Swoon: Calliope Sno-balls Don’t you dare refer to these shaved-ice beauties drizzled with natural fruit syrups as “snow cones.” For Louisiana native Lori Leaumont, co-owner of Calliope Sno-balls, there’s no comparison between the watery carnival treat and the Bayou original she and husband Nicholas Manuel serve from their brightly painted food truck that will be […]
Don’t mistake the unassuming prepared-foods case at Joe’s Next Door as ordinary; there’s serious culinary muscle behind the counter. Chef Jon Radford owned The Gathering in Geist before taking over the kitchen operation at Joe’s, where he works alongside Jason Cornelius, former executive chef at the Milano Inn, and pastry chef Danielle McQuoid, who logged […]
Chef Ricky Hatfield’s sense of adventure puts steak-centric CharBlue (located in the former home of Georgia Reese’s Southern Table) in a whole different class from its downtown red-meat brethren. The Martinsville native grew up hunting in the Hoosier backwoods—developing an appreciation for the rustic flavor of game meat—and finessed his cooking skills at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, […]
At a time when artistically uncompromising chefs can find themselves niche-marketed right out of business, Open Society owner Brian Baker refuses to make that mistake. The business school grad and restaurant industry jack-of-all-trades proudly declares his desire to be all things to all people. Open Society buzzes with coffee lovers and telecommuters on laptops in […]
The name is an acronym for Some of This, Some of That, which sums up what owner JR Roseman set out to serve at the 34-seat brick-and-mortar version of his Cajun food truck. The Panama native perfected many of his recipes while putting food on the table for his kids, including a soul-warming version of […]
It’s one thing to open a restaurant from scratch. To transform a popular haunt known more for its drinking scene into a bona fide supper club with serious comfort-food cred is another feat altogether. In late 2016, that’s exactly what Usual Suspects owner Bill Ficca did when he oversaw a complete renovation and overhaul of […]
The risk with a long-awaited restaurant opening is that it won’t live up to the anticipatory buzz. No such problem with Festiva. Crowds fill the space and Instagram overflows with exclamation points about Rachel Hoover’s food and Jason Foust’s cocktails in the Mexican follow-up to Peter George and Thomas Main’s popular Tinker Street. Hoover came […]
The long-awaited dining component to Ted Miller’s Outliers Brewing Company debuted in late winter, a low-pressure beer hall with high exposed ceilings, deep wooden booths, and plenty of industrial character. An edgy cast of dishes shows some Spanish, German, and French influences (tomato-sauced seafood plucked from a little tin, knockwurst with caramelized onions, and ribbon-style […]
The Millikan on Mass building’s resident surf-and-turf spot doesn’t exactly capture the Hoosier aesthetic. It’s not even trying, to be honest. The bleached-out decor assembles all of the matchy-matchy components of a Florida beach house, from the soothing gray walls to the driftwood art tucked into shiplap shelves. And yet, this 9-month-old beauty feels like […]
Less than three years after Craig and Kait Mariutto opened Shoefly Public House on 22nd Street, they joined with former Bluebeard bartender Scott Lowe on this spacious Asian-themed hangout inside The Delaware. Chef Adam Ditter creates spice-forward twists on Chinese takeout food, and there’s even an extra side entrance for diners who want to grab […]
When Cunningham Restaurant Group raised the curtain on its Latin-flavored hideaway, the place had a ready-made fan club of folks who had been following its progress since the Indianapolis company first mentioned the concept. Built in typical CRG fashion (see also: Union 50, Vida) from the bones of an unassuming downtown building with history—in this […]
» Tomorrow’s Best Restaurant Event at the Ivy Tech Culinary and Hospitality School celebrates all of the local new spots called out in the annual Best Restaurants issue of Indianapolis Monthly. Get a first look at our May issue, including the full list of Indy’s best new eateries for 2017. The sit-down dinner is sold out, but […]
The gin and jam cocktail from Napolese (114 E. 49th St., 317-925-0765), a mix of Bluecoat Gin, Pierre Ferrara Dry Curaçao, simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice. A hunk of tender, robust, decadently fatty lamb osso bucco with a fiery nduja sauce at Stella (608 Massachusetts Ave., 317-685-2550). A clay mug of traditional Mexican pulque at Mr. Tequila […]
Forget all of your preconceived concerns about the lowly pink meat that curls into a rubbery cup when cooked. Fried bologna is getting the respect it deserves, as chefs learn to work wonders with the tender processed meat, crisped on the grill and lavished with toppings that play off the dense texture and salty flavor. […]
The Garden Table’s new Mass Ave location offers hearty farm-sourced dinner, like this luscious pork dish. The options change with the season—or the day. Chef Matthew Ward Myers rubs Fischer Farms pork shoulder with coriander and braises it in house-made pork stock for up to 16 hours. He presses the shoulders into blocks, slices on […]
