August’s First Bite

Swoon: Artisan Picnic

Ever drop by the gourmet store for a few out-of-the-box snacks and get a little overwhelmed by the choices? Travel planner Sarah Reuter had the same experience when she was munching her way around the world’s great destinations, trying to taste everything she could. Now, she wants to curate your lunch or outing with her trio of Artisan Picnic gourmet boxes, featuring her favorite combos of local meats, cheeses, and sweets. The Italiano box, for instance, pairs such luxe comestibles as Turchetti’s Salumeria’s rich cotto salami with Tulip Tree Creamery’s fromage frais and soft, Camembert-style Trillium, as well as Home Ec’s kicky, sweet cherry-habanero preserves and Amelia’s crispy Francese bread. Available at the Original Farmers’ Market and Fishers Farmer’s Market, as well as select events at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, these shade tree–ready snack packs get the party started, no assembly required. 317-654-0161

The Feed

DINNER AND A MOVIE Bluebeard co-owners Tom and Edward Battista plan to raise the curtain on an art-house cinema and restaurant in the former Christian Unity Missionary Baptist Church next spring.
FOOD STYLING Public Greens Urban Kitchen and Mimi Blue Meatballs are slated for 2018 openings at The Fashion Mall.
FULL THROTTLE New Zealand–based chain BurgerFuel barreled into Broad Ripple this summer, marking its first U.S. location.

Pinch of Wisdom

“When making pasta, salt the water until it’s like the ocean. Once it’s done cooking, don’t drain off all of the water. It has flavor and starchy goodness that you can add a bit at a time to your sauce.”
—Sabrina Richard, 13-year-old Westfield “kid chef” who competed on Rachael Ray’s Kids Cook-Off on the Food Network, judged an episode of Beat Bobby Flay, and gives cooking demos at Market District.