Best New Restaurants 2015: Milktooth

Out of all of the restaurants in this year’s freshman class, none hit the mark better than this buzzing breakfast-and-brunch spot in the awakening foodie destination of Fletcher Place. In a space that looks like an Urban Outfitters catalog come to life—a counter with chrome stools, an old baker’s table rutted and seasoned with use, a shelf stocked with cookbooks and trinkets, tables made from rough-hewn slabs of timber that the owner himself varnished and finished—Jonathan and Ashley Brooks present a constantly revolving roster of classic comfort dishes that have sipped from the hipster fountain of youth. Blink and you might miss some of the Brookses’ star plates, like savory fried-bologna okonomiyaki, pistachio twice-baked croissants, hanger-steak carne asada, or sweet-tea fried chicken perched atop a mound of biscuits and duck-neck gravy. Even more impressive than the ambitious menu is the kitchen’s ability to follow through, dish after dish, day after day. Execution isn’t sacrificed for experimentation, which makes Milktooth not just the best restaurant to come onto the scene this year, but also one of the best in Indianapolis, period.

Sound Bites

Concept: Fine diner

Seats: 78

Owners: Jonathan and Ashley Brooks

Chef: Jonathan Brooks

Pedigree: Jonathan Brooks is a former chef de cuisine at Recess. The couple briefly hosted a site-specific underground supper club called Dented Ladle Dining.

Try it if you like: Taste Cafe

Check it out: 534 Virginia Ave., 317-986-5131, milktoothindy.com