Wednesday, July 5, 2023
How to Spend a Day on The Square
Categories: Shopping
Art, Culture & Entertainment
Monroe County Courthouse
Standing in the center of The Square since 1907, the Monroe County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The limestone building is a source of community pride and commitment to historic preservation. Walk around the center of The Square to take in the architectural beauty of the Courthouse, and be sure to go inside to witness the incredible ceiling inside the building's dome. The lawn also makes for a perfect picnic spot — on a nice day, grab your breakfast or lunch to-go and find a spot to eat on the Courthouse grounds.
By Hand Gallery
Sharing art in the Bloomington community for over 40 years, By Hand Gallery is a locally-owned cooperative gallery comprised of 13 artisan members. They curate, showcase, and sell artist-made jewelry, ceramics, 2D art & photography, 3D art & mixed media, and wood, glass, and fiber works. Happen to be visiting on the first Friday of the month? By Hand Gallery participates in Gallery Walk, a special event in which multiple downtown art galleries host special exhibits and serve refreshments from 5:00-8:00 pm.
GallerySCG
This Bloomington art gallery showcases art from emerging & established local, regional, national, and international artists. GallerySCG frequently features photography, jewelry, pottery, wooden bowls & objects, metal fish sculptures, and digital art. They also invite visitors to shop their gallery for local handcrafted art and gifts. Like By Hand Gallery, GallerySCG takes part in Gallery Walk the first Friday of each month.
Get Out Bloomington Escape Rooms
A must for groups, Get Out Bloomington offer an hour-long immersive entertainment experience for everyone involved. With two rooms to choose from — secret-agent-themed or archeological-adventure-themed — the downtown escape rooms are an out-of-the-box, incredibly fun way to spend an hour (or two, if you decide to do both rooms!) in B-Town.
Drinking & Dining
Whether you're looking for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or a quick snack, The Square has a dozen locally-owned eateries for you to choose from.
International Flavors
Photo by Social Cantina
Social Cantina
If you're craving Mexican food, Social Cantina is the place for you. The restaurant offers a menu of modern Mexican street fare, including unique tacos, cantina bowls, and more. In addition to its food specialties, Social Cantina is known for their robust variety of tequila — for those of drinking age, their margaritas are a must.
Social Cantina serves lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Samira
Samira is a Middle Eastern restaurant that specializes in Afghan cuisine. They serve wide variety of authentic Afghan kebabs & dumplings, baba ganouj, hummus, and more at a great price point. Samira also offers 11 vegetarian meals for those who follow a plant-based lifestyle.
Samira serves lunch and dinner.
Photo by @foodgoalzzz
Che Bello
The Square's newest restaurant, Che Bello, offers scratch-made, traditional Italian dishes. Pasta lovers will delight in Tagliatelle Alfredo and Lasagna Bolognese; vegetarians will enjoy the Spinach & Mushroom Ravioli and Eggplant Caponata, and meat lovers will find delicious flavor in Filet Alla Marsala.
The Amrit India
Serving authentic Indian and Indo-Chinese cuisine, The Amrit India offers an astounding 100+ dishes — the restaurant bakes nine incredible varieties of naan bread alone! Serving both classic and more adventurous dishes, there's something for everyone to enjoy here.
The Amrit India serves lunch and dinner.
American Grub
Photo by The Tap
The Tap
Craving an ice cold beer with your meal? Head to The Tap. Offering 90 different brews on tap (20 being original to The Tap) and over 400 bottled varieties from around the globe, this brewery is a beer enthusiasts' dream come true. They also offer a large menu of upscale pub-style food to pair perfectly with your brew of choice. If you're looking for a laid-back bar to hang out at into the evening hours, this is a great spot on The Square.
The Tap serves lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
SmokeWorks
If barbecue is your thing, definitely stop by SmokeWorks for a meal. The restaurant specializes in Memphis dry-rub barbecue and whiskey, bourbon, and moonshine. They offer a variety of proteins and southern sides — be sure to try each of their five scratch-made barbecue sauces with your order!
SmokeWorks serves lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Malibu Grill
Celebrating a special occasion, or simply want to treat yourself to a gourmet meal? Malibu Grill is The Square's resident seafood and steak restaurant — although they stray from traditional surf and turf offerings with options like a Hawaiian Ribeye, Caramelized Salmon, Steak Chimichurri, and more.
Malibu Grill serves dinner throughout the week and lunch & dinner on the weekend.
Quick Bites
The Inkwell Bakery & Cafe
Serving breakfast, lunch, and coffee beverages, The Inkwell Bakery & Cafe lives by the motto "Eat Well. Drink Well. Think Well." The cafe offers a variety of classics with gourmet, health-minded twists. For breakfast, try the Loaded Avocado Toast. For lunch, order the Capicola Sandwich. For a quick caffeine pick-me-up, step out-of-the-box and try their cortado.
The Inkwell serves breakfast and lunch.
Soul Juice
Health nuts, this one is for you! Soul Juice is The Square's resident smoothie bowl and juice joint. While they offer a variety of delicious and beautiful smoothie bowls, they also offer vegetarian-friendly waffles, gourmet toasts, and parfaits. Inspired by the island culture of Turks & Caicos, Soul Juice strives to provide Bloomington with the taste of fresh, organic, nutrient-dense foods.
Soul Juice serves breakfast, lunch, and early dinner.
The Owlery
The Owlery serves lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Bar Scene
Photo by The Orbit Room
While The Tap, SmokeWorks, and Social Cantina all offer incredible adult beverages in addition to their food menus, The Orbit Room is The Square's resident bar. Known for their collection of pin ball machines, live music, drinks, and gourmet hotdogs, this underground dive bar is quite the hidden gem.
Self-Care
Hoping for a more laid-back visit? The Square offers a variety of pampering self-care services.
- Meditation & mindfulness // Bloomington Yoga Collective offers mindfulness and yoga classes every day of the week. For visitors, a drop-in option is available, and mat rentals are free.
- Nurtured nails // In the mood for a relaxing mani & pedi? VIP Nails Spa is The Square's resident nail salon.
- Mane management // Whether you're in need of hair-styling for an event or you want a deep treatment & blowout before your night on the town, Elan Salon is conveniently located in the heart of downtown.
- Face framers // Take the pampering to the next level with eyebrow & henna services at Eyebrow Style and eyelash extensions & facial services at Lash & Co.
- Head-to-toe reset // Round out your wellness retreat with a massage from Bloomington Massage & Bodyworks. The studio, operated by trained massage therapists, offers a wide variety of differing massage services, as well as manicures & pedicures from their in-house nail technician.
Shopping
There are more than a dozen Bloomington-owned stores to browse on The Square. From unique gift stores and outdoor recreation gear to cookware and clothing, resident stores cover a variety of interests.
Clothing & Accessories
Tivoli Fashions
Tivoli Fashions is a women's designer clothing & accessories boutique that offers name-brand merchandise from Geiger, Eileen Fisher, Pendleton, and other upscale brands. Their selections are geared toward career, casual, and special occasion needs.
O'Child Children's Boutique
Offering baby & children's clothing, shoes, and gifts, O'Child Children's Boutique focuses on unique & luxury children's products. If you're looking for a gift for an expecting mother, a child's birthday, or to simply spoil the little ones in your life, O'Child is the perfect store to browse.
Mirth Market
Mirth Market is a women's apparel, accessories, and footwear boutique that specializes in curated collections of contemporary, casual, and business attire from various European & American design houses. Shoppers will find an assortment of modern designs that boast both style and comfort.
Andrew Davis Clothiers
If you're interested in men's fashion and sophisticated clothing & accessories, you'll love Andrew Davis Clothiers. The retailer prides itself on its curated collections and high-quality product, and their sartorial advisors strive to make your experience fun & self-esteem enhancing.
Entertainment & Recreation
J.L. Waters & Co.
J.L. Waters & Co. is your one-stop-shop for all things outdoor recreation & adventure. Founded in 1973, the outfitter sells outdoor-activity apparel & footwear, climbing gear, backpacking gear, camping gear, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, luggage, fly-fishing gear, GPS systems, and much more. If you plan to hike one of our many trails during your stay, consider picking up some new gear for your adventure.
Caveat Emptor Used Books
Specializing in used & rare books, Caveat Emptor Used Books has been selling books in B-Town since 1971. They strive to offer a unique book-browsing experience for their patrons — they allow interested customers the opportunity to rent out the shop on an hourly basis for a one-of-a-kind experience. They also buy quality collections from those seeking to give their books a new life.
The Briar & The Burley
Another long-standing Bloomington business, The Briar & The Burley has specialized in quality tobacco, luggage, and leather goods since 1972. Over the years, they've grown to offer a little bit of everything, including motor sports/racing memorabilia, fine pens & writing products, and shaving equipment. It's a great local shop to find a gift for the masculine figure in your life.
Book Corner
Book Corner, a family-owned independent book store, has been in Bloomington since 1964. You can expect to find current best sellers, notable classics, puzzles, children’s books, plush toys, specialty greeting cards, and unique gifts for the avid reader in your life here.
Home & Gifts
Lola + Co.
This home-goods boutique offers a curated collection of new & vintage furnishings, gifts, and accents for the home. Lola + Co. is the perfect place to pick up a new conversation piece for your abode, or a housewarming gift for the new home-owner in your life.
Goods for Cooks
Offering classic cookware, gourmet food, and kitchen decor, Goods for Cooks has been a staple in B-Town's culinary community for over 45 years. If you love cooking and the connections food establishes between us, you'll love this downtown shop.
Global Gifts
Carrying handmade, one-of-a-kind items from over 40 countries, Global Gifts is a non-profit business that strives to create sustainable economic opportunities and safe working conditions for disadvantaged artists & farmers around the world. All products are fair trade, so you not only take home a unique item, but you also support communities across the globe with your purchase.
Gather :handmade shoppe & co:
Gather :handmade shoppe & co: is a gift shop that showcases handmade goods created by emerging & independent artists. Their selections include jewelry, bath products, crystals, plants, children's toys, pottery, candles, clothing, and much more. You could easily spend hours browsing all of the beautiful craft products here!
EllieMae's Boutique
EllieMae's Boutique is an affordable luxury gift shop offering items like jewelry, home decor, sunglasses, and candles. Featured brands include Nordic Beach, PANDORA, Simply Southern, and Finch Berry.
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