No. 1 — Late Harvest Kitchen
Fans of pitch-perfect surf and turf always have the fallback lushness of Peterson’s (7690 E. 96th St., Fishers, 598-8863, petersonsrestaurant.com), especially in its tender osso buco, and row of seared Maine Diver scallops with alternating disks of apple tuille on a bed of risotto > Sporting dark paneling and Germanic robustness, The Rathskeller (401 E. Michigan St., 636-0396, rathskeller.com) pioneered the civilized rustic theme. Oxtail is listed among the soups, and the sides include spaetzle, red cabbage, and warm potato salad.
No. 2 — Black Market
With exposed-brick walls, raw wood beams suspended above the bar, and bell-shaped lamps that look like they could be lighting a henhouse, Black Market feels like the most stylish barn you’ll ever dine in. But the black-topped bar and skinny-legge
No. 3 — The Libertine
To experience some speakeasy decadence (and that famous shrimp cocktail), climb the stairs to St. Elmo Steak House’s second-story 1933 Lounge (127 S. Illinois St., 635-0636, stelmos.com) > Sazeracs and Chartreuse Swizzles are among the classic pours at Ball and Biscuit (331 Massachusetts Ave., 636-0539, ballandbiscuit.com), paired with Chef Brad Gates’s small plates > Vodka drinkers flock to Tini (717 Massachusetts Ave., 384-1313).
No. 4 — Room Four
Other scaled-down epicurean spots include Northside Social (6525 N. College Ave., 253-0111, northsidesocial.com), which prepares its mac ’n’cheese with bacon, pancetta, and prosciutto > Taste Cafe (5164 N. College Ave., 925-2233, tastecafeandmarketplace.com) serves approachable gourmet > Oakleys Bistro (1464 W. 86th St., 824-1231, oakleysbistro.com) keeps us entertained with upscale versions of (shrimp) corndogs and (goat cheese and fig marmalade) pizza.