Julia Spalding

Fire ‘n’ Ice: The rim of this jalapeño-infused reposado tequila cocktail sparkles with chili powder and salt, and there’s a habanero reduction in the mix.

1. The super-light fish tacos—just sauteed hunks of fish with a little pickled slaw and chipotle cream—at 10-01 Food & Drink (1001 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-253-1001).
2. The refreshing Gin Rickey with lime and basil at The Capital Grille (40 W. Washington St., 317-423-8790).
3. Drake’s (3740 E. 82nd St., 317-436-7531) defiantly nontraditional Surf ’n’ Turf roll, encased in a thin strip of beef.
4. Roasted sugar snap peas at the downtown Napolese (30 S. Meridian St., 317-635-0765), sizzling in a hot ramekin with a sprinkling of Parmesan. The pods come with cracker-crisp flatbread and a scoop of herbed Trader’s Point Greek yogurt for dipping.
5. The addictive bite-size pao de queijo, freebie cheese popovers that arrive at your table amid the all-you-can-eat meat rotation at Fogo de Chao (117 E. Washington St., 317-638-4000). They taste like hot cheese puffs and are almost worth the appetite wrecking.

The crunchy, salty truffle fries, served with a scoop of aioli as thick as gelato at Taste Cafe and Marketplace. These classic gems are well worth the breath mint you will need to pop before going back to the office. …

1. Bakersfield Mass Ave’s (334 Massachusetts Ave., 317-635-6962) fiery Red Headed Stranger—Buffalo Trace bourbon, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, bitters, and fresh lemon set ablaze with cayenne pepper. It’s garnished with a slice of candied ginger that you can nibble en route to the emergency room.
2. Scallop sandwich from Panini-Panini (1720 Franklin St., Michigan City, 219-873-1720), stacked with plump grilled scallops, sliced pears, goat cheese, and prosciutto.
3. The bibimbap from Cafe Korea (7262 Fishers Crossing Dr., Fishers, 317-578-1987). The white rice dish is topped with seasoned carrots, cucumbers, beef, and an egg, served in a hot stoneware pot.
4. A warm, crisp oatmeal-raisin cookie topped with a jumbo scoop of chocolate-raspberry ice cream at The Legend (5614 E. Washington St., 317-536-2028).
5. Elotes in a cup—like spicy, cheesy creamed corn—from The Tamale Place (5226 Rockville Rd., 317-248-9771).

1. A sweet slab of blueberry coffeecake from Boyden’s Southside Bakery (3953 S. Meridian St., 317-784-2992).
2. Warm pear crumble with housemade vanilla ice cream at Finch’s Brasserie (514 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, 812-333-2700).
3. Yaroa—an insanely addictive serving of French fries melded with shredded chicken, ketchup, and mayo under a sheath of melted white cheese—on the Dominican menu at Panorama Mediterranean Grill (901 N. Pennsylvania St., 317-423-3423).
4. Indiana duck noodle bowl at H2O Restaurant & Sushi (1912 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-254-0677), served with shiitake mushrooms, a pristine broth, and a perfectly cooked five-minute egg.
5. The beet salad at Michael’s SouthShore (11705 Fox Road, 317-723-3808) with sweet pickled onions, both red and gold beets, and goat cheese “croutons.”

Here, four artful takes on sushi at Bu Da Lounge, Naked Tchopstix, Ichiban Sushi Bar & Sammy’s Asian Cuisine, and Izakaya Japanese Bar & Grill.

1. A piping-hot skillet of potato-and-bacon gratin at Noah Grant’s Grill House & Oyster Bar (65 S. 1st St., Zionsville, 317-732-2233).
2. Caviar pie at Late Harvest Kitchen (8605 River Crossing, 317-663-8063), a DIY starter that combines bite-size toasts with a soft wedge of roe-topped cheese. Doll it up with chopped egg, red onion, and capers.
3. Sweetly potent caffe alla at Delicia (5215 N. College Ave., 317-925-0677), a stratified coffee with layers redolent of cinnamon and orange liqueur.
4. Crisp-fried Brussels sprouts from Puzzle’s Restaurant (118 N Pendleton Ave., Pendleton 765-778-1944)
5. Eggs over-easy from Charlie Brown’s Pancake and Steak House in Speedway (1*038 Main St, 317-243-2502*). The diner’s short-order cooks have perfected the delicate art of getting the whites chewy while leaving the golden yolks runny enough to sop up with a biscuit or toast.

Ruth’s Pull Up a Chair Cafe
3443 E. 86th St., 317-757-8006, ruthspullupachair.com
Softly poached eggs sit atop Norwegian potato cakes—seared mashed-potato patties flecked with zucchini and squash—with tangy hollandaise applied sparingly.

Lick’s creamy root beer vanilla bean ice cream from Eggshell Bistro (51 W. City Center Dr., Carmel, 317-660-1616), served in an old-fashioned parfait glass with tiny, cute spoons. The vanilla beans give the treat a true flavor boost.

Though the core list of spirits is limited at Plat 99, there is a sweet emphasis on boutique boozes and local hard liquors.

A thick square of peanut-butter brownie, chunked out with salted peanuts and chocolate shavings on top, at Fountain Square coffeehouse Funkyard (1114 Prospect St., 317-822-3865).

Within days of the December opening of Simeri’s Italian Restaurant (10410 Olio Rd., Fortville, 317-589-8557), Arec Simeri was packing the house. Using old-school recipes passed down from his great-grandmother and new-school marketing techniques gleaned from the years he spent working for the great-grandfather of social media (at least in this town), Scott Wise of Scotty’s Brewhouse, the 29-year old restaurateur is building on the momentum. No surprise, since his bloodline is rich with oregano. Simeri filled us in on his restaurant’s family tree and the magical powers of pork butt.

1. Warm, custard-style bread pudding soaking in Wild Turkey honey-bourbon sauce at Noah Grant’s Grill House & Oyster Bar (65 S. 1st St., Zionsville, 317-732-2233).
2. The shrimp nachos at El Puerto de San Blas (3564 Lafayette Rd., 317-291-2800). They are listed as an appetizer, but add a beer, and you have a full dinner.
3. The Historic Steer-In’s (5130 E. 10th St., 317-356-0996) double-patty, special-sauced Twin Steer burger—like a homemade Big Mac.
4. A heaping serving of Chatham Tap’s (719 Massachusetts Ave., 317-917-8425) chipotle-apricot wings, meaty appendages with a nice spicy-sweet flavor.
5. The seemingly bottomless bowl of housemade granola at The Capital Grille (40 W. Washington St., 317-423-8790). Served with gorgeous berries and tangy Trader’s Point yogurt, it tastes too sinful to be healthy.

This week’s food and drink favorites.

Hunky strips of General Tso’s Pork Belly laid atop a gingery stir-fry at Late Harvest Kitchen (8605 River Crossing, 317-663-8063). DIY blackened fish tacos at City Cafe (443 N. Pennsylvania St., 317-833-2233), served with