Mesh on Mass

Plus, more from Greiner’s and a recap of recent restaurant closings.

Pig’s Tale’s most basic selections take quality to the next level. “Instead of hot smoking, we’re doing a dry-aged, cold-smoked bacon that will pack in even more flavor.”

Based on the most popular Instagram posts around downtown, here are the drinks and bars that Indy is buzzing on right now.

From bibimbap to chicken-sausage pizza, five things we adore right now.

Salvaged barn wood, weathered to a fine patina. A hostess stand behind an ancient baling press. Servers in crisp denim aprons. Are we really in Greenwood?

While no one would ever confuse chef Layton Roberts’ menu of dolled-up poutine, charcuterie boards, and fusion comfort creations with the fish fries and chili pots of yore, the Cunningham Restaurant Group has retained the essential charm of those Rust Belt social clubs at Union 50.

CRG churns out familiar dishes like pork tenderloin and filet medallions in comfortable, chain-like spaces skirted with padded booths and granite surfaces. But, boy, does it pay to play it safe.

Including Thirsty Scholar’s fluffy S’mores Cupcake.

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

If one of the $5 froufrou cocktails at Palomino doesn’t immediately take the edge off of your day, you probably just need to get some food in your stomach.

Great weekly deals at: Tex-Mex, Slippery Noodle Inn, Colts Grille and more.

Three simple ingredients—vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice—go into the Moscow Mule, yet every bar makes this trendy cocktail its own. Our stubborn Mule aficionados found the best.

Some al fresco tables announce themselves from the curb—little wrought iron two-tops arranged along the edges of parking lots and busy sidewalks. But some of the best outdoor tables in town are more hidden from view (and, in many cases, comfortably out of the baking sun’s direct line of fire). Want to sip wine in an urban garden that looks like something straight out of West Side Story (with strings of lights and Friday night movies, no less)? Reserve a courtyard table at Iozzo’s Garden of Italy just south of downtown. Have a hankering for skewered appetizers and umbrella drinks with a tiki essence? The fenced-in patio attached to Revolucion is your hallowed ground. Here, a few more of our favorite secluded places to get a little air with dinner.

1.    The Classic Poutine (fresh-cut French fries layered with gravy and local cheese curds) at Bloomington’s meatless gastro pub, The Owlery (212 S. Rogers St., 812-333-7344).

2.    The Whole Foods parking lot.

3.    Sweet potato chips on the late night menu at