German Night -- A Different Kind of Success

What a night!  It began with a an incredibly disappointing afternoon: more and more and more people letting me know ‘I can’t make it tonight.’  Bum.  Mer.  The list was growing.  Some were ill, some had some great opportunities they couldn’t pass up and others – they were tired.  Which is totally fair.  IODC went from an expected thirteen to a mere five people.  When we walked into The Edelweiss Restaurant those given the task of serving us food were disappointed.  I don’t blame them, but there was nothing we could do.  The numbers were such a bummer because so far we’ve averaged sixteen at each event.  Five is quite a step down!

No matter!  The goal is great food and friendship!

We were informed that a table for 20 was setup (and it was), which was total overkill and that an additional server had been brought on for the evening.  I felt so bad I ordered two beers while I might normally only order one.  And even then, it’s definitely a maybe.  Plus they were Optimators.  High alcohol content.  Drowning my sorrows I s’pose. 

The five of us settled in on the patio – which is great!  It really is nice out there.  The quickest takeaway that the five of us had was that the place was pretty and it’d be a great place for afternoon beers.  (But, of course, it is 8 miles south of downtown in the middle-of-nowhere Indianapolis: German Park.)  An appetizer was offered and we decided on the pretzel bread.  Wow!  That stuff was fantastic.  It’s not an on-site concoction; it’s actually made by a local baker, then frozen and thawed for evening use, but you definitely couldn’t tell.  Really, really great pretzel bread.  

The three people that joined my wife Katie and I had not attended an Indy Offshore experience yet and they’ve all said they’d like to do it again.  One of the newbies is a recent import to the Hoosier state from Manhattan.  I hope for him IODC is a great way to meet new people and introduce himself to some great ethnic restaurants around the Indy metro area. 

Dinner was good.  We all ordered something German, but nothing was so unique or remarkable that it earns a mention here.  It’s German food.  We’ve all had it before. 

Katie and I left if to the newbies to decide where we’re going as a group next.  (Hopefully as a much larger group.)  Belgium was brought up, but only as a secondary thought because someone mentioned Brugge Brasserie in BroadRipple.  Brugge is a great restaurant with an ever-changing beer menu.  When you’re a fan of Rick Steves like I am (I’ve shook the man’s hand!), you know that Belgium brews the world’s best beers.  Other items to focus on at Brugge will be mussels, crepes and the pomme frites.  The restaurant offers several different sauces for their pomme frites and multiple ways to enjoy their mussels as well. 

We will meet as a group at the restaurant on Tuesday, July 12 at 7:00pm.  If you plan to attend please RSVP on theFacebook event page or drop a note to DrakeTotallyTravels [at] gmail.  I’ll relay the information to the restaurant about a week ahead of time.  Hopefully the majority of us can sit together. 

I hope to see you all in July!

What is IODC?

What is the Indy Offshore Dining Club?  There are multiple layers, but the heart of the Club is a group of friends getting together on the second Tuesday of each month in the Indy metro area and grubbing on some sort of international cuisine.  We've met at the Edelweiss Restaurant for German food and Thai Spice for some Thai food.  There aren't many rules, though, so we might meet at the Cracker Barrel for 'American' or maybe even the Outback so have some super-authentic Australian.  And while we try unique foods and talk about the different tastes, textures and flavors, few among us have a real grasp on the shades-of-gray of what we're eating.  We just like being together and enjoying each other's company.

But a blog about dining out with friends once a month isn't all that interesting.  So, The week this blog is being launched I was told by multiple people -- all separate from each other -- that I should start a travel blog. 

Agreed.  Even though one more know-it-all discussing travel is likely the last thing the online travel community needs. 

But, travel is my favorite subject, hobby and passion.  I was Blessed to be brought up in a home that went on the road a lot.  Prior to my 13th birthday I had been in the 48 US continental states and before I was 17 I had been around Mexico, Canada and a hanful of places around Western Europe.  Since then I've added Hawaii, Central America, more Europe and Hawaii.  I like to think of myself as a 'miles' expert even though I only fly a hanful of times a year.  When I travel, more than most, I do so affordably and I look forward to sharing a few tips and tricks with you.

My personal life is dude in his thirties and a marketing professional with emphasis on trade shows, events and meetings.  My wife and I live in the Irvington neighborhood of Indianapolis.  No kids; just travel. 

My name's Drake, and with a h/t to my cousin:

I WROTE THIS!!!