Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Still deciding where to dine out? Downtown Olly's and Greek Islands giving 50%

If you're boring and don't want to have fun tomorrow, stop reading this right now. But if you want to laugh, be entertained, and nosh on some treats, all for a good cause, you've come to the right place! Downtown Olly's and The Greek Islands Restaurant, both Premier restaurants giving 50% of your bill to The Damien Center during this year's Dining Out for Life, are hands down two of the most fun restaurants we've got here in Indy.

Downtown Olly's, for starters, is open 24 hours a day. You read that right: sunrise to sunset and everywhere in between. So whether you're looking for a snack after a late night out, hungry for lunch, or just out and about looking for a fun stop, Olly's is the place. Besides being our only 24-hour restaurant to participate in Dining Out for Life, Olly's makes sure every guest is entertained. The atmosphere is vibrant, the decor is bright and fun, and the staff is super friendly. On top of that, Olly's usually has some kind of entertainment going on, like drag shows and karaoke.


A few of our favorite menu items? Start with the bleu cheese sticks and fried green tomatoes, then make the Asian chicken wrap your main entree. And remember: since Olly's is open 24 hours, you can visit anytime on April 25 (tomorrow!) and know that a very generous 50% of your bill is going to the local fight against HIV/AIDS! Lunch specials tomorrow will be penne pasta in a tomato cream sauce with blackened chicken, spinach, onions, and mushrooms, or Olly's taco salad. Either is $6.95. Dinner specials include grilled tilapia with a fresh mango, pineapple, avocado, and mint salsa, or Cuban-style chicken with a delicious black bean sauce and yellow rice. Either is $12.95. Plus, beginning at 9:15pm, Olly's will be hosting a Benefit Drag Show to bring in additional donations for Dining Out for Life. The lineup so far includes Miss Gay Indiana Vanessa Ryan, Mr. Gay Indiana Elite St. James, Tia Mirage Hall, and Silky Ganache. Shantel Sifuentes will host the show and also do a couple of numbers! Food + drag show + a great cause? Win win win!

Not in the mood for drag? The family-friendly folks at The Greek Islands Restaurant are ready to bring YOU into the family with homemade delicacies and some of our favorite Greek food in Indy. It's really a no-brainer, in our opinion, to get the saganaki (flaming cheese) at Greek Islands, and not just for the OPA! part. It's really good. Like, really really good. In fact go ahead and order a couple of them. You won't regret it. The restaurant itself is cozy, but we kind of like that, because it feels a little like you're joining owners Angela and George for dinner in their home, and the food tastes like it too, in the best way possible. Any of the authentic Greek entrees on the menu won't let you down, and the gyros and sandwiches are excellent lunch selections. For lunch or dinner, we especially love the dolmades, which are grape leaves stuffed full of juicy ground beef and rice, then topped with a sweet and tangy lemon sauce. Don't skimp on the side dishes either! The traditional Greek green beans and potatoes are both worth trying. We always feel like we're part of the family at Greek Islands, and the restaurant's generous donation of 50% of sales tomorrow makes it even sweeter.

Find locations and hours for Downtown Olly's and The Greek Islands Restaurant at diningoutforlife.com, and visit us Facebook and Twitter for ongoing updates about Dining Out for Life.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Forty Five Degrees, Yogulatte owner long-time Damien supporter

Before his chic Mass Ave restaurant and coffeeshop/yogurt destination were born into existence, Bill Pritt was a volunteer for The Damien Center. As a Buddy in the Center's Buddy Program, Bill spent time with those living with HIV, helping them out with big things and little things, and walking alongside them, as a friend, through the good times and bad. Eventually, after the Buddy Program transitioned into a variety of different programs and services, Bill transitioned into volunteering as a Dining Out for Life Ambassador, representing The Damien Center and talking to diners about what it means to support the local fight against HIV/AIDS.

So, when Bill opened his first Indy restaurant in 2006, it was only natural that he would sign Blu Martini up to participate as a Premier Restaurant, giving 50% of proceeds for one day to The Damien Center. Since then, Bill has focused his time and efforts toward opening and developing Forty Five Degrees and Yogulatte, his two side-by-side Mass Ave eateries. Opened in 2008 and 2010, respectively, each restaurant gives at the Premier level, so a generous 50% of diners' bills goes back to the local fight against AIDS.

"It's my favorite check that I write all year long," Bill says of his support for the Center and the event. "You can't do everything, but you can do something, so we decided to do this."

Here at The Damien Center, we encourage our supporters, friends, and Dining Out for Life diners to keep returning to our participating restaurants all year, to continue saying thank you for the generosity these restaurants show us each April. And according to Bill, Dining Out does matter to his customers. "People recognize our support throughout the year," he says.

While many diners (including us!) return to Dining Out for Life restaurants to continue showing our support all year long, we also think people go back to Forty Five Degrees and Yogulatte for the food and drinks! Many know FortyFive Degrees for their sushi, which is no doubt top-of-the-line, but we're also fond of the Forty Five Salad (with grilled salmon ... mmm), lettuce wraps, and oh so much more. And let's not even get into the martinis. You can't go wrong!

At Yogulatte, which is an obvious post-Forty Five Degrees dessert stop (or really pre- or post-anything dessert stop), you get to build your own frozen yogurt treat from start to finish. And it's really fun. First, you pick your yogurt flavor, or two or three if you want. Rich, creamy, classic flavors like peanut butter, raspberry, vanilla bean, chocolate, and strawberry site alongside quirky offerings like dulce de leche, toasted marshmallow, and cake batter. And that doesn't even account for the fat-free options, dairy-free options, and double-duty dispensers, which feature two flavors in one (chocolate/peanut butter anyone?). Then, the toppings. OH, the toppings. Crushed Oreos, fresh fruit, sprinkles - you name it, they've prepped it. A scoop here, a scoop there, and you've got a handcrafted dessert. Yogulatte also serves coffee and other hot drinks, so we also like to stop by for our daily caffeine boost when we're running low.

Convinced yet? Dine out at Forty Five Degrees, Yogulatte, or any of our participating restaurants THIS THURSDAY and 25-100% of your bill will go back to The Damien Center and the local fight against HIV/AIDS!



Friday, April 19, 2013

See Pita Pit, Punch Burger, and Red Lion on FOX59!

This Saturday and Sunday, tune in to the FOX59 weekend morning show around around 9:50am and you're going to get a special treat from two of our Dining Out for Life restaurant owners. You'll be cooking with the pros when Travis Sealls and Wally Bolinger put on their chef's hats and share their secrets. Travis, who owns Indy's new burger darling Punch Burger as well as the downtown Indy Pita Pit, will be live on Saturday to share some fresh, healthy recipes with viewers. Red Lion Grog House owner Wally will be on the show Sunday morning to share some Red Lion favorites that are certain to make your mouth water. (Seriously. Have you had the fish and chips? The buffalo burger? Bangers and mash?)

The best part? All three restaurants - Punch Burger, Pita Pit, and Red Lion Grog House - are among our top supporters for the 19th Annual Dining Out for Life Indianapolis! As our returning Champion Restaurant, Red Lion will be donating 100% of sales on April 25 to The Damien Center and the local fight against HIV/AIDS. Punch Burger and Pita Pit, both Premier Restaurants, will each be donating a generous 50% of next Thursday's sales, making it easy for downtown folks or those in a rush to still squeeze in a good meal for a great cause.

So let's talk about food. Besides featuring some of Indy's best fish and chips, as noted, Red Lion's menu is somehow both classically English and deliciously American. Sometimes English food gets a bad name for being bland, but not at Wally's joint. This blogger had no idea she liked shepherd's pie until she tried Wally's version, which is filled with savory, seasoned meats and veggies cooked into a thick, chili-like consistency and topped with creamy garlic mashed potatoes. You won't regret trying something new if it's from Red Lion. In a pickle about what to order? Just start eyeing the tables around you - something incredible is sure to catch your tummy's attention!

Indy's downtown Pita Pit, as those who like or work down in the mile square know, is the ideal quick-healthy-fresh lunch spot. You can build your own pita from available ingredients (everything from meats, veggies, and cheeses to red thai curry sauce and black beans) or choose from pre-planned pitas. You can go classic Mediterranean with falafels and hummus, go meat-heavy with a club or Philly steak, or stay healthy with a range of "light" options. Pitas take on a life of their own at Pita Pit, and you can feel good about your healthy choices.

Lastly, Punch Burger's menu is all about locally sourced, high-quality burgers and craft beer at a great price. All of Punch Burger's angus beef comes from local cattle farmer Dave Fischer. Dave raises his cattle humanely with no hormones or antibiotics, right here in Indiana (Jasper, to be exact). Once the beef reaches Punch, it takes on a new life as Travis and his staff dress it up with everything from the classics (Lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, ketchup, mayo, American cheese. Done.) to the I-never-thought-that-would-taste-good-on-a-burger (Peanut butter, onion, Asian slaw, sweet chili sauce. Thai Burger.). You can also build your own burger, and don't forget to grab a pint of local brew from Upland, Triton, Flat 12, and more.

Now that we are officially salivating (and we hope you are, too), let's take a break for lunch. Go visit these three truly generous eateries today, and then go back next Thursday for Dining Out for Life. Find the full list of participating restaurants at diningoutforlife.com.

*Note: The juicy, cheesy burger and tots featured up top were photographed by WhonPhoto. Contact Chris@WhonPhoto.com for details.



Friday, April 5, 2013

Why Santorini Greek Kitchen gives back

This time of year, our days are filled with Dining Out for Life Ambassador trainings, last-minute preparations for one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and lots of time spent communicating with our participating restaurants about the upcoming event. Indy's largest dining fundraiser is less than three weeks away, so this week, we got out and about in the city and delivered promo materials to all our restaurants so we can all get the word out. Lucky for us, Jeanette Sawi, co-owner of Santorini Greek Kitchen, had a few minutes to sit down with us and share why her restaurant continues to support The Damien Center via Dining Out for Life year after year after year.

A little background: In addition to serving up incredibly rich and flavorful Greek delicacies, Santorini is also one of our longest running Dining Out for Life participants. The event is in its 19th year, and Santorini has been on board for well over a decade. So why The Damien Center and why Dining Out?

Pre-Santorini, Jeanette was a nurse. While she was still a nursing student in Houston, TX, in the mid-1980s, Jeannette worked on the HIV/AIDS wing of a Houston hospital and saw the epidemic rear its ugly head on a daily basis. She saw people dying alone, hopeless and helpless, praying for a cure but knowing they wouldn't see one in their lifetime. So, as a nurse, she did her best to care for those with HIV, helping them live their last hours with dignity, showing them that no matter how stigmatized HIV was and would continue to be, she would continue to care. Incidentally, this was the objective of The Damien Center in its early days as well. When the agency was founded in 1987, at a time when little hope was on the horizon for a cure or better treatments, its staff and volunteers walked with people in their last days so they would know they were cared for until the end.

Today? Today, we are so fortunate to be helping people live instead of die. We are fortunate to see weekly and monthly breakthroughs in treatment and possible cures. We are fortunate to have 30+ HIV drugs on the market that do an exceptional job of saving lives. When Jeanette got into the restaurant business, she wanted to honor that part of herself that saw what she saw in Houston - the nurse, the caretaker. Supporting The Damien Center through Dining Out for Life is one (we think really generous) way that she gets to do that, and for this, we are so grateful.

We say our sincerest thanks to Jeanette and Santorini Greek Kitchen, which will be donating 50% of sales on April 25 back to The Damien Center and the local fight against HIV. Make a reservation at Santorini for April 25 by calling 317.917.1117. OPA!