Terry Kirts

The homemade pickles on the plate in front of us weren’t exactly the ones our grandmothers made us as kids. There were cucumbers, yes, though mostly to support the lightly brined stars: hunks of crunchy daikon radish with a subtle bite of kimchi; a beet-pickled egg blushing pink. A single slender ramp—a wild leek foraged in spring—snaked around to a glistening dollop of peanut spread. Was this the new wave of pub grub, or just some quirky concoction dreamed up by a pregnant chef? And just how did the folks at Black Market, the much–buzzed-about, long-awaited nouvelle comfort-food spot tucked at the end of the Mass Ave restaurant district, expect us to approach it? “People eat it all kinds of ways,” said co-owner Ed Rudisell, smiling from behind the bar where we sat sipping glasses of wine. “We don’t tell customers how to do it.”

Rare is the restaurant under 500 square feet that garners much media buzz. An eatery that petite featuring burgers and tacos would strain to hit the gourmet radar. But when you are a chef who has racked up enough four-star reviews that you already have your own cutting-edge, postmodern “playground” where your culinary vision answers to no one, then just about any food you offer up, in any space, would draw a crowd.

An estimated 5,000 foodies, locavores, beer heads, wine lovers, and summer festival buffs took advantage of a gorgeous August afternoon at White River State Park this Sunday for the second annual DIG-IN: A Taste of Indiana. Over 50 chefs, Hoosier farms, wineries, and breweries offered up samples of the tastiest products Indiana has to offer, with lines sometimes 50 deep for duck flatbreads, Wagyu burgers, wheat ales, Chambourcin wines, and coffee sodas—all proving that Indiana is much more than pork tenderloins and sugar cream pie.

Pork tacos from Restaurant Tallent, bread pudding from Keltie’s, and a killer meatloaf sandwich.

Hungry downtown dwellers and Northside commuters who have passed the darkened home of short-lived Bonjour Cafe and Bakery at 24th & Meridian, your wait for some new victuals is (nearly) over!   After last summer’s rumors that a Dunkin Donuts and a Baskin-Robbins were taking over the spot never panned out, it looked as though it might be another blight on the Meridian corridor. But a banner has gone up announcing that

The mostly deserted curb next to a torn-up lot at 14th and Meridian didn’t seem a very promising spot for a lunchtime food truck. But soon enough, fans and Facebook followers of Fat Sammies Ciao Wagon started trickling in, hungry for a Sicilian lunch. This relative newcomer onto Indy’s growing food-truck scene prides itself on being a quality “taste” truck with Italian-style subs and sandwiches that won’t weigh you down when you head back to work.

By most measures, it was a typical spring Wednesday, cool with drizzle. But in the parking lot of Seasons 52, the latest high-profile franchise to populate the Fashion Mall, the buzz resembled a VIP gala. Orange pylons blocked the better portion of the parking spaces, and valets sprinted to fetch keys. Inside, nearly every seat in the place was taken. Clearly something special, some of-the-moment trend, had drawn out this many diners on such a dreary day.

Somewhere between a patio barbecue and a walk-up Dairy Queen, the adorably quirky digs of the original Boogie Burger won us over from the start. Tucked inside a broom closet next to what is now Ripple Inn, this lovably shabby burger joint gave off an undiscovered vibe, even four years after it opened and lines were curling out the doors on summer evenings. We were always surprised that a place this humble could put out such scrumptious fare: two-handed, well-seasoned burgers with unexpected toppers like grilled pastrami, peanut butter, and fried eggs. On the side, deeply golden fries were flecked with fresh garlic and parsley.

If Mayor Ballard’s office hasn’t declared this the official “Summer of the Food Truck,” it ought to. Just about every time you turn a corner downtown, another blocky, retro trailer has its awning out, and a cheery short-order cook is handing an office worker or a foodie with a good GPS a sack of tasty lunchtime victuals.   The latest motorized munchies maker to  attract a dedicated fan base is

Editor’s Note, June 22, 2012: Sensu announced early this month that it will no longer serve dinner. It will, however, remain an upscale nightclub and special-event venue, with Asian-inspired catering services available.   You get the sense, stepping off Meridian Street into the vaulted pleasure palace of Sensu, another in Jeremiah Hamman’s growing portfolio of […]

Was it the backwards bicycle rickshaw parked by the front door that intrigued us the most? Or was it the dollop of slightly chunky peanut butter on the house pickle plate at Black Market (922 Massachusetts Ave., 822-6757), delicious but served without so much as a cracker for dipping or spreading, that made us go “hmm”? “People eat it all kinds of ways,” co-owner Ed Rudisell said from behind the bar, smiling. “We don’t dictate how customers

Fountain Square’s growing bar and dining scene just got a little edgier with the opening, on June 14, of Revolucion (1132 Prospect St., 423-9490), the latest funky enterprise of Fountain Square fixture David “Tufty” Clough. Altars to Our Lady of Guadalupe (though sadly with battery-operated candles), vibrant paintings of gun-slinging skeletons in sombreros (compliments of artist Shelby Kelley), and a tiki bar in the back all contribute to the rich atmosphere of this new cantin

European markets, bakeries, and restaurants have come and gone in Indy over the years. We’re still mourning the passing of Russia House, with its mushroom soups and tangy cherry dumplings. And Slaviansky Bazaar in Carmel barely got up and running before it closed, taking its Russian beers, stuffed zucchini rolls, and delectable veal roll with it. Now Lou Mladenovic, who has long operated a beloved deli, bakery, and Old World market in Crown Point has opened a second loca

A mixup on times for food carts lead us down a tasty trail on Friday at Flat12 Bierwerks (414 N. Dorman St.) after we biked to the Holy Cross neighborhood for lunch. We had anticipated the grand opening of Scratch Street Food, promising a burger with bacon marmalade, arugula, and gorgonzola. But we didn’t read their Twitter post that they wouldn’t be at Fla

Meridian Restaurant & Bar (5694 N. Meridian St., 466-1111)

An ice-cream sandwich on a bar menu? Why not, when there’s a good hit of bourbon in the housemade vanilla ice cream sandwiched between chewy chocolate-chip cookies? The bar menu is only available weekdays from 4