Last week, Mrs. K and I decided to try something a little different from our usual Happy Hour quest. We wanted to try a place that we had seen and heard favorably of: Flower Child in Nora Plaza. Located at 1340 E. 86th St., adjacent to Culinary Dropout, Flower Child has been open since early this year and features a healthy-style menu.
Located in a uniquely painted building, the restaurant has comfortable feel and the staff was helpful and attentive. Upon entering, we placed an order with Danielle at the front – there are no traditional servers here. Several large menus feature what is offered, though we previously had checked out the menu online at iamaflowerchild.com/locations/flower-child-indianapolis-in/#menu-0.
There is a lot of variety in the menu – salads, bowls, entrees, wrap – even a Healthy Kids section. In the Entree section it reads “Pick a Protein and two sides.” It offers chicken, shrimp, steak, tofu, salmon, or vegetarian selections and an array of 13 interesting side dishes. I chose the Steak Entree ($16.95) with roasted Heirloom Carrots and Cauliflower “Risotto.” My wife ordered one of eight bowls offered: the Chicken Yakisoba Noodles ($16.25). She also asked for an eight-ounce Chardonnay ($10).
The greater majority of items are gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan (or a mix thereof).
Our Steak Entree and Chicken Yakisoba Noodles. (Photo by Ken Klingenmeier)
While we waited, we got to enjoy the colorful wall display – dozens of variously sized framed pictures depicting nature or whimsy – or a combination of both. The small staff delivered plates in the long dining room or out to the covered windowed deck. There is a peaceful vibe to the place and the actions of the workers fit into it. Carla, the restaurant manager, came by several times to chat and make us feel welcome. She provides a positive energy to the place, I’d say.
The food came out and really was generous and delicious. Mrs. K’s noodle bowl was full of vegetables and chicken. The menu description is: “grilled chicken thigh, wok seared vegetables, sesame garlic sauce, roasted cashew.”
My Steak Entree also came in a bowl with plenty of sliced steak pieces sitting atop the carrots (“za’atar spice, whipped feta, herb chermoula”) and cauliflower (“cauliflower rice, coconut, toasted bread crumb, lemon, parsley”). The cauliflower wasn’t really “riced,” but had a grated consistency and tasted wonderful with the combination of coconut and lemon flavors.
Both dishes were really unique to us, and very enjoyable. And filling.
As we were finishing, Carla brought us out a sampler of Flower Child’s desserts. My favorite was the Carrot Cake – moist, spicy, and full of nuts and raisins. Mrs. K’s favorite was the Chocolate Pudding, made without sugar or dairy products – it was a big hit!
Our tab came to right around $45 plus tip and we had two containers of food to take home.
We may have skipped Happy Hour this time, but I think we had a Healthy Hour. Everything about our Flower Child experience was friendly, pleasant, or delicious. We highly recommend the place!
Ken Klingenmeier offers this series of columns, called “A Seat at the Table,” wherein he reviews Indy-area restaurants – specifically their Happy Hour offers. Keep reading The Reporter for future restaurant reviews.
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