dining

Since opening in 2005, clubby Seviche in the high-energy Highlands district has been racking up raves for a menu that fuses Latin flavors and Bluegrass ingredients with mouthwatering results.

Chef-owner Matt Burns got a good lesson in regional sourcing at Westfield’s The Local Eatery & Pub—and helped head up the kitchen at nearby Vera Mae’s Bistro with wife Jessica—before the pair teamed on this ambitious but amiable spot for “French soul food.”

Sarah Wolfe’s menu rolls with the whims of the local produce surrounding her home base of Princeton.

The Joseph Decuis operation began as a way for owners Pete and Alice Eshelman to entertain business clients out of a downtown-Roanoke bank building they had converted into a private dining facility. In 2000, they opened their doors to the public as well.

Tony Yamazaki (endearingly referred to as “Crazy Tony”) runs the show at this college-town sushi house.

Unparalleled for its imaginative and original menu of small plates with a Middle Eastern lean, Abigail Street is one of the busiest places in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, with scores of repeat diners tucked into bench-lined tables and barstools.

Hometown boy Andy Richmer cut his teeth as a chef at the nearby Belterra Casino before venturing into his own restaurant two years ago, situated in a historic home at the western end of Madison’s main drag.

In the midst of Richmond’s emerging historic Depot District, Firehouse BBQ & Blues boasts a smoking backstory.

When Late Harvest Kitchen chef-owner Ryan Nelson saw his chance to snag the 4,000-square-foot former Cafe Nora, he pounced on it, hatching plans to launch a barbecue joint celebrating different regions and styles.

Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, two hours from the U.S. border, the Hutchinsons opened their 400-square-foot kitchen in late May, serving dishes like pork carnitas, chicken calabicita goulash, and delicate, fresh tamales wrapped in corn husks.

Including a scoop of dense, sweet pumpkin ice cream from Wyliepalooza’s Ice Cream Emporium.

She says that a deal to return to Chicago is in early talks with two franchisees and involves 12 locations. New stores are soon coming to Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tenn.; and a few Indiana cities. Yet another store opened at September’s end in Hamilton Town Center.

Enterprising restaurateurs have revitalized Lafayette Square’s once-closed storefronts, making it our most international culinary destination.

Including the Apple Scrappy from Kim’s Kakery.

Bangkok transplant Sasathorn Rudisell is the secret ingredient in three of Indy’s top kitchens.