Once you peel back the swanky steakhouse aesthetic of this 15-year-old supper club–style establishment, you find an unexpectedly diverse menu with just enough familiarity to earn a loyal following. The aged steaks and accoutrements—like foie gras and truffle butter—are a carnivore’s dream. And the rotating salad varieties continue to impress: Pickled beets embellish a leafy bed topped with smoked trout, and an ethereal plate of artisan greens came tossed with cranberries and candied pecans last winter. But it’s executive chef Ricky Hatfield’s experimental concoctions—such as wild-boar Wellington, wrapped in mustard greens and a puff pastry—that are catching on among a traditionally risk-averse crowd and earning him major marks in our book.
MUST ORDER: Pastry chef Hattie McDaniel’s gargantuan layered chocolate cake hits on every sweet note, with white-chocolate mousse filling, milk-chocolate orange ganache, and a dark-chocolate glaze.
START THE WEEK OUT RIGHT: On Mondays, Peterson’s features half-priced bottles of wine and $1 oysters.
PREVIOUS MENTIONS: Best Restaurants 2004–2008, 2010–2011, 2013
7690 E. 96th St., Fishers, 317-598-8863, petersonsrestaurant.com
See all 25 Best Restaurants here.
This article appeared in the May 2014 issue.