Super City! Super Foods! Super Bowl XLVI!

Super Bowl week officially kicked off today!!  As an Indiana native who has been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to play host city to one of sport's most amazing events ever, I got downtown as soon as I could to soak up the excitement.  I wanted to beat the crowds that will, undoubtedly, be converging onto Super Bowl Village today.  I have February 3rd tickets to the NFL Experience so I'll just have to wait to get inside there.  Even at 11am, the circle and the surrounding streets were abuzz with people: Super Bowl Host Committee volunteers, vendors, business people and all the locals, like me.  I was so happy to see an overwhelming amount of faithful fans reppin' their Colts apparel.  I wore my #18 jersey.  It felt like Blue Friday! 

I started my way to the Monument Circle because it was lunch time and I was starving.  I was anxious to see all the food trucks, new and old.  As I approached, I had to stop to admire the 33 Super Cars that lined the south end of Meridian St.  Each of the 32 NFL teams are represented plus 1.  It was such a wonderful way to intertwine Indy racing in with the Super Bowl.

Hopefully, the winning team's car!

I took this pic for my friend, Pat, who is a die-hard Dolphins fan

The most beautiful one out there, of course! (No bias)

The Super Cars create a path to the most focal point of downtown Indianapolis: the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument standing so stoically on Monument Circle.  And right now, you can't miss the GIGANTIC, Super Bowl XLVI Roman numerals.  

Gives me the chills just to be standing down there!

At this point, my tummy was rumbling!  (Think Chris Farley on SNL "Back off!! I'm STARRVING!")  The first rotation of Super Bowl XLVI Food Trucks were set up along the Northwest side of Monument Circle.

I have been a follower of the local food truck scene in Indianapolis from its infancy.  I love that so many people are able to create a successful start up business and my belly gets to reap the rewards! 

Here are some of my personal pictures, some of my favorites and some newbies.  Also, be sure to check out some of my old posts!

Duos - @duosindy

Featured in Duos Food Truck Revisit from July 4, 2011

Featured in Duos Food Truck - Slow Food Fast from June 2, 2011

Taco Lassi - @TacoLassi

Gypsy Cafe - no Twitter (bad!)

Edwards Dashboard Drive-In - @dashboarddiner
For a true Indiana Pork Tenderloin
Previously featured in Here Come the Food Trucks

Their house-made Root Beer! Awesome!

 Safari Kitchen - (again, no Twitter. Boo!)

Marble's Cafe - (Tweet, tweet...?)

Little Eataly - @littleeataly
Man, these guys look good!

Ivey Spice (Rocking out in the former Hoosier Fat Daddy Bus Cafe. Sorry to see those guys go)

Mac Genie - @macgenietruck

These guys lured me in with the robust aromas of cheese.  I think they used specialized fans to waft it into everyone's nostrils.  Mac and cheese with a gourmet twist. O.M.G. Get out of town! No, wait! Please stay and stay for a long time.  The menu sounded quite impressive and offered several different flavor combinations.

I went with the Steakhouse Mac - Blue Cheese, Steak, Asparagus, Sun Dried Tomatoes.  It was heavenly!    The seasoned, toasted bread crumbs added a flavorful, textured bonus to the entire meal.  A bit on the rich side but warmed me up and filled my belly.  I saved the leftovers for D.  They are are going to do A-OK in Indy if they keep dishing out food like this!

Scout's Treats - @scoutstreats

Featured in  Here Come the Food Trucks from November 2, 2011

Despite being completely stuffed, I knew I couldn't leave without grabbing a delectable goodie from the Scout's Treat Truck.  I asked for a suggestion and went with Mrs Scouts Red Velvet.

These mammoth delights are a mix between a cupcake and a muffin.  They are always jam-packed with surprise morsels like chunks of chocolate, and then they are generously slathered with the smooth, cloud-like icing - in this case, cream cheese flavored!

I didn't stick around long enough to see the second rotation of Super Bowl XLVI Food Trucks and sadly I was missing out on some of my oldies, yet goodies!

Floribbean Flair - @floribbeanflair
Featured in  Here Come the Food Trucks from November 2, 2011

Tacos Without Border - @tacoswoborders

The NY Slice - @thenyslice
Featured in  Here Come the Food Trucks from November 2, 2011 

West Coast Tacos - @westcoasttacos
The truck that started it all :)
Featured in  Here Come the Food Trucks from November 2, 2011

Scratch Truck - @scratchtruck
Another one of my all-time faves
Featured in Scratch Truck - Modern Comfort Food from May 28, 2011

For the full line up and description of all the food trucks, visit Bob over at Around Indy.  He's assembled a very organized and professional round up of all 23 official Super Bowl XLVI Food Trucks. 

After I had conquered my hunger, I used the warmth and convenience of walking through Circle Center Mall and the Convention Center to check out Super Bowl Village running down Georgia St.  Here are some awesome pics I captured while walking around!

The Zip Line

The Super Sized Signage

Is it wrong that I cringe every time I see the Patriots' logo?

The Turf

The Ice Sculpture Wall & The Fire and Ice (over 21) Lounge. VIP!!

More Indy Cars

The Entrance to the NFL Experience (See you next Friday!)

The Right-to-Work protesters/Party Poopers!

Georgia St. all blocked off to motorized vehicles

ESPN setting up to broadcast at Pan Am Plaza

The heaters were up and running but after being outside for over 2 hours, I had hit my wall and my fingers were starting to go numb.  I made my way back to the parking garage, paid the criminal lovely $20 "Event" parking fees and made my departure. 


I couldn't leave downtown without stopping to admire one other Super Sight....


The JW Marriott and the Lombardi Trophy signage

 Wow. Wow. Wow.

Regardless of the outcome next Sunday, (GO GIANTS!) Indianapolis is going to be the real winner!  (Go Eli!)  I am going to relish in every moment next week.

What I'm Eating: Scratch Truck - Modern Comfort Food

The food truck revolution has FINALLY arrived in Indianapolis.  Last Indy 500, we were introduced to the flavor explosion that is West Coast Tacos.  The LA-inspired Korean/Mexican fusion proved that Hoosiers are eager and waiting for thoughtful and tasteful travelling street food.  So it was inevitable that others would follow.  A year later, more and more food trucks are popping up around the city and just in time for Summer. 

[I had actually looked into what it would take to start my own food truck; the costs, the overhead, the truck and maintenance.  I had a bare bones concept thought out.  So far, no one has come up with a similar idea so it is still something I'd love to explore in the future.]

Anyways, as I had mentioned before, I am hosting The Bride's joint bachelor/bachelorette party at the end of July.  Trying to think outside the box, a little, I contacted a few food trucks to see if anyone would be willing to cater my event.  To my luck, Matt Kornmeyer, owner and proprietor of Scratch Truck answered the call.  They are totally new to the scene and just had their launch yesterday (Friday, May 27th) in front of Flat 12 Bierwerks.  I had been wanting to check out Flat 12 for weeks now so this was an amazing opportunity to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.  I had to use my GPS to find the location which was surprisingly not far from my house.  It is located at 414 N Dorman St. between Vermont and Michigan nestled in a small residential and industrial area just a couple blocks east of College Ave.  I got there a little after 5 and already people were arriving.  The smells emanating from the truck instantly teased my nostrils.  I had seen the logo-ed Scratch Truck while out walking downtown the other week.  It looks amazing.  I love the bright red with graphics and text.  They did an amazing job.  We are a visual society so the crisp, clean, professionalism and attention to detail is important. 

The menu had me licking my chops from the jump.  I had previewed the website and menu prior to getting there so I already had an idea of what I wanted to try.  They had a nice, small variety to choose from and covered entrees, beverages and even dessert. 

I came starving, even a bit ravenous, so I ordered 2 meals: the Spicy Chicken Cone with french fries and the Hoity-Toity BLT with the Muffaletta Salad (for $1 more).  I looked like a little piggy since I ventured over by myself.  Matt greeted me and introduced himself from inside the truck when I gave them my name for the order and I would've liked to have taken a moment to talk to him more but he was pretty busy, DUH!  No worries! I didn't want to mess up their flow.  A couple people behind me in line ordered the Watermelon Jalapeno Lemonade and I decided I had to give it a try.  I'm so glad I did.  It was the perfect Summer (nonalcoholic) cocktail.  For $2, I sipped on a refreshingly light, not overly sweet, crazy pairing of flavors.  Don't worry, there is absolutely no heat, just an essence of the jalapeno which melds so well into the sweet flavor of the watermelon.  It reminded me of the jalapeno and pineapple infused tequila I often consumed in Atlanta.  Also, who doesn't love take-home cups?!

So refreshing!

On to the food!...Both meals were individually packaged in cardboard to-go boxes.  The interior was lined with some festive black and white checkered paper totally fitting for the race weekend.  I nibbled on a fry while trying to figure out where I was going to chow down.  Flat 12 agreed to let people come in a eat their food.  After showing some ID, I was handed 5 drink tickets to sample their beer.  I was super excited but definitely needed to eat first.  There were a couple tables inside and outside and small benches placed along the wall.  I found a spot on a bench and had to make do with that.  I really love the concept of bringing beer enthusiasts together with the likes of food trucks so hopefully as the interest increases, there will be better seating. 

Byrnes Pizza was also on site and if I hadn't already bought 2 meals from Scratch, I would've definitely grabbed a slice or bread stick.  Next time! 

I can't believe I've eaten 2 meals in a 7 day span with Hoity-Toity in the name (see my previous Creation Cafe post).  I swear I'm not a hoity-toity person but I guess I enjoy good food, cooked well and with love.  The Hoity Toity BLT was better than I could've expected.  I usually never order BLTs when dining out but this sandwich was made with pancetta (nuff said) and a pesto mayo (creamy, yummy, fresh goodness).  The bread was brushed with butter and perfectly toasted and crunchy.  The pancetta was the epitome of salty, porkiness sliced perfectly for the sandwich.  The arugula gave the sandwich some bitterness that was equaled out by the tomatoes.   This was one uppity BLT but I loved it!  The Muffaletta Salad is not your mama's average pasta salad.  This one was on steroids; a combination of shell pasta, mixed olives with chunks of ham, salami, Mortadella and provolone cheese in a light vinaigrette. 

Hello Race Fans!

Next, the Spicy Chicken Cones.  This came with 2 breaded and sauced chicken tender strips in flour tortillas and topped with a fantastic jalapeno-mango slaw.  The ancho chile aioli was dynamite; sweet with a hint of heat. 

Mouth-watering glaze on the chicken strips

They placed each in a dixie cup cone which really helped with the eatability.  I still managed to look like a sloppy eater.  The french fries were fresh and hand cut with a great amount of seasoning.  There were some that were a bit undercooked but I'm sure that's a kink that Matt will work out as time goes by.  No harm, no foul.  I ate half of both meals and brought the rest home to D who inhaled it quickly.

Once my belly was filled, I moved on to the beer samples.  I am not going to pretend that I'm a beer connoisseur, because I'm not.  I've tried several types of beer since I turned 21 (wink, wink!) and I know what I like and what I don't.  I am a fan of locally crafted beer but can easily sit on my back porch enjoying a Miller Lt. with no shame.  So I just randomly selected samples based on the laminated description on the tables.  Each shot-sized sample was 1 drink ticket.  I went with the F12 Amber, the Tangerine Porter, the Irish Amber, the American Wit and the Upside Down Blonde.  My faves were the Irish (hints of aged whiskey flavor)  and F12 (warm and rich) Amber.  I enjoyed the dark, bold notes of the Tangerine Porter but probably couldn't drink a full pint.  The Upside Down Blonde tasted the most mainstream and had nice body.  The American Wit was a bit sharp and bitter for my liking.  If I wasn't so stuffed from the food and samples, I would've bought a pint of something.  I can't wait to bring D back there and maybe take a growler home and to give Byrnes Pizza a try.  There was a spinach flat crust pizza calling my name.

Getting to experience Scratch Truck's food was very encouraging.  You can taste the passion in their flavors and the enthusiasm in their work.  I can't wait to see what Matt whips up for the B/B party.  I assume they will make rounds downtown and in Broad Ripple.  I hope they come near the IUPUI campus which is where I work.  I know that they are on the road to success and I wish them the best of luck.  Thanks for a great meal!

Since they are in their infantcy, they don't have established routes so...

Check Scratch Truck out on Twitter @scratchtruck or the Scratch Truck website for location and menu information.

Also, to learn more about Flat 12 Bierwerks, click here. 

Flat 12 Bierwerks
414 N Dorman
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 635-2337