On Friday—within weeks of the grand opening—scores of casual diners packed the tables of Fire by the Monon (6523 Ferguson St., 602-8590), in the former L’Explorateur spot. Servers at the tucked-away Broad Ripple restaurant seemed a bit overwhelmed by the crowd, their style resembling a sort of hospitality triage as they rushed glasses and plates around the noisy dining rooms. We made quick wo
Pei Wei Asian Diner (6159 N. Keystone Ave., 205-9380) opened on Monday in the Glendale Shopping Center, offering a menu of eastern dishes inspired by food from China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The casual-restaurant chain was developed by P.F. Chang’s China Bistro in 2000 as a smaller version of their already popular restaurant. Edamame and Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls are listed among the starters. Mains include Japanese Teriyaki and Korean BBQ, with plenty of gluten-free options and a kid’s menu. And just to avoid any embarrassment, the correct pronunciation is “pay way.”
An idea three years in the making, Smoking Goose (407 N. Dorman St.), a wholesale charcuterie from Goose the Market’s Chris Eley, is weeks away from its grand opening. The 12,000-square-foot space in the Holy Cross neighborhood will house sausage-making and curing equipment, and though the majority of the business will be in selling smokehouse and sausage offerings (packaged with the Smoking Goose label) to restaurants and stores around the country, Eley will open the doors to the public on select evenings, a la Friday nights at Sun King Brewery.
Indy has no shortage of brand-new craft beer options, from the near-eastside’s Flat12 Bierwerks (414 N. Dorman St., 635-2337) to the far-westside’s Three Pints Brewpub (5020 Cambridge Way, Plainfield, 839-1000), which is serving beers from around the state while its own production facility is under construction.
A cheese cave is on the list of possible expansions at Traders Point Creamery (9101 Moore Rd., Zionsville, 733-1700), says cheesemaker Lindsay Klaunig. By fall, the creamery should have more concrete excavation plans for the addition, described as a 50-degree room where new products such as bleu cheese and Camembert could age to perfection. In the meantime, Klaunig wants to start aging (for four to eight months) the Fleur de la Terre, raw-milk Gouda, and raw-milk cheddar in the current TPC lineup for deeper, more interesting flavors.
The creamed kale at Meridian Restaurant and Bar (5694 N. Meridian St., 466-1111). Taking a counter seat at Rock-Cola ’50s Cafe (5730 Brookville Rd., 357-2233) to watch the cook give three-quarter–pound grilled tenderloins and 10-ounce hamburger patties the smackdown on the grill top.
Local food, in season, cooked right. That is the promise of Broad Ripple eatery Fire by the Monon (6523 Ferguson St.), which moved into the former L’Explorateur spot on April 1. With local wine and beer, Ball-jar drinking glasses, and tables made of wood from an old high school basketball court, owners Michelle and David Dessauer are sourcing every possible detail from the Hoosierland.
