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.

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!

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.

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!

Extra! Extra! 44 Indy restaurants to fight AIDS on April 25

We know, we've been teasing you. Mentioning our Dining Out for Life restaurants on Twitter, sharing their photos on Facebook, pinning foodie pics on Pinterest - we're getting excited just thinking about the dozens of Indy-area restaurants set to donate a big chunk of their sales to The Damien Center on April 25! But where's the list, you ask? Where can I dine? How will I know how much my restaurant is giving? Well, we're here to day to give you the full restaurant list so you can get started plotting for April 25. This list has been building over on our Dining Out for Life International web page, and we've got a map over there too so you can which restaurants are nearby, but here's scoop on 2013 Dining Out for Life restaurants, by neighborhood/area. There's a restaurant for everyone!

2013 Participating Restaurants Donating 25%

* Donating 50% of

   your bill

** Donating 100%

Broad Ripple

Bazbeaux

Café Patachou

JT’s Grille & Bar

Marco’s Restaurant

Monon Coffee Co.

Recess

Twenty Tap

Mass Ave

Aesop’s Tables

Bazbeaux

Forty Five Degrees *

Mesh on Mass

Metro Nightclub & Restaurant 

R bistro

Tini

Yogulatte *

Carmel

Bazbeaux

Café Patachou

Greenwood

Arni’s Restaurant

East Side

The Legend Classic Irvington Café

Downtown

Adobo Grill

Bosphorus Istanbul Café

Café Patachou

Cerulean

Chef Joseph’s at the Connoisseur Room

The Columbia Club

Creation Café

Downtown Olly’s *

English Ivy’s

Greek Islands Restaurant *

Hoosier Park’s Winner’s Circle Pub, Grille & OTB

Iaria’s Restaurant

Monon Coffee Co.

Palomino

The Pita Pit *

Punch Burger *

Ralph’s Great Divide

Fountain Square

B’s Po Boy

La Margarita

Red Lion Grog House **

Santorini Greek Kitchen *

North Side

Arni’s Restaurant

Athens on 86th

Café Patachou

Hellas Café

Damien Center Director of Prevention earns Stand & Deliver nom

Recently, Merz Aesthetics, distributor of Asclera^® (polidocanol) Injection, along with an advisory panel of women who were selected for their significant abilities to Stand & Deliver, searched the nation for inspirational women who are changing their communities one day at a time through support of a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Where did they find one of their finalists? Right here at The Damien Center!

Our own Director of Prevention Rhonda Bayless has been selected as a finalist for her outstanding work with the Center of Wellness for Urban Women. "We aim to provide women access to the tools and resources to help in their journey to living a healthy life," says Rhonda, who founded the CWUW in Indianapolis.

According to Akilah Webster, who nominated Rhonda, she is "a caring, giving, dedicated woman who works tirelessly and selflessly in the Indianapolis community. Not only does she work extremely hard at the Damien Center, a nonprofit org that provides services to HIV/AIDS affected individuals, she also founded the Center of Wellness for Urban Women, a nonprofit that empowers women and their families to become more proactive about their health." The Stand and Deliver grand prize includes $10,000 from Merz Aesthetics and Asclera^® to support the charity of Rhonda's choice as well as a professional makeover.

We are proud to have Rhonda on our team here at The Damien Center and encourage all our friends and supporters to cast your vote for her to win the Stand & Deliver award!

Voting is easy and you can vote for Rhonda once per day until April 19. Vote now!!

Top 5 Reasons You Haven't Signed Up to Volunteer Yet

Time is running out, potential Ambassadors! We only have a couple dozen spots left for Dining Out for Life Ambassadors, so if you're ready to help us fight AIDS on April 25, sign up ASAP. We're making it really easy to sign up online this year, so take a few seconds and tell us a little about yourself right here.

On the fence about volunteering for DOFL? Want to know a little more? We present:

Top 5 Reasons You Haven't Signed Up to Volunteer Yet
(i.e. your best excuses and our best persuasions) 

5. I don't want to be at a restaurant I've never been to! Okay, listen. With 44 restaurants on board to give 25-100% of April 25 sales to The Damien Center and the local fight against AIDS, we're betting you've been to and loved at least a couple of them. One of your fave Indy eateries is probably on our list. None, you say? Then you, my friend, are missing out on some delicious eats!

4. I'm a little nervous to be an Ambassador all by myself. This is an easy one. Get a buddy to sign up with you! Just let us know that you want to be placed together so you've got a partner for your shift(s).

3. I really don't want to drive all the way across town for this. Not to worry! Our Dining Out for Life restaurants stretch from Greenwood to Carmel and everywhere in between. Transportation an issue? Let us know if you need to be near a bus line or have other needs and we'll work with you to put together a solution.

2. What if I have concerns in the middle of my shift? What will I do? Our staff members are on call throughout the entire day of the event (and of course before and after!), so should you have any issues during your shift, we can help you figure out with a quick phone call or text. We'll even be stopping by restaurants throughout the day to check on Ambassadors and address anything that comes up.

1. I don't have time to volunteer right now! While Dining Out for Life does require some time from you, it's also pretty flexible. As long as you're free for your shift on April 25 and can attend one of these trainings, the rest of your volunteer time is determined by you. We'll give you a window of a couple weeks to stop by your restaurant with DOFL materials, and anytime from now until April 25, you can recruit friends and family to eat at your restaurant (or any DOFL restaurant!).

Have we quelled your concerns, eased your mind, destroyed your excuses? Then sign up, for goodness sakes! Easy online sign up can be found right here. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you!

Dining Out for Life Social Roundup

With Dining Out for Life less than two months away, we thought you might start wondering where on the interwebs all this Dine Out Fight AIDS info resides. Here to the rescue, our Dining Out for Life Social Roundup! Read on for your fully informative guide to tweeting, Facebooking, and Googling your way to Dining Out for Life.

Facebook
Of course we're on Facebook as The Damien Center (facebook.com/thedamiencenter), which is the central clearinghouse for all things Damien, including Dining Out. Here, you'll find updates on where to dine out on April 25, restaurant pics and links, maybe a contest or two as the event nears, sponsor updates (we ♥ our sponsors!), and so much more. RSVP to our Dining Out for Life Indianapolis Facebook event and share it with friends to spread the word and fill those restaurants. You also can find Dining Out for Life International at home on Facebook (facebook.com/DineOut4Life), which is where you'll find updates from 60 cities who participate in Dining Out each year. The Dining Out for Life International Facebook event is a cool place to go and see how many people are participating from around the country. 

Twitter
Find us on Twitter at @DamienCenter and look for the hashtag #DOFLIndy for Dining Out posts. Dining Out for Life International is also on Twitter at @DineOut4Life and posts updates from participating cities, our international spokespeople (@LoveMondoTrasho, @PamGrier, @ChopTedAllen, and @La_Daisy) and international sponsor @subaru_usa.

Websites
We've got our own Damien Center website with a dedicated Dining Out for Life area, but we'd also like to direct your attention to Dining Out for Life International's website, which is full of bells and whistles. Don't worry, you can find all the information about the event, restaurants, sponsors, volunteers, and more on our website, but Dining Out for Life International has some cool features that make it easy and fun to find participating restaurants near you and learn about the event. Plus, the International site works great on a smart phone, so when you're out and about on April 25, it'll be a piece of cake to find your next Dining Out hot spot. 

Pinterest
You didn't think we'd miss out an opportunity to post food pics, did you? Check us out the wildly popular Pinterest, paying close attention to our Dining Out for Life board. Pretty pictures. Delicious food. Fun clothes. That's all, folks!

So, are you going to help us spread the word? There are lots of ways to help, whether through one of these channels or something we haven't even thought of yet! Keep us on your calendar for April 25. Dine out, fight AIDS!
 

And the Oscar goes to...

Sunday is the 85th Academy Awards, and for at least one of us here at The Damien Center, that means movie-watching season is in full swing. The quest to see all nine Best Picture nominees before the red carpet gets rolled out is an annual tradition I share with a few friends, but luckily, the task is made easier by AMC's Best Picture Showcase. All nine films, two Saturdays, and lots of well-timed bathroom breaks.

Last Saturday kicked off with Amour, Les Misérables, Argo, and Django Unchained—not the most upbeat of movie marathons. After a long and emotional journey through love and death in Amour, we then took on the fate of France's poorest in Les Mis, the intense evacuation of six Americans during the Iran Hostage Crisis in Argo, and finally, Jamie Foxx's portrayal of a freed slave turned bounty hunter in the quintessentially Tarantino Django. The coming weekend will feature the remaining five Best Picture nominees: Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Life of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook, and Lincoln.

And on Sunday, celebrities will get big, fancy awards. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing—the list goes on and on. But two weeks ago, quietly, away from the clamor of the Best Picture nominees and the glitz of the red carpet, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented its annual Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards. These awards, folks, are the really incredible ones. The recipients are doing things that revolutionize the way movies are made, like making computer-generated creatures more realistic and improving workflow with software that can take on entirely new processes. You can read about the winners and be amazed here.

And what does this have to do with The Damien Center? We got to thinking—who's working behind the scenes here? Who are background technicians, the people who make things tick and innovate and move the field forward? Like the Scientific and Technical Achievement Award winners, they've got ideas and stories worth telling about, even if they don't get the Hollywood-ified treatment the stars do. So we're going to change that. We want you to know more about what's going on here at The Damien Center, so we're going to start featuring stories from our staff members. What do they do, why do they do it, who do they serve? What does a day in their shoes look like? Our care coordinators, HIV/STD testers, food pantry staff, housing managers, counselors, and many, many more are the real award winners around here. In the coming months, look for stories from these folks and others. You'll be amazed at the incredible things happening behind the scenes.

Go see Naked Boys Singing and support The Damien Center!

Indy's favorite off-kilter venue, Theatre on the Square, has done it again. Naked Boys Singing, their latest show, delivers hilarity, gratuitous nudity, and, surprisingly, a few heartwarming moments. The best part? The theater is offering up one very special show to benefit none other than yours truly, The Damien Center! You're not going to want to miss this. Why? Here are a few reasons.

1. 100% of your ticket purchase for this special show goes back to The Damien Center. TOTS put together this additional show just for us, so you'll feel all warm and fuzzy knowing your attendance at a nude musical is supporting a cause you care about.

2. Asia's in the house. Special guest Asia LaBouche will be hosting the evening, so buckle up, and for goodness sakes, get your tickets! The eternally fabulous Asia spends most of her Friday nights as a Lady of Legend at Talbott Street Show Lounge, so this is an extra special appearance. Now why would you want to miss that?

3. It's the perfect girls (or guys!) night out. According to Indiana Bride Magazine, NBS would make for the perfect bachelorette party, but we think it goes beyond that. As long as you're with friends you can laugh with, this show is sure to turn your Friday night upside down. 

4. These guys care about performing and want you to have a good time. When's the last time you went to a show where the actors are willing to bare it all for the sake of the stage? The guys in this show are in it for the love of performing. The Indy Star says they want you laugh, connect, and have a great night. So do it already!  

5. Naked. Boys. Singing. Emphasis on the singing. Seriously, these guys have pipes. It's a fun musical revue, and whether it's in the nude or in enough clothes to make you say "Look at me, I'm Chandler! Could I BE wearing any more clothes?" you'll love the fabulous vocals from start to finish.

Have we convinced you yet? Here are the details for when you're ready to get those tickets. See you there!

• Naked Boys Singing Damien Center Benefit Show
• Friday, February 15, 10pm show
• Tickets: Call 685-TOTS or purchase tickets online
• Like TOTS on Facebook for updates!