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Trisha Brand

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In Fine Spirits

Since the Super Bowl, you may have noticed that some of the city’s wine-and-beer–only restaurants now stash small selections of brown and white liquor bottles behind their bars. A lucky group of restaurateurs had the chance to upgrade their liquor licenses for a steal, and it is making us rather thirsty.

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Aristocrat Prepares to Rise from the Ashes

As St. Patty’s day came and went last week, we couldn’t help but think about Patty’s of the past at The Aristocrat Pub & Restaurant (5212 N. College Ave., 317-283-7388). Since last August’s electrical fire that resulted in more than $1.5 million in damages, we have been watching the business’s Facebook page for mention of a re-open date.

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Brugge's Miller Prepares for Beer and Bites

Ted Miller, beer master behind Brugge Brasserie (1011 E. Westfield Blvd., 317-255-0978), is known for his “mad science” intellect and passion for creating outstanding esoteric beers around the world. He has created beers and built microbreweries in places like Seattle, Hong Kong, the Caribbean, Mainland China, and Taiwan. But because of his Indiana ties, he moved back in the early 2000s and has lent his knowledge to countless students of beer and brewery start-ups since. After generously sharing his talent and experience, Miller decided it was time to expand his own business. So he is changing addresses again. This time, however, he is sticking to Naptown and keeping Brugge as-is.

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Sippin’ and a Swirlin’ at Napolese Wine Bar

A glance at the rack of well-edited bottles that line the walls behind the bar at Martha Hoover’s new Napolese Wine Bar (114 E. 49th St., 317-925-0765) makes one thing clear: Hoover is keeping it simple. Instead of a War and Peace-sized list practically straight from the distributors, she is eliminating decision fatigue. The wine list is what you see displayed. And it will change seasonally,” says Hoover. She also told IM she is not increasing wine prices more than 20 percent above retail, unlike other spots in Indy that mark up two- or three-times the retail price.

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The Trends Keep on Truckin’

Two of Indy’s fastest growing trends—craft beer and mobile fare—have come together. Flat12 Bierwerks (414 N. Dorman St., 317-635-2337) has created a beer truck. The Flat12 name pays homage to the Flathead12 Cylinder Engine popularized in the early 1900s, so it’s unlikely they were going to let the other boxy trucks in town pass them by. Sean O’Connor, Flat12’s CEO, designed the shiny new truck to house six tapped kegs on the side and is available for festivals and events.

 

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The Ripple Effect

My brain is a sieve when it comes to details of meals gone by. Was that black or green cardamom? Chive or cilantro?

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Q&A with Charlie McIntosh of Amelia's

In the coming months, Charlie McIntosh will don an apron and assume his head baker role at the soon-to-open Amelia’s, an Italian-style hearth bread bakery in a Fletcher Place mini-restaurant complex at 653 Virginia Avenue.

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The Future of Food: Rachael Hoover

When Martha Hoover founded Cafe Patachou in 1989, she was unaware of the future she was building for her then–3-year-old daughter, Rachael. But from early on, Martha profoundly influenced the way the girl thought about food. “I have vivid memories of the family driving around Indy for salad ingredients,” says Rachael, “and of coming home […]

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NEW IN TOWN: The Night Porter

Licorice-stick red and jet black are the dominant hues at The Night Porter (921 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-253-5252), a new rock bar/restaurant in the former La Jolla space in Broad Ripple. It is the ideal spot for a beer-guzzling, music-loving crowd. Partner Steve Markoff had a vision to open a laid-back, music-centric place like the spots he frequented in his old Los Angeles neighborhood. As the creative director for Tour Design Creative/Live Nation, he has turned the location into a shrine to his favorite musicians. The walls are adorned with 75 framed concert posters. Beneath the bar, large black-and-white screen-printed murals (created by local artist Aaron Scamihorn) showcase the biggest rock stars from the 1950s to now.

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Chef Shuffles

Dan Dunville, the award-winning chef at Meridian Restaurant (5694 N. Meridian St., 317-466-1111), recently left his post after a dispute with owner Rick Lux of LUX Restaurants. After Dunville’s departure, Lux announced to the staff that sous chef Edsel Chad Secrest (who had been with Meridian since the restaurant’s opening) would be the new executive chef. After this staff announcement, and unbeknownst to Edsel, Lux interviewed other chefs in the city for the executive chef position. Through a text message, Edsel learned that Lux had hired Layton Roberts of Mesh (725 Massachusetts Ave., 317-955-9600) as the executive chef. When Lux was asked why the sudden change, he said he was concerned Edsel was too close to Dunville. Roberts begins his new post on February 29 and is expected to bring his kitchen crew.

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NEW IN TOWN: BoomBozz Taphouse

But with all the possible variations, surely there’s room for one more. Last week, Kentucky-based BoomBozz Restaurants opened BoomBozz Taphouse (2430 E. 146th St., Carmel, 317-843-2666) in the former BD’s Mongolian Barbeque space. The brick-and-stone accented restaurant is fitted with around 25 taps, serving up a well-edited selection of imported craft brews, including custom brews made by Flat12 Bierwerks.

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Mac Attack

One of Indy’s newest food trucks, Mac Genie, ambitiously began its mac ‘n’ cheese service during Super Bowl. On the Friday before the big game, it sold over 600 bowls in seven hours. Macaroni and cheese dishes are prepared to order in skillets. The comfort food truck features traditional, or Naked, mac ‘n’ cheese as well as items with a creative twist. Buffalo Chicken Mac comes topped with breaded chicken, creamy buffalo sauce, and a wedge of crunchy Parmesan crostini from Irvington’s Roll With It Bakery. These hearty portions of gooey noodles don’t come cheap. The price during Super Bowl was $8 a serving.

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What You Should Be Eating and Drinking on Valentine’s Day (Tonight!)

It’s time for meals packed with supposed aphrodisiac powers, death by chocolate, and tea lights galore. Love it or hate it, the Hallmark holiday is upon us. Here, a few of our favorite options.

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Katy Perry Shakes It Up at The Libertine

The approachable yet amplified bar played host to droves of Super Bowl visitors, including dozens of A-listers.

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Super Stuffed: Taste of NFL Party

We joined more than 3,000 guests for the Taste of NFL event at Gleaners Food Bank near the airport for a walk around tasting with 32 chefs (one from each NFL team). We pretty much hit up every table and are, well, a bit stuffed! We caught up with some chefs and guests – and here’s what we heard.

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