Eat. Do. See. Hamilton County.
A few of our favorite spots to eat, do and see in Hamilton County
For the nearly 325,000 people living in Hamilton County, there’s never a shortage of things to do, things to see or places to eat. But as most of us are creatures of habit, we tend to do some of the same things and visit some of the same places over and over again. So we asked a few people at Visit Hamilton County for their recommendations on places where you can eat something, do something and see something. Now, no matter what you’re planning—be it a date night with that someone special, a family day with the whole crew or a day outing with close friends—you’re sure to find some great spots to spread your wings and get out and about, in Hamilton County.
A DATE NIGHT
As the digital marketing coordinator for Visit Hamilton County, Katie Utken knows all too well how important that perfect social media snapshot can be. Here are some her favorite spots worthy of your Instagram feed, and more than worthy of a special night out with your favorite someone.
SOMETHING TO EAT … for a fun dinner option, try one of the four food pods located within Sun King Spirit’s Carmel Distillery. This hotspot offers great beer and a wide variety of handmade spirits and food from local partners. For traditional bar food like fried mozzarella, pulled pork, sliders, ribs and more, check out The Den by Foxgardin. In the mood for pizza? Head over to Pi Indy where they fire up uber special ingredients in their Belforno original Italian brick oven. Charcuterie more your style? Stop in to OCA for some of the finest sausage and salami in town. Or try La Margarita for (yea, you guessed it) super tasty Mexican dishes.
Note, Sun King Spirits is an all-ages space, but you must be 21+ years of age to enjoy the beer or spirits.
Sun King Spirits
351 Monon Blvd.
Carmel
SunKingBrewing.com
SOMETHING TO DO … there’s no place with more action under one roof than the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. A multidisciplinary performing arts campus, the facilities include the Palladium, a state-of-the-art 1,600-seat concert hall; the Tarkington, a 500-seat proscenium theater; and the Studio Theater, a versatile black box with a seated capacity of 200. Ongoing programming is supported by six resident companies and includes everything from ballet to orchestra to theatre and more, in addition to yearly visits from renowned performers in classical, jazz, pop, rock, country, Great American Songbook and international music and dance.
Center for the Performing Arts
1 Center Green
Carmel
TheCenterPresents.org
SOMETHING TO SEE … so this is a bit of a do, eat, see combination, but once you visit 3UP Rooftop Bar, you’ll understand why it belongs in the “see” category. Located a few stories up from ground level, the outdoor bar sits in the midst of downtown Carmel, above Anthony’s Chophouse. The bar—a high-end, swanky gathering place—is a social media junkies dream come true with Instagram-worthy photo opps in practically every corner. And yes, yes, they do serve food and have an impressive cocktail menu to boot.
3UP
201 W. Main St.
Carmel
3UPRooftop.com
A GIRLS DAY
Thinking of planning a fun, local outing with girlfriends? Whitney Riggs, communications manager for Visit Hamilton County suggests planning your day around a few of her favorite spots that just happen to all be within a close enough distance to one another that you can walk, even if the shoes you wear aren’t made for walking.
SOMETHING TO EAT … brunch, complete with mimosas (of course) at Rosie’s Place in Noblesville is the perfect way to start your day—not too early, but not too late so you have plenty of time to hit the shops on the historic Noblesville square.
Rosie’s Place
68 N. 9th St.
Noblesville
RosiesPlace.net
SOMETHING TO DO … stop in to either Nickel Plate Arts where you can take a class in 2D art, 3D art, mixed media or participate in a number of workshops and specialty project classes like cartoon drawing or pottery; or schedule in some time at Caravan Classes and paint a block, paint a bag, paint a canvas, paint a birdhouse … you get the picture … you can paint just about anything at this all-in-one mobile (yes, it’s actually a camper-trailer with wheels) art studio.
Nickel Plate Arts Campus
107 S 8th St.
Noblesville
NickelPlateArts.org
Caravan Classes
92 S. 9th St.
Noblesville
SquareUp.com/Store/Caravan-Classes
SOMETHING TO SEE … this local, small-batch artisan roaster sources their high-quality beans from responsible growers and while this place is a must-go in the “something to drink” category the barista’s latte art land puts this local hangout in the “something to see” category … bonus, it’s a great place to people watch too!
Noble Coffee and Tea Company
933 Logan St.
Noblesville
NobleCoffeeAndTea.net
A FAMILY DAY WHERE TO TAKE THE FAMILY FOR A FUN OUTING
Ashley Ledford, marketing director for Visit Hamilton County and mother four, knows a thing (or two, or three) about where to take the family for fun a outing. Here are a few of her top spots for a full day spent with your closest crew.
SOMETHING TO EAT … just a few miles north and east of U.S. 31, the Cicero Coffee Company is whipping up breakfasts made for kings, queens and all their little princes and princesses too. And not only do they have the standard pancakes and egg options, but they also have an impressive number of vegan dishes recently added to the menu.
Cicero Coffee Company
150 S. Peru St.
Cicero
Facebook.com/CiceroCoffeeCo
SOMETHING TO DO … stop by Mercantile 37 for a unique shopping experience the whole family will enjoy. A café and market with a rich, local history, this quaint shopping destination is well worth the short drive if traveling north from Indianapolis. Operating within the rustic-industrial aesthetic of the building, the products sold range from hand-dipped candles to handmade furniture, all emphasizing quality, custom and locality.
Mercantile 37
25625 IN-37
Atlanta
Mercantile37.com
SOMETHING TO SEE … when it comes to outdoor recreation, Strawtown Koteewi Park has just about everything and then some. No matter how much (or how little) your inner daredevil is wanting to get out, the zip lining courses and aerial adventures have options for all ages and all levels. And there’s horseback riding trails and archery too. Don’t have your own bow? No worries, you can rent one for a nominal fee. Bonus, in the colder months, the hills turn into a virtual winter wonderland complete with snow tubing.
Strawtown Koteewi Park
12302 Strawtown Ave.
Noblesville
Koteewi-Adventures.com
KTrails.com
KoteewiArchery.com
EdgeAdventureParks.com
