Dining

Last week, I heard about a restaurant opening in the small town of Batesville that was worth the drive. So on Friday, I headed to The Butcher Shoppe & Grill at Walhill Farm (857 Six Pine Ranch Rd., Batesville, 812-934-2600) to see what the fuss was about. The restaurant is housed in an 11,000-square-foot chicken coop–turned–Bavarian-style lodge (not kidding). Instantly, you’re struck by its eclectic state, from the wall of vintage menus and the display of horse bits to the chairs made of bourbon barrels and the giant taxidermy ocean fish. This is no ordinary food spot off the interstate. Yes, I see barrels and I’m in the country—but instead of dreading that ho-hum experience, I’ve found a treasure.

Daniel Jones, Jim Ailes, David Pentzien, owners of Chatham Tap (8211 E. 116th St., 317-845-1090; 719 Massachusetts Ave., 317-917-8425) have announced plans to open a beer-meets-flatbread concept this September in the now-shuttered Agio space (635 Massachusetts Ave.).

I'm no stranger to the allure of candy. I spent my high school days scooping up chocolates and sugar-coated treats at the local candy store (and sampling between customers). Many of my colleagues at IM feel the same. We had a sweet time preparing for our July 2012 Global Eats issue. Check out some photo outtakes here from the Japanese candy spread.

Baker says he and Means hope to open the SoBro spot in nine months, offering breakfast at the coffee shop, lunch, and dinner in the brewery, and an outside music venue for close to 1,000 people.

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1.     Two fully saturated and crumble-topped hunks of buttermilk bread pudding at Bluebeard (653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580), scattered with ricotta and sweetened with prosecco cherries. 2.     The Polo Loco Real at El Meson (multiple locations)—chicken breast pounded thin, grilled, and topped with liquefied cheese, with mini flour tortillas for taco making and juice sopping. 3.     The Mega-Miller breakfast sandwich from Uptown Cafe (809 Conner St., Noblesville, 317-674-8668): a biscuit sandwich with egg, American cheese, ham, bacon, and hash browns, topped with jalapeno jelly, spinach, and tomatoes. 4.     Cafe Korea’s (7262 Fishers Crossing Dr., Fishers, 317-578-1987) seared pork dumplings. Inside a crispy fried crust, the filling is just hot enough to bring out the pork's full flavor. 5.     The open-faced braised short rib sandwich at Palomino (49 W. Maryland St., 317-974-0400), in which tender meat holds its own against a starchy double whammy: mashed potatoes and a crusty roll. Beef Manhattan with an attitude.

 

Last Thursday, the idyllic Joseph Decuis Farm in Roanoke played host to a Celebrity Chef Tour benefiting the James Beard Foundation. The tour travels the United States, replicating the once-in-a-lifetime dining experience at the historic James Beard House in Manhattan. The farm's gorgeous spread, located six miles from the restaurant, offered the kind of perfect backdrop that made you wonder when the Saveur photo shoot would begin. In fact, before guests were seated at a sprawling white-clothed barn table decked out in vases of fresh flowers, visiting James Beard rep Jeff Black, owner of the series, hailed the Indiana venue as the third most beautiful site the series had ever visited, Number One and Number Two being Hawaii and Napa Valley. According to Pete and Alice Eshelman, the owners of Joseph Decuis (that’s pronounced day-QUEEZ, by the way) and gracious hosts for the evening, the 130 guests came from as far as Texas, Boston, and North Carolina to partake in the festivities.