When you walk into the Sky City Café at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, you may wonder what’s so special about the quaint restaurant. Don’t all museums have a food option? True, but how many actually serve up super scrumptious food?
Located behind the museum overlooking the Indianapolis Canal Walk, the Sky City Café is a place where one can get gourmet food in a simple setting. Whether you choose to sit indoors, or in warmer weather at an umbrella-covered table on the terrace, the food incorporates fresh, refined ingredients that is pleasing to the palate.
With a countless selection of sandwiches, diners have their choice of “the usual.” You know, roasted or smoked turkey, roast beef, ham, chicken salad, or pork loin served on a variety of breads such as rye, sourdough or wheat baguette with your choice of cheeses such as white cheddar, habanero jack or baby swiss.
You can get a plain-jane sandwich anywhere! My suggestion is to walk on the wild side and try a specialty sandwich. Warm weather is right around the corner and is perfect for salad eating. Check out Sky City’s specialty salads. The Oregon Trail is divine. It has chopped romaine with chipotle-molasses grilled chicken, dried Oregon cranberries, walnuts and smoked gouda (which gives the salad a bacony note) served with roasted shallot and citrus vinaigrette.
If you love Ruebens, try it southwest style with corned beef, swiss cheese, sautéed peppers, onions, kraut, chipotle 1000-island dressing all on top toasted marbled rye bread.
Sky City Café couldn’t draw inspiration from the American southwest without having Mexicana on the menu. While recently dining at the restaurant, I had the Buffalo Nachos. It took me forever to consume the multicolored nacho chips piled high with sautéed ground buffalo, shredded cheese, pico de gallo and sour cream. It also comes with guacamole, which I opted out of.
The menu also gives patrons the taco plate consisting of three beef tacos served with refried beans, pico de gallo, sour cream and shredded cheese; the beef taquitos served on a bed of lettuce topped with cheddar jalapeno cheese, pico sour cream and cilantro lime oil; or the chicken and cheese quesadilla served with pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream.
Sky City Café didn’t forget the kids. Little ones have their choice of kid-friendly choices like PB&J, a buffalo cheeseburger, tacos, cheese quesadillas, chicken fingers or grilled cheese.
Now that you have a good idea of how such a small eatery could have such a wide variety of flavor-packed food, you need to wash it all down with a variety of drinks.
Since you’ve already had a delicious meal give into your guilty pleasures by ordering an assortment of cookies and bars; a chocolate walnut brownie; cake; or a torte.
Although money is still tight for some, it just goes to show how one can continue to enjoy a good meal at a low price. Despite sophisticated ingredients and flavors, the most expensive item on the menu is $10.50.
Next time you’re downtown or visiting the guitar exhibit at the Eiteljorg Museum (hint, hint), stop in the Sky City Café and get some tasty food at a reasonable price.
