I am always searching for the best places outside of Indy to plan a weekend getaway, and Fort Wayne is definitely one of those spots! It’s only about two hours from Indianapolis, which makes it the perfect destination for a quick trip if you are looking to try something new and mix things up. I recently teamed up with Visit Fort Wayne to experience the ultimate foodie adventure, and I was so impressed with how many fantastic and unique spots they have!
I’m sharing our entire weekend getaway itinerary including where we stayed, what we did, and of course, where we ate + drank below:
The Bradley Hotel
This first step in planning your weekend getaway to Fort Wayne is to choose a place to stay, and you can look no further because The Bradley is the PERFECT spot! This luxury boutique hotel opened up in 2021, and it is centrally located near a ton of popular attractions such as The Landing, Art Museum, and much more. I fell in love with the ambience and decor immediately upon walking into the lobby, and couldn’t get over how stunning the rooms, restaurant, and rooftop bar (more details below) were.
We loved our stay at The Bradley, and I definitely recommend booking a room for your visit to Fort Wayne. You can learn more and book a room here.
Birdie’s Rooftop Bar
Birdie’s Rooftop Bar is such a fantastic spot to visit while in Fort Wayne! It is located on the rooftop of The Bradley Hotel, and has the best views of the city. We immediately stopped here upon checking in to enjoy some drinks and appetizers before heading to dinner.
Recommendations:
- Skewered Pork Belly (guava glaze, coconut-yogurt sauce, candied macadamia, scallion, tobiko caviar)
- Hurricane Fries (charred pineapple barbecue sauce, cilantro aioli, togarashi)
- Aperol Sunset (blanco tequila, aperol, lime, orange, agave)
- Orange Flower Fizz (malfy blood orange gin, st-germain elderflower, brut)
You can learn more and make a reservation here.
Mercado
Next up on our Fort Wayne foodie adventure we headed to Mercado on the Landing for dinner. The Landing is a historic street that was one of the first major hubs of activity in the 1800s. The area has now become a buzzing dining destination with over a dozen restaurants all located within a one block radius. There is also public art, shopping and more.
Mercado did NOT disappoint. This was one of our favorite meals of the entire trip, and we were so impressed with the space, service, food and drinks. They feature a Cali-Mexican menu consisting of signature tacos, pachola burgers, seafood options and more. Their Elote Street Corn appetizer dip is a must-try.
Recommendations:
- Chamoy-Rita (blano tequila, apricot chamoy, lime, passionfruit, tajin rim)
- Elote “Street Corn” + Chips (street corn, cotija, cilantro)
- Night Market Noodles (pan-fried ramen, gochujang butter, shrimp & pork picadillo, veggies, nutty salsa macha, fried egg)
- Tacos
You can learn more and make a reservation here.
Art Crawl Alley Bash
We ended the evening at the Art Crawl Alley Bash hosted by Art This Way. We happened to be in town the weekend that this event was going on, and we are so glad that we were! We really enjoyed walking through all the art, listening to the live music, and even took advantage of the silent disco.
Learn more about Art This Way, upcoming events, and see the public art map here.
Proximo
We kicked off day two in Fort Wayne with brunch, of course! Proximo’s scratch kitchen offers a variety of options that pull inspiration from Spain, Cuba, Colombia, and several different Latin countries. I started off with a mimosa flight, and I am completely serious when I say these were some of the best mimosas I’ve ever had! They offered a large variety of out-of-the-box juice options, and my favorite was definitely the guava. Those paired with my Lemon Blueberry pancakes were definitely the perfect way to start the day.
Recommendations:
- Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
- Chile Rellenos
- Nitro Cold Brew
- Mimosa Flight
Learn more and make a reservation here.
Ft. Wayne Farmers Market
After brunch we headed over to the Farmers Market that was taking place at Electric Works. Electric Works is a lively district full of dining and workspaces right in the middle of Fort Wayne. It was the perfect spot for a Saturday morning visit to the Farmers Market, and we were able to check out tons of goodies such as unique homemade caramel apples (I got a French Toast Crunch one!), produce, handmade jewelry, and much more.
You can learn more about the Fort Wayne Farmer’s Market here.
Union Street Market
Union Street Market is also located at Electric Works, and it was the next stop on our foodie adventure through Fort Wayne. This food hall and public market offers a wide range of regionally sourced food and drinks, and we enjoyed grabbing some coffee and other goodies while here. It would be the perfect spot to meet up for lunch or coffee during the workday or in between errands!
Learn more about Union Street Market here.
Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Our next stop was a visit to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art! I really enjoyed browsing the Indiana Artists Club 2023 Annual Members Exhibition, which featured a variety of works by Indiana artists.
Learn more and see the list of current exhibitions here.
Kekionga Craft Company
Our next stop was to Kekionga Craft Company to enjoy a tour and cider tasting, and this was the perfect way to welcome fall. We tried their fall harvest cider flight, and each one was delicious! These were definitely some of the best hard ciders I’ve ever had, and we ended up taking home a pack of the Candied Apple which was my favorite of the four.
Kekionga Craft Company found its home in a historic apple mill located on the northeast side of Fort Wayne, IN in the fall of 2016 and opened its doors in June 2017. Since then they have went from just four taps in the tasting room to now fourteen and an ever expanding menu including wine, mead, and beer. (kekiongacraftco.com)
Learn more here.
Nawa
We ventured back over to The Landing to enjoy drinks and appetizers at Nawa, and we are so glad that we did! If this place’s cocktails and appetizers were THIS good, I can only imagine that their dinner entrees are probably perfection! I would definitely head back here again. Nawa offers a menu full of inspired Thai cuisine in an upscale setting, and I absolutely adored their entire aesthetic.
Learn more and make a reservation here.
Junk Ditch Brewing
We ended the night with the most delicious dinner at Junk Ditch Brewing! They are located old Korte Paper Company warehouse, and I absolutely loved the interior design of this space. I ordered a beer flight so that I could try a few different ones, and they were all fantastic. The food was absolutely delicious, and I highly recommend an order of their brussels sprouts as an appetizer.
Recommendations:
- Fried Brussels Sprout
- JDBC Burger
- Nashville Hot Duck
Learn more and make a reservation here.
Ophelia’s
We kicked off our final day in Fort Wayne with brunch at Ophelia’s, and it is easy to see why this place is so popular! From the aesthetic interior to the tasty food and drinks, this spot is a brunch-lovers paradise. Since we stopped in during the fall they were able to make me a Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini, which was SO good and just was I had been in the mood for.
Recommendations:
- Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Steak benedict or biscuits & gravy benedict
- Espresso Martini
- Cold Brew
Learn more and make a reservation here.
DeBrand Fine Chocolates
The next stop on our Fort Wayne foodie adventure was to DeBrand Fine Chocolates! They are headquartered here, and we were able to do a tour and chocolate tasting. It was so cool to get a behind-the-scenes look at how their famous chocolate, truffles, caramel apples, and other goodies are made.
Learn more here.
Utopian Coffee
Another great spot we got to visit was Utopian Coffee! They are headquartered in Fort Wayne as well and while they do not offer public tours, you can find their coffee at their cafe + kitchen and at many other spots. We absolutely loved learning all about how their many brews are made from start to finish, and even got to taste a wide variety of them!
Learn more and order coffee here.
Vinland Reserve Winery
We ended our Fort Wayne foodie adventure with a visit to Vinland Reserve Winery. This stunning spot provides an elevated experience with exceptional wine and food in a serene setting. It was a beautiful day, so we enjoyed wine flights, slushies, and charcuterie outside in their massive patio space. I was really impressed by their entire indoor and outdoor setup, and it was such a lovely spot for a relaxing lunch.
Learn more and make a reservation here.
Overall, we had an absolute blast during our weekend getaway to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it really is the perfect destination for foodies traveling from Indy. I was so impressed with all they had to offer, and will definitely be heading back that way soon!
Start planning your Fort Wayne getaway by visiting www.visitfortwayne.com
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