

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SCHOOL GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS/ NONDENOMINATIONAL Covenant Christian High School

ENROLLMENT: 646. ILEARN: 32.8%. SAT: 21.4%. GRAD RATE: 90%. TUITION: K–grade 4, $7,487;

ENROLLMENT: 396. SAT: 58%. GRAD. RATE: 94.7%. TUITION: $15,950. covenantchristian.org

grades 5–8, $7,916; high school, $8,727. mooresvillechristian.org

Gray Road Christian School (PK–6)

Traders Point Christian Schools (PK–12)

ENROLLMENT & ILEARN: n/a. TUITION: $7,500.

grayroadchristian.com

Greenwood Christian Academy (PK–12) ENROLLMENT: 822. ILEARN: 53.8%. SAT: 46.2%. GRAD. RATE: 92% TUITION: K–grade 4, $9,650;

grades 5–6, $10,850; grades 7–8, $11,975; grades 9–12, $14,250. gcak12.org

Heritage Christian School (PK–12) ENROLLMENT: 1,605. ILEARN: 59.9%. SAT: 68.6%. GRAD. RATE: n/a. TUITION: K, $7,919; grades 1–4, $9,151; grades

5–6, $11,164; grades 7–8, $12,077; grades 9–12, $13,826 (2026–27). heritagechristian.net

Horizon Christian School (PK–12)

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS/ EPISCOPALIAN

Mooresville Christian Academy (PK–12)

St. Richard’s Episcopal School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT & ILEARN: n/a. TUITION: K, $20,720;

grades 1–4, $21,080; grades 5–7, $21,900; grade 8, $23,370. sresdragons.org

ENROLLMENT: 692. ILEARN: 56%. SAT: 16.7%. GRAD. RATE: 100%. TUITION: K–grade 4,

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS/ LUTHERAN

$12,950; grades 4–5, $13,960; grades 6–12, $14,990. tpcs.org

Calvary Lutheran School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 290. ILEARN: 41.1%. TUITION: contact

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS/BAPTIST

school. thecalvaryschool.org

Bethesda Christian School (PK–12) ENROLL-

Lutheran High School ENROLLMENT: 274.

MENT: 631. ILEARN: 51.8%. SAT: 47.2%. GRAD. RATE:

SAT: 36.5%. GRAD. RATE: 100%. TUITION (2024–25):

96.7%. TUITION: K, $9,600; grades 1–4, $10,500; grades 5–6, $10,800; grades 7–8, $11,800; grades 9–12, $13,200. bcspatriots.org

$12,600. lhsi.org

Central Christian Academy (K–12)

school. ourshepherd.org/school

ENROLLMENT: 242. ILEARN: 12.9%. SAT: 0%.

St. John Lutheran School (PK–8)

Our Shepherd Lutheran School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 229. ILEARN: 50.9%. TUITION: contact

ENROLLMENT: 367. ILEARN: 30.8%. SAT: 24.3%. GRAD. RATE: 4.8%. TUITION: K–grade 6, $9,600;

GRAD. RATE: n/a. TUITION: K–grade 6, $8,000; grades 7–12, $8,600. ccachargers.org

grades 7–8, $10,400; grades 9–12, $11,300. horizonindy.org/school

Colonial Christian School (PK–12)

Trinity Lutheran School (PK–8)

ENROLLMENT: 271. ILEARN: 51.5%; SAT: 76.9%.

Indy West Christian School (PK–8)

GRAD. RATE: 93.8%. TUITION: $7,350. ccsindy.org

ENROLLMENT: 152. ILEARN: 38.6%. TUITION: $10,000. school.trinityindy.org

ENROLLMENT: 429. ILEARN: 55.1%. TUITION: K, $10,250; grades 1–3, $11,000; grades 4-6, $11,750; grades 7–8, $12,500. indycs.org

Fishers Christian Academy (PK–12) ENROLL-

Zion Lutheran School (PK–8)

MENT: 91. ILEARN: 47.2%. SAT: 0%. GRAD. RATE: n/a.

ENROLLMENT: 230. ILEARN: 35.2%. TUITION: contact school. zionnewpal.org/school

Legacy Christian School (PK–12)

ENROLLMENT: 222. ILEARN: 34.8%. TUITION: $8,500

(2025–26). stjohnindy.org/school

TUITION: $7,400. ﬁsherschristianacademy.org

ENROLLMENT: 290. ILEARN: 42.9%. SAT: 33.3%. GRAD RATE: 100%. TUITION: K–grade 5, $9,950;

Suburban Christian School (PK–12)

grades 6–8, $10,700; grades 9–12, $11,200. legacychristianschools.org

GRAD. RATE: 84.6%. TUITION: $7,500. scsindy.com

ENROLLMENT: 653. ILEARN: 25.3%. SAT: 25%.

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS/ SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST Indiana Academy (9–12) ENROLLMENT: 97.

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IM | FEBRUARY 2026

SCHOOL GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SAT: 22.2%. GRAD. RATE: 15.4%. TUITION: contact school. iasda.org

ENROLLMENT: 70. ILEARN: 13.2%. TUITION: $7,300. ijacademy.org

ILEARN: Fall Creek, 47.2%; Brookside, 46.8%;

Calvary Christian School (PK–12) ENROLLMENT: 229. ILEARN: 30.7%. SAT: 31.3%. GRAD.

JEWISH SCHOOLS

ENROLLMENT: 1,228. TUITION: $37,600 (2026–27). ROOM AND BOARD: $13,700 (2026–27). DEGREES OFFERED: associate, bachelor’s, master’s,

The Oaks Academy (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 1,100.

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS/UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH

non-members. ccs-indy.org

Anderson University

ENROLLMENT, ILEARN, SAT & GRAD. RATE: n/a. TUITION: contact school. mymwa.org

Indianapolis Junior Academy (PK–8)

RATE: 93.8%. TUITION: $6,800 members, $7,300

Midwest Academy of Indiana (3–12)

Middle School, 51.3%. TUITION: K–grade 5, $14,750; grades 6–8, $15,750. theoaksacademy.org

The Orchard School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT & ILEARN: n/a. TUITION: K–grade 4, $22,890; grade

Butler University ENROLLMENT: 5,746.

TUITION: $8,948. DEGREES OFFERED: associate,

bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. bsu.edu

5, $23,470; grade 6, $23,750; grade 7, $23,850; grade 8, $26,560. orchard.org ILEARN, SAT & GRAD. RATE: n/a. TUITION: K–grade

5, $26,590; grades 6–8, $28,320; grades 9–12, $28,450. parktudor.org

K, $14,420; grades 1–5, $16,501; grades 6–8, $17,119 (if enrolled after March 15). hhai.org

Sycamore School (PK–8) ENROLLMENT & ILEARN:

NON-CHURCH-AFFILIATED

University High School of Indiana ENROLLMENT: 348. SAT: 54.4%. GRAD. RATE: n/a. TUITION:

International School of Indiana (PK–12) ENROLLMENT: 470. ILEARN: 37.7%. SAT: 53.3%. GRAD. RATE: 100%. TUITION (2024–25): K, $24,185;

grades 1–5, $24,705; grades 6–8, $25,123; grades 9–12, $26,959. isind.org

Marian University Preparatory School (6–9) ENROLLMENT: 40. ILEARN: 15.4%. TUITION: $6,500.

muprep.k12.com

n/a. TUITION: $23,420. sycamoreschool.org

Christian Theological Seminary ENROLLMENT:

DePauw University ENROLLMENT: 1,858. TUITION: $54,864. ROOM AND BOARD: $14,824. DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s. depauw.edu

Earlham College ENROLLMENT: 658 (undergraduate). TUITION: $54,864. ROOM AND BOARD: $14,824. DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s, master’s. earlham.edu

$29,998 (2026–27). universityhighschool.org

INDIANA COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Costs listed are approximate for Indiana resident full-time undergraduates for the 2025–26 school year, unless otherwise noted. Those figures may vary based on majors and other factors; federal financial aid, grants, and scholarships are available. Enrollment figures include both undergraduate and graduate students.

Franklin College ENROLLMENT: 889 (2024–25). TUITION: $40,230. ROOM AND BOARD: $12,860. DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s, master’s.

franklincollege.edu

Goshen College ENROLLMENT: 695. TUITION: $41,260. ROOM AND BOARD: $12,610. DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s, master’s,

doctoral. goshen.edu

Hanover College ENROLLMENT: 1,244. TUITION: $46,232 (2026–27). ROOM AND BOARD: $15,214.

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TUITION: $250-285 per week. cwpsa.com

TUITION: $48,900. DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s, master’s, Pharm.D. butler.edu

165. TUITION: $710 per credit hour. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate, master’s, doctoral. cts.edu

Park Tudor School (PK–12) ENROLLMENT,

Hasten Hebrew Academy of Indianapolis (PK–8) ENROLLMENT: 92. ILEARN: 57.9%. TUITION:

Curtis Wilson Primary School & Academy (PK–6) ENROLLMENT: 93. ILEARN: 76.2%.

doctoral. anderson.edu

Ball State University ENROLLMENT: 20,200.

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FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

SCHOOL GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

(2026–27). DEGREES OFFERED: associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. marian.edu

University of Indianapolis ENROLLMENT: 4,000.

hanover.edu

DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s, doctorate.

Huntington University ENROLLMENT: 1,695.

Oakland City University ENROLLMENT: n/a.

TUITION: $34,170 (2027–27)). ROOM AND BOARD: $11,830 (2026–27). DEGREES OFFERED: associate,

TUITION: $27,900. ROOM AND BOARD: $10,900. DEGREES OFFERED: associate, bachelor’s,

bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. uindy.edu

bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. huntington.edu

master’s, doctoral. oak.edu

Indiana State University ENROLLMENT: 6,352 (undergraduate). TUITION: $9,978. ROOM AND BOARD: $12,408. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. indstate.edu

Purdue University ENROLLMENT: 57,310. TUITION: $9,718. ROOM AND BOARD: $13,720. DEGREES OFFERED: associate, bachelor’s,

doctoral. nd.edu

master’s, doctoral. purdue.edu

University of Saint Francis ENROLLMENT: 1,937.

Indiana Tech ENROLLMENT: 15,576. TUITION:

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

$32,872. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. indianatech.edu

ENROLLMENT: 2,334 (2024–25). TUITION: $58,200. ROOM AND BOARD: $17,427. DEGREES OFFERED:

TUITION: $37,350 (2026–27). ROOM AND BOARD: $12,290 (2026–27). DEGREES OFFERED:

Indiana University ENROLLMENT: 89,247. TUITION: $12,142. ROOM AND BOARD: $14,160. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate, associate,

bachelor’s, master’s. rose-hulman.edu

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College ENROLLMENT: n/a. TUITION: $33,590. DEGREES OFFERED:

bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. indiana.edu

associate, bachelor’s, master’s. smwc.edu

Indiana Wesleyan University ENROLLMENT:

Saint Mary’s College ENROLLMENT: 1,533. TUITION: $55,093. ROOM AND BOARD: $15,026. DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s, master’s,

14,500. TUITION: $33,246. ROOM AND BOARD: $11,196. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. indwes.edu

doctoral. saintmarys.edu

Ivy Tech Community College

Taylor University ENROLLMENT: 2,861. TUITION:

ENROLLMENT: 204,822 statewide (2024–25). TUITION: $5,154. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate,

$41,300 (2026–27). ROOM AND BOARD: $11,874 (2026–27). DEGREES OFFERED: associate, bachelor’s, master’s. taylor.edu

technical certiﬁcate, workforce certiﬁcations, associate. ivytech.edu

Manchester University ENROLLMENT: 1,300. TUITION: $36,484. DEGREES OFFERED: associate,

bachelor’s, master’s, Pharm.D. manchester.edu

Trine University ENROLLMENT: 13,000 (spring 2025). TUITION: $36,850. DEGREES OFFERED: associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. trine.edu

University of Evansville ENROLLMENT: 2,000.

Marian University ENROLLMENT: 5,174. TUITION:

TUITION: $45,800 (2026–27). DEGREES OFFERED:

$43,400 (2026–27). ROOM AND BOARD: $15,040

bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. evansville.edu

TUITION: $36,504. ROOM AND BOARD: $16,438. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate, associate,

University of Notre Dame ENROLLMENT: n/a. TUITION: $67,607 (average cost; dependent upon family income). ROOM AND BOARD: $18,438. DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s, master’s,

certiﬁcate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. sf.edu

University of Southern Indiana ENROLLMENT: 9,399. TUITION: $299 per credit hour. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate, associate,

bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral. usi.edu

Valparaiso University ENROLLMENT: 2,451. TUITION: $50,650. ROOM AND BOARD: $15,220. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate, bachelor’s,

master’s, doctoral. valpo.edu

Vincennes University ENROLLMENT: n/a. TUITION: $7,126. ROOM AND BOARD: $13,500. DEGREES OFFERED: certiﬁcate, associate,

bachelor’s. 1vinu.edu

Wabash College ENROLLMENT: 908. TUITION: $52,900. ROOM AND BOARD: $15,300. DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s. wabash.edu

WGU Indiana ENROLLMENT: 193,772. TUITION: $9,085 (average for bachelor’s). DEGREES OFFERED: bachelor’s, master’s. wgu.edu/indiana

Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School is the only Jesuit school in Indiana. Visit today and see how care of the whole person is at the foundation of a transformative student experience. 92

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INDY CHAMBER

SPOTLIGHT ON INDY BUSINESS P R E S E N T E D BY

Your go-to source for local goods, services, and experiences. Love Indy. Work Together. Dream Big. Move Fast. FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INDY CHAMBER

SPOTLIGHT

Support independently owned businesses with this go-to guide to local shops, personal services, dining and nightlife establishments, and more.

ON INDY BUSINESS

MED I CA L SPA

PERSONAL TRAINING

Ageless Aesthetics Indy’s premier medical spa for ﬂawless results across three locations 8860 Zionsville Rd., Ste. 300C, Indianapolis agelessindy.com | ageless.aesthetics.indy

RESTAURANT

Goodness Gracious A comforting breakfast and lunch restaurant oﬀering catering, events, and curated picnics 24 N. Rangeline Rd., Carmel i_love_goodnessgracious

BA RBER SH O P

Magic Hat Barber Shop

A premium barber shop prized for its attentive service & selection of grooming products from Brosh Pomade, D.S. & Durga, Ursa Major, and more 885 Monon Green Blvd., Ste. 101, Carmel magichatbarbershop

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

To advertise, email hwhitney@indianapolismonthly.com

RESTAURANT

Body Outfitters

Diavola Italian Restaurant

Experts who build your conﬁdence, strength, and deliver results

An Italian family-owned restaurant known for authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas ﬁred in a traditional brick oven

8487 Union Chapel Rd., Indianapolis bodyoutfitters | bodyoutfitters.com

FLORAL & WEDDING PL ANNING

Jen’s Floral Design Oﬀering unique, personalized ﬂoral arrangements and wedding planning Fishers, IN |

jensfloraldesign |

jensfloral.com

FACI AL SPA

The Only Facial

1134 E 54th St., Ste. I |

diavola_indy

CHI L DREN’S CLOT HI NG

Little Tulip Tree A Beaufort Bonnet Company Signature Store oﬀering clothing for babies and children with a reﬁned sense of style 840 S. Rangeline Rd., Carmel |

littletuliptree.com

RESTAURANT

Pizzology

An 11-step custom facial service providing honest advice and no upselling, with gratuity included

Pizzology Cra2 Pizza + Pub is a chef-driven pizzeria with unique pastas, salads, cra2 cocktails, and more.

3742 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis |

13190 Hazel Dell Pkwy., Carmel |

theonlyfacial.com

pizzologyindy.com

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INDY CHAMBER

CR ack

HOM E BOU TI QU E

CAT CAFE AND COFFEE SHOP

P TA

RESTAURANT

. B E E R.

Smitten Kitten

Twenty Tap A neighborhood scratch kitchen oﬀering a unique selection of cra beers and cocktails in Meridian-Kessler 5408 N. College Ave., Indianapolis |

twentytap.com

CANDLE POURING & RETAIL SHOP

Unplug Soy Candles POUR. PLAY. SHOP. Create memories, gi joy! 12550 Promise Creek Ln., Ste. 108, Fishers unplugsoycandles.com | unplugsoycandles

Smitten Kitten helps reduce the number of surrendered, abandoned, and homeless cats by fostering a peaceful, cage-free, interactive environment for both adopters and cats. 7852 E. 96th St., Fishers |

fisherscatcafe

114 East Jefferson St., Tipton, IN urbanhomesteadllc

ART ST U DI O

M EDI CAL SPA

Wise Aesthetics

A luxurious medical spa with personalized care, ensuring your unique beauty and wellness goals are met with excellence Carmel, IN |

Urban Homestead At Urban Homestead, ﬁnd home decor thoughtfully curated to reﬂect timeless sophistication and warmth.

wise-aesthetics.com

Yours For The Making

A fun art studio oﬀering painting, beading, wreath making workshops, parties, and so much more 13620 N. Meridian St., Carmel YoursForTheMaking.co

Live Guest Illustrations Live guest illustrations bring an element of artful sophistication to your celebration. For those looking to have the ultimate guest experience where guests feel seen, celebrated, and cherished this is the perfect keepsake. Each illustration is embellished with unique customization that are both stylish and sentimental.

@thepurepaintress | ThePurePaintress.com

PH O TO BY PR ODUCE R TYLER

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

2025 C H A L L E N G E

PRESENTED BY

2025 Challenge Recap

$535,745 Raised by Charities

$100,000 Prize Money Donated by Indianapolis Monthly

= $635,745

2025 Challenge Impact Over $1.1 million raised in our first two years!

2025 Nonprofit Winners

1ST PLACE

2ND PLACE

3RD PLACE

4TH PLACE

5TH PLACE

RAISED $91,303

RAISED $75,788

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RAISED $31,220

Mission to Ukraine

Rapha Road

Oinking Acres Farm Rescue & Sanctuary

Morning Light

GenderNexus

DONORS

$30,000

2,147

LARGEST SINGLE GIFT

DONATIONS > $100

PARTICIPATING CHARITIES

2,506

664

SMALLEST SINGLE GIFT

DONATIONS < $99

2,811

DONATIONS

$156.37

AVERAGE DONATION

Thank you to our generous donors! find more info at indianapolisgives.org

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R E S TAU R A N T S

IM | FEBRUARY 2026

new and updated SLAPFISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 LI FT OFF CREAM ERY . . . . . . . . 101 BLACKSHEEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 SERLIANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

P h o t o b y T O N Y VA L A I N I S

key

BR 2025

Named one of IM’s Best Restaurants in 2025

Kid friendly Solo dining Cocktails

NEW New addition to the guide

$$$$ $50 and up $$$ $30–$40 $$ $20–$30 $ Under $20

Restaurants included in this guide are selected at the discretion of the Indianapolis Monthly editorial staff based on food quality, innovation, atmosphere, service, value, and consistency. IM does not accept advertising or other compensation in exchange for dining coverage. Price symbols indicate the average cost of a meal per person (without tax, tip, or alcohol). Due to limited space, this list does not cover every evaluated restaurant. For a more comprehensive guide to Indianapolis dining, visit IndianapolisMonthly.com/Dining. Feedback? Please email jspalding@IndianapolisMonthly.com.

9th Street Bistro CONTEMPORARY Samir and Rachel Firestone Mohammad’s tiny seasonal innovator continues to delight diners who secure a coveted reservation. A standby at collaborative wine dinners and dining festivals, its take on globally inspired Midwestern flavors has served as an influence for a number of other restaurants on this list. A community dinner series focused on local farmstead ingredients continues to sell out. 56 S. 9th St., Noblesville, 317-774-5065, 9thstbistro.com $$$$ BR 2025

10th Street Diner VEGAN Surprisingly familiar and hearty plantbased takes on diner classics occupy the entire menu at this rehab of a former pawn shop, a comfy backdrop for enjoying such tasty fakeouts as a gooey seitan Reuben, a “chicken” pot pie, and chili that rivals your favorite con carne version. 3301 E. 10th St., 463-221-1255 $$

1933 Lounge

Anthony’s Chophouse STEAKHOUSE The interior of this swanky

heavy hitter has the polished gleam of a Vegas hotel, with an upper-level lounge containing the salvaged mahogany bar from The Glass Chimney, another fine dining legend. The food has equal flourish. Lobster bisque with a hunk of tempura-fried meat begins a meal that might include a cowgirl ribeye, a flight of filets, or a domestic wagyu burger. Take note—the steak menu also lists a spinalis. You may never eat another steak this perfect. Black-suited servers and wellcomposed cocktails keep the high-dollar meal running smoothly. 201 W. Main St., Carmel, 317-740-0900, anthonyschophouse.com $$$$

Ash & Elm Cider Co. CIDER Ash & Elm’s array of complex and quaffable ciders gets broader all the time, with funky cocktails demonstrating a flavor profile well beyond sweet apples. The food pairs beautifully with the drinks, from the now legendary elote fritters made with Indiana corn and cilantro crema to the crispy fried Brussels sprouts flavored with, of course, cider vinaigrette. A thick-cut Cuban and an Italian hoagie with all the meats are great choices among sandwiches, though the pimento cheeseburger with pickled green tomato is hard to beat. 1301 E. Washington St., 317-600-3164; 525 N. End Dr., Carmel, 317$$ 740-1991; ashandelmcider.com

The Alchemist COFFEE AND COCKTAILS Red Lion Grog House

owners Nicole and Cody Neville also own a coffee equipment company called Espresso Enterprises, which makes their Mononadjacent cocktail bar and coffee shop a marriage of passions. Take a morning stroll with one of its caffeinated drinks, made with beans from Chicago-based Philosophy Coffee, or a twilight Monon Trail walk capped off with a boozy craft drink such as the Blood & Sugar, made with bacon fat–washed High West Double Rye, maple syrup, three types of bitters, and a quick puff of smoke. 1660 Bellefontaine St., 317-683-0957, thealchemistindy.com $

Bar Ellis ROOFTOP Noblesville’s year-round outdoor restaurant is made for celebrations, with a lineup of sharable appetizers, hearty mains, and bar snacks. Its cocktail list is also a party, filled with kicky, top-shelf drinks with pop culture–inspired names. An NA drink list and a concise kids menu ensure everyone can enjoy the fun. 841 Conner St., Noblesville, $$$ 317-764-2571, bebarellis.com

Beholder CUTTING EDGE Jonathan Brooks patterns himself as a renegade, but the consistent excellence of his restaurant, Beholder, suggests the chef/owner is becoming Indy’s fine dining standard-bearer, not its outsider. Between the urban chic dining room and the two glossy bars (one by the mixologist, the other at the kitchen), there’s a rock-star gloss to the restaurant that makes you feel cool just for showing up. And when you do, the always-changing fixed-price menu is a great place to start, though the a la carte dish list offers intriguing surprises daily. Its awardwinning wine list is calculated to pair with the seasonal food offerings, and its cocktail lineup is witty and strong. 1844 E. 10th St., 317-419-3471, $$$$ beholderindy.com BR 2025

Bluebeard Baan Thai Bistro BR 2025

THAI Roxanna Williams and her

mother, Jhanya, are behind some of Indy’s most reliable Thai restaurants, but the restaurateurs have hit their stride with Baan Thai. Their converted Wanamaker cottage bustles with diners lured in by Jhanya’s decades-old family recipes but inspired to stay thanks to Roxanna’s flair with aesthetics, service, and quality. Som thum, for example, arrives on a wooden platter arrayed with lettuce leaves, turning the traditional papaya salad into a kicky wrap. Every plate exhibits similar élan, but the flavors prove there’s much more to Baan Thai than the ’Gram. 8705 Southeastern Ave., 317-759-8424, baanthaibistro.com $$$

STEAKHOUSE This St. Elmo spinoff serves a

similar core menu of steaks and seafood to its sister spot, then widens its scope to encompass sushi, sandwiches, and sliders. It also boasts a slightly more contemporary and glitzy style to its dining room, making it a place to see and be seen. An ambitious cocktail menu lends a speakeasy vibe, and well-portioned desserts lend themselves to sharing. Multiple locations, $$$$ 1933lounge.com

bread to fit any taste. 365 S. Main St., Zionsville, 949-324-7314, bakershousebread.com $

CONTEMPORARY A fine dining lunch isn’t easy to find in Indy, making Bluebeard a go-to for a power midday meal. Chef Alan Sternberg brings as much attention to his noontime dishes as he does to a daily afternoon snack menu and a seven-days-aweek dinner. Favorites like the house-made chips and dips are always on deck, while entrees, salads, and desserts are switched up based on what’s in season. All this happens inside an ancient brick building once dedicated to industry then abandoned. By rehabilitating a beautiful old structure, Bluebeard helped kick off a transformation that changed the face of a neighborhood. That gives the spot a significance well beyond its excellent food. 653 Virginia Ave., $$$$ 317-686-1580, bluebeardindy.com BR 2025

Baby’s BURGERS This playful, family-friendly joint limits its menu to smashburgers, chicken, milkshakes (spiked or not), and cocktails. Housed in a former drag bar, it also has fun with the building’s artsy legacy— the house burger is called a Strut Burger, and all of the cocktail names come straight from the RuPaul meme factory. Sip a Tongue Pop or a Sashay Away as you polish off the last of the Talbott Street Style fries dressed with bacon, cheese sauce, white barbecue sauce, and pickled jalapeño. 2147 N. Talbott $$ St., 317-600-3559, babysindy.com

The Baker’s House BREAD Allie Rijfkogel and Carl Ceresoli turned their pandemic passion for sourdough into a business in 2025, turning a Zionsville cottage into a fragrant bakery and storefront. Each Baker’s House loaf is a unique creation packaged with an eye to gift-giving. Flavors like cinnamon swirl and rosemary garlic, in addition to the traditional sourdough boule, ensure that there’s a naturally fermented

Bodhi THAI This family-owned restaurant bills itself

first as a “craft cocktail bar,” and for good reason: Its drinks are some of the prettiest in town. Its vaunted menu also shines, with prettily-plated takes on Thai and pan-Asian classics. 922 Massachusetts Ave., 317-941-6595, $$$$ bodhi-indy.com

Borage ONE-STOP SHOP Josh Kline and Zoë Taylor’s expansive Speedway spot hits all the craveable notes: One side is all coffee and pastries, while another is a specialty market with fresh food, rare condiments, and gorgeous little things. Its other wing is for brunch, lunch, and dinner, with comfy chairs and table service. It can be a lot to get your head around—especially when you’re trying to figure out what menu to order from—but that’s also part of the fun. While a dish you’re attracted to might not be on offer during one visit, it gives you a built-in reason to come back. Dishes pull from the owners’ backgrounds at some of the BR 2025

FEBRUARY 2026 | IM

region’s most popular spots but are played out with their specific vision. 1609 N. Lynhurst Dr., $$$ 317-734-3958, borageeats.com

and, of course, garnished with a cherry on top. 5450 E. Fall Creek Pkwy. N Dr., 317-991-4995, indysburgerjoint.com $$

The Bosphorus Istanbul Cafe

Cafe Patachou

TURKISH This cozy, colorful cafe in the Holy

CAFE The so-called “student union for adults” continues to draw in the morning crowds and has inspired citywide offshoots. The wait for a weekend table can be brutal (but is worth it), as the cinnamon toast remains as thick as a brick; the produce is still locally sourced; the massive omelets continue to have cheeky names; and the broken-yolk sandwiches are a perennial lunch favorite. Multiple locations., 317-222-3538, cafepatachou.com $$

Rosary neighborhood celebrates the cuisine of the Middle East, Greece, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Silky, tahini-rich hummus is a must, alongside exemplary falafel, creamy eggplant salsa, and borek—buttery phyllo stuffed with feta and parsley. 935 S. East St., 317-974-1770, thebosphoruscafe .com $$$

Brooklyn Char

SMALL BITE

PIZZA Benjamin Butterworth’s

Zionsville pie and slice shop was born out of a desire for legitimate New York–style pizza in Indy, a pursuit that sent the Camby native to Brooklyn and beyond. His studies have resulted in light yet substantial pies with just the right amount of leoparding and heft. He also serves up glistening garlic knots made with a special compound butter and TikTokworthy stuffed breadsticks ripe for the cheese-pulling. Nostalgic candies and shakes made with Crystal Springs Creamery ice cream offer a sweet ending to the meal. 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Noblesville, 317-564-0660, brooklynchar.com $$$

ARGENTINEAN Marcos Perera-

SWIM TEAM Fast-casual seafood favorite Slapﬁsh is casting a wider net in the Indianapolis area, opening a new Carmel location over the winter. The 3,300-square-foot spot is the company’s fourth local source for lobster rolls, ﬁsh tacos, power bowls, and blackened grouper sandwiches.

Brozinni Pizzeria PIZZA Owner James Cross grew up in New York, and everything on the menu is named after an iconic NYC location, from the Madison Square Garden meatball sandwich to the Hell’s Kitchen calzone. Don’t skip the garlic knuckles, curled into knots and drenched in garlic butter. Use the sauce pooling at the bottom of the basket for dipping. Multiple locations, 317-7442826, brozinni.com $$

Bru Burger Bar BURGERS Servers at this Cunningham Restaurant Group burger and beer chain are uniformly warm, accessible, and ready with recommendations, and with an easily accessible menu of loaded and stacked burgers, you’ll likely need help deciding what to choose. Its standard-issue beef patty is a mix of sirloin, chuck, and brisket, but lamb, turkey, bison, and two different plant-based versions are also on offer. (Gluten-free buns are available, too.) Appetizers are so generous that your biggest worry might be filling up before your meal arrives. Multiple locations, bruburgerbar.com $$$

The Burger Joint BURGERS Tucked away in a strip mall off Emerson Way and 56th Street, The Burger Joint is a true hidden gem. It doesn’t take hamburgers lightly; the menu is full of specialty patties topped with savory and tender brisket, grilled pineapple, or spicy chorizo, which all pair well with hand-battered onion rings, fries, or loaded tater tots. If the burgers are what bring you in, it’s the milkshakes that make you stay—hand-dipped and served in an oldfashioned glass, piled high with whipped cream,

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Che Chori Blasco’s colorful restaurant offers a selection of traditional butterflied-sausage sandwiches and warm empanadas filled with seasoned meats. Make sure to pick up the house-made dulce de leche, which is sold by the jar, as well as its churros and specialty Argentinian shortbread cookies. And don’t overlook the cook-athome sausages, from Spanishstyle chorizo to Argentinean black sausage. 3124 W. 16th St., 317-737-2012, chechori.com $$

service or foie gras and lobster tail for your steak. The wine list is heavy on the bubbles, apt for celebrating a big win at work or play. A three-figure seafood tower is a showy special occasion order—or just an average Tuesday night if you’re living the courtside seat life. 110 S. Delaware St., 317-550-2500, commissionrow .com $$$$

Convivio ITALIAN With a menu that traces the geographical regions in Italy, this is not your average red-sauce joint. The pasta is all made inhouse, and its Neapolitan-style pizzas are served blistered and hot from an imported Italian pizza oven. An accessible and Italian-heavy wine list makes picking a bottle for the table a pleasure. 11529 Spring Mill Rd., Carmel, 317-564-4670, convivioindy.com $$$

Cooper & Cow SPEAKEASY Louisville-based Endeavor

Restaurant Group is behind this Fishers steakhouse, which seeks to reinvent the popular format as a Prohibition era dining experience. That means a mix of rustic touches and bourbon-infused accents set off by USDA Prime cuts larded with add-ons like crab and truffle wagyu tallow. Desserts stick with the bourbon theme, with bananas, cake, and ice cream all laden with the spirit. 8626 E. 116th St., Fishers, 317-288-2801, cooperandcow.com $$$$

Corridor Cheeky Bastards BR 2025

BRITISH With crumpets,

scones, and a jawdropping breakfast fry-up, not to mention afternoon teas and plenty of benedicts and bacon and egg baps, Hope Lane and Robert Carmack’s homage to all things British has long been a daytime destination. In recent years, it’s also evolved into a place for a rib-sticking, mid-evening supper. Golden, lightly fried halloumi with an especially smooth and refined aioli, as well as a house salad with black currant vinaigrette and a less-hefty-than-expected Scotch egg are all reasons to stop in any time to practice your Cockney or Geordie over a pint. On Sundays, watch for weekend roasts and high teas during certain hours. 11210 Fall Creek Rd., 317-288$$$ 9739, cbindy.com

LUNCH At the end of 2024, Erin Kem and Logan McMahan briefly shuttered SoBro favorite Nicole-Taylor’s Pasta + Market + Backroom Eatery, which they had purchased a few years before. After a remodel, they reopened the space as Corridor, a lunchtime restaurant dedicated to the flavors of the Mediterranean, North African, and Arab worlds. The handmade pasta Nicole-Taylor’s built its fame on remains, as does a tightly edited market of specialty goods. Also intact is the restaurant’s chef’s table, a four-figure group reservation that’s one of the hottest dining tickets in town. 1134 E. 54th St., 317-257-7374, $$$ corridorindy.com BR 2025

Daisy Bar

area encourages diners to linger, as does its menu of sweet and power-packed Southeast Asian–style claypot coffee drinks. The Dark Delight, made with strong coffee and both evaporated and condensed milk, is so thick it feels like a meal, while the Cafe Delight—which trades the condensed milk for sugar syrup—is perfect for those who need even more sweetness. Fresh-squeezed juice, teas, and a food menu of spring rolls and roti round the experience out. 1551 E. Stop 12 Rd., 317-300-1346 $

AMERICANA Owner Jon Carlos Rangel describes this food-and-drinks endeavor on the west end of the Factory Arts District as a modern take on the great American diner. It’s open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, offering breakfast options as well as small plates and family-style dining in the evening. Sturdy yet fluffy savory churros come mingled with flaked Verlasso salmon and a cooling, oniony creme fraiche. “Birria” mandu, Korean style dumplings in a bold soy consommé, are filled with ground pork, not the expected beef or lamb. Options for vegetarians include heirloom carrots alchemized into tasty “pastrami.” 1125 Massachusetts Ave., 317-390-4002, daisybarindy $$ .com

Commission Row

Diavola

Claypot Coffee House COFFEE Claypot’s airy, design-forward seating

BR 2025

UPSCALE Indy’s pervasive Cunningham

Restaurant Group is behind this glossy fine dining spot, which is positioned to benefit from crowds headed to or from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. That makes game nights quite a scene at the baller-level restaurant, which gilds the lily with caviar

PIZZA Pies emerge expertly bubbled and charred from a centerpiece brick oven. Ingredients are simple but top-shelf, with herbs and produce grown in the owner’s nearby garden. Gluten-free pizzas, made with a house blend of flours, are spectacular. 1134 E. 54th St., 317-820-5100, diavola.net $$

Fernando’s Mexican & Brazilian Cuisine BR 2025

SMALL BITE

MEXICAN AND BRAZILIAN

This restaurant built a loyal following in Broad Ripple, then in 2025 expanded to Mass Ave, allowing the business—known for sharp, upscale takes on standards—to come into its own. An order of Sinaloa Tacos at the bar remains one of the city’s greatest treats, and the Crawfish Quesadilla is a brilliant marriage of Midwestern and Latin flavors. 834 E. 64th St., 317-377-4779; 888 Massachusetts Ave., 317-771-6653, fernandosindy $$$ .com

Field Brewing BREWPUB This Westfield addition

TAKING OFF

The 1937 metal Sanitary Diner in Holy Cross is poised for a comeback. The structure that moved to its current site in 2010 by Angie’s List will reopen as a Lift Off Creamery. The ice cream shop already has locations on East 16th Street and in Greenwood and Irvington.

to the local craft brewery scene would be dazzling enough for its mod fixtures and bocce ball court that spans the family-friendly outdoor space, but the menu is as daring as it is easy to pair with the house brews. Its event space is simple-chic and full of natural light, available (with reservations) for special receptions and birthdays—or just for big family and friend gatherings. 303 E. Main St., Westfield, 317-804$$$ 9780, fieldbrewing.com

Fire by the Monon CASUAL PATIO DINING A restaurant that shines

during the summer months, Fire by the Monon is the perfect spot to let the kids run around outside while the adults quaff a craft brew. The food menu spans flatbreads, variations on mac and cheese, and salads; affordable mains are also on offer for those with a heartier appetite. 6523 Ferguson St., 317-252-5920, firebythemonontrail.com $$

The Fountain Room SUPPER CLUB This glitzy art deco restaurant is

arguably the crown jewel of the Bottleworks area, with enough marble, terrazzo, and chandeliers to outfit Jay Gatsby’s West Egg mansion. Like Fitzgerald’s doomed millionaire, the Fountain Room speaks to the aspirational crowd with a showy lineup of steaks, seafood, and cocktails, as well as Midwestern stick-toyour-ribs sides. 830 Massachusetts Ave., 463-2383800, thefountainroom.com $$$$

Freeland’s Restaurant EURO FUSION Tinker Street’s Tom Main says

this heritage-based restaurant is his last, making it worth a visit for the farewell tour aspect, alone. But the setting also compels: A massive renovation has turned an 1890s mansion into a glossy place to drink and dine, complete with vintage china and a wildly patterned bar. The oft-changing menu defies easy categorization, with influences from across Europe as well as Indiana’s colonizer class. Desserts are clever and adventurous without being cloying, while a full bar mixes excellent cocktails and pours wines from a well-curated list. 875 Freeland Way, Carmel, 317-400-0436, freelandsrestaurant.com $$$

by a cheesy exoskeleton and sauce spooned over the toppings. Followers quickly learned to make a play for the corners for maximum crispy-crust payoff, though the single-sided squares are hardly a compromise thanks to house-made ingredients, like ground pepperoni and chickenand-ranch fixings. The thinner tavern-style and gluten-free pizzas are just as impressive and generously loaded. 19 Cruse St., 317-360-4725, futuroindy.com $$

PIZZA Fans of this downtown-ish charmer crave

Futuro’s thick Detroit-style slabs characterized

Izakaya Japanese Restaurant HIBACHI Take a seat at the hibachi for an object

lesson in Japanese grilling, with dishes that span land and sea cooked before your very eyes. A sushi list gives equal attention to sashimi, nigiri, and huge and inventive rolls, while a kids menu includes noodles, katsu, and tempura for the small set. 7325 E. 96th St., 317-915-8988, $$$ indyizakaya.com

Josephine Gather 22

outdoor living is the name of the game at Gather 22, which marries co-owner Pablo Gonzalez’s California roots with life and business partner Adam Reinstrom’s Hoosier upbringing. A stylish dining room makes way for a sweeping bar, backed by a huge outdoor (and dog-friendly) area. The menu is equally vibey, with a global menu of dishes backstopped by a list of Byrne’s grilled pizzas (Adam Reinstrom’s parents own that Meridian-Kessler spot). True to its name, the restaurant was conceived by its owners as a social center for the neighborhood, with public events and gatherings multiple times a month. 22 E. 22nd St., 317-258-2222, $$$ gather22.com

CONTEMPORARY FRENCH Ambrosia Hospitality Group might be best known for its Italian ventures, but for their newest restaurant, Dan Cage and Anna Pizzi Cage looked back to their newlywed days spent in France. The result is Josephine—named after Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte’s first wife—a modern take on bistro fare. Chef Andrew Popp has built a menu that balances out classics of the genre (yes, escargot and steak tartare are on the list) with twists on French onion soup—lightened here with chicken broth and sherry—and a citrus and fennel salad. Standout desserts include pot de crème topped with amaretto cream and an individual goat cheesecake topped with syrupsoaked cherries. For a breezier experience, ask for a seat at the bar, soundtracked with French jazz and dotted by quirky pendant lighting. 110 W. Main St., Carmel, 317-548-3589, josephinecarmel.com $$$$

Harrison’s

Juniper on Main

ITALIAN After a multimillion-dollar renovation,

LOW COUNTRY This Southern coastal charmer’s

the former Regions Bank on Delaware Street has been transformed into a sit-down restaurant by owner Bill Pritt, whose FortyFive Degrees sushi bar and Metro nightclub are mainstays of Mass Ave’s dining and dancing scene. Pritt took menu inspiration from shuttered North Keystone restaurant Marco’s, beloved for its homey pasta recipes and “cheap meat” night; that spot’s signature lasagna and ham-andcheese-stuffed Chicken a la Marco can be found here. Original offerings lean toward steakhouse fare. Portions are generous, parking is plentiful, and the brunch menu is festive—all reasons to give Harrison’s a try. 555 N. Delaware St., 317826-7361, harrisonsindy.com $$

lunch and dinner menu offers the standard seafood, salads, and boils—then surprises us all with a lineup of tacos that are a lot of fun. High chairs and booster seats are in abundance, and a kids menu moves well beyond the standard grilled cheese and nuggets. 110 E. Main St., Carmel, 317-591-9254, juniperonmain.com $$$

BR 2025

BREEZY VIBES Indoor/

His Place Eatery BR 2025

SOUL FOOD The packed tables at both

locations of His Place Eatery tell you everything you need to know about this soul food institution. Married co-owners James and Shawn Jones ensure their business runs like a well-oiled machine, with orders of comfort food standards moving from kitchen to table in lightning speed. That said, you can also taste the care put into every dish; spices and seasonings are calibrated in a way you’ll rarely find in Indianapolis. Smart diners ask their server what they recommend on any given day—with a staff this dialed-in, they’ll always steer you in the right direction. 6916 E. 30th St., 317-545-4890; 1411 W. 86th St., 317-790-3406, $$ hisplaceeatery.com

The Inferno Room Futuro

classics are there, as is a long list of inventive original concoctions. 902 Virginia Ave., 317-4262343, theinfernoroom.com $$

TIKI The menu at this bar goes well beyond the typical snacks, and its roster of tropically inspired cocktails is truly next level. All the

Kountry Kitchen SOUL FOOD This cozy soul food spot hits all the

classics, including greens, mac and cheese, and deep-fried mains. Its engaging servers, who are happy to linger and chat, are what keep us coming back. 1831 N. College Ave., 317-635-6000, $$$ kountrykitchenindy.com

Late Harvest Kitchen CONTEMPORARY A luscious comfort food menu

delivers top-shelf versions of dishes such as mushroom-stuffed half chicken under-a-brick, tagliatelle pasta loaded with pork Bolognese, and crispy chicken-fried oysters. Fully loaded potatoes Minneapolis is the essential side dish, as is the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. 8605 River Crossing Blvd., 317-663-8063, lateharvestkitchen.com $$$

The Loft Restaurant FINE DINING With its pastoral setting on the grounds of an artisanal dairy farm, Traders Point Creamery’s farmstead restaurant (housed in one of several restored historic barns) feels like a working model for farm-to-table dining. Some of the ingredients on the menu are grown on-site, and grass-fed Niman Ranch steaks, seasonal fish and seafood, and house-made yeast rolls are always solid choices, as is the burger made with 100-percent grass-fed beef.

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For dessert, grab a scoop of ice cream, perfect if you just want to go a la mode. 9101 Moore Rd., Zionsville, 317-733-1700, traderspointcreamery .com $$$

Lone Pine STEAKHOUSE The first solo effort of Beholder partner and award-winning sommelier Josh Mazanowski is a culinary innovator that promises to take Carmel’s dining scene in a new direction. Beef is sourced from nearby farms, and its dining spaces are dotted with edgy art. Fun starters present vegetables with as much care as their meatier counterparts. This isn’t your average upscale pleaser; this is a longtime restaurateur finally expressing his full culinary viewpoint. 710 S. Rangeline Rd., Carmel, 317-907-0177, lonepinecarmel.com $$$$ BR 2025

Love Handle BRUNCH This Mass Ave breakfast and lunch

spot is as well-known for its fabulous fry-ups as for its eccentric and oft-changing menu. A selection of 16-bit arcade games and a wall of scary clown art either make this a family destination or a place kids will discuss with their therapists as adults. 877 Massachusetts $$$ Ave., 317-384-1102

Macizo LATIN If there were an award for the cheeriest eatery by first-time restaurateurs, this Peruvian-Mexican charmer would win hands down. Owners Luz and Omar Gonza have created an atmosphere of bright colors and hip beats that align perfectly with the fruit-forward beer and wine cocktails at the cozy bar. The vibrantly plated food completes the scene: Tiradito, luscious slices of tuna with citrusy leche de tigre, is a must for fresh seafood fans, and Sopa Criolla with beef and a runny egg, along with creamy Pasta Huancaina with hearty lomo saltado sauce are perfect Peruvian comfort foods. 6335 Intech Commons Dr.. 463-202-2853, macizorestaurant.com $$$ BR 2025

Magdalena NEW ORLEANS This funky New Orleans–inflected bar and bistro from spirits enthusiast and restaurateur Nick Detrich reflects his experience running spots in the Big Easy, with expertly mixed elixirs, including perhaps the best Sazerac in town, and dazzling seafood towers, ultra-fresh oysters from the Alabama Gulf, and a tidy menu of mains with Lowcountry influences. 1127 Shelby $$$$ St., 317-691-8021, magdalena.bar BR 2025

Maialina Italian Kitchen + Bar ITALIAN Straw-wrapped chianti bottles, wooden cross-back chairs, and family photos give a throwback trattoria feel to this addition to the city’s Italian scene. Meatballs from a family recipe with a solid house marinara are always a good choice. Pastas range from a straightforward toss of rigatoni with sausage and broccoli rabe to a rich, three-meat Bolognese lavished atop plump gnocchi. 1103 Prospect St., 317-982-7676, maialinaindy.com $$$$

Main & Madison Market Cafe

Stephanie Northern opened their bakery and cafe just steps from the city’s historic courthouse. With its combination of Brooklyncool baristas (many are students at nearby Franklin College) and Midwestern friendliness and prices, the restaurant easily attracts long lines for its rotating menu of sandwiches, soups, salads, and baked goods. 100 N. Main St., Franklin, 317-736-6246, mainandmadison.cafe $$

Petite Chou Max & Tilly’s

FRENCH A little bit of Paris in Indy, this bistro

BRITISH A traditional UK-style chip shop

and Champagne bar from the founders of Cafe Patachou offers all the casual French classics you’d like, from Croque Monsieur to crepes. Les enfants get their own lineup, which includes a very grown-up brioche French toast. 823 E. Westfield Blvd., 317-259-0765, petitechoubistro.com

from the owner of Tilly’s Tea Room, Max & Tilly’s serves traditional pub classics such as cock-a-leekie soup and mushy peas alongside house-baked scones, spotted dick, and Bakewell tarts. It’s the fried offerings that transport you to a cozy mystery mindset, especially the Filthy Fries with hot shredded roast beef and, of course, the golden planks of beer-battered cod over hand-cut chips. 8701 E. 116th St., Fishers, maxandtillys.com $$

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$$$

Pisco Mar

Brenda Sánchez’s cheerful, authentic southside Colombian eatery comes from the popular Latin and South American dish patacones— flattened, fried plantains filled with everything from shredded barbecue chicken criollo to cheese, corn, and shredded beef. Or try the Super Perro hot dog, which is topped with every meat in the kitchen, quail eggs, and a special house sauce. Mazorcada (heaps of sweet corn topped with meats, cheeses, and potato sticks) is a delectable side dish. Fruit drinks and desserts, especially obleas (wafer cookies filled with dulce de leche and cheese), offer a flavor experience like no other in the city. 7415 U.S. 31, 317-692-9829, mrpatakon.com $$

PERUVIAN Vibrant music and a spacious dining room provide a bustling backdrop for a hearty cuisine that pulls from both land and sea. Tangy, citrusy ceviche is a good starting point and comes in different versions, including Leche de Tigre or Vuelve a la Vida. Both pair beautifully with Causita de Pollo, a mound of creamy mashed potatoes layered with avocado and topped with a creamy chicken-based sauce. Shredded chicken with a lush yellow pepper sauce and a wine-enriched, vegetable-laden beef stew are the most classic main dishes for those getting a first taste of the cuisine. The big appetites at the table will appreciate meaty dishes such as Lomo Saltado, sauteed strips of beef with onions and tomatoes, or a so-called “poor man’s plate” that pairs two generous strips of Angus steak with french fries, rice, plantains, and eggs. 9546 Allisonville Rd., 317-537-2025, piscomarindy.com $$$

Natural State Provisions

Revery

DOG FRIENDLY A hybrid dive bar, restaurant,

CONTEMPORARY This Old Greenwood

and dog park, Natural State is a fun and funky neighborhood spot for wings, sandwiches, and house-made soft serve. A solid mixed crowd of families, hipsters, kids, and pups (which must remain outdoors) makes for a fun and welcoming environment. 414 Dorman St., 317$$ 492-9887, naturalstateprovisions.com

bistro inside an 1800s-era drugstore offers approachable fine dining, with a more casual bar on the historic building’s back end. Small plates have included beets with whipped goat cheese and wasabi, while entrees are seasonal and skew toward seafood, with lobster, halibut, and mussels on recent menus. Whiskey drinks get priority on the cocktail menu, and their old fashioned feels fresh and new. 299 W. Main St., Greenwood, 317-215-4164, reveryrestaurantgroup .com $$$

Mr. Patakon COLOMBIAN The name of Diana Moreno and

Nesso ITALIAN Highly stylized seafood and meats paired with small pasta courses and shared a la carte sides add up to a sumptuous dining experience inside The Alexander hotel. Pass around a plate of prosciutto-wrapped prunes or crab arancini, but keep the tortelloni and sea bass all to yourself. 339 S. Delaware St., 317-6437400, nesso-italia.com $$$

Oakleys Bistro CONTEMPORARY Steven Oakley’s meticulously

plated fare hails from a culinary era when sprigs of herbs and puddles of purees provided the flavor, and every single element on the plate served a purpose. The presentations are wild, with menu descriptions giving little more than clues as to what might arrive at the table. Heads-up on anything that appears in quotes, such as a creative “Coq au Vin.” 1464 W. 86th St., 317-824-1231, oakleysbistro.com $$$$

BAKERY Franklin’s first hospital was reborn as

a breakfast and lunch hot spot in 2018, when co-owners and cousins Amy Richardson and

focuses on gorgeous, rustic plates of steak, seafood, and Old World lasagna made with fresh pasta and generous layers of beef Bolognese, mozzarella, and creamy ricotta. The brioche sliders (containing buttermilk fried chicken or beef tenderloin with crispy onions and horseradish creme fraiche) are little bites of heaven. 5080 State Rd. 135, Bargersville, 317-8474920, ourtablerestaurant.com $$$

Our Table CONTEMPORARY Chef and owner Joe Miller

Rick’s Cafe Boatyard SEAFOOD You don’t have to be a Parrothead

to appreciate the pontoon-life allure of Eagle Creek’s waterside restaurant with its breezy dining room on stilts over the Dandy Trail boat slips. The menu gets creative with all the casual dining tropes, mixing smoked salmon nachos and chicken cordon bleu fingers in with the jumbo shrimp martinis. With a full menu of mules, tropical cocktails, and nonalcoholic concoctions, this is also a great spot for a couple of snacks and a drink or two at sunset. 4050 Dandy Trail, 317-290-9300, ricksboatyard.com $$$

Sahm’s Tavern & Sports Bar SPORTS BAR Plastered with pennants and

posters of locals’ favorite sports teams, this bar also serves familiar Sahm’s fare, such as hearty app baskets and piled-high sandwiches, as well

as a short list of well-seared Pittsburgh-style steaks. A full roster of Big Lug Brewing Co. beers gets good company from top-notch mixed drinks, including Sahm’s signature Coffee Cake White Russian, which is smooth, creamy, and full of spice and sweetness. 5632 E. Washington St., 317-388-5228, sahmstavernirvington.com $$

Sam’s Square Pie PIZZA With its limited hours and three-day baking schedule, Jeff Miner’s pizza passion project still feels like an insider score when you can get it. And get it you should, given that the NFL camera operator boasts a second-place ranking at the International Pizza Expo for his painstaking Detroit pie, with a crust that’s deeply browned around the edge yet chewy and pillowy in the middle generously loaded with tangy sauce, meats, and dollops of ricotta. Takeout is always an option, but eating in the slender dining room dressed with funky outsider art allows Miner’s fans to catch him in his element. 2829 E. 10th St., $$$ samssquarepie.com BR 2025

Serliana FRENCH-INSPIRED Located inside the newly launched InterContinental Hotel on Monument Circle, this posh, French-inspired restaurant with chef Craig Baker at its helm features continental standards with modern, local upgrades such as an Indiana ribeye French dip, brunch biscuits and gravy, and a sorghum-glazed pork chop. 17 W. Market St., 463-303-0380, serlianaindy.com $$$$ NEW

Shadow Lounge SOUL FOOD After a major

door. The menu skews toward the midway, with a “drive through” section of dogs and burgers in addition to its headline fare. 1351 Roosevelt Ave., $$ 317-907-6100, shindigindy.com

St. Elmo Steak House CLASSIC STEAKHOUSE In a city so rich in steakhouses, can a familiar favorite like St. Elmo still hold its own? Yes, absolutely—though the restaurant is one of the city’s longest-standing, it’s never taken its foot off the gas. Shrimp cocktails with a worldfamous sauce, giant slabs of beef, and on-point martinis remain the stars of the show and are prepared just as excellently now as they were the first time you visited (for a birthday, graduation, or prom, perhaps). It’s been hitting it hard since 1902 and shows no signs of slowing down. If only we could all be as lucky. 127 S. Illinois St., 317-635-0636, stelmos.com $$$$ BR 2025

Strange Bird

RAMEN Trained in Japan, chef Kyle Humphreys came to Indianapolis to eventually open his Shoyu Shop inside Irvington tiki bar Strange Bird. It’s a glorious pairing, as the thatched and 1970s-leaning interior lends itself equally as well to fun, rum-heavy drinks as it does to big bowls of SMALL hand-cut noodles. Broths are BITE layered and umami-laden, while additions like pork belly and scallops are of peerless quality. And while it’s not apparent on the menu, many of the dishes are BlackSheep Craft available as vegetarian or vegan Pizza & Cocktails, an preparations, making this a Italian concept from secret gem for the plant-based the restaurant arm set. 128 S. Audubon Rd., of Upland Brewing 317-550-4115, strangebirdindy.com Company, has $$$ opened a location in Westﬁeld. Situated in Tapas Ñ the Grand Junction SPANISH A former liquor store Plaza neighborhood, in a Castleton parking lot may its focus is on woodbe an unlikely location for some ﬁred Neapolitan of Indy’s best Spanish food, but pizzas, rustic entrees, past the nondescript facade, and cocktails. you’ll find a cozy dining room BR 2025

SHEEP EATS

renovation, the former Marco’s Restaurant and Lounge has been transformed into a rollicking dining destination. Chef Tia Wilson, formerly of wing spot Chicken Scratch, is in the kitchen, serving Southern and soul-infused dishes such as lamb lollipops, Cajun penne, and garlic-parmesan wings. The cocktails are strong, the music is loud, and while dinner is delightful, brunch is the real scene. 2380 E. 54th St., 317-974-9288, shadowloungeindy.com $$$

Shapiro’s Delicatessen DELI Slide your tray along and take your pick of

East Coast–style comfort foods at this familyowned downtown institution. Hot pastrami and corned beef sandwiches on rye have drawn long lines for more than a century. The Reuben is a contender for the city’s best, and heartier fare such as potato pancakes, stuffed cabbage, and matzo ball soup are perennially satisfying standbys. If you don’t load up on a massive slice of cheesecake or pie, you haven’t really had the proper Shapiro’s experience. 808 S. Meridian St., 317-631-4041, shapiros.com $$

Shin Dig NOSTALGIC This Cunningham Restaurant Group pizza and wings spot serves Willy Wonka–level decor, including tables built over gnomes and dinosaurs that greet you at the

with a retro feel that evokes the supper clubs of the ’90s. Owner Saul Ramirez has been a fan of Iberian Peninsula cuisine since his youth, and with his first restaurant, he hopes to share that passion, serving up the type of classic tapas you might have enjoyed a few decades back, with occasional modern twists. The restaurant’s paella offerings are especially confident, but plan ahead, as those require 40 minutes to prepare. The menu of desserts—made inhouse—is especially tempting, as is a solid list of beer and Spanish reds. 8215 Center Run Dr., 317-516-4729 $$$

Theo’s Italian ITALIAN Yet another option from Indy’s Cunningham Restaurant Group, Theo’s gets its name from CEO Mike Cunningham’s first grandson. The kid must love pizza and pasta, as those are the spot’s mainstays, with a couple of chicken and beef entrees there for the adults. The wine list hails from Italy or California, with many solid bottles also available by the glass. 2498 Perry Crossing Way, Plainfield 317-203-9107, theositalian.com $$$$

Tinker Street CONTEMPORARY The Pedro Pascal of Indy, Tinker Street makes excellence look loose and easy, even when your brain tells you its staff must be working as hard as hell. From the sip of bubbles you’re offered when you walk in to the pitch for its ricotta doughnuts you get at the end, it’s a breezy dining affair with food of the highest possible caliber. You can feel the kitchen having fun with the menu, which changes on the regular—and that fun translates into one of the warmest, most generous dining experiences around. 402 E. 16th St., 317-925-5000, tinkerstreetrestaurant.com $$$$ BR 2025

Vicino ITALIAN More than filling Mass Ave’s pasta needs, this modern, colorful trattoria from the owners of The Oakmont measures up to some of the best Italian spots anywhere in the city. New seating and light fixtures add a brighter palette to the sleek former Hedge Row location, and a nicely edited menu offers familiar classics with a few twists for the more daring. 350 Massachusetts Ave., 317-798-2492, vicinoindy.com $$$

Vida PRIX FIXE Don’t be intimidated by the menus at the Cunningham Restaurant Group’s flagship spot, Vida. Though diners are restricted to a six-course tasting affair or a four-course dinner, even within that structure, options abound—there are fully vegetarian menus for both choices, and allergies and dietary restrictions are thoughtfully accommodated. Ingredients are sourced as locally as possible, with many of the vegetables coming from CRG’s garden up the street. Its wine list might be Indy’s finest, as the restaurant uses a special Coravin extraction system to open rare and unexpected bottles for a single glass. 601 E. New York St., 317-420-2323, vida-restaurant.com $$$$ BR 2025

Wisanggeni Pawon INDONESIAN Aji Wisanggeni and Putri Pratiwi’s Indonesian knockout has quickly evolved into a fixture of Indy’s food community. An ever-expanding menu offers spice-forward dishes such as beef rendang simmered in coconut milk or fried duck with rice and nose-clearing homemade sambal, as well as one of the tastiest fried rice plates in the city. Those eager to try it all should opt for street food–style small plates such as martabak, vegetable fritters, and dumplings. Watch for occasional prasmanan buffet dinner specials. 2450 E. 71st St., 317-756-9477, wpawon.com $$ BR 2025

INDIANAPOLIS MONTHLY (ISSN 0899-0328) is published monthly ($24 for 12 issues) at 8909 Purdue Rd., Suite 130, Indianapolis, IN 46268. Copyright © 2026 Cincinnati Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Hour Media, LLC, 5750 New King Dr., Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098. The Indianapolis Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Opinions in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent management views. The magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. For subscription orders, address changes or renewals, write to INDIANAPOLIS MONTHLY, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071, or call 1-888-660-6847. Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, Indiana, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send forms 3579 to INDIANAPOLIS MONTHLY, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071. If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

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Gavin– Divergence LOVE IT OR HATE IT, A TOWERING SENTINEL NOW PRESIDES OVER BROAD RIPPLE. B Y C H R I S T I NA V E R C E L L E T T O

A C OM MANDI NG presence in the heart of Broad Ripple, the 32-foot-high sculpture Gavin–Divergence by Hoosier Jason Myers weighs 2 tons. Crafted of recycled steel, it’s emblazoned with LED lights. At night, the colors shift from white to neon hues like green and purple and back, lending it a spectral aura. Head bowed and taking a step forward, the skeletal figure vibes sober yet determined. The work is part of the artist’s Gavin Project, a series of similar sculptures inspired by Sisyphus, a figure from Greek mythology who was doomed to push a boulder up a hill for eternity. Myers sees the tale as an allegory for the human condition. Local opinion was decidedly mixed when the sculpture was installed where College Avenue and Westfield Boulevard meet in November. Fans praise it as an edgy symbol of Broad Ripple’s creative energy, a benevolent guardian, if you will. Critics have other descriptors: Slender Man or just plain creepy. Aside from whether one looks at it as hip or hideous, it’s hard not to look at it, raising concerns that it may distract drivers at the busy intersection flanked by The Vogue and a CVS. Gavin–Divergence, then, is already making its mark not only as a piece of striking artwork but also as a community conversation starter. The installation was funded by a private-public partnership between the Broad Ripple Village Association, the Indy Art Center, the Penrod Society, and Tag Birge of the Birge Family Foundation. Birge, who spearheaded the project, frames it as a part of his larger effort to bolster the area’s underfunded and languishing art infrastructure. 104

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P h o t o b y T O N Y VA L A I N I S

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Discussing the War Within a War Feb. 18, 2026 at Miami University Miami University is proud to present a special book conversation with Miami alumnus and award-winning author and journalist Wil Haygood. In his latest project, “The War Within a War — The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home,” Haygood explores how the Vietnam War became a mirror for the struggle of Black Americans ﬁghting for freedom abroad while demanding equality at home. Haygood, a visiting scholar at the university and a Pulitzer Prize ﬁnalist, will discuss his book on Miami’s campus Feb. 18, 2026.

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