The Dish

You’ve been waiting for your invitation, and it has finally arrived. St. Elmo’s Beef Steak event—traditionally a guys-only, invitation-only gorge fest on the first day of the NCAA tournament—has expanded to two days, the second of which will be open to the public. Founders Beef Steak will host the usual power brokers on March 15. But on March 16 from noon to 4 p.m, everyone is invited to enjoy the all-you-can-consume filet mignon, steak fries, and pitchers of beer for $75. Utensils are discouraged, so prepare to eat with your hands. No one said it was civilized.

Two of Indy’s fastest growing trends—craft beer and mobile fare—have come together. Flat12 Bierwerks (414 N. Dorman St., 317-635-2337) has created a beer truck. The Flat12 name pays homage to the Flathead12 Cylinder Engine popularized in the early 1900s, so it’s unlikely they were going to let the other boxy trucks in town pass them by. Sean O’Connor, Flat12’s CEO, designed the shiny new truck to house six tapped kegs on the side and is available for festivals and events.

You have had the opportunity to Devour Downtown and Savor the Southside. The $30 prix fixe frenzy rages on when Northside Nights kicks off this Thursday. The specials run for two weeks (March 8-18), which gives you ample time to indulge on the cheap.

Last month, caterer Brad Gates opened a small counter in City Market, where fans of his gourmet comfort food can stop in for grab-and-go items such as organic chicken risotto, horseradish grouper with Israeli couscous, and Shagbark cured salmon. Gates, a fixture in the local restaurant scene whose resume includes runs at Puck’s at IMA and the former Buggs Temple restaurant, Euphoria, runs his catering operation out of the market-side kitchen. In addition, he continues to oversee the menu—and, most spectacularly, the cheeseboard selections—at Ball & Biscuit (331 Massachusetts Ave., 317-636-0539).

Crisp and browned salmon cake at Room Four (4907 N. College Ave., 317-925-7529), topped with a bright Meyer lemon sauce. The Mixiote at El Sol de Tal

Blarney Puffballs at The Irish Lion in Bloomington (212 W. Kirkwood Ave., 812-336-9076), savory little dollops of cheesy mashed potatoes deep-fried to a crispy golden brown.  Crazy delicious Camarones Momias at La Casa de los Mariscos (7940 Michigan Rd., 317-228-9550): big juicy shrimp wrapped in cheese and thick-cut bacon, served with rice, seasoned fries, and a spi

My brain is a sieve when it comes to details of meals gone by. Was that black or green cardamom? Chive or cilantro?

Duos Indy opened up a brick-and-mortar shop on the ground floor of the International Medical Group at 2960 N. Meridian Street

In the coming months, Charlie McIntosh will don an apron and assume his head baker role at the soon-to-open Amelia’s, an Italian-style hearth bread bakery in a Fletcher Place mini-restaurant complex at 653 Virginia Avenue.

“Food is community building by its very nature,” Indianapolis chef and co-owner of Duos mobile kitchen Becky Hostetter said on the stage of The Toby theatre at the Indianapolis Museum of Art Thursday night as part of IMA’s We Are City Film Series. It was no surprise that she was speaking to a lively crowd of foodies, film lovers, and community members who had gathered for a screening of Sally Rowe’s A Matter of Taste, a documentary depicting the culinary passions, struggles, and rising career of Paul Liebrandt, chef of the Michelen two-star restaurant Corton in New York City.

Parmesan-crusted tilapia drizzled with white gravy and served atop mashed potatoes at Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern (1130 W. 86th St., 317-218-1070). Tarte Flambe pizza from Coal Pizza Company (36 E. Washington St., 317-685-2625), served with smoked flecks of bacon and onion, oozing with gr

The Big Easy sits nearly 850 miles from Indianapolis, putting a 14-hour drive between us and the bon temps of today’s Mardi Gras celebrations. Still, why not let the good times roullez at one of our own Cajun/Creole restaurants?

Celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert promulgated their culinary wisdom upon the Hoosier state last Thursday, stopping at Indiana University’s Bloomington campus on their “Good vs. Evil” tour.

Licorice-stick red and jet black are the dominant hues at The Night Porter (921 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-253-5252), a new rock bar/restaurant in the former La Jolla space in Broad Ripple. It is the ideal spot for a beer-guzzling, music-loving crowd. Partner Steve Markoff had a vision to open a laid-back, music-centric place like the spots he frequented in his old Los Angeles neighborhood. As the creative director for Tour Design Creative/Live Nation, he has turned the location into a shrine to his favorite musicians. The walls are adorned with 75 framed concert posters. Beneath the bar, large black-and-white screen-printed murals (created by local artist Aaron Scamihorn) showcase the biggest rock stars from the 1950s to now.

Dan Dunville, the award-winning chef at Meridian Restaurant (5694 N. Meridian St., 317-466-1111), recently left his post after a dispute with owner Rick Lux of LUX Restaurants. After Dunville’s departure, Lux announced to the staff that sous chef Edsel Chad Secrest (who had been with Meridian since the restaurant’s opening) would be the new executive chef. After this staff announcement, and unbeknownst to Edsel, Lux interviewed other chefs in the city for the executive chef position. Through a text message, Edsel learned that Lux had hired Layton Roberts of Mesh (725 Massachusetts Ave., 317-955-9600) as the executive chef. When Lux was asked why the sudden change, he said he was concerned Edsel was too close to Dunville. Roberts begins his new post on February 29 and is expected to bring his kitchen crew.