THE EAT SHEET 25
1 Glazed Yeast Doughnuts
LONG’S BAKERY
IN 2020, Indianapolis rapper Tevin Studdard recorded a YouTube anthem to the sugar-sheathed Long’s doughnut that went viral. “I ain’t done yet. Eat them things from sunrise to the sunset,” he crooned in a video partially shot in front of the original 67-year-old Haughville bakery that added a Southport outpost in 1987. Fans of the feather-light sugar rings joined the chorus. Pillowy and collapsible with deep vanilla notes and a slight umami of fryer oil, Long’s yeasts are best when picked up hot and fresh at 5:30 a.m. when the doors open, and eaten straight from the white box propped open on the passenger seat. They are surprisingly delicate, pliable enough to eat one in a single bite, we’ve heard. One thing is certain: Since the day this iconic bakery opened, its top seller has remained one of Indy’s proudest achievements, unfazed by fancier bakeries (ones that take credit cards, for example), the gourmet doughnut trend, and anyone who has made the mistake of asking, “Aren’t they basically Krispy Kremes?” 1453 N. Tremont St., 317-632-3741
2 Cheeseburger
WORKINGMAN’S FRIEND
AT THIS palace of cinderblock and Formica where blue collar meets white, they do not serve smashburgers, but instead burgers that are smashed—hold the pretense. The crispy-edged double with cheese (skip the middle bun) is best enjoyed alongside a pile of onion rings and a frosted schooner (the big one) of beer, and serves as the foundation for a communal lunch-hour experience that makes you glad to be alive. But if you need a reminder of what it’s like to cheat death, the dining room still features an old-school cigarette machine. 234 N. Belmont Ave., 317-636-2067
