Indianapolis dining

These supper clubs showcase the talents of Indy’s most adventurous chefs.

Jonathan Brooks lavishes the bed-head crowd with creative takes on the morning meal at Milktooth.

At Spoke & Steele, Chef Tyson Peterson puts his focus on “authentic food and drink sourced and influenced from the best of Indiana’s craft vendors and purveyors.”

Cerulean’s (339 S. Delaware St., 317-870-1320) pitch-perfect pair of vanilla-bean macarons—one big and one little—on a plate artfully balance with freeze-dried raspberries. Tiny pan-fried bluegill filets atop stone-ground grits at

The Mile-High Club at Rock-Cola ’50s Cafe (5730 Brookville Rd., 317-357-2233), held together with a steak knife instead of a toothpick. The Russian Mule at

Tender medallions of monkfish wrapped in smoky house-cured lomo and served atop mustard greens and lentils at Peterson’s Restaurant (7690 E. 96th St., Fishers, 317-598-8863).

The elegantly simple, extra-cheesy margherita pizza at the JW Marriott’s

The miniature cheeseburger off the kid’s menu at Oh Yumm Bistro (5615 N. Illinois St., 317-251-5656), a juicy little slider, respectfully seasoned and chargrilled, tucked inside a soft pretzel bun.

An ice-cold shot of house-infused banana liqueur delivered by self-appointed house mixologist Jarod at

The galaktoboureko, a warmed custard-filled phyllo square with hints of orange and cinnamon, from Santorini Greek Kitchen (1417 Prospect St., 317-917-1117). Get jiggly with it. Tri-colored fried cheese sticks at Brewstone Beer Company (

Crispy flatbreads at Severin Bar (40 W. Jackson Place, 317-396-3623). Roasted peppadew peppers and whipped goat cheese at Bru Burger Bar (410 Massachusetts Ave., 317-635-4278), with a slightly sweet balsamic reduction.  The chocolate lava cake from Fleming’s (8487 Union Chapel Rd., 317-466-0175). The rich Belgian cake is extra decadent when dipped in Chantilly cream.

Count us among the downtown office workers who have latched on to Neal Brown’s lunch delivery system, The Brown Bag. The team behind Libertine Liquor Bar and Pizzology created the concept, inspired by the bustling dabbawallas of Mumbai. Former Libertine chef de cuisine Erin Till prepares the Tuesday-Friday midday meals in the Libertine kitchen, sending out a daily rotating menu of portable lunches. The meals arrive with several surprise courses tucked into the sectioned tin pails, each day’s options including something for omnivores and vegetarians. Wednesday’s heady Thai Red Curry can be made with chicken or tofu, for example, and Friday’s popular pork carnitas tacos can be switched out for roasted sweet potato tacos with cabbage pickle. “You get the same caliber of ingredients as at the Libertine,” says Till. “You are getting all local meats and veggies—high-end stuff. And we try to pack them as full as possible.” Two bicycle couriers deftly cover the delivery area, which spans from White River Parkway to the west, College Avenue to the east, 11th Street to the north, and Prospect Street to the south. They even return after lunch to retrieve the pails.  

Two years ago, chef Joseph Hewett opened Indigo Duck, a down-home French-style bistro just off the courthouse square in Franklin. The Charleston, South Carolina, transplant who honed his skills in Indianapolis at Oakleys Bistro chatted with us about his grandmother’s cooking, small-town life, and the addictive qualities of pimiento cheese.

Meaty grilled octopus, moistened with a creamy, garlicky bagna cauda and served with crusty Amelia’s bread for cleaning off the plate juices, at Bluebeard (653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580). The beef short ribs at Cerulean (339 S. Delaware St.,

The papa rellena at Mama Irma Restaurant (1058 Virginia Ave., 317-423-2421), a puffy zeppelin of mashed potatos stuffed with onions and meat. A cooling sour relish of slivered red onions shares the plate. The flamboyant lobster tempura roll at Tomo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi