The Feed: Nook, LouVino, and More
» Zagat named Indy one of the 26 Hottest Food Cities of 2016. The ranking is based on the number of new openings, awards, and national media attention, along with input of food editors from around the country. Best-of regulars Milktooth and Bluebeard were name-checked, along with Vida, Pioneer, Open Society Public House, Marrow, Spoke & Steele, and B Spot.
» Speaking of national tips of the hat, Milktooth also appears on Eater‘s list of The Best Restaurants in America.
» Goose the Market’s Chris and Mollie Eley teamed up with Sitka Salmon Shares on a salmon charcuterie line, debuting this week. They’re celebrating with a tasting event on Thursday at Ash & Elm Cider Co. (2104 E. Washington St.). Tickets are $22 and include pairings of traditional craft ciders with a tasting menu of Green Goddess salmon burgers, persimmon-and–hatch chile salmon sausage, and wild fennel–and–blood orange salmon sausage.
» Matt’s Wine Bar is now open in Carmel. It’s in the mezzanine of sister operation Matt The Miller’s Tavern (11 City Center Dr.) and offers 24 wines that aren’t normally available by the glass in the restaurant. Visitors can also snack on appetizers, flatbread pizzas, cheese, and charcuterie boards.
» Tickets are on sale for Rev Indy, the food-lovers’ event that kicks off race month on May 6, 2017. Indy’s best chefs team up with Indy 500 drivers, and you get to chow down while you dance on the yard of bricks. VIP tickets are already sold out, so move quickly to grab a regular ticket ($300 per person) before they’re gone, too. Proceeds benefit IU Health trauma programs.
» LouVino will open in Fishers on December 13. This is the first Indiana location for the restaurant, which operates two busy spots in Louisville. The small plates are southern-inspired, with options like skillet cornbread, fried chicken tacos, and bourbon-chocolate beignets.
» If pre-sale interest is any indication, Indianapolis is really excited about Return of the Mac, the city’s first mac and cheese festival Jan. 8 at the Circle City Industrial Complex (1125 E. Brookside Ave.). Early-release tickets went fast, before everything else became available this week. Tickets include unlimited sampling of mac and cheese dishes from restaurants like Thunderbird, ClusterTruck, Hollyhock Hill, and Delicia, with live music and local celebrity judges. General admission is $20, and kids under six attend free with a paid adult.
» The team behind The Northside Social and Northside Kitchenette are opening a new pizza place, Nook, in the spot formerly occupied by Village Cigar (6513 N. College Ave.). The kitchen will be overseen by Dean Sample, who left his executive chef post at The Meridian in September to helm the North Side restaurants and launch Nook. Expect a mid-January opening.
