Concerned About Humble Beginnings

Dear Ashley,

Is it possible to join the Society if I came from humble beginnings? My dad was a mechanic and my mother was a housekeeper, but I managed to go to Yale and now I work downtown for a PR firm as an Account Manager.

I live in the village near 59th & Norwaldo.

Thanks for your help.
Bridget


Bridget:

The Society is a reflection of all the great things about America. We applaud the occasional member who may have come from families that do the sort of work we now hire out.

The fact that you have taken on such an admirable regime of self-improvement is enough for me to say you have what the Society wants in all our members: discerning taste and a realization that striving for the finer things in life makes our lives that much finer.

Besides, now that you are in our lovely Village and working at the prestigious PR firm you can discard your old baggage for something more along the lines of a Burberry overnight case. If you are ashamed of your background, you can always change the details to something more glamorous ("Daddy was in the oil business." -- Not altogether untrue, but it sounds very enviable and befitting your new-found Trixie status).

Good luck!
Ash

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The Trixie Table - Ordering "Off-Menu" at Fast Food Restaurants

The Trixie Lifestyle often includes exquisite dining experiences and brushes with some spectacular alcohol. Our village and outlying Indianapolis neighborhoods are literally overflowing with options to feast on world-class cuisine, and chase it with some of the best-crafted wines, beers and spirits known to man.

I recently left my job as Senior Content Manager for a major consulting company to pursue the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Program at The Chefs Academy. I have always possessed a God-gifted palate, and I am so excited to share my extensive knowledge and experience with those of you who may not be so fortunate!

From time to time as my busy social schedule allows, I will review a Village restaurant or drinking establishment from the uniquely BRTS perspective and report my experiences back to you. Additionally, being a wine connoisseur, I will from time to time give you the low-down on the best wines for any occasion.

Bon Apetite & Cheers!
Rory

Latest Reviews:

Ordering Off the Menu at Fast Food Restaurants

Starbucks – The Red Eye

A cup of regular coffee with a shot of espresso dumped in?!? Now, I’m not a huge "regular" coffee drinker, but apparently you can even upgrade this to two shots, which is called a Black Eye.  I presume upgrading to three shots is called a Jumpy-Unblinking Eye? I would highly recommend getting creative. Dividends, people ... dividends!!

Ever had a Neapolitan milkshake from McDonald’s?

One where they layer the chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors in the same cup, creating a thick, icy, slow-moving light-brown-swirls-with-pink-flecks taste explo-sensation? Yeah, my friend Chad was a regular customer of those. Of course, when he was working at McDonald’s as a teenager he got sick of the regular menu pretty quickly and started tinkering in the back like a mad scientist with his coworkers, developing exotic, unstable, and unpredictable meal creations with the ingredients on hand.

Yes, there were failed attempts, like the Chicken McNugget Flurry, but sometimes they struck gold and created a new off-the-menu line extension. I guess this is fairly common, because there are reports of online McDonald’s employee communities, where insider recipes such as the McBrushetta and McPancakeBatterFunnelCakes are shared.

Now, my world opened up when I first realized courtesy of Chad that you could order off-the-menu at fast food restaurants. Since that time I’ve learned about a few other secret options around. Like for instance:

Wendys - The Grand Slam

If the single, double, or triple hamburgers at Wendy’s just don’t cut it for you, just go all out and order the massive four-patty grand slam. Also known as the Classic Quadruple or the "Meat Cube".





McDonald’s – Fries with Big Mac Sauce

Lots of people put fries right on the burger, which I agree tastes delicious. But this technique allows you to switch things up a bit and put some of your burger’s best feature right on your fries. Try to ignore protests from your arteries, and just ask for that beautiful little cup of Big Mac Sauce on the side for dipping.





Long John Silvers – Batter Bits

I know a Trixie who was all over these. She’d lean in and guiltily ask in a hushed whisper and the guy behind the counter would nod slowly -- knowingly -- and hand over a wet, greasy paper bag full of all the batter drippings that fell into the oil by accident. Yeah, this is the bottom of the barrel of off-the-menu stylings. It ain’t always pretty out there.

Subway – The Pizza Sub

Apparently this one’s like Sasquatch ... there are scattered sightings everywhere and a few grainy videos that may or may not have been tampered with. Another favorite from Subway, though not technically a menu item, is simply ‘the old cut’, where they dig a trench in your bread instead of just slicing it, leading to better cold cut and veggie distribution. Also known for causing The Wing Effect, where your bologna hangs out the sides of your sandwich for some tasty pre-nibbles.

McDonald’s – Big Mac with Quarter-Pounder Patties

One last McDonald’s fixture — the ol’ bun-heavy Big Mac surgically altered to become a meat-heavy Big Mac with Quarter Pounder patties instead. Now you’re much less likely to get that dreaded All-Bun first bite.

Starbucks – The Short Cup

Even though the smallest size on the Starbucks menu is a ‘Tall’, they do offer a secret ‘Short’ size behind the counter. Perfect for that between-coffee-breaks coffee.

Now, I’m only one woman, so I’m sure there are hundreds of great off-the-menu gems that I’ve never heard of or know about. But that’s the beauty! There are all these little surprises just waiting to be discovered. What possible fast-food Mouth Love will we discover next?

Ordering off the menu at fast food restaurants is a great deal. Maybe you’re the loyal customer looking for that new taste. Maybe you have strict dietary restrictions so it’s either off-the-menu or no-menu-at-all. Or maybe you’re just a grumpy Trixie who makes flippant off-the-menu requests with a deep scowl and a foot-stomp.

But whatever the case, whatever your background, whatever your taste, I think we can all agree that it sure is nice getting a little something special for lunch now and then.

AWESOME!

You Trixies Are Elitist!

Dear Trixie ...

I came upon your web page a few days ago. While I come from an "extremely" upper class family in California, I now live in Paradise Valley, Arizona (the Malibu or Beverly Hills of Arizona). Paradise Valley is the home of more million dollar homes than in the entire state of Indiana, I would imagine. Anyway, why is it that you Trixies think you're better then everyone else? What makes you so elite? I mean, I don't act like that ... what gives you the right?

Roxy in Arizona


Dear Roxy,

I believe that you've overreacted too quickly. You see, the BRTS doesn't stand for extremely 'rich' or Beverly Hills-style exotic luxury. While those things are all very nice, we here in Broad Ripple settle for a more subtle, refined luxury in the places we live, the people we associate with, and the materials we take for granted.

The "Good Life" in Broad Ripple is everything we make of it, and if you look at the Society's blog in detail or interview a few of our members, you'll see that we really enjoy what we have. It might not be the very best, but that's what Sea Island, Georgia is for, right? Everyone knows you can't have a ten acre 12,000 square foot estate in Broad Ripple, and who would want one anyway? Our quaint bungalows, Cape Cods and Tudors confined to proper;y proportional urban lots are quite adequate for us; this is city living after all!

I suggest that you stand back and look at things in a different light. Trixies don't think they are 'better' than everyone else -- in fact, most Trixies are not aware of everyone else. Trixies are simply interested in living the best lives they can here in our wonderful neighborhood in the nation's finest little urban village.

Best Regards,
Ashley

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Letter of Complaint to the Indianapolis Colts

In early 2008 after the Colts amazing Super Bowl win, the Society's executive board wrote a letter to Colts Management, demanding better treatment of our Trixies. Our letter detailed the harsh treatment experienced by a typical Trixie girl attending a football game simply in an effort to frolic and drink with her co-workers.

After a long period of silence from the Colts, the Broad Ripple Trixie Society recently renewed our effort to improve the safety, security and comfort of our Trixies who attend games at Lucas Oil Stadium. In the past, we have been victims of stray punts, damaged hearing, beer spilled and mustard smeared on expensive clothing, and all-around discomfort from the lack of Starbucks and proper shopping facilities at the Lucas Oil Stadium. As everyone knows, Trixies and their significant others, coworkers and friends make up the majority of the crowd in the 40-50 yardline seats, and as such, we demand to receive the same level of plush-ness we enjoy a few miles north of the Stadium in our Village of Jeeps, Jettas, Mini Coopers, boutiques, home decor stores, and fancy restaurants.

On April 19th, our Executive Committee again wrote a letter to COLTS management, demanding the they make changes to serve their premiere clientele in the first-class manner we deserve. Below is a copy of that letter in its entirety. We urge you, our members, to also write the Colts independently and echo your support for our noble cause.

• April 19, 2009 Letter to Colts senior management

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Letter to Colts Management - in staggering detail

Please click on each page of our letter to the Indianapolis Colts for an expanded view:

Page 1 ....Page 2 ...

Page 3 ...
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Are Fishers Residents Eligible To Join?

Dear Ashley:

I can't tell you how excited I was to read that certain areas of Carmel were added to the Society's acceptable boundaries and since I live in Fishers which is near Carmel, I could be possibly eligible for membership.

Here is my question. Since I technically live in Fishers and not Carmel, but meet all other criteria, am I in?

Cait Atherton



Dear Cait:

Wow. You certainly dug through the old press releases to find the Carmel information! Unfortunately, Fishers is not currently in our plan. As many people say, Fishers is known for being Carmel's punk little brother. It simply does not fit into our lifestyle or plan at the moment.

But anyway...

As you know, most neighborhoods have changed dramatically over the years and continue to do so with the ebb and flow of social mores and the economy.

The Society redistricting committee is currently evaluating real estate and urban development trends in the areas around the Broad Ripple anchor village. Initial estimates hint that Fishers may have peaked some time a few years ago, and is again slipping into further decline.

You may want to look into moving to an approved part of Carmel or -- better yet -- Broad Ripple Village proper to increase your odds of gaining membership. That said, the official redistricting will not be made public until later this year.

Cheers!
Ash

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An Introduction to Preppy Style in Broad Ripple

By Super-Trixie Brooke Fletcher-Eaton

For some reason, when summer is just around the corner, my preppy gene kicks in high gear! I’m suddenly oohing-and-ahhing at every pair of Sperry’s and set of pearls in sight. Why, in the last three days alone, I’ve stopped myself from buying "The Official Preppy Handbook" three times. (What?!? It would make an excellent coffee table book!)

With my preppy-fever going strong, it shouldn’t surprise you that I fell in love with this look at first sight. It also shouldn’t surprise you that the photo for this cute little Trixie article was taken in Boston, Mass. It just has the perfect college town vibe -- possibly even Harvard. The fresh styling and casual feel make this the perfect outfit for you to try for spring. I encourage all Trixies to emulate this look.

Style Notes:

* Raid your closet. You probably already have a lot of preppy pieces. A basic oxford shirt in any color would work, and Sperry’s are a perfect substitute for the pricey Sebagos or Tod's driving loafers.

* Keep makeup light and feminine to offset the preppy/sporty vibe of this look. The oxford or Polo shirt and boat shoes have a masculine feel, so pearls and pink definitely add balance as well.

* Note that any cardigan should be tucked into a skirt, which is totally unexpected, but gives a really clean look. You could try this with other outfits as well: I think it would look great with a classic straight-leg jean and a colorful statement-making belt -- (stay away from the fabric whale belt however).

* If you’re looking for a perfect bag to complete your look as you pop into the Broad Ripple Starbucks, try a vintage Dooney & Bourke for a fantastic pop of color, or a well-worn Coach bag or 1980's tan, red and green Gucci.

Any Trixie perfecting this look is welcome to a few pints on me at the Wellington. Just tell them Brooke Fletcher-Eaton sent you!

Toodles,
Brooke Fletcher-Eaton

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