Best Of Indy

Other gilded bistros were working their magpie charms long before Eggshell Bistro made its debut. Petite Chou (14390 Clay Terrace Blvd., Carmel, 566-0765; 823 Westfield Blvd., 259-0765; cafepatachou.com) sparks a craving for crepes and broken yolk sandwiches in a dining room that looks like Martha Hoover’s Pinterest board > The brunch crowd gravitates to Good Morning Mama’s (1001 E. 54th St., 255-3800, goodmorningmamas.com) for innovative breakfast-to-brunch fair in a brightly refurbished car repair shop. We love the Hoosierfied Hawaiian Loco Moco with cheesy grits and sausage gravy, and the blueberry pancakes.

Small-plate dining has taken off in Indy, but people have been sharing plates for a while here. They just called it “ordering off of the bar menu.” Meridian Restaurant & Bar (5694 N. Meridian St., 466-1111, meridianonmeridian.com) has an intriguing lineup of nibbles such as roasted beets and spiced popcorn > The happy hour menu at The Oceanaire (30 S. Meridian St., 955-2277, theoceanaire.com) ranges from crab cake bites to luscious shrimp and grits > The wafer-thin flatbreads at Palomino Restaurant & Bar (49 W. Maryland St., 974-0400, palomino.com) pair nicely with GNO beverages.

Burger connoisseurs rally behind their favorite patties, perhaps none more beloved than the crispy-edged standards at Workingman’s Friend (234 N. Belmont Ave., 636-2067) > At MacNiven’s Restaurant & Bar (339 Massachusetts Ave., 632-7268, macnivens.com), the Angus Burger spans the entire plate, wide and flat like a Frisbee. Fold it twice, like hamburger origami, to make it fit the bun > Those who like their burgers thick and artfully garnished will find bliss in the dozen-plus one-third–pound varieties at Boogie Burger (1904 Broad Ripple Ave., 255-2450, boogieburger.com) and in the hand-pattied creations at Bub’s Burgers & Ice Cream (210 W. Main St., Carmel, 706-2827, bubsburgersandicecream.com).

Did you think we could write a roundup of this year’s culinary new arrivals and not mention the food trucks? Not when every week, some new brightly painted box van was tweeting its whereabouts, offering everything from gourmet mac ’n’ cheese to Korean

The spicing is subtle in some dishes, striking in others, but always precise. Sometimes the combination of ingredients challenges our middle-American notions. When was the last time you had chilled, spiced mashed potatoes molded around chicken salad? But dishes assembled with such care and presented so lovingly can grow on you and become familiar. As Indy’s ethnic food scene expands and (hopefully) fills in all of our international cracks, Mama Irma gives us a place to call home.

1 >> What draws 2,000 people each weekend to Reynolds Farm Equipment (12501 Reynolds Dr., Fishers, 849-0810), home of the area’s most elaborate holiday lights display? Chugging among the angels, the manger, and the ark are John Deeres, in all their yellow-and-green splendor, their tires festooned with flashing lights that make them appear to spin.

1 >> What draws 2,000 people each weekend to Reynolds Farm Equipment (12501 Reynolds Dr., Fishers, 849-0810), home of the area’s most elaborate holiday...

Same name, same brands, yet somehow an exciting, fresh vibe—just one more reason to love Uber, an independent decor-and-clothing shop that opened a Carmel location this fall. The polished, gallery-like arrangement of Danish furniture, Jonathan Adler objects, and cool-again leather fanny packs is pioneering the emerging shopping scene at City Center and setting the bar stylishly high. 31 W. City Center Dr., Carmel, 564-5638

Book a treatment at the Evan Todd Spa & Salon at the Conrad, and you’re in for a VIP experience, starting with free valet parking. Even those who book just a chair massage at $2 per minute are welcome to stay and pamper themselves for hours. The posh sixth-floor retreat has an indoor pool and a Jacuzzi—bring a book and camp out on a thickly cushioned chaise—and a sun-drenched fitness room where the machines are always prepped with a bottle of water rolled up in a towel. 50 W. Washington St., 524-2575

Fancy box seats at the Hilbert Circle Theatre can cost up to $75, and they usually sell out. But during Happy Hour at the Symphony shows (next one: January 19), all seats are general admission, and you can sit there for just $25—if you arrive when the doors open and beeline for a box. 45 Monument Circle, 639-4300