Your future wife will thanks me. Coach. Tiffany. ect.
My future wife may thank you, but will my current wallet?
I'd avoid the downtown mall on a saturday night. During the week and any time before 5pm is fine. Some of the best food downtown has already been mentioned but Safron Cafe on Ftwayne ave is amazing if you're willing to step outside the meat and potatoes comfort zone.
Your staying DT so you have to eat at St Elmos!
This is great advice.
How about a hibachi grill? We love sushi, but we want to go to a hibachi grill up there, so are there any that serve sushi as well?
I would also vote to avoid the mall downtown at all costs. It's full of hood rats in the evenings and the stores really aren't that great anymore. If you are going to travel all this way take the additional 20 minutes or so and go up to the Keystone Fashion Mall or the Castleton Mall.
Downtown restaurants:
14 West
Bosphorus Istanbul Cafe
Dunaway's
Mikado (the box dinners are cool and sushi too)
Fogo (red meat fest)
Acapulco Joe's (Indy tradition)
Saffron (I love it, but may not be for everyone)
Broad Ripple:
Any, throw a dart, you'll do well.
Nothing wrong with the restaurants mentioned so far, but with the exception of St. Elmo's, only Kirk has touched on the fabulous independent (non-chain) restaurants that would be my choice were I planning a weekend trip to Indy.
Other top choices:
Bluebeard - Irvington/Fountain Square. 4 or 5 minutes from the JW in a artsy, eclectic neighborhood with several small music venues, other restaurants and some really nice cocktail bars (most notably for me Imbibe, La Revolucion, Brass Ring)
The Libertine - great drinks, made the right way. Small plate dinner choices. A few blocks from the JW.
Ball and Biscuit - more drinks than food, but night cocktail spot. Mass Avenue District, 4-5 minutes from JW.
MacNivans - Scottish Pub. Traditional Scottish food, great beer and whiskey selection. Mass Ave.
BARcelona - Tapas. Downtown.
Ralph's Great Divide - A little but of a dive, but really good food. Not fancy, but a nice experience. Piano player on the weekend. Around the corner from Sun King Brewery.
Smoking Goose Meatery - Yep, I said meatery! Cured meats of every description! Irvington, about same distance as Fountain Square, in roughly the same direction. Next door to Flat12 brewery.
King David Dogs - Best hot dog you've ever had. Downtown.
Brugge - Belgian food, Broadripple. Good beer, duck fat fried frites.
Flatwater - Broadripple. Great beer selection, along the canal.
I'm leaving out tons, but you get the idea.
Stuff to do?
Breweries:
Sun King
Flat12
Fountain Square Brewing
Three Wise Men
Triton
Daredevil
Rick Bottom
Ram
Bier Brewery
Black Acre
I should know the rest, but that's a start, if you like craft beer.
Everyone should walk the canal and see all the monuments. If at night, be armed just in case, but I haven't had any trouble.
Music venues (small clubs):
White Rabbit
Radio Radio
Melody Inn
Slippery Noodle - Blues, bigger than the others.
Hope you have fun!