Inside Indy: A Hoosier-ific list of things to do, places to see and ways to live it up in Indianapolis.

• Author: Schley, Stewart
• Position: PLACES POLITICAL PEOPLE LOVE

Good news: There's a ton to do, see and enjoy in and around Indiana's capital during NCSL's 2023 Legislative Summit. Better news: Most of it is within a short car ride or an easy walk from the Indiana Convention Center.

So, if you love steak or shrimp, have a thing for history, feel a sudden urge to "kiss the bricks" at the Speedway or want to try your hand at duckpin bowling (with stubby pins and a grapefruit-sized ball), Indianapolis has you covered.

We polled leaders, friends and Statehouse insiders for tips on where to dine, what to experience and how to live it up during your Summit visit. See you at the Slippery Noodle?

Note: "Travel time" below is an estimate of how long it takes to get to each destination from the convention center by car in moderate traffic. But one of the joys of downtown Indianapolis is that, in many cases, walking is the fastest way to go. Addresses are in Indianapolis unless otherwise indicated.

EATS/DRINKS/MERRIMENT

* Blend Bar

* 3981 E. 82nd St.

* blendbarcigar.com

* Travel time: 30 minutes

* Recommended by: Greg Taylor, Senate minority leader

"A cigar bar with a little bourbon and a lot of good company never hurt anybody," Taylor says. Who's to argue? Taylor, representing one of the state's most racially and economically diverse districts, points to the elegant Blend--the lit onyx bar is gorgeous--as a top choice among a handful of solid Indy cigar bars. He's also a fan (and neighbor) of the Cosmo Knights Social Club, whose owners do double duty by raising college scholarship funds while keeping the humidor--and the single malts--well stocked.

* Milktooth

* 534 Virginia Ave.

* milktoothindy.com

* Travel time: 5-10 minutes

* Recommended by: Molly Fishell, Senate communications director

Southeast of downtown, the Fletcher Place and Fountain Square neighborhoods offer diverse dining, entertainment and sightseeing experiences, including an irresistible brunch or lunch at this brassy, modern patio diner where you can mingle with in-the-know locals. Bon Appetit named it one of the nation's top 10 new restaurants when it opened in 2015.

* Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse

* 51 N. Illinois St.

* hydeparkrestaurants.com

* Travel time: 2-4 minutes

* Recommended by: Mike Karickhoff, House speaker pro tempore

Italian marble, mahogany woodwork and cantilevered construction that maximized street-level plate-glass frontage made the Illinois Building a jewel of downtown in the 1920s. More than 100 years later, it's still stately, polished and dressed to the nines, providing a fitting location for this luxe steakhouse. Hyde Park gets nods from Indiana political peeps for its attentive service and top-notch cuts, including...