Vida
Artisan Bread Basket
601 E. New York St., 317-420-2323
Pastry chef Hattie McDaniel’s recent creations have included pumpernickel biscuits and miniature Pullman loaves. Her streusel-topped version of Amish friendship bread paired with fried sage honey butter tastes like a nostalgic bite of Thanksgiving dinner.
Marrow
Corn Muffins
1106 Prospect St., 317-986-6752
Accompanied by rich East-meets-Indiana sorghum-miso butter, these muffins with a chewy edge make a great bar snack at the funky Fountain Square soul food spot.
Rush on Main
Bavarian Pretzel Sticks
112 S. Main St., Zionsville, 317-344-2416
A hybrid of soft mall pretzels and the kind you might get at Wrigley Field, these big, buttery sticks are as homey as they come, especially when dunked in gooey, straightforward nacho cheese.
Mesh
Bread Service
725 Massachusetts Ave., 317-955-9600
There’s a charming formality to the bread service at this Mass Ave standard that hearkens to restaurants of old. A rustic loaf arrives tucked in a cloth napkin, then another server comes by to pour a little herbed olive oil.
Harry & Izzy’s
Dinner Rolls
Three locations
You may come for the steaks and sliders, but you’ll be won over by these utterly comforting rolls that land somewhere between focaccia and the classic Parker House carb. By request at lunch and standard issue at dinner, these warm, herb-flecked hunks have a delectable buttery center.
Cafe Carib
Coco Bread
5603 E. Washington St., 317-602-8923
Despite their name, there’s no coconut milk in these soft, aromatic rolls at one of Indy’s newest food truck–to-restaurant conversions. But the sweet undertone definitely delivers a flavor of the West Indies.
The Rathskeller
Bread Basket
401 E. Michigan St., 317-636-0396
Arranged alongside the pumpernickel and whole wheat is one of Indy’s best pretzels: warm, chewy, and topped with coarse salt. Slather it with butter or dip it in sinus-clearing, Wisconsin-made Silver Springs mustard.
