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INdulge: Stuck in Indy on spring break? This taste of the Caribbean is best thing I ate this week

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INdulge: Stuck in Indy on spring break? This taste of the Caribbean is best thing I ate this week


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I’ve never really cared for the beach. But now, as I bathe in the fluorescent glow of a Microsoft Surface here in rain-sloshed Indianapolis, getting brutally sunburnt on a tourist-riddled beach somewhere in Florida doesn’t sound so bad.

As Indy-area families head south for spring break, I got a much smaller taste of the tropics in this week’s INdulge with:

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The best thing I ate in Indy this week

With nothing but admiration for the esteemed Captain Morgan, I suspect the highlighter-colored rum cocktails associated with Caribbean culture have misled Americans as to how simple the region’s cuisine can be. Take the national dish of Jamaica, ackee and saltfish, which you can find at Jamaican Breeze just south of Fall Creek on Keystone Avenue.

Ackee is a nutty-tasting, fist-sized fruit native to West Africa in the same family as lychee. While its seeds have small outgrowths that can be poisonous when consumed raw, cooked ackee is no more toxic than, say, scrambled eggs, to which it bears a striking resemblance. Sautéed with onions, bell peppers and scotch bonnet peppers, ackee looks uncannily like a Southwest scramble that would cost $14 at an especially Instagram-friendly brunch spot.

Saltfish, meanwhile, is exactly what it sounds like. Slivers of generously salted cod add some chew and a little funk to the ackee, creating a salty-savory mash whose flavor profile isn’t far from certain American comfort foods. Turns out garlic, onion and thyme play just as well in island cuisine as they do in your grandmother’s pot roast.

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Jamaican Breeze’s ackee and saltfish ($17.95) comes with a similarly seasoned portion of rice and “peas” (what most Americans know as kidney beans), shreds of steamed cabbage and a pair of sugar-sweet fried plantains.

Like many staple Caribbean dishes, ackee and saltfish is a direct result of the Atlantic slave trade. Ackee most likely arrived in English-controlled Jamaica during the 1700s, crossing the same waters that brought millions of enslaved Africans to the Americas. Ackee flourished in the island’s tropical climate and has been a staple food ever since.

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Meanwhile, English slave owners imported Canadian cod preserved in salt as a cheap, long-lasting food source for their ill-gotten labor force. The two foods eventually met in kitchens across Jamaica with the mild ackee, almost more vegetable than fruit, making a natural pairing for the sea-flavored cod.

Reconciling ackee and saltfish’s grisly origins with the modern dish is tricky. Such is often the case with culinary tradition, as countless now-iconic dishes began with just a few basic ingredients, a little ingenuity and at least one historical atrocity. But like many groups of people who have known great suffering, Jamaicans eventually reclaimed ackee and saltfish, and many now view the dish as a source of national pride.

Though the meal’s significance may not fully translate to Hoosiers 1,500 miles away, it’s still worth trying. Besides, if, like me, you haven’t been getting a ton of vitamin D from the supposedly still-extant sun lately, you might as well throw a little tropical flavor in your diet.

Really, it’s like I can feel the ocean breeze from here — all 52 sopping-wet degrees of it.

What: Ackee and saltfish, $17.95 (can only be ordered in-restaurant for dine-in or takeout)

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Where: Jamaican Breeze Sports Bar and Grill, 4189 N. Keystone Ave., 317-426-4045, jamaicanbreezeindy.com

In case that’s not your thing: Jamaican Breeze’s menu offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy familiar flavors or try something new, from jerk chicken quarters ($9.95) to curry goat ($14.50). While meat options span red snapper filets ($23.50) to oxtail ($21), vegetarians and vegans can enjoy hearty ital stew (root vegetables and okra cooked in seasoned coconut milk, $13.25) and callaloo (braised Jamaican leafy greens, $4.50).

Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.



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Indianapolis, IN

Tommy Davidson to perform in Indianapolis, discusses new sitcom and comedy

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Tommy Davidson to perform in Indianapolis, discusses new sitcom and comedy


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Comedian Tommy Davidson, known for his work on “In Living Color” and “The Proud Family,” is set to perform at Helium Comedy Club in Indianapolis on Dec. 19, 20 and 21, 2025.

General admission tickets are priced at $36.97, while reserved tickets are available for $49.39. During a recent interview, Davidson expressed his thoughts on the lack of new Christmas music, emphasizing the need for fresh original songs during the holiday season.

Davidson has been touring with fellow comedian Cat Williams, showcasing their unique styles together. He revealed that their collaborative performances have allowed audiences from various backgrounds to come together and enjoy comedy, stating, “I look at my audience and it’s Latinos looking at whites and whites looking at Asians and Asians looking at Indians. We’re all the same still. And everybody laughing together, which I think is something that is vastly needed right now.”

In addition to his touring, Davidson is producing a new sitcom titled “Varnell,” based on a character from his earlier work. He shared insights into his upbringing, recalling, “Of course, of course. My mom taught me, you know, you live with an open hand, you know and you can receive and you can give, you know.” He reflected on his journey from humble beginnings to Hollywood stardom, highlighting the importance of hard work in achieving success.

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Davidson discussed the significance of his experiences and how they shape his comedy. “That’s what comedy comes into play and has for so long for me personally, like stand up. That’s what it does. It takes all of your worries away, anything that you think is going on in the world.” He also touched upon the importance of storytelling and connecting with an audience, emphasizing, .”..that work part, that word work, you know, that’s what my mom taught me.”



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Indianapolis residents face mixed experiences with USPS during busiest shipping week

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Indianapolis residents face mixed experiences with USPS during busiest shipping week


INDIANAPOLIS — A busy holiday shipping season has left some Indianapolis residents frustrated with postal service delays, while others report smooth deliveries during what the United States Postal Service calls its busiest week of the year.

“This is actually the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week of the entire year. So we are incredibly busy,” said Susan Wright, USPS spokesperson.

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Indianapolis residents face mixed experiences with USPS during holiday season

For Indianapolis resident Steve Burnstein, the holiday rush has meant nearly two weeks of waiting for gifts that should have arrived days ago.

“I’m just frustrated to the top, you know, there’s no reason for it,” Burnstein said.

After dropping off his gifts, Steve was told delivery would take just a matter of days. Nearly two weeks later, the packages remain stuck at a distribution center just miles from his home.

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“They’re sitting at a distribution center at English at or Brookville Road near 465,” Burnstein added.

WRTV followed Steve to the post office to track down his missing packages, and employees spent more than 15 minutes searching for answers.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing — it’s moving through the distribution center— but not to California,” Steve said after the lengthy wait.

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Wright offered advice for avoiding shipping delays during the busy season.

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“One thing that I want to encourage customers to do is to be sure you have an accurate address, and the one thing you do not want to guess about is the zip code, because the zip code is our first line of sortation. And so if that is incorrect, it will misdirect your package,” Wright said.

Other Indianapolis residents have had better experiences with the postal service during the holiday rush.

“They’re very good about getting your mail out and getting it on time,” Delores Parker from Indianapolis said.

Delores recommends additional precautions.

“I usually make sure it’s where I get a return receipt if it’s something that’s very important,” she added.

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Steve suggests considering alternatives for critical shipments.

“Ship them FedEx, ship them UPS. Check and make sure that they’re gonna go,” Steve said.

According to the USPS Website, the deadline for a package to arrive by Christmas through Priority Mail Express is Saturday, December 20.


Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.





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Silver Alert declared for 16-year-old boy missing from Indianapolis

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Silver Alert declared for 16-year-old boy missing from Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the disappearance of Robert Williams Jr., a 16-year-old Black male who is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 185 pounds, has black hair with brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray coat, blue sweat pants, and black tennis shoes.

Williams Jr. is missing from Indianapolis, and was last seen on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. He is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance. 

Investigators ask that anyone with information on Williams Jr. contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 317-327-6541 or 911.

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