I managed to muster up enough energy to hastily agree to meet her downtown at Shoefly Public House around 7, and then promptly take a nap.
I parked a few blocks away from the restaurant, which is located in a gorgeously revived part of the city, met up with Steph and chatted as we walked to the restaurant.
Shoefly is a newer restaurant,and very eclectic in the best of ways. It is rustically urban, minimalist, and very casual. I did not feel out of place at all in heels though :)
We were informed as we arrived that it would be a 30 minute wait for a table, but that we were welcome to check out the basement. The basement was a very unique space filled with bar tables, a Ping pong table, and a makeshift bar. Not where 2 single gals were interested in sitting and eating dinner, but a super great space for a large group, especially if you're looking to get a little rowdy and play some games!
We made our way back upstairs and to our luck a couple had just vacated their seats at the bar. So we slipped right in and scoped out the beer menu. Shoefly has a fantastic wine and beer menu, with a lot of smaller breweries that I had heard nothing about.
Unfortunately they were all out of my current beer obsession, Three Floyd's Zombie Dust, so I trusted the bartender's recommendation and ordered a Headwaters Pale Ale. I was definitely right to trust her.
We ordered the Maryland crab dip for starters. It blew my mind. If you go to Shoefly to get anything I personally feel it should be this. Different cheeses mixed perfectly with soft shell crab and flatbread crisps. If I could've ordered a second bowl of it for my meal, trust me I would've. I'm often slightly distrusting of seafood in the Midwest, but this was just perfect.
I quickly set my sights on the falafel for dinner. I always ate them down at IU, but haven't had one since I returned to Indy. Steph got the No Meatloaf.
We chatted and caught up, and within 20 minutes we had our food.
My side was Yuka fries, which I had never heard of. Apparently it's a root vegetable cousin of the potato but not nearly as greasy when fried. I'm sure there a perfectly healthy substitution for French fries, right?
We ordered another round and dug right in, trying to continue our conversation with full mouths.
We finished our food and continued to chat until the sun went down and our glasses were empty. I always love spending time with Steph- she's known me since I was in diapers, and always gives the best advice.
We trotted back to our cars admiring the gorgeous houses that lined the streets, be bid adieu with promises to get together sooner next time.
I told her we should meet back up at Shoefly next week! If you're looking for a less conventional restaurant off the beaten path, I'd definitely recommend you check out Shoefly. You may even see me there!
Happy Wednesday, everyone! We're halfway to the weekend!