- Best new chef
- Best new food truck
Talk about a busy year. We’re both having trouble buttoning our pants after so many new restaurants, breweries, brew pubs, coffee shops, craft co*cktail bars and other food and drink places that launchedin 2015. Both of us decided to select our top five from the bunch, the places that we considerthe best of the new in and around Indianapolis. It was not easy. Now excuse us while we go to the gym.
Best new restaurant: Tinker Street
Less than six months after opening in January, Tinker Street worked its way up to status asTripAdvisor Indianapolis top-ranked restaurant. Tinker Street is probably the restaurant I crave visiting more than any other here. Close-set tables allow friendly banter with folks next to me. The semi-open kitchen is so close to the dining room I can give cooks a shout-out. Service is tight. Chilly night on the patio? Expect someone to offer you a fuzzy blankie. The ever-changing wine list is always approachable, and staff nail pairings. The seasonally changing, new American menu hits so many good marks: well-priced, sensible portions, fresh ingredients, smart vegetarian options. My favorite dish to date was meltingly light pumpkin gnocchi with garlicky pesto, roasted pumpkin seeds and crispy fried sage leaves coupled with a glass of fruity Domaine de l’ Espigouette Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2014. — Liz Biro
Tinker Street, 402 E. 16th St.,www.tinkerstreetindy.com
Best new craft co*cktail bar: Marrow
The bartending game is strong at this new Fountain Square hangout, located next door to New Day Meadery. Behind the stick are Steve Simon and Michael Madison. Simon, the beverage director, made sure to get some rad, tiki-style co*cktails on the menu. Plus there’s the Rorschach Sour with Cana Brava rum, raspberry, lime, egg whiteand yes, squid ink. If you’re not in a co*cktail mood, there’s a well-rounded list of craft beer, sakeand wine. Or just get a cognac, neat. — Amy Haneline
1106 Prospect St., (317) 986-6752, marrowindy.com
Best new scene: Bent Rail Brewery
Bent Rail Brewery’s interior has a warehouse feel. That’s what makes it so cool. Owners Derek Means and chef Craig Baker can let kids run around, bring in a band and dancing or morph the space into anything they want. In July, Bent Rail hosted Indulge Imbibe Imagine, sponsored by Dig IN: A Taste of Indiana. Indiana landmarks inspired bites and sips includedthe whole beef rib roasts grilled over an open fire bythe Traders Point Creamery chef team. This winter, Bent Rail is hosting the new Broad Ripple Winter Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through April. Shop, grab breakfast and sip a house beer. Tanks and brewers are in full view. Best of all, friendly Baker is often in the kitchen. On the occasion it shows up on the menu, don’t miss Baker’s brisket sandwich with caramelized onions on Texas toast. The meat is so tender it will have you thinking about Mom, swing sets, your first puppy and Sunday dinners at home all at once.— Liz Biro
5301 Winthrop Ave., (317) 737-2698, bentrailbrewery.com
Best new brewery: Deviate Brewing
The location may not be the coolest, but the beer is. Home brewers turned brewery owners Greg Ortwein and Mike Orkey are making wild brews you’ve never tasted before. Put your palate to the test with flavors like raspberry-cashew, vanilla-chipotleand lemon grass-ginger-Thai-basil. Nope, these guys aren't after the Bud Light drinkers.— Amy Haneline
4004 W. 96th St., deviatebrewing.com
Best new food voice:Eat Here Indy
If there is one social media presence in Indianapolis that shoots and loads more photos that me, it'sthe team at Eat Here Indy. The company’s Instagram is one of my favorite stops online, so much so I asked them to take over myLiz BiroInstagramwhile I was on vacation in September. I’ve never seen a bigger foodie smile than the one on Eat Here Indy contributor Austin Burris’ at the August Indy Burger Battle. Burris wasn’t just shooting photos and video, he was truly enjoying the food. “Our mission is to cross-connect the Indianapolis community to local restaurants, food-trucks and events throughout the city and surrounding areas — encouraging Indy and all visitors to “Eat Here,” is how Eat Here Indy put it on its Facebook page.— Liz Biro
Twitter:@eathereindy, Instagram:@eathereindy,facebook.com/EatHereIndy
Best new brewpub: Big Lug Canteen
This place sits right off the Monon in the Nora neighborhood. There is no trace of the dark, old Snooty Fox that’s now filled with chrome and pops of red and yellow. Garage doors open to the trail, and an outdoor concession offers hot dogs and walking tacos during warm-weather months (you never know in Indiana). Owner Ed Sahm and former Ram brewer Scott Ellis bring experience to the plate and pint. Kings Jive, a traditional brown ale, is light and refreshing for a darker beerwith hints of chocolate. A vegetarian, I loved the veggie poutine topped with black bean and corn gumbo and cheese curds.— Amy Haneline
1435 E. 86th St., (317) 672-3503, biglugcanteen.com
Best new executive chef: Justin Eiteljorge with Bryan Kanne
Don’t let Eiteljorge’s boyish looks fool you. He’s got chops. My first taste came at an August test-run dinner for restaurant Pioneer, which opened in October and features the food of northeastern Italy and its Alpine neighbors Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Eiteljorge and his pal Bryan Kanne, who Eiteljorge considers his Pioneer co-chef, turned out homemade brats with sauerkraut and beer-braised apples atop creamy mashed potatoes in onion gravy. They made thick, almost spätzle-like Italian pasta called cavatelli to toss with broccoli rabe, percorino romano and plenty of cracked black pepper, a dish that took me straight to my relatives’ kitchens in northern Italy. Last time I stopped by the Pioneer kitchen, Eiteljorge and team gushed over salmon pink oyster mushrooms they couple with local pork belly, purple cabbage puree and curry pickled mustard seeds. Eiteljorge’s simple roasted carrot starter, with yogurt, brown butter carrot jus, fermented bruleed onions and bread crumbs, has become one of his signatures. Eiteljorge trained at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in California’s Napa Valley, and clocked time at Indy's acclaimed Bluebeard restaurant before landing at Pioneer.— Liz Biro
1110 E. Shelby St.,(317) 986-6761,www.pioneerindy.com
Best new coffee shop: Mile Square Coffee
City Market really needed this — locally-roasted coffee, brewed fresh in Indy’s food and drink hub. Grab a cup to go, or hang out for an educational flight. Yep, see if you taste the difference in origin or brew method with side-by-side sampling. Even better, they bring in doughnuts from Rocket 88 on Fridays and Saturdays.— Amy Haneline
222 E. Market St., Mezzanine level, (317) 296-8181, milesquarecoffee.com
Best new food truck: Seoulrito
I covered this Mexican street food/Korean barbecue fusion food truck during an April week where chasedIndy’s best new food trucks, and I’ve been thinking about the YOLO Fries ever since. The "pop up" item features medium-cut fries seasoned with garlic and kimchi and smothered in crunchy bacon, caramelized onions, cilantro, nacho cheese and Seoulrito sauce, a sort-of sriracha mayonnaise. Owner Paul Kim’s Korean parents raised him in a Califorina Hispanic community. "I was able to enjoy kind of the best of both worlds," said Kim, who runs Seoulrito with his wife, Jawon Kim. "Nothing touches our grill unless it's marinated over 24 hours," Paul Kim told me about the Korean barbecue pork, beef and chicken the couple tuck into tacos, burritos, quesadillas and sandwiches. They also load the stuff on nachos and OMG (oh my gogi) bowls with meat, rice, organic greens, julienned carrots and a fried egg, kind of a spin on bibimbap.— Liz Biro
Twitter:@seoulrito,facebook.com/Seoulrito, (317) 503-8315,seoulrito.com,
Best new tasting event: Mixture
I love beer festivals, but one can only take so much malt and hops. A brainchild of the Indiana Craft Beverage Association, Mixture took participants on a tour of bars through trendy Downtown neighborhoods to taste craft co*cktails. Rides were provided via Brewbus and Handlebar, and passports helped keep track of samples along the way. It was during this event that I discovered Kirks and Sweeney aged rum and the classic daiquiri. Thanks Ball & Biscuit.— Amy Haneline
More at Indymixture.com.
Follow Amy Haneline onTwitterandInstagram@amybhaneline, andFacebook. Call her at (317) 444-6281.Follow Liz Biroon Twitter@lizbiro, Instagram@lizbiro,FacebookandPinterest. Call her at(317) 444-6264.
