Erin Edds Gets Back in the Mix

After a back-and-forth court battle with her business partners last year, Hoosier Momma co-founder Erin Edds parted ways with the Bloody Mary company in January. Six months later, Edds is channeling that entrepreneurial spirit into a new business and embracing her identity as an underdog—take it from the name of her new restaurant and catering company, Dark Horse Delicatessen. “The dark horse is the one nobody expects to succeed and yet comes out on top,” she says.

That’s exactly what Edds is setting out to prove as she debuts the brand this month at catered events like Zoobilation, where the part-time vegetarian will acquaint attendees with her unique spin on vegetarian and vegan fare. Get ready for smoked-peach soup with Vegemite cream, Husk sweet-corn shortbread cookies, homemade biscuits with veggie gravy, and a newfangled Philly cheesesteak composed of roasted eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and provolone.

Luckily for the rookie restaurateur, these big-time parties aren’t her first rodeo. “My mom owned a catering company when I was growing up, so I always joke that I’ve been working in the kitchen since I was 10,” she says. “I’ve tried to work in an industry other than hospitality, but I’ve always found myself right back in it.”

Erin Edds’s Favorite Things

1. Wildflower Ridge Trail Rations, made in Anderson: “They sell pure honey in plastic pouches, perfect for long hikes. And the pouch can be refilled with water.”
2.  The Ultimate Greens with extra ginger at Natural Born Juicers.
3.  Chef Bricker’s Brick House vinaigrettes:  “Not only are they ridiculously delicious and versatile, but they are made by chef Jeff Bricker, one of my mentors at Ivy Tech.”
4. Courses Restaurant inside Ivy Tech’s culinary school: “One of the best views of the city.”