Food & Drinks

On a recent chilly night, a ruddy-cheeked mix of date-nighting hipsters, ethnic foodies, and Spanish-speaking expats filled the 10 tables inside Mama Irma Restaurant. Twinkle lights in the windows gave the storefront a Thomas Kinkade glow. And yet, even as the owner greeted diners with a motherly “Hi guys!” as if they had just come in from band practice, this snug Peruvian eatery in Fountain Square seemed blissfully unaware of its own preciousness.

When Martha Hoover founded Cafe Patachou in 1989, she was unaware of the future she was building for her then–3-year-old daughter, Rachael. But from...

“Food is community building by its very nature,” Indianapolis chef and co-owner of Duos mobile kitchen Becky Hostetter said on the stage of The Toby theatre at the Indianapolis Museum of Art Thursday night as part of IMA's We Are City Film Series. It was no surprise that she was speaking to a lively crowd of foodies, film lovers, and community members who had gathered for a screening of Sally Rowe’s A Matter of Taste, a documentary depicting the culinary passions, struggles, and rising career of Paul Liebrandt, chef of the Michelen two-star restaurant Corton in New York City.

Parmesan-crusted tilapia drizzled with white gravy and served atop mashed potatoes at Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern (1130 W. 86th St., 317-218-1070). Tarte Flambe pizza from Coal Pizza Company (36 E. Washington St., 317-685-2625), served with smoked flecks of bacon and onion, oozing with gr

The Big Easy sits nearly 850 miles from Indianapolis, putting a 14-hour drive between us and the bon temps of today's Mardi Gras celebrations. Still, why not let the good times roullez at one of our own Cajun/Creole restaurants?

Celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert promulgated their culinary wisdom upon the Hoosier state last Thursday, stopping at Indiana University’s Bloomington campus on their “Good vs. Evil” tour.

Licorice-stick red and jet black are the dominant hues at The Night Porter (921 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-253-5252), a new rock bar/restaurant in the former La Jolla space in Broad Ripple. It is the ideal spot for a beer-guzzling, music-loving crowd. Partner Steve Markoff had a vision to open a laid-back, music-centric place like the spots he frequented in his old Los Angeles neighborhood. As the creative director for Tour Design Creative/Live Nation, he has turned the location into a shrine to his favorite musicians. The walls are adorned with 75 framed concert posters. Beneath the bar, large black-and-white screen-printed murals (created by local artist Aaron Scamihorn) showcase the biggest rock stars from the 1950s to now.

Dan Dunville, the award-winning chef at Meridian Restaurant (5694 N. Meridian St., 317-466-1111), recently left his post after a dispute with owner Rick Lux of LUX Restaurants. After Dunville’s departure, Lux announced to the staff that sous chef Edsel Chad Secrest (who had been with Meridian since the restaurant’s opening) would be the new executive chef. After this staff announcement, and unbeknownst to Edsel, Lux interviewed other chefs in the city for the executive chef position. Through a text message, Edsel learned that Lux had hired Layton Roberts of Mesh (725 Massachusetts Ave., 317-955-9600) as the executive chef. When Lux was asked why the sudden change, he said he was concerned Edsel was too close to Dunville. Roberts begins his new post on February 29 and is expected to bring his kitchen crew.

But with all the possible variations, surely there’s room for one more. Last week, Kentucky-based BoomBozz Restaurants opened BoomBozz Taphouse (2430 E. 146th St., Carmel, 317-843-2666) in the former BD's Mongolian Barbeque space. The brick-and-stone accented restaurant is fitted with around 25 taps, serving up a well-edited selection of imported craft brews, including custom brews made by Flat12 Bierwerks.

Sometimes it’s only the thought of breakfast that is able to pull us from the cozy clutches of sleep. “Daytime Cafe” First Watch, a chain founded in Pacific Grove, California, in 1983, is opening in Indianapolis in mid-April at 3309 E. 86th St., with a full line of breakfast and lunch options. Meals worth waking up for include eggs, pancakes, yogurt parfaits, homemade French toast, and signature items such as eggs rolled inside thin crepes. The menu includes a number of gluten-free, low-fat, and/or low-carb foods, and diners can pour their morning cup of Joe from personal pots. The eatery will remain open through the afternoon, with a lunch menu of salads, soups, and sandwiches, such as the Not Guilty Your Honor wrap of spinach, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, tomato, cucumber, and feta tossed together, folded into a wheat tortilla, and served with a side of hummus.