The Libertine

Including the crisp, fragrant veggie fritters at The Bosphorus Istanbul Cafe.

While The Libertine has featured daylight hours in the past, this is its first attempt at a selection of elevated lunch offerings unique from its dinner menu.

Including halo halo, a doubly sweet parfait of taro-soaked shaved ice over jellied fruits, coconut gel, and sweet red beans—a classic Filipino treat that somehow makes perfect sense at Wyliepalooza’s Ice Cream Emporium.

From The Libertine to Recess and Oakleys to Bluebeard, Korean to Latin and sushi to steak, our critics chose the cream of Indy’s dining crop,. Who’s at the head of the table? Read on to find out.

Seven of Indiana’s top culinary dogs are strutting their stuff as 2013 James Beard Foundation nominees, selected from more than 44,000 online entries in 20 categories. Last week, the foundation unveiled its “long list” (421) of the year’s semifinalists—which will be cut down to the final list of nominees on March 18 during a press brunch in Charleston, SC. (NOTE: nominations will also be announced live via the Foundation’s Twitter feed.)

Photo by Tony Valainis

Ordering a cocktail here means sitting back and watching while a dapper bartender in a proper vest and wide-knotted tie tinkers with ice cubes and orange peels. The carefully composed drinks are nothing short of cosmic.

Stories from behind the counter and in the thick of it all.

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.

Oakleys Bistro
1464 W. 86th St., 824-1231, oakleysbistro.com
In this fragrant take, the spicy-pickled bite of wild-ramp kimchi pairs well with the smokiness of house-cured coppa.

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.  

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

The silken, super creamy “Cuban” creme brulee at Sabbatical (921 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-253-5252), with a hint of espresso and a crisp sugar crust. The vegan Tofu Wrap from the deli at Pogue’s Run Grocer (2828 E. 10th St., 317-426-4963), with c

[View the story “Tweets of the Week: August 4-10” on Storify]

To experience some speakeasy decadence (and that famous shrimp cocktail), climb the stairs to St. Elmo Steak House’s second-story 1933 Lounge (127 S. Illinois St., 635-0636, stelmos.com) > Sazeracs and Chartreuse Swizzles are among the classic pours at Ball and Biscuit (331 Massachusetts Ave., 636-0539, ballandbiscuit.com), paired with Chef Brad Gates’s small plates > Vodka drinkers flock to Tini (717 Massachusetts Ave., 384-1313).