My little sister Maddi moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, this summer. Being a West Coast girl, she had low expectations for her new home, but since moving to the small northern suburb of Carmel, she has found her rhythm. Southwest Airlines conveniently flies nonstop from Boston to Indianapolis, and was able to get my roundtrip ticket for $150, so I came out for a long weekend. As you may have noticed, my travel often revolves around food. This adventure was no different.
Carmel has a very charming Arts & Design District, which hosts things like the Artmobilia–an event that shut down the Main Street for a car show. The store fronts include antique shops, art studios, restaurants, and bars. There are cute modern apartments that back up to the Monon Trail and even some Palm Springs-style houses with pink doors like this one. #RealEstateGoals, am I right? Until I wrote this blog post, I didn’t know that it has been named one of the best places to live in the country. Needless to say, this small Indianapolis suburb exceeded my expectations.
Top of the list for favorite spots was the Peace Water Winery. Their wines are made in Napa, and they have a tasting room in Carmel. To be honest, I’m not totally clear on why, but that’s not really important for this story.
For $10, you can hop in and do a wine tasting, selecting five options from their extensive list. They offer everything from sparkling wines to chardonnay to a red blend. I greatly enjoyed all but one: the “Wishful White” white wine blend, which was too sweet for me. My favorite in the line-up was the “Soulful Reserve,” an oaked chardonnay which has notes of butterscotch, vanilla bean and toffee, according to them. I’m no sommelier, so all I know is that it was buttery, smooth and delicious. Coming in at $40 a bottle, it better be.
Once you’ve found a delicious wine, you can purchase a bottle and take it out to their back patio. It’s a charming outdoor seating space that is B.Y.O.F. (Bring Your Own Food). According to my sister, Bazbeaux Pizza just down the street will deliver pizza to the patio. Ahhhh, luxury! So, if you’re in town, this place is a must visit location that will give you some adorable photos for Instagram. (Quick shout out to the girl squad that let me snap their picture for the lead image on this blog post. They looked so cute enjoying their bottle of wine!)
Looking for other restaurants in Carmel, Indiana?
I went here three times in four days for breakfast sandwiches. I recommend an Egg Panini with bacon, Swiss cheese and avocado on sourdough. They have indoor and outdoor seating plus wi-fi.
This gem is located in an unassuming strip mall, just off the Monon Trail. With delicious lattes, an adorable outdoor patio and fast wifi, this is the perfect place for a remote worker like myself. I recommend the Cup-a-Cabana latte, which has a hint of brown sugar and coconut. Served in a giant mug, it’s almost like being at home.
You probably don’t think of Thai food when you come to Indiana, but this was one of my favorite dinner spots. The orange chicken and yellow curry were on point, and they had rosé at $5 a glass. If you’re looking for a dinner spot, definitely choose this over Agave or Woody’s Library, which were underwhelming.
Until next time, here goes nothing.
