The Feed: Two Chefs Win Big, And La Chinita Poblano Closes Shop
» Local chefs Craig Baker (Bent Rail Brewery, The Local Eatery & Pub) and Ben Hardy (The Gallery Pastry Shop) won in the Best Chef category at the semi-final round of the World Food Championship over the weekend in Orange Beach, Alabama. The Indianapolis Star reports the duo won with a white-chocolate Napoleon (a French dessert with layers of puff pastry and fillings) served with cream cheese–filled macarons with strawberries soaked in honey and lime. Baker and Hardy will split the $10,000 winnings and go on to compete in the World Food Championship finals in April.
» Broad Ripple taco shop La Chinita Poblano (927 E. Westfield Blvd., 317-722-8108) is closing. The last day of service will be November 18. Owner George Munoz told Eat Drink Indy that the closure wasn’t due to poor business—instead, an opportunity presented itself that was too good to pass up. He was mum on details, but promised fans of his Asian-fusion taco menu that he’ll continue to serve customer favorites at festivals and farmers markets next year.
» Surprise! Milktooth (534 Virginia Ave., 317-986-5131) made another national list of the places to eat in the country right now. Eater included Jonathan Brooks’s Fletcher Place diner as one of America’s 38 Essential Restaurants of 2017. According to Eater, the restaurants on the list “don’t just exemplify culinary excellence—they foster hospitality and pleasure and purpose in their communities.” Eater has long been a fan of the food at Milktooth, and gives a special shout-out in this column to a brunch classic, the waffle. When it comes to Brooks’s rotating takes on the old standby, Eater’s Bill Addison says “no one puts more thought, skill, and imagination into the humble waffle.”
» Giordano’s is signaling the arrival of a third location in the Indianapolis area. According to the Indianapolis Business Journal, the Chicago-based pizzeria filed paperwork for a liquor license in Greenwood. The new restaurant would be located at the intersection of U.S. 31 South at East Stop 123 Road. Giordano’s first came to Indy in 2015 at the Rivers Edge Shopping Center on the north side of town , followed by a downtown spot in 2016. No timeline has been announced for the Greenwood opening.
» Tulip Tree Creamery (6330 Corporate Dr., Ste. D, 317-331-5469) is having a Thanksgiving pop-up cheese shop at its production facility and corporate office. Customers get a rare opportunity to come into the cheese-making facility for a tour, and one-on-one conversations with the “big cheeses” for holiday advice. Sample cheese and butter products, and get expert tips on cheese pairings and appetizer cheese-board ideas.
» The Indiana Historical Society (450 W. Ohio St., 317-232-1882) is hosting a tamalada, a family tamale-making party in the Latino tradition, on November 18. Taste tamales from local restaurants, watch demos on how to make them yourself, and order some to have at home on Christmas Eve. Tickets are $20 in advance ($16 for members), and $25 at the door.
