Trucks, Recoil and Beer - Girls Day Out

It's 73 degrees out, a beautiful, perfect Spring day. The windows are all the way down.  The truck is idling at the intersection of Broad Ripple Avenue and College.  Suddenly, from the passenger seat, I hear a soft but sharp little "eek!", sound I'd never heard before.

Something just scared the bejesus out of Tam .

Apparently, the giant plush snake that just been poked at her from the car idling right next to us. Not the recoil she's used to handling.

The snake was being wielded by a dapper elderly gent in a pristine Volkswagen "Thing".  Her "eek" gave way to laughing and he then picked up his companion from the passenger seat.  A giant stuffed marsupial of some sort,  holding it up at us so we could see its teeth and furry claws, waving its paw at us, then turning the corner on the green light with a cheery wave.

The camera was out, the button pushed but dang.  No memory card. I left it in the laptop at home.

Tam's still laughing.  You come to Broad Ripple for some art and some food and sold old guy flashes his snake at you.  But hey - It's Broad Ripple, home of the weird.  But not wanting to miss any more of the weirdness, we stopped at the CVS on our left for a new memory card, then off to the

Broad Ripple Brew Pub.

 

The outside seating was full, the only seats left under cover but still in strong sunlight. I burn in about 5 minutes unless I put some of those tiles from the space shuttle over my clothing.  Tam's had about all the ultraviolet radiation she wants for a while, so we sat inside and  had the whole place to ourselves.

We checked out the specials, always a good idea here, though the standard menu is always good.

Tam ordered an appetizer for us to share.

The Hurrah (The Smoking Goose Edition) Smoking Goose thick-cut lamb bacon with cheese crock, The Fig and Pig Tureen with chipotle honey, and The City Ham with stone ground mustard.

I really didn't think one could improve on bacon made from a pig.  We could hear PETA collectively fainting from a mile away as we  munched on smoked, peppered bacon made out of tender little lamb.

It was incredible.  Dunked into the chipotle honey?  There was eye rolling.

The bacon and ham didn't last long and it was on to the "pig and fig" A pate made of ground smoked pork shoulder mixed with red wine and figs, wrapped in caul fat and packed into a terrine mold.  The texture, comforting, the taste, oh my.

Then comes part 2.

A half order of the Alamo B&G -  Sour dough biscuits covered with chorizo and herb pork sausage gravy, then topped with a fried egg and fresh cilantro.

 

I had a bowl of  Herdsman Chili made with beef and bison brisket. Yum!

Before we left, we checked out some of the cool bikes that are always out front, the Monon Trail being across the street.
 

So many really neat bikes.  I snapped a picture of this and this young guy in the patio area calls out with a friendly "hey, you took a photo of my bike".

 I said "it's cool" then noting the lettering on the front " what's Bike Polo?"

 He came around the fence to chat with me

"It's like regular polo with bikes" and flashes this killer grin at me. This guy looks like he's in the kind of shape he could play polo with or without the bike.

I pointed down "I blew my knee out walking my dog".

With a laugh, Tam and I were off on foot to explore what's new in Broad Ripple.

Hey Tam - there's a Tool Store! 

Tam - "uh B?"

I peer across the street.

"Hey, why are there mannequins in their skivvies out front?"

Ahh.  Look in the window.   Underwear, swimwear, active and lounge wear. 

Look inside. Wow, I didn't know they made uh. . "anatomically correct" mannequins. I don't remember mannequinns like that when I was growing up; back then they all looked like "Eunuch Ken".

I see London, I see France -
 

Only in Broad Ripple.

We stopped to check out interesting things at Locally Grown Gardens, including all the fresh produce, unique beveragles and home made breads.

 

Time to get a cold soda, then back to exploring the neighborhood.

She spotted it first. "Oh OH OH oh oh oh!"  We stopped and both jumped out to look at it with total British automobile lust, the driver apparently also  totally used to seeing a 6 foot tall blond and a redhead flinging themselves out of a 4 x 4 to point and take photos.

"Oh Roberta is going to be sorry she missed this.."

So much new life and old around this historic neighborhood.  

"B. - I have to show you this!" There, growing out of the ancient base of a sweet gum tree, a little pine tree. Bonsai for real.

Too soon, time to drive home, a half growler of IPA in the back seat so this designated driver can have a Broad Ripple brew at a later time.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend.  There are new and unique things always going on in the world, if you just slow down and look around.  Having a friend to help point them out is even better.

Cheers - Brigid