November Foodie: Lawrence Scully

You may have noticed Lawrence Scully’s Pi Indy food truck rolling around town—the one with the stunning glass wall gleaming down one side, lending a chic “loft on wheels” look. But a new brick-and-mortar location inside Sun King Spirits in Carmel has him so busy, he rarely has time to take that sweet ride out anymore. Most days, swift business keeps him in Carmel, where he oversees an operation turning out perfectly charred thin crusts and unexpected topping combinations like his crowd-favorite Figgy Piggy, crowned with fig jam, prosciutto, goat cheese, and arugula. “Sweet-and-salty flavors go great with beer,” says the restaurant veteran who fell in love with food at the age of 6 in his grandmother’s backyard garden in Michigan City. “We picked garbage bags of peas in the summer, shucked corn, and made buttermilk, literally churning it ourselves.”

After graduating from Ball State, Scully went to work at the likes of Pizzology and Napolese, driven by a deep affection for Italian cuisine. “It’s closely related to soul food, in a way. The rich sauces, cooking things for a long time, braising.” Now he dreams of franchising Pi Indy and opening a hookah bar downtown with small plates, craft cocktails, music, and plenty of tufted couches. “I think after taking a few lumps over the head with different business ventures, the fear is completely gone now,” he says. “I want to do this. You speak things into existence sometimes.”

Check out Lawrence’s recipe for pickling just about anything.