Indianapolis Monthly January 2019

96 // NEWS & NOTES Celebrate the City of Light with the symphony, integrate natural stone into your surroundings, and save on quality handcrafted furniture this month. SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT AFTER PAGE 96 INDIANA BRIDE From gorgeous gowns to captivating cakes, our bridal issue will show you current styles and trends and give you ideas about how to personalize all aspects of your wedding. 141 // HOSPITALS AND SURGICAL CENTERS Keep yourself apprised of the latest developments and advances in medical procedures, treatments, and services at Central Indiana healthcare facilities. COMING NEXT MONTH … School Guide Get the facts about local institutions of learning. We’ve compiled details about enrollment, ISTEP testing, tuition, and graduation rates for public, private, and charter schools, along with degree and housing information for Indiana colleges and…

Did you ever find yourself in one of those Monkey’s Paw situations, circumstances that mirror the kind in W.W. Jacobs’s short story where a harmless wish—usually the third of three—turns into some kind of cautionary tale with a dramatic twist? Like, I wish I’d never have to work again, and then, naturally, you lose your job. Or, I wish I was in a band, and—voila!—you’re in Nickelback. Well, a while ago, I made one about eating steak and now you’re holding this issue. On the positive side, here’s our in-depth survey of Indy’s monuments to red meat (p. 69). One could make a case that steak is our favorite food given that no fewer than eight steakhouses dot (clot?) the heart of the Mile Square, and despite all the well-deserved…

South Bend mayor and possible presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (p. 82) has an obsession with claw games. Here are our weird addictions: “Shopping bags. I have bags full of bags at home. I once drove to Chicago to buy a branded one at the Dill Pickle Food Co-op. My family had a cucumber farm and I love dill pickles, so I wanted this one in my collection.” —MEGAN FERNANDEZ, DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL OPERATIONS “Flashlights. I’m terrified that I won’t have one when I need it, so I own dozens.” —DANIEL COMISKEY, DEPUTY EDITOR “I’m obsessed with miniatures and dioramas, the more realistic the better. I love the work of Malaysian artist Eddie Putera, who re-creates dioramas from old photos, and Frances Glessner Lee’s dollhouse-sized recreations of true crime scenes, right…

Adam Wren Contributing editor Adam Wren is used to covering politicians a generation older than he is. But when he spent a few days with Pete Buttigieg (p. 82), he was struck by the South Bend mayor’s pop culture knowledge. “As the first potential Millennial presidential candidate, Buttigieg is at home quoting Parks and Recreation,” Wren says. “If he runs at 37, he’ll be among the youngest to ever do so.” Julia Spalding Dining editor Julia Spalding spends a lot of time in earnest cocktail lounges, so researching tiki bars (p. 88) was a nice change of pace. “Nobody laughs at your order in a tiki bar,” she says. “Everyone is in on the joke.” And while she’s not sure the trend is here to stay, she’s making the most…

BUZZWORTHY Chris Ryan’s October story on embattled Rep. Trey Hollingsworth was a winner with readers. “Good story on Hollingsworth from @IndyMonthly. Would be nice if media in the Ninth District were doing this reporting, too.” —STEVE HINNEFELD, via Twitter “The average Ninth District resident doesn’t have any idea about him. If they knew—particularly about his recent personal windfall—they’d feel played.” —ANNE SCHMIDT, via Twitter “When someone is an absentee representative, all they deserve back is our resolution to move on from a bad bet and do better at the polls next time.” —BETH GAZLEY, via IndianapolisMonthly.com “This is why we resist.” —ADAM WASON, via Facebook WHICH INDIANA POLITICIAN RESTORES YOUR FAITH IN GOVERNMENT? VOTE ON OUR NEXT POLL AT INDIANAPOLISMONTHLY.COM/POLLS 54% Gov. Eric Holcomb. Far more sensible than his predecessor. 23% Sen. Todd…

Home-Show Heroes THE DUO’S FIRST INDIANAPOLIS HOME SHOW APPEARANCE WAS, WELL, A BUST. “It was four or five people sitting in a room with about 200 chairs. And none of them were there to see us. They were just tired and wanted to sit down,” says E Laine about the first time she and daughter Starsiak, the Fountain Square–based stars of HGTV’s home-renovation show Good Bones, swung by the Indiana State Fairgrounds for the annual home-improvement extravaganza. That was in 2016. THEY COULDN’T EVEN GIVE TICKETS AWAY TO SOME EVENTS. Literally. Starsiak recalls one early show where a local radio station offered a free meet-and-greet in its green room … and nobody showed up. “That’s how you stay humble,” she says. NOW THE HOMETOWN CROWD COMES OUT IN FORCE. By…