Borage
A one-stop shop for everything cute and delicious, Josh Kline and Zoë Taylor’s expansive Speedway spot hits all the craveable notes: One side is all coffee and pastries, while another is a specialty market with fresh food, rare condiments, and gorgeous little things. Its other wing is for brunch, lunch, and dinner, with comfy chairs and table service. It can be a lot to get your head around—especially when you’re trying to figure out what menu to order from—but that’s also part of the fun. While a dish you’re attracted to might not be on offer during one visit, it gives you a built-in reason to come back. Dishes pull from the owners’ backgrounds at some of the region’s most popular spots but are played out with their specific vision. – E.B.
1609 N. Lynhurst Dr., 317-734-3958
Cafe Babette
This Garfield Park bakery has graduated from a run-and-gun sensation to a full-on hit, expanding from over-the-top pastries into custom cakes, sandwiches, slushies, and even ice cream. That list will likely be even longer when this issue hits newsstands, as chef Cheyenne Norris’s brain moves faster than any printing press, with new offerings launching on the business’s Instagram stories every week. Loyal patrons know Thursdays are the restaurant’s cheat code, as that’s when lines are the shortest and the spot’s outdoor seating is easiest to secure. Those with superior planning order boxes in advance and skip the line completely. – E.B.
2627 Shelby St.
Cheeky Bastards
With crumpets, scones, and a jaw-dropping breakfast fry-up, not to mention afternoon teas and plenty of benedicts, and bacon, and egg baps, Hope Lane and Robert Carmack’s homage to all things British has long been a daytime destination. But the recent addition of a bar makes this just as much a place for a rib-sticking, midevening supper. New additions such as golden, lightly fried halloumi with an especially smooth and refined aioli, as well as a house salad with black currant vinaigrette and a less-hefty-than-expected Scotch egg, are all reasons to stop in any time to practice your Cockney or Geordie over a pint, especially now that occasional weekend roasts and teas are soon to be regular Sunday events. – T.K.
11210 Fall Creek Rd., 317-288-9739
Commission Row
Indy’s pervasive Cunningham Restaurant Group is behind this glossy fine dining spot, which is positioned to benefit from crowds headed to or from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. That makes game nights quite a scene at the baller-level restaurant, which gilds the lily with caviar service or foie gras and lobster tail for your steak. The wine list is heavy on the bubbles, apt for celebrating a big win at work or play. A three-figure seafood tower is a showy special occasion order—or just an average Tuesday night if you’re living the courtside seat life. – E.B.
110 S. Delaware St., 317-550-2500
Corridor
At the end of 2024, Erin Kem and Logan McMahan briefly shuttered SoBro favorite Nicole-Taylor’s Pasta + Market + Backroom Eatery, which they had purchased a few years before. After a remodel, they reopened the space as Corridor, a lunchtime restaurant dedicated to the flavors of the Mediterranean, North African, and Arab worlds. The handmade pasta Nicole-Taylor’s built its fame on remains, as does a tightly edited market of specialty goods. Also intact is the restaurant’s chef’s table dinners, a four-figure affair that’s one of the hottest dining tickets in town. – E.B.
1134 E. 54th St., 317-257-7374
