Restaurant Guide Update: April 2018

The Eagle’s Nest
The circular restaurant atop downtown’s PNC building affords a stunning 360-degree view of the city as it spins in a slow full rotation over the course of a nice three-course meal. That skyline eye candy—and not the basic high-end hotel food along the lines of herb-crusted prime rib and tea-smoked duck breast—has made this romantic perch 22 stories up a sentimental favorite of prom dates and special-occasion diners since it opened in the late 1970s. Dinner daily. 1 S. Capitol Ave., 317-616-6170

Noah Grant’s  Grill House& Oyster Bar
Perennially packed since Shari Jenkins opened it on a quaint Zionsville side street in 2008, this eclectic surf-and-turf spot got some extra breathing room last fall, when it relocated to the Carter Building on Main Street. The move helped tighten up some of the kitchen offerings as well, with a frequent blackened grouper special with butternut squash and lobster cream sauce entering into regular menu rotation. For starters, a somewhat edited sushi list is solid, but even better bets are super-fresh oysters and savory short-rib wontons. Entrées range from classic fish and chips to internationally inspired dishes like Korean bibimbap containing steak and shrimp tossed with rice and eggs. Save room for a warm and decadent butter cake, long a Noah Grant’s standard, served gooey and warm under whipped cream and berries. Dinner Tues.–Sun. 91 S. Main St., Zionsville, 317-732-2233

Crispy Bird
The headline act here is heritage-breed fried chicken—thickly crusted and served with slaw and bread-and-butter pickles. But chef David Hoover conjures up a full potluck dinner of comforting dishes at this hip tribute to supper-table standards. The menu is influenced just as much by Hoover’s French culinary training (truffle shavings and caviar can be added to any dish for an upcharge) as it is by a playful respect for the classics. Fried chicken skins, a go-to snack, crunch like pork rinds before melting in the mouth, and Hoover’s version of mac and cheese wears a sizzled cheese top. For dessert, soft-serve ice cream topped with housemade “Magic Shell” trumps the fancier offerings. Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sat. 115 E. 49th St., 317-744-0000

Txuleta
The artistic cooking style of Spain’s Basque region is the focus of this tight space above Broad Ripple’s Brugge Brasserie. Identified as a Basque cider house, Txuleta (pronounced choo-lay-ta) pairs house ciders, like the semi-sweet Sunset Tart Cherry and the funkier un-carbonated Sidra Naturala, with the coastal and rustic meaty flavors of dishes like the satisfying Basque fish stew ttoro, stocked with shrimp and mussels, and a spicy chicken-leg quarter flavored with onions and peppers. The menu lists a dinner for two built around a 26-ounce bone-in ribeye and two bottles of cider, but nearly everything on the menu is easily shared. Among the list of elaborate pintxos (snacks impaled with little wooden sticks and served two per order), tender squid meatballs get a pop of heat from blistered shishitos, and silver slips of anchovy balance atop quail eggs and tiny chorizo sausages. Dinner Tues.–Sun. 1011 E. Westfield Blvd., 317-919-3555