Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i Indianapolis Monthly

Reading Alyssa Konermann’s riveting oral history of the famous speech Robert F. Kennedy delivered from the back of a truck to a mostly African-American crowd in Indianapolis hours aft er the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (“Every World Held You,” p. 78) left me struggling with a flood of emotions: anger, remorse, and, perhaps most curiously, pride. According to the popular narrative, as other cities erupted with rioting and violence in the wake of the awful news that night, Kennedy’s powerful and empathic words soothed the masses, and our city avoided unrest. Kennedy is rightfully portrayed as valiant—cut from the same cloth as the eight U.S. senators his brother John F. Kennedy wrote about in his 1955 book Profiles in Courage, which went on to win the Pulitzer. But…

Philip Gulley’s column on the three motorcycles everyone should own kick-started a discussion online. “Shall we expect your next book to be A Quaker and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?” —MARTI KRUG JOHNSON, via Facebook “Lovely stuff. I agree on the three, and a bit more.” —IAN PARKES, via Indianapolis Monthly.com “A person only needs two if one is both vintage, light, and reliable. I’ve never understood the lure of old Brit bikes, but I won’t judge.” —AARON SPIEGEL, via Facebook “Great piece, Phil. Motorcycle.com steered me this way. I’ll check out more of your work.” —JON JONES, via Indianapolis Monthly.com WHAT’S THE BEST PLACE TO RIDE IN INDIANA? VOTE ON OUR NEXT POLL AT INDIANAPOLISMONTHLY.COM/POLLS IM #ICYMI Our online stories you might have missed. AMUSE-BOUCHE Nibble on the latest dining news by subscribing…

SAVE THE DATE Midwest Fashion Week (midwestfashionweek.com) struts through the Artsgarden at Circle Centre with a runway show on April 20. REVAMP For its 10th anniversary, a freshly spruced-up Be The Boutique (5607 N. Illinois St.) celebrates its new look the week of April 30. NOW OPEN In Castleton, Club Champion (5025 E. 82nd St.) specializes in fittings for custom-made golf clubs. Block off at least three hours for a full-bag assessment. Get the Hot List of great buys on Wednesday mornings at Indianapolis Monthly.com…

Flavor of the Month IF YOU LIKE YOUR caffeine minus the jitters, ask the barista for a matcha latte next time. Matcha is a fine powder made from stone-ground green tea, known for its balance of energizing caffeine and calming L-theanine, an amino acid believed to reduce anxiety and focus the mind. It has grassy notes with a mellow sweet finish and dates back to 12th-century Buddhist tea ceremonies in Japan. Unlike traditional green tea, for which the leaves are steeped in hot water and discarded, matcha fans consume the entire leaf, doubling down on the flavor and antioxidant benefits. Today, you’ll find matcha in everything from cocktails to donuts. At Ukiyo, the green powder is sprinkled on top of karaage (Japanese fried chicken), balancing the sweetness of crispy honeycomb…

(1) ASIAN WOK RESTAURANT 6840 Madison Ave., 317-222-3571 Despite its humble exterior, this one-time Thai destination next to a cavernous Burmese market is one of the better-dressed Asian spots on Madison. Spicy Thai fare lingers on the menu alongside seven versions of egg foo young and other familiar Chinese choices. Goat rendang in a rich sauce is authentically Burmese. (2) MI MI ASIAN RESTAURANT 8055 Madison Ave., 317-893-2751 Tucked into a strip mall away from the main drag, this spacious, unassuming restaurant offers the rare hot pot in the city, with either meat or seafood, perfect for splitting among friends. Fluffy samosas, noodle salads, fried rice, and a nice offering of vegetarian dishes make this a great starter spot for those with little experience with Burmese cuisine. THE TURF On/around…

THREE-HUNDRED-SIXTY-EIGHT ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE. THE OLYMPICS. A GENERATION OF VICTIMIZED GYMNASTS. WHERE DID YOU START? I was working on an investigation in March 2016 related to failures to report sexual abuse in schools. A source suggested I look into USA Gymnastics, and they pointed me toward a lawsuit in Georgia that a gymnast had filed against the organization. I flew to Georgia later that day, picked up almost 1,000 pages of court records, and as soon as I got back to Indianapolis, Tim Evans, Mark Alesia, and I went on from there. WHAT FIRST CLUED YOU IN THAT THIS WASN’T A ONE-OFF 4,000-WORD FEATURE, BUT A YEARS-LONG INVESTIGATION? We knew from the beginning that USA Gymnastics executives had a policy of not reporting all allegations of sexual abuse they’d…

INITIALLY concepted as a test kitchen for other Cunningham Restaurant Group properties, Vida quickly found its own footing in a grand Lockerbie Square building that exudes a European lodge vibe with artful plates to match. Among selections that might include a pristine hamachi crudo and salmon filets redolent with “everything bagel” spices, salads sourced from the hydroponic wall in the kitchen are a mainstay. The six-course tasting menu simplifies decision-making, although FOMO is still possible, especially when you see pastry chef Hattie McDaniel’s bourbonglazed ricotta doughnuts at the next table. 601 E. New York St., 317-420-2323, vida-restaurant.com NEW THIS YEAR Executive chef Thomas Melvin brings his contemporary American sensibilities to Vida, transitioning from Union 50. INSIDER TIP “Everyone seems to want to eat at 7 p.m., especially on Fridays and…

Common House After Cerulean closed last year, chef Alan Sternberg seamlessly shifted full-time into the pop-up operation he launched with his wife, Audra, in late 2016. The couple hopes to settle into a permanent home later this year. For now, they’re happy hosting themed foodie events that allow Alan plenty of opportunity to play with his food. commonhouseindy.com R2GO Legendary chef Regina Mehallick is making it up to fans who never quite got over her decision to shutter her downtown R Bistro. BYOB “revival” dinners showcase some of the dishes from her encyclopedic culinary archive. A set $80 gets you five courses at a cozy table in the R2GO kitchen. r2goindy.com Chefs on a Mission Putting a feel-good spin on the pop-up movement. Mark Allen collaborates with Meridian chef Allen…

WITH SO MANY restaurant menus changing by the season—or even the day—it’s good to know that a few places are still producing iconic dishes you can count on every time you visit. Tangy, sticky General Tso’s pork belly, crispy chicken schnitzel, and a thick-cut pork chop with baked beans and bacon marmalade have long been staples at this stylish supper club at Keystone at the Crossing. While chef and owner Ryan Nelson keeps things fresh with a daily roasted whole fish, seasonal salads, and rotating accompaniments, he knows that giving regulars what they want is why they come back. And come they do for those addictively earthy fries bathed in bone marrow butter and showered with jalapeños. As for the toffee pudding? It’s practically the second name of the place.…

IN TASTEFUL coastal tones of white, white, and white, the second incarnation of Zionsville’s neighborhood surf-andturf concept channels the laid-back vibe of an old-school beach resort, complete with painted tin ceilings and booths piled with throw pillows. You want to settle in with a fruity cocktail, like the grapefruit-garnished Hemingway daiquiri that’s built for lazy day drinking. Toss back a few of the fresh oysters listed on a separate menu of decorated bivalves—blue points with margarita granita and lime zest, perhaps, or kumamotos with tobiko. Then dive into the menu’s skillful, sometimes whimsical homage to specialoccasion seafood, ranging from a starter of conch fritters to a blackened Florida grouper sandwich with hot-pepper jelly to seafood risotto loaded with scallops and crab. Everything about this lively Main Street draw, including a…

WITH ITS MODERN, posh dining room and desirable Mass Ave address, the Millikan on Mass building’s resident seafood restaurant does seem to have a specific clientele in its crosshairs. You see them leaning into their Woodford Reserves at the white marble-topped bar and entertaining colleagues by the tableful. Looking like the Getty image for “winning,” Salt on Mass makes an excellent wingman when you want to impress your client, date, or dining companion. Who knows what kind of deals get closed over salads of golden beets, truffled goat cheese, and roasted grapes … followed by Hawaiian steamed buns pinched around pineapple hoisin-glazed pork belly … and then seared Diver scallops over Spanish orzo. We’re definitely on board. 505 Massachusetts Ave., 317-638-6565, saltonmass.com NEW THIS YEAR Chef John Adams (Bluebeard, Plow…

WE ALWAYS mention its downtown Greenwood location—the lone foodie outlier in all of Johnson County—as key to Revery’s success. But if we’re being honest, the restaurant that elevates salt-of-theearth ingredients like lamb shank and popcorn to rustic elegance in a historic building that is business (a snappy dining room) in the front and party (the dapper-divey Bar Rev) in the back could thrive anywhere on Indy’s dining map. As long as chef Mark Henrichs surprised us with marvels like shrimp and grits with Eli Creek pork belly, fermented cabbage, and kimchi butter, we’d manage to find our way to his table. 299 W. Main St., Greenwood, 317-215-4164, reverygreenwood.com NEW THIS YEAR The most recent menu includes a Vegetables & Shares category of glutenfree and vegetarian options. INSIDER TIP “We have…

THE BEST WAY to enjoy the Southern-inflected charms of Crispy Bird is to check all of your preconceived notions of a fried chicken joint at the door. Martha Hoover’s snug, dark-washed eatery decorated with framed chicken glamour shots strays deliciously off the comfort-food path into the equally satisfying territory of charcuterie (a plate of salty country ham and house pickles), diner classics (mini pork tenderloin sandwiches), and Asian fusion (fried Carolina Gold rice flavored with crispy chicken skin and persimmon sauce). The voluptuous headliner is frizzled to a deep caramel hue and joined on the plate by slaw and more pickles, which is about as downscale as Crispy Bird gets. Scratch that. The best dessert on the menu is a curl of maple soft-serve under a mantle of Magic Shell.…

THIS TINY craft brewery housed in a 100-year-old former butcher shop and deli in the Kennedy-King neighborhood provides a sufficiently cozy setting for chef Erin Kem’s homey, pintfriendly menu. Kem, who earned her culinary cred in the kitchen of Mass Ave’s celebrated R Bistro, manages to assemble the intricate plates right behind the bar—like she’s performing some kind of up-close street magic. Ta-da! Meaty rabbit stew pops with the colors of fresh spring veggies; panko-crusted halibut cheeks rest on a salad of asparagus, radishes, and peas; and (if you are really lucky) a batch of Kem’s Russian borscht topped with sour cream and dill will appear. Oh, yeah—there’s also beer. 1702 Bellefontaine St., 317-426-5978, cannonballbrewingindy.com INSIDER TIP “I do a deviled-egg taco and a short-rib taco with Chinese five-spice powder…

This month, in celebration of the city’s top eateries (“Best Restaurants,” p. 57), IM staff members offer their recipes for culinary success with some novel dining concepts: “Slushed! A food truck serving grownup shaved ice with alcohol-laced syrups.” —ALLISON EDWARDS, SPECIAL PROJECTS ART DIRECTOR “I’d reboot Hollywood Bar and Filmworks. The exit signs would say ‘Get Out,’ and we’d drink Sirius Black and Stormies.” —MEGAN FERNANDEZ, DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL OPERATIONS “How about a restaurant where customers pick from a list of favorites (color, animal, song, etc.) à la Which Wich, and an entrée is curated from your choices?” —MEGAN MAGUIRE, ADVERTISING ART COORDINATOR “I want to open a place called Mi Casserole Es Su Casserole, where we serve—drumroll—casseroles.” —JULIA SPALDING, DINING EDITOR…

Vinyl buffs, unite: Indy’s indie music scene celebrates Record Store Day this month, p. 24. On April 7, celebrate the legacy of the American Basketball Association—and meet some of its most famous alumni—during a 50th-anniversary reunion at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. ABA Reunion KIDS, THERE WASN’T ALWAYS SUCH A THING AS A THREE-POINT SHOT IN PRO BASKETBALL. The ABA revolutionized professional basketball, popularizing stars like Julius Erving, emphasizing a loose and speedy style of play, and introducing the now-beloved trey. During it all, the Indiana Pacers—one of the league’s 10 charter teams—were right at the center. THE BALL. That’s what most people remember when they think of the ABA. But the league’s signature sphere—not brownish-orange but red, white, and blue—was only part of what made it special. The ABA formed in…

WHY MOVE A FESTIVAL THAT WAS THRIVING IN JULY TO A NEW MONTH? To get a bett er selection of films. The IFF scheduled this year’s opening for April to take advantage of the spring art-house festival circuit. “Now we can get our hands on movies that come out at Sundance or South by Southwest,” says board director Craig Mince, “before they’re released theatrically in summer.” WHILE MANY PEOPLE ASSOCIATE THE IFF WITH ART FLICKS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, THE FESTIVAL ALSO SCREENS INDIANA-MADE PRODUCTIONS THAT GROW IN NUMBER EVERY YEAR. You can thank the event’s organizers, who stoically sat through 600-some submissions before winnowing them down to the handful presented this month. “We had enough locally made films for an entire block of shorts, plus five or six features,”…

SHINE DESIGN HOME 8594 E. 116th St., Fishers, 317-572-5546, shinedesignhome.com DON’T MISS Artwork featuring dozens of handcarved figurines from a South American village ($2,950) THE LAST PLACE you’d expect to find hygge is Fishers. Hygge is the buzziest word in home design—the internet disagrees on the pronunciation (hoo-guh or hue-guh) but concurs that the Danish concept means a cozy contentment achieved through simplicity and wellness. It’s both a feeling and a look rooted in contemporary wood furniture, soft fabrics, stout neutrals, light stone, and some sort of outrageously fluffy hide or fur for texture. Imagine gazing into actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s eyes; now add a fire and a smoky cocktail. That’s hygge. If you’re still fuzzy, visit Shine Design Home in Fishers and experience it firsthand. The compact interiors store has…

FOR CONTENDERS Advanced runners are ready for the 361 Meraki, which is a flatter shoe with less cushioning and more of that lightweight feeling speed demons need to return to Military Park with a PR. $130. Runners Forum, multiple locations, runnersforum.com FOR WEEKEND WARRIORS The Adidas Energy Boost swaps standard foam support for its mid-sole Boost feature, made from the material in a BMW dashboard. You won’t hit 90 miles per hour, but it will provide an extra spring in your step. $160. BlueMile, 1079 Broad Ripple Ave.; Greenwood Park Mall; jackrabbit.com FOR ROOKIES Beginners can find personalized cushioning in the Brooks Ghost, which lends DNA technology that makes the shoes adapt to the force placed on them. This means when you hit the ground running, the cushioning will firm…

GARDENS Red-tailed hawks nest atop sycamore trees in this thicket. PLANTS This rosemary plant started as a small centerpiece at the Indianapolis Opera Ball in 2013. STATUE Frank Lloyd Wright worked with two sculptors to create “sprites” for Midway Gardens, an entertainment complex on Chicago’s south side, circa 1914. This cast-concrete reproduction of a sprite is part of the Westerley House Collection. PEACOCKS Antique lead peacocks—remnants of the Clowes family’s original lawn ornaments—stand beside the gate to the rest of the garden. STONEWORK Friezes that mimic those of ancient Rome adorn the terrace walls. BARWARE BARWARE A 1930s aluminum Art Deco Kensington Ware set designed by Laurel Guild is filled with Bombay Sapphire gin for pouring into Crate & Barrel cocktail glasses. SOUVENIRS SOUVENIRS This rock collection hails from beaches…

Road Trip Growing up in Napa Valley, Sal Fernandez watched the sleepy coastal town of Yountville transform into a culinary mecca when renowned chef Thomas Keller opened The French Laundry there in the early 1990s. Fernandez envisions a similar transformation for Greencastle, home to the Bridge’s Craft Pizza & Wine Bar that opened in August under the helm of this CIA-trained toque who has worked with culinary royalty like Top Chef competitor Rogelio Garcia. Fernandez had a good feeling about the project the minute he laid eyes on the dilapidated former coin store and skating rink on the town square. So far, he has brought scratchmade pasta, artisan pizza, and signature dishes like fried ravioli filled with velvety braised beef tongue to this little pocket of Putnam County. And he’s…

FROM THE OUTSIDE, Lisa Moyer’s success may look like a Cinderella story. But in this version, Cinderella saves herself. (Nothing personal, Prince Charming.) Moyer owns more food trucks than anybody else in Indianapolis, overseeing Scout’s Treat Truck, Bark Truck, Mac Genie, Greiner’s, and Cook+Baker, the dedicated food provider for Burnside Inn on Mass Ave. And she recently opened the second brick-and-mortar location of Greiner’s Sub Shop, the 38-year-old business she bought in 2014. Eight years ago, Moyer left her job managing travel programs for Lilly Pharmaceuticals and other Fortune 500 firms. Newly divorced, she found herself in need of a fresh start and wanted to do something fun with the second half of her life. Aft er saving all of her money in a cigar box for a year, she…

MY WIFE AND I WERE sorting through my mother’s belongings aft er her death when my wife mentioned that if we lived in Sweden, my mother would have gotten rid of her stuff while she was still alive. “They call it death cleaning,” she told me. “I just read a book about it. People disperse their possessions before they die so their children won’t have to.” I’ve been seriously annoyed at America since it elected Donald Trump, and death cleaning might be the thing that tips the scales and causes me to move to Sweden. If my parents had been Swedish, it would have saved me incalculable trouble. Even though I’m mad at America, it’s probably best I stay here, since I’m terrible at getting rid of things. What I…

Indianapolis has a long tradition of ethnic restaurants with a strong noodle game. As Indy mirrored the rest of the country this year with its nearly insatiable appetite for all things warm and brothy, Neal Brown’s longawaited Ukiyo opened with a lunchtime side hustle, Moon Rabbit Ramen (4907 N. College Ave., 317-384-1048, ukiyoindy.com), devoted entirely to the Japanese-style dish. The menu often includes mazeman, a brothless ramen dish in the Tokyo tradition. Leo Nguyen, who has operated Super Bowl Pho in Westfield since 2013, opened a second location in Irvington (5603 E. Washington St., 317-208-0124, superbowlphowestfield.com) last fall to bring his version of the Vietnamese staple closer to downtown. General American Donut Co.’s Adam Perry and Kari Nickander will serve ramen dishes to go from Black Eye Takeout (1006 Virginia…

The little tortilla-wrapped goodies had a big presence in this year’s crop of new restaurants, ranging from family-style taco trays at the hip hangout Broken English (141 S. Meridian St., 317-362-0072, tacopub.com/indy) to the more traditional carne asada, al pastor, and arabe à la cartes at Irvington’s family-owned IXCA Mexican Kitchen (5537 E. Washington St., 317-986-4154, ixca.us). A spin-off of Broad Ripple’s Monon Food Company, MOFOCO (72 W. New York St., 317-744-8530, mononfood.com) applied the original’s casual-dining philosophy to a lean and mean location downtown. Tacos and Tequila on Main (1502 N. Main St., Speedway, 317-672-4619, tacosandtequilaonmain.com) introduced the motor-racing crowd to straightforward folds of pollo, carne asada, and lengua in July. Meanwhile, restaurateur Craig Baker focused his attention on last summer’s launch of a counter-service mash-up of old and…

STEVEN OAKLEY doesn’t seem like the kind of chef to aspire to a “celebrity” prefix. But the veteran restaurateur found himself in the spotlight last summer, doing an episode of the Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay (and winning, by the way, with his restaurant’s popular shrimp corn dogs). It was the culinary version of a starlet being discovered at Schwab’s lunch counter on Sunset Boulevard: New diners rushed the quiet spot in a northside strip mall and became instant fans of the meticulous cookery. Only now, dishes that were once nearly tweezer-precise have relaxed a bit. Beef medallions under a shower of frizzled onions get more real estate on the plate. A thick pork chop lies atop bright green-apple sofrito, more glamorously disheveled than usual. And that shrimp corn dog,…

Rolled Ice Cream Originally a Thai treat, “stir-fried” or “ice pan” ice cream became a global sensation when videos of milk and fruit being quick-frozen and curled on super-chilled steel plates went viral in 2015. Polish Food Not everyone is lucky enough to have a grandmother from the old country to cook up some kielbasa. With such a large Polish population in northern Indiana, surely it’s time this world cuisine migrates south. Dessert Tasting Menus Restaurants offering diverse sweets paired with wines or spirits have yet to satisfy Indy’s sugar cravings. Macarons with martinis? The after-theater crowd would eat them up. Nordic Cuisine Sure, the food of Denmark, known for its forest flavors and painterly presentation, is practically a punchline now. But it passed us by completely. Where are our…

KEY Restaurants included in this guide are selected at the discretion of the Indianapolis Monthly editorial staff based on food quality, innovation, atmosphere, service, value, and consistency. IM does not accept advertising or other compensation in exchange for dining coverage. Price symbols indicate the average cost of a meal per person (without tax, tip, or alcohol). Due to limited space, this list does not cover every evaluated restaurant. For a more comprehensive guide to Indianapolis dining, visit IndianapolisMonthly.com/Dining. Feedback? Please email TheDish@IndianapolisMonthly.com. DOWNTOWN INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square 1913 Restaurant UPSCALE COMFORT Farm-to-table standards get a glossy do-over at this hotel restaurant tucked just off of the polished marble lobby of the Omni Severin. The dining room, all dark lacquer and leathery browns, feels a bit…

Alyssa Konermann A former editor at Cincinnati Magazine, Alyssa Konermann has written about cities and history. But her feature on Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 speech in Indy (p. 78) was a very different kind of project. “Normally, history stories involve something that has physically changed,” she says. “It was striking to stand at 17th and Broadway and consider the effect of a simple, sixminute speech in a vacant lot.” Adam Wren Contributing editor and lifelong soccer fan Adam Wren came away from reporting on Ersal Ozdemir and the future of the Indy Eleven (p. 74) with a mixed outlook. “Admittedly, I hope the Eleven can succeed where other local soccer franchises have failed,” he says. “But I don’t see how the Eleven will be around in five years, absent a…

Turkey hunters and mushroom hunters are as friendly as Republicans and Democrats. Foragers scare off the fowl. Look for ground that’s loamy and has some spring to it, not packed dirt. And don’t spend all of your time around dead trees. Despite the lore, you’re just as likely to find morels in open ground. Stay calm if the ground moves. Box turtles and snakes love morel territory, too. Don’t let a park ranger tell you that you can’t take morels out of state parks. It’s perfectly legal. City parks, though, are a different story. Check each park’s rules first. There will be days when you don’t spot any. That’s part of the morel game, but you’ll eventually find some. Share.…

It has been said that the most iconic designs can be replicated in just a few pen strokes, like the profile of the Eiffel Tower or the sailshaped Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. The “Seagull” table lamp from QisDesign has the same minimalist appeal, recognizable as a soaring bird through a mere three components. The wings are LED light panels that “flap” lower with the twist of a knob on the body. Another dial controls the brightness. Who wouldn’t welcome this bird into their nest? $720. Houseworks, 4905 E. 82nd St., 317-578-7000, houseworks.biz Newly opened Shine Design Home in Fishers brings the hygge craze to town, p. 32.…

YOU NAMED YOUR BUSINESS “PRETTY AUTHENTICATED.” WHAT DOES IT MEAN? I believe that in order to be happy in life, one must stop seeking approval. I created Pretty Authenticated to help women disrupt fashion and beauty industry standards. THE HUFFINGTON POST NAMED YOU ONE OF 16 GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURS TO WATCH IN 2018. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON? The official launch of the Pretty Authenticated website, blog, and workshops. Those will be here in Indianapolis, on topics like finding your personal style. DO YOU HAVE A UNIVERSAL STYLE TIP? Pay attention to detail, especially vent stitches. This way, you can have the highestquality clothing that will last forever.…

DERMAPLANING IS THE BUZZWORD IN FACIALS. WHAT EXACTLY IS IT? It’s an exfoliating treatment that can be incorporated into any skincare procedure. It involves scraping the skin with a sterile, surgical-grade scalpel at a 45-degree angle, but it’s totally safe, gentle, and painless. Dermaplaning removes dead skin cells, along with that annoying peach-fuzz hair on the face, and gives you that glowing, smooth skin we all want. IS THERE ANYONE WHO SHOULDN’T TRY IT? Only if you have bad acne, because it can spread bacteria. Even people with sensitive skin or rosacea, who have to stay away from everything except a basic facial—they can have it done. HOW LONG UNTIL YOU SEE RESULTS? They’re immediate, and there’s no downtime. Plus, your skincare products will penetrate more efficiently, and your makeup…

A Civil War–era Hoosier general seems like a peculiar association for a new hipster bar on Mass Ave. But the hirsute Ambrose Burnside—immortalized through the term “sideburns”—inspired the quirky Burnside Inn, a threelevel drinking hole. Its sense of humor is reflected in an eclectic mix of old and new, from baroque velvet wallpaper to a mustachioed Mona Lisa. Wednesday through Saturday, the upstairs hosts acts like poetry readings and vintage rock shows while patrons sip twists on the gingery Moscow Mule, such as one with housemade lavender syrup and local Starlight vodka. Burnside’s other signature item: old-school ice-cream sandwiches. Pretty cool. 314 Massachusetts Ave., 317-991-4150 The classic chicken taquito gets a major upgrade at IXCA Mexican Kitchen, p. 49.…

WILD RICE In February, Nebraska-based Blue Sushi Sake Grill rolled out its premium cold sake and a popular happy hour inside the Ironworks Hotel. SOLAR POWER Sun King Brewing plans to open a Fishers brewery with a 3,000-square-foot rooft op patio and event rental space. LAKE EFFECT Scott and Nyla Wolf are plotting their fift h Wolfie’s Grill location. The Geist spot will offer a beer garden and boat parking in the former Lake House Restaurant. Check out the weekly Swoon List at Indianapolis Monthly.com…

EDITOR’S CALL Rent a vinyl locker for a yearly fee and you get the special treat of listening to some of your own records (at the staff’s discretion, of course) on Bar One Fourteen’s sound system when you dine in. LOOKING LIKE a dark and moody ad for a spicy men’s cologne, the noir-hued Bar One Fourteen does not need your well-lit Instagram photos. It doesn’t want you to show up unannounced, without a reservation, or overstay your welcome when there are tables to be turned. As a matter of fact, it has no use for you at all Sunday through Wednesday. And yet, we love this luxe microbar so much. We swoon over its brass-pineapple mai tai and might have written “Potato Pavé” in bubble letters on our Trapper…

IT IS NO longer the guarded secret that turned savvy foodies into pot de crème Gollums, hoping the masses wouldn’t latch onto Tinker Street’s dinner-party ambience and elevated cuisine. After two years, the neighborhood bistro is fair game, casting an alluring spell from its wee Herron-Morton digs. Limited storage keeps the wine list lean and mean, vetted with laser precision to complement chef Braedon Kellner’s evolving creations. On any given visit, guests might be tempted by cornmeal blini with pawpaw butter, handmade gnocchi with butter-poached Maine lobster and a dusting of truffles, or a shrimp and grits recipe that's so beloved, fans refuse to let it go off the menu. Samples of something bubbly as soon as you’re seated set the tone for the convivial meal to come. As for…

PATRONS LINE UP deep for enlightened offal sandwiches, protein-topped waffles, and other Old World–meets–New World grub at Mass Ave’s remake of Love Handle, which made its Indy debut in 2015 inside a former Subway sandwich shop on East 10th Street. Let’s assume that this young, craft beer–sipping customer base didn’t know they could harbor such deep-rooted cravings for beef tongue, sweetbreads, and jellied eggs until Chris and Ally Benedyk started sending out baskets of Buffalo chicken gizzards and popcorn with schmaltz. But if their pickled radishes are the gateway drug for a neo-grandpa food group, they don’t come off as characters in a Portlandia bit. If anything, the Benedyks downplay the ironic preciousness of this cheery 80-seat dining room done up in a retro peach-and-avocado color scheme. A daily chalkboard…

Tavern at the Point Mass Ave lost a longtime resident when Old Point Tavern closed in January, but Cunningham Restaurant Group quickly swooped in on the classic dive. Their replacement aims to preserve the history and flavor of the joint. TARGET: late spring 2018 DMK Burger Bar This Chicago-based burger joint that has its sights on Indianapolis combines the business savvy of David Morton (son of Morton’s The Steakhouse founder) and the culinary skills of five-time James Beardnominated chef Michael Kornick. TARGET: before the end of 2018 Tony’s Steaks and Seafood The old Colts Grille location gets a makeover with this suave new tenant. A multi-level layout with two bars, a wine room, and private dining rooms will replace the sports bar steps from Circle Centre’s Artsgarden. TARGET: summer 2018…

MAKING a dramatic entrance comes with the territory here. Follow the path along the side of the building and then push though enormous tinted glass doors that look like they should be attached to a superhero’s secret lair. It’s no anticlimax when a massive, glowing bar covers most of the back wall. You can’t leave without ordering a pail of the hand-cut fries, or a bowl of mussels in a garlicky bath with chorizo and fingerling potatoes, or a hunk of ribeye that might be perched atop truffle mashed potatoes one night and then lavished with lobster, trumpet mushrooms, and béarnaise sauce another. 620 N. East St., 317-610-0234, union-50.com NEW THIS YEAR Executive chef Adan Sandoval has arrived and is refreshing the cocktail list and a spring food menu. INSIDER…

Have an idea for a future Artifact? Drop us a suggestion at letters@ Indianapolis Monthly.com IN APRIL 1915, the Coca-Cola Company issued a challenge to glass companies: Design a “bottle so distinct that you would recognize it by feel in the dark, or lying broken on the ground.” Inspired by the curved cocoa plant pod, Terre Haute–based Root Glass Company founder Chapman J. Root devised a curvaceous, 6.5-ounce bottle featuring an elongated body, defined vertical ribs, and a bulging middle. The Root “Contour Bottle” fizzed to the top, and Root patented his company’s creation, which one industrial designer at the time called the “perfect liquid wrapper.” Only two original bottles survive, but the Vigo County Historical Society Museum in Terre Haute boasts this Root family replica, cast for the 50th…