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Jan 25, 2024 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Christiana Bertsch
AS A WOMAN on her fitness journey, I am often on the hunt for new and fun ways to get healthier. Yet, for a long time, pole dancing didn’t enter my mind. Obviously, it has a connotation—one that didn’t line up with my self-consciousness and insecurity after a rough breakup.
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Jan 18, 2024 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Christiana Bertsch |Terry Kirts |Amy Lynch |Christina Vercelletto
4 Birds BakeryThere’s a reason the signature oatmeal maple pecan cookie at this landmark wholesale bakery, operated by Jenna Unrue since 2017, has become a local icon. Its hearty, earthy structure, plentiful pecans, and toasty notes with a restrained sweetness are the consummate snack, whether for a decadent breakfast or a late day treat. Indy popcorn seller Just Pop In! even turned the cookie into an option in its Local Flavor collection.
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Jan 18, 2024 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Christiana Bertsch |Terry Kirts |Amy Lynch |Emily Udell
Indy DoughCustomers queue up for Amanda Gibson’s doughnuts whenever she makes an appearance at a local farmers market, which she does once a month at SoBro’s Half Liter BBQ in winter. Indy Dough has gained a following with delights such as apple fritters made from overnight brioche dough and sourdough focaccia. She also makes vegan old-fashioned doughnuts with various glazes. She doesn’t offer pre-orders or custom orders, but her doughnuts are worth the wait.
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Jan 5, 2024 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Christiana Bertsch |Terry Kirts |Amy Lynch |Christina Vercelletto
Cindy Hawkins has been baking for more than 20 years, opening Circle City Sweets to Indianapolis customers 18 years ago. It’s no surprise the little pastry shop sells out every day. Hawkins’ pastries are perfection. It’s been said that if you don’t arrive when their pastry stand in The Amp opens, you might not get what you came for—especially the prized almond croissant.
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Jan 4, 2024 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Christiana Bertsch |Terry Kirts |Amy Lynch |Christina Vercelletto
WHAT MAKES a great bagel? They tend to be measured by the revered metro–New York version: shiny and crackly on the outside, dense and chewy on the inside, and humungous and often pleasantly misshapen. While Indy’s standout bagel bakers may riff off their New York counterparts, their own glorious specimens defy that tidy categorization. And that’s part of what makes them great for bagel lovers here in the Circle City. Bagel Fair1300 E.
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Jan 4, 2024 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Christiana Bertsch |Terry Kirts |Amy Lynch |Christina Vercelletto
Amelia’s BreadIn the early 2010s, Tom Battista started a crusade to supply Indianapolis with the fresh hearth-baked loaves he felt the city was missing. Fast-forward a decade, and this local bread darling has expanded well beyond the borders of its original Holy Rosary factory digs into a Windsor Park storefront and, more recently, a new outpost at the Stutz Building.
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Dec 21, 2023 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Christiana Bertsch
Hot Springs, ARDistance: 635 milesDrive Time: 9.5 hours“THE GRASS is greener on the other side” takes on new meaning in Hot Springs. One side of town is Hot Springs National Park and Bathhouse Row, a National Historic Landmark, while across the dividing line, Central Avenue, is a bustling downtown of shops and eateries.
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Dec 18, 2023 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Robert Annis |Eve Batey |Christiana Bertsch |Maura Broderson
NEW ICE CREAM SHOPOccupying a corner storefront tucked deep inside a Southport strip mall, Paradise Mx dips out a delightful introduction to the sweet tradition of Mexican ice cream parlors. Jumbo scoops of dense guava, tequila, and Ferrero Rocher flavors are gateway treats at this spacious spot that covers a lot of dairy-based territory with ice cream–topped crepes and waffles, mangonadas spiked with chamoy, and the Chango Mango filled with fruit and topped with slivered almonds.
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Dec 15, 2023 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Madyson Crane |Robert Annis |Christiana Bertsch |Christina Vercelletto
FURNITURE MAKERAfter learning his trade fixing up his century-old home, John Kirchner began building furniture for friends and family and eventually for paying customers. Kirchner sits down with each client and discusses their tastes and aesthetic, as well as the intended function of the piece, before any wood is cut. While his personal tastes skew toward craftsman-era design, he accepts commissions for all types and styles of furniture.
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Dec 15, 2023 | 
indianapolismonthly.com | Madyson Crane |Robert Annis |Christiana Bertsch |Christina Vercelletto
NEW OLD SCHOOL BARBERCody Potter opened Wild’s Barber Shop with the goal of “making you feel like you’re walking into a shop from the 1960s.” That means a set of original chairs from the era, a vintage fridge and pool table, and walls covered with classic advertisements. Potter initially operated a much smaller shop next door in the loft of leather goods shop Howl + Hide, then opened his five-chair storefront in July 2023.
