Edited by Beth A. Clayton


R Bistro (888 Massachusetts Avenue, 423-0312), which had just debuted its 2010 winter lunch menu. When chef/owner Regina Mehallick revises her menu, it's almost as if she's opened a new place. We were tempted by the cross-cultural panini with kielbasa, sauerkraut, and horseradish, but instead chose somewhat lighter options so as not to break our New Year's resolutions so quickly. A salad of fresh greens with roasted vegetables, including hearty hunks of nicely caramelized cauliflower made keeping the diet easy, and toasted walnuts and a subtle yet bright orange vinaigrette were refreshing touches after heavy holiday fare. Also surprisingly wholesome was a warm bowl of spaghetti with bacon, crunchy threads of red cabbage, more walnuts, and a nice perfume of rosemary in a creamy sauce the waiter described as "not too gloopy." It definitely was not. Thankfully, a few things on the lunch menu never change, and we patted ourselves on the back for our entrée choices and dug into a wedge of buttermilk pie with its signature golden brown and crisp crust.  


After the usual fits and starts that accompany any restaurant opening, Greg Hardesty's new project, Recess (4907 N. College Ave., 925-7529) is set to open today at 5:30. The menu for the first two days includes pork belly with ponzu pickled cucumbers, radishes, and wakame seaweed, pan roasted eye of ribeye and oven-roasted tomatoes, and port-and-pear sorbet. The full menu experience is priced at $45. 
 

Downtown drinkers may be able to toast the coming of spring at a new bar, Ball & Biscuit, set to open near the end of March in the 3 Mass building. The new spot's owner, Trevor Belden, says the low-key bar and lounge will feature low lighting and will be devoid of TVs and loud music—"this is a place to chill out and have a conversation." The Matty Bennett-designed space will boast exposed brick, a copper-finished bar, and "probably lots of candles," says Belden—along with cocktails, including some throw back classics compiled by co-owner and general manager Zach Wilks, who Belden says is an expert in pre-Prohibition cocktails.

Another eatery blowing into town this spring is the tentatively named Broad Ripple Ice Cream Shop. Owner David Gabovitch says he has a "handshake agreement" to set up shop in the former Whistle Stop Café, a converted train car just off the Monon Trail in Broad Ripple.


Spotted having a late dinner at the Capital Grille (40 W Washington Street, 423-8790) on Saturday night: visiting violinist Vadim Gluzman and guest conductor Andrew Litton, seated at a four-top near the bar with Simon Crookall, president and CEO of the ISO and Martin Sher, vice president of artistic planning. The quartet seemed to be having a lively time celebrating the violinist's triumphant debut here: His performance of the devilishly difficult Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D was smokin', by all accounts.


Lunchtime might be a little early for reading a menu by votive-light, but we could not resist the dark, seductive call of Bella Vita's new Circle Centre dining room. The Italian eatery—a staple of Geist—had just moved into the old Bertolini's spot, which had sat vacant since March 2008. The menu of big-plate pastas and rustic meat dishes (like veal with lemon and capers) fits this mall-side location. The servers were snap-to-it, even if ours did us the favor of forgetting to bring out the Italian bread that was supposed to come with the Pollo alla Romano. All the more room for a tender pounded chicken breast with a baked-on crust of herbs and cheese and served over al dente fettuccini alfredo. For dessert: three scoops of spumoni in a waffle cup with chocolate sauce and strawberries. There is nothing here that will make your eyes roll back with pleasure—the food is of the basic performance-kitchen variety that's hard to mess up. But it's a nice vacation from the indignities of the food court an escalator ride up.


Sushi? Been there, done that. Cupcake shops? We have gobs of them. Say what you may about the Indy-area food scene, but there isn't a single food trend from the first decade of the new millennium—announced by the Food Network this month—that hasn't made its way to our humble metropolis. Click here for the full list.


January 18: Woodford Reserve dinner at Harry & Izzy's (153 S. Illinois, 635-9594). Four-course meal, plus bourbon tasting with master distiller Chris Morris, and an etched bottle of Woodford Reserve. $75 per person.

January 26: Old Pogue Bourbon dinner at Kelties (110 S. Union St., Westfield, 867-3525). Four course dinner and a signed bottle of Old Pogue, plus discussions on bourbon distilling and tasting. 25 percent of proceeds benefit Hamilton County Meals on Wheels. $85 per person/$160 per couple.

February 20:  The Welcome Table, a music, dance, and theater production, starts in Bloomington's Buskirk-Chumley Theatre and moves outside, to finish around Dale Enoch's sculpture "‘The Bloomington Banquet". Tickets are $25 and include homemade pie and beverages.

Through March 31: Three-course dinner at Shula's Steak House to Celebrate Don Shula's 80th birthday. Includes house or Caesar salad, any entrée on the menu, and Key lime pie or cheesecake. $29.95. 50 S. Capitol Ave., 231-3900. 


Scotty's Brewhouse will open a 6th location in late February. The new spot, located in Geist and dubbed Scotty's Lakehouse will focus heavily on locally farmed produce and organic, hormone-free beef raised in Indiana. They are also in negotiations with the Patachou folk to serve a few select items from Café Patachou on Saturdays and Sundays...Bobby Joe's Beef and Brew (4425 Southport Crossings Dr.) closed...The Flying Cupcake will open up a location on Mass Ave., adjacent to Scholar's Inn Restaurant & Lounge this summer...Riviera Maya, a Mexican eatery, plans to open up in the vacated Old Towne Ale House (8657 E. 116th St.). The proprietors, who also own Real Hacienda in Anderson, say they hope to open the doors by the end of the month...Stefano's Ristorante (11680 Commercial Dr., Fishers), will close, and will be replaced by Friaco's, a Mexican chain owned by the same company that operates both locations of Pancho's Taqueria (7023 Michigan Rd., 202-9015; 9658 Allisonville Rd., 585-8427)...Vito's on Penn (20 N. Pennsylvania St.) closed...Cornerstone Coffee Company (1 N. Pennsylvania St., 632-4290) closed...Café O (111 Monument Circle) closed...Red Eye Cafe (250 S. Meridian St.) closed.