Love Handle
Honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect when coming to Indiana, but after visiting, I would say that there’s definitely a certain charm to it.
However, based on my observations while traveling throughout Indiana, I did notice that people from Indiana LOVE to hate on Indiana.
Not sure if it’s a quirky and humble ‘Indiana thing’, but I swear, I received at least two “you made a mistake coming here” comments from random people. Every single one of those encounters were humorous though, which kinda actually adds to the charm!
Indiana is a lot different than San Diego. There are basically no large bodies of water there, and it’s no exaggeration that there are corn fields upon corn fields as you drive throughout the state. Also, I don’t know if it’s because I’m just a bad driver or if the streets and turns are different.. but it felt like Indiana had normal left turns AND diagonal left turns, which was very misleading.
Long story short, I nearly almost died 2 times while highly underestimating Indiana’s infrastructure. I also ran over a plant waterer, but it’s all good cause shoot, I’m still alive and still had fun!
‘Til next time Indiana, and I’ll be practicing my driving skills in the meantime.
Anyway, this might be the longest, most discombobulated introduction ever, but I just wanted to mention that Indiana’s Massachusetts Ave (aka Mass Ave) is cute and is now my favorite part of town.
Out of my 4 days there, I definitely gravitated there most nights and most mornings. The area is filled with local mom and pop shops, and this is where I happened to find ‘Love Handle’ aka one of my top spots in Indy!
Love Handle is soulful, colorful, and has so much character and personality. Seriously, if you love color, taking photos, consuming a hefty meal, and you happen to be in Indianapolis, this place is perfect for you.
During my visit, the cashier was very genuine, silly, and adorable, which is always a plus. The place is fun, clean, and very creative and whimsical with all sorts of vintage looking decorations - from clown memorabilia, to VHS tapes, to random paintings that look to be created by local artists.
The menu was also full of life, but I will say though - if you’re getting into the “fit life” and are vegetarian/vegan, this place might not be for you. The food is heavier and looks to be inspired by the South. It kind of reminded me of being in New Orleans and eating that comfort type of soul food.
Nonetheless, I would still highly recommend visiting this place, regardless of dietary preference. There are still various drink options and this restaurant is a great place to hang out at, as it is very spacious.
When I came, I got the ‘Cold Cannon’, which is a vegetarian wrap with taters, cabbage balls, hummus, & etc (and it was basically the only vegetarian thing on the menu). It was good, came with a ton of potato chips, and because it was my first day during my week-long sales trip in the midwest, I opted not to eat those, as I was trying to avoid zombie-mode at all costs.
‘Love Handle’ also has ‘Tinker Coffee’ products, such as the canned cold brew, which is absolutely delicious. Thanks for charging up my social battery during my first customer meeting here in Indiana, Tinker!
Overall, this place is lovely. It’s super fun and cute, and it honestly reminds me a lot of Portland.
If you’re in town, definitely come here! There’s also a vintage mortal combat joystick arcade game here too if you want to get your subzero and scorpion on :)
