Bakersfield Mass Ave

Loaded breakfast fries, that’s right, breakfast fries: beer-battered fries topped with gravy, eggs, shredded aged cheddar, & your choice of bacon, ham, or chorizo from Ralston’s Drafthouse (635 Massachusetts Ave., 317-493-1143). The mild chicken in green sauce taco from The Tamale Place at City Market (222 E. Market St., 317-423-2203). Subito (44 Virginia Ave., 317-220-8211) […]

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Almost as soon as Bakersfield opened in early March, the eat-drinky with the subhead “Tacos Tequila Whiskey” enjoyed quite a following, having transformed the old harlequin-themed Bazbeaux location into a warren of rough-hewn, amber-lit nooks.

1. The embarrassingly large pulled pork sandwiches served picnic style at Locally Grown Gardens (1050 E. 54th St., 317-255-8555).
2. Peppery fried chicken with greens and candied sweet potatoes at Southern Kitchen (7854 E. 96th St., Fishers, 317-288-0202).

1. Bakersfield Mass Ave’s (334 Massachusetts Ave., 317-635-6962) fiery Red Headed Stranger—Buffalo Trace bourbon, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, bitters, and fresh lemon set ablaze with cayenne pepper. It’s garnished with a slice of candied ginger that you can nibble en route to the emergency room.
2. Scallop sandwich from Panini-Panini (1720 Franklin St., Michigan City, 219-873-1720), stacked with plump grilled scallops, sliced pears, goat cheese, and prosciutto.
3. The bibimbap from Cafe Korea (7262 Fishers Crossing Dr., Fishers, 317-578-1987). The white rice dish is topped with seasoned carrots, cucumbers, beef, and an egg, served in a hot stoneware pot.
4. A warm, crisp oatmeal-raisin cookie topped with a jumbo scoop of chocolate-raspberry ice cream at The Legend (5614 E. Washington St., 317-536-2028).
5. Elotes in a cup—like spicy, cheesy creamed corn—from The Tamale Place (5226 Rockville Rd., 317-248-9771).

Lick’s creamy root beer vanilla bean ice cream from Eggshell Bistro (51 W. City Center Dr., Carmel, 317-660-1616), served in an old-fashioned parfait glass with tiny, cute spoons. The vanilla beans give the treat a true flavor boost.

Bakersfield Mass Ave (334 Massachusetts Ave., 317-635-6962, bakersfieldmassave.com) officially opens at 4 p.m. today, and hosted preview parties on Friday and Saturday nights. Housing their taco-tequila-whiskey haven in the former Bazbeaux spot on the business end of Mass Ave, the owners smartly knocked out the walls that separated three rooms on the main floor, implementing steel beams to prop up the room and thus opening the space, letting it breathe. This is a mini-chain with just two stores so far, the first abiding in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine district. The owners were thrilled to be able to do so much to this building, as the original location is more than 200 years old, with updates to the historic building either forbidden or impossible.