The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is Indiana’s contribution: a pounded-thin cutlet, breaded and fried, spilling well past the edges of the bun. Ordering one is the local rite of passage, and half the fun is the size.
Mass Ave and Fountain Square are where Indianapolis’s newer restaurants have concentrated over the last decade, and the city’s dining has improved sharply in that time. The City Market downtown is the historic anchor.
Race season in May brings a surge of visitors and a matching surge in demand, so plan around it. Outside that, Indianapolis is an easy eating city — unpretentious, reasonably priced, and less crowded than its neighbours.