808 S. Meridian St., 631-4041; 918 S.
Range Line Rd., Carmel, 573-3354; shapiros.com Since 1905, Shapiro's Deli has been
known as a place to get good food at affordable prices. The
no-frills, no-fuss cafeteria has stuck to that formula ever
since, a remarkable accomplishment in a culture that's always
looking for the next new thing—and proof that you don't have
to spend a lot of cash to eat well. A bowl of bean-and-barley
soup and a side of fresh-baked rye bread will run you about
$5—so you may as well add a piece of cherry pie for $2.70 or
housemade cheesecake for $4.70. The famous Reuben, at $10.45,
is a little pricier and difficult to eat (just try taking a
bite of a sandwich stacked with that much rosy corned beef ),
but it guarantees you won't be hungry again until
supper.
Must Have: The kosher hot dog
on a bun, with lots of yellow mustard, a deviled egg and a
piece of lemon cake
659
Massachusetts Ave., 686-6380; 5363 N. College Ave., 253-8817;
yatscajuncreole.com; menu
Nowhere
does fast-and-cheap have the payoff you find at Yats, where a
revolving batch of Cajun and Creole stews draws businessmen
and bohemians alike. Five bucks and 50 cents gets you a
heaping helping of one of five daily stews, things like hearty
red beans and sausage, creamy spinach-andmushroom etouffee, or
spicy jambalaya. A dollar more buys a duo of your choice,
served over a pile of white rice with crusty buttered bread.
Just place your order and grab a plastic fork, a fountain
drink and, if you can, a seat. Lightningquick service from a
laid-back staff seals the deal—and what a deal it
is.
Must Have: The zesty Italiano,
with chunks of chicken and ground Italian sausage, bell
peppers, onions, and tomatoes
830
Broad Ripple Ave., 253-6060; indiagardenindy.com
Everything
that keeps the lunch-buffet crowd coming back week after
week—perfectly spiced Northern Indian entrees, all less than
$12 a person—also makes this place worth a return trip for
dinner (and we anxiously await the eatery's return to the
downtown dining scene later this summer after lease troubles
shuttered the Illinois Street location in March). In addition
to the lunch staples—sweet chicken tikka masala, flaky
pea-andpotato- filled samosa, clay-oven-baked naan—the dinner
menu offers a staggering variety. Try the rich, crispy paneer
pakora (traditional Indian cheese rolled in chickpea batter
and fried) or the vegetables jalpharezi (carrots, onions,
tomatoes and cheese cubes in a thick gravy), spiced
tantalizingly close to the point of discomfort.
Must Have: Chicken tikka masala, or
anything from the clay Tandoor ovens
15 N.
Pennsylvania St., 632-3647; kingdaviddogs.com Everyone knows that any downtown worth
its salt has to boast a decent deli and a hotdog place (with
all-beef dogs and poppyseed buns) before it can be called a
real downtown. Heretofore, we had the deli but lacked
the dogs. Then Brent Joseph resurrected his grandfather's King
David brand, popular in Indy from the 1940s until the '90s,
opening a skinny, bright hot-dog shop on Penn. And with that,
these plump franks, served any way you like (mustard? celery
salt? peppers? all of the above?), didn't just make our
lunches, they made our city. Not bad for less than $5 a pop.
Must Have: New York dog (with onion
sauce, spicy brown mustard and sauerkraut)
Since 1905, Shapiro's Deli has been
known as a place to get good food at affordable prices. The
no-frills, no-fuss cafeteria has stuck to that formula ever
since, a remarkable accomplishment in a culture that's always
looking for the next new thing—and proof that you don't have
to spend a lot of cash to eat well. A bowl of bean-and-barley
soup and a side of fresh-baked rye bread will run you about
$5—so you may as well add a piece of cherry pie for $2.70 or
housemade cheesecake for $4.70. The famous Reuben, at $10.45,
is a little pricier and difficult to eat (just try taking a
bite of a sandwich stacked with that much rosy corned beef ),
but it guarantees you won't be hungry again until
supper.
Everyone knows that any downtown worth
its salt has to boast a decent deli and a hotdog place (with
all-beef dogs and poppyseed buns) before it can be called a
real downtown. Heretofore, we had the deli but lacked
the dogs. Then Brent Joseph resurrected his grandfather's King
David brand, popular in Indy from the 1940s until the '90s,
opening a skinny, bright hot-dog shop on Penn. And with that,
these plump franks, served any way you like (mustard? celery
salt? peppers? all of the above?), didn't just make our
lunches, they made our city. Not bad for less than $5 a pop.
