by Brian Garrido | May 2, 2024 | Places, Featured Destinations
The charming and walkable Zionsville, located a hop over the Boone County line from Indianapolis, offers a small-town appeal that extends to its growing and diverse food scene. With a brick-paved Main Street cutting through the village and a population of just over 13,000, Zionsville’s dining options cater to various global tastes and Midwest preferences.
Starting May 18 and continuing through Sept. 28, the annual Zionsville Farmers Market occurs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11:30 am. A hallmark of the area’s summers for almost 30 years, the market operates every Saturday, rain or shine. Throughout the season, food days are highlighted, such as Ice Cream Day (July 29), Watermelon Day (August 12), and Eat an Apple Day (the third Saturday in September). Expect live music and the traditional hide-and-seek for the market’s mascot, a corn plush toy named “Cornelius” that’s hidden among the stalls. Kids win sticker prizes for uncovering the weekly hideout.
Begin your farmers’ market morning at Patrick’s Kitchen with a breakfast burrito stuffed with scrambled eggs, cheese and your choice of melt-in-your-mouth smoked pork shoulder or cherry-wood smoked bacon. Husband-and-wife co-owners Patrick Mullen and Beth Dickerson closed Patrick’s Kitchen in 2022, reopening it as a market stall.
After picking up your produce for the week, walk Zionsville’s Main Street to explore its many mom-and-pop boutiques, shops and restaurants. To satiate a sweet tooth, stop at Truffles & Creams, where chocolatier Natasha Hovyadinova and her husband, Sergei, make delectable candied shells with flavored ganaches and more.
As it gets closer to lunch, the village provides ample dining opportunities. For 66 years, the Friendly Tavern has been feeding locals burgers and tenderloins in a circa 1870s wagon works factory. Noah Grant’s Grill House & Seafood Bar specializes in fresh seafood and steaks, and owner Shari Jenkins also created the Key West vibe of Tipsy Mermaid.
As the evening approaches, the French-inspired Auberge serves Gallic favorites such as escargot à la bourguignonne (snails in red wine), moules frites (steamed mussels and fries) and tarte fine aux pommes (apple tart).
In the Boone Village Shopping Center, the recently opened 60-seat Good Omen, by chef Nicholas Gattone and his mother, Diane, showcases Northern Italian dishes with fresh pastas, including gluten-free, and large portions of proteins with polentas and generous sides.
From farmers’ market meals to old-school taverns and upscale global eateries and sweets, Zionsville offers dining experiences that leave a lasting impression.
by Brian Garrido | Apr 17, 2024 | People, Q&A
Graduating in 2016 from the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Indianapolis with a bachelor’s in culinary management, Chef Haley Garrity began a line cook job at the then recently opened East End Grill in her hometown of Lafayette, Ind. Now chef de cuisine, Garrity has created eight years of menus for the neighborhood restaurant focusing on using fresh seasonal ingredients from around the state. With her fiancé, Cecil, also a chef, Garrity shares an 8-year-old daughter named Grace. On her off days, Garrity makes homemade sweets for friends and family.
What made you want to become a chef?
The challenge and the creativity are why I wanted to become a chef. Growing up, I enjoyed cooking and creating new menu ideas with my mom. We would get into the food competition TV shows, and if they could do it, so could I. I enrolled in culinary school as soon as I could, and the rest is history.
What is your favorite type of food and why?
My favorite type of food is fish and seafood. Fish can take on any flavor you want to throw at it, and I like to experiment with different species, textures and flavor profiles.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get a lot of inspiration from my fiancé, who is also a chef. We both have our own unique styles that complement each other. Of course, I find as much inspiration from dining when traveling as possible.
What is your favorite thing to make for yourself and your family?
My first favorite thing to make for my family is homemade cookies – any cookies – which I enjoy baking for all my family and friends. My second favorite thing to make would be breakfast food: biscuits and gravy, eggs Benedict and my cinnamon rolls.
If you could eat anywhere in the world, where would that be, and what would you have?
If I could eat anywhere, I would enjoy Japan’s food. My father had traveled there for work and brought me back many food gifts. It would be amazing to experience Japanese sashimi and sushi.
If you could visit any place in Indiana, where would that be, and what would you eat?
I would choose the Cake Bake Shop in Carmel. I have only been with a friend once but would die to go back. I would eat the croque madame again because it’s the most mouthwatering brunch item you can get. I would also eat any of their amazing cakes.
What items are always in your fridge?
I always have butter and eggs in my fridge for my baking needs and condiments such as mayo and ranch.
by Brian Garrido | Apr 17, 2024 | Places, Featured Destinations
Known for masterworks of modern architecture and public art, Columbus, Ind., offers a food scene that reflects its evolving history. From a century-old ice cream parlor to bars and upscale dining establishments, there’s something for everyone in the Bartholomew County seat.
But do start by perusing some of the landmark buildings. Indeed, the small city is such a mecca for design that New York Times‘ architecture critic Paul Goldberger said that ”Columbus, Indiana, and J. Irwin Miller are almost holy words in architectural circles.”
Whether taking a Visit Columbus tour bus or enjoying a self-guided exploration of some famous architectural works (like the J. Irwin Miller House), visitors will undoubtedly work up an appetite. But happily, there are spots like historic Zaharakos and Columbus Bar or newcomers such as Henry Social Club and Gramz Bakery to handle your hunger.
Before visiting the local landmarks, stop for breakfast at the family owned Gramz Bakery, which opened in 2013 selling baked goods like scones, sweet rolls, cakes, breads and an assortment of brownies and cookies. In 2020, the Coles, consisting of husband and wife, Jay and Karen and their two daughters, Rachelle and Meaghen, launched and began roasting their coffee at Sojourn Coffee Company. Today, the java and sweets place serves breakfast throughout the day, as well as quiches and sandwiches, primarily made in-house.
After a two-hour architectural tour, enjoy lunch at Zaharakos, an old-school soda shop and museum. Guests can order the GOM, a grilled sloppy joe (think patty melt but messier) followed by housemade ice cream, a milkshake or a classic ice cream soda. While sipping on one of the sweet treats, stroll through the brass and marble emporium with the largest collection of 19th century beverage fountains or tap your toes to the still-operating 1908 self-playing organ.
Columbus Bar, the city’s oldest operating establishment, sits across the street. Easily identifiable with its vintage neon sign, the CB, as locals call it, is known for its pork tenderloin sandwich, a hand-coated monster of fried goodness.
At the Henry Social Club, chef/owner Gethin Thomas focuses on classic American cuisine featuring a changing menu of seasonal dishes. The restaurant’s stylish and modern decor creates a sophisticated dining environment with vintage Eames chairs and mirrors.
With plenty of architectural history and lots of good eats, Columbus offers dining options for all. Whether you’re craving farm-to-table, sweet treats or Midwest comfort food, Columbus offers an array of possibilities.
by Brian Garrido | Apr 3, 2024 | People, Q&A
It’s time for the Culinary Crossroads Spring Dinner Series, four weeks of collaborative chef dinners that run April 8-29 at Highland Golf & Country Club, and once again sommelier Ashlee Nemeth of Tinker Street restaurant in Indianapolis will be choosing the wine pairings. This will be Ashlee’s third year handling the wine selections, and guests look forward to her unique wine finds. She and her Italian boyfriend also own a business called The Best of Umbria, importing regional delicacies such as lentils, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and cherry and apricot marmellata. The products are sold at specialty food shops such as Nicole-Taylor’s Pasta and Market, Cork + Cracker, Goose the Market and Angelo’s Italian Market.
Any advice for the home connoisseur in pairing wines during the warmer months?
Acid with acid. For example, a pinot noir and tomatoes, something that may have a little bit of vinegar in it. Albariño, Godello, vermentino with white flaky fishes. Sparkling white wine or rosé by itself or with fruit, oysters, fried foods such as french fries and fried chicken. Chardonnay with creamy, rich sauces.
What is your favorite grape varietal and why?
Zinfandel and syrah. I love wine with richness, complexity, full body and tannin. I love a Cahors malbec, too, because it has that funky, earthy, barnyard note known as Brettanomyces.
What made you want to become a sommelier?
I studied abroad in Italy for my degree in nutrition and dietetics at Indiana State University. There we studied food, wine, gastronomy and art history. I then went back to Italy by myself two years later. It just made my love for wine blossom, and I wanted to study it further.
What wines do you drink at home?
I drink Cava and Cava brut rosé, a sparkling wine from Spain, chardonnay, chenin blanc, tempranillo and sagrantino (my favorite Italian grape). Heck, I drink them all. I am not particular about malbec from Argentina; I don’t really like pinot grigio.
What items are always in your fridge?
Sparkling wine, Aperol to make a spritz and chilled white wines, usually two different kinds. For food, tomatoes, chicken for lunch, parmigiano and pecorino cheeses, prosciutto, eggs, Pellegrino sparkling water and still spring water.
by Brian Garrido | Apr 3, 2024 | Places, Featured Destinations
Founded in 1825, Lafayette, Ind., and the neighboring community of West Lafayette, situated across the Wabash River and home to Purdue University and Cook Biotech, stand as an educational and pharmaceutical hub. In other words, it’s an area where various cultures and ethnicities converge, quilting a vibrant and diverse community.
With its farming heritage and that rich diversity, Lafayette and West Lafayette provide gastronomic sampling like few other Midwestern cities. From gluten-free bakeries and French wine bars to nostalgic drive-ins, the global scope of the scientific and educational arenas brings myriad dining opportunities for residents and travelers. After all, one cannot live on knowledge alone.
The morning repast can begin with scrumptious gluten-free pastries and shopping for sustainable goods at the charming Rose Market along Main Street. Located in Lafayette, with an in-house baker crafting wheat and dairy-free goods and rows of allergy-free products, customers will walk in for a dozen donuts and leave with a cartload of groceries. As soon as the door opens, visitors take in the aroma of sweets, and cases full of donuts, tarts, pies and cakes offer a feast for the eyes. Shoppers can peruse the aisles for hard-to-find alternative flours, puff pastry, a variety of pasta shapes and, of course, baking products.
For a nostalgic taste of Indiana, head to West Lafayette’s Triple XXX Family Restaurant, which opened in 1929. The Triple XXX brand root beer and the famous Duane Purvis peanut butter-topped burger, featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” are worth the wait to sit at the winding counter, but the root beer started it all in 1895. By the 1920s, the root beer chain grew to nearly 100 Triple XXX “thirst stations,” and today, this is the last remaining and oldest drive-in in the state.
If you’re in the mood for something less crowded, Lafayette’s East End Grill, which opened in 2016, provides a modern, relaxed atmosphere. It’s the perfect choice for a local meeting, date or even a place to hang out and watch the NCAA tournament. The menu, overseen by chef de cuisine Haley Garrity, spotlights local farms and serves roasted and grilled meats, seafood and vegetarian specialties.
Head directly across the street for a coffee or a glass of Burgundy at French-inspired Cellar Wine Bistro. Serving over 100 wines by the glass, it’s an opportunity to discover new favorite varietals. Enjoy one of the wine flights, which offer three 3-ounce pours, and find a new bottle to take on a picnic or a home to sip on your porch. It’s the perfect place to take stock of your quick tour through the art galleries, independent retail outlets and the captivating walk along Main Street.
In Lafayette and West Lafayette, every meal is an opportunity to savor the flavors of the new heartland, so come hungry, leave fortified and prepare to fall in love with eating and drinking delights in this charming Midwestern enclave.
