Meats and Sweets
Upon entering this downtown Indianapolis’ restaurant, you’ll be greeted by pig butts, a jungle cat woman, clowns, VHS tapes and other seemingly random vintage decor. As you walk further, you’ll spot a projector screen, showcasing throwback movies like the Princess Bride, before your eyes are drawn to a chalkboard menu, detailing the delicacies you smelled when you walked in. Owners, Chris and Ally Benedyk, serve as the curators of what Ally calls the “orchestrated chaos” that is Love Handle.
Ally describes the vibe and decor of the restaurant as “hoarder grandma’s house.” Ally mentioned current and former coworkers, friends and customers have all contributed artwork to the space, and the walls of the restaurant truly embody the growth and evolution of the restaurant over the past 10 years.
Chris and Ally met in 2008 through a mutual friend and have now been married for 11 years.
“These are the best days of your life,” Chris joked.
“They really are,” replied Ally
The First Love Handle
Chris and Ally both have a background and love for food. Chris worked at Goose the Market, honing the craft of butchery and sharpening his knowledge of meats, while Ally worked as a pastry chef at Recess. Though working in drastically different areas of food, they eagerly to join together to create Love Handle.
“Initially the concept was meats and sweets. It started straightforward and has changed over the years so much,” Ally said.
The first iteration of Love Handle was opened in Milwaukee in spring of 2013. The move to Milwaukee from Indianapolis was prompted by a desire to move closer to family and friends. Moving to a new area and opening a new restaurant presented its own set of challenges for Chris and Ally, but they emphasized their gratitude towards the people who helped make their vision a reality.
“All of these people (family and friends) were so fundamental in making us feel right at home in what we were trying to achieve,” Chris said.
Chris mentioned he would sometimes have to cook food at their home and bring it to the restaurant, due to not having the proper equipment in the space. Though they faced adversity, Chris and Ally both embraced the opportunity for innovation.
“There was an aura of excitement about it because it was like, ‘This is what we have to work with, how can we be creative in the limitations that we have…’ There were restraints but out of those restraints there was born some of the most creative stuff,” Ally stated.
Love Handle’s Evolution
In 2015, Chris and Ally moved back to Indianapolis to open the second iteration of Love Handle on East 10th Street, after, ironically, wanting to again be closer in proximity to family and friends. Soon after, in 2018, they moved to their current location on Mass Ave., opening up Love Handle’s third iteration. Although the restaurant has been through three transformations, Ally reinforced that the principles of Love Handle will remain the same.
“I feel like it is important to have a sense of authenticity and genuineness…this is what we do and if you dig it cool, and if you don’t, that’s cool,” Ally said.
Love Handle’s menu continues to reflect the beginnings of its owners. When browsing the menu, you’ll find hearty meat-forward dishes like the pork belly sandwich, hanger steak sandwich and fried chicken as well as sweet dishes like cheesecake and brownies. Chris and Ally both mentioned two of their most popular dishes continue to be the pork belly sandwich and fried chicken. But, they both highlighted the bang bang shrimp as another crowd-favorite.
Reflecting on the Past and Planning for the Future
In addition to the normal day-to-day responsibilities of the restaurant, Chris and Ally mentioned the value of having other outlets for creativity in their lives to help keep them motivated and inspired. Chris dabbles in short film-making, including filming music videos for local bands, and Ally voiced her interest in studying Astrology and perfumery.
“[Love Handle] is like the anchor. We have this. It is solid. It is flowing and then it is nice to have it grow and be so established where we can explore other things that we enjoy…different forms of creativity,” Ally said.
Thinking back on the ten years since opening the first Love Handle, Chris and Ally were both overwhelmed with appreciation for their humble beginnings and journey to the present moment. They both cited fond memories of their daughter growing up inside the restaurant, now 9-years-old, occasionally, serving coffee to some of their customers.
“It’s cool to see how everything has been created…the proudest moment is right now knowing how established we are and how far we’ve come,” Ally said.
“I feel pretty proud of everything. I love the whole thing,” Chris said.
When asked about plans for the future, Chris and Ally reiterated their desire to remain genuine to their roots whilst continuing to acknowledge their own personal and professional growth and interests.
“We are gonna work the shop and appreciate all the hard work, rewarding friendships and lessons learned along the way,” Chris said.
Love Handle is located at 877 Massachusetts Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46204. You can find their Facebook page here where they post menu updates and event happenings.
