Restaurant Spotlight: Shoefly Public House
Originally published in the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper.
I’m a total sucker for bright colors, brick walls, photos of families and wood paneled table tops. After stepping inside Shoefly Public House, I was most interested to see if the quirky name would match the feel of everything else.
In most cases it did, and if there’s one thing I really loved about this place, it happened to be the duck wings, oh those delicious well-portioned sets of duck wings. I had mine with Korean BBQ, but my new goal will be to try the four other flavors in the very near future.
I met Craig Mariutto, the owner, on an afternoon after the lunch rush when the restaurant wasn’t so busy. He sat with me at one of those well-designed tables and glanced every now and then at what I was eating, I believe, to see if I was enjoying what I had.
The duck wings, which came on a white plate of three, was crispy to the teeth yet it melted in my mouth. The Korean BBQ sauce I spoke of earlier had a nice zest but not quite spicy. I know this because I didn’t reach for my glass to wash anything down.
Perhaps this is because it was great enough on its own, so why go for the water and spoil the affair? In addition, I ordered the Tri Tip Steak with orange hoisin, kimchi and a fried cauliflower rice, adding a modest touch of fancy.
But I did not feel for one moment that this restaurant was “too fancy,” rather it was debonair, polished and overtly charming. As stated before, the bright colors were a draw for me and the menu looked as if it would make a great lunch spot just as much as a dinner locale.
Moreover, Mariutto told me about his extensive experience in the profession working in New York to Las Vegas and places in between. After moving to Shoefly’s current front, he and his wife realized dining options were limited in the area, so they officially opened on Sept. 28, 2013 and the wild ride began.
Shoefly will be apart of Devour Indy Downtown, an event showcasing nearly 90 restaurants at valued-prices from Aug. 22 to Sept. 4, so that can be your first pilgrimage. I, for one, have already made plans to return at another lunch hour to try something else, like the pretzel nugs doused with beer cheese or the wings with hickory dijon or the Memphis hot.
As for the full meals, I’ll consider the beer battered walleye with potato fries, slaw and tartar sauce. As a fish lover I’m hoping that’s great, but as a backup there’s the rib tips and the herb basted chicken or the many assortments of sandwiches.
Last but not least is the live music that appears on Thursdays, which likely features accessible acoustic rock music, but can nonetheless add to the festivities of a date night or casual hangout.
In the end, with small mixes of international flavors and spices, a menu that changes with the season and a solid selection of beer and wine, Shoefly takes full advantage of its strengths as a modern mix of quaint and colorful.
Shoefly Public House
122 E 22nd St
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 283–5007
