Best Restaurants 2018

Indeed, from the minute you step inside the clubby dim space to that final swig of Underberg, Pioneer is simply intoxicating.

Who knows what kind of deals get closed over salads of golden beets, truffled goat cheese, and roasted grapes.

As long as chef Mark Henrichs surprised us with marvels like shrimp and grits with Eli Creek pork belly, fermented cabbage, and kimchi butter, we’d manage to find our way to his table.

When Ukiyo opened in January, the Kappo-style small-plates menu showed some of Brown’s signature moves.

Making a dramatic entrance comes with the territory here.

A daily chalkboard menu that might include a whole fried catfish plated with greens or one of the roasted pork-belly sliders that garnered a loyal following the minute the couple moved here from Milwaukee, home of the original Love Handle.

“We do a lot of personalized tasting menus and wine-paired dinners for customers who want something a little more creative.”

While consistency has been the key to this Mass Ave standard’s success, creativity and change are what keep customers coming back.

Turns out, operating a high-end steakhouse isn’t as easy as St. Elmo makes it look. So if you’re going to come after the champ, you’d better come strong.

With so many restaurant menus changing by the season—or even the day—it’s good to know that a few places are still producing iconic dishes you can count on every time you visit.

The six-course tasting menu simplifies decision-making, although FOMO is still possible, especially when you see pastry chef Hattie McDaniel’s bourbon-glazed ricotta doughnuts at the next table.

“I do a deviled-egg taco and a short-rib taco with Chinese five-spice powder in the tortilla, topped with kimchi. Those are so popular, they’re always on the menu.”

Samples of something bubbly as soon as you’re seated set the tone for the convivial meal to come.

The most remarkable thing about Milktooth, which grabbed Indy by the Dutch baby pancakes in 2014, is that it shows no signs of atrophy.

The new roadtrip-worthy outpost sits next to the water tower and train tracks in this trending Hancock County town, and chef Ryan Kernodle uses the nouveau Mayberry setting as a backdrop for his Midwestern spin on casual gastropub fare.