The Feed: Coat Check Coffee, Nine Lives Cat Cafe, and More
» Coat Check Coffee is opening at the Athenaeum (407 E. Michigan St., 317-550-5008) on February 15, right inside the cozy space that formerly housed the—you guessed it—coat check closet. The owner/operators are husband-and-wife team Audreyalice and Paul Warner, along with Paul’s brother, Neal Warner. Neal was the original coffee director and lead barista when Open Society set up shop in Midtown. Coat Check will brew locally roasted Tinker Coffee exclusively, with a full line of espresso drinks, teas, and housemade pastries.
» The highly anticipated Nine Lives Cat Cafe (1315 Shelby St.) finally opened this weekend. Indy’s first cat cafe has two separate rooms, one side serving coffee, tea, and treats exclusively to humans, and the other side serving as a “cat lounge,” where you can hang out with cats that are up for adoption through the Humane Society of Indianapolis. The cafe is walk-in, but reservations are suggested for the cat lounge because a limited number of people are allowed in at one time.
» Bru Burger Bar is hiring now for its third Indianapolis-area location, this one in Plainfield (2499 Perry Crossing Way). Cunningham Restaurant Group is expecting an early-spring opening. Until then, you can scratch your Bru Burger itch in downtown Indy (410 Massachusetts Ave.) or Carmel (12901 Old Meridian St.).
» The Trap is now open at 3355 N. Keystone Ave., in the former home of Jamaican Style Jerk (now at 7023 Michigan Rd.). Indiana native Oya Woodruff started serving Florida-style boiled seafood dishes like crab legs and lobster tail (with her signature garlic butter sauce) for home delivery last winter, and finally went brick-and-mortar when customer demand required more space and public hours. A formal grand opening is on February 10, but the restaurant is currently open for lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., or until the kitchen is sold out.
» Heads up! Zoobilation tickets go on sale February 1, and veterans know they will sell out lickety split. This year’s June 9 event celebrates the arrival of the macaws, so start planning your feathery attire now. The annual shindig is the largest single-day fundraiser for the Indianapolis Zoo, with proceeds going to provide food and care for the animals, plus local and international conservation initiatives.
» Over the weekend, AAA announced its 2017 list of Four and Five Diamond Award–winning restaurants, a recognition based on food, service, decor, cleanliness, and management. Five favorites in Indiana achieved the Four Diamond status, including Vida in Indianapolis (601 E. New York St., 317-420- 2323), Joseph Decuis in Roanoke (191 N. Main St., 260-672-1715 ), Artisan in Elkhart (501 S. Main St., 574-355-3355), and two spots in South Bend, LaSalle Grille (115 W. Colfax, 574-288-1155 ) and The Carriage House Dining Room & Gardens (24460 Adams Rd., 574-272-9220).
