Truffled bologna from the deli case at Goose the Market (2503 N. Delaware St., 317-924-4944). Peppercorn-studded lunchmeat channels the nutty, musky essence of black truffles. The sweet-tart pickled red onions, sliced thin, flecked with mustard seeds, and offered as a deliciously bracing relish alongside the artichoke dip appetizer at
My fiance loves carbs, especially bread, in all forms. Sides of potatoes are a must when we make beef and noodles. And huge, doughy breadsticks come with every pizza delivery. Unfortunately, I’m no baker. If it’s a recipe that has any combination of yeast and precision, I will somehow find a way to mutilate it. Dough-making evenings usually end with emergency restaurant runs. And wine.
Home cooks can bake loaves of bread with ease using the Average Joe Artisan Bread Kit (breadkit.com), a product of Roanoke, Indiana. Created for the novice, this no-knead, one-rise bread-making setup comes handily packaged with all of the necessary kitchenware and ingredients, as well as recipes and tips.
Jack in the Box, the San Diego-based hamburger chain that boasts over 2,200 stores in 20 states, has finally put down roots in the Indianapolis area, with locations in Avon (9769 E. U.S. 36, 317-209-8279) and Greenwood (8950 S. U.S.31, 317-883-3035), as well as a third eatery to open at 2130 N. Post Road on April 16. Hoosiers have already grown accustomed to the chain’s eclectic menu that ranges from hamburgers and chicken sandwiches to tacos and teriyaki bowls. Even the Jumbo Jack and bacon shake have entered our fast-casual lexicon. But what local diners might not know about this recent transplant is that the chain’s antenna ball-headed mascot, Jack, has a distinctive Hoosier connection. In fact, he and Indiana go way back, as witnessed in this Jack in the Box commercial that aired a few years ago:
In honor of National Grilled Cheese Day, we are having tomato-soup dreams about three of our favorites in town: The panini-grilled three-cheese version at Pogue’s Run Grocer (2828 E. 10th St., 317-426-4963); the spectacular Scratch Truck grilled cheese adorned with red-wine–braised short rib, caramelized onions, and arugula; and our own monstrosity, Trisha Lindsley’s Mac Daddy, stuffed with pulled pork and mac ‘n’ cheese, assembled by checklist at The Night Porter (921 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-253-5252).
Newly appointed as the head chef of Meridian Restaurant & Bar (5694 N. Meridian St., 317-466-1111) Layton Roberts brings some lusty, low-country cooking to Meridian-Kessler. (SPOILER ALERT: That means the return of the fried chicken dinner.) The 30-year-old toque, who started his career in Louisville before arriving in Indianapolis five years ago, headed up the kitchen at 14 West and most recently served as chef de cuisine at Mesh on Mass—an impressive resume in its own right. Using a dog-eared Meridian menu heavily annotated with handwritten notes as his show-and-tell, Roberts gives us a preview of what he has planned for one of Indy’s longest-standing eateries.
Cinnamon oatmeal cookies from Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company (1021 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-255-5151). The four warm cookies, made with spent grains from the brewery, are perfect for those who enjoy a less sweet treat. The Big Nasty from McAlister’s Deli. Over a third of a pound of tender, Black Angus roast beef served open-face on a toasted baguette with black peppered-gravy and cheddar-jack cheese.
Twelve days ago, we caught wind that Broad Ripple’s Midtown Grill had abruptly shuttered. We thought the space was a goner—as we’ve seen it experience several revamps since 1995. We did a little digging and found out that the 26-year-old Midtown Grill will reopen this Thursday as Mediterra (815 E. Westfield Blvd, 317-253-1141).
Whether it’s the adorable wall of brown paper bags you fill out with a Sharpie or just all of the tasty free extras you can pile on your sandwich—olive salad, pesto, even Cheez Whiz—there’s definitely something fresh and fun about the new Which Wich? (910 W. 10th St., 317-632-9424), which landed mid-March in The Avenue complex near IUPUI. We stopped in to try out this Dallas-based sandwich chain with over 180 stores from Florida to southern California (with one in Carmel as well) and found ourselves almost dizzy with all of the choices—from the “Bac-Hammon” (pork on top of pork) to the Elvis Wich, inspired by the King with bacon, peanut butter, and banana. Sadly, they were out of bananas at the end of the day, but the staff quickly apologized and offered us a free sandwich on our next visit.
317 soda, created by Neal Brown for a local upstart called uFlavor, which is trying to put the words “artisanal” and “soda pop” together (our observation, not theirs). Brown’s drink melds clementine, bitters, vanilla, and pure cane sugar for a longneck drink worthy of a spot on
