Preview: Hedge Row American Bistro
You’ve heard of Elon Musk, but have you heard of his younger brother, Kimbal Musk? If not, write that name down, because the restaurateur is quickly becoming a household name, not with rockets, but with what he calls “real food.” His parent company, The Kitchen Restaurant Group, oversees a family of restaurants in Colorado, Memphis, Chicago, and, now, Indianapolis, with the goal of bringing fresh, affordable, and delicious food to cities.
His latest venture, Hedge Row American Bistro, the second iteration of the original location out in Denver, opens April 3. With Musk’s focus on whole, unprocessed food, the cozy but modern-looking restaurant situated at the corner of Mass Ave and Alabama Street offers diners—what else?—farm-to-table fare for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Musk tapped local chef Brad Gates to helm the kitchen, and diners can expect a menu of traditional American dishes infused with international influences. A roasted half-chicken sits atop curried couscous, tender steak drizzled with tzatziki sauce falls apart in the mouth, and the chicken sandwich is dressed up with a burst of pickled veggies. Hedge Row sources produce and meat from a handful of local farms, and diners will find their favorites like Tinker Coffee, Amelia’s Bakery, and Smoking Goose on the menu, too.
Musk also plans to leave his mark on local schools with his non-profit Big Green, which helps schools in low-income areas build learning gardens and then provides curriculum and training to help educators teach kids about growing produce and healthy diets. Big Green has helped build 30 learning gardens in the Indianapolis area already, and it is still accepting applications.
