How Indianapolis Chef Carlos Salazar Kept His Restaurant Dream Alive

Lil Rook and Lil Dumplings chef Carlos Salazar is a featured chef at Indianapolis Monthly’s Spring Savor event.
A smiling man
Carlos Salazar

Savor tagThis podcast originally aired on March 24, 2021. Carlos Salazar is a featured chef at Indianapolis Monthly’s Spring Savor event, which runs April 16-19, 2024. Tickets are available online.

In this audio interview, Indianapolis Monthly Features Editor Julia Spalding speaks with chef Carlos Salazar, a veteran of favorites like Rook and Oakleys Bistro. He’s now the chef of the Lil Rook food truck and the Lil Dumplings Noodle Bar, which is inside The Garage Food Hall.

Carlos and Julia talk about his innovative menus, how his businesses weathered the pandemic, and how businesses like his have battled back against a local and national wave of attacks and hate crimes against people of Asian heritage.