Indianapolis, IN
INdulge: Stuck in Indy on spring break? This taste of the Caribbean is best thing I ate this week
Find the best food in Indianapolis weekly with INdulge
Get inspiration for your next lunch break, drinks with friends or night out from dining reporter Bradley Hohulin.
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:
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.
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.
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)
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.
IndyCar race results from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
IndyCar Series drivers are on the grid in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course is set to host a day of open wheel racing.
View Indianapolis race results for the IndyCar Series below.
Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward set the front row. 85 laps laps of stock car racing are up next…
Race Report
Green flag, Alex Palou is clear out of turn one. Pato O’Ward is turned! Scott Dixon and others are collected. The caution is out.
Penalty: Felix Rosenqvist will serve a drive thru penalty for contact in turn one.
Green, Palou leads Malukas and Kirkwood into turn one.
Lap 7, Kirkwood dives inside of Malukas into turn one. Kirkwood takes 2nd away.
Lap 21, Alexander Rossi is stalled and the caution is out. Multiple pit strategies are now in play.
Palou heads for the pit lane. Power is handed the lead as Palou restarts 19th.
Green, Power leads Malukas and Lundgaard. Felix Rosenqvist jumps over the top of Kyffin Simpson, caution.
Power pits from the lead with others. Malukas is handed the lead.
Green, Malukas leads Lunagaard into turn one.
Lap 48, Malukas and others head for the pit lane. Lundgaard pits the following lap. Malukas cycles out ahead. Malukas is saving fuel.
Lap 52, Power leads Malukas by 8 seconds.
Lap 63, Alex Palou pits for the final time from 5th.
20 to go, Lundgaard and many of the leaders dive for the pit lane. A lap later, Malukas heads for the pit lane.
Malukas cycles out ahead of Lundgaard. Lundgaard trails by 1.3 seconds.
18 to go, Lundgaard is all over the gearbox of the leader! Malukas blocks the inside into turn one. He misses a shift and Lundgaard pulls on the outside. They fight for space into turn four, Lundgaard to the lead!
8 to go, Lundgaard leads Malukas by 3 seconds. He’s driving away.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Race Results
May 9, 2026
IndyCar Series
Pos | Driver
1. Christian Lundgaard
2. David Malukas
3. Graham Rahal
4. Josef Newgarden
5. Alex Palou
6. Scott Dixon
7. Louis Foster
8. Dennis Hauger
9. Kyle Kirkwood
10. Nolan Siegel
11. Marcus Armstrong
12. Kyffin Simpson
13. Will Power
14. Santino Ferrucci
15. Rinus VeeKay
16. Scott McLaughlin
17. Sting Ray Robb
18. Pato O’Ward
19. Caio Collet
20. Mick Schumacher
21. Romain Grosjean
22. Marcus Ericsson
23. Felix Rosenqvist
24. Christian Rasmussen
25. Alexander Rossi
IndyCar Series
Point Standings
Pending
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Video Highlights
Pending
Links
Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Indycar
TODAY
Early clouds give way to gradual clearing, and the afternoon turns much nicer than the damp start might suggest. Highs reach the mid 70s, with a west-southwest breeze around 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. Once we get past the morning gray, this looks like a very usable day for outdoor plans, just a bit breezy at times.
TONIGHT
Clouds increase again overnight, and scattered showers with a few thunderstorms may arrive late, mainly after 3 a.m. Lows settle in the mid 50s, with a light breeze becoming northerly late. Most of the evening stays quiet, but by early Sunday morning a few neighborhoods could hear some rain on the roof.
MOTHER’S DAY
Cooler than Saturday, with a mix of clouds and some breaks of sun along with the chance for an isolated shower. Highs top out in the mid 60s, and a north breeze around 5 to 10 mph adds a slightly cooler feel. It is not a washout, but it is also not as nice as Saturday afternoon, especially south of Indianapolis where a stray shower may hang on longer.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Partly cloudy and cooler, with lows in the mid 40s and a north northeast breeze around 5 to 10 mph. The air dries out nicely, and this looks like a quiet, comfortable night across central Indiana.
MONDAY
Bright and seasonably cool with sunshine taking over. Highs reach the mid 60s, with a light north wind around 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. This looks like one of the cleaner forecast days of the stretch, great for errands, practices, or getting outside without weather trouble.
MONDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and chilly again, with lows in the low to mid 40s and light wind fading late. Quiet weather continues, and there are no meaningful travel concerns overnight.
TUESDAY
Another decent start, then clouds begin to increase later with a chance for showers and thunderstorms after mid afternoon. Highs reach the mid 60s, with a light south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph. Most of the day still looks usable, but the late afternoon and evening carry the next better rain signal.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Showers and thunderstorms become more likely for part of the night before activity starts to ease later on. Lows hold in the low to mid 50s, with a south-southwest wind around 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. It does not look like a high-end severe setup right now, but it is enough of a signal to keep an eye on late evening plans.
WEDNESDAY
A leftover shower is possible early, then the trend turns drier with more sun returning through the day. Highs recover into the upper 60s, and a northwest breeze around 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph will make it feel a little brisker at times. The day improves as it goes, and by afternoon it should look much better than the early morning may suggest.
7 DAY FORECAST
After a milder Saturday and a small late Saturday night into Sunday shower window, the broader pattern settles down for Sunday night and Monday with quieter, cooler weather in place. The next more meaningful chance for rain arrives Tuesday into Tuesday night as another system approaches, then drier conditions return Wednesday as that system pulls away. Temperatures run in the 70s Saturday, slip back into the 60s Sunday through Tuesday, then edge a little milder again by midweek. Confidence is best in the quiet Sunday night through Monday stretch, while the exact timing of Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night rain could still wobble a bit.
Editor’s note: This interview is part of our ‘Meet the Candidates’ show. Watch past episodes here.
After working in education for about 15 years, Andrea Hunley won her first bid for political office four years ago in an Indiana Senate district covering the core of Indianapolis.
On May 8, Hunley, 42, officially launched her campaign for an office that she says feels closer to home: Indianapolis mayor.
About a year ahead of the May 2027 mayoral primary, Hunley sat down with IndyStar on May 5 to discuss what she hopes to accomplish as mayor, why her candidacy differs from her challengers, and how she thinks about hot-button issues like education, public safety and data centers.
At this point, Hunley will face longtime Indianapolis City-County Councilor Vop Osili and Department of Public Works administrator David Bride. Both candidates will also be invited for sit-down interviews with IndyStar in the coming weeks.
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
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