Food & Drinks

A wall-sized case holds 35-plus different offerings—rings, cake, yeast, twists, fritters, holes, sticky glazed, sprinkle-coated, cream-filled, chocolate-glazed, peanut-coated. And they’re 99 cents apiece.

Mint Condition: This hardy herb—which grows rampantly all over Indiana—can add a refreshing flavor to springtime meals.

Mass Ave’s self-describing cocktail bar, where music videos marry Moscow Mules served up in metal cups, has a new food-and-drink menu just in time for summer.

Drive east on 10th Street out of downtown, and you’ll be greeted by a panorama of colorful storefronts and taverns with cheery names that belie their darkened windows and gritty interiors. These time-honored watering holes make for good hipster fodder when slumming on neighborhood pub crawls, but you might not return without 20 of your friends to stack the deck. Had you stopped in at the Tick Tock Lounge (2602 E. 10th St., 317-631-4182) just a few years ago, you might have done well to get a Bud Light on draught and a cheeseburger cooked up on an electric skillet in the back. But the experience might have left you wanting for decor—and a good dry cleaner to eradicate the smell of smoke from your clothes. Now, after two years of standing vacant, the Tick Tock has been given a facelift by longtime Indianapolis bar owners Wanda Goodpaster and Tammy Jones, who have added a clever pub menu, local brews, and a surprising selection of house-infused vodkas, including pepper, coffee, pineapple, and even a bacon version. Having heard the buzz about the over-the-top garnishes on the Bloody Marys and the mammoth tenderloins, we stopped in to experience the many ways this east-side institution had changed.

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).

PIEROGIES: Right now, we mostly rely on the frozen ones from the grocery. But these delectable Eastern European dumplings filled with cabbage, potatoes, or sweet cheese are best fresh.

Romaine-hearts salad, Harry & Izzy’s + Filet slider, Harry & Izzy’s + Bone-in Kona-crusted dry-aged sirloin, The Capital Grille + Brownie, Harry & Izzy’s. —Angela Buchman, meteorologist

Plus, HEN CITY: Clubs, classes, and more resources for backyard chicken farmers.

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.

“I have a hard time corralling myself, because I get excited,” she says. That boundless enthusiasm will come in handy as she debuts her cocktail-bar project, Twist Lounge, this month. “It’ll be Zest’s sexy sister next door.”

Sweet treats get plenty of attention during the spring and summer party circuits. But ask for a gluten-free or dairy-free cupcake, and you’re bound to be let down by dry, fun-free substitutes. Not for long—The Flying Cupcake (TFC) has a plan for Celiac disease sufferers and nondairy doers. Starting May 1st, Indiana-based baking entrepreneur Kate Bova Drury will reopen her Illinois Street spot (5617 N. Illinois St.) as TFC Raw, devoted to gluten-free and dairy-free cupcakes. Using a special blend of flours containing tapioca flour, potato starch, and brown rice flour (and, in some recipes, almond meal), allergy-trained bakers will devote all of the ovens and an entire display case to 5 to 12 varieties of cupcakes (and even a flour-free peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie).

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.

Parmesan Truffle Matchstick Fries on the Bar Bites menu at Morton’s, The Steakhouse, precisely crisp, salty, and garlicky—slicked with that musky je ne sais quois of truffle oil. …

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.