» Provision (2721 E. 86th St., 317-843-6105), the latest restaurant from Indy’s Cunningham Restaurant Group, is now open in the Ironworks Hotel near Keystone at the Crossing. Layton Roberts, who helmed CRG’s Vida restaurant to a Four Diamond Award from AAA, is the executive chef.
» Chefs Night Off and Bent Rail Brewery (5301 Winthrop Ave., 317-737-2698) are joining forces to help hurricane victims at a Taste of Texas BBQ fundraiser on September 21. The $60 ticket includes food from chefs Steve Oakley (Oakleys Bistro), Chris Eley (Goose the Market), Pat Niebling (Three Floyds Brewpub), Esteban Rosas (Rook), Ben Hardy (Gallery Pastry Shop), and Craig Baker (Bent Rail Brewery and The Local Eatery & Pub), plus beer from Bent Rail & Three Floyds Brewing Co. There will also be an Old Forester bourbon tasting and a silent auction.
» Natural Born Juicers is gearing up to open store number three. The company took to social media last week to announce a Broad Ripple location at 882 East Coil Street. No timeline was announced for the expansion, but in the meantime, you can get your juice fix downtown (856 Massachusetts Ave., 317-797-4254) or in Noblesville at Broccoli Bill’s Gray Road Market (15009 N. Gray Rd., 317-343-2996).
» The Indianapolis Business Journal reported on two Cincinnati-based steakhouse chains coming to downtown Indy. Tony’s of Cincinnati will open in the space formerly occupied by The Colts Grille in the spring of 2018, and Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse is expected to open on the ground floor of Regions Tower. The owners of Jeff Ruby’s have not publicly announced the expansion or a timeline for opening.
» New York-based CoreLife Eatery is opening its first Indiana location this month at 4335 East 82nd Street. (next to Fresh Thyme). The health-focused restaurant (think grain bowls and lots of greens) officially opens September 22, but will have a pre-opening fundraiser on September 21 to benefit hurricane-relief efforts. On that day only, customers can pay what they choose and proceeds will go to the American Red Cross.
» Fountain Square Clay Center is connecting culinary and ceramic artists for “Setting a Place: Local Potters and Chefs” on October 8. Chefs Jonathan Brooks (Milktooth), Neal Brown (Stella and Pizzology), and Erin Kem (Cannon Ball Brewing Company) will provide tastings and examples of food plating on pottery from seventeen local ceramic artists, who will also be on hand to do demonstrations. Taxman Brewery will serve beer. Discounted tickets ($35) are available until September 30.
» Two longtime local restaurants took to social media in the last week to announce immediate closures. Barcelona Tapas said goodbye via Facebook, and Boogie Burger sent a series of tweets informing customers of the news. No specific reasons were given for the closures.
» This weekend you can get a bite of Indiana’s largest apple pie at the Nappanee Apple Festival. The pastry stunner is seven feet in diameter, with 100 pounds of pie dough and 450 pounds of apples. It bakes for 17 hours in an oven big enough to fit the whole thing. (Sidebar: We are dying to see that oven.) The festival runs September 14–17.
